#why does she remind me of miley cyrus??

[ansbobcar]

EP 22 - Evermore like snow

WORD COUNT. 1511

Link to overview

_ _ _ _ _

The trip to the Gehenna Family Home seems like nothing as with little warning, the woman who called herself a liability, dozed off to sleep. Her head resting onto Orter’s shoulder through the ride. Kaldo seemed even stranger than before as he patiently held onto his sword. The air is cold yet Rinka stayed warm in her sleep. It’s strange to say the least. Her family seemed even stranger.

Yet even Kaldo seemed unphased by the predicament, his wound completely disintegrating with some complex magic spell Rinka had learnt moments earlier.

If there’s one thing you should never trust Rinka with, it’s understanding biology. Unlike every other subject, her understanding of what seemed crucial to her identity as a blood manipulator was almost elementary. That’s why she was never transferred to the health department for all these years. And the need to study such procedures had never crossed her mind either. Simply put, her reliance on healing spells eclipsed her need to be equipped with more skills than first aid. She chuckled at a memory as they were waiting for the carriage. “It reminds me of when my junior helped me to the nurse’s office after I fell once.” 

“And when was that?” Orter wondered, holding firmly onto her cleaned hand.

“Probably before I became a Divine Visionary,” she hummed, clearly humoured by her fuzzy memory. “It was a long time ago after all.” His eyes softened at this remark as she closed her eyes.

And with a piece of paper, Kaldo began his small talk as ink inscribed itself towards him.

I have some questions to ask you. Please answer them without waking her up.

“Sure.”

Do you know why Rinka dropped out?

“Yes,” he uttered. “Leading up to her leave, the unwanted attention she received by her peers made studying peacefully incredibly difficult while the mistreatment by her own staff made working in the Bureau equally as torturous as she was the youngest Divine Visionary at the time, and the only girl with such a position before Sophina won years later,” his hands curled into fists as his voice spat with increasing anger. “She had raked 3 demerits within the span of a month, the last of which was labelled as ‘misconduct’ for asphyxiating a classmate.” 

And why would you know that?

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Because there was never an official statement made about Rinka’s departure.

“Why does that matter?”

Then are you Miley Cyrus? You are obsessed.

“I could say the same, after all,” reluctant to hide his animosity, “you assaulted her.”

Attempting to maintain his composure, the latter managed to scribble another sentence: How could you know about that? ‘She agreed to never talk about it either,’ glancing at her, her hand being firmly held by Orter Madl’s. “There’s no way in hell she told you,” he broke off his silent streak, unable to hold anything but a tight line for a smile.

“The rumours weren’t quiet back then… ”

Just who are you really?

After slightly more than an hour in calming silence, they had finally reached their destination. She was woken up and they were escorted inside, the halls were candle-lit instead of being magic operated like the Bureau. There were a few servants they had walked by but it seemed like nothing as they walked by, even though Orter had not cast a cleaning spell on their bloody clothes, thus the pungent scent of iron wafted throughout the halls with little reservation as they trudged towards wherever Kaldo would let them sleep for the night.

“I must warn you though, that it will be a little hectic later on in the morning,” he uttered much to their curiosity. The annoying Flame Cane feeling dread? From what? Yet what caught their attention was the strong aura that was slowly moving towards them. Sporadically. In the low lights, the thumping footsteps grew louder by the second until an audible panting was heard. Wild wolves rushed in their direction as an energetic garble of crackling giggles erupted afterwards.

The oldest cursed under his breath as he swiftly picked up a young boy, visibly hyper with little rationale in his eyes, by the nape. Preventing him from moving elsewhere like the wolves. Wow. “I didn’t know you were this nice, Kaldo,” she commented, noting the lack of resemblance between the ravenette boy and him.

“It’s 3 in the morning,” ignoring her comment; “You guys should be asleep by now,” watching as a redheaded boy emerged from the source direction up ahead. The boy arched his brow at this remark.

“Um… who are these people?”

_ _ _

Apparently Kaldo Gehenna had 3 nephews. Yes, there was another kid alongside those two, only to be found the next day along with the rumours of the largest exporter of firewood receiving a terrible stroke of luck, certain death was awaiting him. Cursed with a short lifespan.

“You should sleep more,” Orter murmured, as she flipped through a copy of the investigation she had begun a while back. She had stopped sleeping after the ride to the house.

“I’m fine,” she replied, reminding him that she spent a whole week doing pure paperwork and another week overseeing Tsurara’s recovery. His fingers played with the bandage wrapped around her abdomen as she continued minding her own business. She pushed herself, of course she wouldn’t have healed them. More priority was placed on Kaldo’s wound as well, he remembered, resting his head on her shoulder. 

“What is it?”

“Nothing concerning,” he hummed. “You’re not as surprised as I expected… Sunshine.”

Again with that pet name, she thought. Although it was stated with sweet husky delicacy, it was only the third time she was referred to as such by her lover. And there wasn’t really a rhymer reason to them either but to say she didn’t receive his warmth from those words would be an understatement. Like enveloping a fire with sand, the flames dance yet never go across it’s barricade.

“Do you want me to be?”

“I was expecting surprise from you, that’s all.”

“Why?”

“You guys are really rude, you know that right?” Interrupting their conversation as he poured an unhealthy amount of honey into his cup of tea. “You don’t own the place. You are guests,” he calmly stated, covering his disgust. “Act like it. Please.”

“Okay,” she hummed, eyes still kept towards the report as she stood up much to the youngest’s displeasure. “The lab got abandoned, huh?” Equally as displeased. “Technology that’s far more advanced… mixed with alchemy and magic itself… how annoying.”

“Up to speed yet?”

“The gist is ‘the damage is bad and we didn’t notice’ isn’t it?” She drawled out towards the Flame Cane as she walked towards the window, eyes distantly critical of herself. ‘But how didn’t they notice it? Supposedly, some of them were missing for years, so it’s surprising how overlooked it was… is what she wanted to say if she had never tried to investigate it before.

“Exactly. Things would be easier if we could get a lead”---his gaze turned towards her---”without losing more staff, of course.”

As quickly as the snow fell, the Blood Cane’s mellow demeanour dissipated into a tight line with no smile as she looked outside. Interrupting the mood, Orter suggested lunch. “It’s nearly the afternoon already, I doubt tea would stuff them.”

Certainly, a pleasant idea if the news provided from the servant didn’t ruin it. “Master Kaldo, it seems that the Onojis have decided to visit you. They’re still at the gate, will you…”

“Did they say anything?”

“No, they haven’t.”

“Then reject them. Make sure all staff move indoors,” he instructed to which they bolted out the door with haste. “There’s no reason to show hospitality to someone let alone a group of people who show up without notice. You both should stay continue staying here.”

Rinka continued to stay by the window without replying to either of them.

‘I know you can hear me, child,’ a message was shoved into her mind. ‘Run all you want, you’re the easiest to find. We just need to chat with the Gehennas.’

‘How can I trust you, Corningwar? Only the eldest son is here along with some kids. The head of the household has left already,’ she rebuked. ‘Plus… you both are 2 years younger than me.’ A whole minute passes before she receives a response.

‘Let us in will you?’ he gritted. ‘We can compromise for today’s meeting.’

‘That’s not my problem. He didn’t want you.’

‘While we’re being nice, Rinka.’

‘This isn’t my house.’

‘... you will regret it.’

“Is it a problem of inheritance?” Concerned about her behaviour.

“To say it’s to do with such a thing only scratches the surface,” Kaldo answered. “No heir was declared since she separated from the family and there seems to be no definitive replacement either. It’s really messy,” he shrugged his shoulders. “She just wants no part in it anymore.”

‘If only we surrendered you back then.’

‘You have no shame for killing your aunt.’ _ _ _ _ _

Winterball arc finished! It's very abrupt I'm realising but have fun!

Also if you're wondering why kaldo made that remark about them being guests, it's because Rinka was sitting on Orter's lap super casually. (PDA stuff yk, it's wild now that I think about it.)

Ty @adrenalineaquaries for letting me put some of your own ocs in here, I was planning to involve them a bit more but I gave up.

Edit: I added some stuff. For later.

[therecordconnection]

Ranting and Raving: "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter

Have you ever just been out in the world, minding your business, only to hear a song out in the wild for the first time and it just grabs you in a chokehold? For me, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter is one of those songs. It’s one of those pop songs that just makes you turn your ear towards a speaker and ask, “Oh. What is this?” I heard it for the first time in a store (rhymes with Schmarget) and then proceeded to listen to it about eighty more times after that. A great pop song will make you do that and this one is one of the best of the year so far. I mean it.

I knew who Sabrina Carpenter was before this song (I mostly live under a rock, but I still be knowing things from time to time) but I’m obviously not her target demographic and nothing she had done before really gripped me the way this has. Everything about “Espresso” is perfect and I’m ready to do what this series does best: annoy you with many MANY words about a song I love. If you want a silly review of this song in a TL;DR single sentence, I would say, “I don’t drink coffee... but this song must be what having a caffeine addiction feels like!”

The first thing that truly gripped me about this song is just how FUN it is! There’s so much magic packed into three and a half minutes and it serves as a perfect reminder of why I love and enjoy pop music when it gets it as right as a Starbucks barista who has my usual order down to a science. It’s upbeat, it’s catchy as hell, the lyrics are fun to sing along to. What more do you need? This isn’t a song that re-invents the wheel and that’s because it knows it doesn’t have to. Like her reference to Nintendo in the chorus (“Switch it up like Nintendo”) the primary concern is about whether the song is fun to listen to and if it’s something you’ll want to hear again and again and not get bored of. In a way, this song is like the Super Mario World of pop music; a song that provides comfort and fun and it doesn’t require a lot of knowledge and skill in order to enjoy. Anybody can pick it up, start playing, and have a good time with it.

Which means a lot these days.

At the time of this writing, everybody and their favorite wine aunt is currently dissecting Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, searching for hidden meanings and clues and signs about her relationships between her and Matty Healy from The 1975 or British actor Joe Alwyn (take your pick). I didn’t hate TTPD, but the album also didn’t do much for me because it’s so deep within the Taylor Discographic Universe (the TDU) that unless you have a decade of lore explained to you, those songs lose a lot of appeal and power. It’s like watching Avengers: Infinity War when all I’ve ever watched is Iron Man. Taylor isn’t the only one that’s been suffering from this. Ariana Grande’s newest album Eternal Sunshine comes with the baggage of that whole thing that happened between her and that dude who played Spongebob on Broadway or something. The most I’ve ever heard about “The Boy Is Mine” in terms of discourse are all the jokes and memes about how she’s singing about a guy who weirdly looks exactly like her brother and spent years being an adult man playing Spongebob on stage. Even Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” the biggest song of last year, loses some of its impact if you’re like me and couldn’t give a shit about Liam Hemsworth or the emotional roller coaster story of her relationship with him. 

Granted, you can still listen to all of these things with their real world inspirations and contexts removed and get just as much, if not more, out of that, but there’s just something really refreshing about being able to enjoy a song without needing an entire “____ iceberg explained” video in order to truly “get it.” I got “Espresso” immediately and the only real world context I can gather is that she probably wrote this song about one or many dudes that have been “down bad” for her. I shudder to think which niche micro-celebrities with the over-inflated attitude that comes with the phrase “I have a post that got over 10,000 notes on Tumblr” have said or done while attempting to shoot their poorly aimed shot with her.

That’s a good place to start talking about the lyrics to the song, which are all about her being playful with a guy and basking in how he is absolutely obsessed and crazy with her. More important than the words themselves is how Sabrina delivers them. There’s a really great balancing act where it’s just the right level of confidence and the belief that you’re hot shit, without going overboard into arrogance. She maintains a constant level of playfulness throughout the entire song and it’s great! It starts as soon as the second line of the chorus hits at the beginning of the song: “Is it that sweet? I guess so.” 

