#who ALSO has the added bonus on top of all that of being genuinely entertaining for bill to spend time with

[godsfavoritescientist]

when you and your brain demon have matching brain issues <3

#meme #billford #who needs romance who needs friendship these two only want: person who fuels their ego #so many thoughts can be summarized by this image #so much of their relationship prebetrayal can be summarized by this image. #people in the multiverse respect bill but they know he isnt literally a god #and people who know ford respect him but they dont tell him hes the greatest mind of this century #its not healthy for either one of them but they sure do love being endlessly told how special they are #once in a lifetime experience for both of them. ford being just barely young and naive enough to buy into bills lies #and bill *finally* coming across a human thats the perfect combination of gullible and able-to-build-a-functional-interdimensional-portal #who ALSO has the added bonus on top of all that of being genuinely entertaining for bill to spend time with #uh oh hubris alert #gods edits

[mahuhumaling]

why the entire bus stop sequence is one of my top 5 fav bbs scenes

EXT. BROKEN BUS STOP — NIGHT

preface: back when bad buddy was still airing up until episode 8, i had two favorite scenes so far and this from episode 3 was one of them. the reason for why this scene is so good is quite simple, unlike my other favorite scene.

here, it is easily digestible, and the back and forth between the actors is entertaining. it's important to understand the foundation of pat and pran's relationship.

pran is so right. as a fellow creative, it's so hard to be one. and people who work on technical fields won't understand firsthand how the minds of creatives function, especially an aspiring architect like pran because the design has to be practical, clean, right, feasible, and appealing. all aspects of aesthetics and functionality are considered.

clearly, pran is in a bit of a creative slump, and someone with a fresh mindset can help.

they do, however, sneak in a bit more depth at how these two feel about each other, rather than act around each other, but it's still a glimpse. a taste test, if you will. the moment passes by and finishes immediately. pran tries to protect himself and his feelings, while pat breaks down a layer of wall.

ohm does a such a good job with his facial expression: wincing at the cold answer. pat's smart, he probably has an idea that it's the usual snarky pran comment, but pat's still clearly hurt.

this small exchange ends, and we go back to banter. it's very representative of the show as a whole. it refuses to dwell on the heaviness of drama, and immediately gives it audience levity without undermining that it can get serious sometimes.

(not gonna lie, i cried a little seeing pran so in his element and pat being secretly happy for giving him motivation. the sneaking glances.)

so after pat helping pran for the nth time by allowing him to organically come up with the bus stop's design and not force him just like how he folded the poster of the project pitch grant into a paper airplane + one oishi ad later,

we get this. (also i see you nanon, you really moved a little bit so your blocking is v-shaped. you're not slick.)

this is what cemented the scene for me and made it one of my favorites: just six lines of dialogue.

"Do you like it? // The new bus stop." "I do. // I'm just not sure they will do too." "They will. // Because I do."

this original commentary was literally from december 2021 so some time has passed and a lot more facts sprung from this dialogue, namely the translation of it being "do you like [dot dot dot]? the new bus stop?" being a double meaning to pat asking if pran likes him, why there's a pause, and that's great of course, and we understand why pran always feels so apprehensive around pat when he says flirty shit like that lmao.

but the moment right after, the look pran gives pat when pat says "because i do" is so emphasized and knowing and that's why i zeroed in on it. this is my interpretation:

at first, i was slightly reserved with "they will because i do" particularly; i felt like it could've been better if pat said that it didn't matter if others didn't like it as long as pran likes his own work (and that it works obviously),

but i realized that that is not what pran needed to hear at that moment.

aside from the romantic context that pat believes in pran when no one else will (ahem his shit ungrateful friends making him carry most of the work when they broke the bus stop ahem) and it's genuinely a really sweet thing to say, it also eases pran's doubts. we know pran is a neurotic person, so i'm sure validation from someone (bonus if it's from your crush) is something he values a lot.

also: pat's absolute, genuine sincerity.

no games. no funny business. no pretenses.

pran finally looks at pat without the stern facade and coldness, and for once he lets go. he accepts that warm feeling rushing back.

[x.]

MY TOP 5 FAVORITE BAD BUDDY SCENES

(In no actual order)

3 - Broken Bus Stop Redesigning

5 - Fight in the Dorm Parking Lot

10 - Pran Sings "Our Song" Draft

10 - InkPa in the Darkroom

12 - Dissaya Watches Ming

#bad buddy #bad buddy series #bbs #bad buddy the series #uranus #commentary #patpran #pran parakul #parakul siridechawat #pat napat #napat jindapat

[emmabirb8]

Regarding Lucifer

I have a dumb, random question for the Megamind fandom. Have you guys ever watched Lucifer? If not, I think you'd really enjoy it. I just recently finished the available seasons and immediately regretted not having watched it sooner. It's insanely good!! 

Lucifer is based on a character from the DC/Vertigo comic series The Sandman, which is written by Neil Gaiman who ALSO happens to have co-written (with Terry Pratchett of course) the novel on which Good Omens is based, and I KNOW some of you Megamind fans are into Good Omens. (I personally haven’t watched it quite yet, but I plan to, and I know I’ll enjoy it.) Gaiman is not the showrunner or writer of Lucifer like he is with Good Omens, but from what I’ve seen, both are similar shows in terms of themes, subject matter, characters, etc.

Before I get into the Megamind-related bit, I gotta take a minute to plug Lucifer. :P 

So, being named Lucifer, the main character of the show is, logically, the Devil. Now, I know that might sound off-putting, especially if you're religious, but I promise the way the show goes about storytelling makes it just the opposite. 

It's very much a fantasy story that takes ideas from Abrahamic religions and shapes them into a mythological mishmash that totally challenges any previous ideas you might've had about the subject matter. It's fascinating! Lucifer himself comes off more like a Hades figure rather than… well, Satan lol. 

It's mostly... cop drama meets comedy meets mythology/religious ideas and characters and it's just overall a really fun time. Oh, and there are a lot of fantastic female characters and characters of color, so that's an added bonus as well. It’s kind of unexpected coming from a show about Satan, but it's such a welcome breath of fresh air.

The reason I'm bringing it to the attention of Megamind fans in particular (besides the fact that it’s similar to Good Omens and has its origins in Neil Gaiman) is because there are SO MANY similarities between the main character, Lucifer, and Megamind. I totally wasn't expecting that when I went into it, but I was delightfully pleased when I made the connection.

Just off the top of my head, both Megamind and Lucifer:

are not human

are bisexual

were forced into the designated roles of "villains" or "bad guys" of their stories, though neither of them is actually evil (quite the contrary - both of them care about right and wrong more than most)

put on elaborate facades in public to hide their true selves and because they love the Presentation™️

struggle with finding their purpose in life and who they truly are/who they’re truly meant to be

tend to be judged harshly by the people around them

struggle with self-worth issues and deal with strong senses of self-hatred  (believe themselves to be no good monsters)

fall in love with headstrong, passionate women with strong moral values who are able to see who they truly are on the inside and who love them back for who they truly are

call the women they're in love with by titles rather than first names ("Miss Ritchi" and "Detective" respectfully)

constantly banter back and forth with said women

have risked their lives to protect said women

act as though these women would automatically be attracted to them because they're just so handsome but in reality, they don't think of themselves as remotely genuinely desirable (in Lucifer’s case, anything on a deeper emotional level beyond the quick sex flings he has), and are honestly flabbergasted at the idea that they deserve to be loved authentically

And that's the other main reason I've grown so fond of the show. Lucifer and Chloe are practically a mirror image of Megamind and Roxanne. It's uncanny, really. Take a look at this scene from season 1 of Lucifer and tell me it's not eerily similar to the "Temptress" scene from Megamind.

Also this: 

I mean… right?!

Besides that, it's just an incredibly entertaining, complex, and emotionally intense show, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something wild and different to watch. 

Something I personally love about it is the fact that it places the blame for humanity’s sins solely on the humans themselves. This really struck a chord with me because in real life, people scapegoat far too often. Blaming “The Devil” or any other entity for your own wrongdoings is just an excuse to absolve yourself of your sins without having to face the reality that you have the free will to choose your actions, and you are choosing to do evil things. It’s certain people, NOT the Devil, who cause suffering in others, and those people need to own up to their actions and face consequences accordingly. This show fully embraces that ideology.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the soundtrack! This show has hands down the BEST soundtrack of any show I've ever seen. It adds a whole extra layer of awesome to it. :D

It originally aired on Fox, but the bastards cancelled it (of course). It would've stayed dead if it weren't for all the avid, determined fans who campaigned for its return, and it was (thank God! or perhaps Satan? ;P) picked up by Netflix who produced a fourth season. A fifth (and supposed final) season will be released later this year. 

Seriously y'all, give it a chance if you haven't yet. It's so worth it. 

(And Lucifer fans, give Megamind a watch. It does not disappoint. ^^)

#lucifer #lucifer on netflix #megamind fandom #megamind #lucifans #neil gaiman #lucifer and megamind #the bad guy characters #my posts #i'm so sorry this post is so long i always write essays when i post shit

[burnouts3s3]

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: The Complete First Season, a review

https://amzn.to/2UK8uye

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.)

Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry!

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): 12 USD.

Digital Copy (MSRP): 20 USD

How much I paid: 33 USD for both the digital and physical copy (This was when the physical copy cost more).

Animation Studio: David Productions

Licensed and Localized by: Viz Media  

Audio: Japanese Audio with Subtitles and English Dub available.  

English Cast: Johnny Yong Bosch as Jonathan Joestar, Michelle Ruff as Erina, Patrick Seitz as Dio Brando, Ben Diskin as Joseph Joestar, Wendee Lee as Lisa Lisa, Stephanie Sheh as Suzie Q.

Number of Episodes: 26 Episodes

Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song.

Number of Discs: 3 DVD Discs in Total.  

Episodes per Disc: Episodes 1 through 9 on Disc one. Episodes 10 through 19 on Disc two. Episodes 20 through 26 on Disc Three.

Also on: Amazon Video and Crunchyroll, a free streaming service with ads.

Bonus Features: Textless Openings, Textless Ending and Trailers for other Licensed Shows.

Notable Localization Changes: Because Parts 1 and 2 are set in early parts of Britain and America, the characters all adopt thick British accents, particularly Jonathan, Erina and Joseph.

My Personal Biases: I didn’t have any experience with the Jojo Franchise until I came across JStars Victory Vs.

My Verdict: Call it Bizarre. Call it out of this world. Call it slightly homoerotic. Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, even before the introduction of Stands was an entertaining ride that included vampires, mad German scientists, Pillar Men and Breathing techniques in a steal of a 12 dollar package. If you haven’t picked this up yet, do yourself a favor and check it out!

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure The Complete First Season, a review

In 2012, David Productions took Hirihiko Araki’s manga, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and adapted it into what would be a worldwide phenomenon. The manga had been adapted previously into a series of OVAs (Original Video Animation) that only covered the most popular part, Stardust Crusaders. The anime starts right from the beginning and begins from the manga’s origins as well as the original character. Unlike other Shounen Manga, the Jojo series is infamous for (among other things) having multiple protagonists each being the different lead in a ‘Part’. For the first part, the protagonist or ‘Jojo’ is Johnathan Joestar while the second part has its protagonist in the form of Joseph Joestar.

I’m going to split this review between the first part, Phantom Blood and the second part, Battle Tendency.

Part 1: Phantom Blood

In 19th Century England, two very different boys are born into two very different families. Jonathan Joestar is the son of a rich nobleman and known for his kind nature and politeness, but isn’t so much useful in a fight. Dio Brando is born to an alcoholic father and despite his prodigy, he is most likely destined to a life of poverty, had Dio’s Father, Dario have a debt owed to him by Jonathan’s father, George. (This is because George Joestar mistakenly thought Dario saved his life when in actually Dario was in the vicinity trying to rob George’s corpse). In an attempt to pay off the debt, George adopts Dio into his family.

