#west wing script

[widowshill]

thinking about how roger is the one to undo the last knot and let her go in the original scripts.

[youre-fired-s-seaborn]

Thinking about this video again

[thesunsethour]

best early birthday present i’ve ever received in my fucking life. i’m gonna be so annoying about this

[lamphous]

god I miss the 2010s amy adams bangers era. sharp objects arrival her american hustle nocturnal animals.

[wilwheaton]

Reporters might listen to Trump and then understandably be reluctant to start typing stories that must feel like spec scripts for The West Wing pieced together by a creative-writing circle: 'The former president, lying about abortion laws, said women murder their own babies in the delivery room. He megalomaniacally claimed that he gets bigger crowds than anyone in history, and compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr. He descended into fantasy by telling a story about surviving a helicopter emergency that never happened with a man who wasn’t there.' Instead, The New York Times ran this headline: ��Trump Tries to Wrestle Back Attention at Mar-a-Lago News Conference.” The Washington Post said: “Trump Holds Meandering News Conference, Where He Agrees to Debate Harris.” The British paper The Independent got closer with: “Trump Holds Seemingly Pointless Press Conference Filled With False Claims,” but CNN went with “Trump Attacks Harris and Walz During First News Conference Since Democratic Ticket Was Announced.” All of these headlines are technically true, but they miss the point: The Republican nominee, the man who could return to office and regain the sole authority to use American nuclear weap

The truth about Trump's press conference - The Atlantic

[joshdonnas]

JOSH LYMAN AND DONNA MOSS THE WEST WING "Tomorrow" (7x22) Script, 2nd Draft, 03/21/06

[metyouinthehallway]

𝒞𝒪𝐿𝒟 𝐼𝒩 𝐿𝒜 ~ 𝒫𝒜𝑅𝒯 𝟤

summary; matt & you have been hooking up for quite sometime now, you decide that now is as good as ever to tell him how you feel. even if he doesn’t reciprocate those feelings.

Pt.1 here

a/n: this is so rushed I have work in like 6 hrs & I neeeed sleep

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

It’s been nearly two days since your last encounter with Matt. He’s made no effort to contact you and vice versa.

You decide to march your ass over to the triplets house. Hesitant to knock on the front door, you inhale the cold air, bracing yourself for metaphorical impact.

It’s so cold in LA that the forecast calls for snow and you swear it’s Matt’s icy words from the other night thats causing it.

Releasing your breath, you knock on their front door, not even a minute later, you’re met with Chris.

“Hey?” He looks confused. Trying to remember if you all had plans today, you didn’t. You needed to talk to Matt, you hadn’t even prepared a speech. You’re winging it apparently!

“Hi, Is Matt home?” You ask, a tight lipped smile forming across your face, your arms hugging around your torso to preserve as much body heat as possible.

“In his room, yeah. Be careful though. Someone’s gotta stick up their ass…” He lets out a dry laugh, opening the door more to let you in.

Thanking Chris, you head up the stairs and down the hall to Matt’s room. Bracing yourself to face his wrath.

Fists balled up, you knock gently. A groan of annoyance can be heard from the other side of the door followed by the shuffling of feet.

“What-” Matt swings open his door, stopping in his tracks when he’s met with your face. His hair is disheveled and his eyes squinted from the bright light of the hallway.

“Gotta second?” You ask him, scared he’ll just slam the door in your face. But he doesn’t, he nods, inviting you in his room. “Actually, I was thinking we could go for a walk.” You suggest, he clearly wasn’t dressed for the occasion. A grey tank top and basketball shorts would not suffice for the bizarre west coast weather.

“Well, gimme a second.” His tone isn’t snappy but it’s not neutral either. Matt disappears into his room, exiting a few minutes later dressed for the cold in a black hoodie and sweatpants.

“Lead the way.” He gestures, following suit behind you, the two of you start for the sidewalk of his neighborhood.

“So someone shoved a stick up your ass?” You joke, trying to lighten the clearly glum mood. “Why don’t ya pull it out, bozo?” You turn your head to look at him, shoving your hands in your hoodie pocket.

“I don’t have a stick up my ass, y/n.” Matt states sternly. “I’m just confused… about whatever it is you’re starting to feel for me.” He explains, this is good. He’s communicating rather than shutting you out.

“I’m not sure how else I can describe it. I just… I like you?” It comes out as more of a hypothesis than a fact. Your head drops, your eyes staring at the cement below your feet as the two of you continue walking, a fresh dusting of snow places itself on California soil. “It’s snowing.” You giggle awkwardly.

“Mhm,” Matt hums, not sure what to say next. He thinks for a moment before speaking again, “Look, it scares me. Okay? I mean, you’re my closest friend, I don’t even wanna think about what Nick and Chris will have to say about this.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. Matt grabs your hand, squeezing it gently.

“You don’t even feel the same way Matt.” You scoff ever so subtly, the warmth of his rough hands sending bolts of electricity through your body. “What’s there to be scared of?”

“I handled your confession poorly,” He starts, and you can swear it sounds almost scripted. “You know I don’t know how to process my feelings, y/n.” Matt groans, his hand still holding yours.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said to you,” He admits, dropping your hand, he turns to face you completely, his nose red from the dry air and flurries of snow scatter themselves across his eye lashes. “And I’m sorry. What we do, its… it’s fun f’me. I don’t wanna ruin it. But,” He hesitates, both his hands now gently grip your shoulders.

