#HUGE contrast with shows in the uk

[thepastisalreadywritten]

With the addition of Saturn, the James Webb Space Telescope has finally captured all four of our Solar System's giant worlds.

JWST's observations of the ringed planet, taken on 25 June 2023, have been cleaned up and processed, giving us a spectacular view of Saturn's glorious rings, shining golden in the darkness.

By contrast, the disk of Saturn is quite dark in the new image, lacking its characteristic bands of cloud, appearing a relatively featureless dim brown.

This is because of the wavelengths in which JWST sees the Universe – near- and mid-infrared.

These wavelengths of light are usually invisible to the naked human eye, but they can reveal a lot.

For example, thermal emission – associated with heat – is dominated by infrared wavelengths.

When you're trying to learn about what's going on inside a planet wrapped in thick, opaque clouds, studying its temperature is a valuable way to go about it.

Some elements and chemical processes emit infrared light, too. Seeing the planets of the Solar System in wavelengths outside the narrow range admitted by our vision can tell us a lot more about what they have going on.

Saturn

As we saw last week, when we clapped eyes on the raw JWST Saturn images, the observations involved filters that dimmed the light of the planet, while allowing light from the rings and moons to shine brightly.

This is so a team led by planetary scientist Leigh Fletcher of the University of Leicester in the UK can study the rings and moons of Saturn in more detail.

They hope to identify new ring structures and, potentially, even new moons orbiting the gas giant.

The image above shows three of Saturn's moons, Dione, Enceladus and Tethys, to the left of the planet.

Although dim, the disk of the planet also reveals information about Saturn's seasonal changes.

The northern hemisphere is reaching the end of its 7-year summer, but the polar region is dark. An unknown aerosol process could be responsible.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere around the edges of the disk appears bright, which could be the result of methane fluorescence, or the glow of trihydrogen, or both. Further analysis could tell us which.

Jupiter

Jupiter was the first of the giant planets to get the JWST treatment, with images dropping in August of last year – and boy howdy were they stunning.

The spectacular detail seen in the planet's turbulent clouds and storms was perhaps not entirely surprising.

However, we also got treated to some rarely seen features: the permanent aurorae that shimmer at Jupiter's poles, invisible in optical wavelengths, and Jupiter's tenuous rings.

We also saw two of the planet's smaller, lesser-known moons, Amalthea and Adrastea, with fuzzy blobs of distant galaxies in the background.

"This one image sums up the science of our Jupiter system program, which studies the dynamics and chemistry of Jupiter itself, its rings, and its satellite system," said astronomer Thierry Fouchet of Paris Observatory in France, who co-led the observations.

Neptune

Observations of Neptune arrived in the latter half of September 2022.

Because Neptune is so very far away, it tends to get a little neglected; you're probably used to seeing, if anything, the images taken by Voyager 2 when it flew past in 1989.

JWST's observations gave us, for the first time in more than 30 years, a new look at the ice giant's dainty rings – and the first ever in infrared.

It also revealed seven of Neptune's 14 known moons, and bright spots in its atmosphere.

Most of those are storm activity, but if you look closely, you'll see a bright band circling the planet's equator.

This had never been seen before and could be, scientists say, a signature of Neptune's global atmospheric circulation.

Uranus

Uranus is also pretty far away, but it's also a huge weirdo. Although very similar to Neptune, the two planets are slightly different hues, which is something of a mystery.

Uranus is also tipped sideways, which is challenging to explain too.

JWST's observations, released in April 2023, aren't solving these conundrums.

However, they have revealed 11 of the 13 structures of the incredible Uranian ring system and an unexplained atmospheric brightening over the planet's polar cap.

JWST has a lot to say about the early Universe; but it's opening up space science close to home, too.

As its first year of operations comes to an end, we can't help but speculate what new wonders will be to come in the years ahead.

Top: Jupiter - Neptune / Bottom: Uranus - Saturn

Credit: NASA

#James Webb Space Telescope #Solar System #Saturn #Jupiter #Uranus #Neptune #planets #space #universe #infrared wavelengths #wavelengths #JWST #Leigh Fletcher #planetary science #Thierry Fouchet #moons #Voyager 2 #giant planets #astronomy

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

I agree with that other anon but I do think that what alot of people on Tumblr were saying at the time was right. I think the jubliee went over like a lead balloon in their household. I think this is where the fighting hit a point where it was hard to come back from. At the time they were filming for their reality show (which no one knew a premier date for). And there were a tone of rumors about spotify and what meghan would do on her own.(given that up until that point meghan hadn't pulled in any deals on her own) At that time she was pumping out articles about the balcony and photo with the late Queen. The rumors were flying about what harry would write in the book and what would Meghans book be about?

both meghan and harry were on a bit of a trip thinking that people would wait for what they product because they're THE best, you know? The power couple so in love fighting his family for love. Behinds the scenes I think there were a number of internal discussions about Netflix being uphappy with the footage filmed so the pressure was on to film at frogmore.

The reaction from the crowd leaving the church spooked them, they didn't want Netflix cameras in England any longer than they had to be. So they left, asap. The fighting got worse when they got home, all of the polo outings were awful. They didn't help rehab the image and didn't exude the glamour they needed after a very sour UK trip. I think they likely made the decision to separate not to long after (around July). She interviewed with the cut, the pod tanks, the queen passes away and suddenly they are back in place they are no longer welcomed and now are outranked by his brother. That whole week it was easy for harry to fall back into his old ways but not meghan. The walk about for her was rough, she didn't let harry take the lead. At the time alot of people were speculating that it was super awkward, but I think meghan just didn't know how to support harry because by then they'd been taking time apart for 3-4 months. Meghan was focused on her own brand. As the rest of the world knows December and January were even worse. To the point where they enter survival mode for their own separate brands by saying they'll focusing on different things. Thus here we are..

I agree with your timeline, particularly the significance of The Cut and Variety interviews. Another anon suggested that there might have been a breakup then if those interviews and the podcast had been more successful.

But I suspect what really spooked them about the Jubilee was not getting a picture of the kids with The Queen and royals not attending Archie’s birthday. A lot of it was the lack of Netflix footage, as you say. But there was also the personal aspect, as these two had never faced the consequences of their actions. Even after Megxit, they lived in their tiny bubble where they thought they were the victims and the royals would eventually come around and offer the half-in-half-out option. Heck, even after Philip’s funeral Harry was still in denial. I bet the Jubilee was the first time Meghan realized exactly what their position was.

The polo! Thanks for reminding me. It was the polo that triggered it for me. There was such a huge contrast between their behavior at other polo events and these ones. That’s when I started to think there was something going on. Also, they didn’t get the celebrity attendance I would have expected, and even Rebel Wilson complained about how they treated them.

