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silverinia · 4 years

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I came for Baranski, I stayed for Baranski - a quick Christmas On The Square review someone* actually asked for

(* thank you, anon)

Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional of any sorts when it comes to film and I'm not a journalist either. The last movie review I've written was probably for a school assignment in eighth grade. I didn't do research for this and I've watched the movie exactly one time, so this is just for fun.

It was a Sunday, Sunday the 22nd of November, nearing the end of the train wreck of a year that is 2020. I woke up on an air mattress around seven am, my head aching, my throat itching with pyrosis and light nausea, it was still dark outside behind the closed blinds in front of the windows, when I slowly realised where I was, one of my best girlfriends sleeping next to me in her bed. I had crashed at her place after a warm, fuzzy evening of mulled wine, tacky Christmas movies I would never watch alone (Christmas Chronicles and Holiday Calendar, which I quite honestly didn't enjoy at all, but the company made it fun anyway), doing our nails, wearing the fun kind of face masks for a change and smoking too many cigarettes, as the soft pain in my head informed me right now. She woke up an hour later and the morning went by with coffee and reheated pizza for breakfast, when we decided to watch another movie and I realised that it was THE Sunday I'd been waiting for through Zoom interviews and Dolly Parton twitter memes and the infamous wig gate that will be briefly discussed in the following, and so we clicked on the small icon in the Netflix menu that said "Christmas On The Square".

And oh boy, was it a ride.

To start off, I should mention that I have a hard time watching most modern day American Christmas movies, as I noticed quite vividly again when I watched the two aforementioned Netflix productions last night. The character development is always foreseeable to say the least, the plot lines are plain clichés hunting each other like they're the kids in The Hunger Games, and the writing is generally so bad that you can join the actors in reciting the entire scripts on your first watch. I watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas once a year while I'm gift wrapping and pause every fifteen minutes to shamelessly stare at forties Christine Baranski (I think we should all turn away from the birth of Jesus and instead count our years based on Christine Baranski's date of birth) in flamboyant nightgowns and short Christmas themed dresses, looking so fabulous that every interpreter of Santa Baby ever could only dream of it, I watch Love Actually at least five times a year to lust over Hugh Grant, cry with Emma Thompson and miss Alan Rickman, I enjoy Bridget Jones, which I would definitely consider a Christmas movie, and that's it. That's my yearly Christmas time entertainment routine and I can barely tolerate anything beyond, because I'm still traumatised from the time when I was around five years old and on a holiday family visit where had to sit through National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the dumbest movie I have ever seen (my apologies if you like it but also, who hurt you?), with my cousins. I hated it. I hated every minute of it. And it scarred me for life.

But this was a Christine Baranski movie, I knew she was going to play the lead and so I was pretty much as excited about this as I could. And the fact that Dolly Parton wrote the whole thing didn't hurt either. As I said earlier to my friend I was watching it with, I have the pop cultural taste of a fifty year old gay man, a quality I am most proud of, and this simply ticked off all my boxes.

I expected something similar to a Mamma Mia experience that wouldn't cause me to crave packing my bags, give Covid the finger and run off to Greece. Light-hearted entertainment, easy to stomach, uplifting music and so little plot that the simplicity feels like a creative choice. That's what my pained, hungover brain knew it could cope with and that's not what I got.

The movie started and I was immediately in the zone. I saw Christine Baranski's name in the front credits (an experience that never fails to make me scream "Yass Queen" at the screen, regardless of where I am and who I'm with, as if I'm the sobering result that pops out of the package when you order Jonathan Van Ness on Wish), the setting was wonderfully corny (I grew up watching Gilmore Girls once a week, so give me warm fairy lights and a gazebo and I'm perfectly happy) and as my friend wondered whether Dolly Parton, in her exaggerated homeless attire that didn't make her look shabby at all, was green-screened into the setting because she stood out so much (which she was because the background dancers were dancing in slow motion, but to be fair, we were probably still a little too drunk to notice that from the start) and I told her I thought that it was just the natural glow someone who's Dolly Parton simply carries with them everywhere they go, I was happy. This was the movie I was prepared for. A movie in which the most problematic thing would be stereotypical characters and the wig they hid Christine's real, flawlessly handmade by God herself hair under.

And then, around five minutes in, Christine Baranski's childhood love interest was revealed as she pressed her perfect pointy nose against the window of his shop and sang about her unrequited love.

And suddenly, things started taking turns at a pace I was still way too sleep-deprived for.

