#rico instagram live

[riconastyfan]

#rico nasty #genuis interview #instagram live #purple eyeshadow #scott edit #the Scott edit

[sturniolos-blog]

omg hi , I have a request for you . I was just thinking this , I dont know if you want to do it but I was thinking maybe the reader is a guess in one of they podcast and they daughter comes in the room and interrupt them or maybe they son comes up and its worried about his sister cause she is sad or upset or did something bad. Or maybe they doing a podcast and they hear a loud bang and it was they kids . They kids are around like maybe 6 or 8 years old. I dont know I just thought of that and that hey maybe you would love it . also love your writing so much .

Podcast with a twist - Matt Sturniolo x Y/n oneshot

warnings - throw up, fluff, sickness

disclaimer: i just made up a podcast topic this isn’t actually a topic

i also know they ending the podcast but like ntm on it. 3rd person pov

—————————

6:05pm

“Alright, good evening campers. Today we have a special but not new guest on today’s podcast, Y/n Sturniolo!” Nick introduces.

Y/n let’s out a laugh, playing with her fingers. “Hello, guys. Happy to be here.” She says shyly, Matt looking at her in adoration.

Everyone let’s out a small chuckle.

“So on our instagram story we asked you guys what questions you have for Y/n. So, Chris will start.” Matt said, giving Y/n a small smile as Chris began to read.

Chris looks off his phone, “Y/n, are you a stay at home mom? and if you aren’t what do you do for work?” Chris read.

Y/n took in a breath, “Well, i actually work from home but i am a journalist. I have lots of articles published that you can read on losangelesnews.com. I also do have an office but i prefer to work at home.” She smiles.

Matt gives her a small wink which wouldn’t go unnoticed by viewers but he didn’t mind.

“Alright, next question. This is kind of for Matt and Y/n. What made you pick Estrella and Mailo for names?” Nick asked.

Y/n looked at Matt, expecting him to answer first.

Matt gives Y/n a nod to start first though.

“Uh- so yo hablo español y estoy hispanic, soy de Puerto Rico. Anyway, quise to do something with a star. Therefore Estrella means star in spanish, porque Ella es mi star and will always be.” Y/n answers, smiling.

yo hablo español y estoy hispanic, soy de puerto rico: i speak spanish and im hispanic, im from puerto rico.

quise: I wanted

porque ella es mi: because she is my

(i’m saying puerto rico because i’m puerto rican but if you are hispanic or latina you can fill in for wherever you are from.)

Matt smiles and nods, “I agree. She’s both our stars.”

Chris and Nick share a look before Chris speaks up, “I only understood maybe half of what you said but that’s sweet.”

Y/n laughs, “It’s okay, Chris.” She says, running a hand through her hair.

“What about Mailo? Where’d you guys come up with that?” Nick asked, looking between Y/n and Matt.

“I wanted something simple but different, so Mailo is a simple name just spelled differently.” Matt shrugged, making Chris and Nick nod.

Chris then went to ask another question, “So, Y/n when-”

“Mommy!” Mailo calls out, running in the podcast room and around the table to where Y/n was sitting.

Y/n scrunched her eyebrows, “Que pasa, hijo?” She asked, brushing some hair out of his face.

que pasa, hijo: what’s wrong, son?

“I think Estrella is upset, she’s not talking to me.” Mailo said, hugging Y/n’s knee.

Y/n sighed, “Okay, I can go check on her after, sweetheart, me and daddy are busy, baby-”

“No! Now! Mommy!” Mailo started to stomp, shaking Y/n’s knee.

“Mailo, buddy, relax.” Matt said, sternness to his voice, enough to make Mailo calm down.

Y/n rubbed her forehead, “Sorry, guys. I’m gonna go check on my daughter.”

Matt nodded, responding first. “It’s okay, go baby.” He said.

Y/n smiled and Mailo took her hand as they left the room.

Y/n walked into the living room seeing Ella on the couch, holding her stomach.

“Ella? Estás bien?” Y/n asked her four year old, walking over and sitting on the couch.

Estás bien?: are you okay?

Estrella lets out a soft whimper, Y/n now noticing the tears down Ella’s face. “Me duele el estomago, mommy.” She lets out a soft cry.

me duele el estómago: my stomach hurts

“Alright, baby. Come on, let’s go lay down.” Y/n told her, grabbing her hand.

She left out another soft cry, making Y/n give her a sad smile and pick her up. “Okay, mommy’s got you.” Y/n cooed as they started to walk up the stairs and to Matt’s old room since they weren’t home.

Y/n then placed Ella down on the bed before she made a weird sound, indicating she was about to throw up.

Y/n immediately backed up, rushing to get the trash can but it was too late as Ella leaned over the side of the bed and threw up on the floor.

Y/n let out a sigh.

Estrella finished rubbing her mouth with her hand.

“Okay, Ella, don’t do that, hold on, baby, let me clean you up.” Y/n said, going to the bathroom before coming back with a wet wash cloth.

She steps over the throw up on the floor and sits on the bed, Ella was sitting there crying as she wiped her own tears. “I’m sorry, mama!” Ella cried.

“Don’t cry, baby. It’s okay. I’m not mad at you.” Y/n hushed, taking the wet washcloth and wiping ella’s face and hands. “Arms up, lovey.” Y/n said, signaling she was gonna change Ella’s shirt for her.

Y/n was grabbing another shirt when the door opened.

“Hey, is everything alr- woah. Someone threw up.” Matt said, looking away at the sight.

“Yes, your daughter did.” Y/n said, a little grumpiness in her tone as she put another shirt on Ella.

Y/n leaned down and kissed Ella’s head as Ella started to fall asleep.

“Can one of you lay down with me?” Ella asked softly, her eyes still closed.

Matt looked at me, i nodded, signaling him to lay down with her while i get stuck cleaning the throw up.

Matt smiled and got on the bed, taking Ella’s small body in his arms, kissing her head and rubbing her back.

—————————

this was lazy but i just wanted to get ts out

tag list: @sturniolosmind @novasturniolo03 @hearts4chriss @vinniehackerslefttoe @christhopersturniolo @mattybswife @streamermattsgf @sturnolio-luvs @sturnioloslurps @marlenafortuna @lovergirl4387 @sturniololovesss @junnniiieee07

#matt sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nick sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #christopher sturniolo #nicolas sturniolo #spotify #sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #matt sturniolo x you

[puckgoss]

okay everyone… the deep dive you’ve all been very patiently waiting for… i recommend putting on the “the departed” “the godfather” or “goodfellas” soundtracks while reading this!

thanks to the anons who sent in info about all of this. huge thanks to the anon who was able to reveal some personal information about the family (from the same town).

when i got an ask saying sway’s gf’s family is (ex)-mafia i went looking for proof, and that sent me down a huge rabbit hole… 

IMPORTANT NOTE: this is currently under editing/review as i add/clarify further info

Links to Alessandra’s IG & Alessandra’s VSCO

Alessandra’s Background

Alessandra is 21 years old, turning 22 at some point this year (2002 birth year). She graduated high school in 2020 (source).

Alessandra’s family is from Leominster, Massachusetts. They lived there for many generations. Alessandra grew up in a home described as a “chateau” with horses and a dog. A picture of the house can be found below, up to you to decide whether it looks like a chateau or not. The town rumor is that they are ~7th Generation Italian Royalty. They used to vacation to their home on the coast of Puerto Rico during February vacation every year. They still go there often, as you can see on her social media accounts.

She now lives and works in the Northend of Boston. Her and her sister (Anina) are in the same big friend group and have both been described as nice, fun, private, and quiet. Her sister works as a “marketing intern” according to LinkedIn. Alessandra’s job is unknown. They and some of the Bruins players frequent Lincoln in Southie in Boston.

Alessandra has been dating Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman since ~Fall 2023. Apparently Alessandra and Jeremy are very cute together in public.

Salvatelli Family Background (Maternal Side)

Here is a family tree to help you visualize this:

Alessandra’s mother (Monique) and aunt (Toni) operate Paisano’s Pizza and Spirits, which they have done since 2019, although the business has been in the family for many years.

In 2007, the restaurant had their liquor license suspended for two days after finding its owner (Toni) hindered a police investigation. Here is an excerpt from the article, the link is here but it’s paywalled.

If you guys want to learn how to bypass hard paywalls on Google Chrome, let me know!

Essentially, Toni’s boyfriend got in a bar fight, and Toni (one of the owners) rushed him out the back door then did not comply with a police officer’s request later that night to give him the security video.

In 2023, the restaurant posted on their Instagram account congratulating Alessandra on running the Boston Marathon.

The restaurant is located in a hole in the wall strip mall and has mediocre reviews.

The article linked above mentions that Toni (and Monique) are the daughters of John Salvatelli, a former City Councillor. He and his brother Robert Salvatelli were both city councillors in Leominster for many years - Robert since at least 1999 and John since around the same time. In early 2005 Robert was voted in as City Council president, supported by his brother John.

Robert Salvatelli retired from this role in 2015. John was a City Councillor for 10 years. Previously, Robert was a teacher and principal at one of the town’s elementary schools.

Iacaboni Family Background (Paternal Side)

Note 1: Their surname is sometimes spelled Iacaboni, and sometimes spelled Iacoboni. I found articles using both spellings referring to the same people.

Note 2: David was Frank Sr.'s stepson. His mother is unknown.

1980s & 1990s

source

Frank Iacaboni Sr. was convicted of being a major player in a multimillion-dollar bookmaking ring.

He "has been paying tribute to the Mafia for years", according to law enforcement sources.

In the mid-1980s, Frank Iacaboni Sr. complained that convicted Boston mobsters Robert Carrozza and Dennis (Champagne) LePore ransacked his home and made off with an estimated $250,000, according to sources.

Police say Burton (Chico) Krantz, the region's preeminent bookmaker, mediated the dispute, in which Iacaboni agreed to pay his tribute without complaint, and the Boston Mafiosi agreed not to kill him.

1993

Sources say David Iacaboni, who was adopted by his stepfather, always resented his father's failure to acknowledge him. But they say, the Iacabonis apparently made some form of reconciliation several years ago when David Iacaboni returned from a brief stay in Florida. That rapprochement ended, however, when David Iacaboni and his wife, Lori, were indicted in 1993 for marijuana trafficking.

Sources say Frank Iacaboni tried to file criminal charges against David for allegedly selling a Corvette he had given to Frank. The elder Iacaboni had also blamed his son for a December 1993 fire at his home. No charges were ever filed, however. After David Iacaboni and his wife were sentenced to 10 years in prison last January, David Iacaboni approached US Attorney Donald K. Stern, offering to lead authorities to the body of Richard Tuttle Jr. in exchange for his wife being released. Stern agreed to the deal.