I know a lot of people gloss over the first part because it’s not what made the main core of the series, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had if you let it.

Dio torments and bullies Jonathan by killing his dog, stealing his father’s affection and even kissing the girl Jonathan fancies, Erina. But as the step-brothers grow older and older, they’re prepared to do battle for one another while Jonathan still maintains his gentle nature. However, when George takes ill because of Dio’s poisoning, Dio dons a very interesting Aztec mask that turns him into a Vampire. George, unfortunately, dies in the middle of the battle.

Using his wits, Jonathan sets his childhood home on fire and sets Dio ablaze. Jonathan comes out burned but alive. As Erina helps Jonathan recover from his injuries, a strange man confronts the two of them.

Zeppeli tells Jonathan that Dio not only survived the incident but has come back and is building an army of vampires. Zeppeli offers to teach Jonathan Hamon, the ability to use one’s breath to stir up the energy inside in order to imbue attacks with sunlight energy in the hopes of vanquishing Dio once and for all.

(Yes, the fact that the same voice performers who played Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki with thick British accents amuses me greatly.)

Though short, the series does have fun action scenes (including one fight with a chain).

Through his chivalrous spirit and quick wits, Jonathan defeats Dio.

Jonathan and Erina finally get married, but all is not well on their cruise to America. The disembodied head of Dio still remains and is causing havoc with its tentacles and laser eyes. Realizing Dio is too great a threat to go unchecked, Jonathan ensures the safety of the other passengers, including his newlywed Erina, and destroys the ship and him along with it.

And so, Jonathan sacrifices himself to save the world from Dio. Erina survives and lives in America.

Viz Media and BangZoom did the localization of the show and for the most part, it sticks closely to the Japanese Script. However, because the show is set in 19th century, BangZoom told everyone to adopt thick, British accents.

And it’s bloody hysterical. At times, I thought I was watching a BBC documentary intercut with a battle shounen.

I don’t know if Patrick Seitz can ever measure up to Takehito Koyasu’s legendary take on the character, but he makes a game effort of it. While Seitz’s voice doesn’t differ too much from his other role, the energy and performance are worthy enough (at least to me) to compare with his Japanese counterpart.

Johnny Yong Bosch is as Johnny Yong Bosch as he’ll ever be. He’s not bad as Johnathan but you can tell he’s struggling both under the accent and giant with a heart of gold persona. It’d be one thing if he were playing an edgy teenager like Ichigo Kurosaki or a kid like Renton Thurston but he’s caught in the role that might’ve been suited to someone else.

Keith Silverstein (who also voiced Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter) is having a grand old time as Robert Speedwagon. Marc Diraison (who voiced Guts in Beserk and ‘Zolo’ in the 4kids dub of One Piece) shows genuine emotion as George Joestar. Also, can we just give a hand to Michelle Ruff? I know she’s done a lot of roles, including ones from Ayako Kawasumi (such as Saber from Fate/Stay Night and Chikane Himemiya from Kannazuki no Miko) but she plays a great Erina both young and old.

With the end of Part 1 and the closing of Jonathan’s story, we move onto Part 2.

Part 2: Battle Tendency

So, it’s 1928, New York. We follow a black boy named Smokey Robinson as he’s being hassled by the police for being a pickpocket. Before this turns into a docudrama on the History Channel, a six foot stranger with a British accent appears.

Here we meet the Jojo of this story arc, Joseph Joestar, grandson of Jonathan and Erina.

(Yes, I find the fact that Joseph is played by the same voice performer as Kids Next Door’s Nigel Uno extremely hysterical. He’s even using the same voice!)

But all’s not well in New York. Joseph encounters a vampire that’s somehow resistant to Hamon.

With the rise of Vampires that are somewhat resistant to Hamon as well as the strange disappearance of Mr. Speedwagon, Joeseph sets off on a trip that will take him all over the world from the scorching hot deserts of South America to the beautiful city of Venice and even over a Volcano. The conspiracy leads to the awakening of the Pillar Men, ancient Aztec warriors who are bent on destroying humanity unless Joeseph can team up with the grandson of Zeppilli and stop them once and for all. Kars, however, might be the most difficult opponent of all and when he transforms into an ultimate superbeing capable of not being harmed by Hamon or Sunlight, Joespeh’s wits are put to the limit.

Here we get a distinct difference between the two protagonists. While Jonathan was honorable, kind and courteous, Joseph is devious, scheming and a bit of a trickster.

I really love Joseph. In fact, through parts 1 through 6, he’s probably my favorite of the protagonists. See, Joseph is constantly pitted against more experienced enemies that have a physical advantage over him. Joseph overcomes this by tricking and deceiving his opponents. Sometimes, his bluffs work because of his cleverness. Other times, he’s just damn lucky. Joseph likes to predict his opponent’s next line, say it and basically outsmart them.

At times, Joseph is willing to make a complete idiot out of himself, just for a moment’s opportunity to trick his foe. Such as dressing up in women’s clothing and bribing some enemy soldiers.

Joseph continues to hone is Hamon skills in order to defeat the Pillar Men. But not before meeting two beauties by the names of Lisa Lisa, a Hamon teacher who might have a secret of two and Suzie Q, a cute Italian girl.

Part 2’s filled with wall to wall exploits, including mad German scientists, Chariot Races and an incredible finish with Joseph facing off against Kars on top of a Volcano.

Joseph defeats Kars and returns in surprise to his own funeral, but not before getting a new metal hand and marrying Suzy Q.

And thus ends Battle Tendency. A lot of people consider this their favorite part and I’m among them. Aside from Joeseph’s antics, there’s a lot of fire and energy you just don’t see nowadays. From battling vampires on top the Brooklyn Bridge to flying a plane over a volcanic island to defeat an Ubermensch, Battle Tenacity had a lot of creativity and seeing Joeseph get out of each situation with his wits and sheer dumb luck is a joy to behold.

Ben Diskin (who also performed Sai from Naruto and Knuckle from Hunter x Hunter) is hysterical as Joseph and the fact that he has this thick British accent the whole time makes it worthwhile. Diskin’s always had a great range but him playing this buffoon makes the whole enterprise a laugh riot.

Wendee Lee as Lisa Lisa is fine (that’s not to say that Wendee Lee gives a bad performance, far from it. It’s just that after voicing so many roles, you can tell which ones she’s pouring her soul into and which ones she’s just putting on a funny accent. This is the latter). It’s also nice to hear Stephanie Sheh as Suzy Q being more of a lighthearted ditz rather than a shy introvert.

Aside from the wackiness and over the top reactions, what really sets this series apart is the animation. Using striking color pallets and digging into the manga aesthetic really sets the tone whether it’s Joseph goofing off or Jonathan fighting a desperate battle. David Productions made their name with this series and it’s no surprise they’ve been listed to do other works such as Fire Force. Even when the anime resorts to using a panning shot or speed lines, there’s a kinetic pace that pulls you in.

But, you didn’t come here for Jonathan, did you? You didn’t come here for Joseph, either. You came for a certain high schooler with a hat and a mission.

Stand proud, true crusaders.

Next time, we’re covering Part 3.

Verdict: Buy it! If you’re unsure, you can watch it for free on Crunchyroll.

https://amzn.to/2UK8uye

#jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo no kimyō na bōken #jonathan joestar #joseph jostar #ben diskin #wendee lee #johnny yong bosch #michelle ruff

[quarantineroulette]

2020 Releases that I listened to more than once / stuck with me in some way.

Excuse my pessimism, but 2020 was a year in which finding solace in music was of little use to me. I also had less time than ever to listen to music. I spent the worst of the pandemic displaced and with limited internet access, then moved to another city and switched careers, two changes which I still haven’t fully comprehended. I also spent 98% of my free time feeling too anxious about the future as a whole to do any sort of listening, focused or passive. 

Things eventually got settled enough that I could at least check out what various music publications were fussing about in their year-end round ups. Not the most ideal avenue for discovery, but this has been a hard, tiring year and, despite some very promising releases and trends, I still feel a bit hopeless. I can’t even really be bothered to do any sort of ranking or make things even with a “20 for 2020,” so instead here’s a summary of some music that stood out to me. I can promise there are at least 15 releases mentioned - you can do a “choose your own adventure”  and rank them as you wish. 

Without a doubt, the only 2020 record that truly elevated me to a place where I stopped stressing out about things was Protomartyr’s Ultimate Success Today. These guys are by far my favorite band right now and their fifth album gave me so many new reasons to love them, from the propulsive “Michigan Hammers” and its stock footage masterpiece of a music video to elegant closer “Worm in Heaven.” Saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and multi-instrumentalist Izaak Mills were deployed on most tracks and, rather than merely serving as a garnish for songs, their contributions added as much tension, heft, and brutal beauty as Protomartyr’s core members. Add in Half Waif’s Nandi Rose guesting on the Very Sad “June 21,” and you have one genuinely faultless release. In a similar vein, Algiers released their third and arguably strongest full-length, There is No Year, back in January and it served as a powerful, prescient (the title alone!) and just plain awesome reminder to keep fighting in even the darkest of times. 

This year I occasionally found myself praying for disco and I’m pretty sure Doja Cat’s sorta Chic-inspired “Say So” was the song I listened to the most in 2020 (yes, shame on me for a million different reasons). But little did I know 2020 was such an abundant year for mirrorball-indebted releases. Kylie Minogue’s Disco was a given, but what especially thrilled me were Roisin Murphy’s Roisin Machine and Jessie Ware’s What’s Your Pleasure? Murphy’s outstanding “Murphy’s Law” especially sounds like a lost classic from the ‘70s, while Ware’s titular “What’s Your Pleasure” is as fitting a Donna Summer tribute as any you could come across in the past 40 or so years. Ware’s record became slightly less cool when I realized she’s a podcasting mom who is friends with Adele, but What’s Your Pleasure?’s irresistible procession of Great Pop Moments solidifies it as one release I’ll keep coming back to. 

(Bonus: if you favor a no-wave / post-punk spin on disco, then look no further than Public Practice’s Gentle Grip). 

Ware and Murphy have been particularly prevalent on many of the major year-end lists, but I still carry a bit of skepticism about such things. Therefore, discussions such as this sub-Reddit (sorry) thread on regional picks has been useful in thinking outside the US and UK-favoring ranking systems (although there’s still a lot of anglo shit listed there as well). I’m hoping to listen to more releases from oft-overlooked countries thanks to some of these Redditors’ suggestions, although I’ve already spent a bit of time with Einsturzende Neubauten’s Alles in Allem and remain Team Blixa (if such a team exists). Despite my aforementioned trepidation, The Quietus’  list did compel me to check out the wonderfully somber offerings of Closed Circuits. This Portuguese artist describes himself as “Leonard Cohen being bothered by Coil,” and if that doesn’t entice you, I fear you may be a lost cause.  

This year we moved to Philadelphia, which means...A lot of things, but relevant to this summary, we found ourselves driving past some provocative graffiti stating “Make America Nothing Again” numerous times. Eventually I put two and two together and gave Nothing’s The Great Dismal a listen. Having not expected much beyond the clever marketing, I was pleasantly wowed by the quartet’s moody post-shoegaze offerings. I can barely discern any of the lyrics, but on vibe alone, The Great Dismal perfectly captures the heavy despair that permeated 2020. Add in Korine’s gloom-pop The Night We Raise and I can confidently say that Philly’s music scene is in good hands. 

I might have lied a bit at the start of this post - in saying I didn’t listen to music throughout 98% of the pandemic, I’m overlooking the many car rides spent revisiting Fontaines D.C.’s brilliant 2019 debut, Dogrel. While it didn’t impress me quite as much, this year’s A Hero’s Death was a mostly worthy successor, interspersing a few tranquil moments among the band’s more confrontational offerings. Not all of those moments worked for me, but these new directions were enticing enough for me to officially consider Fontaines a Band To Watch, if that’s still something people say. Oh yeah, and the video for the title tune slams. 

