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intoxicatingimmediacy · 7 months

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Where Have You Seen Loki Season 2's X-5 Actor Before?

This post contains spoilers for the season premiere of "Loki."

"Loki" is back this week, and along with the return of Norse trickster god Loki (Tom Hiddleston), agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), and the rest of the Time Variance Authority, the show's premiere also sees the introduction of a few new key characters. Among them? Ke Huy Quan's helpful, tech-savvy Ouroboros (or O.B.) and X-5, a mysterious new TVA agent played by Rafael Casal. And it's the latter who is particularly intriguing.

So far, we haven't seen X-5 do much besides question whether jet skis are part of the sacred timeline, but the character already seems to be an agitating force within the organization. He's also quite possibly poised to become a recognizable Marvel villain. After all, a featurette for the second season had a couple bits of footage from behind the scenes that showed him in a TVA jumpsuit, as if he was being held prisoner. So that should be interesting to watch play out. But there's more.

As /Film's Sandy Schaefer pointed out back in July, the trailer for "Loki" includes a poster for a movie called "Zaniac!" which fans have tied to Casal's character via leaks and speculation. Zaniac is a noteworthy character in Marvel Comics, though he bears little resemblance to X-5. The character was an evil entity that possessed the man who would become Jack the Ripper, and later took over slasher actor Brad Wolfe.

Ahead of the show's premiere, Casal has been credited by several outlets as Brad Wolfe, not X-5, so it seems likely that he could play out some form of the Zaniac plot this season. Regardless of Casal's true role in the show, though, he's an excellent multi-hyphenate artist whose past works deserve attention.

If X-5 looks familiar, it's likely you recognize Casal from "Blindspotting," a fantastic 2018 musical comedy-drama that he co-wrote with longtime creative partner Daveed Diggs (yes, of "Hamilton" fame). "Blindspotting" was a labor of love for Casal and Diggs, who also produced the film about two best friends living in Oakland, California whose lives are disrupted by the broken policing system. As serious as that sounds, "Blindspotting" is also laugh-out-loud funny, and Casal is a totally charming standout as hot-headed Miles.

The performer reprised the role for Starz's "Blindspotting" TV show, which ran for two seasons and was recently canceled. A criminally underseen hidden gem of a series, "Blindspotting" takes place after the film and puts the focus on Miles' girlfriend, Ashley Rose (Jasmine Cephas Jones), as she parents the pair's young mixed-race son in a racist world, all while Miles is behind bars. Despite his character's incarceration, Casal still appears in the show frequently and his hilarious, soulful character is a fan favorite. If you're looking for a thoughtful, entertaining, dynamic watch – or just want to see what Casal's made of – you can't do much better than either iteration of "Blindspotting."

The performer has also made a name for himself in other projects, including several collaborations with Diggs. A poet and rapper in addition to his acting creds, Casal appeared on three seasons of "Def Poetry Jam" on HBO, released a mixtape with Diggs in 2010, and contributed to the soundtracks for "Blindspotting," including in the catchy (and foulmouthed, fair warning) song "Easy Come, Easy Go." He reunited with Diggs in the acclaimed 2020 miniseries "The Good Lord Bird," a wild historical fiction series led by a fiery Ethan Hawke. Casal and Diggs even started a public theater project called Bars Medley, which remixed classic literature into musical performances.

Other on-screen works of Casal's include a supporting role in the 2019 Hugh Jackman flick "Bad Education" (he played the love interest of Jackman's closeted character) and a multi-episode turn in the "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" revival. Casal played a ringmaster named Mr. Tophat in the reboot of the classic, kid-friendly horror series. Next up, Casal is appearing in "Wildcat," a biography of Southern Gothic author Flannery O'Connor that's directed and co-written by Hawke. The X-5 actor plays a character in one of O'Connor's short stories in the movie, which premiered at Telluride but hasn't been released to the public yet.

Whether X-5 is a frustrated TVA employee, a secret evil entity, a movie actor, or something else entirely, it's exciting to see an artist as talented and versatile as Casal take the stage in a major Marvel series. You can catch his next moves on Disney+, where new episodes of "Loki" stream Thursdays at 9pm ET.

#rafael casal #loki

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mrs-johansson · 1 year

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Strangers in the night - Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

Part 10:

“What does it say?” I looked through the mirror at my agent Ester who had just found an article about Scarlett and me.

