#” says Dave Hamme

[brewscoop]

Join the adventure! Lost Worlds Brewing is opening a new taproom in Charlotte at the Metropolitan in Midtown. Experience unique decor, mouthwatering beers, and a special craft cocktail menu. Don't miss out on the grand opening, April 13!

[thefutureiswhat]

New Fargo Season 5 character portraits, via the FX website. Official character descriptions under the cut.

Dorothy "Dot" Lyon: Depending on who you ask, "Dot," portrayed by Juno Temple, is a wife and mother, a member of the PTA, a fighter, survivor or a tiger. She’s tenacious to almost a delusional fault, never giving up no matter how impossible the circumstances. Ultimately, she’s a mama bear with a lion’s heart.

Roy Tillman: “Roy Tillman,” portrayed by Jon Hamm, is one of those constitutional sheriffs, a rancher preacher, defender of the American gospel. A man who works from sunup to sundown shepherding God’s land. In Roy’s own reality, he is the law and therefore is above the law; he’s the judge, jury and too often the executioner.

Lorraine Lyon: “Lorraine Lyon,” portrayed by Jennifer Jason Leigh, is CEO of the largest Debt Collection Agency in the country, with two billion dollars in annual revenue. Lorraine is poised, regal and opinionated. She’s also a huge donor to any candidate or cause that she believes in, regardless of political affiliation (read: anyone that can be helpful to her in the future).

Wayne Lyon: “Wayne Lyon,” portrayed by David Rysdahl, has the forced cheer of a man whose mother raised him with a thick brew of disappointment and guilt. Now he owns a car dealership and three quarters of a fishing boat. A sweet guy who doesn’t match up to society’s (or his mother’s) definition of masculinity, his ideal evening is playing sock hockey at home with his daughter, Scotty.

Gator Tillman: “Gator Tillman,” portrayed by Joe Keery, is a handsome charmer, the way the snake in the garden was a charmer. He’s a sapling struggling to grow in the shadow of an oak, desperate to prove himself to his larger-than-life father in the absence of a mother’s love. With daddy issues up there with Oedipus Rex’s, Gator wants to be a winner but unfortunately doesn’t know what the word means.

Witt Farr: “North Dakota Deputy Witt Farr,” portrayed by Lamorne Morris, is the guy when you look up the word “reliable” in the dictionary, you see his picture. He splits the check down to the cent, not because he’s cheap but because he’s fair. He’s dogged, earnest and Minnesota Nice.

Indira Olmstead: “Minnesota Police Deputy Indira Olmstead,” portrayed by Richa Moorjani, is a practical woman – socks before shoes – and good at puzzles, which may have led to her career in law enforcement. She struggles to manage her finances while supporting her husband Lars and his delusional dream of winning the Masters Golf Tournament.

Ole Munch: Age unknown, birthplace unknown. On any given day, “Ole Munch,” portrayed by Sam Spruell, looks as though he could be 30-60. Some say he has always been here, blowing through the American landscape – the dark shadow waiting for us at the end of the hall. He’s carved from stone, relentless as the sea, the forces of physics don’t apply to him.

Danish Graves: “Danish Graves,” portrayed by Dave Foley, is Lorraine Lyon’s in-house counsel and primary advisor. A country club type, who has never been in a real fight, but sees himself as a winner, when clearly Lorraine is the heavyweight champion and he just holds her spit bucket.

[dasenergi-diary]

First I binge watched all of 30 Rock. (I say "binge watch." I generally average about one episode a day while eating breakfast or lunch.)

Then I binge watched all of Community. I just finished the sixth season this week. The finale totally made me cry. (Yes, I know the movie is coming soon on Peacock. Yay!) #sixseasonsandamovie

And now today I've started watching one of my childhood favorites, Soap.

As I was watching the first episode this morning I was noticing how old Katherine Helmond, Richard Mulligan, and the other "adults" looked. So I got online. Katherine Helmond (Jessica Tate) was 51 years old. Cathryn Damon (Mary Campbell) was 45 years old, Robert Mandan (Chester Tate) was 46 years old, and Richard Mulligan (Burt Campbell) was 45 years old. Even Robert Guillaume (Benson) was only 49!

I'm 52 years old! Older than them all! Who am I to say they're looking old?? Look in the mirror, Dave!

BTW: I'm older than Jon Hamm by ONE DAY! I think that means I'm as handsome as him, except one day older.

Note: I know that's not Robert Guillaume in the cast photo. When Robert Guillaume left Soap for the spin-off show "Benson," Roscoe Lee Browne ("Box" from Logan's Run - yes, I'm a nerd) was brought in as the new butler.

And completely tangential - John Houseman and Roscoe Lee Browne are in my heart forever!

And for those who might not be familiar with Logan's Run, here is "Box" with a frozen walrus. It's cold down there.

And for those who ARE familiar with Logan's Run - on my 30th birthday I totally went to carousel. There's a carousel on the pier in Santa Monica, and I worked just down the street from it. Lunch time birthday party! I also have a Logan's Run poster, t-shirt, all the books, and I got to meet the author before he died and we had a very lovely conversation. (Except it was kind of sad because I was the only one who knew who he was, and he looked so lonely! This was at the UCLA Festival of Books, where I also met Neil Gaiman before he became the star he is now and he didn't have a line either!)

[cacoetheswriting]

champagne problems, ch.1

Spencer is in love with you, but you’re engaged to someone else. 

Chapter One: Bloodsport: You announce your engagement to the team, shattering Spencer's heart. A/N: chapter is titled after this song if you want to listen while reading. Word Count: 2.3k Warnings: mild cursing, heartbreak, unrequited / unreciprocated love, very angsty, this series is going to be a real slow burn babyyy

series masterlist

-

Today was like any other day.

You woke up at your usual time to the sound of your alarm. You had coffee, and a quick bite to eat while aimlessly scrolling through the social media apps on your phone. You showered, brushed your teeth, got dressed, did your makeup. And when it was time to leave, you walked out the front door locking it behind you, hopped in your car, and drove to work. 

Today was like any other day. Except that it wasn’t. 

Today wasn't like any other day because while you carried out all of your menial morning tasks, you felt a little heavier. Rather your hand did. 

It was your birthday a couple of days ago. And while you had planned to spend with your boyfriend, Ethan, the universe had other plans and you were stuck out of town on a case. You weren’t mad about it, it was your job after all, and Ethan understood. His work hours were also unreliable.  

Plus you got to celebrate with the other people that mattered the most to you in world; your team. It may have not been they day you had envisioned, because who wants to spend their birthday at a gloomy prescient looking over gruesome crime scene photos, but your team made it special. Takeout, gallons of coffee, and shortly before midnight they surprised you with cake - which Luke slipped up was all Spencer’s idea. 

Little did you know the surprises would continue upon your return home. Ethan, down on one knee in the middle of your living room, surrounded by candles and about a dozen bouquets of roses.  

You took a deep breath before getting out of your car, and heading inside the building. Knowing your sudden engagement would come as a shock to the people you worked with, your second family, you were quite anxious about telling them. You were worried about how they would react. They didn't really know Ethan. They only met him a total of three times throughout the duration of your relationship meaning all the information they possessed was what you had told them - which in reality wasn’t all that much.  

Sitting down at your desk, you kept your hand on your lap. As usual you were the first to arrive meaning you had some time to figure out exactly how you were going to go about this. Your gut feeling was to tell Spencer first. You owed him at least that much giving everything the two of you had been through. 

But once again the universe had other plans. 

“Good morning sunshine!”, Garcia chimed as she crossed the bullpen. “It is so lovely to see your beautiful beautiful face. How was Scottsdale?” She asked stopping beside your desk. “You know, apart from all the murder.” 

“Uhm, it was-” 

“Wait! Before you answer me.” She interrupted while reaching into her handbag. “I wanted to give you this.” Seconds later she retrieved a gift, wrapped perfectly in glittery pink paper with a bright bow tied around it. “Happy Birthday!” 

“Penelope, you didn't have to.” 

“Shush now, of course I did.” She smiled. “Come on. Take it, take it.” 

Which is exactly what you did; completely forgetting about the two carat diamond that now graced your ring finger. 

The shriek that came out of Garcia’s mouth was enough to make you remember. But before you could snatch your hand back, hide it on your lap once again, she grabbed it and the ever so present smile on her face widened even more. 

“Oh my god! Oh my god!”, Garcia was jumping now, her hand still gripping yours as she examined the ring. “When did this happen? How did this happen? Oh I have so many questions!” Another excited shriek escaped her lips. “I’m going to hug you now, and then you’re going to tell me everything!” 

Garcia let your hand fall before bending down slightly to wrap her arms tightly around you. “Congratulations honey, this is so exciting!” She swayed the two of you side to side.

“What’s exciting?” Luke’s voice caused the two of you to break apart. 

“Well newbie, you should invest in a tux.” Penelope beamed. 

“I have a tux.” Luke furrowed his brows, slightly confused. “Wait, what?” He glanced between you and Garcia, waiting for an explanation. 

Taking in a quick breath, you got to your feet and lifted your hand to show him the ring. “Ethan proposed last night.”

Luke’s jaw fell open. “Holy smokes! Congratulations Y/N!” Dropping his bag to the floor, he pulled you into a quick embrace. “That’s huge news. I’m so happy for you.” 

Penelope cleared her throat. “I think you mean we are all happy for her.” Luke chuckled and rolled his eyes at the blonde. “Yes, yes.” 

One by one the team arrived. One by one you shared your news, and one by one they each congratulated you. 

Matt joked about giving him a hefty amount of notice so he could organise a babysitter. Luke asked how you’d feel if his date was Roxy. Dave offered his house as a possible venue; ”Won’t be the first wedding I host kid.”. While Tara, JJ, Emily, and Garcia were deep in discussion about organising your bridal shower.

In the midst of all the chaos you hadn't even realised that one person was missing. The person who’s reaction might not be as cheery as the rest of the group currently huddled around you.

Spencer was late for work. He cursed under his breath while waiting for the elevator. He didn't like to be late. Which is why it didn't happen often. Not because time-keeping overall was important to him. No. He made sure to arrive early each day because it was the only time of day he got to spend with you. Alone. 

It was the only time of day he had you all to himself.

As selfish as it may seem, it was the truth. Although he would never admit it to anyone because that would mean admitting his true feelings. And he couldn't do that. He had his chance. He blew it. Maybe he would get another in the future, he secretly hoped he would, but for now those interrupted mornings with you had to suffice. 

The brunette agent immediately noticed the team gathered at your desk. He thought the worst, but was quickly reassured you were okay when your honey-like laughter filled the bullpen. The sound was music to his ears. If he could, he’d listen to you laugh all day.

“So are you going to keep us guessing forever?” Tara asked intrigued. “How did Ethan do it?” 

Garcia clapped her hands. “Yes, tell us. Was it romantic? Oh, who am I kidding of course it was romantic. All proposals are.” 

Proposals? Spencer shook the thought away. No, he must have heard that incorrectly.

“Did he get down on one knee?” JJ asked with a smile. 

“I gotta give it to Ethan though cause that ring looks expensive. Being a surgeon must be nice.” Luke noted, causing Garcia to smack his bicep. “What?” He retorted shrugging his shoulders. “It’s just an observation.” “Keep your observations to yourself newbie.” 

“Why don’t we let Y/N breathe for a second?” Rossi chimed in. “I’ll treat everyone to lunch later and she can tell us the story then.” He suggested, glancing between the team. Everyone nodded in unison and scattered; just as Spencer approached. 

The second your gaze landed on him, you noticed the solemn look spread across his face. A sick feeling spread through you and you quickly wondered just how much he overheard. 

“Good morning doctor.” You greeted him, your lips pursed into a half-smile. 

“Good morning.” Spencer replied without looking at you. 

“How are you?” You asked as he took off his bag and placed it on the desk beside him. “I wondered where you were this morning.” You added, making conversation.

Spencer didn't respond. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. He couldn't even bare to meet your eyes; which were currently burning a hole into the side of his head. 

While he thought he misheard Garcia say something about proposals, he definitely heard JJ’s question and Luke mention Ethan, and the ring. Spencer usually stirred away from making assumptions, but this time all the evidence was there. He didn't have to ask. He knew. You were engaged. 

“Can-” You cleared your throat. “Can we go somewhere private and talk? I have something I need to tell you.”

“I can’t now.” He rasped. Before you got a chance to protest, the brunette doctor turned on his heel and rushed away. 

The reason he dashed away was you. Your engagement. He figured it out, overheard it, and now he needed to process this new information. You should have let him go, do it alone. You knew you shouldn't have followed him, that it would only make things worse, but you couldn't help yourself. There was a time where you thought Spencer was the love of your life. That the two of you would be getting married. And even though that didn't work out...

You grabbed his arm and using all of your strength you pulled him to a halt. The brunette doctor ran a hand through his already ruffled hair as you stepped in front of him. 

“Spencer, can we talk about this?” You asked, your hand falling back down to your side. “There is nothing to talk about Y/N.” Spencer huffed. “You’re engaged. I’m happy for you.” There was a distinct hurt in his voice. 

“This isn’t how I thought you would find out. I wanted you to be the first one to know but-” “It doesn’t matter Y/N.” He interrupted. 

“It matters to me Spencer.” 