Suddenly, in the middle of my general amazement at seeing Christine Baranski do literally anything and laughing loud at her impeccable comedic delivery, there were unresolved daddy issues, hanging prominently at the wall in her marvellously designed house (she literally says "Daddy" at one point and I couldn't help but think that only someone with her vocal skills could keep from making it sound cringe-worthily kinky). One moment, I was clutching my chest above my heart while she was bonding with little bartender Violet and munching on pretzels while downing some whiskey in that elegant way only Christine Baranski can bond with ten year olds who had it rough, eat pretzels and down whiskey, and the next she felt responsible for said girl's mother's death (which she kinda was too, but I'm not the boss of her). I was still busy making fun of how the very annoyingly, but when you're snacking on pizza with extra cheese at nine in the morning also highly funny, slow talking pastor's name was Christian, and suddenly there was a cancer scare.

It was a lot, a hasty sprint from major issue to major issue with a hint of comedic relief every now and then, and it didn't get any less until the very, rather poorly resolved, end.

The entire, constant up and down was followed by the movie's peak of suspense, the near death of precious Violet, something I couldn't even get too invested in because I was still so busy worrying about Christine's MRT results (I was truly fucking worried), not to mention that I hadn't even started to really process the sudden revelation of the love child and how it had affected her character's actions until this point. Was her constant tendency of pushing people away, as we've seen most clearly with her angel in training assistant who's name I cannot recall right now, the result of her broken trust in her father who practically ripped her son away from her after she had just given birth to him? Was it a result of her never getting the closure she needed with plaid flannel wearing Carl she was clearly still in love with? Maybe both? And what of the many issues was it that made her so incredibly shaken up when Violet blamed herself for her mother's death? Was it 'just' due to the fact that the closed pharmacy was on her, or was there more to it? Was it because she had grown up without a mother herself? Or did I miss a major piece of information because I was momentarily distracted, dumbfoundedly staring at Christine's very blue eyes? No time to ponder on that, little Silverinia, because here comes unconscious Violet in an ambulance, WEE WOO WEE WOO WEE WOO!

I'm not going to go in depth about what plot lines I thought were especially carelessly handled and why, real standouts were the sudden forgiveness towards her father who had still acted like a shitty asshole even though he might have had his reasons, because giving the baby up for adoption just wasn't his choice to make, and the fact that I kind of didn't buy how quickly Regina managed to forgive herself, especially for Violet's mother's passing, considering how deeply her tall, slim, dare I say angelic and entrancing figure was buried beneath the weight of all her issues. It felt rushed and incomplete, but that's as detailed as it gets because my major point is something else.

I think this movie made the great mistake of trying to be more than your average, flat, happy ending Christmas movie. I think no one involved thought it was possible to make it a big hit if the only real plot would've been great Dolly Parton music, fun ensemble dance choreographies, Christine Baranski's outstanding acting skills, fun settings and costumes and a redemption arch with as little plot as it could possibly take to make Christine likable to those who aren't already lost forever in the rabbit hole of being obsessed with her (poor fuckers, can't relate). They didn't notice that with the legends that were involved, they could've easily gone the Mamma Mia way. And I think that's why they tried to include heavier plot lines than most creators would've chosen, experiencing loss at an early age, struggling to find closure, dealing with sickness, teenage pregnancy, parents forcing their choices on their children when they affect their childrens' lives first, adoption, and the fear of losing your kid.

It was a lot and I don't want to say that it didn't work because my friend was crying, like, pretty hard and I questioned my entire existence all through the movie in not the worst way, and I did enjoy it a lot while watching. The "grief is love with nowhere to go" line was a real standout, for example, where the attempt of complexity DID work. It positively gave me fleabag season two, "I don't know what to do with it now, with all the love I have for her." - "I'll take it. It sounds lovely. You have to give it to me." feels, and that's about the biggest praise I can come up with. BUT (and this is written in capital letters because it's the big but) I'm also totally convinced that I wouldn't have enjoyed it if they hadn't cast Christine Baranski for the lead role. In my humble opinion, the hasty, not really at all resolved plot of this movie only worked because Christine Baranski is just a fantastic actress. She quirks a mocking eyebrow and you laugh. She parts her perfectly painted red lips and you immediately hang on them because you don't want to miss a single breath she, a literal goddess, graces us mere peasants of people with. She smiles and you're happy. She laughs and even while she's still laughing, you can't wait to hear her do it again. Her eyes fill with tears and you feel goosebumps on your arms, her voice slightly trembles, a breath hitches in her throat and you feel your heart shattering to pieces. As Chuck Lorre once said, this woman could read you the phone book and you would end up laughing tears because she just gets the job done. She knows what she's doing, she's an absolute pro in her game, and it doesn't matter, not even a little bit, what she's working with, because the work she eventually delivers with it is always at a minimum of 200%. I forced my friend to watch this movie with me because I adore this woman, and I felt for this movie because I felt for her. It wasn't the plot that sadly brutally overestimated itself, it wasn't the songs that I obviously enjoyed, nor the comedic elements that truly made me laugh a lot, it was all her. I came for Baranski, and I stayed for Baranski. This woman can do anything. She can even look graceful in a terrible wig job.

