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a-game-is-the-foot · 2 years

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Ok so if you've not lived in Britain at all this might be confusing. Let me explain why even this is getting my little republican heart excited.

So the former parasite is now lying in state in Westminster Hall; this 1000 year old hall in the parliamentary complex next to Big Ben. This is fairly standard for senior royals, prime ministers, and other such high status/high fame people in the UK.

What isn't fairly standard is for a huge queue sweeping through central London of people wanting to see the coffin lying in state.

But us Brits, we love to queue. Or at least, indulge the love side of a love/hate relationship with it on a regular basis. It keeps things in order for us, it helps us make sense of the big things and the small things in life. We have clear cut rules. We understand when it's appropriate to hold a space and when it's appropriate to cut in (only if your life depended on it). We would happily queue forever to get into heaven.

But look at this mother...

Look at that beast. It's the mother of all queues. The queue to end all queues. It's our Everest. As a nation, we've been training for this day. It's already about 5 miles long and I don't think they have capacity beyond 6.9 miles.

You can't cut in. You can't rejoin The Queue. You can only briefly leave The Queue for the loo or the water fountain at the designated refreshment zones which are very few and far between. You can't hold a spot for someone. It will continue 24/7. There are few places to sit or sleep. It will crawl at an impossibly slow but infuriatingly steady pace due to security at the finish line. You will be queueing for an estimated 30 hours. 30 hours of little food/drink/loo breaks/sleep.

The Queue is already a celebrity in its own right. Its volunteers will be lauded as heroes. They've been told to look out for people struggling and in need of medical help. This is NOT for the young, the old, the disabled, the pregnant, or the faint of heart.

And the prize? A couple of minutes looking at a (possibly empty) box containing the corpse of a 96 year old woman.

This is ludicrous and I am LIVING for it. The one good thing about this mess of a week. This so epic, so British high stakes/low impact sport.

#we've gone truly mad #the queue #british royal family #queen elizabeth #queen elizabeth ii #uk politics #london #royals #royal family

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bluewinnerangel · 1 year

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FITF Tour exit songs

- NA LEG - Uncasville: Tina Turner - The Best

Gilford: The Smiths - This Charming Man

Laval: Petula Clark - Downtown

Toronto: Bryan Adams - Summer Of '69

Cuyahoga Falls: The Verve - Bitter Sweet Symphony

Sterling Heights: Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows

Cincinnati: The Killers - All These Things That I've Done

Columbus: R.E.M. - The One I Love

Indianapolis: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Maryland Heights (St. Louis): Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode

Kansas City: Van Morrison - Moondance

Milwaukee: Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now

Chicago: Earth, Wind & Fire - September

Minneapolis: Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

Council Bluffs: Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)

Sioux Falls: Don McLean - American Pie

Seattle: The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Vancouver: The Police - King Of Pain

Troutdale: Elvis Presley - Always On My Mind

Berkeley: INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

Los Angeles: 2Pac - California Love

Las Vegas: The Killers - Human

Phoenix: Spear Of Destiny - Liberator

Irving: The Doors - Hello, I Love You

Austin: Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag

Houston The Woodlands: The Police - Walking On The Moon

St. Augustine: The Police - Every Breath You Take

Hollywood: Elton John - Your Song

Tampa: Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Atlanta: The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want

Nashville: Duran Duran - Hold Back The Rain

Charlotte: Lou Reed - Perfect Day

Raleigh: Van Morrison - Moondance

Columbia: Commodores - Easy

Boston 1: Boston - More Than A Feeling

Boston 2: Pixies - Here Comes Your Man

Philadelphia: Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U

Asbury Park: Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark

New York: Queen - We Are The Champions (dj elf asked a fan to pick between this one and David Bowie - Heroes)

- EU & UK LEG - Hamburg: Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Copenhagen: Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure

Oslo: Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends

Stockholm: The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

Helsinki: Elvis Presley - Always On My Mind

Tallinn: Smash Mouth - All Star

Riga: AC/DC - Thunderstruck

Kaunas: Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling in Love

Krakow: Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

Łódź: Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop

Vienna: Oasis - Supersonic

Ljubljana: The Killers - Smile Like You Mean It

Budapest: Bloc Party - Helicopter

Bucharest: Foo Fighters - My Hero

Sofia: Rage Against The Machine - Bombtrack

Bilbao: Pixies - Where Is My Mind

Lisbon: White Lies - Farewell to the Fairground

Madrid: Editors - Munich

Barcelona: At the Drive-In - One Armed Scissor

Turin: Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way

Bologna: Bloc Party - Helicopter

Luxembourg: Pixies - Where Is My Mind

Antwerp: Queens Of The Stone Age - My God Is The Sun

Paris: Biffy Clyro - Bubbles

Amsterdam: Blur - Song 2

Cologne: The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now

Prague: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl

Berlin: The Cure - Friday I'm in Love

Munich: Fatboy Slim - Praise You

Zurich: The Strokes - Last Nite

Dublin: Inhaler - These Are The Days

Sheffield: The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Manchester: The Smiths - This Charming Man

Glasgow: The Snuts - Gloria

Brighton: Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated

Cardiff: T. Rex - 20th Century Boy

London: The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now

Birmingham: Boyz II Men - End Of The Road

- ASIA & AUS LEG - Jakarta: Iggy Pop - Lust For Life

Melbourne: Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl

Brisbane: The Temper Trap - Fader

Sydney: Oasis - Rock 'N' Roll Star

- LATAM LEG - Panama: Hard-Fi - Living for the Weekend

San Juan: Pixies - Where Is My Mind

Rio de Janeiro: Nirvana - Heart-Shaped Box

Like last time the plan is to keep editing this post as tour goes on - 2022 LTWT here

Apple music playlist here

#spotify #fitf tour #exit songs #exit song #louis playlist #playlist #i dont have a consistent tag bjt that should hit it

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gentlebeardsbarngrill · 2 months

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03/11/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Cast & Crew; Wee John Wondays; Rhys Darby; Con O'Neil; Taika Waititi; Wendy Anderson;Damien Gerard; London Billboards; London Billboard Survey; Watch Party Reminders; Queerties; Trends; Max Surveys; Fan Spotlight; Fundraisers; Articles ; LoveNotes; DailyDarby/TonightsTaika

Hey Lovelies. I'm not sure where the recaps are going to be going from here. I may calm thinks down a bit and just keep you updated on watch parties and fun sightings. With the news on s3 not being picked up, I'm feeling not quite sure of myself on where to go from here. Still thinking on it. Is there a particular thing about the recaps you like? Maybe I'll focus more on what people want to see most. Anyway, I'd love some feedback. Thanks Crew.

== Cast & Crew Sightings ==

= Wee John Wonday =

This one featured Con O'Neill and Gypsy Taylor.

Src: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristian Nairn (@kristiannairn)

instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

Rhys has a new Cameo! This time from our lovely dear @/Baladria on twitter.

Check out the video on Cameo

In addition, Rhys posted a pic by @andyhollingworth1 on his instagram story.

= Con O Neill =

Warning, video may cause tears of joy and sadness. Con O'Neill is a gem of a human being. "You were all the home we ever needed"

I also missed his post from the other day, which was a dedication to his lovely mom.

== Taika Waititi ==

Rita was kind enough to give us some more Taika shots amongst her pile of Auckland pics! SRC: Rita Ora's Instagram

== Wendy Andersen ==

Our RedFlagCrew @wendywings on Twitter brought us some much needed Peanut action from the Oscars.

== Damien Gerard ==

Our lovely Father Teach has been making videos for us on Twitter! He's been sending a lot of love notes and keeping us up to date with his works. If you're interested please visit:

https://x.com/damientgerard/status/1766667952252977602?s=20

https://x.com/damientgerard/status/1766981901796147662?s=20

== First London Billboard Meet Up==

The first day of the London Billboards had a wonderful meetup of various UK fans! The billboard was visible from Leicaster Square and had a whole lot of foot traffic throughout the day!

