#why so many daves buoy. buoy get me out of here

[nana2009]

hhhhhh i want to draw creepy dave but i dont want to be too ooc T_T

[theeverlastingshade]

Favorite EP of the 2000s: Fall Be Kind- Animal Collective

                By the time that Animal Collective released their fourth EP, Fall Be Kind, there was a little over a month left in the 2000s, and in that time no other band even came close to matching their creative output that spanned their 2000 debut, Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They've Vanished up through FBK. Their progression was remarkable; no single two releases sounded anything like each other, and each was unmistakably the sound of their work alone. With their eighth LP, Merriweather Post Pavilion they had come full circle, having transformed from an abrasive, neo-psychedelic freak-folk act into synth-pop festival headliners while molding the sound of independent music into their image. FBK follows directly in the wake of MPP, with the same lineup from that album which included David Portner aka Avey Tare, Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear, and Brian Weitz aka Geologist, with Ben H. Allen returning to produce. What could have been an easy, effortless victory lap that simply aped the advances of their populist breakthrough instead finds the group continuing to flex their chops for studio experimentation while continuing to challenge themselves. During this period Animal Collective simply couldn’t miss. FBK is far from a simple MPP retread, and it caps off one of the most rewarding creative periods from any band ever.

                 FBK consists of five songs, the first three of which are sublime vocal collaborations between Dave and Noah, while the last two are songs led by each one of them respectively. The most striking thing about the EP on the whole is the masterful back and forth between the band’s vocalists. On MPP, assisted by an ideal amount of reverb, the abrasive qualities of Dave’s voice were smoothed over for a newly invigorated emphasis on melody, and their voices complemented one another in a disarmingly seamless interplay. This continues here, and with the first song “Graze” it’s remarkable just how well their voices continue to play off of one another. “What Would I Want? Sky” and “Bleed” continue this streak, with the former achieving one of their greatest feats of melodicism to date by making their voices almost function as one while the latter has Dave actually taking the weightless, droning croon typically reserved for Noah to spellbinding results. “On a Highway” and “I Think I Can”, while featuring the vocals of just Dave and Noah respectively and therefore compromising their glorious interplay, both revel in intense introspection, ranking as two of the most heartfelt songs that the band have released to date.

                 While FBK on the whole follows in the vein of the sample-based template that the band had been executing on Strawberry Jam and MPP, the songs here still exist within their own orbit and hardly scan as diminishing returns. Opener “Graze” begins with a swirling vat of synths, a verse from Dave about their songwriting process and one from Noah about his concerns with heightened expectations placed on them before a pan flute sample cribbed from “Ardeleana (Zamfir avec Amfir)” by Gheorghe Zamfir and Simion Stanciu transitions the song into its spring-loaded, bass heavy second half. The transition is jarring and unexpected, but it works nonetheless. Split between the two sharp vocal collaborations and the standalone vocal songs comes the haunting, ambient breather “Bleed”. More of an extended interlude than a standalone song, “Bleed” exudes an ethereal beauty that the band captured on the lengthy, droning songs that exist on their more challenging releases in a far more succinct form while packing a surprising amount of melody. As previously mentioned, Dave takes the role traditional reserved for Noah’s angelic croon as he chants “That I must bleeeeeeeed” throughout the outro, and his delivery is nothing short of chill-inducing.

                 After setting the tone with “Graze” the band then transition into “What Would I Want? Sky”, the first song to have gotten a licensed Grateful Dead sample, here in the form of a repurposed vocal line from “Unbroken Chain”. The first two and a half minutes of the nearly seven-minute song feature wordless crooning from Noah and the word “melody” sung repeatedly by Dave over what begins as a blistering kick drum beat that slowly incorporates their characteristically dense wall of sound propelled by what I presume are field recordings courtesy of Brian. A synth melody emerges, the wall of noise begins to dissipate, and we’re brought to the song’s lovely second half that features the “Unbroken Chain” sample grounded by a simple kick/snare rhythm and one of the most cathartic vocal collaborations between Noah and Dave to date. Their voices seem to swell with pure joy. On the flip side, Dave’s “On a Highway” is the darkest song of the bunch. The minor organ chords and ominous rumbles of bass perfectly frame Dave’s feelings of anxiety in the wake of having to support their most successful record to date. All of the songs on FBK are sonic marvels, but the highlight here is without a doubt Noah’s “I Think I Can”. Most of the seven-minute march consists of a stomping kick drum, clanging synths, sleigh bells, and his signature choirboy tenor before transitioning into an extended outro filled with brass synths and marimba that finds him surmounting his insecurities and pressing forward, self-doubt be damned.

                 The lyrics throughout FBK build on the concerns of prior records of theirs such as growing up, dealing with change, and general existential malaise, now coupled with the burdens of having to navigate the unlikely success they garnered in the wake of MPP. “On a Highway” addresses the exhaustion of unrelenting touring directly “On a highway/I let the bad things taunt me/Why do they want to haunt me?/I don’t know how they find me” and sneaks in a few surprisingly personal lines that give a glimpse of the band’s dynamic “On a highway/Sick of too much reading/Jealous of Noah’s dreaming/Can’t help my brain from thinking”. “Graze” also finds them extrapolating on the rigors of touring “Why can’t I reach you?/When I most need you?/You’re at the beach and/I’m in some strange bed” in addition to pondering the irony of how being in a band that becomes sustainable perpetuates displacement “And to have a band/That cracks the point of fame/Why does a band make me/Less settled in?”. Amidst all of their looming anxiety, resolution finally sneaks in towards the end of “I Think I Can”. The song begins with Noah contemplating the allures of complacency “What’s in the way?/And, and, and/What’s nice about staying on the same pace?” but towards the end he becomes firm in his conviction not to become stunted by things that are outside of his control and seize the opportunities that are “Can ruin the day from good ways/Will I get to move on soon?/I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”.

                 FBK was the last proper record that Animal Collective released until 2012’s underrated Centipede Hz, which while still good wasn’t quite on the level of their past releases. This decade found the collective primarily splintering to focus on their respective solo careers and side projects, only having gotten together since for 2016’s severely underwhelming Painting With and the meandering 2018 documentary soundtrack, Tangerine Reef. FBK marked the last time that the band were truly at the top of their game and miles ahead of their contemporaries. It’s remarkable to hear how, despite being almost a decade into their career at that point, the music still sounds so effortless, and was simply flowing with ideas. As we reach the end of the 10s it’s striking that despite there being so much exceptional music that’s come out since FBK, there hasn’t been a single band, or even a single artist for that matter, that’s accomplished so much within such a short span of time. Dave and Noah dropped solo records this year in the form of Cows on Hourglass Pond and Buoys respectively, and even though they mark low points for their solo work it’s still inspiring to hear the two of them push themselves creatively and refuse to simply go through the motions like so many other artists. Although the lyrics address their fears directly, the music on FBK suggests that Animal Collective were completely unhindered by their success, and still striving to create something honest, unfazed by trends or expectations. A decade later, and nothing on that front has changed. May we all strive to live so boldly.

Essentials: “I Think I Can”, “What Would I Want? Sky”, “Bleed”

[svartalfhild]

6 for Rowan and Rufus

6. Meet me at midnight. Alone.

Sometimes life was too much for Rowan.  Sometimes the strain of trying to be so many different things at once tore at her seams, and the soft, vulnerable parts of her leaked out.  Usually, she did her best to hide these moments away from the world, but she was tired of feeling empty and downtrodden, so she took out her phone and texted the only person who didn’t make her feel like a solitary buoy in the sea.

“Meet me at midnight. Alone,” she typed out.  It was better for both of them if he didn’t know what this was really about.  She hit send with a sigh, and it only took a minute to get a reply.

“Where? STOP”

“Our usual spot.”

“Okay.  I’ll be there. STOP”  Unfortunately, his little telegram STOPs where adorable, and she couldn’t help but smile a little at them.  She gave herself a few light slaps on the cheeks to knock herself out of it before going about the business of making herself presentable.

“Where’re you going?” her snake familiar, Dave, asked as he watched her lazily from under the comfort of the heat lamp in his tank.

“Out,” Rowan replied flatly.

“You’re putting on nice earrings, so you must be meeting someone.”

