#the kathy ireland song

[contentabnormal]

This week on Content Abnormal we talk 3:16 Day & St. Patrick's Day as we present The Shadow adventure "The Green Man" starring William Johnstone!

Content Abnormal episode #28: The New Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - "The Blarney Stone"

[crowdvscritic]

round up // JUNE 24

This post is late 'cause I'm a writer, Though Austin Butler's cute in The Bikeriders, Who didn’t have time for post creation Before my big summer vacation. And it marks the 12th year Of this little blog now. With a 283rd post, I’ve know I got it down. Too bad anxiety don't do it for ya, John Wayne, he dream came trued it for ya, Bad Boys rebooted up for ya. Now I’m singin' Sabrina all night, oh, Is it that sweet? I guess so. Type it up, down, left, right, oh, Switch it up like Nintendo. Crowd vs. Critic, I know That's that me espresso

June Crowd-Pleasers

1. Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024)

The fourth Bad Boys is functioning on three levels: 

It reminds us just how fun buddy cop comedies can be.

It’s a soft reboot of the franchise. 

It’s testing the waters for Will Smith’s future.

Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

2. “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter (2024)

It may be technically too early to call the race for Song of the Summer, but it’s going to take a major earworm to dethrone Sabrina Carpenter’s caffeinated pop hit for me. I’ve started playing it on repeat and daydreaming dance routines while driving—is it that sweet? I guess so.

3. Inside Out 2 (2024)

This sequel works because t’s a logical next step for Riley’s growth, but also because of its precision in identifying the competing emotions of middle school. That’s a lovely subversion of the neat endings in most family entertainment, and like most every Pixar entry, it did make me cry. Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (2019)

The narrator—a cousin of Arrested Development's—informs us this is a story about a bank robbery gone wrong. It’s also a story about realtors, falling in love, rabbits, therapy sessions, bedroom closets, police work, bridges, and strange coincidences. It’s a laugh-out-loud ensemble (with some scenes so non sequitur I could imagine them in the best Adam McKay movies) and a sentimental rom-com (with some scenes reminiscent of Nora Ephron’s tone). 

5. Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

This action movie based on a true story more than lives up to its title. When Owen Wilson’s cocky Navy pilot gets caught, yes, behind enemy lines, he then, yes, has to go through a Top Gun-inspired arc. But neither Wilson nor Gene Hackman are phoning in what could’ve been a paint-by-numbers war film, which makes it both thrilling and poignant. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

MORE JUNE CROWD-PLEASERS // House Rules by Myquillyn Smith (2023) isn’t the restricting guide the title suggests but a collection of 100 decorating inspirations // Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) make me miss Adam McKay’s true comedy days, when his political views made his jokes more poignant instead of overwhelming the intent of his script // Poms (2019) is a fun entry in the recent trend of Older Screen Lady Legends Doing It For Themselves subgenre (See also: 80 for Brady) // I.S.S. (2023) is more thoughtful than a junkie space thriller needs to be // In the Land of Saint and Sinners (2023) is a classic Western that just happens to be set in Ireland // Snack Shack (2024) is more crass than I prefer, but what works has American Graffiti vibes

June Critic Picks

1. The Bikeriders (2024)

It’s like Austin Butler overheard Robert Redford say, “Paul Newman and I are the handsomest white men who have ever been on screen,” and he said, “Hold my comb.” Butler knows he’s beautiful, and so does writer/director Jeff Nichols, who based The Bikeriders on a book of photography. Nichols also knows how cool guys in leather jackets look while smoking and riding motorcycles (even if we consciously know all of those things are dangerous clichés) and that it takes someone as gorgeous as Butler to make us believe a skeptical woman like Jodie Comer’s Kathy would sell her soul to have him. It’s one of best films of the year so far, and you can hear more thoughts in my review on KTRS's Carney Show. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9.5/10

2. Double Feature - ‘40s Rom-Coms With With Political Twists: Without Reservations (1946) + State of the Union (1948)

In Frank Capra’s State of the Union (Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10), Spencer Tracy is considering running for President of the United States with the help of lover Angela Lansbury and to the chagrin of wife Katharine Hepburn. In Mervyn LeRoy’s Without Reservations (8/10 // 8.5/10), famous author Claudette Colbert is road-tripping incognito (much like she did in It Happened One Night) after falling hard for returning soldier John Wayne. In both romances, politics are the force driving apart the couples we’re rooting for, and in Reservations, you also get a perfect rom-com BFF in Don DeFore. 

3. The Cross of Lorraine (1943)

About the same time Casablanca came out, Peter Lorre played a supporting role in another World War II adventure filmed as people were escaping the Nazis in real life. This French POW drama (also co-starring Gene Kelly) walked so that Steve McQueen could jump that motorcycle in The Great Escape. Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

4. Broadcast News (1987)

What’s a girl to do when she has no time to write a valedictorian speech? And what’s a girl to do when she has to choose between two terrible love interests while working in the world of TV journalism? In ep. 140 of SO IT’S A SHOW?, Kayla and I are digging into the ‘80s romantic dramedy Broadcast News and trying to figure out what the hey it has to do with Rory’s graduation in Gilmore Girls. Why is Lorelai comparing Rory to Holly Hunter? What ethical controversy (if you can even call it that) could make Holly Hunter break up with a dreamy news anchor? And how much do we love The Incredibles? Listen in for a special report on all of these stories.

5. Fancy Dance (2023)

Part mystery, part character drama, all Lily Gladstone star power. Fancy Dance overlaps in plot and theme with Killers of the Flower Moon, but Gladstone has created a completely different character stuck in a world of crime and custody battles. Watch my full review on KMOV. Crowd: 7/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

Also in June…

I reviewed Janet Planet for ZekeFilm, which was the opposite of Snack Shack: On paper it's a film I should've loved, but I didn't care for the execution.

Photo credits: Anxious People. All others IMDb.com.

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E Bios: Kathleen Mulrennan

The Clurichaun Princess of C.R.C Kathleen Mulrennan (2020)

Kirby's cousin, Hywel's niece, and Uinseann's daughter, Kathleen. An Irish-Catholic woman living in Wales and a confidant, energetic and jovial mother. Kathleen makes her own ring gear.

"Drink and fight, like true Irish folk."

Name

Full Legal Name: Kathleen Líadan Eithne Medb Mulrennan (Née Rhydderch)

First Name: Kathleen

Meaning: Anglicized form of 'Caitlín', the Irish form of 'Cateline', the Old French form of 'Katherine', from the Greek name 'Aikaterine'.

Pronunciation: KATH-leen

Origin: Irish, English

Middle Name(s): Líadan, EIthne, Medb

Meaning(s): Líadan: Possibly from Old Irish 'Líath' meaning 'Grey'. Eithne: Possibly from Old Irish 'Etne' meaning 'Kernel, Grain'. Medb: Original Irish form of 'Maeve', meaning 'Intoxicating'

Pronunciation(s): LYEE-dan. EH-nya. MEDHV

Origin(s): Irish. Irish, Irish Mythology, Old Irish. Irish Mythology

Surname: Mulrennan (Née Rhydderch)

Meaning: Anglicized form of 'Ó Maol Bhréanáin', which means 'Descendant of a follower of Saint Brendan' in Irish (Rhydderch: From the given name 'Rhydderch' from the Old Welsh name 'Riderch', derived from 'Ri' 'King' and 'Derch' 'Exalted')

Pronunciation: muhl-REHN-ann (HRUDH-ehrkh)

Origin: Irish (Welsh)

Alias: Clurichaun Princess, Kathleen Mulrennan

Reason: This is Kathleen's ring name

Nicknames: Kat, Kathy

Titles: Mrs, Ma'am

Characteristics

Age: 44

Gender: Female. She/Her Pronouns

Race: Human

Nationality: Welsh. Irish-Welsh Mix Dual Citizenship ROI-UK

Ethnicity: White

Birth Date: April 30th 1976

Symbols: Clurichauns, Alcohol, Crowns

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Religion: Irish-Catholic

Native Language: Welsh

Spoken Languages: Welsh, Irish, Scottish (Scots Gaelic), English

Relationship Status: Married

Astrological Sign: Taurus

Theme Song: 'Christian Woman' - Type O Negative (1994-)

Voice Actor: Kerry Condon

Geographical Characteristics

Birthplace: Tullahought, Kilkenny, Ireland

Current Location: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Hometown: Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, Wales

Appearance

Height: 5'3" / 160 cm

Weight: 140 lbs / 63 kg

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Blonde

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: N/A

Facial Hair: N/A

Tattoos: (As of Jan 2020) 10

Piercings: Navel, Ear Lobes (Double, Both)

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Smoker, Social Drinker

Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Allies: (As of Jan 2020) The Rhydderch Clan

Enemies: (As of Jan 2020) None

Friends: Maeve Pritchard, Deirdre Llewellyn, Bridget Griffiths, Rosaleen O'Sullivan, Aisling O'Hannigan, Caoimhe O'Hannegan, Eithne O'Hannigan, Haf McFarlane, Tydfil McFarland, Olwen McDermott, Gwen McCracken, Branwen McCormick, Llinos McConnell

Colleagues: The C.R.C Locker Rooms / Too Many To List

Rivals: None

Closest Confidant: Fachtna Mulrennan

Mentor: Uinseann Rhydderch

Significant Other: Fachtna Mulrennan (45, Husband)

Previous Partners: None of Note

Parents: Uinseann Rhydderch (74, Father), Odharnait Rhydderch (75, Mother, Née MacCarthy)

Parents-In-Law: Fearchar Mulrennan (75, Father-In-Law), Aamu Mulrennan (76, Mother-In-Law, Née Moffett)

Siblings: Sean Rhydderch (41, Brother), Wyn Rhydderch (38, Brother), Haf McFarlane (35, Sister, Née Rhydderch), Tydfil McFarland (32, Sister, Née Rhydderch)

Siblings-In-Law: Yvette Rhydderch (42, Sean's Wife, Née Plamondon), Ragnhild Rhydderch (39, Wyn's Wife, Née Perreault), Keaton McFarlane (36, Haf's Husband), Keith McFarland (33, Tydfil's Husband), Porsche Nielsen (42, Fachtna's Sister, Née Mulrennan), Amator Nielsen (43, Porsche's Husband), Amandus Mulrennan (39, Fachtna's Brother), Prunella Mulrennan (40, Amandus' Wife, Née Ottosen), Primrose Paulsen (36, Fachtna's Sister, Née Mulrennan), Caelestis Paulsen (37, Primrose's Husband), Andeolus Mulrennan (33, Fachtna's Brother), Queen Mulrennan (34, Andeolus' Wife, Née Poulsen), Rainbow Randrup (30, Fachtna's Sister, Née Mulrennan), Constans Randrup (31, Rainbow's Husband), Catellus Mulrennan (27, Fachtna's Brother), Rhoda Mulrennan (28, Catellus' Wife, Née Thorsen), Reverie Winther (24, Fachtna's Sister, Née Mulrennan), Desiderius Winther (25, Reverie's Husband), Cyriacus Mulrennan (21, Fachtna's Brother), Rosamund Mulrennan (22, Cyriacus' Wife, Née Fisker), Rochelle Mulrennan (18, Fachtna's Sister)