Speaking of music videos, I don’t usually rely on this medium for discovering bands, but that changed this year with Dehd. The trio’s videos are vibrant, conceptually clever, and relentlessly fun. Thank goodness that the music lives up to Dehd’s visual knack, with Flower of Devotion at times recalling The Jesus and Mary Chain and Roy Orbison in equal measure (especially on the stunning “Letter”). Emily Kempf’s versatile singing reminds me of everyone from Jana Hunter of Lower Dens to Carla Bozulich of The Geraldine Fibbers, yet it’s still bracing enough that every word she sings sounds utterly gripping. Who knows when gigs will happen again, but Flower of Devotion rocketed these folks to the top of my post-Covid gigging wishlist.  

Sparks is one act I can happily say I’ve seen numerous times. They are never ones to disappoint but, nearly 40 years into their career, the Mael brothers owe us nothing. Yet A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is somehow an instant classic. It’s nothing short of astonishing that, at 75, Ron Mael can crank out a song that is equal parts insanely catchy, effortlessly humorous and deceptively sad, but he yet again nailed this trifecta with “Lawnmower,” to name but one. Russell Mael’s invincible vocals are in full effect throughout, particularly on the straight up lovely “Pacific Standard Time.” I would never even entertain the idea of using the term “pop / rock juggernaut,” but if it was regarding Sparks, I would at least not dispute it. 

(PS, special shout out to another singular duo of relatives, Prima Primo, who this year released my favorite song about Madonna since Sparks’ very own Madge tune, featured on 1988′s Interior Design.)

Finally, this list would absolutely be incomplete if I didn’t give mention to Bob Dylan’s fabulous Rough and Rowdy Ways. More than ever, 2020 felt like a year rife with stupid decisions, stupid actions and praise for mediocrity. A return to form from perhaps the greatest lyricist of all time is something many of us probably didn’t know we needed, but boy am I thankful for it (not as thankful as I would be for a second stimulus check, but still - next best thing). Dylan also gave us the fun bonus of having Fiona Apple guest on the outstanding “Murder Most Foul,” and of course Apple’s own Fetch the Bolt Cutters both featured her dogs as percussion and further solidified her place in the socio-political songwriting canon. Maybe there is something to be said for music after all!  

#year in review #best of 2020 #protomartyr #algiers #roisin murphy #jessie ware #einsturzende neubauten #closed circuits #nothing #korine #fontaines d.c. #dehd #sparks #prima primo #bob dylan #fiona apple

[sleepykittypaws]

The Christmas House

Original Air Date: November 23, 2020 (Hallmark) Where to Watch?: Hallmark will replay it multiple times this season, and for every season in perpetuity

It's impossible to review Hallmark's The Christmas House without noting that this time last year, then-Crown Media CEO Bill Abbott was personally taking phone calls from a SPLC-designated hate group, and pulling a Zola ad showing two brides chastely kissing from his network, at that hate group's behest. The ensuing firestorm of well-earned criticism following Abbott's bad judgement, is, without question, what brought us to today, with Abbott ousted, a woman of color, Wonya Lucas, now at Hallmark's helm, and a still totally G-rated holiday lineup that now regularly features former Hallmark no-gos like, interracial romance and LGBTQ+ inclusion, improving Hallmark's abysmal diversity record, one movie at a time. 

So, even though Hallmark had to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, it's still hard not to be at least a little emotional that they're finally joining us here. The bigots are still having online temper tantrums about losing their all-white, all-straight safe space, but Hallmark's holiday ratings are up 7% year-over-year—a significant jump in a world where cable subscriptions are declining by 10-15% annually.

Now, what that progress looks like on a network known for being “clean,” conservative and about as unwilling to take risks as any channel on the planet, is another story. Frequent Hallmark star, and out gay actor, Jonathan Bennett, has been tirelessly talking about The Christmas House, since the day it went into production. And Bennett brings a lot of energy to this ensemble story, written by co-star Robert Buckley, of a family getting together to decorate their home one more time before it's sold. 

Buckley and Bennett play the sons of Sharon Lawrence and Treat Williams, a recently retired couple struggling with that fundamental shift in their relationship. Buckley is the star of a ridiculous court show, Handsome Justice, of which we luckily get to see a clip, and Bennett, a baker, and his husband, played by Brad Harder, are waiting to hear about an adoption, after several previous disappointments. 

Bennett and Buckley bring more humor than is normal for Hallmark to their portrayal of loving, competitive brothers, who clearly enjoy ribbing each other.

How conservative was past hallmark, you ask? Well, that Buckley's girl-next-door love interest is divorced, not widowed, is still a somewhat shocking twist in that world, as is the fact that both Buckley and Bennett are "allowed" to sport some facial scruff, rather than be clean shaven. Oh, and that the family next door is (gasp) Latino, is also something we likely wouldn't have seen in the Hallmark of yore. All of which is just mind-blowing, since those “days of yore” for this TV network were [checks notes]…2019, not 1968.

Lawrence and Williams are believable as a long term couple, and their life-change struggle to re-center their relationship feels real, but the way it's revealed is almost as anti-climactic as its resolution. The movie laid very unsubtle hints along the way—all storytelling progress aside, Hallmark movies are still written so you can half watch and not a miss a thing, allowing folks to join 20 minutes in, or do the dishes and come back without being confused—that Williams and Lawrence's wanting to have "one last Christmas" was about more than just downsizing in retirement. 

When Lawrence told the story of the clearly-actually-brand-new-and-from-Homegoods Santa pot, and what it meant to her, I thought Williams was going to later accidentally break Checkov's sentimental teapot and, in her anger, Lawrence would blurt out something about that's why they were separating, shocking their grown sons. 

And, honestly, as predictable as that would have been, it would probably have had more impact than what did happen…Lawrence just casually telling Buckley while stringing lights, and then nobody really mentioning it again, excepting oblique references during a single conversation between the brothers, and then Lawrence just announces at breakfast that they're not doing that after all.

Definitely feels like Hallmark's aversion to conflict in its stories is one of those provisions that is still firmly in place. (We saw a similar unwillingness to commit to actual marital difficulties, despite that being the central plot point, in Cranberry Christmas.)

Which is too bad, because Lawrence and Williams being much better than the actors usually used for these parent roles, could have handled a more realistic story well, and brought some real emotional beats to the movie.

As expected, Buckley's romance with Ana Ayora was the definite A-plot here, but why did their memory lane rekindling catalyst have to be close-up magic, the worst of all entertainment options? Was there no mime troop they could have been teenage members of? When it comes to magic, and jazz, I'm like Indiana Jones and snakes…Why'd it have to be magic?

Also, no way that 29-year-old guy they have playing "teenage" Mike grows up to be Robert Buckley. Nope! They definitely had to soft focus all the mostly unnecessary flashback scenes so that those actors, easily less than a decade younger than our leads, didn't quite look their age. 

And, c'mon, Buckley, who, again, is the star of his own TV show, gives the love of his life a necklace he bought…in high school? For real? I'm surprised we couldn't see her neck turn green in real time. At least get a gal a little upgrade. Sheesh! 

The whole rival real estate agent thing went nowhere. And what was that subplot even supposed to be about? Would have much rather seen a scene from the Handsome Justice episode where Buckley's character defended a dog accused of murder, than that whole waste of time. 

On the other hand, loved the Grift body spray mentions, and so glad we go to see that ad. Hallmark doesn't do subtle—"But will they get it?" is basically the network's motto—but this is one case of subtext just being text that worked.

Oh and, how did his parents buy a house on the Hudson river just by selling a nice, but fairly average, suburban home? Sure, they said it was a fixer upper, but anything on the water is gonna be way more pricey than where they were, and you've still got to have the cash to do the fixing. Also, you know the old adage about how nothing soothes a struggling marriage like a whole house renovation project, amirite?

Speaking of money…Why didn't Buckley just buy his folks the house right away if he didn't want to see it go? I mean, even if he's only a mid-level TV star, this wasn't some extravegent manse, and certainly wouldn't be an unusual thing for a well-off child to do for their middle-class parents. Why all the rigamarole with the weird guy and the rescinded offer? And, like, what was that all about? So many stories I'd have rather seen from this talented cast than some of the filler we actually got.

Harder didn't get nearly enough to do, but he and Bennett had decent chemistry and they got most of the best lines. The joke about "Will we decorate like this for our kids," and Bennett's emphatic, "No," cut the tension of an emotional scene well, with perfect timing, making it actually, laugh out loud funny—a Hallmark rarity. And when Harder appears in doorway after hearing from the adoption agency, and Bennett knows just by looking at his face what the call said, I got emotional.

That all the couples in this one got to kiss, including Bennett and Harder, is important. With the specter of last year's Zola debacle absolutely lingering over the entire movie, it's hard to think of a better, actual example of #LoveWins, than that moment.

I also teared up when we saw Bennett and Harder's family at the end, not only because it was a long overdue Hallmark milestone, but also because Harder's real-life son, Kael, played he and Bennett's on-screen adopted child, and is just so stinking cute.

Am I giving this bonus points for finally having an LGBTQ+ storyline, even if it was pretty far from the foreground? For sure. But Buckley and Bennett also brought humor and heart to this one, of a variety not usually found on Hallmark, and Lawrence and Williams also upped the ante on the quality here. Notable that Hallmark also sprung for two actual, name-brand holiday songs, so they were willing to spend a little bit of extra cash on this effort, which says more about their “commitment to diversity” than years of empty promises ever did.

Would have liked House even more, if Hallmark had been brave enough to swap the storylines; Bennett falling in love the boy next door, and Buckley and his bride waiting to hear about adoption, but barring that, do wish it had been bit more of a true ensemble (i.e. all three love stories had equal weight).

Despite quibbles, I'm still putting this on top of the 2020 Hallmark heap, at least for the moment, because I laughed, I cried and I felt good about the progress that has been made, no matter how long overdue it is.

As I've said so many times, representation really does matter, particularly on a channel like Hallmark, which caters to exactly the audience that most needs to see LGBTQ+ people laughing, living and loving, just like every other family.

Representation really can change lives. It opens hearts and minds. It can help those struggling within themselves feel seen and worthy. Really can not underestimate how transformative these normalizing glimpses can be, particularly for a network like Hallmark, with a large "conservative" audience. 

"Conservative" is in quotes, because there's nothing genuinely conservative about human rights, and respect for those unlike you. Empathy and acceptance for others should be a baseline standard for living in a society—not a political statement. 

No one has the right to deny someone else's humanity, and someone's choice to hold hate in their heart deserves no respect from Hallmark, or society at large. Really hopeful that some kid out there who feels excluded and awful about themself because their family and upbringing has told them everything they're feeling is wrong and sinful, can now see representation like this on their family's safe space TV channel, and know it's going to be OK.

It's a small step, but it's definitely a good one, and I'm really looking forward to the actual lead LGBTQ+ holiday romances coming soon, like Hulu's Happiest Season (Nov. 25), Lifetime's The Christmas Setup (Dec. 12) and Paramount Network's Dashing in December (Dec. 13), and hoping Hallmark joins that club in 2021.

Until then…

Final Judgement: 3 Paws Up

[glowyjellyfish]

I just started rewatching Battlestar Galactica. Well, when i say just started, I mean i started two nights ago and I just finished season 1, so.

Firstly, at the beginning everyone is a tiny innocent baby and a sweet summer child (yes, even after their civilization gets destroyed. Sweet summer children all.), except Starbuck who is more of a tiny magnificent chaotic asshole.