Edited:

This was the photo that made me suspicious:

[popsicle-stick]

I don't know anything about England but I'm interested in how the characters' locations inform their characters like Seward's. I'd like to know more about the implications of being from Purfleet/Essex for example (Though iirc Stoker immigrated from Dublin well into adulthood so I don't know how well he knew all the cities.)

there's so much to be said! i really don't think that stoker meant much intentionally, but the placement of the asylum in purfleet specifically is interesting.

long post so i'm cutting this!

the asylum at purfleet, essex, is an example of the common 19th-early 20th century phenomenon of establishing psychiactric hospitals in the rural counties surrounding london - simultaneously serving as a 'tranquil' location away from the city, while also serving the dubious, cruel purpose of squirelling away would-be patients into residences away from the city - out of society, out of sight, out of mind.

in terms of jack seward himself, purfleet is a kind of an in-between, nothing place - things and people pass through, not much stays. (there's a reason why whitby is remembered as 'the dracula place', and not purfleet.) it's quite literally on the edge of london - of society - and in that scene where jack's looking despondently towards the sun setting west over london, his own isolation becomes palpable - from society and from the world as a whole. the endless, transient, liminal feel of the essex saltmarshes just....gives the vibe. this was a scene that felt particularly gothic to me - jack is the custodian of his very own haunted house, here, in all its bleak, isolated glory.

It was a shock to me to turn from the wonderful smoky beauty of a sunset over London, with its lurid lights and inky shadows and all the marvellous tints that come on foul clouds even as on foul water, and to realise all the grim sternness of my own cold stone building, with its wealth of breathing misery, and my own desolate heart to endure it all.

this is an fascinating parallel with the count's situation in transylvania, which is NOT the topic du jour here so i'll stop before i ramble but compelling nonetheless! like the count, though, he's a liminal figure - in london, but not quite in london. in the group, but not in the group. alive, but not really living. wide awake in the witching hour, unsure how to re-integrate with society.

it's also worth noting that the opening of dickens' great expectations has pip in his childhood home on the kent marshes - which would pretty much be the opposite bank of the thames from purfleet. in great expectations, pip's village serves a similar role - the quiet, bleak, nowhere-place directly placed against the bustling cosmopolis of london.

in terms of other characters and locations, i've written a bit before about jonathan (and mina possibly) hailing from exeter, devon, in the south west of england - which is much further from london.

jonathan and mina, in terms of the group dynamics, are outsiders: they're very much lower middle class, hyper-aware of the importance of money and societal etiquette as a means for survival and social betterment. this is a personal hc of mine, but i like to think of jonathan as having the long supressed remnants of a devon accent. south west accents are often the subject of a lot of ridicule and mockery in the UK (akin to a southern US accent) and hiding that regionalism, in both the 1890s and today's britain, would be a means of survival and progress for him - i think the fact that he's always given a standard home counties RP accent in adaptations cuts out a major aspect of his character. he's a devon boy!

in contrast to all this, lucy's hampstead residence shows her affluence. it, too, at risk of breaking my social isolation metaphor, was on the edge of london at the time - but was known more as a wealthy suburb with huge areas of greenery at hampstead heath and highgate. there's something to be said, though, about a place like highgate cemetery - a liminal place between the dead and the living, between city and country, haunted at night by a vampire - and the same could be said for purfleet.

arthur is hard to pin down - for the life of me i CANNOT work out where 'ring' is supposed to be - at first i thought it might be a shortening for ringwood, hampshire, which could work! but i just don't know. his character does scream privileged southern/home counties though, and if anyone has any followups on 'ring' and its wherabouts i would LOVE to know because this has been bugging me for ages. lmao

tl;dr, psychology and sociology as informed by place is SO fucking fascinating to me like it just. it affects so much. from the liminality of certain places lending themselves to the supernatural, to characters being mirrored by their surroundings and vice versa, to the social implications of where you call home. it's just!!! interesting!!

#cw ableism #dracula #dracula daily #this is my disorganised magnum opus i wrote so much and deleted half bc it goes off-topic but there's so much..... #i grew up near the fringes of london myself and there's a certain transience to that kind of hinterland which i think you get w/ any city #my own personal hc for jack seward is that he was brought up in an isolated seaside town (harwich‚ maybe?) and went to university in london #before continuing his education in amsterdam #also i like that harwich has a DIRECT ship route to the netherlands....thinking.....thoughts.. #while writing this i was doing some research and now i have many seward hometown thoughts god. #[points to a puddle in a saltmarsh] this is jack seward. to me

[cornyonmains]

Finished The Eclipse. I honestly feel like I had the right instinct to tune it out the first time, but I do think it's interesting in that you can really see the baby steps GMMTV was taking to grow up a little bit.

You can really look at The Eclipse and see a show where it's clear GMMTV really diminished its potential with a lot of its own standards, and to their credit, I think they stood back and took a hard enough look at it, the BL environment in general, and how absolutely hard fans were calling out their bullshit and decided to get real with Only Friends.

The Only Friends cast is heavily indicative of this being the case. GMMTV was gunning for elevated talent that knew how to play ball, and Neo, First, and Khao were all shining stars in The Eclipse, that blasted their scene partners out of the water. Force and Book are intensely unique, as they've always been shafted with bad scripts and sexually repressed directors, despite the fact they came into the game with a lot more professionalism and comfort with the material they were handling. The director didn't wind up sobbing in the corner because they refused to move their mouths when they kissed. They're also a much more 'modern' ship, that doesn't default on yaoi contrasts and that weird seme/uke binary. After the success of KinnPorsche, and popularity of MileApo, I think GMMTV finally saw the potential in this pairing. About time.

But the casting is very indicative of GMMTV kind of telling fans, "We've been listening, we hear you, and we're making changes." Only Friends corrects a lot of complaints the fandom has been having.

Adults, for example, don't have much in this genre. Part of the reason The Eclipse fell short for me is it's just another damn coming of age drama. Great for the baby gays, but the adults are over it. GMMTV gave us Neo eating Mark's ass like groceries then getting godless with Force in the backseat of a car, and I'll live 10 years on that alone.

The plot contrivances they have to cook up to keep everyone from doing anything but doing a cutaway kiss with no tongue in the final episode is no more, people are fucking nasty, so now there's room for actual plot, which is hilariously ironic. But also, it's not, because I mean the desire women have for horny softcore erotica with good plots and high production value is not unknown.

Queer women and bisexuals have been complaining about a lack of representation. At the core of these yaoi tropes is a world where bisexuality has no meaningful distinction from being gay, which is really annoying, because bisexuals have a much different experience in the queer community, and that's not reflected in a world where X amount of interpersonal communication can magically turn anyone gay. Queer women just don't exist in BL. Women are all straight virgins trying to steal your man. Only Friends has lesbians. Actual FDA approved lesbians. Are they fucking nasty? No, but it's something. We are allowed to exist in the world of Only Friends and that's HUGE.

People have been complaining about the cringe. Only Friends removed that and replaced it rage provoking stupidity by the characters, and I approve of that.

Anyways, analysis is what I do for a living. TV is well within the ballpark. So while I'm only basing my thoughts on what I've observed and not cold hard numbers, there's only so much insight I can provide, but it's insight backed by years of experience. With Only Friends posting absolute numbers, we can expect to see some structural changes at GMMTV on the horizon, because this is going to create growth. Probably even stimulate a search for new actors to get on their roster, since they have a lot of actors that won't be able to deliver going into the new era. I also think this is going to help them land sponsorships from atypical brands, which is BIG. Mile getting Maserati on board for KinnPorsche is part of what allowed it to exist in an elevated form.