Nieces & Nephews: Walker Rhydderch (21, Nephew), Henriika Rhydderch (22, Walker's Wife, Née MacColuim), Velvet Rhydderch (18, Niece), Unni Rhydderch (15, Niece), Talfryn Rhydderch (12, Nephew), Ragna Rhydderch (9, Niece), Queenie Rhydderch (6, Niece), Samson Rhydderch (3, Nephew), Pacey Rhydderch (18, Nephew), Ogden Rhydderch (15, Nephew), Naomi Rhydderch (12, Niece), Madonna Rhydderch (9, Niece), Lachtna Rhydderch (6, Nephew), Kal-El Rhydderch (3, Nephew), Jane McFarlane (15, Niece), Idalia McFarlane (12, Niece), Hall McFarlane (9, Nephew), Gael McFarlane (6, Nephew), Fallon McFarlane (3, Niece), Easter McFarland (12, Niece), Dalton McFarland (9, Nephew), Cadell McFarland (6, Nephew), Barbara McFarland (3, Niece), Primula Hansen (22, Niece, Née Nielsen), Eligius Hansen (23, Primula's Husband), Donatianus Nielsen (19, Nephew), Rowena Nielsen (16, Niece), Emerentius Nielsen (13, Nephew), Sable Nielsen (10, Niece), Felinus Nielsen (7, Nephew), Saffron Nielsen (4, Niece), Florentinus Nielsen (1, Nephew), Sapphire Mulrennan (19, Niece), Genesius Mulrennan (16, Nephew), Saylor Mulrennan (13, Niece), Gerontius Mulrennan (10, Nephew), Scarlett Mulrennan (7, Niece), Honoratus Mulrennan (4, Nephew), Sela Mulrennan (1, Niece), Honorius Paulsen (16, Nephew), Serenity Paulsen (13, Niece), Ignatius Paulsen (10, Nephew), Shanene Paulsen (7, Niece), Jordanes Paulsen (4, Nephew), Shania Paulsen (1, Niece), Liberatus Mulrennan (13, Nephew), Sharon Mulrennan (10, Niece), Liberius Mulrennan (7, Nephew), Shayla Mulrennan (4, Niece), Maurus Mulrennan (1, Nephew), Sherlyn Randrup (10, Niece), Modestus Randrup (7, Nephew), Sherry Randrup (4, Niece), Natalius Randrup (1, Nephew), Sibyl Mulrennan (7, Niece), Nazarius Mulrennan (4, Nephew), Sienna Mulrennan (1, Niece), Onuphrius Winther (4, Nephew), Sierra Winther (1, Niece), Pastor Mulrennan (1, Nephew)

Children: Eachann Mulrennan (24, Son), Daffodil MacDaniel (21, Daughter, Née Mulrennan), Calanthe Mulrennan (18, Daughter), Baggi Mulrennan (15, Son), Abel Mulrennan (12, Son), Zinnia Mulrennan (9, Daughter), Yolanda Mulrennan (6, Daughter), Xerxes Mulrennan (3, Son)

Children-In-Law: Aurora Mulrennan (25, Eachann's Wife, Née MacDonald), Grant MacDaniel (22, Daffodil's Husband)

Grandkids: Eija Mulrennan (4, Granddaughter), Gordon Mulrennan (1, Grandson), Gregor MacDaniel (1, Grandson)

Great Grandkids: None

Wrestling

Billed From: Kilkenny, Ireland

Trainer: The C.R.C Wrestling School, Uinseann Rhydderch

Managers: Fachtna Mulrennan

Wrestlers Managed: Fachtna Mulrennan

Debut: 1994

Debut Match: Kathleen Rhydderch VS Odharnait Rhydderch. Kathleen won via pinfall

Retired: N/A

Retirement Match: N/A

Wrestling Style: Technician / Powerhouse

Stables: The Rhydderch Clan (1994-)

Teams: No Team Names

Regular Moves: Back Body Drop, Bearhug, Bearhug Into A Thrust Spinebuster To The Ring Post, Big Boot, Chokehold, Corner Clothesline, Flying Clothesline, Rebound Clothesline, Arm Twist Ropewalk Chop, Over The Top Rope Suicide Dive, Reverse STO, Running DDT, Running Elbow Drop, Running Leg Drop, Running Leg Drop To An Apron-Hung Opponent Sleeper, Sidewalk Slam, Snake Eyes, Standing Dragon, Arm Drag, Dropkick, Headscissors Takedown, Knee Lift, Running Crossbody

Finishers: Ropewalk Diving Elbow Chop, Heart Punch, One-Handed Clawhold, Elevated Powerbomb, Triangle Choke, Chokeslam, Tombstone Piledriver, Figure-Four Leglock, Flying Forearm Smash

Refers To Fans As: The Fans, The Family

Extras

Backstory: Kathleen Mulrennan (Née Rhydderch) of the C.R.C (Welsh Wrestling League / Cynghrair Reslo Cymru) owning Rhydderch Family. When Uinseann dies Kathleen will have a 1/40th ownership of the promotion. Kathleen is a 'Clurichaun Style' (Technician mixed with Powerhouse) trainer. She's a quarter-Welsh and three quarters-Irish

Trivia: Nothing of Note

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 1996: The actual result

Even the scoreboard changed in 1996 - it went all virtual, lowered into place by virtual cranes on virtual chains. Poor Ingvild Bryn was sealed into a Chroma keyed room and told she wasn't going to be let out until all the scores were delivered and verified.

Here's the result and your spoiler warning for the result of the 1996 Eurovision song contest...

Yes they did it again. Ireland won for the fourth time in five years. Somehow this statistic often gets left out in the rush to say they won three times in a row, but four in five is even better. They did it by repeating their trick. Having seen Norway steal their clothes in 1995, RTÉ and the jury of Eurosong 1996 (the Irish one) weren't going to let that pass. They sent a very mystical, even more Celtic paean to peace and momentous times in history.

The host performed well in second with Sweden continuing to challenge in third. Croatia (4th), Estonia (5th) and Portugal (6th) got their best results in Eurovision, but really Ireland and Eimear Quinn ran away with this one. It wasn't even close.

Here's the result in full.

Ireland - Eimear Quinn - "The Voice"

Norway - Elisabeth Andreassen - "I evighet"

Sweden - One More Time - "Den vilda"

Croatia - Maja Blagdan - "Sveta ljubav"

Estonia - Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna - "Kaelakee hääl"

Portugal - Lúcia Moniz - "O meu coração não tem cor"

Netherlands - Maxine and Franklin Brown - "De eerste keer"

United Kingdom - Gina G - "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit"

Cyprus - Constantinos - "Mono gia mas"

Malta - Miriam Christine - "In a Woman's Heart"

Austria - George Nussbaumer - "Weil's dr guat got"

Turkey - Şebnem Paker - "Beşinci Mevsim"

Iceland - Anna Mjöll - "Sjúbídú"

Greece - Marianna Efstratiou - "Emis forame to himona anixiatika"

Poland - Kasia Kowalska - "Chcę znać swój grzech..."

Switzerland - Kathy Leander - "Mon cœur l'aime"

Belgium - Lisa del Bo - "Liefde is een kaartspel"

Slovakia - Marcel Palonder - "Kým nás máš"

France - Dan Ar Braz and l'Héritage des Celtes - "Diwanit bugale"

Spain - Antonio Carbonell - "¡Ay, qué deseo!"

Slovenia - Regina - "Dan najlepših sanj"

Bosnia & Herzegovina - Amila Glamočak - "Za našu ljubav"

Finland - Jasmine - "Niin kaunis on taivas"

[mostlygibberish]

I liked the part with the gynoid petrol bowser.

A movie with a ridiculous premise and a consistently silly tone. There was some fun worldbuilding, with decent set work and costuming, but the plot was basic and that left little impression.

For some incomprehensible reason, all of Kathy Ireland's dialogue was dubbed over in a squeaky cartoon child's voice. It was like they were trying to make her seem geeky or meek or something, but it just didn't fit with her appearance at all. It varied between genuinely irritating and simply baffling, even perplexing the other characters within the movie at times.

There were some really unfitting choices of music, especially in the first ten minutes or so, when a song that completely clashed with what was happening was playing so loud that it drowned out dialogue. At one point William R. Moses, who spoke in a terrible fake Aussie accent, was going around questioning people and they replayed the exact same line of dialogue not even thirty seconds after he said it.

All the stuff in the city was pretty neat, but the plot barely progressed during it. They introduced a rogueish Aladdin type named Charmin' (Thom Matthews) far too late in the movie for him to matter, then sort of just sped through to the ending like they'd suddenly realised they had to wrap things up. The final scene was completely inexplicable, but I can't decide if it was in an endearing way or not.

A weird movie, but aside from the bizarre protagonist voice, fairly forgettable. Okay, I suppose.

[mybookof-you]

"Her first two MCA albums, 1987’s Lone Star State of Mind and 1988’s Little Love Affairs, reached the country top-30 with one top-40 single, “I Knew Love.” But if Mitchell was uncomfortable with what she called “the star maker machinery behind the popular song,” Griffith was even more so. Her voice proved too small and her stories too personal for country radio and she retreated into the world of healthy gigs and anemic radio that would later be named Americana. Ironically, she would find her most ardent audience in Ireland. Also released this fall is More than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith, a better-than-average tribute album. It’s a very Nashville-centric project, with most of the participants linked to that city where the Texan Griffith spent her last years. She was much beloved, the tracks by her friends Lyle Lovett, Kathy Mattea, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and John Prine imply a personal connection that most tribute compilations lack."

pastemagazine.com

[cyarskaren52]

Incredible tribute by Kathy Iandoli of Daily Beast

The mid-1980s were a contentious time for hip-hop and nobody wanted to admit it. Nobody, meaning anyone tangentially connected to the corporate side of mainstream art. And by corporate, meaning monetizing. Oh, and by mainstream, meaning white.

That’s because the musical embodiment of hip-hop culture—rap music—was finally leaving its block and gearing up to take over the world. The pioneers were inching toward new levels like radio (thanks to Mr. Magic’s “Rap Attack”) and film (thanks to Harry Belafonte’s Beat Street, among others). Add to that the formation of Def Jam and Tommy Boy Records and we started to witness rappers fully becoming a viable part of the music industry.

It was terrifying to those who thought they could contain it. And they tried, really hard. Rap was endearing when it was cheeky, as evidenced in 1986 when Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaborated on the single “Walk This Way.” The two groups showed the yin and yang effect of how the mainstream detested both rap music and glam rock music, as they’re both “making noise” in rooms next to each other, only to “break down the wall” and work together. Everyone loved that symbolism, that “unapologetic unity” even as the Grammy committee was slowly piecing together its plan to acknowledge how rappers sold records—but not have the rest of the world see it on their TV screens. Ironic.