Our lovely friend @queerly-autistic / QueerlyAutistic on Twitter made it to the billboard as well!

The UK Crew also got to see some Box Trucks!

Our dear friend @/whimmzee on twitter put these awesome signs together and the visiting crew signed them!

An exhausted OFMD Crew took one last picture after many hours of work! Thank you for getting out there and documenting the billboards: @MoviesWithMarty, @/whimmzee, and @queerly-autistic.

== Save OFMD Crew London Billboard Survey ==

"Although the March 18 & 19 dates for the billboard are locked in, we’re still able to change the design if desired. This is where you come in. Amazing donors, your generosity is responsible for this billboard, so it’s only fair you have a say in this decision. We’ve set up a survey of viable options: let us know which you’d most like to see! It’ll be open through Wednesday, March 13, 11:59 GMT. Thank you again for helping us make this happen! 🐙💜 “Billboard Survey Link” Tumblr Link to Post / Instagram / Reddit

== More London Billboard Meet Ups! ==

Tomorrow's the day folks! First set of Billboards are up tomorrow! SRC: Tumblr / Instagram

== New Save OFMD Crew Calendar ==

The next few days are focused on the LED Trucks outside the various networks locations as well as doing a rewatch party with @OurFlagRTL

= Watch Parties =

== Wrecked ==

There are sources being passed around. If access is an issue, DM @iamadequate1 on Twitter or Tumblr

Season 2 watch from March 11th to March 15th.

Season 3 watch from March 18th to March 22nd.

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST. Watch two episodes per day. Episodes are 21-22 minutes each. Use the following Saturday for the tags/watch if interested but not able to make this time.

Hashtags:

#WreckedPirates

#SaveOFMD

#RhysDarbyFaction

== Deutsche Nachrichten / German News ==

Twitter-Watch-Along von Our Flag Means Death:

Streamt Staffel 2 ab dem 15. März.

Samstag, 9.3. 17:00 Folgen 1 bis 3,

Dienstag, 12.3. 20:00 Folgen 4 & 5,

Mittwoch, 13.3. 20:00 Folgen 6 & 7,

Donnerstag 14.3. 20:00 Folgen 8 & 9,

Freitag, 15.3. 17:30 Folge 10

Und anschließend bingen wir zusammen Staffel 2!

Schaut und tweetet mit!

Hashtag:

OurFlagRTL

== The Queerties! ==

We finally find out the results of the queerties votes tomorrow!

== Trends ==

== Max Surveys ==

Don't mind if I do! If you emailed max earlier this year after the cancellation, check your email, you may have one too. Feel free to tell them how much you hated that they cancelled OFMD. Remember these folks are not the ones making the actual decisions so be a Polite Menace and not a Complete Asshole :D Although, if you decide to go complete asshole route, just be sure to let them know its David Zaslav you're mad at, not the support folks.

== Fan Spotlight ==

Thank you to @melvisik for continuing to make these fun Cast cards for us!

I would love to get more fun stuff for fan spotlight, so if you'd like your artwork or creations featured please please please hit me up! I'd love to highlight your work!

== Fundraiser Status ==

I had a few folks ask me to keep them updated on the two big fundraisers going on right now so I'm just showing a comparison fo how much they're going up today :). As usual please don't feel obligated to spend money you don't have or can't spare! If you wouldn't mind sharing to help these charities out, it would be appreciated, but yet again, not required.

eSIMS and Sanitary Products for Gaza

03/10/24 - $5689 / 191 Supporters / 71 %

03/11/24 - $5814 / 194 Supporters / 72%

InSoupNow Status

Wow! That jumped up in less than a day! Thank you to everyone donating or sharing! It's working!

03/10/2024 - $925 / 39 supporters / 18%

03/11/2024 - $1183 / 47 supporters / 23%

== Articles ==

Exclusive Interview: stand-up comic Jes Tom on Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda Netflix comedy special – “I am your new queer best frenemy”

== Love Notes ==

Hey lovelies, I'm going to leave the love notes to Con and Rhys tonight. There's nothing I could say that they haven't said better. Rhys Cameo Con's video is up above in the Cast & Crew Section I will say I love you all, and I hope you're hanging in. Be kind to yourself today lovelies <3

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

Tonight's theme? SNAAAAAAKES OOOOOHHHH ITS A SNEEEEEKKKK Daily Darby Gif Courtesy of @ofmd-ann Tonight's Taika Gif Courtesy of @tea-and-liminality!

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julianalvarez9 · 1 year

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the fix up / christian pulisic

part 2: the battlefield

request: here author's note: part 3, everybody! this was a rollercoaster of emotions to write, so hopefully you can feel all of it too. let me know if you liked it 🤍🥹 wc: 2025 words

it hasn’t been long since your arrival in london.

at first, when you booked the ticket back here, you didn’t actually know why you had done it. the only thing tying you there was gone, and now, three months later, once the filming for the voice had ended, you were sure that there wasn’t anything -or anyone, for that matter-, waiting for you back at the airport.

except mason.

mason, who was the first to notice that something was wrong between christian and you. it started when he noticed his bad mood the day after you left, frown never leaving his once-kind features and the fact that he had gotten too rough and physical in practice only confirming his thoughts. he had confronted him about it once everyone left the locker room and it was the two of them alone, and that’s when his facade fell. christian started to cry like a little kid when he had to tell mason that you had left him, not even getting to say goodbye due to his stubbornness. the american even told his friend about the little red box that rested on his bedside table, where he kept the engagement ring he was planning on giving to you when the timing was right for both of you. back then, wound fresh after your split, it seemed like the right time would never arrive. that christian had lost his chance.

mason, who, even if you didn’t expect it, was the first one to congratulate you when the news broke out about your participation on the voice. you were sure that he already knew about your split with his best friend, so you wondered why wasn’t he taking his ‘side’. you so desperately wanted to know what christian had to say about it, how he was taking it, if he was as affected as you were; but you didn't want to use mason as a way to get to know how your ex was. it was funny, actually, how much you two tried to hide the elephant in the room. not once had he mentioned christian, and as you didn’t want to bring the topic first, it seemed like the two of you were constantly walking on eggshells around each other. but eventually, the need to know overpowered your better judgment, and mason became the only connection between christian and you while both tried to maintain the happy faces, pouring every bit of yourselves into work.

chelsea’s number 19 was the main reason why you had bought a ticket back to the uk, and because of it, mason was the one that took you back from the airport and welcomed you into his home, wanting to avoid the unwanted attention since it was impossible for you to be back here without raising suspicions.

you almost don’t remember mason guiding you to his guest room, and you settling down to fall asleep. it's almost like merely a blink has passed, but suddenly, the daylight is hurting your tired eyes and an annoying ringing is piercing your ears. you certainly don’t remember even setting an alarm, but when you frantically press the screen of your phone to make the noise stop, you’re greeted with a familiar voice. at first, it seems like he's speaking a foreign language, the sleep that's slowing down your thoughts and the incessant rambling being too much to process.

“christian?”.

he keeps going, but now, you can pick up what he’s actually saying. “i know you hate me right now. and you have the right to hang up if-" he tries to go on, words piling up, leaving him breathless until you interfere. “i won’t do that, christian. what happened?” the question slipped before you could do anything about it, worried tone clearly recognisable through the line. it's like you can see him doubting and ruffling his hair before continuing. “so… mason told me you were back home,” he breathed, quickly correcting himself when he noticed his error. “i mean, you’re back in london”. you were way too asleep to figure out that he wasn’t actually seeing you nod, so you hummed in confirmation.