“And?”

“Date with the hot ghost, is it?”  Rowan threw her lipstick tube at the tank.

“It’s not a date.”

“If you smell strongly of ectoplasm when you come back, you owe me a very juicy rat.”

Rowan left without dignifying that with a response.  Why was Dave so insistent that every interaction she had with Rufus Grunberg, deliberate or not, had to be an indication that she was on the hunt for a piece of ghost ass or some such insipid bullshit?  It was reductive at best and outright offensive at worst.  Just because being around Rufus didn’t feel like a waste of time and energy didn’t mean she was after something with him.

She continued to silently fume about this all the way to the abandoned train station that had sort of become their hideout.  It was an unseasonably warm night, so the eerie breeze that blew through the place didn’t bite.  In an odd way, it was kind of cozy.

“Rufus?” she called out, her voice echoing across the empty building.

“I’m here,” she heard in answer, and she spotted a familiar shape moving towards her, lit in places by patches of moonlight.  “Is everything alright?  This is pretty out of the blue.”  By the time Rufus reached her, she could see the slight look of concerned etched into his long features.

“Given everything that’s been going on, I thought it might be good to work a little protection spell for us.  Nothing major, but every little bit helps.”

“Oh…okay.  What do you need me to do?”

“I just need you to sit with me and link your hands with mine.  You don’t even have to take off your gloves if you don’t want to,” Rowan explained, her voice taking a softer turn at the last part than she would have liked.  She sat down on the ground and patted the space in front of her.  Rufus obliged, and she offered her hands to him, palms up.  He seemed hesitant at first, but she couldn’t blame him.  He was a justifiably nervous man when it came to physical contact, and she hadn’t exactly earned his complete trust.  She half expected him to decline or at the very least ask more questions, but to her surprise, he did reach out and take her hands.

“So what now?” he prompted.

“Just sit quietly.  I’ll do the rest.”  Rowan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She listened to the wind and took comfort in the feeling of Rufus’s fingers clasped in her own.  The leather of his gloves was smooth and soft, but it was cold, the hands inside chill as the grave from which his spirit had sprung.  She didn’t need physical warmth to feel the emotional warmth of his presence, however, and that was what mattered to her.  She focused on that feeling and let the rest of the world fall away.  For just a little while, she was at peace.

“Is…are you…how is…the spellcasting going?” Rufus suddenly piped up awkwardly, breaking her out of her meditative state, though she didn’t open her eyes.

“It’s going just fine, don’t worry.  If the silence bothers you, you can talk.”

“Won’t that distract you?”

“In this case, no.  In fact, it might help, since it would give me something to focus on.”

“Oh, uh…what should I talk about?”

“Anything.  Tell me a story.  Something nice from when you were alive or something.”  At this, Rufus waffled around about what to say for a minute before landing on a tale about his siblings.  Rowan listened intently, basking in the sound of his voice.  The college radio really knew what they were doing when they recruited this man, she thought.  She started to forget where they were and what time it was.  Her troubles faded away to the back of her mind and she didn’t realize until some time later that she had been grinning.  Hopefully, it was too dark for Rufus to have noticed.  If he had, he said nothing.

A little while after Rufus finished his story, Rowan spoke a few words in Old Norse, asking the gods to protect them and then let go of his hands.  She’d stolen enough of his time, and besides, if she didn’t nip this in the bud now, she was afraid she might not be able to walk away.

“Thank you, Rufus.  We should be a little safer now.  I’ll see you later.”  Her exit was hasty, barely giving him enough time to say goodbye before she got up and power-walked home without looking back.  She needed to be careful about doing things like this.  It felt like she was becoming addicted to him, and she didn’t like what that implied.

“You’re not as ectoplasmy as I was expecting.  I’m only getting faint hints of citrus,” Dave commented when she returned to her bedroom.  He sounded disappointed, and she admittedly felt a smug satisfaction in that.

“That’s because there was no skin-on-skin contact, my good bitch,” she boasted, shaking her face in front of the tank with each word.  Dave didn’t need to know that there could have been skin-on-skin contact if Rufus had chosen it.  Even then, it wouldn’t have been what Dave had been hoping for, really, and that was very much for the best, in Rowan’s opinion.  Even so, a girl could dream, she thought as she traced one hand over the other.

“I’m sorry, Rowan.  I know you wanted it.”

She didn’t know what made her angrier: the genuine sadness and sympathy in Dave’s tone, or the fact that part of her knew he was right.

[nerdygaymormon]