“Matt, you’re being all weird….” You furrow your brows, his eyes looking directly into the window of your soul as he thinks of how to word his next sentence.

“I don’t wanna keep hooking up with you.” Your expression falters at his words, feeling your heart drop to your ass. “I want you, like more than your body.” His hands roam upward to cup your rosy cheeks, thumbs padding across your skin. You exhale, you need to be careful with your choice of words now.

But, before you can even think about what to say next, his lips are already on yours. It’s beyond different from the passionate ones you shared in the privacy of his room.

His lips move against yours with meaning. As if to do the speaking for him, he pours all of his emotion into his every movement. It’s quite romantic, the way his hands slide down to grip your waist, pulling your body closer to his, the way you wrap your arms around the back of his neck, moving your lips with his. The snow falling from the grey sky above you adding to the romanticism of it all.

He doesn’t care if anyone sees the two of you sharing a precious moment on the sidewalk. He doesn’t care if it’s snowing, he doesn’t give a shit if he’s freezing his ass off right now, he just wants to be in your presence.

You’re the first to pull away. catching your breath, he loosens his grip on your waist, as if he’s scared to break you. His lips part slightly, searching your eyes for any reassurance.

You didn’t intend on kissing him, you actually came over to tell him how much of a dick he was to you the other night. You wanted to turn the other way and leave his sorry ass on the sidewalk. But god, it was near impossible for you to control yourself.

“I want to start over. Forget about all of it. I know it’s not realistic. But, I wanna take you on a real date. Maybe one that doesn’t end in the backseat of my car?” Matt offers, his voice laced with emotion.

“I think that sounds doable.” You can’t help the grin that’s growing on your face. Matt was all you wanted all along. He was all you needed.

[quasi-normalcy]

Upcoming Star Trek projects in the order that I'm most excited for them (an asterix indicates projects that don't actually exist. Yet.)

Lower Decks, season 5

Prodigy, season 3*

Lower Decks, revival series*

Seven of Nine series (without Terry Matalas)*

Strange New Worlds, season 3

Untitled prequel film

Starfleet Academy

Untitled Tawny Newsome sitcom

Deep Space Nine continuation anime*

Seven of Nine series (with Terry Matalas)*

Untitled fourth JJ Abrams movie

Wesley Crusher "Doctor Who" Ripoff*

Trek universe "West Wing"-style political drama*

What We Do in the Cube: a wacky slice of life sitcom about 4 plucky Borg Drones as they go about their daily routine (regenerating, processing data, assimilating people)*

"Vikings", but with Klingons* (actually, this would kick ass, never mind)

"Game of Thrones," but with Klingons*

"Bridgerton", but with Klingons*

"Bridgerton", but with Ferengi*

Some kind of Trek universe procedural drama*

Some kind of Trek universe medical drama*

The Erotic Adventures of Neelix: A Prequel about Voyager's Most Beloved Character*

Lwaxana Troi Soap Opera*

Vulcan Love Slave adaptation*

Vulcan Love Slave 2: The Revenge*

Some kind of buddy sitcom about Okona and Jack Crusher Jr. being roommates*

Star Trek Vs. Star Wars: a movie trilogy written by the most obnoxious assholes on Spacebattles.com*

Khan Ceti Alpha V scripted podcast

The Wizarding World of Harry Kim: Harry Kim discovers that all of the weirdness that has always surrounded his life is because he's the long-lost child of a whimsical secret world of wizards. Also, they have slaves.*

A series based on one of those 200,000 nigh-identical grimdark pitches from after Enterprise ended about the Federation going into decline in the future*

Um...

Section 31 movie.

[di-kot-o-me]

Thoughts on Matt Gaetz and US Democracy...

"I'm a lawyer. Hearing that Trump nominated this pedophile thing to be the nation's attorney made my stomach hurt and it has not stopped hurting since.

I found myself in law school and I marveled at the ability of words and laws to shape justice. I was radicalized when I was supposed to be studying something but sat on my bed, my books ignored, transfixed watching Anita Hill explain why Clarence Thomas was a vile man unfit for the highest bench in the world.

I carry a copy of the Constitution in my purse. I have parts of the Declaration of Independence memorized. It sounds like poetry to me. It was written by a great mind (but a flawed man) writing a great idea.

America has always been an idea. (Aarons Sorkin said that in an episode of The West Wing, which I'm rewatching on HBO Max because I so need a real President now, and Jed Bartlet is better than most, even if fictional.) So far we have done a really shitty job of translating that idea into a reality. But we have never scrapped the idea.

But that's what we did on November 5. People are so offended by transsexuals, people with dark skin, women, and the cost of eggs being inflated by bird flu, that they're willing to give up on the idea. They went with a game show host and the prize he will award to America is hate, despair, racism, and fascism.