“can i see you? it’s just been so tough these last couple of months without you," he added under his breath, sounding so small that you almost didn't understand. you wondered if he really thought the feelings were one-sided. to you, the wound was visible to everyone that came close, but you weren't interested in covering your pain, even though the only thing that you dared to show to the camera was your bright smile and bubbly personality. still, you were sure that, of the hundreds of people that got to see your facade every day, christian was the only one capable of seeing right through it. but apparently, not even the man that you thought knew you the most could crack the perfect image you had created.

his voice brought you back when he muttered "i'm sorry, i really need you here” after moments of you not saying a word, and him not being sure whether your silence meant that you would hang up on him or not.

“yeah, it's okay, tell me where you are”.

“at the hospital. i really messed up my knee in the last match” he explained, and your breath stopped until he clarified that it wasn’t anything too serious. “i’m okay, though”.

when you arrive at the medical center and after the receptionist gives you directions of where his room was, you find yourself freezed at his door. the number plasticised on the door serving as confirmation that he's on the other side of the entrance, but you don’t seem to have the energy to knock. it's been three months since you’ve last seen him, and you're not sure if you can look him in the eyes and avoid the tears from falling down, reminiscing that dreadful day all over again. but something pushes you inside, and suddenly, you're in.

christian’s seated on the hospital bed facing the big window in front of you. he’s there in all his glory, curls untamed and big hoodie hugging his figure. you assume that he has heard the door opening, because from one second to the next, he’s almost jumping to greet you. his body engulfed your figure whole, and for a second, all you can feel is him. his presence fills all your senses, and after months, you're finally home again. the tears pool quickly at your eyes when you realize you can actually smell him and feel his warmth reaching into your fingertips. living proof that he’s there, not like the millions of dreams you’ve had while you stayed an ocean away while at work. christian mutters a little “sorry” into your hair, and your heart tightens at hearing his voice again: no shouts or low blows this time, only regret seeping through his tone. you remember him saying it over the phone too, but now you understand what he meant.

“i’ve missed you,” you get the chance to say, and his arms immediately hug you tighter, letting you know throughout the physical act that he did too. “you shouldn’t be standing for this long, though” you joke after what seems to be a lifetime standing near the door, and you hush him to get his things so you can drive him to where he needs to go.

“where should i take you?” is the first thing you ask once you get in your car, after helping him get in. “to our place,” christian blurted out while putting on the seatbelt, the sentence so engraved on his mind that he didn't notice the slip up. you know it isn’t your place anymore, not since you had moved out months ago when you went back to the states, but you don’t say anything to correct him. “i’m sorry” he was quick to mutter, and although he referred to his error, christian couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he was sorry for.

i’m sorry for making you choose between your career and me. i’m sorry i didn’t make it work. i’m sorry i wasn’t the partner you deserved. i’m sorry i didn’t get to give you the ring before you left.

“ey, it's okay, don’t worry," your voice sounded almost strange to you, like you weren’t actually there. you weren’t sure if it was a product of your jetlag, or the prospect of having christian back on your passenger seat. you heard him sighing, relief draping over his shoulders after confirming that he hadn't messed it up, again.

coming back to what used to be your home feels unreal. everything is frozen in time, and it’s like you’ve never left. all the rooms are decorated exactly how you had done them the first time you moved in together, and how you had left it when you went away. everything was right into place, and you couldn’t believe that christian had ever paid enough attention to the little things you did to remember it all. even the white tulips -that you were certain he hated- were placed on the marble table in the kitchen, looking as bright and fresh as they did every time you bought them from the market.

“i can’t believe you got these,” you point at flowers, getting near and closing your eyes at the familiar scent, which prompted a smile to paint on christian’s features. “well, they were your favorite,” he shrugs, and sets to make a warm drink for the both of you, even if you complain that he shouldn't be standing for so long, again.

after a few minutes of being settled on the couch, he begins to talk. "you know, everything has gone wrong since you left,” he starts, and though you want to intervene, he signals that he hasn’t finished yet. “we started losing these stupid matches, and i just, wasn’t myself. not just on the pitch, but off too. mason was the first to notice.” he remembers, and a soft smile gets on your face in appreciation of the british boy who made sure to be there for him while you weren’t. “i felt like i was stuck on the day you left, the sound of the door closing all i could focus on for days. and then the knee…” christian moves, placing the mug on the coffee table in front of you, and he can’t look away from you now. “i'm surprised i didn't call you sooner. i thought about going to the states and apologizing a million times. i’m sorry i didn’t".

"don't be silly, christian. you know the club needs you, and your teammates too. everything will get better soon," you reassure, warm hand from holding the mug meets his arm, and you softly caress it in a loving motion. it comes as a second nature almost, and when you rationalize it you feel self conscious about it, but he soothes your thoughts when his hands find yours, interlocking fingers. “will you stay? here, in london?” christian asks, and his warm brown eyes sparkle with hope. you nod. “if that’s what you want. filming’s over, so…”

“please” he begs, and now he’s holding your hand with both of his. “i need you here. these couple of months made me understand that i can’t afford to lose you, y/n. you’re my home”.

you drop his hands for a second to let the mug with the -now turned cold- beverage into the little table, and he fears the worst: that he may have overstepped, that maybe you had someone else already. but suddenly you're capturing his lips with yours, and he melts. christian has missed your warmth, the comfort your frame brings him and how right it feels to have you back in his arms. the kiss is all you two could wish for it to be, and you find yourself pouring all the bottled up feelings that used to drown you before, not being able to pour them into songs, or unsent letters with all the words you couldn’t or didn’t get to say.

“you’re my home too, christian”.

part 4: war is over.

#christian pulisic x you #christian pulisic x reader #christian pulisic imagine #christian pulisic x y/n #football x y/n #football x reader #football imagine #football x you

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sgiandubh · 6 months

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A study in media fabrication: the Metro interview

I was on a late, self-prescribed ☕ break at the office and lo and behold, mindlessly scrolling @bat-cat-reader's page, what do I see? S's last 'interview' to Metro UK. Rarely have I seen such a poorly cobbled fabrication, so I thought I might share a couple of quick thoughts about it.

A word about the newspaper, first. This is not, as you might think, a part of the Swedish-owned and worldwide present Metro conglomerate of free commuter tabloids, that usually end up littering the carriage, by the end of the day. Nope, and I had no idea. Metro UK is owned by DMG Media (The Daily Fail people, in other words) since 1999 and uses a different logo, to avoid being sued on what is, in my opinion a blatant trademark infringement (remember, S was the culprit the EUIPO punished for way less than that!). More interestingly, though, the print and web editions have totally different content, which means that you'd look in vain for the James Bondesque pic while commuting from Wimbledon to London, for example. The relevance of this interview is nearing 0, in my humble opinion: if anything, it just served to check a box of the PR's current media plan and justify the retainers a couple of people cashed in, as a result.

Quotes and references like the one below abound:

Now, if you imagine S talked face to face to Ms. Josie Copson for the sake of this article, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, I doubt he knows her name or (when questioned) even if he ever gave an interview to Metro.co.uk. In plain English, he didn't "tell" Josie anything: PR probably sent her some formulaic 'answers' by email and let her add some fill-in material, then revised and greenlit the whole for release.

How do I know it? Easy: no photos. No specifics (random example: 'seated at the counter of Soho's BAFTA Bar, in London, SRH' this and that). And the almost scrupulous rehashing of the talking points we have already seen (and it did break my heart to see so many upset people for literally nothing, in here). Give or take some last minute inserts, some of which are quite dubious, to he honest.