Secondly, Baltar is one of my favorites and I think he’s among the best characters I have ever seen. His character development is phenomenal; I’d say he’s a stunning example of a redemption arc, but I’m not sure it totally counts when he was never really a villain at all. Arrogant, self-serving, and dickish, yes, but never deliberately evil. I love watching him break down and get built back up again, it’s a highly entertaining and often poignant roller coaster. And of course, he’s also just a delight to watch. I wish something like this had come up on the show, but I am convinced that people in the fleet--especially on Galactica and Colonial One--are well aware that he talks to himself and frequently disassociates, and chalk it up to trauma from being on Caprica during the attack. Sometimes I like to think that he 100% has that trauma and some degree of PTSD and Head Six took advantage of that state to set herself up in his head, but I’m not sure whether to make that headcanon or if it’s just a nice theory.

Thirdly, Gaeta is my favorite and I love him to pieces. The first time I watched when it first aired waaaay back in the day, I was rooting so hard for him to be a cylon, and I’m still slightly bummed that he wasn’t. I can’t complain about what he got as a consolation prize, going out with a bang and loads of juicy character development, with the added bonus that Anders also got some great character development. (Um, I should probably explain real quick that I read somewhere back in the day that when the writers were choosing the Final Five, it was kind of a toss-up between Anders and Gaeta, and they chose Anders. I felt validated that he was at least at the top of the list, and since I also loved cylon!Anders it proved to be a pretty good second choice for me. Believe me though, I wrote so many fanfics about how Gaeta might still be a cylon somehow, most of them super bad.) His whole development arc is less of a roller coaster and more of a long slow painful train wreck, and it’s gonna hurt so much but ugh I love it. Right now, at the end of season one, he is still such a sweet summer child, like my god he still has a crush on Baltar and hasn’t been disillusioned yet! And turns out I still firmly ship it. Gaeta’s got such a crush, poor boy, and it was so sweet and destroyed my little shipper heart at the end of Six Degrees of Separation when after a whole episode of everyone turning on Baltar and telling him they never trusted him and him freaking out, Gaeta came along and exonerated Baltar and told him he always believed in him. Awwww New Caprica’s gonna kill me, I swear. 

Chief and Tigh are also up there in terms of my favorites, and there’s always gonna be something wonderful about a rewatch and all those scenes where they’re talking about people being Cylons and suspecting people of being Cylons and hey guess what you two. Guess what.

On this rewatch, I really enjoyed seeing Lee acting as the compromise between the military and politics. I vaguely recall that that’s a major part of his character going forward, basically everything that isn’t Starbuck, father issues, or Love Quadrangle Of Doom, and am curious how I’m gonna see it now. Originally, I found him good for a hero character and reasonably interesting, and I seem to recall liking such plots as him quitting the military way more than other viewers, but he’s never been one of my favorites.

...I also feel obliged to point out that in these trying times it is very hard not to 100% agree with Tom Zarek. If he was a little less murdery, man. Of course, I should also point out that unlike some other viewers--no, I don’t remember specifics, I probably read opinions on a forum 15 years ago--I felt like the season 4 mutiny was bringing up some extremely valid points that needed to be addressed (even if Zarek was mostly using them as an excuse to coast to power and Gaeta was airing his grievances in the worst possible way when what he probably actually really needed was a lot of intense therapy) so perhaps this is nothing new. 

I’m also excited and scared for the President Baltar plot coming later, but in these times I am fairly certain my feelings will be “you guys are big babies. Oh boo hoo, your legally elected president is genuinely intelligent and charismatic and just happens to be rather self-centered and self-serving and shitty at governing, oh noooo he had to be held at gunpoint to sign death warrants for dissenters… grow up.” I… can’t take most “super evil villain becomes president oh no” stories seriously anymore, literally all the ones I am aware of were better than reality.

I don’t feel like it needs to be said, but Starbuck, Roslin, and Adama? All perfect and amazing, of course. They’re not my favorites, but that’s mainly because they are popular main characters, and I tend to prefer unpopular sideline characters and characters that need defending or merit lengthy essays. Everyone loves those guys for good reason, they don’t need me supporting them.

Also I forgot how precious Dee and Billy were, and how their relationship added interesting layers and angles to loads of plotlines. Makes me bummed about Billy (though I know it wasn’t the show’s fault), and then bummed that Dee got entangled in the Love Quadrangle of Doom, and then… kinda fridged to be honest. I wonder what would have happened with the Final Five if Billy was still around, would it have been Billy there instead of Tory? Or to keep the gender ratio and a touch of diversity, would they have gone with Dee? Would that have made them more or less likely to choose Gaeta over Anders, then? My gut says less, but who knows? It sure would have been rad if Dee got that much character development unrelated to romance, though.

It’s also weird how much I still keep trying to add things to the show’s arc and mythology to make it make more sense to me, personally. Like, logically I know that the whole thing is that god as spoken of by the cylons is 100% real, the head characters are literally communicating with people on his behalf, the opera house is the CIC and all the prophecies and stuff are leading to humans and cylons living together and interbreeding on Earth to make us. But I’m constantly trying to add things like “maybe the lords of kobol were twelve or thirteen original cylons on kobol 2000 years ago, and maybe they’re the head characters, like they ascended their physical bodies or something, and maybe the physical characters who look like the head characters are like the reincarnations of them or of the original humans they were modelled on, and the whole story is very similar and playing out again which is why certain characters have visions and stuff, but there have never been human/cylon hybrids before and that’s what god wants in order to end the cycle and/or because god is love god wants them to love each other and stop killing each other please? Maybe?” Shrug, I know some fans hate how spiritual it went, and I’m not one of them. I just prefer the slightly more humanist angle of reincarnation over literally just “god did it”. 

However, I am really enjoying just taking Head Six 100% at her word and watching her manipulate the fucking shit out of Baltar to get him reliant on her and in the position she needs him to be in. It’s kind of amazing. And also, fascinating to consider Leoben in Flesh and Bone in the context of knowing what happens to Starbuck. He absolutely knows that she’s going to lead them all to Earth and die in the process. I don’t think he knows any details at all, but it’s really interesting to watch assuming that he knows her fate. And I am not sure the show ever really explained why Leoben knows this stuff. Does he have visions? His own head person? Does he just sit and listen real hard to the Hybrids and interpret their sayings? ...I guess I do find it weird that the show chose to go so hard on making him creepy as fuck to her on New Caprica, and then apparently didn’t know a lot else they wanted to do with him, but we’ll see how I feel as it goes along.

Anyway, I think I’ve exhausted my most coherent array of thoughts. 

#bsg #battlestar galactica #bsg spoilers

[solemnveloci]

Every Sony Pictures Animation  Movie Reviewed in 10 Words or Less!

In text form because I suck at talking off the top of my head. As a bonus, I’ll also do Warner Animation Group in 10 Words or Less because... eh, it’s April Fools. Also, they’ve got only 4 movies under their belt.

Thanks to @jelloapocalypse for the idea! I know he’s probably getting sick of them now, though.

Let’s start.

Open Season (2006): Why is the girl deer sexualized? AND STILL AN ANIMAL? 1/10

Surf’s Up (2007): *stares directly into the camera like I’m a surfboarding penguin* 5/10

Open Season 2 (2009): Get a freaking dog trainer. 3/10

Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs (2009): So… ending world hunger is bad? 6/10

Open Season 3 (2011): The racism metaphors in this are better than Zootopia. 4/10

The Smurfs (2011): Aah! Hyper-realistic Smurf! 6/10

Arthur Christmas (2011): A hearth-warming film. 7/10

Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012): Whaddya know, the sailors of the sea! 8/10

Hotel Transylvania (2012): Aw, your wife ceased out of existence, too? 9/10

The Smurfs 2 (2013): Aah! Hyper-realistic emo Smurf! 2/10

Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs (2013): Adam Savage never was the same after Mythbusters got cancelled. 8/10

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015): Why hasn’t Mavis aged? 4/10

Open Season: Scared Silly (2016): “OMG, stop gaybaiting Boog/Elliot!” 3/10

Goosebumps (2016): Huh, actually didn’t see that twist coming. Good work! 8/10

Surf's Up 2 (2017): Wavemania: You waited ten years to make a WWE crossover sequel. 5/10

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017): Aah! …oh wait, they look fine now. 9/10

The Emoji Movie (2017): A Disney Channel love story buried under 900 YouTube ads. 1/10

The Star (2017): This movie has no right being this cute. 8/10

Peter Rabbit (2018): British. 5/10

Every Warner Animation Group Movie Reviewed in 10 Words or Less!

The LEGO Movie (2014): Chris Pratt’s voice is annoying! But this movie’s still great! 7/10

Storks (2016): Again, NO RIGHT. 9/10

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017): Suck it, Nolan. 10/10

The LEGO Ninjago Movie (2017): Oh no! Not my... Ninjago fanfics! 6/10

Since he had the same problem with the Disney sequels, I’m also only doing a bottom three and top three. Though let’s get the honorable mentions out of the way, first.

Storks (2016)

 With movies I like and dislike, I’m usually ride or die for both opinions, but I can definitely see why this one has it’s detractors. You see, it follows the usual “subverted Disney knockoff” formula, that being, a whimsical event or figure being hilariously subverted. “What if whimsical thing... but they’re all jerks?”  “What if whimsical thing... but they’re the Avengers?” “What if whimsical thing... but pop culture reference?” 

Despite about a million roadblocks in it’s way, Storks manages to be both sweet and hilarious, aided by the talents of Key and Peele, and a genuinely amazing bond between the two leads. Fair warning, you’re probably going to hate this movie if you dislike fast-paced comedy. It’s- it’s everywhere.

The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)

An astounding movie that works as both a parody and homage to the Batman mythos. Every single joke stuck, every character was perfect, and the celebrity voice actors didn’t stick out at all. And, obviously, this is the only version where Babs/Batman isn’t creepy as hell. COUGH COUGH.

TOP 3

The Star (2017)

I wasn’t expecting this movie to be as good as it was. 

Yeah, not the nicest way to start off the best of the best list, but keep in mind this was 4 months after The Emoji Movie. After that train-wreck, Sony steps back into its stride, and creates a very sweet, very simple Christmas film. It’s still a movie for very little children, though. You know Jesus is going to get born, you know that the cute widdle aminals are going to make it through, and you know they're not going to kill off the Oprah camel and Kelly Clarkson horse.

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)

A soft reboot is exactly what the Smurf Cinematic Universe needed. I’m not kidding, the characters are more likable, the stakes actually mean something, the animation is gorgeous and translates the DUCK Studios/Noble Animation versions into 3D perfectly, but I have just one question. Why didn’t they use this animation style in the first place? I’m sure it would’ve been better received than the terrifying, splotchy, blueberry gnome toddlers we got. 

Hotel Transylvania (2012)

My god, this movie knows exactly how to utilize CGI. Everything in this looks amazing! The story is just as fun, and the supporting cast is hilarious (maybe except for the love interest, who gets a little grating sometimes), and even watching the underwhelming sequel was entertaining because of how everything looked and sounded. Just, wow. Aesthetic, man. Aesthetic. 

Here’s to hoping the third one is good again.

BOTTOM 3

The Smurfs 2 (2013)

Gargamel makes Emo smurfs. Yup. Emo smurfs. They’re mean smurfs. They’re bad smurfs. Baaaaaad smurfs. Oh, and, uh, Lady Smurf is sad because everyone forgot her smurfing birthday, but it really was a surprise party. Smurfs to be her, I guess.

The Emoji Movie (2017)

It’s the freaking Emoji Movie. Do I even need to say anything else? Maybe I could point out that nobody is likable, they’re all selfish, and the only reason I didn’t tap out is because I honest-to-god wanted to see how the human kids turned out? 

Open Season (2006)

Yes. I think that Open Season is worse than The Emoji Movie. And why? Because Emoji movie never tried to force #FEELS into anything. It didn’t act like it was trying to be this beautiful, fantastical movie that would been seen with the likes of Citizen Kane. They cared about getting their cash, and that was that. 