My Eulogy

Hi. My name is David. You probably already know that. This is my story. And like all stories, it’s subjective; meaning I chose what to include based on my own feelings and opinions. I’ve had a lot of nicknames: D Diddy, Master D, Double D, D Dog, and Chuck (short for Chuckles). Isn’t it weird that Dave was never my nickname? I guess I should start at the beginning. I was born in Alberta, Canada in November 1970. My parents wed in February of that year…you can do the math. My dad once told me that he and my mom each brought a lot to the marriage, but that’s what it was, two people with their own histories. He said I am the first result of their marriage, the thing which changed them from two people into one unit, a family. I always liked that thought. My earliest memory is when my mom, with tears in her eyes, told me and my sister that Jesus is important to her, wanted us to learn about Him. I also remember her speaking on the phone and saying that our reaction was basically “Yep, we know, we learn about Him at church.” I went to kindergarten in California. I had a teacher named Ms. Berry, but I called her Ms. Strawberry. One day a bunch of dads came and taught us skills. I was so excited my dad was there and showed us how to hammer nails. I still feel comfort and love when I remember laying in the top bunk at night as my dad vacuumed the bedroom, and how he’d look over at me and smile. At the age of 8, I was baptized by my dad in Alabama. My family moved a lot. I don’t really know why. Thinking back on Halloweens, the one candy I always dreaded getting was those peanut butter-flavored sticky candies that come wrapped in orange or black wax paper. Who even likes those? If someone out there does, you gotta be the KING of Halloween candy trading. “Hey, you like these? Here, I’ll trade you them for that mini Snickers and a Blow Pop.” “Okay, fine, I’ll take just the two Hershey kisses. At least I got SOMETHING for them.” I began Junior High in Texas. It was horrible. I knew I liked boys in a way other boys didn’t. I tried to hide that from everyone, even from me. Eighth grade was the worst. I wanted to die. Some of the guys in my gym class caught me sneaking glances at a dude in the shower. That got around the school and I was shamed and harassed. One person was especially hard on me, not just about that, but about everything. I faced him in a wrestling match and was determined to get him back. I dominated, all I needed was for him to bend his elbow and he’d be pinned. I pressed down hard and…Snap! That crack of his bone was loud. He immediately went limp in my arms. I felt sick to my stomach. I really hurt him. I also felt joyful vengeance. I’d been good at wrestling, but I stopped. I didn’t like the monster I saw I could become. So school sucked. And scouting, I hated it, and we did that every Wednesday at church. Like the school day wasn’t already bad enough and then scouts on top of it. Oh, there was one really cool thing that happened related to scouts. In church we had a lesson that the quorum president is the leader, the adults were there to guide but the power rested with us. The quorum president said, “In that case, we’re done with scouting.” He asked if the rest of us sustained. We voted to end scouting! Unfortunately my dad and a few others didn’t take that well and I was forced to go to a different scout program in the stake. One of the bright spots of my Junior High & High School years were piano lessons. I excelled with a teacher who was quick to praise, which helped boost my very bruised self-image. Developing your gifts and talents isn’t selfish, it’s actually a great gift to other people. Another bright spot were my friends. If you’re hearing this and you are a teenager, reach out to the youth around you. No matter how nice the leaders are, they can’t make up for feeling left out by other teens. Trust me. At some point I realized a lot of our culture honors those who stand up against the norms, admires those who live life on their own terms. I made a list of 5 actions, actually non-actions, I would take to make me different. 1) Not go to Prom 2) Not go to Homecoming   3) Not get a driver’s license   4) Not go to graduation   5) No open house when I leave for a mission. I didn’t tell anyone about this list and my poor dad, he would get excited for these things, like Prom, and get me a tuxedo only to be bewildered I wasn’t going. I kept 4 of those 5 stupid, pointless goals. My parents did make me get a driver’s license so they could stop carrying me to 6am seminary class. I didn’t realize until too late, the point of being different is to replace frivolous things with something deeper, better, more meaningful. I loved art class even though my grades were so-so. One day my art teacher asked me to explain the print I made, what was my thinking behind the design. After listening, she said the skills of how to use the different tools and materials can be learned and that my classmates are all better at using them. But I have something they don’t have, something that can’t be taught. Art comes from the head and heart, it requires creativity and a different way of viewing things, of having something to say, a story to share. What I heard was my classmates were all better, I was the worst. Later I understood what she meant. She’d actually given me the greatest compliment of my life. I have something worth sharing, I just need to learn how. After years of crying for God to fix me, to make me normal, I eventually accepted that a homo is what I am. I didn’t choose it, in fact had fought it. I guarded this knowledge, it was dangerous. But owning this is part of me gave me power even as it complicated church and my life. Church is where my friends were and it was okay except when terrible things were taught about people like me. Why do we let harmful words go unchallenged? Hearing bigoted, intolerant words really feels isolating. I know it’s hard to stand out and be different, to rock the boat. But doing nothing, being silent—to the person feeling attacked, it’s not viewed as neutral. Choosing not to speak up is taking sides. Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes. Immediately after high school, I got arrested, actually spent time in jail. Shocking, right? I shoplifted a shirt. That’s sort of a harsh punishment, don’t you think? Fortunately a plea deal was made and I avoided a criminal record. I’ve paid this forward, twice I’ve agreed for charges against a young adult to be dropped so they could have a second chance at a clean record. When my bishop called me in to talk about preparing for a mission, I went home and prayed hard. I asked if God loves me, loves me for who I am, all that I am. Warmth radiated across my body. I knew with certainty that I’m loved and I am not broken. Serving a mission in Korea is one of the great adventures of my life. I learned so much about myself. I rose to the challenge. I worked hard and made some life-long friends. Weekly service at orphanages really buoyed me, I loved playing with those kids. While I was in Korea, at a branch conference, the members voted to not sustain their branch presidency. In other words, they voted out their branch leaders! I didn’t even know that was possible. I mean, yes, we get to vote, but it’s always more of a formality. I hadn’t realized we have power. The name of our church indicates this is the case. It’s the church of Jesus Christ AND it’s the church of the latter-day Saints. In brief, here is the top highlight of my mission. I met a man at a bus stop. I was going to give him a Book of Mormon, but a voice in my ear very clearly whispered not to. Twice that happened. The third time I was reaching to get a book out of my bag to give to him despite that voice. My arm froze and the voice said if I gave him the book, the consequences would be on my head. Message received loud and clear, no book given away that night. He eventually got baptized, and I was still in Korea a year later when he got married. Receiving the phone call from him that he was being sealed to a wife in the temple was the happiest day of my mission. Hearing that voice in my ear would happen again and again over the years. Not very often, but always significant. I’ll include a few more examples. Next I was off to college, which I loved! In January 1993 I arrived in Idaho to attend Ricks College (now it’s called BYU-Idaho). I’ve never been so cold my entire life. If I walked outside with wet hair, it’d freeze! My first roommate was soooo handsome. The girls called him “Ken” because he reminded them of Barbie’s boyfriend. We became great friends. I had a crush on him. At the end of the semester he told me he’s bi and our relationship changed. I was willing to leave behind church and family to be with him. He decided his life would be easier if he pursued a relationship with a woman and so left me behind in Idaho. After “Ken,” my next roommate was Futoshi from Japan. He became my best friend. Many years later I attended his wedding in Japan. In fact, our tradition is to send each other a package of Halloween treats (and no, I’ve never sent him those terrible black-and-orange wrapped candies). I was walking down the sidewalk at Ricks College and a voice in my ear whispered I should call Memo from Mexico to be my 1st counselor in the elders quorum presidency. “Yes,” I thought to myself, “he’s an excellent choice.” Wait. What?!! MY counselor? That night I got a phone call, I was the new Elders Quorum president. Half the ward was in my quorum (the other half were women). I visited with each person in the quorum every month. I liked them. I knew them all. Ah, Rexburg, home of BYU-Idaho. Does anyone know if they ever renamed Beaver Dick Park? So many unfortunate (or fortunate, if you know what I mean) double entendres. After Ricks, on I went to BYU in Utah. Futoshi came, too. I wanted to date and kiss and all the things my friends did, except with men, and that was explicitly banned by the Honor Code, even things like holding someone’s hand was out of bounds. I feared the Honor Code Office, they sometimes ran undercover stings trying to catch gay students. While in Provo, I had a faith crisis. Being in the heart of Mormondom, I had access to information that showed a different sort of story than I’d been taught in Sunday School, like the way Joseph Smith translated the gold plates. What to do with this messy history? How do I fit into the Plan of Salvation? Retaining faith, in many ways, is a choice to accept the complexity, to give up black & white for nuance. As for me, I hold on to the times I’ve seen God’s love, mercy, and justness come through the lives of flawed individuals who learn to measure up and do profound things. While a student at BYU, I got a job at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) teaching Korean to missionaries. I loved it. That place is a spiritual powerhouse and I was able to plug in every day. And I was there when my brother came to the MTC as a new missionary. I was able to eat lunch with him every week. And what’s funny is the missionaries I was teaching knew he was my brother and every morning would give me a report on what they’d seen him doing. So at Friday lunch I was always able to say things like: “Elder, I hear you were throwing snowballs.” He’d always respond “How can you possibly know that?” “The Lord sees all, Elder.”  Working at the MTC meant, like the two years of my mission, I was back to wearing a white shirt nearly every day. When I stopped working there, I threw away all my white shirts and never looked back. Wearing colorful shirts in this church is unusual for men. It was a way to mark myself as different; a way to show my experience and journey is not the same as those around me. When someone at the podium looks out and sees a purple shirt, I want them to think, “Oh, there’s David.” Yes, see me, notice me! I matter, I belong. Please see I’m doing my best and even if I am different, I am here. I have 6 brothers and sisters. They married and had babies. Those nieces and nephews are the greatest blessings in my life. I thought I’d be a good dad, but I am gay and marriage equality didn’t come until too late. So I was the best uncle, involved in their lives, making sure they know they’re loved. One thing I like about kids is they ask really personal and fundamental questions. “What’s your favorite color?” Mine is yellow. Isn’t it a lovely color, so warm and inviting. All the different shades from cream and pastel to golden or bright sunshine, yellow is beautiful. Learning to play the piano, speak a language, ride a skateboard, drive a stick-shift car, ride a bike, hit a ball or most any other skill will require mistakes, thousands of them, maybe even hundreds of thousands. It can be embarrassing. Give yourself credit for trying. Attempting something that is challenging is what you should take pride in, not ashamed that I didn’t do it perfectly the first time, or every time. I don’t know why I’ve stayed in church all these years. That’s not true. But it is complicated and this doesn’t seem to be the time to get into it, I’m trying to tell my story. The anti-gay restrictions are strict and do a number on a person’s mental health. I wish my church and my orientation were more compatible. I don’t think God finds them incompatible. In fact, He loves me in a way my church is only just learning to do. I’ve spent more of my adult years in Primary (what we call junior Sunday School) than anywhere else. They even got me to serve as an assistant scoutmaster over the 11-year-old patrol. I couldn’t believe of all the things, it had to be scouts. I was determined that it was going to be fun for those scouts even as we were being productive, not how I experienced it. Those scouts were a joy to be with. One of them often said things like, “Knives? They NEVER let us play with knives in cub scouts.” “Hey, if I see you playing with it, game over. These are tools, not toys.” At the end of the day, I’m my longest commitment, it’s only proper that I make myself a priority. I went back to school and earned a Master’s degree from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). That was hard work.   That degree helped me land a job at a university. I love working in an environment that is open and accepting. I also really appreciate knowing my efforts are going towards the university’s mission of gathering, applying and disseminating knowledge. And it’s fun to work somewhere with a fight song and a mascot, I recommend it. When my grandma died, I played a piano piece at the funeral. Afterwards a lady came up and thanked me for all the years I spent practicing, sitting there alone at a piano when I could’ve been doing something more fun. What an unusual compliment, she put thought into it, and I appreciated the recognition that playing on that day didn’t just happen. That’s how life is, you’re preparing now for things you don’t even know are on your horizon. Try to be the best you can be. My favorite hero of fiction is TRUTH. I just think a great novel contains life’s important lessons and meaning wrapped in entertaining adventures and mysteries. Harry Potter & Huckleberry Finn not only transport us to another place, but leave us with deeper understandings. I love Harry Potter. Those books and movies teach so many important life lessons, some in a straightforward way and others you have to think about. Here’s a for instance, we learn that the thing Neville fears most is Professor Snape. This kid went to class for years with that professor. No wonder the Sorting Hat put him in Gryffindor; he was one of the bravest characters. Aren’t we all brave in this way, at least sometimes? I was asked to be a counselor in the stake young men presidency. I turned them down. It took two hours of convincing before I agreed to give it a try. I said they had the wrong guy and in six months when they recognized it, they could release me, no hard feelings. I couldn’t imagine that I’d have anything to offer. Turns out it was the right calling for me. I feel like I blossomed. I was no longer just existing, merely surviving in this church. At one point, a voice whispered in my ear that I was going to be stake young men president and I am an unusual choice and would only serve a short time.  I knew by “unusual” that meant because I’m gay. I started thinking of how I’d do things differently if I were in charge. Six months later I became president and I had a plan and hit the ground running. One way I was a different kind of Stake Young Men President is I applied my experience from when I was an Elders Quorum President all those years ago, of how I used to talk with everyone each month. As stake young men president, I visited every ward at least monthly, usually twice a month. This meant every month I had contact with nearly every young man in the stake, and many of the young women, too. It was a pleasure to work with the ward young men presidents, bishops put top-shelf people in those positions. I really liked getting to know the youth. I tried to be protective of teens who struggle. I want them to know they are seen, they are loved, and there is hope. Turns out a short time was exactly one year. I was very sad to be released, my church life had found meaning. When my stake president told me “with every calling comes a release,” I blurted out, “But I just bought a Chewbacca shirt for the Star Wars dance!” “Well, wear it on casual Friday,” was his response. I was asked to be the secretary to the stake president. It’s a lot of work, definitely not a favorite calling; I’d rather be back in Primary. He said many people could make appointments, but he wanted me to be stake executive secretary so my viewpoint is present in all the top councils of the stake. I attend stake presidency meeting and some of those meetings go on and on. “Dear Lord, as we begin this meeting, please help us not to be bored. And for them to keep their stories to a minimum so we can get out of here at a decent hour.” I’ve thought about praying for those things, although never was brave enough to actually do it. One night it was late, and the stake president asked who can say a short prayer. My hand shot up so fast! Early one chilly Florida morning, I was grumbling about how cold the steering wheel was as I’m in the McDonald’s drive-thru lane. I saw a man walk out the side door, past my car, to the homeless man sitting directly ahead of me. The homeless guy had no blanket or hat, just a sweatshirt for warmth. His reaction at receiving a cup of hot coffee and a warm sandwich really touched me. I was ashamed. Why wasn’t I more like that guy? I talk a good game, but true religion requires action. The world needs more Christ-like love like that. Sometimes I wonder if the things I hear at church align with the God I know. Does it fit with the two great commandments to love God and to love one another? I try to focus on the love, that is God’s primary attribute and the one I try to emulate. If your heart ever tells you that something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it. Over the years, if I’d read a story or seen a video about someone who is gay & LDS (or even formerly LDS), I sometimes tried contacting them. I never got a response. I have a blog where I write about being gay & Mormon. I wrote about an experience I had when I got to meet a church leader, Elder Joaquin Costa of the Seventy. The whispering voice prompted me to tell him I’m gay and he showed me a great deal of love. That blog post went viral. If you want to see it, do a search for “Nerdy Gay Mormon”. Because of my viral blog post, I was contacted by many people, hundreds of them. And I responded. It’s been incredibly rewarding. For the first time I had actual friends who are LGBTQ+ and LDS. I think if the teenage me who contemplated suicide could see how my life developed, he’d be surprised at how much better the future turned out. A job I like, the favorite uncle of 14, I am well liked across my stake and make a positive contribution. I’ve lived through a difficult but special time to be gay in the Church as it’s been transforming. Wanna hear something funny, one time at church my little nephew said, “I’m hungry. How much longer to the snackrament?” Life doesn’t wait until we’re perfectly prepared and feel totally up for what’s ahead of us. In fact, life is messy. It’s not been an easy path, but it’s been MY path. Being gay in a time of unacceptance helped me gain empathy for others. I’ve tried to be a good and kind person. Living within the restrictions placed on me by my church; it’s been difficult. I’ve tried to make a mark on the world. My one great regret in life is not having children. Even so, Primary teachers and scout leaders are important to children. I may not be the main gardener in anyone else’s life, but I nurture and water others. There’d be some pretty meager gardens without people like me. If you’re hearing this and are queer, I have a message for you. Being gay or trans or whatever is not a sin, it is not the result of a lack of faith, it is not a punishment. God created you and me as glorious, eternal beings. I am a son of God. I am gay. I am known and loved by Him. He is rooting for me. If the choice comes down to suicide or your church, choose to live. Protect your mental health by taking a break from religion. God created you. You determine if this will be a blessing or a curse in your life. Enjoy it. And to everyone, be kinder and gentler. Leave the enforcing of church boundaries, of judging, up to the bishop. Don’t tell a kid that he shouldn’t be wearing that or commenting that “someone” smells of cigarettes. If this is God’s church, then there should be room for all His children, all should feel welcome. Mormons have a way of obsessing over details that don’t matter. I wish we spent more time obsessing on how to love. That’s it! It feels like this story needs an ending, a concluding sentence, something snappy. I hope I have time to think of a good one.

