#yippie i turn 21..........

[dreemurr-skelememer]

holy shit i somehow didnt process it but my birthday is tomorrow 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[arkanis-englishupdates]

SUMMARY OF ALL ARKANIS POVs

DAY 18 & DAY 19— 20/09/2024 & 21/09/2024

DAY 18 — 20/09/2024

The day in Valigma begins chaotically, with Bagi receiving a mysterious book with coordinates and a riddle poem. She takes Choke, Matt and Febatista to those coordinates which turned out to be a totally purple strange construction.

By solving the various puzzles at the location, the group obtains a book with coordinates and upon arriving at the location, a new ghost child appears.

She doesn't have an official name yet, but she is the daughter of Bagi, Matt, Felps and Meiaum.

While all this was happening, Gris and Quel find a house on a mountain, there they find a resident who wears a broken mask like Quel's called Maethe (MAETHE'S FIRST DAY YIPPIE!).

Quel reveals that Maethe and she were very good friends, however, like Quel when she woke up in prison, Maethe has no memory of anything.

Gnomeu pays Matt a visit while the demon was in his house, telling him that he had been watching him for some time. Gnomeu Ask Matt what his biggest wish is and the demon responds that his greatest desire was to live in Valigma peacefully, with Gnomeu saying he could help him.

After his conversation with Gnomeu, Matt meets again with Bagi and Choke to talk about everything they know and their theories, with the group deciding to invade the factory to investigate. They fail and choose to go to Guaxinim's house.

At Guaxinim's house (Where Quel and Maethe were too), the group is greeted by the presence of Bia Raux (She's so tall omg-), who starts talking to everyone. She tells Matt that, unlike Bagi, she didn't miss the demon, and threatens to cut him into pieces. Maethe takes a selfie with Bia without her noticing and sends the photo to the global Valigma group.

It is also revealed (Before Matt, Bagi and Choke arrived) by Bia that she loved Maethe and Quel, but no longer does ("You failed, Arkania no longer flows within you. That's why the mask broke and there was only a piece left"). Quel revealed to Bia that Mayor Jota wants to rip the mask off her face.

After the threat directed at Matt, Bia increasingly loses her patience and disappears, leaving everyone (except Matt) blind for a moment.

After that, the group starts talking and suddenly Jota appears wanting to talk to Quel. The Mayor showed up because he saw the photo that Maethe posted in the group and ran to the place, arriving just as Quel started talking bad about Jota to everyone.

Jota and Quel talk about what happened and everything that happened between Araldo and Gabepeixe on Day 17. He says goodbye after the conversation and leaves.

While everyone was talking, Matt suddenly reveals that he is on a mission that he doesn't want to do, but that it has to be done by October 7th and that he needs everyone's help to do so. He disappears as soon as he finishes talking and comes back as if nothing had happened.

After talking about it, everyone says goodbye and goes their separate ways.

Guaxinim decides to explore the factory a little before going to sleep.

DAY 19 — 21/09/2024

This day was the calmest, with just farms being built, fun conversations between everyone and armor and weapon upgrades.

Only at the end of Bagi's day did something unexpected happen. After facing Bia Raux several times, her punishment finally arrived.

Bagi ends up being kidnapped by Bia Raux, who puts her in a small purple room with the purest pitch black around.

"Your stay here will be long until I take everything you have.

You won't get out of here, one pain after another.

Moah dies of hunger, you die of agony.

One eye for another.

Loves... And amen...

Here you stay, until rescue comes from someone else.

Goodbye."

[Please let us know if anything else happened that wasn't posted here!

And as Mayor Jota was taught by Choke, I say:

"Good night. Queen slays, queen says goodbye, queen leaves!"]

[m0e-ru]

anyway if anyone's gonna play metaphor reFantazio um. dont play on a 50 inch screen, lower your brightness, and for the love of the almighty please disable Camera Shake in the settings ohh my gordness

atlus' game ui has been going so hard it went Too Hard, where the flashy graphics are literally so flashy, like even the transitions are making my head hurt. it's absolutely gongeous but even good things can be too much. it would help to have accessibility settings but theres none of that here !!!! if i could cap the frame rate to 30fps i would be so glad but we're stuck with stupid 60 fps until something explodes !!!!!!

well anyway reFan is a delightful experience so far. the protagonist actually talks and his voice line delivery is so funny you should pick the snarkiest dialogue options. if youre a persona fan you'll find your fair share of headaches along the way. smtnators um you can cast tarukaja 21 times and pass all your turns if you want go ahead . and the obligatory fantasy british. and gaelic . yippie !

[beecreeper]

Yippie new ask list! 13, 21, 26, 30

13.) Does your OC have a rival? How did it start?

Hm. I guess for Briar I would have to say Orin but like. Briar did NOT give Orin the time of day. That rivalry was ENTIRELY all on Orin’s side while Briar ignored Orin completely (which, of course, just infuriated Orin even more).

And I dunno. Neither Molli, Ferox, or Poppy are ambitious enough to have rivals. Molli’s has such nothing self-esteem that her grandest aspiration is “semi-regular tavern performer”, Ferox is like “please i do NOT want attention or praise for anything please but ESPECIALLY not for the things that I am good at (namely reducing people to piles of wet meat). I want to disappear entirely please and thank you”, and Poppy is just chillin’.

I think I might kinda describe Myrala and Nine Fingers as rivals? Kinda? In Myrala’s tav timeline, when she’s living in Baldur’s Gate and trying to do Eilistraee missionary work, Nine Fingers/the Guild keeps popping up in her life and making things difficult by like, recruiting Myrala’s refugees into guild crews or running projection rackets on people that Myrala is trying to help. Nine Fingers also learns that Myrala used to be a very competent thief in her day and keeps trying to recruit her. And Myrala, who is getting REAL disillusioned with failing to substantially help anyone and constantly struggling to make ends meet, is getting REAL close to taking her up on it.

21.)What song best describes their relationship with their enemy?

Answered here!

26.) What flower do you associate your OC with?

Briar:

Ghost pipe! It’s all white because it doesn’t photosynthesize. Instead, it’s a parasite that feeds on fungi!

Molli:

Daisies. Cute and simple and also my personal favorites

Ferox and Myrala:

They both get Forget me nots. Myrala particularly loved any sort of small, weedy common flowers because they were very emblematic to her of the difference between the surface and the underdark and an example of a small, common piece of beauty that you can find literally everywhere as long as your look for it and appreciate it. But forget me nots were her favorite and, accordingly, they were Ferox’s favorite also.

Poppy:

Well duh

30.) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn’t a question. I’m not asking. (How do they respond?)

Okay I know we’ve already established that Briar and Sunflower are somehow inexplicably best friends. Sunflower manages to strike exactly the right balance of being a good influence on Briar without getting on her nerves and (through what I can only imagine as incredibly clutch persuasion rolls) says exactly the right thing to make Briar doubt herself long enough to not kill Isobel, which in turn starts the chain of events leading to “redeemed” Briar. I like how subdued and not obvious their friendship is. Briar is absolutely not acknowledging that they are friends and not acting necessarily acting like it either, but like it or not Sunflower is somehow the closest person in her life. Really extreme black cat / golden retriever energy.

Also obviously Molli and Sunflower would get along really well, jamming as bards together especially and just being chatterboxes.

For Valora I think, out of my OCs, Poppy would get along with her the best. They both got that yolo zest for life, wanderlust, and curiosity. I can imagine Poppy telling stories about all the places she’s traveled and all the people she’s met and Valora just hanging on her every word. Conversely, Poppy would think Valora is just super cool, ESPECIALLY if/when she learns about the whole Bhaalblob thing.

I gotta ruminate more on the all specific dynamics between my ocs and yours but I’m gonna stop here for now lest I keep typing forever.

[urdarlingangel]

i turn 21 in less than a week.. yippie?

[that-onecrow]

I turned 21, yippie

[nhi-theuser]

One Piece Book Club: Chapters 16-21

Damn bro I’m getting tuckered out reading allat😭💀

End of an arc though!

Chapter 16:

Luffy did a balloon thing last chapter which, again, not possible so he’d die but you go king

Buggy and some used crewmates as meat shields, which, uh, been a hot minute idk what they defended against but I think it’s a toss up and slightly survivable, though if you have to use a human shield that usually means it’s not a fun attack

Guy is beating on Zoro and I’m ngl I think that’s not very good maybe that’s just me😁😁

ZORO FUCKING STABS HIMSELF???? INCORRECT BUZZER THAT IS NOT SURVIVABLE WITH BASE WOUNDS DURING A FIGHT SORRY GUY BUT THATS BOT SMART

Chapter 17:

Guy and Zoro fight some more and buggy tries to hold Zoro down except Luffy stops it cause it’s Zoro a fight so that’s a neat show of character

Zoro beats guy up and immediately passes out from probably blood loss, again, normal people don’t quite survive that sort of thing but like have fun w it I guess😭

Chapter 18:

Luffy and Buggy start scrapping!