This one, for example:

How odd. A Zoom call apparently happened, of which - again- we have no evidence at all. It's not impossible, but it is improbable. What is interesting, though, is the 'related' discreet surfing suggestion at the end of the article, which sheds new light on that Gen Z. joke - which yes, now sorta makes sense:

Why? For more (monetized) clicks and traffic. Remember the tiny detail that Metro's business model is based on a free offer. So, they have to make it viable somehow: in print, it's the ads. Online, it's all about the ads and the clicks.

The only interesting thing I could take out of this would be a very peculiar choice of words:

Being spied on... By all means, please clarify and thank you. I can think of one or two people in this fandom, regularly and almost obsessively dueling for the position of best informed in town. Using very different methods, to be sure, but still qualifying for this spying position, in my book. Both of them completely lack perspective and offer very little context, but that is of no particular import, when it's all about feeding your captive audience with nonsense.

If these two people wanted to come clean, they'd only need to write two very simple phrases:

This is a gossip blog exclusively focused on SRH.

and

This is a social media monitoring blog exclusively focused on SRH.

Not gonna happen anytime soon. Cue in the mystique of 'sources' and repeatedly absurd 'lucky strikes'. It certainly makes things way sexier than they really are. Because when you know things, you don't brag about it. Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Oh, and mark me: it's always been about SRH. No wonder the boundaries feel 'blurred'.

#fandom #shitshow

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jflemings · 20 days

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I have a few hcs/questions about Piper:

Piper going to Jessie and not R for things (something small like doing her hair or asking her to help tie her shoes) and R being really happy that Piper is accepting of Jessie but also a little sad cos that’s her baby and she used to just come to R for those things

Piper going to camp with Jessie instead or R for whatever reason (maybe Jessie’s camp is in the UK/Europe for once so it’s shorter travel for Piper)

Piper making 2 Mother’s Day cards at school (one for R and one for Jess) and Jessie is just in absolute tears - like sobbing - and Piper is like what’s wrong??? And Jessie is just like I’m so happy and it’s a big family cuddle day/weekend

Jess and Piper catching on that R is feeling stressed/tired/ill etc and forces a cuddle day where R does absolutely nothing and is just looked after by her girls

1. i have gotten another ask about this so it’ll be a fic :)

2. canada are set to play england in a friendly in london so piper stays with jessie whilst you go with the matildas. the kit crew make a mini fleming jersey for piper and she loves it!! she walks around so proudly in it and with jessie and your permission, the media team do a video where piper interviews jessie.

it goes a bit viral and everyone is melting at the way piper and jessie interact with eachother because although she isn’t biologically jessie’s, they are eerily similar.

piper clings to sabs and cloe through camp and a lot of great candids come out of it.

piper follows bev around like she does jonas or tony and every so often bev just blindly hands her a snack or a drink whilst yelling at the girls on the pitch. piper is completely unfazed by this because of how tony is on the sidelines.

the first thing piper says to jordyn is that she reminds her of rapunzel because she’s got long blonde hair and she’s pretty. she then asks if she’s got a pet chameleon.

jordyn and her boyfriend dress up as rapunzel and flynn rider for halloween that year, it’s adorable

3. sam and kristie take piper the friday night before mother’s day weekend because you and jessie hadn’t had a date night in soooo long. sam lets her have dino nuggets for dinner and choc chip ice cream for desert as long as piper promises to get into bed at the right time.

they draw and colour and sam puts on alvin and the chipmunks because she’s never seen it ???

kristie then pulls out a plastic tub full of craft supplies and sam is like ??? where the fuck did that come from ????

“you had nothing here for her so i got her some crafts”

“when?????”

“like a month ago”

“where did you put the box”

kristie is in disbelief because the box is kept in the back of their closet underneath all of sam’s coats that are hanging up, there’s no way she hasn’t seen it

sam does one of those paint by number things and kristie suggests making you a mother’s day card and piper immediately is going through the different coloured paper and the fancy scissors and stickers that she can use

she hands a piece of pink paper and a piece of yellow paper to kristie to fold and kristie asks her if she’s gonna make you two cards

“no silly, one’s for mama and the other is for mummy”

piper decorates yours with butterflies and jessie’s with ladybugs

the next day the two of them go to the florist to get you both a little something whilst sam heads to the bakery to grab you a cupcake each (she offered to just make them but kristie knows she can’t cook, let alone bake to save her life so store bought was the best option)

sam drops piper back home with a smile on her face. you open the door puzzled but spot the gift bag with the flowers and know that something’s up

sam leaves and piper rushes into your bedroom where jessie is putting away clean laundry with a big smile on her face, carefully putting down the bag and getting out the flowers to hand to jessie

jessie just assumes the flowers are for you because the two of them had planned something for you for mother’s day but then piper stomps her foot

“open the card!!!!!”

you walk into the room just in time to see jessie open her card whilst piper gives you yours

she’s tearing up and piper quickly becomes concerned and is worried that she doesn’t like the card. jessie assures her that she loves it and that she loves the little ladybugs she drew on the front

the three of you spend the day together, going for a picnic like originally planned and cuddling in the big bed watching movies. jessie cooks your favourite meal and gives you a necklace that piper had helped pick out and a good travel mug since you’d been meaning to get another one for ages

you look at her sheepishly and pull out a book that she’s been wanting and a photo of the three of you in a nice frame. it’s from piper’s fourth birthday party when she was blowing out the candles. you and jessie are sat beside her and there’s a clear shot of macca, alanna and caitlin in the background stuffing their faces with party pies

jessie tucks piper in that night and then comes back out into the living room balling her eyes out because she wasn’t expecting any of today. it wasn’t her first mother’s day with you and piper but she still had plans to make it all about you, so for piper to make her a card and think about her made her really emotional

you two spend the night cuddling until it’s time to go to bed and it’s the best nights sleep jessie’s had in a long time

4. jessie catches on that you’re ill as soon as you wake up. you’re groggy and don’t seem to be all with it as you trudge around the bedroom looking for your slippers that are sat by the door like they always are

she just watches you though to make sure she’s not overthinking it. you’d played a pretty rough game the night before and it had rained all week so maybe it was all just catching up to you

she knows she’s not overthinking it when piper climbs up onto her lap at the dining table

“what’s wrong with mummy?”

“you noticed that too, huh?”

“is she sick? she was coughing last night when she put me to bed”

that’s all jessie needs to hear before she’s dragging you back to bed and tucking you under the covers before literally throwing piper onto the bed next to you. piper giggles as she lands and ticks herself under the covers and snuggles up next to you just as jessie comes back with some medicine, a bottle of water and a cup of tea.

you protest because piper starts preschool regularly on the following monday and jessie can’t get sick either because she can’t miss training. neither of them are having a bar of it and force you to cuddle with them.

you fall asleep in less than half an hour after jessie turns on a documentary about safari animals. piper follows suit quickly and falls asleep snuggled in between the two of you. jessie isn’t a napper but she also falls asleep combing her fingers through your hair

#pegs answers #jessie fleming #jessie fleming blurb #piper’s world

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aimeedaisies · 10 months

Text

✨ 15 days of Princess Anne ✨

August is Princess Anne’s birth month and her 73rd birthday is on the 15th so until then we will look at her fascinating life, one photo for every year!

The sixties

1960 Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother with her three grandchildren, Princess Anne, Prince Charles and newborn Prince Andrew, August 1960.

1961 Princess Anne at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in Berkshire on 13th May 1961.

1962 Prince Philip at the helm (in yellow sou'wester) with his daughter Princess Anne on board the Royal Yawl "Bloodhound" during a sailing holiday on Loch Oich, Invernesshire on 23rd August 1962.

1963 A portrait of Princess Anne wearing a girl guides uniform taken for her 13th birthday on 9th August 1963

1964 Princess Anne (bottom left) as a bridesmaid at King Constantine & Queen Anne-Marie’s wedding on 18th September 1964.