(side note / unpopular opinion: I actually didn't think the wig was all too bad. It wasn't good, actually far from good, but for me, nothing can match the awful wig game of Mamma Mia 2. I loathed that wig, I absolutely cannot stand it. So this didn't feel all that terrible. It definitely wasn't the most problematic part about the movie.)

I enjoyed watching this. It was a nice distraction from all the bullshit in the world. Watching it today was the first thing this year that actually brought me something close to excitement about the holiday season, even though everything will be very different and probably not quite as jolly this year. But it just gave me good vibes and as someone who did not watch this as a film reviewer, that's the biggest part of what leads me to enjoy a movie.

Will I watch this again? For sure. Will I enjoy it when I'm not hungover, having freshly done nails and munching delicious pizza for breakfast? Probably not as much, but it'll still have Christine Baranski in it. Would I recommend watching this? If you share my obsession with Queen B, one hundo. If you don't, probably not.

#Christine Baranski #Christmas On The Square #dolly parton #shitty movie reviews by yours truly

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annoying-lucy · 4 years

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Evan Evagora did an AMA involving the Star Trek Shitposting Facebook Group - the questions and answers below were copy/pasted direct from the collated master post. Evan is a member of the group, who participates under an unknown pseudonym.

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AMA Master Post!

Thanks so much to Evan Evagora for taking time out of his day for our AMA earlier. To make the questions and answers easier for ya'll to find, here they all are together below.

Q: How does my love of cats compare to Elnor?

A: Im actually more of a dog person, there was a scene that had Elnor and spot 2 unite briefly but unfortunately it didn’t leave the editing room

Q: How familiar was I with Star Trek before and did I have to do research?

A: I grew up with TNG, I’d have to say either worf, Guinan or Q are my favourite characters. And I was given episodes to watch that were to help with information before filming Picard

Q: How was I prepped to deal with the crazy fans?

A: I got told to join Star Trek shitposting 😉. Not but in all seriousness, it was Jonathan Frakes who gave me advice on entering the world of fandom from the other side and he said it’s been nothing short of a pleasure

Q: So if Hugh had survived would they have made out?

A: what happens on the cube stays on the cube

Q: My favourite moment of s1

A: getting to slice that romulans head off

Q: How did I hear about Star Trek shitposting?

A: most of the crew is either a part of the group or knows about, one of the amazing hair and make up ladies got me into I think my first or second day

Q: If I had to be Tuvixed with someone excluding elnor?

A: mirror verse Elnor, nah worf to be honest

Q: What is something I’d like to do in season 2

A: Id like to see Elnor and spot 2 together

Q: How am I passing my time woth quarantine?

A: ama for the gronp! Nah I’ve just been reading, writing and also the contact I’m having with the fans too has really helped a lot

Q: If I had to quarantine with any of my costars who would it be and why

A: I’d go with hardy treadaway he’s got the nicest place

Q: What am I hoping to see in Elnor’s future

A: Inner peace, contentment and possibly shorter hair?

Q: Am I intimidated by working on a show with such a big fan base?

A: no I grew up with Star Trek, you’re really in a bubble of filming when you’re making the show, it all didn’t really hit home until the first trailer at San Diego

Q: Would I consider playing Elnor as non binary

A: I’ve seen a lot of debate and discussion about not only my character but others in the series, if there is something that connects you with a character on this show and it resonates with you, even if it’s shown, not shown or hinted at I’m all for it. I am not for the constant belittlement, bullying and criticism of not only the characters on the show but also other fans. It really does break my heart reading comments where people aren’t welcoming of one another, because that is the whole reason why Trek has bought so many together and by spewing these disgusting cruel words out your not only showing the world you don��t understand the meaning behind the show, you also are destroying the thing that makes us all love it

Q: Is there Australia on romulas

A: yeah they have a down under I’m sure of it. No the accent can easily be explained with, Elnor left romulas at a young age, moved to a planet with different species and languages spoken so that influenced his accent

Q: Have I seen Elnor fan fiction and art?

A: yeah some of it has been really amazing! And some others have been...creative

Q: How excited am I to make home movies with my action figures?

A: my plan is to buy everyone’s, make them record audio and then film shit using the dolls and their voices

Q: Are you playing animal crossing?

A: I’ve preordered it because they’ve sold out here in aus, but in playing civ 6 to pass time and Mario party

Q: Did I get to try Romulan ale?

A: no I wish, I’m kind of hoping for a scene next year where Elnor gets drunk for the first time

Q: What character did I wish would appear in our show?

A: one word, one letter Q

Q: What’s my background have I been acting long?

