#christian school tings

[cvnty70switch]

my purpose in life isn’t to be someone crusty man’s fucking wife/baby maker they can jerk into whenever they please

#tell that to the boys at my school #christian school tings #feminist rant

[thecagedsong]

tl:dr Johnathon’s experiences with Dracula explain his different choice from Lucy’s suitors regarding their loved one turning into a vamp.

I know everyone is jumping on the comparison between Johnathon’s willingness to join Mina in damnation verse Arthur+Quincy+Jack purifying/killing Lucy to save her soul. And everyone wants to compare who loved who more, and how it’s a metaphor for being unwilling to see your loved one change.

Boo.

Try the different experiences with Vampires. Yes they’ve all read the book (probably. Mina might have done an executive summary and then they had Van Helsing’s lecture at the very least) but even reading each other’s experiences, their own experiences are going to trump their understanding of the change. 

The Suitors saw Lucy beg Van Helsing to stop the change. To keep her from becoming a monster. To never let her hurt Arthur, “please dear god, love me enough to keep me from becoming that.” They saw the shifts between Lucy-Lucy and Vamp-Lucy on her deathbed. They buried her. She was already dead, something was possessing her body and making it hurt others. They saw her attack a child. She snarled at them, a child’s blood dripping from her lips, saw her hypnotize Arthur to kill him (the very thing she refused to do as herself!) then saw her flinch away from a crucifix, snarling. 

More importantly, that’s all they saw of her. Vamp lore translates the difference in faculties to be between new vamps and old vamps, or maybe Lucy’s still in Dracula’s thrall, but what they experienced was almost more Zombie than Vamp. 

Compare this to Johnathon’s experience. He was welcomed as Dracula’s guest. Dracula had passions, goals, relationships (with the brides and his attempted relationship with Johnathon). Johnathon had the opposite experience instead of something changing into a monster, a human was revealed to be a monster all along. Johnathon knows that there is intelligence and will and personality in a vampire. Knows from Drac’s own stories that he was a conqueror when alive, and is now one dead. Dracula was twisted from what he was, but he was still himself and still had identifiable humanity in the way he teased and pretended and memorized time tables for trains (like Mina). 

So when he sees Mina start to turn, his understanding of vampires is inherently different than the suitors. They saw nothing of Lucy in what she had become, but Johnathon saw hints of what he had been in Dracula. With that hint, came the knowledge that a sliver of the woman that he loved, that he had sworn never to part from (an actual marital vow) would still be within whatever she became. And that was worth any hell to be by her side. 

(Actually, Mina is the one with the least interaction with actual vampires, which makes her own refusal to be turned interesting, because it is tinged with the fear of the unknown. I hate any description that she’s acting full on “martyr for love. Rage drips against Dracula, about what he did to the people she’s loved most, the shame of Drac doing it in such a sensual manner when she’s married, when school teachers were charged with teaching children to fear god and now God can’t help her against her will, (poor take on the Christian god, but that’s horror for you) like there are plenty of ideological reasons she would beg people to kill her before that happened. She’s clearly more like Lucy than dracula in this scenario.)

#Dracula Daily

[homomenhommes]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … 17 March

In a notable book on Irish gay history Terrible Queer Creatures Brian Lacey presents some evidence that Saint Patrick may have had a long term intimate relationship with a man:"St. Patrick himself may have had a relationship tinged with homoeroticism. Tirechan, a late seventh century cleric who wrote about St. Patrick, tells the story of a man Patrick visited and converted to Christianity, who had a son to whom Patrick took a strong liking. Tirechan wrote that "he gave him the name Benignus, because he took Patrick's feet between his hands and would not sleep with his father and mother, but wept unless he would be allowed to sleep with Patrick." Patrick baptized the boy and made him his close lifelong companion, so much so that Benignus succeeded Patrick as bishop of Armagh."

Going backwards in his life, I have seen elsewhere a report* that after his escape from slavery and return to Britain, he supported himself by working for a time as a prostitute - yes, good old Patrick sold sexual favours.

Does this sound far fetched? Not if you consider the historical realities of the time. Patrick's home was in Roman Britain. Throughout the Empire, prostitution was an entirely acceptable way for men or women in desperate circumstances to make a living. Consider also his likely experience as a slave. In both Roman and Greek society, as well as elsewhere, it was assumed that one of the duties of a slave, particularly if young or attractive, was to provide sexual services on demand. Ireland was not under Roman rule, but there is no reason to suppose that the conditions of slavery were notably different. (Lacy shows in his book that in pre-christian Ireland same sex relationships were accepted and respected.)

There is another reason, though why we as queer Catholics should look to Patrick as a role model, regardless of his own sexual history, a reason which goes to the heart of his mission.

In Faith Beyond Resentment, theologian James Alison observes that in the Gospel story of the healing of the man possessed by demons, Jesus instruction to the man after healing was to "Go home," that is, back to the community which had tormented and rejected him, back to his persecutors.

This is what Patrick did. Having escaped from slavery and returned to his original home, he responded to what he saw as a call to return to the country of his captivity, to go back to the land of his tormentors - and convert them.

*In a comment to an earlier posting of this piece, theologian John McNeill has said that the book with this story was How The Irish Saved Civilization, by Thomas Cahill, who claims "Patrick paid for his passage back to Ireland by servicing the sailors on the boat."

1913 – People around the world know Clay Shaw (d.1974) as the only person ever tried for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Most, however, do not know that he was a highly decorated war hero, a prominent New Orleans businessman, a French Quarter preservationist, a valued civic leader, and, from age sixteen, a successful playwright.

He was also a homosexual in a time and a place that viewed homosexuality as abhorrent, immoral, and criminal. In that society, gay people, particularly prominent citizens like Clay Shaw, were compelled to remain closeted and were extremely vulnerable.

When he was five he and his family moved to New Orleans. At Warren Easton High School, Shaw's one-act play "Submerged," which he wrote with a classmate, won a state playwriting contest. Seventy-five years later, it was still being produced by high school drama clubs.

When World War II began, Shaw enlisted as a private in the medical corps. Soon commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, he was appointed to the staff of Brigadier General Charles O. Thrasher, directing supplies for the million men who crossed the English Channel in the D-Day invasion.

For his role in liberating France from the Nazi occupation, Shaw was awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit by the United States Army and the Croix de Guerre by the government of France.

Discharged from the Army in 1946, Major Shaw returned to New Orleans. Shaw was hired to launch the International Trade Mart, whose dual objectives were to sell American products abroad and to increase foreign trade into the Port of New Orleans.

At his retirement, the City of New Orleans awarded him its highest honor, the International Order of Merit, in appreciation of his many contributions to the city.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed a blue-ribbon committee to investigate the assassination and to report its findings to the American people. Headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, it became known as the Warren Commission. The Commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin, but a large portion of the population felt that they had not presented the whole story.

New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison saw in the Kennedy assassination his opportunity for fame. He announced that the Warren Commission had deliberately lied to the American people, purposefully covering up a conspiracy. Garrison proposed variously that the conspiracy was hatched by the C. I. A., the F. B. I., the military-industrial complex, Cuban Communists, and Lyndon Johnson and Texas oil barons.

But Garrison needed a theory that allowed him jurisdiction to prosecute, so he came up with the idea that the conspiracy was planned in New Orleans, and the assassination was a "homosexual thrill killing." He told a journalist, "They had the same motive as Loeb and Leopold when they murdered Bobbie Franks in Chicago."