I also think the success is going to result in a shake-up with the quality of writers they hire, because that's at the core of a lot of issues in BL. They adapt these novels from these absolutely unhinged lunatics, these lunatics have WAY too much creative power despite the fact they're low brow porn writers, and it kills the quality of a finished product. America doesn't do that. Directors have the power to elevate material, and that's important. GMMTV got a proper writer for Only Friends, and it paid off in a big way. Mame is one of the names I hate in BL the most. Her goo-goo gaga shit is creepy, I hate it, it makes queer people look bad, and I'm hoping writers like Jojo just drive her out of the scene.

Anyways, I'm going to end things here. I just wanted to share some random thoughts I had.

#Only Friends #Only Friends The series #ofts #The Eclipse #FirstKhao #ForceBook #NeoMark #thai bl #bl drama

[arceespinkgun]

One thing I've been fascinated by in the G1 Marvel comics (especially the UK, future stories) is the dynamic between Rodimus and Kup—in the cartoon, they were together for most of the movie but then only interacted a little in the rest of season 3. Kup being a supportive mentor to Rodimus was still a thing, but I don't feel like it got to shine much.

In the comics, by contrast, they're inseparable! I feel like Kup's role as a mentor is de-emphasized since they met when Hot Rod was already a soldier under Fortress Maximus's command, and then Kup joined the troop himself, but they're very close comrades. I really liked Kup's spotlight issue that showed their first meeting—it revealed that old, shell-shocked Autobots used to drift out in space to die as not to burden the rest of the forces (!) and Kup was in this position until Hot Rod needed rescuing. Hot Rod's brashness and desire to do good sparked something in Kup because he was reminded of his younger self. In a way, they saved each other?

There's a comic in one of the annuals that I really think showcases their relationship well. Hot Rod's told that Kup's going to transport a tape containing the secrets of Autobot City's construction, and that Hot Rod needs to stay back at the Ark on guard duty no matter what. But when he sees Kup getting beaten up by the Stunticons on a monitor, Hot Rod goes against orders to save Kup and gets beaten up instead, and the tape gets taken by the Decepticons. Then this happens:

But... there's a lot more to this, too. Huge spoilers ahead: in one really memorable future story, Rodimus has to seal Unicron away inside of the Matrix. But that means Unicron keeps attempting to corrupt him from the inside. Eventually, this comes to a head when Rodimus despairs enough that Unicron is able to take over and start slaughtering the other Autobots. Kup can't bear to fire upon Rodimus with a blaster set to anything but "stun," but as Arcee keeps pointing out, there might be no other way to stop the slaughter than to use lethal force.

This hesitation is a huge departure from how Kup usually is. In fact, in an earlier issue, Galvatron tries to bait Rodimus into losing control of himself and Kup encourages Rodimus to do it—Arcee is the one who has to talk Rodimus down! In another story, Kup demands that Optimus kill Ratchet because Ratchet and Megatron have been fused together—Kup is very much a hypocrite, and I think that's really strong writing. It shows how important Rodimus must be to him.

That being said, Kup is right to think Rodimus is still in there somewhere. Rodimus was still in the Matrix, fighting against Unicron... but when Kup realizes this fight has something to do with the Matrix, he rips it out of Rodimus in order to save him.

This means Rodimus's chance to destroy Unicron once and for all was lost. And about 500 years in the future, the fact that Unicron is still inside Rodimus causes the corrupting influence to remain, eventually even turning Rodimus's student to the side of evil and potentially dooming the entire transformer race. Rodimus seems to be left friendless and alone, either ill or dying.

So Kup's love for Rodimus both may have doomed him to a lonely death and have caused the demise of all transformers. If that's not tragic, I don't know what is!

#transformers g1 #transformers marvel #Kup #Hot Rod #Rodimus Prime #I really liked Arcee Kup and Rodimus as a trio too they play off each other really well #my analysis #long post #maccadam

[sussex-newswire]

"This huge display of love and support for the Duke is a stark contrast to the well-documented way that the British press has treated him and his wife, Meghan Markle, in recent years — not to mention the reported issues between him and his brother.

"As a result, people were left feeling pretty emotional by the whole thing and took to social media to share their reaction.

"One person quoted part of Charles’s oration from Diana’s funeral, where he promised his sister: 'I pledge that we, your blood family, will do all we can to continue the imaginative way in which you were steering these two exceptional young men so that their souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition but can sing openly as you planned.'

...

"This struck a chord with people and quickly racked up thousands of likes and retweets, with one person writing: 'Brought tears to my eyes knowing that #GoodKingHarry is well supported by his mother's family!'

"'The Spencers are H & M's family, too. I was so happy to see them there today. I'm still smiling about it,' another wrote. 'I remember so well Charles Spencer speech in W.A. that day. A man who has kept his promise and family in the Spencers H can rely on.'

"'There is something incredibly beautiful about Princess Diana’s family showing up for Harry today,' somebody else tweeted. 'He is still loved and supported by so many. He still has family who uplift and adore him.'"

#prince harry #charles spencer

[grimogretricks]

JKR has ruined things in my country

TW/CW: Transphobia, homophobia, Scotland and the UK being a transphobic hell hole right now. Brief mention of sexual assault.  Also this is a depressing rant.  

 JKR has ruined things in my country.

 That sounds pretty hyperbolic, but, it's, surreally, unfortunately probably true.

 The SNP's Nicola Sturgeon has long been one of the few UK politicians who could provide an articulate, progressive, well argued voice in support of important left leaning principles against a prevailing right wing tide. In complete contrast to the total mealy mouthed nonsense spouted by the likes of the labour leader, who's afraid to stand up for anything at all lest he do a poor job of pandering enough to tory ideas to get voted in. She's the closest thing the UK has had to an opposition to tory principles, standing up for worker's rights, equality and the NHS.

 And now, she's resigned. And regardless of what she says, I do believe it's because of the rampant transphobia stirred up by JKR, who personally made Scotland's gender reform bill an ignition point for anti-trans hate in the UK. Transphobia from the media, transphobia stirred up in her OWN party, transphobia from all sides, is causing rifts and schisms due to the deeply morally regressive panic JKR gave so much voice to.  

 Now Nicola Sturgeon has resigned, and it's like a mask has fallen off the SNP. What had seemed to be a progressive party, with commitment to LGBT rights and equality, now shows itself as riddled with transphobia and homophobia. Because among those slated to replace here, there are.. a right wing religious lunatic who doesn't believe in gay marriage, and a woman who supported 'Alba' - which was Alex Salmond's transphobic, Russia pandering party (the ex SNP leader, a man who could not be left alone with women without sexually harassing and groping them). Granted, there is also Humza Yousaf, who is pro-LGBT rights, and hopefully will become our leader, but that these people even exist in the party, let alone want to become the leader, is alarming in itself.  

 It was fun for five minutes to think that maybe transgender rights would split the UK  but what's this fuss from the media against Nicola Sturgeon has  actually done is removed one of the last progressive and articulate voices in British politics willing to actually call the tories out on their bullshit. And now this has also created articles saying things like 'maybe joining with the greens and trying to be progressive about trans rights was a mistake from the SNP as trans rights aren't popular'.

 Apparently, it's not worth sticking up for Scotland's own ability to put bills into place in its own country and stopping Sunak from trying to block our reforms if it's about transgender rights.