1965 One year old Prince Edward in his pram with his elder sister Princess Anne and their father Prince Philip which was taken at Frogmore on 13th April 1965.

1966 Princess Anne with Prince Charles and Prince Philip, behind the wheel arriving at a polo match in Kingston, Jamaica on 10th August 1966.

1967 Princess Anne’s first tiara appearance (the Cartier Halo tiara), at the 1967 state opening. She is travelling in a state coach with her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, her father, The Duke of Edinburgh and her brother, Prince Charles to the Houses of Parliament.

1968 Princess Anne (front, second from left) with members of the Danish and British royal families in the royal box at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, UK, 29th April 1968. From left to right, Prince George of Denmark, Princess Margaret, Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Queen Elizabeth II, King Frederick IX, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Princess Anne of Denmark.

1969 Princess Anne at her first ever engagement where she launched Esso Northumbria in Newcastle on 02/05/1969

(50’s)

#15 days of anne #the swinging sixties #the fashion is so fab #princess anne #princess royal

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totallyhussein-blog · 4 months

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Have you heard of Harry Haft and Victor Perez?

Harry Haft was a Polish-Jewish boxer and survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He was briefly a professional boxer in post-war Germany and boxed as a light heavyweight in the United States.

After the war, Harry Haft emigrated to the USA with the help of an uncle in New Jersey. Haft’s final fight was against the future champion Rocky Marciano, on 18 July 1949 in Rhode Island Auditorium.

In April 2007, Harry Haft was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. An HBO movie on Haft’s life was also released in 2022. Called The Survivor, the film is based on the book Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano by Alan Haft.

About 100,000 Tunisian Jews were forced to wear a yellow star during the Second World War, and thousands were sent to labor and concentration camps. One such person was Victor “Young” Perez, one of the most prominent athletes to grow up in the Tunisian Jewish community.

Victor Perez was born on October 18, 1912 in French-ruled Tunisia. His father – Khmaïssa, a household goods salesman – and mother, Rene, raised Victor and his four brothers. Perez began training as a boxer together with his older brother Benjamin at the local “Maccabi” club.

As Tomer Ganor explained, Perez won his first match when he was 16. He left Tunis for France in order to compete in the flyweight category and won the French flyweight title in 1930. On October 24, 1931, only days after turning 19, Perez was crowned world flyweight champion after defeating the American Frankie Genaro.

Despite growing anti-Semitism, Perez continued living in Paris, and even travelled to Berlin for a match in November 1938. When France was defeated by the Germans in 1940, Perez attempted to flee but returned. On September 21, Perez was arrested by the Gestapo.

He was sent to the Drancy concentration camp in France together with 1,000 prisoners – and then on to Auschwitz. He was forced to perform manual labor and to participate in boxing matches to entertain the Nazis.

On January 22, 1945, Perez was shot by a Nazi soldier during the death march from the camp. He was 35 years old. Victor Perez was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27th January. You can learn more at the Auschwitz Museum and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum. You can also develop your understanding of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre.

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lunarriviera · 5 months

Text

on the importance of beta screaming

i would like to say a little bit here in this chili’s tonight about the vital, indispensible role of beta enthusiasm.

because yeah we all know we get tied in knots in our prose, write sex scenes with impossible numbers of hands, dangle modifiers, repeat words, commit horrifying typos like “he licks with his tounge.” i have several useless graduate degrees so yes i can fix all those things for you or offer revision suggestions. as well, i am a north american who lived in the uk and divorced a londoner, so i can also britpick or yankpick your fic. then, it’s important to have at least one beta who can check you if you’re writing about a culture other than your own. finally, i usually will only beta for fic with whose canon i am intimately familiar.

those things are helpful, even essential. but there is something else a beta reader not only can do, but has to do, and that is scream.

look it’s hard out here for a pimp okay. we are in our little offices or bedrooms or hunched on the bathroom floor with the phone just trying to write our little stories. we made a tiny gay man and we gave him problems, and now we are going to make it YOUR problem. and then we will all thrash around and yell happily together, for we love this tiny gay man.

but until someone picks that fic out of the tag and clicks on it and reads it and starts keysmashing in the comment box, you’re all alone. just you, in your head, in your room, while you’re walking around the park, while you’re shampooing your hair, while you’re cleaning the cat’s litter pan—it’s just you. (and, sure, also the imaginary friends who spout riveting or hilarious dialogue in your head. them too.)

and when you’re all alone with just your words and your little people, a terrible and completely unique kind of loneliness can sink in. were they the right words? were they funny, pretty, tragic, joyful, smart? do they truly convey the depth of your feeling? and above all else: can they compel someone else to feel what you felt? because you’ve read that fic that made you scream into a pillow at 2 am. and you wonder: can i do that for someone else? can i feel my feelings so strongly and so well that they reach out of the screen and haul someone else in along with them?

and in the hours, days, weeks of waiting for someone to reach back through the pixels for you, a beta steps in to fill that space. this, she will let you know, is good. this is REALLY good. this is so good she’s gonna dword. she has no chill. she is about to mclose it. how dare you. she thought you were friends. now you’re in a fight. elmo in flames dot gif., screaming girl dot png., spongebob burying himself dot webp.

this is not an OPTIONAL feature of a beta reader. this is not just a nice thing that it’s nice to have. this might be the ESSENTIAL function of a beta. her hand is over your head and it’s briefly sheltering you from the pouring rain. hey listen! she says, and she cups your face in her hands: SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. and you, wherever you are in the world, even if you’re 24 hours away from her on the globe, you put your palms to your cheeks to feel the warm blush of happiness and relief. someone else is out there, picking up what you’re throwing down. and you did not fuck it up. it’s actually entirely possible that you nailed it.

without her, you wouldn’t know. and in fact in a small fandom, without her, there wouldn’t BE that much of a fandom. so you and your beta get to be a part of that little group of people who keep a set of stories, a family of characters, alive. that’s fun too. (plus you get to backchannel about all the horribly Wrong Opinions everyone else has. this both saves you from making an ass of yourself on social media, and will make you guffaw during a zoom meeting if you’re not careful.)

so get you a beta reader who’s a screamer. i said what i said. don’t settle for someone who can be nitpicky about the past perfect but who never says anything positive; people will remember and come to read the fic that’s stunning and strange and new even if you forget to use “had.”

i aim for about 50/50 between praise and suggestions (the same proportions i use as a professor), but if i’m honest it winds up being more like 80/20 for fanfic. that’s okay. if i’m gonna err, i’d rather err on the side of encouragement.

we get so little of that, either as writers or just in the world. we get so little hand-holding and shoulder rubs and affectionate hollering. so when you beta, think about letting loose a little. think about, sure, exaggerating for effect. you know how sweet it feels when someone gets all exuberant all over your drafts—so maybe allcaps a little bit, as a treat. it feels pretty great. you’ll see.

(oh and ps: save a life. leave an ao3 comment.)

#y'all beta readers are out here every day doing the lord's work #show them some love #buy them some dark chocolate #beta readers #beta reading #fic betas #fanfiction betas #writeblr #fic writing

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maynardmaniac07 · 11 months

Note

Hello!! I was wondering if you could do a cute

imagine about how you meet Tobi?!(and he is very flirty) Maybe you are friends with freezy and he introduces them?! Please and thank you!!

Collide (Tobi Brown/Tobijizzle/TBJZL)

A/N: I can have a go, I hope you like it!

Y/N’s POV

I sign as I look up and the tall building in front of me

Finally moving to the big city of London

My best friend finally convinced me with his rambling that this would be the best place to get a job and move to

Who is my best friend you may ask?