On March 1, 1967, Jim Garrison arrested Clay Shaw and charged him with conspiring to assassinate President Kennedy. Garrison knew Shaw was gay, but the general public did not, though soon Shaw's homosexuality was exposed. The discreetly gay Shaw was soon described as a sadist as well as a homosexual.

The trial finally began in early 1969. Garrison produced witnesses who swore that they saw Shaw plotting to kill the President. As the trial progressed, however, it became clear these witnesses were nothing more than an odd assortment of crackpots and toadies whose stories were incompatible with each other.

The jury took less than an hour of deliberation to return with a verdict of not guilty. The date was March 1, 1969, exactly two years after Shaw's arrest.

Two days later Garrison re-arrested Shaw, this time charging him with perjury. It took another two years, and the last of Shaw's retirement savings, finally to get the United States Supreme Court to order Garrison to stop persecuting Clay Shaw. By this time Shaw's resources were depleted, and he had to return to work.

The strain of the five-year ordeal took its toll on Shaw's health. He died of lung cancer on August 14, 1974. He was 61 years old.

The experience of Shaw is a telling reminder of the vulnerability of closeted gay men and lesbians in the pre-Stonewall era. Precisely because of his homosexuality, Shaw made an inviting target for the machinations of a ruthless politician.

1938 – Rudolph Nureyev, Russian-born dancer and choreographer (d.1993); Nureyev became the most famous male dancer in the West before he was 30 — and the most publicized. His influence on the world of ballet changed the perception of male dancers; in his own productions of the classics the male roles received much more choreography. Another important influence was his crossing the borders between classical ballet and modern dance by performing both. Today it is normal for dancers to receive training in both styles, but Nureyev was originator, and the practice was much criticized in his day.

Nureyev by Richard Avedon

Famously well-endowed, his sexual life was the stuff of legend - the gay playboy of the western world. But he also enjoyed several long-term relationships - he spent the early 60s involved with an older Danish dancer named Eric Bruhn (1928-1986) but their relationship had suffered from something of a 'Star Is Born' nature as Nureyev's career rocketed and Bruhn became an alcoholic. In the 1970s, he had a long relationship with Wallace Potts, a director and archivist; and in 1978 he met a young dancer named Robert Tracy, who moved into his New York apartment and stayed for fourteen years until he was evicted, complaining that he had been treated `like a lackey'.

That he partied everywhere and was photographed partying everywhere was as clever a manipulation of the press as Diaghelev's successful attempts to get the public to focus on Nijinsky's considerable crotch. "We want Rudy," the fans screamed, "especially in the nudi!" It was all part of the show. So when Dave Kopay, an athlete of a different sort, casually mentioned in his best-selling autobiography that Nureyev visited Gay bars, no one particularly cared. The Celebrity Register had already printed the peculiar warning of an English friend: "I told Rudy he can be as naughty as he likes, but if he isn't more careful, they're going to find him... some morning in an alley in Soho, his head laid open with a lorry driver's spanner."

When HIV-AIDS appeared in France in about 1982, Nureyev took little notice. For several years he simply denied that anything was wrong with his health: when, about 1990, he became undeniably ill, he is said to have attributed these to other ailments. He tried several experimental treatments but they did not stop his deteriorating health. Towards the end of his life, as dancing became more and more agonizing, he resigned himself to small non-dancing roles. At the urging of Fonteyn, he had a short but successful conducting career, which was cut short due to health problems.

Eventually, he had to face the reality that he was dying and he won the admiration of many of his detractors by his courage during this period. The loss of his looks pained him, but he continued to struggle through public appearances. At his last appearance, a 1992 production of La Bayadere at the Palais Garnier, Nureyev received an emotional standing ovation. The French Culture Minister, Jack Lang, presented him with France's highest cultural award, the Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He died in Paris a few months later, aged 54.

1961 – Alexander Bard, born in Motala, Sweden, is a Swedish artist, music producer and philosopher.

Bard began his musical career in 1982 with the single "Life in a Goldfish Bowl" released under the name Baard, a synth-punk fusion project he had formed together with two female striptease dancers.

He has since claimed that he spent the Baard years living as a male prostitute in Amsterdam.

Bard later had some minor success as Barbie, which saw Bard in drag singing dance-oriented pop. After abandoning work on a second Barbie album, he formed Army Of Lovers with two of Barbie's entourage, Jean-Pierre Barda and La Camilla. Army Of Lovers had over 20 Pan-European hits, the biggest being "Crucified", "Obsession" and "Sexual Revolution", while their presence in the US and the UK was limited to repeated club chart successes. They released five studio albums, made over 20 high-camp music videos, and became phenomenally successful across Eastern Europe, before Bard disbanded the group in 1996.

Army Of Lovers have later earned a widespread iconic status in the gay culture, often referred to as a perfect example of the postmodern take on the ideals of camp.

Bard is a self-proclaimed bisexual libertine

1968 – Two drag queens known as "The Princess" and "The Duchess" held a St. Patrick's Day party at Griffith Park, a popular cruising spot and a frequent target of police activity in Los Angeles. More than 200 gay men socialized through the day to protest entrapmentand harassment by the LAPD.

1969 – Alexander McQueen, British fashion designer, born (d.2010). Born in the East End of London, the son of a taxi driver, McQueen started making dresses for his three sisters at a young age and announced his intention of becoming a fashion designer. McQueen left school at 16, landing himself an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors Anderson and Shepherd, then working for Gieves & Hawkes and the famous theatrical costumiers Angels and Bermans.

Alexander McQueen's early runway collections developed his reputation for controversy and shock tactics (earning the title "enfant terrible" and "the hooligan of English fashion"), with trousers aptly named "bumsters", and a collection entitled "Highland Rape". It has also been claimed that he was on welfare and that he needed to change his name for his first show so that he could continue to receive benefits.

Some of Alexander McQueen's accomplishments include having been one of the youngest designers to achieve the title "British Designer of the Year", which he won three times between 1996 and 2003. He was also awarded the CBE, as well as being named International Designer of the Year at the Council of Fashion Designer Awards.

December 2000 saw a new partnership for McQueen with Gucci Group acquiring 51% of the company, and McQueen serving as Creative Director. Plans for expansion have included the opening of stores in London, Milan, and New York, and the launch of his perfumes Kingdom. January 2006 heralded the birth of McQ - Alexander McQueen - a denim based ready-to-wear line (womenswear, menswear and accessories).

In summer 2000 McQueen married his twenty-four-year-old lover George Forsyth, a documentary filmmaker. The ceremony, which took place in Ibiza on a yacht owned by a friend of supermodel Kate Moss (who was also bridesmaid), was covered by the press in much the same way as any other celebrity wedding. The relationship however did not last.

Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home on 11 February 2010. McQueen hanged himself after taking a mix of cocaine, tranquillisers and sleeping pills. He was just 40 and days away from presenting a new collection in Paris.

1970 – Steven Fales is a classically trained playwright and actor who has gained broad recognition in both the theatre world gay community and the LDS community for his award-winning one-man play, Confessions of a Mormon Boy.

The first reading of Confessions was at the Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City in 2001. He has performed the play off-Broadway (under director Jack Hofsiss) and across the United States and internationally at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London's West End. He uses his experiences to help others to reclaim spirituality and his work is his contribution to helping end spiritual abuse and violence in churches, mosques and synagogues. The book 'Confessions of a Mormon Boy: Behind the Scenes of the Off-Broadway Hit' was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist. Before becoming a solo artist he performed in Shakespeare and musicals in regional theatres across America.