A: Picard was my third acting gig, and the first project to release, so I have got some experience acting and I have previous work but it has either just aired or is going to next year

Q: Please my friend choose a charity you would like us to donate to

A: food bank

Q: Favourite ninja turtle

A: it’s always been Raph and always will be

Q: Do I know much about Elnors background

A: I know things that haven’t been mentioned yet, but also given his character is new and season 1 just finished, hopefully some of those things are explored

Q: How would o feel about the fan theory that Spock is my father

A: I mean, I’m not really sure, I can always shoot Ethan a message and ask him what he thinks too

Q: Which classic episode trope would I like to see?

A: mirror universe

Q: Can we look forward to more ninja representation?

A: is Elnor not enough? ☹️

Q: Were there any particular characters I drew inspiration from, any elves?

A: there’s a particular group of people I think Elnor might have been inspired from. Can I just say how cool it would be if Elnor is just cosplaying as an elf because Picard left him a copy of Lotr when he was young

Q: Would I be open to exploring Elnors sexuality in s2 and what would it be?

A: I am totally open for that, and as for Elnors sexuality, I’m not sure he’s only 17 he’s just left his planet and gone off on an adventure where he openly knew the success may lead in his death or others he hasn’t had time to figure himself out so seeing his sexuality explored would be amazing

Q: What stories did you hear about working on precious trek series from the OG actors?

A; So we found out Michael Dorn used to muddle his lines up because he was normally the last close up of the day. They used to put bets on to see how many takes he’d have to do. All I must add in very fun spirits nothing ever malicious or mean

Q: My long term career goals

A: id like to keep pursuing more roles I’m acting, I’m a big writer and have some projects I’m looking at getting created but right now I’d say I’m just here to learn and grow

Q: What do I write?

A: right now I’m working on three screenplays and two pilots most of the stuff I’ve written is just sitting on my hard drive just waiting to be used

Q: Ever fried an egg, buttered and vegemite'd some toast and eaten it like a sandwich?

A: what I just read, scared the crap out of me, I love vegemite but the most I’ll do is add cheese to it

Q: What is one of my favourite stories about s1

A: Jeri Ryan and I had a scene together in the borg cube (what a queen she made!) it was shooting at night and I think it was the final shot of the day, we couldn’t keep a straight face and just laughed through about fifteen takes

Q: Are you a big fan of fandom besides Trek?

A: Star Wars, lotr, the magician series Raymond e feist, a song of fire and ice series, avatar last air bender and legend of Korra (would love to play zuko) and of course Batman (fav Jason Todd as the hood)

Q: Could I see myself playing Elnor for six or seven years?

A: as long as there’s a good story that myself and fans will enjoy, but if it didn’t meet my expectations no. And also hopefully the writers and creators would want to

Q: My top TNG eps are in no particular order

I borg, all good things, tapestry, the measure of a man and all good things

I’ll also add I borg especially because it’s just cool seeing where Hugh began and how he ended up

Q: How did I land the role of Elnor?

A: I was on a break from filming Fantasy Island (a movie based off the old tv show) and I was home for pilot season which is when they cast for shows, I had two weeks of daily auditions before I was due to fly back and start filming again, two days before I was meant to leave I got an audition for Picard, the script had a code name and Elnors name was Kbar on it, but I was told it was Star Trek. I went into the room and thought I didn’t do a very good job, then I flew to film and two days later I was told I’ve made a list of people being considered, after a few more auditions and a couple of phone calls from producers and everything I found myself on a plane to LA five weeks later

Q: Have I made friends among the cast?

A: no, we tried really hard to become friends, but unfortunately we ended up becoming a family instead. Everything we say in interviews about us getting along is all true and not fake. I’m the newest to acting out of everyone so I was kind of of shocked to find out that how close we all are isn’t necessarily how it will be when I shoot other projects, so I think we just got lucky or they casted really well

Q: Have the Picard people seen your memes?

A: yes I’ve shown them the memes from the page, I’ve shown everyone including Patrick we find most of them funny (some shocking)

Not shocking in a bad way

Unexpected I should say

Q: How do I feel about the ears?

A: I wore them so much they came up in my dreams, but they were the easiest thing to apply onto me

Q: Which non tng character would I like to see return?

A: I wouldn’t mind seeing the doctor

Q: The most relatable Star Trek character?

A: Look for me growing up it was Wesley, i just picked anyone who was the young one. And I grew up with my sisters and was always being told I’m either wrong, an idiot or just to shut up

Q: Did I have previous martial arts experience before the show?

A: I have a background in boxing which helps when it comes to movement, reflexes and just all around fitness for stunts. I didn’t have any sword fighting experience before we began training for the show however

Q: How do you think being raised by an order of women affected Elnor?

A: I think it gave him a healthy understanding of not only the strength and resilience of women but I think he understands not only gender equality but just equality in general and I think that’s directly to do with growing up in a sect of all female warrior nuns

Q: What is a type of meme you would like to see more of in the group?

A: I love all the memes in the group, I hardly like any of them now incase someone figures out who I am though ahahah

Q: Favorite recent memes?