 It's despair inducing, that fighting for trans rights has been made into such a divisive issue, and genuinely, that JKR has actually been at the forefront of a massive wave of senseless and cruel moral panic that is diverting people in Britain away from actually caring about actual massive, huge problems in the UK. Like people dying due to NHS waiting times, like the massive inflation, like the unprecedented cost of living increase, like tories actually proposing further reducing our human rights, our rights to protest, and worker's rights, and various disasterous consequences of Brexit. Things are DIRE right now, and hating transgender people has been whipped up into a fury not solely by JKR, but SHE made this gender bill into an ignition point for UK anti-trans hate.

 The tories meanwhile, are loving this massive diversion in attention, especially since to 'fix' it requires that they do literally nothing except get in the way of further progress. They found a way to curb Scotland's right to determine their own bills without upsetting the majority of Scots by counting on people to be transphobic, and it worked.

#jkr #jk rowling #trans rights #SNP #Scotland #Nicola Sturgeon #transphobia #homophobia #UK politics

[houseofbrat]

1 of 2: I wonder what will happen with the Charles/Camilla hating contingent when Charles shows his balls at his coronation and doesn't hand over the keys to the Commonwealth or anything else of value to his son and his wife. That not everything is a PR move. That Camilla is his freaking queen and will people respect that, please? That Bermuda's government diss and showing a bunch of well-wishers behind a chainlink fence is NOT due to Charles or Camilla, but to a failure of W&K's advance team.

2/2 Remember the begrudging acknowledgment that Charles didn't screw up the Queen's funeral. That the Jubilee went off without a hitch. Do people think a woman suffering from bone cancer was behind all that planning? That Charles is stupid (I've just read this). The cash grab for charities is, of course, an issue, but what I've read over the last week has me thinking that there should now be a name for the Charles haters because this level of delusional vitriol is now similar to Markle's sugars.

Yup!

What gets me about the Cambridges'/Waleses' Caribbean tour last year is that it wasn't really that bad. Yet certain hardcore fans/stans acted as if the UK press reaction was reality, which therefore could only have been the fault of Charles & everyone working at Clarence House.

I'd give that tour grades like this: Belize A-, Bermuda Jamaica B, Bahamas A. Overall tour B+.

My only gripe with Belize was that the first planned stop was cancelled due to a small protest. I don't think it was ever confirmed who made the cancellation decision. If it was the government of Belize, then I'd raise them up to an A.

But that Bermuda photo with the chain link fence? OMG. That photo is such a huge pr fail. It can be brought out to haunt them for the rest of their lives. It doesn't matter that the people on both sides of the fence are happy with smiling faces. It's not a good look. And no one working for KP took the time to move Will & Kate away from the fence! The 2019 Pakistan tour was a smashing success! Did everyone from that tour quit before spring 2022? The contrast is just gobsmacking.

But back to the crazy stans. I don't know what to call them. It seems clear to me that they cannot handle anyone else being treated favorably other than their faves. As if it should only be legal to fawn over Will & Kate, never the current King & Queen of the UK.

It's why I posted that reddit comment about Kate & Pippa being friends with Camilla's daughter, Laura. I read that comment when it was posted a couple of months ago. (Didn't bookmark it but I had to search forever to find it yesterday.) That comment explains so much. Laura is close in age to Kate, and both ran in the same friend circles. It's not surprising that they would be friends. It easily explains why Kate and Camilla get along so well. Kate was friends with Laura. Laura is only four years older than Kate, so not a huge age difference there. But Laura has worked as an art curator. Kate has her degree in art history. They have common interests!

Kate and Laura are adults and act like it. Some of Kate's crazy stans...not so much.

#ask #charles haters #camilla haters #crazy cambridge stans #palace household #palace officials #reddit

[randomvarious]

2 Unlimited - "Get Ready for This" 1991 Eurodance / Eurohouse / House

Yuuuuup. Outside of that nutty megamix that was literally called "The Jock Jam" that fused together pieces of, like, 30 jock jams in total, this 1991 debut single from Belgian-Dutch dance project 2 Unlimited is the king jock jam of all other jock jams. And what I've always found to be most baffling about this group in particular is that, despite them being maybe the most overplayed act in US history–thanks to their permanent residency on sports arena playlists for about three decades now—most Americans would never be able to recognize either member of 2 Unlimited if they saw them in public. And that's really kind of wild to think about, considering the fact that, basically since Elvis, the music industry has operated on this truism that you will always need a face to sell the music. But in the case of this group that was easily one of the single-most popular in the world during the early-to-mid-90s, that standard clearly didn't fully apply to 2 Unlimited in the US.

But it's not that they ever wanted it that way. It's just that MTV was very averse to letting dance music bleed out of their niche programming into their regular video rotations. So, when this song was out, the only place on TV that you really could've caught the video for it was on MTV's own Club MTV show.

So, with that in mind, over the next handful of days, I wanna revisit a bunch of the music videos that 2 Unlimited put out when they were huge, since Americans were hardly ever exposed to them in the first place. You don't have to love their music—not even I will ever cop to that much—but a lot of their videos were cool and fun, and each one was really a vibe unto itself.

But first, some good 2 Unlimited history!

2 Unlimited started as a partnership in 1991 between a pair of Belgian guys named Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul de Coster. In '89, they released a couple dance hits as Bizz Nizz that were particularly popular in the UK: "We're Gonna Catch You" and "Don't Miss the Party Line." But no amount of listening to those hits could've prepared you for what they would unleash just a couple years later as 2 Unlimited, with "Get Ready for This."

This silly raver banged against European club walls in 1991, as it catchily cycled through happily revved-up string synths and acid-dotted comedowns. And you could have some fun in attempting to replicate its lead melody too, by repeatedly scratching your nails across your very own beautifully multi-colored 90s nylon tracksuit, because that's what it kind of sounded like 😅.

But as 2 Unlimited at that point was only just a couple producers, outside of a pair of samples, including that of rapper The D.O.C.'s "It's Funky Enough" to get the iconic "y'all ready for this" line, the original version of this Euro-club hit was just an instrumental. And Wilde and de Coster knew that if they wanted to be a more popular act, and succeed in America, they would need to recruit a vocalist. So, they enlisted someone that they'd already had a relationship with: a Dutch MC named Ray Slijngaard, who had performed on a Bizz Nizz track that ended up going unreleased.

And this is where the overall trajectory of 2 Unlimited both suddenly and drastically changed. Wilde and de Coster gave Ray a tape of "Get Ready for This" for him to rap over, and when he came back to them with the finished product, there was unexpectedly a woman named Anita Doth singing on it too. And the contrasting dynamic between Ray's intense and inane Euro-rapping, and Anita's soothing singing that managed to relieve all the residual tension that he had built up, showed Wilde and de Coster a vision from Ray that they hadn't seemed to seriously entertain before: that 2 Unlimited could have more than one star vocalist; and they could also be of different genders.

And that moment is when the floodgates opened. This new vocal version of "Get Ready for This" would make its way Stateside, and by September of 1992, it would finally enter the Billboard Hot 100. Then, the following month, its corresponding album, Get Ready, would reach its peak position on the Billboard 200 at the 197th spot, which is definitely very low, but through the years, as countless Americans would continuously be exposed to "Get Ready for This" by way of their local tastemaking sports arena playlist compiler, the album would eventually achieve gold status, and the single would reach its #38 peak by April of 1995 as well. And perhaps the song's biggest point of American pride: it also served as the anchor track to open that aforementioned "Jock Jam" megamix!

