#the man would do great in wicked 2024

[pangaeaseas]

sirius' bestfriendship with buckbeak is criminally underrated in fandom. give that man a horse eagle bestie. sirius buckbeak brotp...

[acapelladitty]

NSFW Alphabet: Cooper Howard

Summary: A full NSFW alphabet for Cooper Howard/The Ghoul from Fallout (2024).

Fic Masterlist

Link to AO3

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Pretends that he's not needing anything after sex but actually loves it when his partner wraps themselves around him like a second skin. Won't ever admit to it, but the way his arm snakes around to pull them even closer is hint enough to his real desires.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Likes his hands because they're quick and dexterous, and can justbas easily gut a gulper as they can seek out and tease a clit. Not much pride in his own appearance aside from that. He's also a tit man and the pillowy softness of them is so opposed to his own body that he only enjoys them more, usually with his mouth as much as his hands.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Sterile as all fuck, he can do what he wants with his cum and it makes no difference. Enjoys the taste and likes oral because of it. He does love for his partner to hold onto his cum though, either by swallowing or by pushing it back up their holes with his fingers. They earned it so they're going to keep it.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Has experimented with his new abilities as a Ghoul in some interesting and intense ways. Usually pushing the edge of pleasure and pain as he tests his own limits. His leathered skin is less sensitive than most so he's spent some of his more boring nights doing things to himself that would have a normal man in fucking hysterics.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

He knows his way around a hole that's for sure. He slept with one or two folks before Barb but he was pretty monogamous after that despite the sleaze of his acting career. He and Barb did share a very healthy, vibrant sex life and he was eager to experience new things with her but nothing too outside of the 'vanilla' realm.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Seated with his partner riding his lap like any good cowgirl should. The close skin-to-skin contact, plus the easy access to their chest, makes it a firm favourite as he's generous with his tongue and teeth. Plus, it lets him enjoy their facial expressions and hold some eye contact as he drinks in their pleasure.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Never 'goofy' is a daft sense but isn't above using filthy talk and double entendres while cracking a wicked smirk. Lots of word play around his status as both a cowboy and a monster and he likes to remind his partner of BOTH of those facets of his personality.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Look at the poor cunt 😭 he's a great big baldy bastard with nary a pube on him. The only hair he has are the follicles that fall off the folk he occasionally scalps.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Surprisingly romantic given how gruff and generally detached he is, but only with a romantic partner. A random fuck gets a casual pump and dump while sex with a partner has some meaning for him and he likes to feel his partner close and ensure that they have a good time with him.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Not at the top of his priority list in the grand scheme of things. If he's feeling horny then he'll deal with it and leave the mess splattered on the ground where it fell.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Roleplay is a kink of his and he would be at his happiest role-playing a very traditional "cowboy saves a damsel and she's looking to repay the favour" type scene. His most 'out there' kinks include a mild touch of erotic cannibalism, ropework, and dom/sub dynamics relating to discipline and cnc.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Strong enough to make any vertical surface a viable spot for a fuck, there are very few areas that Cooper can't turn into a good spot for sex. His preference is for a bed though because he can be a lazy fucker when it suits him but that's an indulgence he's very rarely afforded.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Very easily motivated if he can sense his partner is down for a rough tumble in the sheets. All he needs is a WHIFF of a chance of hole and he'll be rubbing himself across you like a cat in heat. Hand straight to the groin like it was magnetic.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Sharing his partner? Oh no. He'd fucking kill any third party before they could do anything too untoward. He's jealous as hell and volatile with it as he claims so little in the shithole that is the wastelands. Will threaten to tie his partner up and leave them for the raiders and beasts but that's just a horny threat.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

One leftover from his previous life is his love of giving oral. His wife loved it and he loved receiving it in equal measure. However, with things as they are, he'd rather get his rocks off in warm hole when the opportunity and time arose.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Normally? Fast and rough. However, in the quieter moments when the sun hangs low and he feels relaxed enough to enjoy some time with his partner, he takes great pleasure in some slow and sensual sex.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Due to his circumstances, quickies are often the only option for some hole so if he and his partner are frisky then it's as and when the potential arises.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

I think choosing to fuck someone in the wastelands automatically qualifies as a considerable risk. But, yes. He's fond of risk and it's something that he'll continue to push and push until he's satisfied.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Ridiculous stamina. The kind of stamina that will have smoke pouring from your hole if he's not careful lol. As a ghoul, his skin is slightly desensitised so he can go for longer but usually only lasts one good round.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Not really a big fan of toys (finds his cock and mouth MORE than capable thank you VERY much) but will use easy-to-access objects like his lasso and knife for some kinky play.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Only teases when it's a game he's playing. Most of the time, he's looking for some quick, rough action that he and his partner can enjoy in their limited, quieter moments. In terms of vocal teasing? He's very quick to spout off with some sleazy promises and demands.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Tries to be very controlled but does have a tendency to grunt and growl a lot which makes him more animalistic than vocal in terms of his speech when he's fucking someone.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Cooper would like to eat a little bit of his partner if they were willing and had the bit going spare. Most of his meals are a necessity but to have a willing offering would be quite erotic and a big deal for him.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

His cock is the same shade as the rest of his skin but with a slightly deeper tone in his cockhead. Very average length but on the girthier side with a slight lean to the right when he's fully erect. No pubes, obviously.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Makes a lot of inappropriate comments and touches which would have you believing that he's constantly looking for some tail. That's only true because he tends to be hornier in high-stress situations which, unfortunately, is most of the time.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He doesn't sleep much and there's something possessive in him that makes him happier watching over his fucked-out partner as they sleep rather than sleeping himself.

[euniexenoblade]

Favorite Movies 2024

I do one of these every year, even though I see less and less of the current releases every year. But, I've been doing it on tumblr since 2012, so it's a tradition and everyone else does it so, why not?

There's a lot of movies I haven't gotten to see yet. Like, as far as I can tell Queer isn't available anywhere even though it's one of those movies I'm sure I'd love. Everyone seems to like The Brutalist, but I don't want to watch a bad cam recording. I don't usually see most non-American movies until the next year. Really excited to see that movie Viet and Nam.

That said, some honorable mentions:

Past Lives was a really beautiful film about a family immigrating to the USA from South Korea and how that affects their daughter and her friend's relationship, not to mention her identity. It's 5/5 for me but it's technically 2023 and it feels more fun to highlight the films I chose.

Perfect Days is a Japanese movie about a guy that works for a toilet cleaning company and it's really a beautiful movie. Like the previous mention the only problem is it's from 2023 and I think it'd be fun to highlight the films I chose.

Conclave is fun! Who would have thought picking the pope was exactly like high school cafeteria drama!

I'm sure no one cares for Speak No Evil, considering this one is an American remake. But, personally I had a lot of fun, James McAvoy is hot and honestly the family deserved it for diving a Tesla.

Drive Away Dolls is a really funny gay comedy. It's not good enough to make a "best of" list, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a watch. In that same respect, Bottoms was really funny. But again, not best of the year worthy, and it's from 2023.

Anyways! The list!

10 - Heretic

Heretic is one of those edgy pseudo intellectual movies that thinks it's so much smarter than it actually is. And I love it. Do not go into this expecting a horror movie, expect it to be some dude trolling some Mormon girls. Don't take it seriously and just enjoy the ride. It's funnier than it is scary. When the guy compares the Book of Mormon to Monopoly, or compares Jesus Christ to Jar Jar Binks? Hysterical.

9 - Alien: Romulus

I don't really have anything to add on to the letterboxd review. As a Alien lover, a Xenomorph fucker, and a die hard fan of the series, I really loved the atmosphere in this one. The world building was great. I'm happy we finally got a decent installment, finally.

8 - Challengers

Again, said most of what I need to up there. Challengers is not the movie you expect it to be. Funny as hell, interesting as hell, melodramatic as fuck.

7 - Will & Harper

Will & Harper is a breath of fresh air in today's transphobic climate. I didn't expect Will fucking Ferrel to be the trans ally of the year, but damn, he tried his hardest to keep Harper happy even in the darker moments. Will Ferrell's best movie (lol).

6 - Love Lies Bleeding

This fucking movie is insane. If you want to see a real lesbian crime thriller, this is it y'all. Music is excellent, acting is astounding, and they throw in some fucking curveballs to fuck with you. Underrated cinema.

5 - Monkey Man

Do you need another reason?

An amazing action flick in a similar vein to John Wick. Brutal, violent, but has so much heart. And we get amazing trans representation. This film looked beautiful, I'd argue only one other film had a visual aesthetic nearly as cool as this in 2024 (it'll come up later). Dev Patel wrote, directed, and starred in this, that's insane. He clearly had so much love for this project and it shows through.

4 - Look Back

I don't usually put anime movies on this list, but I don't know if I'll do an anime list this year so it has to be included.

From the creator of Chainsaw Man, we get a beautiful movie about friendship and loss. It's genuinely a beautiful piece of art.

3 - Femme

I'm not adding my letterboxd, it has spoilers in it and I don't want to ruin the ride. Technically a 2023 movie, but it's on John Waters favorite movie list of the year so it fucking counts.

A brutal look at internalized homophobia and the ways we hurt each other in our own communities. I can't recommend it enough, but trigger warnings for homophobia, assault, and abuse. It's really hard to get into the meat and potatoes of this movie without spoiling it. But, it's fucked up and well made.

I loved this movie. It looks so beautiful, the actors inhabit their characters so well it feels like it's all real, a gay horror movie if I've ever seen one.