Then along came Sinéad O’Connor.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Sinéad was cut from a different kind of cloth. She sang in a band called Ton Ton Macoute before flying solo and landing in the ears of Americans, thanks to her college radio hit “Mandinka.” O’Connor cited inspirations ranging from Bob Dylan and David Bowie to Bob Marley, though like many, she was made aware of the hip-hop explosion happening in the States and was drawn to it. Some would say that O’Connor harbored a “punk” attitude, and hip-hop was as punk as you could get, so the allure made sense. Her 1987 debut album The Lion and the Cobra was a commercial success, earning her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1989. Many regard that album as a “breaking free” of sorts. For Sinéad it was against the patriarchy and the Roman Catholic Church (at times, synonymous), though anyone could feel the depth of that rebellion and apply it to their lives. When O’Connor arrived Stateside, she found a space to openly rebel, and to put it bluntly, fight the power. She found that avenue through hip-hop as one of its biggest allies at a time when the odds were stacked against it.

There have been other instances where white artists have attempted to use their podium for the greater good of this Black art form. Blondie’s Debbie Harry shouted out Fab Five Freddy during her little rapping ditty on the 1980 Blondie hit “Rapture,” though it backfired once music history revisionists attempted to credit Blondie with the first commercial rap hit, usurping the throne of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” though some will still argue that Blondie had the first rap music video. To be fair, Debbie Harry does not agree. In 1981, she circled back and requested the Funky 4 + 1 as musical guests when she hosted Saturday Night Live—though SNL agreed and then only televised the group’s performance as the credits rolled at the end of the episode. Suffice to say, getting hip-hop its well-deserved visibility in the ’80s was an uphill battle.

For O’Connor, it became a different kind of mission, one rooted in a deep understanding of what it’s like to be silenced and then openly criticized for the desire to speak up. This was an all-encompassing mission, though hip-hop played a major part of it. She did so in minor ways before quickly moving them to major.

In 1988, when her record label wanted her to give her Grammy-nominated debut album a jolt with a new song, she added rapper MC Lyte on the remix to her single “I Want Your Hands (On Me).” The single was offered as both a Dance and Street version, and while the aforementioned Aerosmith/Run-DMC collaboration was regarded as a “mash-up,” the Lyte collab was a bold, revolutionary, yet completely seamless joining of forces. It changed the game for women in hip-hop moving forward, offering new possibilities in sound and commercial experimentation.

Sinéad doubled down on her support for hip-hop a year later during the 31st Grammy Awards, where she was nominated in the aforementioned Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category and was also asked to perform. Meanwhile, hip-hop was fighting for its life at the ceremony. The genre had become far too big to contain, yet the Grammys found a way to do it, simply by not televising the first Grammy in history for Best Rap Performance. Further, they opted to make DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince the victors, with their commercial rap hit “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” clearly shunning less commercial rap acts. Rappers ultimately boycotted the Grammys, and in solidarity, Sinéad sported the Public Enemy logo painted to the side of her head while she performed her hit single “Mandinka” that evening. A year after that, she had Public Enemy producer Hank Shocklee remix her single “Emperor’s New Clothes” off her follow-up album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got—which also includes her groundbreaking global smash “Nothing Compares 2 U,” written by Prince.

For Sinéad O’Connor, it was never about chasing the cool of hip-hop, it was fighting against the injustices perpetrated on its trailblazers. And it was beyond her recognition of her own white privilege or even the systemic racism that permeated throughout hip-hop culture (and still does to this day).

O’Connor acutely understood being in pain, and so much of hip-hop comes from the expression of pain. She may not have comprehended the pain that Black Americans had endured, but she wanted to help, and even in her pleas to ask the media to leave her alone and stop ripping her apart, she did the same for hip-hop.

In 1992, on an SNL stage—the same stage where she ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II on national television—O’Connor sang an a capella rendition of Bob Marley’s “War,” echoing the lines:

“Until the philosophy, which holds one race superior and another…inferior… is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned. Everywhere is war. That until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation. Until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes. I’ve got to say war. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race. I’ve got to say war.”

For this reason, Chuck D saluted her on Twitter, and Ice-T wrote, “Respect to Sinead…She stood for something…Unlike most people…Rest Easy.” As hip-hop approaches 50, it mourns an artist who defended it when very few did. Sinéad O’Connor fought, she collaborated, she protested, and said “fuck you” when she had to.

If that isn’t hip-hop, then what is?

Photo caption: On February 22nd, 1989, it was the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. And Hip Hop was left out. Sinéad O'Connor, in Solidarity with Hip Hop Culture, and her standing up for us being alienated, would put Hip Hop Culture on screen at all cost if she could help it, wore the Public Enemy logo emblazoned on the side of her head, at The Grammy's.

Rest empowered Dear Sister

👑✊🏾👑 Sinéad O'Connor 👑✊🏾👑

Full article:

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 2.25

Holidays

Big Bang Theory Day

Choiseul Province Day (Solomon Islands)

Colt Revolver Day

Commedia dell’Arte Day

Coronado Day (Mexico)

Cuddle Day

Dag van de Revolutie (Day of Liberation and Innovation; Suriname)

Dance of the Secret Places

Deinonychus Day

DNA Discovery Day

Februaristaking (Netherlands)

George Harrison Day

Gray Day (Scotland)

High Five Day

Imam Ali Day (Iran)

International Cochlear Implant Day

Ireland Reads Day (Ireland)

Meher Baba Day

Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary)

National Billy Day

National Day (Kuwait)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Jessica Day

National Kathy Day

National Nicholas Day

Peace Memorial Holiday (Taiwan)

People Power Day (Anniversary of EDSA Revolution; Philippines)

Pistol Patent Day

Revolution Day (Suriname)

Russian Warship GFY Day

Quiet Day

Sister Wendy Day

Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)

Time of the Old Woman begins (until March 4)

Tristan da Cunha (a.k.a. Queen’s Day, Saint Helena)

World Bookmark Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day

Let's All Eat Right Day

National Chocolate-Covered Nuts Day

National Clam Chowder Day

Tastykake Day

4th & Last Saturday in February

Clam Chowder Cook-Off (Santa Cruz, CA) [Last Saturday & Sunday]

International Sword Swallowers Day [Last Saturday]

International Tongue Twister Contest Day [Last Saturday]

National Day of Terere (Paraguay) [Last Saturday]

National Library Open Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Pretty Brown Girl Day [4th Saturday]

National TRiO Day [4th Saturday]

Open That Bottle Night [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Kuwait (from UK, 1961)

Pigeon Island (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Æthelberht of Kent (1st Christian Anglo-Saxon King) [current date]

Burke Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Caesarius, Physician of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (Positivist; Blessed)

Day of Mut (Mother Goddess; Ancient Egypt)

Feast of the Blessed Regina Marriam of Vattalil (India)

Feast of the Stinky Butts

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egypt)

Gerland of Agrigento (Christian; Saint)

Hare Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hermie (Muppetism)

John Roberts, writer and missionary (Christian; Saint)

Kitano Baika-sai (Plum Blossom Festival; Kyoto, Japan; Shinto)

Maria Adeodata Pisani (Positivist; Blessed)

Media Hiems (Pagan)

Octopus Enjoyment Day (Pastafarian)

Saturday of Souls, Second (Eastern Orthodox) [57 Days before Easter]

Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Victornius and six companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Virgil (Positivist; Saint)

Walpurga (Christian; Saint; she was canonised on 5.1 c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 4.30) [Crops]

Wendy Beckett (Christian; Sister) [Art]

Wenchang Wang Day (Chinese God of Literature)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [9 of 53]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Belle Epoque (Film; 1994)

Boat Builders (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Bourne Ultimatum, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1990)

The Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns (Musical Suite; 1922)

Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1598)

The Lady Eve (Film; 1941)

Little Earthquakes, by Tori Amos (Album; 1992)

Modern Times (Film; 1936)

Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, by TLC (Album; 1992)

The Passion of the Christ (Film; 2004)

Please Please Me, by The Beatles (US Song; 1963)

Reindeer Games (Film; 2000)

Rubber Duckie, sung by Ernie (Song; 1970)

Slap Shot (Film; 1977)

Songs from the Big Chair, by Tears for Fears (Album; 1985)

Ten Summoner’s Tales, by Sting (Album; 1993)

That’ll Be the Day, recorded by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Yes Minister (UK TV Series; 1980)

Your Show of Shows (TV Series; 1950)

Today’s Name Days

Walburga (Austria)

Berislav, Hrvoje, Nestorije (Croatia)

Liliana (Czech Republic)

Victorinus (Denmark)

Tormi, Tuule, Tuuli, Tuulike (Estonia)

Tuija, Tuire, Vanessa (Finland)

Roméo (France)

Edeltraud, Walburga (Germany)

Riginos, Tarasios, Tarsi (Greece)

Mátyás (Hungary)

Cesario, Costanza, Vittorino (Italy)

Alma, Grants, Zalga (Latvia)

Margiris, Rasa, Regimantas, Viktoras (Lithuania)

Viktor, Viktoria (Norway)

Bolebor, Cezary, Konstancjusz, Maciej, Małgorzata, Modest, Nicefor (Poland)

Tarasie (Romania)

Frederik (Slovakia)

Donato, Valerio (Spain)

Sigvard, Sivert (Sweden)

Artema, Artemis, Welden, Weldon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 56 of 2023; 309 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 8 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 6 (Jia-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 4 Adar 5783

Islamic: 4 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 26 Xin; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 February 2023

Moon: 34%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 28 Homer (2nd Month) [Virgil]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 67 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 6 of 29)

[brookston]

Holidays 2.25

Holidays

Big Bang Theory Day

Choiseul Province Day (Solomon Islands)

Colt Revolver Day

Commedia dell’Arte Day

Coronado Day (Mexico)

Cuddle Day

Dag van de Revolutie (Day of Liberation and Innovation; Suriname)

Dance of the Secret Places

Deinonychus Day

DNA Discovery Day

Februaristaking (Netherlands)

George Harrison Day

Gray Day (Scotland)

High Five Day

Imam Ali Day (Iran)

International Cochlear Implant Day

Ireland Reads Day (Ireland)

Meher Baba Day

Memorial Day for the Victims of the Communist Dictatorships (Hungary)

National Billy Day

National Day (Kuwait)

National Don't Utter a Word Day

National Jessica Day

National Kathy Day

National Nicholas Day

Peace Memorial Holiday (Taiwan)

People Power Day (Anniversary of EDSA Revolution; Philippines)

Pistol Patent Day

Revolution Day (Suriname)

Russian Warship GFY Day

Quiet Day

Sister Wendy Day

Soviet Occupation Day (Georgia)

Time of the Old Woman begins (until March 4)