There’s also the line that begins the second verse: “I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer.” I absolutely adore the way she says that line. Every. Single. Time. Again, it’s just the right amount of playful and sarcastic. I can picture the conversation that line would be featured in if anybody she’s dated within the last three years has foolishly asked her if she’s busy tonight.

“Wyd tonight, babe? 😜” “I’m working late.” “What?? Why? 🥺” “...‘cause I’m a singer.”

That line reads like she’s had to answer that question one too many times to one too many idiots. Whether it’s studio time or live performance, singers be working at night. Duh. It’s such a fun line and it gets stuck in your head. You wait for it each time you listen and I can’t imagine the feeling of being in a whole stadium full of people all singing that line together. It’s such a delicate tightrope being walked so damn well, especially since it can go sour so fast if you perform it the wrong way. The following line, “Oh, he looks so cute wrapped around my finger” keeps that playfulness while also making you feel a little bad for the guy. I say a little bad because it’s very obvious who has the power and control in this:

I can't relate to desperation My give-a-fucks are on vacation And I got this one boy and he won't stop calling When they act this way, I know I got 'em

We’ve all known someone who is casually seeing someone and they’re just way crazier about the person they’re seeing than the other is for them. That’s not to say she doesn’t sound invested in this guy during the song, but you get the feeling one of them knows it’s a fun little fling and the other is starting to get obsessed and isn’t seeing things that way. 

It’s not hard to see why he’s getting addicted. I’m hooked on this song the same way dude is hooked on Sabrina. This song has this utterly hypnotic quality to it and at the 1:09 mark when you start hearing “Yes” after every line it reflects getting that hit, that thing you want once you’re addicted and craving more. “Soft skin and I perfumed it for ya” (Yes). “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” (Yes). “That morning coffee, brewed it for ya” (Yes). It’s a small detail, but I always try to stress that the small details matter and always add up to something bigger. The more you listen, the more you get hooked on her the same way the guy in the song is getting hooked.

Now that I’ve mentioned it, can we talk about that Mountain Dew line? I’m sure some people think it’s a stupid and bad line, but those people are absolutely wrong. It's silly on the surface but works well as a clever double entendre ("I mount and do it for ya"). There’s four lines in this song that I could see somebody writing off as “bad lyrics.” The list includes:

“That’s that me espresso” (A little clunky, but does what it needs to do in order to set up a good metaphor for being the thing someone is addicted to)

“Move it up, down, left, right, oh / Switch it up like Nintendo” (Sounds like a joke bar your friend would spit in the car while making a joke about bad rappers who think they’re geniuses)

“My honeybee, come and get this pollen” (This wouldn’t sound out of place if it was said at the end of a James Bond film)

“I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” (This has definitely been said by a man who thinks he’s a sex god but only lasts the amount of time it takes to microwave a Hot Pocket)

The reason I put all of these lines in an organized list is to show one other thing this song does right: This is a silly song and it basks in the fact that it’s a silly and fun little song.

There’s a quick moment at 2:16, where Sabrina just says the word “stupid” before the song launches into the chorus again. I imagine that’s at the expense of the guy in the song, but I also treat it as her wink-and-nod to me that she’s aware this whole song is just silly, innocent fun and that I too should treat it as such. It doesn’t take anything away from the song, not one bit. If anything, it keeps it light and enhances everything it does right. If Taylor had said “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya” at ANY point during TTPD’s runtime, the masses would’ve erupted with laughter, scorn, and enough posts that you’d never hear the end of it. It works for Sabrina because a lot of her music is more upbeat than Taylor’s recent stuff has been and silly lines like that are quickly becoming her bread and butter. One of the biggest charms about her biggest hit from last year (“Nonsense”) is that it ends with literal nonsense bars that have nothing to do with the rest of the song: “This song catchier than chickenpox is / I bet your house is where my other sock is / Woke up this morning, thought I’d write a pop hit, ha-ha / How quickly can you take your clothes off? Pop quiz.” She’s taken that joke further by making up different stupid and silly outros every night she performs it just to get a laugh out of the audience. My personal favorite one: "This crowd is giving me all the endorphins / I wish someone would rearrange my organs / Philly is the city I was born in". 

The last thing we need to talk about is the absolutely gorgeous and wonderful music video she made for this. It’s a rare Dave Meyers W in this day and age, as he’s responsible for two of the absolute worst videos I’ve seen this decade: Ed Sheeran's "Bad Habits" and the Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa collab "Sweetest Pie." That said, when he’s good, he’s GOOD and it makes you forget every bad video he’s ever made (which is more than just the two I mentioned...)

The cinematography is gorgeous, the choreography is great, Sabrina looks utterly stunning and living her summer beach movie fantasies. Those shots of her doing sixties dances on a surfboard are fantastic and look like they’re straight out of a beach movie from that decade. The whole video has a sixties beach movie look to it, from Sabrina’s outfits all the way to the overall look and glow of the setting. Everything you imagine about a perfect summer is captured beautifully in this video. It’s a fun video that reflects the song in all the best ways. If pop music is escapism and is something designed to take you to another world for a short time, this song and video do just that. We’re all better for it.

Pop songs can be totally serious works of art, but “Espresso” proves they don’t always have to be. Sometimes a song can just be light and fun. “Espresso” knows what it is and it’s excited to be that for you. If you want to start buying stock in songs that might get the illustrious and coveted “Song of the Summer” status, I’m telling you to invest and put all of your money in this song right now because we’re going to the moon and beyond with it. The video for the song ends with Sabrina getting arrested for stealing a guy’s credit card and throwing him overboard at the beginning, with the final shot being the cop car she’s in having a speaker on top playing a little snippet of what will supposedly be Sabrina’s next song. Whatever she ends up doing next, I’m here for it. “Espresso” made me a fan and I’m excited to see whatever else she’s got because this song is everything I love about pop music packed neatly into three and a half minutes. This image from Twitter (Formerly Twitter) user @___bodacious sums up my feelings on Miss. Carpenter really well:

[alwaysmicado]

https://www.tumblr.com/free-my-mindd/746081775532605440/chris-mc-geown?source=share <- this is the link i supposed to add in previous ask but dunno why disappeared (i still can't figure out how to add a link in the ask 🤦🏻‍♀️)

read the latest part. my logical side told me that torturing joel somehow means torturing our baby reader, HOWEVER, my rage keep screaming that DON'T LET THAT FUCKER EXIT SO EASILY PLSSS. (of coz i well believe you will keep developing about reader's mind tht this chapter's ending doesn't mean the cloud is cleared or joel is forgiven.) he definitely has not sufferedorry enough. (or will there be a joel's POV chapter to let that fucker explain himself?)

what can i say about tommy? i thought their relationship is so unbelievable (in good way). where would the world got a married guy that still care a girl enough that pick up drunk/cry-call in the middle of night and not hang up? (or my friends are just too shitty 🤦🏻‍♀️) hope i didn't get it wrong from this chapter, besides the common ground from their traumatic history, tommy is just an extremely sweet guy? stupid question here - they seems cleared the prospect of romantic involvement but still able to keep a close relationship. <- i should get this from this chapter or that will be further flashback about this?

thanks so much for your great work and patience to read my rambling 💛

Hi Rachel 😍 Oh yeah, this quote fits reader perfectly:

there were two reasons I was scared to let people in; the damage they could do, and the damage they could find.

After Sunshine, @witchofthedeepwoods was also saying that Angels Like You by Miley Cyrus reminded her of reader and I couldn't agree more!

It's not your fault I ruin everything And it's not your fault I can't be what you need Baby, angels like you can't fly down hell with me I'm everything they said I would be

About Sink or swim:

he definitely has not sufferedorry enough. (or will there be a joel's POV chapter to let that fucker explain himself?)

First of all, you calling Joel a fucker is so damn funny to me, I dunno why 😂😂😂

Second of all, YES! The ending doesn't mean it's all resolved. Not at all. It just means that she's finally ready to be honest with herself, with Joel, and also with Tommy (since he knows now anyway). I guess we'll have to see if Joel makes the right call in the next part and is able to reassure reader somehow that he really is serious about her 😌. What I have planned for sure is to write out the confrontation between Joel and Tommy. I dunno yet if I'll post it separately or within the next part, but it's coming.

hope i didn't get it wrong from this chapter, besides the common ground from their traumatic history, tommy is just an extremely sweet guy? stupid question here - they seems cleared the prospect of romantic involvement but still able to keep a close relationship. <- i should get this from this chapter or that will be further flashback about this?

I think Tommy sees a lot of himself in reader and that's why he understands her so well. And she is comfortable with him 'cause she really feels like he does understand her without judging her. Plus, he's proven over time that he won't abandon her, and that's also huge for her.

At this point, their relationship is platonic and they both appreciate it for what it is. I'm not gonna tell you if that was always the case or if they had more going on after their first night (or even what happened there exactly). Maybe I will some day, but for now, you're free to imagine whatever you like 😋.

I could imagine that Joel's got his own thoughts/questions about their relationship though hehe. But, as @pattwtf and I discussed, I'm positive that Joel honestly wouldn't care either way.

Thank you for reading my story and taking the time to share your thoughts!! It's so much fun and I appreciate it a lot! 😍 Have a wonderful day! 🤍

[ahsokasupremacy]

My thoughts on the new Ahsoka trailer that just dropped a few days ago:

Interesting, looks like it’s a race to find Thrawn. Maybe this is what the cast meant when they said the show could go on for another season?

“We are no Jedi.” Makes me think that we might actually get a pro-Jedi arc instead of Filoni’s Gray Jedi agenda? Or is that too hopeful?

Hera looks good! As expected, Mary Elizabeth Winstead is killing it and fits right into the character. Y’all are just haters

The green eye contacts are a bit 👁️👄👁️ though Kinda reminds me of the Miley Cyrus blue eyes meme

Hilariously enough, Hera’s lekku look way better than Ahsoka’s. Not her getting eaten up in her own show

Hera and Ahsoka interaction, 10/10. +++

Ahsoka looks a bit more like herself without the cloak covering her shoulders (sorry, I can’t recognize Ahsoka unless the guns are out).

I can kinda see what the actress is going for, and she does fit the vibes of battle-hardened Rebels Ahsoka. Still sorta wish they recast her with Laura Harrier though

ANAKIN mention had me going feral... please, Hayden Christensen, be in here for longer than five seconds...

“Just like I walked away from Sabine” WOW JUST STAB ME IN THE HEART WHY DON’T YOU

SABINE IS SO HOT AUGHSKMS I AM SO GAY

“You never made things easy for me…Master” GHFKSKSMKDKD??? CASUAL LORE DROP??? Does this mean we are getting Jedi Sabine?

Thrawn looks a lot better than I was expecting him to be in live action, thank god. Whoever decided to give him eyebrows? You are my savior.

SABINE CUT HER HAIR AGAIN AKSMXMDMDD I AM GAYER NOW

The evil guy namedropped Anakin personally? Okay… interesting, would like to find out how they know each other

Overall, super excited to see what the show will bring. Huge improvement in the Montrals prosthetics, and looking forward to see a women-centric Star Wars show. I'm calling it, everyone is gonna be Team Hera/Soka by the end of this.

[jackalsinthekitchen]

pop report #4 (2/4/23)

new beginnings and the same old songs – pop is art & art is pop

How’s your week going? Mine’s alright. A new week of American chart action is coming to a close, with another shuffle of the cards due tomorrow. What does it all mean? Perhaps nothing. But locating the beauty and excitement and innovation and empowerment and restoration in apparent meaninglessness is why we love pop music in the first place. Though I guess “meaninglessness” is for the old days, when men in suits decried the slide from Johnnie Ray to Fabian – yearning for the more contained, prudent noise of, oh, Mitch Miller, another tie-throttled hater who did more to trivialize music than Elvis ever did.

Well. It isn’t the ‘50s, it’s the ‘20s (christ): pop music is artistic expression, & it sounds better than ever.