So, now the video, which was a pretty electric one, as the cameraperson kept employing frantic and jostling zoom-ins and zoom-outs that transmitted a feeling of chaos while Ray and Anita danced and took turns playing the nearby synthesizer. And I'm also not sure exactly how 2 Unlimited became a fixture of seemingly every sports arena in the US, but maybe the very weird Los Angeles Kings visor that Ray was rocking here encouraged it. You have to remember that, because Wayne Gretzky was on the team, the Kings were one of hockey's biggest spectacles back then, and maybe Ray's donning of that...hat...was 2 Unlimited's way of trying to get the NHL's attention? 🤔

Anyway, the number of times that I've heard at least a snippet of "Get Ready for This" in my lifetime probably numbers somewhere in the quadruple digits by now, so, naturally, at this point, I've become pretty unflinchingly numb to it; but watching this music video for it really has me hype for this song in a way that I haven't been in an extremely long time, which should tell you just how enjoyable it is! 🤩

Yeah!

More fun videos here.

#eurodance #euro dance #dance #dance music #eurohouse #euro house #house #house music #electronic #electronic music #music #90s #90s music #90's #90's music #Youtube

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Inside William’s Next Act: Tatler’s May issue goes behind the scenes as the Prince of Wales is rising above the noise — and playing the long game

The burden of leadership is falling upon Prince William, but as former BBC Royal Correspondent, Wesley Kerr OBE, explains in Tatler’s May cover story, the future king is taking charge

By Wesley Kerr OBE

21 March 2024

When I first met Prince William in 2009, he asked me if I could tell him how he could win the National Lottery.

It was a jokey quip from someone who has since become the Prince of Wales, the holder of three dukedoms, three earldoms, two baronies and two knighthoods, and heir to the most prestigious throne on earth.

He was, of course, being relatable; I was representing the organisation that had allocated Lottery funding towards the Whitechapel Gallery and he wanted to put me at ease.

William is grand but different, royal but real.

At 6ft 3in, he has the bearing and looks great in uniform after a distinguished, gallant military career.

He will be one of the tallest of Britain’s kings since Edward Longshanks in the 14th century and should one day be crowned sitting above the Stone of Scone that Edward ‘borrowed.’

William, by contrast, has a deep affinity with Scotland and Wales, having lived in both nations and gained solace from the Scottish landscape after his mother died.

He’s popular in America and understands that the Crown’s relationship to the Commonwealth must evolve.

The Prince of Wales has long believed that ‘the Royal Family has to modernise and develop as it goes along, and it has to stay relevant’, as he once said in an interview.

He seeks his own way of being relatable, of benefitting everybody, in the context of an ancient institution undergoing significant challenge and upheaval, as the head of a nation divided by hard times, conflicts abroad, and social and political uncertainty.

We might recognise Shakespeare’s powerful line spoken by Claudius in Hamlet: ‘When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.’

With the triple announcement in January and February of the Princess of Wales’s abdominal surgery and long convalescence, of King Charles’s prostate procedure and then of his cancer diagnosis, the burden of leadership has fallen on 76-year-old Queen Camilla and, crucially, on William.

The Prince of Wales’s time has come to step up; and so he has deftly done.

In recent months, we have seen a fully-fledged deputy head of state putting into practice his long-held ideas, speaking out on the most contentious issue of the day and taking direct action on homelessness.

Last June, he unveiled the multi-agency Homewards initiative with the huge aspiration of ending homelessness, backed with £3 million from his Foundation to spearhead action across the UK.

He is consolidating Heads Together, the long-standing campaign on mental health, and fundraises for charities like London’s Air Ambulance Charity.

He was, of course, once a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance services – a profession that had its downside: seeing people in extremis or at death’s door, he found himself ‘taking home people’s trauma, people’s sadness.’

Tom Cruise was a guest at the recent London’s Air Ambulance Charity fundraiser, William’s first gala event after Kate’s operation.

And more stardust followed when William showed that, even without his wife by his side, he could outclass any movie star at the Baftas.

There’s also his immense aim of helping to ‘repair the planet’ itself with his Earthshot Prize: five annual awards of £1 million for transformative environmental projects with worldwide application.

This project has a laser focus on biodiversity, better air quality, cleaner seas, reducing waste and combating climate change. Similar aims to his father; different means to achieve the goal.

On the issue which has caused huge convulsions – the Middle East conflict – William’s 20 February statement from Kensington Palace grabbed attention.

He said he was ‘deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October. Too many have been killed.’

There were criticisms – along the lines of ‘the late Queen would have never spoken out like this’ or ‘what right does he have to meddle in politics?’ – but it was hard to disagree with his carefully calibrated words.

His call for peace, the ‘desperate need’ for humanitarian aid, the return of the hostages.

The statement was approved by His Majesty’s Government, likely cleared with the King himself at Sandringham the previous weekend and also backed by the chief rabbi of Great Britain, Sir Ephraim Mirvis.

Indeed, William and Catherine had immediately spoken out on the horrors of 7 October.

William followed up the week after his Kensington Palace statement by visiting a synagogue and sending a ‘powerful message’, according to the chief rabbi, by meeting a Holocaust survivor and condemning anti-Semitism.

This is rooted in deep personal conviction following William’s 2018 visit to Israel and the West Bank, says Valentine Low, the distinguished author of Courtiers and The Times’s royal correspondent of 15 years, who was on that 2018 trip.

‘William was so moved by his visit to Israel and the West Bank, he found it very affecting, and he was not going to drop this issue – he was going to pay attention to it for the rest of his life,’ says Low.

‘He must feel that… not to say something on the most important issue in the world [at that moment] would be a bit odd if you feel so strongly about it.’

There was concern from some commentators about politicising the monarchy, but this rose above the particulars of party politics.

As Prince of Wales, like his father before him, there is perhaps space to speak out sparingly on carefully chosen issues.

On this occasion, his views were in line with majority public opinion.

On homelessness, news came that same week that William was planning to build 24 homes for the homeless on his Duchy of Cornwall estate.

‘William’s impact is very personal,’ says Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, a charity providing emergency accommodation for London’s homeless.

‘Two weeks before Christmas, the prince came to our Resource Centre in Victoria for a Christmas lunch for 150 people.

He was scheduled to stay for an hour, to help serve, wash up, and talk to people.

He ended up staying for two and a quarter hours, during which time he went from table to table and spoke to every single person.’

Clarke continues:

‘William has an ability to listen, talk and to put people at ease. During the November 2020 lockdown, he came on three separate occasions to help.

It gave the team a boost that he took the time; it was his way of saying: “I support you; you’re doing a great job.”’

Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint, one of the prince’s best-known causes, adds:

‘People associate his patronage with the big moments like the time he and I slept under Blackfriars Bridge.

The things that stick with me are smaller in scale and the more profound for it – in quieter moments, away from the cameras, where he has volunteered his time.’

It is a different approach from the King’s.

As Prince of Wales, he was involved in the minutiae of dozens of issues at any one time, working into the night to follow up on emails, crafting his speeches, writing or dictating notes.