[blaperile]

Homestuck Epilogues - Meat - Page 22 (Epilogue 4 Page 5)

[flauntpage]

“…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1

Four games.

That’s all the Flyers have at this moment to get their team, locker room, and hockey-playing style fixed.

Things are pretty stressful in the Flyers organization right now. They were before the game Saturday and it’s no different now that they got their doors blown off on home ice by the New York Islanders by a score of 6-1.

This is the same New York Islanders team whose leading goal scorer coming into the game against the Flyers was Val Filppula.

Yeah, that’s how bad it’s gotten for the Flyers.

Ron Hextall doesn’t usually have very many visitors to his general manager’s box.

On Monday night it was former GM Bob Clarke, who made a visit. He watched the game with Hextall, and then had a serious chat with him afterwards, before saying goodbye and telling Hextall he’d see him in a couple weeks.

Then today, before the games against the Isles, Hextall was visited by Dave Scott, CEO of Comcast Spectacor, the parent company of the Flyers.

He’s been pretty quiet for a long time, giving Hextall a lot of latitude in running the hockey organization.

But by dropping into the GM’s box, and being certain to be seen by the media, it could be a hint that the slack he’s been cutting is suddenly going to shorten up.

Maybe it’s the slow drip of dwindling patrons that bothers Scott. Although most Flyers tickets are sold, there are an inordinate number of empty seats on game days. That means either people have tickets and are opting not to use them, or they were purchased by brokers and the inventory can’t be moved.

Either way, it’s an indication that the public is starting to become a bit apathetic about the hockey team.

And why not? They are 4-7-0. They have have yet to win consecutive games this season. A lot of the same problems that have plagued them in the previous three seasons of the Hextall/Dave Hakstol tenure continue to rear their ugly heads.

But perhaps most damning is the fact that they are not good in their own building. They have been outscored 26-15 in six games so far at Wells Fargo Center and are 2-4-0 at home. And they tried to give away one of their two wins, but were able to pull out a shootout win over Florida after coughing up a three-goal lead.

Not even Gritty can provide enough equity for the organization to quell the mix of apathy and anger that exists within the Flyers fan base.

The “Fire Hakstol” chants at the Wells Fargo Center are now as frequent as the E-A-G-L-E-S ones emanating from the mezzanine level.

Fans, who used to bring signs to the game to put on the glass for warmups telling the players how much they love them have resorted to this:

Spotted

pic.twitter.com/YIXyv7v0EX

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 27, 2018

Scott had to take notice. Had to.

