#they dont have time to meet as often as theyd prefer

[futureofdespair-xiv]

A quick work break.

[struck-by-the-rain]

haha hey you know that ask game you reblogged. what if. the prompt i gave you from it...... was all of them . grins EVILLY

UMMM!!!! TEEHEEE!!!! hi anon here's the dissertation u requested from this ask game, obviously im doing joe and sk (Ziggy) bc who else would i be able to answer 30 questions about??? i went into detail w all of these

under cut bc loooong and theres some doodles

1. What’s their love languages?

love languages are pseudoscience but as i said in a post before (and as u can see from my art and hopefully writing lmao) they're a very physically affectionate couple to me! to paraphrase my ramble from a bit ago, they're both the type of autistic person to thrive on physical touch but Joe's spent most of his life being extremely lonely and touch-starved. so I think Ziggy (whos like. a very clingy cat kinda) just loves to be rly gentle and affectionate w Joe in a way he never thought he'd ever experience or deserve. sobs a little (idk i make em v v sappy bc. comfort ship)

2. Do they have a dynamic trope? (enemies to lovers, sunshine x grumpy, etc?)

i dont knowwwwwwww but if i ever end up putting tha things i wanna write/finish writing on ao3 theyd probs be tagged friends to lovers which i assume is what the question's asking? and probs also hurt/comfort kinda i guess, in both "directions" but i def think Joe has more Problems in his life than Ziggy, especially when they first meet, so it just goes that way (again, comfort ship. i project my problems onto both of them but maybe more on joe soooo)

3. Who cooks? Who cleans up? Who’s banned from the kitchen?

Joe's a good cook I think, out of necessity (because his dad was such a terrible one) and also he takes it up as a hobby! not too sure about Ziggy, im tempted to say he sucks a bit at it n is just a bit clumsy and incompetent. 6switcher also lives with Ziggy and Joe and he's kind of like, a 3rd (platonic) member of the relationship and cooks for them all occasionally!!!

4. What’s their favorite sleeping/cuddling positions?

again they're like velcro around each other so i think they always hold each other when sleeping,, its v. comforting for both of them!!! i went thru my art tag and ive literally drawn them snoozing like 9 quintillion times and kinda similar each time,,,, the comfy cozies,,,

also really liking the hc that space kickers are kinda catlike in some ways so maybe sometimes Joe wakes up and like. his arms numb because Ziggy's curled up like a cat and is lying on it or Ziggy's sprawled out in the most bizarre sleeping position possible.

5. Who does what chores?

They have a cat (remix 9) that was also originally Joe's so he probably looks after that side of things, and as I said Joe also does the majority of the cooking I think!!! Other than that I can't really see them particularly dividing things out in a special way, maybe bc they r both autistic they have sensory hangups around certain things and the other takes charge! and again 6switcher lives w them so does some of it

6. Do they go out often or prefer to stay indoors?

When they first meet Joe is still living in the basement and they meet behind Senior's back, so they pretty much have to spend all their time out and about! which they both enjoy. When they move in together I still think they do a lot of fun things together out and about :) especially bc I imagine Ziggy's place is in the middle of a big city w lots of stuff to do!! and they also play for the same football team! but I think they're both good at looking at each other and deciding to skip a plan/social gathering

7. Who is the more romantic one?

i dont knowwwwwwwwwwwwww they are literally just. so sappy to each other. maybe I'd say Ziggy - they call Joe a bunch of really sappy petnames and gives him physical affection a loooot

8. Do they have any favorite activities to do together?

football :)))) Ziggy teaches Joe how to play, Joe teaches Ziggy to be happy w/ doing the sport for fun and not professionally (Zig had 2 retire early when he was young)! I think they also like to watch football games together (either at the stadium or on tv)!! also I think there's a market (like a night market!!) near where they live so they visit there quite often. ohhh and stargazing sniffle

9. Baths or showers together? Do they like elaborate ones with bubbles and flower petals?

probably not - Ziggy likes 2 take really cold baths/showers while Joe likes 2 take really hot ones bc in my mind palace space kickers are adapted to colder temperatures than humans! maybe they tried a few times but it didn't work out bc they kept arguing! but I think they'd both be fans of really long fancy baths n run them for each other

10. Who drives and who picks out the music?

Ziggy drives a silly little stereotypical ufo, Joe picks out the music (usually the rockers)

11. What’s a song that describes their relationship? Or, what’s the song that they’ve deemed “their” song?

as much as Ziggy isn't a huge fan of the rockers (Joe is), "that one song" (the rockers 2 song,,, enjoy my shitty in universe name) is their song because they had their first kiss/got together as a couple at the battle of the bands!!! so that 1 ig

12. Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Another hc I've thought already abt before is they have different sleep schedules, partially because they're different species! Ziggy goes to sleep later/wakes up earlier than Joe and also spends time awake in the night/napping, a bit like a cat kind of! they should maybe consider getting seperate beds but they are wayyyy too clingy w each other to consider that dfjkdjdjd. Joe's the sleepier one I think, especially before they move in w/ each other and he's overtired from training so much and probably has a bit of an unhealthy habit of denying himself sleep. he's the kind of guy to say "oh i'm fine, i'm tired but i don't need to sleep now!" and then Ziggy will play with his (remaining) hair for 2 minutes while they're watching tv together and he'll be like honk shoo honk shoo. i think in general he struggles to sleep normally but doesn't when Ziggy is there :')

13. What’s their opinions on PDA?

hypocritical,,, they both tend to be annoyed by others doing it, but are very pda-y themselves

14. Who does fashion shows after a mall trip and who watches and compliments them?

Ziggy is a v. fashionable guy and considers buying/modifying/making clothes a hobby, and probably even gets suuuper into it and likes to do lil mock fashion shows for Joe (like walking up and down the room as if it's the catwalk).

He also likes to buy Joe clothes n stuff, at first he buys Joe kinda fancy fashion-y things (wiimix7 outfit!!!) and then learns what he acc likes to wear (rly comfy cozy sweaters n stuff).

15. Do they go on vacations together? Where is their favorite place to visit?

they visit Joe's home planet quite often because he gets homesick and also ends up with earthling family other than senior. and they probs go to the beach there too or smth :)

16. What’s their favorite “domestic bliss” moment? Do they cook/clean together? Do they like to go out shopping together?

Joe has a growing collection of earthling plants (part of their apartment is slowly turning into a jungle) to feel more at home, and they love looking after them together, and Ziggy loves to listen to Joe talk about the different plants and how he's making sure they're all happy!!!

17. What does a relaxing night in look like for them?

very cliche but they cuddle up (under a blanket if its cold) and watch TV every night until one of them (usually Joe) starts falling asleep... Usually things like football games or like, shows/movies from their respective planets which they feel is important to introduce the other to. idk its just a mega important part of their routine to both of them :)

18. What does a date night out look like for them?

uhhhhhh idk Ziggy takes fuckin forever to get ready and pick an outfit and stuff a lot of the time! I think they live in a big city on Ziggy's planet w a lot of stuff to do so they have p varied date nights,,, stuff like going for nice dinners or concerts or watching the space/cosmic dance together! but tbf i think their fav date nights r like,, just stargazing together on a quiet hillside or something. i think if they're at a concert or a restaurant or whatever they often end up stargazing together anyway bc they both get overwhelmed easily n go and sit outside to chill for a bit

19. How do they silently/subtly express their love for each other?

when Joe was still living in the basement, letters! they communicated mainly by post during that period of their relationship and I think they'd just,,, include little inside jokes or send each other little heart candies n stuff. when theyre together i think theyd do things like subtly holding/touching hands or one holding on to the others coat or whatever,,, like idk theyre just always holding on to each other whether subtly or not

20. What clothes/accessories do they steal from each other?

Ziggy steals all of Joe's sweaters, even the ones he buys for Joe as a gift, bc they're oversized and really comfy and just like,,, feel like a big hug to him!!! Joe also lends him a pink rockers t-shirt one day so they can match at the battle of the bands and it becomes Ziggy's fav pyjamas! idk if Joe steals any of Ziggy's extensive wardrobe bc a lot of it isn't his style, though i could see him taking a liking to Ziggy's scarves :)

21. Which of their friends/family pokes fun at them for them getting flustered/affectionate?

6switcher basically bullies them 24/7, and Ziggy likes to playfully make fun of Joe for getting super flustered, often after doing something intentionally to make him flustered

22. How do they apologize after arguments?

I think Joe overapologises and overexplains a lot (now im thinkin Ziggy would do the same as well. but especially Joe), but he'd also default to baking something for them. I think Ziggy would just come and wrap their arms around Joe after they've had an argument

23. Do they like pick up lines?

They both see pick up lines as kind of cringe and would use them as a joke/bit! I think they both don't get why anyone would use those kind of things unironically

24. What are their favorite places to kiss on their partner(s)? What are their favorite types of kisses?

Zig likes to kiss Joe all over,,, but their fave is the very tip of Joe's nose, like it just makes him completely melt every time. I like to draw/imagine them also kissing him on the forehead n cheeks a lot. I hc space kickers as having patterns on their skin, I think Joe finds Ziggy's really really pretty so he likes kissing each of the lil spots and stuff on his shoulders and arms and stuff sniffle... ye

25. What is their dream home? Do they buy a place together? Who plans the decorations and who does the heavy lifting?

When they first meet and are long distance they both dream of living like,, anywhere together. I think they're pretty happy in Ziggy's little apartment, but eventually I imagine them moving to Joe's planet (because he missed it a lot) in a lil house and maybe running a kids football academy or smth! Idk exaactly what the interior decor is like but probs like,, cozy and full of plants n sunlight (projecting my dream home dreams onto them lmfao)

26. Do they have any pets or kids?

They have a cat and a fuck tonne of plants

27. Who would propose? What would their wedding be like?

im so unsure of which 1 would propose to the point where im considering the sappy gay relationship trope where they both propose at the same time!!! Whoever proposes, I think they'd do it outside live house ogu where they had their first kiss for sentimental reasons... I think Joe especially would want to get married bcs he has like,, no family or anything after running away from the basement (before he reunites w his mum), and he'd see getting married as a big part of leaving his past behind him and also becoming part of Ziggy's family! I think their wedding would have a mix of both earthling and sk traditions (whatever they are), space gramps would officiate it, 6switcher would be the best man and idk. gay space marriage (old art below)

28. What’s something that reminds them of their partner(s)? Do they have anything on them daily as a reminder (a photo, phone background, tattoo, clothing/accessory, etc)?

before they live together i think they know where each others planets in the night sky are and they look out for them every night, and probably also swap clothes so they can feel closer to each other! Joe has an old film camera that his dad stored in the basement and he takes pictures of em as lil mementos :)

29. What is something they can never agree on? How do they meet in the middle?

They spend a lot of time deliberating about whether to move back to Joe's home planet and maybe disagreeing on that! Joe misses it sometimes and has family/friends there, while Ziggy's job/football team/friends/family are on their planet. They compromise by makin lots of visits before/after they move I think, idk. I also think they never agree on like, how hot the room should be bc theyre adapted to diff temperatures lol

30. Free space! Say something about this ship that you want to say!

im SOOOO normal about them they make me ILL!!!! and ive learned like 90000000 art things just to draw better pics of them!!!!!!! and they bring me so much genuine comfort!!!!!!! as an extra thing I think they'd speak mix of each other's languages to each other

thanks for reading this far and thank you anon for enabling me

[omi-papus]

Theres two sides to this. And only one of them makes sense.