'Confessions of a Mormon Boy' is Part One in 'The Mormon Boy Trilogy.' Part Two and Three are called 'Missionary Position' and 'Prodigal Dad.' Mormon-American Princess is his cabaret act and deals with the subject of narcissism. It premiered in San Francisco and has played Joe's Pub, New York City. Other solo shows include 'Conversations with Heavenly Mother: An Uncommon Diva', 'Joseph III', 'CULT!', and 'When All Else Fales.' He is a leader in the solo performance genre and is the founder of the Solo Performance Alliance.

Fales was born in Provo, Utah and raised in California and later Las Vegas, Nevada. He first trained at the Boston Conservatory on scholarship and after serving a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Portugal transferred to Brigham Young University where he received his BFA in musical theatre.

"Mormon Boy" chronicles Fales' heartbreaking journey from being a devoted, sixth-generation Mormon and father of two to coming out as gay and being excommunicated from his church.

He lives in Salt Lake City with his two children where he exports his work from the Rocky Mountains to Los Angeles, New York, and London. He is the former son-in-law of celebrated Mormon writer Carol Lynn Pearson and former husband of actor/writer/producer Emily Pearson.

Below he performs his song "Mormon Boy":

1970 – On this date the film-adaptation of Mart Crowley 's groundbreaking gay play, The Boys In The Band, premiered in New York City. 40 years later, a new documentary, Making The Boys about the making of this play and Mart Crowley's career opened in NYC.

"Making The Boys" is a new documentary about the history surrounding the groundbreaking play:The Boys in the Band. On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Gay Rights Movement, the film explores the drama, struggle and enduring legacy of the first-ever gay play and subsequent Hollywood movie to successfully reach a mainstream audience.

Written by Mart Crowley, The Boys in the Band ran for over 1,000 performances off-Broadway and was later made into a feature film. It was one of the first pieces of popular entertainment that centered on a group of gay characters. Set in a New York apartment, The Boys in the Band is about a group of gay men getting together for a birthday party. The dialogue is biting and acerbic, and doesn't shy away from presenting characters that fall into stereotypes.

The most interesting thing about "Making The Boys" is that it isn't afraid to confront the controversy that has surrounded the play since its first performance in 1968. One of the subjects interviewed is the playwright Edward Albee, and he doesn't have that many positive things at all to say about the show. As the gay right movement built momentum during the 1970s, many began to resent negative portrayal of gays in the play and subsequent movie. Beloved by some for breaking new ground, and condemned by others for reinforcing gay stereotypes, The Boys in the Band sparked heated controversy that still exists four decades later

1972 – On this date John Waters' Pink Flamingoes was released. A star is born...Divine!

Gately (R) with Andrew Cowles

1976 – Stephen Gately (d.2009) first found fame as second lead vocalist with Irish vocal group Boyzone, who in the late 1990s were the most successful boyband in the UK, bridging the gap between Take That & Westlife.

Enjoying a string of number 1 singles and albums and successful tours, they were at the height of their fame when, in 1999, Stephen discovered that a national newspaper was planning to out him. He made the decision to tell his own story first and went public in The Sun newspaper - a brave choice in the, even now, surprisingly closeted world of pop music. Already out to friends, family and the other members of Boyzone, the fans attitude to their idol remained unchanged.

Stephen Gately had a short and relatively successful career as a solo artist, but being solo after Boyzone left him depressed and missing his bandmates. He eventually moved more succesfully into musical theatre, his roles including Joseph in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and the child-catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in London's West End.

At the time of his tabloid coming out Stephen Gately revealed that in 1998 he had started a relationship with Eloy de Jong, who had been in the Dutch boy band Caught in the Act. Stephen and Eloy split up in 2001, however.

After remaining single for a while, Stephen then started dating internet businessman Andrew Cowles, who had been introduced to him by Elton John and David Furnish.

Having only been dating each other for a matter of months, Stephen and Andrew held a commitment ceremony in a wedding chapel whilst on holiday in Las Vegas in 2003. On 19 March 2006 Stephen entered into a civil partnership with Andrew in a ceremony in London.

In 2007 after months of stories and rumours it was finally confirmed that Boyzone were to reform with the original lineup, making their debut reappearance for the BBC's Children In Need in November 2007. In 2008 the reformed Boyzone released a cover version of Tom Baxter's song Better, the video for which broke new ground by showing Gately with another man rather than the female models his straight bandmates apeared with, becoming probably the first mainstream pop video by a boyband to reflect the true sexuality of its members.

In October 2009 Stephen Gately was in Mallorca with husband Andrew, where they owned a holiday apartment. After going out for drinks on Saturday, 10 October the pair returned to their apartment with a man they had met in a club. Eventually Gately was left to sleep in the living room and was discovered in the early hours of the morning by their guest not moving and seated strangely; he immediately alerted Andrew Cowles that something was wrong. Stephen Gately was dead. His completely unexpected death at the age of 33 - and as his career with Boyzone was flourishing once again - came as a huge shock as the news quickly emerged.

A post mortem examination in Spain established that Gately died of natural causes.

#Youtube

[kwshahrazad]

Living in North America, even when you aren’t celebrating Christmas, it feels like you're celebrating Christmas.

Promptly on November 1st, the red, white and green festivities begin and their brilliant hues are inescapable. There are elves on shelves and an inflatable Frosty on roofs. And Santa! He really is always watching you as he’s plastered on every surface. He sees you when you’re sleeping because he’s on the half-eaten chocolate wrapper on your dresser. He knows when you’re awake because he’s also on your cereal box, milk carton, and morning coffee sleeve.

Around this time of year, there is a spike in cases of FOMO within first and second-generation immigrants whose holiday rosters do not include Christmas. For over fifty days, they are stuck between a rock and a jolly place because Christmas can be… tempting. The twinkling lights are alluring, the merry melodies are mesmerizing, the promise of gifts is promising, and so the fear of missing out can be all-consuming. It all starts on an ordinary November morning when suddenly, "the holiday spirit" infuses everything the light touches. Every mode and medium has a Yuletide tinge, and every sector of life has a little trimming. For two months, these FOMO-ridden individuals trapeze through jagged tinsel and paper-cut sharp wrapping paper, trying to maneuver in the aftermath of Big Hallmark’s joyous rampage.

In schools, children sing carols in winter pageants, some only mouthing the words to Silent Night or hesitantly rockin’ around a Christmas tree.

There's no argument that these activities can spark joy, and that's precisely the problem. Celebrating, the very act of it, is fun. Whether it’s Halloween, a wedding, an achievement, however minimal, or even a dog’s birthday, people find reasons to come together and celebrate. But in this case, Christmas is not theirs to celebrate. Some people have a little voice in their heads that nettles them each time they put on reindeer ears or take part in Secret Santa. Depending on the individual, it could be their conscience screaming, “What would my parents say?”

In the winter whirlwind of hope, excitement, and merriment, it’s almost impossible to not want to be a part of it all, even subconsciously. It’s difficult to deny that Christmas is fun.

Especially since celebrating non-Christian holidays in the West can be challenging.

There are no signature drinks or holiday hours. There are no lights and most definitely no statutory days off. Christmas is fun because of the sheer scale. The stakes are high with countdowns, giveaways, and so many parties.

Christmas isn’t just a day you celebrate, it’s a season. It’s a pallette and a theme. It’s a genre of music and film. It’s a category of dessert, dinner, and beverage.