Buggy gets pissy cause it turns out Luffy got his hat from shanks, who buggy says used to be a cabin boy with him when they were on a different pirates crew together

Buggy beats up the hat and Luffy is the pissed one now😬😬 have fun with that zamn

Chapter 19:

Neat cover art! Love watching this little guy do idiot stuff

Flashback!! Shank stole something from buggy apparently.. them as little guys is silly though!

New guy: unnamed older crewmate with interesting beard that gives gyro.. though this guy did it first I think, can’t imagine sbr preceded one piece lol

Ah, looks like buggy was trying to get the fruit by eating a fake and accidentally ate it fr cause shanks shocked him,, and the one map he had fell in the ocean.. man id have beef with him too for that one lol

Chapter 20:

Ah! Buggy is trying to fly at Nami after spotting her with his treasure.. and Luffy kicked him in the balls since he left his bottom half hanging out on the ground though lmaooo

Luffy got his hands on a map of the grand line!!!! Yippie!!!!

Damn they launched buggy into space like team rocket😭😭

Chapter 21:

Big tiger! Yay!

Dog reappears for a minute!! Love that little guy

Mayor pops back up one last time to say thank you and it’s very cool!

Reading summary:

+ Nami (temporary?)

- Buggy defeated!

Fun time over all, looking forward to what comes next from here!

[robots-and-cowboys]

Y2K’s apocalyptic frenzy signaled a shift where pop singers became more defiant in taking risks with digitized sounds -- from Aaliyah going full futuristic acid-rap fusion on “Try Again” to Britney Spears turbo driving her dance-pop into outer space with "Oops!... I Did It Again."

*NSYNC was one of the sonic spaceship’s main navigators, thanks to the group's sophomore album, No Strings Attached. The album (which turned 20 on March 21) saw the quintet transitioning from the thumping, Swedish synth-heavy jock jams of 1998’s self-titled album to exploring their urban influences. The end result? Millennial interpretations of New Jack Swing, and staccato rap-adjacent flows that were previously made mainstream by Destiny’s Child and TLC.

Helping to lead the charge was JC Chasez who, along with fellow *NSYNC lead vocalist Justin Timberlake, earned his first official album credits on No Strings Attached. He stretched his talents to co-write and co-produce four songs, with assistance from songwriter Veit Renn and production duo Riprock 'n' Alex G: "Space Cowboy (Yippie-Yi-Yay)” featuring Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes,” “Digital Get Down," “Bringin’ da Noise,” and the title track.

[otomebois-bb]

AU Prompt - Day 14 of Gavin Month

Title: My soulmate? Who's that?

Pairing: Gavin & MC

(Tagging: @that-wasnt-so-bad @ceres-zephyr @mlqcdokidoki )

Notes: First, I think today's prompt was supposed to be a Tomb Raider AU, but uh, I don't really know that (don't @ me pls) so I changed it to a Soulmate AU! Secondly, I was getting really sick and tired of slacking off (both for various reasons and no reasons at all), so I've decided if I have to skip days 11-13, that's fine, but I'm NOT skipping this one since I had a good idea for it that I was super excited about. Also, tbh, I really want to turn this into a mini series/short story since I'm so proud of it and would love to write more backstory for it and what happens after the end of this... but that'll have to wait until after Gavin Month is over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stared out the window sadly, with a hint of bitterness as I sighed. I glanced down at my wrist and pushed my sleeve back far enough to be able to see the timer that blinked tauntingly at me on the soft skin of it.

[[MORE]]

It read 2 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 22 seconds... no, 21... it kept counting down.

It was my soulmate timer.

Basically, everyone was born with a soulmate. A timer on a person's wrist indicated how long they had left before they would finally meet their soulmate. Once they did, the timer would forever read zero, and their soulmate's signature would be tattooed below it. Some found theirs when they were really young. A few found theirs when they were really old. Most typically found them when they were in their teenage years, somewhere between the beginning of high school and graduation.

However, in two days I was turning twenty two, and I still hadn't met my soulmate. I was beginning to think my timer was lying to me. I really didn't believe I was ever going to find my soulmate, and that was why I'd given up looking and just started dating. I was currently going steady with a boyfriend of one year. He, too, had given up on ever finding his soulmate.

Did I want to find my soulmate? Of course. I wished for nothing more so strongly... but I didn't really believe it would ever happen, and that's why I'd given up the moment after graduating from high school. To make matters worse, it was around the same time that my dad had died and passed his company onto me, which was hard. I had basically resulted to thinking I'd be forever alone; no father, no soulmate...

I frowned. I didn't like thinking of such depressing thoughts.

I turned my attention back to the meeting I was in, back onto Anna, who was speaking. In two days our company would be filming a short documentary on what police officers did on and off the field, and Anna wanted me to go ask for at least one officer's consent to be on the show. I gulped, swallowing my nerves. While I knew I wasn't a criminal, speaking to policemen was honestly quite intimidating to me and always had been. Even though I never did anything bad, I was always afraid an officer would somehow find a reason to give me a ticket for something or worse, lock me in jail.

Despite that, I sighed and accepted the task.

Two days until my birthday.

Two days until I met my supposed "soulmate", according to my timer.

Yippie...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days later, I stood in front of the police station, my boyfriend, Chase, by my side. I was now twenty two, and, as I'd checked before getting out of the car (discreetly, so Chase wouldn't notice), my timer now read 12 minutes and counting.

To say I was nervous would be an understatement — I was a bundle of anxiety.

"Knock em dead, babe," Chase encouraged me, pecking my lips quickly. As he walked, backwards, towards his car, he hollered at me, "I'm taking you out for some birthday dinner, so don't make any plans tonight!"

I nodded, smiling and waving as he got into his car and drove away. As I watched the car disappear from my eyesight, something in my stomach felt weird.

This was wrong, all wrong, and I knew it... but I didn't want to believe it. I wasn't going to meet my soulmate anyway, so I might as well settle down with Chase. He was handsome and financially stable, kind and romantic. He would be able to give me a good life with beautiful children, if we wanted it.

But would it really be a happy life?

The question wouldn't escape my thoughts.

I sighed and rolled my shoulders, trying to relax my nerves as I hyped myself up to enter the police station.

Finally, I managed to gather the courage I needed to walk up the few steps and push the door open. Immediately, a group of three officers, two young females and an older man, noticed me. The man, who seemed to be in charge at the moment, called out, "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh..." My nerves had suddenly resurfaced, rendering me unable to form a proper sentence off the bat. Shaking my head, I blurted, "I'm here to film!"

The moment the words exited my mouth, I knew I'd made a mistake. The officers were instantly on guard, and surrounded me. "Film? State your name," the brown haired officer demanded, and her badge read Officer Jackson.

"Wait, sorry, what I meant was—"

"You'd best get out of here if you don't want any trouble," the man warned me. "We don't let anyone film us without permission."

"That's what I'm trying to say! I—"

"Hey! What's going on here?!"

Another officer entered my sight, his voice loud and strong. His hair was a light caramel, his eyes a golden honey. He was tall, and confident; he seemed like a dependable officer — no, a dependable person. I started to explain, "Well, I was told earlier this week that I could — OUCH!" The moment his eyes zeroed in on mine, a sharp pain flared through my wrist, and I yelped, immediately clutching it, trying to ease away the pain with my thumb, though oddly enough the pain had subsided just as quickly as it had appeared.

I didn't understand why I'd felt that, but apparently this new officer did, his face visibly growing pale. He stepped towards me, holding his hand out, and said, "Let me see your wrist." The others seemed to feel threatened. I guessed that what he said had sounded like a demand to them, but to me it seemed more of a gentle request.

I did as I was told, hoping it would get me out of this situation, and the man took hold of my arm and slowly, so painfully slow it was suspenseful, rolled my sleeve up enough to reveal my wrist. My mouth dropped into a gasp, my eyes widening.

My timer read zero. Underneath it, the name "Gavin" began to etch itself onto my skin in cursive.

No way, I thought, glancing back up at the man who held my wrist. He stared at the finished timer and the name with a blank expression. "You're... Gavin?"

My voice shook him from his trance, and he fixed that emotionless gaze on me, staring into my eyes. For a moment I was afraid he'd yell at me for assuming, and kick me out of the police station, and I'd have to walk back to my office where Anna would never let me hear the end of it for not filming... but to my surprise, his eyes softened, and a small smile stretched across his lips. "Did no one tell you how soulmates work?"

I shook my head, and admitted sheepishly, "Not really..."

He sighed, but his smile stayed. He let go of my arm and pulled up his sleeve, showing me his timer, which was also at zero... and, as I kept staring, my name drew itself under the timer in the same elegant cursive. "It felt like an electric shock, right?" Gavin asked, to which I nodded. "That's what they say it feels like when you lock eyes with your soulmate and your timer stops counting down."

I merely stared at him, dumbfounded. "You mean... you... it's you?"