September 1995

A suspected prowler was killed and a police officer was seriously wounded outside of Frank (Alessandra’s grandfather’s) Iacaboni's house.

Frank’s son, David, who I believe is Alessandra’s paternal uncle, was convicted in the murder of a man in July 1995.

(source)

(source)

January 1996: (source)

FBI agents raided the home of convicted bookmaker Frank E. Iacaboni, shortly after the start of the Super Bowl. No arrests were made, but FBI agents, assisted by state and local police, confiscated some cash.

"It was a sad day for gamblers in Leominster," said one source, who asked not to be identified.

Iacaboni's ranch-style home at 640 Union St. was the scene of a bloody shootout in September after a man opened fire on two police officers who were investigating a complaint of a prowler.

Police sources have said the man may have been trying to steal gambling money from Iacaboni. The shooting is still under investigation by state police.

FBI spokesman Pete S. Ginieres said he could neither confirm nor deny Sunday's raid.

However, Leominster Police Capt. Thomas J. Bisol said local police helped FBI agents execute a search warrant at Iacaboni's house.

Bisol said other homes in the city were also searched. Bisol declined to provide any more details.

"This is an FBI matter," he said.

On Sept. 15 1995, two police officers were called to Iacaboni's house to respond to a call of a prowler outside the home.

Officers Dwayne Flowers and Thomas R. Kent found John J. MacNeil in the garage of the house. MacNeil, 47, charged at the two officers, firing from two hand guns.

MacNeil was killed by police after exchanging more than 26 rounds of gunfire. Kent, 32, who was shot in the chest by MacNeil, is still recovering from his injury.

Police sources at the time said they were investigating the possibility that MacNeil was sent to the house by Iacaboni's estranged son, David M. Iacaboni.

MacNeil was a cellmate of the younger Iacaboni at the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. Police sources said they were looking to see if David Iacaboni sent MacNeil to his father's house to steal gambling receipts, or to kill his father, or to do both.

The police sources said Frank Iacaboni was known to keep large amounts of cash in a safe inside his house.

Frank E. Iacaboni was one of 18 people arrested in 1983 on gaming charges as a result of a state police investigation into illegal gambling. He pleaded guilty to 21 counts of using a telephone for gaming and 13 counts of conspiracy to register bets. He was fined $4,250.

Wednesday, Jan 24 1996:

David Iacaboni was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison for killing Richard A. Tuttle Jr. of Lancaster in November 1989.

The younger Iacaboni pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Middlesex Superior Court in Cambridge. He told authorities he killed Tuttle during an argument about a drug sale.

2002-2008: Charges laid, legal documents, case notes

In March 2002, Frank Iacaboni pleaded guilty to charges arising out of his operation of an illegal gambling business.

From 1995 through March 1998, Iacaboni conducted an illegal sports gambling operation in and around Leominster, Massachusetts. Iacaboni's business included a few different "offices" headed by individuals hired to take bets from gamblers over the telephone. Iacaboni also ran a "football ticket" business; bettors paid between $1 and $10 per "ticket," a card on which they checked off four or more predictions in dozens of upcoming games.

Aug 13, 2002 - U.S. v. Iacaboni

Oct 21, 2002 - U.S. v. Iacoboni

Mar 30, 2004 - U.S. v. Iacaboni, other source

April 2005: Indictment handed down on charges of racketeering against 12 men

October 2008: Outline of the criminal case below

March 2009: (source) (source)

In March 2009, Arthur Gianelli, Dennis Albertelli and his wife Giselle, and Frank Iacaboni of Leominster (Alessandra's grandfather) were on trial in federal court for numerous crimes.

Mary Ann Gianelli pleaded guilty to 19 counts of racketeering, money laundering, filing false tax returns, and illegal structuring of cash transactions. Under a plea agreement, the federal government dropped an additional 141 money laundering counts against her.

Her husband was Mafia associate Arthur Gianelli. She helped him run his illegal gambling business after he was indicted on federal racketeering charges in 2005 and placed under house arrest.

Mary Ann Gianelli's sister, Elizabeth, is married to John J. Connolly. Connolly is a former FBI agent who was convicted of federal racketeering charges for protecting long-time informants James "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi from prosecution. He was also convicted of murder in Florida in November 2008 for plotting with the two gangsters to orchestrate the 1982 slaying of a Boston businessman.

Arthur headed a sprawling criminal enterprise whose members were involved in gambling, money laundering, loan sharking, arson, and extortion. Him and his three co-defendents listed above, including Alessandra’s paternal grandfather Frank Iacaboni, committed hundreds of crimes between 1999 and 2005.

Millions of dollars flowed through the organization's gambling operation, which took bets on football games and later shifted its operation from Massachusetts to an Internet operation in Costa Rica. The organization also created phony companies to hide profits. Gianelli had ties to the Mafia, making weekly payments to reputed New England underboss Carmen "Cheese Man" DiNunzio.

Note: for more info on the Patriarca crime family (Carmen is now the boss), there are links at the end of the post under Appendix A.

One of the victim’s of this organized crime crew was Boston Bruins Hall of Fame goaltender Gerry Cheevers. He was threatened by a leg breaker for not repaying a loan.

Gianelli, Dennis Albertelli, and Frank Iacoboni were also charged with arson for allegedly plotting to burn down the Big Dog Sports Grille in North Reading in 2003 in an attempt to intimidate the owners into selling them another bar that they were poised to open in Lynnfield.

November 9, 2009: (source)

Frank Iacaboni was sentenced to 15 years and 3 months in federal prison and fined $10,000 for his role in a gambling and extortion ring.

He was sentenced in U.S. District Court on charges of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, use of fire to commit extortion, attempted arson of the Big Dog Sports Grille in Reading Nov. 13, 2003, and operating illegal sports and football card gambling businesses.

The Judge noted that he received 29 letters on Mr. Iacaboni’s behalf, including those from a state representative and a city councilor. Those two letters were from state Rep. Dennis A. Rosa and Ward 4 City Councilor Robert A. Salvatelli, both of Leominster. (Alessandra’s maternal great uncle!).

Summary of Findings

Alessandra’s maternal family is extremely powerful and well-connected in Leominster. They have held/still hold positions of power in schools, government, and local business. Her maternal great uncle vouched for her paternal grandfather when he was charged by the federal government for multiple crimes in association with the Mafia. Her paternal uncle was convicted for murdering a man in 1995.

Her maternal family owns the Paisano’s pizza "restaurant", but this is only the tip of the iceberg. It is very likely that their businesses are all fronts for money laundering, illegal gambling, tax evasion, and more. At the very least, her maternal family has been involved in trying to lessen the charges for her paternal family.

Hope you all enjoyed this deep dive ☕️

Appendix A

Patriarca / La Cosa Nostra Crime Family

The bosses of the Boston Mafia

Alleged Underboss of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

New England mafia underboss Carmen DiNunzio back on the streets

Old Patriarca Famiglia: The Cheeseman Cometh?

VIDEO: How The Mafia CONQUERED Boston | The Patriarca Family Part 1

VIDEO: How The Mafia CONQUERED Boston | The Patriarca Family Part 2

VIDEO: Current State of the Patriarca Crime Family

#a. iacaboni #pls let me know if any corrections need to be made! #this was a labor of love lol #j. swayman #deep dive

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - November 7, 2022

🏳️‍🌈 - Meet the best-looking couple in the world

1. Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Argentina reveal they secretly got married

Beauty pageant queens Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Argentina secretly tied the knot on Friday after revealing they had been in a relationship.

In a joint Instagram post, newlyweds Fabiola Valentín, from Puerto Rico, and Mariana Varela, from Argentina, said: “After deciding to keep our relationship private, we opened the doors to them on a special day 28/10/22.”

Would this be the best-looking couple in the world? 😂

2. Book banning attempt defeated after community stands up for LGBTQ people

After a heated public debate, the Greenville County Council in South Carolina voted to keep LGBTQ books accessible to children at the public library.

A resolution from city Councilor Joe Dill — who recently lost the Republican primary and will not be maintaining his seat — proposed requiring the 12-location library system in the area to remove books “promoting sexuality” from all children’s sections.

They refused to allow “Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe” by Benjamin Alier Sáenz on the shelf due to “unnatural sexual behavior” when it has one gay kiss but Twilight has an entire human vampire hybrid. Glad the fight was finally won.

3. Man released from California prison after 38 years following DNA test

Maurice Hastings cleared of murder charge after testing of long-held evidence points to another person.

4. The shrinking ozone hole shows that the world can actually solve an environmental crisis

The ozone is on the path to recovery, if not fully restored. New data released on October 26 by NASA indicates that the annual ozone hole over the Antarctic reached an average area of 8.9 million square miles over the past year. That’s slightly smaller than last year, and continues a trend toward overall shrinking over the past several years.

“Over time, steady progress is being made, and the hole is getting smaller,” Paul Newman, chief scientist for earth sciences at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a statement. “The elimination of ozone-depleting substances through the Montreal Protocol is shrinking the hole.”

5. Children refill a stranger’s empty Halloween candy bowl

6. Icelandair Announces Carbon-Free Flights by 2030

The airline will operate only emissions-free aircraft for its domestic routes. Some of these flights could start as early as 2026.

They will use only electric or hydrogen-powered planes. This decision puts Icelandair at the forefront of sustainable aviation, considering that other airlines are only aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

7. Blindness Awareness Month: Don’t just be aware, be a friend

October was blindness awareness month, a month devoted to educate others about the realities of living without sight and to advocate for those who are blind or have low vision.

Because of this I wanted to give a shoutout to Be My Eye app. Be My Eyes connects people needing sighted support with volunteers and companies through live video around the world.

That’s it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Have a great week ahead :)

#best news of last week

[this-is-a-podcast-fanblog]

Sister Cities: Night Vale (Welcome to Vermillion Falls)

A friendly desert community where the sun is bright, the stars have forsaken us, and the moon is a lie. Welcome to Night Vale.

Good evening, Vermillion Falls! Wow, it's been so long since I last spoke to all of you. I think it was... 2014? 2015, maybe? And I don't know when the last time before then would have been. What a wonderful time it is that we get to participate in this tradition once again. Well anyway, for those of you hearing me for the first time, my name is Cecil Gerswhin Palmer, and I am the community radio host of the beautiful town of Night Vale! In case you didn't know, we are your sister city! You'll never meet us, and we'll never meet you if you know what's good for you, but we are united nonetheless by the ties of family. And what could be stronger than that?