2016 Trump was hot garbage. But there were guardrails. He had a team that didn't so strongly resemble the Star Wars Cantina Band. There was Congress. There was SCOTUS. There was the fact he had to run for re-election. That's all gone. He outsourced the actual thinking about governing to the Heritage Foundation and they came up with a doozy of a plan. A fine blueprint for a Fourth Reich. AG Matt Gaetz will be a big part of that. But Trump's so chaotic he may go off script and make things even worse.

And I keep hearing in my head that line that Trump said. "I am your retribution." Trump is a man well acquainted with hate. His own siblings and parents despised him. He is thin-skinned, insecure, and bitter. And he spews out, without shame, who he hates. Taylor Swift, for pete's sake. Trump will give orders that hurt people he hates, and he will get actual pleasure, perhaps sexual pleasure, from watching people he hates suffer. There are names for those people. Biden. Obama. Harris. Clinton. You don't think they'll be exempt from retribution, do you? AG Gaetz will sign their death warrants.

There are no guardrails. Law should be a guardrail. Good lawyers should be a guardrail. That's all gone. Trump's at he head of the most powerful nation in the world, and he has nothing but hate as a motivation. He has no love for America or its people. It has provided him some good money and some adoration. But he's not capable of love, or honor, or even imagination. He is incapable of understanding the idea. He hasn't read the poetry. He doesn't have an American soul. I don't think he has a soul at all, TBH.

What does this mean? It means the Constitution in my purse is about to be a forgotten idea. It means that the fundamentals of this nation are about to be eviscerated. Things will be worse than we can imagine. People will die. Democracy will die. The nation will die. The idea will die. The poetry will die."

-PersimmonTea

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Alla Nazimova (A Doll's House, Camille, Salomé)—She was a proud lesbian, she was a director, she was artsy and experimental, she was instrumental in the rise to fame of Rudolph Valentino, she had the worlds biggest strap on energy

Xia Meng, also known as Hsia Moog or Miranda Yang (Sunrise, Bride Hunter)—For those who are familiar with Hong Kong's early cinema, Xia Meng is THE leading woman of an era, the earliest "silver-screen goddess", "The Great Beauty" and "Audrey Hepburn of the East". Xia Meng starred in 38 films in her 17-year career, and famously had rarely any flops, from her first film at the age of 18 to her last at the age of 35. She was a rare all-round actress in Mandarin-language films, acting, singing, and dancing with an enchanting ease in films of diverse genres, from contemporary drama to period operas. She was regarded as the "crown princess" among the "Three Princesses of the Great Wall", the iconic leading stars of the Great Wall Movie Enterprises, which was Hong Kong's leading left-wing studio in the 1950s-60s. At the time, Hong Kong cinema had only just taken off, but Xia Meng's influence had already spread out to China, Singapore, etc. Overseas Chinese-language magazines and newspapers often featured her on their covers. The famous HK wuxia novelist Jin Yong had such a huge crush on her that he made up a whole fake identity as a nobody-screenwriter to join the Great Wall studio just so he can write scripts for her. He famously said, "No one has really seen how beautiful Xi Shi (one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China) is, I think she should be just like Xia Meng to live up to her name." In 1980, she returned to the HK film industry by forming the Bluebird Movie Enterprises. As a producer with a heart for the community, she wanted to make a film on the Vietnam War and the many Vietnam War refugees migrating to Hong Kong. She approached director Ann Hui and produced the debut film Boat People (1982), a globally successful movie and landmark feature for Hong Kong New Wave, which won several awards including the best picture and best director in the second Hong Kong Film Award. Years later, Ann Hui looked back on her collaboration with Xia Meng, "I'm very grateful to her for allowing me to make what is probably the best film I've ever made in my life."

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Alla Nazimova:

HOT as hell. GAY as hell. TALENTED as hell. Producer, director, writer, actress. A silent era superstar who is credited with having coined the term "sewing circle" as a code-word for gatherings of lesbian and bisexual women. Has been called "the founding mother of Sapphic Hollywood" and was the owner/operator of the Garden of Alla Hotel in West Hollywood, which she bought in 1919 and sold in 1928 after deciding she wanted to go back to Broadway. In addition to starring opposite Valentino in Camille, she also had an affair with BOTH of his wives (Jean Acker and Natacha Rambova). In her day, she was one of the most influential women in the business.

"Nazimova was primarily a star during the silent film era, and her career in film started when she was almost forty. She was openly bisexual, and was engaged in two lavender marriages during her life while she carried on relationships with women (including at least one, and possibly two, of Rudolph Valentino's wives). She was brilliant and an autodidact - when she first moved to the United States from Ukraine, she spoke no English, but taught herself "in about five months" and went on to work as a screenwriter (among other things). Her predilections lay in art film, and she's credited with starring in / producing / directing one of the first American art films, the adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play Salome (1923). She has an elegant and commanding presence in all of her films, and is an absolute sensation to watch in motion."

Gif link, another gif link

A great actress who also produced a great deal of her films, Nazimova is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. She was also bi and coined the phrase "sewing circle" for sapphic celebrities.

Xia Meng:

[jessbakescakes]

I went to the Paley Museum's exhibit for The West Wing's 25th Anniversary. They had scripts hanging on the walls, much like the ones we all know and love from the Seasons 1-4 Script Books. This particular snippet is special -- it's from the series finale, Tomorrow. I took a photo and transcribed it for joshdonna nation to read!

