#the big brierly

[fuzzkaizer]

BLACKSTRAP ELECTRIK CO. - The Big Brierly

No. 500

"Replica of my 1967 black-bar Sola Sound (Vox commercial sample) MKII Tone Bender. A bit emotional releasing my 500th unit. Lots of parts in here I'll never have again, particularly that correct Iskra weenie in the middle. Feels, sounds, smells, and looks like the real one."

cred: instagram.com/blackstrap_electrik

[royalsunshinehotel]

caramelizing onions (Dev Patel, preference)

Five Days Until Monkey Man!!!!!

a/n: inspired by an ask from @binickandros from forever ago <3 backbone of the fanbase with their gifs 🫡thank you for your service.

Anwar Kharral (Skins 2009) I've got a headcanon that Anwar is a big soup enjoyer, specifically French Onion Soup, so I think Anwar could do alright caramelizing onions. As an adult, I think he can hold his own in the kitchen, but that's because he knows that the payoff is going to be worth it.

Sonny Kapoor (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, 2011) Sonny is blessed to be in the position where he can export the onion caramelizing to the hotel kitchens, where a professional can handle it. He has not been allowed in a kitchen since 2005, per his mother's orders. No, he will not tell you why.

Neal Sampat (Newsroom, 2011-2014) In my head, Neal comes from a family of restauranteurs. He's inherited the family skill, he's out of practice. His stove has been broken since he moved into this apartment. The odds are stacked against him, but still, he busts out a hot plate and gets to work, you're getting your onions.

Deon Wilson (Chappie, 2015) Deon has been eating hot pockets and adult portions of lunchables since he moved out of the house in 2015. He's barely familiar with vegetables, you're gonna have to teach him how to work the stove. Sorry girl, he's really cute tho.

Sheru "Saroo" Bierley (LION, 2016) Sue Brierly made sure both of her sons knew how to hold their own in a kitchen, and Saroo is not gonna forget that knowledge. If you've got a hankering for French onion soup, you better believe that he's gonna do everything he can to get ready for you.

Jay Menha (The Wedding Guest, 2018) Sanjay is tricky. The two of you travel so often for 'work', and it's kind of hard to not get takeout. However, once in a blue moon, Jay will make a nice meal for the two of you. He's romantic, he's sweet, and the two of you have a cozy night together. Yes, he did call his mother to make it happen. Yes, he's gonna do everything in his power to make sure you don't find that out.

David Copperfield (2019) I feel like David will need help the first few times he's in a kitchen. He's a man of means now, so he's able to pay his cook to give him lessons in the kitchen. This being said, I feel like David will want to cook for you, but tell you that the cook prepared it. You like it better when David cooks for you, even if you don't know it.

Joshua Madika (Modern Love, 2019) Joshua can and will buy you every single onion in the world. He doesn't mean to be so 'much', but you love him for it! This being said, he will give Carmelizing Onions one solid attempt, and depending how it goes, then he'll get you takeout from all your favorite spots in the city. It's a win-win to be honest.

Sir Gawain (The Green Knight, 2021) Oh, I'm sorry babe, he'd absolutely not be able to caramelize onions for you. I do, however, think, that he would be great at making smores. He is totally capable of putting a marshmallow on a stick and holding it over heat until it's golden brown. That is the extent of his food-gathering capabilities. God bless him for still being alive at age twenty-one.

[xenotwink]

fic list

multi-chapter: Pantora's Box (thrawn/eli, E, 52.7k, complete) Love is a Weapon (thrawn/kallus, thrawn/eli, E, 27.7k, complete) the ghost of (you) (thrawn/eli, eli/thrass, E, 4k, complete) Sugar (thrawn/eli, E, 7.1k, complete) Frosting (thrawn/eli, E, 3.1k, complete) The Chiss-of-paradise (thrawn/eli, E, 7.1k, complete) The Meeting (thrawn/thrass/eli and combos thereof, E, 6.7k, complete) Syrupsun (thrawn/eli, eli/lando (past), E, 7.1k, in progress) multi-part: The imperial menagerie (in progress) A change in career (Part I) (thrawn/eli, E, 17K) Blood Haze (thrawn/eli, E, 2.4k) Surveillance footage - Menagerie Lab (thrawn/eli, M, 1.9k) Menagerie North (thrawn/eli, E, 2.7k)

oneshots (and twoshots): instigation (thrawn/eli, E, 1.3k) How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (thrawn/eli, E, 7.6k) More than blue (thrawn/eli, E, 2.7k) Ohhh Two (thrawn/eli, E, 4.4k) Ohhh Yes (thrawn/eli, E, 5.6k) Two of a Kind (thrawn/eli, E, 2.2k) All I Wanna Do (thrawn/brierly ronan, E, 1.8k) Wishful (thrawn/eli, thrawn/samakro, E) Lesson (thrawn/eli, E, 2.6k) Pantora Pink (thrawn/eli, E, 1.2k) Devotion (thrawn/eli, M, 3k) Addicted (thrawn/eli, M, 2k) Captivated (thrawn/eli, M, 1.2k) Caudal Anatomy (thrawn/eli, T, 1k) a mild haunting (thrawn/eli, G) no one can break your heart (so you break it yourself) (thrawn/eli, G) the chance in the between (G)

you do have to be signed in to read (i mean, why wouldn't you be) as i don't want any ai scraping it and if you do that sort of shit fuck you die a million deaths. please read and comment and kudos? i love these boys, the main ones. but like all them. my username is exactly what i like ok.

[theascndncy]

            Hello  and  welcome  to  theascndncy.  This  is  an  independent,  selective,  private,  20+  Star  Wars  multimuse.  This  blog  will  contain  heavy/dark  themes  and  is  plot  driven  most  of  the  time.  Inspirations  for  my  muses  come  from  Timothy  Zahn's  books,  slightly  leaning  more  towards  the  Legends/EU  books,  and  a  mix  with  my  headcanons.  Rules  and  muse  list  will  be  under  the  cut  plus  any  other  helpful  links  will  be  found  down  below.

          Interest   tracker.   Muses.   Promo.           Other blogs: obi-wan. caleb.           Affiliated: perhaps soon!

                            little muse list until I make a better thingy: Primary: Eli Vanto, Ufsa'mak'ro, Ar'alani, Cohbo'rik'ardok, Brierly Ronan Secondary: Che'ri, Mitth'ras'safis, Mitth'ali'astov, Irizi'in'daro, Un'hee

                             Rules to follow! I'll keep it simple: Mun: My name's AJ! I love characters, love talking about them all the time. I love to read and write. I mostly read horror, and recently found it's actually a favorite genre of mine. I'm a nerd, a dork, hella shy, and would love to be your friend!

Please be kind and respectful! If there are any issues with me, please come to me in an appropriate manner. I don't bite, I promise. We all know we can't read each other's minds!

Muses. As it goes, my primary muses are ones I probably will have most muse for, and will be my go to muses for starter calls or unspecified memes (but pretty please specify muse). Primary & Secondary muses can shift position or be removed depending on interaction. I may add muses as I see fit in the future. I will make any posts indicating any updates.

NS.FW. It will maybe be present on this blog. Most of my muses and mun are of age. I probably won't dive too much into, but it's a possibility. I will tag it accordingly if I do, or make a sideblog for such things.

Shipping. I love to ship. I'm opened to it as long as we both are good with it, and talk about our muses to see if they click.

Controversial characters. Totally down to write with any type of character. I won't limit myself. If this bothers you, please do not follow.

Triggers. I'll tag what I can/remember. I will NOT write with drunk muses. This doesn't need to be tagged for your threads, I just don't want to deal with it one-on-one.

OCs/Fandoms. Totally chill with OCs, just have some type of an about page. I can try and fit my muses into anything, and will follow blogs I can see working (even if I don't know the fandom).

Be patient! I have a full time job and a few other blogs I hop on. I usually go with the flow, see what muse I have. Plus please be aware that I struggle with depression. Some Days are good and others not so much.

OOC. I love to chat ooc. Through IMs or discord. Whatever works for you. Although, discord is only open to mutuals.

Icons. Half of my muses do and half don’t have icons. In all honesty I probably won't use them too much. I'm definitely okay with not using them straight up either.

Disney Star Wars/Sequels. Okay so... I am not a big fan of the sequels. I won't take much from most of Disney live action shows, but I am not a grouch! I'm very much open to talking to find a common ground for plotting!

MUTUALS ONLY!!!!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Beautifully preserved Mid Century Modern home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright apprentices Peter Berndtson and Cornelia Brierly. The house is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is on the market for $685K. Apparently, it’s in the Squirrel Hill South section that has a large population of younger adults.

It’s so amazing to see a home like this in such perfect original condition.

I often wonder why orange was so popular back then. Orange was never my favorite color, but my grandmother liked it.

Beautiful deck.

