#this is a sequel to my nobody rejected anybody post

[oldbookshop]

"aziraphale chose heaven over crowley" NO HE THOUGHT THIS WAS A CHANCE TO FINALLY RECONCILE HIS LOVE FOR HEAVEN AND CROWLEY AND DIDN'T THINK HE WAS CHOOSING AT ALL UNTIL CROWLEY SAID NO, BY WHICH POINT AZIRAPHALE WAS WAY TOO DEEP IN IT AND DEFYING THE METATRON COULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE MEANT HARM TO BOTH CROWLEY AND HIMSELF

[arabian-bloodstream]

The Skywalker Name

I just read an interesting post (Learning to Love TROS as a TLJ lover) on the SW subreddit, Star Wars Cantina, that looked at the mythological implications of Palpatine as a vessel of evil that was brought down by the merge of Rey and Ben’s Dyad and how that in effect merged the trilogies. The question that was posed was how one could still appreciate and hold onto the ‘Red Nobody’ reveal from The Last Jedi and accept and appreciate Rey as Palpatine’s granddaughter as well. As I was considering this and responding, something else came to mind and I nearly came to tears (I kid you not) because one of my (two) biggest issues with The Rise of Skywalker fell away. Ben Solo, the last Skywalker, dying is one of the two, the other is Rey taking the Skywalker name. I wrote shortly after I watched the film.

Why did Rey take the last name Skywalker? She didn’t have the relationship with Luke that warranted it. You know who she DID have the relationship with? Han SOLO. Leia Organa-SOLO. Ben SOLO. Those are the people with whom she had that kind of relationship. The man who DID become like a father to her in a few short days. The woman who did become like a mother to her. The man who was literally the other half of her soul. If she was going to take a name… it should have been Solo. Rey Solo. Taking the name Skywalker, much like going to Tatooine was not in character for Rey, and it wasn’t FOR Rey. It was nostalgia for the Original Trilogy fans (oh, like JJ Abrams). It wasn’t true to the narrative, the character, of the story that has been told over *this* sequel trilogy.

Can you tell I was not happy about it?

Well, something occurred to me and it literally made me gasp. And it came from answering the question of how Rey Nobody still works with Rey as a Palpatine.

She was raised not knowing who she was so she never knew her parents. She never knew her grandfather, never knew anything about Palpatine, what it was like being a part of him, his life, his legacy. Rey was in every essence of what Kylo meant when he called her "nobody." And, no, he wasn't insulting her.

He meant she was a nobody in that no one knew who she was. There were no expectations placed upon her, unlike him. No one expected her to be some great Jedi or great pilot, leader or great anything. She wasn't the child of a general or princess or senator. She wasn't the grandchild of a queen or a different senator or Jedi or a Dark Sith Lord (as far as she knew). She wasn't the niece of a Jedi master. She was nobody so she could be anybody.

Now when Rey finally did find out who her parents and grandfather were, it was only for a short time and with her parents gone—she had no problem denouncing her grandfather. And she chose to become nobody once again... which allowed her to be anybody.

And in the end, she decided to be a Skywalker. After watching the film after its release, I was looking at her reason for doing so being only about her doing that for personal reasons, but Rey would now literally be the last Jedi (and, I’m getting emotional again) and like so many Jedi before her she one must think of what the galaxy needs. Obi-Wan knew that he needed to be struck down by his former pupil so that his son could survive. Luke knew that he had to face his nephew one more time even if it meant using all of his Force energy to save the Resistance. And Rey knew that the galaxy needed the name Skywalker to believe in.

So, when she rejected Palpatine, she became nobody once more. And when she stood on the sands of Luke’s home planet and saw both of her former masters, the Skywalker twins, the mother and uncle of her true love, the children of Anakin Skywalker, the man who had been manipulated and destroyed by Palpatine, she didn’t just reject his name, she rejected his legacy and instead chose to carry on the Skywalker legacy in its place. Because the galaxy didn’t just believe in the Skywalker name. It was the Skywalker name in which the galaxy placed its hope.

It also connects the trilogies at the end in a beautiful way, I think. Rey is the main character in the Sequel Trilogy, Luke for the Original Trilogy and Anakin for the  Prequel Trilogy and by Rey rejecting Palpatine's name and legacy and taking/honoring the Skywalker name it honors Luke and Anakin both.

With Luke, it reinforces what he did in The Last Jedi, showing that he was indeed the legend the galaxy remembered and looked up to from the OT. With Anakin, it kicks Palpy in the ass because he took this young man and used and abused him for his own ends, and Sheev's own granddaughter is choosing Anakin's name, choosing to carry on Anakin's legacy... and not Palpatine's.