[onlymurdersintheafterparty]

OMITB S4:E6 “Blow Up”

YOU GUYS I AM SHOOK. THIS EPISODE WAS A WHOLE ROLLERCOASTER AND SINCE THE EPISODE ENDED MENTALLY I FEEL LIKE I’VE STEPPED OFF THE RIDE WITH MY LEGS FEELING LIKE JELLY

There are so many things to unpack that I’m just going to focus on the top 2 moments that had me shook and then a new theory after the reveal in the last few minutes of the episode.

Spoilers Ahead (I’m serious watch the episode first because of all the episodes to get spoiled this one will really have you messed up)

“I’m Watching You” / Double Murders

This is what had me mentally screaming because what do you mean Dudenoff has been dead this entire time and Sazz was right about there being another murderer in the building?! And the handwriting in the texted pic is the same as the one in the first season that appeared before Winnie was poisoned. Now before this episode a LOT of people theorized this very plot about a unsolved murder or cold case so I’m sure they feel vindicated after this episode. Many people think that it’s Lester who is the mastermind and I’m sure are even more suspicious now because he used to be an actor while others think it’s Uma. I agree with the first group and think it's Lester and I think his accomplice is Marshall P. Pope the writer.

Evidence Against Lester

He was homeless and out of work when he started working at The Arconia; After being hired he could have met Dudenoff in the lobby at some point and while talking film/acting, he could have mentioned being homeless and was brought into the $200 rent scheme and temporarily lived in the West Wing; It would also give him free reign of The Arconia after hours

As doorman, he has access to the different units; delivering the wrong mail gives him a chance to snoop or bug apartments because anyone passing him in the halls will just assume he's doing his job

As an actor, he could have worked with or was taught by Dudenoff

His son is an actor and Lester paid for the classes so where did the extra money come from?

He could be resentful of Charles because he's a successful actor living in a fancy building meanwhile he's stuck as a doorman; Charles being awkward could have been read as rudeness adding to that resentment (Vince thought Charles hated him because of their awkward window encounters)

People constantly bring up Lester returning Charles' hat in season one and it makes me wonder if he's ever impersonated Charles. They both have white hair, I'm not sure about the similarity in physical builds and height because of Lester's uniform and hat, but I've always had a sneaking suspicion someone has been posing as Charles here and there; Plus Charles doesn't really interact with his neighbors like that so if Lester disguised himself as Charles and wore a hat and hid his face no one would know or be shocked at him not saying hi back. And because Charles is friends with Oliver and Mabel, that would allow him to bug their apartments as well because they'd expect Charles to randomly visit his friends

In the 70s after the brothel got shut down, I'm sure the rent prices dropped drastically making it affordable for Dudenoff to purchase the entire floor

Lester killing Dudenoff would give him access to all those apartments and with the money from his side hustle, he can afford to pay off the police or whoever else he needs to keep the trio off his trail

Being homeless would have allowed him to meet some interesting people and if the alcoholism ever led to him serving any period of jail time he could have met criminals that became friends and allies to help do footwork behind the scenes over the past few seasons

This could also be how he got access to the poison in the attempt to kill Winnie

He could have killed Dudenoff out of revenge because he was promised a role that was rescinded or in a parallel to Ben and Charles, he was unfairly fired and held a grudge

Evidence Against Marshall

The biggest theory is that Marshall stole someone's script. I do agree with this theory but I don't think it was Sazz he stole it from, I think it was Lester

Marshall is a fan of the podcast so maybe at some point between seasons he went to go see the Arconia for himself; To get inside he'd have to go through Lester; If they got to talking about the podcast and films/screenwriting in general, Lester who was already spying on the trio could have by then written a film script in hopes of making a comeback; Lester has no connections from being out of work so he and Marshall come up with some sort of deal where Marshall will pitch the script and get Lester cast in the film;

Was Marshall a student of Dudenoff as well? That could be another connection between the two and instead of visiting The Arconia for the podcast he could have been in town to visit Dudenoff and bonded with Lester over that

Marshall knows how to do disguises but who could he impersonate that would actually be believable? I have no clue

If Marshall and Lester are accomplices there's a chance Marshall will be killed off before the season is over in an attempt to keep him from telling the truth

Dudenoff's Students:

Trina and Tawny

Vince Fish

Rudy Thurber

Sauce Family (unconfirmed)

Helga (unconfirmed)

Lester (unconfirmed)

Marshall (unconfirmed)

Other Observations:

I think Jan knows who the killer is and that’s why she went into hiding after escaping prison. As long as she’s lived in the Arconia I’m sure she’s seen some stuff plus game recognizes game so if she encountered another killer I’m sure she’d suspect it.