One is that people think shes dumb because she disagrees with Al-An on the human species. Because yes, Reddit bros really wanted a Black woman to spend the whole game talking about how inferior and unevolved she is. Its a lot of transhumanist bullshit, and people think theyd be totally fine with having every minor though broadcasted and recive like that wouldnt realistically drive a human to insanity. Those peoole are not worth listening to.

I feel like the writing just dosent really give her oportunities to look “smart” and more often she just acts like she is without any proof. Now, normally the proof would be the gameplay. But its an almost universal opinion that Robin feels extereamly detached from the player. So anything inteligent the player does, dosent register as something Robin did in universe. Also I belive a lot of it also comes from the fact that a lot of this information isnt conveyed unless you go out of your way to read the PDA and with how much of an adjustment she is from the first game. A lot of players including myself at the time its preferable to just sort of pretend shes not there. I had no idea she was meant to be a scientist until the endgame on my first playthrough.

Really it comes down to her interactions with Al-An, not because of him specifically, but because thats the only time she really gets to be a character and those prsent too many conflicting ideas. Shes clearly sentimental, opting to explain things in rather flowery language instead of simple objective terms, but she dosent come of as very emotionally inteligent either, misunderstanding very clear questions, being impatient with someone who dosent know any better, and provoking people at bad times. Shes presented as maybe kind of goofy in one conversation and extreamly irritable in the next. I guess that more than anything, she comes of as erratic and childish.

It dosent help that they cut so many lines a few that had her make more scientifical analysis, one line confirmed she was a polyglot. Fuck dont get me started on how good the exchange about obsesion was. And even in those, the one major thing thats just off is that shes suposedly dedicated herself to learning about exoplanet life and had been waiting her whole life to meet an inteligent alien. And she almost never asks Al-An any questions about anything. The only time I can recal is when she asks him why they needed to cure the karaah. But you never hear her asking weather their mamalian, if they reproduce, do they eat anything, nothing. Hes the one asking all the questions and most of them end in her feeling insulted which makes sense but she never tries ti get payback for it, like idk ask how they poop or something.

She seems uninterested in most things around her and presents so many conflicting traits that she just registers as a brat and with little evidence to the contrary, its easey to relate that to her being uninteligent.

It’s so weird that people make this argument that Robin comes off as “stupid” and not like a knowledgeable scientist and I am thinking…guys, guys did you read the XenoworX PDA? Does this look like a serious company to you?

Robin is perfectly in tune with being someone who does like science and exploration, but is also silly and playful about it and she was part of a company that didn’t take themselves too seriously in the first place. Sam is the one who was actually the nerdy stuck up scientist, not Robin. Their difference is so important and highlighted by the plot.

[single-malt-scotch]

accepting i like blogging a typing a lot so, perhaps ill loosely 'live blog' my thoughts on various mcyt things im trying to watch. im basically just jumping on a lot of random guys i have never seen before bc i dont really know what i like at this point lol

hermitcraft s9 & s8 - after watching the Life series i thought ya know, ill watch the new HC to see whats up. etho wasnt playing s9 yet so i watched bdubs s9 and kinda liked it (tho i find myself to be less into his style of commentating now). i decided to try watching Grian s9 as well since i didnt mind what i saw of him either. his buildings are cool and s9 being new, its made me realize they hadnt really had a chance to do all the... rping stuff ive seen implied about season 8 (but again idk how much is exaggerated by fandom there so).

but having caught up on s9 i wanted to watch, i decided to go backwards. im kinda jumping around perspectives aaand it made me realize. while i really dont care about the rping they apparently often fall into during the newer seasons... i loooove the beginning. like, the start of s9 throwing everyone in blind, starting from scratch, scrambling to figure out what to do. thats fun. idk, i just loved the energy of the start of s9! and s8 too. and i think thats also where i love the proxy mod, i like the proxy when its there but not like... always constant, and having it for the first episode/beginning is a nice reminder of everyone's energy and vibes. like youre meeting everyone for the first time again. and i think the reset of a server and needing to start over is the most pure form of fun all of them have with each other.

so while i may keep up w s9 for a bit i feel i may fall off it unless etho continues and is consistent... and i may just slowly work my way backwards until i hit a season that isnt as full of rp as these more recent ones. s8 is also one i bet ill fall out of too tbh but i will keep jumping around episodes too.

hermitcraft s6 - since i didnt mind grian all too much, i wanted to see what he was like when he first joined. also because, etho and bdubs have been around SO much longer, i felt intimidated trying to start from their beginnings... and with s6 being grian's first, i felt maybe itd be less abt the rp stuff because hes newer and all. im about 20 eps in and i like it. theres a little bit of that 'i dont know everyone super well' awkwardness to some extent lol but i find him amusing at times. i wouldnt say grian is a fave of mine, but surprisingly i dont mind him even if he has more energy than who i typically prefer lol. idk how much i will keep up with his series though but its been good seeing what hes like.

Additionally with his interactions with others- i have certainly enjoyed scar and impulse but i dont think i have the energy to watch them fully. in any other case i thought id find scar 'annoying' with his um. well, constant dying and lack of awareness. but hes got such a good personality, and is legitimately funny alongside it and others. seeing him in small doses with grian is nice and i like him quite a bit tbh!

other things - while i watched the Life series i enjoyed some others' povs a bit. i like scott and joel, and wanted to see if i would enjoy their other stuff. i do like scott, but i have yet to watch a series of his i was super into... admittedly the first thing i jumped into with both of them was After Life, and while i think the mods are neat, i just couldnt stay hooked. i already kinda said why in the tags of my last post so i wont really repeat. i know they have a few other series but Empires didnt intrigue me either so! idk. may just have to be the Life series for these two.

i want to give some others a try, so if anyone Old School out there kinda leans on 'less rp more casual fun' and has some people theyd reccomend watching... lemme know!

[abrakindabra]

hi i'm the last dragonborn from skyrim, and the inquisitor from dragon age inquisition 👉👈

as the dragonborn i was a high elf (altmer) named averiix silinan, i was very kind and accepting, i was originally going to be a gryphon rider in summerset but then changed my mind and became a blacksmith (however i kept the gryphon i raised, his name was mithriil). i had white hair that was about mid-back length and very wavy, that i usually kept in a bun. i also had white eyes (this was from a magic mishap when i was a kid and one of my siblings tried pranking me, it turned my eyes white). i tended to wear elven armour and gauntlets, glass boots, and a circlet. i also had an ebony sword, a glass(?) bow, and a glass dagger

eventually i travelled to skyrim to explore, which is where the whole dragonborn thing kicked off

i was in a relationship with miraak and serana; i met miraak when the cultists attacked me as is in the game--i travelled to solthsiem and when i actually encountered miraak i immediately felt sympathetic for him

i was pretty good at reading people, and i dedicated myself to doing a ton of research of apocrypha, miraak and ect, and pretty much determined that, even if he thought he had to kill me in order to escape, i was gonna help him and save him

so basically through a lot of effort that i still dont really remember, i did end up saving him, and he decided to accompany me on my journeys, his excuse was "to make sure i didnt get myself killed" (this was somewhat justified, i was psychologically incapable of feeling fear and i didnt really have much sense of self preservation considering i befriended all the dragons i came across if possible and was always super nice to people, and was really trusting)

eventually we fell for each other and entered a relationship, he was always a bit grumpy but it was an affront since he sometimes struggled about expressing his emotions; he was extremely protective and a bit possessive (though not in a bad way), and was fairly quick to anger but i usually could persuade him to not be violent

i dont remember exactly when i met serana, but i think it was after i killed alduin (with miraak's help)? she and miraak didnt get along at first but i managed to smooth things out between them, i eventually entered a relationship with serana too after extensive talking to miraak (he was very hesitant to 'share' me at all at first; he was a lot more in touch with his dovah side than his mortal side tbh)

miraak was more restless than serana or i, and didnt like to stay in one place for too long; luckily i liked to explore and regularly would go to mines to replenish my ore supplies--and serana liked to explore and see the world and how it's changed

i think i also took them to summerset to meet my family? my family was also fairly chill, though they were a bit Surprised to say the least that "little av'" had managed to score not only a vampire, but a legit dragon priest

i was good at befriending dragons, and by the time i killed alduin i had LOTS of dragon friends (and thereafter chose to befriend each dragon and not kill any), sometimes theyd even accompany me on adventures

paarthurnax was like a father to me, odahviing was like a cocky brother, and i was also close to durnehviir too

as for my dragon age inquisition timeline, i have a lot less memories for

i do remember i was a female dalish frost mage named melia, and i could talk to plants

i was in a relationship with solas, and i was pretty good friends with cassandra and varric specifically, though i was good friends with all the companions

i also enjoyed talking to cole in particular, and i know i really appreciated his help

i was a bit nervous about trying to go into the fade because my only experience had been when i entered it physically, though solas helped me get over that fear

i was fairly self confident, but i had my occasional doubts, like if i really was a good enough leader, but luckily my friends helped me get over these doubts

i was initially very hesitant to let myself be close to anybody or accept help, because i had a fear that anybody i let close, someone who thinks of me as an enemy would hurt that person(s) to hurt me

however i did eventually get over that

i tended to be quiet and observational, however i LOVED to learn and could get very talkative when learning about something or speaking of a topic i was interested in or knowledgable about

i didnt like being alone, and after solas and i got together i preferred to spend time around or near him if possible; i got overwhelmed by large groups of people, so i preferred to stay around one to five people at most, though i could often be found just outside haven or skyhold in a tree or in the snow

i also had a distinct fear of time--namely because it reminded me of how each second that passed by could be another second closer to corypheus completing his plans

i also had a "pet" plant? i cant remember if it was magical, or if that was the natural kind of species, or if it was inhabited by a spirit/demon; but it was basically an oversized flytrap plant that moved around and functioned similarly to a snake--though i do know it was intelligent (maybe because i could speak to plants?) and would help me scout and find things. i cant remember how big it was but i know it often would rest curled around my staff or arm(s?)

for both canons i'm looking for anybody but especially those aforementioned 👉👈

also, heres some visuals (art by me!)

and heres what the plant may have looked like, + possibly the name (i dont remember the exact colours)

if any of this sounds familiar at all please please PLEASE interact so i can dm you, or dm me !! i really wanna find everybody ✨