Add to that much nationwide touring over 40 years (after he left active military service in 1976), fitting in multiple engagements, often being greeted formally by lord lieutenants.

This is not William’s style. He has commended his father’s model, but he does things his own way.

Although patronages are under review, William has up till now far fewer than either his father or his grandparents.

Charles is sympathetic to William’s approach and his desire to make time with his young family sacrosanct.

They are confidantes, attested by the night of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

They were both at Birkhall with Camilla, reviewing funeral arrangements while the rest of the grieving family were nearby at Balmoral, hosted by the Princess Royal.

Charles has had almost six decades in public life and is the senior statesman of our time, with even longer in the spotlight than Joe Biden.

After Eton and St Andrew’s University, where he met Catherine, William served in three branches of the military between 2006 and 2013, finishing as a seasoned and skilled helicopter rescue pilot.

His later employment as an air ambulance pilot stopped in 2017, when he became a full-time working royal.

At that time, not so long ago – with Harry unmarried, Andrew undisgraced, and Philip and Elizabeth still active – William shared the spotlight.

Now, after the King, he’s the key man.

He can look back on the success of his first big campaign initially launched with his wife and brother in 2016: Heads Together.

‘We are delighted that Prince William should have become such a positive and sympathetic advocate for mental health through his Heads Together initiative and now well-established text service, Shout, among other projects,’ says the longtime CEO and founder of Sane, the remarkable Marjorie Wallace CBE.

‘It is not always known that he follows in the footsteps of his father, the King, whose inspiration and vision were vital in the creation of our mental health charity Sane.

As founding patron, he was instrumental in establishing our 365-days-a-year helpline and was a remarkable and selfless support to me in setting up the Prince of Wales International Centre for Sane Research.’

'Indeed,' says Wallace, 'this is where Prince William echoes the work of his father, showing the same ‘understanding and compassion for people struggling through dark and difficult times of their lives and has done much to raise awareness and encourage those affected to speak out and seek help.

We owe a huge debt to His Majesty and the Prince of Wales for their involvement in this still-neglected area.’

Just as I saw all those years ago at that early solo engagement in Whitechapel, William still approaches his public duties with humour and fun.

‘He defuses the formality with jocularity,’ says Valentine Low, citing two public events in 2023 that he witnessed.

In April last year, while on a visit to Birmingham, William randomly answered the phone in an Indian restaurant he was being shown around and took a table booking from a customer – an endearing act of spontaneity.

On his arrival later that day, the unsuspecting diner was surprised to be told exactly whom he had been talking to.

In October, Low reported, William ‘unleashed his inner flirt as he hugged his way through a visit with Caribbean elders [in Cardiff] to mark Black History Month.

As he gave one woman a hug – for longer than she expected – he joked: “I draw the line at kissing.”

And while posing for a group photograph, he prompted gales of laughter when he quipped: “Who is pinching my bottom?”’

Low believes that when William eventually becomes king, he will be more ‘radical’ than his father but wonders if people will respond to ‘call me William’ when ‘the whole point of the Royal Family is mystique and being different.’

However, William has thought deeply about his current role and is prepared for whatever his future holds.

For now, there is a decision to be made on Prince George’s secondary schooling. It’s said that five public schools are being considered, all fee-paying.

Eton is single-sex and boarding but close to home. Marlborough (Catherine’s alma mater) is co-ed and full boarding. And Oundle, St Edward’s Oxford and Bradfield College (close to Kate’s parents) are co-ed with a mix of boarding and day.

As parents, William and Catherine aspire to raise their children ‘as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important’, William said in an interview with the BBC in 2016.

‘Within our family unit, we are a normal family.’ Which may be one reason why he is so resistant to their privacy being compromised either by the media or close family members.

The 19th-century author Walter Bagehot wrote:

‘A family on the throne is an interesting idea also. It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life… a princely marriage is the brilliant edition of a universal fact, and, as such, it rivets mankind.’

If hereditary monarchy is to survive, it must beguile us but also demonstrate its utility, that it is a force for good.

William said in that 2016 interview, ‘I’m going to get plenty of criticism over my lifetime,’ echoing Queen Elizabeth II’s famous Guildhall speech in 1992 ‘that criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.’

William saw close up his mother’s ability to bring public focus and her own personal magnetism to any subject or cause she focused on.

He admires his father’s work ethic, the way he ‘really digs down,’ sometimes literally (I understand that gardening is giving the King solace during his cancer treatment).

But the biggest influence for William was Her late Majesty, as he said on her 90th birthday.

As an Eton schoolboy, William made weekend visits to the big house on the hill, being mentored by Granny rather as she had been tutored in the Second World War by the then vice-provost of Eton, Sir Henry Marten.

William said in 2016:

‘In the Queen, I have an extraordinary example of somebody who’s done an enormous amount of good and she’s probably the best role model I could have.’

That said, his aim was ‘finding your own path but with very good examples and guidance around you to support you.'

Queen Elizabeth II had a brilliant way of rising above the fray and usually being either a step ahead of public opinion or in tune with it.

If you are at the helm of affairs in a privileged hereditary position, your duty is to serve and use your pulpit for the benefit of others.

In a democracy, monarchy is accountable.

The scrutiny is intense, with an army of commentators paid for wisdom and hot air about each no-show, parsing each announcement, interpreting each image.

William takes the long view. He has ‘wide horizons,’ says Mick Clarke.

‘There are so many causes that are more palatable and easier to achieve than ending homelessness, but his commitment and drive are 100 per cent.’

The prince seeks a different way of being royal in an ancient institution that must move with the times. His task? To develop something modern in an ever-changing world.

He faces all sorts of new issues – or old issues in new guises.

Noises off from within the family don’t help – Andrew’s difficulties, or the suggestions of prejudice from Montecito a couple of years ago (now seemingly withdrawn), which prompted William’s most vehement soundbite: ‘We’re very much not a racist family.’

William is maybe a new kind of leader who can keep the monarchy relevant and resonant in the coming decades.

Queen Elizabeth II is a powerful exemplar and memory, but she was of her time. William is his own man.

He must overcome and think beyond ‘the unforgiving minute.’

Indeed, he could seek inspiration in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, If.

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch[…]

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

This article was first published in the May 2024 issue, on sale Thursday, 28 March.

#Prince William #Prince of Wales #British Royal Family #Wesley Kerr OBE #Edward Longshanks #Homewards #Heads Together #London’s Air Ambulance Charity #East Anglian Air Ambulance #Tom Cruise #BAFTAS #Earthshot Prize #Kensington Palace #King Charles III #Sir Ephraim Mirvis #Valentine Low #Duchy of Cornwall estate #The Passage #Centrepoint #Birkhall #Sane #Marjorie Wallace CBE #Shout #Balmoral #Prince George #Walter Bagehot #Sir Henry Marten #Rudyard Kipling #If

[prettyoddfever]

do you think brendon was pretending to be straight in presplit yaers or is he pretending to be pan now?

Uhh ok. so I'm going to breeze past a whole lot of problems with this question and just skip right to explaining a few things...

I think most of us were well aware that Brendon wasn’t straight by 2008, but we weren’t really searching for a label… some fans thought he was gay & still figuring everything out, while others guessed that he was probably bisexual. It really wasn’t a big deal. We just knew that Brendon was definitely into both girls & guys nbd.