Well the one and only Calfreezy

I’ve known Calfreezy for the longest time and we have been friends ever since we met

Not long after Freezy moved to the UK, we became neighbours

He was the annoying boy next door that I saw all the time and could never get rid of

He was like the brother I never had

When Freezy started growing on YouTube and made friends with other YouTubers, he decided that it was best to move to London and start networking

I on the other hand decided that I wanted to go to university and get a degree

From a young age, I haven’t really been sure what I wanted to do, so going to university was a big decision

I finally found my love for photography and decided that was the way that I wanted to go with my life

So fresh out of university, I decided to make the leap and move to London, not just so I could spend time with my best friend but to broaden my horizons

I contacted some companies, showed them portfolio and managed to get a internship with a big name company

I knew that I would need somewhere to live and I couldn’t think of anywhere better than the same building that Freezy had done nothing but bang on about since he moved in

Today was my moving in day and Freezy has no idea that I’m about to become his new neighbour

Just like old times

I take a deep breath as I walk into the grand building stood in front of me

I drag my suitcase behind me, whilst holding a box under my arm

I internally groan at the thought of having to go back to my car and grab some more boxes and carry them up to my flat

Suddenly I collide with another body and my box goes flying, along with the contents

As I hit the floor, my eyes go wide as I see the contents of my underwear box spread across the floor

“Shit, I am so sorry! Here let me help you pick things up” the males voice says as he kneels down and starts picking up the contents of my box

“No, no, it’s fine really, I will pick things up in a second” I say in a hurry as I get up and try to pick things but before he can notice what they are

I lift my head up and come face to face with the man that I recognised to be Tobi brown or TBJZL on YouTube, one of the Sidemen and also one of Freezy’s friends

He is much more handsome in real life

“I’m sorry for bumping into you, I think you dropped these” he says as he hands me a selection of bras and thongs

At this point, I just want the ground to swallow me up because Jesus Christ this is embarrassing

Shit, I know he is a man of god, so shouldn’t really take the lords name in vein

But then again, I’m saying this internally, so I don’t suppose that he will mind

“It’s ok, don’t worry! No harm done” I say before picking up the rest of the things and putting them back in the box

“I’m guessing by the box and suitcase, that you are moving in?” Tobi says gesturing towards my bag and box

I nod

“Yeah, I am a photograhy intern and I needed a place to live, so here I am! I’m Y/N by the way” I explain with a smile

“My best friend lives in this building and banged on about how amazing it is to live here, so I thought that i would surprise him” I continue to explain

“Nice to meet you Y/N, I’m Tobi! Who is your best friend? Maybe I know him” He says

“Callum Airey, sorry you probably know him as Calfreezy” I say correcting myself

“Ahhhh yes, I know Freezy! I’m assuming that I’m you know Freezy then you will know who I am” Tobi says

I laugh at the statement

“Alright big head, yes I do know who you and the Sidemen are, I just didn’t want to seem like some kind of fan girl because after spending time with Freezy in public, I know what they can be like” I explain to him

Tobi nods

“Yes fangirls are lovely but It’s nice to not have people crowding you or in the older days screaming in you face” He says

I get what he means, when Freezy started to get big and the fangirls used to crowd us and could be all levels of crazy in public but just like the boys have, the fans are growing up with them and have mellowed slightly

I mean they aren’t like directioners but still they are fans non the less

“So I was actually down here just getting my post, but now I’m wondering if you wanted any help with your stuff?” Tobi asks

With a smug smile on my face, I say

“Well I think that is the least that you could do, considering my stuff was all over the floor after you bumped into me”

Tobi smirks back at me

“No the least I could do, would be for me to take you to dinner to welcome you to the building and the least you could do for me would be to allow me to see you in some of this underwear that I so kindly helped you pick up” he says

I let out a laugh

“Alright, I’ll let you take me out, but we will have to see about the underwear” I say as I hand him the box before making my way to the lifts

“Yeah, I guess we will” he mumbles as he follows me to the lift

I can see that me and Tobi are going to get on really well

Now time to go and surprise Freezy!

A/N: PLEASE REQUEST SOME IMAGINES

Masterlist

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jack-kellys · 1 year

Text

i said i'd do this today so here you all go. disclaimer this is not every single question, just the ones i cared about (so the fun ones)

notes from the most recent uk fansie night q&a:

i was not there but i was sent a video lmao

FOR DAVEY: how much free range have you been able to build on with your character?

answer: ryan said they all basically started with a blank canvas, but davey has rly grown since december. specifically davey's gotten “weirder”, and he hopes that “he will get even more strange.”

LONDON CAST RECORDING?

nothing is confirmed but the whole cast really wants one lmao

dance class from ireland came :) asked abt dance tips and industry ins

fav dance moves/moments in the show

box jump for ross <3

sam demonstrated the leg pats as his fav

matthew loves the role call triangle lmao

michael demonstrated a front kick they do holding a rolled paper

have you ever hit anyone w something thrown into the audience?

archie tells on jack bromage (who isn't there to defend himself) and how he kicked a paper ball into a kid’s FACE LMFAO

jacob called out matthew for his slingshot hits into the audience

biggest malfunction during a show?

ryan and michael acted out waiting for bronte and a les to enter during WWH reprise’s scene- “and that is what you call a beginning! ………….chill out, man!” “…you got a problem?” HELLO??

box jump update

if you could put your character into another musical what would it be

davey for mean girls 2023

splasher for matilda

OSCAR FOR B+C???

jack for wicked lmao “him and fiyero might fight”

specs as one of the annoying kids in charlie and the chocolate factory

kath for sylvia!

ritz for young frankenstein (bc putting on the ritz heh)

CRUTCHIE FOR MOULIN ROUGHEJH PLS matthew ily

mush for annie

ike for something rotten

elmer for WSS

al for a rocky musical (fights.)

romeo for grease!! “kinicky vibe”

how do ur jumps get so high

ross: "i’ve been jumping for.. a long time"

what are the hidden personal gems that audience members might miss during the show?

albert pickpockets one of the theatergoers in medda’s theater. holy shit. and sometimes the actor leaves jacob and actual object to steal in his pocket PLSLOKFSF

crutchie sees snyder from his perch by the soundboard and reacts in fear

how long is fight call and do you call every stunt

this is interesting to me so. depends on the day bc of swings so they do the big fight and child actor stunts every day.

EVERYONES FAV GAGA SONG

ryans is bad romance

poker face ross

applause for sam

matthew is not a gaga person oops

“thank you for that question <3”

how do you approach making roles individual?

“determined early that its a diff version of jack and kath” (bronté)

purposefully ignore things that have come before!!!!

bronte and michael talked a LOT abt their jath

“can only do the best version of your version” <3 (michael)

doing what you think is the right way, “offering your voice into the discussion” of a character’s legacy/existence. MICHAEL ONCE AGAIN FCUVKING GETS IT THIS IS !! WHAT I WAS FUCKING SAYING. fyi. we understand each other

fav character and why!

ryans is kath heheh

ross’s IS FINCH!! he loves damon and thinks he’s made finch special <3

owen (oscar) rly likes racer!

michael rly likes davey, “unsung hero”

sam likes kath <3

bronte likes the brooklyn newsiessssss, especially stray and mentioned the art piece of stray with a stray :) @chimeofthecomet YOURS BRO SHE MENTIONED YOURS !!!

lucy likes specs

matthew thinks pulitzer is cool to find nuance in

kai’s fav is lillie’s spot!

archie thinks finch is best bc he’s mysterious

damn bradley likes finch too! “always trying to come up with a solution” OKAYYYYY GO DAMON!! gets an a+ in characterization

jacob on his pulitzer villain moment stuff again

spencer likes davey’s contrast!! “one of the strongest characters in the group”

fastest quick change you’ve done

the oscar immediately laments his changes lmfaoooo

michael was morgrim??? in lion witch wardrobe??? a wolf??

preshow rituals

RYAN WATCHES STREISANDS IM THE GREATEST STAR LMAOOO??

interesting he was given her as a reference for a fast talking new yorker so heavy city accented davey jacobs truthers rise up we won (its just me) we won!

the new kids dressing room does the wolf of wall street chest hitting thing lol

michael listens to two diff revolution speeches i think?

bronte’s is seeing ryan :)

THE GIRLSIES PLAY HIDE AND SEEK BACKSTAGE DURING THEIR BREAKS PLS

matthew talks abt what alex hatton used to do, look at a pic of his gf and grandparent pls aw

archie used to jump on a chair at the five before he. hit his head. bro

jacob does a diff riddle for each mic check!!

that’s all the best ones i could catch!!