[dangkinronpa]

headcanons for shsl clarinet player saihara who was in a jazz band with kaede, shsl sax player ouma, and shsl bass player amami

heres ur headcanons, saihara! i hope u like them, and if theres anything u need me to change just let me know and ill get started on it! - mod kiibo - when amami, saihara, ouma, and kaede all joined together to form a jazz band, it was kaedes idea for the most part. she was the one that encouraged the four of them to work together as a jazz band in order to make sure their musical talents dont go to waste. they all agreed that she had a pretty good point, and decided to form a band together - saihara and kaede would often practice together, since ouma didnt like practicing at all and amami preferred to practice on his own. the two of them would help each other with any troubling parts in their music and give each other encouragement whenever the other just didnt believe theyd get any better and should just give up - whenever all four of the band members were together and practicing, though, saihara and ouma would often complain about the pains of being woodwinds together, such as all the reeds they have to buy and just how much lung power it actually takes to play a clarinet and a saxophone. still, they both seem to enjoy their respective instruments - whenever saihara wanted to talk to amami about his instrument, he would ask him about why he decided to start playing the bass. of course, amami would never answer the original question and instead start talking about why hes currently playing the bass, but saihara thinks its a good thing hes so passionate about the instrument - even though the four of them might not practice as a group very often, whenever they do actually get together and combine all their parts theyre all a bit amazed at how good they all actually sound. of course, it does help that theyre all shsl students, but its still impressive that they manage to sound good when they rarely practice all together - after a while of forming a jazz band, eventually all four of them come together and decide that they actually need to start performing on a stage together. once this decision is made, all four of them agree to meet up more often and practice their parts together in order to prepare. the extra practice is a bit stressful, but nobody seems to mind too much - despite being a shsl clarinet player, saihara has a little bit of stage fright, so hes pretty nervous for a few nights before the band had their first stage performance together. once theyre on stage, though, saihara ends up getting lost in the music, and the crowd just seems to disappear, along with his feelings of anxiety and fear - when theyre playing, kaede and saihara usually tend to play softer melodies in their songs, while ouma and amami tend to play things that are a bit more upbeat. due to this, saihara and kaede usually have to get together to practice their soft melodies, while ouma and amami will occasionally meet up to practice their parts, though this isnt as common - after any sort of concert the four of them perform, they all go out and make sure to celebrate their jobs well done! it doesnt really matter how the four of them decide to celebrate, as long as theyre together and having fun. once their celebrating is over, they usually talk about future concerts and celebrations to look forward to - saihara actually really enjoys getting the chance to spend time with amami, ouma, and kaede, whether it be while practicing or just having fun together. theyre all pretty close to one another, and hes really happy to have been given a chance to join in a jazz band with the four of them. combining his passion for clarinet and his love for his friends is always a good thing

[missjackil]

One Year.... One year ago this month, I was introduced to these AMAZING gentlemen, and life has never been the same! I don’t recall the exact day it happened, but I do know it was March, 2016, 

This is how it started... It was a very cold, snowy winter here in NJ last year, so my life long friend Dawn, my daughter Sarah, and I started binge watching different series on Netflix. Dawn first suggested this show Supernatural, which I had only heard of in passing a few times over the years, but she had watched since the beginning. She said I would love it, the brothers  are hot, they hunt monsters and demons, delve a lot into Religion, which is a big interest of mine, I even have a degree in Theology, and am legally ordained. I checked the title on Netflix and saw it had 10 seasons available, and I said  “Nah, that’s a pretty big commitment, I dont think I could stay interested in a show that long” then Dawn informed me, that it was still on the air and in season 11. Not my cup of tea, so I declined. She next suggested Nurse Jackie, which was really good, but so easy to burn through. I got the next pick and picked House MD which had been mine, and my daughter Sarah’s favorite series to date.  This was a longer series than Nurse Jackie, 8 seasons instead of 7, and hour long episodes, as opposed to half hour. This took almost 2 months to get through. While watching this series again, I would keep commenting how much I loved the bromance between House and Wilson, to wish Dawn would always reply “The you will LOVE Sam and Dean!!” So since she had next pick, I agreed to give Supernatural a try.  And this is what happened... *CRASH BOOM BANG  <heavy flop>* “Wooooaaah easy tiger” “Dean?” Yeah, these boys are freakin adorable, and Im gonna love this bromance. I thought Dean was hot, and Sam was cute. Too young for me to think he was hot (me being 49 at the time) but I felt like the monsters and a lot of the horror was pretty lame, and sometimes even cheesy, though I did enjoy the chemistry the boys had with each other, and found Sam’s psychic visions to be an interesting element, I didn’t think I would stay interested for very long.  For a while, we were only watching 2-3 episodes at a time, a couple times a week when Dawn would come over. Near the end of S1 I told her I didn’t think I wanted to continue. She asked me to PLEASE give it to the end of season 2 and if I still didnt like it, we could find something else. As promised, I did become more interested in S2. The humor was funnier, the acting got better, and the bromance was hotter, and the emotional moments were even more heart breaking. The first episode that left a really big impression on me was Born Under a Bad Sign. Until then, I knew Sam had psychic powers, and his father was worried he would turn dark, and left it on Dean’s shoulders to save him or kill him (good idea John, what the hell) and this episode was probably showing Sam go bad. I didnt want that, I liked the boys and I wanted to like both of them and not have to start thinking of Sam as evil, but he was soooooo creepy in that episode! I was so afraid he was going to rape Jo, fortunately he didn’t, but that “My daddy shot your daddy in the heeeaad” thing gave me the willies! I was so uncomfortable with this “Dark Sam” I thought maybe I couldnt continue. Dawn didnt want me to stop just yet, but didnt want to give me spoilers, she told me “Don’t worry, Sam and Dean are the GOOD guys and Sam is a REALLY good guy” so I continued. When it was discovered that Sam was possessed, I found that very interesting, I didn’t think the boys would ever succumb to the evil things, just kick their asses all the time, though I assumed theyd have their own asses kicked sometimes, I never thought the show would allow the heroes to really suffer.... boy was I wrong huh??  I recall my first noticing that Sam was hot and built like a truck, in Heart, and it was also the first time I really cried. I remember telling Dawn, I will watch it when she comes over but Im watching it on my own too, because now Im much more interested, but I also said “it’s kind of a bummer knowing the boys wont die, that will take away from the suspense and emotional moments when it’s feared they might die, and I remember her giving me this look... she said “trust me, you know nothing”. She was right ... All Hell Breaks Loose 1 & 2 had me sobbing! When Sam dies in Dean’s arms and Dean sobs into his neck, I dont think Ive ever seen such intense, realistic  grief on a TV show. And then Dean goes and sells his soul for Sam!! This turned what I thought was a “My brother is my best friend” love into a “Id willingly spend eternity in fire and torment, to have one more year with my brother” love. That was a big turning point for me. I new Id watch it till the end and couldnt wait for those long days off when I could just binge all day long.  Then Season 4 happened... I dont know when exactly it happened, or which episode it was, but somewhere early in S4, I discovered the most amazing thing. I woke up one day and realized I am madly in love with Sam Winchester! And to top it off, I was hopelessly addicted and obsessed with SPN! I wont give a rundown of how each season hit me, but its been a crazy, emotional, tragically painful, beautful roller coaster that I have no intentions to ever get off of. By the time I got to S9 and started seeing the episodes dwindle away, I didnt want to finish too fast, yet I wanted to keep binging, so thats when I decided to start rewatching. ration out the newer episodes so I dont finish too fast, and binge the ones Ive already seen, and Ive done that continiously since then, and that was in May. By the end of June, I had watched everything on Netflix and purchased all of S11 On Demand and just kept finishing and starting over, rinse, repeat.  What I have learned... I mean no disrespect to Dean, I love him... but, if he ever says “As long as Im around, nothing bad is ever gonna happen to you” ... just RUN!! He said this to Sam in S1 and things just unraveled fast for poor Sam. I dont think there are many bad things LEFT that haven't happened to Sam, and we still have at least 2 more seasons to go!!!  To me, Sam is the most beautiful, kind, selfless, brave character ever. Yet, he can be a little selfish on occasion, but if you needed any of the duct tape and safety pins that hold him together, he wouldnt think twice about giivng them to you. He is scared fairly often, but it’s never stopped him from facing any big bad monster life could hand him.Season 10 was definitely not his most attractive season (that hair?? WHAT??) and if you piss him off, he can viciously sting with his words at the very least, or be brutally lethal with his hands when need be. He is a full on nerd, but not the least bit pretentious about it. He doesnt think he is better than anyone, and maybe even not as good as most. He is brilliant, but wont ever make you feel stupid. He is the sweetest, kindest gentleman you’ll ever meet, but 100% badass as well. But most of all. he loves Dean with everything in his life. He will never leave him (again) for anyone. If he ever finds a significant other, they will have to accept him and Dean as One person. Package deal and thats it.  To me, Dean is a rock. He rarely ever changes, This isn’t a bad thing. This compliments Sam, who is ever changing. Dean doesn’t live inside his head. He expresses his feelings more physically than with words, though he isnt one to mince words if you need to hear it. He’s emotional, not afraid to cry, but maybe afraid of who he allows to see it. He’s not perfect, he has made a lot of poor choices for himself and for Sam as well, but never with any ill intent (other than when influenced by a Supernatural force) He is a sweetheart, who unfortunately carries too much baggage. In Regarding Dean I feel like I met the REAL Dean that is lost under decades of pain, lossm and never ending violence. He can piss me off big time, but I forgive him because Sam does, and the most important thing in his world is Sam. There is nothing he wouldnt do, nor lines he wouldnt cross for Sam, and I believe he would give Sam anything in his power if Sam would simply ask.  What I think of the side characters  Cas, Crowley, Rowena, Bobby, etc.. all good characters who bring a lot of interest to the show, but none are strong enough characters to have their own storylines apart from Sam and Dean. Their side stories arent very interesting. I would watch a show that was only Sam and Dean (which is what I prefer) but I wouldnt watch a show that was only Cas or Crowley or whomever. They should support Sam and Dean and thats it, in my opinion.

What I have learned about the Fandom... Supernatural is the Holy Reaches of Heaven to them and they are Religions. Separate groups of individuals, expressing their love for the show and the characters in different ways. Some SPN religions are open and accepting, and some are vicious and hateful. Everyone gets different things from different parts of the series, but some of these religions, think their thoughts are the best and only True Canon even when sometimes, their thoughts are not canon at all. There are some fun, silly, kind loving fans in the SPN Family, and I have met a few, but Ive also seen some unnecessarily hatefull, mean spirited individuals who I cant consider family. SPN belongs to me, and it belongs to you. Take from it what you take from it... blog your blogs, go meta crazy, ship your ships, and write the shit out of fan fic... but please dont belittle and berate those who think differently. It is a ficitonal show, no one is going to go to Hell or be arrested for their views on it. If you don’t like it, dont watch it, but let those who do still love it, like myself, enjoy it while they can. Don’t go trying to hurt our feelings with “It should end!!” because someday it will, we know this, but we want it to live on for as long as J2 are happy to do it, and even then, it’s gonna hurt like the death of a loved one to see it go, so try to be more considerate okay? If you stayed to read ALL of this, You are precious to me :) and thank you!