“Why?” He asked in an ominous tone. His eyes darkened. “We broke up a long time ago. You don't owe me anything.” “Our breakup has nothing to do with this.” You protested. Spencer scoffed. “I don’t believe you. You’re not chasing down any of the other members of our team.” “Yeah, because they’re all genuinely happy for me.”

“You don't think I’m happy for you?”

“I know you're not.” 

Silence. Heavy-sitting, unbearable silence. The two of you simply stared at each other as if fighting an inaudible argument. Blood pressure rising, your heart was now hammering in your chest and you were sure he was even angrier than you.

Perhaps that last sentence came out harsher then you intended it to, but in your eyes it was the truth. Spencer had every right not to be happy for you. In fact, a large part of you expected him to react badly which is also another reason why you wanted him to be the first to know. 

You were right of course, you just didn't know it. 

The pain in his chest was insufferable. The jealousy, the anger, the sorrow. All of those feelings mixed inside of him and spread through his body like wildfire. He thought he was heartbroken before, back when you first started dating Ethan, but he was dead wrong. His head was spinning. He felt nauseous. It was hard to breathe. This was heartbreak.

See, Spencer was there when you and Ethan first met. Which in his mind made all of this so much worse. The team was working a local case, and the brunette agent got hurt. Not severely, but it was enough to make everyone worry so you volunteered to drive him to the hospital. While Spencer got checked out, you went to fetch him some jell-o. When you returned about twenty minutes later, you weren't alone anymore. 

You never told anyone the full story. Just that the surgeon spotted you in the cafeteria, and asked you out for coffee. Honestly, there wasn't much more to it than that. Well, apart from the tiny detail that your initial thought was to decline Ethan’s offer because you were secretly hoping to get back together with the brunette agent. 

The only reason you said yes to Ethan all those months ago was because he was a surgeon, and with both of your hectic schedules combined you never thought it would progress any further than that one coffee date. But it did. And overtime you moved on from Spencer, and learned to love the surgeon. The feeling isn't quite the same, but Ethan makes you feel good and at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Right?

“What do you want me to say Y/N?” Spencer asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Do you want to hear how I think you’re rushing into this? Do you want me to tell you I think Ethan is bad for you? That you can do better?” Pause. “It’s not like my opinion will change anything.” 

You opened your mouth to say something but no words came out. Spencer sighed. “You’re engaged now. You’re going to marry Ethan, and I’m respecting your choice.” 

The look that spread across Spencer’s face was pure sadness. He tried not to show it, but you could read him like an open book. He was in pain. He was in pain and there was nothing you could possibly do that would in any way help him or make him feel any better.

“We both moved on Y/N. You deserve to be happy, even if I think the guy is a jerk.” Spencer stated. It was harsh, he knew that, but in his defence it wasn't entirely true. Yes, he thought Ethan was an ass but it was primarily because Spencer loved you still, and he knew he would continue to love you until the end of his days. In his eyes, Ethan didn't deserve you.

And Spencer tried to get over you. Once he knew that you and Ethan were serious, he really tried to get over you. Yet nothing he did worked; it is as if you are imbedded deep in his soul. If he was a selfish man, he would let you stay there forever making it your permanent home. But Spencer Reid wasn't selfish, far from it. And now you were engaged to someone that wasn't him. He had to cut the cord. Even if the feeling was going to crush him. 

“The only thing we share now is our work Y/N, nothing more.” And with that the brunette doctor walked away leaving you feeling lost, confused and slightly hurt. 

You at least thought he considered you a friend.

Loving you is a bloodsport. Fighting in a love war.

-

A/N: starting off the new year right with this angsty mini-series. honestly, i couldn't get the idea out of my head over the holidays so i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i am currently enjoying writing it! hope you liked the first chapter. i’d love to hear your feedback and what you think will happen next! if you would like to be added to a taglist, please let me know. thank you for your continuous support. with love, mal. x

main masterlist | series masterlist

[tabloidtoc]

Us, May 3

You can buy a brand new copy of this issue without the mailing label for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Pregnant Meghan Markle: My Baby, My Way

Page 2: Red Carpet -- rufflemania -- Hollywood style stars are tier-ing it up in this flattering design with feminine flair -- Tracee Ellis Ross, Kaitlyn Dever, Margot Robbie, Logan Browning, Nicola Coughlan

Page 3: Lizzo, Maude Apatow, Lucy Boynton, Jessica Alba, Lily Collins

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Anya Taylor-Joy vs. Isla Fisher vs. Regina King in Stuart Weitzman Nudist sandal

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Shonda Rhimes on the intense backlash she received over Rege-Jean Page's exit from Bridgerton, Kelly Ripa on her most embarrassing interview, Luke Bryan on his mother LeClaire's Instagram fame, Blake Shelton on The Voice's new coach Ariana Grande, Reese Witherspoon joking about wearing bottoms that aren't sweatpants

Page 8: Contents

Page 10: A Final Farewell to Prince Philip, his four children Prince Charles and Princess Anne and Prince Andrew and Prince Edward were among the loved ones who participated in the emotional ceremony, feuding brothers Prince Harry and Prince William (and his wife Duchess Kate) put their differences aside after the intimate service, due to Covid-19 protocols the grieving Queen Elizabeth stayed socially distant from the other 29 people who attended the funeral for her husband of 73 years

Page 11: ACM Awards 2021 -- Maren Morris teamed up with her husband Ryan Hurd and won Female Artist of the Year, Thomas Rhett won Male Artist of the Year, Carrie Underwood took the stage

Page 12: Hot Pics -- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore an orange coat during a visit to NYC, John Stamos plays a coach on the TV show Big Shot, Zach Braff goofed around on the set of Cheaper by the Dozen in L.A.

Page 13: Eva Longoria on her trampoline while aboard a yacht in Miami, Howie Mandel arrived to the set of America's Got Talent dressed as a bug in Pasadena

Page 14: Jon Hamm and his rescue dog Splash strolled around the neighborhood in L.A., Heidi Klum in all white in Pasadena, Sara Gilbert and Linda Perry take a stroll in L.A.

Page 15: Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes held hands after dinner at Il Segreto in L.A., Patrick Dempsey shot a scene for his show Devils in Rome

Page 16: Rachel Brosnahan in a blue dress and carrying a clear umbrella on the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in NYC, Lin-Manuel Miranda at the opening of a vaccination center for Broadway workers in Times Square, Trisha Yearwood feeds one of her rescue pups

Page 18: Gen Z Has Spoken -- these celebs are making the young kids proud -- Baggy Jeans -- Hailey Bieber, Tracee Ellis Ross, Bella Hadid

Page 19: Middle Parts -- Busy Philipps, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Kourtney Kardashian, baguette bags -- Dua Lipa, Elsa Hosk, Irina Shayk, Kendall Jenner

Page 20: Seeing Double -- stars bear a striking resemblance to their famous counterparts -- Elizabeth Banks and Chelsea Handler, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Nina Dobrev, Betty Gilpin and Jodie Comer

Page 21: Rob Lowe and Ian Somerhalder, Jaime Pressly and Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher and Amy Adams, Rupert Grint and Ed Sheeran, Kyle Richards and Kacey Musgraves

Page 22: Clueless Crew -- stars are totally buggin' over Cher Horowitz's style in yellow plaid -- Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, Katie Holmes was rollin' with her homie beau Emilio Vitolo Jr. in NYC, Vanessa Hudgens, Dianna Agron

Page 23: Gabrielle Union

Page 24: Stars They're Not Like Us -- Jay Leno took one of his vintage automobiles out for a spin in L.A., Chrissy Teigen and John Legend took a selfie with a fan while grocery shopping in Beverly Hills, Kylie Jenner has custom vending machines

Page 25: Carrie Underwood in her massive walk-in closet, Denzel Washington signs autographs for fans in NYC, Megan Thee Stallion on a private plane, Drake and his bodyguard in Beverly Hills

Page 26: Stars They're Just Like Us -- Sarah Jessica Parker catches a yellow cab after working at her shoe store in NYC, Brad Paisley picked up five pizzas to go in Montecito

Page 27: Kelly Osbourne handed out goods at a drive-thru food distribution event at the Islamic Center of Southern California, HGTV's Egypt Sherrod transformed her closet into a meditation space in Atlanta, in between filming Law & Order: SVU's Mariska Hargitay and Ice-T take a selfie

Page 28: Hollywood Dads -- Scott Porter on parenting his two kids McCoy and Clover

Page 29: Jonathan Tucker on life with twins Hayes and India, parenthood is a lot tougher than Jovi Dufren imagined, Maksim Chmerkovskiy can't wait to show son Shai his work

Page 30: Love Lives -- Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are showing no signs of slowing down -- the pair enjoyed a night out in L.A. hotspot Delilah where they were holding hands and laughing and they're not hiding the fact that they're dating but they just don't want people in their business -- they're a good match and are each other's best friend

Page 31: Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber may look like the picture-perfect couple, but Justin admits that their first year of marriage wasn't what he expected, saying it was really tough and there was just a lack of trust and he blamed the strain on his own personal struggles and said before he didn't have someone to love or someone to pour into but now, more than two years after exchanging vows with Hailey, he has that

* Kacey Musgraves' romance with Dr. Gerald Onuoha is giving her butterflies -- the pair are so happy they found each other and while Kacey, who split from her husband Ruston Kelly last summer, is trying not to get too ahead of herself, her connection to the Nashville-based doc is off the charts and it's got the potential to go a very long way

* Today's Savannah Guthrie is thankful to have husband Michael Feldman in her life, especially given the demands of her early morning work schedule

Page 32: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are getting serious -- all the details on their whirlwind romance

Page 33: Adapting to parenthood has been a breeze for Emma Stone and she's soaking in all the precious moments of being a mom for the first time -- she and husband Dave McCary welcomed their baby daughter in March and Emma is super protective and a very hands-on mom and Dave is also hands-on and helps with their daughter -- thanks to the little one, Emma's marriage with the comedian has also gotten stronger and having a baby has brought them closer in a way they never expected -- Emma is looking forward to getting back to work; she's taken this time off to embrace motherhood and her number one priority is to raise a healthy baby so that's what she's focused on right now

* Britney Spears is setting the record straight -- despite her ongoing conservatorship battle with her dad, Jamie Spears, she is doing totally fine, assuring fans that she's extremely happy and she has a beautiful home, beautiful children and she's taking a break right now because she's enjoying herself -- although the legal drama with her father is heating up, Britney is staying strong and she has this wonderful ability to see the positive even when the odds are against her

* Keeping Up With Us -- production for the Downton Abbey sequel is underway, Mossimo Giannulli is a free man, Chrissy Teigen returned to Twitter 23 days after announcing that she was leaving the platform, Vanessa Bryant remembered her late husband Kobe Bryant on what would have been their 20th wedding anniversary, Helen McCrory lost her battle with cancer at age 52 according to her husband Damian Lewis

Page 34: A Day in My Life -- Whitney Port

Page 35: Colton Underwood is ready to live his truth -- during an interview on Good Morning America, the former Bachelor came out as gay, saying he's run from himself for a long time and he came to terms with his sexuality earlier this year and he's the happiest and healthiest he's ever been -- now that he feels like he can finally breathe, Colton is excited for his next chapter, which fans will get to see on an upcoming reality show with Olympian Gus Kenworthy -- a huge weight has been lifted off of Colton's shoulders and he is looking forward to being his authentic self

Page 36: Moms Tell All -- Happy Mother's Day! From milestones and manners to rules and nanny-bans, celebs and insiders talk about raising kids in Hollywood

Page 37: Bindi Irwin says life at home with her daughter Grace Warrior has been positively blissful and her family with dad Chandler Powell is so full of love, adding that the newborn has already met some of the wildlife at the Australia Zoo where Bindi and Chandler live and work and of course she's seen some crocs and really lit up when she saw them -- while the Aussie conservationist is sad Grace won't get to meet her late dad Steve Irwin, Bindi's brother Robert Irwin and mom Terri Irwin have been by her side constantly and Robert is obsessed with Grace and has been helping out so much and her mom has been the biggest guiding light and she's already taught Bindi so much about being a mother, both in how she raised her and by showing her things day by day and Terri is quite the baby whisperer and she's so great a calming Grace down when she's crying -- first-time father Chandler is also a natural with Grace and he's been the most supportive and involved dad and together, he and Bindi make such a great team -- for now, Bindi, who stars with Chandler in Crikey! It's a Baby!, is hoping Grace will follow in her animal-activist footsteps, saying having three generations of strong women working as conservationists is a dream come true

* Jennifer Garner said teaching your kids is a lifelong job, and certainly values are something you have to show them -- Jennifer, who shares kids Violet, Seraphina and Samuel with ex Ben Affleck, is staying true to her word and has led by example when it comes to things like kindness and patience and she won't let anyone in the house to judge or speak ill of people, and she enforces the same wholesome, traditional values that she was raised with and the kids have been taught to be loving, hardworking and fair -- Jennifer has always taken a kids-come-first approach to parenting, and it shows as they bake together, enjoy movie nights, read books and have very active lives and it's a very healthy, happy household filled with laughter and love

Page 38: Gwen Stefani has her hands full with her sons Kingston, Zuma and Apollo with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, but she wouldn't want it any other way -- Gwen's a tomboy, so having three boys wasn't daunting for her at all, plus she has fiance Blake Shelton by her side to pitch in with parenting duties and Gwen and the boys have a blast at Blake's ranch in Oklahoma where they enjoy riding their ATVs, and they play baseball and football -- it's not all fun and games, though because Gwen is big on boundaries and manners and she doesn't want to raise Hollywood brats and it's important to her that her sons be gentlemen