Gavin laughed — a melodic sound that was too contagious to not laugh with him. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, silly." He lowered his sleeve and waved his hand, shooing away the other officers, who grunted before leaving. "What are you here for, anyway?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, being reminded of my task. "I work at a producing company. I was told we were given permission to film what officers do on and off the field as long as we got at least one officer's consent. Since I'm the head of the company, they decided I should go represent us and see who was willing."

"Well, you got what you needed. Let's go; we'll start with off the field." Gavin winked at me, ruffling my hair before he grabbed my hand and led me out of the police station.

I didn't expect I'd ever find my soulmate, since I thought my timer had somehow gone haywire. And yet, here he was, leading me towards a shiny, sleek motorcycle, and even though I technically had a boyfriend, I couldn't have been happier to finally find the person I was really meant to spend my life with all along.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

END.

[padfootagain]

I can't believe I reached 3k followers!!! Thank you all so much!! When I started this blog, I hoped to reach 100 followers one day, and now here we are!

So to thank you all and mark the date, I'm making a little event! The theme is simple : movies!

What is it all about?

Under the cut are a list of prompts and scenes from different movies. You can choose between two different things that you would like me to write:

-        You can choose between 1 and 5 prompts along with a character and I will write a one-shot based on these prompts for the character you have chosen

-        You can choose one scene in the list and a character, and I will re-write that scene for the character you have chosen

A few rules to follow if you want to send a request.

-        If you request for the prompts :

- You can request up to 5 prompts, not more

- You can add a few details that you would like to be featured in your request if you have precise ideas

 -        If you request a scene :

- I will write a one-shot that is inspired by that scene, not the exact same scene (obviously, otherwise, where is the fun?). The idea is to get the same spirit and some references, or the same situation, but not a simple copy.

- These scenes will require me to turn AU!, so don't be surprised.

- You can request only one scene, so choose wisely ;)

- I will most likely 'erase'  the characters who were in the original scenes, so don't be surprised.

 No matter if you request for prompts or for a scene :

- You can request for any character on my masterlist, no matter if I've already written for them or not.

- I have no trouble with anons, if you're a little shy. So don't hesitate to send a request on anon if you feel more comfortable this way.

- Please, send me your request through my askbox and not in a PM. It's much easier for me to manage, and I might forget about your request if you send it to me privately. If you're shy, send an ask on anon.

- Sadly, I will probably not be able to write all the requests that are sent my way. I will write as many as I can, but I'm only human. I'm sorry if I don't get to write your request. But I invite you to send it anyway, because I might write your request! If you don't send it, then you can be sure that I won't though. Again, I'm sorry if I can't write all the requests I receive, but I usually get too many to be able to write them all.

 Requests for this event will be up for one week, which means until January 14!

Considering how well this event works, I may change that date along the way.

Thank you all again and I hope you like this event :D

Prompts :

Every prompt is a movie quote. The movie it comes from is written under the quote in italic

 1. "Was that a joke?"

"What if it was?"

"I don't like jokes!"

"I don't like you!'

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

 2. "Why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, nerf-herder!"

Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back

 3. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

 4. "Well… my philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice."

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

 5. "A heart's a heavy burden."

Howl's Moving Castle

 6. "You're far away, where are you?"

"In a world that's disappearing, I'm afraid."

The Sound Of Music

 7. "No, I'm not mad. I… I'm hurt, and disappointed and… and mad."

Funny Face

 8. "I'm always gonna love you."

"I'm always gonna love you too."

La La Land

 9. "I'll just take my ego for a walk…"

An Affair To Remember

 11. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Would you like to stay forever?"

Mulan

 12. "At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in my glass slipper. And that will be the end of the fairytale."

Roman Holiday

 13. "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"

It's A Wonderful Life

 14. "Whatever crimes I commit against you, remember, I have diplomatic immunity in 46 countries. Including Puerto Rico."

The Princess Diaries : Royal Engagement

 15. "Anything can happen if you let it."

Mary Poppins

 16. "Life is suffering. It is hard. The world is cursed. But still you find reasons to keep on living."

Princess Mononoke

 17. "Everything is possible. Even the impossible."

Mary Poppins Returns

 18. "Love isn't a thinking thing. It's a feeling thing."

Playing It Cool

 19. "That is one big pile of shit."

Jurassic Park

 20. "I love you."

"I know."

Star Wars : The Empire Strikes Back.

 21. "Sadness, anger, hate… we were not allowed to express anything. So no, how do we express love?"

Dear Zindagi

 22. "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

Dead Poets Society

 23. “Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear.”

The Cat Returns

 24. "I'll probably lose my citizenship for that."

Mission Impossible III

 25. "Oh, don't waste my time with flattery."

"Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you."

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

 26. "But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass."

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers

 27. " I guess we need to register you as a lethal weapon."

Lethal Weapon

 28. "Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be."

Australia

 29. "It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

 30. "A lot of people are in love… but none can love like me, because they don't have you."

Kal Ho Naa Ho

 31. "Just follow your heart. And keep smiling."

Kiki's delivery service

 32. "That look in your eyes is a pain in my arse, you know that, right?"

Mission Impossible III

 33. "Can we take a flight back to reality, or do we have to change planes in Denver?"

The Santa Clause

 34. "Yippie-Ki-Yay, motherfucker."

Die Hard

 35. "I retire for like five minutes and it all goes to shit."

The Avengers

 36. "Would you like to know the probability of her using it against you? It's high."

"Let's get going."

"It's very high…"

Star Wars : Rogue One

 37. "I'm too old for this."

Lethal Weapon

 38. "Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it."

The Lion King

 39. "Now, think of the happiest things. It's the same as having wings."

Peter Pan

 40. "I'm in love with you."

"So what?"

"So what? So plenty! I love you! You belong to me!"

"No. People don't belong to people."

Breakfast at Tiffany's

 41. "It's called Karma. And it's pronounced 'Ha! '"

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

 42. "Whoa, lady, I only speak two languages: English and bad English."

The Fifth Element

 43. "You were my new dream."

Tangled

 44. "Any question?"

"Yeah. Could we get a cappuccino machine in here? Cause I don't know how you call this."

Mission Impossible

 45. "I'm not used to people sticking around when things go bad."

"Welcome home."

Star Wars : Rogue One

 45. "Stop, you'll kill them!"

"That's the idea!"

The Mummy

 46. "Probably best not to tell anyone about this."

"Right, no one. I mean, I'll tell myself sometimes but don't worry, I won't believe it."

Notting Hill

 47. "Once you've met someone, you never really forget them."

Spirited Away

 48. "I hit my head on something."

"Yeah, my head!"

Balto

 49. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you okay to drive? A minute ago, you were dead."

"What are you talking about?"

"This is not going to end well."

Mission Impossible : Rogue Nation

 50. "I've got a bad feeling about this…"

Star Wars

 51. "A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference."

Winnie The Pooh

 52. "If she loves you then she will turn around and look at you... turn around... turn around!"

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

 53. "Can I stay for a while?"

"Stay forever."

Notting Hill

 54. "Promise me one thing: don't take me home until I'm drunk - very drunk indeed."

Breakfast at Tiffany's

 55. "This California dew is a little heavier than usual tonight."

"Really? From where I stand the sun is shining all over the place."

Singin' In The Rain

 56. "You need to stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Spider-Man: Homecoming

 57. "Who ever said the human race was logical?"

Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home

 58. "Blow up the car."

"Oh, it's such a nice car…"

"And yet, do it."

Mission Impossible III

 59. "Why complicate things that are really quite simple?"

Mary Poppins

 60. "Who are you?"

"Your worst nightmare."

Mulan

 61. "You said 'whoopsidaisies'."

"I don't think so. No one says 'whoopsidaisies', do they? Unless they're…"

"There is no 'unless'. No one has said 'whoopsidaisies' for fifty years and even then it was only little girls with blonde ringlets."

Notting Hill

 62. "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

The Wizard Of Oz

 63. "Are you out of your corn-fed mind?!"

Star Trek : Into Darkness

 64. "You're a good man, with a good heart. And it's hard for a good man to be king."

Black Panther

 65. "It is mine to give to whom I will. Like my heart."

The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring

 66. "There's no place like home…"

The Wizard Of Oz

 67. "I'm with you till the end of the line"

Captain America : First Avenger

 68. "You deserve better than this. You deserve people who value you. You deserve to go somewhere where you can be proud of who you are."

The Shape Of Water

 69. "No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love."

Castle In The Sky

 70. "There is nothing more reassuring than realizing that the world is crazier than you are."

Thor: The Dark World

 71. "I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone."

The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring

 72. "I love her."

"Does she love you?"

" I don't know now. Yesterday, you weren't alive."

"Well, I apologize for not being dead in a ditch."

"I don't think I can accept your apology."

"Is that a joke?"

"Yes, yes, sort of. I'm not... I've never been very good at jokes."

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen

 73. "English, motherfucker, do you speak it?"