It may not be better than ever. What has our ever-polarized country enjoyed most this week? Miley Cyrus finally appears atop the country’s slowest and most significant chart, keeping “Kill Bill” down, though SZA can take historical solace in how many great songs stalled at #2. The Cyrus hit sounds better with each play – its music groovy and juicy, its self-love anthem lyrics as vital as those kinds of things always are. As I opined last week, however, for a woman who seems to flock to extremes, MC’s songs always feel so hedged – the chaos and lunacy she deploys more naturally than most pop stars are often difficult to find in her actual music. As art for money’s sake goes, “Flowers” feels fresh enough. But SZA’s hit, and its parent album, really are great art: formally inventive, emotionally raw yet nuanced, musically dreamy without disappearing into the ether, her specialty. That it’s selling is a credit to us (U.S.).

“Anti-Hero” settles into a respectable #3. I wish someone would explain to me, in concise and exciting fashion, why the turnarounds on these entries are so slow. How many different experiences an hour is TikTok? 150? We obviously have a voracious appetite for different shit. But this is how it’s always been, and anyway, Swift’s hit has yet to lose its luster for me. “Creepin” hangs in high; recall that the Weeknd is the guy who finally unseated “The Twist” as the bestselling song in Billboard’s entire history. The thing about the Weeknd, which seems to have been buried by a decade’s passage, is that when he first appeared, with the genuinely underground House of Balloons, he really seemed like a creep. That whole “when I’m fucked up, that’s the real me” shit – his music his almost always about sex, but also always sounds ominous and tortured, and I don’t know how to reconcile those things. But this is a fucked-up country, so honestly if he helps people exorcise lust and pain at once, great. Mope on, Week.

His albums are all over the charts too, reminding me that in terms of pure sales, the Weeknd and Drake are the Elton John and Paul McCartney (& Wings) of their era. SZA, at least, reigns supreme over in that top 10, with Midnights once again right up there too. While both albums are the kind you could live in comfortably for months on end – they draw your worst feelings out, subject them to a full spa treatment and six-session therapy course, and put them right back where they belong – it does seem like SZA’s is decisively better. Taylor’s chronic if inconsistent ungainliness, her ability to settle on the silliest and most awkward couplet in the world and match it to a judiciously sincere vocal and gloriously predictable melody, is part of her charm. But SOS’s lyrical wisdom and musical efficacy are a level above.

We’ll get back to #s 3 and 4 on the album charts – which are NEW ENTRIES – briefly noting that 5-10 are Metro Boomin’s Gloomiest Hits, Drake & 21 Savage Present: Women! Am I Right?, Bad Bunny es Jodidamente Sexy, Offensive: That Very Long Country Album, Zach Bryan’s record (which is still a real joy on contact, so I hope there’s nothing MAGA in the lyrics), and Growing Up Baby (by L. Baby). But because this isn’t readily available information, I should go back to running down the top singles. “Unholy” lives! People still think “I’m Good” is good! They’d die for “Die for You”! They think “Rich Flex” is a flex, Rich! “As it Was” is still there, as it was! “Golden Hour” is having its (OK OK. I’ll apologize later)

Getting back to #3 and #4 on the album charts: Trippie Redd – there’s a pair of words I’ve never seen, but this is his fifth album – is #3, a fairly conventional-sounding hard trap record whose track list is full of pairs of words I have seen, like “Chief” and “Keef”, “Juice” and “WRLD”. (The latter deserves the work he’s still getting four years after his death.) As for #4, if you saw how the artist’s name (HARDY) and the song titles (“beer”), not to mention the album title (the mockingbird & THE CROW), are styled (like THIS), well you wouldn’t know what to think. But though I’m not exactly sure what HARDY stands for (Hey! A Real Damn Yokel, maybe? “ain’t talkin politics, I’m talkin small towns, and if you’re FRUM WON you know what I’m TALKIN BAHOUT”), he’s a country act produced like a pop metal act – like Trippie, solid but unimaginative.

Look: part of why I want to examine these charts is that I have Boomer’s Kid Syndrome. I try to trick my ears into thinking it’s decades ago. But I wanna know what’s happening now, and since the monoculture is decomposing, I feel like this is the closest I can get to a consensus. Of course, this leaves out a wealth of brilliant indie music – not a genre, I remind you, but a classification based on distribution and, consequently, the expected reach of the musical product in question. Indie’s broken into our charts many times, and there was a minute between the aughts & the teens where pure pop actually began to feel like the underdog.

Though power is power, privilege is privilege and good old capitalism is shitty old capitalism, I don’t like to draw these distinctions between pop and art – it’s all pop art, man. It’s like people I remember from school who used to insist that “movies” and “films” are different things, a misguided stance exemplified by the annual kerfuffle in which a thing like Top Gun: Maverick gets nominated for Best Picture and roughly equal portions of people flip their shit (positive and negative). But art is good or bad, and there isn’t even a science to prove which, or how much. Pure enjoyment and undeniable profundity can coexist; can even be melded into the same moment.

So yeah: there’s so much more music to write about than whatever will take these top slots throughout the year, and because this is my brand new blog on fucking Tumblr which at the moment nobody reads (I’m talkin to YOU, reader), I can write something like this: I don’t know what this blog is going to be yet, exactly. For a little over a decade I’ve been writing freelance very casually and with a regrettable dearth of ambition, with little victories and lengthy droughts. I used to write a lot more and a lot worse, but then and now I only ever seem to write about pop music. I have a real thing for the now-octogenarian Dean of American Rock Critics Robert Christgau, who can get away with unwieldier sentences and more absurdly obscure words than anybody should ever try. But in the spirit of finding the momentum in the core of a new beginning, I figured I’d give myself a place to write with no rules, save for the ones I set.

I knew quickly on that writing a piece at a rough rate of one per week could burn me out fast, and have discovered that these Billboard redundancies don’t make for very fresh content. But as I was going down the latest list, recognizing that this piece is nearly a week late by my own arbitrary deadline, I realized something. I missed a week! I didn’t bug you at all about the week of January 28th! So now, not only do you not know what happened, you don’t even know how I feel about it. While I feel true, deep regret for this act of deprival, it’s useful in that it proves to me that the world won’t end if I skip a week. Or two. Or six. But that’s these chart beats. I have plenty to say about all kinds of shit that happened long before.

So adieu for now, with Jackals! to return and roam around a few new fields sometime before this next month comes in like a lion. (February in Texas is more like a hippo – deceptively sedate until it rises up, roars, and bites you through the torso). Thanks so much for reading, you two. And since it’s quiet enough here to not risk embarrassing her, I’ll add a bit more gratitude to that which I give her regularly, and thank Jenna Caire for editing these pieces – a startlingly enjoyable process – & designing our logo.

[tears-of-boredom]

she just has zero nuance. i talked about menial things like the weather and what we're going to eat? we astablished a connection. i talk about how it would be nice to do different things sometimes? im ready and cabable to do those things as soons as opportunity arrives. i dont fucking get it. im your daughter. you have to fucking know just how little you know about me. maybe i dont talk because everytime I try and explain why she's misrepresenting me, she literally starts to argue about how, actually no she's not, it's just how she sees the situation. and then my viewpoint gets forgotten. even me deciding to make a point and sit on the couch until 12, is now "yeah I talked to her and explained how important this was". no. i was trying to fucking show you how much of a corpse i look because I haven't slep. i was showing to not force me to do shit because i wont fucking comply. i was not answering the useless questions. i didnt have the energy to do so. like I said I wouldnt. also her reminding everyone how good my grades would be if I put some effort into them has become such a fucking trigger by now. give me a genuine compliment for once. oh wait you cant because you dont fucking knoe anything about me. me going to church on two sundays is not me being actually interested in going to church. its me trying to come up with anything to look forward to, and desperately just deciding to try if the christian god suddenly wants to help me. i know that there is no way for you to know that, and that to you it may seems like i specifically like the "going to church" part of it. but there is no way for you to know if your view is correct either. so dont fucking frame it in that way to these adults, who are no doubt going to take everything you say at face value. i prefer the buddy system they are planning over living away from home, because I can't see either one working, but atleast for the other i dont have to pack a lot of shit and be forced to sociliaze. the first time I was away, the staff commented how, at first I was really hanging around the others, but then later holed myself in my room. they are fucking idiots. of course I would try and please the adults, did you not hear the quiet but talented syndrome my mom diagnosed me with. and naturally i get fucking tired of having to humor these adults every day like its a fucking job. my wants did not change over time, I just realised that i actually could refuse on doing activities, and that people wouldnt see me as a bad child because of that.

i fucking hate adults. why do they trust my mom so much. why does my mom think that the therapy is working. why does she think my school absences are related to something so trivial as her not being home as much. and it's just so fucking frustrating how she technically doesnt state the things as facts, but she frames them in that way where it is so fucking implied that what shes saying is the truth and that she knows me and can tell shit by just observing me in an enviroment that has her in it.

i cant fucking see from these weird water droplets in my eyes suddenly.

she takes me being annoyed as like, me being really offended.

i just dont know what im supposed to say or do. I cant bring myself to actually open up to anyone who I'm supposed to, because my mom has made me think that no one will understand my words and will always take them the wrong way.

crying to see you again by miley cyrus is truly something. why me. why the fuck. why. why. why. why. why. why. why. why. why. why. why. why do I have to live.

i just feel like i should do something but because i cant bring myself to do anything it feels like its my fault. my pillow is so fucking wet and im ugly crying in that way where your face twists to extremes and you cant stop it and I fucking hate life.

why do other people get to have a fucking life and I get this. sorry i dont actually mean that good for you if you have a life im just so fucking jealous.

i hate adults. none of them ever seem to realise that children are capable of humoring adults. playing along. theyre just so fucking stupid. and they probably all allistic as well. the ones in my "adults trying to help me" circle i mean.

it was also really painful how mom talks always like getting me to go to school is the top priority. like she genuinely doesnt see the mental health issues. she genuinely thinks I havent daydreamed about killing her. she thinks that me going to school is even on the table. ahe thinks that my mental health has just had severe downs, from which i recoverved from. she thinks i dont have trauma.

im tired. from the lack of sleep and probably all the crying as well.

im sad that I cant bring myself to kms. i dont know id just like to step out. quit the game. stop this bullshit thats happening.

[fullmentalitylove]

« So explain to us your 2017 haircut. What is it exactly? It starts from the left side and then it goes… »

« My hair is kind of a mess. »

« No, no. This is not true! It’s really well thought out. »

« It is a mess. But the most annoying thing is when I play, the hair is starting to fall. So I’ve started to wear the headband. »

«You’ve seen the questions, haven’t you? Yeah, that’s right, he had seen the questions! We’re going to take a look at your haircuts. Give yourself a 10 out of 10, or a 0 out of 10. So, here, when little. »

« Here, to me, it’s a 10! »

« It’s right for the age! »

« Yeah, exactly, see, my little tuft, lots of gel on the tuft and it was real hard. »

« Second image. What do we give it? »

« Oh, this too, I quite liked. »

« So 10 out of 10? »

« Yeah… »

«Alright. »

« No, this, less good! »

« Why? »

« I don’t know, not enough hair… Oh! This one, this one! »

« Okay, now we’re starting with the… complicated ones! »

« This is alright, but there was a lot of criticism… »

« And what were the people saying? »

« Well, it was Hitler. »

« Oh. Yes, that’s criticism. You sure can take that as criticism! So… »

« But it was okay, I liked it! »

« Okay. Next picture. Here is the famous image, yes, that is... »

« Many people criticized me, but I think it’s the one, I think it’s the one that I loved. »

« Really? You like this one? »

« It’s the one I like the most, I think. »

« Well it reminded us of Miley Cyrus, to tell you the truth. »

« Yeah. »

« So you’d give it a 10 out of 10? »

« Yeah, because really, I loved this haircut. »

« Okay. Does it come from David Beckham, this capillary passion of yours, the fact that you change all the time… »

« It comes from my mother! Yup. »

« Because… she changes her hair a lot…? »

« Because on the first picture with the blonde hair, she was the one who did the dye. »

« But that was when you were little. »

« Yeah, but she would dye my hair. »

« Oh, at that age already, she would dye your hair? How do you explain that? ‘Listen, I’m going to dye your hair.’? »

« ‘Well okay, go for it, Mom.’ »

« In your opinion, what’s the best hair? That. »

« Yeah. »

« Why? »

« Dunno… But I love it. »

« That’s dyed. »

« Yeah there’s some dye in here. And there’s gel! »

« Apart from you, who has the best hair in the French team? »

« I quite like Paul. Pogba. »

« Yeah. And you know what he does for his hair, right. Before trying a hair salon himself, he sends someone to get their hair cut there, and then he judges whether it’s good or not, and then he goes. If the hair was cut well, he goes. »

« Nah… »

« He does! »

« No… For real? »

« He has a haircut double! »

« He does? »

« Yes, it’s true! »

«Ah, I didn’t know. »

« Don’t you talk about this? »

« No. But his hairdresser is very good! With all the patterns he does on the sides. Hats off. »

« Now, the killer question: have you ever dreamed that you were bald? »

« No. But I do have some weird dreams from time to time, like losing a tooth or falling off a plane. »

« Go on. Let’s talk about your dreams!»