That said, it’s difficult to compete with all the fanfare that happens each year in December. Parents are often compelled to go above and beyond to get their kids excited about their own celebrations. Usually with the help of old reliable Mr. Chuck E. Cheese and even older — and therefore more reliable — Mr. Wad of Cash. Worse yet, when one has to justify their need for a day off to a manager who is apparently fascinated by their religion, people can’t help but pray for patience, or better yet, a miracle.

A miracle in which there is no rock by the jolly place. What if a certain non-Christian American demographic could celebrate their holiday at the same time as everyone else? What if they could ride on the Christmas coattails of vacation days, holiday parties, and sales? What if a certain non-Christian religious holiday coincided with Christmas and millions more could wholeheartedly celebrate together with the masses? What if, for example, Eid al-Adha fell on December 24th?

Wouldn’t that be a miracle?

***

You've just read the introduction to my new book, Christmas Eid, available now on Kindle (E-Book) (Print coming soon).

It's Booksmart meets the holidays wrapped up in a warm, festive coming-of-age story.

Christmas Eid introduces a unique format. It's a novelplay. A book that reads like a movie!

Christmas Eid: A Novelplay (Available Now)

If you'd be interested in receiving a copy in return for a review, please message me! Also, please share this with anyone you think might be interested in reading!

K.W. Shahrazad

#my writing #books #ya books #ya fiction #young adult #coming of age #bipoc #bipoc author #christmas #xmas #christmas eid #christmas recs #reading #christmas season #muslim author #muslim authors #black author #black authors #author #authors of color #authors of tumblr #christmas books #booksmart #dash and lily #let it snow #christmas YA #holiday reads #holiday books #eid books #eid

[clementine-kesh]

been ruminating on penda’s fen since i watched it because it’s such a layered and fascinating movie and, for a movie that’s very much specifically about england, there’s a curious tinge of anti-colonialism to it. the thematic core of the movie is about assumptions and truths, both about ourselves and the lands on which we live, and what happens when those things come into conflict. it presents christianity, cisheteronormativity, nationalism, and racial supremacy as homogenizing forces on people and landscapes which seek to wipe out the true complexity of these things, replacing them with something sanitized and “pure”. the truth of the land, its pagan history, is a mystery that the young protagonist must figure out at the same time as he figures out the truth about himself. that neither he nor he land on which he lives are the way he’s been told, that the truth is far richer and more complex than he ever could’ve imagined.

from my perspective as a canadian who has engaged with a lot of indigenous/anti-colonial academia and activism, for whom the issues of truth and reconciliation and lasting colonial legacies loom large in the modern national consciousness, it’s easy to parse this as an anti-colonial message. there are truths that the hegemonic, colonial forces want to keep buried because that knowledge threatens the power they hold. there’s a reason the church fought to keep the extent of abuse at residential schools secret, there’s a reason the canadian history curriculum has (and often still does!) brush over the brutalities perpetuated by the government upon indigenous people. which is a fascinating takeaway from a movie that’s very much about britain and british identity! i think in that way it’s a movie that’s asking us to consider how deep the roots of colonialism and christian hegemony really go

#penda’s fen #everyone go watch it free on youtube #there’s a lot more to it than just this but this is one of my main takeaways

[lenalvthor]

tethered playlist breakdown - ch 1: chemtrails

hi hi hi! thank-you to everyone who has read, commented, left kudos, and bookmarked tethered so far (and if this is the first you're hearing of it, here's my critical role / bell's hells / imodna music au)! this beautiful, musical lil world has been knocking around in my head for a little over 6 months and i'm so excited to share it with other people 💗

so as I said on ao3, to create the Full Experience of this au the way i've been stewing in it over the past 6-odd months, i wanted to also pop chapter tie-in posts on here that give a more detailed breakdown of the music in each chapter, mainly bc I'm not someone who writes songfics rly and I don't like breaking up the flow of the fic + the suspension of disbelief with lyrics etc, so: we're gonna do it this way.

(again, if this is the first you're hearing of this au and it has piqued ur interest, would recommend giving ch 1 a read and then coming back to this post)

but okay, let's start with this first chapter ⚡🎼

i gave a bit of a generic ‘vibe’ of what everybody’s music sounds like in the end-notes, but i’m gonna elaborate a bit here + also fill in some gaps!

Liliana

in this fic, Liliana Temult gained acclaim as a teenage country star, kind of like early early Taylor Swift (vibes: TS debut, Fearless, + specifically the songs Sparks Fly, Mine, and Ours from Speak Now are songs Liliana released about her high school sweetheart turned husband (Relvin)). 

*important to note: any TS songs that are confirmed as Liliana’s are re-recording versions of these songs, as the original versions of them are how i imagine Imogen sounding if she were to cover her mom’s music, plus also draws a more distinctive line in the differences in sound between Imogen and Liliana if both of them have TS music in their discographies. if you’re super hardline abt only listening to Taylor’s rerecordings, that’s chill, but just putting it out there as my distinction between Imogen’s TS songs and Liliana’s TS songs!

as Liliana got more popular, signed to a new label (Ruidus Records, owned by Ludinus Da’Leth, and Liliana was managed by Otohan Thull), Liliana’s sound changed and she spent more time away from home, in New York and LA (vibes: AURORA by Daisy Jones and the Six, Fleetwood Mac - 60s/70s-esque pop-rock with some country tinges to it). 

Imogen

more on Imogen’s music in the fic’s present-day for the ch 2 breakdown, but for a backstory vibe: the first music Imogen releases are with songs from Kacey Musgraves’ album, Deeper Well; Imogen’s EP, called If I Let Go, has this tracklist: 

Sway

Lonely Millionaire 

The Architect

Cardinal 

Sway is fairly self explanatory, and it’s the leading single for the EP.

Lonely Millionaire is about Imogen’s desperation to not slip into the wrong side of the industry no matter how alluring it may be at times, no matter how caught up she gets in the glitz and glamour and magic of it all, she doesn’t want to forget that it’s not worth it to get lost and end up on your own (like Liliana did).

The Architect is ‘small-town grew up in a christian community and maybe has some queer religious trauma’ Imogen Temult going ✌🏼don’t know if i believe i still believe in god and i don’t know if it would make it easier or harder if i did✌🏼.

Cardinal is something Imogen had written for years and years before she ever released it, but it’s a song that’s so clearly inspired by Liliana’s later career music, and it’s very much about Liliana too, and it almost gets swapped out for a different song because Imogen’s a little terrified that putting her mother’s musical story into her own at the start of her career is as good as damning her from the beginning, but Bertrand and Laudna convince her otherwise so this song ends up closing off the EP. 

(later, when Imogen puts out the rest of her album (which includes songs I haven’t figured out yet lol), she adds Giver / Taker and Nothing To Be Scared Of also from Kacey’s new album, and both of them are written about Laudna :-). (the album is also called Nothing To Be Scared Of.) 

