#title: man on the run

[beatlesbookblog]

Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s by Tom Doyle

So when I first got back into my Beatles hyperfixation, the first thing I did was learn all about Paul and the history of Wings. Which is strange because when I was a fan of the Beatles the first time around, I didn't like anything of Paul's but I guess that's what growing up does to a person lol. While, I became more aware of the band's history through the documentary that Paul did with his daughter Mary, Wingspan, I wanted to know more. So I did what any person would do - I went to the public library. There, I found this book.

Tom Doyle is a music journalist and explains in his intro that this book was spurred from multiple interviews he did with Paul himself. Mixing quotes, anecdotes, and the history of Wings chronicled through their albums, Doyle makes a narrative that is similar to what Paul did with Wingspan. Yet, Doyle's story has a little bit more of the nitty gritty stuff. The stuff that Paul would have left on the cutting room floor.

Though I wouldn't call this a definitive history of Wings, I would definitely say this a good source to anyone who is interested with the band. Doyle goes right to the source, using quotes from many of the people involved as sources for this book. I think because of this, it gives this book some credibility! Using the perspectives of other band mates plus even using Paul's relationship with John during the 70s as a storytelling device helps to create a bigger picture of Paul's career with Wings.

I also found the actual prose and writing style of the book to be fairly entertaining, but I believe that could be Doyle's background as a journalist. He does weave an interesting story that shows not only Paul's vision for the band throughout the 70s as well as Paul budding as an artist after the Beatles, but Doyle uses snippets from the other members who were around when the book was published which adds different perspectives. Wingspan does not offer the complete other perspectives. There are some audio snippets here and there, but it solely focuses on Paul's reflections and memories. Not to say Paul would intentionally leave things out, but there were stories in this book that probably would have been left aside when giving the full narrative of the band.

Again, while the book is good, do not consider this a final source of everything Wings. I relate this book to Wingspan as it gives a similar vibe in its way of telling the version of events. I do think using interviews and quotes from other people involved does give it slightly more credibility than Wingspan, as that was just Paul conversing with Mary while telling the story of Wings. The different perspectives does make a difference when documenting the history of the band, and it makes a good pair to Wingspan (though, I know there's a Wingspan book, I haven't read that yet). Consider this your stepping stone into Wings and maybe by reading this book you'd come to appreciate the band just a little bit more!

------

Rating ⭐: 8.5/10. It's a good book if you want to know the contextualized history of Wings and want a launch pad to research more about the band as well as Paul's career in the 70s.

Further Reading (and watching + listening) 📖🎧: This podcast episode with Tom Doyle talking about the book, watch Wingspan (I think there's a free version on YouTube), and probably read the book as well! Also keep an eye out for this documentary in the future, though I'm not sure if Doyle is working with the documentary or not.

[lifemod17]

We as a society do not talk about Wasteland, Baby! on electric guitar enough!!!

[slowestlap]

Anatomy of a Champion - Viaplay documentary | Part 3/3

"Every athlete is different when it comes to mental toughness. And Max is on a very high-end of the scale. He's so driven in himself to achieve the results that he continues to achieve. But you know, that's what it takes to get to the top." -Bradley Scanes

Bonus:

[tea-time-terrier]

My Delightful little creature absolutely killed it the past two weekends 👌

Pigroll earned her Rally Master title, and got her first QQ towards her Rally Champion title. She showed up, dominated, ate snacks, and napped so hard she's a true athlete 💪

[batsplat]

following on from this. not to always bring marc into everything (sorry marc) but if assen 2015 had happened against jorge, valentino would have very likely pulled something similar again imo. rather than what he actually did, which is approach marc almost immediately for a nice normal friendly handshake and backing off during the podium celebrations. should be noted that during laguna seca '08, valentino was very much committed to yapping at casey on the podium with the world's biggest smuggest grin on his face

partly that disparity is because jorge not marc was the direct title rival, partly it's because valentino was treating marc with kid gloves right until the second that he wasn't, which marc was seemingly entirely oblivious to. if anyone other than marc had said what he said in that presser, had then continued on with similar rhetoric during sachsenring, valentino would quite likely have gone nuclear. he's done it over less than that. his fondness for marc made him continue to exhibit uncharacteristic restraint... except that fondness unfortunately is what left valentino feeling so very betrayed when (to his eyes) marc could not leave well enough alone

[mango-sideburns]

My fav thing about TAZ is that any aspect out of context sounds fucking bonkers.