* Meghan Markle's pregnancy with Archie was no walk in the park, as she revealed during her bombshell TV interview with husband Prince Harry, the couple had concerns over whether or not the royal family would provide security for their son and claimed there were conversations about his skin color -- but this time around, as Meghan and Harry gear up for baby No. 2 at home in L.A., she's doing everything her way, without the royals and Meghan and Harry feel blessed that they're able to raise their daughter in the U.S. and can live by their own rules and make the decisions they feel are best for their children; having independence is the most important thing for Meghan and she's got free rein to be exactly the kind of mom she wants to be -- her parenting style is really like most mothers out there, and she's been craving pasta and doing yoga two times a day as her due date nears and she keeps a lot of art supplies out to foster creativity and healthy snacks around and she's a devoted mom and wants the best for her kids

Page 39: Kate Hudson has a lot on her plate, so the mom of three, who shares son Ryder with former husband Chris Robinson and son Bingham with ex Matt Bellamy and daughter Rani with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa, knows when to put her foot down as things can get a little overwhelming at times for Kate, but when she says no, it absolutely means no, and the kids respect her very much because of that

* Gigi Hadid, who shares daughter Khai with boyfriend Zayn Malik, wants to spend every waking moment with her precious little girl -- Gigi could easily afford to employ a team of nannies but chooses not to and she prefers to do everything herself and besides, she can't bear to be away from Khai for more than a few hours

* Candace Cameron Bure's three grown kids are flying the coop, but she's still super involved in their lives, despite slowly becoming an empty nester -- the mom of Natasha, Lev, and Maksim with former hockey player Valeri Bure says it's been a very transitional time and she's been trying to help them make decisions they feel good about and it's challenging, but they're figuring it out

Page 40: Oh, Baby! Meghan Markle's due date is just around the corner, and here are all the details

* Bump Brigade -- Halsey, Gal Gadot, Shawn Johnson East

Page 42: 10 Years of the Cambridges -- a look back at Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton's solid marriage for their anniversary

Page 44: Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez: What Really Happened -- cheating and lies? The truth behind J.Lo's split from fiance A-Rod

Page 45: Friendliest Exes -- these former couples managed to stay close after going their separate ways -- Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz

Page 48: Gifts for Mother's Day

Page 54: Entertainment -- Ben Barnes on Shadow and Bone

Page 58: Fashion Police -- the most daring Oscars looks -- Bjork, Whoopi Goldberg, Charlize Theron

Page 59: Rachel Weisz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga

Page 60: 25 Things You Don't Know About Me -- Julia Michaels

[photolover82]

The Masked Singer Season 4 Episode 2: Group B kicking it off... with a twist!! Guesses and Commentary

Hello my fellow Masked Singer guys and gals! It's that time of the week again (albeit I am a bit late, but let's go with it), time for Ana's Masked Singer recap woohoo! *insert fanfare here* This episode was such an insane one not gonna lie, Group B came in with a bang like wow... let's just get into it because it's a crazy episode in it of itself.

Firstly, I gotta point out the contestants of Group B, which this time were 6 unlike A and C which only have 5 contestants total.. and those 6 are (order from left to right, top row first then bottom row in the image below) Crocedile, Gremlin (the purple fluffy guy), Seahorse, Whatchamacallit (the blue and red hair cousin It thing), Baby Alien, and Serpent.

Alrighty so this elimination is gonna be a bit different than usual because it isn't the norm of what usually happens with these sorts of things (I'll tell you what I mean in a sec)...

So the first contestant unmasked for Group B actually wasn't eliminated (I know what you are thinking... "whaaatttt Anaaaaa that makes no sense")... but actually he unmasked himself (whatttt?! yeah you read that right, he legit was hot and suffocating and he seemed super over it and just took it off by himself... yup, that happened like what mind blown!

Anyways the mask who did this was...

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

THE GREMLIN

Performance: He sang Stand by Me by Ben E. King and honestly it was meh, it was really breathy as if he forgot some of the words, I don’t know if he was overcome with emotion (because he dedicated it to his friend who passed away) or what, I felt kind of bad but I low key feel like he was going to go home regardless, but on the bright side I love the costume and it was a great song choice for his range. He has a very raspy voice... like almost like a smoker’s voice and I can kind of tell that he’s an older man, but I couldn’t recognize the singer. 

So the Gremlin ended up being revealed to be.... 

*DRUMROLL PLEASE*

MICKEY ROURKE 

Ugh this upsets me because I don’t know who he is so I really couldn’t guess him correctly. I searched it up and apparently he’s an actor and director and was in Iron Man 2, which I’ve never seen like ever. But yeah, he did good, he looked kinda drunk not gonna lie and I guess he was suffocated and got over it. 

Alright now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to my favorite part, the remaining 5 contestants: 

1. THE SEAHORSE

Performance: I really love Seahorse, she’s one of my favorites of the night and so far in the season in general. Her performance of Rihanna’s Only Girl in the World was amazing and I definitely knew who that voice is...

My guess and I am so sure about this guys is singer, songwriter, American Idol alum... 

TORI KELLY 

Dude like that voice is so recognizable... but also because of the clues: 

Emotion Ocean= she’s super emotional when it comes to songwriting, like she legit said in an interview that she cries a lot

Tea Party= she hosted tea parties with her fans in 2019 (well before all this ofc) 

Rainbow Frog= sang Rainbow Connection with Kermit the Frog 

Judges’ Guesses: 

Jenny: Halsey (say what now? This doesn’t sound like her... is Jenny ok? This episode she’s been messing up with guesses more than Ken... you’ll see what I mean) 

Nicole: Hailee Steinfeld (meh, that’s ok I guess, but not quite) 

Robin: Bebe Rexha (he was onto something when he said country but then he said this, but this is the closest guess of the 3)  

2. THE SERPENT 

Performance: This one is my other favorite of this group. His performance of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers was absolutely stunning, I got chills! If it is who I think it is, I love him (partially because I think I know who it can be) 

I think the Serpent can be actor of the iconic Broadway sensation Hamilton aka Aaron Burr, Sir:

LESLIE ODOM JR. 

Dude like I feel pretty good about this guess because of the voice and the clues:

Map of the Caribbean= reference to the beginning of Hamilton where Alexander Hamilton is from

Jr. References= he’s a jr. 

Between medicine & music= he played a doctor on Murder on the Orient Express in 2017

Number 31118 (this was from the Sunday before the premiere but still worth noting)= 3 albums, 11 stage productions, 18 years on Broadway OR bible verse Romans 3:11-18 which was written by Paul, a character he played on Rent

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: John Legend (See what I’m saying? Jenny, what are you doing man? That is not John Legend, like they don’t sound alike at all) 

Ken: Daveed Diggs (Wow! Ken got it kinda close, I’m proud, that’s an achievement for him we gotta give it to him) 

Nicole: Leslie Odom Jr. (WOOOO!! Yesss Nicole!!) 👏🏼

3. THE CROCODILE 

Performance: I also really liked Crocodile and his performance of It’s My Life by Bon Jovi was great! I feel like I know who this is, and I am pretty familiar (well, more or less) with 90s and early 2000s boybands and this one is someone in that realm I am so sure of it... 

Ok so being more specific, I think it’s boybander from The Backstreet Boys: 

NICK CARTER 

The voice and the clues were a dead giveaway:

The Vegas vibes in the clue package= he performed in Vegas with Backstreet Boys 

Water clues (the water slide and happiest in water)= he was born in Orlando, FL home of the theme parks and FL is also some of the Gators so it would makes sense with the costume

Grew up in Hollywood= moved there when really young

Judges’ Guesses:

Ken: John Hamm (and he’s back, that was a terrible guess)

Nicole: Nick Lachey (so close, but not quite)

Robin: Donnie Wahlberg (um, Jenny agreed, how does she not know that this ain’t your husband?!) 

4. THE WHATCHAMACALLIT

Performance:  His performance of “I Wish” by Skee-Lo was good, not my favorite, but I didn’t hate it. I am kind of feeling that it’s an athlete due to the height and also how he speaks. 

So this guess is an idea I got from the Internet (subject to change because I have no clue about sports players): 

Rashad Jennings?

The only thing I got from the clues was:

Dancing with Stars= he won DWTS 

Clues IDK

Orange Jelly= ?

The clock with the Bear Mask on the 5= ? 

Swinging Keys= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Nicole= Swiss Beats (meh idk) 

Ken: Damon Lillard (I like this guess, tbh.. I kinda agree with it being a sports player)

Robin: Tyler the Creator (that would be cool but I don’t think so) 

5. THE BABY ALIEN

Performance: His performance of Faith by George Micheals was good too, better than I expected for the costume ngl. I had pretty low expectations but I am pleasantly surprised. He isn’t my favorite by any means and I am also a bit stumped by him especially because of that fake Russian accent, but I am in between 2 people at the moment....

The 2 people I am in between are either Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham or actor 

JASON SEGEL 

It kinda sounds like him and the clues are a bit confusing but there’s one I understand too:

Tony Awards Reference= he’s been on Broadway 

The mask’s a puppet and Segel is a big fan of puppets (He was also in the Muppets movie) 

CLUES IDK 

Space clues= ?

Friends Reference (2nd Gear)= ?

Ferris Beuller references= ?

Judges’ Guesses:

Jenny: Ralph Macchio (meh I guess that’s good) 

Nicole: David Schwimmer (not bad, but idk it doesn’t really sound like it)

Ken: Freddie Prinze Jr. (ya, no) 

Alright so that’s it! I am so sorry for it being late, but better late than never... I’ve been pretty busy so hopefully this weekend I will have tonight’s episode recap up... THANK YOU FOR READING AND I WILL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ONE *blows kiss* byeeee! 

[douxreviews]

9 New Shows We’re Excited for in 2019

1) Star Trek: Picard (CBS All Access)

It’s a new Star Trek show with Patrick Stewart returning as Jean-Luc Picard. What else is there to say. 

Starring: Patrick Stewart.

2)  The Umbrella Academy (Netflix)

Adapted from the popular comic series, The Umbrella Academy is about an estranged adopted family of superheroes who come back together after their father's death. 

Starring: Ellen Page, Tom Hopper, Robert Sheehan, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castañeda, Aidan Gallagher, and Mary J. Blige.

3) His Dark Materials (BBC) 

A new take on Philip Pullman's classic trilogy about Lyra, an orphan living in an alternative version of our world who sets off an adventure to save her best friend. It’s really a lot more complicated than that, but I don’t want to give too much away fro those who haven’t read the books.  

Starring: Dafne Keene, Lin-Manuel Miranda, James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson.

4) Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Disney+)

The long awaited first live-action Star Wars TV show. Not much is known about  The Mandalorian so far except that it will be some sort of western hybrid set in the time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. 

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Nick Nolte, Giancarlo Esposito, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers, Omid Abtahi, and Werner Herzog.

5) Deadly Class (Syfy)

Another comic book adaption, this one is about students enrolled at the secret King's Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts, where they train to become the next generation of top assassins for global crime families.

Starring: Lana Condor, Benedict Wong,and Benjamin Wadsworth.

6) Carmen Sandiego (Netflix)

The fourth TV series, and second animated one after, based on the popular games series. Netflix has also ordered a live action movie with Rodriguez playing Carmen. 

Starring: Gina Rodriguez and Finn Wolfhard.

7) The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance (Netflix)

A prequel to the Jim Henson classic 1982 fantasy film, this series will follow three Gelflings as they discover the secret behind the Skeksis' power, and undertake a quest to start a rebellion and save the world.

Starring: Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Mark Hamill, Simon Pegg, Helen Bonham Carter, Alicia Vikander, and Natalie Dormer.

8) Good Omens (Amazon) 

Neil Gaiman adapts the frankly brilliant book he co-wrote with the late, great Terry Pratchett about a demon named Crowley (Tennant) and the angel named Aziraphale (Sheen), who try to prevent the coming of the Antichrist and the final battle between Heaven and Hell because they really like living on Earth too much. 

Starring: David Tennant, Michael Sheen, and Jon Hamm.

9) Watchmen (HBO)

A new story based upon Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal comic book, but not a direct adaptation. 

Starring: Regina King, Don Johnson, Jeremy Irons, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II 

[likeshipsonthesea]

Klaus and Dave for the fourth sarcasm prompt

from this list 4. “Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English.” i really do want to try to write something for tua, like an actual something but i want to be secure in the characterization. the fics i’ve read so far haven’t done it for me, so i wanna do this right, for all the characters, so please feel free to send in other prompts, from the list or not, with any of the characters from the show (preferably one of the 7)

thanks for sending in this prompt! i hope you like it. another tua fic i wrote can be found here

“I don’t know about this, Klaus,” Dave says, whispered, from behind Klaus’ right ear, and for a moment, he isn’t in the middle of some town he doesn’t know, decades before he was born, turning around a corner to watch for guards. Instead, he’s in the Academy, watching for Reginald, or Mom, dragging Ben behind him in pursuit of the sweets Mom keeps in a “secret” cabinet in the kitchen. Ben was always behind him, whatever he did, from the time they were kids until– well, until Klaus time traveled here, really.

Klaus swallows and glances back at Dave, grinning. “Don’t sweat it, sugar-lips,” Klaus says, just to watch Dave blush in the hazy light of moon. “Just remember if we get caught, you’re deaf and I don’t speak English.”