Speaking of family, Vermillion Falls, I'm sure you all remember the guy I was telling you about last time I was on the air - Carlos the Scientist. He is a beautiful man with beautiful hair and an oaky voice, who conducts scientific experiments in his lab by Big Rico's Pizza, and he is utterly perfect in every single imperfect way. The last time I spoke to you, Carlos was my boyfriend, and he had recently returned from being trapped in a desert otherworld. Well - then, Carlos and I have gotten *married*! Isn't that the most wonderful news? Isn't that the most fascinating piece of journalism ever to cross your ears? We had our ceremony on the 15th of December, in 2016, at -

Oh, hang on, Vermillion Falls. I've just been handed a press release by my newest intern, Safa. Safa, should I even be reading Night Vale news, if the people of my community aren't going to hear it? Oh well. I guess it can't hurt. More about my husband soon.

But first, a message from the Night Vale Interfaith Crochet Club and Political Activism Coalition. As many of you know, this group advocates for the recognition of crochet into popular culture, as both an artform and a really cool hobby. "We want everyone to know that regardless of what you believe in, we can all get behind making cool stuff out of yarn" said Robin, who is one of the coalition's organizers, and also a priest at the Temple of Hekate out in the sand wastes. "First, you chain to the desired length. Then, you either go back into the second loop from the hook, or you chain extra and yarn over. Then, you repeat your actions to make various stitches. It's great." The Night Vale Interfaith Crochet Club and Political Activism Coalition would like to invite you to their meetings. You can find them every other Wednesday night from 5:01 to 6:07:32, with locations announced every week on their Instagram page. Crochet materials and political pamphlets will be provided. When asked by a member of the press whether knitters would be welcome at the coalition's meetings, Robin hissed, then threw down zir skein of yarn, then vanished into a puff of vapor. So maybe don't attend the meetings if you like to knit.

This has been: a press release.

Okay, listeners, back to talking about my husband. So, Carlos and I had our ceremony on the 15th of December in 2016, and it's honestly hard to believe that that was almost seven years ago already. It feels like yesterday that my beautiful Carlos walked down the aisle towards me, his face all alight with the love we share as we wed in front of our entire town! And now, we have a beautiful baby boy who we adopted. Although I guess he isn't really a baby anymore, since he's about to turn six. Our sweet Esteban is the joy of our lives, and he takes so well after both his fathers. He started talking at eighteen months, but not in the usual baby-babble way. His first word was "I", followed by the words "desire destruction should follow in my wake, and also I would like another Gerber pouch, please." Carlos and I were so proud of him. How many children have a complete sentence at the same time as their first word? Do you know any children like that, Vermillion Falls? Of course not. My Esteban is a truly remarkable child, completely one of a kind. He loves giraffes and other animals, and he also loves to throw tantrums where he hurls his toys around the room and screams at the sky. When that happens, Carlos has to pick him up and rock him back and forth singing "Valjean's Soliloquy" from Les Miserables until he calms down. And it works every time. I'm so happy with my family. I was texting your radio host, Frank Luna, in our town voice group chat, and I sent him so many pictures of my husband. Like this one, where -

Ughhhh, another press release? Safa, I'm doing extremely important work here. I know this is only your first day, but usually press releases are supposed to be spaced out more, and I just did one! No, I totally did. Um, you might think I've been rambling about my family for a really long time, but time is subjective, and I am the station manager here. Okay, fine. Let's see what we've got.

The Night Vale Board of Education would like to announce an update to all their dictionaries. Effective immediately, they will be changing science curriculums to include "guilt" as a step in the scientific method. "Just take a moment to ponder what you're doing," said Director of Emergency Press Conferences Pamela Winchell, who wore a Jurassic Park Hoodie. "And think about whether it's really worth it, whatever 'it' is that you're about to do. Scientifically, I mean. This makes sense to me. Any questions? Yes, you with the clipboard." Several journalists with clipboards began speaking at the same time. "Leann with the clipboard," Pamela clarified. Leann asked her question, which was not picked up by the mics, but which Pamela helpfully repeated back verbatim. "Is our decision impacted by the recent works of Doctor J-" Here Pamela paused and made a face as if she had just bit into the sourest of lemons. "By Doctor Jan-" Pamela paused again and shakily took a sip of water. "I'm going to pretend you said by 'that woman' because that's more tolerable to me. Yes, it is. Anyone else? No? Alright, bye then." With that, Pamela hastily climbed into a car and drove away. Well, listeners, I must say, I completely agree with this decision. Mostly because I texted my husband to ask him what he thought, and he said he agrees too. So there you have it.

And now for traffic.

A car lies alone in a quiet ditch and the driver is still alive. On the back bumper, there is an array of colorful stickers, all pastel and candy-hued. One sticker says "Night Vale Community College Honor Student", a declaration of personal achievement that would be pretentious, were it not so admirable. There is a sticker that says "Save the Bees" and a sticker that says "Shop local" with a little cartoon farmer. There is a pride flag sticker, a nautical delta flag sticker, a sticker of the US flag on fire. The tires of the car are also on fire. Just the front ones. The left side door is dented inward, and already flowers are growing through the rust hole in the open passenger door. It squeaks on its hinges, still swaying, while dandelions and nightshade poke up through the metal. In the rearview mirror, lights twinkle red and blue. The pieces of metal scattered all around catch this light, and reflect it, dancing all over the quiet ditch and the empty road, a dazzling, shimmery display. A moth lands on the windshield, which resembles a disco ball, if disco balls were vaguely rectangular. The lights are getting closer now, and the moth flits away into the night. A car lies alone in a quiet ditch, and the driver is still alive.

This has been traffic.

Alright, so back to my family. Carlos, Esteban, and I live on Ourobourus Road, in the nicest house on our street. We have a backyard where Esteban plays on his jungle gym, and where we can walk our dog, Aubergine. Safa, what is it now? Oh, right. The weather. I guess I have extended the broadcast a little bit too much. Well, Vermillion Falls, let's go to the weather.

Welcome back, Vermillion Falls.

While we were in the weather, I asked my new intern, Safa, to go over the next few media reports to see if they could just kind of condense them down a little bit for me. I did go a little bit over the time limit, but can you blame me? I haven't talked to you all for years! I really wanted to give you updates about Carlos! Anyway, Safa was reading the reports while they poured themself a glass of water from the sink, but accidentally dropped them in. And when they reached to pick up the soggy papers, Safa's arm sank deep underwater. Much deeper than the half-inch of water pooled into the sink. Their entire body pitched forward, and Safa splashed into the sink. They tried to swim back up, to climb back out of the sink and into Night Vale, but instead, Safa resurfaced in the middle of a lake, in the town of Vermillion Falls!

I know this because Frank just texted our group chat. And according to him, no one who's entered Vermillion Falls through that lake has ever left. It's pretty difficult to find Night Vale, anyways, so it's safe to say that Safa will be there with you guys for a while. Perhaps indefinitely. So, please welcome Safa to your town! I'm sure they'll have a great time. At least, I hope so.

And to the family and loved ones of Intern Safa, they weren't that great of an intern, and they kept interrupting me, but they aren't technically dead, so I can speak as ill of them as I'd like. I'm sure they will call you soon. Just probably from a different time zone.

Alright, back to my broadcast about my husband. That's what this was supposed to be, after all, and I think it's fair enough that I can continue it without any more interruptions. So, settle in, Vermillion Falls! I have a lot to catch you up on. So anyway, Carlos's skin is beautiful and smooth, since he uses an incredible skincare routine made up of two toners and a revitalizing serum, and his cologne...

Broadcast continues for three hours.

#cecil palmer #wtnv #carlos the scientist #this was fun to write hope you guys like it #my fic #welcome to night vale #wtnv spoilers #vermillion falls #frank luna #my fanfic #my writing

[driedupeyeballs]

OH MY GOD???? I already love them sm

I literally edited a new profile for them for this cuz the old one was outdated BUT YEAH IDK IF THIS WAS AN INVITE TO INFODUMP ABT MY JAMIAZU FANKID BUT IM USING IT AS ONE

Btw I can only wish to achieve your level of snake knowledge I thought my reptile hyperfixation went deep but yours is deeper I wanna know your ways

But that isn’t relavent YEAH HERES MY JAMIAZU FANKID HI TUMBLR *lets them out like you would a spider under a cup*

So I have a shit ton of Twst fankids btw! They kinda swim around in my brain but only a few ppl I know have gotten the info dumps lmao

Skye was the first one I made I think (actually it might’ve been Rico (florid) but eh oh well who’s counting)

But yes this is Skye Ashengrotto!

They’re my older Jamiazu kid, I do have two. The younger one is my octo boy Akram :) he’s funny I wanna pinch his cheeks but he’s not the point here

So Skye! It feels weird publically infodumping abt my OCs like wtf am I even supposed to put here

They’re a half mer, which do work a lil different than normal mers in my lore. Half mers can transform without a potion but it’s still a long and generally painful process, esp going from mer to human. I kind of switch between calling them a snake mer and a naga but there’s lore there- Nagas exist in my lore outside of sea snake mers, there are also fully terrestrial Nagas. So the terrestrial nagas wouldn’t be considered snake mers but the sea snake nagas would be a type of mer while also still being a naga ITS CONFUSING DONT ASK (actually do. Ask everything so I can roll more of my fankids out like marbles)

Skye was created by a spell, I haven’t quite worked the details out 😔 but Jamil is part gorgon in my lore which is why they have the hair snakes which isn’t a typical naga trait. And to elaborate on the hair snakes: they are alive, the one w the bigger stripes is Flora and the smaller stripes is Jett. Skye can communicate w them telepathically and their eyes glow which is kinda neat. They’re kind of Skye’s version of floatsam and jetsam (unless u count Rico (florid) and Lilac (treyjade) which is like their ver of the twins- IDK ITS COMPLICATED)

idk what else to put here so LETS THROW SOME FHARACTER DYNAMICS YEAH and also mentioning some of my other fankids! They all have profiles (except my Malleus kid I’m sorry Aihan I can’t think of a design for you) but I’m probably gonna save those for another post-

So jamiazu in my lore live in the Shaftlands in a beachfront place and also live pretty close to Treyjade, however Florid live in the Queendom. The octatrio and their spouses is a close group so they’re essentially a big family. My treyjade kids are Maren (older) and Lilac, then my Florid kids are Rico (older) and the twins Mary and Eliza.

Skye saw Lilac more as a kid cuz they lived so close together but also saw Rico a lot when flrd would visit or they’d go to visit them. Rico is an agent of chaos and Lilac is Skye’s 2nd in command so their dynamic on a surface level is pretty similar to the octatrio, but there’s still a lot of differences once u get into the meat of it. Tho Lilac and Rico are Skye’s best friends and basically like siblings to them.