Laudna

Laudna also got into music as a teenager (signing to Briarwood Records under Delilah) but exactly what kind of music that was, i’m not 100% on so taking suggestions + recommendations if you have any. tethered’s present-day Laudna’s music is mostly following the sound of Lizzy McAlpine. the six feet under EP referenced in ch 1 is: 

doomsday

firearm 

ceilings 

chemtrails 

there’s more for Laudna’s music - including other songs she wrote in the time Imogen was away - but we’ll get into those as they come up in the fic 😉

The Crown Keepers

finally, for this chapter’s musical rundown: to put some context to The Crown Keepers, they are, in fact, the Full Gang. Orym, Fearne, Dorian, Dariax, and Opal make up TCK, and they started out as a folk/indie lil group who wound up being signed to Eshteross Records by Bertrand. they’re the characters i have the Most songs for bc their musical sound is my favourite kind of music, but i’ll just give you some artists to listen to + some of the key songs tied to their group’s backstory! 

vibes: Wild Rivers (both in music And in their actual Vibe as a group, go look them up, seriously) / Judah & the Lion (their song Spirit is the first song of TCK’s that blows up and they start to break into mainstream popularity) / Motherfolk / McFly / Morningsiders / Kodaline / Avalanche City (Sunset is one of the last songs they release + the very very last song they play at the end of their world tour right before they go on hiatus) / and Tiny Habits as little smaller combos of different members of the band (esp their cover of landslide). 

quick addition because I keep forgetting: the song that Imogen and Laudna sing together that Orym and Imogen text about is Call It What You Want from High School Musical the Musical the Series, and it's actually the song t hat set this whole fic off, funnily enough.

anyway! that’s some musical insight for u for ch 1!! here’s the playlist (so far) — will add more as it comes up! 

love, chim ⚡

#imodna #critical role fic #critical role #c3 #cileme writes #tethered au #tethered au; music breakdown

[midwestmade29]

I was in a mood when I wrote this 😂 Ya'll getting angst today! Word Count: 1,929 GIF by: @cowboyshit

Disclaimers: Mention of blood (once), mild cursing, mention of losing virginity, angst, angst and more angst 😂 Read at your own discretion..

From the moment your mother told your brother that he was getting a baby sister, he was less than thrilled. “Ugh, why does it have to be a girl? Girls suck! Can’t we trade her in for a brother instead?” Adam whined. Your mother explained to him that wasn’t how things worked, and throughout her pregnancy Adam remained disinterested the whole time. That was, until he held you for the first time after you were born. Something inside him changed when he looked at you in his arms, so tiny and sweet, realizing from that moment on that he would do anything for you. He was your fierce protector now, a responsibility he didn’t take lightly. He whispered in your tiny little ear that day and made a promise to you that he would always be there for you no matter what, never letting anything or anyone hurt you, even when you would inevitably annoy him. Adam kept good on his word as the years went by, shielding you from all things bad and always keeping a close eye on you. When you were 3, some kid took a toy from you while you were playing in the sandbox, Adam interjecting immediately and getting the toy back for you. He dumped a bucket of sand on the thief’s head, doing what he had to to dry his baby sister’s tears. You were in awe of your big brother, always thinking the world of him and through your eyes he was a real-life superhero!

The 6-year age gap between you and Adam didn’t start to show until he was twelve and you were six. You were the typical younger sibling, always following him around and wanting to be included in whatever he was doing, annoying him on purpose and smiling when you got him in trouble with your mother when he wasn’t letting you get your way. One thing you two bonded over was professional wrestling! He always used you as his practice dummy for any new moves he wanted to try out, and you thought it was the coolest thing! There were a few times where being a crash dummy wasn’t so fun though. One memory that you’ll never forget is the time his elbow connected with your mouth when he botched a move, leaving your teeth a bloody mess. Your mother was furious when he told her he chipped your tooth! She lectured him for a good 45 minutes that night, informing him that your days as a test dummy were over. Did either of you listen to her though? Of course not! You still held Royal Rumbles against each other whenever she wasn’t home. Adam found a new wrestling partner when the new kid in town was enrolled at the same school he went to. He was the same age as him, a little shorter, and shyer than Adam was. Adam and the new kid hit it off right away when they connected over their mutual love for professional wrestling, becoming inseparable after a short amount of time. After school one day Adam had invited his new friend over to your house, eventually introducing you to him when you wouldn’t stop begging. “Y/N, this is Christian. Christian, this is Y/N,” Adam said flatly. Little did he know at the time that informal introduction would change the course of your lives forever.

Adam and Christian were becoming a household name in the wrestling business. They were the hottest tag team around! The two of them were traveling the world, getting to do what they loved, and you had just graduated from college embarking on your own journey. Adam came home to celebrate your recent accomplishment, Christian tagging along with him. You hadn’t really kept tabs on Christian since your paths had taken you in different directions. You only knew bits and pieces of things about him that Adam told you randomly when you talked on the phone, the latest news being Christian’s engagement to a beautiful blonde supermodel. A pang of jealousy and a tinge of sadness washed over you when Adam told you about it, even though you knew it was ridiculous for you to feel that way. As kids you and Christian rarely got along and Adam had to play referee between you two all the time. Christian liked to push your buttons and you liked pushing his in return. Normally you held your own whenever Christian purposely started in on something, until one night he took things too far and said some hurtful things to you and making you cry. When Adam caught wind of the situation, rage consumed him when he saw the tears sliding down your cheeks. “Hey, dumbass! What the hell did you say to my sister?” he shouted mere inches from Christian’s face. It took Adam threatening to beat Christian’s ass for him to apologize to you, making him promise that he would never make you cry again.

People came in waves at your graduation party your mother begged you to let her throw for you. She had gone all out with every detail of the party! You mingled with guests most of the evening, rarely having a moment to yourself. When you were all peopled out, you snuck out the back door of the house and went to your favorite childhood hiding place to catch your breath. The old swing still creaked as you glided back and forth, interrupting the silence of the night whenever the chain would catch. You loved the way the stars reflected off the pond, the sound of the crickets chirping echoing through the air, and the smell of freshly cut grass as it danced around your nose. This place was your little slice of Heaven tucked away behind large bushes and small trees, usually remaining unseen by those that didn’t know it existed. You were lost in thought when a familiar voice made you jump, “Hey, Y/N. It’s…been a long time.” Christian stood next to the swing, staring ahead only speaking again when he asked if he could join you. “What are you doing here, Christian?” you asked in return. “I figured you would be out here when your mother told Adam you had stepped outside for a minute. Our plane just landed about an hour ago. Adam drove like a madman to get us here before the party was over. He’s excited to see you.” He explained. “Then why didn’t he come to get me?” Your words came out a little harsher than you meant them to, immediately wishing you could go back and change your tone. Adam’s voice carried through the trees as he called out for you, so you knew your time alone with Christian was limited.

The moonlight illuminated his handsome features, making his ocean blue eyes sparkle when he looked over at you. He slid his hand across the seat of the swing, brushing his pinky against yours making you jerk it away. “Christian…” fell from your lips as a warning, but you knew it didn’t have any real threat behind it. The two of you were the only ones that knew about the things that happened between you nearly 2 years ago. Feelings had grown between you one summer when you were home from college and Adam and Christian weren’t quite as popular as they are now, so they were home more often. You and Christian spent a lot of time together that summer, sneaking around doing whatever you could to not bring any attention to yourselves and your growing feelings for one another. Adam would’ve killed Christian if he ever knew what really went on that summer. He wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing his best friend took his baby sister’s virginity. Christian was smitten with you, and you couldn’t get enough of him either! Time went by at warped speed and before either of you knew it, summer was coming to an end. You knew you had to return to school, and Christian had a choice to make, his career or you. You never gave him an ultimatum; you aren’t that kind of person. His choice was an unfortunate decision that had to be made due to the circumstances that surround both of you. Deep in your heart you hoped that he would choose you, but your head knew it wasn’t possible. The last night you and Christian spent together was one you would never forget because it held a special place in your memory bank. He made love to you under the stars, taking his time and savoring every moment spent skin on skin with you. His touches from that night still lingered on your body to this day.