Tristan da Cunha (a.k.a. Queen’s Day, Saint Helena)

World Bookmark Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day

Let's All Eat Right Day

National Chocolate-Covered Nuts Day

National Clam Chowder Day

Tastykake Day

4th & Last Saturday in February

Clam Chowder Cook-Off (Santa Cruz, CA) [Last Saturday & Sunday]

International Sword Swallowers Day [Last Saturday]

International Tongue Twister Contest Day [Last Saturday]

National Day of Terere (Paraguay) [Last Saturday]

National Library Open Day (UK) [Last Saturday]

National Pretty Brown Girl Day [4th Saturday]

National TRiO Day [4th Saturday]

Open That Bottle Night [Last Saturday]

Independence Days

Kuwait (from UK, 1961)

Pigeon Island (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Æthelberht of Kent (1st Christian Anglo-Saxon King) [current date]

Burke Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Caesarius, Physician of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (Positivist; Blessed)

Day of Mut (Mother Goddess; Ancient Egypt)

Feast of the Blessed Regina Marriam of Vattalil (India)

Feast of the Stinky Butts

Festival of Ptah (Ancient Egypt)

Gerland of Agrigento (Christian; Saint)

Hare Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Hermie (Muppetism)

John Roberts, writer and missionary (Christian; Saint)

Kitano Baika-sai (Plum Blossom Festival; Kyoto, Japan; Shinto)

Maria Adeodata Pisani (Positivist; Blessed)

Media Hiems (Pagan)

Octopus Enjoyment Day (Pastafarian)

Saturday of Souls, Second (Eastern Orthodox) [57 Days before Easter]

Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Victornius and six companions (Christian; Martyrs)

Virgil (Positivist; Saint)

Walpurga (Christian; Saint; she was canonised on 5.1 c. 870 and Walpurgis Night is celebrated 4.30) [Crops]

Wendy Beckett (Christian; Sister) [Art]

Wenchang Wang Day (Chinese God of Literature)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [9 of 53]

Sensho (先勝 Japan) [Good luck in the morning, bad luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

Belle Epoque (Film; 1994)

Boat Builders (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

The Bourne Ultimatum, by Robert Ludlum (Novel; 1990)

The Carnival of the Animals, by Camille Saint-Saëns (Musical Suite; 1922)

Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (Play; 1598)

The Lady Eve (Film; 1941)

Little Earthquakes, by Tori Amos (Album; 1992)

Modern Times (Film; 1936)

Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, by TLC (Album; 1992)

The Passion of the Christ (Film; 2004)

Please Please Me, by The Beatles (US Song; 1963)

Reindeer Games (Film; 2000)

Rubber Duckie, sung by Ernie (Song; 1970)

Slap Shot (Film; 1977)

Songs from the Big Chair, by Tears for Fears (Album; 1985)

Ten Summoner’s Tales, by Sting (Album; 1993)

That’ll Be the Day, recorded by Buddy Holly (Song; 1957)

Yes Minister (UK TV Series; 1980)

Your Show of Shows (TV Series; 1950)

Today’s Name Days

Walburga (Austria)

Berislav, Hrvoje, Nestorije (Croatia)

Liliana (Czech Republic)

Victorinus (Denmark)

Tormi, Tuule, Tuuli, Tuulike (Estonia)

Tuija, Tuire, Vanessa (Finland)

Roméo (France)

Edeltraud, Walburga (Germany)

Riginos, Tarasios, Tarsi (Greece)

Mátyás (Hungary)

Cesario, Costanza, Vittorino (Italy)

Alma, Grants, Zalga (Latvia)

Margiris, Rasa, Regimantas, Viktoras (Lithuania)

Viktor, Viktoria (Norway)

Bolebor, Cezary, Konstancjusz, Maciej, Małgorzata, Modest, Nicefor (Poland)

Tarasie (Romania)

Frederik (Slovakia)

Donato, Valerio (Spain)

Sigvard, Sivert (Sweden)

Artema, Artemis, Welden, Weldon (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 56 of 2023; 309 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of week 8 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Nuin (Ash) [Day 7 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Yi-Mao), Day 6 (Jia-Yin)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 4 Adar 5783

Islamic: 4 Sha’ban 1444

J Cal: 26 Xin; Fiveday [26 of 30]

Julian: 12 February 2023

Moon: 34%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 28 Homer (2nd Month) [Virgil]

Runic Half Month: Tyr (Cosmic Pillar) [Day 2 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 67 of 90)

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 6 of 29)

[tabloidtoc]

Globe, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Prince William and Prince Harry: Showdown at Prince Philip's Funeral

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Alec Baldwin, Kathy Ireland, Conan O'Brien grabs lunch in West Hollywood

Page 3: Meg Ryan, Heather Graham, Jon Voight steps out in Beverly Hills

Page 4: Kris Jenner says her role as momager of the Kardashian clan is like being a fireman because she has to put out so many heated squabbles -- satisfying daughters Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner takes skill and Kourtney is often so fed up she fires her three or four times a day, but Kris believes she's done a good job, saying she's totally dedicated to her brood and spends oodles of time and energy going the extra mile for them

* Jailed Ghislaine Maxwell is raising a stink over federal lawmen's claims she's a prison piggy, saying the institution's busted sewer pipes, not her toilet habits, are responsible for the overwhelming stench in her cell -- lawyers for sex perv Jeffrey Epstein's accused madam and sex trafficker leveled the charge to flush out prosecutors' claims the socialite's cage stinks like a hog's pen because she doesn't flush her toilet -- her lawyer Bobbi Sternheim insists there was a pervasive stench of sewage in Ms. Maxwell's unit, necessitating guards to flush pipes by pouring water down open drains in an effort to trap and disperse gaseous emissions and at times the stench in Ms. Maxwell's isolation cell has been overwhelming due to overflowing of toilets in the cell block above -- as for Ghislaine flushing, she does it often, at the guards' bidding even, though she doesn't use the commode in her cell due to lack of privacy

Page 5: Kelly Clarkson's tacky tales of pooping in trash cans and other crude antics are grossing out her alarmed pals, who fear divorce stress is pushing the talk queen over the edge and while Kelly has loved to shock people, her cringeworthy behavior has gotten worse since filing for divorce from music manager Brandon Blackstock, father of her daughter River and son Remington -- now Kelly has many fearing she's finally flipped after recently telling talk show guest Clint Black on-air she destroyed a poor trash can by pooping in it during a quick backstage concert break and she's constantly making potty jokes and seems to get a rise out of shocking people and even by Kelly's standards, this was a step too far and people are urging her to scale back on the belching, farting and gross anecdotes because they're a turnoff and make her look trashy and her grueling workload and prickly divorce has manifested in this gross behavior where she can't seem to hold her tongue and blurts out whatever she's thinking without consideration for other people -- other stars like Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are thinking twice before inviting her to social events and for talk show rivals like Ellen DeGeneres and Drew Barrymore, it's a dream seeing her push the boundaries of taste and Kelly doesn't have a filter and as long as she's got an audience she's just going to keep on doing it

Page 6: Macaulay Culkin is the daddy of a brand-new baby girl named Dakota, who is named after Macaulay's sister who died at 29 in a 2008 car crash, and she was delivered by Macaulay's lover actress Brenda Song

Page 7: Angelina Jolie has become a stressed-out single mom trying to care for her brood of six during the pandemic lockdown, and the strain is is showing on the 98-pound actress, but the 45-year-old, who shuns hiring a full-time nanny, still wants sole custody of her underage kids Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, and is fighting tooth and nail with ex-husband Brad Pitt to get it; their oldest Maddox Jolie-Pitt is now 19 and considered independent although the university student frequently lives with his mother -- caring for the gang puts a big drain on Angelina's bank account and her custody war with Brad is costing a pretty penny -- Jolie and her children spend most of their time bunkered in a massive 7,500-square-foot Los Feliz mansion that boasts a huge library lined with resource books but the kids need to be separated so they can concentrate on their individual Zoom classes and someone is always hungry or needing help and at the end of the school day, when they are bored, they end up looking for Mom to find them something to do while she is trying to work on her own projects, and like most siblings, the kids fight or argue, and that can test any parent's nerves and Angie is with the kids pretty much 24/7 and it's taking a toll -- there is a glimmer of hope as schools are close to reopening and once the five youngest are back in school for several hours a day it will give Angelina the breaks she needs and hopefully she can hang tight until then

Page 8: Cover Story -- Prince William and Prince Harry bury Prince Philip, but not the ax -- despite their public displays of grief, bitter brothers William and Harry erupted in a raging royal screaming match behind the scenes of their grandfather's Prince Philip's funeral and Princess Diana's sons lashed out, accusing each other of ugly betrayals and destroying the royal family and the princes blamed each other's wives for igniting the family feud and their showdown was explosive and they're refusing to forgive or make peace and any hope Philip's death will end this feud is pie in the sky -- Harry and William were forced to reunite to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's passing and comfort their grandmother Queen Elizabeth, but that doesn't mean they're kissing and making up; far from it because Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have caused so much damage with their TV interview, it will take a lifetime to heal this rift -- sparks began flying almost immediately after Harry landed back in his homeland. He went straight to his former marital home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor to quarantine under COVID rules while William and his wife Duchess Kate Middleton and their three children were holed up at their country home Anmer House in Norfolk, about 100 miles away, but that didn't stop the once-inseparable brothers exploding in fury at each other during a video call finalizing funeral arrangements -- William and Harry knew they'd have to walk together behind the cortege to honor their grandfather, but that was where their reunion ended and while their grieving grandmother and royal relatives mourned the loss of the family patriarch, William and Harry's pent-up anger and frustrations exploded as, on the same side of the Atlantic for the first time in over a year, William blasted Harry and Meghan for bad-mouthing his wife Kate and selfishly trying to destroy the monarchy and he reamed Harry for not visiting their grandfather in his final days and using the funeral as a publicity stunt while Harry retaliated by accusing his brother of throwing him and Meghan under the bus and vowed never to talk to him again -- instead of an expected joint public statement praising their beloved grandfather, they issued separate tributes, which underlined their split as in their statement, William and Kate reminisced about Philip taking their children for horse-drawn carriage rides and they vowed to support the queen in the years ahead and that was a dig at Harry and Meghan, who can't help the queen due to their self-imposed exile to California and it was also a shot because Harry's son Archie has spent no time with his royal relatives since his birth almost two years ago -- Philip's death has only intensified this horrific feud and this war is far from over, and may never be

Page 10: Prince Philip went to his grave regretting he couldn't stop Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle from ripping the royal family in a bombshell TV interview -- The Duke of Edinburgh called the explosive tell-all madness and he had some sympathy for Harry and Meghan's desire to do their own thing, but he thought they were wrong and he hated Harry and Meghan's preoccupation with their own problems and their willingness to talk about them in public; one of his rules was give interviews but don't talk about yourself -- Philip loved Harry and thought him a good man, but he did not believe they were doing the right thing for the country or themselves when they quit royal duties and Philip died worrying the explosive interview permanently damaged the monarchy and he deeply regretted he wasn't able to prevent the scandal