But Open Season, you magnificent bastard, acted like after 80 minutes of poop jokes and the characters treating each other like trash, that it was this magnificent, astounding, feel-good film about love and friendship and ugh, every moment of “empathy” just feels so fake. WHY DID THEY MAKE THE ONLY NON-BIPEDAL, NON-HUMANOID, FEMALE IN THE MOVIE THE LOVE INTEREST, WHY.

Woman Yells at Dumb Animated Movies, 2018.

#every movie reviewed in ten words or less #ten words or less #reviews #review #sony pictures animation #warner animation group

[thefreshfinds]

Propelled by the vibrant energy, treasured ambiance, connectivity, heart drenched food and melodies intertwining with the Saturday afternoon clouds —

There I stood in the emblem of The Philadelphia Music Festival, starving for a bite of fresh talent and so I decided to fill my plate with only the best manifolds of visionary hip hop, pop, R&B, trap and rock but little did I know I was in for a feast!

*Credits to @_brandoncaptures_ *

The first to perform was Monica Joelle, a dynamic Pop/R&B songstress from Philly that strikes your heart hard like Cupid’s arrow with her orientally sweet voice and cherry dripped instrumentals. She effortlessly plucks you with relatable lyrics (whether it’s about sticky situations, love or having a crush) and that’s why no one can seem to get enough. Monica started off with songwriting / singing lessons and from there she has continuously bloomed into her own sound as an artist, writing pieces that show off her complexity through set-ups and syllables. The songstress has only been making music until December 2017 but prior to that she has always been performer whether it was for dance or theater. The first song she ever created which was “Never Forget You” which is your ordinary heartbreak song but still relatable (and surely a track she had the most fun making.) To prepare for the festival she took the living room as her stage — using the microphone and speaker as the components for an astounding set off in real life. And in the future? Monica plans on releasing an EP and shooting out singles. (she can’t give us a name as of yet but I’m sure whatever it is will reflect the bubbly aura she conveys on and off the stage) The date will be revealed before you even know it but don’t take the risk of missing out on it.. just make sure to follow @MonicaJoelle.

“I’m not going to stop, I’m going to keep going. Forget what the haters say” Monica says.

SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/monicajoelle

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/55UAah5w59sJuQyekaRswr?si=wKn4V9eeSJaIM8XJtvZFAw

Fun Fact: Her favorite slang is “Jawn”

My favorite song? On My Mind.

The next performer to zazzle the crowd was conscious wordsmith, Teef. Teef is a laid back visionary from New Jersey (residing now in Philly) who puts your mind at ease through charismatic storytelling intertwined with a fusion of neo-soul hip-hop, concrete flows, very solid messages and speaker knocking beats that could make your head snap off your neck (literally). Resonated with A Tribe Called Quest, one could even say that he has their style down pat as he makes sure to transition a soothing ambience through the vibration of his rhymes and wit. Teef started his musical journey in 2015 after dropping his first project called “Hip Hop On Purpose”. He was always into music but this project was the pinnacle of his musicianship “I just stopped thinking about doing something and I finally just started doing it,” says Teef “I was very hesitant about becoming a rapper at first because of what was out on the mainstream. I don’t even rap about that stuff [being on the block, etc]. Then one day I performed at an open mic, people liked it, asked me to come back and since then I kept going.” Aside from spitting bars Teef also enjoys welding, reading informational novels, free styling and networking. “Earlier [before the festival] I was actually welding up a rail and it wasn’t even a joke!” Teef goes on to say “Genuinely I just love to be around people. [when asked about networking] I like being around other independent artist and feeding off of their energy and ideas.” To prepare, Teef didn’t do much but go with the motion of the [creative] ocean and sway his natural repertoire in the ears of the ones close by. “I picked my songs when I got here. But I don’t always put my set together until I get there.” Teef says “I just went with the vibes”. One song that Teef enjoyed making the most was his first song “Get Free” because it allowed him to showcase his style to other people. “It was really random. It was made at three o clock in the morning and I really didn’t have an intent but it just hit me out of the blue. I crafted it in my own way. It was the most memorable time for me. That’s why I consider it to be fun because it just happened.” Common to persona, Teef’s favorite slang is “coolin” and the number one person that he looks up to in history is Bob Marley because he brought people together (and even squashed beef between politicians). “He was all about the people and the community”. Teef is currently running a weekly radio show called “Most Slept On Radio” on 98.5FM (it covers the Philadelphia area). He also runs Table Talk with Teef on Tuesday’s.

“I’m just growing with my artistry”

You can follow him on

Instagram : @realteef03

Bandcamp : https://lateef.bandcamp.com/Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wNgFnLMKH5Dui6DdHSoUK?si=We2MVY6jSE6eut8W_CQaGg

My favorite song? Strangers in the Night

Wafting their chantable ad libs through heavy marijuana smoke, this group’s sound floats smoothly to your ear canals. The next act, The Joint Cheefs allowed me to let my conscious free through their use of moderate boom bap and sharp witted lyrics… but to be more clear, I can say that this trio changes the high experience by implicating an old feel of New York rap through their wrap of rhymes *that solely support the 420 movement* and calm aesthetic. To begin Geo The Rican, Sonny Blue Note and Loud Pack Ralph formulated as a triad one day while working in their studio in the Bronx. “We are producers and engineers so the idea itself just grew organically” says Geo the Rican. They have been making music for some time but to get to where they are now they pretty much just smoked a lot (no pun intended) and became more personal with their music, putting their trials and tribulations through their rhymes and as a result they have been gaining a peak of listeners on a daily basis. To prepare for the Philly Festival they answered with “smoking weed” but ultimately it was through the power of fun. “We take the music seriously but we try not to take ourselves too serious.” they go on to say “We take pride in our sound far as recording and making it.”To separate theirselves from the rest, the Joint Cheefs actually live through what they rap about. “We’re in a lane that we want to be in. It’s not too crowded, some people might say it’s our own and we’re going to hot box all the way to the top.” Aside from their recent release of “Never Canoe” on April 20th 2018, the Joint Cheefs are currently working on their album “Jars” which will be on all platforms by November 31st. When it comes to favorite strands, Sonny Blue Note enjoys Indica because it helps him sleep, Geo the Rican chooses Sativa because it helps him stay focused and Loud Pack Ralph enjoys hybrid because he just wants to get high. Fun fact: Their favorite slang is between “BroGod” and “Deadass” because they love to pay homage to their hometown.

You can follow them on

Instagram - @thejointcheefs

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/thejointcheefs/the-joint-cheefs-n-high-c

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DQg3ISncFAuWAdDhebBMc?si=Q-Lu8Xv9QP-pfqkDU9tflg

My favorite song: It’s a tough one. It’s between “N High C” & “The Art of Hotboxing”

Lights on (meaning the sunlight of course) and centered on the stage, the next act to captivate me was Almost Famous who reels his listeners in with a hook of merciless R&B and a fair amount of auto tune. Generally speaking, Mr Famous has the 2000 feel of soul mastered perfectly as he dashes platforms with a similar production that Ne-Yo or even Genuine would use. The difference between him and the artist mentioned though is that he adds his own twist of dominating words, making sure to switch it up through trap and pop (while also warning his mysterious lover from time to time that they could be replaced in a heart beat) But don’t assume that his heart is locked up in a cage, Mr Famous still has a soft side to him and shows it from time to time. To begin, Almost Famous started off his career as a background dancer for a mass of Philly artist. “Hearing them, I realized that maybe I should create my own music so I started writing, perfecting melodies and harmonies and going to shows.” Famous says. This West Philadelphian has been doing music for 4 years but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s slowing down. Almost Famous grinds hard through releasing new singles and it even shows through his stage presence! “[To prepare for the festival] I had a few shows coming up, so I just kept on rolling with my other ones.” says Almost Famous. One song that Almost Famous enjoyed making the most is “Options” because it was during a time when he had to walk to work in the midst of a strike. “I heard the beat and it was mine from there. If it wasn’t for the strike, it wouldn’t be what it is now.” Fundamentally, Almost Famous would collaborate with Jasmine Sullivan if he was given the chance because her song writing skills and singing is perfect. But the bonus? Jasmine Sullivan is also from Philly. Even though Almost Famous shows love to his hometown he is not too fond of the people who run the Philly Hip Hop Awards “About a year or so they dogged me out but now that I’m apart of a new record label, they try to follow my moves and the label I’m with [Spit It Out Entertainment].” Famous goes on to say. As for his opinion on DMX? He thinks that DMX is a legend. “I feel like he’s been through a lot and a lot of people try to discredit him.”

Almost Famous’ favorite slang is “you drawlin’. “ He also considers himself a morning person because that’s when he’s able to get the day started. His project “Growth” will be released in November. Almost Famous also wants to give a shoutout to Spit it Out Entertainment.

My favorite song? Options (but the other song title can’t be given out. I will let the fans know when “Growth” is on streaming platforms)

You can follow him:

Instagram - @almostfamous215

YouTube - https://youtu.be/ilkKpQ0X8us

*Credits to Brother IB Photography @brother_ib *

The next act to glide his angelic floetry to the streets of Philly was Mashich, an upcoming trap soul artist from Philly who keeps things interesting through a singsong vocal pattern and propulsive beats but to stand out from the other singers that took a part of the festival, Mashich graced the crowd with silver printed dance moves. Even though Mashich has been singing since he was 7, he started taking his craft seriously in the past year. He’s originally from Aiken, South Carolina but he moved to Philly 7 years ago. When it comes to his favorite slang from his new home, he says it’s “d*ckhead” or “f*ck out of here”. To prepare for the Philly Festival, Mashich practiced nonstop. “I’m really big on practicing so I utilized any free time and space I had.” Mashich goes on to say. “I blasted music from my speaker, went over the song and got my movements down. From there I was able to find a form that helped to present myself and my style.”To stabilize his vocal chords, he drinks a lot of tea and does a range of warm ups while making sure to sing out of his diaphragm. In addition, Mashich would collab with Daniel Caesar if he had the opportunity. “All of his music is super creative and how he keeps his vocal deliveries organized is really dope,” says Mashich “I could learn a couple of things from him.”What makes this crooner so different from others is the thing he plans on bringing an old school feel back to R&B. “I hope that through my unique songwriting and vocal structure I am able to push other artist to do the same” All in all he wants good fortunes for the human race. Because let’s face there’s more to life. Love is limitless. “Miss My Dawgs” is currently out on streaming platforms. Be on the lookout for his debut EP “Small Town, Big City” which will cover his coming of age story. Leaving his house and growing with Philly.

“Whatever you believe you can do, you can do that sh*t. You can much success and much love”

You can follow him on:

SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/mashichmusic/miss-my-dawgs

Instagram - @k.ing.tut

Last to wow the crowd away was Bronx native Captain DMac who “makes your neck stretch like an ostrich”. Ticking the spinal chords of those familiar with dancehall and pop, Captain DMac’s brush of sultry vocal play and enticing melodies took me back to a tropical island that effortlessly illuminates peace, love and good vibes towards it’s community. I couldn’t help but to move my hips to the vigorous, self pulsating beats to follow.

We [Luis and I] were instantly allured. We needed to find out more and so we did.