“Y/N! Are you out here?” Adam’s voice snapped you back into reality the closer it got. “I have to go,” you murmured as you stood abruptly. Christian grabbed hold of your hand, stopping you in your tracks when the warmth of his skin covered yours. “Wait, Y/N! I didn’t come out here to upset you, I-I’m not sure why I came to find you instead of Adam. I’m not sure what I’m doing anymore,” Christian was exasperated by the time he finished talking. You kept your guard up against Christian because you knew if you didn’t, you would fall under his spell again and your heart just couldn’t take anymore hurt caused by him. Your voice was now elevated, surely bringing attention to your whereabouts as you laid into Christian, “I don’t know why you came out here either! There’s nothing to be said. There’s nothing between us anymore. There is no us in the first place! You’re engaged Christian! We haven’t even talked to each other in over a year. Just let me go, Christian. You have to let me go!” He tried to say something else, but Adam suddenly appeared behind you. “Everything okay sis?” he asked, his voice full of concern. You swallowed hard and did your best to retract the tears that threatened to spill over before responding, “Yes, yep! All good! How are you? It’s so good to see you!” Adam picked you up and swung you around while you hugged his neck tightly. When you were steady on your feet after he put you down, you made up an excuse to get as far away from Christian as you could, “I better get back to the party, I think there was someone mother wanted me to meet. I’ll see you inside and we’ll catch up later, okay?” You hurried away, not even giving Christian or Adam a second glance.

Suspicion was written all over Adam’s face after you went back inside leaving him and Christian alone together. His words were laced with suspicion also when he asked, “What the hell was that about man? Something happen between you two?” Christian remained quiet as he watched you disappear into the trees, leaving him standing in the very spot he left you just 2 summers ago. The rest of the night you avoided Christian at every turn, pretending he didn’t even exist. You knew Adam and Christian would be leaving in the morning and you knew it would be a long time before you would see either of them again. You were able to compose yourself long enough to get through the rest of your party, but you broke down in tears once you were behind closed doors. It looks like Christian broke the promise he made to your brother. He made you cry again.

#christian cage #jay reso #captain charisma #instant classic #christian4peeps #aew #all elite wrestling #christian cage fanfic #christian cage fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #adam copeland #rated r superstar #aew fanfiction #adam edge copeland #edge and christian

[kylejsugarman]

12, 14, 21 :)

since u didnt specify, im going with demi on these because they skew a little more towards an adult/her 😔 i luv her and i luv u

12. Does your OC's family practice any faith or religion? Does your OC still practice? Why or why not?

demi's father came from a converted christian background and her mother's family practiced shamanism. sam henry was pretty firm on their family being christian but since he was away so often, their actual church attendance and worship was spotty and josephine was able to teach her kids some shamanism and tell those stories in his absence. their actual religious affiliation deteriorated by the time demi was a teenager, so she never felt particularly aligned with one or the other. currently, she doesnt practice any religion (demi voice: do u ever think about god and just kind of. feel nothing?? jesse voice: All The Time), but she has gone back to shamanism a few times to reacquaint herself with the faith so she could tell baby about it as it pertains to their yupik culture. demi appreciates and respects it, but shes never felt particularly moved by any faith or spiritual practice

14. Who was your OC's first love? How do they remember that person now?

demi had a few crushes in middle and high school, but her first "love" was a boy she met her sophomore year of college in an applied chemistry class—peter. he was from anchorage and had the kind of bright eyes and radiant smile that demi was used to seeing in celebrities; seeing that smile was enough to turn her to jello. demi was able to muster the confidence to talk to him since they were in the same group for class's lab component, and was just enamored with his intellect and easygoing confidence. the latter kind of reminded her of samantha, how she so easily slipped into any conversation or social arrangement. it was a trait demi had always admired. they got lunch on campus a few times and hung out and even made out, but demi eventually realized he wasnt really interested in having a relationship with her. it was like she was a practice round for him before he moved on to a "better" girl. for a long while demi just misses peter, but her recollections of him become tinged with bitterness and sadness as she gets older and recognizes how blasé he really was about her feelings.

21. If your OC could speak to their childhood self, what would they say?

oh my god. "it's going to be ok. it's going to be so hard, but it's going to be ok. u deserve peace and ur going to get it. the world is better because ur in it, i promise. don't let anyone convince u otherwise."

#waltj #ask #syd squeaks #thank u so much march 🥺🥺 #ask meme #demi ayuluk #jesse pinkman #sam henry ayuluk #josephine ayuluk

[mihai-florescu]

hi. i just found out that the character designer from i7 is also the mangaka that created the very bizarre really christian magical girl-tinged phantom thief manga about a high school girl who is the reincarnation of joan of arc.

What a beautiful string of words. I knew she did the frozen 2 manga, not about this...

#hellooo #ask #amia🌸

[dgttwisted]

Christiane

art by @oriigirii​

name: maybe Christine >:)

age:???????

hight: 5.2

one of the queen of the fea’s many children her job among fairies is to heal an to nurture small animals however she has much more fun teasing an tricking humans into getting lost in the woods. an while fairies are known for doing things like this she takes up an notch doing that instead of doing her job any chance she got. it got to the point that even the queen had to step in to thin of a suitable punishment for her actions.

they proposed a planned engagement to one of the dragon fea which er kind of fea was terrified they were basically sentencing her to death. they brought her to the house in question an the dragon fea to step out was Matilda short hair an to tiny yet sharp horns sticking out. they were placed in a room together while their parents argued in the room over.

Christy “I’m not afraid of you!” she says her bells tinging every time she shakes

the child’s eyes lit up at that “your not?” she seemed happy to hear that “do you like humans?” Christy “yea there fun to mess with!”

“as friends!” Matilda asked

Christy was confused “why would a fea want to be friends with a human? it won’t last-” before she could finish he sentence Matilda grabbed her hand snuck out a window as the child led her to another child with one looked in awful shape in bed strapped to tubes with no hair this child didn’t have long she could tell that for sure an yet.

“look i brought you a new friend!”

the who was pale an even though it seemed like a struggle the child sat up  to greet them with a smile. that Child didn’t talk much it was Matilda doing all the talking Christiane sat there silently she wasn’t sure if she should say anything.

by the time they returned back both of there parents were waiting for them mad as can be Matilda was yanked away from Christine an dragged off.

-the engagement was called off for reasons unknown to Christiane at the time-

they didn’t see each other until serval years after that when she did see Matilda again they no longer lived with her parents but with Lilia an the prince of the thorns. 

one of her horns was gone when they were alone she has asked about it however in doing so she could visibly see her heart break as she answered the question.

“do you remember the child i took you to see when we first met? he was dying an in some of the books my parents made me read every day it said that fairy horn's are believed to have healing properties-”

“Matilda y-you didn’t!”

Matilda continued “i cut off my horn an gave it to them as a present hoping it would help....they died that night as far as i know they were berried with that horn-” Christiane was hugging Matilda tight while they weren’t crying she could tell her soul was “that’s awful....I’m so sorry Matilda”

while Christiane wasn’t not afraid of Malleus an Lilia she held nothing but affection for Matilda. bubbly as can be when they got to hang out together fly to places have picnics in the forest gender doesn’t mean much to a fairy to when she found out that Matilda was in fact a woman she still liked her all the same in fact even more so.

on one of her any visits a new face emerged in the mix of there odd family a beastfolk named Sherly. while she didn’t know all the details she knew that him an Matilda were friends.

Christiane flies above him always becuse if she were to stand she would be the shortest in the room. “i have known Matilda longer then you so i obviously her best friend!”

“i spend more time with her then you do” he retorted 

it goes on like that most times they are together with Matilda though Matilda has said on more then one occasion that she sees them both as her best friend they want to be titled as the best best friend.