Pulp Fiction

 Scenes :

The links to the scenes on youtube are set in the titles of the movies, so it can be easier for you to choose. I'll re-write the scene entirely so you and the character of your choice can live it ;) It can be set either in the universe of the character you have chosen or the universe of the original scene depending on the scene you choose.

 1. Indiana Jones : Raiders Of The Lost Ark

You are so close to finding this lost treasure. Bad for you that you have fallen in a cave filled with deathly traps.

 2. Jurassic Park

You thought you would enjoy a nice weekend discovering an amazing scientific breakthrough. Now, here you are, hiding from a T-Rex and wondering how you got yourself in this situation…

 3. The Shop Around The Corner / You've Got Mail

You have a date with someone tonight, but you don't know who. All you know is that you are to meet in that café. All turns crazy when your date is actually this colleague of yours whom you hate… kinda…

 4. L'Arnacoeur

Your family engaged him/her to seduce you, so you would break your engagement with this guy they hate. Bad luck that for once, he/she falls for you too…

 5. Love Affair / An Affair To Remember / Sleepless In Seattle

It's love at first sight. But perhaps the two of you are getting ahead of yourselves. You give each other a bit of time to think, and set up to meet at the top of the Empire State Building, if in six months, you still feel the same for each other. But will you both be there?

 6. The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The only way to win this war is to earn more time. And a fight one on one with your enemy is the best way you can come up with. But who will survive the fight? Will it be enough?

 7. The Lord Of The Rings : The Fellowship Of The Ring

You are trapped in Moria. A Balrog chasing after you. This looks pretty bad… yep… that's bad…

 8. Roman Holiday

You are a princess in your country, but for one day, you have managed to escape your duties, and you are now roaming through the streets of Roma. A stranger helps you through the streets of the city and you spend a magical day…

 9. The Holiday

You have exchanged your house for the holiday with a woman in England. You expected a quiet week, but that was before you would meet the woman's brother…

 10. The Lake House

Through your mail box, you somehow receive letters from the man who used to live in your house 5 years ago. Through the letters you exchange, you slowly start to develop feelings for each other. Until one day you decide to meet, and set up a date. But he never comes. You realize that he didn't come because he had died during these five years that separated the two of you. But you may have one last chance to save him…

[auskultu]

All Yippies NOT Hippies

Eugene Schoenfeld, Berkeley Barb, 21 June 1968

Early this year, when the proposed Yippie Convention in Chicago had the support of most of the leading musical groups, artists and other leaders of the current cultural renaissance and seemed to have a real potential for drawing hundreds of thousands of young hippies to Chicago, I wrote to Jerry Rubin in New York telling him my feelings that, with so many people involved, provision should be made for emergency services at Grant Park. Jerry’s reply to me was written the day Martin Luther King was shot (in fact, he interrupted his letter to mention this news).

When Lyndon Johnson announced his decision not to run for another presidential term, I thought a major objective of the Yippies had been realized. The assassination of Martin Luther King and the wave of demonstrations and riots which followed made me further doubt the wisdom of a Yippie gathering in Chicago at the time of the Democratic National Convention. My doubts continued to increase when Dick Gregory announced that he no longer supported a demonstration at the Democratic Convention site, fearing for the safety of the black people in the neighborhood.

“Yippie” stands for Youth International Party. To call it loosely organized would be an exaggeration. The FBI probably has the only membership list. A recent meeting had to be moved to Manhattan’s Union Square because Jerry’s girlfriend had gone to Long Island for the weekend, taking the key to the hall where the meeting was scheduled.

Last April, in a Chinese restaurant on Second Avenue in the East Village, a neighborhood where I often visited my Tante Rose (past the Yiddish vaudeville theatres, one of which has become the Fillmore East), I met several of the Yippies, including Jerry Rubin, Paul Krassner, Abbie Hoffman and John Gerassi. I had associated Yippies with Hippies so was startled to hear one of the group defend the physical attack on the editorial staff of the San Francisco State newspaper by some students at the college. Later that evening, some of us went to Jerry’s apartment. I stated my concern that serious physical harm was a possibility if any of the Yippies gathered in Grant Park were to go on to the Democratic Convention site (an entire regular Army division has been training for the past eight months specifically for disorders which might arise at the Democratic National Convention). I told them my feeling that the best way to achieve lasting change was by example. I believe people more readily change their values and style of life when they feel they have something pleasurable to gain, rather than when force is applied and change occurs as the result of fear.

Some Yippies would welcome a bloody confrontation in Chicago this summer. They believe that, while a few people might be hurt or killed, in the long run it would do good for people in this country and over the world. Let me emphasize that most Yippies do not want violence. But those who expect and welcome violence may use their skills of oratory to urge crowds in Chicago to provoke the authorities. They can easily be provoked. All the latent and overt prejudices against minority groups (including hippies) lay very close to the surface in that capital of America’s torment.

I had been intending to write to Jerry shortly to tell him my feelings about the proposed Yip-in, but the recent killing of Robert Kennedy prompts me to do this publicly. Whatever one may have thought of his political career, his murder was an outrage. And the “climate of violence” blamed by some for his death may be used as an excuse to further curtail civil liberties.

Last October, I participated in the Friday demonstration at the Oakland Induction Center. At the end of the day, when automobiles were being pushed into the middle of the streets and their tires deflated while street benches and trees were strewn about as additional barricades, I felt a sense of excitement on being involved in the most direct protest of any that I had witnessed. At the same time I recognized that simply because this kind of protest was effective, it would be followed by more violent protests and met with increasing violence by the opposition. These fears have been realized.

There is no doubt that black people have suffered more persecution in this country than any other minority group. Claims have been made recently that there is a plot to exterminate the black man in the United States. I don’t believe there is such a plot but I do feel there is a possibility of this occurring—a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. The assassination of Martin Luther King has led to a vacuum in black leadership, rapidly being filled by black militants, some of whom espouse violence as a means to obtaining their ends.

The Yippies who planned the loot-in at Macy's in New York City on June 8th had no specific complaint about Macy’s but chose the store because it is probably the best known department store in the United States. The Yippie looters think this kind of chaotic action may lead to some changes. But we need only look at Nazi Germany to notice many striking parallels.

When Germany was affected by the world wide depression, paper money there became virtually worthless. I recall seeing old motion picture films of people carrying money in wheelbarrows to buy groceries. During the same years in the United States we had an opposite problem—the scarcity of money. However, it was far worse for a money-oriented society like Germany to find its currency worth nothing than to have it worth a great' deal and unavailable. Because of the “safeguards” on our money, banks would not fail in the event of a depression as they did in the 1930’s, at least not right away. What would happen is that the currency would just become pieces of paper.

A relatively small and powerless portion of our population consider themselves workers and identify with a “working class”. Our unions concern themselves not with political issues, but only with questions of increased pay and benefits for their members. Union members, for the most part, are among the most conservative groups in the United States and truly feel they have a stake in the status-quo. In a vacuum created by anarchy, violence and economic catastrophe, “status quo” people look to a strong man or a leader to help them. German communists thought they could use Hitler and later take his power from him. They were among his first victims. Some of the Yippies feel that creating anarchy and chaos will indeed lead to a rightist reaction but then a turn to the left. German communists believed the same until they were eliminated.

Violence leads to more violence. If the Chicago Yip-in ends in violence it could do no more harm to the cause of peace and black progress in this country than if it were directly supportive of the radical right.

The Free University of Berkeley this summer is offering a course in the use of small arms.

I see no difference between middle-class housewives in Detroit training with guns or blacks training with guns at the Free University. Fascism is fascism and it doesn’t matter whether it is a black fascist, a blue haired fascist or a long haired fascist.

There are ways of achieving social change without destroying the entire society. Some members of the underground and overground press believe that the present events in history will occur whatever is said, that they move with inevitable force. But I cannot remain silent, I will not contribute to a situation which potentially could lead to another Nazi Germany, or a situation which might result in thousands or millions of deaths. I think the Yippies had an important role in forcing President Johnson to decide to step down at the end of his current presidential term. But all Yippies are not Hippies. One should distinguish pacifistic hippie from militant New Left groups. I think it is time for everyone to seriously decide whether the situation in this country is so odious and so unamenable to change to warrant riots, rebellions, the possibility of thousands killed or imprisoned and the eventual take over by the right. We have only to look to the example of Russia to know that intellectual tyranny can continue 50 years after the end of a revolution. We must ask whether the economic and social inequities in the United States are so severe that they warrant the risk of a destruction of a society and a race of people.

I say things are not yet that bad. I say the non-violent course followed by Gandhi and Martin Luther King is an ideal toward which we must strive. The alternative may be an unprecedented period of barbarism.

I’m not going to Chicago this August.

[himenation]

MONSTA X 2ND WORLDTOUR IN AMSTERDAM (LIVE REPORT) - AFAS 20.06.2018

This is a long live report containing things how I even became a fan, to the AMAAAAAZING (not) queue, setlist, live, m&g and random moments. All fan cams and fanpics are uploaded on my twitter which I linked in this post too!