[allofbeercom]

After the Circus by Patrick Modiano – extract

Read an exclusive extract from the Nobel prize winners mysterious, romantic classic set on Parisian streets filled with dreamy unease and quiet menace now available to English readers in a new translation by Mark Polizzotti

I was eighteen, and the man whose face I dont recall was typing up my legal status, address, and supposed student enrollment as fast as I could state them. He asked how I spent my free time.

I paused for a few seconds.

I go to movies and bookstores.

You dont just go to movies and bookstores.

He cited the name of a café. No matter how often I repeated that Id never set foot in the place, I could tell he didnt believe me. Finally, he contented himself with typing the following:

I go to movies and bookstores. I have never been to the Café de la Tournelle, at number 61 on the quay of that name.

Then more questions about my activities and my parents. Yes, I took literature courses at the university. There was no danger in telling him that lie: I really had enrolled in the program, but only to prolong my draft deferment. As for my parents, they were both abroad and I had no idea when theyd return, if ever.

Then he mentioned the names of a man and a woman and asked if I knew them. I answered no. He told me to think very carefully. If I didnt tell the truth, there could be serious consequences. The threat was delivered in a calm, indifferent voice. No, really, I didnt know those two individuals. He typed my answer, then handed me the sheet, at the bottom of which was written: Seen and agreed to. I didnt bother looking over my deposition and signed with a ballpoint pen that was lying on the desk.

Before leaving, I asked why Id had to submit to that interrogation.

Your name was in someones address book.

But he didnt say who that someone was.

Well be in touch if we need you again.

He saw me to the door of his office. In the hallway, on the leather bench, sat a girl of about twenty-two.

Youre next, he said to the girl.

She stood up. We exchanged glances. Through the door that hed left ajar, I saw her sit down in the same chair that Id occupied a moment earlier.

* * *

I found myself back on the quay. It was around five in the afternoon. I walked toward the Pont Saint-Michel, thinking that I might wait for the girl to come out after her interrogation. But I couldnt just loiter about police head-quarters. I decided to bide my time in the café on the corner of Boulevard du Palais, where it meets the quay. And what if she had gone in the opposite direction, toward the Pont-Neuf ? The thought never occurred to me.

I was seated near the window, my eyes fixed on the Quai des Orfèvres. Her interrogation lasted much longer than mine. Night had already fallen when I saw her walking toward the café.

As she was passing by, I tapped on the window with the back of my hand. She looked at me in surprise, then came inside to join me.

She sat down at my table as if we knew each other and had made a date. She was the first to speak.

Did they ask you a lot of questions?

My name was in someones address book.

Do you know who?

They wouldnt tell me. But maybe you can shed some light.

She knitted her brow.

Shed light on what?

I figured your name must have been in that address book, too, and they were questioning you about the same thing.

No. With me, it was just to give evidence.

She seemed preoccupied. It felt like she was slowly forgetting I was there. I kept silent. Then she smiled. She asked how old I was. I said twenty-one, making myself three years older: legal age, at the time.

Do you have a job?

I deal in used books, I said randomly, in a tone I tried to make convincing.

She looked at my face, no doubt wondering if she could trust me.

Will you do me a favor? she asked.

* * *

At Place du Châtelet, she wanted to take the metro. It was rush hour. We stood squeezed together near the doors. At every station, the riders getting off pushed us onto the platform. Then we got back on with the new passengers. She leaned her head on my shoulder and said with a smile that no one could find us in this crowd.

At the Gare du Nord metro stop, we were carried along in the flood of travelers heading for the commuter trains. We crossed through the train station lobby, and in the checkroom she opened a locker and pulled out a black leather suitcase.

I carried the suitcase, which was rather heavy. It occurred to me that it contained more than just clothes. The metro again, same line but in the opposite direction. This time we found seats. We got off at Cité.

At the end of the Pont-Neuf, we waited for the light to turn red. I was feeling increasingly anxious. I wondered how Grabley would greet us when we arrived at the apartment. Shouldnt I tell her about Grabley, so that his presence there wouldnt catch her off guard?

We walked past the Hôtel des Monnaies. I heard the clock on the Institut de France chime nine p.m.

Are you sure no one will mind if I come to your place? she asked.

Nope. No one.

There were no lights in the apartment windows facing the quay. Had Grabley gone to his room, on the courtyard side? Normally he parked his car in the middle of the little square that forms a recess between the Hôtel des Monnaies and the Institut, but it wasnt there.

I opened the door on the fourth floor and we walked through the foyer. We entered the room that had served as my fathers office. Light fell from a naked bulb dangling from the ceiling. No furniture left, except for an old couch with dark red leaf patterns.

I set the suitcase down next to the couch. She went to the window.

You have a nice view . . .

To the left was one end of the Pont des Arts and the Louvre. Directly in front, the tip of Ile de la Cité and the small Vert-Galant park.

We sat on the couch. She looked around her and seemed amazed by the sparseness of the room.

Are you moving out?

I told her that, unfortunately, we had to vacate the premises in a month. My father had gone to Switzerland to live out his days.

Why Switzerland?

It really was too long a story for that evening. I shrugged. Grabley would be back any minute. How would he react when he saw the girl and her suitcase? I was afraid he would call my father in Switzerland, and that the latter, in a last gasp of parental dignity, would try to play the noble paterfamilias, lecture me about my studies and endangered future. But he was wasting his time.

Im tired . . .

I suggested she lie down on the couch. She hadnt removed her raincoat. I remembered that the heating no longer worked.

Are you hungry? I can go get something from the kitchen . . .

She sat on the couch, legs folded under her, resting on her heels.

Dont go to any trouble. Maybe just something to drink . . .

The light in the foyer had gone off. The bow window in the wide front hall leading to the kitchen lit the room with pale glimmers, as if there were a full moon out. Grabley had left the light on in the kitchen. In front of the old dumbwaiter stood an ironing board on which I recognized the trousers of his glen plaid suit. He ironed his own shirts and other clothes. On the folding table, where I sometimes took my meals with him, was an empty yogurt jar, a banana peel, and a packet of instant coffee. He must have eaten in. I found two yogurts, a slice of salmon, some fruit, and a bottle of whiskey three-quarters empty. When I returned, she was reading one of the magazines that Grabley had let pile up for several weeks on the office mantelpiece, risqué periodicals, as he called them, for which he had a great fondness.

I set the tray down in front of us, on the floor.

She had left the magazine open next to her and I could make out the black-and-white photo of a naked woman, seen from behind, hair tied in a ponytail, left leg extended, right leg bent, her knee resting on a mattress.

Interesting reading matter youve got . . .

No, those arent mine . . . They belong to a friend of my fathers.

She bit into an apple and poured herself some whiskey.

What have you got in that suitcase? I asked.

Oh, nothing much . . . Some personal effects . . .

It was heavy. I thought it was stuffed with gold bricks.

She gave me a sheepish smile. She explained that she lived in a house not far from Paris, near Saint-Leu-la-Forêt, but the owners had come back unexpectedly last night. She preferred to leave, as she didnt really get along with them. Tomorrow she would go to a hotel, until she could find a permanent place to live.

You can stay here as long as you like.

I was sure that Grabley, after his initial surprise, would have no objections. As for my father, what he thought no longer mattered.

Are you getting sleepy?

I intended to give her the upstairs bedroom. I would sleep on the office couch.

I led the way, suitcase in hand, up the small inner staircase to the fifth floor. The room was as sparsely furnished as the office. A bed shoved against the back wall. The nightstand and bedside lamp were gone. I switched on the fluorescent lights in the two display cases, on either side of the fireplace, where my father kept his collection of chess pieces, although these had disappeared, along with the small Chinese armoire and the fake Monticelli canvas that had left a discoloration on the sky-blue paneling. I had consigned those three objects to an antiques dealer, a certain DellAversano, for him to sell.

Is this your room? she asked.

Yes.

I had set the suitcase in front of the fireplace. She went to the window, like before, in the office.

If you look all the way to the right, I told her, you can see the statue of Henri IV and the Tour Saint-Jacques.

She gazed distractedly at the rows of books between the two windows. Then she lay down on the bed and removed her shoes with a casual flick of her foot. She asked where I was going to sleep.

Downstairs on the couch.

Stay here, she said. I dont mind.

She had kept on her raincoat. I turned off the lights in the display cases. I lay down next to her.

Doesnt it feel cold to you?

She moved closer and gently rested her head on my shoulder. Lights and shadows shaped like window grates slid across the walls and ceiling.

Whats that? she asked.

The tour boat passing by.

* * *

<img class="gu-image" itemprop="contentUrl" alt="The" cafe aux deux magots in the saint germain district in 1960. the rue de rennes in the background, on the left. FRANCE – JANUARY 01: The cafe AUX DEUX MAGOTS in the Saint Germain district in 1960. The rue de Rennes in the background, on the left. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)” src=”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/fcfee192d71e0a16e7c185fc0366fd431d4f7db2/0_0_3508_2339/master/3508.jpg?w=300&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&s=f330ada83013e1a7d2d29fafec406923″/>

Photograph: Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

I awoke with a start. The front door had slammed.

She was lying against me, nude inside her raincoat. It was seven in the morning. I heard Grableys footsteps. He was making a phone call in the office. His voice grew louder and louder, as if he was arguing with someone. Then he left the office and went into his room.

She woke up as well and asked what time it was. She told me she had to be going. She had left some belongings in the house in Saint-Leu-la-Forêt and wanted to collect them as soon as possible.

I offered her breakfast. There was still some instant coffee in the kitchen and one of the boxes of Choco BN biscuits that Grabley always bought. When I returned to the fifth floor with the tray, she was in the large bathroom. She emerged, dressed in her black skirt and pullover sweater.

She said she would call me early that afternoon. She didnt have any paper on which to jot down my number. I took a book from the shelves and tore out the flyleaf, on which I wrote my name, address, and phone number: DANTON 55-61. She folded the paper in four and shoved it in one of her raincoat pockets. Then her lips brushed mine and she said in a low voice that she was grateful and was looking forward to seeing me again.

She walked along the quay toward the Pont des Arts.

I stood at the window for a few minutes, watching her distant silhouette cross the bridge.

I stashed the suitcase in the storage closet at the top of the stairs. I laid it flat on the floor. It was locked. I lay down again and breathed in her scent from the hollow of one of the pillows. She would eventually tell me why theyd questioned her yesterday afternoon. I tried to recall the names of the two people the detective had mentioned, asking whether I knew them. One of them sounded something like Beaufort or Bousquet. In whose address book had they found my name? Was he just trying to get information about my father? Hed asked which foreign country my father had gone to. I had covered his tracks by answering Belgium.