« Yeah no, but I think I’m going to be bald because my father is not very far from it. »

« He’s nearly bald? »

« Yeah, not very far from it. »

——

Antoine Griezmann’s interview on all things hair-related for Quotidien in Le Tif Show - 2nd of June 2017

[zozeebo]

[venusianbbaby]

Celebrity Observations

I would love to hear if you have any comments or questions about these. These are just my observations over some celebrities placements and their charts.

- - - - - ☆ - - - - -

1. Doja Cat has Uranus and Neptune in the third house. Her music is “unique” or “eccentric” and can be dreamy.

2. The thirteenth degree and fourteenth has shown up A LOT in significant placements in charts I’m looking at.

3. Singers seem to have lots of third house placements. Writers/comedians too

4. Britney Spears has her first house with Saturn and Pluto in it. She has had problems with authority figures basically taking her sense of self. She does have Jupiter in the second house though :) Which is beneficial for her.

3. I posted about how you can tell a significant age of something in your life, Jamie Lynn Spears has her sun at the 14th degree and that’s when she was cast as zoey. She also has her Neptune at the 16th degree and that’s when she got pregnant too..

4. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have 4th house synastry 🥺 so that’s why they may feel so comfy together

5. ^ Ma’am has her sun, moon, mercury, venus, and mars in virgo. she is sooo hardworking. and serious but not at the same time?? lol

6. Victoria Justice has a 3H moon (like me) and it just reminds me of the song my best friends brother 😭😭

7. Gigi Hadid has an Aquarius moon (she’s distant with her mom) and Bella has a Virgo moon (means mom can be critical or perfectionist) and i think that explains it.

8. Many famous people have Leo, Aquarius, and Capricorn degrees as well as placements. Sagittarius is seen too.

9. I’ve also seen so many Sun-Mars aspect??? I feel like these individuals have a strong drive to make something out of themselves or make things happen.

10. ^ Sun aspecting to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto are in many charts.

11. Also individuals with Aquarius placements seem to be the ones that don’t have kids or just have one?

12. Miley Cyrus has her Saturn at the 13th degree which is the age she got cast on Hannah Montana. She didn’t want to be associated with that show in her line of work, her Saturn is in the tenth house (fame/authority)

14. Jennifer Aniston has her Saturn at the 21st degree which is when she was cast on friends. This made her career go downhill because many people didn’t want to cast her. It’s in her sixth house also which rules jobs and work.

- - - - - ☆ - - - - -

[loth-wolffe]

31 with Rex- maybe a lil smutty? It’s interesting to picture him at the beach hehe

anon said "a lil smutty" so this is a LIL SMUTTY. still, MINORS BACK OFF.

This is not tHAT explicit but still. The first half is fluffy though, if you wanna read it<3

Here in the open

Pairing: Captain Rex x reader (no y/n)

Prompt: 31. I never sat by the shore, under the sun with my feet in the sand, but you brought me here. - Malibu by Miley Cyrus

Word count: 1,7k

Warnings: implied public sex. sub!rex

had this done since like, a week ago but felt a bit self conscious about it and after the sixth time editing this im alright with the results i think?? (ended up cutting off most of the smut tho, soz)

You were sent to Corellia on Jedi matters, and since you didn't have your own battalion yet, Anakin was kind enough to lend his Captain for him to accompany you, as your best friend insisted that he still needed to teach Ahsoka how to lead the men without the Captain around.

Probably a lie, because you had seen the padawan in action and she didn't need to be taught how to bark orders for loyal troopers to follow her anywhere. Still, you didn't complain, you actually liked Rex, a bit too much, and you were thrilled to spend a couple of days with him.

So that's why you found yourself covering Rex's eyes with one hand as the other holds his bucket, the waves and the crushing sound of the sand beneath your boots are enough to spoil the surprise.

"I've seen beaches before, General." You roll your eyes at the title, biting your lip to stop you from telling him for the hundredth time to call you by your name.

"I know."

But he hadn't seen a beach like this, without it being a battlefield scenario, where there is salt in the air and a pleasant humidity that doesn't mix with the sweat and the blaster shots, a peace and quiet that comes with the birds chanting somewhere not so far from where you and the crashing sound of the waves. A place where his mouth isn't dry from shouting orders nor feel the cramps in his hands from holding the blaster too hard and for too long.

There is no pressure, no thought of kill or be killed. Here it's just him, and it's just you.

"But I still wanted to show you this."

You uncover his eyes, holding back a smile because he had them closed and it took him a moment to open them. And the fleeting memory of him telling you he'd trust you with his eyes closed makes your heart flutter.

Rex doesn't think too much about it, because it's just a beach at the end, nothing special, just sand and water and the sunset might be a bit breathtaking, but he doesn't understand where you're coming from.

You sit in the sand, and you motion him for him to do it too. He does, hesitant, and there's just an inch separating the two of you, enough for you to rest your hand as you lean back on your arms and admire the sky's painting, blues turning into sweet yellows before they become a warm orange, the view reminding you of home, and you're glad to know every sunset is the same, but different in their own way.

That thought leads you back to a certain someone.

"You still haven't told me what are we doing here." You look at him, and smile softly, the golden light of the sun hitting him in the most beautiful way, amber eyes looking lighter and brown skin glowing under the last rays of sunshine.

You could tell him the truth, that you brought him here because you want him to have at least one memory that doesn't have to do with war, because it aches you the solely thought that he thinks he's just a soldier, not entitled to have some normalcy in his life, no right to know nor to experience something different from all the pain and suffering these hard times bring him.

For him to be aware that the same places he survives in, can be beautiful too, they can be relaxing, that he can feel loved there, too.

"Take off your boots." You say instead, as you take off yours, Rex gives you a puzzled look and you smile widely. "And your socks."

He eventually follows, flinching just a bit when his bare feet touch the sand, he frowns softly, as he watches how they get buried when he presses further into the sand.

"It feels..." He starts but doesn't finish, lifting his leg as he looks how the sand falls, tilting his head slightly so he can have a better appreciation of the action.

"It feels nice, doesn't it?" And he just nods, repeating the movement twice before mimicking the way you're sitting, with his feet buried in the sand as he comes to look at you.

"You haven't answered my question."

"I don't have an answer for it." You lie, because it's easier than admitting that your heart guided you this time instead of the logic the Jedi always want you to follow, "I like it here," you try to explain without giving away your heart, "It's relaxing, and the view is always pretty, wherever you are." You tell him, looking straight at him, and there is a truth you can't hide too well but luckily he fails to notice.

He is the pretty view you're talking about.

Rex watches the waves crashing, and a few flying animals making their way through the sky, the sun is low enough for stars to start appearing flickering up above, there is this warm breeze that makes your hair dance, and for a moment you swear the war doesn't exist, feeling too far away, a distant thought that could make you feel bad about for forgetting if it wasn't for the way Rex's eyes shine bright as he takes in the landscape. The fact that he places his hand on yours, makes you know it's worth it.

He hums in agreement after a while.

"I guess I can see the appeal, all right."

You smile, triumphantly, but the way you feel your heart in your throat keeps you from saying anything. Rex looks back at you, and your breath hitches with how soft his face looks, eyes scanning every little detail on your face that might give away your intentions with such intensity you shy away, your gaze falling to where your hands are touching.

"Uh, sorry, I– I didn't mean to–"

He pulls it away quickly when he finds out, as if he had been burnt, blush dusting his cheeks and he's ready to put a professional distance between you.

But before he could move, your hand cups his cheek as he falls silent, too caught in the touch to keep pushing an awkward apology past his lips, he never thought a touch on his face could feel so... tender, so different from the harsh metal from the droids or the back of a blaster.

He unconsciously leans closer, taking a sharp breath as the warmth of your hand wraps his skin and for a moment he doesn't know what to do with himself.

"It's okay," you murmur, and he can't remember if you've always been this close, breath fanning his face and his heart is about to burst from his chest at any moment. "Can I kiss you?" you ask, and he almost chokes.

He nods, a simple movement you almost missed if you hadn't been so close, afraid that if he moved a bit more than necessary he would wake up and find out it was all just a dream.

Your lips lock with his in a painfully slow touch, just in case he wanted to back away, think things straight, realize it was a bad idea, but he doesn't, and instead wraps his lips on your bottom one. A tender little kiss, shy, experimental, just to taste each other for the first time, to know how it feels.

He's the one that pulls away when in need for air, leaving him panting just a little, and gives you a bashful smile, the tips of his ears slightly red and you grin widely.

"That was, uh–" He starts, but this time you're the one that doesn't let him finish, pushing yourself to him as you dive in for another kiss, sloppier, more needy, because once you got the taste of him you can't get enough.

And as he lays down in the sand and his hands go to your waist, it becomes just tongues and little whines leaving him that go straight into your belly, noses bumping every time to time and at some point you're straddling him, he looks at you when you pull apart as if you just hung every star in the sky, but he is the one that looks like a work of art.

With his bruised lips and lustful eyes, you lean to kiss him softly, a quick, soft peck that leaves him chasing after your lips, you rock your hips onto his, and he moans wantonly, the place you need him the most rubbing on his codpiece making you bite down a whimper.

He mumbles something unintelligible, and you tilt your head as grind against him once more, his eyes fluttering close and brows furrowing together.

"What's that, Captain?" Now it's him the one that meets your hips and you do everything in your power to not choke out the loud moan that wanted to scape you.

"I need you." You crook a brow, a hand moving to cup the plastoid that covers his cock.

"Oh," you look around, but there's no one that might be witness of what you're about to do, "right here?" You ask innocently, and sincerely, you don't care if you're in the open or hiding in a supply closet.

You want to see him fall apart before you. He nods.

"Use your words, Rex," you say in that tone you only use when ordering around, and you feel him twitch under you.

"Yes, here," he breaths out, "please." It's strangled, and you never felt more powerful, a smirk curls its way into your lips and you place open mouthed kisses on his jaw.

He doesn't know what he just got himself into.

taglist: @foodandbooksplease @dottiechan @ladykatakuri @tacticalsparkles @lightning-wolffe @hellothere-generalangsty @baroclinicinstability @murdertoothpick @beskarprincessjenny @shygirl268

[charissekenion]

Newsletter #55: The importance of James Kaliardos - more than a makeup artist

This week’s podcast was all about beauty news, and included a special section on the brilliance of makeup artist James Kaliardos. It all started with Lori Harvey getting ready for Vogue World on YouTube…

When IT Girl Lori looks over at her makeup artist, James Kaliardos, she simply introduces him as ‘James, my makeup artist.’ Which makes sense; Lori can afford the absolute best when it comes to her glam squad, and she does not owe anyone any credit, but I decided to use my podcast to create an extra episode, just so I could share a little information on James’ career, which began back in the 1990s.