I went to Monsta X’s 2nd Worldtour in Amsterdam this month! I started to get to know Monsta X during their Beautiful promotions and when I heard they would come to Europe the first time (in 2017), I was doubting whether I should go or not. I knew like 10 songs and another fan could go instead of me. It was not close anyway, so I decided to take part in the campaign for Amsterdam. For people who don’t know MMT. MMT is a fan dedicated promoter, in which you can request an artist to come to your city and if you have enough ‘makes’ (so points) they’ll talk with the artist. 

Anyways, I took part in the campaign in august 2017. Uni was about to start and I kinda forgot about the lives for a while. Until it was around the DRAMARAMA period (and their first win omg!), I followed them again; so after their MBC performance, I got a text message from MMT that they’re starting to talk to MONSTA X. At this point I would give this presale code to somebody else, but I didn't know when the actual concert was supposed to be so I waited. So while I was waiting for their JEALOUSY comeback, I started to watch their shows because I was bored and I LITERALLY FELL INTO THE FANDOM (and not just the music). I loved these guys so much? They were so precious and funny. I really wanted to see them live and regretted not going to the Beautiful Tour. So for their Jealousy comeback, I even bought The Connect; I texted every time they had a show and streamed their MVs so they could win another win (and they did!) (I've only done this for BTS before). So just around the time of the MV release, they announced they would be coming to AMSTERDAM. I was so happy. Flash forward to the ticket sale: I went to uni early, had a computer; laptop and my phone ready and immediately bought 2x VIP tickets!!

After counting down the days to the concert, I was finally here. I couldn't wait to hear Destroyer and Lost In the Dream live (My fav songs of the new album). Fans were allowed to queue from 11, but no-one seemed to listen to it :’) Every standing type had to get a wristband (VIP included). So I was kinda late and arrived at 12 , but my wristband number was 139. I quickly had sushi with my sister at ICHI-e and went to Starbucks (and a grocery store) to get some food and drinks for the queue. Just when we were about to leave the restaurant, I got a message from MMT that they messed up the wristband numbers for VIP and it was now FCFS (First Come first Serve). It was also the hottest day of the week, yippie :’)

Queue The queue was one big mess... Fans were incredibly rude and mean and staff didn’t do anything about it either. Girls were screaming at the security and talking very rudely, fans saying to each other ‘shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down’ (this is an actual phrase someone was screaming behind me). The venue staff gave us WATER IN A BUCKET and it wasn't until a monsta x staff came and gave everyone bottles. I also met two very sweet fansites! They gave out free stuff and were overall very sweet! They talked a lot to us and were next to us in the queue. We also met two friends who wanted to go to their friends, but since people were rude; my sis stopped them and they were next to us. Even though we were strangers, me and my sis shared our food and drinks with them. During the queue certain people started to push fans and we told them to stop and they started to fight with us??? and basically telling us ‘are you blind’ :)) (also they thought the fansites were Korean so they were all nice to them but shitty to other people, but the fansites turned out to be Chinese so these rude koreaboos were really boo boo the fools) at around 18:00 we were allowed to go inside but everyone started pushing each other so we were really stuck and could barely breathe. Once we were inside we had to wait another 2 hours and I was so tired, but wow I was 4th row!  Live I also made a big thread of Monsta X on my twitter. Fancams Fanpics Okay first of all, this group has no visual hole. THEY ARE ALL SO VISUALS I COULDNT BELIEVE MY EYES. Honestly they're so beautiful irl??????? Although I knew they were all handsome, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw IM, Kihyun, Shownu and Hyungwon DAMN. 

The live was amazing, they kept playing DRAMARAMA, SHINE FOREVER and STUCK in the venue and we were so hyped! Once the live started; they all came in Swaroski Suits (they looked so expensive) singing Jealousy. The fan chants (at least in the VIP) were A M A Z I N G.  AAHHH I finally saw monsta x im sobbing. They then played Be Quiet (it’s one of my fav older songs) ;; and BEAUTIFUL IN SWAROSKI SUITS GUYSSSSSS. They didn't do the jacket dance since, yeah the jackets were pretty expensive HAHAHAH. Too bad.. They then had a long MC and started with Gravity and Tropical night (still wearing the suits). After changing their clothes (some kind of harness?)  they sung Crazy In love (finally a full version) and All In. The crowd really loved All In!!!!!!!! Then we had 20 minutes of solo stuff; the solo of Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun were my absolute favourite! It was so cute. The other solo’s were really good too!! The crowd died at Hyungwons and IMs solo though.  AAAAAAAAAAAAAH AFTER SOLO they sung From Zero (Seven member version) and oh my god Wonho looked so beautiful??? This song is so cute?? I can't remember much of Because of You im sorry ;; White love was really emotional, they didn't expect the banner project (1000days with monbebe) at all and really loved it. Rollercoaster was so cute live as well, they all pretended to sit in a rollercoaster lol. After they went off stage, the destroyer MV played AND I SCREAMED SO LOUD I WAS NOT READY, NO ONE WAS READY NO ONE! LITERALLY IM DEAD. But they bloody sung LOST IN THE DREAM and I was really lost in the dream, wow....... The vocals..... wow.. Im........................... it was so beautiful live. Guys, ive heard Kihyuns iconic high note (well a lot of people shouted OOOOFFFF BUT I STILL HEARD ONE OF MY FAV SONG I! CANT! BELIEVE!). Also very random to mention but Jooheon is one hell of a good performer, he was not even nervous and the stage was HIS BITCH, his rap and his stage aura are so mind-blowing.

I always joked they should play lost in the dream and destroyer after each other to let the fans die but they really did IT! The choreo of Destroyer was so good and fitted the song. In the beginning Wonho waved and gave a finger heart though... I was never a fan of Shine Forever, but It was so nice and also doing the fan chants! Rush is a song I used to skip but ooof, it was also very nice to hear. Monsta X really enjoyed singing Special too AND YESSSSSSSS FINALLYYYYYYY TRESPASS THE WHOLE CROWD WAS SO LIT WE ALL RAPPED ALONG AND IT WAS HONESTLY ONE OF THE BEST PERFORMANCES SO FAR IDGJKDSGS. They all positioned to the Dramarama pose and yes they did Dramarama!!!! but now the concert was about to end too :( Monsta X said they love Falling, Ive heard people say they love performing Falling and yes they REALLY LOVE FALLING. My heart was so full of uwu when I saw them performing falling, I love these babies so much :’). We showed them the banners during If Only again and Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun were really emotional and it was so sad to see this ending :( But I was about to meet these guys as well AAAAAAHHH. I dont know if it was Minhyuk or IM but one of them took of Wonho’s shirt lol and he threw it in a crowd. Before that they also took a group pic ;; tbh I wished they did Stuck and Hero as well, but overall I really loved the setlist so much.

Meet and greet Order: Wonho - Shownu - Kihyun - Minhyuk - Hyungwon - Jooheon - IM Usually when fans meet artist, fans are the ones talking to the artist but now Monsta X was rather talking to the fans, they were so sweet and they all had the most genuine and sweetest smile ever. The M&G was unfortunately very fast and I could only say  Wonho: I think he was still very sad and looked like he cried too but his hands are so soft ;; I thanked him and he nodded and gave a thumbs up lol Shownu: I knew it was his birthday in London so I told him a happy belated birthday ;; and he said thank you as well! Kihyun: ok, I may have said I love you instead of thank you AHHGHGHHGHAHAHG and yeah that was kihyuns reaction too he laughed and said thank you lol Minhyuk: He said thank you very much!! NO THANK YOUUU (while smiling so sweet) Hyungwon: Somehow he was very giggly but we both said thank you to each other!! Jooheon: We both said thank you to each other aaaaaahh IM: Since I barely had time (after hyungwon) I just told him thank you and he said the same ;; We then got a poster from the tour and the show was unforunately over :(( MMT announced a week before the concert there would be no merch so I didn't have a lightstick either so it was nice having a poster as a reminder (and the fans we got from the fansites ofc). Setlist (duration 2,5hours) 1. Jealousy 2. Be Quiet 3. Beautiful -- 4. Gravity 5. Tropical Night -- 6. Crazy in Love 7. All in -- 8. Wonho, Minhyuk, Kihyun - Neol Hada 9. Jooheon, Shownu - Versace on the Floor 10. Hyungwon, IM - Fake Love (Drake) 11. Hyungwon, IM - How long // another IM solo (not sure) -- 12. From Zero 13. Because of you 14. White Love 15. Rollercoaster -- 16. Lost in the dream -- 17. Destroyer 18. Shine forever -- 19. Rush 20. Special 21. Trespass -- 22. Dramarama *ENCORE* 23. Falling -- 24. If Only *Group pic*