2 - The People's Joker

Also technically not 2024, but this is the year everyone got to see it. But, The People's Joker is such a triumph of trans DIY bullshit. Making a movie about a trans woman Joker without the permission of DC sounds so stupid, but it comes together as one of the most interesting pieces of art to come out in the 2020s.

My first experience with this movie was unforgettable. I had no idea it existed, but my girlfriend who worked at a movie theater was like "this movie exists let's go see it!" And I was like, ok that's chill. I was hitting the weed vape so hard before going into this and killed me.

Live action, CGI, animation, this movie is a bizarre amalgamation of styles, built as this weird, indie love letter to Batman. Inside this shell of mixed artforms you find a very basic story about a trans woman finding herself and fighting for the respect of the people around her. And beyond that you can find comedy revolving around Batman lore or comedy revolving around inter community bullshit.

Outstanding movie. Would happily watch it 800 more times.

1 - I Saw The TV Glow

It couldn't be anything else.

Similar to previous, my movie theater girlfriend got a huge group of people together to go see this. I had seen trailers but I figured it was going to be a normal horror movie in the style of Candle Cove type shenanigans. I was very, very, very, very high when I saw this. Of the 15 or so people (all trans) that saw this, the majority were crying, a few were shell shocked and just left, and I'm there laughing about Phoebe Bridgers in the middle.

I don't think there's anything I can say about this movie that isn't already super well known. A transgender horror story with the message "it's never too late." As frightening, as sad as it is, it's also just the beginning of the story that'll have a happy end.

It's beautiful. Looks beautiful. Great soundtrack that fits the vibe. One of the best movies ever made, honestly.

[brain-usurped-by-bug]

My Curated Turbo/King Candy playlist!

These 22 23 songs were selected for their lyrical connection first and vibes second, although the playlist mostly consists of rock and electronic music. I have arranged the playlist roughly in narrative order for maximum vibes.

Tracklist (as of Sept 14, 2024), along with choice lyrics and overly deep explanations on why these songs fit.

"The End" - My Chemical Romance. Serves as an introduction to the playlist, and a warning of the downfall that is to come. "Save me! Save me! You Can't! Take me!"

"The Main Character" - Will Wood. A sharp transition away from the introduction, taking you back to a happier time. Despite the bright tone, the lyrics introduce a self centered character who feels he deserves love and attention. "I'm the main character, and you have to like me."

"I'm Gonna Win" - Rob Cantor. A Rock music. The lyrics speak of winning at all costs and a refusal to give up. "I'll never loose, I'll never die. You've seen me before, you'll see me again."

"Kickstart My Heart" - Motley Crue. Energetic rock music, representing confidence and the excitement of a race.

"Freak of the Week" - Freak Kitchen. Harsher rock music, the lyrics speak of a willingness to do anything for attention, including self mutilation. "Like me, like me, won't you like me?"

"Final Transmision" - The Living Tombstone. Electronic music, and the transition into the road blasters era. "Pushing off the payload, no cable to rewind him." "Eyelids getting heavy, sleep it off now kid, everyone knows now exactly what you did."

"Bloodstains" - Agent Orange. Angry rock, falling into mental illness. Considering homicide as a solution to his problems. "Ah things seems so much different now, the scene has died away. I haven't got a steady job, and I've got no place to stay."

"Alien Blues" - Vundabar. More mental illness rock. Disillusioned and disconnected to the people around him, popularity fading. "My teeth are yellow, hello world. Would you like me a little better if they were white like yours?"

"Cowboy Dan" - Modest Mouse. Sad cowboy rock, shortly before the road blasters incident. He is angry and dissatisfied with is place in life. he is a major player in his scene, but he wants more, he wants war. He hates how things have changed. he wants out. "He hops in his pickup, puts the pedal to the floor, and says, 'I got mine, but I want more'." "Can't do it, not even if sober, can't get that engine turned over."

"Toba the Tura" - Forgive Durden. Post-Roadblasters regret. lots of great lyrics here. "I watched the lamps fall, You pushed them over. They say you're gifted, Well I just see a scared kid." "The raw scorched Earth, It's a trophy of your worth." "Your cold wicked soul boasts a foul scent." "This mess that you made, it's a six-foot grave, It's a home for your lonesome bones that remain. We'll disappear you'll stay here, To rot as the king of the dark and forgot." "(Oh what have you done, disobedient son) What have I become? (You've broken the trust) Destroyed all I loved."

"My Crt" - Dream Puzzles. Moody electronic music about being hunted by a yellow eyed man inside a computer. Is he haunting himself, or is it an external force?

"Awoken" - Wooden Toster. He lives in pain and regret, but he has awoken from the monotony and is prepared to make a change. "Pushed by desire to change the way my stream will frow. now I've awoken and I'm taking back control."

"Sirens" - Bear Ghost. A drift into headcanon territory. He he's sick of hiding, so he goes out to have fun and let off steam, but he's terrified of being caught, and nearly is.

"A Mask of My Own Face" - Lemon Demon. A turn to the playful and sinister. A mask is put on, he goes around in disguise, and is proud of himself. "I'd wear it on Thanksgiving and I'd laugh in the parade at all the people hissing, knowing I'm the one they hate."

"Cabinet Man" - Lemon Demon. THE Turbo song. He reflects on his past and decides to take over Sugar Rush. Perfect vibes, to many fitting lyrics to list. Someone sinister is lurking in a game cabinet, assumed dead, existing unseen, unbeatable, breaking in. Half Human and Half Machine.

"My Ordinary Life" - The Living Tombstone. He's a king on top of the world, surrounded by admirers. He's on a high. He loves the glitz and glamour, but it's all a farse. "People blend together but I would be lost without their love. Can you heal me have I gained too much?" "Is there a real me? Pop the camphane."

"Ruler of Everything" - Tally Hall. He is playfully in control of everything, but his inner darkness still lurks. "Your facade is a scam, you know you're making me cry this is the way that I am. I've been living a lie, a metamorphical scheme."

"Dear Dictator" - Saint Motell. A return to rock music. The point of no return has long been passed. Judgment is on the horizon. "Nobody has ever seen his face, but fear his smile." "And at the trial they'll be no jury, and all the dead are gonna play witness. It's not too late to say you're sorry, but it's to late to truly mean it."

"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" - Set it Off. A return to rage. He's lying and hurting people to keep his position. "So, tell me how you're sleeping easy, how you're only thinking of yourself. Show me how you justify, telling all your lies like second nature."

"House of Wolves" - My Chemical Romance. He knows he faces eternal damnation, but it's way too late to turn back, so instead he embraces it. "Take this to my grave." "Tell me I'm a bad, bad, bad, bad man."

"Unconditional Love" - Against Me!. Cybug Transformation. He is doomed, and not even unconditional love can save him now. "Half digested and eternal, somewhere lost in the ephemeral."

"Dead!" - My Chemical Romance. Death. “Did you get what you deserve? The ending of your life." "Have you head the news that you're dead? No one ever had much nice to say, I think they never liked you anyway."

.

"Puzzle Pieces" - Saint Motell. Bonus track! y/n sings about how Turbo/King Candy has designed himself, and is made up of all these pieces that don't fit together. "I can hardly move, I can barely breath, near your features."

[ultraericthered]

I've been very familiar with Wicked for several years now. I read the novel that the musical was based on (which mostly kind of sucked), knew the story of the musical, and have listened to the soundtrack. But it alway sat just okay with me. In particular, the character of Elphaba Thropp, I felt, was a very interesting concept - what if the Wicked Witch of the West was a layered, sympathetic, relatable person whose whole deal was so much more complex than simply being "wicked" for no reason, and that popular image of her as the cruel, nasty, fearsome hag we're all familar with was a myth based in a propagandized narrative spun to turn people against her? With Glinda the Good Witch, the Wizard of Oz, and the land of Oz itself all being deeper and darker than they appeared at a glance? That is fantastic on an imagination level, though it took the musical to fully realize the idea, and we got a great take on the Oz lore and great iteration of the Wicked Witch as a result. But I still didn't feel Elphie was anything too much greater than the character who sourced her (Margaret Hamilton's Witch in particular is a great villain on her own merits), and she sort of started a trend in both parodies and legit works of going for the lazy "they're not truly evil, they're just misunderstood!" villain revisionism, particularly when coupled with the equally lazy "and the people you thought were good guys were actually the real villains!" Count Dracula, Captain Hook, Maleficent, Jafar, Cruella De Vil, the Grinch, Carmen Sandiego, Lex Luthor, Light/Kira and even other lesser villains like the fucking Beanstalk Giant got this treatment over time. It's like Wicked made what was done as a joke with the Big Bad Wolf way back when acceptable to play straight, so it was a sore spot on Elphaba's legacy for me.

But let me tell you...watching Wicked Part 1 in theaters in the year 2024 the other day made something go off in my head. Elphaba's story through just Act 1 alone struck a chord with me that it hadn't before, to the point where I had to hold back tears towards the very end. Suddenly not only was all the political commentary in the story so much clearer and more relevant than it had ever been, but I got Elphie's character arc and a core piece of it that ties directly into that political commentary after it had gone over my head for years.

SPOILERS FOR WICKED PART ONE WILL FOLLOW

So the part of Elphaba's story that got me was her "relationship" with the Wizard of Oz. How she lived her life since childhood idolizing this man, absolutely loving the idea of the Wizard, being thankful to him for every blessing she and the land of Oz had, and dreaming of a day where she'd one day meet him, be apprenticed by him, and become like family with him because if he, the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz himself, could accept her, then the entire rest of Oz would have no choice but to accept her too. She'd finally have the mass acceptance, validation, and care from others she'd always yearned for. And yeah, that has to do with her self worth issues and yearning to belong somewhere with someone, and I always got that well before seeing the movie. Struggling with your self esteem and feeling ostracized from the world around you due to having been born different from others with whom you share that world was always the relatable aspect for Elphie for me, 'cause I've been there.