If Oliver is the second one targeted I wonder if Mabel is next; Jan did say that the killer would keep trying until they get it right

I don't think Howard is the Moriarty anymore and that it's definitely Lester

The Right Westie = Weird, Struggling Actors; The Westies pride themselves on being weird, outcasts and 2/5 are confirmed actors; Helga may have been run off or been paid off to leave and threatened to stay silent because she discovered Lester was impersonating Dudenoff and witnessed him cashing the checks

My attempt at an outline of what all went down with Lester & Dudenoff:

???? Lester becomes homeless and loses acting jobs because of alcoholism

???? Lester gets a job at The Arconia

???? Dudenoff teaches Rudy & Vince at some point

2011 Trina and Tawny meet Dudenoff in his film class; Notice that at first they're only filmed from the back and when we see through Dudenoff's lens, we only see what's within the lens so if the killer was in attendance they weren't seen onscreen

2012 Dudenoff gives the twins his cameras

2018* Dudenoff is killed (three years prior to pilot)

*the twins say the last time they spoke to him was three years ago and that he cut off communication because they moved to LA; Just because they didn't hear from him doesn't mean he actually died 3 years ago; No body = no way of checking the time of death

2021-2022 The trio's apartments are bugged at some point

Remaining Questions:

Who is the person in the Westie group pic with the scratched out face?

How long have the apartments been bugged?

If Dudenoff is dead, who has been impersonating him when addressing new tenants?

Does Dudenoff having replacement joints mean he was a stuntman as well? That would be yet another example of double identities this season

How long was the incinerator broken?

How long has Lester worked at The Arconia?

If Vince's pink eye is so contagious how did Eugene and Charles not get it despite being in close proximity?

If I missed anything from the first 2 seasons or got something wrong please let me know because I need my info as accurate as possible to figure this all out lol

[fiercynn]

The Gaza Monologues: Audio Production in Solidarity with Palestine!

The Gaza Monologues is a collection of testimonies from Gazan youth in 2010, after the first war on Gaza, collected and adapted for stage by ASHTAR Theatre in Ramallah (@ASHTARTheatre), and performed here by 26 people from several countries for International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People on November 29, 2023. In lieu of copyright purchases, ASHTAR Theatre requests donations to their programs in the West Bank.

This is an audio-only production of The Gaza Monologues, but is posted as a video to include subtitles. Most monologues are in English, but there are two in Arabic, two in Spanish, and one in French. English subtitles are available for all monologues. Currently, subtitles in Arabic, Spanish, and French are only up for the monologues that are spoken in each respective language, though we’ll try to get subtitles up for others in the near future. The script of The Gaza Monologues is available in those languages and more.

Produced by me, audio editing and additional coordination by Hannah, and art by @pocketsizedquasar.

Thanks to all the voice actors, including @saltqueer, @to-every-house-you-enter, @hyeoni-comb, @datfearlessfangirl, @shooshopath, @cryptenby, @exsequar, and many others – see below the cut for full credits!

Alt text for art: A digital painting of a Palestine sunbird sitting perched on olive branches. it is a small black and blue songbird with a teal-turquoise shimmer on its head and upper wings. In the background is a faded scene of a beach at sunset in the colors of the Palestinian flag: red, green, black, and white. Handwritten text at the top left reads, “The Gaza Monologues,” and the artist’s signature “@pocketsizedquasar” is written over one of the branches on the bottom left.

MONOLOGUES

1. Ahmad El Ruzzi: Deepa

2. Ahmad Taha: Juniper Hanrahan

3. Ashraf A Sossi: Sam (@morelenmir on twitter)

4. Alaa Hajjaj: Deepa

5. Amanee A Shorafa: KC

6. Amjad Abu Yasin: M

7. Anas Abu Eitah: @priismacolors on twitter

8. Ehab Elayan: Andrea

9. Tamer Najem: @saltqueer

10. Taima'a Okasha: Brook

11. Rawand Ja'rour: Percival

12. Reem Afana: Clio (@to-every-house-you-enter)

13. Reema El Sadi: shambs (@tipsyloki12 on twitter)

14. Sami El Jerjawi: Juniper Hanrahan

15. Sujoud Abu Hussein: Mary

16. Suha Al Mamlouk: Anne (@exsequar)

17. Ali Al Hassany: Rose

18. Fateema Abu Hashem: N

19. Fateema Atallah: Maddy

20. Muhammed El Omrani: PK

21. Muhammed Qasem: p

22. Mahmud Abu Shaa'ban: Essie

23. Mahmud Bala'wi: @hyeoni-comb

24. Mahmud El Turk: Maaytah

25. Mahmud Afana: @datfearlessfangirl

26. Mahmud Najem: @shooshopath

27. Heba Daoud: KC

28. Wi'am El Dieri: Cameron

29. Yasmeen Ja'rour: M

30. Yasmeen Abu Amer: Maaytah

31. Yasmeen Katbeh: TK (@cryptenby)

[ingravinoveritas]

So came I came across this repost from Al that a fan posted yesterday to which she reposted and to have her say and ad I much I can see she trying to defend ms with the radio getting his name wrong it a common thing for poor ms and I don't think this personally was the guys fault and I think they was reading from a script which I think most radio presenters have I think.

But the thing I noticed also was yes she was trying to defend her parter but also seems complaining that she and the children have to endure listening to the station in the car all the time and that like a another red flag like they literally have nothing in common and I'm still wondering why they still together. Cos I've noticed since michael been London he seems alot happier and heathly cos he closer to his best friend and beaming also. Can we have him stay permanently in London and not go bk to Wales in May.

What ur thoughts on this repost for Al I would to hear

(Grouping these together for ease of answering.)