Random moments -  They talked a lot of Dutch such as ‘I am...’, ‘I love you’, ‘I miss you’, ‘Fries with Mayo’. IM also wanted to say Sexy but he didn’t say Sexy and Jooheon said to erase our minds LMAO KSJKD he was so embarassed - In the beginning when Kihyun was talking about Hyungwon, Hyungwon looked at him and he kinda slapped away his face (Kihyun to Hyungwon) - Just before Crazy in Love, the group was devided into two to talk with fans (one group was changing their clothes) and Jooheon was doing a weird movement with his hand and was saying AY AY AY and the fans said it too, but then the other group came (Kihyun, Shownu, Hyungwon and Minhyuk) and they all looked honestly so confused and Kihyun was like ‘AY go change your clothes now’ and then Kihyun and Hyungwon were showing off their dance moves lol - Also during the live I started as the fourth row, but people behind me kept pushing and I was suddenly 2nd row and there is a higher place for the first row so my knees kept going on that and it hurted so much lmao - Shownu, IM and Jooheon went to Beyonce the day before and talked about how amazing it was (lmao fanboying on their own concert KAJDKSFJFS) and they also said we will make it possible for them to perform there one day ;;A;; - The day of the Amsterdam concert would be 1000 days with Monbebe we would show during If Only, but since London got cut off we weren't sure whether we would hear If Only and decided to do it during White Love. - Wonho, Minhyuk and Kihyun got teary at If Only - Their reactions to White love were so sweet :((  - Our group hyped up every member whenever they were close to us. Hyungwon, Kihyun and Wonho noticed us a lot lol. Hyungwon waved at us too ;; - During FALLING Kihyun was drinking water and then he came to our side and you could see in his face he was about to do something and when the beat dropped he threw WATER ON US and I got so wet :((((( the fan next to me, her fan was all wet lmao.  - I got a lot of confetti in my face :’)  

[thebuckblogimo]

A vote for 1968 as the most horrible year of the '60s.

March 14, 2021

In some ways it was the best of times. During the summer of '68 the Detroit Tigers won close game after close game en route to their first world championship since 1945. It was the year that pitcher Denny McClain went 31-6. Tiger Stadium rocked, and so did I and all the pals I grew up with playing baseball, at least the ones who weren't fighting in the jungles of South Vietnam.

Also, 1968 spanned my junior and senior years in college. I was 21 years old, and no, George Bernard Shaw, youth was not wasted on me.

But there were a lot terrible things going on in the grown-up world of that time, and while I was rockin' the nights away with a Stroh's "stubby" in one hand, I was giving much thought to the calamities of the day that were being covered by the press on the other. Today, I'd like to take you on a tour of the real world as I saw it back then.

To illustrate how much things changed during the '60s, consider how the music--which was everything to us baby boomers--transformed from January 1, 1960, to December 31, 1969.

During the first month of the decade (I was in the seventh grade), some artists represented in the "top ten" charts included Marty Robbins, Paul Anka, Connie Francis, Bobby Darin and Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon.

During the last month of the decade (the same month I graduated from college), the top ten of what I'll call the rock 'n' soul record charts included tunes by Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Supremes, the Beatles, the Jackson 5 and Led Zeppelin.

Hoo boy, talk about a metamorphosis in "the sound." And that's not even taking into consideration the alternative, underground, album-oriented rock that started to emerge toward the end of the decade.

There were radical changes to practically everything going on at the time: the look of our clothes and the length our hair, attitudes toward sex and drugs, nonviolence versus violence in the streets, and, of course, the ever-present, divisive clash over whether my generation should risk dying to fight communism in Southeast Asia.

Here's my take on events that bewildered a 21-year-old's mind back in '68:

The Tet Offensive--I was a junior in college during the early months of the year, living with three pals at Burcham Woods in East Lansing, a student apartment complex that looked like a collection of cheesy two-story motels. Every night we'd watch the CBS News with Walter Cronkite, "the most trusted man in America," on our black and white TV in an attempt to improve our understanding of what was going down with the Vietnam War. I don't think I fully comprehended the magnitude of "Tet" at the time. I knew it was a massive, coordinated, country-wide military assault by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong against hundreds of South Vietnamese cities, but I was most concerned about the safety of my high school pals over there who had gone off to combat as helicopter pilots, door gunners, tunnel rats, etc. I only knew that they were fighting for some amorphous cause that didn't seem to equate to the ones our fathers fought for in both Europe and the Pacific during World War II. Shortly after Tet, Cronkite traveled to Southeast Asia to report on the conflict and sit down with the generals there. Then one late February night, upon his return to New York, I heard a TV anchor "editorialize" for the first time when Cronkite concluded that the enemy would never give up on its jungle warfare tactics, that America couldn't beat the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong at their game, and that the best we could hope for in Vietnam was a negotiated settlement. That was the moment President Lyndon B. Johnson is said to have concluded that he had lost the popular support of middle America for the war effort. At the end of March, I was watching that same black and white TV when during a news special, Johnson announced he would not run for a second term. I was shocked. Everyone was. Due to the ramifications of his decision, I started to think that just maybe fewer of my buds would be risking their lives in the jungle in the years ahead...and just maybe I wouldn't eventually have to risk mine, either.

The Assassination of Martin Luther King--I don't remember how I heard about it. What I recall is riding a bike on a cloudy April 4 afternoon into the Burcham Woods complex and thinking incessantly about King's death: This can't be happening...The assassination of John Kennedy has already let the air out of the American spirit...We've lost the two greatest leaders I've known in my life...Now what?...Riots in the streets like the ones last summer?...It can't get any worse, can it? Well, it got worse. There were indeed riots in about 100 major cities across the country. I'd been a huge fan of King. I thought it was brilliant the way he had led the effort to accomplish the things that were accomplished for black people through his adherence to civil disobedience. He was the one most responsible for waking up white America to the plight of poor black people; he led numerous nonviolent marches for civil rights, including the March on Washington; he was the force behind LBJ's efforts to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1964; and on and on and on. King's pacifistic approach was being challenged at the time by some fire-breathing black radicals--Malcom X, Stokely Carmichael, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, the Black Panthers. I was wary of them because I feared their violent ways would win out. And, in large measure, they did. Admittedly, black radicals were involved with some good things for poverty-stricken blacks--food distribution, better health care, emphasis on education--but their advocacy of "open carry" of loaded fire arms, black separatist rhetoric, etc., alienated most of white America. When King died his Gandhi-like approach to nonviolent resistance to achieve civil rights died, too. Like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King's assassination was a blow from which the American psyche never seemed to fully recover.

The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy--June 5, 1968. I think it was finals week at MSU. I know I was anxious to get home to begin my summer job at Rinshed-Mason paint company. The weather was great. But we were inside, glued to that old black and white TV--with aluminum foil attached to the antenna for better reception--to watch the ongoing coverage of the assassination attempt on RFK. He'd just been declared the winner of the California Democratic presidential primary when he was shot, shortly after midnight, by a young Palestinian militant, Sirhan Sirhan, while taking a shortcut to the press room through the kitchen at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Among Kennedy's entourage were famed journalist and author George Plimpton, former all-pro football defensive lineman Rosey Grier and former gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympics decathlete Rafer Johnson. There were shouts of "Get the gun...break his thumb if you have to..." as the athletes wrestled Sirhan to the floor. However, little more than 24 hours later, Bobby Kennedy was dead. If you think the world feels crazy today, it felt like "One Flew Over the Cuckcoo's Nest" after the assassinations of King and Kennedy, just two months apart. And, of course, there was the constant barrage of vitriol between pro-war and anti-war types underpinning it all in those days. I recall reading practically every editorial by every nationally syndicated columnist I could find in the newspapers and Newsweek magazine for clues to understanding what the hell was really happening in the country. When I returned home for the summer, my Dad, in his typically earthy way, commented on the mental state of America in '68: "The morale of the country has turned to shit," he growled.

Chicago Police Riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention--I find it amazing what I don't remember about this event from August 26-29. Probably because I was out carousing with my pals every night when it happened. The convention attracted more than 10,000 young anti-war protesters--student activists, members of SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), hippies and Yippies (members of the Youth International Party) such as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin of "Chicago Seven" fame. Authoritarian mayor Richard Daly turned out a like number of police and National Guard members to confront them at Lincoln Park, Grand Park and outside the International Amphitheater, site of the convention. Things got off to a bad start when just before the convention the Yippies mockingly nominated a pig--yes, an actual swine named Pigasus--for president. As the convention progressed, security guards were caught on camera roughing up CBS News reporter Dan Rather, trying to interview a protesting convention delegate being ushered off the floor by the cops. I only know that the whole thing turned out to be a bad scene. Maybe I don't recall many details because I've always been more than annoyed by senseless violence and turned my head away when it happened. In any case, it seems that the cops were ready to administer beatdowns rather than back off at the first sign of tension. Perhaps the young protestors started the confrontation by hurling debris or breaking police lines. I just don't know. I do know that I've said many times that cops often get only a split second to make what can be life-or-death decisions when doing their jobs. But from everything I've ever heard or read, Daly's strategy was to bust heads from jump and not even try to diffuse the situation.