Something has to be done. Has to.

Because if this goes on much further without course correcting, this season will be over before Midterm Election results come in.

“I don’t think anybody is happy,” said Ivan Provorov, who actually looked like his old self against the Islanders, which is one of only a couple small positives to take from this game. “We have to play better and we have to figure out soon what the hell is going on.”

What the hell is going on is a team is playing hockey without much confidence in themselves individually, in each other and in the structure of their system.

Every player is basically admitting it at this point.

“I’m not sure what to say, but we can’t give up, said Scott Laughton. “On the bench you gotta stay positive, keep encouraging guys and it’s only these guys in here that’s gonna get us out of it. No one’s gonna feel sorry for us and we’re under 500 whatever, but it’s the group in here that’s gonna get us out of us, everyone’s gotta take a deep breath, look in the mirror and see what you got to do better and go to work and that’s what we’re going to have to do here to get out of this.”

The captain was pretty candid too. Here’s my exchange with him after the game:

Me: I know it’s frustrating that the same things kind of hurt you guys game after game after game, how do you stop the snowball from rolling downhill?

G: Start doing the little things right, start playing as a team, instead of one guy doing everything or trying to make an extra play. We need 5 guys to be on the same page here.

Me: What do you think is the reason why you guys don’t start out on the same page? You say that so obviously that’s happening, but why?

G: I think when you want too much sometimes, you press a little harder, get away from what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re just pressing. I really feel like we’re pressing right now we’re just tired of losing so we’re trying to do everything we can to make something happen, but sometimes it’s not always the right thing.

Me: Does going away on this trip, kind of come at the right time considering that? You think back last year you guys went through a tough time and then you went on that trip out west you were able to right the ship because you were able to get away from home. Do you think that that’s…..?

G: I think when you go on the road for a long time with your teammates you get a little closer and that’s what we need right now. We need to get closer as a team, we need to go out there and play for each other and this road trip is going to be very important for our season.

I rambled forever on that last question, as those of you who actually watched the post game show could probably see because NBCSports Philly had a camera in our faces during that exchange, but Giroux said a lot. Lots unpack it:

1. “…  start playing as a team, instead of one guy doing everything or trying to make an extra play. We need five guys to be on the same page here.”

That means there is a lock of cohesiveness on this team. Everyone is out there playing as individuals in a team game. That’ll never work in hockey. I doubt that’s they system, so that mentality is not on the coaches, but the players themselves. They need to keep their eyes on the big picture and not try to play the part of superhero. Sometimes the simple play is the easiest play. I’ll show you a couple examples:

The Philadelphia Flyers in their own zone are a high school JV team. It's just disgusting to watch. Shit play by Sanheim. Shit awareness by Gudas. Puck ends up in the back of the net just a few seconds later. pic.twitter.com/vKvJsNsQ7n

— Jordie

(@BarstoolJordie) October 27, 2018

The first video does show Christian Folin doing nothing. That’s not as egregious as what he did later (hang tight, that’s coming). But the second video shows a real awful play by Travis Sanheim. He has an easy out up the wall and chooses to inexplicably reverse the puck to Radko Gudas, who isn’t expecting it. The Islanders then get control of the puck and…

And once again, the Flyers find themselves down 1-0. pic.twitter.com/5HF0F0nMWi

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

That would make 10 times in 11 games they got behind 1-0. That’s unconscionable. But, it’s Sanheim’s mistake – and it’s something that still haunts him, no matter what his analytics say.

I know, I’m too hard on the kid, right?

Let’s see what a former NHL defenseman has to say about it:

1-0 Isles. Poor clear by @NHLFlyers d. The play to make was forward not a reverse to partner! Turnovers KILL in any sport

— Chris Therien (@ctherien6) October 27, 2018

And that’s a team employee folks.

Then of course, there’s this:

Get Christian Folin off the ice. Fire Hakstol. Enough is enough. https://t.co/pSjLHaMwBL

— Marc Procopio (@Brocopio26) October 27, 2018

That’s Folin darting across the ice, abandoning his position to make a lame check, allowing the Islanders to come out on a 2-on-1 and ultimately score the goal.

When Provorov says “what the hell is going on,” I’m betting he’s talking about this play.

Or this:

5-1. So how is everyone's Saturday? pic.twitter.com/DSxpKiroMY

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

There are times to slide and times not to slide. This was definitely not the right choice – and not just because it resulted in a goal. Sanheim isn’t alone on defense. He’s not sliding to take away the pass on an odd man rush. He’s… sliding for no reason.

Andrew MacDonald has done this at times too (At times he’s criticized, even if it was the right play). You can’t take yourself out of a play and leave the opponent with the puck a clear path toward the shooter.

These kinds of mistakes are examples of what Giroux is saying about not everyone being on the same page.

2.  “I really feel like we’re pressing right now we’re just tired of losing so we’re trying to do everything we can to make something happen, but sometimes it’s not always the right thing.”

The three videos above could qualify for here too, but I want to use this to talk about the special teams, because that’s really where they’re pressing.

The Flyers power play has fallen to 24th in the NHL and is clicking at just 15%. That’s been buoyed by a recent stretch in which they have gone 1-for-20.

And that one was scored by Travis Konecny on the second power play unit.

To find the last one scored by the top unit, you have to go back to Claude Giroux scoring in Ottawa. That means the Flyers’ top power play unit, long the lifeblood of their offense, has now gone seven straight games without a goal.

That’s pressing.

They seem a little stale too… trying the same plays over and over again. They need a new look. Something else. Change it up.

As for the penalty kill, well…

6-1. pic.twitter.com/CRmR3OgdC2

— Sons of Penn (@SonsofPenn) October 27, 2018

Jori Lehtera is on the ice somewhere supposedly killing this penalty too. But my goodness are they all out of position. Provorov got caught on the wall. Laughton and Lehtera (wherever he is) are way too high, and Gudas goes down to block a potential shot way too soon.

The PK is now at 67.5%, 30th in the NHL.

It’s embarrassing. It really is.

3. “This road trip is going to be very important for our season.”

Yes G, yes it is.

Because if it’s not fixed, something is going to happen.

There are some grumblings within the organization that these four games are all the Flyers have left in the patience tank.

If these issues aren’t corrected, Dave Hakstol’s job could be on the line. (His odds of being the first coach fired in the NHL this season according to Bovada are 15/2 and falling – that’s the sixth-most likely at this point).

And don’t think the coach doesn’t notice this. He’s been more forthcoming with issues on the team of late.

He even targeted Mikhail Vorobyev, who got back into the lineup Saturday and didn’t show he belonged:

“Well, we’re down in a game and looking for guys who are gonna go out and try help us get back into it and I wasn’t confident that he was going to be able to do that. That’s nothing against, he’s a young guy, he’s been out of the lineup, it can be hard to come in and be really sharp and make some of the plays that we need to have made. You can always bring energy, you can always bring intensity, and you can always bring effort and that’s what’s expected.”

I expect Vorobyev to be returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms post haste. Even with Corban Knight having an upper body injury that’s going to keep him out a while, I expect Hextall to call on not one, but two forward reinforcements from the minors. (Nick Aube-Kubel anyone? Maybe Taylor Leier?)

If these issues aren’t corrected, a major trade could happen – and you want to know who’s the prime choice there? Jake Voracek. It would send a message, the Flyers would get some return and also be able to remove a big salary from their Cap. Not that they are in danger with the cap, but more flexibility is never a bad thing.

And could Hextall himself be in trouble? Yes, yes he could.

After all, the visitors to your GM’s box weren’t coming in to bring you flowers.

  The post “…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“…what the Hell is Going on” – A Take After Islanders 6, Flyers 1 published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[cpjones2133]

Rumford, down but not out

Posted January 1, 1970

Rumford, down but not out

BY LINDSAY TICE, STAFF WRITER

A town that caters to tourists and retirees looking for a quiet place to settle down. A town with good jobs that aren’t completely subject to the whims of industry. A prosperous town.

His scope is broad: a soap opera hall of fame, a modern assisted-living center, a cluster of boutique shops at the town’s gateway.

The first step to getting there: a movie theater.