#newsies uk #uksies #newsies #newsies cast #fizz freaks #analysis #sure.. why not

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fahbee · 10 months

Text

How the historical minisodes could relate to the present-day “mystery” storyline

A close up of this note:

shows this name and address:

The Resurrectionist 66, Goat Gate Edinburgh

“The Resurrectionists” was the name given to the people who collected and sold corpses for medical research in the UK (including Edinburgh) in the 1700s/1800s.

Now I’m just going to speculate wildly:

We know one of the S2 minisodes is set in Victorian times and will deal with grave robbing/resurrectionist exhumations. However, the photo of Aziraphale holding up the record (presumably Buddy Holly and the Cricket’s “Everyday” which was likely inside the box Gabriel arrived with) is in modern times, not Victorian, and tied to the Gabriel mystery. That likely means at least the Victorian events will be referred to/discussed in modern times by Aziraphale and Crowley. Unlike in S1 where the “through the ages” minisode events don’t get brought up (other than the mention of crepes after the Bastille rescue and “I still owe you one”) or at least, don’t directly impact the modern day story/events.

Ruling out time travel for the sake of this speculation (ie let’s assume Aziraphale and Crowley don’t travel back in time after receiving this “clue”) it seems to me that Aziraphale and Crowley are going to be getting clues/info in the modern day which tie directly to some prior adventure they had together in the past, and we (the audience) will get to see the past events as minisodes.

We know there’s three minisodes - the Biblical one, the Victorian one, and the Blitz one. We know (or at least are pretty sure) that the Blitz one is going to be a game-changer re Aziraphale and Crowley’s relationship/feelings. But what if ALL the minisodes are like that? And whoever is sending these “clues” KNOWS that. The sender is forcibly reminding Aziraphale and Crowley about those times where (speculating here) their relationship changed/they grew closer. Maybe the Biblical one is when they stopped seeing each other as enemies/adversaries. Maybe the Victorian one is when they started truly thinking of each other as friends. We (think we) know the Blitz one is when Aziraphale realized/acknowledged to himself that he was in love with Crowley.

So the present-day mystery is going to be about more than a memory-less Gabriel running around naked in London. Someone is letting Aziraphale and Crowley know that they know 1) just how long they’ve been “fraternizing” and 2) that their feelings for each other are more than just friendly. But who?? And why???

#good omens #good omens 2 #no spoilers this picture was released officially #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #further discussion and speculation welcome

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denimbex1986 · 8 months

Text

Everyone gets lost in Cillian Murphy’s eyes. At the end of his latest film, “Oppenheimer,” in which he plays the titular character, Oppenheimer stands alone, staring at the pattern of rain droplets over a still pond. As the camera lingers on his face, a ring of fire begins to consume the Earth, and an immense blaze fills the whole scene. Not a sound is uttered, but the emotion conveyed in those piercing blue eyes speaks louder than words.

Murphy’s eyes that speak surely bring the character of Oppenheimer to life, even in the black and white parts of the film. “I try not to think of actors as I write, but Cillian’s eyes were the only eyes I know that can project that intensity,” Nolan said to the New York Times. This is their sixth collaboration, but the first time Murphy has played the lead. With “Oppenheimer” surpassing $900 million at the global box office — becoming one of the most acclaimed biopics to date — audiences have become as eager to learn about it’s as they are about the father of the atomic bomb.

Even though it took Hollywood a while to recognize Murphy’s potential to play a starring role, this quietly intense actor has long been celebrated in the UK and Ireland. A survey of his portfolio since his debut in 1996 reveals a daring selection of characters: Jackson Ripper, a terrorist leader in “Red Eye;” Fischer, the heir to a multi-billion empire in “Inception;” Daniel O’Donovan, an Irish republican in “The Wind That Shakes the Barley;” an anonymous, shivering soldier in “Dunkirk.” None of these names carry the same fame as the legendary physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer on screen today, but Murphy honored them all.

In order to get ready for the part of Patrick “Kitten” Barden, Murphy spent weeks working with a real-life drag queen, who took him clubbing with friends so he could study women’s body language and learn how to dress. To be able to convincingly act out Tommy Shelby, a WWI veteran, he followed a hard-hitting workout plan to look “physically imposing” for the part. The quest to achieve Oppenheimer’s chiseled cheeks and a haunted look took him to the opposite end of the spectrum. According to costar Emily Blunt, on set he would only eat one almond a day to slim down and was so immersed in the role that he skipped cast dinners. According to Murphy, “It’s not the scale, it’s the quality.” For him, great dedication is necessary in order to fully embody his characters.

Clearly, his hard work has paid off. Murphy is now the 5/4 favorite to win Best Actor at the 2024 Oscars for his performance in “Oppenheimer,” as predicted by The Online Betting Guide, and his last role as Tommy Shelby in “Peaky Blinders” earned him his first BAFTA TV Awards nomination for Leading Actor. Prior to this, he also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role as a transgender woman in “Breakfast on Pluto.”

Yet Murphy did not always know he wanted to be an actor, and it took him a long time to discover his life-long passion. His father was a civil servant and his mother a French teacher, but the house was always busy — non-stop music, bookshelves filled with literature, and the radio often on. His parents sent him to an all-boys private school, where he was involved in rugby for some time before giving it up. Then, he tried for a law degree at University College Cork, but he quit that too. He devoted years to doing what his parents wished for, not necessarily what he wanted, and “he didn’t feel good enough.” After that, he had a fleeting music career before a stage production of “A Clockwork Orange” guided him to his true passion — acting.

His first breakthrough came in the 2002 movie “28 Days Later,” where he played Jim, the lone survivor of a pandemic in a desolate London. It was a modern horror classic which served as a launching pad for Murphy’s career, with Nolan later recalling the poster of Murphy with his bald head and “crazy” eyes in a conversation for Entertainment Weekly. His profile continued to grow in 2005 following his roles in several successful films, namely the Scarecrow in “The Dark Knight” and the villain in the action thriller “Red Eye.” For the last two decades, he has built strong relationships with directors such as Boyle and Nolan and continuously wowed audiences with his talent for playing dark, troubled, and tormented characters. But these complex characters are not strictly villains. As Murphy said in an interview with The Guardian, “Villains are good if they’re well written, but if it’s one note or a trope, then they are dull.” He relishes playing these complex characters and likes scripts to stretch into “all the shades” of the human spectrum.

“I can’t remember which director said it, but he said it takes 30 years to make a good actor,” he said to PORT Magazine. 27 years later, coming off the heels of a starring role in a major film, Murphy appears to have achieved his aim.

In an industry that often rewards fast success, Cillian Murphy has chosen a different path. “Peaky Blinders” made the Irish actor a household name, and Nolan’s blockbuster epic took him even further. However, Murphy continued to pursue roles which were often underrated, because it is “a film that you're very sort of proud of and excited by.” Known for his introverted personality, Murphy has chosen a quiet, normal life away from the public eye, even revealing at one point that he did not enjoy the “personality part” of being an actor. “I don’t understand why it’s expected I’ll be scintillating on a talkshow,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. He is true to his word — Murphy’s bored face during interviews has become a popular meme. Indeed, 67 million people on TikTok have watched videos on “Cillian Murphy interview zoning out,” and they can’t seem to get enough of his dissociating clips. Part of his appeal to fans seems to stem from this authenticity, in contrast with so many other celebrities who aim to please.