Rey was taking on the legacy of the Skywalkers because there were none left and the galaxy NEED the Skywalkers. TLJ showed us that. Broom boy showed us that. The Skywalkers represent hope. Rey is the last Jedi now and keeping the Jedi/Skywalker legacy alive to give the galaxy hope is *exactly* what the last Jedi would do.THAT feels right. It wasn't about saying that Luke and Leia were her parents--because they weren't--but about carrying on the Skywalker legacy, and Ben was a part of that legacy. And *that* is beautiful.

Maybe that’s not exactly what J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio intended-- the tying of all three of our heroes from each trilogy together like that--but you know what? That is what I get from it now and it really, really works for me.

[bitterstrawberrywine]

We got that waiting in the clinic silence. That shhh don’t tell anybody what we did silence. And I'm so tired of being your hamper that

I’m about to dump out those week old stained ketchup secrets and do laundry in that silence. You like keeping it quiet. But my vagina is not your walk in closet. You wanna stuff your unmentionables through me, Want a place to hang up your insecurities, Want me to keep check of your hand me downs and Prada, Waiting for every occasion to put me back behind closed doors and lock me in the darkness. Nobody knows you hold my hand And nobody knows I call you baby And nobody knows you write anonymous poems about me -- the type you can’t post on Facebook Because regardless of what you may think I’m worth or what you may think I deserve, I will never be that girl, The girl that’s only allowed to make you smile when she´s making you orgasm, That girl whose day job is daydreaming waiting for her night job. That girl who´s so in love she will turn her body over for your superficial touch. You hide me behind lock doors and bed sheets because if you dare reached out Then everybody would still know that it was still about me. Living in your heart and in your mind you're still wrapped up in me. My tear ducts you own them, My hearts strings you got them tied around your pencils and fingers. Yeah, you may say it´s over And you never admit that you love me But you don’t have to 'cause your silence speaks volumes. You wanna hold me in your arms rock me to sleep, then act like you don’t know me. As if the moments we spent together are some kind of down payment. As if my bedroom were layaway And that’s all you ever do is layaway Curl up beside me but in the morning pull up the hoodie and run the other way. I’m like that bastard child The reason why Daddy never stuck around in the first place But for me rejection doesn´t come every other weekend.. It comes when you lower your head and pass by without speaking And I remember there was a time you could barely take your eyes off me. I just don’t understand why it's not okay for you to love me. I guess you just want me to be that girl. The girl everybody wants to sleep with but nobody wants to be with. That girl Only good enough for finding a suitable replacement. And not trying to make up for the mistakes But you try to convince yourself that she means everything and you want nothing to do with me But come on baby she looks just like me! Read the signs or at least the facial features Cause I was your first, your only, The prototype and she´s just a duplicate And you can never make copies without first consulting the blueprint! You know what they say the sequel is never better than the original. And she tries to write you stories but you know they���re only half as good, So half squinting you only hold her half as tight as you should. Because your other half is tangled between my bed sheets, And your other half is complete within my mind, soul, and body, And your other half is french tonguing me Monday through Friday. I’m not fighting for joint custody. I’m fighting for RESPECT Because I will never be content with being your back door ho. Your something on the side, Your something to do on during those lonely nights, Your closet freak. You will never reduce me to be a skank and a whore And though I love you, I’d rather spend every night crying alone on my bedroom floor than to ever be “that girl”!

[marcusssanderson]

50 inspirational Rocky quotes about life and fighting

Looking for inspirational Rocky quotes?

Rocky is arguably one of the most appreciated movie characters and definitely one of the most motivational films of all time. It tells the rags to riches story of Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone), an uneducated but well-meaning Italian-American boxer. Just as it seems he’s lost everything, he gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship.

Regarded as one of the greatest sports films ever made, Rocky became the highest-grossing film of 1976,  earning $225 million in global box office receipts. It won 3 Oscars and shot Sylvester Stallone to superstardom.

The film has inspired 6 sequels, with a 7th one set to be released in the United States on November 21, 2018. Stallone portrays Rocky Balboa in all six sequels.

The story behind how Sylvester Stallone pitched the script for the movie to producers and how many times he was rejected is inspiring in itself. He pitched the movie more than 150 times before anyone even paid attention.

Rocky’s memorable script is full of motivational quotes. Let’s look at some great Rocky quotes that can inspire anyone to turn their dreams into reality.