But the stuff with the Wizard once she's actually met him took on a whole new meaning for me now. It's been said ad nauseum now that the idea of some carnival barker huckster fraudster simpleton being put into a position of political power and leadership despite having no actual power and next to no merits to him all while others around him with their own sinister agendas look to curry favor with him in order to use him to their advantage and reap benefits from his position, and these people creating a scapegoat out of whoever can serve as a "common enemy" to unite people in fear, anger, hatred, grievance, prejudice and opposition to, is more timely, hard-hitting and realistic now than ever before, drawing parallel to the rise of our incoming First Felon President and the MAGA nightmare we cannot seem to awaken from. All of it said, all of it true. However, it cuts way deeper for me. In my scenario, the Wizard of Oz isn't the Felon, as I never had any faith or loving for that man and all he did was exceed my reservations about him. The Wizard of Oz is my country, the (former) United States of America itself. Just like Elphaba in Emerald City, on the days following November 5 2024, I had to look at something I'd been taught was Great And Wonderful since childhood, something I'd loved and gone on believing truly was Great And Wonderful for years, and reckon with the harsh truth that I'd learned about, loved, and had wanted to serve something that never actually existed. And the fault doesn't lie with the Founding Fathers and the fundamental creed that America was built upon, which is as Great And Wonderful now as it was all those centuries ago. The fault is with the sad reality that, due to people, ideas, beliefs, systems, institutions, traditional practices, holes and vices in government, and the corrosion of democracy, the nation we've had since the founding, the nation I've lived in from the day I was born, has constantly failed to live up to its own core ideals. People in power still can and do take away "certain inallieable rights" that all humans are born with from the humans born with them, all citizens are not treated with equality, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is continously impeded, we are not "indivisible" no matter how fragile the states hold together, there is not "liberty and justice for all", there exists a certain class of people who are, in fact, above the law, the three branches of governments seldom function the way they were made to, and the melting pot isn't "melting" people the right way as much since we've become more exclusionary than inclusive. As with the Wizard and the Grimmerie, this country is run by weak, stupid, mediocre men who are either unable to read the Constitution, or they can but just do not feel inclined to actually follow and respect it in letter and spirit. The only truly good, fair and just thing for a long while was the "self-governing" nature of the populace's participation in democracy and the self-corrections that would be made from it... but that ended up exploited in order to become the very thing that sealed its damnation. My nation was never evil, but at the same time, it has never been great, as it's so often failed to do good. It's a nation of moral goodness in perpetual bondage by the not-so-good that wants to exploit all the good it's capable of for them and their interests alone. "Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?" Sure, but only because the Free and the Brave who've lived here are all far better than it deserves.

And then we reach "Defying Gravity." I always linked the title of this song to Elphaba taking flight on her broomstick. But only now do I grasp the full meaning of that title, and the weight the term holds in its proper context. Elphaba is making a choice to defy Oz. To rebel against a corrupt system by a corrupt government that is corrupting the land and harming vulnerable others. She makes this choice even when what she's rebelling against holds the advantage in all power sans magical and possesses the resources and means to turn the ignorant masses against her and ensure they remain on their side. From the offset, she is very unlikely to prevail. That's why it's like struggling against a greater force that is trying to push you down and can normally easily do so - a force like gravity. And yet Elphie fights. She defies. She does so even if it means she has to make herself look like a villain, reasoning that even if her enemy is great and powerful, and the odds of defeating it seem impossible, it's not more powerful than her skills, her gifts, her convictions and her willpower. And so long as she has those, it can and will never bring her down.

I'd say the lesson here is "domestic terrorism in defiance of your government is good, actually", but it's a little bit more complicated.

So yeah, Wicked Part 1 is a masterpiece and Elphaba Thropp is an inspiration. If what she does is "wicked", then let us all aspire to be as wicked as her as the fight to rejuvinate the soul of our decayed republic and lay claim to a better future for all people in it goes on.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Fomorian - Day 148

Race: Night Alignment: Neutral-Chaos December 18th, 2024

Remember a while back during the Dagda analysis that we'd eventually be covering the sworn enemies of the Tuatha Dé Danann? Well, that time has come. The Fomorians are a very interesting topic in regards to Irish myth, with them not being a single being but rather an entire encompassing race of giants that stand in opposition to the Tuatha Dé Danann, being foreign invaders to the land of Ireland. As such, this DDS won't be as much a look into a single figure and more a general look at the race of the Fomorians, their overall roles in the mythology, and what their deal is, because I sure am wondering.

Fomorians as a whole have changed over the years, but the general concept surrounding them remains much the same, being spirits that originate from outside of Ireland (whether it be the sea or even the netherworld beneath) and... well, to put it simply, basically have an ongoing race war with the other supernatural race in Ireland, the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Fomorians represent far more than just being invaders, though- they stand in for things like drought, war, and pestilence, basically being everything bad that the Tuatha stand to oppose. Typically malevolent, though there are a few scant standouts, they're basically the main antagonistic force in much of the Irish mythos.

They don't share much in terms of appearance, commonly, though a few sources do point to a few possible commonalities throughout many members of the race. According to one of the texts within Lebor na hUidre, the oldest surviving Irish text, the Fomorians were said to have the body of a man and the head of a goat. They're given a description in the phrase "Tri fothuct Fomórach nad ndelb dúine nduinegin," essentially meaning 'Three Fomorians from the Land of the Dead,' at least from what my rough translations can glean. I'm, again, monolingual, which bites me in the ass AGAIN. Still, this does point again to their possible origins from the Netherworld, but their meaning changed when the Vikings attacked. Afterwards, they went from a race of spirits from the lands beyond to a race of invaders from overseas.

Not all Fomorians are outright evil, though, and some actually end up working alongside the Tuatha Dé Danann, even bearing children with them occasionally, though they'd often turn out to be rather wicked. The most popular and infamous member of the Fomorians was Balor, a demon I've already covered! Overall, though, they were a nasty and rather rowdy bunch who would kill and pillage much of Ireland, constantly butting heads with the great protectors of the land. With all of that, what about the portrayal of the Fomorians in SMT?

Well, I've already covered Balor in his own spotlight, the Fomorians themselves have a pretty fun design, if nothing special. The body of a man and the head of a goat is adapted pretty faithfully, though the wool beneath does also tie them into sheep. Nothing too special- it's not gonna knock your socks off- but sometimes, simple is best.

[kathleenkatmary]

My Top 30 Movies of 2024 (as of 12/31/24)

Disclaimer: This is by no means my 'completed' list. There are still a lot of movie I want to see that I won't have access to for awhile yet. I don't usually 'close out' - though I never really 'close out' my yearly lists - until around Oscar time. But I always like to take stock of what my list looks like at the actual end of the year. So here that is. I'll have more complete version around the end of February/beginning of March. Also, I tend to do go by non-festival domestic (US) release dates to determine the year of a movie's release, roughly going by Academy Awards eligibility. But I am kind of loose with that if a movie becomes widely available, even if only on the high seas, before it gets a non-festival US release.

30. A Different Man

A Different Man is the year's most effective exploration of identity and loneliness. It's hardly the first story or movie to look at the idea that changing the physical things that you don't like about yourself won't necessarily make you feel less lonely or more equipped to connect with other people, but it does it in such an interesting way. It's equal parts sad and anxiety inducing.

29. Blood for Dust

This is definitely one of the most underrated movies of the year. It seems that the perception of this is that it's just another low-grade suspense/thriller, but it's actually a really dark look at what modern poverty looks like for so many people, the desperate state the broken system we live in leaves people in, and the lengths people are willing to go to in an attempt to escape it. Every moment is infused with a feeling of dread, but even then it's so easy to relate to Scoot McNairy's character and his choices because of the situation he's in.

28. Civil War

I wouldn't say that Civil War is an apolitical movie, but it's completely uninterested in the one side versus the other side politics that led to the titular war. Instead, it explores the politics of journalism during such a time, the role journalism plays in such a world, and what existing in that line of work does to a person. Through a character like Kirsten Dunst's Lee it shows war as a fact of every day life, and it looks at the United States would look like in that kind of situation.

27. Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake is probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. I went into it knowing pretty much nothing, and what I got was a deeply melancholy time travel tale that used it's sci-fi storyline to dig into ideas of how we're tied to the generations of our family that came before us and how those connections and the things that happened to the people who came before us echo through the generations and continue to impact us. It's such an incredibly effective use of time travel to tell a very human story.

26. The Substance

I doubt I have much to say about The Substance that others haven't already said. Is it subtle? Of course not, but I don't think it needs to be. The over the top atmosphere and slightly bizarro world it sets up feels like the perfect fit for the story it's telling. It's not saying anything that plenty of other pieces of media haven't said, but I do think it captures that feeling of living in a femme body in this culture better than most other movies of this type.

25. Alien: Romulus

I've been a fan of the Alien franchise since I was a kid in the 90s, but it's been in a weird place for a long time. Alien: Romulus feels like a return to form, prioritizing the horror over the sci-fi much of the time and not getting to bogged down with lore and backstory. Most of the characters do feel kind of like stock characters, but the movie does a good job of giving them all solid motivation for their actions and behaviors. And Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson give such great performances, providing the movie with its emotional core.