Captain DMac started making music when he was in high school. “I was doing songs for different environments and people or surroundings,” DMac goes on to say “Anything that would happen I would make a song about it. I would often recite Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it Like It’s Hot” [in that time period] too because he’s one of my favorite artist and then someone said “Hey you should make your own song” so I decided to try it. The first cover I did was “Dreams Money Could Buy” by Drake and ever since I have been creating my own songs.”His tracks are mostly embed with a homage to his culture and admirable women and when he spits, he SPITS. Before switching genres, Captain DMac was just an aspiring rhymester who made headlines with his hit single “Big Ol Booty” because of the line from the song “Stretching out her neck like an ostrich” (and it became so well known that it went viral on Facebook and Worldstar, gaining over 8 million views to date.) However, Captain DMac didn’t get the credit he deserved but eventually he was gaining more recognition and reclaimed what was his. A lot of people [A&R’s] saw his songs for what it is and not what it could be, but his close ones thought otherwise. “One day I was talking to my boy and he said “Yo you’re Jamaican you should really touch that dancehall scene because there’s a lot of American artist that are doing it.” and I said “You know what you’re right let’s try it. The first one I made was Hold (which received positive feedback) and from there I said to myself let’s keep creating these vibes.” says Captain DMac. “There was a lot of obstacles to get to where I am. I met a lot of good people, sometimes bad. But I continue to strive and I surround myself around people who also strive. They have to work hard towards what they want to get and that’s what my team does. We just trying to get it. It all starts with good music.” Captain DMac also says that “Just Me & You” was his favorite song to make, “I recruited my friend to do light vocals and in the end he sounded like Super Mario.” All in all what makes him unique from the rest is his pen game. “I can have multiple versions of one song”

Captain DMac will continue to touching the Dancehall scene & the people.

He will be dropping two EP’s very soon.

His single “Think About” ft Juanialys is out right now

Fun fact: His favorite slang is yerr

&

He is a boxers guy.

You can find him at:

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/captaindmac

Instagram - @captaindmac

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/5p154fD2gshCzENn8a4W8b?si=YLJ645G7TEOZSWFjQuj47Q

At its best, Philly Music Festival will continuously flourish as a platform for artist on the rise.

It’s more than just an event, it’s a spot that’ll reign of harmony, inspiration and positive energy.

By: Natalee Gilbert 🌞

#soundcloud #freshfinds #musicblog #music #listen #banger #musicians #hip hop #rap #reggae #dancehall #pop #rnb #soul #food #festival #philly music festival #reviews

[666sbetbaccarat162-blog]

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[ladystylestores]

‘Indian Matchmaking’ presents painful truths about skin color and love in Indian culture but does nothing to challenge them

Written by Aditi Sangal, CNN

On Netflix’s “Indian Matchmaking,” marriage consultant Sima Taparia travels the world to meet with hopeful clients and help them find the perfect match for an arranged marriage.

The format of the show is simple. Hopeful brides- and grooms-to-be meet with Taparia — often with their overbearing parents in tow — for an initial consultation. Criteria are laid out, potential suitors are presented on paper, dates are arranged, and then it’s up to the couple to decide if it’s a match.

In some respects, the producers should be commended. This is a show that turns away from the “big fat Indian wedding” trope and offers something fresh: a look at how some traditional-facing couples meet through the services of a professional matchmaker.

The characters’ stories — as well as cringier moments — play out in entertaining ways, at times revealing the absurdities and awkwardness of matchmaking. I laughed when, for example, Taparia sought the consultation of an astrologist and a face reader.

Matchmaker Sima Taparia meets with hopeful clients. Credit: Netflix

At other points, the show presents brutal truths about Indian culture: the emphasis on being “fair”; the enormous pressure to wed; the focus on caste and class; the stigmatization of independent, working women.

But the show fails to contextualize or even question these problematic beliefs when they’re brought up by its characters, presenting them instead as the status quo.

With that, Netflix missed an opportunity to challenge a social system fraught with cultural biases, and also educate a global audience on important nuances. In Sima Taparia, the show found a regressive anchor who merely peddles flawed practices.

Colorism

Mentioned casually but frequently throughout the eight episodes is the idea that candidates should be “fair,” or in other words, have light skin.

The subject of skin color and, subsequently, social status in Indian culture is incredibly complex. While people with darker skin tones are subjected to harsh discrimination and prejudice, fairness is revered and associated with beauty, wealth and power.

Vyasar Ganesan (left) and Rashi (right) on episode six of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

This cultural bias is engrained from an early age, with women bearing more of the societal pressure to have lighter skin. If you’re a woman, darker skin can be a deal-breaker for families seeking the perfect wife for their son. For men, fair skin is seen as a bonus but not as much of a requirement.

Colorism and the desirability of “fairness” is drilled into young girls. In my own case, it started when I was in middle school in India, when my classmates taunted me for having darker skin. Older women would also make unsolicited comments about my complexion, veiled as genuine concern for me and my future marriage prospects.

In India, the beauty standard is further perpetuated by pop culture and a booming cosmetic industry.

Fair and Lovely skin fairness cream at a shop in New Delhi. Credit: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

Skin lightening products are heavily marketed. Actors with glowing, pale complexions are the stars of Bollywood movies while their dark-skinned counterparts play poor, disenfranchised characters. Some dating apps even include skin tone filters.

Unspoken rules

“Indian Matchmaking” itself offers a window into the lifestyles of an elite class of Indians who can enlist the service of a top-tier matchmaker, and in some cases, fly them to the other side of the world. This is not something regular families do, so status is already built into the narrative.

Perhaps this makes it easier for families to avoid explicitly specifying fair skin as part of their match criteria. Taparia assumes it goes without saying, and constantly describes women as a “good person” or match because they are “fair and good looking.” Some of the families rely on this — it allows them to be politically correct and vague in their search for someone “good looking” without explicitly saying “fair.”

Pradhyuman Maloo in episode four of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

Yet, they get exactly the kind of complexion they want to see. It’s the equivalent of writing “caste no bar” in a matrimonial ad — a suggestion that the person who placed the ad is willing to consider candidates regardless of social hierarchy — but in reality only going on dates with people from the “community,” which becomes a euphemistic catch-all term for people from the same religion, caste or class.

Take the young Mumbai-based Pradhyuman Maloo, who features prominently in the show, as an example. His well-to-do parents desperately want him to settle down and find a wife, but he seems mostly uninterested in the women presented to him, until he’s shown a photo of Rushali Rai, a beautiful model from Delhi. His eyes light up at the sight of her. Taparia describes her as “fair and good-looking, but also, she’s smart.”

When Maloo first sees her photo, he is elated. “Ahh, she’s so cute!”

“I’ll tell you that from her dressing style to her look and everything, how she carries herself, that I can meet her,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting. It’s going to be fun.”

Pradhyuman Maloo on a date with actor and model Rushali Rai on “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

Watching the two side-by-side on their date, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that, of all the characters in the show, they have the most similar skin tones. Their pairing does nothing to challenge the deep-rooted cultural notion that you should marry someone with a similar background.

Changing attitudes

As for women who don’t fit the “fair, tall and slim” criteria, we do see the show acknowledging a different fate. Businesswoman Ankita Bansal is sent to a life coach, with whom she discusses the insecurities she had with her body growing up.

“People would come and tell me that you’re never going to find anybody because you have to lose some weight,” said Bansal, adding that she suffered from “off the charts” anxiety. “So that played a very big part in how I lost my confidence completely in even trying to approach a man.”

The life coach acknowledges that such expectations can be unrealistic, and hurtful when it comes to a woman feeling her true worth. “I think it’s so — superficial, maybe, that they’re only defining us by the way we look.”

Nadia Jagessar on episode two of “Indian Matchmaking.” Credit: Netflix

But attitudes towards “fairness” and beauty ideals are changing. Young people — who are usually more social-media savvy and better educated — feel more empowered to go against the grain, and to put pressure on those who continue to perpetuate beauty standards.

There are several ongoing campaigns that call out celebrities who endorse skin-lightening products, and some Bollywood stars have refused to be associated with these creams.

The campaign “Dark is Beautiful” has waged its decade-long fight against colorism by creating awareness programs about skin bias. Others like “Dark is Divine” and “Unfair and Lovely” have also since joined the fight.

The show sidesteps signs of such progress, instead providing a platform for outdated clichés over cultural debate and context. Fittingly, in one of the final scenes, Richa, a young Indian American woman, who Tapaira gives “95 out of 100,” reels off her criteria for the perfect match.

It’s not the first point in a long list, but when she comes to it, it lands jarringly.

“Not too dark, you know, fair-skinned.”

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from World Wide News https://ift.tt/2OT0OXr

#World Wide News

[tardisly]

Fandom Tag Meme

I was tagged by @amelias-sunflowers, thank you! :D

1. Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s):

Tbh I’ve never really been one for shipping, I tend to enjoy stories themselves much more! That said I adore Eight/Charley (listen to Big Finish guys, they’re as canon as a Doctor/companion ship can get!!), and also Doctor/Clara! It actually took me a while to get around to Twelve/Clara because I just saw them as a really intense platonic friendship for a long time, but then I started reading romantic fic and the rest is history :)

2. A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind (bonus points: who was that person).

Probably Twelve/Clara. I don’t think anyone changed my mind, I just started reading shippy fic for them haha.

3. A pairing you used to love, but it all fell apart for you.

I wouldn’t say it all fell apart, but I just don’t care for Doctor/Rose anymore. It’s been a while since I’ve seen those eps and I remember I used to really ship them then (I think almost everyone does lol!), but as more time has passed and I’ve delved deeper into Doctor Who their relationship just isn’t as compelling to me anymore. (That said I have absolutely nothing against it, you’ll never see any ship hate on my blog!)

4. Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what?

Well, I made a few of those “distracted boyfriend” memes before, but none of them were very popular haha. Maybe I’ll make something funny soon :)

5. What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Probably Harry Potter, which I’ve loved since the first time I read it when I was nine!

6. Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it?

It was definitely Lyra/Will from the His Dark Materials books! I remember being so happy when they got together ^^ (and then having my heart broken at the end)

7. Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over Tumblr.

It’s not really a fandom but I only started watching Classic Who because of the things I saw on Tumblr haha. I wanted to understand all those memes!!

8. Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike).

River isn’t one of my favourite DW characters, but she can be really funny and sweet :)

9. Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Agreeing with @amelias-sunflowers about less hatred of showrunners/eras... I respect all opinions and like, like what you like, but sometimes it’s just ridiculous. It would also be cool to see more people watching the classic series and/or getting into the EU! :D But I’m happy to say that overall the Doctor Who fandom is a pretty nice place (at least in my experience.)

10. Choose a song at random; which ship or character does it remind you of?

I don’t really listen to music, sorry! But I recently stumbled across this post where Paul McGann sings a song that really reminded me of Eight and Charley.

11. A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships.

For Doctor Who - I don’t really think I have any? There’s not much Eight/Charley content because they’re kind of obscure but people do ship it. But recently I was rewatching Frasier and found myself shipping Niles and Roz?? Judging by the fact there’s no works in the tag in AO3, I’m probably the only one :P

12. Your most scandalous headcanon for your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s).

Don’t have one haha.

13. Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)?

I’m sure I do but I can’t think of any right now??

14. 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms.

Doctor Who - Clara Oswald

Harry Potter - Hermione Granger

The X Files - Dana Scully

A Series of Unfortunate Events - Violet Baudelaire

Frasier - Daphne Moon

15. 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms.

Doctor/Clara (Doctor Who), Mulder/Scully (The X Files), and Jim/Pam (The Office)

16. 5 brotps:

(@amelias-sunflowers​ you listed your platonic ships here, and since there’s already a section on otps I thought I’d change the question!)

Ten & Donna

Bill & Twelve

Eight & Lucie

Frasier & Roz (Frasier)

Harry & Luna (Harry Potter)

17. Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged).

I’m not really sure what to say here so how about I go on a little rant about how much I love Doctor Who?? It’s honestly one of my favourite things, there’s something amazing and astonishing l about the way it can keep reinventing itself practically forever and still be entertaining. It’s almost impossible to run out of content too because there’s the whole classic series, novels, comics, Big Finish. There’s a little corner of the show for everyone, and it can lead you to watching things barely even related to it, if at all (looking at you, Midsomer Murders episodes I watched for actors.) It’s just such an interesting and insane idea for a show, and the fact that it’s been going for so many years and will keep going in some form for many more makes me so happy :D

Tagging (only if you wanna): @gallihafry, @beccaland, @eightsgirl, @brightnessrandom, @clarasleafs, @accionarnia, @thjrteen!