Like, in the balance finale there's a scene in which Garfield (who is very specifically never described visually bc most people imagine him as like. The Lasagna Cat. Who in this universe is the most powerful warlock in the realm and also has a hobby of cloning people, which is great for the one character that got forced into haunting a mannequin) is summoned by an alien spaceship that runs on the power of friendship so he could beat up some flashing balls. In D&D.

And that was just. Such a normal scene in the narrative. No one blinked an eye. I would like to bow down to Griffins clear unmatched talent for making me feel such big emotions over ridiculous shit like a goddamned umbrella or a regular ass pair of jeans or the idea of a taco recipe.

[lovesickeros]

lord its so dark in here the sahara desert of tsaritsa content you are like a shining oasis. your characterisation of her compels me & mihoyo would be hard pressed to top it imo.!! caaaaan i humbly request yr thoughts on her first meeting w a reader of any kind, or maybe even multiple kinds (sagau, sagau god au, isekai, etc) if you so desire...

it really is like a desert here. being the fan of a character we aren't getting until the last damn nation is driving me up a wall but i will persevere bc if nothing else i support morally bankrupt women in media. we r in a severe drought over here but i do my best. unfortunately nothing i say is ever coherent so pull out your translation notes its abt 2 be messy

also this got out of hand but thats bc first meetings w the tsaritsa are tricky to write + a LOT of her characterization lies in deeper exploration then just surface level yknow...NOT A DIG AT YOU this is just my excuse for rambling. gently pats the tsaritsa she can hold so much complexity i do not have the word count to delve into it completely :]

gonna talk cult au for a bit here though because that's 99% of my content. and honestly? she thrives in sub au's of the cult au like villain au + imposter au. it's basically made for her. i mean, early days, the imposter au had been going around for a little while but one of the first few ideas was the Fatui taking reader in so like. it kinda technically actually was. pretty sure cult au Tsaritsa popped up because of the imposter au. a lot of it's writers kinda left though which. man am i getting old or.

anyway.

there isn't much of a chance her first impression is all that positive. at best it's usually neutral, imo, but rarely if ever positive. specifically because i view the Tsaritsa as someone who isn't as fanatical as most of the acolytes typically are towards the creator. she's not exactly going to worship the ground you walk on unlike a certain geo lizard. which is partially why i think she thrives in the sub au's i mentioned.

imposter au, for example. she meets you at your lowest. there's no gaudy extravagance or pampering from the acolytes waiting for you because your own acolytes have turned on you. for all intents and purposes you aren't a "god" at all. which is why i don't think she meshes well with normal cult au reader. the Fatui are made up of outcasts, basically, and imposter au slots right in just perfectly. you're weak, at your lowest, when you meet the Fatui in the imposter au. and the Fatui can help you, too.

a mutual exchange, really. the Tsaritsa sees a tool she can use to one up the rest of the nations and especially Archons, and she has no qualms about you using her and the Fatui in turn. you both want something out of it, after all. whether you just want to be safe from the rest of the acolytes, or you want revenge, or whatever else..she'll give you the power to fulfill it, and she gains the strongest piece on the chessboard when all is said and done.

the best way i can describe the first meeting is "practical", i suppose. she sees an opportunity in you. the ultimate gamble. because if she "saves" you, and you dont trust anyone else because they tried to kill you, well..she holds all the cards, doesn't she?

but the Tsaritsa, imo, is just as capable of being just as fanatical towards you as anyone else. she just won't worship you as the creator. but as yourself? clawing your way back to your divine power and taking back what belongs to you? the Tsaritsa is, to me, a character who's character flourishes in long-term fics more because she changes a LOT between "just met reader" and after having been with reader for some time. she's practically apathetic at the beginning but a lot of her character, in my characterization, shines through LONG after the first meeting.

[dykedvonte]

I think the most baffling thing about the Tulpar as a vessel to me is the fact that the ship really did only have a one way communication system.

I know it was cheap but even the most basic of vessels regarding major transport would have some way, shape or form for outside communication. Not only that but there was absolutely no form of innate emergency signal to show they may have been offline or in trouble despite clearly having a system to dock credits if they went off course. It's another factor that really shows that bad situations are made to get worse by design. One person who is required to relay all information to the crew and make all the choices without feedback. No way to update or call for help in case of a dire situation. No way to inform of inner personal conflicts and acquire procedures accordingly.