24. Wicked Little Letters

Wicked Little Letters is a fun movie that unapologetically places women of all kinds at its center. Yes, it's a movie about a feud between two women, but at its core its a movie about the way society pits women against each other, and how we'll always be stronger together. It's also got one of the best ensemble casts of the year, lots of women with amazing chemistry and perfect comic timing.

23. Between the Temples

Definitely the most anxiety inducing moviegoing experience of the year. But it's also one of the sweetest. It's another exploration of loneliness - a theme that's been popular and will probably continue to be - but this one is quite hopeful about finding connection in unexpected places. At its heart it's a love story, but not in the traditional way.

22. Nosferatu

The 1922 original is one of my all time favorite movies, so I was both excited for and a bit skeptical about Robert Eggers's remake. While I don't think it ever reaches the heights of FW Murnau's original or Werner Herzog's version from the 1970s, and while some of the performances could be better in spots, Eggers has such a feel for the dark atmosphere of the story and such an interesting take on the titular vampire. And I think he went in a really interesting route by putting the ideas of grooming and sexual assault that are just sort of naturally an aspect of this story at the forefront.

21. Witches

Looking at the witch hunts and trials of the 1500s and 1600s in Europe and North America through the lens of mental illness isn't really anything new, but the documentary Witches looks at it through a very specific lens: that of post partum depression and psychosis, the continued lack of systemic and cultural support for people suffering from such things, and the way cultural expectations of gender norms surrounding motherhood put people in a position of feeling isolated and even unsafe in seeking help. It's a fascinating way to look at witch hunts, but more than anything it's a deeply personal and cathartic look at experiencing post natal mental health crises in our current world.

20. La Chimera

La Chimera is the most magical feeling movie of 2024, while still feeling very firmly set in the real world. I love that, because it allows for that feeling of magic in our ordinary world. The Italian setting now doubt contributes to that feeling, and the way it's filmed is full of so much whimsy and freedom of spirit that it only enhances the mystical, magical tone that encompasses the story.

19. His Three Daughters

One of 2024's great films about grief. But it's not just about grief. It's about that uniquely agonizing experience of waiting for someone to die, of grieving before the death has actually happened, of being unable to escape that feeling of just wanting it to happen already so that you can get back to your life and all of the guilt that comes with that. Take all that an mix in the complex relationships and rifts between the three sisters at the film's center, and His Three Daughters is one of the best explorations of family dynamics and the impact that a major death can have on them in years.

18. Things Will Be Different

I knew almost nothing about Things Will Be Different going into it, and was very pleasantly surprised to find a quiet little sci-fi story that inserts its genre elements in really clever ways that allow for the low budget. It uses time travel to explore that feeling of the way we can sometimes commit the same mistakes with the people we love over and over and over even when we try to do thing differently, and it ends up packing in incredible emotional punch as a result.

17. I Used to Be Funny

From what I've seen, most of the very few movies out there that focus on the aftermath of sexual assault are very revenge-based. So it's nice to see something like I Used to Be Funny, which has no interest in ideas of revenge and is far more interested in really exploring the long term impacts such a thing can have on a person, on their ability to live life day to day, their relationships, the things they can't get back and the things they can. It's refreshing to see a movie like this that, for the most part, is pretty uninterested in the perpetrator himself, focusing more on the trauma they caused to the people around them, and the way those people find their way to healing.

16. The Last Stop in Yuma County

This is probably the most tense I was watching a 2024 movie (so far, anyway). From pretty much the very start, the tension just keeps building and building and building, at such a steady and methodical pace as more information is revealed, more characters are introduced, and things become more chaotic. The tension then breaks in one of the best end-of-second-act turns I thing I've ever seen. It then goes on to build a completely different kind of tension through its final act. The Last Stop in Yuma County really is a masterclass in tension building. I'm not kidding, this should be studied in schools.

15. The Dead Don't Hurt

The Western has, historically, been a pretty male-centric genre. And while we have seen more westerns focused, at least in part, on women in recent years, The Dead Don't Hurt is the first one I've seen that's really focused on what the experience of a woman really would have been like when the man in her life went off to have the kind of western adventure they usually make movies about. This is very, very much a love story, but what it's about above all is about what a woman alone in that kind of world would go through. It's rough and horrific at times, but in a way that never feels fetishistic or voyeuristic.

14. Dune: Part 2

Villaneuve's Dune movies are stunning achievements not just because they're adaptation of a difficult-to-adapt work that feels complete and true to the source, but also because of how effectively they explore the novel's themes, themes that are still startlingly relevant today, and because of how fantastically it sets up the universe the story takes place in, laying the groundwork for future entries into the franchise.

13. Small Things Like These

I feel like a lot of people might not like Small Things Like These because "nothing really happens", but I feel like it's all right there in the title. This isn't a movie about some grand heroic act where some everyman hero saves a huge amount of people or exposes some major organization. It's about the small things we can do, that a completely ordinary person like Cillian Murphy's character can do to help. It's about the value of every person, every life, and the tremendous, life saving impact even one normal person choosing to do the right thing can have. It's a small, quiet movie. But it's a tremendously powerful one.

12. Late Night with the Devil

I'm not sure I can explain exactly what it is about Late Night with the Devil that captivated me so much. I'm not generally a horror fan. Not because I think the genre is somehow 'lesser', I just don't enjoy being scared. If I love a horror movie, that means there was something in it that I loved so much it overrode how much I don't enjoy being scared. I think this movie really excelled with its main character, exploring him from a really interesting angle and creating a lot of depth with a pretty simple central conceit.

11. Lies We Tell

I'm not 100% sure if this is actually a 2024 film or a 2023 film, but it looks like it was released in he US in 2024, and I didn't have any way to view it until 2024, so I'm counting it as 2024. Lies We Tell is an adaptation of the gothic novel Uncle Silas, and it manages to be even darker than its source material. I think above all this is, obviously, a very woman-centric story, exploring they ways society, especially at the time the story takes place, can leave a woman completely powerless even in her own home. But it's also a very interesting look at family secrets, at the horror of learning that what we thought about the people we loved isn't true, and the ways that those truths being kept from us can put us in danger.

10. I Saw the TV Glow

Again, I doubt I can say anything about I Saw the TV Glow that anyone else hasn't already said. It works most obviously and clearly as a story about the trans experience, but I think it's something that anyone who struggles with their identity, who feels like society or the world they live in keeps them held back from being who they really are, can connect with. And it does that in an incredibly powerful way by focusing really hard on the nostalgia we feel for our youth and the way that, as we grow up, we're constantly looking back to what we remember as 'simpler times' for comfort, even if those times weren't all that simple.

09. Late Bloomers

I'd probably say that Late Bloomers is the most underrated movie of 2024, as I don't think I've seen anyone else talking about it. It's a simple, quiet movie that I found so easy to relate on such a deep level. While, obviously, people in situations more similar to what the characters are going through will find it easy to relate, I do feel like a lot of the ideas being explored here - difficulty connecting to other people, feeling like you're failing or that you haven't done enough or the right things with your life, being selfish at times that you shouldn't be, and at times that you should be, etc. - are probably relatable to most people.

08. Love Lies Bleeding

What a weird little movie Love Lies Bleeding. Most of it has the tone and feeling of a gritty crime movie, but there are strong elements of magic and spirituality. Honestly, in that way it kind of reminds me of a Frank Borzage movie. Borzage never really veered into actual fantasy, but his films were very much about the healing, purifying, spiritual power of love and all of the unlikely and seemingly impossible things it can cause to happen, especially within harsh and unforgiving environments. That's Love Lies Bleeding all over, it just leans a little bit further into the fantastical at points.

07. Woman of the Hour

The true crime genre has been experiencing something of a reckoning lately (and rightly so) for multiple reasons, not least of which is the way victims - especially women victims - are so often loss in the stories of their own deaths, with most of the focus being places on the men who killed them, and with so much attention paid to the gruesome violence of their murders. Woman of the Hour comes out of that reckoning, seeking to tell a story that's usually told because of the murderous man at its center, particularly because he appeared on The Dating Game while he was actively murdering women, in a way that centers his victims, and that doesn't linger on the violence committed against them. It's an incredibly effective film that manages to be quite scary at times and capture the genuine menace of its murderer while still feeling like it's actually honoring the stories of the women he killed.

06. Mother, Couch!

Mother, Couch! did not do well with critics. Most labeled it incomprehensible. Clearly, I disagree. Yes, it's surreal as hell, but I think it all makes sense as a deeply felt exploration of the grief you experience when your relationship with the person you've lost or are losing is messy and complicated and there are more negative feelings than positive ones. It's a look at the very sad reality some people live in where sometimes when someone close to you dies, your life is better for it. Those are some complex and deeply unpretty things to explore, and Mother, Couch! does an incredible job of it, unfolding the relationships between Ewan McGregor's character and his family through a series of confrontations set in a surrealist furniture shop. And it has what I think is the best performance McGregor has ever given.

05. Saturday Night

This felt like the quickest moviegoing experience of the year. It's not the shortest movie from 2024 that I saw, but it was so perfectly paces that it felt like the shortest. The movie is just near-constant action, breaking only occasional to give is a more slowed-down moment between characters. And in that it really captures the frantic feeling Lorne Michaels, played fantastically by Gabrielle LaBelle, is experiencing in trying to get the first episode of Saturday Night Live on the air. It's also got an incredible ensemble cast who do a great job of embodying the real people they're playing.

04. Anora

I think Sean Baker deserves a lot of respect for the work he's done to destigmatize sex work in his films, but what I really want to focus on with Anora is how much it feels like a screwball comedy from the 1940s. Sure, on the surface you wouldn't think it, considering it's about a sex worker and there's a lot of nudity and sex. But when you zoom out and really look at it, from the setup of a quickie green card marriage, to the heroine struggling to survive and hopefully finding a way to do that through marriage, to the fast paced dialogue and physical comedy, this thing is a classic screwball comedy from top to bottom, and I love it.

03. Challengers

Challengers just crackles with energy from beginning to end. Writer Justin Kuritzkes and director Luca Guadignino take tennis being a metaphor for the relationships between the characters and makes almost every scene about that thing, with almost every conversation and argument that happens feeling like a tennis match where everyone is trying to win, trying to exploit each other's weaknesses, seeking that win without thinking much about what happens after they get it. I also think it's a really interesting looks at relationships and how they operate - or don't operate - when one or both parties in a relationship love something - in this case tennis - more than they love the other person.

02. The Beast

The Beast is a twisty, Lynchian adaptation of Henry James's The Beast in the Jungle, taking the general idea and themes of the story and adapting it in three different time periods - the past, the present - and the future - all of which are connected as a presentation of the characters' past lives. It explores feelings of isolation and loneliness, and the way the society and culture we live in specifically puts is in a position to feel those things, in the way the stories connect to each other. With the way this story is told, it's able to be so many different things: tense and scary, achingly romantic, strange and alienating, and always heartbreaking.

01. Conclave

Conclave really was a big surprise for me. I knew almost nothing about it, but my mom wanted to see it so I went with her for her birthday, and I'm so glad I did. I love watching political process in media. Lincoln is my favorite Spielberg movie, The West Wing is one of my all time favorite shows. So Conclave, a movie about the college of Cardinals trying to elect the new Pope and all the political jockeying and intrigue that goes on while that's happening, is so up my aisle. And as someone who was raised Catholic but always struggled with doubts (and who is now no longer religious), the fact that one of the major themes of this movie is doubt, and how doubt is a necessary part of faith, really spoke to me. It's also just amazing looking. Really, a movie about priests should not be this exciting and fun.

[hinasho]

I enjoyed all the crow movies and the comic book no matter how terrible, I believe that with all the people having given a sort of smear campaign to the new crow just because they think it's a remake of the 1994 one, which like you said it is not, is gonna be the reason we won't see anything new with crow for the next possible 18-30 years, and why do I say those years?

It's because it's been 18 years since the crow wicked prayer and 30 years since what happened to brandon lee and I'm sorry, I loved brandon Lee's performance and am sure he could have moved on to be a great actor, but imo people need to get over it, like I said it happened 30 YEARS ago! don't get over his death fine, it's still a tragic thing that happened, but get over the fucking fact atleast one of these days someone else was gonna make a story based on Eric and Shelley like in the 2024 film, no one owns the rights to making crow media and they're all acting like we should never again be graced with the story in the comic into film adaptation.

I'm sure I could have written this in a more better way but I'm on a time crunch.

💀💀💀 screaming

On one hand I get why people hold Brandon Lee’s Eric close to their heart. He literally died on set, in character while shooting a scene. That’s fucked up beyond measure. And I definitely think it was good that the immediate sequels didn’t touch the Eric and Shelly storyline because of how recent the tragedy was. City of Angels, Salvation, and Wicked Prayer being original characters was a good way of continuing to explore the world beyond Eric.

But like you said, it’s been 30 years since the 1994 version. I’d say it’s been more than enough time for the grieving process. And let’s be real, 95% of the people crying about “Brandon’s legacy” only knew the man from behind a screen. The only legacy he'd likely care about are the loved ones he left behind.

It just kinda baffles me bc do people actually think he’d WANT Eric’s story locked and caged up forever? Do they truly think he’d be furious about creatives 30 years in the future seeing the story of Eric, connecting & falling in love with it, so much so that they’re inspired to re-share it with modern audiences? Do they really think that would make him mad?

Regardless if you like the movie or not, I just find it disturbing how many people are using his passing as a fake shield for their own superiority complex. No, Brandon would not be “rolling in his grave” because of this movie. No, it doesn’t tarnish or affect his “legacy” in any way.

It’s not even trying to adapt the 1994 version at all! The ONLY people that keep making it all about the 1994 version and trying to connect Brandon and Bill’s Erics are the ones complaining about it. They’re literally doing it to themselves.

I promise you the ones "killing the franchise" are not the creatives & producers making new content for it, it's the fans that want the franchise to stay in 1994 and not ever move past it.

[blacklister214]

Wicked (2024) Minor Criticism

I just saw Wicked and LOVED it! There were so many amazing things about it, and only two minor things I would have adjusted. I tried to make a post about everything that was great, but it was taking WAY too long. Instead I decided to write on the two small items I feel could have been handled better:

(SPOILERS)

Why couldn't they have given Elphaba and Fiyero a longer conversation right before the Dillamond's firing? Fiyero has long had a point: Why did Elfie not put him out of commission? This is particularly confusing in the movie when she DOES send Galinda to snoresville despite their longer acquaintance and recent secret swap. A longer conversation might have also helped explained how Elfie knows he is unhappy. Don't get me wrong, they got a lot right with them, but this bugged me.

This version of Sentimental Man seemed insincere and manipulative and I prefer it delivered as more genuine. I always saw Wonderful as the primer to the Wizard's character. His evil is a result of a weak character and a need to be loved everyone. I believe his life is very lonely, given that only Morrible knows the truth about him. I believe he truly saw Elphaba as someone he could have a personal bond with. I would have liked to have felt that a little more in this film. Afterall the Wizard needs to be truly fond of Elphaba for Part 2 to work. Hopefully Part 2 will do a stupendous job with Wonderful and alleviate my concerns.

[gatekeeper-watchman]

Good Morning World

Daily Devotionals for November 16, 2024 

Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Daily Living

Devotional Scripture:

Proverbs 28:8-9 (KJV): 8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. 9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination. Proverbs 28:8-9 (AMP): 8 He who by charging excessive interest and who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him (to spend) who is kind and generous to the poor. 9 He who turns away his ear from hearing the law (of God and man), even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting (to God).

Thought for the Day

Verse 8 - Sinners may heap up riches, but God will see that their wealth is given to the person who will consider and help the poor. "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just" (Proverbs 13:22). "Though he heaps up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver" (Job 27:16-17). God will not bless riches gained by unjust means such as usury. Usury is the act of lending money at an excessively high rate of interest. Israel was given instructions about lending to their countrymen. Although they could charge interest on a loan to a stranger, they were not to charge interest on a loan to a fellow Israelite (Deuteronomy 23:19-20). This same principle should apply to loans among Christians.

In the New Testament, Jesus gave us an even higher way, telling us that it is better to give than to lend. We are instructed to give not only to fellow Christians, but also to give mercy and compassion to others as well. At one time in our lives, the Lord instructed my husband and I to cancel all the monetary debts owed to us, telling us that He would repay us. It was very liberating for us to do so, since many of those who owed us money were unable to repay us. When we released them, the Lord released finances to us in a different way that more than compensated for the thousands of dollars we had lost.

"And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again" (Luke 6:33-38).

Verse 9 - As we have previously noted, a large donation to a church from ill-gotten gain is an abomination to God. "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight" (Proverbs 15:8). God also regards the prayers of those who deliberately turn from His commandments, as an abomination. We must come to God with a submissive attitude and repentance in our heart if we want God to hear and answer our prayers: "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18).

Prayer Devotional for the Day

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for Your mercy and kindness to us. Lord, may we be like You, and show that same mercy and kindness to others. Lord, may we be able to trust You with our financial affairs, should You tell us to forgive a debt that someone owes us. Lord Jesus, You paid a debt You did not owe, and I owed a debt I could not pay. Thank You for releasing me, and Lord, I release others today by forgiving them and blessing them and extending mercy to them. May all of Your children have the Father's love and mercy toward one another. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Good Morning World 11/15/2024 3:21:17 PM Jacksonville, Florida USA From: Steven P. Miller, @ParkermillerQ,   gatekeeperwatchman.org  TM ‎Founder and Administrator of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups. #GWIG, #GWIN, #GWINGO. www.facebook.com/gatekeeperwatchnan www.facebook.com/ Instagram: steven_parker_miller_1956

[patriottruth]

2024 U.S. Elections Day Reminder - East Coast and Central USA Polls Are Now Open: Per the King James Version of the Christian Holy Bible: The Abrahamic G-d is NOT Pro-Life. And, most importantly, This is NOT 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, or 1970's America; And Every Pro-Choice Woman and Mother in the United States Can Legally Divorce Every Husband Who Votes for donald j. trump, Get a Husband-Financed Attorney, the House, the Car, the Kids, Child and Spousal Support, and Half of All Financial Assets, and Date and Re-Marry a Harris Voter to Protect Her Children. Plus, All American Women Can Stop Having Sex with trump voters and Only Have Sex with Harris Voters to Eradicate trump-voting Genetics From American Bloodlines. Checkmate!

Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Deuteronomy 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Leviticus 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Psalm 139:19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. Psalm 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Psalm 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? Psalm 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

2 Samuel 12:1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 Samuel 12:2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 2 Samuel 12:3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 2 Samuel 12:4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 2 Samuel 12:5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 2 Samuel 12:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 2 Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 2 Samuel 12:8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 2 Samuel 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 2 Samuel 12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 2 Samuel 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 2 Samuel 12:16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. 2 Samuel 12:17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 2 Samuel 12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? 2 Samuel 12:19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

The exemption for marital rape was struck down in New York in 1984. In a sworn divorce deposition in 1989, Ivanka trump's mother, Ivana trump, testified that donald j. trump violently assaulted her, ripped fistfuls of hair from her scalp, and raped her after he became enraged by a painful operation to remove a bald spot on his head. The New York Times reported in 1990 that a divorce was granted to Ivana trump due to donald j. trump's "cruel and inhuman treatment" of his wife which included his public adultery with Marla Maples. Ivana trump spoke of donald j. trump's cruel and inhuman treatment of her again in 1993: "On one occasion during 1989, mr. trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage. As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a 'rape', but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense." Ivana trump later died from internal injuries after accidentally falling down the stairs in her home. Instead of Ivana's remains being honored on holy ground like many other deceased wealthy individuals, she's now buried in an oftentimes unkempt grave near the clubhouse of donald j. trump's Bedminster, New Jersey golf course. (Wikipedia)

“I think that she’s got a lot of Marla, she’s really a beautiful baby. She’s got Marla’s legs. We don’t know whether or not she’s got (Marla's breasts) yet but time will tell.” - donald j. trump on his and Marla Maples' 1 year old daughter, Tiffany trump.

In 1996, donald j. trump fired his bodyguard Spencer Wagner after a police officer found Marla Maples and the bodyguard together under a lifeguard stand on a deserted beach at 4:00 a.m. In June 2019, writer E. Jean Carroll alleged in New York magazine that donald j. trump raped her in a department store dressing room in 1996 after he'd first met her in 1987. donald j. trump later identified E. Jean Carroll from a photo from that 1987 meeting as being his wife, Marla Maples, because she looked just like Marla Maples at the time. On May 9, 2023, a New York jury in a civil case found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against Carroll. They awarded Carroll US$5 million in damages. In July 2023, Judge Kaplan stated that the jury had actually found that trump had raped Carroll according to the common definition of the word as they had ruled that Trump had forcibly and nonconsensually penetrated Carroll's vagina with his fingers. A September 2023 partial summary judgment again found Trump liable for defaming Carroll. On January 26, 2024, Trump was ordered to pay Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages. (Wikipedia)

donald j. trump married Melania on January 22, 2005. On March 20, 2006, Melania and donald had a son, Barron William trump. Melania became a citizen of the United States on July 28, 2006. Karen McDougal first met trump in June 2006 at a party hosted by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. donald j. trump kept in contact with McDougal, and they had sex on the first date. She said she met members of his family and he promised to buy her an apartment in New York. To avoid "paper trails", donald j. trump had McDougal pay for flight and hotel expenses when she flew to meet him, then he reimbursed her. McDougal ended the affair in April 2007 because she felt guilty about sleeping with a married man "many dozens of times"; she was also offended by derogatory comments he made about her mother and a Black man who was dating a female acquaintance of his. (Wikipedia)

To Stormy Daniels before they had sex (mid-July 2006 - 4 months after his wife Melania gave birth to donald trump's son, Barron): "You're beautiful and smart, just like my daughter." - donald j. trump

On October 27, 2016, a local Finnish tabloid, Ilta-Sanomat, reported an allegation by Ninni Laaksonen, Miss Finland 2006. Laaksonen appeared with donald j. trump on the Late Show with David Letterman on July 26, 2006. Laaksonen claims that before they went on the air, donald j. trump grabbed her buttocks. As Laaksonen describes the interaction: "He really grabbed my butt. I don't think anybody saw it but I flinched and thought: "What is happening?" Someone later told Laaksonen that trump liked her because she looked like his wife, Melania, when she was younger. Laaksonen revealed her account to a local Finnish tabloid, Ilta-Sanomat, which had contacted her regarding the level of professionalism involved in Donald Trump's handling of his employees within the Miss Universe pageant. The story was published on October 27, 2016. (Wikipedia)

"Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?” - donald j. trump on his Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

“My daughter, Ivanka, she’s got the best body." - donald j. trump

“She's actually always been very voluptuous.” - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

"I kiss Ivanka every chance I get." - donald j. trump

"If I weren't happily married and, ya know, her father…” - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

“If Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her." - donald j. trump

“Aides said donald j. trump often talked about Ivanka trump’s breasts, her backside, and what it might be like to have sex with her, remarks that once led [former Chief of Staff] John Kelly to remind the president that Ivanka was his daughter.” - Miles Taylor (former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff under donald j. trump)

"Is it wrong to be more sexually attracted to your own daughter than your wife?" - donald j. trump on his and Ivana trump's daughter, Ivanka trump

On October 25, 2016, allegations were made by two men stating that Trump had attended and partaken in sex parties filled with underage minor females as young as 15 years old who were induced with promises of career advancement. Illegal drugs were also alleged to have been provided to the minors. One man was identified as model and actor Andy Lucchesi, while the other was identified as a fashion photographer who spoke on condition of anonymity. Both men claim to have been acquaintances of Trump during that decade, which one described as his "Trump days". Lucchesi, for his part, claimed that he saw Trump engage in sexual activity with the girls but did not witness him taking illicit drugs. In regards to the age of the girls, Lucchesi said he himself never specifically asked about their ages, only remarking of the attendees "a lot of girls, [aged] 14, look 24."

"Now, somebody who a lot of people don't give credit to but in actuality is really beautiful is Paris Hilton. I've known Paris Hilton from the time she's 12, her parents are friends of mine, and the first time I saw her she walked into the room and I said, 'Who the hell is that?'" - donald j. trump on 12 year old Paris Hilton

In April 2016, an anonymous woman using the pseudonym "Katie Johnson" filed a lawsuit in California accusing both donald j. trump and Jeffrey Epstein of forcibly raping her when she was 13 years old at underage sex parties at Epstein's Manhattan residence in 1994. The case was dismissed the following month. A second version of the lawsuit was filed in New York in June by the same woman as "Jane Doe" claiming to have been raped or sexually assaulted by the pair at four 1994 parties when she was 13. The lawsuit was refiled in September and on November 2, Doe was scheduled to appear at a press conference at the office of Lisa Bloom before abruptly canceling; Bloom said the Doe she had received multiple threats. "I loudly pleaded with Defendant Trump to stop, but he did not," Jane Doe wrote in a formal declaration accompanying her recent suits. "Defendant donald j. trump responded to my pleas by violently striking me in the face with his open hand and screaming that he would do whatever he wanted. … Immediately following this rape, Defendant Trump threatened me that, were I ever to reveal any of the details of Defendant Trump's sexual and physical abuse of me, my family and I would be physically harmed if not killed." The lawsuit was withdrawn two days later.

Trump invited NBC News to film a party he threw for himself and Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, where they joined various NFL cheerleaders; the kiss incident occurred there. NBC News revealed footage of the party in July 2019, showing Trump, Epstein and the cheerleaders. At one point during the video, Trump grabbed a woman around her waist, pulled her against his body, and patted her buttocks. At another point, Trump appears to tell Epstein: "Look at her, back there … She's hot." A 2002 article in New York magazine quoted donald j. trump talking about Epstein: "I've known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it, Jeffrey enjoys his social life."

TANAKH (Jewish Publication Society, Hebrew-English) Page 254 Leviticus 20:10 If a man commits adultery with a married man's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death.

“I gotta use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. I moved on her actually, she was down in Palm Beach and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try to f*ck her, she was married … and I moved on her very heavily. I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture and I told her 'I'll show you where you can get some nice furniture. I moved on her like a b*tch, and I could not get there, and she was married. And all the sudden I see her and she’s got the big phony t*ts, she’s totally changed her look. I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them, it’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pu**y." - Convicted felon, habitual sexual offender, lifetime adulterer, incestuous pedophile groomer, and adjudicated rapist, donald j. trump

[nahisummerhold]

Reality vs Technology

@daily-writing-challenge - Aug 2024 - Day 3 - Fatality

Stepping into the dojo, Dinaine owned, Nahi kicked off her shoes, stretching her toes out on the warm butter colored wooden floor, and dropped her bag. Turning to the altar next to the entryway she picked up a candle with her right arm as her left was in the splint she hid, or removed, at ToA and tipped it so the wick would light from the main display. Placing it on a shelf one removed from the Light representation she knelt and focused on the symbol. This was the closest thing to worship the performer ever did but the Lightforged trainer said that no negative energy was to be brought into her space and more than once had just looked at Nahilvi and sent her right back to the altar. It had taken her a great deal of time to learn how to actually let go of anything that traveled with her so she could just focus on the lessons. 

A bouncer at one of the rougher clubs Nahi sang at, the gorgeous (of course she was) fighter and Nahi sat after hours one night at a diner eating the staple of all bar workers, breakfast at 3 am, and over egg whites, spinach and toast the Sin’dorei had agreed to come and check out the workouts the trainer ran during the days. She was promised a good way to stay in shape, so she had expected some sort of yoga or barre class she went to when she took the time. Walking in to see the Lightforged with her arms wrapped around a Shal’dorei’s neck and the man smacking his hand against her forearm. With a nod to Nahi, Dina released the man who shook his head good naturedly, and looked at the performers feet, “Shoes off.” 

Since then Nahi was here at least once a week, in the weeks between Wings & Metal and ToA it had been almost daily even with her healing arm, or maybe because of it. There were many things that she could still practice, like her kicks against the wooden dummy or heavy bag. Being in a space where she was not allowed to carry the turmoil with her was good for her heart, and her body.

Rising she pushed open the inner doors and stopped, a fire red haired gnome ran across the room to slam into her with a hug around Nahi’s legs. “You did it! You came! You are the best!” 

Teebi was not one given to such enthusiasm normally, so Nahi patted her shoulder and looked up into Dina’s pale yellow eyes and the woman just shrugged. “I got your message,” she was going to come to the dojo anyway but she didn’t say that. In her normal way of trying to make sure people knew that they were appreciated, she would never dismiss the personal note from the inventor. 

“I did it!” Teebi released her legs and danced in a little circle hopping up and down. Looking over Nahi and frowning at the splint she considered for a moment, “It won’t matter. You are already dressed too, perfect.” 

For the last year the gnome had come to the gym for research, she said. Never taking a class herself, just taking notes and later taking pictures and vids of the different people there with their permission. Nahi had been a often used model, but try as she might she could never get the gnome to tell her what she was doing, just getting a hand wave and a ‘wait and see’.

Another few bounces and “I did it. I did it… I DID IT!” Before Teebi ran off to the space infront of Dina where a holo projector sat. “Come on silly bones!” 

Nahilvi moved along in the wake of happiness left behind the gnome, if Nahi had used one of her glitter kisses on the smaller woman she could not have sparkled more. She had been sent a black outfit with weird green lines on it with the message, it was a little weird but a confident air was all she needed to make it more of a fashion statement on the streets of Dalaran. “I am coming! Sheesh let a girl get past the door.” The tone was absolutely teasing, she loved this energy, it was like watching performers on the stage again. 

“Getttttt over here!” Teebi patted the holo machine, “You have to see it! I finished the GAME!” Teebi then dipped her head and looked up at the Lightforged who leaned casually against the wall, “Uhm, training program.”  

Another glance to Dina just got earned a noncommittal shrug. “A game?”

The gnome nodded her head excitedly not correcting Nahi. “Come on let’s get you hooked up,” she said and began bending over the machine doing come engineering magic or something. Real magic, what engineers did, Nahi didn’t truly grasp the essence of either not having a gift for either. Bending her shoulders forward with a look of ��What the fuck?’ to the towering Lightforeged, Nahi stepped up and Teebi turned, “Ready?” “Sure?” She said with a hint of trepidation. Moving into a spot on the floor Teebi pointed at and blinking at the little woman. With a push of a button a projection of Dina appeared right before Nahi, “Watch.” The image began to do fighting moves that the fighter was skilled in, it was amazing. Stepping to the side some to check out how real it was made it flicker out. “No, no! Get back.” Nahi stepped back to the indicated place like a good little soldier, “Alright!” She held her hands up infront of her in submission. “What is it really? Do you just use this to show other people how to fight? Doesn’t seem like a game.” With all the talk of the Radiant Song and the echoes so many people were experiencing, fighting did seem like much of a game to her. Teebi put gloves on her hands, careful with her mended left, it was no longer broken but still weak and Iren didn’t want to actually take the chance of her hurting it again. so she wore the splint as prescribed by the healer. “Just.. UGH.. stop it!” Frustration filled the gnome’s voice. “Practice, training, fun, they don’t have to be separate okay? Even the old, grumpy statue thinks it is cool.” A small chuckle escaped and Dina lifted a single brow.. Man how did people do that? It was so expressive and Nahi could not do it at all. Statue, Teebi called her trainer that because she was bronze in color and stood still often as she observed her students. “Alright, I really want to see what else this cool thing can do.” “Hit it!” Teebi said and Nahi looked at her blankly. The gnome mimicked a punch, “Hit it.. You know? Like you come here to learn? HIT IT!” Looking to the image once more with a puzzled look, Nahi squared up and threw a small punch and the holo flinched. “HIT IT!!!” Teebi yelled at her louder. Shifting her stance just slightly she settled her weight into her hips and tightened her core then threw a well aimed jab. The Dina she was facing brought her hands up defensively and bounced, the holo even had the sound of hooves shifting on a wood floor, then she dipped just slightly to the side to evade the strike. “KICK IT!” 

Without a pause this time she kicked out for a lower leg, Dina strongly suggested her students try and not kick much higher so they did not leave their plant leg vulnerable, the suggestion usually coming with their leg being swept from under them to set them on ass or back. The program moved back and then countered, making Nahi scramble to block contact. It was an image so it couldn't hurt her but its form was perfect. “Whoa…” “KEEP GOING!” The gnome was beginning to sound like one of those Army trainers soldiers complained about but Nahi responded and began sparring with the holo. There was a good exchange and Nahi had began to break into a sweat, really devoting her attention to the movements. Her bare feet shifted as she closed her stance to keep her weight squared and she threw a few more punches, sending the power all the way from her back leg, muscles tightening from thigh through to her forearm fist tight but not clenched. All her attacks were countered and the draenei would go on the offensive making duck to the sides, weaving and looking for an opening to come in and catch a vulnerable liver shot. A short kick gave her room to move in again, blocking it with a short swing of her shin in a protective arc, there was no contact but the immersion was so complete she convinced herself there was weight behind it and began a string of driving movements of her knee towards fake Dina’s thighs which two of the three ‘landed’ and a robotic voice called “Break.” Her training gave way to it immediately, protecting herself through the retreat in space, not all Dina taught them was ‘gym muscle’ as she called it. If Nahi was ever in a real fight hand to hand she could at least defend herself. 

With a deep breath she rolled her shoulders to let her spine straighten from the curvature making her body smaller created. “Well done.” Dinaine said, her honeyed voice full of amusement and a hint of pride. “Really Nahi, that was one of the highest levels Teebi’s… training program… has. A few of the others could only get through the mid point.” 

“I told you she could, told you,” the gnome held her hand out and Dina placed a gold in it. 

“You bet against me?” Nahi laughed.

Dina shrugged, “It is a machine, one programmed well though, you are flesh and minds can wander or mistakes are easy to make, even for the best fighters. Your movements are becoming as ingrained to you as your dance moves are, maybe more so as you no longer have to listen to music here to find those patterns combat itself creates.” 

A frown was covered as she wiped her face with a towel Teebi threw at her. “I find music everywhere, just because others can’t hear it doesn’t mean I do not have it in me.” 

“Truth, but the music you are creating when you spar adjusts for the unexpected of opposition.” She hadn’t really realized that stubbornly clinging to a point just to defend a position that you had started to see was actually the weakest side until you argued with a woman that had lived over ten thousand years, so Nahi did not continue that tack.

“This is pretty awesome Teebi, well worth all the pictures you took of…” her eyes narrowed and she looked at the machine. “Wait…” 

Teebi grinned and made an adjustment and the holo became an image of herself but she was in one of Nahi’s more relaxed streetwear looks, patterned loose green pants, a yellow tank cut to expose her midsection, of course, rainbow splattered trainers but her head was covered in a scarf to keep her hair out of her face, something she did often in the dojo. “Holy fuck…” 

Dina spoke slowly, “Language, we guard our tongues in here.”

In her first few months here Nahi would have rolled her eyes but now too much respect and the lessons of the dojo had been instilled along with fighting discipline. “That kicks a.. Butt Teebi.”

“RIGHT????” The gnome took her hands and they bounced in a circle together this time as Nahi would not deny the little woman her celebration. “Now.. do it again! I want it to beat you.” “Pffft, as if…” it probably would but it was programmed to reality, as she now expected it was, there was always a chance. Now, Nahi knew what to expect in the game itself and she was quick to get ready, Teebie changed the image and it was Dina once more, maybe that is just what this level was? She could ask later for now she had an opponent. When she stepped up, the holo bowed to her and Nahi returned it automatically, maybe she had become as programmed as the game was, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. This time when they settled in and exchanged the first attempts Nahi broke out a move Dina had just recent taught her. Stepping close and dipping a shoulder to the side to keep the holo from defending infighting effectively, she kicked her feet in quick successions towards the ankles of the larger opponent. The image had to shuffle back to protect herself from being taken out by being tripped, and when her weight shifted back just enough to be off center Nahi, lowered her body more and then exploded her fist upwards directly into where the trainer’s jawline was. Stumbling back the holo did a weaving little movement and as it began to sink to its knees, the machine did not call a break this time and Nahi advanced but when the womanlike figure pitched forward the box called out… FATALITY!

[yesimtrashforit]

Oscars 2025

As a huge film fan, I'm fairly happy with this year's Oscar nominations!

Best Picture

I'm very happy to see Anora be nominated. It was one of my favorite films of 2024 and personally, it is one of my favs to win. I haven't seen The Brutalist and I have chosen not to. I'm sure the film is fantastic, but I've read about what it depicts and I'm concerned it may be triggering for me. I'm personally frustrated that, as I've heard, The Brutalist depicts gratuitous nudity and scenes of SA. I only hope that it's depicted in a negative light and it serves the story. I might see the film if it comes to streaming, just so I have a chance to pause. I did see A Complete Unknown the other day and thought it was fine! Timothee Chalamet is absolutely great as Bob Dylan. I started listening to Dylan's discography a while ago and I'm fairly happy with how the songs were used in the film. I saw Conclave a while ago and liked it! It's far from my favorite film of the year, but I thought it was beautifully shot and had great commentary. Dune: Part Two being nominated for Best Picture is more than appropriate. I love love loved it. It's a perfect movie. I have mixed feelings on Emilia Perez that I'm probably going to post about later. I'm quite surprised that I'm Still Here made it into Best Picture. I haven't seen it yet, but it is coming to theaters near me in February so I will definitely go see it! I haven't seen Nickel Boys yet. The Substance is one of my favorite films of last year and i'm so so overjoyed that a feminist body horror film about beauty standards directed by a woman is nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars?? That is so cool!! Wicked was obviously fantastic and amazing. Such a well-deserved nomination.

Best Actor

I've only seen A Complete Unknown and Conclave, so out of the performances that I've seen in this category, my pick is Timothee Chalamet in A Complete Unknown. However, I do think it is hilarious that Sebastian Stan is nominated for an Oscar for playing Donald Trump in a movie that depicts how terrible and abusive he was to his wife in the year Trump got re-elected.