First of all, people didn’t talk about their sexuality as openly in 2007 as they do now. It usually wasn’t part of an identity that you put in your bio or whatever. (Things are totally different now, but I just want to add that not having a public label still doesn't make you any less valid. I completely relate to Brendon now on the “sure, you can call me pan if you need to” concept). The important point is that your sexuality wasn’t really a common or easy-to-discuss topic in the mid-2000s. So even IF Brendon never said a single thing about it or just focused on talking about liking girls in interviews, that still would've been a pretty normal approach.

But Brendon was unusually open about liking guys if you were paying attention. I’m not talking about how a lot of people online called him gay during the Fever era because he “carried himself like a girl,” did the stage gay stuff with Ryan just to make fans lose their shit, wore mostly girl’s clothes, or spontaneously broke into dances like this onstage. That is not "evidence." I’m talking about actual info that Brendon intentionally chose to convey to fans (btw this is super weird for me to look back as an adult and try to talk about how people were sexualizing an 18-year-old, so please keep in mind that I’m just like trying to outline the fandom and events here ok).

So the band’s first UK tour in late January 2006 was when I started to notice that a large amount of gay teens seemed to be in the fandom purely for Brendon (more specifically, for Brendon’s butt). There were absolutely stories of guys hitting on Brendon that season, but it mostly sounded like Brendon was just embarrassed & shy like usual with that kind of attention. Yes, he claimed he was straight in interviews in spring 2006 and we’d get gems like this Kerrang cover (the actual quote from Brendon was “I support it, but I’m not gay”):

I got the sense that many of those types of answers later that year were out of frustration with the assumption that the guys must be gay if they were defying gender stereotypes. For example, this October 2006 interview in Munich asked if the guys were gay because they wore makeup and Brendon answered “that’s probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” He seemed to have had enough of that kind of assumption at that point. However, Brendon was still comfortable giving answers like this one in August 2006 (he didn’t shut up about his love for Freddie Mercury from the start). 

Anyways, by summer 2006 there were some rumors about guys who’d approached Brendon and hadn’t been visibly turned down (I’m trying to stick with facts here and not get into rumors… but I think it’s worth noting that those types of rumors existed by that summer and that the rumors over the years didn’t reflect negatively on him in any way). And then on July 19th Brendon intentionally chose to wear this bandana out to greet a huge crowd of fans after the show. This picture became really popular along with a screenshot of the gay hanky code (which you can google on your own):

When the Pretty. Odd. era started in early 2008 Brendon was actually telling the occasional crowd that he was into guys. He struggled throughout that year to gain autonomy and regain some control onstage, so I was proud to see how he was able to defiantly make it clear that he liked guys at the final show of the Pretty. Odd. era. Here's a contrast I made a while ago of the same part of the show during the first and last tours of the Pretty. Odd. era just because I think the growth is neat:

He was also a lot more comfortable in interviews when the topic came up... like on this interview around July 10, 2008 he just laughed and basically said he’d seduce guys with the same song he picked to seduce girls:

I also thought it was interesting how in 2008 Spencer went out of his way to make a point in multiple print interviews that Brendon could be gay. He left space for that valid possibility and showed that Brendon would have his total support... but he also made it clear that he wasn’t going to say anything certain until Brendon did. This could've easily been because Spencer was just trying to voice his support for LGBTQ+ rights. Maybe I read too much into some comments at the time simply because Spencer seemed to be quietly watching out for Brendon in other ways that year and was often visibly tuned into how he was doing. I don't really want to project any motivation onto Spencer now so I'll just leave his determined silence here instead lol.

Anyways, this is by no means a comprehensive list. It’s just a few points that came to mind right now and I’m mainly focusing on stuff that Brendon chose to share with fans as he was figuring out life. He wasn’t hiding with those actions or statements. They were noteworthy for that time period, and the part of the fandom that paid attention to the irl band understood that Brendon was also into guys nbd.

[silent-sanctum]

as someone who lowkey studies how couple dynamics work both irl and in media, i find it slightly interesting how Araki wrote the OG 3's love lives (albeit not that developed or emphasized but still there) and how they mirror each other (at least for the first 2):

Jonathan and Erina: Both of them are the typical gentleman and lady couple you see in UK historical shows. The Princess and her White Knight. Both fit in the stereotype wherein the Jonathan is righteous and will do absolutely anything to protect his love, while Erina is the average sweet and healing wife who maintains this undying love for her husband even after his death.

Joseph and Suzie Q: This 2 define what a chaotic couple is. In contrast to the vanilla love story of the previous pair, they are spontaneous and outgoing with their love. Joseph being Joseph radiates chaotic dumbass energy and it works with his wife because Suzie's personality mirrors Joseph's- she's quirky, bubbly, a huge tease (as we can recall during that one episode where she spots the brain thing on his back). Both personalities bounce off each other well- one being loud and proud and the other quippy and snarky.

And now we enter the topic of Jotaro and his ex-wife (aka the part where i probably overanalyze and create possible headcanons on why this pair failed to stay together aside from the canon fact that he did it for their safety).

We all know Jotaro is a reserved individual who has a hard time with expressing himself and in day-to-day communication. He can't sugarcoat things and tends to prefer "not talk about it" when the issue becomes a big deal.

And based from the tiny bits of his wife we see in Stone Ocean, she isn't exactly quite bold and upfront as Joot was. Yes she called him countless times when Jolyne was in jail and was upset about it, but other than that, it was more desperation and frustration for him to come back rather than standing her ground as his equal.

I think the problem here was lack of communication and assertiveness from her side.

They couldn't mirror off of each other like the previous 2 did. She wasn't upfront and assertive as Jotaro. She wasn't a Stand user like Jotaro. She was too... simple and normal in comparison to Jotaro. And because she lacked that assertiveness that should place her as his equal, communication became lackluster and one-sided as she allowed him to distance himself from his family without knowing the full and actual reason why.

To be honest, i think the reason why they were together to begin with was maybe because Joot fell in love with her and accidentally got her pregnant with Jolyne in college without realizing that he wasn't fully prepared with the consequences that would come.

And instead of opening up about the stuff in his past or encouraging him to open up to her so she would be aware, she probably just stayed by his side, thinking that maybe by simply being there for him with his kid around was enough.

But we all know it wasn't.

Jotaro was scared of the things that would happen to his family, and with his wife not being able to read through him or understand him better, he silently grew distant and away from them with the excuse that he was simply busy with his marine biology work.

Hypothetical analysis aside, can you imagine what it would be like if Jotaro and his wife stayed together? Like she knew about his Stand job and Jolyne would grow up to not be so problematic.

Much to think about hmm hmm

#jotaro kujo #jolyne kujo #jojos bizarre adventure #stone ocean #mijin thoughts

[americangirlstar]

listen if the AG/Harry Potter collab is real (which it is unfortunately looking to be), it confuses me so much because... if they wanna crossover with popular kids’ media, Percy Jackson makes WAY more sense

The most important one is obviously that JKR is a huge bigot and Rick Riordan is not. but I’m going to assume you all know that so I’m gonna go into business reasons

Harry Potter is super irrelevant right now, the last movie flopped bad. In contrast, PJO still has books coming out via the Riordan Presents, AND is about to release a TV show on Disney+, one of the most popular streaming services run by a company that owns everything

HP outfits require four variations on everything. PJO would only require one t-shirt, maybe two if you want to add Camp Jupiter.