The week before, I had accompanied my father to the Gare de Lyon. He was wearing his old navy blue overcoat and his only luggage was a leather bag. We were early, and we waited for the Geneva train in the large restaurant on the upper level, from which we overlooked the lobby and railway tracks. Was it the late afternoon light? The golden hue on the ceiling? The chandeliers that shone down on us? My father suddenly seemed old and tired, like someone who has been playing cat and mouse for far too long and is about to give up.

The only book he brought with him for the trip was called The Hunt. He had recommended it to me several times, because the author mentioned our apartment, where hed lived twenty years earlier. What a strange coincidence . . . Hadnt my fathers life, in certain periods, resembled a hunt in which he was the prey? But so far, hed managed to elude his captors.

We were facing each other over our coffee. He was smoking, cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips. He talked about my schooling and my future. As he saw it, it was all well and good to want to write novels, as I intended, but it was safer to earn a few diplomas. I kept quiet, listening to him. Words like diplomas, stable situation, profession sounded odd in his mouth. He pronounced them with respect and a kind of nostalgia. After a while, he fell silent, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and shrugged.

We didnt exchange another word until he climbed onto the train and leaned out the lowered window. I had remained on the platform.

Grabley will live with you in the apartment. Afterward, well make a determination. Youll have to rent someplace else.

But he had said it without any conviction. The train for Geneva lurched forward, and at that moment it felt as if I were seeing that face and that navy blue coat pull away forever.

At around nine oclock, I went down to the fourth floor. I had heard Grableys footsteps. He was sitting on the office couch in his plaid bathrobe. Next to him was a tray carrying a cup of tea and a Choco BN. He hadnt shaved and his features were drawn.

Good morning, Obligado . . .

He called me by that nickname because of a friendly wager wed had. One evening, we had arranged to meet in front of a cinema on Avenue de la Grande-Armée. He had told me to get off at the Obligado metro stop. The stop was really called Argentine, but he refused to believe it. We had made a bet, which Id won.

I only got two hours sleep last night. I made my rounds.

He stroked his blond mustache and squinted.

Same places as usual?

The very ones.

His rounds invariably started at eight oclock at the Café des Deux Magots, where he had an aperitif. Then he crossed over to the Right Bank and stopped at Place Pigalle. He stayed in that neighborhood until dawn.

And what about you, Obligado?

I put a girlfriend up last night.

Does your father know?

No.

You should ask him if its all right. Im sure Ill be getting a call.

He imitated my father when he wanted to appear serious and responsible, but it rang even less true than the original.

And what sort of young lady is she?

His face took on the unctuous expression with which he suggested, every Sunday morning, that I go to Mass with him.

First of all, shes not a young lady.

Is she pretty?

I saw on his face the smug, flattering smile of the traveling salesman in some random station bar who over a beer tells you how he got lucky.

My girlfriend last night wasnt too bad either . . .

His tone became aggressive, as if we were suddenly in competition. I no longer remember what I felt at the time, with that seated man, in the empty office that looked as if it had been vacated at a moments notice, its furniture and paintings pawned or repossessed. He was my fathers stand-in, his factotum. They had met when very young on a beach on the Atlantic coast, and my father had corrupted this petty bourgeois Frenchman. For thirty years, Grabley had lived in his shadow. The only habit he retained from his childhood and good upbringing was to attend Mass every Sunday.

Will you introduce me to your girlfriend?

He gave me a complicit wink.

We could even go out together, if you like . . . Im fond of young couples.

I pictured us, her and me, in Grableys car as it crossed over the Seine and headed toward Pigalle. A young couple. One evening Id accompanied him to the Deux Magots, before he headed off on his usual rounds. We were sitting near the windows. I had been surprised to see him greet in passing a couple of about twenty-five: the woman blonde and very graceful, the man dark and overly elegant. He had even gone to talk to them, standing next to their table, while I watched from my seat. Their age and appearance marked such a sharp contrast with Grableys old-world manners that I wondered what fluke could have brought them together. The man seemed amused by what Grabley was saying, but the woman was more detached. Taking his leave, Grabley had shaken the mans hand and given the woman a ceremonious nod. When we left, he introduced them to me, but Ive forgotten their names. Then hed told me that the young man was a very useful contact and that hed met him during his rounds in Pigalle.

You seem pensive, Obligado . . . Are you in love?

He had gotten up and was standing in front of me, hands in the pockets of his bathrobe.

I need to spend all day at the office. I have to sift through the paperwork from seventy-three and move it out.

That was an office my father had rented on Boulevard Haussmann. I often used to go meet him there at the end of the afternoon. A corner room with a very high ceiling. Daylight entered through four French windows overlooking the boulevard and Rue de lArcade. Filing cabinets against the walls and a massive desk with an assortment of inkwells, blotters, and a writing case.

What did he do there? Each time, I would find him on the telephone. After thirty years, I happened across an envelope, on the back of which was printed the name of an ore refining company, the Société Civile dEtudes et Traitements de Minerais, 73 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 8.

You and your girlfriend can come pick me up at seventy-three. Well go have dinner together . . .

I dont think shes free this evening.

He seemed disappointed. He lit a cigarette.

Well, anyway, call me at seventy-three to let me know your plans . . . Id love to meet her . . .

I was thinking I had to keep a bit of distance, or else wed have him on our backs nonstop. But Ive never been very good at saying no.

This is an extract from After the Circus by Patrick Modiano, published on 21 January by Yale University Press at £10.99. Visit the Guardian Bookshop to preorder it for £8.79.

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/after-the-circus-by-patrick-modiano-extract/

[viralhottopics]

Geena Davis: Thelma & Louise changed everything for me

It was the moment she realised how few inspiring women there are on screen. Now the actor is on a mission to fix that

Somewhere in a parallel universe, Geena Davis is having the time of her life. Yes! Enjoying this new era in American history! As one of the few women to have played a US president on screen, in her parallel universe Davis is having a lovely conversation with me about how fabulous it feels to see a woman finally make it to the White House.

This isnt the first time the actor has found her presidential fantasies preferable to reality. Eleven years ago, she was President Mackenzie Allen on the TV show Commander In Chief. It had been the number one new show, and it was going to run for eight years. I was going to do two terms, Davis grins ruefully. She won a Golden Globe for the role. Then internal studio politics intervened and the show was cancelled after a single season. For a long time after, I felt like, in an alternate universe, I was still on that show. In my mind, she says, laughing, I wanted to set up the Oval Office in my garage and pretend I was still the president.

Davis hoots at her own absurdity, but for the record she did receive a fairly presidential greeting on arrival at the restaurant where we meet. The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills hotel is a fantastically kitsch extravaganza of salmon-pink table linen and bad taste, but a Hollywood institution nonetheless. While I waited, the lunch tables filled with industry types, and my requests for a quieter corner were defeated by the expert indifference of waiters who understand the rules of Hollywood hierarchy better than I do. But the instant Davis arrived, the matre d descended into an obsequious froth Miss Davis! Welcome back! and whisked us off to a coveted booth.

So good to see you again! he purrs, before blanching in horror. Davis has a white napkin on her lap, but her trousers are black. Quelle horreur! The offending item is whipped away and replaced with a black one, while Davis tries not to giggle.

With Susan Sarandon in 1991s Thelma & Louise. Photograph: Allstar

Davis has no publicist in tow, and nothing about her outfit would suggest celebrity: she is wearing a loose white T-shirt and the sort of plain and comfortable black jacket and trousers one might put on for Sunday lunch in a nice pub. Were she not so tall (6ft), I might easily have missed her when she arrived, full of apologies for being all of 10 minutes late. I take the matre ds instantaneous excitement to mean she must be a regular, but as soon as hes gone, she whispers, No! I cant even remember the last time I was here. Its this very weird phenomenon. If I go to hotels, they always say, Welcome back, even when Ive never been there before. That must be rather disorienting. Yes, weird! She nods cheerfully. You have all these people saying nice things to you, and it can really be like, Wow, Im very fortunate, arent I? Im very, very grateful for it, you know?

When lunch arrives, she gets the giggles again: her salad is a strangely regimented platter that looks like someones idea of gastro-sophistication circa 1974. Its so kitschy! I was going to show your tape recorder my salad, but that wont work, will it? When her phone rings, the mother of three murmurs the universal prayer of working parents everywhere: Please dont be the nanny, please dont be the nanny, please dont be the nanny. It feels like lunching with a gloriously irreverent and relaxed old friend.

Davis has been a Hollywood star for 35 years, but at 61 her status now is a curious hybrid of insider and outsider, a bit like cinemas Ofsted inspector. When starting out, shed have been astonished to know shed devote the later years of her career to exposing her industrys flaws. Back then, she admits, she couldnt see anything to worry about.

With William Hurt in 1988s The Accidental Tourist, for which Davis won an Oscar. Photograph: Ronald Grant

When I was first starting out was also when I first started really paying attention to the Oscars and stuff like that. And I remember thinking, wow, everything is great for women in Hollywood, because Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Jessica Lange, Sally Field: theyre all doing incredible work. Every year, fantastic movies were coming out: The French Lieutenants Woman, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Sophies Choice. I think I did hear that, for women, when you get older it can be a problem, but these actors were already in their 30s, which seemed ancient to me then. So I thought, whats the problem? I started getting really cool parts left and right and centre, and I was like, well, even if it turns out theres a problem, its not going to impact on me.

After making her debut in 1982s classic comedy Tootsie, Davis averaged a movie a year, and could easily have made more had she not been fussy. She did sci-fi horror in The Fly, comic fantasy in Beetlejuice and literary drama in The Accidental Tourist, for which she won a best supporting actress Oscar. She played a baseball star in the sports comedy A League Of Their Own, a bank robber in the crime drama Quick Change and, most memorably, a housewife turned outlaw in the feminist road trip Thelma & Louise. Then she turned 40 and in the entire decade that followed, we saw her face only in Stuart Little.

By the time she turned 50, she was fed up. The neglect of women in film and TV was definitely happening she knew that but to prove it the Mensa member realised she would have to measure it: Because people just make assumptions, dont they? Even when the reality might be completely different. I remember talking to a woman editor of a magazine about all this a while ago, and she said, Oh no, no, no, thats just not a problem any more. I told her it still was. She said, and Davis begins to laugh again, But it cant be. Look at Meryl Streep, she works all the time! I was like, Er, Meryls schedule is the exception.

So, 10 years ago, the actor founded the Geena Davis Institute On Gender In Media. I am completely obsessed with numbers and data. I have become a scientist in later life. The institute conducts exhaustive research to establish the facts of gender representation in family entertainment, and they are grimly arresting.