-

Christiane doesn’t go to either school she’s a fairy after all she does visit both RSA an NRC sense Sherly an Matilda go to those schools that more then enough of a reason to go to cause some trouble. 

she flies an leans on there shoulders as they walk just to be a tad more annoying then usual. though Matilda doesn’t mind Sherly thinks it’s irritating they argue the most but Sherly isn’t above a good prank or two with Christiane.  

#Christiane the fea #twst oc #twst

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Today in Christian History

Today is Thursday, June 29th. It is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 185 days remain until the end of the year.

1073: Consecration of Gregory VII (Hildebrand). His reign will be marred by continual skirmishing with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.

1315: (traditional date) Death by stoning of mystic and missionary Raymond Lull in Bougie, North Africa (Tunisia). He had been persuaded by a vision to seek the conversion of Muslims, had founded a school to train men to the task, and had studied Islamic culture.

1629: Samuel Skelton and Francis Higginson, Presbyterian reverends, arrive on the ship Talbot to Massachusetts, the first clergymen of that sect in what will become the United States.

1770: John Beck, born to missionaries in Greenland, returns to his land of birth, having completed his formal education in Europe. He will serve as a Moravian missionary in Greenland for over fifty years.

1794: Bishop Asbury preaches the dedicatory sermon for Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Richard Allen and fellow African-Americans after they were segregated from white worshipers in St. George’s Church, Philadelphia.

1861: At Casa Guidi (in Florence, Italy) toward morning the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning seems to be in an ecstasy. She tells her husband of her love for him, gives him her blessing, and raises herself to die in his arms. “It is beautiful,” are her last words. Among her poems is the sonnet “Speak low to me, my Saviour, low and sweet.”

1864: In a ceremony that fills Canterbury Cathedral beyond capacity, Samuel Adjai Crowther is consecrated as the first African bishop of the Church of England.

1875: The first Keswick convention opens, a holiness movement that spreads around the world. Delegates had met for prayer the day before.

1881: Convinced that he is the long-awaited Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad, a Sufi Muslim in Kordofan (then a province of Sudan) proclaims “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God, and Muhammad al-Mahdi is the successor of God’s Prophet!” He soon imprisons Christian missionaries and in 1885 will massacre many of the Christians in Khartoum.

1900: Pastor Meng is seized and beheaded at Pao ting Fu, having refused to flee, declaring he will stand by foreign missionaries whose lives are threatened.

1979: Repose (Death) of Archbishop Andrew (Father Adrian) of New Diveyevo Monastery in Jordanville, New York. Born in the Ukraine, he had been forced to flee his native land because of Soviet persecution, eventually migrating to the United States where he established an Orthodox monastery. He was sought out for his deep spirituality.

[fvirytips]

How to start over

(school, friends, home, health, God!)

So I recently started over. Like completely. Life reset! It's refreshing, but I never seem to stick to these things. But I'll try, God got my back! Oh- yeah this post is about you finding God and yourself, and how to start over!

Spirit

Pray twice (or more!) a day

Fast every 2 weeks from something

Give to your local community

Church! Or even online mass!

Read a passage every day

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Listen to the Christian Girls Tea on Spotify

Clean up God's world

Go on prayer walks

Do a Bible Study plan

Christian Meditiation

Body

Workout every day (emi wong, chloe ting, lily sabri, growithjo)

Sleep for 8 hours or more

Walk 10k steps a day

Listen to Christian music

Disengage in secular activities

Clear up your space

Take some time alone (with God)

Father-Daughter date with God

Just sit down and relax

Cook a nourishing meal

Stargaze

Mind

Meditate (Christian NOT Eastern Meditiating)

Journal

Lie down

Breathing exercise

Bible reading

Relax knowing you are saved.

Be quiet

Talk to God

Be kinder

Love and spread the word.

But remember. Take breaks. Have moderation. If you haven't got the energy for a 2 hour prayer session every day, it's fine. Just honour God in a different way! Maybe through song or journaling! You can even post on social media about God. Whatever works for YOU! 🫶🏾💫💕

#jesusisking #jesusitrustinyou #lord jesus christ #christian bible #godbless #jesuslovesyou #jesus #god #faith in jesus #word of god #godislove #faith in god #gospel #christiangirl #christian blog #christian living #christian quotes #christian inspiration

[alanaisalive]

I hear other people of my generation talk about Kurt Cobain's death and how their schools brought in counsellors and let them out of class because the grief hit so many so hard.

My school was too numb to care. I personally didn't process much about Kurt Cobain until about 5 years later. To us at the time, he felt like one more body on an ever growing pile.

In March of 1994, I was in 11th grade. A kid from my class had recently transferred to the next district over, and on his way to school one morning, a friend of his family had a heart attack behind the wheel, swerved into his lane and hit him head on, killing him instantly. He was 17.

Only a few days later, a girl who had graduated from our school the previous year (the older sister of well loved twin seniors) was hit head on and killed by someone committing suicide by driving the wrong way up a freeway off ramp.

Then on March 28th, a senior from my school went to a party and killed 3 people. They brought in counsellors. His little sister was in my German class. She had to clear out his locker.

(His first parole board hearing was just a couple months ago. He's 48 years old and he's been in prison since he was a stupid 18 year old kid. Parole was denied.)

Kurt Cobain died a little over a week after the shooting. Life went on as what passed for normal at my school. I guess they had already spent all the grief counsellor money.

Kurt Cobain means a lot to me personally. Nirvana played music that really spoke to me. Music that screamed in pain. In college, Nirvana was my main autistic hyperfixation for a long time. They're the reason I first learned guitar and the reason I never did learn to give a shit about fitting in or being normal.

Once I started playing music, I found that my own musical voice didn't sound like Kurt. I found a few other bands that suited my playing style a bit more, and a lot of them were from Seattle too. My favorite, because I was still a Christian at the time, was Poor Old Lu.

In my senior year at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, I was accepted to a graduate program in public history in Milwaukee, but I wasn't good enough to qualify for the copious scholarships that had gotten me through undergrad. So rather than work full time while paying for grad school, I moved to Seattle to just work full time.

The only person I knew in Seattle was Scott Hunter, the then former lead singer of Poor Old Lu. They had broken up amicably in 1996. I went to his church and that's where I met a lot of people in the Seattle music scene. The two who have their own Wikipedia pages were Aaron Sprinkle (also of Poor Old Lu) who has been a solo musician and producer for decades, and Damien Jurado, another prolific solo musician. Damien and I bonded over being on the same antidepressants. He had been signed to Sub Pop records a while after Nirvana, but knew them socially from industry stuff. The way he talked about Kurt, I could tell he felt grief tinged with regret.

Eventually I left the church, and then Christianity altogether. I moved back to Minnesota for a year to get my shit together and then moved to Scotland. I never really unpacked my guitars.

My grief right now 30 years after Kurt's death is a mixture of grief related to him and his family and friends and also grief related to myself and all the versions of me who have lived and died in the past 30 years.

But as Kurt said: oh well, whatever, nevermind.

#story time #an old lady rambling about the past #gen x

[newcityistanbul]

Beyond Burning Structures

Unveiling the Horrors of Humanity in Otluk-kui

As the flames of destruction engulfed Otluk-kui, a town once nestled in the serene landscapes, the haunting echoes of atrocities against humanity pierced through the air. Amidst the burning schools, churches, and private dwellings, the depth of despair reached unimaginable levels, overshadowing even the physical devastation that unfolded.