I had this sent to me a little while ago and I'm...well, it takes a lot to floor me these days, especially in this fandom, but...I think this did it. Because there is so much going on here, and almost none of it is good.

On the surface, I know this very much looks like AL defending Michael, but I do not think that's what this was about at all. I think she saw BBC Radio 6 tagged in the original tweet and saw an opportunity to gain attention due to the proximity of a high-profile account. The way she did it, however, was by making something related to Michael about her. Again. And again, the wording of this retweet takes it from AL defending him to something else entirely.

Saying that she has to "endure" Michael listening to this radio show in the car is just a terrible look, as if listening to something he enjoys is so unbearably awful, and that she only puts up with because she's stuck in a car with him. It feels like she's literally complaining about Michael under the pretense of defending him, and I don't know how she (or anyone else) thinks this is okay.

The thing is, the whole "Martin Sheen" thing has become a running joke precisely because Michael has been dealing with this not just for his whole career, but his entire life. It's something he has frequently talked about, and I can imagine that it has been challenging on so many levels, but Michael also knows that Martin Sheen has been in the business for 60 years, and more than that, he is also a fan of Martin's. He's even talked about being introduced to him at a party years ago (I can't remember by whom, but Michael described the person as saying "Mr. President, meet Mr. Prime Minister"--referring to Martin and Michael's roles in The West Wing and The Queen, respectively).

So yes, the overarching point is that Michael doesn't blame Martin Sheen for these repeated mix-ups, and actually respects him as an actor and person. And when he has felt annoyed about this happening (as he did in 2020 when an ITV announcer called him the wrong name prior to a new episode of Quiz), Michael has had no problem calling it out himself on his own social media. Which speaks to your point @thetardisisblueandroseistoo about her trying to speak on Michael's behalf, and again doing a miserable job of it.

Also, what Michael hasn't done--and I suspect would be horrified at Anna doing--is go after the hosts of a show that he just appeared on yesterday. Particularly a show with hosts he is a tremendous fan of, as he spent a good portion of his appearance gushing about them and how much he enjoys listening to the show. I think he would more than understand the one host making this mistake--given his age and how much more embedded Martin Sheen is in pop culture--and would certainly exercise a lot more graciousness than to write a nasty tweet like the one AL did above.

That's the best way I can describe it: Shades of what we saw in the Insta story from last week, with that same self-aggrandizing, passive-aggressive (and now also kind of bitter) tone. There are a hundred other ways she could have responded to this, yet what she chose was to get in a dig at Michael, plus QT a fan tweet so that it could be misconstrued as her yelling at the fan. And again, in the cases where Michael has called out announcers or others for getting his name wrong, it's because he felt he deserved to have his name said correctly. In this case, however, it seems that AL wants the presenter to get Michael's name right because not doing so is an inconvenience to her.

Those were my impressions of AL's tweet, at any rate. All I can say is that from my perspective, if this was her attempting to defend Michael, it could not have been more backhanded. Glad to hear from my followers as well about your thoughts on this. Thanks for writing in! x

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

The Wicked Witch of the West - Translation (西の悪い魔女)

Translator's notes can be found at the end and are marked with an asterisk.

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

I have also made a version which includes the members' notes found in the script.

[The battle with the Wicked Witch of the West - The Witch of the West’s castle]

The sound of a silver whistle resonates. 

The Wicked Witch of the West has sharp eyesight and can see the group approaching. 

Using the silver whistle, she commands various beings.

Witch of the West: Hmm... So there are some fellows heading this way...? Two children, a scarecrow, a tin man, a lion... What an odd bunch.

She trembles in irritation.

Witch of the West: I don’t know what their goal is, but they were probably instigated by Oz. I won’t forgive anyone who dares to harm me, the great Witch of the West!

The sound of the silver whistle.

Witch of the West: Now, wolves! Tear them apart and finish them off!

The wolves rush forward, aiming for the Tin Woodman.

Tin Woodman: Wolves, huh! This is my fight! Even if they bite me, I won’t feel a thing. Their teeth will probably end up getting damaged instead!

The Tin Woodman cuts down the wolves that jump at him with his axe.

Tin Woodman: Your efforts are futile! Even the teeth of a wolf cannot compete with the blade of this axe. Haa! Huff! Yah!

Oz, watching the five through his crystal ball, speaks like a kyogen-mawashi*.

Oz (N): With his axe, the Tin Woodman chopped off the wolves' heads one by one.

Witch of the West: Ugh... Then let's have the crows peck out their eyes! Go!

The sound of the silver whistle. The crows attack.

Scarecrow: Crows? Well, that’s my area of expertise! Go ahead, peck at my eyes as much as you like!

Oz (N): The Scarecrow defeated the crows by twisting their necks.

Witch of the West: What the...?! Damn it...! In that case, next up are the bees! Writhe in agony from their venomous stings!

The sound of the silver whistle. The bees attack.

Scarecrow: This time, it’s bees...! Let’s work together, Tin Woodman! Theo, Terry, and Lion, use the straw from my body to hide yourselves! After that, well, you already know what to do, partner!

Tin Woodman: Yes, the only target left will be me, made of tin. The bees’ stingers are no match for tin, and they’ll all break...!

The Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow high-five.

Scarecrow: That’s right! 

The bees fall helplessly, plopping down. The Witch of the West cannot hide her irritation.

Witch of the West: Oh, all of you are useless! Flying monkeys, this time, make sure to end their lives! If you don't, your friends will die!

The sound of the silver whistle.

The winged monkey attack.

Oz (N): A wise person can probably roughly imagine what happened next.

The Lion asserts his strength.

Lion: Finally, it’s my turn! I am the king of beasts, the Lion! I won’t lose to some monkeys!

He threatens with an even louder voice and a terrifying expression.

Lion: Roar!! If you don’t want to be eaten, get out of here!

The winged monkeys leave, screeching.

Oz (N): The monkeys, who were originally under the control of the Witch of the West, abandoned the unwelcome battle and left.

She stomps her feet in frustration.

The group has arrived at the foot of the Witch of the West’s castle.

Witch of the West: Eek! They’re getting closer and closer! I have to do something… my life is in danger!

Oz (N): Feeling threatened, the Witch of the West decided to use the Golden Cap. This was a magical tool that could summon the winged monkeys and grant the owner’s wishes three times.

The Witch of the West takes out the Golden Cap and places it on her head.

Witch of the West: Now that it’s come to this, there’s no other choice...

She stands upon her left foot, then upon the right, and finally, she stands upon both feet.

Witch of the West: Ep-pe, pep-pe, kak-ke! Hil-lo, hol-lo, hel-lo! Ziz-zy, zuz-zy, zik!

He commands with a big wave of his hand.

Witch of the West: Drop the Tin Woodman from a high place onto sharp rocks so that he’s all battered and dented!

The Tin Woodman is lifted high into the sky by some of the winged monkeys under the magic of the Wicked Witch of the West, and then dropped.

Tin Woodman: (screams as he’s carried through the air and grunts once he hits the ground)

Witch of the West: Serves you right! Next, it’s the Scarecrow’s turn! Pull out every last piece of his straw and throw his clothes on top of a tall tree!

Other winged monkeys under the magic of the Wicked Witch attack the Scarecrow and pull out his straw.

Scarecrow: Ah... stop… please... I’m losing... all my strength...

Witch of the West: Capture the Lion with a rope and bring him here! I’ll work him to the bone.

The winged monkeys wrap the Lion tightly with a rope.*

Lion: Ugh, it hurts...! I... can’t... move...

Witch of the West: Lastly… Take care of those insolent humans…!

Terry despairs as he witnesses real magic.

Terry: What a horrible thing... Everyone has been defeated…! We’re done for, too!!

Witch of the West: Tear them to pieces!!

Terry is about to be attacked by a winged monkey under the magic of the Wicked Witch. 

Theo steps forward to protect Terry.

The silver shoes emit a strong light.

Theo: I won’t let you do that! I absolutely won’t allow anyone to hurt Terry!!

Terry is surprised by the light.

Terry: Theo!! You-!!

Witch of the West: Those are… the silver shoes...! And good magical power is surrounding the children? Where have you been hiding such power? Ugh… I can’t interfere like this.

Theo is unaware of his magical powers, so he can’t control them.

Terry: What’s the matter? Weren’t you going to tear us to pieces?

Witch of the West: … He’s not attacking? Could it be that he is still unaware of his own power? And those pure eyes. If I play it right, this might be something I can take advantage of.

The Witch of the West snaps her fingers and the gate opens.

Witch of the West: Go ahead and enter the castle!

Terry: Hey, are you going in? It might be some kind of trap.

Theo: Even if that’s the case, we won’t get any further if we just stand here, so I’ll go. There must be a reason why she won’t lay hands on us.

Theo and Terry proceed into the castle and reach the Witch of the West.

Witch of the West: So you’ve come, humans... Hand me those silver shoes. If you do, I’ll let you go.

Theo realizes from the Witch's words that the silver shoes are special.

Theo: ... If you want them that much, why don’t you just take them by force? The fact that you can’t do that means there must be something else, right?

Theo takes a step closer to the Witch. The light from the silver shoes grows stronger.

Witch of the West: Hey, stay back…! If you do as I say, I won’t do anything bad to you. That’s right, how about we team up?

Theo: You join forces with me, a mere human?

Imitating what he sees, he reaches out his hand and poses as if gathering his strength.

Witch of the West: N-No... Stop it... Wicked magic can’t win against the power of good magic.

Theo: Magic…?

While Theo is distracted, the Western Witch circles around to grab Terry.

Terry: … What!? Ugh...

Theo: Terry!!

Witch of the West: Separating you two was always my goal. So, do you not care what happens to your companion...?

Theo’s anger reaches its peak and his hidden power awakens.

Theo: … Let go of Terry!!

The magic creates a huge amount of water that splashes over the two of them.

Terry: Uwaaa!!

Witch of the West: Aah!!

The Witch writhes in agony.

Theo rushes over to Terry.

Witch of the West: My body... my body... is melting... Did you know that... water is my weakness?

Theo: O-Of course not! What is this, anyway!? Is this... magic…!?

Witch of the West: … The strength born of purity… The true power that resides in your heart… It’s over… for me.

The Witch of the West melts away to nothing. 