But for all the turmoil of 1968, my life could not have been much better in the fall. It was the beginning of my senior year in college. The "two Ricks," close friends from my Abbot Hall days, and I secured a lease at Water's Edge. Just two blocks from campus, it had the largest living rooms of any student apartment building in East Lansing. At one point we set up a ping pong table, and sometimes we'd buy a keg of beer and charge admission to Friday afternoon TGs. It was wall-to-wall people as we did the "Boogaloo Down Broadway." In October, after watching the Tigers Bill Freehan--yes, on that same old black and white TV--catch Tim McCarver's pop-up for the final out of game seven against the Cardinals in the '68 World Series, we spontaneously decided to hitchhike to downtown Detroit, where we celebrated into the night with throngs of Tigers fans who filled the streets.

Oh, yes, it felt like the best of times.

Little more than a year later, however, all four of us (another Abbot Hall friend had moved in at midyear) were notified by Uncle Sam to take our physicals for possible induction into the army. Amazingly, I flunked mine and was declared 4F (unfit for military service) due to two knee surgeries (osteochondritis) I'd undergone in high school. However, even if I'd passed it, I would not have been called to service because all young, draft-eligible males at the time had been assigned "lottery numbers" after a random drawing on national television. I drew 298, but the government filled its manpower needs by the time it got to 176. My three roommates all drew lower lottery numbers. They were all drafted. But thanks to pure luck they were eventually stationed in West Germany rather than Vietnam.

All four of us had been philosophically opposed to the Vietnam War, but not enough, I guess, to seriously entertain the thought of moving to Canada. Had I not flunked my physical, had I not drawn a favorable lottery number, had I not had the same good fortune as my roommates and been sent to Vietnam, I'd have gone into the military, served and done whatever my superiors would have told me to do.

To be quite honest, however, when I look back on it all, the young men who had the balls to cross the border into Canada, risking the scorn of being called cowards back home, displayed their own acts of courage by standing up for what they believed to be morally right. Because, to this day, I think the U.S. involvement in Vietnam was an exceedingly bad calculation, to put it mildly. Or, as my Dad, World War II veteran that he was, said in 1968, "It's all bullshit, Len."

Nineteen hundred and sixty-eight?

Charles Dickens' opening lines from "A Tale of Two Cities" sum up perfectly that paradoxical year:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

[sleepykittypaws]

Top 25 Stealth Christmas Movies

A “stealth” Christmas movie is one that takes place at the holiday season, or contains key holiday scenes, but isn't specifically thought of as a Christmas film. There are literally hundreds of movies that fit this description (see our 2018 Stealth Christmas Movie Showdown and a more extensive Stealth Christmas Movie compliation for more), but here are my personal favorites, ranked by both by enjoyment and how worthy of holiday-time viewing I feel they actually are. And, as with all of my holiday lists, re-watchability is also a big factor in rank … 

Updated: March 24, 2024

Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) - One of my all-time favorite films any time of year, this classic rom-com begins, and ends, at the holidays.

Die Hard (1988) - John McClain spends a grim Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza. Plus, this one won our “stealth” Christmas movie showdown back in 2018. Yippie-ki-yay! 

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) - This star-crossed love story starts on Christmas Eve, when Meg Ryan hears Tom Hanks on a call-in radio show during a holiday drive home.

Holidate (2020) - R-rated rom-com big on laughs, but still full of heart. A romp through all the holidays, bookended by a pair of Christmas celebrations. Lighthearted, and lots of fun.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - Before RDJ and Shane Black teamed up for the holiday-set Iron Man 3, they did a bit of a dry run with this much darker, and far more R-rated, noir comedy-thriller. Definitely not what I was expecting from a Shane Black joint—in the best possible way.

Love at First Sight (2023) - While the holiday content here is mostly decor and the name-checked December 20-21 travel dates, this super-charming, British rom-com from Netflix is worth a watch any time of year.

Love, Simon (2018) - The plot pivotal social media post in this super sweet teen rom-com, which precipitates Simon’s coming out to his family, occurs over Christmas break.

Better Off Dead… (1985) - The French foreign exchange student grows close to Lane, and finally reveals she speaks English (quelle surprise!), over the holidays, in this silly ski comedy that, somewhat surprisingly, still really holds up. And who could forget the holiday aardvark costume Lane’s dad dons?

Gremlins (1984) - Steven Spielberg comedy-horror classic takes place fully at the holidays and is an (almost) all-ages delight. Just don’t feed it after midnight.

Shazam! (2019) - More Christmas-centric than even Iron Man 3, if this hadn’t been released in April, I’d be tempted to say it was a flat-out holiday classic, rather than just a very sweet and fun superhero movie that takes place at Christmas.

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) - The second-best action movie set at Christmas, Geena Davis is a suburban mom who learns she used to be a secret agent thanks to Samuel L. Jackson.

While You Were Sleeping (1995) - Sandra Bullock spends the holidays with her comatose fake fiancé’s family, while (oops) falling in love with his brother. (Another one that, if not for its April release, would probably be thought of as just a straight-up Christmas movie.)

Millions (2004) - Set between Christmas and New Year’s, this under-seen gem about a fictional currency switchover is a delight anytime, but particularly at the holidays.

Bros (2022) - Billy Eichner’s very fun R-rated rom-com not only co-stars Hallmark holiday hunk Luke Macfarlane, it has a running gag about “Hallheart Christmas movies” that existed, according to Eichner, long before Macfarlane was attached to the project.

Iron Man 3 (2013) - Shane Black really loves making stealth Christmas flicks and this superhero movie where Downey eschews the suit for most of the film is one of his best. (He also wrote, but did not direct, The Long Kiss Goodnight.)

Funny Farm (1988) - This Chevy Chase comedy about an idyllic small town that turns out not to be, ends with the truculent townsfolk doing their best Norman Rockwell holiday impressions for cold, hard cash.

Clueless (1995) - Did you forget the whole middle of the movie is Christmas-set, including the “tragic Val party” that’s decorated to the hilt? Me too, but it’s a comedy classic worth watching anytime.

Mean Girls (2004) - This high school comedy’s unforgettable holiday talent show features an iconic, and plot pivotal, performance of “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Rise of the Guardians (2012) - Spanning a variety of holidays, Rise features a wintery Jack Frost and an all-business Santa Claus, making it not specifically Christmas, but certainly holiday appropriate viewing.

The King’s Speech (2010) - The impetus for the King seeking help with his stammer is his desire to address his subjects at Christmas. Not especially festive, but a great movie.

RED (2010) - Bruce Willis’ retired hitman is happily decorating for Christmas before he’s pulled back into the assassin life in this super-fun, action-comedy that also stars Helen Mirren.

Fighting with My Family (2019) - This based-on-a-true-story tale hinges on a holiday trip home for its wanna-be WWE star, and is much better than any movie about professional wrestling, produced by The Rock no less, has a right to be.

Wonder (2017) - Only a bit of this Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson-led family film is set at Christmas, but the heart-tugging story of Auggie definitely resonates for the season.

Baby Mama (2008) - Most don’t remember, but this Amy Poehler-Tina Fey comedy begins, and ends, at the holidays. There’s even a Christmas song!

Baggage Claim (2013) - Slight but charming rom-com where flight attendant Paula Patton flies all over the world to find “Mr. Right” before her sister’s New Year's Eve wedding, only to discover he might have been next door all along.

[gilrael]

50 Song Shuffle Meme

(This challenge originally belongs to FiretoIce on DeviantArt)

@carajay1317 tagged me for this, so let’s see what happens if I shuffle my saved songs on Spotify.