Gorgeous kitchen- it’s pretty big for a MCM house. Look at their collection of clocks.

Nice area- it’s the largest mud room I’ve ever seen.

The gardens are fabulous.

Ground floor family room. Each room has a great view.

Very nice home office. The floor plan is flexible so there are 3 or 4 bdrms depending on how it’s set up.

This is probably the main bdrm.

The home has many access points to the outside.

Here’s a great private patio.

Very nice secondary bdrm.

Nice brick guest powder room.

Looks so lovely at night.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2717-Mount-Royal-Rd-Pittsburgh-PA-15217/11289786_zpid/

[vessels-cape]

Brierly Ronan is such a pathetic little guy™️, like I wanna push him down the stairs but I also want to give him a big hug, y’know?

[wearevillaneve]

BBC America has announced new cast for Killing Eve ahead of the premiere of the fourth and final season of the acclaimed drama series. Camille Cottin, who recurred as Hélène in Season 3 of Killing Eve, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming season. Additionally, Anjana Vasan (We Are Lady Parts) and Robert Gilbert (The Tragedy of Macbeth) have joined as series regulars and Marie-Sophie Ferdane (I Am Not An Easy Man) will recur in the series starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer.

In Season 4, Eve (Oh), Villanelle (Comer), and Carolyn (Fiona Shaw) are in very different places. Following Eve and Villanelle’s exchange on the bridge, the former is on a revenge mission, while the latter has found a brand-new community in an attempt to prove she’s not a “monster.” Having killed Paul, Carolyn goes to extraordinary lengths to continue to chase down The Twelve and the person that ordered Kenny’s hit. Cottin’s Hélène, introduced in Season 3, is the most high-up member of The Twelve revealed so far.

Vasan plays Pam. A young new assassin-in-training, Pam is an outsider whose work in the family funeral business was solace for her despite her bully of a brother.

Gilbert portrays Yusuf. Warm and charismatic, Yusuf is an ex-army, alpha bad boy who works with Eve and helps her on her mission of revenge.

Ferdane plays Gunn, an assassin with even more issues than Villanelle.

Executive producers for the upcoming season are Sally Woodward Gentle, Lee Morris, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Gina Mingacci, Damon Thomas, Laura Neal, and Sandra Oh.

The fourth and final season of Killing Eve premieres  Sunday, February 27 on BBC American and AMC+ and Monday, February 28 on AMC.

Cottin, known for her role as Andréa Martel on the French comedy-drama series Call My Agent!,  can currently be seen in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci alongside Adam Driver and Lady Gaga. She��s currently filming Golda opposite Helen Mirren for Oscar-nominated director Guy Nattiv.

Gilbert’s film credits include The Tragedy of Macbeth, Save Luna, Ready Player One, Gulliver’s Travels, and The Academy. On the TV side, he has appeared in Big Boys, The Windsors, Sinbad, Uncle (1, 2 and 3), Hold the Sunset, and Temple.  He is repped by A3 Artists Agency in the U.S. and Denton Brierly in the UK.

Vasan recently appeared in We Are Lady Parts,for which she received Gotham and Independent Spirit award nominations for her role as Amina. Other television credits include Sex Education and Black Mirror.

Ferdane starred opposite Vincent Elbaz in the Netflix film I Am Not An Easy Man, directed by Eleonore Pourriat. Most recently, she starred in the limited series Philharmonia, helmed by Canadian director Louis Choquette.

[ltwilliammowett]

The first circumnavigation 1519-1522

None other than Ferdinand Magellan is credited with the first circumnavigation of the globe. However, it was not Magellan who accomplished this, it was Juan Sebastián de Elcano.

Juan Sebastián de Elcano (x)

In fact, Magellan set out with 5 ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria and the Santiago) on 20 September 1519 to reach the Spice Islands, the Moluccas, which today belong to Indonesia. The plan was to buy the spices on the spot and not to buy them expensively from the Portuguese. There was still no talk of sailing around the world. He set out with 245 men from 10 different nations. There was still no talk about Elcano. He was born in 1486/87 in Spain and had originally been a merchant captain who had joined the Spanish navy 10 years before the expedition in order to escape a punishment that awaited him because he had illegally sold his ship abroad. He was part of the crew of the Concepcion and was in charge of navigation, whether as an officer or a boatswain is unclear.

Ferdinand Magellan discovering the sea passage, which would later become known as the Straits of Magellan, in November, 1520, the orginal was painted by Oswald Walters Brierly (1817-1894) (x) 

In December 1519, the small fleet found itself on the coast of Brazil due to a gross navigational error. Magellan slowly felt his way along the coast until a mutiny broke out on 1 April. The officers of the San Antonio, Concepcion and Victoria rebelled against wintering and demanded an immediate return. The mutiny was put down by Magellan, but one captain was hanged, one was abandoned and the third had already died during the mutiny. On 22 May, the Santiago was lost. It took a long and nerve-wracking time, but on 28 November 1520, three ships reached the Pacific Ocean after crossing what is now known as the Strait of Magellan. The fourth ship, the San Antonio, experienced another mutiny and in the meantime had turned back towards Spain.

This is a painting of the mutiny to overthrow Magellan. - Stefano Bianchetti (x)

The journey continued for the other three and they reached the Mariana Islands on 6 March 1521. There the men hoped to find food and water, but were attacked by the natives. Only with the last of his strength did Magellan manage to retrieve his belongings and plunder the natives. Supplied with food, the Spaniards arrived on the 16th. March, the Spaniards reached the Philippines. Now wiser from their previous experiences, they looked for an uninhabited island from where they made friends with the natives of one of the islands. Sufficiently supplied with food and water, they went to the island of Cebu where Magellan died because of a promise to support the ruler in an invasion against the neighbouring island.

In the following weeks, many Europeans died of diseases and injuries, so that the Concepcion had to be abandoned. The Victoria and the Trinidad went to Borneo. There Elcano became captain and leader of the expedition. On 6 November they finally reached the Spice Islands and bought what they needed and tried to sail back across the Pacific. The Trinidad, which was too badly damaged, had to be repaired first and was then to return home alone.

Oceanic voyages of Ferdinand Magellan and his crew, 1519–22

Elcano tried his luck through Portuguese waters, but scurvy , which was a big problem in this expedition, struck again and Elcano had to sail to the Cape Verde Islands. His disguise of being a Spaniard off course worked until the Portuguese found the spices. Elcano was lucky to escape with 20 men, but he had to leave 13 behind, who ended up in prison. Elcano arrived back in Spain on 6 September. The Trinidad never made it, because she was attacked by the Portuguese and her crew was put in prison. Out of her 54 men crew, only 4 made it back to Spain.

Elcano became rich from the share of spices which were sold and was also knighted. However, he did not enjoy this for long, because he died somewhere in the Central Pacific in 1526 during another expedition to the Spice Islands, where he was the chief navigator.

[acharnemcnt-a]

Empire verse in a nutshell:

Orson: 😏 Hey Galen, my new protégé, Armitage, is a big fan. We're stopping by the lab so he can shadow you. Not because I'm stalking you or anything.

Armitage, 19 & sassy: I developed two updates to the Death Star's power processor and all Brierly did was pick up your dry cleaning. Fire him and make me Deputy Director.

@debelltio

[darkacademiaaa]

What are your favorite books?

What a difficult question!!! My absolute favourite book of all time is The Secret History, I don't think I need to explain why lol. After that probably 'Unbeleivable?' by Justin Brierly, even though I'm an atheist it was really interesting and well-put and I read it in like a day. At the moment I'm reading Christopher Hitchens' memoirs 'Hitch-22' and Paradise Lost. At the moment I'm trying to read more fiction because I'm going to be reading a whole lot of non-fiction at university soon. Also I go absolutely feral for books of classics made feminist, like Circe by Madeline Miller. Big question though!

[royalsunshinehotel]

social media preference (dev patel)

Anwar Kharral (Skins UK): Anwar is the only one on this list active on TikTok. He's not an uncomfortable teen anymore - he's being cringe on main and setting trends. I bet he's got 90K followers at least! He uses Threads and Instagram to back up his TikTok, not much else.

Sonny Kapoor (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 1&2): For the benefit of the hotel, Sonny is active on Reels to promote the corporate 'brand'. He likes the chance to be creative, and the 'Board' likes the chance to show off the handsome CEO.

Neal Sampat (Newsroom): Neal is an OG Tumblr user, who joined the site as early as 2008. As demonstrated on the show, Neal is adept at using Twitter to cross-reference and fact-check various sources, I do think he'd be a prolific shitposter on a side account, rivaling our king @dril.

Deon Wilson (Chappie 2015): Deon is self-explanatory. he likes to support the indie social media sites that sprung up in the wake of the Fall of Twitter. He's a fan of SpaceHey because he went to Computer Camp with the engineer who started it (it's based out of Germany), which he's always wanted to visit!

Sheru “Saroo” Bierley (Lion 2016): I find it harder to deny with each passing day that Saroo Brierly isn't an Instagram thot. Look at @brockohurn on IG and tell me that they don't have the same respectful bro energy. I think Saroo likes the chance to use all the photos in his camera roll, and I think the MILFs of Instagram are grateful for the content.

Jay Menha (The Wedding Guest, 2019): The closest Jay gets to social media is the Polaroids he likes to stick up on the wall of your shared room. Sometimes, if he's having a bad time, he likes to sit in his beanbag and look at the wall. He only gets a ghost Facebook account to keep up with relatives- nothing ever is posted, ever.

David Copperfield (The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2020): I think David would do numbers on Medium.com because he can write self-prompted think-pieces that no one ever asked about, AND get paid for them! He's writing analyses of "Jeyton vs Brucas vs Leyton: One Tree Hill", and he's actually making money. It would be magic to him!

Joshua Madika (Modern Love, 2019): Joshua's social media is all on Tinder. He's perfected his profile, and he likes talking to people. It's all genuine and zero malice. Who wants to be alone with their thoughts?

Sir Gawain (The Green Knight, 2021): I once read a post about Edward Cullen texting that read, "just saw a snail . . . effervescent," and I think that's as close as Gawain should get to the internet. It's just like shitposting, but it's all for you.

Dr. ZZ Chatterjee (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, 2023): ZZ keeps his drama on Facebook. He's definitely showing up in comments to defend someone's mutual friend from accusations of bias when she broke up with her tiny boyfriend because she was having neck problems*. With a doctor on her side, she didn't have to post X-rays of her neck! ZZ will be beefing!

The Kid (Monkey Man, 2024): "Ted, the movie hasn't even come out yet! How can you say The Kid is a Pinterest girlie?" It's all pretty pictures with an indefinite scroll. I also bet he's a big fan of putting things in categories (see also: skittles). We'll see who's right.

*true story circa 2018 on my Facebook page.

[smlpodcast]

The SML Podcast - Episode 737: Retired Boeing Volleyball

Download Episode 737 -- 

We've got William Brierly of Snowrunner Productions back on the show to chat about his latest batch of virtual insanity!

The show kicks off with the full PartyCast crew of Chris Taylor, Tim Ekkebus, Brooke Poole, and Pernell Vaughan on hand to welcome Will Brierly back to the show after a few years to chat about his newest project, Retired Men's Nude Beach Volleyball League on Steam! We chat about the creation of the game, the super deep story that lies beneath, hidden secrets, and tons more! Plus reviews with the whole PartyCast crew and a special review with Glenn Case!

0:00 - Boeing 737 Facts 4:35 - Show intro/Will Brierly Interview 44:33 - Chorus - Deep Silver Fishlabs, Deep Silver (Tim) 1:00:55 - Mechajammer - Whalenought Studios, Modern Wolf (Pernell & Brooke) 1:17:00 - DEEEER Simulator: Your Average Everyday Deer Game - Gibier Games, PLAYISM (Tim) 1:25:22 - Happy's Humble Burger Farm - Scythe Dev Team, tinyBuild (Brooke) 1:34:41 - Castle on the Coast - Big Heart Productions, Klabater (Chris) 1:44:51 - Collapsed - Glaive Games, Overgamez (Pernell) 1:52:45 - Justice Chronicles - Hit-Point, KEMCO (Chris) 2:01:40 - Sleepin' Guy Deluxe Edition - Chubby Pixel (Pernell) 2:13:41 - Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX - Koei Tecmo Games (Glenn)

The show ends with two tracks from an old band of Glenn Case, updated full of holiday cheer with sleigh bells!

2:29:27 - Basket Robbers - Landlord (Sleigh Bells Remix) 2:31:31 - Basket Robbers - Idiot (I'm Still Cool) (Sleigh Bells Remix)

http://snowrunnerproductions.com/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1805000/ https://www.dsfishlabs.com/ https://www.deepsilver.com/ http://whalenoughtstudios.com/ https://modernwolf.net/ https://twitter.com/DeeeerSim_en https://playism.com/ https://scythedevteam.com/ https://www.tinybuild.com/ https://twitter.com/CastleCoastGame https://klabater.com/ https://twitter.com/GamesGlaive https://overgamez.com/ http://www.hit-point.co.jp/ https://www.kemco-games.com/ https://chubbypixel.com/ https://www.koeitecmoamerica.com/ https://glenncase.bandcamp.com/ https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sml-podcast/id826998112 https://open.spotify.com/show/6KQpzHeLsoyVy6Ln2ebNwK https://twitter.com/theSMLpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/theSMLpodcast/ ALL REVIEWED GAMES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR FREE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ANY COVERAGE ON THE SHOW

[findingmywaychapter2]

Day 26 - El Acebo to Ponferrada Before I began this venture, it was suggested that some days, all I'd really be able to say is "F**k, eh??" Well, that was this morning. I expected to walk downhill all day, but didn't really expect THAT kind of downhill. And my ankles were already sore from yesterday's downhill. Now one of them is quite unhappy - get out the ibuprofen gel. It was an interesting walk in that there were so few people on the path. I knew a few who were ahead of me and two who were a bit behind, but hardly saw anyone for long distances. Such a change from yesterday. Of course we all met in the square at Molinaseca to commiserate about our walk down the rocky path. Today I'm grateful for: - Sturdy boots with ankle support and vibram soles - Walking sticks - Ibuprofen 600s The path passed through some lovely towns - I would like to have stayed in Molinaseca last night - especially after I saw how attractive it is, but after the steep downhill yesterday, I knew I didn't have any more in me. The town further endeared itself by having a pharmacy that was open on Sunday morning with a person who spoke English and knew what I meant when I asked for paper tape. In Ponferrada tonight, a city of 69k. The Knights Templar were a big deal here - I toured their enormous castle and the Basillica. I seem to have lost most of my Camino buddies for one reason or another- they've gone ahead faster than me or have gone home, so I'm a bit bereft at present, but I know that will change yet again. Today I made it to the beginning of page 3/3 of the Brierly stages (aka the Camino bible for English speakers). After tomorrow I will have less than 200 kms left to Santiago.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Lion (2016)

Despite my thick skin, I found Lion profoundly touching. It makes you want to cry tears of sadness and of joy.

While accompanying his older brother to work, young Saroo (Sunny Pawar in a magnificent first role) becomes lost. Eventually adopted by an Australian couple (Naomi Watts and David Wenham as Sue and John Brierly), the boy grows up far from his family. 25 years later, Saroo (now played by Dev Patel) begins searching.

At times, it's tough to watch Lion. You’re placed in Saroo’s shoes as he wanders the streets in a foreign city, trying to communicate with people that don’t speak the only language he knows. What I like here is that the film never tells you exactly what is happening when Saroo meets unsavory characters or temporary refuge. He’s a kid so he doesn’t truly grasp what is happening around him, but you do. For the first half of Lion, you’re like a parent watching son as he tries to find his way back to you. Once that second half kicks in you’re so relieved that the street urchin stuff is over, but at the same time, you want to weep. Yes, the immediate danger has passed, but how will he find his family?

Once that first, Oliver Twist-like chapter is over, the film is no less engaging. When the characters speak to each other, their conversations do not feel scripted. Legitimate emotions and ideas about adoption come up. Once again, you become Saroo. You want him to find out what happened to his family. At the same time, you can’t help but be wary. How could this story have a happy ending? If he even finds answers to his questions, how will they affect his life and family? I’m making it sound like you’ll be bawling your eyes out but there’s hope here. It’s faint but you can see it on the horizon. That keeps you going all the way to the end.

Thanks to the strong performances you understand these people inside and out; you’re fully immersed in their story. I thought I was going to be able to walk away emotionally unscathed and then BAM! That ending comes in. It’s then followed by a mid-credit sequence you won’t want to miss. Is it the best film of the year? Not for me. Being a true story makes the film just the tiniest bit predictable and to be honest, recent political activity in the U.S. has put me in a sour mood. I’m not as enthusiastic for a nice story as I’d normally be. Nonetheless, the performances, the way it immerses you in its characters and the way it delicately balances the joy and the sorrow within this true-life tale makes Lion a great way to spend time at the movies. (Theatrical version on the big screen, January 28, 2017)

[thebuckblogimo]

Ten things I remember from kindergarten when I was a five-year-old at Lowrey.

January 15, 2017

There’s a new movie out that I saw the other day called “Lion,” based on the book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly (with Larry Buttrose). It’s the real-life story about a young Saroo, who as a poor, five-year-old boy from a small village in India, goes out one day with his older brother to scavenge coal, gets separated from him, hops a train, falls asleep…and wakes up 900 miles later in Calcutta where the people speak a different language.

Knowing his mother only as “Mum,” and the first initial of the name of the town where he came from, Saroo spends several harrowing weeks alone in the streets before an adult rescues him and takes him to an orphanage.  Eventually he gets adopted by a loving, affluent Australian couple and lives a happy life with them for 20 years in Tasmania…until he becomes obsessed with the idea of researching his identity and finding his birth mother.

Relying on foggy memories of his village, as well as Google Earth to search for images of it, he painstakingly conducts his investigation and is finally reunited with his mother. A review in the New York Daily News calls “Lion” a “10-hanky film.”

After seeing Saroo Brierley interviewed on 60 Minutes, I was intrigued by the random things he could visualize as a five-year-old to find his village and family two decades later. I was five when I started kindergarten in the fall of 1952 at Lowrey School in Dearborn, and Brierly’s story caused me to recall some of the things that I can remember from that time in my life. Here are ten of them:

I’m not sure how my mother connected with the Massaro family who lived two-and-half blocks away from our house, but Mrs. Massaro and my Mom took turns walking Freddy Massaro and me to kindergarten each morning, until our moms were comfortable with the two of us making the 1.3-mile trip together on our own. I remember that there were both morning and afternoon sessions at Lowrey. I also remember being disappointed that my friend Butchie, whose house I passed on the way to school every day, attended the afternoon session, not the morning one with me.

There were two kindergarten classrooms for each session. Miss Grumman taught my class; Miss Vincent taught the other. The rooms were separated by a “cloakroom” or “clothes press.” One classroom had a piano where Miss Grumman played the “alphabet song” to teach us our ABCs. When I first heard it I recall asking Freddy, “What’s an ‘alamenno pea’?”

There was a specially equipped classroom down the hall where the “crippled kids,” as we called them in those days, went to learn. Every day I saw children who couldn’t control their body movements and kids whose legs were in braces. I remember feeling really sorry for them.

At the south end of my room, the biggest of the two kindergarten rooms, there was a playhouse. At Christmas time, a tree was decorated near it for which we made cords of garland by linking colorful pieces of construction paper. I remember standing on risers in front of the tree where we sang “Up on the Housetop.” We hit rhythm sticks every time we came to the part that goes, “…click, cIick, click.” I recall being surprised that most of the other kids seemed to know the words to the song, while I didn’t. I thought I knew all the Christmas songs: “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.” I never did learn the words. I still don’t know them today.

At mid-year, after semester break, Freddy and I began to attend the afternoon kindergarten session. That’s when a new kid by the name of Noel was introduced to our class. After a few days it was discovered that he could read and write. So he was quickly transferred to first grade down the hall. The following year Noel entered the first grade at St. Alphonsus. He remains a good friend of mine today and is a successful attorney.

Every time it was someone’s birthday, he or she would be seated at a special table at the front of the class. A parent would usually deliver treats, such as cupcakes, and everyone would sing “Happy Birthday.” I remember feeling so proud because my Dad picked up candy bars–big boxes of full-sized Mounds Bars and Almond Joys–at my Uncle Frank’s “filling station.” Also, you were to select someone of the opposite sex to sit with at the head table. I picked a girl by the name of Donna, who, in my opinion, was the prettiest girl in the class. But I was really, really shy. I don’t recall ever talking to her again.

Random names I recall: Besides Freddy and Noel, I have the strongest image of a kid named Leeroy. Hearing his name made me think of a cowboy. Hearing his raspy voice made me think of sandpaper. Leeroy had buck teeth with wide gaps. He often wore white shirts. He was always sucking up to Miss Grumman. I suspect he turned out to be a “sid” who probably carried his books in a school bag when he started first grade. I also remember the names of Nancy, Joyce and Jackie. I don’t remember any last names. Random things I recall: tricycles we could ride on the wooden floor; old-fashioned stereoscopes (forerunners to View-Masters) with 3-D images of faraway places; closets with dark wooden doors where we stored our rugs for “rest period;” Miss Grumman’s desk at the entrance to our room; and, finally, Big Chief tablets for writing and drawing.

My mother didn’t drive. So occasionally she would arrange for Mrs. Phillips, our next-door neighbor, to pick me up from school. I remember that the Phillips owned a 1949 or ‘50 or ‘51 Ford. I think it was a “two-door sedan.” Navy blue. With black walls. It was a “three-speed,” with the shifter on the column. I remember that the clutch made a deep, bellowing “clump” every time Mrs. Phillips changed gears. The Phillips owned one car. I wonder how Mr. Phillips got to work on days that Mrs. Phillips picked me up.