#tag games #about me #long post #thank you for tagging me! #also @ppl i tagged you don't have to write long answers like me haha #i like to ramble sorry abt that

[michaelina520imvu-blog]

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[brian-enthusiast]

and it’s enough just to make you go crazy.

the title of this fic is a lana del rey lyric because it’s my fic fuck you. here’s around 2000 words of dadsona being in denial about being in love with brian.

contains an angery twink named harper and a soft boy named brian being in love with eachother.

1. everything he does is endearing.

Harper doesn’t think he’s ever really going to fall in love with Brian. It’ll be more of a slow dip into those familiar waters. Love is a term that was very much reserved for Alex―and therefore, a little bit of a bittersweet thing to return to.

So he figures it’ll be a bit like going to the pool when the water is too cool―only the brave and foolish jump straight in, so Harper figures he’ll dip a toe in before slowly submerging himself in the water. Except instead of water it’s romantic commitment and love, or something like that.

Or, maybe he’ll just be grateful that he’s finally back in the dating game and stop coming up with dumb metaphors to explain to himself why he’s so hesitant to use the word “love” in situations where it might be fitting. Whatever, he’s happy with Brian, and as far as he knows, Brian is happy with him. It’s a symbiotic relationship, though Harper supposes all romantic relationships should be.

Harper snaps out of his thoughts when he comes across a post on Dadbook. There’s a picture of Daisy receiving a badge from an older, sinewy girl, supposedly her scout troop leader. In the caption, Brian has written sentence upon sentence about how proud he is of her. A smile crosses Harper’s face as he reads through it.

“What’s got you all happy?” Amanda is standing in front of Harper, and he comes to realize that he’s kind of just been sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone with a dopey expression while an episode of Long Haul Paranormal Ice Road Ghost Truckers played in the background. “You’ve been smiling at your phone for, like, a full minute.”

“Nothing.” Harper presses the power button on the side of his phone, “Daisy got a new Girl Scout badge, and I was reading the post Brian made about it.” Simple question, simple explanation.

“I thought you hated it when Brian bragged about Daisy.” Amanda says, raising an eyebrow, “Something about him being your mortal enemy and a reminder that you aren’t as great a dad, despite the fact that you’re both great dads?”

Harper waves a dismissive hand. “Amanda! That was the me of the past. Now, after our time at the carnival, inevitable team-up for the benefit of our children, and my overwhelming guilt for being a competitive asshole, Brian and I are unlikely friends.” And unlikely people who are dating, but whatever.

“Uh-huh. Well, you have me and Daisy to thank for that.” She says, a sly smile on her face, like she knows something. “And Brian the Goldfish. May he rest in peace.”

“Why did we go through all that trouble for a carnival goldfish, anyway?” Harper asks, “Just so we could be that much more attached when we inevitably flushed him?”

“That, and because we’re ridiculous and over the top.” Amanda shrugs, taking a seat beside Harper. “I’m glad you could get over your petty rivalry, though. And, as an unexpected bonus, you got over your fear of rollercoasters.”

“‘Got over’ is a strong way to put it. I’m still horrified of roller coasters, and now I have that memory to prove to myself that they are just as horrifying as I thought they were.” Just thinking about heights, and dropping down from heights, and dropping down from heights at a fast speed is making him a bit queasy.

“Still, progress.” Amanda says.

Harper rolls his eyes and turns on his phone again, immediately being greeted by another Dadbook post with a picture of Maxwell wearing a trucker hat, and if that wasn’t adorable enough, Harper remembers being in the mall when Brian bought that stupid hat, and he smiles fondly upon thinking about it.

Then he scrolls down and sees another picture from Brian, one where standing by his car, smiling brightly at the camera and celebrating his new proud parent of an honors student bumper sticker.

Okay, maybe Harper’s just a little bit in love with Brian. Just a touch in love.

2. you see him in everything.

Lately, Harper’s been exhibiting worrisome behavior for someone who’s just a little bit in love.

It’s just little things. Recognizing things like “oh, this is Brian’s favorite song!” when a certain Jimmy Buffett song plays over the radio or, “this picture of a dog is so cute! I should send it to Brian!” when faced with… really any picture of any dog. Damien’s Dadbook page is full of pictures of dogs.

It’s starting to get bad when it becomes subconscious, because Harper is sure that he’s never heard what Brian’s usual Coffee Spoon order is, but he definitely knew it when he was standing at the counter, asking for an Iced T with extra sweetener by default.

(“How’d you know I love these?” Brian said when presented with the sweetened ice tea, “You’re so sweet. Kind of like this tea.” At that point he was laughing and Harper was laughing and everything was fine―except that Harper was internally panicking because how did he know Brian loved those.)

Of course, none of that is a really big deal. Harper is a chronic overreactor and has a tendency to exaggerate problems in order to fit his own narrative, but he’s still kind of panicking because even his friends are starting to pick up on his infatuated behavior.

He’d been hanging out with Robert and Mary a few weeks ago. The usual stuff, a couple drinks before Harper inevitably went home to cuddle with his pillow and have dreams about his life with far more money and far less back pain.

“I’ll get a whiskey.” Robert said, and Neil turned to Harper.

“Oh. Uh. I’ll just get a beer, thanks.” To be honest, whenever Harper hangs out with Robert and Mary he feels severely outclassed. He’s not exactly a lightweight―ok, that’s a lie, he’s the lightest weight. The last time he got drunk he was found crying about how the Skammunist Manifesto was never as appreciated as it should have been―but Robert and Mary literally bring glasses of whiskey and wine almost everywhere. And they’re also much more attractive and much better friends than Harper could hope to be, and hanging out with them sort of digs up some deeply repressed inferiority issues that Harper struggles with on a daily basis, but whatever. One time he got drunk and explained this to them and they gave him a pat on the shoulder and told him that if they didn’t like him they wouldn’t hang out with him.

“So.” Harper said, swirling the beer in his cup. “You know, I was―”

“Hanging out with Brian?” Robert said, resting his chin in the palm of his hand.

“Uh… yes, actually. How did you know?”

“Wild guess. Also you talk about him a lot.” Robert shrugged, “Not that that’s a bad thing. He is the closest you’ll get to dating Mario Batali, after all―”

“Ok, one, when did I tell you about my celebrity crush on Mario Batali?”

“Same day you told me about your repressed issues with your dad, and your repressed memories of killing a man in cold blood.” Robert waited a few seconds before adding, “Kidding, of course.”

“And two, I don’t talk about Brian a lot. I talk about him a reasonable amount. Because we’re friends.” Harper said.

“Friends who have sex with each other?” Robert raised an eyebrow. “Not to say I’m against that kind of arrangement, though I have to say Brian isn’t exactly the friends with benefits type. I don’t really know him well enough to say that, but you know. I just kinda see it in his face. Kinda like I see the empty eyes of a killer in yours, you know?”

“Every time you  make these jokes about me being a murderer I get more and more convinced that I am, you know that? Anyway,” Harper said, “Okay, so Brian and I are dating, but I’m not always talking about him or anything.”

“Of course not. I’d say Brian takes up a good eighty percent of subjects that you talk about, the other twenty percent being your own emotional issues and talks you’ve had with your daughter about how cool she is.” Robert said, “But it’s fine, no one’s blaming you. You’re practically in love with the guy, so―”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that―” Harper interjected, before Mary walked up from behind them, draping her arms over their shoulders.

“You guys talking about Brian?”

So, yeah, Harper’s a little on edge about… everything. He still doesn’t think he talks about Brian that much, but sometimes in idle moments he thinks about Brian’s stupid smile and it’s kind of a really nice thought so it is a topic that’s often on the brain.

He considers all of this while walking down the street, and then he sees a colorful Hawaiian shirt in the window of a store that he knows Brian would love, and he doesn’t really think about how he’s doing it again until after he buys the shirt for him.

(For the record, Brian does love the shirt. Harper is fucking reeling at how absolutely transparent he is even to himself, and also at how nice Brian looks in that shirt.)

3. you’re in denial about it. sweet, sweet denial.

It’s hard to convince himself he isn’t in love when he looks at Brian.

Because there’s just so many feelings―there’s giddiness and admiration and something very genuine that Harper can’t quite put a finger on―that it’s hard to pinpoint all of them, and he’s not sure love is a part of any of them.

(Because love is complicated and love is weird and love is so far away from him at this point that the idea of being faced with it now is kind of scary.

But it’s hard to deny that looking at Brian now―at his smiling face while he regales Harper with some story about fishing for rainbow trout or some shit―makes Harper feel a certain lightness in his chest.

“What’re you smiling about?” Brian says, “I know I’m not that entertaining.”

“Nothin.” Harper is still smiling dreamily, like he’s in fucking love, but he isn’t. Not yet. “Just listening to you talk.” Listening to him talk and thinking about how cute he is and being just steps away from falling in love with him.

“You’re adorable.” Brian says, and then he continues. And Harper listens, and maybe (just maybe) gets a little more comfortable with the idea of being in love with Brian. “I love you.” Brian says.

Oh, shit.

4. you accept it.

Harper doesn’t say I love you to Brian that night―but he does stand on his toes to press a kiss to Brian’s lips when they’re standing by the front door of his house.

Harper doesn’t say I love you to Brian that night―but he giggles like a child when they make their way to Brian’s room. He doesn’t say I love you―but he feels giddy beyond belief when tangled in Brian’s sheets.

Harper doesn’t say I love you to Brian that night―but in the morning, when he’s looking at Brian through sleepy eyes, he has a sort of lopsided smile on his face and this feeling like his heart is caught in his throat.

“Okay, fuck it.” He says, to a Brian who is clearly still unconscious on this fine morning. This’ll be a practice round, he supposes. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Brian says, eyes still closed, and Harper realizes with little uncertainty that he professed his aggressively denied feelings to a Brian who was pretending to be asleep, and he’s not sure if the red on his face is from embarrassment or frustration.

“Aw, babe. ‘S nothing to be embarrassed about. I love you, too.” Brian says, and Harper squints.

“I said it first.” He says.

“Actually, I said it first. About a day before you did, so.” Brian stretches and yawns. “But nice try.” He grins, playfully.

“Goddamit. Okay. You win this time, I guess.” Harper rolls his eyes, “But listen, I think we can both agree that I―” Harper loses track of what he was arguing about when he catches sight of Brian and his stupid, soft, adorable face. “Oh, fuck it. I love you.”

They kiss and normally Harper would have a billion gripes about their morning breath, but this is a nice moment and he doesn’t wanna ruin it.

Okay. He’s in love with Brian. And that’s fine, and good, and fun, and Harper doesn’t exactly know what that means for them or the future, but he’s willing to find out.

#brian harding #ddadds fanfiction #harper is an angery twink who has difficulty expressing his emotions but thats ok because he's obvious as FUCK

[wecocogg-blog]

Travel is great for the soul and it’s like fuel for our imaginations. Being able to go and explore the world is one of the greatest privileges of being an adult and is a wonderful experience which we all should try at least once in our lives. If you have never been travelling in your life and you haven’t ventured passed your own countries borders, here are some of the essential tips which you need to think about.