  Inspirational Rocky quotes about life and fighting

  1.) “Life’s not about how hard of a hit you can give… it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.” ― Rocky Balboa

  2.) “Nobody owes nobody nothing.” – Rocky Balboa

  3.) “To beat me, he’s going to have to kill me. He’s gonna have to have the heart to stand in front of me and to do that, he’s got to be willing to die himself.” – Rocky Balboa

  4.) “Success is usually the culmination of controlling failure.” – – Rocky Balboa

  5.) “You’re gonna have to go through hell, worse than any nightmare you’ve ever dreamed. But when it’s over, I know you’ll be the one standing. You know what you have to do. Do it.”  – Rocky Balboa

  6.) “Time takes everybody out. Time is undefeated.” – Rocky Balboa

  7.) “C’mon, champ, hit me in the face! My mom hits harder than you!” – Rocky Balboa

  8.) “You can’t learn anything when you’re talking. That’s a fact of life. As long as you’re talking, you’re not listening.” – Rocky Balboa

  9.) “Everything I got has moved on and I’m here.” – Rocky Balboa

  10.) “You see this guy staring back at you? That’s your toughest opponent. I believe that’s true in the ring and I think that’s true in life.” – Rocky Balboa

  Uplifting Rocky quotes about never giving up

  11.) “Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.” – Rocky Balboa

  12.) “I believe there’s an inner power that makes winners or losers. And the winners are the ones who really listen to the truth of their hearts.” – Rocky Balboa

  13.) “You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.” – Rocky Balboa

  14.) “One step at a time. One punch at a time. One round at a time.” – Rocky Balboa

  15.) “Bring back everything that’s ever hurt you, all the pain you had inside. They don’t know what we’ve been through. You belong here!” – Rocky Balboa

  16.) “You’re gonna take a beating, you’re gonna take this, you’re gonna get knocked down, you’re gonna get up and you’re gonna see if you got the right thing.” – Rocky Balboa

  17.) “Ah come on, Adrian, it’s true. I was nobody. But that don’t matter either, you know? ‘Cause I was thinkin’, it really don’t matter if I lose this fight. It really don’t matter if this guy opens my head, either. ‘Cause all I wanna do is go the distance. Nobody’s ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance, you see, and that bell rings and I’m still standin’, I’m gonna know for the first time in my life, see, that I weren’t just another bum from the neighborhood.” – Rocky Balboa

  18.) “Yeah, to you it’s Thanksgiving; to me it’s Thursday.” – Rocky Balboa

  19.) “How ’bout I stay here and you fight?” – Rocky Balboa

  20.) “If you stop this fight I’ll kill you.” – Rocky Balboa

  Inspirational Rocky quotes to inspire you to reach your full potential

  21.) “Going in one more round when you don’t think you can. That’s what makes all the difference in your life.” – Rocky Balboa

  22.) “It’s your right to listen to your gut, it ain’t nobody’s right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be and do what you want to do!” – Rocky Balboa

  23.) “Remember, the mind is your best muscle. Big arms can move rocks, but big words can move mountains.” – Rocky Balboa

  24.) “I stopped thinking the way other people think a long time ago. You gotta think like you think.” – Rocky Balboa

  25.) “Every once in a while a person comes along who defies the odds, who defies logic, and fulfills an incredible dream.” – Rocky Balboa

  26.) “Until you start believing in yourself, you ain’t gonna have a life.” – Rocky Balboa

  27.) “If you’re willing to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you want to get, who’s got the right to stop you?” – Rocky Balboa

  28.) “Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!” – Rocky Balboa

  29.) [Pointing towards Adonis’ reflection in the mirror] “That’s the toughest opponent you’re ever going to have to face.” – Rocky Balboa

  30.) “I don’t know if you’re special. Only you are going to know that.” – Rocky Balboa

  Inspirational Rocky quotes to help you get through the hard times

  31.) “Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it.” – Rocky Balboa

  32.) “You gotta work hard. I swear to God, if you’re not gonna do it, I’m out.” – Rocky Balboa

  33.) “I gotta problem I gotta fight!” – Rocky Balboa

  34.) “You knocked him down, why don’t you try knocking me down now.” – Rocky Balboa

  35.) “He don’t care ’bout you Tommy; he don’t care ’bout me neither!” – Rocky Balboa

  36.) “I gotta go out the way I gotta go out.” ― Rocky Balboa

  37.) “When can I fight again?” – Rocky Balboa

  38.) “All I wanna do is go the distance.” – Rocky Balboa

  39.) “I can’t see nothing, gotta open my eye. Cut me, Mick.”– Rocky Balboa

  Other inspirational Rocky quotes

  40.) “If I can change and you can change, everybody can change.” – Rocky Balboa

  41.) “Ya know, they always say if you live in one place long enough, you are that place.” – Rocky Balboa