I was sitting at a table in the back of the room the first time I figured out how to write “Lenny” on a piece of paper with a crayon. I remember getting excited and getting up out of my chair to show Miss Grumman. She smiled, but I remember feeling disappointed that she didn’t get all excited like me.

There was a recess every day so we could go outside to play. I remember how the kids would rush out of the room to the south door of the school which opened up to the playground. It bugged me the way they would all push and shove. I never did that. It didn’t seem right. Then, when the door opened, the kids would race to be the first one to the swings. I remember thinking that if I chose to rush the door and run to the swings there was no way that anyone could beat me. I tried it once. And I was right.

A few years ago a good friend gave me the 1980s book of essays called All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. Striking me at the time as preachy, sugarcoated, I never finished it. And yet, I’ve long thought that there’s validity to its central thesis: that the world would be a better place if adults were nice to each other, shared things, cleaned up after their own messes, etc. Just as we were taught at Lowrey.

[gigsoupmusic]

Alt-pop Trio Lycio Take you on a tour through Birmingham City Centre during times of lockdown on new video for ‘Nightfall’

UK alt-pop trio Lycio have announced the release of their next single, ‘Nightfall’ on 3rd April via Lycio Records. The single was premiered via XS Noize. The band have previously performed as the headlining act for Sofar Sounds London, of which LOCK Magazine curated the lineup. Lycio have received significant support from BBC Introducing with presenters Will Wolstenholme, Louise Brierly and Jack Parker all giving them radio play, a three track acoustic session for BBC Introducing West Midlands and performing at The Big Feastival 2019. The associations with the BBC continue as Lycio performed at Chris Evans' CarFest for BBC Children in Need in both 2017 and 2018 and a feature of ‘Evil People’ on BBC 6 Tom Robinson’s Fresh Favs in 2018. ‘Evil People’ premiered via fashion and culture magazine Blanc Mag. Lycio have performed at The Great Escape’s little sister, Alternative Escape 2019 as well as support for both Rae Morris and Self Esteem. With a focus on championing females in music, Birmingham-based Lycio take an egalitarian view of how their music is developed, allowing for an exciting, collaborative and democratic writing process. Vocalist and lyricist Genie Mendez, keyboardist Charlie Kellie and drummer Alex Lowe are each multi-instrumentalists, resulting in their performances being held completely live with no backing tracks or playback. Frequently the songs written revolve around singer Mendez' expressions of her own mental health and Kellie even designed his own software specifically to perform live. Lycio prioritise safety and respect within live music venues, and to combat the culture of sexual assault and aggression – from dance floor to dressing room. All three band members are influenced by a variety of musicians, including the likes of Alt-J, Jack Garratt, Janelle Monae, London Grammar, Jungle, Bonobo, Grimes, Charli XCX, Haim, Tim Hecker, Fickle Friends, Imogen Heap, The XX and Chvrches. However, their own sound sits in closer comparison to the likes of Skunk Anansie, Skin, Santigold and Little Dragon. Embracing Genie Mendez’s powerful and distinctive vocals, Lycio presents the provocative ‘Nightfall’ with a delicate reverence for all things in the slow, alternative electronic pop category. Providing a unique focus on emotion, feel and groove, the trio develop their sound in response to external influences and moral concerns. Taking electronic textures and music technology, Lycio balances it out by bringing a 'human feel' back into contemporary music. The core focus of the track rides within the soaring vocals and seductive chords meeting each other, creating a balance that many artists aim for but few achieve. Lycio reveal the deep level of intimacy that can be found within ‘Nightfall’, “To be blunt, this is a sexy song. This song makes me feel sexy. Lyrically I don’t want to give too much away as I’d like the listener to draw their own conclusion, but the chorus line “keep your body close to heaven” in itself is fairly provocative. When I wrote the lyrics, I wrote them in a headspace of raw sexuality, I wanted there to be an air of hunger throughout. Down to the way it’s sung, the drawl of my vocal. I want this track to make people feel things and feel a certain way. Funnily enough I had two tracks in mind when writing the lyrics, Wicked Game (Chris Isaak) and Mondo Bongo (Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros), which are both equally saucy songs. So there you have it, Nightfall.” Lycio Upcoming Tour Dates 22nd May - Mello Festival 3rd July - The Victoria, Birmingham 31st July - Barefoot Festival 25th September - The Victoria, Birmingham 2nd August - Daxtonbury Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yb8qdSk-Uk Read the full article