It really is like they are all in some sort of fucked up solitary confinement. They have their own world with strict roles that are meaningless in the end, as long as the cargo makes it, it doesn't matter what happens on that ship to the company. They don't want to hear anything and will come to conclusions on what happened based on how much pay they can withhold from the workers. Even what they do send is short, sterile and corporate to the extent it was likely written and sent out with a command by some random unmanned computer in an office.

There's something to be said about how unfair it is to force absolute power and control onto one person when you as an entity could do so much more to offload it but I've said it many times before so I won't again.

[griefpersevering]

enjoyed deadpool and wolverine but wished it was gayer and had more spideypool? boy do i have a fic for you!! the first chapter of runaways running the night is now up for everyone to read <33

[doberbutts]

Also at this trial I was field help for, I can safely say that this was the most I had ever A: handled and B: fired a gun. But I did learn how to reload it, and was complimented for my gun safety with handling, so there's that.

[troofless]

Someone tell me if the one of the right is the official TL of the title (too lazy to boot up my game) (ok I checked a YT video and apparently the title in DE is Friend to the End but the description is the same) because the JP version is infinitely funnier:

Let's break it down:

至上 (supreme, of the highest)

親友 ([very] close/best friend) (also how Flynn always refers to Yuri in JP e.g. when first introducing him to Sodia and Witcher)

唯一無二 (irreplacable/unique/one-of-a-kind/lit. one and only, with no other like it)

何者にも変えられぬ、莫逆の交わり (an [extremely] strong/intimate/close bond [of friendship] that nothing can change)

例えどんなに道を違えようとも (even if our paths diverge/no matter how far apart the paths we take may be)

心の中には君がいる (in my heart, you are there) (also worth noting is that Flynn uses 君 'you' to refer to things while iirc Yuri uses お前 which implies Flynn is the speaker here)

So it's something like:

Title: Closest Friend

A very intimate and irreplacable bond of friendship that nothing can change. No matter how far apart our paths take us, you will always be there in my heart.

HELLO FLYNN DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANT TO TELL US

[kaeyachi]

Is kaeya so efficient that he starts looking like he's slacking off to others?

It's as if he has the time to do so many things...

He says he is actually ahead on his work that he has enough time to join the tcg tournament when Paimon implied he must be slacking (which he took a bit of offense to lmao)

It's funny because if someone was doing a bit too well, it would make others feel like they could lax, which means that it's kinda Kaeya's fault the other knights are looking inefficient (to Diluc anyway...but does this imply that Diluc was equally efficient back then?)

Mond trio Diluc, Kaeya, and Jean being the most efficient knights sounds right.

[mortiflyer]

Didn’t realize how good we had it during Indian wells did we

[zahri-melitor]

Look, one of the fundamental things I keep an eye on for DC writers these days is "is this person plotting a story arc that has sufficient escape valves in case of cancellation".

Because, realistically, even if you've been handed a headline title and an ongoing run, any writer should be tying off their story every 12 months and immediately before every major company-wide event. They shouldn't need to yank that cord, but you can always tell the difference between someone who has figured out how to exit their arc in advance and has just had to compress the story, and someone who's been caught on the hop (for active examples of this, go read literally any comic leading in to either Infinite Crisis or Flashpoint, as everyone got shuffled on their titles after both. You can see when teams were informed they were about to lose their books and when books were needed for the event in terms of how the stories all suddenly pivot to Getting Stuff Done ASAP).

There is also the evil cousin, 'run extended beyond expected plotting and ideas' which can show up but obviously is a rarer beast to spot.

[magistralucis]

it's not like I really needed to visit you anyway ( ˶•̀ _•́ ˶) [Trazyn/Orikan snippet]

(Excerpt from the second chapter of Viridian. Set during a past sequence, the major turning point of their relationship - Trazyn invites Orikan to his home for the first time, and Orikan agrees hesitantly, not knowing what wonders await him in Solemnace. At this time he's running hot and cold towards Trazyn, about 90% tsun and 10% dere, though this will change soon. 😌

This is one of the only SFW passages I could quote from the chapter fhhghghg)

————

Orikan gazed at him warily under the veil as he approached, noting the lord was dressed more ceremonially than the usual. "What do you want?"

Trazyn beamed back at him, manifestly joyful. "I am soon to be the Overlord of Solemnace."

"Congratulations?" Trazyn had not previously spent time at Solemnace, as far as the Diviner knew, nor was Solemnace especially known among the Nihilakh. Orikan had no idea what he was going to do there, nor what kind of demesne he would shape. "About time you acted your age. Became responsible."

Whatever he was up to, it was about a decade overdue. Trazyn's two older brothers had ruled their own realms almost as soon as they'd come of age, yet the lord archivist had waited close to his thirtieth year to take up his inheritance; an act of supreme sloth, or perhaps hubris, since merely surviving to that age was a privilege denied to many necrontyr. "You'll miss my whimsy when it's gone, I'll warrant." The overlord chuckled, and Orikan gave him an incredulous look. "The man I am will not be so affected by material differences, as hard as it may be to believe. But why not see for yourself? My palace is still being built, but would you care to visit me at Solemnace when it's done?"

"I neither care nor care not!" Orikan huffed - but deep down, he was intrigued. It helped that around that time he had moved up significantly within the Sautekh court, and his anxiety had increased alongside the honour, as if he'd been forced to creep above thin ice. Suddenly going abroad for a while seemed like a fair idea, even just for a breather, for his dynasty was a vicious one and he liked to plan ahead.

But for that to happen Solemnace must be finished, and moreover, Trazyn had to be serious about wanting him there. And while he'd softened towards Trazyn, he did not fully trust him, not half as far as he could throw the overlord. For two seasons Orikan's lack of faith persisted - until one clear day in the heart of springtime, he was greeted by a messenger at the temple gates. Not a cryptek, but a Nihilakh groundskeeper, who walked with undaunted pleasure at the new grounds he'd been given to keep. In his hands he bore a small golden box, and as soon as Orikan saw it he knew the promise was kept, for engraved on top of it was none other than Trazyn's sigil.

Inside it he found two scrolls, a map of Solemnace and an invitation in the lord's own hand. The palace was finished and Trazyn's household had moved in, it said, and if Orikan could spare a decan to visit the overlord would be most honoured. The letter specified nothing else about the nature of Solemnace, which Orikan's heart tried to spin into distrust: it was never for no reason when a noble requested a cryptek's attention. Perhaps, under the guise of leisure, Trazyn wanted his advice. Wanted to sweeten Orikan up for a favour, or simply to show off his riches. Perhaps Trazyn wanted his fortunes read, or that of his people - which Orikan would not be able to do, and would rather die than to admit it and be humiliated. But then again, maybe Trazyn didn't care about those things. It hurt his pride to acknowledge it, but Orikan had little appeal as a true seer in Gheden, for the Nihilakh already had one of those. They might want to see how I measure up against the Yyth Seer, he thought, and heaved a sigh. The Nihilakh never seemed short of anything, not in wealth nor their chronomancer sects, nor the grim head of the Yyth Seer spinning prophecies unknown to outsiders.

He was exhausting himself. If existing next to Trazyn was a headache, he could not even fathom how hard being in Solemnace might be.

But Orikan was no coward. He mulled over it for one day then responded yes. Whatever awaited him might be bad or good, but rejecting a good-faith invitation would definitely not help his standing with the overlord. Besides, Trazyn had made his efforts hard to ignore: the letter itself was beautiful, handwritten on peach-tinted parchment and gilded at the edges. (Trazyn only happened to be the finest scribe among the Eastern dynasties, after all, and perhaps among all necrontyr.) If Orikan was to refuse the intrigue he'd have to write back, and he really did not want to do that, good penmanship had not been a priority at the temple and his handwriting was genuinely very terrible and he did not wish to be mocked. And so, with great reluctance, Orikan gathered together his finest attires and left the following week for Solemnace.

It turned out to be the best decision he'd ever made for himself.

[batsplat]

casey/vale early 2008 was so funny like you had valentino acting as if he'd won the lottery when he finished p2/p3 at jerez/estoril and then casey looks like he's about to be the last victim of the black death when getting a p3 in shanghai. complete vibes mismatch. partially conditioned by where the other one finished in those respective races question mark