This is American Girl, taking place in the USA. Harry Potter takes place entirely in the UK and Percy Jackson takes place entirely in the US.

The Christian Moms™ hate HP more than Percy Jackson. My super conservative mom doesn’t know about PJO having queer people, but she wouldn’t let me read HP for years because “witchcraft.” PJO is also written by a Christian man, which is probably why it gets more slack in that community. Of course it has its own detractors but once again, less among this community than HP.

The only reason I can think of is that Mattel has the rights to sell Potter merch, but like. could they not just get the rights to sell the PJO shirts for dolls? There’s also other stuff Mattel owns they could cross over with that makes more sense, like She-Ra (stars women, takes place in fantasy world, diverse and popular), and... oh yeah, Disney. Mattel and Disney have a multi-year global liscencing agreement for several of their franchises, such as Disney Princess and Frozen, so like. it’s not like Disney WOULDNT trust Mattel to make CHB stuff

I just. don’t get it

#american girl #american girl dolls #american girls #anti jkr #anti harry potter #mine

[louisupdates]

Review: Louis Tomlinson Braves Texas Heat At ‘Faith In The Future Tour’ In Austin

PETER STAVROS | JULY 8, 2023

[📸 Mariana Garcia]

Louis Tomlinson said “I’m f-ing boiling, honestly I might pass out up here” as he prepared to give his audience, mainly composed of girls and women in their late teens and early 20s, another taste of nostalgia with a second song from his time in One Direction. Despite it being a scorching hot Texas summer night, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” was screamed, not sung, by the nearly sold out crowd at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin, Texas last night (July 7).

The difference in enthusiasm from the crowd between his solo songs and the ones from his time in the mega group was clear. ‘Night Changes,’ which he gave a brilliant rock twist, had a much better reaction than even his biggest solo single ‘Kill My Mind’ – a clear indication that the longing for a One Direction reunion remains intact.

Not selling his music short, Tomlinson stuck to mainly his own discography. Other than the two aforementioned 1D tracks and a cover of the Arctic Monkeys’ ‘505,’ his 23-song setlist was made up mostly of songs from his recent album Faith In The Future with a few fan-favorites from his debut Walls. The title-track from the latter being a highlight of the night as it showcased his crisp, well-controled vocals. He was never a strong singer when put next to the likes of Harry Styles and Zayn Malik, but Tomlinson’s voice has improved tremendously in comparison to when he first came to prominance on the X-Factor UK in the early 2010s.

Throughout the show, Tomlinson looked uncomfortable – perhaps the heat was getting to him; at one point, sweating profusely, he sat down mid-song to drink some water. Even though he is known to be a very charismatic dude, his stage prescence lacked a bit. The few times he did address the crowd though, his smile awakened and his humble-nice persona was present. “This is the best part of the job,” he said about being on stage in front of his fans who “allow him to make the music he wants to make.”

And sure enough, Tomlinson has strayed away from the mostly pop spectacle that One Direction was. He has leaned more on the Britpop meets punk rock sound while still maintaining his meaningful, personal lyricism. After all, he was known to be the One Direction members most-involved with the songwriting.

Before the show, music from bands like The Killers, Nirvana, and the Pixies rumbled on the speakers. His likeness for that type of music is clear, yet it still seems like he holds back sonically. It could be that he does not want to fully lose the pop-infused anthems that have his fanbase on a stronghold. But deep down, it feels like he wants to lean on the rock moments even more.

Songs like the angsty, euphoric “Out Of My System” and the more catchy “Face The Music” turned up the heat even more. Production-wise the show was impeccable. For a tour mainly hitting amphithetaers and larger theaters here in the United States, there was a lot happening behind the 31 year-old singer: moving set pieces, massive strobe lights, and pyro put a huge contrast on the show against his very casual pants, sneakers, and sleeveless tank outfit. His look manifesting that Louis is all about the music.

This latest outing is a big step up for the singer from Doncaster, England. Tomlinson might not be the biggest star in the world, but his following remains strong and loyal. The spotlight he puts on his real craft, which is the music, is what is most important. He has carved out a special place in music for himself and his live show is solid proof of it.

The Faith In The Future World Tour continues through the end of July with shows in North America before heading to Europe through November.

Show Score:

4/5

[This review is a music blog]

#louis press #louis tomlinson #fitfwt23: austin #7.7.2023

[sassyfrassboss]

The Harkles brand in the USA took a huge hit after the Jubilee. Instead if a rival court, the Jubilee showed the average American the full glory and history of the British Monarchy. If anything they saw the so call “American Princess” and her loser Prince publicly humiliated and ostracized. Instead they see the beginnings of the global stardom of the Cambridge kids. They see in contrast the very dutiful and attractive King and Queen to be in William and Kate. The Harkles are done!

I mean if they want, I am sure that they can enter a float in the Montecito 4th of July parade and Meghan can wave from a convertible.

H&M were not expecting the Camb kids and the adoration they have received from the UK public.

Their egos never expected to take a back seat to children.

[lgbtpolitics]

I'm not sure I even have any UK followers but it is imperative that people put pressure on the Labour Party specifically to show support to Palestine.

Labour are not in government. But their huge loss in 2019 was due in large part to Jeremy Corbyn's pro Palestine position (alongside Brexit). Labour are predicted to win the next election, this time with a leader who is adamantly pro Israel, who said Israel has the right to restrict water to Palestinians - and then said he didnt mean that but provided no clarity on what he meant, with himself and many spokespeople simply repeating "Israel has a right to defend itself" on a loop.

Labour is split on Israel and Palestine in a way that the Conservatives are not, several MPs support Palestinian freedom, coucillors have actually resigned since the latest wave of pro Israel statements from the leader. The votership is also split while Conservatives generally support Israel and even those who don't are as invested as Labour voters. We can see the effects of this in the leadership, Keir Starmer has at least given some lip service to civilians here and there and at least making certain points about what is happening to Palestinians specifically*. These things seem trivial but they're not; what they show is that the Labour Party know they are in a more precarious position on this issue than their counterparts.

Its worth noting though, that the Conservatives have also made some very small concessions to the notion that Israel might be in the wrong, for example Sunak making a big point of saying that he urged restraint when visiting Israel (to insist they have the UKs full support). This post is not saying "ease up on the Conservatives because its pointless".

If Keir Starmer wins a landslide - which he is likely to do - hot on the heels of everything he's done and said over the last few days, in contrast to the shocking loss in 2019, it sends a message clear as day that Labour voters and by extension the UK are largely pro Israel, that being pro Palestine is a much bigger vote killer than being pro Israel.

And before you say "Okay but vote for the lesser of two evils!" this is not about voting, the election is not even called yet, put the pressure on NOW, before deciding whether this would deter your vote, even if you've already decided, have been decided since you knew what voting was, don't let them be complacent, don't let them take you for granted.

*This is edited from what it said before, yes, mostly because it didn't make a lot of sense out of context and I didn't want to detract from the point by adding the relevant context, also there has been more than one occasion so a general point is arguably better.

#palestine #labour #uk #Conservative