A Dark Amusement The Tragicomic Interlude of a Jewish Peddler

Within the somber narrative of Otluk-kui’s insurrection, a tragicomic episode emerged, offering a brief respite from the overwhelming sorrow. The tale of a Jewish peddler, caught in the tumultuous currents of the uprising, unfolded as an unexpected interlude in the face of unspeakable horrors.

The peddler, seeking refuge and safety, approached us with a harrowing account of his ordeal. Suspected by the insurgents of potentially revealing their actions to the outside world, he found himself arrested, ensnared in the intricate web of fear and suspicion. The decision-makers, in a curious attempt to ensure his silence, took an unconventional route—they forced him to renounce Judaism.

The scene that unfolded was surreal, as the peddler, now adorned with a Bulgarian cap and bestowed with the Christian name “Ghiorghy” (George), became a pawn in the insurgents’ desperate bid for secrecy. Yet, this theatrical conversion did not extend to baptism, underscoring the superficiality of the gesture. Confined to a makeshift prison within a private house, the peddler’s plight mirrored the absurdity that often accompanies human actions in times of crisis Holidays Bulgaria.

Horrors Unveiled The True Cost of Atrocities Against Humanity

As we peel back the layers of Otluk-kui’s tragedy, the burning of schools, churches, and private dwellings, while significant in their own right, pale in comparison to the unfathomable atrocities perpetrated against humanity. The insurrection, draped in a mournful character, unfurled a tapestry of horror that transcends the physical destruction witnessed in the town.

The forced conversion of the Jewish peddler, though tinged with elements of dark humor, reflects the undercurrents of fear and paranoia that gripped Otluk-kui during those tumultuous days. The insurgents’ desperate attempts to control information and maintain secrecy reveal the lengths to which they were willing to go, even if it meant orchestrating theatrical conversions without true conviction.

In the wake of such chilling episodes, Otluk-kui stands as a testament to the multifaceted nature of human suffering during times of conflict. The true cost of the atrocities against humanity, etched into the town’s scorched streets and collective memory, demands acknowledgment beyond the physical ruins left in the wake of the insurrection. Otluk-kui’s narrative, with its tragicomic interludes and chilling realities, beckons us to delve deeper into the complexities of human behavior in the face of unprecedented brutality.

#Beyond Burning Structures

[staristan]

Beyond Burning Structures

Unveiling the Horrors of Humanity in Otluk-kui

As the flames of destruction engulfed Otluk-kui, a town once nestled in the serene landscapes, the haunting echoes of atrocities against humanity pierced through the air. Amidst the burning schools, churches, and private dwellings, the depth of despair reached unimaginable levels, overshadowing even the physical devastation that unfolded.

A Dark Amusement The Tragicomic Interlude of a Jewish Peddler

Within the somber narrative of Otluk-kui’s insurrection, a tragicomic episode emerged, offering a brief respite from the overwhelming sorrow. The tale of a Jewish peddler, caught in the tumultuous currents of the uprising, unfolded as an unexpected interlude in the face of unspeakable horrors.

The peddler, seeking refuge and safety, approached us with a harrowing account of his ordeal. Suspected by the insurgents of potentially revealing their actions to the outside world, he found himself arrested, ensnared in the intricate web of fear and suspicion. The decision-makers, in a curious attempt to ensure his silence, took an unconventional route—they forced him to renounce Judaism.

The scene that unfolded was surreal, as the peddler, now adorned with a Bulgarian cap and bestowed with the Christian name “Ghiorghy” (George), became a pawn in the insurgents’ desperate bid for secrecy. Yet, this theatrical conversion did not extend to baptism, underscoring the superficiality of the gesture. Confined to a makeshift prison within a private house, the peddler’s plight mirrored the absurdity that often accompanies human actions in times of crisis Holidays Bulgaria.

Horrors Unveiled The True Cost of Atrocities Against Humanity

As we peel back the layers of Otluk-kui’s tragedy, the burning of schools, churches, and private dwellings, while significant in their own right, pale in comparison to the unfathomable atrocities perpetrated against humanity. The insurrection, draped in a mournful character, unfurled a tapestry of horror that transcends the physical destruction witnessed in the town.

The forced conversion of the Jewish peddler, though tinged with elements of dark humor, reflects the undercurrents of fear and paranoia that gripped Otluk-kui during those tumultuous days. The insurgents’ desperate attempts to control information and maintain secrecy reveal the lengths to which they were willing to go, even if it meant orchestrating theatrical conversions without true conviction.

In the wake of such chilling episodes, Otluk-kui stands as a testament to the multifaceted nature of human suffering during times of conflict. The true cost of the atrocities against humanity, etched into the town’s scorched streets and collective memory, demands acknowledgment beyond the physical ruins left in the wake of the insurrection. Otluk-kui’s narrative, with its tragicomic interludes and chilling realities, beckons us to delve deeper into the complexities of human behavior in the face of unprecedented brutality.

#Beyond Burning Structures

[religionistanbul]

Beyond Burning Structures

Unveiling the Horrors of Humanity in Otluk-kui

As the flames of destruction engulfed Otluk-kui, a town once nestled in the serene landscapes, the haunting echoes of atrocities against humanity pierced through the air. Amidst the burning schools, churches, and private dwellings, the depth of despair reached unimaginable levels, overshadowing even the physical devastation that unfolded.

A Dark Amusement The Tragicomic Interlude of a Jewish Peddler

Within the somber narrative of Otluk-kui’s insurrection, a tragicomic episode emerged, offering a brief respite from the overwhelming sorrow. The tale of a Jewish peddler, caught in the tumultuous currents of the uprising, unfolded as an unexpected interlude in the face of unspeakable horrors.

The peddler, seeking refuge and safety, approached us with a harrowing account of his ordeal. Suspected by the insurgents of potentially revealing their actions to the outside world, he found himself arrested, ensnared in the intricate web of fear and suspicion. The decision-makers, in a curious attempt to ensure his silence, took an unconventional route—they forced him to renounce Judaism.

The scene that unfolded was surreal, as the peddler, now adorned with a Bulgarian cap and bestowed with the Christian name “Ghiorghy” (George), became a pawn in the insurgents’ desperate bid for secrecy. Yet, this theatrical conversion did not extend to baptism, underscoring the superficiality of the gesture. Confined to a makeshift prison within a private house, the peddler’s plight mirrored the absurdity that often accompanies human actions in times of crisis Holidays Bulgaria.

Horrors Unveiled The True Cost of Atrocities Against Humanity

As we peel back the layers of Otluk-kui’s tragedy, the burning of schools, churches, and private dwellings, while significant in their own right, pale in comparison to the unfathomable atrocities perpetrated against humanity. The insurrection, draped in a mournful character, unfurled a tapestry of horror that transcends the physical destruction witnessed in the town.

The forced conversion of the Jewish peddler, though tinged with elements of dark humor, reflects the undercurrents of fear and paranoia that gripped Otluk-kui during those tumultuous days. The insurgents’ desperate attempts to control information and maintain secrecy reveal the lengths to which they were willing to go, even if it meant orchestrating theatrical conversions without true conviction.

In the wake of such chilling episodes, Otluk-kui stands as a testament to the multifaceted nature of human suffering during times of conflict. The true cost of the atrocities against humanity, etched into the town’s scorched streets and collective memory, demands acknowledgment beyond the physical ruins left in the wake of the insurrection. Otluk-kui’s narrative, with its tragicomic interludes and chilling realities, beckons us to delve deeper into the complexities of human behavior in the face of unprecedented brutality.

#Beyond Burning Structures