  42.) “You know, I think you try harder when you’re scared.” – Rocky Balboa

  43.) “You’re my son and you’re my blood. You’re the best thing in my life.” – Rocky Balboa

  44.) “You know, the older I get the more things I gotta leave behind, that’s life.” – Rocky Balboa

  45.) “The only thing I’m asking you guys to leave on the table… is what’s right.” – Rocky Balboa

  46.) “My point is, I’m pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.” – Rocky Balboa

  47.) “I’m always gonna love you, no matter what. No matter what happens.” – Rocky Balboa

  48.) “Yeah yeah, the Bill of Rights. Don’t it say something about going after what makes you happy?” – Rocky Balboa

  49.) “I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but i succeed because i keep going, and going, and going!” – Rocky Balboa

  50.) “Nothing’s over ’til it’s over.” – Rocky Balboa

  Which Rocky quotes are your favorites?

  Rocky is a true hero, in and outside the ring. He is a classic example of someone who never gives up, no matter what the situation.

Even when he gets knocked down, he refuses to back down and continues to get back up. There is a lot of wisdom we can gain from Rocky about being tough, never giving up, and fighting for our dreams.

Hopefully, these Rocky quotes have inspired you to fight through the hard times and reach your full potential.

Did you enjoy these Rocky quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Share it with us in the comment section below. If you liked these quotes, don’t forget to share with your friends, family, and followers.

The post 50 inspirational Rocky quotes about life and fighting appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

[feedbaylenny]

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. There’s too much going on, between job stuff, the news and that last blog post I wrote.

It was about being attacked on Facebook by someone who was angry I don’t think Barack Obama is my favorite president and made nasty knee-jerk comments when I simply asked my friend who’d made the post, “Favorite? Really?”

I didn’t see or refer to anything this crazy person had written, but she was obviously too thin-skinned and took it as a personal assault, and lazy and dumb because she couldn’t refute anything I wrote. She resorted to claims of “disrespect” and name-calling.

https://twitter.com/feedbaylenny/status/1018555725004660738

I’m glad someone commented on that Facebook exchange with a radical liberal after I’d already published the post. That’s when I learned about the new group #WalkAway. It’s called #WalkAway Campaign and it’s no more than a few weeks old.

NEXT: Details on what it’s about and who’s in it, plus should actors’ orientations play a role in their casting? Why Scarlett Johansson retreated under pressure and what’s expected in the next Frozen.

And please, don’t miss out. If you like what you read here, subscribe to CohenConnect.com with either your email address or WordPress account, and get a notice whenever I publish. I’m also available for writing/web contract work.

The group describes itself this way:

I wouldn’t go as far as the group describes itself – it was founded by a New York hairdresser – but I hope it becomes a place for moderates to respectfully discuss issues, because I’m so tired of the extremists on both sides and also both political parties. (I have to say I wish money was out of politics.) They seem so dirty to me and I don’t like the idea of politicians having to choose sides, to be aligned with one side and work against the other. We’re all independent with different subjects important to us, and different views on them.

https://www.walkawaycampaign.com/

I don’t know if this will lead to a third party, and we know those haven’t worked in America, but I think most of us are sick of holding our noses and voting. That’s not how it should be. Neither should it be voting down either party’s line because there are good people on both sides.

Notice I said “voting” and not staying home because if you stay home, then you have no say. Remember “No taxation without representation?” Americans fought a war for independence. Much later, women and blacks finally got the right to vote, even though blacks had to wait another hundred years to do so without fear of violence or a poll tax.

Voting is not a right to be taken for granted.

Showing I voted. Yes, in Philadelphia. Not in Miami and definitely not the Tri-Cities!

President Trump may have been elected by people on the left who didn’t like Hillary Clinton. I’m not judging but simply stating what I believe to be fact. (I don’t know if anyone but the insiders know enough about Russian influence to make a firm decision. I’m certainly not.)

Tell me, looking back, if all the people who stayed home on the day of the election rather than vote for a flawed candidate (and they were both flawed), would Trump be president? Do those people I’m referring to regret what they did (or didn’t do)?

There is one thing that bothers me about the #WalkAway group and it’s easy to find on Facebook. This group, probably about a week old, has too many rules and regulations, and too many moderators rejecting posts.

This is no way to gain support!

The hand print after a name in the photo above is supposed to mean the person joined the group within the past two weeks. (I had one yesterday but not today, for what it’s worth.) The shield with the check mark means the person is one of 18 who manages the membership and posts. Something doesn’t sit right with me on all that.