“We’ve been hammering away at that for a while,” said Blampied, a real estate developer and a member of Rumford’s economic development committee. For over a year, a fellow committee member has called theater owners, courted them. “He’s been arguing why they should come and they argue why they shouldn’t. I don’t think he’s gotten very far.”

It’s hard to bring a theater to a town that’s losing money, jobs and people.

In its heyday of the 1960s, Rumford’s largest employer, the paper mill, employed over 3,000 people. Chemists. Accountants. Sales people. Machine workers. They were high-paying jobs, the kind that gave workers enough money to buy homes, shop local businesses and comfortably raise families. Just over 10,000 people lived in Rumford then. The town got millions in tax revenue from the mill. The whole rural region was buoyed by its success.

Today, after waves of layoffs, the mill is down to about 700 employees. The latest blow was announced two weeks ago: another 100 jobs gone with the shutdown of another paper machine, leaving two in operation. With equipment being sold off, the mill’s valuation is expected to drop by a third; the town is slated to lose nearly $1 million in taxes annually because of it. Rumford’s population now hovers somewhere below 6,500.

So few that the once-thriving mill town can’t even attract a little movie theater.

Rumford is dealing with the same thing a lot of small Maine towns are facing — the loss of its largest employer. In Limestone, Loring Air Force Base pulled out all of the sudden. In other places, like Millinocket, which is also paper mill-dependent, there has been a slow shrinking, a trickling away until there’s almost nothing left.

Rumford residents debate whether their NewPage paper mill is on its way out or can hang on. What no one disputes: The mill is not the employment giant it once was. The painful repercussions are obvious: lost jobs, families that can’t pay their bills, local businesses with fewer customers, real estate values dipping, town tax revenue lagging.

But residents, town officials and some ardent Rumford supporters say the town will prosper once again thanks to its people, its natural beauty and its offerings.

While other people were moving out of town a few years ago, Blampied moved in.

“I just feel the potential here is stunning,” he said

“I want to be optimistic”

Rumford’s paper mill was built more than 100 years ago by Hugh Chisholm, a millionaire drawn to the area by the Androscoggin River and the Rumford Falls, which would provide power to the mill. It was called the Oxford Paper Co. then.

The mill was sold and resold over the years, but it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that those sales started happening with some frequency.

“We’d never seen that before. Normally those businesses are held for a decade or more,” said Town Manager Carlo Puiia.

Puiia grew up in town. As a high-schooler he worked in the mill’s accounting office.

The accounting office that no longer exists.

“They reduced that and then they became centralized,” he said.

Other jobs slowly vanished, too. And with those jobs, the people who filled them.

When Puiia started his freshman year in high school in 1974, he was one of about 240 students at Rumford High School. When he graduated in 1978, his class had just 176.

“Families moved away,” he said. “They’d shut down the chemistry department. Then later they shut down the accounting department. Sales was another thing they used to have. The sales people now are located in different areas. There were a lot of jobs that were support jobs, they weren’t just paper-making jobs. I think now what they’re trying to do is just keep the paper-making jobs inside the mill.”

In January, Olin Bernard was one of 130 people laid off. He had worked in the mill for 37 years, his latest job as shift supervisor. He wasn’t surprised when the end came.

“Being on salary, you kind of figure every day could be your last day,” Bernard said.

Some of the oldest laid-off workers retired while some of the younger ones went back to school to train for new careers. Others, like Bernard, found work elsewhere. But many have not.

In August, Rumford’s unemployment rate was 14.6 percent, nearly twice the state rate of 7.7 percent. On Sept. 11, NewPage — owner since 2005 — announced it was shutting down another paper machine. One hundred more jobs lost.

Because Rumford’s well-being is so tied to the mill’s, the slow slide concerns a lot of people.

Dave Marchand runs a hot dog stand outside the Rumford Information Center. Workers often walk up from the mill to grab lunch. Business has not been good lately.

“This year they’re coming up asking how much a hot dog is and then they’re counting out their change to see if they can afford it,” he said.

Sue Billings and her family run a farm and greenhouse, sell produce at the Rumford Information Center and run a farm stand on Route 2, a major road through the area. She had been making $130 to $140 a day at the farm stand. Lately she’s been making $40 a day. She believes the loss is tied to the lagging mill.

Matt Bean, president of the mill’s steelworkers union, can’t even run an errand at the local bank without someone there asking him how NewPage is doing.

“I want to be optimistic, but each time some of these things (layoffs) happen it seems like it takes a piece of my optimistic feeling away,” Bean said. “But I’m still trying to stay optimistic.”

“There was a tremendous amount of potential here”

NewPage itself is also trying to stay optimistic.

The largest coated papermaker in the United States, NewPage blames recent layoffs on the faltering economy. Companies are spending less on advertising now, and less advertising means less demand for NewPage’s glossy paper.

But spokeswoman Janet Hall said company has leadership, vision and hope for the future when the economy turns around.

“NewPage is definitely in the game to win,” Hall said.

Still, when Bean asks leadership about the paper mill’s future, he said, “The feedback we get from the company is they don’t have a crystal ball.”

Despite the knocks the town has taken over the years and despite the uncertainty that continues to surround its largest employer, Rumford counts itself as down but definitely not out. It’s slowly but surely working to rejuvenate itself.

The town has started offering more community events. It’s worked to attract young businesses to its business park. It’s looking at redeveloping part of town. And last year, at Blampied’s urging, the town formed a Rumford-specific economic development committee on top of the regional one that already exists. Blampied is a member.

Although the town has some problems, he, like others, sees the opportunities here.

In 2005, Blampied was a real estate developer living in Sanford. Home prices were skyrocketing in southern Maine and he began looking elsewhere for his next venture. In Rumford he says he found a friendly, safe, picturesque town with real estate prices so low that they were almost unbelievable.

“I was just stunned there was this supply in the housing market,” Blampied said. “It seemed to me there was a tremendous amount of potential here.”

He bought a house for $30,000, put another $10,000 to $12,000 into it and moved in.

Blampied now advocates for the town, both as a member of the economic development committee and as the creator of the “Grow Rumford!” Web site, which promotes local businesses, advertises area homes under $50,000 and proposes new business ideas.

Among those business ideas: a soap opera hall of fame, a unicycle museum or a tobacco use prevention museum.

“You’d have bus loads of school kids,” he said. “Every school in Maine would have to take a field trip to the tobacco use prevention museum.”

Blampied admits they are unusual ideas — “Wild and crazy,” he said — but he believes the town needs to push for something, to be creative and aggressive in marketing itself.

“The town is just sort of trying to find its feet with an economic development effort,” he said.

And if it does, he believes, people will come.

Brian and Jessica Nichols also took a gamble on Rumford. Last year they opened Brian’s Bistro, an elegant, reasonably priced restaurant in a section of the former Harris Hotel. Brian had worked at the last restaurant in that space. That place went out of business. The Nichols jumped in.

“We saw a niche for it here,” Jessica said.

The building has dark woods and an art deco design. Patrons can eat paninis and designer burgers while they gaze out expansive windows — at the mill and the logging trucks that rumble down Route 108.

A lot of the restaurant’s diners come from local businesses. Some are area residents. A few are mill workers. The Nichols’ worry about the mill, the town. But with the town’s natural beauty, its creative and qualified workers, and its ingenuity, they also foresee a brighter future.

“We’re proof new business can come here,” Brian said.

“I wouldn’t want to live here because of the mill”

Will others take a chance on a flagging mill town? And how should Rumford promote itself?

Opinions are mixed. Some residents say a casino would rejuvenate the town. Others say a family-friendly water park would be better. Some want Rumford to do more to encourage small businesses to move in. Others say it should work on getting a large call center or another industry-driven business that would bring in a bunch of jobs all at once.

Still others say that Rumford — a quaint little New England town — should promote tourism. Nestled in the middle of western Maine, it offers natural wilderness, awe-inspiring falls and beautiful views from almost any location in town.

Rumford is currently a minor draw for tourists. People drive through on their way to go skiing, camping or sightseeing. Sometimes they stop at the Rumford Information Center, take a walk out to look at the falls or snap photos of the town’s giant Paul Bunyan statue.

On one sunny morning last week, Wanda Murphy and her three traveling companions stopped to pose for photos with the statue. The women — three from Canada and one from California — were passing through on their drive across America. They thought Rumford was beautiful.

Mostly.

“I wouldn’t want to live here because of the mill,” said Wanda Murphy of Nova Scotia, glancing at the smokestacks in the distance. “But it was nice to see the historical stuff around the mill.”

Some people say too many tourists feel the same way and it will be too difficult for Rumford to become a sought-after place to live, work or play while the mill is running.

“We haven’t been able to do it yet,” said Len Greaney, a Rumford resident and former town manager.

Others say the mill must be an integral part of any revitalization, any future.

“Realistically,” said Bean, the union president, “I don’t know how Rumford could survive.”

Puiia, the town manager, takes the middle ground. He believes the town’s century-old paper mill will survive — “We’re being hopeful,” he said — but he also believes the town could be destination spot. He said its low real estate prices and quiet community are already a draw for young retirees looking for refuge from the big city.

“The lifestyle here is very attractive,” he said.

Blampied agrees about the lifestyle, even if he hasn’t been able to woo a soap opera hall of fame or a movie theater. Yet.

“I don’t think Rumford will be 15,000 people. I think it’ll be smaller. But I think it can be quite prosperous,” he said. “Eventually.”

ltice@sunjournal.com

Rumford numbers:

August 2009 unemployment rate: 14.6 percent

State unemployment rate: 7.7 percent

(Source: Maine Department of Labor)

Population: 1900: 3,770 1910: 6,777 1920: 8,576 1930: 10,340 1940: 10,230 1950: 9,954 1960: 10,005 1970: 9,363 1980: 8,240 1990: 7,078 2000: 6,472 2008: 6,310 Source: Census)

School enrollment 1970: 2,473 1980: 1,495 1990: 1,080 2000: 1,033

(Source: Maine State Planning Office)

Number of jobs in town 1990: 4,158 1997: 3,576 Drop: 14 percent (Source: Maine State Planning Office)

Limestone has been there. So has Dexter. Millinocket still is.

Rumford’s experience with the shrinking of a major employer is nothing new to small towns in Maine.

At its height, Loring Air Force Base had a military population of 10,000 and employed thousands of others from Limestone and the surrounding area. Military parents enrolled their children in local schools, sending millions in federal education aid to the school system. The base pumped millions of dollars into the local economy.

And then, in 1994, Loring closed.

It was sudden and shocking to Limestone, a rural, northern Maine town with few other significant job opportunities. Unlike other towns that lose a major employer, Limestone got some federal help and the base was quickly redeveloped. But that barely softened the blow.

Some people found jobs at the new industrial park, but pay was generally much lower than they were used to in their old federal positions. Others left the area to find work. Between 1990 and 2000, Limestone’s population plummeted from nearly 10,000 to just over 2,300, devastating both the town’s tax base and its school system. Limestone went from 1,400 students to less than 300 almost overnight. The school system was forced to lay off more than 100 workers and move all students — kindergarten through grade 12 — into one building.

Fifteen years later, Limestone’s population hasn’t rebounded and isn’t likely to, but the town has tried to adjust. Any business — from the little print shop downtown to the new sandwich place — is lauded. Small growth — an expansion at Caldwell’s Auto — is celebrated.

“We’ve worked very diligently on development and we’re still working on it,” said Town Manager Donna Bernier. “I guess you never give up on that.”

Dexter started losing its largest employer — Dexter Shoe — in 2001. Over nearly a year, the manufacturer slowly pulled out of town, taking a couple thousand jobs with it overseas. At one point, Town Manager Dave Pearson said, the company told Dexter workers to train the Chinese workers who would be taking over their jobs.

“Which I thought was just an obscene thing for them to do,” he said.

The state set up a rapid response center in the middle of town to offer training, job placement and advice to laid-off workers, but it couldn’t make jobs magically appear in the small Penobscot County town. Some residents stuck around and commuted to work in larger cities nearby. Others moved.

“Some people didn’t find jobs,” Pearson said. “I don’t know what happened to them.”

The town itself lost about $12 million of its tax base when the shoe factory shutdown. Dexter Shoe still maintains a distribution warehouse in the town, still employs about 100 people, Pearson said, but that’s nothing close to what it was.

With its ready workforce, it originally thought it would be a prime candidate for another big employer.

“But that didn’t happen,” Pearson said.

Eight years after Dexter Shoe’s closure was announced, the town is still struggling to rejuvenate its economy. Area farmers are now working to form an agriculture co-op to draw business to the region. The town is looking at developing windmill and hydro power.

Dexter no longer pins its hopes on large industry moving in.

“We have some little rays of hope,” Pearson said. “I don’t even bother trying to attract giant shoe shops or things anymore. I think it’s a total waste of time. If small businesses come in we try to help the small businesses.”

Millinocket has been dealing with layoffs at its area paper mills since 1986. They employed about 4,400 people back then, said Millinocket Town Manager Gene Conlogue. East Millinocket’s mill is now down to 500 workers. Millinocket’s mill could have 175 jobs — if it ever comes back on line after its indefinite shutdown a year ago.

The slow slide has hurt the town, and has hurt the area businesses that relied on the mills and millworkers for income.

“It’s part of an economic downward spiral,” Conlogue said.

As the mills have declined, Millinocket has tried to bring in new business. One major newcomer: a biomass boiler manufacturer that could move into town in the next year, bringing with it 100 jobs with good pay, good benefits and a good future.

“That’s the major one we’re working on right now. We have a couple of others just kind of in the wings, but not enough to talk about at this point,” Conlogue said.

Limestone, Dexter and Millinocket’s advice to Rumford and other towns dealing with layoffs: move quickly, think long term, diversify to be less dependent on a single industry.

“We’re survivors, this whole community,” said Bernier in Limestone. “We’re all survivors.”

ltice@sunjournal.com

Brian Nichols, owner of Brian’s Bistro in Rumford, said, “We’re proof that new businesses can come here.”

https://www.sunjournal.com/1970/01/01/rumford/

[hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff]

Back to Sundance we go for another year of discovery. What's on the line-up this year? Out of the 110+ films showing at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, I've chosen 10 that I'm looking forward to seeing the most. To keep things well balanced, I've chosen 5 feature films and 5 documentaries from the line-up. There are so many films playing at the fest, and so many I'll end up seeing (30+), that this is a quick list to get everyone acquainted with some of the work premiering in 2019 (I just want to go see everything). There are new films from filmmakers like Ritesh Batra and Lulu Wang, and incredible documentaries that are also worthy of our attention, plus many other films. You never really know what will good or bad, but here's my first few picks.

This is my 13th year in a row returning to Sundance, starting back in 2007. I'm so excited to be attending Sundance once again, and can't wait to dive into the films more than anything. There's so many I am curious to watch from this year's line-up. For now, here's my Top 10 most anticipated films before the fest begins.

Alex's Most Anticipated \Sundance 2019/ Feature Films:

Hala Directed by Minhal Baig

I've been following filmmaker Minhal Baig (mostly on Twitter @minhalbaig) for a while now, and she is ready to finally break out big and show everyone how talented she really is. Hala is her second feature film following her debut 1 Night, and it's much more personal this time. The story is about a Muslim teenager named Hala - played by Geraldine Viswanathan - who lives in Chicago with her immigrant parents from Pakistan. There she copes with the unraveling of her family as she comes into her own. It's a coming-of-age story but told from an entirely different angle that we rarely see, as Sundance explains that Baig "brings a vital and layered female perspective to the coming-of-age genre." They add that she "crafts a character and story with immense relatability and unexpected consequence." I've been looking forward to seeing this ever since I first heard about it, and I'm excited that it's finally ready to premiere at Sundance. Congrats, Minhal.

Photograph Directed by Ritesh Batra

Back in 2013, I fell in love with a little film called The Lunchbox, starring Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur. After making two other English-language films, Our Souls at Night and The Sense of an Ending (both from 2017), filmmaker Ritesh Batra returns to his roots and his hometown in India with Photograph. Set in Mumbai, the film is about a struggling street photographer, pressured to marry by his grandmother, who convinces a shy stranger to pose as his fiancée. The pair develops a connection that transforms them in ways that they could not expect. As a photographer myself, I'm already intrigued. But I've also got a good feeling this might be a magical, lovely new film from Ritesh Batra and I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes us. If it's anywhere close to as sweet and as honest as The Lunchbox was, it will be another instant favorite.