To Murphy, character is in fact all that matters. Murphy is satisfied with being the man in the shadows, and though he may not be as flashy as Tommy Shelby with “that charisma and swagger,” he believes that this shows that “I’m doing my job” correctly. “Cillian and Tommy are almost polar opposites,” Steven Knight, the “Peaky Blinders” creator, attested in an interview with Esquire.

As recounted in the Esquire interview, when Murphy auditioned for the role, Knight doubted whether this very thin man was the right fit for a Bringham-based gangster. Murphy said a simple yet powerful thing then: “Remember, I’m an actor.” His point was that when he enters a room, he is not Tommy Shelby. But when he is acting, he can become anyone — a gangster, a woman, or a physicist.

What is so mesmerizing about Murphy’s eyes? It is not the color, but the complex, varied emotion that is seen in each glimpse. Murphy can draw people into a story and make them think twice about it afterwards. While he has worked for close to thirty years in the acting industry, making him one of the most prolific actors, neither the standard film crew hierarchy nor his fame will keep him from choosing what truly captivates him. His success is a natural result of his unwavering pursuit and love of the craft.'

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lokiondisneyplus · 10 months

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Disney has revealed that it has spent $141.3 million (£110.6 million) on pre-production and filming of the second season of its Loki streaming series as it attempts to reinvigorate its struggling Marvel Studios division after a string of critical and commercial failures.

No expense has been spared on Loki Season 2 which cost more in pre-production and filming than many big screen Marvel movies including Doctor Strange (£102.7 million), Thor 2: The Dark World (£99.4 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy (£91.1 million).

Due to debut on the Disney+ platform in October, the sequel to the hit 2021 series stars Tom Hiddleston as the eponymous Asgardian god of mischief. He is joined by Owen Wilson and a new addition to the cast, Oscar-winning Indiana Jones actor Ke Huy Quan who team up to stop a time-travelling conqueror called Kang.

Indiana Jones star Ke Huy Quan is joining Loki for Season 2.2023 MARVEL

Quan's role has been particularly well-received with one fan gushing that "this is the greatest thing to ever happen. I adore this man". Another described it as "like seeing an old friend. It is comforting to see him on screen." One fan even went as far as to say that Quan is reason enough for tuning in. "I was on the fence on watching Loki season 2 but I saw that Ke Huy Quan is in it and yeah...I'm definitely watching that." It is more than can be said for most of Marvel's productions this year.

The studio kicked off 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a sci-fi film which opened in February and introduced the Kang character. Its domestic debut weekend box office of $106 million was the highest in the Ant-Man trilogy but then it fell by 70%, resulting in the biggest second-weekend drop in the franchise's history. The movie ended up grossing $476.1 million worldwide which was lower than both of its prequels. As we revealed, Disney spent $193.2 million on pre-production and filming alone.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was widely criticised for its CGI Photo courtesy of Marvel ... [+]COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

Just days after her departure, Marvel was rocked again when Kang actor Jonathan Majors was arrested on assault and harassment charges. He denies them and will get a chance to explain why when he goes on trial this month.

Then came Secret Invasion. Disney had high hopes for the streaming series which launched in June and was based on a beloved comic series about a race of shape-shifting aliens secretly invading the corridors of power. However, its serious tone, gaping plot holes and poor CGI put off fans leading to its crescendo becoming the single lowest-rated episode of any Marvel series with just a 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

As we revealed, staggeringly, it had a budget of $211.6 million. It explains why Disney's chief executive Bob Iger said in February that the studio needs to "reduce costs on everything that we make because, while we're extremely proud of what's on the screen, it's gotten to a point where it's extraordinarily expensive."

A total of 7,000 job cuts and $5.5 billion of cost-savings followed, but even that wasn't enough. Just last month, Iger told CNBC that Disney is slowing down when it comes to making movies and streaming series for its Marvel and Star Wars franchises. "You pull back not just to focus, but also as part of our cost containment initiative. Spending less on what we make, and making less," he said.

Season 2 of Loki was given the green light long before these comments and before Iger even returned to the helm of Disney in November last year. It shows.

The series was filmed at the historic Pinewood Studios just outside London as well as on location across the UK capital. It's a far cry from tinsel town and this shines a spotlight on the otherwise secretive cost of film-making.

Budgets of streaming shows are usually confidential as studios combine the cost of them in their overall expenses and don't itemise how much they spent on each one.

Shows made in the UK are an exception. They benefit from the government's Television Tax Relief scheme which allows studios to claim a cash reimbursement of up to 25% of the money they spend in the country.

To qualify, shows must pass a points test based on factors such as how much filming was done in the UK, the level of UK content and how much they promote UK heritage. Furthermore, at least 10% of the core costs of the production need to relate to activities in the UK and in order to demonstrate this to the government, studios set up a separate Television Production Company (TPC) there for each picture.

These TPCs have to file publicly-available financial statements showing everything from the headcount and salaries to the total cost of the production and the amount of cash they have got back.

The UK government's regulations state that each TPC must be "responsible for pre-production, principal photography and post-production of the television programme; and for delivery of the completed programme." Accordingly, there is no doubt that their financial statements show all of the costs of each series. It isn't even possible for studios to hide costs in other companies as the law also states that "there can only be one TPC in relation to a programme."

The companies usually have code names so that they don’t raise attention when filing for permits to film on location. The Disney subsidiary behind Loki Season 2 is called Limbo Productions I UK in a nod to title character's transient status. Its first set of financial statements were filed on Sunday and cover the 18-month period to October 31 2022 which is when filming wrapped.

They reveal that the company was handed a $27.9 million (£21.8 million) reimbursement bringing its net spending down to $113.4 million which is still far from small beer. The colossal cost dates back to the peak of the pandemic when much of the world was locked indoors addicted to streaming content. Disney was eagerly adding shows to its streaming platform in a bid to attract more subscribers than its rivals.

Season 1 of Loki was the most-watched Marvel TV show to date on Disney+ ©Marvel Studios 2020. All ... [+]COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

According to industry analysts Samba TV, Loki's first episode was watched by 2.5 million households in its first five days giving it a higher audience than any of Marvel's other streaming shows - a record which stands to this day. The streaming bubble has long since burst thanks to the easing of the pandemic and pure strings being pulled due to rising inflation. However, Season 2's budget could be more important now than ever. Disney doesn't just need it to succeed in order to give a glow to Marvel but to its entire streaming platform.

Unlike theatrical releases, which share ticket sales between studios and exhibitors, Disney receives all of the revenue from its streaming platform. Subscribers pay a single fee which grants them access to all of its new content throughout the year, with or without advertising depending on how much they pay. This makes it impossible to calculate how much subscription revenue is generated by each streaming show.

Instead, the total costs of the shows are deducted from the total revenue to determine whether the platform overall made a profit or a loss. The more subscribers it has, the higher the revenue and the greater the potential for profit. However, Disney wisely changed its goal of chasing subscribers in light of the bleak economic backdrop. Its aim now is to reduce the cost of the programming which also gives a greater potential for profit. It is badly needed.

Disney+ hasn't made a profit since it was launched in 2019 and made an operating loss of $659 million in the first quarter of 2023 alone. Disney has assured investors that the platform will be profitable by the end of its 2024 fiscal year and time will tell whether Loki Season 2's blockbuster budget is a help or a hindrance to that.

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