I also created a TikTok on James and it’s received such good feedback from people who had either never heard of him before, or were glad to be reminded of his influence. Of course, there were a couple of comments saying that I’m unfairly ‘coming for Lori’ or ‘feigning annoyance’ and it’s not true at all. I was kind of annoyed, not at Lori - just at the missed opportunity.

It feels like, in 2022, information (often incorrect information at that) is shared without even a second being spent on adding a little context. When you’re in a position of influence, you have the ability to really celebrate someone’s work. In this instance, a high profile client is paying someone for a service and they don’t owe any public reviews or endorsements, but for me, James Kaliardos is highly influential, and not just in beauty. Here are just some of the reasons why…

New York-based James studied at the prestigious Parsons School of Design, where he focused on art history, photography, theatre and film, a decision which absolutely would have inspired him to go on to be one of the founders of the legendary Visionaire, a fashion-forward so-called experiential agency that produces films, events and publications. Launched in 1991 alongside Cecelia Dean and Stephen Gan, Visionaire has earned itself a reputation for highlighting the most interesting moments and people in fashion, art and film. They’ll often create these stunning themed issues with some costing as much as $1,000 and there was one special Louis Vuitton issue that went for $5,000.

Visionaire also launched one of my favourites, the highly influential V magazine in 1999, VMan in 2003 and former editor in chief of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book in 2012. In 2014 the initial trio split, so today Cecelia and James run the company and the title Visionaire, while Stephen retained V and VMan.

James is also highly respected in the beauty world, and is often the artist that brands either want to collaborate with on a new range, or have backstage creating catwalk looks. We’re talking MAC, Nars, Tom Ford, Fenty Beauty, Makeup Forever – the list goes on it comes to makeup launches that have changed the face of beauty.

He’s worked on movies, music videos and his work has been seen in publications from Vogue to Allure and his celebrity clientele has taken him from working with Madonna in the ‘90s to Miley Cyrus, and of course, Lori Harvey. I think it’s all down to James’ highly attuned editorial eye; he simply knows what works and he creates looks that are super impactful but never fussy or overly-done.

One thing I personally love about James’ style, is that he’s never been a fan of a prescribed idea of prettiness; as he said in a 2016 interview for thekit.ca, he’s always been more into the girls who look even better than pretty – it’s about looking interesting and that looks different on everyone. So that’s that on James; I just wanted to share a little bit about who he is, just in case you happened to see his work with Lori Harvey. Lori might be an It girl but James is IT when it comes to beauty and innovation.

If you’d like to receive this newsletter each week, direct to your inbox, please subscribe at https://beautymenotes.substack.com/

[highladyluck]

Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag playlist

Direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

26 songs, 1 hr 23 min. A character playlist for Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, aka the High Lady, aka the Daughter of the Nine Moons, aka “Precious” but only if you’re Mat Cauthon, aka Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag, aka the Empress of Seanchan.

She’s a fascinating mixture of good and evil, person and tool, sympathetic and unsympathetic by turns. I tried to capture that in this playlist, which is organized roughly chronologically by her personal timeline.

There are spoilers in the playlist and commentary for Winter's Heart through A Memory of Light, since this is meant to mirror the narrative.

Track List:

1.      Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

2.      Game of Survival – Ruelle

3.      Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

4.      When I Rule The World – LIZ

5.      Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

6.      The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

7.      Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

8.      Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

9.      Jolene – Dolly Parton

10.   Maybe, This Time – OK Go

11.   Big Guns – Ruelle

12.   Fascinated – Ivy

13.   The Bullpen – Dessa

14.   Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

15.   Greek God – Conan Gray

16.   Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

17.   Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

18.   Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

19.   you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

20.   Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

21.   Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

22.   Daisy – Ashnikko

23.   Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

24.   I Walk The Line – Halsey

25.   Glory and Gore – Lorde

26.   Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Commentary and lyrics underneath the cut. Listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KLghlM9nCF1WLKBNoLt5z?si=b1e1d244810e4ae9

1)      Second Child, Restless Child – The Oh Hellos

See, I was born the second child With a spirit running wild, running free

The Empress’s second child, the only one who goes across the ocean.

2)      Game of Survival – Ruelle

Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?

"Keep this doll to remind you that I will always hear you if you say my name. If I am still alive, of course."

3)      Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya

Oh, I don't know what you've been told But this girl right here's gonna rule the world Yeah, that's where I'm gonna be because I wanna be No, I don't wanna sit still, look pretty

Tuon wishes she looked more intimidating, and threw a full-blown temper tantrum when she was told who she’d have to marry.

4)      When I Rule The World – LIZ

When I rule the world, then I'm gonna make you sweat Dog collar 'round your neck, on your knees and scrub the deck

I promise I didn't forget about the sul'dam thing. This should be as jarring as her initial POV in Winter's Heart is.

5)      Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

I see the bad moon a-rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightnin' I see bad times today

Such a good “Seanchan invade Ebou Dar” song! I definitely stole this from someone else’s Mat playlist, but I don’t think it’s on 8tracks anymore.

6)      The Thief and the Moon – Shawn James

Said the Thief to the Moon "I'll extinguish your light soon I'll put an end to all the light that you shed On this world in its darkened state"

I can imagine this as a Seanchan myth; covers Tuon's opinion on her prophecy & getting kidnapped.

7)      Pomegranate Seeds – Julian Moon

Kore, Kore, fauna and flora How did you get your throne? (Hey!) You made a deal You traded daffodils For a kingdom of ash and bone

Had to sneak in a reference to Tuon's middle name. Tuon's POV on her bargain with Mat.

8)      Zebra – The Magnetic Fields

so there's one thing I crave when my days become ho-hum and blah I want a zebra

Took this from my Mat/Tuon book playlist because it is truly the funniest song on there. It's a zebra in our hearts!

9)      Jolene – Dolly Parton

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene I'm begging of you please don't take my man

This is very tongue-in-cheek, but at the same time, if you pay attention you can see that Tuon's particularly annoyed by/threatened by Joline Maza.

10)   Maybe, This Time – OK Go

So listen, I'm not trying to prove anything at all here But don't you think that maybe, this time, you were wrong?

Mat to Tuon after confiscating the a'dam from her.

11)   Big Guns – Ruelle

Every little move is fixed Like a game of chess The blood on your hands is thick And you're placing bets Can't hide in the den of lions

A really perfect song for Tuon's 'lion on the high plains' realization; I know technically Mat doesn't have cannon or grenades yet, but shhhh, the rapid-fire crossbows are more or less machine guns. Let me have this. Call it foreshadowing if you must.

12)   Fascinated – Ivy

Never turned out like we talked about Never could tell how to read your mind Never found out what you're all about In this lifetime, baby, you will be mine

Tuon's POV on the marriage ceremony.

13)   The Bullpen – Dessa

Forget the bull in the china shop There's a china doll in the bullpen

Returning to Ebou Dar to kick ass and take heads. This was the song that made me create this playlist, because of "china doll in the bullpen," which is such a great description of Tuon.

14)   Pretty Little Head – Eliza Rickman

Catch yourself a looker, let him go, go, go Wanna have your baby, but I'm so, so slow

Tuon misses Mat, but don’t you dare breathe a word about it. Besides, it’s just business.

15)   Greek God – Conan Gray

And since you always swear that you wanted me gone Then why don't you go get your gun? 'Cause you don't really hate me (You're a little baby) You don't wanna end me (You wanna befriend me)

The Tuon vs Rand confrontation (take two, where Tuon's actually there.) Rand has quite enough confidence, really, but most of the song really works.

16)   Emperor’s New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco

Welcome to the end of eras Ice has melted back to life Done my time and served my sentence Dress me up and watch me die

Declaring herself Empress after meeting with Rand.

17)   Rat Queen – The Mountain Goats

We who have never once tasted The stench of defeat Victory sweet as the dregs of the fast food dumpster Look how they jump when we show up Like they've just seen a monster

H/T to @anyboli, who first suggested this to me as a Tuon song. This is a good soundtrack to planning the raid on the White Tower…

18)   Carmina Burana: O Fortuna – Carl Orff

O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable[…]

I literally cannot imagine a Tuon playlist without this song. It’s White Tower raid time!

19)   you should see me in a crown – Billie Eilish

Count my cards, watch them fall Blood on a marble wall I like the way they all Scream

Yeah, this was inevitable too. I’m using it for that absolutely horrifying POV of hers where she's in the damane training room and decides it's time to plan a full-out attack on the White Tower.

20)   Muse with a Dagger – Taylor Castro

You're making fun of my people Pretend I don't hear you Cause I won't forgive myself For fueling or burning you

Tuon's thoughts on Mat in the garden. This didn't lean as as far into the dagger/knife imagery as I'd hoped for- remember, this is the blog that insists Athaem means Magic Dagger Curse- but it seemed so strangely apt for the two of them that I had to include it.

21)   Please Don’t Say You Love Me – Gabrielle Aplin

There's no need to worry when You see just where we're at Just please don't say you love me Cause I might not say it back

Her conversation with Mat in the garden.

22)   Daisy – Ashnikko

Respect a bitch, I'm a maverick Flexible, so elastic But don't you dare bend a bitch backwards

This is what you married, Mat. (The Mat POV version of this character sketch is probably Cake's Short Skirt Long Jacket.) I will not apologize for the number of #girlboss songs on this playlist.

23)   Mother’s Daughter – Miley Cyrus

Oh my gosh, she got the power Oh, look at her, she got the power So, so, so Don't fuck with my freedom I came up to get me some

The confrontation with Egwene. I see this as mostly Egwene's POV, with Tuon doing a sort of echo, the way she does in the original scene. They are fascinatingly alike here, and the way Egwene controls the scene and gets in Tuon's head- when that's Tuon's signature strategy- is amazing.

24)   I Walk The Line – Halsey

You've got a way to keep me on your side You give me cause for love that I can't hide For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide

Tuon admitting that her heart tells her to return to save Mat (and the armies of the Light).

25)   Glory and Gore – Lorde

Glory and gore go hand in hand That's why we're makin' headlines (Oh! Oh!) You could try and take us (Oh! Oh!) But victory's contagious

The Seanchan army comes back for the kill.

26)   Trouble – Stripped – Halsey

Don't forget me, don't forget me I wouldn't leave you if you'd let me Hmm, when you met me when you met me You told me you were gonna get me

Death threats are just their deranged way of flirting; if Tuon wanted Mat dead she wouldn't warn him, you know? And in that final scene with the fireworks Tuon's telling Mat that she wants him around, and he understands it as such.

[rawiswhore]

Scott Hall x Fem Reader- “Video Killed the Radio Star”

Would people read a fanfic about modern day Scott Hall, despite that he's nowhere near as sexy as he used to be?

He isn't Bastion Booger levels of ugly, but he isn't Jeff Hardy levels of hot now, either.

________________________________________________________________

Professional wrestlers usually have a nickname; Stone Cold's nickname is the Rattlesnake or Texas Rattlesnake, the Rock's nickname is The People's Champ or the Great One, Triple H's nickname is the Game, Shawn Michaels' nickname is Heartbreak Kid or HBK, even a few modern pro wrestlers have nicknames.

What was Razor Ramon's nickname?

The Bad Guy, duh!

(Yes, that was meant to be a Billie Eilish reference)

By the 2010's, the man who had played Razor Ramon was a mere shell of his former self, he was now bloated and even on medications for epilepsy, though he was a shell of his former self by the 2000's as well.

By the mid to late 2010's, you were an immensly popular female singer, and at the beginning of 2016, you had released a single and music video for a song titled "Bad Girl".

This song was blowing up in popularity, and by the end of 2016, it was the #1 song of the year.

Despite that Razor Ramon's nickname was the Bad Guy, some people were sending him asks on social media, asking if he's seen your new song and music video.

He had to see your new music video, especially considering he's someone who used to refer to himself as the Bad Guy.

He knew about you and seen what you look like, he won't deny you're a beautiful young lady and he's even rubbed one out to you a few times.