Dave laughs, too loud and then muffled when he remembers they’re supposed to be quiet. “That doesn’t make any sense,” he says, when the laughter has been successfully corralled underneath his tongue. “Why would a non-English speaker and a deaf person be on an American MASH base?”

Klaus waves a hand. “Irrelevant. Just don’t get caught.” He turns back around to check if they’re clear and Dave huffs another laugh, this one caught in the short hairs on the back of Klaus’ neck. He inhales shakily. Stay focused, Hargreeves, he thinks, and steels himself before looking again.

“We’re clear,” Klaus says. “Let’s go.”

They run quietly up to the locked door of the colonel’s office. The corporal is off getting plastered at the officer’s bar with the rest of the platoon– thank Santa for their drunkard brothers in arms– which means Klaus and Dave can sneak into the colonel’s office and drink the primo booze there, have their own little party.

“How’re we gonna get in?” Dave whispers, glancing around quickly, panicked.

“Chill, babe, you’re with me.” Klaus grins and Dave pauses his worrying to shake his head back. Klaus pulls out his standard issue pocket knife. Dave sighs as Klaus begins to work the tip into the keyhole.

“How do you know how to do that?”

Klaus shrugs. “Diego had a book about it, I think. He left it in the bathroom once and I read it while I was in there.” He’d spent hours locked in the bathroom, reading away. Dad– Reginald had come looking for Klaus for training and he’d been so tired, that morning he’d ran into a ghost coming back from the park who had screamed and screamed and– Klaus shakes his head of it. The book is helpful. The memories are not.

Within a minute, the door’s unlocked, and they slip through quietly despite knowing there’s no one here to hear them. The booze is stashed behind another lock, but Klaus makes quicker work of that and turns to show Dave his prize, grin pointedly manic.

Dave shakes his head and leans in to press his lips against the corner of Klaus’ mouth, instinctual, like he couldn’t help it, like Klaus is something to be drawn to instead of run away from.

“Let’s toast,” Dave says as Klaus tugs out the cork. Klaus offers the bottle to him, as he’d never been any good at toasting and shit. Why wait for the high? That’s what he’d always thought. It wasn’t until he met Dave that he learned how good the trip there could be too. Dave takes the bottle with a small smile, lifting it slightly. “To the war ending soon,” he says, faith shining in his eyes.

Klaus never had much of a formal education, but he remembers some things from the lessons Mom gave them in between training. The Vietnam War was one of the longest, he remembers. Didn’t end until well into the 70s, he thinks. Still, he smiles when Dave drinks to his toast and kisses him quick after the bottle is lowered to taste the whiskey from him. It’s always better that way.

They drink sitting on the floor, backs against one of the make-shift walls of the office. Dave is a fun drunk, slowly getting more giggly with less reason. Their fingers brush, Dave giggles. Klaus whistles, Dave giggles. Klaus leans in to mouth at the join of Dave’s jaw, where he never gets all of the stubble when he shaves, and Dave giggles a sound low in his chest, a moan but almost unbearably happy.

Sometimes Klaus wonders what Dave would be like high. Not hard stuff, no needles or noses, but a simple joint, maybe. Dave would never, Klaus knows, a good Jewish boy, hardly smokes except to calm his nerves. But imagining it, a Dave slow and smiley, the worries of the war dropped far behind him. Klaus wouldn’t mind a Dave like that.

Not that he minds the Dave he has now. He doesn’t wonder too much about the drugs, not about Dave taking them and not about him wanting them. There’ve been pangs, of fucking course there have. When they lost Hamm, when Klaus had to wear his blood on his hands for a day until they found a stream deep enough. When he mentioned Ben, off-hand, and Dave asked about him and halfway through a story about playing The Floor is Lava by climbing around the living room, precious artifacts and all, Klaus realized that he would probably never see Ben again. Klaus wasn’t planning on going back, even if they got sent home. 

What does he have to go back to? Ben, yes, but Ben is dead, and the rest of Klaus’ siblings aren’t– He doesn’t want to say they’re not worth it. He knows they care about him, in the same instinct kind of way he feels for them, he knows that they’re family at the end of the day and even when they fuck up and hate each other and even want to kill each other, they’re still the same kids that used to sit out in the yard and tell each other what the clouds looked like.

Ben and Vanya always had the best ones. “It’s a train,” Ben would say, and suddenly the blob would make sense to Klaus. “It’s a banana,” Vanya would say and Klaus would ask where and Ben would already know. Vanya would point her small finger up at a mash of white cotton balls and say, “Look, it’s a bunny,” and Klaus could see the damn thing hopping.

Diego always went violent. “It’s a bunny with its head bashed in,” he would say, and snicker when the others would protest.

“It’s a bunny with a hat,” Allison would retort, sniffing, haughty, and then she’d tell them what brand it was, how expensive it was.

“Where’d a bunny get money for Gucci?” Klaus would snort and Allison would knock her foot into his ankle and he’d laugh.

“I think it has a tie, too,” Luther would say, quiet. He was always quiet around them when they weren’t on a mission. He only really felt comfortable speaking out when he was following Allison.

They would all murmur in agreement, even Diego, and then Five would say, “It’s a collection of water droplets light enough to float. It’s not anything but a cloud.”

At the time, Klaus would stick his tongue out at Five and tell him he was a buzzkill, but as he thinks about it now, tipsy, on a floor, thigh pressed against the only man he’d ever loved, Klaus wonders if it wasn’t condescension but defensiveness. Did Five ever see the bunny in the cloud? Could he? What were smarts when he couldn’t relate to anything but a book?

Klaus snorts to himself. No wonder the kid fell in love with a mannequin. Makes absolute fucking sense.

“What’re you giggling about?” Dave asks, slurring a little.

Klaus hums. “Clouds.”

“Hmm.” Dave leans into Klaus’ side, warm and heavy and smelling of shaving cream. They’d been out for weeks, using their knifes to make their stubble manageable, but they’d stumbled upon the MASH station earlier that morning and reveled in the luxury of mirrors and razors. Dave smells cleaner than Klaus ever remembers him being, and though Klaus typically hates change, it’s nice.

“What’re you gonna do after the war?” Klaus says, and he hiccups, realizing instantly that it’s the kind of sappy question optimists ask, and he really shouldn’t be entertaining notions of after when he knows the war isn’t ending for a long while, but the words are off his lips and he can’t take them back.

“Go home,” Dave says, easy. “Teach music again, maybe. That was nice.” He turns his head into Klaus’ shoulder and looks up at him, blue eyes wide and innocent. Klaus marvels at how he still looks like that after all they’ve done, all they’ve had to do, to survive. He thinks that Dave could do it. Go back home, be himself again. He’s retained more of it than any of them have. Dave is so good, fuck, sometimes Klaus doesn’t know what to do with it.

“What about you?” Dave asks, quiet, and Klaus blinks back into awareness and hums, questioning. Dave clarifies, “What will you do after?”

Klaus thinks about the briefcase stashed under the cot they assigned him that morning. He doesn’t know how the thing works. In all likelihood, he could open it again only to end up in California during the Gold Rush or some shit. But if it could bring him back right where he left, bring him home to whatever measure of home that time was, would he do it?

Klaus never answers, because at that moment there’s movement outside and they hear someone saying, “Is the colonel’s office open?” and Klaus and Dave scramble out the window, breathless, stifling their giggles, and they run back to their shared tent as fast as they can.

They stop outside the front flap, panting and leaning their hands on their knees. They meet eyes and laugh, too loud but alive, and it feels so good to be running from something that doesn’t want to kill them, and Dave steps forward, hardly even looking around to make sure they’re alone, and cups the sides of Klaus’ face to pull him into a breathless, blood-thumping kiss.

This is why, Klaus thinks, as he curls his hand around Dave’s wrist to feel his pulse against his fingertips. This is why he won’t go back. Because as much as he loves his siblings, when it comes down to it, he doesn’t feel safe with them.

Dave doesn’t make the ghosts go away, and fuck knows there’s a lot of them in a war zone. But when the screaming gets too loud and Klaus panics like a shell-shocked soldier, Dave holds him close and whispers roughly into his hair, tells him it’s alright, they’re dead, Klaus is alive, they only have as much power as Klaus gives them.

Dave, for all his giggles and smiles and optimism, understands the trauma Klaus’ power brings him more than any of his siblings– even Ben– could understand. They will always be strangers who grew up together. They will always see different things in the clouds. Klaus needs someone who, when he says, “I need a fix,” hears, Help me.

Klaus kisses Dave back and doesn’t worry about whether or not Dave can taste the I love you on his lips. It’s fine. Klaus knows he does.

[aion-rsa]

Watchmen: From Comics to Movies to HBO TV Show

https://ift.tt/2XoUBJj

A guide to the long journey Watchmen has taken from DC Comics to HBO TV.

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No doubt inspired by the Latin phrase "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?," generally translated into English as "Who watches the Watchmen?," Alan Moore's 1986-87 comic book series landed in the DC world like an atomic bomb, shattering preconceived notions of what comic books could be and what they had always been. Mature themes in comics had been explored as early as Will Eisner's The Spirit, but Moore was on the cusp of what comics could look like if targeted to a more thoughtful, mature audience. But how did an '80s cult comic book series spawn a growing media empire, with multiple comic series, graphic novels, video games, a movie, and a television series? Perhaps just as crucially, how did a single comic book maxi-series stay trapped in development hell from its first printing until the early days of the 21st Century?

To understand where Watchmen came from, an attempt will be made to understand the mind of the series' key creator, Alan Moore. Moore is a notorious mad genius with the air of a dishevelled Rasputin who worships a Roman snake deity that he himself believes to be a hoax. He's burned every bridge possible in the comic book world, fought with multiple major movie studios, lives in his hometown of Northampton to avoid public attention, and has devoted the bulk of his career to bringing old or neglected properties back from the dead, as it affords him a great deal of freedom to do whatever he wants to said properties.

Enter Miracleman

Before Watchmen, Alan Moore and artist Gary Leach (later Alan Davis) revived a 1950s UK knock-off of DC's Captain Marvel (known as Shazam these days). In 1953, Fawcett Comics, when faced by a lawsuit from DC over the name Captain Marvel, discontinued the publication of the comic series in the United States. That led to a serious problem for Len Miller, whose publishing company L. Miller and Sons had been republishing black and white Fawcett comics in the UK. Fawcett's Captain Marvel transformed into Marvelman, Fawcett's logos were knocked off by Miller's company to ensure a sense of continuity, and Marvelman continued publishing until 1963, at which time Miller filed for bankruptcy and the Marvelman family of comics ground to a halt.

Moore took the bones of Marvelman, gave him a dark and gritty reboot, and kicked off a new anthology starring the character that was so successful in Britain, it ended up being published in America by Pacific Comic and Eclipse Comics as Miracleman, to avoid further any potential interest from Marvel Comics. For those keeping score at home, a British author gained fame in America thanks to American reprints of a British comic featuring a British comic book character ripped off from a character originally created by an American company created after the American company who created the character went out of business. Moore, during this process, began to have disagreements with his Miracleman publisher Dez Skinn. Arguments over money have proven to be as much a theme in Alan Moore's professional life as his reliance on wiping out existing comic book continuity and using familiar characters in unfamiliar ways.

read more: Everything You Need to Know About the Watchmen HBO Series

Between his work with Warrior on Miracleman and his success on various 2000AD and Marvel UK titles, Moore eventually caught the attention of DC Comics editor Len Wein, who gave Moore the opportunity to work his revisionist snake magic on one of DC's lesser-known titles, a mediocre-selling monster book called Saga of the Swamp Thing. Given free rein with that character, Alan Moore started doing Alan Moore things, digging deeply into modern issues like environmentalism, telling experimental stories, connecting the character to the culture of Louisiana, and connecting Swamp Thing to a wider DC supernatural/magical universe through characters like the Spectre, the Demon, Phantom Stranger, and Deadman. Moore would create John Constantine at this time, kick off a British Invasion era of comic books, and leading to the foundation of the recently shuttered Vertigo imprint.

Enter the Mighty Crusaders and Charlton Comics

During the Silver Age of comics, Archie Comics looked at the success of Marvel and DC superheroes and decided, “Hey, we can do that!” Archie revived the Mighty Crusaders, a superhero team of characters originally created in the 1940's. That experiment, unfortunately for Archie, was unsuccessful, and the Mighty Crusaders reboot lasted only from 1965-1966. However, the characters were revitalised during the comics Bronze Age, when Archie Comics looked at the success of Marvel and DC and decided, “Hey, we can do that!” Rather than launching a new Mighty Crusaders comic, Archie entered discussions with DC about DC publishing the new line with Archie taking a cut.

This put an idea into the mind of Alan Moore. There were no Superman-level heroes in the Mighty Crusaders; they were mostly normal people with extraordinary abilities or gadgets in a more grounded universe than the standard DC level. When negotiations between Archie and DC failed (Archie would relaunch the Mighty Crusaders themselves in a 13-issue series between 1983 and 1985), Moore took his original idea for the Mighty Crusaders - The Shield is pulled dead out of a river under mysterious circumstances - and pitched it to DC after DC bought up the Charlton Comics line of characters, which included Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, the Question, and others. DC, despite approving of Moore's work on Swamp Thing, said no to using Charlton's characters for this dark and gritty reboot, but told Moore to flesh his idea out using all new heroes.