Little Monsters Directed by Abe Forsythe

There's always one or two films in the Midnight section that I have to see, just because they sound so crazy and fun. Little Monsters is exactly one of those that I'm going to stay up late to watch. Described as a "film dedicated to all the kindergarten teachers who motivate children to learn, instill them with confidence, and stop them from being devoured by zombies." The massively talented Lupita Nyong'o stars as that teacher, taking on an extra bloody role that will hopefully allow her to show off more of her badass side. Plus there's always room for more zombies movies, right? Why not, they're always entertaining. "Armed only with the resourcefulness of kindergartners, [they] must work together to keep the monsters at bay and carve a way out with their guts intact." I'm fairly certain this will be a good one, especially with the late night audience.

I Am Mother Directed by Grant Sputore

One of the few sci-fi films playing at Sundance, which means I have to see it no matter what. But it also looks and sounds compelling. I Am Mother features a robot designed by Weta Workshop in New Zealand, and marks the directorial debut of an award-winning commercials director from Australia named Grant Sputore. And yes, the story seems quite promising. A teenage girl is raised underground by a kindly robot "Mother" - designed to repopulate the earth following the extinction of humankind. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news. This reminds me a bit of Moon (which premiered at Sundance 2009) mashed up with other sci-fi concepts. The robot's design is familiar but sleek, and the handful of images they've released so far all look better than expected. Don't let me down, Sputore.

Velvet Buzzsaw Directed by Dan Gilroy

So, this looks awesome! And totally insane! And weird, and captivating, and funny, and twisted, and sly, and wicked, and frightening. Velvet Buzzsaw is the latest film written & directed by Dan Gilroy, a screenwriter who turned director (or perhaps became a true auteur) making his debut with Nightcrawler in 2014, and following that up with Roman J. Israel, Esq. in 2017. This time he attacks the art world, with a film that seems to be about pieces of art coming to life and killing people. Something like that. The cast also is quite impressive: Jake Gyllenhaal, John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Rene Russo, Daveed Diggs. And this looks like the perfect follow-up to Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or winning film The Square, with both films mocking and lambasting the absurdity of the modern art world. I'm so there. Watch the official trailer here.

More Feature Films I'm Looking Forward To Seeing: Lulu Wang's The Farewell, Rashid Johnson's Native Son, Paul Downs Colaizzo's Brittany Runs A Marathon, Nisha Ganatra's Late Night, David Wnendt's The Sunlit Night, Makoto Nagahisa's funky We Are Little Zombies, Noble Jones' The Tomorrow Man, Bert&Bertie's Troop Zero, JD Dillard's Sweetheart, Patrick Brice's Corporate Animals, Tayarisha Poe's Selah and the Spades, Daniel Scheinert's The Death of Dick Long, and May el-Toukhy's Queen of Hearts.

Alex's Most Anticipated \Sundance 2019/ Documentaries:

Memory: The Origins of Alien Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe

A documentary about the making of Ridley Scott's original Alien! Say no more, I'm already there, I wouldn't miss this for anything. This is the latest doc film made by Swiss filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe, who has been making docs about cinema and filmmaking for a while - including The People vs. George Lucas, and 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene just before. I'm curious how much this will cover and how much it will uncover. It seems to focus more on how they came up with the original ideas and designs for the film, less so the filming or release. "Philippe's real interest lies in the deep resonance of myths and our collective unconscious. The strange symbiotic collaboration between Alien creators [Dan] O'Bannon, Scott, and H.R. Giger suggests a greater synchronicity across history, art, and storytelling, a synchronicity that gives us the Furies, creatures of Renaissance painting, and even chest-bursting aliens." Sounds damn good, right?

Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements Directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky

Another documentary that sounds exceptionally unique. The short Sundance description grabbed me right away: "A deeply personal portrait of three lives, and the discoveries that lie beyond loss: a deaf boy growing up, his deaf grandfather growing old, and Beethoven the year he was blindsided by deafness and wrote his iconic sonata." It's a multi-generational portrait of people dealing with deafness, capturing the complexity of silence and hearing. And I am more than intrigued to find out how filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky (of Hear and Now previously) examines these themes and weaves these three stories together. Sundance talks it up even more in their description of the film: "Brodsky explores the meaning of deafness, loss, and the power of silence as her son discovers his unique voice and her parents confront a new chapter of their lives," adding that it's "buoyed by a perceptive soundscape and luminous animation." I really want to see this doc.

Midnight Traveler Directed by Hassan Fazili

There's always a remarkable doc discovery, or two, hidden in the Sundance line-up telling an unforgettable story from somewhere else around the world. Read about this film and you'll instantly get a feeling that it's going to be something special. Midnight Traveler is a documentary made by a filmmaker from Afghanistan, Hassan Fazili, who flees his home country and takes us on a perilous journey with his wife and two young daughters as they travel as refugees across Europe searching for a new home. It seems to be a very personal, inside look at the life of a family just trying to surviving on the run from certain death. "Chronicling every step from inside the action", Fazili's camera captures "not only the danger and desperation but also the exuberance and tenderness of this irresistible, loving family." Just look at that shot of them all in the snow above! They seem so loving, wonderful, and authentic. I want to see this just to meet and learn about them.

Apollo 11 Directed by Todd Douglas Miller

I'm a space nerd. I'm a big time fan of NASA. I'm surprised we haven't seen a documentary like this before, but I guess In the Shadow of the Moon is close (focusing on all of the Apollo missions). And I loved Damien Chazelle's First Man, which is also about Apollo 11, so I'm totally ready for this next. The documentary is purported to be an exhilarating cinematic experience, something that demands to be seen on the big screen. NASA has been digging out old footage and photographs and other artifacts from the vaults, putting all of the original footage from the Apollo 11 mission online + uncut audio recordings and more. Produced by CNN Films and Statement Pictures, this film "features never-before-seen, large-format film footage of one of humanity's greatest accomplishments." Oh yes. Can't wait to experience this. Watch the teaser trailer here.

Hail Satan? Directed by Penny Lane

A documentary about the rise of the Satanic Temple religious movement? I'm certainly curious. And it's the latest doc film made by Penny Lane - a quietly talented, quirky, fun filmmaker behind other fantastically weird documentaries like Our Nixon, The Pain of Others, and Nuts! (about a guy who sold people a goat-testicle impotence cure - it premiered at Sundance 2016). I don't know how deep this is going to go, but I am intrigued to find out. Sundance references this eye-brow-raising part of the Satanic Temple's history in their description: "Through their dogged campaign to place a nine-foot, bronze Satanic monument smack dab next to the statue of the Ten Commandments on the Arkansas State Capitol lawn, the leaders of the temple force us to consider the true meaning of the separation of church and state." Sounds like something I have to see for myself, at the very least because no one else is making films about this fascinating topic anyway.

More Documentaries I'm Looking Forward To Seeing: Kenneth Paul Rosenberg's Bedlam, Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert's American Factory, Ben Berman's Amazing Johnathan Documentary, Ljubomir Stefanov & Tamara Kotevska's Honeyland, Petra Costa's Edge of Democracy, Garret Price's Love Antosha, Hepi Mita's Merata: How Mum Decolonised The Screen, Karim Amer & Jehane Noujaim's The Great Hack, Ursula Macfarlane's Untouchable, and Alex Gibney's latest The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.

For all of Alex's Sundance 2019 reviews and updates: Follow @firstshowing

For more Sundance 2019 previews around the web, highlighting early picks and potential breakouts, see: The Film Stage's 20 Most-Anticipated Premieres, and Indiewire's 21 Must-See Films At This Year's Festival. You never know what might be a big hit, and it's vital to have a pulse on the buzz – even before the festival starts. There's plenty of exciting and hopefully superb gems hidden in the 2019 line-up, bring on the films.

You can follow our Sundance 2019 coverage and updates in this category. The festival kicks off January 24th and runs until February 3rd, with lots of films to see every day. Let's jump right in and start watching.

from FirstShowing.net http://bit.ly/2FGN8w1