Outside of jamiazu Skye is particularly close with Jade, they share a love of tea :) he’s their cool but also slightly unsettling uncle

THEN THERES SHENZI- Shenzi is my younger kaliruggie kid and I am not gonna get into her here bcuz she rlly needs her own post w all her trauma but good lord these two do not like each other. Shenzi’s really nice but she’s not quite as nice as Kalim so after about 5 months of trying and failing to befriend Skye in their freshman year she just gave up and now their relationship is nothing but hostile (which was not helped when Shenzi and lilac started dating)

Speaking of that tho- so my idikei kids :) Ember (named after the pokemon attack) is the older one and he’s basically that “Jock idia can’t hurt you he’s not real Jock idia:” thing as a person he has the Fire hair n shit but he plays basketball and is heavily extroverted but no one gives a shit abt Ember this is NOT ABT HIM this is abt his sister! Her name is Zelda because you know Idia would name his daughter Zelda- she got all of Idia’s social anxiety lmao. She’s extremely shy and there’s a total of like 4 people in the school she can actually talk to without melting into a small stain on the floor. She’s an Skye are both in board games club and sometime in early freshman year she falls on her ass and knocks over a bunch of stuff which Skye happens to witness and cue the most awkward interaction known to man bcuz Skye can’t talk to pretty girls and Zelda can’t talk to ANYONE but they end up walking to the mirror hall together afterwards which becomes a routine. Except they’re both awkward as fuck take like almost two fucking years to get together bcuz neither of them are gonna do anything abt it BUT THEYRE VERY CUTE!! I love them

Also my ashengrotto siblings are very wholesome I need to write some stuff w them- Akram is a little shit and he loves pissing Skye off but at the end of the day he admires them and Skye loves their brother a lot :)

Anyway good lord I’ve yapped too much okay OH YEAH Skye has a Russian blue cat named Mariana who they just fucking found on the side of the road and thought it was a mouse so for like 2 years Azul thought Skye was gonna eat the cat

OK HERES RHE ACTUAL PROFILE these aren’t as chaotic as the other ones all the other ones are more meme than profile ALSO RHEIR UNIQUE MAGIC DOESNR HAVE A NAME AT THE MOMENT IF ANHONE HAS AN IDEA FOR ONE PLS SHARE I HABE NO THOUGHTS

(If you recognize my art style from instagram no you don’t also THEY DO HABE EYES I JUST DONT DRAW THEM CUZ MY STYLES WEIRD)

But yeah I love them I hope they explode (affectionate)

#Skye ashengrotto #they have a tag now I guess #twst ocs #fankids #twisted wonderland #jamiazu #shaking as I post this #wHY IS SHARINF UR OCS SO NERVERACKING I WAS LIKE THIS WHEN I FIRST POSTED MY YUU OC TOO #maybe that’s just me #ash-OCs

[beardedmrbean]

The FBI is reportedly probing misconduct allegations regarding Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard after a local business owner claimed he was punished for refusing to donate to an event the mayor held.

Henyard had previously posted an Instagram video of herself chatting with Biden from when she attended a press conference at the White House on Jan. 19, during the U.S. Conference of Mayors' annual winter meeting. 

Fox News Digital previously reported that Henyard has been living like a royal with a combined salary of nearly $300K – more than the state's governor – and frequent use of beauty vendors, despite the 23,000 residents of the Illinois town having a median income of $24K. Henyard has also come under fire for various tirades in public meetings, accusing her critics among local leaders of "beating and attacking on a Black woman that’s in power."

According to FOX 32, a Dolton-based U-Haul rental and trucking business owner named Lawrence Gardner said he went to the FBI out of frustration that the Village of Dolton would not renew his business license. He claims he has suffered from harassment, raids on his business and being shut down by Dolton Police. Gardner believes it’s retaliation after he refused to donate to a civic event sponsored by Henyard.

DEMOCRATIC MAYOR ACCUSED OF ANTICS SO WILD SHE DESERVES HER OWN TV SHOW: 'REAL LIFE PARKS & REC SITUATION'

"I talked to a couple of [FBI] agents and I explained to them what’s going on," Gardner told FOX 32. "I gave them all my paperwork to show them what was happening in court and what was happening in Dolton. And they told me they were investigating and would be in touch with me."

He also reportedly claimed that the FBI agents he spoke with took his allegations seriously, "Yes. Very serious. Very."

Gardner is one of six individuals who have reportedly spoken to the FBI about Henyard’s conduct, including other business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.

FOX 32 also cited restauranteur Dewayne Wood, who also has faced difficulties trying to renew his business license for his business for almost a year. 

While he has reportedly not spoken to the FBI, Wood believes that he has faced difficulties getting "Wood’s Kitchen" approved because he has catered to Dolton trustees who are engaged in a political battle with Henyard.

CONTROVERSIAL MAYOR POSTS VIDEO WITH BIDEN JUST DAYS AFTER RIPPING COLLEAGUES FOR 'ATTACKING ON A BLACK WOMAN'

"I've heard rumors that say, hey I'm on the wrong team," Wood said, later adding, "I think I've been targeted because of my association, affiliation with a certain group of people. The trustees. I've cooked for the trustees."

One of the trustees reportedly welcomes the FBI investigation.

"The Board of Trustees and I have repeatedly questioned the Mayor’s Office on her use of public funds," Dolton Trustee Jason House wrote in a statement. "We welcome any investigation that will bring transparency on how taxpayer dollars are being spent. Our residents deserve this level of financial transparency."

A public relations firm responding on behalf of Henyard told FOX 32 she had not been contacted by the FBI so far. 

"Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the Village of Dolton have not received any subpoenas and have not been contacted by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency," the firm said. 

Henyard and the FBI did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. _______________

That RICO thing I said with her looks like it may actually be in the works sooner than I thought

#nunyas news

[fruitycatnoir]

another opinions post because aster has inspired me

TW MY OPINION

i strongly believe that in like at least 90% of every disney show, the show just goes downhill after season 3

for example, liv and maddie: cali style. one of my friends on instagram who has a liv and maddie account doesn’t post about season 4 because she hates it. she even has a pinned post of a small set of reasons why she hates it so much (and understandably so.) i mean, the dad left the show, diggie and maddie are together, they’re not in stevens point, wisconsin anymore? i like dina and ruby, don’t get me wrong, but like, cali style was so so bad

another example, someone’s going to crucify me for this one, is austin and ally. growing up, i had a HUGE crush on ross/austin, and for a bit, i hated the ship auslly. a few years later, i made a whole fanpage for auslly. now, i still like ross and A&A, but as for the ship, i’m neutral. anyway, in season 4, sonic boom changed to A&A music factory, austin’s hair was long?? EW? and it just wasn’t as enjoyable as seasons 1-3. also jace and trish didn’t end up together, excuse me? idk man i just never really liked season 4 of A&A

jessie is probably the only exception to this. all 4 seasons of jessie i loved.

good luck charlie i feel like is debatable. it was an interesting and fun 4 seasons, BUT, spencer and teddy should have NEVER gotten back together. i rest my case

hannah montana is also debatable. again with the ex’s, jake was in the picture (thank the GODS she and him didn’t end up together, i would have thrown hands). i like them being in a different place, i like lily living with them, but i do miss the old house they used to live in, and especially rico’s little shop (or whatever it’s called.)

did suite life on deck make it to 4 seasons? i don’t even remember

wizards of waverly place i think had a good season 4, especially the finale. i like the fact that mason and alex ended up together, juliet and justin ended up together, and both justin and alex got to keep their powers. i feel like max deserved more than the sub station but he did seem ecstatic about that i won’t complain

this one’s gonna hurt me like hell, but, lab rats. you guys know i love this show. it’s my favorite, it’s my comfort show, but i’m not gonna lie, i try to avoid bionic island when i’m watching it. it’s just not as fun as the other seasons. like, tasha isn’t really there, sometimes douglas is there more than donald, sebastian is there (yes this is a sebastian and sebase slander page), they started to make chase more annoying, and they’re not in mission creek anymore. i just think that season 4 of lab rats is my least favorite. i even like elite force better, and we all know how badly they wrote elite force

ravens home, bunk’d (even after season 2), those shows need to just stop. please.

#disney channel #austin and ally #liv and maddie #jessie #bunkd #good luck charlie #hannah montana #suite life on deck #wizards of waverly place #lab rats bionic island #ravens home #season 4

[placegrenette]

Towards a grand unified theory of what's going on with Ninety One right now.

Like all theories, this one can't be taken seriously until it's been scrutinized and tested. So I'll say the same thing I said about my Gap speculations: if you know I'm wrong or misinformed, please please please please tell me.

In the last couple days I've gotten access to three pieces of information I didn't have before, that have led me to say, okay, maybe this is what happened. The first was an Instagram reel from a fluffy entertainment site reporting on the original TikTok live, which quoted Ace directly (machine translation; I put this one through both Google Translate and Yandex Translate and they didn't differ much):

We'll keep putting on concerts until winter. Then we plan to take a break for an indefinite period, 1, 2, maybe 3 years. Maybe each of us will go our own way. Maybe our direction will change. We want to rest and take a break from our current image. Even if we come back, everything might be different than before. [emphasis mine]

The second piece of information was another fluff piece, on TikTok's self-reported "sounds of the summer" in Kazakhstan. Irina Kairatovna made the list, as did Kalifarniya, and a couple non-Kazakh songs (a remix of "Makeba"; Teya Dora, who's Serbian, I believe), but Ninety One did not.

And the third piece, courtesy of the lovely @bbcblackjack, was that Kalifarniya was previously in a Q-pop group called Divine, but has since renounced Q-pop; while I can't quote his words directly, he apparently used the kind of homophobic language that Ninety One has never, in my knowledge, stooped to using.

So here's what I think happened, told chronologically.

The combination of the pandemic and the MadMen arrests devastated Q-pop as a whole; when Kazakhstan's music scene finally began to revive, in 2021, there weren't a lot of Q-pop groups with the resources to start making inroads on the scene again. Instead the momentum shifted to IK and other hip-hop artists. Which should have stood to benefit Ninety One once they went independent and started making up for lost ground in 2022. I think within Pop Almaty (my nickname for the indie-ish popular-music scene there) itself, Ninety One is respected and regarded as peers: hence the IK collaborations, ZaQ cutting a track with De Lacure, and Yenlik appearing in the Yeski Taspa series. (Also remember that the guys were awfully reluctant to condemn Shiza acting up onstage when asked about him during the Zamandas interview.)

I think they expected that respect to carry over into their public image. ("Bata" is their "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," but it's also a boomy, Future-influenced track: a hip-hop move as much as a pop one.) But it didn't: they were still "Q-pop." And that hurt them in three different ways:

The general way of trends changing; what was cool three or six years ago isn't so likely to be cool now, in pop music. So the fans who had been listening to "Aiyptama" and "Kaytadan" at age 14 had moved on, and...

...because there was no real Q-pop infrastructure, they couldn't pick up a new Q-pop-oriented audience easily. (Contrast to K-pop, where new ZEROBASEONE fans have ready opportunities to discover the likes of SHINee and Infinite.)

But whereas the popularity proved transient, the homophobic unpopularity stuck: Ninety One was still dealing with the real-Kazakh-men-don't-wear-earrings bullshit.

(This is where Kalifarniya's new popularity comes into my argument. In the video for "Puerto Rico," he's dancing sensuously on a beach while wearing an oversized pink suit: in other words, using artsy idol imagery to his own advantage. Squint and you're watching a BTS solo video. But because he was willing to distance himself from Q-pop and the supposed Gay Cooties, the public's willing to accept the idol presentation on its own terms.)

#3 would explain why they had trouble with touring last year—the canceled gig in Turkestan, the canceled-and-rescheduled gig in Shymkent—and why they didn’t really have a tour this year. I find it very hard to believe that they didn’t plan to go to places like Kostanai and Semey and Oskemen to promote their second full album, and easier to believe that they planned to and ran into enough opposition that they eventually gave up in frustration and just settled for one Astana and one Almaty concert.

“But, Jessica,” you ask now, “they were able to go to Semey and Aqtobe and the like in 2017, 2018, 2019; what’s changed?” That’s a weakness of my theorizing. This is very speculative and you should take it with enormous amounts of salt, but here’s a possibility: one downstream consequence of Bloody January might be that local akimat now have a little more power relative to federal officials in Astana, and that new empowering might embolden said akimat to say, no we will not have these dyed-haired pooftahs coming in from Almaty to corrupt our innocent youth, thank you very much. Might, maybe, who knows, if you think I’m going too far out on a limb please do tell me. (Another possibility: the actual costs of booking the shows and traveling to them have gone up enough to make the trips no longer worth it.)

Meanwhile our dudes were spending the second half of 2022 and early 2023 refining the album and spending money. I don’t mean just getting the office (though given the hiatus plans, I am curious how long a lease they signed). But my understanding is that they were financing the Yeski Taspa series, and they also paid for the “Symbaim” music video, which was probably a decent outlay. This may have been financially risky; they may have been doing insufficient future-proofing, or putting more weight on Gap to save them then it turned out to be able to bear. (I don’t think they said specifically that they were financially as well as emotionally exhausted; I’m reading that factor into events, and may be wrong.) But it makes perfect sense. First of all, they are hardly the first startup whose first-year reach may have exceeded its grasp. Also, like I keep telling y’all, Pop Almaty is a small town, and Ninety One not only want to keep their own good reputations in this small town, but grow the town’s economic prospects if they can, for themselves and for the people they care about who also live and work in this small town��Veronika, Bibotta, Assiya and the other dancers, Nurs Bazarbay, their friends such as Ne1tron and Ray and Kyle Ruh, Ace’s brother. ZaQ in particular (and Boss Yerbolat before him) has been very consistent in arguing that they want to succeed not just for themselves but for a larger musical and artistic community.

But that meant they had to regain popularity with Gap. And they didn’t. I don’t know why they didn’t. Like I said, I think “pop goodness but also processing the helplessness and frustration they felt over Bloody January” might have been too loaded for their potential K-pop-adjacent fans but too pop for fans of IK and Shiza. They might have gotten away with it in 2019, when Q-pop didn’t look done and dusted, and they bet they could still get away with it in 2023, and lost. But like pretty much everything else here, that’s speculative.

The big, obvious risk, then, is that abandoning their “current image” will mean they finally go along with what seem to be prevailing expectations of public homophobia. (This is an aside, but the anthropologist Alice Evans recently wrote an interesting essay reporting on recent research suggesting that homophobia gained currency in parts of the former Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan, after widespread first- and second-hand experience with prison rape during the gulag era.) I don’t know. I can’t guarantee you that they haven’t made homophobic statements already; I can only tell you that I’ve been bracing myself for such news for years now and it hasn’t reached me yet. It’s entirely possible that part of “each of us going our own way” will include divergence on this issue, too—that one or more of them, but not necessarily all four, will publicly run from the Gay Cooties. (To be entirely frank, I have my guesses as to which members would be more or less likely to take such a stance, but my predictions are almost always wrong—remember, I was the hotshot who thought “Su Asty” was going to be a ballad—and I’d rather not tar any of the dudes preemptively or wrongly, and especially not both.)

What I don’t think is going to happen (although see above re my prediction track record) is that they’ll completely abandon their commitments to Pop Almaty. Those commitments will vary in focus and scope; Alem’s are more likely to be in the contexts of his TV work and Veronika, for example, and ZaQ’s to the larger hip-hop scene. They have said in the past that they planned to release solo work; this hiatus would give them the chance to do so without Eaglez breathing down their necks for more group work.

I’m less sure about whether we’re going to continue to get OT4 hanging out for our amusement. Maybe cameos on each other’s Instagram or Ace’s TikTok, but the likes of Space may be part of the image package they want to get away from. We may run up against the paradox where the bro-dom looks weaker but is actually stronger, once they can just be close friends pursuing related but separate interests and don’t have to market their bro-dom to us so hard.

I’m feeling… well, still cranky. Gap is a good album! If my narrative is right then they took a risk, in insisting that they could be dyed-haired pop stars who dance onstage and still have something to say, and it didn’t pay off. And neither they nor Eaglez had any right to demand of the universe that it pay off, but still: arrrgh. And there’s no guarantee that what they come back with, if they ever come back as four again, who knows, will inspire me the way Gap does. Meanwhile, if it isn’t already obvious, I would really like them to stay away from the public homophobia, and it’s entirely possible that they won’t. In short: change means uncertainty; uncertainty is not fun.

But it’s also possible that all this will work out to their, and our, benefit: the guys get to support each other doing a wider variety of projects, and we get to listen and watch. Pessimism isn’t necessarily a virtue. So after this I’m going to quit trying to combat the uncertainty by speculating all over the place. Like I said, y’all tell me where I’ve gone off track.

#ninety one #come find me eaglez

[dulcegyaru]

As some of you may know hurricane Fiona recently passed Puerto Rico. A lot of people have lost their homes due to floods, some are un communicated due to bridges collapsing. Along with that our power grid system went into a complete power outage.

If you want to help Puerto Rico, DO NOT send money/food/supplies to the government, red cross or other government affiliated groups

DO: Donate to non gubernamental groups or people directly. Heres a small list of some

Taller Salud: Local anti racism feminist organization from Puerto Rico located in Loiza

La Fondita de Jesus: Local organization seeking to help out the homeless and those who live in vulnerable communities

Brigada Solidaria del Oeste: They defend and educate the people regarding their constitutional rights

Techos Pa Mi Gente: Local organization dedicated to fixing the roofs of homes as well as the rehabilitation of homes affected by natural disasters

These are some other organizations which will be shared in the links below:

Instagram page: @bygrubi

Will continue posting nonprofit organizations that aid Puerto Rico

Ill be using some of the gyaru tags to spread awareness of the situation 🌺 stay safe lovelies.

#hurricane fiona #puerto rico #nonprofit #social issues #enviornment #natural disasters #2000s fashion #gaijin gyaru #gyaru #gyarucore #fashion #gyarustyle #gyaru fashion #gyaru magazine #Instagram

[riconastyfan]

#rico nasty #instagram live #2023 #monster energy tour #beanie #black braids #weed #joint #smoking #mohair #blonde eyebrows #blonde brows

[queermtl]

QUEER MTL THINGS TO DO: August 2023

August doesn’t mean the end of the summer in Montréal. Here, the streets are full of queer joy as Pride (or Fierté as we call it here) takes over the city! This month, Montréal is stuffed to the brim with events, parties and unique experiences painted in all the colours of the LGBTQ+ rainbow. From drag to community, circuit to underground, here’s some of our picks for the best LGBTQ+ things to do in the city. For further announcements, follow QueerMTL on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr! Got an event coming up? DM it our way!

EVENT OF THE MONTH:

🏳️‍🌈 This month, there’s so much to do we couldn’t narrow it down to just one! Montréal’s biggest annual celebration Fierté Montréal / Montréal Pride returns August 3 to 13, 2023, with a packed schedule of events, exhibitions and parties that’s sure to be one for the record books. We’ve pulled out some of our top tips throughout the guide below, but the full schedule can be found on Fierté’s website here. Running later in the month, the volunteer-driven Pervers/cité brings the Underside of Pride into the light with community-driven activities ranging from back alley parties to workshops focusing on BIPOC, trans, non-gender conforming and queer experiences. Keep tabs on their social media platforms for their evolving schedule.

EVENTS

✊The Archives gaies du Québec hosts The Aesthetic Activism of ACT UP Montréal: a history in photos and posters from June 13-August 13, 2023, spotlighting an important piece of both HIV/AIDS and Montréal’s activist history. The co-curators will be in attendance on Community Day, Saturday, August 12, 2023 to discuss the items on display in both French and English.

✨ Bijuriya and Emmötional Damage host Slaysians on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Cabaret Mado, featuring performances from Lia Jasmine, Joy Rider, Suri Racha, CC Channel, Komodo, Manny, Kajol and Rico Love.

✍️ HommeHomo brings Drink & Draw back to Bar Le Cocktail on Wednesday, August 2, Wednesday, August 16, and Wednesday, August 30, 2023, featuring live models and drink specials. 

✨ The official Opening Ceremony of Pride Montréal held at Jardins Gamelin on Thursday, August 3, 2023 features Cercle Indigiqueer, Kaniehke’haka elder Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin, Nina Segalowitz & Sierra Segalowitz-Clabaux, Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo & Marshall Kahente Diabo, Moe Clark & Weather Beings and a DJ set from LaFHomme.

🎥 Drag king extraordinaire Charli Deville presents A Night at the Movies: Fantasy Edition at the Wiggle Room on Thursday, August 3, 2023 with Lulu les Belles Mirettes, Enshantay, Charli Deville, Gigi Marx and Just Horny. 

🍑 Blending burlesque, comedy, gogo and pole dancing, Peach Club kicks off Pride at Café Cléopatra on Thursday, August 3, 2023 with appearances from Tranna Wintour, Zach Poitras, Lucy Gervais and Rachelle Elie.

📚 The Violet Hour presents In translation, a special edition of their monthly queer literary series at Stock Bar on Thursday, August 3, 2023 featuring readings in English and French from books available in both languages, featuring Jonathan Bécotte, Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay, D.M. Bradford, Nicholas Dawson, Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch and more.

😆 Hosted by Chiquita Mére and Sami Landri, ME JOKE-TU? brings a batch of queer comedians to the stage of Le National for a night of fun and laughs on Thursday, August 3, 2023. 

🇮🇹 The Violet Hour co-presents the exhibition Unveiling the Queer Italian-Canadian Experience, a collaboration between photographer Vincenzo Pietropaolo and poet Liana Cusmano at Casa d’Italia from August 3 to 20, 2023. 

🎥 The Image+Nation LGBTQ2SQUEER Film Festival presents a special program of shorts entitled 11 Revendications=11 Court-Métrages for Pride online from August 3 to 13, 2023. 

🏳️‍⚧️ The Trans+Archive presents Our existence in South America through the decades online throughout Pride, August 3 to 13, 2023. 

🏳️‍⚧️ The TransFormative Day of Justice brings a line-up of panels and workshops to the Centre communautaire LGBTQ+ de Montréal on Friday, August 4, 2023, creating space for trans/feminist discourses and reflections. Find further information here.

🏳️‍⚧️ The Them Fatale cabaret shines a spotlight on gender non-conforming trans and non-binary cabaret artists including Gay Jesus, Jake DuPree and Nox Falls under the guidance of Rosie Bourgeoisie on Friday, August 4, 2023 at Le National.

🐶 Montréal’s puppy community comes together for the Pup Montréal 2023 Contest, taking place from August 4 to 7, 2023 at Bar Le Stud, aiming to crown the genderless title of Pup Montréal 2023. 

🎤 XOXO presents a roster of some of Montréal’s top up and coming talent including Chivengi, Kinkead, hadaxxah, SCARY and G.Mako takes the stage at Jardins Gamelin on Friday, August 4, 2023.

🏳️‍🌈 Support 2sLGBTQ+ artists and artisans at PRIDE Market hosted by MFF and L’Euguélionne at L’Euguélionne bookstore on Saturday, August 5, 2023. 

✊ Feeling alternapride? Check out Slag Pride at Bar Le Ritz PDB on Saturday, August 5, 2023. 

🏳️‍⚧️ The Trans March is one of August’s most important events, starting from Dorchester Square on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 2:30 PM. March in solidarity with under this year’s theme Because Our Joy is Priceless and don’t miss the Trans Community Party gathering in Jardins Gamelin which follows.

🏳️‍🌈 To be a Lesbian and …: Inclusive Perspectives on Lesbianism at the Hyatt Place Montréal offers an open and respectful place to discuss lesbian experiences and diversity on Saturday, August 5, 2023. 

🏳️‍🌈 Stella hosts The Criminalization of Sex Work and the Daily Life of 2SLGBTQIA+ Sex Workers at the Hyatt Place Montréal aims for exchange and solidarity between community and sex workers on Saturday, August 5, 2023. Running concurrently, the Photo/Voice Project: Sex Work presented by RÉZO and Julie Deslandes Leduc compiles local sex work experiences. 

🏳️‍🌈 Labour Pride: Past, Present and Future. What Our Unions Have Done For Us explores labour unions’ role in working for recognition and advancement of LGBTQ+ people’s rights. At Hyatt Place Montréal on Saturday, August 5, 2023. 

👠 Montréal’s ballroom community comes together for A Family Affair Kiki Ball at Le Club Soda on Saturday, August 5, 2023, inspired by family representations in movies and television shows. 

🎤 If you’ve ever asked what could possibly make karaoke even better, the popular Bareoke: Strip Karaoke at Café Cléopatra on Saturday, August 5 and Saturday, August 19, 2023 is your answer!

👑 Misty Waterfalls pulls double duty on Sunday, August 6, 2023 with Le Brunch aux Folles at 13h00 and Le Souper aux Folles at 17:00, both featuring Petula Claque and Lana Dalida at Bar Social Verdun.

😆 A Very Pretentious Comedy Show #7 features Tranna Wintour, Clara Olshansky, Estelle Davis, Walter Lyng and others at Café La ligne verte on Sunday, August 6, 2023. 

📚 Literary Pride presents War of 2SLGBTQ+ Words at Théâtre La Comédie de Montréal on Monday, August 7, 2023 in which four panelists defend a literary work written by a 2SLGBTQIA author in front of a live audience, with one work eliminated every 20 minutes until only one book remains. The following evening, Glitter-ati! hosted by Barbada will present four emerging authors and their work on-stage. On Wednesday, August 9, 2023 they’ll host Diversity Spelled Out, Transpoetry / An Evening of Poetry on Thursday, August 10, 2023, and an Outdoor Book Fair on Friday, August 11, 2023.  Before each event, the Safer Literary Space creates room for authors and writers who cannot or do not want to be public about their sexual orientation or gender identity. 

😆 Very Pretentious Comedy presents a Queer Comedy Night at The Diving Bell Social Club on Monday, August 7, 2023 featuring Clara Olshansky, Eve Parker Finley and more!

💜 The Transmasc Choir of Montréal hosts the Chosen Family Conference at Hyatt Place Montréal on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 including live Q&A and resources. 

🎶 Discover a world of new talents at ImmiX, presented by ICI Musique on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at Esplanade du Parc olympique featuring Blxck Cxsper, Cassa, Coco Belleveau, Edith Butler, Jade Above, Joe Bocan, Kanen, Klô Pelgag, Lumière, Naomi, River and Samuele. 

✍️ Join Queer Bodies for Life Drawing Community  featuring live models at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Wednesday, August 9 and Friday, August 11, 2023. 

🎶 The 14-piece chamber pop ensemble the Queer Songbook Orchestra brings their heartbreakingly gorgeous selves to the Esplanade du Parc olympique featuring Safia Nolin and Martha Wainwright on Wednesday, August 9, 2023.

🕹 Gaymers gather at Brouillon café-buvette for Remous vol. 2: Pride x Pixel for a night of gaming, music and dancing on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. 

🧺 The Québec Lesbian Network hosts the 3rd edition of the Lesbian BBQ on the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Thursday, August 10, 2023, featuring the DJs and artists of FeminiX (including JU!CE, Narcisse, Barbara Butch and BLK PRL) and the KING POUR A DAY: Drag King Performing Art Workshops. 

🐶 Hosted by Pet Play Québec, Meet the Kink Collective promotes visibility and education of the fetish world on Thursday, August 10 to 11, 2023 at the Esplanade du Parc olympique. 

✨ Celebrating Our Spirits marks a day of presentations around Two-Spirit, Indigenous LGBTQ+ and Indigiqueer identities, featuring Tealey Ka’senni:saks Normandin, Scott Wabano, Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Jo-Marie Einish and John Sylliboy at Hyatt Place Montréal on Friday, August 11, 2023. 

🏳️‍🌈 Embrace Community Days on Friday, August 11 and Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Montréal’s Village neighbourhood, when organizations and businesses active in the LGBTQ+ community take to the streets with booths and activities down Sainte Catherine Street. 

🎶 DistinXion brings together a varied group of artists sure to leave an indelible impression including Idman, Vivek Shraya, Time Simone, Nakhane and Mýa at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Friday, August 11, 2023. 

🎶 Celebrate BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ performers at Xcellence, featuring DJs, musicians and unmissable performers including TEYKIRSI, Honeydrip, pony, A$H BANKS and San Farafina at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Friday, August 11, 2023. 

🎶 Fugues magazine presents SuXession at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Saturday, August 12, 2023 with a full lineup of rising stars of Montréal’s queer underground scene including Chris Cool, Artin Avaznia, Miss Chris Marlot, Mossy Mugler, Ms. Boogie, Myst Milano, sam blake, Sisi Superstar and Syana. 

👠 Mama Cuarta Mulan curates QUILT-ED, a Kiki Ball—A celebration of ACCM’s 35th anniversary inspired by the iconic AIDS quilt at Cabaret Lion d’Or on Saturday, August 12, 2023. 

🎤 Miss Meow Productions presents the Lana Del Rey Burlesque featuring Roxy Torpedo, Avecti Cutthroat, Honey Lustre, Little Galaxia, Rosie Bourgeoisie and Zyra Lee Vanity at Café Cléopatra on Saturday, August 12, 2023. 

🥞 Native Montréal is hosting a Native Montréal Pride Brunch for all Indigenous 2SLGBTQIA+ community members before the Pride Parade on Sunday, August 13, 2023. 

🏳️‍🌈 The Pride Parade winds down Boulevard René-Lévesque on Sunday, August 13, 2023. You won’t want to miss the moment of silence in acknowledgment at 2:30 PM of those lost to AIDS, lesbophobia, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, as well as a time to commemorate the lives of missing or murdered Indigenous women, girls, children and Two-Spirit or LGBTQIA+ people, during which you can hear a pin drop in downtown Montréal. 

🎥 REEL GAY hosts a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch with host Mary Fagdalene at The Diving Bell Social Club on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.

👠 Twice a month on every second Tuesday, Bring It! hosts an OTA night of ballroom and vogue with commentator and DJ. Follow their Instagram for dates and details.

🤔 Every Wednesday, Bar Champs hosts Wednesday Trivia Night at Champs with Quiz Master Brian. 

🎾 Throughout the month, Tennis Lambda hosts LIGUE DE DIMANCHE outdoor tennis on the courts at Parc Louis-Riel. Check Eventbrite for full dates and details. 

🚲 Montréal Queer Bike Polo meets on Thursdays! Find details and directions on their Instagram. 

🏐 Les Ratons-Chasseurs (Montréal’s LGBTA dodgeball group) holds regular events. Keep an eye on their Facebook for upcoming opportunities to join in and play. 

🤠 The long-running Club Bolo offers open country music dance classes every Friday evening at the Association sportive et communautaire du Centre-Sud. Find more details at their website. 

🕹Montréal Gaymers hosts regular gatherings including board game nights and gaming gatherings. Check their Facebook for what’s next!

🎤 Most Tuesdays, check out Stand Up St. Henri Open Mic at Impro Montréal, focusing on women, non-binary, queer and allied comedians.

🏃🏾Join the Out-Run run and workout club for people relating to the queer / sapphic experience. Details on their Instagram!

💃 Tango/Salsa Queer’s continue, with Salsa Queer on Saturdays from 13:30-14:30 and Tango (beginners/intermediate) on Saturdays at 12:00-13:30. Contact [email protected] or call [phone] for prices and signup information.

🐦 Bird lovers should keep their eye on Queer Birders' regularly scheduled birdwatching events and excursions. Join the Facebook group and get those binoculars at the ready. 

PARTIES 🥳 Queer-pop party extraordinaire Glitterbomb takes to Jardins Gamelin on Thursday, August 3, 2023 for their special Pride edition, featuring DJ sets from Awwful and DJ Jeffany and live performances from Big Sissy, Maryze & Sam Blake, Aizysse Baga, Jaqq Strapp and others!

🥳 Ellelui presents HEATED, a not-to-be-missed evening for lesbian, queer and trans partiers at Le Club Soda on Friday, August 4, 2023, featuring performances from Pu$$yrap, Zepkin$, Ms. Baby, A$h Banks and Litney Worldwide. 

🥳 The DJs behind Balls Deep Disco and West End Gays join forces at Pleasure Dome at the Société des arts technologiques’ La Satosphère on Friday, August 4, 2023 with a night of classic queer anthems.

🥳 Jhalak Montréal and the South Asian Pride Collective present CHUTNEY: A South Asian Cabaret & Pride Party on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Cabaret Lion d’Or. Post-showcase, the night transforms into a dance party with food and henna artists! 

🥳 Promising the ultimate 360 club kid experience, Unikorn’s Pride edition on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at the SAT Satosphere brings DJs Sonikku and That Kid together for a night of projections, rave and guaranteed euphoria. 

🥳 Blush celebrates their fourth anniversary at Jardins Gamelin on Sunday, August 6, 2023 with a night of dance and union for queer women and gender-nonconforming people featuring DJs Grapes, G L O W S I, La Niña Kiwi and Pituca Putica.

🥳 Barbada will get the crowds dancing with a DJ set at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. 

🥳 LuvHaus presents LuvHaus Édition Fierté on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at Blockhaus in Hochelaga.

🥳 Spend the day partying by the poolside at La Piscine on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at Club LaCité.

🥳 Studio ZX shows off some of Montréal’s most creative nightclub figures with Club Kids on Wednesday, August 9 and again on Sunday, August 13, 2023 at the Esplanade du Parc olympique.

🥳 Be plastic and fantastic, pink and proud at The Pink Airline with DJ Kev J on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at Newspeak. First 50 costumes get a free drink!

🥳 The party continues at After-Xcellence in SAT’s Dôme with dance party sets from DJ Karaba, Pierre Kwenders and Kid Crayola on Friday, August 11, 2023. 

🥳 MPU: Loud & Proud turns up the queer at Le Belmont on Friday, August 11, 2023, featuring appearances from Barbada, Kimmy Couture, Lady Boom Boom, Denim and DJ Pøptrt alongside DJs Fantastik and Jeffany.

🥳 The circuit takes over Bain Mathieu on Friday, August 11, 2023 when Locker Room kicks off featuring DJs Danny Verde, Leo Blanco and adult film performer Drew Dixon.

🥳 Majlisna presents Mubaadarat, a gathering of LGBTQ+ people from Arabic-speaking regions. Bring outfits and make-up and meet in the QTBIPOC Safer Space at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Saturday, August 12, 2023. 

🥳 Highlighting Montréal’s lesbian / sapphic and BIPOC talent communities, Sweet Like Honey hosts its Edition Fierté at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Saturday, August 12, 2023 with special appearances from Marlyne, MS. BABY and DJ Lax.

🥳 Queen&Queer presents their dance party for queer women at SAT’s La Satosphère on Saturday, August 12, 2023 with DJs Ticky Ty, DJ Sam and DJ AQ. 

🥳 Discoõ returns on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at the SAT featuring DJ sets from Argentina’s Ms Nina, Litney, Luisa, Empress, Jerico and Jashim.  

🥳 Distrct events presents Inferno featuring Henrique Viana, Sagi Kariv, Alain Jackinsky, Adriana the Bombshell, Paskal Daze and Cindel at Telus on Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am!

🥳 Following the parade, the Esplanade du Parc olympique morphs into the world’s biggest dance floor for the closing T-Dance, featuring DJ K.Nox, DJ TDon and Kampire on Sunday, August 13, 2023. Up-and-coming Montréaler RÊVE will cap the festivities with a closing performance.

🥳 THIRSTY brings its closing party to Bain Mathieu on Sunday, August 13, 2023, with DJs Andrei Stan, Diskommander, K.Nox and D’Jimi.

🥳 The Afropride AfterParty fills Club Sky with afrobeats and Caribbean music from DJ Buhbuhlo, Maddy Phillips, DJ Jayson, DJ Blaster and DJ Kid on Sunday, August 13, 2023. 

DRAG

👑 Rainbow presents Le Bingo Show, dedicated to everyone’s favourite numbers and luck game, at Cabaret Mado on Thursday, August 3, 2023.

👑 The Pride Party with Barbara and friends takes over Le National on Saturday, August 5, 2023, including musical, drag and dance performances. Attendees are requested to wear their most colourful costumes for a surprise group activity to close the night. 

👑 Michel Dorion hosts the night of comedy Les succès oubliés at Bar Le Cocktail on Sunday, August 6, 2023, featuring Jean-Marc Reid, Chibouki and Érica. 

👑 Rawxy & cie brings local favourites Kiara, Kelly Torielli and Jessie Précieuse to the stage of Cabaret Mado on Monday, August 7, 2023. 

👑 A popular annual favourite, The High Heels Obstacle Race (on Sainte Catherine Street East, between Alexandre DeSève and de Champlain streets) sees Village businesses and community organizations competing in an obstacle course in the highest of heels on Monday, August 7, 2023. 

��� A match made in queer heaven, Drag’Opéra brings together three opera singers and three drag artists presenting new renditions of opera and musical theatre at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Wednesday, August 9, 2023. 

👑 Drag goes well with dinner, and the Drag’N’Burger Show featuring Milady Nicole, Eva Moist, Mister Boogie and Lady Boom Boom at Notre-Bœuf-de-Grâce on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 is a sure match in heaven.

👑 Master of diva impersonation Jimmy Moore brings a special pride edition of Jimmy Moore personnifie Madonna: The Blond Ambition Tour to Cabaret Mado on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 and again on Saturday, August 19, 2023. 

👑 One of the biggest nights of the Pride calendar, Drag Superstars at Esplanade du Parc olympique on Thursday, August 10, 2023 includes performances from Rita Baga, Alexis Mateo, Aquaria, Drag Couenne, Envy Peru, Gisèle Lullaby, Heaven Genderfck, Heidi N Closet, Icesis Couture, Jimbo, Johnny Jones, Kerri Colby, Lady Boom Boom, Landon Cider, Marcia Marcia Marcia, Océane Aqua-Black, Vanessa van Cartier, Vanity Milan, Will Charmer and Yvie Oddly.

👑 Cabaret Mado hosts the Cabaret Queer on Thursday, August 10, 2023, featuring performances from Tracy Trash,Frigid, Scott Fordham, Miami Minx, Fabien L’amour, Bobépine and others. 

👑 Like breakfast? Into drag? You’ll love the Pride Anthem Drag Brunch with Lady Boom Boom, Kiara and Kimmy Couture on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at Resto du Village. And there’s three seatings to meet demand!

👑 Celebrate local drag with MajestiX at the Esplanade du Parc olympique on Saturday, August 12, 2023 hosted by Rock Bière and RV Metal and featuring Bambi Dextrous, BiG SiSSY, Bijuriya, Bobépine, Clay Thorris, Elle Dare, Fabien L’Amour, Foxy Lexxi Brown, HercuSleaze & The Mythos Ensemble, Jessie Précieuse, Johnny Jones, Kitty Glitter, Little Star & Mike Oxlong, Manny, Marla Deer, Miss Dupré Latour, Moxxi Hollow, Peggy Sue, Pétula Claque, Rainbow, Tracy Trash and Walter Ego. 

👑 Jimmy Moore pays on-point tribute to Taylor Swift with two Gay Pride editions of his Jimmy Moore personnifie Taylor Swift on Saturday, August 12, 2023 and Sunday, August 13, 2023 at Cabaret Mado. 

👑 Montréal’s premiere drag king night ManSpread returns for its Pride Edition on Saturday, August 19 at Bar le Cocktail on Saturday, August 19, 2023, featuring Slick Hardwood, Yikes Macaroni, Zyra Lee Vanity, Mr./Mrs. Sauga and Charli Deville. 

👑 Our favourite evil divas come to life on Saturday, August 26, 2023 when Disney Villains takes over the stage at Bar Le Cocktail. 

👑 A night of drag and striptease, Les Folies Draglesques hosted by Miami Minx brings Cervena Fox, Gigi Georgette, Heaven Genderfck and others to Cabaret Mado on Thursday, August 17, 2023.

👑 Celebrate two of Montréal’s hardest working queens at the Barbada & Kitana Birthday Bash at Cabaret Mado on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Happy birthday, ladies!

👑 Jimmy Moore continues to work, work, work, work, work it with Jimmy Moore personnifie Rihanna at Cabaret Mado on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

👑 On Friday and Saturday nights, the legendary Mado Lamotte hosts Mado Reçoit at her namesake club, Cabaret Mado. Each week, she shares the stage with a hand-picked roster of queens.

👑 Every Tuesday, Canada’s Drag Race season 3 winner Gisèle Lullaby hosts Full Gisèle at Cabaret Mado. Tickets and schedule at Cabaret Mado’s website.

👑 Bar Le Cocktail’s regular weekly events include Butterfly de nuit with Miss Butterfly every Thursday, Vendredi Fou with Michel Dorion on Fridays, Drôles de Drags with a rotating cast of queens on Saturdays and Dimanche Show with Michel Dorion on Sundays.

👑 Every Monday at the Diving Bell Social Club, Bambi Dextrous hosts Trivia Night! Be sure to  book your team table in advance.

👑 Every Thursday at Complexe Sky, check out the Jimmy Moore Drag Show at 10 PM, sure to feature eye-popping costume changes and dance moves that don’t quit. Free with club admission. 

👑 Sunday nights brings the amazingly hilarious Tracy Trash’s Le Tracy Show to Cabaret Mado.

#mtlmoments #lgbttravel #2slgbtq #drag #montreal #dragqueen #queermtl #lgbtq #drag queen #nightlife

[96thdayofrage]

Created in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act was once used to target groups like the mafia, bringing down crimelords like the Genovese and Gambino crime families by detailing years of conspiracies under the umbrella of their criminal enterprises. But today, these laws often focus on street gangs-turned-rap crews. In racializing the racketeering law, its modern usage has effectively criminalized rap music by turning lyrics into makeshift confessions. Thug’s lyrics are being used as evidence in his indictment, including “Slatt” from Young Stoner Life’s 2020 compilation, Slime Language 2. “I killed his man in front of his momma,” Thug raps. 