The Golden Cap drops to the floor, making a clattering sound as it comes to a stop.

Terry: Did we... do it? Did we win?

Theo: … I think so. More importantly, are you alright, Terry…? Are you hurt?

Terry pumps his fist in the air.

Terry: Aside from being completely soaked, I’m feeling fine! It seems like it was really just water.

Theo: … I’m so glad~

Terry: … Oh, that’s right! We can’t just stand around, we have to help our companions!

Theo: Yeah!

Translator's notes:

*1 Kyogen-mawashi- storyteller/narrator

*2 Unlike the other lines, they didn’t mention the monkeys here, only the Witch’s magic. I assume this is a mistake in the script, keeping in mind the context and the original book.

[the-liberal-lion]

Janel's article that she wrote for Airmail.News

Tangled Up in The West Wing

On the 25th anniversary of Aaron Sorkin’s beloved political drama, Janel Moloney—who played the idealistic Donna Moss—grapples with the show’s role in her life

By Janel Moloney

September 14, 2024

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The other day, an overcast but hot Sunday, I blow-dried my hair, put on makeup for once, and took my kids uptown. My husband and I were taking our 12- and 14-year-old sons to the Paley Center for Media, in New York City, where there was an exhibition celebrating the 25th anniversary of the premiere of The West Wing. The ticket guy, pale with thick round glasses and a swipe of sandy hair, asked me if I was a fan. I told him yes, I most definitely was.

As we walked into the exhibition, the boys teased me about not being recognized. I told them to stop, that it was just his job, that last week there was a Barbie show and next week was Sponge Bob, so shush, he can’t know us all.

I walked up to the enormous mural of the cast stretched across the museum’s lobby, my hands perched on the shoulders of Brad Whitford, who played Josh. I contemplated the eight-foot image of myself, young and small-waisted with my future deliriously undefined before me, and, strangely, I didn’t feel bad. I had thought I might. That to be around artifacts of that exquisite time might make me feel like an ancient whiskered crone or just plain sad, the glory of that period starkly put up against my regular life. But it wasn’t the case. I felt like I always do around that life-defining job, one that never seems to fade, never seems to recede like a normal past: grateful.

When I told my sister, Meegan, I was going to write something about The West Wing, she asked me what I was going to say. I said I didn’t know. I told her that Donna was my longest relationship, pre-dating my children and my husband, and that my perspective was skewed, the image never really in my rearview mirror, never finding much distance.

“That’s because it’s in your side mirror, dude,” she said on the phone. And it’s true. The show has not stopped but seemingly gotten more popular, remaining in the Zeitgeist, surging when people need political comfort—which these days is always—and amassing new devotees every day. And Donna, my cheerful, smart, vulnerable, funny-as-hell shadow, I’ve accepted as a part of me, like a face tattoo but adorable.

Every day of my life, for the past 25 years, someone has come up to me to tell me about their love of the show.

When I met Donna, 25 years ago, I opened up Aaron’s wonderful pilot script and read the first line of my scene and thought, “Oh. O.K. I get it. Donna loves Josh.” And that was it. The center of my wheel, the fulcrum from which it all spun for seven years. Every issue I fought for, every question I asked, came essentially from that flame, the need to impress or protect, to be seen or appreciated by him. Donna loves Josh.

And it was easy because flirting with Brad, falling in absolute pretend creative love with him and the rest of the cast, was the privilege of my professional life. And really that’s the fun of acting. Letting it all get messy and fluid, your feelings caught up in a tangle of joy, passing the fireballs of words back and forth, not knowing what will happen next.

“Hey, guys, look, this was one of my costumes,” I said to my kids, pointing out a magenta dress with a fitted blazer worn by a faceless mannequin. They may have grunted something. “This is so cool,” my husband said, stepping beside me as I looked at the collection of fake White House IDs. After all these years, my husband has accepted Donna as a member of our family, like marrying a set of twins.

After we headed out, stopping to take pictures with a few surprised fans, I thought about the clothes. As we navigated the throngs of tourists on Sixth Avenue, I could feel the heavy wool skirts, the jackets that our designer, Lyn Paolo, fitted to my slender shoulders. I could hear the click of my heels on the polished marble floors. It was all so much fun.

The last time I stepped into Donna’s costume was for an HBO special raising money for voting rights in 2020. I remember loving getting to be onstage, all of us together. The words came easily, but I realized quickly, with something in the neighborhood of relief, that the fit was not quite right. Donna’s unbridled optimism, her need for Josh, her abject youth, was something that I had grown out of. Like Donna did at the end of the series, I had evolved into my own woman. I married my husband, had two children, and, unlike Donna’s life, my life was absolutely real.

And so, after 25 years, it seems I will continue to live with Donna there in my side mirror, always in my peripheral vision. And I’m O.K. with that. Our journey together keeps going. The beauty of art, of modern television really, is that anytime you want to see her, anytime I do, she will be there. She will be waiting, in her dynamic amber, with C.J. and Toby, Charlie, and Josh with their paper files and Nokia cell phones, ready to cheer us up.

Janel Moloney is an actress living in Brooklyn. She can be seen in the upcoming Better Sister, on Amazon Prime

Here is the link