Male characters outnumber female in family films by a ratio of three to one, a figure that has remained startlingly consistent since 1946. From 2007 to 2014, women made up less than a third of speaking or named characters in the 100 top-grossing films distributed in the US, of which less than 7% were directed by women. Of the female characters that did make it on to screen, fewer than one in five were aged 40-64. Last autumn, the institute partnered with Google to launch the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient (the GD-IQ), a software program that measures the amount of screen and speaking time given to male and female characters. The results were even more confronting: in the top 200 grossing films of 2014 and 2015, males, Davis discovered, enjoyed literally twice the screen time of females, and spoke twice as often.

Its easy to see why this would matter to Davis, or any other female actor, but why should the rest of us care? This gender bias is so ingrained in us, and stuffed into our DNA from when were little, from our first exposure to popular culture. If kids movies and TV shows have profoundly fewer female characters than male characters, and theres nobody saying, By the way, honey, this isnt real. Thats not how the real world is. From 2006 to 2009, not one female character was depicted in a G-rated family film working in the field of medical science, as a business leader, in law or in politics. Our motto is: if they can see it, they can be it. Completely unconsciously, boys and girls are getting the message that girls are less important and less valuable to our society, because theyre not there. And if they are there, theyre not talking.

Playing the first female president in the TV series Commander In Chief. Photograph: ABC

Another way of looking at it, I suggest, would be that what we see on screen is, in fact, uncannily accurate. In a typical crowd scene, female extras account for just 17% of the faces we see a figure close to this crops up across all sorts of sectors in real life in America. Fortune 500 boards are around 20% female, as is Congress. Fewer then 20% of US legal partners, the military and cardiac surgeons are female.

Yes, Davis agrees, but I think the impact of media images is so profound that we actually could make life imitate art. You know, you see a dog or something and you say, Oh, hes cute? The default is always male, and its because weve had such a male-centred culture. And its because its what we see and hear from the very beginning.

I remember I was once with my boys [she has 12-year-old twins, and a 14-year-old daughter] in a park and they saw a squirrel. I consciously decided to say, Look, shes so cute and they both turned to me with surprised expressions and said, How do you know its a girl? I was like, wow, Ive already failed. They were four years old.

Davis takes all the data to Hollywoods decision-makers and creators: heads of studios, production companies, guilds. Does she come in for a bit of oh-no-here-comes-the-feminist eye-rolling? Oh no. No! If I was going in just saying, Youre making fewer movies starring a female character than male characters, theyd say, Yes, we know that. Were fully aware of that. We hope we can do better. We wish we could do better. And they would probably turn to this myth in Hollywood that women will watch men, but men dont want to watch women, so were forced to make all the stories about men.

Instead, Davis shows them the GD-IQs findings on profitability. Films featuring female leads make on average 15% more than those with male leads, while films featuring male and female co-leads earn almost 24% more than those with either a solo male or female lead. Their jaws are on the ground. She grins. Everywhere we go, its the exact same reaction. They are floored.

***

Had anyone told Davis in her youth that she would one day be an activist and advocate, she would have been equally floored. She grew up in a small town in Massachusetts, a bookish child and church organist, and was constantly shy. Just totally shy, especially about men. I had one date in high school, that was it, and he didnt ask me out again, she laughs, because I was taller than everybody. I was very gangly and awkward, and I wore weird clothes that I made. I think my fondest wish as a kid was to take up less space.

My fondest wish as a kid was to take up less space. Photograph: Amanda Friedman for the Guardian

Most peoples childhood self-image can seem surprising by the time theyre in their 60s, but in Daviss case the discrepancy feels comical. She is 6ft and appropriately proportioned, so occupies as much space as you would expect someone with the dimensions of an imposing man to fill. Her voice is gutsy, soaring from throaty depths to gales of laughter, and her beauty is unlike anything Ive observed in an actor. Beautiful women who have lived their life in the public gaze tend to convey an awareness of others admiration that can sometimes seem self-conscious, and sometimes almost pointedly detached. Davis, on the other hand, reminds me more of my cat, a ludicrously gorgeous creature who seems to take as much pleasure from its beauty as any admirer ever could. If I picture Davis looking at herself in the mirror, she isnt frowning anxiously but smiling back at her famous dimples.

And yet she goes on, I think I really wanted to take up less space. It seemed like every time I was exuberant or free, I would get pointed at. Things that really stand out from my childhood were incidents where people told me to tone it down. Like my beloved aunt Gloria, who was a role model and just everything to me, and who adored me, and would say things like, Youre really going to have to learn to laugh more quietly, because boys arent going to like a loud lady.

She knew from the age of three that she wanted to act, and studied drama at Boston University. But the most important thing was that people like me and think Im no trouble. It was as if I lived in some bubble of extreme femininity where you must never say your feelings. I had people who wouldnt date me because I couldnt even decide what restaurant I wanted to go to, literally. I never said my opinion about anything. I was afraid to.

Everything changed in 1990 when she made Thelma & Louise. Davis played Thelma, an unhappy wife who takes off with her friend Louise, played by Susan Sarandon, for a two-day road trip in an old Thunderbird convertible. When a man they meet in a bar tries to rape Thelma, Louise shoots him dead. Convinced the police will never believe their account of events, because Thelma had been drinking and seen dancing with the man before he attacked her, the pair take off. Liberated from the constraints of social convention and the law, they embark on a raucously anarchic adventure from which they will never return.

With then husband Jeff Goldblum in 1989. Photograph: Getty

Davis had her agent call Ridley Scott, the films director, every single week for a year in a concerted campaign to land the part. So it was really, really a passion project for me. And I was aware of womens position in Hollywood by then. But then, when the movie came out and I saw the reaction women had, it was night and day: completely different from anything that had ever happened before, you know? Women wanted to really talk about how it impacted on them. Theyd tell me, This is what I thought, this is who I saw it with, this is how many times Ive seen it, this is how it really changed my marriage. Sometimes Id even hear, My friend and I took a road trip and acted out your trip. Her eyes widen as she laughs. Im like, I hope the good parts? But that really struck me, and it made me realise how few opportunities there are to feel inspired by the female characters we watch. That changed everything for me.

Working with Sarandon changed everything, too. Every day on set, I was just learning how to be more myself, you know? Just because she was such a role model to me. Davis would arrive each morning with her notes tentatively framed in the apologetic, would-you-mind-awfully register of regulation feminine decorum. Sarandon would bustle in, open her mouth and speak her mind. Davis still beams at the memory, and credits it with revolutionising the way she operated.

Her institute is now in its 10th year, but has yet to generate any measurable change in onscreen representation. I feel very confident thats going to happen in the next five to 10 years, though. I know it will. Theres one childrens network that tells us, every time someone pitches a new idea, someone asks, What would Geena say? She roars with laughter. Which is exactly what I want! The parallel between her work and recent increasingly successful campaigns for greater ethnic onscreen diversity in Hollywood speak for themselves, she says. Its exactly the same problem, with exactly the same solution. When a sector of society is left out of the popular culture, its cultural annihilation.

Davis does still act; in recent years, she starred in the TV shows Greys Anatomy and The Exorcist, and appears in the forthcoming sci-fi thriller Marjorie Prime. Shes also in Dont Talk To Irene, an indie film about an overweight cheerleader, which premiered recently in Canada. But its very clear that acting is no longer her driving ambition. She gets much more excited talking about the film festival she co-founded in 2015, the only one in the world to offer its winners the prize of guaranteed distribution, both theatrical and through DVD. The Bentonville festival explicitly exists to champion and promote female and other minority film-makers, and last year became the eighth biggest film festival in the world; this year, it will open in early May in Arkansas and more than 100,000 people are expected to attend.

With husband, Reza Jarrahy, in 2013. Photograph: Getty

The most conventionally starlet thing about Davis these days is probably her marital history: she is now on her fourth marriage. The first, in 1982, lasted less than a year; her second, to the actor and her sometime co-star Jeff Goldblum in 1987, lasted only slightly longer, and was over by 1990. In 1993, she wed the director Renny Harlin, but divorced again in 1998. She has been married to her fourth husband, Reza Jarrahy, the father of her three children, and an Iranian-American plastic surgeon, for 16 years now. Giving birth for the first time at 46, followed by twins at 48, is not an entirely advisable maternal strategy, she laughs. I dont know how I assumed I could wait that long, and I wouldnt recommend it. Id always known I wanted to have kids, but somehow, before then, there wasnt any time I was planning it.

When we part, she gives me a great bear hug and her phone number, and it strikes me that she must be one of the happiest movie stars I can remember meeting. The parallel universe she inhabits appears to have much to recommend it. I had assumed she would put Hillary Clintons defeat down to her motto If she can see it, she can be it so ask if she thinks America would have voted a different way last September had the notion of a woman in charge of the country looked more familiar.

You know, she surprises me, I dont know. I like to just think that she won the popular vote by an enormous amount. She was not this horrifically flawed candidate everyone wants to paint. I mean, OK, she didnt win the electoral college vote. But, in another way, she did win. In Daviss parallel universe, the popular vote determined who would move into the White House, and all is well with the world.

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from Geena Davis: Thelma & Louise changed everything for me

[krysrawfiggs]

1-154

1.Full name:Krysten Alexandra Figueroa but you will reffer to me as Krysfiggs

2.Zodiac sign:Im a cusp baby born as the day changed. I am a leo/virgo

3. 3 Fears:Spiders, being alone forever, my fam disowning me for being gay

4. 3 things I love:Being surrounded by awesome people, video games, outdoor activities

5. 4 turns ons:Firey passion, neck biting, n eyes.. its always the eyes, n intelligence

6.4 turns offs: Lack of intelligence, if youre rude in general, if youre clingy, lack of understanding n compassion

7. My best friend:I have a coupleNadia, amanda, n bree (when shes not being an idiot)

8. Sexual orientation:Lezzzzzzzzbbbbiiiiannnnnnnnn

9. My best first date:So far going out into town in the middle of a rainstorm running dancing n dickin round and then showing up soaked n eating at friendlys

10. How tall am I:Im 5'5"11. What do I missNot paying bills

12. What time were I born:12am on the dot

13. Favourite colour:I like deep colors. I used to say deep blue but i do love red n grey too

14.Do I have a crushXD maybe! Ok yea. I do. But i aint tell you.

15. Favourite quoteGod theres too many…

16.Favourite placePuerto rico

17. Favourite foodGawd this is hard ok. I have the soul of a very very fat man. If i had to pick one thing…itd have to be my moms pernil (pork shoulder)

18. Do I use sarcasmNever im a sweetheart😆

19. What am I listening to right nowEvie- last dinosaurs

20.First thing I notice in new personEyesss…eyess…eyess…….!

21.Shoe size822. Eye colourBrown anytime of dayGold in the sun

23.Hair colourBlack as the normBrownish in the sunlightBlue when its overcast

24.Favourite style of clothingandrogynous 25. Ever done a prank call?Yup i bothered the fuck outta kymmie for months before i gave myself up xD

26.What colour of underwear I’m wearing now? Burgandy See thru lace

27. Meaning behind my URLWelp minus the word raw its just my name. If my father didnt delete my 1st blog and of someone in asia didnt take my old username right after it wouldnt be as stupid.