Enter Zack Snyder

For those unfamiliar with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic series, it would be an easy thing to catch up on in a short amount of time. The original Watchmen series was only 12 issues, and due to contract language between DC and Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons, should the comic ever go out of print the rights to the characters would revert to the original creators. Unsurprisingly, Watchmen is now in its 25th printing. While the graphic novel might feel daunting at 416 pages, it's one of the most propulsive books I've read, with Moore's mystery plot snagging immediate interest and Gibbons and John Higgins' artwork enriching the story with background details that reward multiple readings. This is a graphic novel whose art is as interesting as its story, if not more so, and it maintains a unique look that makes it immediately identifiable upon first glance, by design.

To say that Watchmen was successful from the first issue would be putting it mildly; the book's first issues sold so well that DC actually overtook Marvel in the direct sales comic book charts. Watchmen is routinely hailed as one of the finest comic book creations in the history of the medium, and is one of the books for which the phrase "graphic novel" was created. On the Time magazine list of 100 best books of all time, the only graphic novel that shows up is Watchmen, in the #18 slot ahead of works by luminaries like Virginia Woolf, Salman Rushdie, Toni Morrison, Jack Kerouac, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. That the book influenced generations of comic writers and artists is without question, and it continues to be one of DC's biggest cash cow properties (it's in its 25th printing for reasons other than DC keeping the rights from Alan Moore).

The comics series proved so popular that the rights were optioned by 20th Century Fox in 1986, when Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver first took an interest in the tale. Moore was offered the chance to write the script for the film by Fox, but refused, and the first draft went to Batman '89 screenwriter Sam Hamm. In 1991, Fox gave up and the rights were picked up by Warner Brothers. Silver and Gordon brought on board Terry Gilliam and writer Charles McKeown to take the film adaptation back closer to the comic book source material, but that effort soured, too. Silver could only raise $25 million for the film, a quarter of what he felt was needed, and Gilliam dubbed the project as unfilmable.

Lawrence Gordon would not be denied. In 2001, he turned to Universal Studios with producer Lloyd Levin and brought David Hayter on board before having a difference of opinion with Universal and taking his project to Revolution Studios. Revolution couldn't pull it off. Paramount announced they'd bring Watchmen to the big screen in 2004 with Darren Aronofsky as director. When Aronofsky dropped out, Paul Greengrass stepped in. Paramount, like so many before, gave up. Then Gordon and Levin turned to Warner Brothers, who ironically is a corporate sibling of DC Comics. Tim Burton refused the project, and it ended up in the hands of Zack Snyder and Alex Tse, who finally succeeded in bringing Watchmen to the big screen with mixed reviews.

Anything that spent so long in development hell must be based on a pretty great property, because a lot of people spent a lot of money trying to turn the graphic novel into a movie, and the resulting movie made $185 million dollars despite not getting the rave reviews of the graphic novel. Whether or not the critical opinion that Snyder stayed too close to the comic books (except for that controversial ending) holds water, there's something about Watchmen that continues to draw attention, hence the forthcoming series from HBO.

Enter The Minutemen

So, Watchmen is a huge critical darling, and people have worked incredibly hard to bring the property to life. What is it about Watchmen that people like so much? Part of it, no doubt, is due to the unique vision of Alan Moore himself. He took a central concept - what Marvel calls street-level heroes minus one supremely powerful being - and crafted an entire universe around them that's wildly divergent from our own.

read more: The Superman Stories of Alan Moore

For Moore, the world of Watchmen diverges from our timeline in 1938. A masked vigilante named Hooded Justice stops a grocery store robbery. Coverage of that event inspires Hollis Mason to take up his own mask and superhero identity, dubbing himself Nite Owl and using his knowledge of gadgets to create a collection of gimmicks to help him in his desire to join Hooded Justice in the vigilante hero game. Their visible successes kick off a fad of costumed heroes, in which people, inspired by Hooded Justice and DC's Action Comics, become vigilantes. Buffeted by a wave of immigrants fleeing Europe prior to World War II, an enterprising Polish immigrant named Laurence Schexnayder uses his beautiful longtime friend and future wife, Sally Juspeczyk, as the first manufactured superhero, Silk Spectre. Spectre's successes at stopping crime - which are really hired actors being beaten up by his wife with police paid off to support the stunts - Schexnayder puts an ad in the paper to assemble a super-team dubbed the Minutemen.

With the success of the Minutemen at home, and the success of Minuteman Edward “The Comedian” Blake during World War II, costumed heroes become all the rage, saving America from a terrorist plot and successfully stopping or jailing most of the super villains that rose up to fight them. America's victory in WWII helps the hero fad continue, while the heroes in comic books are slowly supplanted by pirate books - who needs fake heroes when you've got real ones in your universe?

The exploits of the masked heroes aren't without problems. A bank-sponsored superhero named Dollar Bill dies after being shot during a robbery when his cape tangles in a revolving door. When outed by the press as a lesbian in 1945, original Minuteman member the Silhouette was kicked out of the group and brutally murdered due to the publicity. The original hero, Hooded Justice, disappeared after the masked heroes were called before Senator Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee. The Comedian enters the service of the US Government, becoming something of a problem-solver for several administrations. Meanwhile, in 1959, a physicist named Jon Osterman is disintegrated during an experiment that seems to kill him. Then, his body begins to slowly reassemble itself in Gila Flats, ushering in the age of the first true superhero, Dr. Manhattan.

These costumed heroes, led by Comedian and Dr. Manhattan, begin to alter the world in drastic ways. The Vietnam War, which in our universe cost thousands of lives and took decades, is wrapped up in six months once President Richard Nixon gets Osterman to intervene in Vietnam. Nixon easily wins reelection, and due to his overwhelming popularity, the 22nd Amendment is repealed, which allows Nixon to set himself up as the President for as long as he continues to win elections. With the efforts of the Comedian, and the mysterious murders of Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Nixon easily wins a second election and further tightens his political control over the US. Tensions with the Soviet Union simmer continually thanks to Dr. Manhattan, who tips the balance of the Cold War strongly in favor of the United States and forces the Soviet Union to take a back-seat to America's global hegemony for fear of Manhattan-based retribution.

Tensions also simmer at home, as unrest and crime continue to spark throughout the 60s and 70s, despite an accelerated rate of technological achievement with electric-powered cars, video walls, and other high-tech gadgets fueled in no small part by the combined efforts of the meta-human Dr. Manhattan and the genius businessman Ozymandias, the world's smartest man. A new generation of vigilantes, led by Rorschach, become more violent and eventually, a wave of police protests and riots leads to the passing of the Keene Act, which outlaws all masked vigilantism not sanctioned by the federal government. A federal government which plays increasingly fast and loose with international laws, acting unilaterally throughout the globe (bombing Beirut, sending The Comedian in to stop the Iran hostage crisis, and so on) and increasing tension with the second-tier Soviets, who begin developing nuclear weapons.

The Cold War, it seems, was inevitable in the Watchmen universe, no matter how many alternate fuel cars and floating magnificent airships dot the landscape.

Enter Damon Lindelof

HBO's series based on Watchmen, also called Watchmen, might be based as much on Zack Snyder's film as it is Alan Moore's series of comic books. What it is not based on, as far as I can tell, is the Watchmen sequel called Doomsday Clock, which is actively being published by DC Comics as we speak, with a new edition coming out every few months. This comic takes place after the events of Watchmen, but considering the TV series started shooting after issue four of the comic, and issue 11 has not come out, I believe there is no need to read the sequel, even if two characters from the sequel, Mime (who has invisible weapons) and Marionette (who uses razor wire as a weapon) may have been ported into the series from the comics. (NB: Marionette and Mime are not yet confirmed, but rumored, to be part of the series.) Doomsday Clock involves conspiracies, hostile takeovers, Superman, Black Adam, the Joker, and a host of other DC Universe elements that definitely won't be involved in the series.

Before Watchmen, a prequel series launched to middling to positive reviews, might be more important. When Watchmen first launched, Moore and Gibbons had an idea to go back into the past of the Watchmen world and fill in the gaps between the Minutemen of the 1940s and the Crimebusters attempt of the '60s. Potential series pitches made were Rorshach's Journals and Comedian's Vietnam War Diary, as well as a proper Minutemen series. I would also doubt that these prequels would carry much weight in HBO's series, but if you feel like being a completest, there is a compendium which puts all 37 Before Watchmen books into one 1064 page volume that will probably not be necessary.

Enter your local bookstore

From what is known of HBO's Watchmen series, it's more concerned with the time period after Ozymandias's plot from the original series happens to the 21st Century. Aside from Dr. Manhattan, no characters currently known in the Watchmen universe have something like meta-human powers. Ozymandias is simply a very smart man who has made a fortune in the business world, who like his inspiration Peter Cannon, Thunderbolt, is the peak of human physical conditioning. Nite Owl and Nite Owl II are guys with a knack for creating gadgets and using them to fight crime, as was their inspiration Blue Beetle (Ted Kord version). The Comedian was dedicated to keeping peace through violence, as was his Charlton counterpart Peacemaker. Rorschach is simply Moore's attempt to create the perfect Steve Ditko character, right down to his strong K-last name and unusual mask and look, which are also inspired by Charlton's The Question. Mime and Marionette, should they actually appear in Watchmen, are based on Charlton's Punch and Jewelee, two very skilled thieves with access to high-tech weapons and gadgets and the amorality needed to use them to kill countless innocent bystanders.

read more - Doomsday Clock: The Impossible Watchmen Sequel

These costumed adventurer types aren't so much gifted or special, but simply dedicated and determined. They have tools, and they use them to fight crime, and make themselves figures of legend in the process, like any sports star or media figure. And like all figures with strong personalities, these exiled heroes are capable of gathering followers, or inspiring others in their wake. While the only active character from Watchmen that will appear is Ozymandias, this is a world shaped by the characters, ideas, and events from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' groundbreaking comic book series.

Certainly, like any TV show, there won't be an extremely high barrier of entry for those unfamiliar with the comic or the movie, but given just how much inspiration the heroes of the 80s will have on the characters of 2019, it's a worthwhile investment to read, reread, or re-watch Watchmen. Most have a lower opinion of the film adaptation than the comic, and that's understandable, but it's easier to digest a 163-minute film, a 186-minute director's cut or a 215-minute ultimate cut than a 400-page novel. The graphic novel is preferred, especially if it can be read several times, but if there is a time crunch or a long trip planned, the 186-minute director's cut is the superior version of the Watchmen film and more true to the original material.

Reading the source material probably won't be required to enjoy Damon Lindelof's take on Watchmen in the 21st century, but it will definitely help. I didn't read any of A Song of Ice and Fire, but I had a lot of help from friends and devoted fans to tell me a little more about George R.R. Martin's world. Catching up on Watchmen would be much, much easier, and just as rewarding. If nothing else, your time will have been spent reading an incredible graphic novel.

Watchmen comes to HBO later this year.

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Ron Hogan

Jul 3, 2019

Watchmen

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[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

Summer Film Preview: 27 of the Most Anticipated Movies of the Season!

Among ET's 90 top picks for summer are our 27 most anticipated films of the season.

Every summer, there is no shortage of new films to blow audiences away at theaters -- and blow away records at the box office. This summer, things are looking especially massive. Blockbuster season kicks off in a huge way with the highly anticipated back-to-back releases of Deadpool 2and Solo: A Star Wars Story, ushering in an onslaught of franchise films with new installments of Jurassic World, Marvel's Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible and The Purge.

Not everything is a sequel, though. Of the originals is the eagerly awaited adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, marking the first time a major studio has produced an all-Asian-led film since The Joy Luck Club; Spike Lee's latest, BlacKkKlansman; and -- because it wouldn't be summer without one -- a shark attack flick, The Meg, starring Jason Statham.

But no matter what you’re looking forward to, there's plenty to choose from among these 27 sure-to-be hit films.

Deadpool 2 (Out Now)

The Deadpool sequel is bigger, louder and packed with more violence and superpeople, dick jokes and fourth wall-breaking meta-ness than the original X-Men-adjacent movie. And while that all sounds like a recipe for a bloated case of sequelitis, Ryan Reynolds and co. not only pull it off, but top the first.

Directed by: David Leitch | Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Ryan Reynolds Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams

Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 25)

Forget everything you think you know about the legendary smuggler and prepare for the unexpected. That's the best advice we can give you about Star Wars' latest anthology installment, which, sure, features the Kessel Run and Han Solo and Chewbacca's origin story, then blasts off for so much more.

Directed by: Ron Howard | Written by: Jonathan Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Emilia Clarke

American Animals (June 1)

The Orchard / MoviePass Ventures

According to the minds behind American Animals, while most movies are based on a true story, this one is a true story, about four college students who plan "one of the most audacious art heists in U.S. history." It also marks the first appearance on this list by the true star of the summer movie season: Ann Dowd.

Directed by: Bart Layton | Written by: Bart Layton Starring: Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd

Hereditary (June 8)

A24

Following its screening at Sundance earlier this year, Hereditary was hailed as the scariest horror movie in years -- if not of all time. As for what actually transpires in the film, well, that is best left vague. Brace yourself for hypnotically unnerving tongue pops and flashbacks to Toni Collette's iconic turn in The Sixth Sense.