I’ll tag @le-amewzing and @rolling-blunder (if you guys feel like it of course)

2. I hate… Red and Purple by the Dodos (it’s not my fave song by them, but I don’t hate it or else I wouldn’t have saved it)

3. I hate you because… Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm (omg)

4. I love… Karl-Marx-Stadt by Kraftklub (Never been there, but I do love the song lmao)

5. I love you because… In Between by Linkin Park (Because you apologise?? Okay, I guess?? lol)

6. She said… Emanuela by Fettes Brot (I get it, I will keep my hands off of Emanuela, she’s bad news)

7. He said… The Story of Tonight from Hamilton

8. We said… Zeit ist Geld by Irie Révoltés (”Time is money” It’s a really great song tbh)

9. I caught a disease from… Electric Daisy Violin by Lindsey Stirling (If the disease is a very strong urge to dance, then yes, I did catch a disease)

10. I would sing … as a love song. Frühlingstanz by Schandmaul (it’s instrumental tho lol)

11. I found … in my room. Kashmir by Led Zeppelin (I think the Kashmir region is a little too big to be found in my room lol)

12. I would kill someone if they… Lok auf 2 Beinen by Peter Fox (If someone was running around like Peter Fox in that song, they actually might drive me insane tho)

13. I would marry someone if they… Eighth Wonder by Lemon Demon (No. Just no xD)

14. I would kill for a… The Reel Jig Bag by Fiddler’s Green (I do like playing Irish reels and jigs, they are fun, but I wouldn’t kill for them xD)

15. Air is really made of... Think Who is Your Friend by Distemper (lol)

16. I think about… Bla Bla Bla by Gigi D’Agostino (Honestly tho, this song is stuck in my head quite often although it’s only nonsense lyrics >_>)

17. I am… Twilight of the Gods by Blind Guardian (that sounds awesome)

18. The secret ingredient is… Addict with a Pen by Twenty One Pilots (I relate to this song too much)

19. I will dance with my love to… Your Woman by White Town (My boyfriend does not like this song lmao)

20. I have a crush on… In kaltem Eisen by Subway to Sally (Eric Fish is not what I would consider boyfriend material lmao, especially not if you look at the lyrics of this song)

21. I got hurt because… Fieber by Peter Fox (Well, if I have a feaver I am kinda hurt I guess?) 22. My last words will be… Liebe by Kraftklub (Oh my god)

23. The song at my funeral will be… Tanz mit mir by Faun and Santiano (I wouldn’t mind people listening to cheerful music at my funeral)

24. I died because… Letter Between a Little Boy and Himself as an Adult by Abney Park (I would die if I turned into what I never wanted to become)

25. The story of your life is… Blackout by Linkin Park (Apparently my life is pretty depressing. Which is true in a way?^^’)

26. I like to eat… Peace or Violence by Stromae (this is ridiculous)

27. I live because… Luftbahn by Deichkind (this song is a good reason to live)

28. I’m immortal because… Disowned Inc. by Serj Tankian

29. My superpower is… Master of Tides by Lindsey Stirling (YES!)

30. Tonight I will… Chasing Pavements by Adele (lol)

31. They insulted my mother by… Der Weg by Die Apokalyptischen Reiter (this is the least insulting song ever tho?? lol)

32. I will dream of… Troy by Die Fantastischen Vier (Oh my god, I still remember the weird music video for this song xD)

33. I licked… Wing$ by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (I don’t wanna lick shoes >_>)

34. My nickname is… Better Day by Dover

35. My best friend is… We don’t believe what’s on TV by Twenty One Pilots (There’s other bands besides Twenty One Piltos I listen to, I swear)

36. I would remove … from the world. Mein Todestag by Letzte Instanz (Does this mean that i will remove death?)

37. I wanted to be … as a kid. The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel (...)

38. I wish I could juggle… Bring mich nach Haus by Faun (this doesn’t make sense lol)

39. I would bring … with me to a desert island. Die Streuner by Die Streuner (At least I would have some company and good music)

40. In my underwear you will find… The Election of 1800 from Hamilton (LMAO)

41. Your children are like… Brother from a Mother of a Last Name of Another Color by Hank Green (I haven’t thought about this song in AGES)

42. I would trade my soul for… 4-15-13 by Dropkick Murphys (Trading my soul to reverse a tragedy like that seems like it wouldn’t be the worst of ideas)

43. I think the moon is made of… Major Tom by Peter Schilling (NO! Bad Spotify shuffle!)

44. I will bask in… Radio Ga Ga by Queen (Yes pls)

45. I lost THE GAME because… Remmidemmi (Yippie Yippie Yeah) by Deichkind

46. I would lose a fight because… Apology by Fiddler’s Green (That took a very dark turn suddenly >_<)

47. My deep dark secret is… Bienvenue Chez Moi by Stromae

48. My friends would describe me (as)… Hail to the Freaks by Beatsteaks (^^)

49. My favorite song is… Air Catcher by Twenty One Pilots (Not my fave song by them, but definitely somwhere in the top 5)

50. This meme was… Occupied Tears by Serj Tankian (My taste in music does not lend itself to memes like this it seems lol)

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Vesta out of Retrograde Zone

Timetable (current events in bold): Vesta enters retrograde zone: Friday, September 16, 2016, 20:07 Cancer Vesta into Leo: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 Vesta retrograde: Thursday, December 1, 2016, 5:42 Leo Vesta retrograde back into Cancer: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 Vesta direct: Tuesday, March 7, 2017 Vesta into Leo again: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 Vesta out of retrograde zone: Friday, May 19, 2017 Vesta enters Virgo, Monday, July 17, 2017

Yippie, the second Rx-zone exit in two days!

Vesta in Leo is searching for that wholehearted commitment - nothing else will do. Whatever our innermost core/flame may be, we’re now able to “get in touch” with it. There are some brilliantly creative people born with this placement, too, so your personal artistic projects may receive a boost. We need to be careful to avoid both burning out (ourselves and others), and being too arrogant.

We’re sure to have many, many opportunities to find worthy causes; most of the following aspects are of the “easy” variety. Remember, those can make it “easy” to be arrogant and overwhelming, as well as aesthetically brilliant!

Monday, May 22, Mercury/Taurus square Vesta/Leo, 5:43

Third of three, and in a new pair of signs. Mercury in Taurus is (I hope) committed to exploring a back-to-basics approach, but Vesta in Leo is all set to be something like a baroque rococo da Vinci. It’s going to help to take the longer-term view and cultivate our patience.

Planets/Points affected lie between 4:43 and 6:43 of the fixed signs Taurus*, Leo*, Scorpio*, and Aquarius*; and between 19:43 and 21:43 of the mutable signs Gemini*, Virgo*, Sagittarius*, and Pisces*.

Tuesday, May 30, Sun/Gemini sextile Vesta/Leo, 9:43

Here we can experience “a high level of personal integration” (Demetra George, Asteroid Goddesses), “a dedication to an ideal, and seriousness of commitment.” Or as serious as two such lighthearted signs can be, at least. The Moon is supportive of this in the 36 hours (or so) leading up to this aspect, showing us some real potential for enlightenment. Set some longer-term goals with this energy, and go for them with confidence.

Planets/Points affected lie between 8:43 and 10:43 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius*, and Aquarius*.

Thursday, June 8, Jupiter Rx/Libra sextile Vesta/Leo, 13:13

In less than 24 hours, Jupiter turns direct. It’s pointing us more in the direction of a Capital-C Cause we can support, via some group situation(s), rather than the more personal growth things. Our social visions are powerful, heartfelt, and righteous. There’s also a partnership angle (though most likely not a romantic one), with a few people teaming up to make the world better.

Planets/Points affected lie between 12:13 and 14:13 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Wednesday, June 14, Mercury/Gemini sextile Vesta/Leo, 15:35

Great for learning - Mercury is still in “Promethian” mode and wants to explore exciting new ways of thinking about life; Vesta recognizes what kinds of potentials these explorations may bring and is wholeheartedly supportive of Mercury’s endeavors, giving them a little more staying power than one ordinarily finds with Mercury/Gemini.

Planets/Points affected lie between 14:35 and 16:35 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Sunday, June 25, Venus/Taurus square Vesta/Leo, 20:19

Sometimes we get tired. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed by what happens to us, and in the world around us, that we don’t want to get out of bed. Venus here may seem like a wet blanket or stick-in-the-mud, but she’s really cautioning us against burning out. “Merely” keeping ourselves healthy and functional is occasionally the most subversive thing we can do.

Planets/Points affected lie between 19:19 and 21:19 of the fixed signs Taurus*, Leo*, Scorpio*, and Aquarius*; and between 4:19 and 6:19 of the cardinal signs Aries*, Cancer*, Libra*, and Capricorn*.

Sunday, July 2, Saturn Rx/Sagittarius trine Vesta/Leo, 23:15; Monday, July 3, Eris/Aries trine Vesta/Leo, 23:50

All three planets involved in this grand trine are at least a little political. Given that this grand trine falls (1) in fire signs, (2) the weekend before the US’ Independence Day holiday, things could take a strident turn. Someday perhaps humans will begin to consider The Entire Cosmos as their home - Ms M would settle for taking care of Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants, but she isn’t holding her breath.

Planets/Points affected lie between 22:15 and 24:50 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Sunday, July 9, North Node/Leo conjunct Vesta/Leo, 26:11; South Node/Aquarius opposite Vesta/Leo, 26:11

We respond this with a desire for individuality - to be our real, true selves. The problem is, we don’t know how to do that! I know this is Leo, but it will be useful to spend some time alone, preferably out-of-doors, tuning into ourselves. By reaching out to the following trine (from Uranus/Aries) we can tune into our unique individualities.

Planets/Points affected lie between 25:11 and 27:11 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.

Friday, July 14, Uranus/Aries trine Vesta/Leo, 28:21

There is a definite “science nerd” side to this trine, as well as a politically revolutionary side. Combine them somehow - it’s a trine; it should be easy! Ms M would also like to see us honor each other’s individualities, which is certainly easy-peasy with these energies.

Planets/Points affected lie between 27:21 and 29:21 of the yang signs Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius.