#AND THEN GET THOMAS HOWARD NEXT

[stars-and-the-min]

☆ the wrong way to hard launch (6) | OP81

summary : oscar's girlfriend is a walking pr problem for literally everyone (including herself) social media au

pairing : oscar piastri x zhou!fem!singer!oc

a/n the highs (friends) and lows (exes) of life aka lina lore 👀 preface : i know nothing about nfl or american football so suspend ur beliefs if u happen to know a thing or two, also my amateur photoshopping skills are really improving from this

masterlist | last part | part 6 | next part

INSTAGRAM

logansargeant

liked by alex_albon and 142,394 others

logansargeant The long-awaited ultimate rematch tagged: selinabui and oscarpiastri

alex_albon Wait, why wasn't I invited?

selinabui ok captain america pack it up ↳ logansargeant @ selinabui Stay mad 😎 ↳ oscarpiastri @ selinabui Why would you challenge two professional racing drivers to a racing game? ↳ selinabui @ oscarpiastri i thought you loved me? ↳ oscarpiastri @ selinabui Ah but you love winners more 😏 ↳ logansargeant @ oscarpiastri Stop flirting in my comments???

cofrisy_f1 LOSCAR??? OSCALINA??? LOLINA???

beemiepie she chose the orange car 🥺🥺🥺 ↳ siera_mblanc @beemiepie a true papaya girlie 🧡🧡

cameliazzz just posted to their story

replies selinabui cami, did u or did u not insist u'd be fine 😭

lukaszhang the SLANDER??? didn't we have loads of fun???

aidan_ebass Touché Millie, see you soon?

eb_jonno sidenote: can you bring mochi on the plane? are there food restrictions?

oscarpiastri

liked by opeightyone and 121,983 others

oscarpiastri 次回まで trans: until next time

piastri_lina obsessed with this couple's dedication to never tagging each other

opeightyone Get 'em next year 💪

selinabui currently feeling like a 1930's housewife waiting for her husband to return from war ↳ cameliazzz @ selinabui HELLO NOT YOU PLAGARISING MY STORY??? FOR A GUY??? ↳ selinabui @ cameliazzz nooooo wifey i didn't mean like that :(((

TWITTER

lina !!! @EB_selina · 37m you've gotta be shitting me

NFL Jersey Numbers @nfljerseywatch · 1h Tennessee Titans RB Thomas Howard (@THowdy) is wearing number 24. Last worn by Kenny Vaccaro. #Titans

↳ kayla @luna_apocolypse · 34m no fucking way... i don't wanna jump to conclusions but... ↳ emme @flowersforcami · 32m he tweeted about it. girl- jump to those conclusions.

Thomas Howard @THowdy · 58m The move to the #Titans has been a huge change, and 24 has been a number close to my heart for many years, I'd consider it a lucky number for a lucky year 👊 ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 23m eat shit and die i'm so fucking serious you have no right to wear her number ↳ kayla @luna_apocolypse · 22m hahaha (not) funny but april fools was last week say sike RIGHT NOW

fiona🩷 @fififorlina · 29m thinking about how tommy is playing with lina’s number i'm weak 😭 ↳ 🕯️manifesting EB3 🕯️@ linabelles · 13m no, we're absolutely not doing this, it's not sweet at all, do you even know how badly he treated lina? ↳ emme @flowersforcami · 11m there are tommy-supporting linami’s in this day and age???

oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 39m lina watching her ex and cousin play/drive with her number be like:

↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 23m idk how to feel bc it's kinda hilarious that our little rockstar is slowly plaguing the sporting world with her number

lina !!! @EB_selina · 22m @LoganSargeant for my own mental health we're not going to talk for the next... 50 years ↳ Logan Sargeant @LoganSargeant · 8m I'm sorry? Did I do something wrong? ↳ lina !!! @EB_selina · 5m it's not you, it's just your countrymen (i'm generalising again)

MESSAGES

from the phone of selina bui

TWITTER

liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 35m WHY IS EVERYONE FLOODING MY TL WITH T*MMY SHIT ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 34m lina is one of the only music girlies who is SO SO SO vocal about how much she HATES her ex and you still can't listen to her??? ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 34m not just with her music but as in SHE OUTRIGHT HATES HIS GUTS ON MAIN she COULD NOT possibly make it clearer that she would rather shoot herself in the head than ever consider getting back together with him ↳ liv is SEEING EB LIVE!! @olivielina · 33m i'm so tired can't you just let the woman be happy with oscar ↳ abby <3 @devilvows · 17m liv, baby, i think you need to change ur name to 'defense minister of linami nation'

INSTAGRAM

selinabui

liked by oscarpiastri and 139,204 others

selinabui some weird second string loser who's not worth mentioning

cameliazzz thought the message was 'let everyone know i'm doing ok'? ↳ selinabui @ cameliazzz message appropriately sent :)

oliviarodrigo AAHHH stunning as always 💝💝 ↳ selinabui @ oliviarodrigo watch out, the literal moment we're in the same city i'm hunting u down (my favourite american 🥺)

oscarpiastri Haha not me though right :) ↳ selinabui @ oscarpiastri idk maybe...?

TWITTER

lina !!! @EB_selina · 1h this is really hindering my enjoyment of 'so american' ↳ Oscar Piastri @ OscarPiastri · 1h I reaaally hate to break it to you but I think you might be the American in this relationship ↳ lina !!! @EB_selina · 53m take that back rn i'm serious ↳ Oscar Piastri @ OscarPiastri · 49m Which one of us has lived in California for half a decade? 🤔

↳ abby <3 @devilvows · 37m can you imagine waking up to that face? oscar piastri, you lucky bitch

↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h oscar piastri i was not familiar with your game ↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h selina, i understand you now, i get it now, truly i do, hooooly

oscalina real ?! @ emptyginbottles · 1h i think the entire empty bottles fandom and oscalina shippers trying to cleanse the tl by posting some of the most jaw-clenching, hottest pictures of oscar and lina is so funny ↳ oscalina real ?! @ emptyginbottles · 1h the best part is that it's actually working and also so many more empty bottles fans are realising how unfairly attractive oscar piastri is

INSTAGRAM

selinabui Seoul, South Korea

liked by oscarpiastri and 138,958 others

selinabui heal my s(e)oul tagged: cameliazzz, blublublupi, and lukaszhang

lukaszhang i thought i specifically asked you not to post that ↳ selinabui @lukaszhang i actually wasn't gonna but then you told me not to so obviously i had to

oscarpiastri 🧡 ↳ selinabui @ oscarpiastri any other fucking colour heart i beg ↳ oscarpiastri @ selinabui You know I'm contractually obligated

emptybottlos i'm convinced they agreed to go on tour just to travel, visit friends and eat a bunch of authentic food

ceciliapham someone else is in seoul rn 👀 ↳ marie_h.sb @ceciliapham in what world do you think your gonna see lina and chris yamada in the same room again?

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

taglist @ririyulife @ashy-kit @fionaschicken @namgification @cherry-piee

#f1 #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x oc #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri fanfic #oscar piastri imagine #oscar piastri smau #formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 smau #f1 fic #f1 smau #f1 imagine #f1 social media au

[cherrycola27]

Star Spangled Seresin

Series Warnings: Language, alcohol consumption. Political situations. Unrequited love, one night stand, military and political inaccuracies. Smut. 18+ Minors DNI. Banner Credit: @thedroneranger

Masterlist Next Part

...........................................

Prologue: A Debate to Remember

"Okay, Jake, I need you to remember that a vice presidential debate is just as important as a presidential debate." Ms. Wiseman, the Bradshaw-Seresin campaign manager, told him.

"I know, Wise-woman, I've got this. Don't worry." He tells her as he shoots her a thousand watt grin. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that ridiculous nickname." She huffs.

Jake laughs before leaving the green room and finding his place. He was more than ready for this debate. He and Bradley were ahead in the poles with the election just around the corner. He rolled his shoulders back as he mentally prepared himself to wipe the floor with the competition.

A production assistant escorted him to his place. He squared his stance at the podium as the welcome music played, and the lights went up.

Jake was confident. He knew he had this in the bag. Nothing was going to throw him off his game.

Well, at least that's what he thought before she walked out. Jake's breath caught in his throat as she strolled onto the stage.

She was beautiful, with olive skin and chestnut colored hair. The black dress she was wearing was modest but fit her like a glove. Her legs were elongated by the black pumps that she wore, and when her eyes met Jake's, he swears his heart skipped a beat.

His mind went blank. How the hell was he supposed to be on his best game when the most beautiful woman in the world would be sitting ten feet in front of him.

He snapped back to reality as she grabbed the microphone and spoke.

"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the final vice president debate of the 2024 election. On stage tonight, we have Mr. Gregory Evans, Mr. Thomas Howard, and Mr. Jacob Seresin. My name is Jaycee Marchetti, lead political reporter for the Washington Post, and I'll be your moderator for this deabte." She spoke strongly, but not forcefully. Her voice was smooth like silk and Jake knew instantly that he was fucked.

"Gentleman, the debate will run for approximately two hours, you will be given a maximum of two minutes and thirty seconds to answer each question. If you exceed the time limit, I will buzz you before cutting off your microphone." Jaycee explained the parameters. "Shall we begin?" She asked just before grabbing the first question.

............

"Hangman! You crushed it out there!" Bradley clapped him on the back as he came backstage.

"Thanks, man. I'm glad that's over. Listen, if we're all good here, I need a drink." Jake said, and he raked his hands over his face. God, he couldn't get the image of Jaycee out of his head.

After clearing it with his security team, Jake managed to slip away to a private bar. Well, it was more like a speakeasy if he was being honest. You had to know someone to get in, the security was top notch, which made it the perfect place for the D.C. elite to slip off for a drink.

He had just walked in when he spotted a familiar brunette sitting alone at the bar.

"Excuse ma'am, is this seat taken?" Jake asked as he gestured to the stool beside her. Jaycee looked up from her glass of wine and smiled. "For you, Mr. Seresin, never."

Jake sat down next to her and ordered himself a glass of scotch. "Your oral performance at the debate was amazing, Mr. Seresin. You were do well spoken." Jaycee complemented him. "Mr. Seresin is my father, please, call me Jake." He insisted. "And I'm amazed at how well I did. Considering how distracted I was during it." Jake continued.

"And why were you distracted—Jake?" Jaycee asks as she leans closer to him. "You try standing across from the most beautiful woman in D.C. and see how focused you are." Jake replied as he took a sip of his drink. "You flatter me, Jake." Jaycee said as she gave his chest a gentle push.

"It's not flattery if it's true." Jake replied before putting one foot on the bar of Jaycee's stool and sliding her closer to him until her knees were wedge between his legs.

"I'm celebrating my victory in the debate tonight, care to take a shot with me, Ms. Marchett?" Jake ask her. "I suppose one wouldn't hurt." She replies innocently. "Whiskey?" Jake asks. "My favorite." Jaycee replies.

Soon, the shot of whiskey turns into two, followed by a beer. All the while, Jake and Jaycee are flirting with each other. By the time the last call rolls around, one question hangs on the tip of Jake's tongue. He settles both of their tabs with the bartender before placing one of his large hands on her thighs and leaning in. "If you thought I gave a good oral performance at the debate, you should let me take you back to my place so I can really show off my skills." Jaycee grabs his hand before hauling him out to find a cab.

...................

The couple crashed through the door of Jake's apartment as soon as he'd unlocked it. Barely breaking apart long enough for him to do so.

The two were in a tangle of lips and limbs.

As soon as the door shut, Jake pressed Jaycee against it, wrapping her legs around his waist as he ground against her.

She shoved off his suit jacket and quickly undid his tie before working as the buttons of his dress shirt. Jake peeled her away from the door long enough to slip out of his shoes and carry her to his bedroom.

Once there, he stripped out of his shirt and under shirt before dropping to the floor to undo the straps of her shoes.

Jaycee took the opportunity to peel her dress over her head and fling it across the room. She was grateful she'd decided to wear a cute lace set under her dress tonight.

Once her shoes were out of the way, Jake grabbed her leg and began trailing kisses from her ankle to her inner thigh before switching sides. Jaycee leaned back on her hands and watched him as Jake took in the site before him.

She looked beautiful in his bed.

"Can I?" He asked as his fingers hooked around the waistband of her panties. Jaycee nodded. Jake pulled the black lace off her before bringing them to his nose and inhaling. "You smell amazing, I bet you taste even better." He groaned before licking a stripe up her slit.

Jaycee's hips jumped off the bed. Jake growled before hooking his arms under her thighs and pulling her flush against him.

He started out harsh and fast, eating her like she was the finest meal on earth. His tongue swiped circles and figure eights around her clit before fucking into her weeping hole. Jaycee laced her fingers in his sandy blonde locks and pulled him closer to her.

She ground her core against his face, and Jake moaned in appreciation as she tugged on his locks.

He slipped two of his thick fingers inside her dripping cunt and curled them to find her gspot. Once he zeroed in on it, he stroked it over and over again, enjoying the cries of his name that left her lips each time he did so.

"Fuck, Jake! That feels so good!" Jaycce cried out as she chased her high. It had been ages since a man had taken care of her like this.

"You're squeezing my fingers so good, darlin, I can tell you're close. Be a good girl and cum for me." Jake demanded as he sped up his fingers and tongue.

Jaycee cried out his name as he assaulted her bundle of nerves. Jake alternated between sucking on in and circling it. He gave it a particularly harsh suck, and Jaycee was screaming out his name. She came hard on his face, and Jake worked her through it, only stopping when she pulled him away from over stimulation.

Jake shimmied out of his pants and underwear before joining Jaycee on his bed.

She pulled him in for a bruising kiss before pushing him on his back. She stroked his hard length a few times. "Shit, baby, that feels so good. Hold on, let me get a condom." Jake said as he fumbled with his nightstand. He quickly took out the foil and handed it to her. Jaycee carefully opened it and rolled it down his length.

She straddled him before slowly sinking down him. She let out an appreciative moan over how full she was, taking a few moments to savor that burning stretch before slowly rising up and dropping back down on him.

Jaycee quickly picked up her pace, placing her hands on Jake's torso for leverage. Jake's hands grabbed a fistful of each of her ass cheeks and brought her closer to him as he rolled his hips into her.

He gave her ass harsh smack as she rode him. "Fuck baby, you ride better than half the cowgirls in Texas." Jake drawled out. Jaycee moaned back a reply as his stiffness hit a particularly deep spot that had her seeing stars.

"If you can help run a country, half as good as you fuck, I might be convinced to vote for you." Jaycee gasped. At the omission Jake stopped her. Jaycee whined.

He flipped them over so she was under him. He grasped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You don't know who you're going to vote for yet?" He asks, clicking his tongue. Jaycee shakes her head.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to give you a good reason to vote for me then." He says before pistoning his hips into her.

Jaycee clings to his biceps, her nails digging in as Jake pushes her to a finish.

He drops his thumb to her clit and rapidly strokes it. The pleasure overwhelms her, and Jaycee's orgasm rips through her body. Jake follows behind her, spilling into the condom.

He collapses beside her and catches his breath before heading to the bathroom and returning with a warm washcloth to clean her up. He grabs a shirt from his drawer and hands it to her. She looks at him confused.

"I figured you'd want something to sleep in because there is no way in hell I'm kicking you out."

....................

Jaycee quietly unlocked her door and crept in. She definitely didn't want to wake her her roommate up. She was not ready for the five thousand questions she knew that she would ask.

"Good morning, skank." Y/N said as Jaycee stepped in the kitchen.

"Girl! What the fuck!?" She exclaimed while Y/N sat at their kitchen island and sipped her coffee.

"It's 7:30 on a Saturday morning. What are you doing up so early?" Jaycee asks her. "It's 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Why are you just now getting home?" She fires back.

"How do you know I just got home?" Jaycee counters.

"Your hair is in a bun, you're wearing last night's dress, you are carrying your shoes, and you smell like cedar scented soap." Y/N states. "So, you want to tell me where you were?"

"I, um— I went home with a guy last night." Jaycee confesses.

"Why didn't you tell me? I was worried sick about you. It takes ten seconds to send a text. I was afraid something had happened! I was about to call the police!" Y/N rants. Jaycee crosses the space to hug her friend.

"I'm fine, Wise-crack. I promise, I don't need you fussing over me like a mother hen." Jaycee assures her. "You know I worry about you. After what happened— I can't talk almost losing you again." she fights back tears.

"It's been five years. Everything is okay, babe, nothing bad is going to happen. Jaycee tells her best friend.

"I know. I just can't help it. But you promised me you're okay?" Y/N asks just to be sure.

"More than okay. Now, let me get a cup of coffee and tell you all about my night. Girl, this guy had mad tricks with his tongue." Both women laugh before Jaycee recounts her escapades.

.......................

Six months later, Jaycee is in the White House. Her best friend is the Chief of Staff, and the two of them had just prevented a major scandal. Some psycho ex-employee claimed she had an affair with President Bradshaw and was pregnant by him. Y/N, being the girlboss that she was, had the woman followed and promptly destroyed any ounce of credibility that she had.

Jaycee had worked to keep the news out of the Post and had several positive articles about the president ready to go.

She and Wise-woman were currently raiding the White House kitchen for snacks and wine. They were going to have a victory sleepover and needed provisions.

Jaycee was on edge as she walked through the halls of the White House. Her one night stand from months ago was now the vice president, and she'd never told Y/N, claiming she couldn't remember his name.

She'd even gone as far as to ghost Jake Seresin after their hookup. Jaycee was sure that he'd forgotten about her and had moved on to some other socialite.

The two of them had just left the kitchen with piles of junk food when she heard a familiar voice cry out. "Wise-woman, wait up!"

Jaycee froze. Y/N turned around, while Jaycee didn't dare move. Shit, this couldn't be happening, she thought.

"Jake, before we head out, let me introduce you to my best friend. She works for the Washington Post, you might remember her from the last VP debate." Y/N says warmly.

Jaycee turns around. Jake's face lights up when he sees her. The woman who has haunted his dreams for the past six months eas standing right in front of him.

"Hello, Mr. Vice President. Jaycee Marchetti. It's nice to officially meet you." Jaycee extends her hand for him to shake. "It's lovely to see you again, Ms. Marchetti." Jake draws out as his eyes rake over her body.

"Again?" Jaycee feigns as she cocks her head to the side. "Oh, you mean how we met at the debate. Which I guess we didn't officially meet then, did we? I just asked you some questions." Jaycee laughs. "Um, yeah." Jake replies.

"Well, like I said, it's nice to officially meet you—for the first time." Jaycee reiterates. Hurt flashes across Jake's face. So, this is how it was going to be.

"Well, I'll let you ladies get back to your fun. Have a nice night." Jake says deflated.

The two women continue down the hall as Jake heads for his room.

Jaycee had pretended they'd never met before and that he didn't know her in the most intimate way. That she hadn't cried out his name over and over from his bed that night so long ago.

If he had to guess, Wise-woman didn't know that the two of them had hooked up. Jake planned to keep it that way for now. However, he wasn't going to let Jaycee Marchetti slip through his fingers again.

Babes! It's here! I hope you enjoy!

Taglist: @daggerspare-standingby @shanimallina87 @teacupsandtopgun @hecate-steps-on-me @roosterscock @roosterbruiser @roosterforme @seresinsbabe @startrekfangirl2233 @soulmates8 @xoxabs88xox @avengersfan25 @blackwidownat2814 @loveforaugust @mak-32 @cottagecori @amysteryspot @heyimmadisonn @princess76179 @bradshawseresinbabe @sunlightmurdock @lewmagoo @cassiemitchell @die-cunt @mj-l4 @shipinabluebottle @malindacath @violyn20 @imawkwardlysoc @books-for-summer @blackroseboulevard @recordblues @desert-fern @luckyladycreator2 @katieshook02 @samhapner6 @sebsxphia @roosters-girl @diorrfairy @je-suis-prest-rachel @dakotakazansky @mizzzpink @a-linabean @amklibrary @gretagerwigsmuse @jstarr86 @actuallyazriel @krismdavis @bradshawsbaby

#cherrycola27 #top gun maverick #top gun #lt. jake seresin #jake seresin smut #jake seresin x oc #jake seresin #hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin #hangman top gun #hangman x oc #hangman smut #top gun hangman #top gun smut #top gun 2 #tgm fanfiction #tgm smut #tgm fic #tgm #star spangled seresin #jake x jaycee

[fibula-rasa]

Lost, but Not Forgotten: The Dancer of the Nile (1923)

Alternate Titles: Tut-ankh-amen, Tutankhamen of Luxor

Direction: William P.S. Earle

Scenario: William P.S. Earle

Original Story: Blanche Taylor Earle

Production Manager: Dick L’Estrange

Camera: Jules Cronjager & Joe Goodrich (assistant)

Scenic Artist: Xavier Mochado

Set Designer: Paul Dodge

Technical Advisor: Capt. Dudley S. Corlette

Studio: William P.S. Earle Pictures Corporation (Production) & Film Booking Offices of America (F.B.O.) (Distribution)

Performers: Carmel Myers, Bertram Thomas Grassby, Malcolm McGregor, Anthony Merlo, Sam de Grasse, Iris Ashton, June Elvidge, Paul Weigel, Howard Gaye, Mother/Nellie Anderson, Beatrice Marsh, & Earle Marsh

Premiere: 12 October 1923, Loew’s New York, New York, NY

Status: presumed entirely lost

Length: 6 reels,  5,787 feet

Synopsis (synthesized from magazine summaries of the plot):

Princess Ankhnespaton [sic] (June Elvidge), daughter of King Akhnaton [sic] (Howard Gaye), has a run in with a band of thieves while traveling. Prince Karmit (Malcolm McGregor) of Syria arrives, disguised as a merchant, and saves the princess. The princess becomes enamored with Karmit and invites him back to the royal residence in Thebes. 

While visiting the royal gardens, Karmit encounters a dancer, Arvia (Carmel Myers). He is instantly smitten. The princess is furious that Karmit has rebuffed her for a mere dancer.

Meanwhile, tension between those loyal to the king and those loyal to the old gods erupt when the seasonal flooding of the Nile river doesn’t occur. The princess finds in this situation an opportunity to get her revenge on Arvia. 

The princess decrees that Arvia will be offered as a human sacrifice to the god Sobek, in order that the Nile will rise as expected. Arvia is adorned with a poisoned amulet to knock her out while she is fed to the crocodiles.

In an unexpected turn of events, the high priest Pasheri (Sam De Grasse) discovers that the intended sacrifice is his own daughter. Pasheri sneaks into the chamber where Arvia is to be sacrificed and saves her at the last moment. 

With Pasheri’s aid, Karmit whisks Arvia away. As the Nile rises, the new couple sail away to Karmit’s kingdom to live happily ever after.

The princess goes on to marry Prince Tutankhamen (Bertram Grassby). And, after the death of her father Prince Tut will become King Tut.

Additional sequence(s) featured in the film (but I’m not sure where they fit in the continuity):

The Temple of Amun-Re is also depicted in the film.

Points of Interest:

While many contemporary reviewers of The Dancer of the Nile (DotN) didn’t mark it as an especially good film, props were given for the artistic effects achieved by Director Earle. Earle and his brother, Ferdinand Pinney Earle, were both pioneers of the era in special effects. 

Ferdinand was a painter who contributed matte paintings and art titles to many films of the 1910s and 1920s. While William was primarily a director, both brothers ambitiously created films that were on the cutting edge in regard to techniques of incorporating matte paintings with live actors/studio-shot footage. 

For William, it was DotN, and for Ferdinand it was A Lover’s Oath (1920/1925, presumed lost save for a few fragments), which was an adaptation of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. (ATM, I’m planning on doing the next installment of this series on this film!)

(Explanatory note: One technique at use here involves double exposure. Part of the frame is obscured while filming, leaving the obscured part of the film unexposed. The film is then rewound, with the exposed part of the film obscured, to film another element. The final result is, hopefully, a cohesive sequence. 

Another technique is shooting through painted glass, which, if painted and lit correctly, results in the painting and the scene occurring behind it appearing as a singular space. 

For example, a fully painted environment with live actors moving across the scene. In DotN, there is at least one scene where a live actress ascends a set of stairs, which is a painting. These techniques require an amazing amount of precision, but when done right they can be really dazzling. The double-exposure matting technique has persisted through most of film history, albeit rarely at the scale the Earle brothers were using it! 

Below is an illustration of how a moving version of matte photography works from a 1926 issue of Photoplay, followed by some stills from DotN that used the multiple-exposure technique.

I have a few posts coming up that go into more detail on how special effects were executed in films of the 1920s!)

William P.S. Earle’s focus on the artistic elements without much regard for story or characterization may have left many critics cold, but DotN did prove to be a lasting attraction, running in theatres around the world for years following its release.  DotN was produced hot on the heels of the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922 in Luxor, which launched a new wave of Egyptomania. On one hand, Earle was cashing in on a trend, but on the other, he took the opportunity offered by assured profitability to experiment. In addition to the special effects discussed above, Earle attempted to capture as much period accuracy as possible in the painted settings, props, and costumes. Balancing historical accuracy with perceived “authenticity” in period art is exceedingly difficult—Earle seemingly had mixed success. However, one contemporary review in the magazine Art and Archaeology by Dudley S. Corlett (also the film’s technical advisor) is highly complementary of DotN’s attention to historical and artistic detail. [You can find the review in the transcription section!]

After Earle had more or less finished DotN, F.B.O. bought “Tut-ankh-amen” for distribution. F.B.O. financed reshoots that shifted the narrative away from Tut and towards Arvia, the dancer—hence the title change. I guess F.B.O. believed that cashing in on the trend of movies about dancers would be more lucrative than cashing in on Tut-mania!

☕Appreciate my work? Buy me a coffee! ☕

---

Transcribed Sources & Annotations over on the WMM Blog!

#1920s #1923 #lost film #Lost but not forgotten #Dancer of the Nile #tutankhamun #classic film #classic movies #film #silent film #american film #silent movies #silent cinema #silent era #egyptomania #film history #history #William P.S. Earle #movies #Blanche Taylor Earle #Carmel Myers

[rainymoodlet]

Kiss Me in Komorebi 🌹 pre-show

An Exclusive Interview with the Bachelor! (part four) including a never-before-seen picture of Daniel Taylor's family!

pictured from left to right, birth order in brackets. Thomas (5), Matthew (7), Alan (3), Sofia, Rachel (2), Jordan (6), and Cheatham (4)

prev. | beg. | next.

more about the family below the cut! 🌸

Dan's family has been incredibly off-the-radar until now. He kept them almost entirely a secret during his earlier career, and only Jordan (a rising Simstagram model) has been exposed to the public eye and featured in his SimToks. He's not supposed to have favorites but his baby siblings, Jordan and Matthew, are definitely his favorites.

Daniel's father, Lt. Daniel Taylor I was an intensely abusive man, rigidly militaristic and a drunk to boot. Dan was the firstborn, and his namesake. Every sibling that was born after him was automatically under his protection, and he values each and every one of them above himself.

If you'd like to read more of Dan's history, you'll find his entire history written here, on his old profile. His history is not public knowledge: I just love writing and was too impatient to reveal it slowly!

Sofia Taylor (nee Perales) || Dan's mother. She can do no wrong in his eyes, and is literally the most important woman on Earth to him. Getting along with and being respectful to her will be very important. She suffered immense abuse at the hands of Dan's father and put up with it for years for the safety and advancement of her children. Dan never blamed her for anything, and the minute he got enough money from his show, he bought her a cottage in the rolling Henford countryside. Dan pays for everything, and she wants for nothing - which is, as he says, how she should live out the rest of her days forever.

Rachel Howard (nee Taylor) || The second-born. She is shrewd and sharp-witted, and very much a product of her father's stern household. Though she has a warm smile and a soft touch, the scar on her lip and the hard steel in her eyes belies the kind advice she's wan to give at any given moment. Rachel stepped in to take care of her siblings alongside Alan when Dan was shipped off to military school, and the three eldest siblings have a very close (if incredibly easy-to-aggravate-one-another) bond. Has two twins, a boy and a girl. Was so eager to shed her last name that she legally changed it once her boyfriend proposed.

Alan Taylor || The third-born. Alan has all of Dan's taciturn stoicism, but he's been softened by years of fatherhood and a quiet life lived in peace with his husband and children. Alan admired his eldest brother immensely, and was the one who felt the most abandoned when Dan left (seeing as he became the next Oldest Boy in the household). It took a long time for the two to reconcile after Dan's small rise to fame, but the two would say they're even closer now than they were before Dan left. Literally the most dad of all dads - if Dan never wanted to give his own children a chance to face the cruelties of the world, than Alan wanted his own children to be able to experience nothing but love and kindness that the world has to offer. Has three kids, two girls and one boy.

Cheatham Taylor || The fourth-born. An absolute rascal, Cheatham is the Uncle Bumi of the family. Largely ignored by their father for his weakness of health in youth, Cheatheam began acting out and rebelling at an early age to garner any sort of attention from the Lieutenant. He and Dan were at odds for the majority of his youth, and it wasn't until Dan was forced from the house that Cheatham was forced to confront their reality. Cheatham spent a few years on the road with Daniel before taking over the family ranch (and turning it into a weed farm, just to spite the old man) He's a spitfire and has the best laugh in the world, and though they are polar opposites, Dan finds him to be the easiest to confide in. He is happily married and has two children, both boys.

Thomas Taylor || The fifth-born. The Clark Kent of the family, Thomas was the Lieutenant's "second attempt" at a Proper Son. Thomas was a sweetheart from the moment he was born, and though his father taught him all the things he'd taught Dan, bullied him and beat him like he'd bullied and beat Dan, he never lost that innate sweetness and goodness that kept him Thomas. Sweet, simple Thomas. He was young when Dan was sent away, but insisted on sending him letters every chance he got - and Dan saved every one. He owns a garage in Starlight Shores, and he and Dan have beers and watch football together on the weekends.

Jordan Perales || The sixth-born, Matthew's twin. An aspiring Simstagram model and the baby sister of the family, Jordan was very young when Daniel was sent away, but she remembered him incredibly fondly. Daniel was even more protective of his younger siblings in his father's later years, as the man seemed to get impossibly worse as time went on, and both Jordan and Matthew were constantly at his side. The two of them view Daniel as their father figure, and he and Jordan are particularly close: she's the one who convinced him to go on Jupiter York's bachelorette, and she's the one who convinced him to try The Bachelor Challenge for himself. You'll want to bond with all of his siblings, sure, but Jordan is the one you'll want to be friends with the most. She changed her name the second she turned eighteen.

Matthew Taylor || The seventh-born, Jordan's twin. Matthew is the youngest and final Taylor, a surprise baby hiding behind his sister in the ultrasounds. Matthew struggled the most as a child in the Taylor household, which is saying something: but to put it in perspective, Daniel took more punches, beatings, and bloodied noses for Matthew than any other child in the house. Daniel holds the world in his palms for Matthew, and the two are incredibly close. Matthew is trans, and he knew from a very young age - which, as you can imagine, didn't exactly sit well with the Lieutenant. As Daniel will have the public know, Matthew is a boy, was always a boy, and if his deadname or the traumatic history of his transition was ever made public, Daniel would personally John Wick whoever was responsible.

#ts4 #ts4 edit #ts4 bachelor challenge #ts4 screenshots #ts4 simblr #ts4 challenge #kiss me in komorebi #;kmik #oh my god this took me too long dsfkff i'm a mess #but seriously this was too fun!!! i tried to make his siblings look diverse but god #my sims are so same-facey sometimes sldkfsdlkf #and yeS that is a MOTHER AND SON i have no poses for adults kdfhjsd #i love them all i had so much fun piecing together their faces and personalities #they are all very important to daniel and there's nothing he wouldn't do for them #and i said it here!!! befriending them is going to be very important for our contestants #the first impressions made by all of these personalities WILL have be shared with dan #whether or not they influence his decisions... we have yet to know #anyway!!! i hope you guys are excited!!! #its my birthday and we are so close to fruition on this bc!!! i am so hype!!! #also yes omg the amount of headcanons and shit i could give you about these guys AH #but i will repeat: jordan's the one you wanna win over!!! #also yes daniel is mixed 🥹 selvadoradan and WHITEST WHITE ASS WONDERBREAD (his dad)

[mermaidsirennikita]

Happy New Year!

Do you have any books with a nerdy hero? Like he's good at math, that's hot kind of thing

Happy New Year! And yep, I do.

Obviously, all of Ali Hazelwood's STEM books (The Love Hypothesis, Love, Hypothetically and Love on the Brain) have super nerdy heroes. I find these books quite fun--yes, they're normal contemporaries, but they're sweet and sexy and I read them super easily.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese is another cute contemporary with a nerdy hero; I think he's a pediatrician? The heroine is on the autism spectrum, and the book is, I think, a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing.

The Lady Hellion by Joanna Shupe has a nerdy shut-in hero who struggles with panic attacks and anxiety (I think?) run afoul of the woman he has a paaast with, who happens to go out at night wearing pants and pretending to be a dude to help the downtrodden (specifically sex workers).

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh is a historical retelling of She's All That with an extremely nerdy hero, in love with his extremely nerdy friend, who wants him to pretend to be a rake in order to get the attention of the guy she wants to marry.

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas is a historical I categorized as having a nerdy hero... And I'll be honest, I don't remember *exactly* what made him nerdy, but I will say this is a great book. The one with the married couple who's been together a decade but has been separated since the day after the wedding, with him agreeing to give her a divorce if she gives him an heir.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard has a duke who loves DINOSAURS!!! And he and the heroine do some things next to a dinosaur skeleton that a dinosaur skeleton should never have to witness :(

Never Seduce a Duke by Vivienne Lorret has one of my favorite nerdy heroes--the one with the glasses who's obsessed with his family's ancestral Arthurian cookbook, only to be completely undone by the wild heroine.

My Roommate is a Vampire is a light paranormal romance with a heroine whose roommate is in fact a vampire and also extremely nerdy.

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton is a GREAT fantastical Victorian type book in which the hero is an extremely stern, glasses-wearing undercover agent who runs into his rival agent, an equally competent lady. They have to work together a mission, and basically can't resist tearing each other's clothes off at every possible opportunity.

#romance novel blogging #romance novels #book recs

[atopvisenyashill]

whose photo did you use for aelinor penrose in the graphic where she’s the hypothetical granddaughter of baela? i recognize india from queen charlotte in the granddaughter of rhaena graphic

damn i think i mixed up the dragon twins 😭 who is the aelinor penrose who isn’t queen charlotte dhshdhshdj

aldklsafj it's fine anon lmao. here's the graphic anon is referring to btw, from my "how is aelinor related to house targaryen" meta-

The Aelinor Penrose that is the granddaughter of Rhaena (on the right) is Samantha Barks. She played Eponine in the Les Miserables movie and 25th anniversary, and has been in a bunch of productions since then (her oom pa pa as nancy in oliver! is genuinely one of my favorites, she's so fun). She has one (1) black grandparent so I thought she'd be a good fit for Aelinor!

If anyone is curious about my fancasts (i know how hard it is to find period resources for PoC!!) it's-

Viserys II - Linus Roache

Aegon IV - Alfred Molina

Daeron II - Marc Warren

Aerys I - Sami Zayn. The only not really accurate casting here, because I struggled on finding a North African or Palestinian fancast that has a facial heir, looks white, isn't egregiously old, and I hadn't already used for the Martells lmao, so I went with my man Sami Zayn (real name Rami Sebei), who is Syrian (so still West Asian like Palestinians) (and also a cool dude and great wrestler).

Daenaera Velaryon - Jodie Turner

Aegon III - Jamie Campbell Bower

Elaena - Kylie Bunbury (not a lot of people know this but her mom is white! she's my go to "mixed people should not be barred from playing monoracial characters because a lot of mixed people do not actually get clocked as being mixed" right next to bianca lawson as "plenty of light skinned people are in fact monoracial too").

Ronnet Penrose - Max Irons

Alyn Velaryon - gonna be real honest I just grabbed a model off pinterest because the Alyn casting hadn't been released yet when I made this lmao

Rhaena Specific Fancasts

Alyssa Hightower - Ruby Barker

Aelinor Penrose - Samantha Barks

Laena Penrose - Antonia Thomas

Robin Penrose - Regé-Jean Page

Ronnel Penrose - Willy Cartier (his mom is senegalese and vietnamese and he's talked a lot about how her identity has affected his own mixed identity which was why he came to mind)

Baela Specific Fancasts

Laena II Velaryon - Crystal Clarke

Ronnel Penrose - Howard Charles

Laena Penrose - Denée Benton

Robin Penrose - Adetomiwa Edun

Jon Waters - Adrian Lester

Jeyne Waters - Karidja Touré (she's in that amazing movie Girlhood but this picture is from a short film she was in called The Adventures of Selika)

Aelinor Penrose - India Amarteifio

Also here are some cute pics of the actors and their fams-

[samantha barks and her mom and grandma (and sibling I think); willy cartier and his mom leah cartier; kylie bunbury and her mom; kylie bunbury and her dad and siblings]

#could not find a picture of sami zayn's parents but tbf wrestlers who don't have kids and aren't part of a dynasty usually DON'T #regularly post pictures of their families to keep up kayfabe. #asks #anons #fancasts #not to be like 'im mixed :)' about it but it is in fact important to me to showcase mixed actors as mixed characters!!

[tveitertotwrites]

Dress Up

Series: Red Carpet Diaries (Post Series)

Pairing: Thomas Hunt x F!MC (Brooklyn Moore)

Rating: General

Word Count: 534

Summary: Thomas surprises Brooklyn with their son, Matthew in a Anne Boleyn Costume

A/N: This was inspired by Nicole Louise Lewis's Instagram Story (Current Principal Catherine of Aragon on the UK Tour of SIX) where her daughter dressed up like CoA and I immediately thought of writing this.

It was simply a normal day at the theater. The cast of SIX was doing some quick run throughs of the show with the alternates subbing in for some parts of the roles that they covered to make sure everything was still going well. It was the Sunday before Halloween and Brooklyn had only a couple more hours of rehearsal and the evening show before she was free for the next two days, as they had no shows on Mondays and she took Halloween off to spend time with Thomas, Matthew, and some friends from her hometown. 

While Brooklyn was at rehearsal, Thomas was at home with Matthew picking out a costume for him to wear while going trick or treating. This was Matthew’s first trick or treating experience as he was now 2 years old and they figured it was time. 

Brooklyn and Matthew had gone out to the costume store a few weeks prior to pick some costumes for Matthew to try on and pick which one he liked best. What Brooklyn didn’t know was that Thomas had actually asked Addison Sinclair to make Matthew a costume similar to Brooklyn’s Boleyn costume for Matthew to wear as a surprise. Addison had dropped it off not long after Brooklyn left for rehearsal and Thomas had gotten Matthew into his costume before going over to the theatre. 

By the time Thomas and Matthew had arrived at the theatre, rehearsal was almost over. Once they were signed in and all set, someone from the team brought them back to the left wing of the stage where the alternates were sitting and checking their notes for the queens they play. Megan Shaw, who is the alternate for Boleyn, Seymour, and Howard was the first to notice their arrival and smiled when she saw his costume. Thomas gave her a small smile and made a shushing motion with his mouth and hand, to which Megan nodded and went back to her notes.

When the cast had finished the run through, Thomas and Mathew slowly came out from the wings. Thomas clapped which made Matthew attempt to do as well. The whole cast besides Brooklyn turned to see them and cooed at Matthew’s outfit. Brooklyn then turned her head and let out a little gasp before quickly walking over to the pair and immediately grabbed Matthew from Thomas and started to spin him around, making Matthew giggle

“Where did you get this costume?” Brooklyn asked. 

“I asked Addison a couple weeks ago if she could make it for him.”

“It’s so cute!”

Brooklyn started peppering kisses all over Matthew’s face making him giggle. Everyone else smiled and watched the interaction. What Brooklyn also didn’t know was that Thomas had bought tickets for the two of them in the front row. She noticed them during her song and everyone could see she was a lot happier.

After the show, Brooklyn quickly got out of her wig and costume so she could quickly go through stagedoor and go over to Thomas and Matthew. Once she was done, she ran over to the two of them and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before they walked back home.

Perma Tags: @crazy-loca-blog @driverstveit @rookiemartin @zahrachoices

@choicesficwriterscreations

#choices fic writers creations #choices fanfic #red carper diaries #thomas hunt x brooklyn moore #thomas x brooklyn #brooklyn moore

[fideidefenswhore]

Do you think if Fitzroy lived there might have been some friction/envy with him and Edward? I was thinking as Henry gave Fitzroy so many titles probably he did think of making him heir at one point, and maybe always still thought of him as backup if things didn't work out. I even heard one theory the 1536 Succession act wanted to make him place holder heir (or imply it by clearing away Mary and Elizabeth) but he died as it was in parliament. As he was called prince that was as there wasn't one, like he'd never be called that or given so much if any of KOA sons survived. And maybe calling him that would help people think, well he's almost royal so that's good enough.

But when Edward came along, wouldn't Fitzroy stop being called prince as there's a real one now? And i could sort of see some resentment building there. Fitzroy was used to being the only son and now he's less important.

And from Edward's pov, he's the heir yeah but he missed out on all the good years with his dad. Fitzroy got to know him when he was still young and active, could play sports with him, but Edward was born after Henry was injured and the end years and decline. He'd probably be sorry he couldn't have decades and memories of that.

Not sure how Henry would feel or if they meant different things to him

Yeah, these are all interesting questions. As I remember, Beverely Murphy's biography doesn't much go into counterfactuals as far as Edward VI and nor does Elizabeth Norton's on his mother, Bessie Blount, but let me see...

Ok, highlights from the former:

HVIII might have named Fitzroy as regent for Edward VI's minority

His funeral in 1536 had provided an 'excuse' to isolate Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, from favour (well...probably another significant factor at play here, too), possibility also of Norfolk at head of regency council rather than Seymour, as the pieces fell, without Fitzroy's death, by 1547

John Dudley in this scenario, also playing ' a less pivotal role', esp. since Dudley was supported in his bid for power by Richmond's former stepfather, wouldn't he have been more likely to support his former stepson instead?

"Everything suggests that Richmond and not Mary would have been next in line for the throne [circa 1553]", mm, not sure about that one myself, but...

"Edward would have acknowledged his half-brother's position as heir apparent", I think this underrates Edward VI's sanctimonious piety and morality, Fitzroy was unquestionably illegitimate even if male, it's predicated on the assumption that Fitzroy would have been next in line by Act of Parliament had he lived, and forgets that even if that were true in this counterfactual, so were Mary and Elizabeth, who Edward wrote out. /shrug (My own personal opinion, I think this is more likely if Fitzroy had become as staunch a Protestant as his brother, and/or if he and his wife had issue that were...maybe Edward would invest Fitzroy as regent for Fitzroy's children, ie, his own nephew?)

'If there had been any opposition it would not have come from Mary" (um...let me mind my business...sorry, all respect to BM as a historian aside, this seems based on a fundamental misunderstanding of Mary's character and beliefs)

Ok, now I'm falling off these counterfactual bullet points a little/getting off the point but the next section is too misogynistic and ridiculous to bear repeating ("the idea that she might rule at all, much less without husband at her side, would have astonished her" she did that for like a year???)...I can't believe I haven't seen this section criticised in reviews, omg...

"Richmond may also have emulated some of his father's less attractrive traits" I'd argue all his children did (and his more attractive, too), but whatever...

Do you think if Fitzroy lived there might have been some friction/envy with him and Edward?

But when Edward came along, wouldn't Fitzroy stop being called prince as there's a real one now? And i could sort of see some resentment building there. Fitzroy was used to being the only son and now he's less important. And from Edward's pov, he's the heir yeah but he missed out on all the good years with his dad. Fitzroy got to know him when he was still young and active, could play sports with him, but Edward was born after Henry was injured and the end years and decline. He'd probably be sorry he couldn't have decades and memories of that.

Oh, for sure. This would have been a fascinating relationship dynamic, and I'm truly bummed we'll never know (much like had Arthur Tudor survived, what would his an Henry's relationship be like, and his with his sisters, it's just interesting, esp since it seems like Margaret was Arthur's favorite and Mary was Henry's), it'd make an interesting novel, tho! Just for starters, they would have a comparable age gap to Mary & Elizabeth, and that was a fascinating and complex relationship with lots of resentment, for sure. And also a similar dynamic of Elizabeth being Princess while Mary is a bastard, then them both being considered so, then Elizabeth being considered so and Mary erasing her own when Queen...

Fitzroy would have been devastated had he survived to see sons born by any of his father's wives. It's plausible he was, not devastated, but somewhat resentful of his only stepmother, as his troupe of players (ie, actors that performed pageants to HVIII's subjects in his name and for his benefit) was disbanded when Princess Elizabeth was born, which could not have been done without HVIII's sign-off but was likely at the influence of Anne Boleyn (these troupes were for the 'children of the King' and obviously Anne would not have wanted any child of the King acknowledged by the people except her own child/ren, Mary's troupe was disbanded too, although remarkably Fitzroy's remained during the entirety of the time COA was technically Queen...in this context, it makes sense he was such a thorn in her side).

I'll add Norton's if there are any, when I get more spoons, x.

#can i just bitch here in the tags how coa stans are soooooooo weird about fitzroy and im so sick of it lol #like i know that was a bitchy answer i left as is in the poll (i give them my own flavor) but it drives me maddd #anyway apparently hviii favored bessie blount over edward seymour in a land exchange which is so funny to me #i love to read about him flopping <3 #anon #i also need to find the excerpts i saved from that article about the traveling minstrels/troupes of hviii's children. it was very informati

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Fun facts - well, very-slightly-to-mildly-to-not-at-all interesting facts - related to comedians’ names:

- One time on No More Jockeys, Mark Watson, Tim Key, and Alex Horne spent a minute or so discussing the fact that Angela Barnes has the most Christmassy name out of all the comedians, because Angels are in the nativity story, and Jesus was born in a barn. They were so pleased with themselves for working this out, until they remembered Jarred Christmas. And Noel Fielding.

- When I Google the name “Joe Thomas” from Canada with no VPN on, most of the top results are about an American football player by that name. When I Google the same thing with a VPN making my computer think it’s in England, most of the top results are about the comedian and actor.

- In the absolutely terrible show – truly my biggest guilty pleasure, the worst show I’ve ever enjoyed – Roast Battle, Johnny Vegas goes on with Phil Ellis, a guy who’s never been on TV before or since. This guy went really hard, saying something about his wife leaving which had apparently actually happened recently, and none of that bothered Johnny Vegas at all. Until the guy brought up the fact that his name is actually Michael Pennington, at which point Johnny told him to shut up and sounded like he genuinely meant it. Like a kid at school who doesn’t want their embarrassing middle name said out loud.

- I assumed for ages that Rhod Gilbert’s full name was Roderick or Rodney, and only learned fairly recently that it’s Rhodri. That’ll teach me to make Anglicized assumptions. On the subject of Celtic names being Anglicized, David O’Doherty has a bit on one of his albums about how forms that don’t let you put punctuation in a name leave out a lot of Irish people, and I noticed he always signs his own posts “do’d” even though I called him “DOD” because that’s what everyone called him in Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ YouTube comments. That’s why I started calling him DO’D; I figure that whether he does it as some sort of statement about not wanting the Irish apostrophe erased, or whether it’s just for no reason, may as well call people what they want to be called. I do not, however, extend that to finding the special character every time I want to write Dara Ó Briain’s name.

- Alan Coren, the guy who used to be on The News Quiz a lot, was the father of Victoria Coren Mitchell. That’s not really a fact about names, it’s just that their shared name should have made me realize it a lot sooner. For someone who collects Britcom-related facts for no reason, I learned that one way too recently.

- Russell Joseph Howard and Jon Joel Richardson both have middle names that can be shortened to Joe. Which is not particularly interesting, but they discovered it, I think, four separate times on their radio show. One of their middle names would come up in passing, and then the other would say, “Oh that’s almost like my middle name”, and then they’d discuss it. I can believe they genuinely forgot that until the next time it came up, because it’s not that interesting a fact, and for them ages had passed, while for me it had only been a week since I went through the 126 hours of that radio show ridiculously quickly. After the first time, every time middle names were mentioned I’d tell my phone, “Yes, your middle names are slightly similar, now work that out and get on with it.” The fourth time it happened, Jon said, “Have we had this conversation before?” and Russell said, “I don’t think so.”

- On a slightly similar note of two comedians who were close friends having middle names overlap, Daniel Kitson’s middle name is John. This would only be a slightly interesting fact if John Oliver’s middle name were Daniel, which it isn’t, it’s William. However, Daniel Kitson did name himself William in several different shows, including one that had two separate versions of himself, both named William. Clearly he feels that his name was meant to be William, subconsciously understanding that we were meant to have the mildly interesting fact of his and John Oliver’s names overlapping.

- Jon Richardson and Richard Osman’s names being Richard and Richard’s son – something Alex Horne pointed out once on Taskmaster season 2 but I think it was good enough so he could have got away with it at least a couple more times since it was a joke about both their names and their heights – means the time they were a Catsdown team and Jimmy did his shitty autocue put-downs of Jon and Richard told him to stop, it looked like:

- Charlie Brooker is not a stage name; it’s a shortened version of his actual first name. And that actual first name is Charleton.

- Similarly, Al is a shortened version of Al Murray’s real first name, which is Alastair.

- Barratt’s his middle name. His full name is Julian Barratt Pettifer. I see why he doesn’t go by that.

- It is absolutely ridiculous that the fan-agreed portmanteau for The Mighty Boosh is Noelian, when FieldRat is right there.

- On the subject of portmanteaus, season 12 is the Taskmaster season in which both teams can have their names put together easily: Victorialan and Morguziree. No other season has teams that can be referenced by one name that easily, and I should know, as I’ve written summaries of episodes from a bunch of seasons and it’s a lot easier when there’s an easy team name like that, instead of writing out “the team of two” or “Josh, Roisin, and Romesh” every time. I mean, I guess “Josh, Roisin, and Romesh” is a bad example because their season does have one that works: Frankey. But season 12 is the only one where you can do that really easily with both teams.

- I assumed for ages that Jo Brand’s first name was short for Joanne, but it isn’t, it’s Josephine. Which I thought was cool, because that name was outdated even by the time Jo Brand was born, you don’t hear it often, and it reminds me of my favourite character from a book I loved as a kid: Jo March (it was a plot point that she went by this instead of Josephine, to sound like more of a tomboy, which I of course liked) from Little Women. I found this even cooler when I read Jo Brand’s book, and learned that her parents actually named her Josephine after Jo March. She has an outdated name because she’s named after a character in a book from 1868.

- Frank Skinner’s real first name is Chris. Christopher Graham Collins, in fact, meaning the name “Frank Skinner” bears no relation to the name of the man who briefly married the 17-year-old girl who was his student when he lectured at her college. Not all the facts are fun.

- You know that annoying thing where whenever you write the name David Walliams, you have to make sure you didn’t accidentally write “David Williams”, since “Williams” is an actual name and Walliams is not? Well it turns out that “David Williams” is his real name, and “Walliams” is a stage name. So that annoying thing where it’s hard to spell his name right didn’t even have to be the case! This is the 578th most significant way in which David Walliams did not have to be as annoying as he actually is.

[expirisims]

Later that Night

Rayne was invited next door for a party at Clark's. The TV broke just as she got there...and he was flirting with Adriana! What is going on with all the sims lately??!! I know Clark and Jess haven't been together for a while, but they still live together...can you say awkward?

Yeah...Jess looks totally unenthralled by all this!

Well at least Rayne is there to chat with her!

Adriana left so it was off to play water balloons. PS sorry that so many of these nighttime shots are so dark! My lighting MOD makes it pitch black at nighttime so if they aren't around a lot of streetlamps, it's impossible to see. I lightened it quite a lot, but this is the best I could get it to look.

Just taking the time to admire Jess's latest painting! Lovely as always.

Honestly I thought Reggie was a roadie a long time ago! Who knows, he may have been demoted at some point and I don't remember. Oh well, Congrats Reggie!

Oh no! Looks like Terrell's band still isn't paying the bills either!

Jubel!!! Now we're going to need a new couch on top of the renovation!

Alright, I think we can do this pretty inexpensively! Now if Howard would just move I could put up the wall for the new bathroom.

And Rayne is still at Clark's at two in the morning...cooking waffles (wish she'd cook at home, that's always up to Harold!)

Jess has gotten back up and now Thomas Jones is here!!?? Geeze! Love the picture of the broken tv too...LOL!

Just sitting around eating waffles at 3am at your neighbor's house while they sleep. Classic sims chaos. Rayne, go home and go to bed!

#sims 3 #ts3 #ts3 world stories #ts3 gameplay #ts3 worlds #redwood harbor #sims 3 worlds #sims3 gameplay #sims 3 simblr #rayne stockton #howard moore #clark gallo #adriana bright #jess engle #thomas jones

[archivist-dragonfly]

Book 484

Leonardo da Vinci: The Anatomy of Man - Drawings from the Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Martin Clayton and Ron Philo

Bulfinch Press 1992

So, let’s get the fact that this book is an excellent collection of Leonardo’s anatomical drawings out of the way up front. That said—this next bit is quoted from the foreword—“Her Majesty the Queen possesses, in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, more than six hundred drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, the finest such collection in the world.”

But how? Well, it’s a very convoluted story. According to the foreword, upon Leonardo’s death, they were passed to his favorite pupil, Francesco Melzi. After Melzi’s death, the collection was purchased by sculptor Pompeo Leoni, who had them bound into books. Upon Leoni’s death in 1609, one volume was “acquired” and brought to England by Thomas Howard, advisor to King Charles I. Ultimately, they were “recorded for certain as being in the possession of Queen Mary II in 1690.”

So, were they stolen? I don’t know. But I know this: Italy’s never going to see them again.

#bookshelf #library #personal collection #personal library #books #bibliophile #book lover #illustrated book #booklr #art #leonardo da vinci #anatomy of man #Martin clayton #Ron philo #Bulfinch press #science #anatomy

[digestionsack]

Mike’s Playlist Analysis Part 4: Takeaways and Extra Songs

Takeaways

What I noticed about this playlist is that it completely backs a lot of the theories that you guys have (especially the “Telephone Operator” on, that was kind of insane), so you’ve probably already heard my takeaways stated somewhere else. But I’ll just summarize anyway to make it all neat:

1: Mike is getting hella Vecna’d in S5.

2: With all the death references, there is a possibility he might die—although I don’t think it will be permanent.

3: He has an extreme hero complex which correlates with his inferiority complex, and it looks like his mental health really isn’t that great (“Mad World” being on his list deeply concerns me). There’s a lot of repression going on here, a lot of walls he’s put up, most likely because of his family life. My guess (and what the playlist suggests) is that he will have a breakdown in S5.

4: Whatever happens with Byler, Mileven is breaking up. Several songs support this (“Don’t You Want Me” and “When Love Breaks Down”). Also, if you look at El’s playlist even without a deep dive analysis, this is made even more clear (the fact that “Jolene” by Dolly Parton is the last song on her list…other people have mentioned that several times). What I find interesting is that there is nothing very clearly pointing to Byler like there are signs clearly pointing to a Mileven breakup. I think this speaks to Mike’s own confusion about feelings and the Duffers probability didn’t want to spoil too much…but “Smalltown Boy” is still at the top of his playlist. But the song that convinced me the most of Byler endgame for me isn’t actually on Mike’s playlist—it’s on Will’s (“Breakdown” by Tom Petty). Duffers were wild for including that song. Really.

5: Mike is getting the hells outta dodge at the end of Stranger Things. I noticed a “running away” motif in his playlist (the reference comes at least six times, emphasis on at least). This is an especially big theme in “Smalltown Boy…” do with that what you will.

Extra Songs

So, as you might have noticed, I didn’t analyze every single one of the songs. There are a lot (over 30), and some of them stumped me in regards to their potential narrative meaning. Here’s the list of songs I didn’t cover—hopefully someone else can crack them!

1: “Always Something There to Remind Me” by Naked Eyes

2: “She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby

4: “Teenage Kicks” by The Undertones

5: “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive

6: “You Really Got Me” by Silicone Teens

7: “It’s My Life” by Talk Talk

8: “Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo

9: “Be Afraid” by Franz Ferdinand

10: “War” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

11: “Spirit of the Night” by Tesla Boy

12: “Shake Your Molecules” by Soma Holiday

13: “Hand on the Gun” by Empire State Human

14: “What is Love?” by Howard Jones

15: “Destinations Unknown” by Missing Persons (these last three 15-17 definitely have some juicy stuff to analyze, but I unfortunately could not get to it because senior year is kicking my ass.)

16: “Space Age Love Song” by A Flock of Seagulls

17: “Blue Monday” by New Order (I’ll get y’all started: COLOR THEORY!)

WHEW!

What a wild ride! That was so much fun for me, and I hope you all enjoyed it just as much! I’m planning on making my way through the playlists, so we’ll have to see who’s next…

Until next time,

digestionsack

#byler #byler analysis #mike wheeler

[theweefreewomen]

I wanted to do a breakdown of the different kinds of personalities you get on Taskmaster, based on this post by @mrsbillycranston, so here are some thoughts.

I'm adding an extra catagory, which is the Charmingly Odd, for people who are both loveable and baffling. Typically when watching this person, you're thinking 'is this an act or are they actually like that in real life?' with the answer being that they are like that. If Greg Davies is an agent of chaos, Alex Horne is charmingly odd.

I'm also renaming the fuck up catagory to the loser because I feel bad calling people fuck ups. Same logic applies; while they might not be in actual last place, these contestants are the ones known for doing badly in lots of tasks.

I'm starting with series 4 - partly because I feel that's when the show really finds its footing, and partly because the extra episodes help give the contestants time to properly show off and have their personalities shine through.

Series 4

Hugh Dennis: the loser. Although he doesn't come last, he had a bad first few episodes that sticks in people's minds, and some attempts at lateral thinking that unfortunately didn't pan out for him.

Joe Lycett: the try hard.

Lolly Adefope: sweetheart. lots of cute ideas for task solutions - like making a heart with the cake.

Mel Giedroyc: one of the biggest sweetheart of the whole show.

Noel Fielding: agent of chaos.

Series 5

Aisling Bea: charmingly odd.

Bob Mortimer: cool kid with elements of agent of chaos, especially in Champion of Champions.

Mark Watson: sweetheart.

Nish Kumar: loser. One of my favourites, and I think the reason he's such a great contestant is his utter willingness to laugh at himself.

Sally Phillips: agent of chaos.

Series 6:

Alice Levine: sweetheart based on all the nice nicknames she gives Alex.

Asim Chaudhry: loser.

Liza Tarbuck: cool kid. Liza calmly walking about in the 'Find your way back to the house' task and commenting on the weather and how nice a nearby tree looked is glorious.

Russell Howard: try hard.

Tim Vine: charmingly odd.

Series 7:

James Acaster: try hard. It's always funny when the try hard does badly.

Jessica Knappet: cool kid.

Kerry Godliman: try hard.

Phil Wang: loser.

Rhod Gilbert: the poster child for agent of chaos.

Series 8:

Iain Sterrling: try hard.

Joe Thomas: charmingly odd.

Lou Sanders: try hard.

Paul Sinah: loser. I feel kind of bad for how much pain he was clearly in for a lot of the recording.

Sian Gibson: sweetheart, with elements of agent of chaos.

It's interesting how some try hards are loved, while others (like Iain and Lou here) are disliked. I don't think Iain and Lou are any more aurgumentative than, say, James from last series, or Ed in the next one.

Series 9:

David Baddiel: loser.

Ed Gamble: try hard.

Jo Brand: part cool kid, part agent of chaos.

Katy Wix: sweetheart.

Rose Matafao: sweetheart with a bit of tryhard energy. Love the cowboy engergy.

I would have loved a team with Ed, Jo, and David. It would have been hiliarious, even if Ed might have ended up killing someone by the end.

Series 10:

Daisy May Cooper: try hard.

Johnny Vegas: cool kid.

Katherine Parkinson: loser.

Mawaan Rizwan: loser.

Richard Herring: try hard.

I feel this is almost a series of losers given how many times everyone got disqualified.

Series 11:

Charlotte Richie: sweetheart.

Jamali Maddox: agent of chaos.

Lee Mack: cool kid and a bit of a try hard, although he differs from other THs in that he cares less about winning and more about not losing.

Mike Wozniak: charmingly odd and utter sweetheart.

Sarah Kendall: cool kid.

Series 12:

Alan Davis: cool kid.

Desiree Birch: sweetheart with a bit of chaos.

Gus Khan: agent of choas.

Morganna Robinson: agent of chaos.

Victoria Cohen Mitchell: loser.

Series 13:

Ardal O' Han: loser and agent and choas.

Bridget Christie: Charmingly odd and agent of chaos, though unlike other agents, the chaos seems unintentional. I think there's also elements of the loser as well, because she either does extremely well or extremely badly, and the latter are some of the more memorable parts.

Chris Ramsey: try hard.

Judi Love: loser with some agent of chaos.

Sophie Dukker: sweetheart and agent of chaos.

#taskmaster #long post #originally i was using 'fuck up' and i just felt really bad about it #i didn't want people thinking i hated those contestants; they're usually some of my favourites #nish kumar my beloved #judi love my beloved #also mike wozniak and bridget christie my beloveds but that's down to how odd they are #anyway this is just what i think #i strugged with some of the later series because there was more overlap #i think more contestants go in wanting to be chaotic now

[outrowingss]

I’ve always loved the Tudor era and history but mostly from afar. I just bought one of Alison Weir’s books literally yesterday and now I’m seeing that maybe she isn’t the most truthful… :( do you have authors you do recommend that are easily accessible? Or some favorite books for someone like me to get started?

Hi Anon!

I was an enjoyer from afar until very recently as well! I also started off with Alison Weir books and there’s nothing wrong with reading and enjoying her books, but just take what she says with a pinch of salt because she is a bit infamous for making things up.

To be honest most of my Tudor books are centred around Elizabeth I but i do have a couple of others! Estelle Paranque is one of my favourite historians when it comes to Elizabeth, her book Blood, Fire and Gold is pretty accessible, this book mainly focuses on the relationship between Elizabeth and Catherine de Medici (it is already out if you are in the UK and available in most Waterstones and i believe it comes out in the US next month?). I also like Elizabeth I by Anne Somerset, this one is sold by Amazon. Also Elizabeth: Apprenticeship by David Starkey is pretty accessible, unfortunately Starkey himself is a horrid racist but his research and work into the Thomas Seymour incident is some of the better accounts.

For non-Elizabeth, i quite liked Young, Damned and Fair by Gareth Russell, i don’t agree with all of his points but it is a good starting point if you want to look into Katherine Howard and is pretty accessible. The Seymour’s of Wolf Hall is also a good starting point for the Seymour family. Joanne Paul’s The House of Dudley is a fairly recent release and if you want to look into the Dudley family. I also really like Sarah Gristwood as a historian, her book Elizabeth and Leicester is great and she also has a newer book called The Tudors in Love. Nicola Tallis’ books are pretty accessible as well, i enjoyed her book Crown of Blood which is a biography on Lady Jane Grey, she also has biographies of Margaret Beaufort and Lettice Knollys which i have not yet read but they are on my TBR.