Directed by: Ari Aster | Written by: Ari Aster Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd

Ocean's 8 (June 8)

This year's Met Gala might as well have been early promo for Ocean's 8, which centers on another heist-happy Ocean, Debbie, who assembles a team of women to help rob a fictional Met Gala. (If you do some simple math, it seems Anne Hathaway's mark is one of the eight, too.) Unfortunately, Rihanna will likely not be dressed as a sexy pope.

Directed by: Gary Ross | Written by: Gary Ross and Olivia Milch Starring: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (June 8)

Focus Features

If you were a child in the '60s -- or '70s, '80s, '90s, the aughts, really, if you were a child ever -- then Won't You Be My Neighbor? will be a nostalgic return to your younger years, a look at the long-running and formative TV series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and the man behind it, the late Fred Rogers.

Directed by: Morgan Neville

Hearts Beat Loud (June 8)

Gunpowder & Sky

This gem of an indie is for anyone who has ever wished Nick Offerman could be your best friend, your dad or both: Kiersey Clemons plays Offerman's daughter and reluctant bandmate as they navigate fame and family in Hearts Beat Louder. Sprinkle in a queer romance and an earworm-y soundtrack, and what more could you ask for?

Directed by: Brett Haley | Written by: Brett Haley and Marc Basch Starring: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Toni Collette, Sasha Lane, Blythe Danner

Hotel Artemis (June 8)

Global Road Entertainment

Read this logline: "Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, Hotel Artemis is a high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals." Now re-read that sentence over and over and over until you go insane and this becomes your most anticipated movie of the year.

Directed by: Drew Pearce | Written by: Drew Pearce Starring: Jodie Foster, Dave Bautista, Sofia Boutella, Zachary Quinto, Sterling K. Brown, Jeff Goldblum

Incredibles 2 (June 15)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It has been well over a decade since the original Incredibles arrived in theaters and, even now, under the looming threat of superhero saturation, that first film remains one of the best superhero movies period. Finally, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are back, with Frozone and, of course, Edna.

Directed by: Brad Bird | Written by: Brad Bird Starring: Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener, Sophia Bush

Tag (June 15)

Warner Bros. Pictures

This is a movie about tag -- as in, the game in which you tag someone and they are then "it." Specifically, Tag is about a group of childhood buddies who have been playing tag one month out of the year, every year, for 30 years. If you are wondering, Where do they come up with this?!, it was a Wall Street Journal article.

Directed by: Jeff Tomsic | Written by: Rob McKittrick and Mark Steilen Starring: Jeremy Renner, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, Isla Fisher, Leslie Bibb

Damsel (June 22)

Magnolia Pictures

If you hear that Robert Pattinson is starring in a Western, you probably have a notion of what that film is. Damsel is not the movie you're imagining, guaranteed -- unless, of course, you pictured a screwball comedy about a pioneer who voyages west with a drunkard and a miniature horse named Butterscotch.

Directed by: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner | Written by: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)

In the colossally successful Jurassic World, the dinosaurs destroyed the park, as dinosaurs are wont to do, and now Isla Nublar is threatening to destroy the dinosaurs. Thus, Claire and Owen are enlisted to help save the dinosaurs from a second extinction -- and that's only the beginning of this adventure.

Directed by: J.A. Bayona | Written by: Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeff Goldblum, James Cromwell, Justice Smith

Under the Silver Lake (June 22)

A24

Something about those hot summer nights must make us itch for a mystery, because this is yet another noir-y flick arriving in cineplexes, albeit a very modern take on the genre. Andrew Garfield plays a stoner Angelino who begins sleuthing when his dream girl disappears in the middle of the night without a trace.

Directed by: David Robert Mitchell | Written by: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Andrew Garfield, Riley Keough, Topher Grace, Jimmi Simpson

The First Purge (July 4)

Universal Pictures

There's something almost comforting about knowing that every (sometimes every other) Independence Day brings a new installment in the ongoing Purge franchise. Who knew a nutty little murder flick could have so much steam? This one goes back to the beginning and the invention of a government-sponsored killing spree.

Directed by: Gerard McMurray | Written by: James DeMonaco Starring: Lex Scott Davis, Y'lan Noel, Luna Lauren Velez, Joivan Wade, Marisa Tomei

Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)

Consider the Ant-Man sequel a respite for those still reeling over the ending of Infinity War, a plucky comedic romp about heroes who shrink, supersize and now fly, too, which probably won't leave you frantically wiping away tears as the theater lights come on. Also, Michelle Pfeiffer plays a superhero!

Directed by: Peyton Reed | Written by: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari and Paul Rudd Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen, Michael Peña

Sorry to Bother You (July 6)

Annapurna Pictures

There is original, and then there is Sorry to Bother You. If a stranger, more out-there film has ever been made, I haven't seen it. I've never seen anything like this, a satiric tale about a telemarketer who uses his "white voice" to get ahead that feels at once painstakingly plotted and completely free-associated.

Directed by: Boots Riley | Written by: Boots Riley Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Steven Yeun, Armie Hammer

Whitney (July 6)

Whitney is not the first documentary to turn the lens on Whitney Houston in the years since her 2012 death, but it is the first to be endorsed by her estate, featuring interviews with loved ones of Houston who had never spoken publicly before and bombshell revelations that made news ahead of Whitney's official release.

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Eighth Grade (July 13)

A24

You know how adults always say, "I'm so happy I didn't grow up when there was social media." Watch this Sundance drama, comedian Bo Burnham's directorial debut, and feel that tenfold, alternately a cringey and heartwarming look at what it means to be coming into your own -- yes, with YouTube and Twitter.

Directed by: Bo Burnham | Written by: Bo Burnham Starring: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (July 20)

Is Meryl Streep's character still alive for the Mamma Mia! sequel? Supposedly. We do know that we will see a younger version of Donna (played by Lily James) as the ABBA singalong jumps back in time to show the Dynamos' origin story, while in the present, Donna's daughter is pregnant with a baby of her own.

Directed by: Ol Parker | Written by: Ol Parker Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Lily James, Colin Firth, Cher

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (July 27)

Paramount Pictures

After successfully completing five other supposedly impossible missions, whatever Ethan Hunt is tasked with in Fallout should be considered mission: pretty difficult but manageable. Still, Tom Cruise continues to up the ante in insane and preposterous ways, like jumping out of a plane at 25,000 feet, for one.

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie | Written by: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett

Christopher Robin (Aug. 3)

If you enjoyed last year's period drama Goodbye Christopher Robin, about the real boy who inspired the creation of Winnie the Pooh, then you are sure to enjoy this, too, Disney's less historical, more fantastical tale about grown-up Christopher Robin and how Pooh and the rest of the Hundred Acre Wood gang help him rediscover his imagination.

Directed by: Marc Forster | Written by: Alex Ross Perry Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Chris O'Dowd, Brad Garrett, Toby Jones

The Spy Who Dumped Me (Aug. 3)

I would pay money to watch Kate McKinnon read the phone book. Thankfully, she gets much more to do in this action-comedy, in which Mila Kunis plays the unwitting woman dumped by a spy. McKinnon plays her bestie, and the two quickly find themselves in over their heads trying to stop a terrorist group and save the world.

Directed by: Susanna Fogel | Written by: David Iserson and Susanna Fogel Starring: Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Sam Heughan, Gillian Anderson, Justin Theroux

BlacKkKlansman (Aug. 10)

Focus Features

Spike Lee is back with his latest joint, the so-crazy-it-must-be-true saga of Ron Stallworth, the first black police officer in Colorado Springs, and his undercover operation to infiltrate a local Ku Klux Klan chapter, which was so successful that he eventually became its head.

Directed by: Spike Lee | Written by: Spike Lee, David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel, Kevin Willmott Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace, Laura Harrier

The Meg (Aug. 10)

Warner Bros. Pictures

No summer is complete without a silly shark attack movie, and for the summer of 2018, The Meg fits that bill and then some. First of all, the shark in question is a megalodon, which basically just means a REALLY BIG F**KING SHARK, and hopefully Jason Statham will punch it at some point, right?

Directed by: Jon Turteltaub | Written by: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber Starring: Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Bingbing Li, Cliff Curtis, Masi Oka

Crazy Rich Asians (Aug. 17)

Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is about a Chinese American professor who travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend's family and discovers they are -- you guessed it -- crazy rich! Hijinks ensue. This is also the first Hollywood movie with a majority Asian cast in 25 years, i.e., crazy overdue.

Directed by: Jon M. Chu | Written by: Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Ken Jeong

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Aug. 17)

Netflix

Here's one YA fans have been waiting for. Based on the bestselling novel by Jenny Han, the title refers to letters our heroine, Lara Jean Covey, writes to her past crushes, love letters they are never meant to see -- but do, after they're accidentally mailed out. You don't need to head to the cinema to swoon over this one; it's streaming on Netflix.

Directed by: Susan Johnson | Written by: Sofia Alvarez Starring: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, John Corbett

The Happytime Murders (Aug. 17)

Nothing says summertime like puppets snorting ecstasy and soliciting sex. The Happytime Murders -- no lie, from the same director as The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island -- is about police partners, one felt and one Melissa McCarthy, investigating who is shooting the stuffing out of puppets.

Directed by: Brian Henson | Written by: Todd Berger Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale

MORE SUMMER PREVIEW:

Summer TV Preview: 26 of the Best New and Returning Series to Watch!

Summer Music Preview: 17 Albums We Can’t Wait to Hear

Summer Theater Preview: 11 Must-See Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows

Summer Book Preview: 9 Beach Reads by Bill Clinton, Emily Giffin, Lauren Weisberger and More!

[thelonesomequeen]

Hamm at the Movies: Avengers: Infinity War

Review time!

"Avengers: Infinity War"- Don't worry folks, I'll start off by saying that I will keep this as spoiler free as possible. I'll give basic plot and you might mentally film in some gaps, but hey, you've been warned.  That being said: here we are. 10 years in the making and we have arrived at what can only be called the culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), at least, up to this point cos there are always more movies coming, but I digress!  We have finally arrived to the Marvel cinematic event that was teased back in 2008 when fans who stayed after the credits (which wasn't really a thing in 08; it happened, but it wasn't commonplace) got to see Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) stroll into the light of Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr) oceanside family room and state that he wanted to talk about the Avenger Initiative. We got a taste of the big baddy in the first Avengers film and comic book fans lost our collective shit at the sight of Thanos, while the non-comic book fans were like, "..............what?"  Oh, how times changed! Marvel has done the impossible, bringing non-mainstream characters into the spotlight, giving them pretty strong films, and making them part of pop culture history. I mean, did comic fans really think we'd see the Guardians on the big screen? A talking Raccoon and talking Tree? Really? Well, holy shit, it worked.  So, looking back through time, the idea of cinematic universe that would eventually create overlapping films, storylines, and themes that would end with two films that bring together dozens of characters, seemed crazy in 2008. And, now, as I drink my slightly watered down soda from my Infinity Gauntlet mug I got at the movies, I have to say that the end has come, and it is incredibly, INCREDIBLY, fulfilling as a film.

The film opens immediately following the events of "Thor: Ragnarok" as Thanos (Josh Brolin) confronts Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Heimdell (Idris Elba) about the location of the space stone (also known as the tesserract).  This then leads to Thanos starting a mission to track down all 6 of the Infinity Stones, which leads to multiple run-ins with the Avengers. These events lead to an all-out war between the forces of good and evil, which takes the film to locations around the world and beyond.  And you know what, that's all the plot I'm going to say. Yup, you read that right. Go see the flick. To give any more info is to spoil elements of the film and with this being 10 years in the making, I literally feel bad about giving details. If you've put 10 years, 18 movies and a crapload of hours into this, don't read spoilers. Just go see the damn thing.

But I will get into other parts of the film, of course. I really liked the performances in this one, especially from Hemsworth's Thor. He really is the driving force behind the film, going after Thanos and wanting to kill the mad Titan. Hemsworth does a great job, carrying the guilt and sadness of the previous films events (Thank God, cos If I got one more quip, I was going to scream) and as a man with nothing to lose, he's pretty much fearless and willing to do whatever it takes to meet Thanos head on in battle.  He won't be alone though: he's at first joined by the Guardians of the Galaxy (Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff w/ the voice talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper).  And of course, we get the non-galactic Avengers too: Iron Man, War Machine/Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), T'challa (Chadwick Boseman) and, you know, there's a lot of folks. I think I got most of them though. They're all here and are willing to jump into battle to help defeat, or at least, try to defeat Thanos from coming into possession of the Infinity Stones. The performances are strong all around with most of the actors knowing their characters well enough that you'll know what to expect from them. My personal standouts were Hemsworth, RDJ, and Saldana as their own stories weave into the film and create a bulk of the storyline.  It's interesting too that in a sprawling film such as this, you get smaller stories that bring heart and emotion that anchor the film and create some gravitas and staying power, something that I've argued that the MCU tends to put aside for more light hearted fare. But IW kicks that to the curb and we get mayhem and death. Lots of it. And it can be pretty brutal/intense. But it also feels earned and not out of place. You're not getting random kills for shock value; these have a point and purpose to the plot. They help drive things forward and put things in motion and that's what they need to do. One surprising highlight of the film for me is Thanos.  His motivation for his mission is far different than we see in the comics, but it's actually an interesting take on the Titan. He's not really courting Death or using Death as his muse like he did in the comics; he's actually doing this for an actual purpose. It pushed Thanos from a plain villain to a surprisingly complex one; what he's doing is wrong to others, but to him, it makes perfect sense. It's almost.....merciful, in a way. It's a good way to do him, especially as Marvel has been pretty slim on when it comes to good baddies in their franchises.