* Outraged Prince Philip shunned his son Prince Andrew's ex-wife Duchess Sarah Ferguson for the last 19 years of his life after she was caught cheating in raunchy photos that went public -- Philip considered Fergie beyond the pale and refused to have anything to do with her and when Sarah was staying at Balmoral Castle with her daughters, her ex-father-in-law would run from a room she'd entered and Fergie said it was ridiculous because as soon as she came through one door, he'd be falling over the corgis to get out of the other and she added it was very funny, except, of course, it wasn't -- the only time they appeared together in public was at Prince Harry's 2018 wedding, 26 years after Fergie was photographed lounging topless while her then lover John Bryan sucked on her toes on the French Riviera; she and Andrew were separated at the time

Page 11: Marie Osmond is getting the last laugh on rival Sharon Osbourne after the big-mouthed Brit, who chased off Marie from The Talk, was booted from the chat show in a racism scandal -- while Marie doesn't wish ill on anyone, she certainly isn't feeling any sympathy for Sharon's plight -- in public, Marie has never said a harsh word about Sharon, and never blamed her co-star with pushing her off The Talk, but behind the scenes, Sharon made mild-mannered Marie's life hell, which chased her away and Marie still cringes from the whole experience of working with the brash former reality diva, more than seven months after leaving the show and Marie doesn't want to stoke the fire, but it's kind of satisfying in a way that Sharon's finally being exposed for what she is: a snippy, smug phony

* Chaka Khan was the first celeb booted on Season 21 of Dancing with the Stars in 2015, and it's no wonder because she was a lousy partner, claims pro hoofer Keo Motsepe -- Keo slammed the singer for demanding they only rehearse around midnight, because that's when the night owl was used to going to the record studio and laying down tracks -- Keo accepted the challenge but now calls Chaka his worst partner ever

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Jane Lynch eats lunch in West Hollywood (picture), Khloe Kardashian is getting called out for her attempt to erase a bathing suit snap that revealed some very real body dimples and famous for posting airbrushed and filtered photos depicting her as flawless she went berserk over the unedited pic summoning legal eagles to get the image scrubbed off the internet but she drew colossal backlash, Sutton Stracke of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills got promoted to series regular and impressed producers by making ousted castmate Teddi Mellencamp cry by branding her boring, fired New York Housewife Dorinda Medley has lost 14 pounds, Lil Nas X's limited-edition designer Satan Shoes which commanded $1,018 when they hit the market are now deader than a doornail after legal pressure from Nike

Page 13: Dean Cain sports a Superman-style logo on his hoodie as he bums around Malibu (picture), Annabella Sciorra shoots an episode of Blue Bloods in NYC (picture), co-anchor T.J. Holmes shows his tongue on the Good Morning America set (picture), Olympic champ Lindsey Vonn admits skiing was a slippery slope when she started mingling with the beautiful people of Hollywood

Page 14: Brooklyn Decker proves she going gray at just 34 and she's kinda digging it, Kathryn Dennis trying to prove she's comfortable in the natural skin she's in shared pics from her first-ever bikini photo shoot and actually points out imperfections

* Fashion Verdict -- Zoe Saldana 6/10, Kelsea Ballerini 3/10, Jessica Madsen 7/10, Joy Bauer 2/10

Page 17: Eddie Cibrian is incredibly proud of wife LeAnn Rimes for baring the truth about her battle with psoriasis in a naked photo -- Eddie applauds how LeAnn let it all hang out for a photo shoot to show solidarity with other people with the scaly skin disease who are ashamed and want to hide it -- LeAnn has described the horrors of hiding her painful, crusty rashes, saying onstage she'd wear two pairs of pantyhose or jeans, even in 95-degree heat and underneath her shirt, her whole stomach would be covered in thick scales that would hurt and bleed, and the pandemic worsened her condition because stress is a common trigger for psoriasis, and with so much uncertainty happening, her flare-ups came right back

Page 19: 10 Things You Don't Know About Catherine O'Hara

* Sylvester Stallone may have gone his final round as boxing great Rocky Balboa as his reps reveal the actor has thrown in the towel and won't reprise his iconic role in the upcoming Creed III -- in the Creed spinoffs, retired fighter Rocky trained Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the son of his onetime rival

* Dr. Dre hit back against the abuse claims of estranged wife Nicole Young, slamming her allegations as appalling in recently filed court documents in their ugly $1 billion divorce -- in the docs, Dre charges Nicole hurled the accusations only after realizing their prenup may prevent her from getting half his money, but Nicole insists the rapper forced her to ink the agreement, a charge he also denies

Page 23: Caitlyn Jenner is refining her image ahead of her run for governor in California by reducing her massive breasts to look more conservative -- she wants to downgrade her E cups to a more respectable C cup because she's been worried for a while they are way too big within the context of her body and draw unflattering stares and running for the California governor's office is serious and she wants people to listen and look at her face, not her boobs and the truth is, the implants have been weighing her down and giving her back pain too, so this makes sense in more ways than one -- Caitlyn will be slowly abandoning other cosmetic procedures and she would like to wean herself off filters and Botox too, but that'll be a gradual process that she'll do as time goes by and the big thing here is that she wants to look more natural and relatable for voters

* Nearly half of America is ready to vote Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson into the White House -- 46 percent of voters are ready to rock and roll with the 49-year-old former WWE wrestler as their prez -- in his new sitcom Young Rock, Dwayne plays himself as a future candidate for the Oval Office, but in real life he has admitted he is seriously considering a run for the top job

Page 24: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now facing two separate investigations into sexual harassment charges made by at least eight female staffers, is accused of cheating on longtime love Sandra Lee -- there's obviously a reason Sandra moved to California; she literally could not have moved farther away from Andrew; she's on the edge of the Pacific

Page 30: Grace Kelly died nearly flat broke -- the Hollywood starlet gave up millions to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco, and when she died at the age of 52, her only assets were a cottage in Ireland, owned by her grandfather, and $10,000 -- in 1956, she married into Monaco's royal family after coughing up a $2 million dowry, which is about $20 million today, and walking away from a glittering career -- according to a new documentary, her Hollywood earnings have disappeared as during her film career, Grace's total earnings could have reached $1.5 million, earnings that appear to be entirely missing from her will, but thanks to Grace, Monaco's royal family has cashed in big-time as her son Prince Albert II has an estimated net worth of $i billion and his wife Charlene Wittstock is rumored to be worth $150 million -- most people think of Grace Kelly's story as a fairy tale, going from Hollywood and suddenly being whisked off to a lot of wealth, but what is so poignant is that she had to pay to become a princess

* LeVar Burton may soon be helming a new enterprise: Jeopardy! -- nearly 200,000 people have signed an online petition supporting LeVar to replace the game show's late host Alex Trebek and LeVar supports the idea himself

Page 32: Kirstie Alley had two husbands and once claimed she was crazy about John Travolta, but for decades she secretly carried a torch for a married man: Patrick Swayze -- Kirstie described Patrick as the one that got away and truly believes they would have been together until his 2009 death at age 57 if things worked out differently and she says her love for Patrick began on the set of the 1985 miniseries North and South where she thought he was the most handsome, sexy, kind person she'd ever met, and each day on the set, she began to fall more and more in love but at the time they were married to other people: Patrick had his wife Lisa Niemi and Kirstie was married to Hardy Boys actor Parker Stevenson, her second husband -- Kirstie and Patrick shared a deep emotional affair and confessed their love, but never actually cheated on their spouses and Kirstie said they had an affair of the heart -- Patrick and Kirstie played lovers on the series and you can see the chemistry and at least once a year Kirstie watches the series and reminisces about the time she spent with him -- she says she cried for months after his death and she and his wife Lisa eventually became friends and even today, Kirstie wonders what would have happened if she and Patrick had not been married to other people

Page 36: Sally Struthers reveals she quit Save the Children charity after she was nearly murdered by a gang of bloodthirsty rebels during a trip to visit African orphans -- Sally was a roving ambassador for the charity for 35 years until a terrifying incident in Uganda where she was filming ads with a boy, who'd come from a remote village, when suddenly a roving band of guerrilla warfare guys came out of the bushes and asked the boy where he was from and he named his village, which was far away, and they decided they had kidnapped him, and they were going to shoot all of them and Sally was terrified and figured she was a goner, but a priest with her group told her to slowly walk off while never turning her back on the terrorists and as she walked, he convinced the gunmen to let them alone and at that point, Sally, who had a daughter Samantha from her six-year marriage to shrink William C. Radar thought she's been on so many little airplanes that could have crashed and in so many horrible situations and she's got a child, a real-life child of her own, and she can't do it anymore

* Usher is being accused of stiffing Las Vegas strippers by tipping them with fake money with his moniker and mug on the bills -- the flap exploded with a Twitter post slamming the singer for handing out Usherbucks in $100, $20 and $1 bills at the club Sapphire Las Vegas but club honcho George M. Wilson denies the charge, saying Usher, who stars at Caesars Palace stating in July, was a true gentleman and great guest and he and his crew converted thousands of real dollars to tip the girls dancing on the stage and left a generous tip for staff and apparently someone in his team left some Usher dollars on the floor to promote his Vegas residency and that is where it seems the confusion came in

Page 40: Val Kilmer is shooting for more than a career comeback after bouncing back from throat cancer; he is also looking for love -- Val admits he doesn't sound like he used to following a tracheotomy, but he insists he feels a lot better than he sounds but his voice is a raspy, grating sound, and he's forced to eat through a feeding tube, but he feels that shouldn't matter with the right woman -- the actor, who is slated to appear in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, is pumped up about working again, but it's dawned on him that he's missing one other thing, love, and the single star feels more energy now than ever before and there are things he'd like to do with a partner, like travel more -- Val regrets some of the things he did in the past and he was difficult and selfish, but his whole cancer ordeal has made him a better man and more open and giving but it's been a long, long time since he had a girlfriend, let alone even kissed a woman, but with the support and encouragement of his kids and friends, he's ready to put himself out there

* Fans are saying Christopher Meloni has one of the most remarkable rears on TV after a photo surfaced showcasing his awe-inspiring ass-ets -- a shot of the Law & Order: Organized Crime star in skintight jeans sparked a Twitter-storm where fans of his fanny let loose about his sculpted caboose

Page 44: Straight Talk -- Holly Madison is blabbing about her eight years as Hugh Hefner's No. 1 squeeze in the Playboy Mansion, and, if he were still alive, the king of skin mags would hate that he pretty much comes off as a dirty old lech

Page 45: Paula Abdul was a nervous wreck during her American Idol comeback, but she was not so jittery she couldn't brand her former co-judge Simon Cowell an STD -- special guest Randy Jackson and Simon previously teamed with Paula in the 2000s to make the talent show the biggest hit on TV, and Paula temporarily resumed her role after Luke Bryan tested positive for COVID-19, but when Randy told Paula seeing her on set seems like old times, she blurted "We're just missing the STD," and the remark caught host Ryan Seacrest off-guard as he held a computer device linking Paula and Randy, who was not physically present and Ryan exclaimed, "The what?!" and at that point Paula joked she meant it was an abbreviation for Super Talented, Debonair not sexually transmitted disease -- Paula also referred to Simon, who's only three years her senior, as a grandfather and while Paula seemed in the swing of things, joining the current Idol panel of Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, she was reportedly a bundle of nerves backstage before her comeback show and it was like she'd never done it before, and her pals couldn't believe it; they told her she had more experiencing judging than anyone out there

[awaitfm]

—– tom holland . derry girls . cis male . he/him .  ⟳  →  RETRIEVING INFORMATION FOR     ╱     JAMES MAGUIRE . the NINETEEN year old has been making a name for themselves out in arcadia , specifically in ZONE 2 . upon investigation , the government has witnessed the following individual act POLITE + LEVEL-HEADED , although they have the intelligence to know it’s a facade to hide their PUSHOVER + ASSIMILATORY side . the UNIVERSITY STUDENT individual reminds the officials of A TIGHT GRIP ON A SCHOOLBAG, ASSERTING HIS MASCULINITY AT ANY CHANCE, MAYONNAISE RUBBED OVER A WINDOWPANE, CATHOLIC GUILT

read more about the canon character here.     featured song: zombie by the cranberries.