A: See my comment below

#evan evagora #star trek #star trek: picard #picard #elnor #ama #stsp

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thefaeriereview · 4 years

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Inside the Mind: Paul Cristo

https://ift.tt/3dZxxoX

Welcome to Inside the Mind where we here at The Faerie Review interview authors and creators.

Our guest today is Paul Cristo, the author behind Deadheading.

Lily: Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview Paul. Deadheading gave me chills. With COVID still going, it’s easy to imagine this happening in real life. Most zombie books I’ve read have the hero start off as a hero, but Lewis kind of hides through it. What inspired you to take such a different route?

Paul: Thanks for reading Deadheading! And thanks for noticing that about Lewis. One overarching theme in Deadheading is the pruning of the old to encourage the sprouting of the new, and I wanted Lewis to come from a place of myopic, self-subservience and grow from there.

I was also a little tired of the main characters in books being given a little too much benefit of the doubt when navigating environments and situations like those in Deadheading. There’s a bit more of an imposed learning curve for Lewis, who would much rather be watching Breaking Bad than growing his own food or blowing houses up.

Lily: He's definitely the most believable 'hero' I've ever read in a book like this. Was Lewis based on anyone?

Paul: I suppose it’d be naïve of me to deny there’s not a little bit of me in Lewis, though he might be a bit more cavalier with snark. But I wanted Lewis to be familiar to everyone in some way; sort of a stand in for the reader. He was designed to invoke the question “What would I do if this happened to me?”

Lily: Honestly I can't say my own reaction would be that much different! Did you need to do a lot of research to write this?

Paul: Definitely. Lewis gets himself into a lot of situations entirely unfamiliar to him, from growing his own food, to making bombs, to flying an airplane, and I needed those to read as plausibly as possible. That meant inserting information too detailed to fake. I interviewed several green-thumbed friends, a pharmaceutical chemist, and an airplane pilot just to name a few, to ensure the actions Lewis performs are unimpeachable. Well, mostly unimpeachable anyway.

Lily: That sounds like a lot of work but I'd say it definitely paid off. Is there another book in the works?

Paul: Yes! The second book will focus more on the sickness that plagued the planet and maybe a bit more on the curmudgeonly doctor.

Lily: I can't wait to read it, that sounds like a great follow up. Now we’d like to talk about you as a writer. Do you have a ritual you perform to get in the writing headspace?

Paul: I usually have some kind of tea while writing which helps me focus. Sometimes playing unobtrusive, pulsey film music in the background helps me concentrate.

What helped me most was making an agreement with myself that I’d write something every day, even if it was only a few words. Sticking to that is what allowed me to finish the book.

Lily: That sounds like a great way to get yourself writing, and I can just imagine you writing some scenes in the book to that music! Where’s your favorite place to write?

Paul: I seem to be a better night writer (insert Hasselhoff meme here) than day. Finding somewhere cave-like is ideal; somewhere allowing for a grandpa sweater. There are times I’m envious of Jack Torrance and his arrangement at the Overlook.

Lily: Ah the Overlook. Always wanted to go there hehe. I'm a night owl myself so I can totally understand the need for somewhere dark! Do you prefer to type or hand write your first draft?

Paul: I’m much too fond of my mechanical keyboard to handwrite anything, though I do enjoy occasionally jotting down notes with a pencil if I think of them.

Lily: For me I can't guarantee I'll be able to read my notes later if I write as fast as I think (and mechanical keyboards are amazing for keeping up). Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. What’s one food everyone should try before they die?

Paul: Seeded, whole grain sourdough bread. I mean the dark, substantial kind that will tear a paper bag if dropped in too high.

Lily: I can't say I've tried that, but now I need to. I might have to make it, I don't think I've seen it around here (but then again I don't live in a city). Would you rather be covered in fur, scales, or spines?

Paul: You really got my brain spinning with this one. With fur, warmth wouldn’t be much of a problem anymore, but I’d shed incessantly, and imagine how often the plummer’d have to come out to snake the shower drain. Scales would basically guarantee every Olympic swimming gold medal, but being scaled implies I’m no longer endothermic, but exothermic, and installing heat lamps around the house isn’t very practical. That leaves spines, which delights the 8-year-old in me who always wanted to be a He-Man villain. But being spined eliminates any kind of travel involving a cushioned seat. I’ll have to get back to you on this.

Lily: Hehe I have to admit I never really thought about it that way, but I love the thought you put into it. I can definitely say the fur would cause a nightmare (long hair can be too). What’s a boring fact about yourself?

Paul: I don’t use the QWERTY keyboard layout; I use DVORAK.

Lily: OK now that's interesting, I don't know if I've ever known anyone who doesn't use QWERTY! (For those that don't know DVORAK was designed to be more efficient than QWERTY). If you could pick one superpower, what would it be?

Paul: My instinct would be to fly unaided, but that’s what everybody says. The power to grant wishes would be fun.

Lily: Ooooh wishes would be a fun one. What’s one movie you could rewatch over and over without getting sick of it?

Paul: Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report has always been impervious in that way. The story, the music, the photography, the odd-ball characters, the noir-esque grit; all its elements somehow make it endlessly entertaining.

Lily: It's definitely a great movie. Do you put the milk in the bowl before or after the cereal? How do you feel about doing it the other way?

Paul: I reject the premise there are milk-first people out there. Invariably, there would be too much milk or too much cereal. That is, unless you’re taking the time to actually measure the cereal and milk before pouring it into the bowl, which makes you a bonafide monster.

Lily: I can't like I just laughed at that last part, but I have to admit I completely agree. There's no way to get the right ratio if you put milk first without measuring! Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

Paul: If you happen to appreciate the Star Trek nerdom, my friend Jonathan and I host a podcast where every week we break down a random episode from the first five series while cracking wise. We’re adequately funny, so we’re told. It’s called The Measure of an Episode (http://themeasureofanepisode.squarespace.com).

Lily: How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Paul: The best way to keep apprised of what’s new with me is being on my mailing list, which you can join on my website. You can also email me at [email protected]

Twitter | Amazon Author | Podcast: The Measure of an Episode

via Blogger https://ift.tt/3iLrS8l

#Blogger #interview

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drunk-on-writing · 7 years

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my name is Stanley Almodovar III i carry the name of my father and his father before me i’m twenty-three years young i dyed my hair saturday but no one got to see it sunday morning my name is Amanda Alvear i am twenty-five years young people know me as a pharmacy tech, the girl who lost almost two hundred pounds, the girl who takes too many selfies but the only place i was truly myself was where i was that night my name is Oscar Aracena i am twenty-six years young i’m a student at Valencia College i was so close to getting my degree… so close my name is Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala i am thirty-three years young i am a supervisor at the OneBlood donation center i never did know if my job was the one who tried to save my life my name is Capt. Antonio Davon Brown of the U.S. Army Reserve i am thirty years young i almost have my doctorate degree of management in organizational leadership almost my name is Darryl Roman Burt II i am twenty-nine years young i just received my master’s degree in Human Resources Management tonight, i was celebrating mi llamo Jonathan Camuy soy es veinticuatro anos trabajo en una cadena de televisión española realmente estaba deseando volver a trabajar el lunes my name is Angel Luis Candelario-Padro i am twenty-eight years young soon, i will be an ophthalmic technician i cannot wait to begin my new job in a few days my name is Omar Capo i am twenty years young i love to dance i always said i wanted to die doing what i loved my name is Simon Carrillo i am thirty-one years young my partner and i just came home from a little getaway to Niagara Falls i was really looking forward to our next vacation together my name is Luis Daniel Conde i am thirty-nine years young my best friend is Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez he’s been by my side since high school my name is Juan Pablo Rivera Velazquez i am twenty-two years young my best friend is Luis Daniel Conde seems only fitting we left this world together my name is Cory James Connell i am twenty-one years young my brother is getting married this fall and i am to be his best man don’t tell him but i have no idea what to say in my speech my name is Tevin Eugene Crosby i am twenty-five years young i am the owner of a marketing firm, Total Entrepreneurs Concepts hard work truly does pay off; i can’t wait to share my latest meme with all of my facebook friends when i get home tonight my name is Anthony Luis Laureano Disla i am twenty-five years young i love to dance, i want to be a dancer tonight, i want to go dancing with my friends my name is Deonka Deidra Drayton i am thirty-two years young for the first time in a long time, i can finally, confidently, say that i am happy my name is Leroy Valentin Fernandez i am twenty-five years young i love to sing no matter what happens in life, no one will ever take my voice away from me my name is Mercedez Marisol Flores i am twenty-six years young i am studying literature at Valencia College’s West Campus but my true passion is party planning i’ve been thinking about switching majors my name is Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz i am twenty-two years young all i want to do is make people smile i’ve always thought that laughter could cure anything my name is Paul Terrell Henry i am forty-young years young i am the proud father of two amazing kids and i have the most magnificent boyfriend i cannot thank god enough for all of my blessing my name is Frankie Hernandez i am twenty-seven years young i have a little sister, she’s one of my best friends i cannot wait to see the person she becomes when she grows up my name is Miguel Angel Honorato i am thirty years young i have three sons who i love more than life itself i hope they will enjoy what i have planned for the next birthday party my name is Jimmy De Jesús i am fifty years young i love my job but i am so thankful i have tomorrow off i plan on having a good time tonight my name is Javier Jorge-Reyes i am forty years young i am so, so proud of who i am no one can take that away from me my name is Jason Josaphat i am nineteen years young i love life, i love my life and it’s only just begun my name is Eddie Justice i am thirty years young i have a huge family, but i am a mama’s boy at heart i always make sure to text my mom everyday my name is Christopher Leinonen i am thirty-two years young i am madly in love with my boyfriend, Juan Guerrero i cannot wait to see what the future has in store for the two of us my name is Juan Guerrero i am twenty-five years young i am madly in love with my boyfriend, Christopher Leinonen after a long week at work, i just want to unwind with my love tonight my name is Alejandro Martinez i am twenty-one years young i have only been living in Florida for two years but i have always met so many kind people here; that must be why it is called the “sunshine state” my name is Brenda Lee Marquez-McCool i am forty-nine years young i beat cancer twice and i have never felt more alive my name is Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez i am twenty-five years young i am studying health care management at the Ana G. Mendez University’s Orlando campus all i want to do is help people my name is Kimberly Morris, but you can call me ‘KJ’ i am thirty-seven years young i moved to Florida to be closer to my mother and grandmother i love my job as a bouncer at Pulse Nightclub my name is Akyra Murray i am eighteen years young i just graduated from West Catholic Preparatory High School my name is Geraldo Ortiz-Jimenez, but you can call me Drake i am twenty-five years young i love Selena Gomez i hope to meet her one day Joel Rayon Paniagua i am thirty-one years young i love dancing i am going to meet my friends for a night of dancing my name is Jean Carlos Mendez Perez i am thirty-five years young not to brag, but i am the best salesperson Perfumania you can ask Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon my name is Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon i am thirty-seven years young growing up wasn’t easy but i can finally say that i am comfortable in my own skin and i am lucky enough to have Jean Carlos Mendez Perez by my side through it all my name is Enrique L. Rios i am twenty-five years young i am from New York but i came to Florida to celebrate my friend’s birthday my name is Eric Ivan Ortiz Rivera i am thirty-six years young i don’t really like clubs but it’s for a friend, so tonight, i will go my name is Xavier Emmanuel Serrano i am thirty-five years young i have a five year old son who is my entire world i just hope i will raise him to be a genuine and compassionate person my name is Christopher Sanfeliz i am twenty-four years young i am a personal banker at J.P. Morgan Chase bank i am very thankful to have Sundays off, especially tonight my name is Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan i am twenty-four years young i am a proud mom and wife my youngest baby is three months old my name is Jean Carlos Nieves Rodriguez i am twenty-seven years young i just brought my first house i just want my mom to live somewhere nice my name is Edward Sotomayor Jr. i was named after my father i am thirty-four years young i love my boyfriend and i love adventure my name is Shane Tomlinson i am thirty-three years young i am the lead singer in a band i love to bring music to the lives of others my name is Martin Benitez Torres i am thirty-three years young last month, i enrolled in college i hope to be a pharmacy tech my name is Juan Rivera Velazquez i am thirty-nine years young i love being a hair stylist i love making people feel beautiful my name Luis Vielma i am twenty-two years young i love my job, especially working on the Harry Potter ride at Universal but one day i really want to become an EMT my name is Jerald Arthur Wright i am thirty-one years young i have a huge family, both biological and my coworkers tonight i am celebrating my friend’s birthday