Best Actress

I've seen all performances in this category except for Fernanda Torres. Out of these, I'm stuck between Mikey Madison in Anora and Demi Moore in The Substance. However, I have to celebrate the fact that Karla Sofia Gascon is the first openly trans actress to be nominated for an Oscar. That is absolutely incredible.

Best Supporting Actor

I've seen Anora, A Complete Unknown and A Real Pain. My personal pick would be Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain. I thought his performance was awesome.

Best Supporting Actress

This is one of the only categories where I'm rooting for Emilia Perez. Zoe Saldana is easily my pick for Supporting Actress. She has been since I saw the film.

Best Director

Either Sean Baker or Coralie Fargeat. I will be happy with both.

Best Cinematography

It's between Dune: Part Two and Nosferatu for me. I love both of those films and their cinematography.

Best International Feature Film

I've only seen Emilia Perez and Flow. Between those, my pick is honestly Flow.

Best Original Screenplay

It is so hard to choose, but I would go with Anora or The Substance here.

Best Adapted Screenplay

I'm choosing Conclave here, out of the ones I've seen. I liked its script the best and I think it is a very important story to tell.

Best Animated Feature Film

I've seen all except Wallace and Gromit. My pick is Memoir of a Snail. However, I did love The Wild Robot and will be happy if it wins, too!

Best Original Song

My pick is El Mal from Emilia Perez here. It's the best musical number in the film and the best sequence in the entire movie. Despite my mixed feelings on the film, I loved that part.

Best Original Score

I'd go with Wicked here. Beautiful score with some great details.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

I've seen all except A Different Man, but I am planning to watch it now! My pick for now is The Substance, but wow, all the makeup nominees were really good.

Best Costume Design

Nosferatu. Period. The costumes were incredible and seemed very accurate to the time.

Best Editing

Anora is my pick. That entire second act is basically one continuous scene and the incredible editing made it work.

Best Sound

Dune: Part Two. Easily. It's fricking astonishing.

Best Production Design

Got to give it Wicked. Those sets were all practical and built for the film! Absolutely stunning.

Best Visual Effects

I loved Alien: Romulus and I'm very happy it was nominated. However, I'm giving it to Dune: Part Two.

[miniwritesrefs]

2024 Book List

Books read: Approx. 14+ (some books missing from this list)

Trials of Apollo [1] - Rick Riordan

I was a Percy Jackson kid in the late stages of high school, I jumped on the train late, and never finished. Trials of Apollo made me want to read them again--especially because of references that I just did not fully understand as it called back to other books XD Apollo is the character of all time though, love to see this man now boy go through it. If anyone had to be humbled, I'm glad it was him so he could become a good dad in the future and possibly pass that on to the other gods (x to doubt).

Some Faraway Place [Audio Book] - Lauren Shippen

I'm still a Rose un-enjoyer, but the book itself was incredibly enjoyable. It fed my Damien Enjoyer cravings, and Rose's story in and of itself is interesting, between her family and relationships, but I just... don't vibe with her. It's okay to not like people, she's one of them, I don't hate her. Gave me intense inspo for a TBS game.

Jackaby [Audio Book] - William Ritter

Jackaby was an incredibly interesting book. While I can't put this one into words, it was highly enjoyable, and the narration was top notch! Supernatural, and banshees, and werewolves oh my. A funky little Sherlock Holmes type.

The Cure for Burnout [Ironically Unfinished] - Emily Ballestros

Hahaha.

Garlic and the Vampire [Graphic Novel] - Bree PaulsenGarlic and the Witch [Graphic Novel] - Bree Paulsen

Garlic is such a little baby, I love Bree Paulsen's graphic work, and that's all there is to say on the matter.

Into the Pit [Unfinished] - Scott Cawthon

LBR I just read it for the one story. Will try to finish the others another time.

Indebted to the Vampires [1] - Erin Bedford

UH. So it's host club fanfic with ocs, but bad host club fanfic. Also a little smutty, but just a little clunky. 

Wicked Appetite [Audio Book] - Janet Evanovich

It had an okay concept! The narration made it extra hard, and I hated Dissel's personality. The gluttony charms (gluttonoids??) had awful effects, and sure it made sense but I didn't like them dfdgh. A one off read.

Bride [Unfinished] - by Ali Hazelwood

LMAO I, couldn't do it. They named the girl Misery and- Despite this books placement on the page, I'm pretty sure I bought this book in January and just couldn't get through it. And then I read the content warnings on the website at the end of the year and I cant believe they just had this one sitting in the front of Target like a prize...

The Hunger Games [Book and Audio Book interchangably]

This book was better than I remember and yet more emotional (for me) than I remember. Just getting through that first iconic scene of Katniss volunteering for Prim made me teary and emotional. The way they all banded together the moment she did, a silent act of solidarity. That in itself felt like the true first moment of rebellion in a way. It's terrible to think of, kids so young, going into an arena knowing they're bound to die. And the twist of them being told they could both live, only to have it snatched away--if it were Cato and Glimmer(?), there would have been no hesitation, only Katniss could come up with a stunt like that. The worldbuilding was great, and I know we see more of it in the next book, I just have to... get to it. I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THE DOG PART, AND I'M STILL MAD ABOUT IT, WTF--Truly I must have blocked that part out. That was so rude dfghgj

Aisle Nine [Audio Book] - Ian X Cho

Black Friday apocalypse? Yeah. Post apocalyptic apocalyptic setting where the main characters are older teens working retail. The plot twist was interesting, the side characters were goofy (in a good way). A tale about hope in hopelessness, with a bit of that YA romance aspect sprinkled in. Wasn't *unbearable*, but end game was always apparent. I kept forgetting the MC's name throughout the story wheeeze (Sorry Casper- oop I mean Jasper). 

The Week Before [Dubiously Finished] - Scott Cawthon

Choose your own adventure of Ralph! Phone Guy gets a name! Phone Guy has a daughter,,, yeesh, poor guy. Fnaf's biggest fan and they did him dirty like this, can't believe.

Books I'm looking forward to finishing:

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store - Laurie Gilmore

Reflected Light - F.Nevarez

[orthodoxydaily]

SAINTS&READING: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

September 6_september 19

COMMEMERATION OF THE MIRACLE OF THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL AT COLOSSAE (4th c.)

In Phrygia, not far from the city of Hieropolis, in a place called Cheretopos, there was a church named for the Archangel Michael, built over a miraculous spring.

This church was built by a certain inhabitant of the city of Laodicia in gratitude to God for healing his mute daughter. The holy Chief Commander Michael appeared to this man in a dream and revealed to him that his daughter would receive the gift of speech after drinking from the water of the spring. The girl actually did receive healing and began to speak. After this miracle, the father and his daughter and all their family were baptized. In fervent gratitude, the father built the church in honor of the holy Chief Commander Michael. Not only did Christians begin to come to the spring for healing, but also pagans. In so doing, many of the pagans turned from their idols and were converted to the faith in Christ.

At this church of the holy Chief Commander Michael, a certain pious man by the name of Archippus served for sixty years as church custodian. By his preaching and by the example of his saintly life he brought many pagans to faith in Christ. With the general malice of that time towards Christians, and especially against Archippus, the pagans thought to destroy the church in order to prevent people from coming to that holy place of healing, and at the same time kill Archippus.

Toward this end they made a confluence of the Lykokaperos and Kufos Rivers and directed its combined flow against the church. Saint Archippus prayed fervently to the Chief Commander Michael to ward off the danger. Through his prayer the Archangel Michael appeared at the temple, and with a blow of his staff, opened a wide fissure in a rock and commanded the rushing torrents of water to flow into it. The temple remained unharmed. Seeing such an awesome miracle, the pagans fled in terror. Archippus and the Christians gathered in church glorified God and gave thanks to the holy Archangel Michael for the help. The place where the rivers plunged into the fissure received the name “Chonae”, which means “plunging.”

The Chudov (“of the Miracle”) monastery in Moscow is named for this Feast.

VENERABLE ARCHIPPUS OF HIERAPOLIS (4th c.)

Saint Archippus, son of devout Christians from the city of Hieropolis, at age ten went to pray in the church of the holy Chief Commander Michael and he remained at this temple to serve as church caretaker. He led a strict and ascetic manner of life, constantly at fasting and prayer.

He persuaded many pagans who came to the holy spring to accept holy Baptism, to forsake pagan impiety, and to turn to the One True God and Savior Jesus Christ. Tenacious pagans headed by idolous priests repeatedly tried to kill Saint Archippus, but each time the Lord delivered him out of their hands.

Finally, the pagans devised a plan to destroy the church and at the same time kill also Archippus by flooding the spot where both the church and the curative spring stood. Seeing the preparations for this wicked deed, Saint Archippus firmly resolved not to abandon the holy place, and he prayed to God and to the Archangel Michael to preserve the church and the spring. The Lord heard his prayer, and the saint witnessed the great Miracle of the Chief Commander Michael at Colossae. Miraculously delivered from death, Saint Archippus lived at the church into his old age, and he died peacefully at the age of 70. Christians buried the saint at Colossae, at the place of his deeds.

Source, all texts: Orthodox church in America_OCA

2 Corinthians 10:7-18

7 Do you look at things according to their outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this: that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's. 8 For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed. 9 lest I seem to terrify you by letters. 10 For his letters, they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible. 11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present. 12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us-a sphere which especially includes you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; 15 not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere, 16 to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment. 17 But "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD." 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Luke 10:16-21

16 He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. 17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." 18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.