TRIGGER WARNING for child abuse/neglect.

kathy maguire left ireland twenty years ago for a quick jaunt to england to have an abortion. however, she decided against it, and six months later james maguire was born.

james’s father was a small part of his early life, but with him being in ireland they didn’t see each other very often and have fallen out of touch. he’s had a variety of step-fathers, the most recent of which he often watched doctor who with. 

his mother was and continues to be a narcissist, which has led to a fairly tumultuous upbringing for james. however, he still adores his mother, and tries to help when he can.

james’s move to arcadia happened when kathy took on a new business venture. she took james to visit her sister here, enrolled him in school, and promptly left the country. 

no stranger to this sort of thing, james adapted to life here quickly. he made good friends with elena gilbert and clare devlin, even dating the latter before she came out of the closet. 

right now he’s a freshman at the university. he has absolutely no idea what he wants to do with the rest of his life, and the idea is daunting.

[justforbooks]

Terry Jones obituary

One morning Brian Cohen, completely naked, flung open the shutters at his bedroom window to find a mob below hailing him as the Messiah. Mrs Cohen, played by Terry Jones, who has died aged 77, had something to say about that. “He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy,” she told the disappointed crowd. It became a classic cinema moment.

The 1979 film Monty Python’s Life of Brian, a satire about an ordinary Jewish boy mistaken for the Messiah, which Jones directed and co-wrote with his fellow Pythons Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle and Michael Palin, was banned by 39 British local authorities, and by Ireland and Norway. Jones and his chums were unrepentant: they even launched a Swedish poster campaign with the slogan: “So funny it was banned in Norway.”

As for Jones’s performance as Mandy Cohen, it united two leading facets of the funnyman’s repertoire: his fondness for female impersonation, and his passion for historical revisionism. The latter was evident not just in his work for Monty Python – in which his historian’s sensibility proved essential to the satire of Arthurian England in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), which he co-directed and co-wrote – but also in several documentaries and books in which he stood up for what he took to be the misrepresented Middle Ages.

“We think of medieval England as being a place of unbelievable cruelty and darkness and superstition,” he said. “We think of it as all being about fair maidens in castles, and witch-burning, and a belief that the world was flat. Yet all these things are wrong.”

Arguably, without Jones, Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-74) would not have revolutionised British TV comedy. He was key in developing the show’s distinctively trippy, stream-of-consciousness format, where each surreal set-up (the Lumberjack Song, the upper-class twit of the year show, the dead parrot, or the fish-slapping dance) flowed into the next, unpunctuated by punchlines.

For all his directorial flair, though, Jones may well be best remembered for creating such characters as Arthur “Two Sheds” Jackson, Cardinal Biggles of the Spanish Inquisition, the Scottish poet Ewan McTeagle and the monstrous musician rodent beater in the mouse organ sketch who hits specially tuned mice with mallets.

Thanks to the show’s success, Jones was able to diversify into working as a writer, poet, librettist, film director, comedian, actor and historian. “I’ve been very lucky to have been able to act, write and direct and not have to choose just the one thing,” he said.

Jones was a second world war baby, born in Colwyn Bay, north Wales, and brought up by his mother, Dilys (nee Newnes), and grandmother, while his father, Alick Jones, was stationed with the RAF in India. He recalled meeting his father for the first time when he returned from war service: “Through plumes of steam at the end of the platform, he appeared – this lone figure in a forage cap and holding a kit bag. He ran over and kissed my mum, then my brother, then bent down and picked me up and planted one right on me. I’d only ever been kissed by the smooth lips of a lady up until that point, so his bristly moustache was quite disturbing.”

When he was four, the family moved to Surrey so his father could take up an appointment as a bank clerk. Terry attended primary school in Esher and the Royal Grammar school in Guildford. He studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and developed a lifelong interest in medieval history as a result of reading Chaucer.

At Oxford, he started the Experimental Theatre Company with his friend and contemporary Michael Rudman, performing everything from Brecht to cabaret. He also met Palin and the historian Robert Hewson, and collaborated with them on a satire on the death penalty called Hang Down Your Head and Die. It was set in a circus ring, with Jones playing the condemned man. He and Palin then worked together on the Oxford Revue, a satirical sketch show they performed at the 1964 Edinburgh festival, where he met David Frost as well as Chapman, Idle and Cleese.

After graduation, he was hired as a copywriter for Anglia Television and then taken on as a script editor at the BBC, where he worked as joke writer for BBC2’s Late Night Line-Up (1964-72). Jones and Palin became fixtures on the booming TV satire scene, writing for, among other BBC shows, The Frost Report (1966-67) and The Kathy Kirby Show (1964), as well as the ITV comedy sketch series Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967-69).

In 1967, he and Palin were invited to write and perform for Twice a Fortnight, a BBC sketch show that provided a training ground not only for a third of the Pythons (Jones and Palin), but two-thirds of the Goodies (Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie) and the co-creator of the 1980s political sitcom Yes Minister, Jonathan Lynn.

Jones and Palin wrote and starred in The Complete and Utter History of Britain (1969) for LWT. Its conceit was to relate historical incidents as if TV had existed at the time. In one sketch, Samuel Pepys was a chat show host; in another, a young couple of ancient Britons looking for their first home were shown around the brand-new Stonehenge. “It’s got character, charm – and a slab in the middle,” said the estate agent.

In the same year, he became one of the six founders of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. They expected the show to be quickly decommissioned by BBC bosses. “Every episode we’d be there biting our nails hoping someone might find it funny. Right up until the middle of the second series John Cleese’s mum was still sending him job adverts for supermarket managers cut out from her local newspaper,” Jones recalled. “It was only when they started receiving sackfuls of correspondence from school kids saying they loved it that we knew we were saved.”

After Python finished its run on TV, Jones went on to direct several films with the troupe. The first, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, was, he recalled, “a disaster when we first showed it. The audiences would laugh for the first five minutes and then silence, nothing. So we re-cut it. Then we’d show it in different cities, saying, ‘We’re worried about our film, would you come and look at it?’ And as a result people would come and they’d all be terribly worried about it too, so it was a nightmare.”

He had more fun co-writing and directing two series for the BBC called Ripping Yarns (1976-79) in which Palin starred as a series of heroic characters in mock-adventure stories, among them Across the Andes by Frog, and Roger of the Raj, sending up interwar literature aimed at schoolboys.

Jones directed and starred in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, which some religious groups denounced for supposedly mocking Christianity. Jones defended the film: “It wasn’t about what Christ was saying, but about the people who followed him – the ones who for the next 2,000 years would torture and kill each other because they couldn’t agree on what he was saying about peace and love.”

In 1983 he directed Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, in which he made, perhaps, his most disgusting appearance, as Mr Creosote, a ludicrously obese diner, who is served dishes while vomiting repeatedly.

During this decade Jones diversified, proving there was life after Python. In 1980, he published Chaucer’s Knight: The Portrait of a Medieval Mercenary, arguing that the supposed paragon of Christian virtue could be demonstrated to be, if one studied the battles Chaucer claimed he was involved in, a typical, perhaps even vicious, mercenary. He also set out to overturn the idea of Richard II presented in the work of Shakespeare “who paints him more like sort of a weak … unmanly character”. Jones portrayed the king as a victim of spin: “There’s a possibility that Richard was actually a popular king,” he said.

He wrote children’s books, starting with The Saga of Erik the Viking (1983), which he composed originally for his son, Bill. A book of rhymes, The Curse of the Vampire’s Socks (1989), featured such characters as the Sewer Kangaroo and Moby Duck.

In 1987, he directed Personal Services, a film about the madam of a suburban brothel catering for older men, starring Julie Walters. The story was inspired by the experiences of the Streatham brothel-keeper Cynthia Payne. Jones proudly related that three of four films banned in Ireland were directed by him – The Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and Personal Services.

Two years later, he directed Erik the Viking, a film adaptation of his book, with Tim Robbins in the title role of a young Norseman who declines to go into the family line of raping and pillaging. In 1996, he adapted Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows for the big screen, giving himself the role of Mr Toad, with Ratty and Mole played by Idle and Steve Coogan. But it was rarely screened in cinemas. “It was ruined by studio politicking between Disney and Columbia Tristar,” he said. “We made a really nice film but no one saw it. It didn’t make any money, even though it was well reviewed.”

Jones was also unfortunate with his next film project. Absolutely Anything, based on a script he wrote with the screenwriter Gavin Scott, concerned aliens coming to Earth and giving one person absolute power. Plans were scuppered when a movie with a similar premise, Bruce Almighty, starring Jim Carrey, was released in 2003. Only in 2015 did Jones manage to film Absolutely Anything, in which Simon Pegg, playing a mild-mannered schoolteacher, is given miraculous powers by a council of CGI aliens voiced by Jones and his former Monty Python colleagues. Robin Williams, in one of his last roles, voiced Pegg’s dog.

Jones made well-received history documentaries, including in 2002 The Hidden History of Egypt, The Hidden History of Rome and The Hidden History of Sex & Love, in which he examined the diets, hygiene, careers, sex lives and domestic arrangements of the ancient world, often appearing in the films as an ancient character, sometimes dressed as a woman.

In his book Who Murdered Chaucer? (2003), he wondered if the poet had been killed on behalf of King Henry IV for being politically troublesome.

He wrote for the Guardian, about the poll tax, nuclear power and the ozone layer. He became a vocal opponent of the Iraq war, and his articles on the subject were collected under the title Terry Jones’s War on the War on Terror (2004).