1. Don't book because you think you should For a lot of people who are new to travelling abroad, it can seem as if the best place to look for recommendations is the Internet. Although you can of course eat some inspiration online for places to see, you will also be led into going somewhere you wouldn’t have necessarily chosen before, just because it is the place to be. Don’t ever compromise on your travel and simply visit somewhere because everyone else thinks that you should do. Make your own decisions and find a place which genuinely interests you. Even if it is somewhere most people haven’t heard of it doesn’t matter! Go with your gut and do what’s right for you. 2. Take the road less travelled Most of the time if you are about to embark on your first travel trip alone or with a partner, you might be tempted to look for the most popular tourist destinations and find the biggest hotel complexes you can for convenience. Although there is definitely nothing wrong with picking a popular place, you can sometimes have a better experience by going somewhere a little less populated by people. Think about renting something like a cottage or Duplex condo in the area instead and try to travel to hidden gems instead. You will likely have a much more fun time and you will have the added bonus of privacy in your own place at the end of the day. 3. Do you need a VISA? A VISA is something which you never think about until you go abroad, and there might even be some confusion as to what one is and the different types of VISA if you have never travelled before. Always double check with a trusted authority to find out whether your destination requires a VISA to enter. India is the most popular example of a country you can’t simply visit, so make sure you check before you start planning the trip. The last thing you want is to get to the airport and not be able to fly! 4. Scan your documents One of the things you will find when you book your first solo trip is that there are a lot of little bits of paperwork you have to remember to bring with you before boarding. If you want to save the stress of worrying about your documents, scan the documents and keep them stored on your mobile phone ready in case you forget something. It will make the day of the flight much less stressful and you can look forward to your first ever trip away. 5. Bring a credit card When planning to go abroad you will have to start thinking about spending money, and due to the currency differences around the world it will cause you to take a trip to the Bureau De Change to exchange your cash for local cash. However, it is sometimes not enough money to spend while you are away and this can be a problem after a night eating and drinking with your friends. There are some really useful travel credit cards which you can apply for and bring with you on holiday which won’t charge you extra for overseas usage and will even give you rewards for spending. It will ensure you don’t run out of cash in a foreign land and will allow you to make those spontaneous decisions during the holiday. 6. Use Google Translate When you visit a foreign country you will most likely be around people who have learnt English so you won’t have a big issue with communication. However not everywhere you go will be an English speaking area and you could find yourself in the middle of somewhere in which everyone speaks a foreign language. Google Translate can be a super helpful tool here because you can use it to ask for simple things like a loaf of bread or a cup of coffee without stress. 7. Pack less, enjoy more When it comes to packing up your clothes for your first trip abroad it can be tempting to throw as many things in your luggage as possible and make sure you are prepared for every possible event. However packing lots of items will only increase your time packing at both ends of the trip and it will cause you to spend more time deciding what to wear each morning rather than simply going out and enjoying yourself. Think about packing a few simple staples like a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, a skirt… and then just layering these with a few tops and bikinis and a dress. It can be simple and will be much easier to handle. 8. Weigh your suitcase It is incredibly important when it comes to packing up your suitcase that you weigh it before you go to the airport. Every airport has a limit on luggage and if you want to make sure you are allowed to fly you need to stick to this limit to allow for travel. Weigh your suitcase and ensure that it is under the limit and then you can go about your holiday freely. 9. Bring plane entertainment Flying on a plane for the first time will be a huge mixture of nerves and excitement and both of these things can get the better of you on the plane and cause anxiety to arise. To stop this from happening you can either make sure to sleep on the plane, or you can bring a book or a game with you to keep you busy on the flight so that you don’t think too much about being in the air. 10. Travel with someone you trust The first time you travel, it can be tempting to set off across the world on your own in an effort to better yourself however this isn’t the best idea if you have never been anywhere before. Bring someone you love and trust with you the first time you ever travel abroad and this will put your mind at ease and allow you to relax into the holiday much quicker. You’ll have someone who is there to guide you through the airport and travel and when you get there they can show you how to check into the hotel and get settled in. 11. Make an itinerary When you think about travelling for the first time, it can be easy to want to just go with the flow and see where the trip takes you, and this is a great way to be. However, sometimes this can lead you not to experience as much as you may have wanted on holiday which can be damaging to your mood. Think about making a general itinerary before you leave which tells you where you want to see and how far it is from where you are staying. This will better allow you to manage your days and will make the whole process much easier on the whole.

[honeybadgerradio]

Manchester Bombed, Women Most Affected - Polecat Cast 114

Ariana Grande! Pamela Anderson! Chris Cornell! Celebrity news or nah?

    Good Day, Sir! You Look Like Somebody Who Likes Degrading Minorities

By Max Derrat

For those of you who are fans of the Simpsons… remember that one episode where Homer was trying to sell a sexual performance enhancer inside a mall? HE goes up to one guy and says, “hello, sir! You look like a man who needs help satisfying his wife.” Now, imagine that… but in real life… and instead of a sex drug… it’s social justice.

 Well, that is exactly what is happening at the University of California-Los Angeles, and to top it all off… the school is paying people to do it. A new program, titled the “Social Justice Advocates” program, is going to help students “navigate a world that operates on whiteness, patriarchy, and heteronormativity as the primary ideologies.”  Roughly eight to ten social justice advocates will be selected for the upcoming fall semester. They will have to spend three hours per work facilitating their duties, which include weekly meetings and… wait for it… crafting presentations. The program is funded through the Bruin Excellence and Student Transformation Grant Program (BEST) which receives funding from the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

 It is no secret that we, here, at Honey Badger Radio, report on pre-existing articles during our shows. This particular story happens to come from an excellent news aggregator called “Campus Reform”, which, of course, reports on all the social justice hysteria happening on campuses across the USA. The best part of this whole story… is the fact that students who participate in this social justice program have been ordered by their supervisor to NOT talk to Campus Reform, and to defer interview requests to the UCLA media department.

 In the meantime, I would like to take a second to not speak for Honey Badger Radio, but for myself. If you go to UCLA, and somebody comes up to you who says, “Hello sir! You look like somebody who takes pleasure in subjugating minorities”, I recommend you reply with the following: “Well, hello! You look like a massive tool who needs to do something productive for once in their lives like suck a dick and/or clit.” Source: http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=9204 I Don’t Care What You Think Is Sexist: You Don’t Need to Drink While Pregnant By Max Derrat Fellow, Honey Badgers… is it a good idea to drink alcohol when you’re pregnant? This is an honest question. Yes or no? No? Good, so in theory, we shouldn’t have to talk about the contents of this article… but since we have a show to put on…

 Pregnancy charities and researchers are calling for a change to government guidelines which warn expectant mothers to avoid alcohol completely. Dr. Ellie Lee, Director of the Centre of Parenting Culture Studies at the University of Kent, said that, quote, “the exclusion of women from an ordinary activity on the basis of a precaution is sexist.”

 Despite the fact that, you know, consistent heavy drinking during pregnancy can result in foetal alcohol syndrome… apparently there is no evidence that light to moderate drinking… or even the one-off night where you try every drink on the menu… will cause any damage. At the moment, it’s hard to say whether or not this is coming from a biologist, or the woman who heads the centre of Parenting Culture Studies. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is campaigning for a change in the “tone” of the advice given to pregnant women regarding alcohol, stating that this might be, quote, “needlessly scaring women into aborting pregnancies because of fears that a few heavy nights out will have caused the foetus serious harm.”

 Of course, trying to determine the effects of light and moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy would be impossible because it’s unethical. Having said that, it might just be best to assume that eating and drinking healthy products might be best when you plan to bring a pregnancy to full-term. After all, the thing that should be on your mind shouldn’t be whether or not your feelings are hurt because you can’t abstain from alcohol for nine months, but the HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE BABY. Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/17/telling-women-not-drink-pregnancy-sexist/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw Conceptual PenisBy L Kemlo

A paper was published in a peer-reviewed social science journal as a hoax to prove gender studies is mostly garbage. The paper entitled the “conceptual penis as a social construct” was published in Cogent Social Sciences this May.

The authors, Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay, say that they were careful to make sure the paper did not say anything meaningful, and set out to publish it with the suspicion that gender studies is “crippled academically by an overriding almost-religious belief that maleness is the root of all evil”.

Here is an excerpt from the paper: Many cisgendered hypermasculine males, for instance, seem to identify those aspects of their masculinity upon which they most obviously depend with the notion that they carry their penis as a symbol of male power, domination, control, capability, desirability, and aggression (The National Coalition for Men “compile[d] a list of synonyms for the word penis [sic],” these include the terms “beaver basher,” “cranny axe,” “custard launcher,” “dagger,” “heat-seeking moisture missile,” “mayo shooting hotdog gun,” “pork sword,” and “yogurt shotgun” [2011]). Based upon an appreciable corpus of feminist literature on the penis, this troubling identification results in an effective isomorphism linking the conceptual penis with toxic hypermasculinity.

The paper goes on and even includes a part about climate change. Here is a gem: “climate change is genuinely an example of hyper-patriarchal society metaphorically manspreading into the global ecosystem.”

While this is comparable to the Sokal hoax paper that demonstrated that postmodernism was (is) a bunch of gobbledygook, the authors specifically tested their hypothesis that flattery of the academic left’s morality is the main determiner of publication in an academic journal in that field.

They succeeded. However, it’s important to note that their paper was turned down by their target journal “NORMA: The International Journal of Men's Studies” and Cogent, the one that ultimately published the hoax, is a pay-to-publish journal. Reason Magazine points out this may be better suited as a critique of pay-to-publish journals, while reminding everyone the evidence of problems in gender studies are obvious already, with real papers titled "Women's Studies as Virus: Institutional Feminism and the Projection of Danger” and "Glaciers, Gender, and Science—A feminist glaciology framework for global environmental climate change."

Source: http://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/conceptual-penis-social-contruct-sokal-style-hoax-on-gender-studies/

http://reason.com/blog/2017/05/22/no-the-conceptual-penis-as-a-social-cons

Pam Anderson Swallows...The Red Pill?

By Mike J.

Former model, actress, active member of PETA, and source of roughly 75% of boners produced in the 90s; Pamela Anderson has declared herself an anti-feminist. In a recent interview for the new Baywatch movie Anderson stated, "Men get weaker in an authoritarian environment; they don't need to be as manly. And women are working... who's watching the kids? I may get some heat for this, but I consider myself an "anti-feminist". Anderson continued stating her concerns over humans as a species becoming too androgynous, and adding that men shouldn't drink from plastic bottles as the plastic contains oestrogen. Anderson also expressed joy over the dropping of rape charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange whom she considers a hero and has visited several times.

Source: https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2017/0521/876848-pamela-anderson-says-shes-an-anti-feminist/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4526074/Pamela-Anderson-declares-anti-feminist.html

Fell On Black Days

By Mike J.

Chris Cornell, frontman for bands such as Soundgarden and Audioslave, was found dead May 18th in his MGM Grand hotel room after playing a show the previous day. The cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging although Vicky Karayiannis, Cornell's wife, maintains that his suicide was the result of Cornell increasing the dosage of his anti-anxiety medication. Cornell had a longstanding history of mental health issues and multiple addictions, but appeared to have both under control after completing rehab in 2002. Cornell's death has reopened important discussions concerning men's mental health and male suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, white males between the ages of 45 and 65 make up the bulk of all suicides, with men in general representing over 75% of suicides nationwide. Julie Cerel, president of the American Association of Suicidology and a professor at the University of Kentucky School of Social Work states on the subject of male suicide that, "Men notoriously don't seek help, and as people are aging and at a place in their lives where the world isn't looking the way they want, men especially don't know how to reach out and get help or express that they're feeling pain." Cerel adds that even once men do decide to seek help, medical professionals aren't always trained to looks for signs of mental illness and suicidality. Currently only three states in the US require that practitioners of mental health be trained in spotting suicidality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Cornell#Death http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/it-s-not-just-chris-cornell-suicide-rates-highest-among-n762221http://www.suicidology.org/Portals/14/docs/Resources/FactSheets/2015/2015datapgsv1.pdf?ver=2017-01-02-220151-870

Ariana Grande: http://archive.is/B8NDE

Bonus Story: http://time.com/3613506/prosecuting-women-for-false-rape-allegations/

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