The action sequences are predictably great with lots of excitement, thrills, etc.  This film also brings tragic results to those battles, and that's all I'll say on that. hehe   And as much as I liked the film, it does have a few issues, which will probably vary on how it hurts your view of the film, if at all.  There is a lot going on at times;  A LOT.  And we jump around quite a bit to location to character and so forth. It can be a bit jarring and can feel disjointed. But, to me, it never took away from the film as these pieces are moving to the epic finale. It definitely feels like that buildup is coming and when it does, it's really satisfying.  I found myself (along with an entire theater of folks), cheering at certain moments when heroes arrive to fight. Also, being such a huge film with so many characters, we also see some characters getting more screentime than others. Some folks might be upset that X gets more to do than Y and I definitely felt that a bit. Why didn't Z get to do more whereas Q did this and that, etc. It's a balancing act that won't make everybody happy, but what I think what is crucial to remember is that this part I. Part II drops this time next year and I'm definitely hoping that things end strong. Another problem I had is one I've had with Marvel for a while now: to a certain extent, we can figure out who might live and who might die.  It's easy to look at upcoming Marvel movies, see who has a sequel lined up and that could take away from the danger factor in these films.  Sadly, it's just a product of the times we live in where we know who has so many movies in their contract, who has a sequel coming, who has talked about staying in the films, and so forth.  I do wish, and it's a futile wish, that we could just go see a movie and not know ANYTHING about the franchise, contracts, or whatnot. It does take away from the magic of films and can feel problematic.  

This definitely feels like the first act of a two act film as it ends on a MASSIVE cliffhanger, which had one patron a few rows behind me, scream, "Ah, screw you!!!" to much laughter.  I'm curious to see how things end and who, if anybody, makes it out alive.  While the film does have its share of problems, to me, they didn't take away from the scope and power of the film.  It brings together so much in terms of the MCU and does a wonderful job of weaving around and creating a strong story with great performances, lots of emotion, terrific action, and lots of surprises along the way.  It may have taken time, but Marvel films finally have some teeth. And that's something to behold. Rating- ***1/2 out of ****

[tabloidtoc]

National Enquirer, April 13

Cover: Prince Charles’ coronavirus infection creates chaos -- Prince Harry ordered home -- furious Meghan Markle threatens divorce as exit deal is scrapped 

Page 2: American Idol was in the middle of its West Coast auditions when host Ryan Seacrest put his foot down and demanded everyone flee to the safety of their homes to escape the coronavirus threat

Page 3: Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas’ first big fight -- she’s already had it with his whining 

Page 4: Ellen DeGeneres was rocked by the coronavirus crisis which forced her to face her sorrow over her and Portia de Rossi being childless after 11 years of marriage

Page 5: Sandra Bullock’s boyfriend Bryan Randall’s run-ins with the law block him from adopting her kids Louis and Laila, Bindi Irwin blocked her grandfather from attending her rush-rush wedding to Chandler Powell 

Page 6: Blockbuster Avengers star Jeremy Renner is blaming the coronavirus for making him too poor to afford child support payments, Goop guru Gwyneth Paltrow is plotting to pair up with Tom Cruise to reignite her acting career because her wellness company has been blasted and ridiculed for making unsubstantiated health claims 

Page 7: Duane “Dog” Chapman who said he’d never have another wife after his late wife Beth died of cancer now wants girlfriend Francie Frane to become his wife, creepy Woody Allen has launched a bitter and blistering attack on ex-partner Mia Farrow for being unnaturally obsessed with son Ronan Farrow 

Page 8: Cover Story -- Harry dragged home -- infected Prince Charles orders his son to put his country before his wife Meghan Markle’s whims 

Page 10: Hot Shots -- Denise Richards spent a day quarantined at her husband’s healing center caring for animals, Charlize Theron and her kids August and Jackson go grocery shopping, Jesse Tyler Ferguson goes grocery shopping, Paris Jackson pumps gas

Page 11: Celebrities on Luxury Lockdown -- Julia Roberts, Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx 

Page 12: Straight Shuter -- Joel McHale shops with reusable shopping bags, Tom Brady’s big dream is to play a superhero and he’s secretly started taking acting lessons, hosting Saturday Night Live topped John Krasinski’s bucket list so he was crushed when his hosting gig was canceled due to the coronavirus, Presley Gerber faked a second face tattoo panicking mom Cindy Crawford but for the first time he doesn’t feel like he’s in his parents’ shadow, Dinky One is a dating site for guys with small packages and it’s attracting Tinseltown biggies, for $27.99 you can ogle racy pics of Bachelorette bad guy Chad Johnson in see-through undies 

Page 13: Lisa Kudrow has taken the reins in planning for the Friends reunion and that’s just fine with the rest of the cast, Odette Yustman admitted she was devastated by her recent split from baby daddy Dave Annable after nine years together and now there is fear for her health because she’s pin thin, Angelina Jolie is hitting the road with her Eternals costar Kit Harington to promote their new movie and Kit’s wife Rose Leslie is anything but thrilled about it 

Page 14: True Crime 

Page 16: Kenny Rogers’ brave goodbye 

Page 18: Real Life 

Page 19: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson aren’t letting the pandemic get in the way of actively trying for baby no. 2, Kim Kardashian has slammed lying Taylor Swift after audio of the notorious phone call with Kanye West leaked 

Page 20: Health Watch 

Page 24: Needy children have been deprived of an estimated $250 million from James Brown’s estate after a legal war has kept his fortune tied up in court 

Page 26: America’s dirty clergy revealed 

Page 32: R. Kelly’s former lover has come forward to expose horrifying new details of the violence and degradation he allegedly inflicted on the women and men in his inner circle 

Page 36: The Church of Scientology’s mysterious Gold Base headquarters may be intended to host the return of its founder L. Ron Hubbard but it’s located next to a massive dairy farm, a shocking gay sex scandal is behind the mysterious death of Natalie Wood according to a new book 

Page 38: Jon Hamm was doing anything but social distancing when he was caught on camera getting up close and personal with stunning onetime co-star Anna Osceloa, Hollywood Hookups -- Grace Gummer and Tay Strathairn divorcing, Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez dating, Mason Disick says Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are not together 

Page 42: Red Carpet Stars & Stumbles -- Eiza Gonzalez 3/4, Janelle Monae 3/4, Katy Perry 2/4 

Page 45: Spot the Differences -- Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla touring the Cabinet Office building in London 

Page 47: Odd List 

[eternalshq]

𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒚𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 :  first  of  all  can  i  just  saw  how  amazing  and  put  together  this  all  seems?  i  was  wondering  if  you  had  any  mw  male  faceclaims  for  some  of  the  witches?  also  do  leaders  have  to  be  a  certain  age?

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐒𝐎  𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 !  ------  you  have  no  idea  how  much  we  appreciate  that !!   as for the coven leaders ,  i’d  say  it  would  range  anywhere  from  late  twenties  to  late  forties .  typically  leaders  are  judged  for  the  strength  of  their  powers  so  we  could  expect  them  to  have  mastered  the  ꜰᴜʟʟ  control  of  their  𝕡𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕤  as  they  neared  the  end  of  their  twenties ,   &   therefore  would  𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓸𝓶   &   potentially  take  over .   &   here’s  a  list  for  MOST  WANTED  male  faceclaims  for  witches !!  :  ben  barnes ,  diego  boneta ,  jr bourne ,  ross  butler ,  darren  criss ,  daveed diggs ,  robert downey jr ,  idris  elba ,  jacob  elordi ,  jordan  fisher ,  elliot  fletcher ,  jon  hamm ,  oscar  isaac ,  theo  james ,  avan  jogia ,  andrew lincoln ,  rami  malek ,  mena  massoud ,  dacre  montgomery ,  bob  morley ,  tyler  posey ,  skeet  ulrich ,  chris  wood ,  steven  yeun ,  lorenzo  zurzolo  !  i  hope  this  helps !

[sneakydragon]

Sneaky Dragon Listening Party Ep. 38

Hello, partygoers! Welcome back to the rumpus room! This week we are deep in self-isolation and social distancing so Mary and her dad sadly couldn’t see each other this bi-week, but spoke over goold old Skype instead. (We apologize for any resulting sound issues.)

Here at the Listening Party, we know there is some anxiety out there; we know that some folks are stuck at home or working with the risk of infection; we know everyone out there needs something to take their minds off these troubling times. So we thought: NOVELTY SONGS!!! What partygoers want to hear are NOVELTY SONGS!!! What better way to soothe our worries, ease our minds and bring some colour back into this grey, grey world than with NOVELTY SONGS!!!

So, without further ado, we present Sneaky Dragon Listening Party’s NOVELTY SONG MIX 2!!! Featuring:

Captain Sensible – “Wot” – Women and Captain’s First, 1982 – 12:44

Yachts – “Suffice to Say” – single b/w “Freedom (Is a Heady Wine)”, 1977 – 32:53

The GTO’s – “I’m in Love With the Ooo-Ooo Man” – Permanent Damage, 1969 – 46:51

John Cale – “The Man Who Couldn’t Afford to Orgy” – Fear, 1974 – 1:05:40

The Deviants – “Billy the Monster” – Deviants 3, 1969 – 1:22:12

Geoff and Maria Muldaur – “Kneein’ Me” – Sweet Potatoes, 1972 – 1:33:12

Kidrock – “Ice Cream Man” – 7″ single b/w “Dream, Dream, Dream”, 1972 – 1:51:36

Judy Henske and Jerry Yester – “St. Nicholas Hall” – Farewell Aldebaran, 1969 – 2:03:10

Barnes and Barnes – “Cats” – Yeah: The Essential Barnes & Barnes, 2000 – 2:14:59

Canned Hamm – “Father and Son” – Karazma, 2001 – 2:26:11

Fountains of Wayne – “Red Dragon Tattoo” – Utopia Parkway, 1999 – 2:32:06

The Association – “Broccoli” – The Association, 1969 – 2:36:29

Moniker – “Trifecta (Ricky Baker Song)” – Hunt for the Wilder People, 2016 – 2:47:31

The Carpenters – “Intermission” – A Song for You, 1972 – 2:54:15

And we also listened to:

Phineas and Ferb – “Ain’t Got Rhythm” – Phineas and Ferb, 2009 – 18:18

Dolly Mixture – “How Come You’re Such a Hit With the Boys, Jane?” – Demonstration Tapes, 1984 – 27:43

Spectrum – “All I Can Do” – The Essential Collection: 1965–1997, 2002 – 2:59:31

Thanks for listening.

If you’re interested in The Lyman Family (aka The Fort Hill Community), this link will take you to the article by David Felton (not Dalton) that Dave mentioned during the show.

You can listen to the song during the show or watch the video. Your call…

Here is some early live Carpenters with Karen still behind the drum kit.

Sneaky Dragon Listening Party Ep. 38 was originally published on Sneaky Dragon

[paulbenedictblog]

%news%

New Post has been published on %http://paulbenedictsgeneralstore.com%

Calling All Corpsmen-In this Time of Pandemic

By Dr. Dave Campbell Chief Medical Correspondent Morning Joe/MSNBC, Predominant United States Navy Reserve Medical Corps-retired and Jon Clarke, FMF Navy Corpsman Dilapidated

Surgeon Customary Jerome Adams instructed The US that “Every person desires to act as if they've the virus excellent now. So, test or no longer test, we need you to sign you shall be spreading it to any other particular person. Otherwise you shall be getting it from any other particular person. End at dwelling.” 

Governor Cuomo is telling The US that the Suppose of Unusual York is running out of medical gives. Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci are informing American citizens of up-to-date medical info referring to the pandemic. Unusual Yorkers who have fled the Metropolis had been suggested to self-quarantine for 14 days.

One of many classic substances of providing healthcare to folks that salvage COVID-19, the disease induced by the radical Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19, is an immense offer of skilled, trained, competent healthcare workforce. Personnel trained in fight casualty care, and healthcare workforce which have training and trip in delivering successfully being care under harsh, stressful or austere environments shall be a top payment interior a few weeks, or much less, in the US.

There is an arsenal of doctors, nurses, EMT’s, and paramedics are on the front line caring for oldsters contaminated by the virus. Some of them could furthermore contract COVID-19 forcing their quarantine and taking away a vital member of the fight. A rising quantity of retired healthcare professionals are volunteering to return out of retirement and encourage with the crisis. Yet, they're the very demographic at a heightened possibility for severe disease or dying if contaminated with the Coronavirus. 

There are thousands of Navy Health center Corpsmen identified for his or her versatile scope of follow and revered by all branches of the navy. There are a quantity of subspecialties that these paraprofessionals elevate, from biomedical technician, lab and x-ray tech, to the Field Medical Service Technician who's trained in Fight Casualty Care.

Veterans all over the country are pondering how they can encourage. The navy teaches lend a hand and thrive under adversity. These are worthwhile traits in this day’s global pandemic.

“The U.S. Navy Health center Corpsman is the most uniquely trained navy medic between the overall armed services,” Joe Hamm PA-C, a former Navy Corpsman and Physician Assistant Teacher instructed us. “Health center Corpsman skills and training are the envy of other services. It's possible you'll perchance presumably furthermore take a Health center Corpsman wherever in any situation, prepare them and they'll say. They've proven it in armed conflicts and right-world operations, so great so, the Duke’s PA Program was once based entirely mostly off U.S. Navy Health center Corpsmen”

In this time of approaching crisis, with a looming shortage of healthcare workforce, the US desires wholesome, younger healthcare workforce to maintain the void. We offer this need in fragment by deploying the National Guard. The Guard is an organized neighborhood of participants, who under non-crisis conditions, are nearly invisible to the frequent American.  Yet when a National Emergency surfaces, the National Guard rises to the anguish. We belief of their authority and means to lend a hand the overall public. 