In his 2006 BBC series Barbarians, Jones sought to show that supposedly primitive Celts and savage Goths were nothing of the kind and that the ancient Greeks and Persians were neither as ineffectual nor as effete as the ancient Romans supposed. Best of all, he sought to demonstrate that it was not the Vandals and other north European tribes who destroyed Rome but Rome itself, thanks to the loss of its African tax base.

When Jones was asked what he would like on his tombstone, he did not want to be remembered as a Python, perhaps surprisingly, but for his writing and historical work. “Maybe a description of me as a writer of children’s books or maybe as the man who restored Richard II’s reputation. I think those are my best bits.”

In 2016, it was announced that Jones had been diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a form of dementia that impairs the ability to communicate. He and his family and friends spoke about his experiences to help others living with the condition.

Jones is survived by his second wife, Anna (nee Söderström), whom he married in 2012, and their daughter, Siri; and by Bill and Sally, the children of his first marriage, to Alison Telfer, which ended in divorce.

• Terence Graham Parry Jones, writer, actor and director, born 1 February 1942; died 21 January 2020

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[reconstructionbaby]

another random q: favorite & least favorite media about ireland from american, british, and irish creators? (i know "about ireland" is fuzzy but hope u get what i am going for)

oh um ooh

 so for american: the thirty rock line “what are the irish gonna do? write another meandering play about people not overcoming adversity?” WILL be on my gravestone. i think ireland is always an abstract for american media so i like things that just broadly make fun of irish stereotypes more than media that tries to genuinely explore an irish setting bc that tends to be quite fake. which i get like bc probably exploring the socioeconomics of ireland would be as much of a bummer for americans as it is for the rest of us to find out that like paris is racist and stuff. or even just hearing an urban irish accent, kathy the third generation irish american from illinois couldnt cope. oh but i do like the film brooklyn which has a mostly irish cast and crew but its a good irish-american story.

 i’m finding it hard to think about british media that’s ‘about’ ireland, rather than incidentally having irish characters. i think the idea of ireland is generally romantic for british ppl but not in so abstract a sense that they want to evoke an irish setting in the way that americans do. the same way that irish people probably have a romantic impression of like norway but we’re not dying to make films where barry keoghan fucks ylvis ykno. i think i’m more often surprised at how broadly british media sometimes depicts ireland given how close the countries are and that i generally wouldnt expect to be caricatured by british ppl. i remember a russel t davies series where the characters went to dublin and there was literally the virgin mary or guinness in every shot (also surprises me how big “they’re catholic” is in the british consciousness of ireland) or a mike leigh film from the 90s which had an idiot irish stock character. also i haven’t seen it but hearing of the ferryman left me with quite a bad impression, as a play by a british playwright with mostly british actors set among catholic irish that uses (northern) irish trauma for its plot but never made any effort to, or saw a necessity to, communicate to an audience in belfast or dublin. makes me wonder what the playwright thought the point of the play to be ykno. 

 with irish media the term “about ireland” is more complicated bc does it mean incidentally about ireland in that it’s just set there or is it “about ireland” bc it interrogates irish history culture identity etc. for the first idk i think the animation studio cartoon saloon is cool and like…….. hozier is ok i guess. for the second, there is plenty media about irish identity i dont like. any rebel song for instance (particularly fields of athenry!) but theres also many plays etc… well thinking about it mainly plays… that i think are quite intelligent and interesting explorations, deconstructions, provocations of irish identity. translations by brian friel is an all-time fave. i’m also interested in celtic revival literature bc it was written at a time when the idea of an irish nation was becoming concrete, and i think looking at it you can explore how the identity (bc its an entirely postcolonial identity in all the good but mostly bad aspects) was formed, in ways incidental, intentional, artificial etc. playboy of the western world is the most fascinating example bc it basically mocks irish identity at the time of the most fervent irish nationalism which raises the interesting question, what the fuck was that about? anyway i’ve drank some beer tonight which is why this is 600 words

[niall-is-my-dream]

Songbird - Part One

“When Erin decides to perform one of her favourite songs at a bar, she didn’t expect one of the singers, Niall Horan, to be in the audience. What started as an appreciation for her cover quickly turns into more than either bargained for.”

(Previously known as Fools Gold, this fic has been edited, reworked and finally finished!)

Thanks to @angryniall for being an amazing beta!

As always let me know what you think.

Em x

3065 words

Niall's POV

You really hadn't wanted to go out last Friday night, you'd barely gotten over your jet lag and would have preferred to lie on the sofa watching golf. However the lads said it was going to be a quiet one, at a place with live music and that they weren't going to be late back.

You were immediately pleased with your decision to go out when this absolutely beautiful girl stepped out on stage and started singing. When she reached her final song you couldn't believe it when she sat with her guitar and sung Fools Gold. A song you'd helped write and had performed on your recent tour. You quickly started filming her, she played it well.

God was there anything better than seeing an absolutely stunning girl sitting with just a guitar and singing one of your songs.

You'd clapped when she had finished, watching her pack away her guitar, before walking off towards the bar, talking to a few people along the way. She stopped by a lad at the bar and he brought her a pint of Guinness.

She was perfect.

Was that lad her boyfriend?

She hadn't kissed him when she greeted him and she'd not sat down with him. Instead she was sat next to another couple.

"Hey Nialler, it's rude to stare!" Deo had said laughing.

"What?! Wasn't staring at anything, just looking around." You'd replied.

"She sang your song well didn't she?" Willie had said, when he realised where you'd been looking.

"Yeah, really well, was going to send it to the lads."

"Maybe go over and ask her permission before you do that?"

"Yeah, maybe." You'd nervously replied.

"Have another drink for courage mate!" He'd laughed.

And you had.

Then ten minutes later when she'd gone back to the bar, you'd looked over catching her friends eye and decided to go talk to her.

She was even better in person. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled when she spoke. You couldn't believe it when she said she'd been to your London gig, and that she liked it. She was a fan but not a crazy stalker one who waits outside tv studios for you, she was a fan who listened to your music, really listened and then learnt how to play it.

Now you were sat here, phone in hand having just received the lads response to the video recording of her singing Fools Gold. They'd loved it and said she was brilliant.

You wanted to message her, but nerves had engulfed you. It had been 5 days since you'd seen her. Had you left it too long to message? You did say you'd message once you'd heard from them all.

God why was this so hard?

You'd messaged girls before. But there was something about Erin, you hadn't stopped thinking about her.

After writing and deleting a message about ten times, you settled on keeping it simple.

"Hi Erin, the boys loved seeing the video I sent them. Hope you're ok and work isn't too busy. Niall x"

Was the kiss at the end too much?

Placing your phone next to you on the sofa and letting out a massive sigh, you browsed through the sports channels. A long and tense hour later and your phone vibrated beside you.

"Hi Niall, it's good to hear from you, glad they liked it and didn't think I was an idiot! Work isn't too busy actually, doing a few night shifts right up until Xmas eve. Hope you're enjoying your time off. Erin x"

She had put a kiss at the end. You smiled at the sight of it.

Not wanting to sound too eager to maybe spend some time with her, but not being able to help being direct, you replied with.

"Are you working over Xmas? I'm off now for a few weeks until end of January. Going home to ireland on the 23rd till the 28th. Looking forward to eating loads of my mother's cooking! X"

"Nothing better than your mother's cooking is there? I'm in on Xmas eve on the night shift till 7am then I'll go to my parents and sleep off the shift and probably stuff my face with my mother's Xmas dinner. Back in 7am on the 28th."

You let out a laugh at her reply.

"Ha! Stuff your face! Think I'll be the same, my mother always cooks like there's 50 people coming when in reality it's normally about 10 of us. Where do your parents live?"

"Not far only in Bishops Stortford in Hertfordshire. My dad will drive and pick me up as I don't have a car, don't find I need one much."

"I sold my car a while ago as I just wasn't using it, I've just been away for 7 weeks so it would have just sat unused that whole time. I tend to use the tube or borrow my cousins car who I live with."

"The tube?! That's brave! Do girls follow you around when they spot you?"

"Not really recognised much, you know what people are like on the tube they don't even look at each other!"

"Ha! I suppose! I just get on and look at my phone then hear my stop and get off."

"Londoners aren't exactly the most social on the tube!"

"No they're not! So you live with your cousin then?"

"Yeah, he moved to London around the same time I did so we decided to live together. He's one of my best friends so we spend a lot of time together. Makes sense that we live together any way, he can keep an eye on the place when I'm not here. Do you live with anyone?"

Did she have a boyfriend? You weren't sure you were ready to ask her outright yet.

"No, just moved out from a house share to a place of my own, managed to buy a place. Just a little one bed flat, but its good to be on my own. Hated sharing with my friends, they're so fucking noisy! I'm loving the peace and quiet."

"Congrats on getting your own place. Luckily my cousin is pretty quiet. No wild parties here!"

"Sure there isnt! I'm sorry Niall but I've got to go to work now, got to go deliver some babies! Maybe chat again? X"

"That's ok Petal, you go deliver those babies! And yes, I would love to chat again, message me soon xxxx"

You sat back further on the sofa, placing your phone beside you again. Had you sounded a bit desperate with your last message? Was 4 kisses at the end too much?

Oh god what had got into you!

"You ok Niall?" Willie asked, as he walked into the living room.

"Yeah, just text that girl from Friday."

"Oh yeah, what did you say?"

"Just chatted a bit, she's got to go to work now, night shift at a hospital." You said with a sigh.

"Sounds like you like her?!" He smirked.

"I do, she's different from other girls, don't know how. Just something about her."

"She got a boyfriend?"

"Don't know I didn't ask, didn't want to seem pushy. She said she'd message me soon when she's not working, I'll ask her then."

You both sat and chatted with each other for a bit, having a couple of beers before you both went to bed.

The next morning you woke up to a message.

"Hey Niall I hope this message doesn't wake you up, downside of a 1am break! Was really great talking to you earlier, sorry I had to cut it short and head to work. Hope we can talk again soon. Erin Xxxx"

A smile spread across your face, you looked at your clock it was 7:30am not normally a time you'd be up but jetlag had messed with your sleep schedule. She'd be on her way home now you thought.

"Was great to wake up to your message, hope you had a good night at work. Text when you wake up later would love to talk more xxxx"

You couldn't wait till later.

********

Erin's POV

You smiled as you sat on the tube home, reading Niall's message. You'd replied straight away.

"Work was hectic lots of babies! Can't wait to sleep, will message later, have a good day xxxx"

You had managed to get through the night shift at work without daydreaming of Niall. You'd not mentioned your texts to anyone, especially not Kathy. She was the one you'd been to the concert with. Her daughter Lyla was a massive fan, so she had brought 4 tickets and invited you and one of Lyla's school friends to go. If she knew you'd met him, and had been texting him she would freak out. She was a good friend, but you weren't ready to share this secret with anyone just yet.