28. Favourite movieToo many brahhh

29. Favourite song

30.Favourite bandBloc party, last dinosaurs, split milk society

31.How I feel right nowHorngry n lonely. Lusting for warm weather and beach weather

32.Someone I love.In what context?

33.My current relationship statusSingle af

34.My relationship with my parentsCurrently ok..

35. Favourite holiday Hmm i dont have one

36.Tattoos and piercings?I have average ear piercings But i want a lip ring n a tatoo of leo n virgo fighting inside of the sun ony shoulder

37.Tattoos and piercing i wantWhoops jumped the gun. Please refer to 36

38.The reason I joined TumblrMy friends at the time

39.Do I and my last ex hate each other? Nope we’re cool

40. Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?I used too from my so. But now its just my good friend manny

41.Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? Hmmm no

42. When did I last hold hands?Non romantically:I held hands with my lil sister cuz she doesnt know how to cross a freggin road without getting hit by a car! But romantically: its been over a year and a half.

43. How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? 10mins

44.Have I shaved your legs in the past three days?Its been a good 6/7 months. Im at man status rn

45.Where am I right now? Trapped on a bus with zombies from nyc somewhere on the way to newburgh

46.If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? In oswego it would be chance. Here.. idk it hasnt happend.. but my best bet would be nadia

47.Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?Both. Depends where i am

48.Do I live with my Mom and Dad?Yes. Please dont ask how its going. Its not well.

49.Am I excited for anything?Yes. The 3 day weekend

50.Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?No i only have 2 chill male friends

51.How often do I wear a fake smile?Often enough

52.When was the last time I hugged someone?That would be last sunday i hugged holly. We went for a movie and a bite n caught up since inhavent seen her in 5ever

53.What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?Its w/e as long as you happy n your not like eating face

54.Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?Yea

55.What is something I disliked about today?Evelyn being passive agressive towards me. Makes me uncomf. But i could care less.

56.If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?Rebecca sugar

57. What do I think about most? Its gonna be one of 3 things, women, video games, food

58. What’s my strangest talent?I can get really creepy really fast. Iv been told to try out to be villians or serial killers in movies

59.Do I have any strange phobias?Spiders

60.Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Both

61. What was the last lie I told?

62.Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?Im old skool ill show up at your house ;) jk phone so no one can see this akward mess

63.Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?Yes

64.Do I believe in magic?Yes

65. Do I believe in luck? Yes

66.What’s the weather like right now? Bloody cold

67. What was the last book I’ve read? Allegiant

68. Do I like the smell of gasoline?Addicted

69. Do I have any nicknames?Krys, elmo, jesus

70. What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? I have 12 stiches on my thumb both for cuts by blades oh n the one time i was going down a mt. On my longboard n i fell and got the worst road rash on my ass.

71. Do I spend money or save it?Both

72. Can I touch my nose with a tongue?No

73. Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? Idts?

74.Favourite animal?Otter

75. What was I doing last night at 12 AM?Hehhhh better not say

76. What do I think is Satan’s last name is? Idfk

77.What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?Anything fr the last dinosaurs

78. How can you win my heart? Compassion understanding and a drive no one else has.

79.What would I want to be written on my tombstone?Im not gonna be burried.

80. What is my favourite wordOogle

81. My top 5 blogs on tumblr Ill answer later

82.If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

83.Do I have any relatives in jail?Yes

84.I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? Speed

85.What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? Feelings are a tough subject

86. What is my current desktop picture? An image from second son

87. Had sex?Why yes i have

88.Bought condoms?Nopes

89.Gotten pregnant? Nopes too gay for that shit90. Failed a class?Several

91. Kissed a boy? Yep im not a gold star lezzy no more

92. Kissed a girl? Many

93.Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?Yes. Im super cheesey i do things like that all the time

94.Had job?I have a job95.Left the house without my wallet?Keys and liecensexD

96. Bullied someone on the internet? Nope

97.Had sex in public? Yes

98. Played on a sports team? Several

99. Smoked weed? Yasss

100. Did drugs? Ive tried some shit

101. Smoked cigarettes? Never now thats nasty

102. Drank alcohol? Yes

103. Am I a vegetarian/vegan? Never

104. Been overweight?yes

105. Been underweight?yes

106. Been to a wedding?yes

107. Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? Days

108. Watched TV for 5 hours straight? When i was younger

109. Been outside my home country?yes

110. Gotten my heart broken? Many times

111.Been to a professional sports game? Yes

112. Broken a bone? Do Teeth count?

113. Cut myself? Not on purpose

114. Been to prom? Unfortunaly. Thats an akward story. If i didnt go i coulda stayed in puerto rico longer. But nooo joe had to ask my parents…

115. Been in airplane? Yes

116. Fly by helicopter? No. But ive been in some heavy duty military air craft

117. What concerts have I been to?Walk the moon, in hs i saw i see stars mega concert there were like 20 bands there idr them all, versaemerge, dragonforce

118.Had a crush on someone of the same sex?Yeaaa im megagay

119.Learned another language?I can fully understand spanish. But i cant speak it.

120. Wore make up? Im alergic to eyeliner xD

121.Lost my virginity before I was 18?Yes

123. Had oral sex? Yes.😍

124.Dyed my hair?Ive never dyed my hair

125.Voted in a presidential election? Yes both times for obama♡ . n fuck you, you lil orange dicked cheeto (donald trump)

126.Rode in an ambulance?Yes i did when i sliced my thumb deep with an exacto and was bleeding everywhere

127. Had a surgery?No

128. Met someone famous? Yes i have i met that guy from “what would you do” when i was staying in maryland. Also i stick around after theater shows and concerts to meet the actors, performers, and musicians

129.Stalked someone on a social network?Guilty

130. Peed outside?Um who hasnt?

131. Been fishing?Yes. Anyone wanna join me this spring?

132. Helped with charity? Yea every 3 weeks i participate in a soup kitched in poukipsee with my siblings and my cousins.

133. Been rejected by a crush?I have unfortunate luck.

134. Broken a mirror? Haha yea i did once

135. What do I want for birthday? Id love to go somewhere amazing and warm with awesome people. If im dating someone id love to actually have a birthday kiss. #neverhadoneonmybirthday

136.How many kids do I want and what will be their names?By kids you mean dogs? N id have all of them. Theyd have really crude/harsh spanish names.

137.Was I named after anyone?No but krysten means follower of chridtXD

138.Do I like my handwriting? Sometimes

139. What was my favourite toy as a child? Why it was my stuffy scooby doo

140.Favourite Tv Show? Gawd theres so many. But steven universe👌🖒

141.Where do I want to live when older?Puerto rico when i hit the lotto

143. Play any musical instrument? I can play the trumpet, the recorder, basic drum beat, and im learning the uke

144.One of my scars, how did I get it?Sliced my thumb with a woodcutter one year. Then the next year same thumb with a brand new exacto. Landed me in the hosp 2ice total 12 stiches

145.Favourite pizza toping? Extra cheese

146.Am I afraid of the dark? Sometimes. Im more worried bout the it under the bed that comes out when you dont have sheets on.

147.Am I afraid of heights?No. In my stage craft class i was the only one who wasnt scared of heights they sent me high up to work on stuff they also sent me 60ft up to the grid too 😎

148.Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?Yes and i had my ass handed to me on a silver platter several times.

149.Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?Yes. All the time.

150.What I’m really bad atBeing social. Talking to girls. Drawing.

151.What my greatest achievements are. Being the first to graduate college.

152.The meanest thing somebody has ever said to meYou should see the list of stuff my parents have told me since i was little. Its a little too awful to put on here.

153.What I’d do if I won in a lottery. Top secret Plans back the fuck up

154. What do I like about myself Um my bed head. Idk

155.My closest Tumblr friend Haha nadia

156.Something I fantasise about my exTisk tisk ladies n gents we shouldnt be reopening wounds like this. *points finger n shakes it like a noodle*

[patriotsnet]

Did Trump Say Republicans Were Dumb

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/did-trump-say-republicans-were-dumb/

Did Trump Say Republicans Were Dumb

Ben Carson: March 4 2016

Donald Trump Tells Oprah in 1988 What He Would Do as President

You would be forgiven for forgetting that at one point last fall, Dr. Ben Carson was tied with Trump for first place in national Republican presidential preference polls. They were two different versions of the “outsider” candidate Trump, the brash billionaire and reality TV star; and Carson the quiet doctor propelled by faith. ;In;November, Trump went on the attack. He turned to Carson’s own autobiography for ammunition, noting with skepticism Carson’s story of how his religious conversion began when he attempted to stab a friend only to have the knife blade break on the friend’s belt buckle. “How stupid are the people of Iowa?” Trump asked. “How stupid are the people of the country to believe this crap?” At the time it seemed a direct challenge to evangelicals that could only hurt Trump, but it was Carson who began to slip in the polls. The doctor did poorly in the early primaries and dropped out after Super Tuesday. A week later he endorsed Trump, saying the two had “buried the hatchet” and that he believed there are “two Donald Trumps” the bombastic public figure and the private man who is “cerebral” and willing to consider other views.

Trump Secretly Mocks His Christian Supporters

Former aides say that in private, the president has spoken with cynicism and contempt about believers.

One day in 2015, Donald Trump beckoned Michael Cohen, his longtime confidant and personal attorney, into his office. Trump was brandishing a printout of an article about an Atlanta-based megachurch pastor trying to raise $60 million from his flock to buy a private jet. Trump knew the preacher personallyCreflo Dollar had been among a group of evangelical figures who visited him in 2011 while he was first exploring a presidential bid. During the meeting, Trump had reverently bowed his head in prayer while the pastors laid hands on him. Now he was gleefully reciting the impious details of Dollars quest for a Gulfstream G650.

Trump seemed delighted by the scam, Cohen recalled to me, and eager to highlight that the pastor was full of shit. Theyre all hustlers, Trump said.

The presidents alliance with religious conservatives has long been premised on the contention that he takes them seriously, while Democrats hold them in disdain. In speeches and interviews, Trump routinely lavishes praise on conservative Christians, casting himself as their champion. My administration will never stop fighting for Americans of faith, he declared at a rally for evangelicals earlier this year. Its a message his campaign will seek to amplify in the coming weeks as Republicans work to confirm Amy Coney Barretta devout, conservative Catholicto the Supreme Court.

So If None Of This Counts What’s The Point

According to those conducting the recount, the purpose of this project is to address a prevailing concern among some voters that the 2020 election was illegitimate. And if the final result is that there was no fraud? That’s fine, too.

“This is not about calling into question the results of the November election,” Ken Bennett, spokesman for the audit, told the Washington Post. “This is about identifying if there are any areas of our elections that need to be improved going forward.”

Few Democrats believe this, of course. They fear that the point of the audit is to simply sow further doubt about Biden’s victory – and pave the way for Republican state-level efforts to enact new voting restrictions that disadvantage their candidates and voters in the name of “ballot security”.

Also Check: What Is Difference Between Democrats And Republicans

Trump Slashes At Mcconnell As He Reiterates Election Falsehoods At Republican Event

Former president Donald Trump called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a dumb son of a bitch as he used a Saturday night speech to Republicans to blame the senator for not helping overturn the 2020 election and reiterated false assertions that he won the November contest.

Trump, speaking at a Republican National Committee gathering at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., excoriated a number of Republicans even as he publicly called for party unity focusing on those who voted to convict him in impeachment proceedings. But he saved his sharpest vitriol for the Kentucky Republican.

If that were Schumer instead of this dumb son of a bitch Mitch McConnell, they would never allow it to happen. They would have fought it, he said of the election certification on Jan. 6, the day his supporters led an insurrection on the Capitol to block President Bidens formal victory.

Trump spent much of the speech, with many senators in the room, lashing into his former ally in personal terms, often to cheers from the partys top donors. He falsely claimed that he won the Senate election for McConnell in Kentucky and attacked his wife, Elaine Chao, who served as Trumps transportation secretary.

I hired his wife. Did he ever say thank you? Trump said. He then mocked Chao for resigning in response to the Jan. 6 events and Trumps behavior that day.

Some attendees left the private event early, with the speech getting mixed reviews.

Bette Midler Apologizes For Sharing Fake Trump Quote: But It Sounds So Much Like Him

Singer/actress refuses to take down the fictitious meme after her apology

Bette Midler apologized on Monday after posting a fake quote attributed to Donald Trump where he purportedly disparaged Republican voters in a 1998 People Magazine interview.

I apologize; this quote turns out to be a fake from way back in 15-16. Dont know how I missed it, but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true!, the singer/actress

I apologize; this quote turns out to be a fake from way back in 15-16. Dont know how I missed it, but it sounds SO much like him that I believed it was true! Fact Check: Did Trump say in 98 Republicans are dumb? via

Bette Midler

In addition to her apology, Midler also included a link to the Reno Gazette Journal debunking the quote. It read, If I were to run, Id run as a Republican. Theyre the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and theyd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.

The photo accompanying the quote shows a younger Trump around the time he was a real estate developer in New York City and long before he became a political candidate.

Dumb and Dumber @GOP, he said in a tweet before deleting. Narisetti is also an alum of the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and News Corp.

The memes providence dates back to at least 2015 when Snopes, a liberal-leaning fact-checking website, fact-checked the quote and proved it was false.

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Wait A Minute Bamboo Fibre

Yes. According to one volunteer, John Brakey, they’re investigating whether fake ballots may have been snuck in from overseas.

“They use bamboo in their paper processing, people in southeast Asia,” he told a local CBS television station.

Brakey is quick to say he doubts such fraud is real, but the investigators apparently want to leave no stone unturned, untested and unsubjected to ultraviolet light.

As mail-in Arizona ballots are matched against registered voters, multiple votes cast by the same individual would have been flagged.

Donald Trump’s Most Controversial Quotes

On America:

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Guns

He also praised the National Rifle Association and Second Amendment, describing his sons as serious NRA. His praise of the Second Amendment comes just days after an Uber driver went on a deadly shooting spree in Michigan, killing killed six people.

I want to begin by thanking my boys, Eric has been all over the place making speeches. Hes getting better than me so Im a little jealous. And Don went to , you were all over, right?

He loves the rifle stuff. This is serious rifle. This is serious NRA, both of them, both of them. We love the Second Amendment folks, nobody loves it more than us, so just remember that.

Guantanamo

Trump is promising to keep the controversial detention camp open after President Obama’s repeated pledges to close it, something he reiterated in his victory speech.

Were going to keep as you know Gitmo, were keeping that open, and were going to load it up with bad dudes. Were going to load it up w a lot of bad dudes out there.

Walls

Finally, he repeated his most familiar campaign promise: to build that big beautiful wall, and make Mexico pay for it.

Were going to have our borders nice and strong. Were going to build the wall, you know that. Were going to build the wall. And I have a lot of respect from Mexico and you just heard we won Hispanics. But let me tell you Mexico is going to pay for the wall, right? Its going to happen.

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Jeb Bush: Feb 20 2016

A year ago, Jeb Bush was at the forefront of an historic fundraising juggernaut, with a super PAC that raised more than $100 million by June. But Bush could never generate the passion and enthusiasm of Trump. The billionaire branded Bush a “low energy” candidate;and proceeded to tie George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq around Jeb Bush’s neck like a lead weight. During a , Trump said President Bush had lied about the pretext for the Iraq War.;Jeb rose to his brother’s defense. ;”While Donald Trump was building a reality TV show, my brother was building a security apparatus to keep us safe and Im proud of what he did,” he said. But Trump fired back: “The World Trade Center came down during your brother’s reign, remember that. That’s not keeping us safe.” A;week later Trump won the winner-take-all Palmetto State primary and Bush dropped out of the race.

Tale Of The Tape: The 16 Contenders Trump Has Knocked Out

Oprah asks a 42-year-old Trump if he’d run for president

Donald Trump clobbered his opponents in Indiana, knocking out Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ;and;Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Cruz whom Trump labeled “Lyin’ Ted” acknowledged Tuesday that he had no path left to the nomination and suspended his campaign, and;Kasich threw in the towel;Wednesday. Even RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has called the fight for Trump, declaring the billionaire the presumptive nominee.

Heres how Trump has dispatched the contenders who stepped into the ring with him during this years presidential contest:

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Jeb’s Campaign Releases Video Of ‘the Real Donald Trump’

Jeb Bush’s campaign is ratcheting up its attacks on Donald Trump, releasing a video that paints the Republican presidential candidate as an unabashed liberal. And Trump is firing right back.

The spot, titled “The Real Donald Trump,” plays on two separate occasions a clip of the billionaire candidate saying that he “lived in New York and Manhattan my whole life” and that “my views are a little bit different than if I had lived in Iowa.”

“Liberal Things That Trump Says,” the text on screen reads before flipping to “Liberal Things That Trump Believes.” Trump has made a point of embracing his eclectic policy views in the past, something that Bush’s campaign is seizing upon in the latest spot.

Trump is shown in a 1999 “Meet the Press” interview telling Tim Russert that he is “very pro-choice,” though a dozen years later, Trump announced that he opposed abortion in most instances, except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the health of the mother.

The spot also highlights Trump’s praise of single-payer health care systems in Canada and in Scotland during last month’s GOP debate, though it does not include his qualifying statement that although he thought it was a good idea for the U.S. in the late 1990s, he does not believe that to now be the case.

Im Getting The Word Out: Inside The Feverish Mind Of Donald Trump Two Months After Leaving The White House

I Alone Can Fix It

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Seventy days had passed since Donald Trump left Washington against his will. On March 31, 2021, we ventured to Mar-a-Lago, where he still reigned as king of Republican politics. We arrived late that afternoon for our audience with the man who used to be president and were ushered into an ornate sixty-foot-long room that functioned as a kind of lobby leading to the clubs patio. A model of Air Force One painted in Trumps proposed redesigna flat red stripe across the middle, a navy belly, a white top, and a giant American flag on the tailwas proudly displayed on the coffee table facing the entrance. It was a prop disconnected from reality.; Trumps vision never came to be; the fleet now in use by President Biden still bears the iconic baby blue-and-white livery designed by Jacqueline Kennedy.

Trump had invited us to Mar-a-Lago to interview him for this book. He had declined an interview for our first book about his presidency, and when A Very Stable Genius was published in January 2020, attacked us personally and branded our reporting a work of fiction. But Trump was quick to agree to our request this time. He sought to curate history.

But future elections were not front and center in his mind. A past election was. Trump was fixated on his loss in 2020, returning to this wound repeatedly throughout the interview.;

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Wisconsin Gop Wrestles With Just How Much To Indulge Trump

The former president set off infighting among state Republicans by saying they were not working hard enough to challenge the 2020 results, accusing them of covering up election corruption.

By Reid J. Epstein

Wisconsin Republicans were already going to great lengths to challenge the 2020 election results. They ordered a monthslong government audit of votes in the state. They made a pilgrimage to Arizona to observe the G.O.P. review of votes there. They hired former police officers to investigate Wisconsins election and its results.

But for Donald J. Trump, it wasnt enough.

In a blistering statement last week on the eve of the state partys convention, the former president accused top Republican state lawmakers of working hard to cover up election corruption and actively trying to prevent a Forensic Audit of the election results.

Wisconsin Republicans were alarmed and confused. Some circulated a resolution at the convention calling for the resignation of the top Republican in the State Assembly, Speaker Robin Vos, who in turn announced the appointment of a hard-line conservative former State Supreme Court justice to oversee the investigation. The Republican State Senate president released a two-page letter addressed to Mr. Trump that said his claims about Republicans were false but that made sure to clarify in fawning language the state partys allegiance to the former president.

Fact Check: Trump Did Not Call Republicans The Dumbest Group Of Voters

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An old quote falsely attributed to Donald Trump has recently resurfaced online. The viral meme alleges Trump told People magazine in 1998 that Republicans are the dumbest group of voters in the country. This is false.

While the quote has been debunked several times since it apparently surfaced in 2015, users have recently been resharing it on social media. Examples can be seen here , here , here , here

The meme reads: If I were to run, Id run as a Republican. Theyre the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and theyd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific. – Donald Trump, People Magazine, 1998

Snopes first wrote about the false quote here in October 2015 . Since then, the quote has been debunked multiple times .

People magazine has confirmed in the past that its archive has no register of this alleged exchange.

People looked into this exhaustively when it first surfaced back in Oct. . We combed through every Trump story in our archive. We couldnt find anything remotely like this quoteand no interview at all in 1998., a magazine spokesperson told Factcheck.org that year .

In December 1987, People published a profile on Donald Trump titled Too Darn Rich. The article quoted him saying he was too busy to run for president .

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Donald Trump Quotes That Should Horrify His Evangelical Supporters

After months of campaigning, flip-flopping on important issues,;and generally wreaking havoc on the party that for decades has presented itself as defenders of Christian America, Donald Trump took to the stage at the Republican National Convention and thanked the evangelicals who helped him get there.

At this moment, I would like to thank the evangelical and religious community because Ill tell you what. Because the support theyve given me, and Im not sure I totally deserve it, has been so amazing. And has had such a big reason for me being here tonight. True. So true.

So true, its cringeworthy.

White evangelical Protestants are a considerable force in the elections making up one-fifth of all registered voters.;While a number of evangelical leaders have pointed out that Trumps policies and actions are decidedly un-Christian, rank-and-file white evangelical Americans have in fact thrown their support behind the candidate. According to the Pew Research Center, 78 percent of white evangelical voters;say they would vote for Trump if the election were held today.;

But if you place Trumps quotes, principles and policies next to the ideals set forth by Christianitys founder, the gap is startling. Trump has little regard for some of the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ showing love for your neighbor, welcoming the stranger, and asking for Gods forgiveness.;