Some thirsty, horny camgirls have actually told him on social media that they wanna be his bad girl.

One day, he lay on his couch with his jeans and boxers pulled down to his knees, wearing headphones covering his ears, and pressed his iPad with the tip of his index finger, only to press Youtube's button, which led him to that website's home page.

He typed in your name, pressing the letters on the keyboard on the iPad's screen, and as he typed your name, under the search engine was a list of your name next to names of some of your songs and music videos, including "Bad Girl", the song and video he's looking for.

His thumb pressed on your name that had the word "Bad Girl" next to it, which led him to your song and music video.

He grinned when he was brought to search of your video, and found the thumbnail for the music video of you.

He pressed the tip of his thumb on the thumbnail to your music video, which lead you to your music video.

The chord to his headphones were plugged into his iPad so he can listen to your song as well, and the tip of his thumb rolled the volume up at the perfect volume.

He brought a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues with him that were sitting on the couch next to him, there's a reason why he brought those things.

He pressed the "skip ad" button with his thumb while an ad was playing before your video started, he doesn't wanna see any ads.

When your video began playing, he pressed the full screen button with the tip of his thumb so he can see your video in full screen.

He does miss the days when MTV played music videos all day long, that way he can see your video on television and control the volume with a remote, and MTV used to overplay the same music videos over and over again.

The video to this song was you dressed in a black little cocktail dress similar to this dress Debbie Harry is wearing here:

 Speaking of Debbie Harry, your music video had you standing on a set where the walls and floor were painted with black and white vertical stripes, looking like the same set to Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone" video.

In fact, this video was modeled after that Blondie video.

Behind you were some men dressed in black outfits playing musical instruments, and during the first few strums of the guitar, you were standing in the front with your hands on your hips, tapping your foot and slightly nodding your head to the guitar's strums.

As the song and video progressed on and showed you singing, one of Scott's hands reached out and pumped some lotion onto his hand, where he got some white lotion on his fingers.

He moved that hand to his erection, his dick growing harder and harder as he watched your video.

His fat, chubby fingers wrapped around his shaft, where he began masturbating his cock, pumping his hand up and down his dick.

Your music video is tame when you compare it to Cardi B and the City Girls' "Twerk" video.

He smiled and grinned when he watched your video, enjoying seeing you looking beautiful and sexy AF.

He is a little disappointed that you aren't super hypersexualized in this video, but you still do look hot in this video.

He held his iPad in one hand and his cock in the other, holding his iPad up.

His fingers stroked up and down his cock, which was already erect even before he watched your music video, but it was growing harder and taller as the music video progressed on.

Precum was leaking out of his penis head's slit, spilling down his shaft, helping make his penis slipperier.

Was it necessary for him to bring some lotion with him considering he has precum leaking down his shaft that will make his dick slippery?

Yes, it was.

His skin was getting warm while he was masturbating, thank goodness he took his pants and boxers off.

Your music video is tame when you compare it to Jennifer Lopez's "Booty" music video from a while back, but this video has you stroking up your bare arm like Debbie Harry does in Blondie's "Hangin' on the Television" video, as well as you strolling up to your guitarist and trying to flirt with him.

This video doesn't have any stripping, nudity, twerking, or anything like that, which slightly disappoints Scott, but he still is sexually aroused by this video.

This is a sexy music video with class to it.

Plus, it's based on a Blondie video from the late 70's.

What modern pop star ever recreates Blondie, besides Miley Cyrus covering "Heart of Glass"?

The song you're singing in this video, however, has you singing about a bad girl and how bad she truly is.

She isn't psychopathic or anything, but she isn't exactly wholesome.

He's listening and paying attention to your lyrics to this song, grinning over how bad you are.

Such a naughty girl, he thought, licking his lips. This naughty little chica needs a spanking.

He'd rather watch your video on television or even on a computer, but nowadays, computers are becoming obsolete because of technology changing.

Though, he isn't all that tech savvy.

He really hopes your music video he's watching won't give him an epileptic seizure.

It isn't a brightly colored video at all, but it features many shots of you twirling and spinning around.

This video doesn't just feature you, but also shots of youngish guys in their 20's behind you playing instruments occasionally.

One part of the video had you walking up to one of the musicians behind you, brushing and nudging your body on his as well as playing with his necktie.

Scott (as well as some horny, thirsty guys) really wishes that was him.

As he watched the video and continued masturbating, he was thinking all about you.

Such a tiny little girl, he thought. Could such a tiny girl handle someone big like me?

You weren't a literal little underage girl, he meant little as in small.

"Would love for you to remind me" he mumbled, and he's gonna imagine you riding his dick when he tries falling asleep.

Such perfect dick sucking lips, he thought. Perfect to wrap around my cock.

He wants you to suck his cock and clean the precum spilling down it, as well as swallow it.

He'd love to run the tip of his thumb across your lips.

"Love for you to 'suck it', babydoll" he murmured, referencing when he used to crotch chop and shout that naughty catchphrase during his NWO days.

Heh, there's a concept for you: some chica sucking his dick while he crotch chops and exclaims "suck it!" at her.

Wonder if he ever has done that?

He'd love to get his machismo all over you, ifyknowwhatimean.

He actually enjoys the song you're singing and didn't even mute it.

A naughty little chica, he thought in a husky, warm, Hispanic accent, despite the fact he hasn't played Razor Ramon since the 90's.

He eventually jizzed, cleaning his mess up with some tissues he pulled out of the box after he came.

He posted his opinion on your video on his Twitter and has even entered your DM's a few times, thirsting over you and wanting you to fuck him.

He had to see the movie this song plays on, and you did the soundtrack for this movie.

He loved the movie even more, especially considering you have nude scenes where people see your barenaked breasts.

He (as well as other males) think you have such perfect little breasts, and when you appeared in a Rolling Stone issue in 2016 that had photos of you naked, of course he jerked it to you.

He's jerked it to you many times, especially to a Rolling Stone cover of you seductively licking a vanilla soft serve ice cream cone, he wished that was his cock.

He's gotten a crush on you, despite not being a wrestler or valet.

Wonder how he thinks of Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy", since that's a song where she says she's the bad guy, and a character Scott Hall will usually always be remembered for, Razor Ramon, used to refer to himself as that at the height of his popularity.

But Billie doesn't want people sexualizing her, especially since she was underage when that song came out.

[theparanormalperiodical]

31 Celebrity Ghost Stories You NEED To Read On Halloween Night (Or Any Time Of The Year, Screw The System)

*Puts on old professor glasses*

For generations we have been in awe of the celebrity.

*strokes beard*

For generations we have trodden their paths, followed their scents, and watched with wandering eyes exactly what they do - and all in the name of escapism.

Since the conception of humankind we have sought to understand what makes the rich and famous both rich and famous. Our philosophers decode mannerisms, our magazine editors calculate their every mistake, and the rest of us simply gaze up at the stars wondering how, why, and what we share in common with the glorified among us.

But you see-

*walks across the Ted Talk stage*

-they are just like us.

They make mistakes, they compare themselves to others, and yes, they even suck in their stomachs when trying on their new TopShop crop top and then shove it in the back of their sock drawer convinced their lower belly will always have too fat.

But even more than that, they have experiences with the paranormal.

*pulls up a chair and sits on it backwards cause for some reason people think it looks actually idk how people think it looks but whatever back to the imagery*

And so, on this Halloween night, we celebrate what brings us all together - no matter how much cash nor clout one has.

Shall we?

Miley Cyrus

During her 2009 Europe tour, Cyrus stayed in a flat in London - a flat that she claims was haunted.

"It was seriously so terrifying. It used to be an old bakery and they turned it into an apartment building, and I was having really crazy dreams and really scary things, and one night my little sister–it sounds crazy to tell you–but she was standing in the shower and all of a sudden I hear her scream.

I run in there and the water had somehow flipped to hot but it was still...It wasn’t like the water had just changed, the knob had turned but she hadn’t turned it and it was burning her.”

In the same bathroom Cyrus was convinced she saw a little boy sitting on the sink whilst she was showering. A series of other unexplained events took place until they delved into the family history of the bakery: it was passed down for generations from father to son. Cyrus believed she saw the last son to be left the bakery.

Cher

Turns out Cher doesn’t just believe in life after love but life after death, too.

The music legend herself is convinced that her late husband, Sonny, who died in 1998 is still making his presence known to her.

She claims his spirit has a habit of turning lights on to remind her he is there and often does this to her chandelier - even when there is no power.

“I love ghosts, I prefer ghosts to some people.”

Anna Nicole Smith

This late Playboy bunny was known for her bombshell sex appeal and scandalous career - but what about her forays into the supernatural?

"A ghost would crawl up my leg and have sex with me at an apartment a long time ago in Texas. I used to think it was my boyfriend, and one day I woke up and it wasn’t. It was, like, a spirit and it—woo! [miming a ghost flying from her bedsheets]—went up!

I was freaked out about it, but then I was, like, 'Well, you know what? He’s never hurt me and he just gave me some amazing sex so I have no problem.'"

When the interviewer asked her whether it was merely a dream Smith replied that it was happening every single night.

Kesha

Just like Smith, Kesha’s own experience with the paranormal is rather more sexual.

In her own words she went to the “bone zone” with a ghost.

"I don't know his name. He just started caressing me. It was a sexy time, it wasn't, like, sex."

Emma Stone

Back in 2014 Stone revealed on a late night talk show that the spirit of her grandfather often leaves quarters for her to find.

In fact, she claimed her family has a history of the small change - and its legacy clearly goes beyond the grave.

La Toya Jackson

Michael Jackson’s death is one of the most striking moments in modern history - but it turns out the King of Pop might also be the King of the Paranormal.

La Toya often claims she feels strong presences in the Jacksons’ childhood home and frequently shares about the supernatural activity coming from MJ’s old room. Many visitors, staff members, and family members have heard tap dancing coming from the room, even when they didn’t know who it used to belong to.

It was in this room that Michael would tap dance for two hours every sunday.

Susan Boyle

Boyle often recounts that she lost several members of her closest family within the span of a few short years and felt abandoned by her family. But in a 2011 interview she claimed she sees her mother’s spirit around her house, believing it to be a reminder from beyond the grave that she is not alone.

Megan Fox

"I was just in Mexico at my hotel and it was a bedroom, living room, bedroom...I had pre-ordered breakfast for 7:30, and at 7 a.m. I hear them come in with the table, I hear them pouring the coffee…

30 minutes later, at 7:30 I went in there, no table, no coffee, no food, no nothing, no one there. Door bell rings, I open the door, it's room service with my food...Brandy the nanny comes out later and says, 'Why did room service come at 7 when we told them to come at 7:30?' So you can't tell me I'm crazy, because two people heard it."

Ariana Grande

This paranormal enthusiast was visiting one of the gates of hell - Stull Cemetery - when she felt a sudden surge of negative energy around her. Flies suddenly appeared in the car and she smelt a strong odour of sulphur.

Both are symptoms of dark, demonic energy.

As they drove off she ‘apologised’ to the spirits for disturbing the peace and took a couple of pictures of the area before they left. She saw clear demonic faces in the image. When she tried to send it to her manager as proof of the strange goings on, the picture couldn’t be sent.

Why?

Because it was 666 megabytes.

Joan Rivers

This comedian’s old Manhattan apartment might be worth $28 million but it's far more famous for the supernatural entities within its walls than its price tag.

In one iconic episode of Celebrity Ghost Stories Rivers claims she even brought in a voodoo priestess to help a former resident, ‘Mr Spencer’, pass on.

Marilyn Manson

Just like Rivers, Marilyn Manson told his own paranormal experience on CGS. But his story had less spirits and more, you know, Satan.

Pressured by his peers into reading demonic incantations in a supposedly haunted basement, Manson claims he then heard demonic whispers around him asking if he believed in Satan.

Alyson Hannigan

Hannigan might be known for her Wiccan ways on the TV screen in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, but her encounters with the paranormal aren’t just captured by our favourite streaming services.

Back in 2003 Hannigan claimed she lived in a haunted house - but she believes the spirit is friendly.  

“My friend saw him first one night. She said, 'I don't mean to alarm you, but I just saw a man follow us out of the house.' “

"Later that night I saw this silhouette of a man standing in the bathroom doorway. I was like, 'Sweetie, what are you doing?' I thought it was [fiance] Alexis [Denisof]. But then I looked and Alexis was asleep next to me.”

Nicolas Cage

Yes, the most memed actor in Hollywood has faced a series of paranormal experiences, too. In 2007 Cage purchased one of the most haunted houses in America in a bid to get inspired to write the latest horror novel.

He bought the LaLaurie Mansion in New Orleans, a house belonging to one of the 19th century’s most infamous serial killers.

Many believe the slaves tortured by Delphine LaLaurie still haunt the mansion. Perhaps Cage heard the wails and moans of her victims, or maybe he felt the demonic presence rumoured to have taken part in a murder of a tenant in 1894?

Demi Lovato

Lovato often makes mention of her beliefs in the paranormal - especially when it comes to her haunted house in Texas. She claims a young girl named Emily haunts her home in the South, and has even mentioned that she was a childhood ‘friend’ when she was growing up.

But this tale has to be the most terrifying:

"One of my friends, Tucker, came over one time and he asked, 'So your house is haunted?' I said, 'Yeah, just watch. Something will happen. Something always happens.' We started to watch a movie when all of a sudden a laptop in my kitchen started to play a movie also. It was a black screen before, so it was a question of who turned it on and hit play.

And after that Tucker texted a friend saying, 'I think this house is haunted, a movie just turned on by itself,' and there was a 'glitch' in his phone that kept texting him back the word 'definitely' over and over again. That happened about 30 times."

Peter Jackson

Jackson might be known for putting mystical and magical creatures on the big screen, but he’s seen similar things in real life, too.

"One night I woke up and there was a figure in the room. She was really scary—her face was like a silent scream. She glided across the room and disappeared into the wall." He told Fran in the morning and she said, "'Was it the woman with a screaming face?’ We had never spoken about it. 

She had seen the same ghost two years earlier. So I do believe in some energy, a spirit or a soul..."

Kendrick Lamar

From one famous rapper to another:

Lamar told Home Grown Radio that he had a dream about Tupac Shakur - a dream he believed conveyed a message from beyond. In the dream Tupac told him “Keep doing what you doing, don’t let my music die.”

Keanu Reeves

He’s one of the internet’s favourite celebrities - but what isn’t so famous about this Matrix star is his paranormal experience from when he was living in NYC.

"I'm probably like six, seven years old, we'd come from Australia. Renata, [our] nanny, in the bedroom, my sister is asleep, she's sitting over there, I'm hanging out. There was a doorway and all of a sudden this jacket comes waving through the doorway, this empty jacket — there's no body, there's no legs, it's just there. And then it disappears..."

The nanny saw the exact same thing.

Adele

Ghost nuns are not only on-trend but also terrify-ing. Adele can testify to that. In 2012 the singer moved into a plush Sussex mansion which used to be a convent.

A couple creepy noises later and she hired around-the-clock security to protect her against the paranormal activity. Who knows what she might’ve seen in her new $6 million home?

Matthew McConaughey

McConaughey claims his Hollywood mansion was haunted by an unhappy female spirit by the name of Madame Blu.

"I was not even under the influence and she was there. She wasn't that happy, it didn't seem like she was going to be much fun to hang around or have in my house, so I went ahead and stood my ground. I opened the door and said 'You can move around all you want but I'm not going anywhere.'"

"For weeks everyone that came to the house said the same thing: 'There's someone down in that hall, there's somebody down in that hall.'"

Ryan Gosling

Most of the celebs that made this list whip out their charming ‘lil spooky story to pique interest in their latest career venture. Gosling’s story, however, is actually pretty f*cking scary.

One day, in his childhood home, he saw a ghost of a young boy.

"He just sat. And I knew from a very young age that he was a ghost, too. He scared me. I told my mother, but she couldn't see him. Nobody could. And I learned to live with that. I had to…

Then, a few years later, [my mother] thought she saw him, then almost right away my cousin saw him, and then my uncle. And we were outta there in fairly short order."

Laura Linney

Linney is one of Hollywood’s most cherished actresses - and even on the stage she has witnessed something from the other side.

She became a believer in the paranormal after working in the Belasco Theater on Broadway.

"I had forgotten this, and I was doing a play with Jane Alexander, and I turned to Jane Alexander, and I looked up to the upper balcony—there are two balconies there—and the upper balcony you can only get in from the outside, and those doors were locked; and I looked up, and there was a woman standing in the front row looking over with a blue dress and blonde hair.

I just thought, 'Well, hello!' I looked back at Jane, and I looked back up, and she was gone. I went to the house manager and I said, 'Joe, I think I saw a ghost.' And he went, 'male or female?' I said, 'female.' And he went, 'blue dress, blonde hair?'"

Megan Mullally

Another famous ghost that haunts a famous face features on this list. But this time the paranormal activity described by Mullally is certainly the most tragic.

She claims she lived in a house haunted by the spirit of Nicole Brown Simpson who was murdered in 1994. She believes that only when her husband watched the American Crime Story series about her death did the strange occurrences (most of which were odd and unexplained sounds) settle.

Kristen Stewart

Only last year our very own Bella Swan opened up not just about her own experiences with ghosts, but her own spiritual connection with other people.

“If I’m in a weird, small town, making a movie, and I’m in a strange apartment, I will literally be like, ‘No, please, I cannot deal. Anyone else, but it cannot be me.’ Who knows what ghosts are, but there is an energy that I’m really sensitive to. Not just with ghosts, but with people. People stain rooms all the time.”

Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher lived an extraordinary life. She was one of the few a-listers to openly discuss her struggles with mental health and drug use before it became so accepted in mainstream society. Unfortunately, these topics would haunt her in a rather more supernatural manner, too.

Following the overdose of a friend sleeping next to her in her mansion, Fisher claimed she would often feel their presence around her.

"Lights would go on and off, and I had this toy machine, that when you touched it would say, 'F*ck you! Eat sh*t! You’re an asshole!' And it would go off in the night, by itself, in my closet.”

She later hired an exorcist to cleanse the house of the spirit.

Halle Berry

Whilst filming Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Berry would experience intense paranormal activity she believed was down to her dress.

A dress formerly owned by the woman titling the film.

"I'd come home and the housekeeper would say she'd heard my vanity chair moving upstairs in the bathroom. When the film was over, I desperately wanted to keep her dress, but it had to go. And then everything was fine."

Lady Gaga

Just like Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga has had her own dealings with the spirit of an icon. But instead of rap legend Tupac, she got the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen.

"Right after he died, I wrote 'Born This Way.' I think he's up in heaven with fashion strings in his hands, marionetting away, planning this whole thing…

I didn't even write the f*king song. He did!"

Melissa McCarthy

Comedian Melissa McCarthy revealed in 2016 that she believed in ghosts - and gave insight into where her beliefs came from.

"I grew up on a farm and I didn't have any real friends,

I have a very strong belief that people are out there, because I was certainly talking to someone in those barns. Otherwise I'm just crazy. I really strongly believe in ghosts."

Jessica Alba

In 2008, Alba told US Weekly about her own encounter with the paranormal when she was a child.

“I felt this pressure and I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t do anything

Something definitely took the covers off me and I definitely couldn’t get off the bed, and then, once I did, I screamed, ran to my parents’ room and I don’t think I spent many nights in that house ever again.”

Jenna Bush Hager

The White House already has a reputation for its paranormal activity (Abe Lincoln often makes a reappearance during times of crisis) and this former first daughter has evidence to support such a claim.

"I was asleep, there was a fireplace in my room and all of a sudden I heard 1920's music coming out. I could feel it. I freaked out and ran into my sister's room. She was like, 'Please go back to sleep, this is ridiculous.'"

Lucy Liu

This Charlie’s Angel - like so many of the people included in this article - claims she had sexual relations with something supernatural.

“I felt everything. I climaxed. And then he floated away.”

Bella Thorne

"I was lying in bed when I saw a shadowy, silvery figure of an old woman creeping across my room, then it slipped into my closet…

I panicked and ran out of bed and swung open my closet door only to see she was in there. But she was gone. I was sure I had seen her ghost! It was really freaky."

Do you believe ‘em?

If you liked this post be sure to like, reblog, and hit the follow button! 

Got your own paranormal experience to share? Head on over to the peoplesparanormal.com to read real ghost stories and submit your own!

Happy Halloween, lads.

[weshallc]

Did you know there’s five chapters to this! Who knew? Better crack on then. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (found it)

BERNS NIGHT (Again for St. Andrew’s Day)

A Crown Jewels AU Call the Midwife fanfiction. (Paddy, Bernie, the pub, Poplar-on Tweaven, the rest of them)

CHAPTER TWO: THE BONNIE LAD THAT’S FAR AWA’.

“His Face With Smile Eternal Drest, Just Like The Landlord’s To His Guest’s, High As They Hang With Creaking Din, To Index Out The Country Inn.” Versicles On Sign-Posts by Robert Burns 1788.

“The Needle Returns To The Start Of The Song, And We All Sing Along As Before.” Nothing Ever Happens by Del Amitri 1989.

January 2020.

Fred Buckle clambered up from the cellar of the Crown Inn and perched his ample posterior on a bar stool, wiping his forehead with an old bar towel he used when helping Paddy exchange the old barrels for new. Violet tutted as she placed a sausage sandwich and a mug of tea on the bar in front of him.

“Sure you don’t want one, Paddy.”

“No, I am fine, Vi. Just a cuppa, cheers. I had breakfast with Bernie before she went on her rounds.”

“I will have another one, Violet”

“I am sure you won’t Reggie you scoffed that back like there was no tomorrow, doesn’t your uncle feed you.”

No one replied to this as everyone knew Violet fed them both, if not at the Crown, at either her home or Fred’s. To spare Violet’s blushes, Fred began.

“I have a little beauty brewing, be just right for Burns Night, Doc.”

“Burn’s Night?” questioned Vi.

“Yep, soon comes around after Christmas, Vi. Be Valentines before we know it.” He winked and Vi wiped a cloth under Paddy’s mug and straightened the bar towel.

“Fred, I don’t think so, not this year anyway.” Paddy added, trying not to look at Val, who was checking the mixer fridge with visibly shaking shoulders.

“But we always do a Burns Night, it’s tradition,” protested Fred.

“No, we haven’t done one for the last couple of years, Fred. Not since Wilf took poorly.” Vi had regained her composure.

“Well, it’s about time we did again.” Fred was like a dog with a bone, or in this case a sausage.

Val, also more composed now, looked at Vi, who was in turn looking at Paddy. Tim, who had been trying to clean all the chalk marks off the dart scoreboard under Evie’s instruction, looked at his mentor and they both moved closer to the bar.

“Look, I know, Bernie. She won’t be upset because her dad’s not here to do the twiddly bits. She wouldn’t still be in Poplar if she was worried about being reminded of her dad.”

“Always wondered why she was still in Poplar,” Tim smirked and Evie frowned at him, deciding it was time to enlighten everyone.

“The reason we haven’t had a Burns Night since Reverend Wilf died is because we have no one to address the Haggis.”

“Well, Mr T could do it,” Reggie chirped in as Paddy went pale.

“Yeah, you’ll like that boss,” Val added, “any excuse to slope off and leave me on my tod behind the bar. I presume Lorraine Bernadette Kelly won’t be working either.”

Evie and Vi sighed in unison.

“What,” said Val.

Paddy turned to her, but before he could speak, Val interrupted,

“Don’t tell me you are scared of haggis as well as alpacas.”

Tim, Reggie and a lurking Jack found this highly amusing, but Evie had had enough.