You climbed into bed at 8am and set your alarm for 3pm. You were on another night shift tonight so you knew you'd need at least 7 hours sleep in preparation for another 12 hour night.

Your shifts weren't too bad. You normally did two 12 hour night shifts a week and two 8 hour day ones. You'd picked up a few extra longer shifts the last two weeks, as you'd got a few days off over Christmas, so wanted to help out before hand.

You fell asleep almost instantly, thoughts of Niall swimming in your head.

Your alarm woke you from your slumber. Your first thought was Niall. When you'd had been texting yesterday before work the conversation had been easy. You text him straight away, hoping you'd be able to chat before you went into work later.

"Hey I'm awake now if you're free to chat? X"

He replied within minutes.

"Afternoon Erin. You sleep well? X"

"Yeah, not too bad. Got 7 hours. Just about to get some food. Got to leave by 6pm to get to work again."

"Ah that sucks, was hoping we could hang out sometime before I go back to Ireland. I'm busy tomorrow and then I'm flying the day after that. Unless you have a boyfriend and can't?"

He's asking about a boyfriend.

Do not freak out!

"Yeah I'm sorry, I'm now regretting signing up for extra shifts! Maybe when you're back? And no I don't have a boyfriend."

"Definitely, there's always texting and maybe face time over Xmas?"

Oh my god!

He wants to face time.

Fuck!

Be cool!

"I'd like that. How was your day?"

"Did some last minute shopping and then wrapped some of it. Have left it till the last minute again!"

"Well you have been busy touring! Bet the shops were packed!"

"They were and I got spotted a few times which delayed it. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind having pictures with fans, but I just wanted to get in and get out today! Currently lounging on the sofa again!"

Then he sent an absolutely gorgeous selfie of himself lying on his sofa. He looked unreal. You could feel your body heating up from just that one photo.

"God that sofa looks comfy!" You replied cheekily.

"It is, just a shame you have to go to work. There's a space here for you next to me."

Your heart was beating so fast in your chest at this point that you thought it might explode.

"Hey! don't tease!"

You were thoroughly enjoying this carefree flirting you had going on.

"Ha! Sorry! What you cooking then?"

"Oh it's very exciting!" You replied as you took a picture of your stir fry.

"Looks good. You'll have to let me come over and cook for you some time. X"

"That's a deal! X"

The text messages just kept bouncing back and forth, until you were putting your stuff in your locker at work. You took a selfie of yourself in your scrubs and sent it to him.

"Got to go now, babies to deliver. X"

"Never seen anyone look so sexy in scrubs before! X"

"Piss take! X"

"Ha! No seriously you look beautiful Erin, hope work goes ok. 😘"

He had ended your messages with a kiss emoji. You internally squealed, the smile you had on your face was definitely not going away.

Another shift ended and you got your stuff from your locker to find he had messaged you again. You'd not had much chance to stop for a break so hadn't checked your phone in 12 hours. But there it was, a single message from Niall that definitely brightened up your morning.

"Hey I guess when you read this it will be morning. So good morning, hope work was ok. Can't wait to chat later, keep looking at your picture. I'm doing work stuff today but can reply. Can't wait to hear from you. X"

Honestly this whole texting thing was surreal. You replied, deciding to be cheeky and add the kiss emoji on the end like he had done last night.

"Morning Niall, hope you slept well, can't wait to sleep, my feet hurt! I will send you a much better picture than my scrubs one, I promise. 😘 Will message later x"

Jumping on the tube with all the early commuters on their way to work, you couldn't wait to get home. Work was about a 45 minutes trip and you soon made it back to your flat. After a quick shower to freshen up you threw on some cosy pyjamas and climbed into bed.

You didn't sleep long as you were not working that night and were on a day shift the next day. Niall had said he was working, but you text him just after 1pm when you woke up. It felt weird to be texting him like this when you had only just met. The messages had gotten quite flirty, and as much as you loved it you weren't expecting it to materialise into anything. This was Niall Horan for fucks sake, why would he want you?

This was only a bit of fun and you needed to remember that.

You messaged him saying hi and that you had just woken up and were about to take a shower, needing to wash your hair ready for this evening. By the time he messaged back, you had dressed in jeans and a long sleeve cotton top and dried your hair.

"Hey you, sorry only just replying I was in an interview. How was your sleep? You working tonight? X"

"Its ok, how was your interview? No I'm off tonight but back in tomorrow at 9am. I have a works thing tonight in Camden tonight, going to The Colonel Fawcett as they do loads of awesome gins, but won't be drinking much. X"

"Sounds fun, I'm catching up with some friends for a Christmas drink tonight to. Interview was ok, it was for a golf thing I'm going to next month. X"

"Golf? You play?"

"Yeah love it, it's not a boring old man's game!"

"Never said it was!"

"Ha! Most people think it is! So have you told anyone that we've been messaging?"

"No, I haven't"

"What no one?"

"No, I thought you'd prefer the discretion, plus no need for me to tell anyone. Have you?"

"Just my cousin, he was the one who encouraged me to come and talk to you."

"You weren't going to come over?"

"No, was too nervous, but he said I should probably ask your permission to send the boys the video of you, and may have given me a gentle nudge in your direction!"

So the nervousness he had shown when he was talking to you had been real. He was so sweet, you really felt like you had got to know him over the last few days. The real him, not the one standing up on stage in front of thousands of people. You didn't hesitate with your reply.

"Ha! Well I'm glad he did, I really enjoy talking to you. X"

"Me to. I have another interview now so I'll message you in a bit. X"

He did message you back, 45 mins later as you were cleaning up your flat and sorting through Christmas presents. You'd started to sort out your bag to take home with you too. Your dad was going to come here for your stuff and then collect you from work early Christmas morning.

You began messaging back and forth again, this time getting more and more flirty. He practically begged you for a picture when you were ready to go out and you asked for one in return. You'd smiled and bit your lip nervously as you took it. Your fitted black knee length skirt hugged your curves well and you'd teamed it with black heels and a dark blue floaty top. Your naturally curly red hair was tucked over one shoulder.

He replied straight away and caused an instant blush on your cheeks.

"Wow, you look fucking amazing!"

"Ha! Thanks, now where's my picture???!!!"

He sent one to you, he was wearing his trademark dark blue jeans and a white long sleeve cotton v neck top, a little bit of chest hair visible. God you wanted to run your fingers through it. He'd styled his hair with a high flick and was doing his smouldering look.

"Ooohhh hello! Where's the smile Horan?!"

A minute later. He sent the same picture but this time he was smiling.

"Much better! Although I do love that smouldering look! 😉"

"Ha! Don't be cheeky! Seriously you look beautiful, don't go getting anyone's number and making me jealous!"

Interesting??!!!

"Oh really that's not allowed? Well make sure you don't get anyone's tonight either!"

"No it's not! Don't want to share you with anyone. X"

"Don't want to share you either. X"

This time you didn't bother to hide your squeal and the sound of it echoed around your small bedroom.

This made you happy to know that he wasn't seeing anyone else and that he didn't want you to either. You still didn't know what to expect from him. You'd only met him face to face once, and that was for literally less than ten minutes. This texting was getting crazy. You really needed to see him. You'd have to wait till after Christmas since he was away and you were working and away to.

Thanks for reading!I

Em x

Tag list @awomanindeniall

Let me know if you'd like to be added to the tag list.

[themiscyra1983]

Thank you for the tag @marshmallowmcgonagall!

1. Zodiac Sign: Taurus

2. Last thing I googled: coral reef little mermaid menu

3. Song stuck in my head: Nothing at the moment

4. Favourite musicians: Taylor Swift, Sarah McLachlan, Kathy Mattea

5. Do you get asks: Very rarely

6. Amount of 💤: More than I feel I should need, less than my body seems to think I should get

7. Lucky number: 7

8. What are you wearing: Mermaid pajamas

9. Dream Trip: A grand tour of Europe, including Ireland, the UK, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greece, and Italy

10. Instruments you play: None with any particular skill, but I used to take guitar lessons

11. Languages you speak: English - I’ve taken Latin and French but I’m not fluent

12. Favourite song: Heaven Is A Place On Earth (either the Belinda Carlisle version or the Mayries cover) but it changes periodically

13. Random fact: When my cat is positioned just right, the spot on her chest looks like a heart

14. Cats or dogs: Cats (but I like dogs)

15. Aesthetic: Comfortable, nerdy, lots of Disney characters

I’m awkward about tagging people on these; take it if you want it.

[reallybigtrousers]

Get To Know Me!

Thanks to @dearmirah for tagging me! :)

Rules: Answer 16 questions and tag 21 blogs.

Nickname: I don’t have an actual nickname but apparently my name is hard to remember and so on the phone at work I also answer to Karen, Kim, Kathy, and Katelyn.

Starsign: Scorpio

Height: 5′2″

Last Film I Watched: My Dinner with Herve (very odd but I did enjoy it)

Favorite Musician: Gordon Downie.  <sniff>

Song Stuck in my Head: Miike Snow’s Genghis Khan - for the last ten days.  courtesy of @ghostwingss

Other blogs: @oakiestisland ...yeah that’s me...

Do I get asks: Occasionally.  And spam, recently

What am I wearing: My bathrobe.  I was just napping and dreaming that i was stuck in West Edmonton Mall and George Takei stole my work keys and then insisted on hugging me salaciously when I wanted to get them back.

Dream Job: Dog walker.  My clients would just love me and never complain, and I’d be outside and moving (see next answer).

Dream Trip: A very long multi-day walk.  Preferably with easily rented beds at convenient intervals.  Like in England/Ireland/Spain.

Play any instruments?: I played rhythm guitar in a band called Cabbage Patch Dolls From Hell. I recently learned to play the piano, always wanted to learn.  I had a lovely teacher who mostly instructs five year olds and she was very strict with me in a kindergarten kind of way.  

Languages: English.  French from living in Quebec as a teenager (so super slangy).  Spanish from my undergrad minor (academic and not totally helpful).  Enough Innuinaqtuin (local dialect of Inuktitut) to understand when I’m being talked about and navigate the local niceties.  Currently learning Russian - I’m at the level of a not-so-bright two year old - I can say: juice please, where’s mom, that’s a horse, I like rocks, etc.

Favorite food: Chocolate.  Absolute best would be chocolate mousse with stuff in it. Like the Baskin Robbins raspberry chocolate mousse ice cream, or the Rolo pots in England.

Favorite song: Cordelia by the Tragically Hip.

Random fact: I live in the Arctic.  It snowed a bit yesterday.

tagging if you would like to play, but I know everyone’s super busy....  @curlsincriminology @ianvs (if you’re still in the bath lol) @ghostwingss @suiteinphd @queenofthebench @psyykkinen-lintukoto @augustinianseptember @crochetingdoctorate @thesoundofrain @onceuponapakistanigirl @crazycephalopoda @ahistoriantobe @narrativerehearsal