That’s all i can really think of just now i really hope i have not overwhelmed you hahah, if anyone else has any other accessible Tudor book recs please feel free to add.

#answers

[iamheretodomythingrip]

Question: Do TMoTJ!Thomas and Elizabeth ever like… go on vacation somewhere, either overseas or just a staycation? And if they do, do they take their kids along or just toss them somewhere and leave them for the next few weeks?

To be honest, Thomas and Elizabeth don't really take vacations (Agnes pays for the home, not for random funs, she'd stop mantaining them, if she found out her money was being used like that).

If they happen to go to some relative's house, though, they'll try to toss their children with either the Howards or the Seymours.

If they have to bring them, though, they'll ignore them for most of the trip, only acknowledging their presence if someone addresses it or if they need to let out some steam and they're alone.

They'll get beaten plenty once they're at home, though, to make up for all the times when they couldn't be because there were people around.

[artsformyvoid]

Howard Hamlin Was the Moral Centrifugal Force of Better Call Saul

Howard Hamlin Is Better Call Saul’s Moral Centrifugal Force

By Darren Mooney

This article contains spoilers for Better Call Saul season 6, episode 7, “Plan and Execution,” in its discussion of Howard Hamlin.

With “Plan and Execution,” the final season of Better Call Saul reaches its mid-season finale.

It is worth conceding, as writer and director Thomas Schnauz did on Twitter, that “Plan and Execution” was never intended as the lead-in to a six-week break between the two halves of the final season. However, when lead actor Bob Odenkirk had a heart attack while filming a scene with co-stars Rhea Seehorn and Patrick Fabian, production was halted. As a result, the release of the sixth season had to be staggered. (The scene in question was reportedly part of the next episode.)

Still, without all that context, “Plan and Execution” feels oddly fitting as a mid-season finale. The episode certainly ends on a dramatic cliffhanger, with Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton) casually murdering Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) in the living room shared by Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn). It’s a dramatic plot and character beat, but it is also a seismic shift within the show itself. It is a moment that perhaps deserves to be allowed to stand for a few weeks.

The death of Howard Hamlin is a brutal and powerful piece of television, for a number of reasons. Most obviously, as with the death of Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) earlier in the season, it signals a steep escalation in stakes. As Better Call Saul enters its endgame, it is playing for all of the marbles. There’s an ambiguity to the fate of those characters that the audience hasn’t already seen on Breaking Bad, and the final season of Better Call Saul insists that not all of them get happy endings.

There is more to it than that. The ensemble on Better Call Saul is one of the finest casts in modern television, a combination of a skilled writers room working with a talented group of actors. Howard Hamlin is proof of that. Hamlin was introduced in the first season of Better Call Saul as something of an empty suit, to the point that an early punchline found Jimmy stealing Howard’s image as if to prove there was nothing underneath. However, he gradually became the show’s conscience.

Over the show’s six seasons, the production team on Better Call Saul has found surprising and compelling depths within characters who initially seemed like they might pose long-term problems for the show. The writers have been candid about the challenges that characters like Kim Wexler and Nacho Varga posed in that first season, when they had no real idea what to do with them. However, over time, these characters become multifaceted, compelling, and even tragic.

Howard followed a similar arc, evolving from an early foil for Jimmy into an engaging and sympathetic screen presence. He was something of a decoy antagonist in the show’s first season, with his antagonism towards Jimmy largely functioning to disguise the way that Jimmy’s brother and Howard’s partner Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) was the one responsible for sabotaging Jimmy’s legal career. In that first season, Howard was a proxy. He was a stand-in for the real threat.

What is particularly interesting about Howard is that he never really anchored a storyline on Better Call Saul. He was never the driving force or the audience identification character in the same way that Jimmy, Kim, Chuck, or Nacho was. Instead, Howard often existed caught in the orbit of other characters, whether doing Chuck’s dirty work or serving as the target of Kim’s righteous anger or provoking the worst in Jimmy. The audience largely saw Howard as other characters saw him.

Over the course of the show, the audience discovered a great deal about Howard Hamlin. Howard is largely defined by his deceased father, George, who co-founded the law firm Hamlin McGill. It seems that Howard’s paternal anxieties carried over to Chuck. Howard seemed to genuinely admire Jimmy, whom he called “Charlie Hustle.” He also guided his law firm through massive debt, tried to work his way through a divorce, and struggled with his depression.

All these details are revealed at the margins of Better Call Saul, rarely as the focus of the show’s attention. The firm’s financial concerns are mentioned in passing a few times and then quickly resolved off-screen. Howard is revealed to be going to therapy when it serves as a convenient opportunity for Jimmy to steal his car as part of a con. Howard’s wife, Cheryl (Sandrine Holt), appears for the first time in the episode before Howard is shot in the head.

Much like Nacho Varga played as a commentary on the tragic logic of prequels, Howard felt like a character occasionally crossing over from his own unseen spin-off: Howard’s End. One of the cleverer aspects of Cheryl’s complete absence from the earlier seasons (despite much speculation about Howard’s marital status) was that it offered a possible solution to the long-standing mystery of where Kim might be during the events of Breaking Bad: married to Jimmy, entirely off-screen.

Ignoring the clever use of the language of such television shows, Howard’s character was drawn in remarkably subtle terms. The audience was left with an impression of a life, rather than exposition. It is to the credit of Fabian as an actor and to the show’s writing staff that Howard still felt fully three-dimensional. Demonstrating the show’s knack for visual storytelling, a single scene between Howard and Cheryl reveals so much of who they both are. It’s heartbreaking.

Over the show’s run, Howard became an increasingly nuanced character, often in direct contrast to Jimmy. Howard worked through his feelings of guilt over Chuck’s suicide, while Jimmy refused to even acknowledge his feelings despite playing a much larger role in Chuck’s decline. Howard tried to make things right with Jimmy, in multiple and increasingly unique ways. Howard even reached out to Kim in concern about Jimmy’s increasingly erratic behavior.

As such, Howard became the show’s unlikely moral center. There is a small and charming moment in “Plan and Execution” where Howard pauses to explain to a young intern the importance of “centrifugal force” in preventing shaken soft-drink cans from exploding over. Given that the episode ends with Howard’s death and a strong push towards the inevitable brutality and chaos of Breaking Bad, that small character beat feels like a strong thematic statement about Howard as a person.

With this in mind, the death of Howard Hamlin carries a surprising amount of weight. Before Lalo arrives, Howard visits Kim and Jimmy to confront them about the elaborate long-form con that they pulled designed to humiliate and discredit him, an arc that played across the entire first half of the season. Howard gets to make some very valid points about how he doesn’t deserve such cruelty, as well as about how Kim and Jimmy’s treatment of him is a moral judgement on them rather than him.

Crucially, Howard’s central argument is that he will survive all that Jimmy and Kim have done to him, because he has lived through worse. “Just one more thing that ol’ Howard has to work through,” he muses. “But, yes, I will land on my feet. I will be okay. But you? Far from it. You two… you two are soulless. Jimmy, you can’t help yourself. Chuck knew it. You were born that way. But (Kim)? One of the smartest and most promising human beings I’ve ever known, and this is the life you choose?”

There is a cruel irony in all this, reflecting the stark moral universe of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Howard would have probably lived through his disgrace. He may even have rebuilt his firm’s reputation. The audience watched him do something similar after Chuck’s breakdown. However, Howard isn’t doomed because of any choice that he made. He ends up as collateral damage from Jimmy’s flirtation with the cartel, killed by Lalo for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Howard’s death is presented as a moment of almost supernatural portent. As Howard arrives, Schnauz’s camera focuses on a flickering candle flame. The candle flickers again as Lalo lets himself in. It is as though two shadows and spirits have passed over the apartment that Kim and Jimmy share. Howard’s death is the death of the moral center of Better Call Saul, the show’s last tether to basic decency and compassion.

Indeed, Howard’s final scene is even bleaker than Nacho’s death earlier in the season. Nacho’s death was heavily foreshadowed, with Nacho himself accepting its inevitability. Nacho got to go out on his own terms, pulling the trigger himself in an act of agency that the show’s prequel nature often denied him. In contrast, the death of Howard Hamlin is a surprise. He was shot through the head by a complete stranger. He dies mid-sentence. “I think I’m in the middle of something; there’s really no need to —”

Howard’s death feels like an appropriate place to break the sixth season because it feels like a break within the show. With the death of Chuck and Jimmy renouncing the name McGill, Howard was one of the last ties to the show’s origins as a legal black comedy. Howard’s murder by Lalo, a character Jimmy references in his first appearance in Breaking Bad, suggests a show completely unmoored from its start point, now fully caught in the gravity well of Breaking Bad.

Maybe it wasn’t just Howard Hamlin that died in “Plans and Executions;” it was the quirky life once lived by Jimmy McGill. It has been completely subsumed by drug cartels and senseless violence. Jimmy McGill is dead, long live Saul Goodman.

All Rights Reserved

#better call saul #bbs #howard hamlin #lalo salamanca #saul goodman #kim wexler