say their names (cc, 2017)

#pulse #pulse shooting #pulse orlando #spilled ink #words #writing #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #prose #poem #poetry #poets on tumblr #poets of tumblr #my writing #fave

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sumner250-blog · 7 years

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My Amazing Experience at Bodypower 2017!

Bodypower: The yearly event where most of the fitness icons, YouTube creators, and fitness enthusiasts all meet up into one venue to celebrate the fitness community as a whole – whether it be bodybuilding, powerlifting, calisthenics, aesthetics, you name it!

My experience was surreal as it was my first time going there and I got to meet a number of my favourite inspirations!

The ultimate prankster – Connor Murphy!

The moment I went it, I was surprised with how huge the expo was. It was held in NEC Birmingham which is known for huge conventions! But it was more than a convention, it was a place for like-minded people to gather as one with a passion for fitness.

It’s either, you feel alive when you go to the weight room, or you’re just counting the minutes ’till you get out of there. That’s the difference between the people in this building and those who aren’t.

-Steve Cook in Bodypower 2017

The Free Samples and Massive Discounts!

Got this for 1 pound and it has a massive 200ml of caffeine which is just like a pre-workout! Mmm blue raspberry flavour!

One reason why Bodypower 2017 was worth it was because of the free samples!

Those providing them are really generous when it comes to getting more than 1 serving if I would say so myself!

Free delicious protein bars, free BCAA’s, free whey protein – Why not!

The main highlight of the event was meeting those who inspire me to be a lot fitter and to be a better person in general. Those are the kind of people we should look up to and strive to be better than them!