Walker’s post challenges the legal ramifications of ignoring crimes committed by a hate group like the Ku Klux Klan, an organization that has traditionally used violence to maintain racial order. The post’s removal silences those brave enough to question white supremacy, its history, and ultimately, how it continues to fester in violent hate crimes across the country. 

According to a screenshot Walker posted of a message she received, Instagram claims Walker’s post was removed for breaching its Community Guidelines, which the company said were created to “encourage people to express themselves in a way that’s respectful to everyone.” The question she posed was a violation of its guidelines regarding “violence and dangerous organization,” the company said, but Instagram declined to offer any feedback in its response to Walker about how the post contravened those policies. 

In an Instagram post published after the initial meme was deleted, Walker pushed back: If videos of police brutality can be disseminated widely and without warning, then who do these tech giants truly consider a “protected” class? “That question went against @Instagram guidelines but I’ve literally seen black people beaten/abused in hella different ways by cops but that type of racist activity seems to have no issue living rent free on this platform,” she wrote in an Instagram caption. “I’m hella confused.”

At the time of publication, Instagram’s parent company, Meta, did not respond to questions regarding the post’s removal. Instagram’s Community Guidelines don’t provide much clarity on the issue, either: The company claims it doesn’t condone the “support or praise of terrorism, organized crime, or hate groups,” and that credible threats will be removed from the platform. 

The post is yet another instance of Meta’s tortured history regarding content moderation and how it regulates content by or about far-right groups like the KKK on the platform. According to a 2022 report by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a huge part of Meta’s moderation problem is that extremist speech and mainstream speech are so similar that algorithms cannot accurately determine what hate speech is. Its research found that right-wing groups often use “coded language to evade detection by content-moderation algorithms,” while speech that is not harmful may be flagged because moderation teams do not understand the nuance and context behind it.

A key example of this issue was a 2017 controversy surrounding Facebook, another Meta social media property, informally banning the word “dyke,” which had been flagged by moderators as hate speech. Although the word may be used in a discriminatory manner, lesbian groups like the national motorcycle club Dykes on Bikes and the annual Dyke March parade have reclaimed the epithet. For many, the term—when used by the community to refer to itself—is now one of empowerment.

Meta’s shoddy moderation has caused many to question its motives. In 2019, the company hired representatives from The Daily Caller, a right-wing news site co-founded by Fox News conservative political commentator Tucker Carlson, to help fact-check articles ahead of the 2020 election. The publication’s integrity has been under fire for years: Leading up to the 2016 presidential race, The Daily Caller was a leading source for anti-Muslim and anti–Hillary Clinton content, according to a Harvard report on misinformation. When asked about its partnership with The Daily Caller, Meta cited the need for a “diverse set of fact-checking partners,” per spokesperson Lauren Svensson.

Its parent company’s moderation woes and unclear guidelines have allowed Instagram to become an incubator of pages dedicated to uplifting white supremacy. These networks of pages, also known as “racistgram,” go against the very Community Guidelines that Meta claims makes their platforms a safe space. At least seven pages that are a part of this network remain on Instagram without any repercussions from Meta, according to a new report from the progressive watchdog group Media Matters for America.  

Walker’s criticism toward Instagram couldn’t be more timely, as violent white supremacy continues to proliferate both on and offline. On Saturday, the author of a 180-page white nationalist manifesto drove three hours to a predominantly Black neighborhood and killed 10 Black people at a supermarket. Much of the shooter’s manifesto speaks of a fear of “the great replacement,” or the idea that the white population—and thus, racial dominance—is on the decline. Unfortunately, the shooting was not an isolated incident: According to the ADL, more than 240 people have been killed by white supermacist terrorists since 2012. Homicides motivated by white supremacy accounted for three out of four right-wing extremist-related killings over that time period.

Summer Walker was right to question when this country will truly reckon with its own culture of hate. Meta’s removal of her post only further underscores the blindspots of the company—and the tech world, writ large—when it comes to allowing hate speech of all kinds to thrive online. The company has a white supremacy problem and Black people, both in digital spaces and in real life, are facing the consequences. 

[circusfans-italia]

I BRUKSON PER LA STAGIONE 2024 DA .....

I BRUKSON PER LA STAGIONE 2024 DA ..... Anche quest'anno i Brukson saranno all'estero, precisamente in Germania. Le spassose gag di Rudi ed il giocoliere di Rico Brukson faranno nuovamente parte del programma del circus Probst che quest'anno prenderà il titolo di SURPRISE !

Il programma 2024 del complesso tedesco vede in pista anche i seguenti numeri: Stephanie Probst - cavalleria in libertà Elena - tessuti aerei Troupe Torres - moto nel globo della morte Reinhard Probst - quadro esotico con cammelli, dromedari, buoi watussi, zebre, cavalli ungheresi ecc Jim Bim - trampolino elastico in comico Stephanie, Sergiu e Celina - gli animali della fattoria e appunto Rico Brukson - giocoliere con le racchette da tennis

Riprese di Rudi Brukson Lo spettacolo è impreziosito dalla musica live dell' orchestra del Circus Probst.

Per raggiungere il gruppo l'Impresario Circense su Facebook cliccate sull'immagine sottostante

Scarica il biglietto sconto speciale amici di Circusfans Italia: ritaglia l’immagine qui sotto e consegnala alle casse del circo prescelto

Iscriviti ai nostri canali social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr e Tik Tok E ..... per non perderti neanche una news iscriviti al canale Telegram di Circusfans Italia. Per raggiungerlo inquadra il QR Code con il tuo cellulare oppure clicca direttamente sull’immagine qui sotto.

Visita le nostre sezioni ARCHIVIO STORICO TOURNEE' Per rimanere sempre aggiornati sulle tappe dei circhi italiani

I BRUKSON PER LA STAGIONE 2024 DA .....

Se questo articolo ti è piaciuto condividilo sui tuoi social utilizzando i bottoni che trovi qui sotto Read the full article

#celinaprobst #circo #CircusProbst #elena #jimbim #reinhardprobst #ricobrukson #rudibrukson #sergiuprobst #stephanieprobst #troupetorres

[messysuitcaseblog]

The Mask Maker of Boquerón

Amil Droz, an artisanal mask maker based in Boquerón,  Puerto Rico, took us for a walk through his rustic wooden home and art studio to see his vejigante masks and other 3D works of art he has created. Amil (pronounced Ay-MEEL) is originally from Puerto Rico, but spent most of his life living in New York, which you will be able to tell from his accent. He calls his business Tuntuneco Arts. His masks are mostly made out of coconuts in the style found in Loiza, Puerto Rico. We purchased one to display above the bar of our Cabo Rojo home.

Amil Droz Torres is a certified cultural Artisan whose art studio and shop, Tuntuneco Arte Taino, is located above the Copy Hamburger bar in Boqueron, Puerto Rico. His masks sculptures and painting are found in museums, schools, and corporations in New York and PR. He also teaches and presents as a guest artist. We were lucky to meet him in a Cabo Rojo sports bar while watching the AFC Championship Game! He’s also a NY Yankees fan, but we can forgive him for that.

INFO

Amil Droz, Tunteneco Arts, on Instagram NY Digital Heritage Collection Profile

Map

#youtube #maskmaker #messysuitcase #puertorico #vejigante #artisal #boqueron

[jarulortega]

Zuckerberg vs Elon. Threads vs Twitter.

(Después de recibir, durante toda la semana, 12 horas de apagón diariamente -Gracias al gobierno de Abinader- imposibilitandome dibujar durante todos estos días, he vuelto y con una red social nueva 😉)

Los niños ricos que gobiernan el mundo se están dando una pelea a manotazos por ver quién controla nuestros datos, antes de que llegue el Novus Ordo Seclorum, la utopía de Orwell de 1984 o que Skynet controle al mundo con sus terminators…

¡En esta esquina! Tenemos al raro y excéntrico Elon Musk (Zip2, Online X, Paypal, Space X, Tesla, Open IA, Neuralink, Boring Company, Twitter, Solar City -Es de sus primos, pero con su apoyo)

¡Y en esta otra! Tenemos a Dito, el Pokémon Réplica, al mejor copión del mundo ¡Mark Zuckerberg! (Meta, Facebook, Instagram, Wathsapp, Threads, Atlas Solutions, Oculus VR, Live Rail, FriendFeed, Ghipy, Best Games, Ctrl-Labs, Onavo, Jio Platfforms, entre muchísimas otras más)

¿Quién ganará? ¡Mientras que Musk está forzando a los Twitteros a pagar por los servicios de una red social que siempre había sido "gratuita" limitando las cosas que se pueden hacer si no pagas, Zuckerberg ha aprovechado ese descontento para sacar su imitación de Twitter llamada Threads y hacerle competencia al pajarito azúl, eso sí, aunque no lo saben, los usuarios están pagando -Como todo lo de Zuckerberg- con sus datos 😉 ¡Jojojojo!

El peo ha sido tanto, que ya Musk amenazó con demandar a Meta, mientras que Threads alcanzó los 50 millones de usuarios en sus primeras 24 horas…

Pa' que tengas una idea, Chat Gpt alcanzó los 100 millones de usuarios en 2 meses. Tik Tok, tardó 9 meses, Instagram, dos años y medio y Facebook alcanzó sus 100 millones de usuarios, en 4 años. Eso te da una idea del impacto que tendrá Threads.

¡Que por cierto! La he estado probando -gracias a la Data- no tenía más nada que hacer durante los apagones y AUNQUE no debería, porque Meta y su dictadura digital con sus políticas de censura, casi me borran la cuenta en 2020, ahí estoy, como un guanajo, metido en Threads… 🤦Yo no aprendo.

¿Podrá Zuckerberg hacer lo que hace siempre? ¿Doblegar a su competencia hasta borrarla del mapa, para luego comprarla y absorberla como hizo con Instagram y Wathsapp? ¿O por el contrario? ¿Será Elon quien se lleve está victoria, derrotando al gigante azul y dándole una lección a Mark? ¿Quién ganará? ¿Elon Musk o Mark Zuckerberg? ¿Mark Zuckerberg o Elon Musk? ¿Cuando entrara Bill Gates al juego? ¿Antes o después que suelte la nueva pandemia? 🤣

PD: En mis primeras 24 horas en Threads, superé la cantidad de seguidores que tenía en Twitter, cuenta que tengo desde 2014 🙃

¡Select your Player!

#yosoyjarul #pesoentero #somospueblo