Within the an analogous methodology, in this time of National Emergency, we can rating in mind special Federal authorization shall be regarded as to enable corpsmen and medic veterans to volunteer and register to produce healthcare services. They are going to rise to the occasion all over all any other time. These veterans can converse their training and trip in the divulge to fight through this pandemic. They can give a dangle to the classic medical workforce, in or out of the successfully being facility. There isn't any longer this sort of thing as a field operation too harsh or forbidding for a corpsman or medic. 

Given the replacement to lend a hand all any other time, these paraprofessional veterans have already received resources to non-public dwelling calls. They can act as neighborhood screeners and resolution one of the most most challenges that hospitals are wrestling with this day. 

The US is in the early curve of healthcare infrastructure devastation considered in China, Italy, Spain and France. It’s imaginable, Unusual York is next, and even San Francisco, Los Angeles or in diversified locations.  The corpsman can encourage. On active duty, corpsmen non-public a host of procedures, from laceration repairs, inserting IV’s, and assisting physicians with advanced medical procedures, collectively with assisting in surgical treatment. The VA successfully being facility has known this worthwhile useful resource, surroundings up an total occupation surrounding a corpsman or medic veterans’ skills: The Intermediate Care Technician.

One of many greatest threats up to now is the harmful publicity to those mandatory physicians, nurses and other medical workforce. A doctor performing a nasal swab is potentially positioned at an needless possibility of publicity when there could be an alternate. Corpsmen and medics are untapped resources that can perchance furthermore limit mandatory medical personnel from being pulled off the front line of this pandemic struggle.

Corpsmen and medics could furthermore non-public most of the mandatory screenings and testing removed from the front line. As neighborhood screeners using telehealth, corpsmen and medics can take care of homebound participants, whereas affirming the social distancing precautions and using non-public retaining gear. This would greater lend a hand the sick with face-to-face care, with that medical info transmitted to the front line and to the doctor or successfully being facility.

With the medical earn in hand all over all any other time, this time armed with nasal swabs and a pulse ox, slightly than a stress dressing and tourniquet, everyone’s successfully being shall be successfully-served.

“All the strategy through my Naval occupation Corpsmen played a first-rate role in assisting navy doctors whereas serving as sick name screeners for navy personnel in the snappy.” Dr. Sharon Miller, retired Navy Captain and ER doctor instructed us. She described her most up-to-date trip with patients suspected of being contaminated with coronavirus and some with signs of COVID-19. A majority of comfy and sensible signs could furthermore had been screened and managed from dwelling.  

 “The converse of retired corpsmen for the interval of this crisis would enable them to produce vital first-line screening of COVID patients (with major signs and cursory exam) outside hospitals,” Dr. Miller acknowledged. “Corpsmen could furthermore non-public the COVID testing in the much less sick patients whereas simultaneously figuring out which patients need referral to the Emergency Room. We are seeing many COVID-contaminated patients who are being discharged dwelling to self-quarantine because they're no longer in any afflict and are affirming their oxygenation. Abilities in other international locations tells us this crisis will salvage worse sooner than it will get greater, so we must continue to prepare to lend a hand a watch on successfully-organized numbers of sick patients.”

Dr.  Miller addressed one other knowledgeable anguish an inflow of paraprofessionals could furthermore mitigate. The UK witnessed an unparalleled response in doctors and nurses who volunteered to return out of retirement based entirely totally on this dire pandemic. Four thousand 5 hundred have already volunteered. Within the US as a minimum 2000 have answered and more will. We acknowledge that older folks with power underlying successfully being prerequisites are at increased possibility from COVID-19. Young doctors and nurses attain no longer retire. Young corpsmen and medics attain.

“Ranking of retired navy doctors would provide a wealth of trip whereas combating this crisis,” Dr. Miller instructed us.  “On the replacement hand, these doctors who retired from medication are usually these in the age teams that are most at possibility must smooth they contract the virus whereas serving on the front traces.”

We must take care of and give protection to mandatory medical workforce as vital assets. There is an very excellent reason the senior commanding officers are every so often positioned successfully in the attend of the front line.  

The time for Corpsmen and Medic Veterans emergency mobilization is now. President Trump is the Commander-in-Chief with the technique of his pen. One can savor that this sort of measure would require a phenomenal quantity of organization and federal involvement to faucet into the dear personnel useful resource. Extraordinary occasions name for unparalleled measures.

“Developing a registry similar to the Selective Service but for CRITICALLY major healthcare professionals shall be helpful in future catastrophes, pandemics or social unrest/struggle,” Joe Hamm PA-C instructed us. “It would will must be voluntary or a service they would furthermore volunteer on their methodology out of the service.”

There is one closing scenario that the previous corpsman or medic shall be purposed for. There is an anticipated shortage in ventilators for patients with severe respiratory compromise in the US. This shortage has already hit other international locations and is surroundings up profound challenges in ethical resolution-making. The query who will get a ventilator and lives and who does no longer, hangs like a toxic cloud of doom over Italy. That doom could furthermore roll like fog over the US. Rapidly there could furthermore no longer be adequate ventilators in the US to accommodate need. Heaven forbid it comes to this, but the replacement resolution is to manually “earn” a patient till a ventilator becomes on hand.

In fight, must smooth a troop lend a hand a sucking chest wreck, or a lung crumple as the outcomes of tactical trauma, the corpsman will provide such book ventilation. Ideally a CASEVAC helicopter or medical vehicle will promptly be called in from the rear to salvage the severely injured casualty to a increased echelon of care. But what if such give a dangle to isn't any longer straight away on hand because of the the zone being too sizzling? The corpsman will dwell alongside with his injured Marine or Sailor so long as it takes, providing lifesaving intervention, collectively with ‘bagging’ the patient, till encourage arrives, irrespective of the non-public imprint. 

So, when the ventilators bustle out, can we sit down idly by as patients succumb to hypoxia, announcing there could be nothing more we can attain? One would posit that a miles  better replacement is to delve into the active duty navy and veterans in our neighborhood who can give a dangle to the rapidly to be overwhelmed successfully being facility system, even though it is as easy as performing round the clock book ventilation so the classic physicians and nurses can attain their job, whereas the service-individuals and veterans attain theirs, all over all any other time. 

Danny Jazarevic MD, PhD, FACS Colonel U.S. Navy (ret) is the Director of Trauma/Surgical Severe Care and Acute Surgical treatment at Halifax Medical Heart in Daytona Seashore, Florida. Daytona shares the unhappy distinction with other seashore communities of cyber net hosting thousands of spring breakers which have introduced the Coronavirus all the manner down to the Sunshine Suppose. Dr. Jazarevic had a diversified take on alternatives for the looming shortage of trained healthcare workforce because of the the exploding quantity of COVID-19 victims.

“Militia doctors, nurses and Navy and Air Power medics and Navy and Marines corpsmen are exceptionally trained hybrid with skills between EMTs and nurses,” Dr. Jazarevic instructed us. “After twenty years of struggle, they're trained and capable to feature in most austere environments, under big stress and with anguish to their dangle lives. These unparalleled personnel lend a hand with unparalleled self-discipline and dedication. Contingency response is their existence calling. Unfortunately, a quantity of these reserve and retired navy people are employed in civilian medical hospitals and medical facilities already combating personnel shortages. The converse of these to “backfill” medical establishments in diversified locations, will take them out of the demonstrate positions. A workable and more successfully-organized replacement shall be to converse active duty medical professionals to enhance the civilian medical facilities round the country. This especially applies to attending and resident physicians, PAs, ARNPs and medics/corpsmen currently in successfully-organized navy hospitals, very much underutilized and overstaffed for the levels of patients.”

Mayor Invoice Di Blasio implored the Federal govt to deploy active duty navy to Unusual York Metropolis Tuesday on Fox. Dr. Jazarevic’s replacement fits the query made by the Mayor.

“As successfully as,” Dr. Jazarevic instructed us.  “Any doctor, navy and civilian, with a clear medical license will must be straight away eligible to follow for a recent “Federal Medical U.S. License” knowledgeable all over Suppose borders.” 

In this time of crisis, alternatives will must be inclusive and innovative. Bringing active duty service individuals and veterans into the fight to establish lives from the Coronavirus pandemic has by no methodology been more pressing.  

[read-a-like]

Amberlough: A Journey of a Book

Since I took you all on quite the ride of tumblr posts while reading this book, I figured I owe you and it a real(ish) review.

I heard Lara Elena Donnelley’s agent rec this book on the Shipping & Handling podcast while listening at my desk at work (he also had many feelings about Captain America) and immediately ctrl+t’d a new tab to request Amberlough book from the library.

I probably should have thought about it a little more. “Cabaret! Nightclub! Spies!” sounds really exciting and just like my thing until you think through how Cabaret actually ends. And then it sounds nothing like my thing. No matter how bad it gets for the characters in a Suzanne Brockmann or K.J. Charles book, at least in a romance you know they are going to be alive and happy and together at the end. There were no such guarantees here.

(Spoilers start here) Amberlough gets one of those. Maybe. And that’s more of a spoiler than I could find intentionally looking for them on Goodreads.

This is a novel told in thirds. The first third of the book is fun, libertine, nightclub, spies, sex and intrigue. The middle third is the incredibly quick rise of a fascist government. The final third is secret police torturing people.

I never understood why reviews summarize the plot of a book. If you want more than my breakdown by thirds, the official book summary does a pretty accurate job in this case:

Le Carré meets Cabaret in this debut spy thriller as a gay double-agent schemes to protect his smuggler lover during the rise of a fascist government coup

Welcome to Amberlough City, the illustrious but corrupt cosmopolitan beacon of Gedda. The radical One State Party—nicknamed the Ospies—is gaining popular support to unite Gedda's four municipal governments under an ironclad, socially conservative vision.

Not everyone agrees with the Ospies' philosophy, including master spy Cyril DePaul and his lover Aristide Makricosta, smuggler and emcee at the popular Bumble Bee Cabaret. When Cyril's cover is blown on a mission, however, he must become a turncoat in exchange for his life. Returning to Amberlough under the Ospies' watchful eye, Cyril enters a complex game of deception. One of his concerns is safeguarding Aristide, who refuses to let anyone—the crooked city police or the homophobic Ospies—dictate his life.

Enter streetwise Cordelia Lehane, top dancer at the Bee and Aristide’s runner, who could be the key to Cyril’s plans—if she can be trusted. As the twinkling lights of nightclub marquees yield to the rising flames of a fascist revolution, these three will struggle to survive using whatever means—and people—necessary. Including each other.

The next set of thirds is the characters. There are three POV characters: Cyril the spy, Aristide the smuggler/dancer, and Cordelia the dancer/ingenue. All of them were wonderful. Aristide would be played by Daveed Diggs in a movie. Imagine him doing burlesque in beautiful furs and jewels. You’re welcome. Cordelia is maybe Natalie Dormer, but a redhead. I want John Hamm to be Cyril but Cyril is blonde. Maybe Armie Hammer? I don’t actually like blonde dudes.

Unfortunately, three characters is the perfect number for one of them to die. If there’s one POV, you’re pretty confident they’ll survive. If there’s two, especially if they’re in love, you’re probably okay. If there’s three, one of them has to be the spare and you spend a lot of energy trying to figure out who’s going to die so you don’t grow too attached to them and even then, somehow it’s always my favorite to die/leave/etc. No amount of panicked waking up in the middle of the night over the fate of fictional characters helps, their end is already written. So even though there was no happy, I was thrilled to get to the end and have an ‘alive’ for all of them.

There was another thing I found delightfully refreshing about this book. And it’s something I feel weird saying, because I hate defining something by saying what it’s not. But if a man had written this book, it would have had a rape scene. And when I got to the end without one, it was such a relief. Since I went looking for spoilers, I knew there’d be some pretty intense torture. I was waiting with baited breath for Cyril or Aristide to get picked up. I was somehow shocked when Cordelia is the first one to get picked up by the blackboots. My stomach was sinking while a thug in steel-toed boots kicked the shit out of her and broke her wrist. Then they start cutting off her fingers knuckle by knuckle and I still think there’s more to come. And then? There’s not. And it was so wonderfully unexpected.

Also, because I spent so much effort trying to find spoilers for the end, I want to address some funny/wrong things other people said about the book on Goodreads. One, Amberlough is a fictional city but everyone had a different city they thought it was supposed to be: Berlin, Paris, even New York. It is not New York. It is definitely European. Two, there was at least one person who didn’t realize Cyril and Aristide loved each other. This is such a fundamentally obvious and tragic fact of the book. I don’t know how that person missed it. The single most heartbreaking sentiment in the book is at the end when Aristide is smuggling his way out of Amberlough and slowly giving up on Cyril joining him:

If Cyril was going to come by conventional means, two weeks was more than enough time. If he was going to arrive via miracle, none of Aristide’s actions would hinder him.

The thing I want most of the sequels is years and cities later, they run into each other and some utterly mundane pop into a coffee shop or standing on a subway platform becomes that miracle.