I was told to put my story in the “Random Stuff” section, which is already on Part Three, which contains almost a thousand posts like mine.

  My comment was probably not noticed by the rulers of the page but besides my story, I let them know they’re probably shooting themselves in the foot if they’re going to continue being so strict. They’ll alienate possible supporters and there are many, considering how many signed up to join the group and had to be accepted. Hopefully they’ll get that right.

Speaking of radical liberals, there are some in the transgender community and their supporters who didn’t think Scarlett Johansson should play a transgender role in the movie Rub & Tug.

https://twitter.com/feedbaylenny/status/1015236919964422145

They ought to be pleased – if there’s any way to please them – Johansson has decided to pull out.

The dissenters claimed the role should’ve gone to a transgender actor instead, and said it proved how limited opportunities are for transgender actors – as if casting people are allowed to ask.

In early 2016, The Advocate reported,

“A television show inspired by the life of Dan Savage encountered a snafu when it sought to cast a gay actor for the part of a gay teen.

“Todd Holland, a producer of The Real O’Neals, was alarmed to learn that he is prohibited from asking actors about their sexual orientation.”

That’s California law, meant to protect everyone of all genders, gender identities and orientations. Unfortunately, if you can’t ask, there’s also research and word-of-mouth.

Remember, this is acting and there shouldn’t be discrimination in any form. (Actually, it would probably matter in the adult film industry but I’ll leave that to the lawyers.)

Holland got lucky.

The Advocate reported,

“It was very important to me [to cast a gay actor], and I was in a panic,” Holland said.

“Ultimately, the ABC show … did find a gay actor for the role: the 21-year-old Noah Galvin. The AP reports that Holland had a ‘sense’ that Galvin was gay and that he overheard the young man speaking about coming out to his parents.”

By the way, Galvin is half-Jewish (on his mother’s side, which makes it absolutely certain if you’re Orthodox or Conservative) but his character comes from a strictly Irish Catholic family. And Jay R. Ferguson plays his father, but he’s not, and he plays a police officer, which he’s also not.

But back to reality.

Johansson was cast in Rub & Tug as a mob-connected massage parlor owner who was a woman but lived as a man.

According to the Associated Press,

“Johansson was initially quite defiant and told anyone who had a problem with her casting to speak to the director.

“She said in a statement: ‘Tell them they can be directed to Jeffrey Tambor, Jared Leto, and Felicity Huffman’s reps for comment.’”

All three are cisgender but played transgender characters.

Definition for the record, since this subject is new to so many people – good people – who just don’t know and it’s not their fault.

Also, it’s not a very old word.

But speaking to Out magazine, Johansson said something diffferent than earlier.

“I’ve learned a lot from the community since making my first statement.

“While I would have loved the opportunity to bring Dante’s story and transition to life, I understand why many feel he should be portrayed by a transgender person.

“I am thankful that this casting debate … has sparked a larger conversation about diversity and representation in film.”

And for the bean-counters out there, Variety reports bisexual actress Evan Rachel Wood (who I never heard of) is in talks to take on a voice actor role for the sequel to 2013’s Disney film Frozen, and some fans hope Wood will play Elsa’s girlfriend.

This scriptwriter (and radical liberal, if you read her Twitter posts) is even demanding it!

https://twitter.com/Hajabeg/status/1017885518745366528

She just proved my earlier point, “if there’s any way to please them,” and I suggest she spend a very long time quietly counting the number of LGBTQ+ roles versus the number of LGBTQ+ actors. I want specifics on L, G, B, Y, Q and +, so nobody can say they’re left out. We wouldn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings. And if there aren’t enough roles to go around, then she should stop writing on Twitter and do her job.

By the way, “Frozen 2” is supposed to hit theaters Nov. 27, 2019. The original hit nearly $1.3 billion in box offices worldwide and won the Academy Award for best animated film in 2014.

Also, something to think about: The many roles of straight, cisgender characters in TV, the movies and the stage.

What if no sexual minority actors were offered any of those roles because they’re not straight, cisgender people? And you have to admit, numerically, characters without any love interest would probably be assumed to be straight and cisgender, since they’re the majority.

Does anyone have an answer to that?

Just know the earlier issues are being discussed and things are getting better. No whining or demanding necessary.

Please leave your comments in the section below, and don’t miss out. If you like what you read here, subscribe to CohenConnect.com with either your email address or WordPress account, and get a notice whenever I publish. I’m also available for writing/web contract work.

More moderation in politics, casting calls coming I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. There’s too much going on, between job stuff, the news and…