“No, it’s not that, it really should be a Scot that addresses the haggis otherwise it’s just not going to sound right, a bit like well like when Captain Kirk sang Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”

“Isn’t that your ringtone, Tim?” Jack smirked. Tim ignored him as per se.

“Weezer doing Africa,” Val was beginning to understand.

“Miley Cyrus doing Nirvana,” Tim added, still ignoring Jack.

“But, Bernie is Scottish!” added Reggie optimistically

“Yes, but it’s traditionally a man,” Vi said nervously.

“Oh, well, heaven forbid we bring Poplar into the 21st century,” Val cried. “How do you know all this anyway, you two?”

“We have been doing this for years. Wilf was a member of the Burns Society. Val, you were there at the last one we had, must have been?” Violet explained.

“Oh, I was there alright, working behind the bar. Sorry, if I didn’t have time to memorize ancient Scottish protocol while fighting off the thirsty English hoards.”

“Can we all just calm down,” Paddy sounded exasperated, and it wasn’t even ten o’clock. “Look, I appreciate while Wilf was alive and in Evie’s time we celebrated Burns Night.” He continued a little firmer, “Me and Mazz tried to keep it going as long as Wilf was around, but he is gone. Let's be honest, Wilf arranged everything, even the piper was his mate from Kelso. Do you have his number, Evie? I know I don't.” The ex-landlady shook her head. “Come on, let's admit it we are just pissing in the wind.”

“Dad.”

“But it’s for Bernie, you do know it’s also her birthday,” Val said sulkily.

“Yes, I do know, and if I know Bernie. She would rather just go to the pictures and a Parmo then all this fuss.”

“Would she really?” grumbled Val.

“Dad.”

“I do know how to prepare a good Burns supper, never had any complaints in all the years.” Vi sounded defeated.

“I brewed some ale specially.” Fred’s tone was flat in a way his beer never was.

“Dad.”

“Paddy is right. Burns Night was Wilf’s night gave him a chance to show off without having to stand behind a pulpit,” Evie reminisced. “For one night only, he could be Wilf Mannion in a kilt and not Poplar’s vicar in a dog collar. If we can’t do it properly, we shouldn’t do it at all.” Evie nodded toward Paddy.

Thank you, he mouthed in return.

“Dad.”

“Does anyone else think we are overthinking this.” Val never took no for an answer,

“Yes,” Reggie cried.

“Basically, all we need is someone who is Scottish, I mean if I have to hike up to the Borders myself and toss one over my shoulder and bring em back, I will.” Val quipped,

“Dad.”

“Not now, Tim.”

“But Dad.”

“Not now, Tim.”

“Do they have to be 100% Scottish?” Tim asked, facing Vi and Evie, who seemed to be the authority on this. They looked at each other, but Val stepped in.

“I don’t know Tim,  I will just look at the rule book. Oh, look at that there isn’t one”

“I think we would settle for a left bollock’s worth right now,” muttered a despondent Fred.

“Fred, there is no need to be vulgar! Reggie, don’t listen to him,” Vi reprimanded.

“I could do it then,” said Tim.

“You have a Scottish bollock, Turner. Does Lucy know?”

“Jack Smith!” Scalded Violet as Reggie chuckled.

“No, Smithy, but my Gran was Scottish.”

Tim blushed from the neck up, as is the way of teenage boys when the whole room is looking at them.

“Your gran, so Marianne’s mother,” Evie enquired.

“No, Dad’s mam.”

All eyes moved towards Paddy, who seemed to lose as much colour as Tim had gained.

“OK, so I don't think we are going to get any further today. We open in 5 everyone back to work.” Not one of his staff moved in obedience until Paddy started to roll up his sleeves and they knew he meant business.

[newagesispage]

                                                                        MAY                 2021

The Rib Page

*****

George Takei is sweatin’ with the oldies. He stars in a fitness app for gay seniors, Bar Belles. It was his April Fool’s day joke.

*****

Fox will bring us Crime Scene Kitchen on May 26 with host Joel McHale.

*****

Joel Hodgson has launched a new kick starter to create a new independent season of MTS3K, The goal is $2mil.

*****

Bob Odenkirk will release: Comedy, comedy, comedy, drama: A Memoir on Jan. 18 2022

*****

Leslie Jones will host the 2021 MTV Awards.

*****

$3 mil was raised for Next for Autism with help from Conan, Kimmel, Charlize, Chris Rock, Jack Black and Sarah Silverman.

*****

Have ya noticed that Gayle King looks great in yellow.

*****

Some people are not too happy that Elon Musk will host SNL on May 8. Miley Cyrus is the musical guest.** Musk tweeted: Let’s find out just how live SNL really is. Cast member Bowen Yang tweeted back, : What the Fuck does this even mean?

*****

Oh Seth Meyers: Every time I see the sea captain on your show, I miss him so much!!

*****

There is a spotlight on Foxconn which made a big splash for Trump at the start of his presidency. The company has done a lot of nothing but still gets tax cuts. Homes were demolished, roads were widened to nowhere and money was spent. Wisconsinites are upset that this big business is just folly and a big glass orb.

*****

Mike Lindell is a kook but he did try to appear to be a good sport on Kimmel.

*****

When will weed be legal on a federal level? When will drug testing for employment be illegal? We hear so much about personal rights with the gun laws and vaccines and masks. What about the right to do what we want with our bodies when we are not at work. Think of the administrative costs that could be saved if we just removed drug testing. Our experience and work ethic should mean more that what we do with our free time. This is not a problem at all companies. There are places in this country where it is near impossible anywhere in your area to get hired without a drug screening. One joint on a random Saturday night could keep someone from a great opportunity. A person in pain who reaches for an edible might miss out on the job that saves their lives.

*****

NASA sent the first flight to another planet. The Mars flight made history with the 30 sec feat.

*****

What? The Menendez brothers are popular again? From the Ramsey case to the Manson murders or Bundy, it all comes back around again.

*****

The Lizzie Borden house just sold for $2mil to Lance Zaal of U. S. Ghost Adventures.

*****

Quarantine and so much television et al proves one thing, the pharmaceutical and insurance companies have way too much $.

*****

Trump told everyone to boycott Coke and is later seen drinking diet Coke.** Trump sent out a statement about how bad the Oscars are. They threw it right back in his face. ** Federal agents have searched Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment. It stems from the 2 year investigation into activities in Ukraine.

*****

X-VP Pence is said to have pressured the Navy to reinstate former Mo. Gov. Eric Greitens. Greitens was accused of tying up, blindfolding, taking explicit photos of and blackmailing a woman.

*****

There is a crisis in schools with the lack of civics and history being taught.

*****

Hulk Hogan was hit with a chorus of Boo’s at his latest event.

*****

The latest sexual harassment news: Matt Gaetz  is being looked into for sex with a minor and sex trafficking.  Bill Barr opened the investigation.** Tom Reed has been accused of sexual misconduct by former lobbyist, Nicolette Davis.** Marilyn Manson has been sued by Game of Thrones, Esme Bianco for sexual abuse.

*****

What is going on with Bank of America? I am hearing from multiple people that often they do not get their statement in the mail. Is this a bad Postal service? Is this bad business practice? How many late fees had to be paid because of this? Not everybody wants to pay their bills online.

*****

Jack Hanna has revealed that he has dementia.

*****

Tiny Tim : King for a day is a new doc I must see. The film contains footage shot from Warhol’s Factory. There are excerpts from Tim’s diary read by Weird Al Yankovic and the story of how Tiny’s friend, Bob Dylan wanted to make a film with him.

*****

Lindsay Lohan’s Father, Michael has been charged with 5 counts patient brokering and 1 count of attempted patient brokering. This is an apparent scam of steering addicts into rehab for cash.

*****

Aaron Sorkin and Paulina Porizkova are dating. Pete Davidson and Phoebe Dynevor are dating.

*****

JB Smoove has a new podcast brought to you by TeamCoco.

*****

Hey.. People working on the new Law and Order: Organized Crime….. TOO MUCH MELONI!!

*****

*****

Zach Avery, actor, was arrested for his participation in a $690 mil Ponzi scheme.

*****

President Biden has restored aid to the Palestinians.

*****

MLB put up a wall in Georgia but the Masters stayed.

*****

Hank Azaria has brought Brockmire to a new podcast.

*****

Tommy Chong isn’t allowed on FB because of his weed posts but they allow an imposter to use his name to sell weed.

Pennsylvania is trying to push thru 14 voter suppression bills.

*****

Joe Manchin. Ugh!!** Marjorie Taylor- Greene has let go of her America First caucus.** Ted Cruz has allegedly used $154, 000 of his campaign funds to buy up copies of his book to boost sales. This is an old trick but still illegal.

*****

For the first time, The Carter Center became involved in a U.S. election. They published videos and live webcasts as well as deploying observers across Georgia.

*****

Most health programs in Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia have resumed after Covid.** Tom Vilsack from the Dept. of Agriculture has announced the USDA will provide assistance to 30 million kids.** It is sad to me that we have to entice people to vaccinate. Football games, Church’s and shot for shot in bars?? Really? Saving the lives of others should be enough. WTF?

*****

Alec Baldwin, Alec Mapa and Kelsey Grammer are shopping around a new comedy that ABC decided to pass on.

*****

Chauvin was found guilty.

*****

Days alert: C’mon Ben, calm the fuck down! Don’t prove how out of control you are like everybody thinks. ** Xander is so funny right now.** How many people will Kristen be and how many times can one person melt down?? **Bring Carrie back!! **Jackee’ seemed a bit nervous in the beginning but she is fitting right in. More!

*****

The SAG awards came and went. With the Trial of the Chicago 7 winning best ensemble, Michael Keaton is the first person to be in 3 best casts for SAG’s.** Other winners include Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuta, Youn Yuh-Jung, Mark Ruffalo, Anya Taylor- Joy, Jason Bateman, Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek and The Crown.

*****

The Oscars were held on April 25. It was a bit of a yawner and why would a show set themselves up for an awkward end?? There was a commercial from P&G right before the broadcast that stated, “ Widen the screen so we can widen our view.” Nice sentiment.  Mank had so many noms and only 2 wins. People looking their best to me were Leslie Odom Jr., Glenn Close, Riz Ahmed, LaKeith Stanfield, Colman Domingo, John Batiste, Mia Neal, Questlove (gold crocs and a mask!), Desmond Roe, Travon Free, Trish Summerville, Marlee Matlin, The Lucas Brothers, Andra Day, Carey Mulligan, Amanda Seyfried, Nicolette Robinson, Regina King and Margot Robbie. Laura Dern looked like Big Bird, there were just too many feathers. Tiara Thomas had feathers but they looked great.  Angela Bassett had some power sleeves and Tyer Perry looked like a little boy.  Hooray for Emerald Fennell for her win for original screenplay but not sure about the dress. And Viola Davis?? Dana Murray?? Ashley Fox?? Hmm?? Winners seemed to have trouble getting to the stage. They often refused the steps or the walkway and sort of climbed up the side. I did love the intimate setting and it did remind me of the old clips of years before. Sound of metal and Ma Rainey both won. Tyler Perry and for the first time, an organization, the motion picture and television fund, took home the humanitarian award. I was thrilled to see My Octopus Teacher win for Doc. I loved Crip Camp too, that was a hard category.  The acting winners went in all directions.  Many critics complained that the films were real downers . Nomadland won best picture. Michael Moore put it best I think. Of the films this year, he said, “They force you to look backward with 2021 eyes.”

*****

Why the Fuck do we need a militarized police force?

*****

R.I.P. victims of the multiple mass shootings, victims of police shootings, the crush in Israel, Cosette Brown, Midwin Charles, DMX, Paul Ritter, Ethel Gabriel, G. Gordon Liddy, Buddy Peppenschmidt,  Prince Philip, Anne Beatts, Diane Adler, Vartan Gregorian, Monte Hellman, Jim Steinman, Michael Collins, Michael wolf Snyder, Johnny Crawford, Eli Broad and Walter Mondale.