Igor Opeshanksy (Vitruvian Physique)

I got to meet my favourite YouTuber Vitruvian Physique AKA Igor Opeshansky. We had such a nice chat about intermittent fasting, the possibility if you could absorb your protein well if you consume it into one massive meal, and memes!. He even brought up researches out of nowhere to back up his answers! He was so intrigued that he said he’d make a video on our talk!

There’s no cuts just like his videos and yes he does speak with so much energy! He also wanted to keep in contact with me through email and he wanted me to send him this picture directly trough Instagram because he said he “looked great in it!”.

Rob Lipsett

Rob Lipsett, the Irish beast! When I said Igor had lots of energy earlier, compared to Rob, is unreal. Rob’s passion and drive is so contagious! There’s a reason why his YouTube channel and his status grew exponentially!

I told him that I watched his latest Alphalete video which came out the night before the Bodypower 2017 expo and he was so happy and regretful that I keep up with his videos! He pointed out to his camera man – “He’s the guy who did the amazing shots! Props to my man there!”

I have so much energy and passion because every day feels like it’s day one of my new career!

-Rob Lipsett Bodypower 2017

David Laid

Firstly, I just have to say – He is a lot bigger and a lot leaner in real life! I told him – “You look a lot more aesthetic in person!” and he replied with “Really? Around 1 in 100 people tell me that here!”

He is so humble and I believe that is what got him his popularity and following. He came from humble beginnings being the “skinniest guy in the school” to being a popular fitness personality. Check out his YouTube channel!

The best thing was I got to arm wrestle with him and lose!

http://ift.tt/2pMJFj5

I had no way of winning anyway! With someone who could deadlift over 600lbs, his handshakes could kill! So humble and fun to be with!

Lainey and Lex Griffin

These guys are so funny and friendly! I know I say this a lot for the people I’ve met but those are the winning ways to capture people’s attention. They certainly have got mine hence the reason why I followed Lex (I love Lainey but I’m more of fighting, heavy rock, and bodybuilding which Lex is known for). Lex Griffin was the original Gymshark athlete as he was one of the first athletes Gymshark chose!

Rich Piana

Gotta die to confuse to body right babe? I didn’t get to talk to Rich Piana because the line was ridiculously long. I’d say it could be an hour wait. I did get to take a snap of him!

Whitney Simmons

Whitney Simmons, was so genuine! I would say she is friendlier in person than in her videos. Don’t think it’s possible? You should meet her in person then! She gives really nice hugs and really complimented my butt so I had to go for that booty pose! I think she out-angled me because I did it the wrong side!

I was about to meet for Nikki Blackketter too but she just left as I was waiting for David Laid! Next year, I’d get more than just a ticket for 1 day to meet more!

Connor Murphy

Connor Murphy – The ultimate but aesthetic prankster! His following and YouTube channel exploded very recently due to his viral aesthetic pranks to get girls’ numbers. I was surprised that not many people came to see him or knew him. i asked if he got any girl’s number yet and he said “Probably later today!”

The queue was only like 4 people long however there was a constant mass of people that came so there was not a moment he was doing nothing. Probably because he had no shirt on. I just had to hit the Zyzz pose with him! Excuse my bulky body haha

The Bodypower 2017 Challenges

One of the main points of interest of Bodypower are the challenges! They’re free to join and they can really amass you great prizes!

There was the crunch challenge where people competed who could do the most crunches non-stop, 20kg EZ bar bicep curl challenge where you had to do curl non-stop for 1 minute which is a lot harder than it sounds, leg press challenge, squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and more!

The clean and jerk challenge. The heaviest clean and jerk wins!

Optimum Nutrition leg press challenge. You had to do as many reps as possible in one minute!

I did join the pull-up challenge where I had to do a reverse pyramid scheme of 6 reps, hold for 5 seconds, 5 reps, hold for 5 seconds, 4… and so on.

Pull up challenge! The guy with the megaphone in front of me didn't help though 😂 #bodypower

A post shared by Jonathan Sumner (@jonatsumner) on May 12, 2017 at 12:48pm PDT

Here I competed in the deadlift challenge (which was not based on body weight) so considering I was 68kg (149lbs) from my cut, I had no chance against those who were 80kg (176lbs) or more! I did have to sign a waiver by the way.

140kg Deadlift

One of the boxes I had to tick was “Are you currently on a diet or fasting?”. Next year, I’ll nail it! I made it through and got eliminated at 170kg (374lbs)

In summary, I would definitely go again next year for 2018! If you haven’t been to Bodypower once then I strongly recommend that you go there. Especially if you follow fitness personalities online from YouTube!

Even the smaller fitness personalities hang around in their sponsored booths whether it be Gymshark, Myprotein, Optimum Nutrition, and more! Just find out if they are sponsored by a company and you’ll easily find them!

That’s a wrap for bodypower 2017. Roll on for 2018!

Comment below your experience if you went to Bodypower! Tell me your favourite part! You could also ask me if you have any questions about it because I had lots of questions at the start too!

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