“The title is, Valentine’s Day meeting for Jojo Rabbit.” She read it out loud and I immediately rolled my eyes. “The pair met up on a very odd day, that being Valentine’s Day. Lady Bird actress Y/n Cole and pal Scarlett Johansson enjoyed dinner at Pablo’s Jazz Bar in Manhattan on the day of lovers. Sources say, the pair were having a great time, cozy with each other and they left together. It is known that Cole is directing her first movie Jojo Rabbit later this year, with Johansson as the starring actress.” “I feel like I can’t meet up with anyone anymore without having tabloids everywhere,” I murmured while looking at the first dress. Melanie, my stylist, held the dress’s skirt part as I turned around, facing Eater. “What do you think?” I asked, smoothing over the material. “Did you have to go out on Valentine’s Day?” She spread her arms.

Letting out a sigh I stepped back up to the podium in front of the mirror. “Let’s look at the next one,” I told Melanie and once we took the dress off and she left the room, I reached for my robe.

“It was just a friendly dinner. We’ve been talking a lot lately and we thought we should meet up before filming, getting to know each other. It was just a coincidence that it was Valentine’s Day.” “And how was it?”

How was it? It was amazing. I had the most fun of my life, and I’m just mesmerized by this woman.

“Great. We had fun.”

***

Scarlett🌷: how was the fitting?

me: it was fine, got the dress and the accessories so everything’s done

Scarlett🌷: can I get a sneak peek?😏

me: hmm… I promised didn’t I?😌

me: (let’s pretend it’s a picture)

Scarlett🌷: god if they don’t give you the award in this dress then I’ll be very upset

Scarlett🌷: you look stunning y/n

me: thank you❤️ but I don’t think I’m going to win

Scarlett🌷: why wouldn’t you? You did amazing

me: there’s meryl who even though has a 100 of them, she still gets them every single time

me: Margot who played a real person and let’s not even mention the rest

Scarlett🌷: and still you’re there because you did a spectacular job at such young age

me: I don’t know

Scarlett🌷: whatever happens, I’m proud of you and I think you should win💛

me: it means a lot Scar❤️

***

It’s been a week since our date and honestly I kind of miss her. Yes, we talk almost every day, but Rose got home this week and of course, I understand that she has less time for me, but we’re gonna meet this weekend.

And today my dad is staying till we go to Los Angeles and I told him I’ll pick him up from the airport. Usually, he says that he’ll just catch a taxi, but I wouldn’t want him to suffer through an hour drive with a stranger.

Mom doesn’t have time to visit, as usual, honestly, I’m not even disappointed anymore.

Waiting for dad at the parking lot I was just reading the Bombshell script trying to memorize my lines then the text from dad popped up, that he was here.

Stepping out of the car I looked around the parking lot, hoping to catch his tall figure.

Even though I made sure to put glasses and a baseball cap on, some people still let their eyes linger and two younger girls even came up to me. But they seemed nice.

“Hi, we wouldn’t want to bother you but we’re big fans of you, is there any chance we can take a picture?” The girl on the left asked with hopeful eyes, she was shy but the other one seemed more anxious.

I couldn’t say no, they were polite and respectful. “Of course, what’s your name?” I took my glasses off, so I don’t look like an asshole in the pictures, no offense, but I don’t like when famous people do that.

“I’m Ava and this is my sister Nora,” the same girl said and her sister smiled shyly, picking on her nails.

We took a couple of pictures and the girls asked me about Red Sparrow a little bit but I couldn’t tell them much of course. Mostly Ava was the one who was talking

“And you Nora? What’s your favorite movie?” I looked at her and her eyes widened, cheeks got tinted with color. She shifted in her place and uncrossed her arms. “I like Lady Bird. I just relate to her a lot and I think you’re amazing in it. I hope you get the Oscar,” she said and I smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

After a couple of minutes, my phone started ringing and I said goodbye to the girls and then took the call. “Hi honey, I just got out. Where are you?” Dad spoke. “I’m in the parking lot, you should see me if you come out on the A exit,” I kept looking that way then a couple of minutes later I saw his gray hair and waved to him which he thankfully saw.

***

“How was your flight?” “It was great, I got some work done,” dad said. “That’s great, what do you want for dinner?” “We can have takeout, you don’t have to cook.” “Are you sure?” I glanced at him and he nodded. “How’s mom?” I looked back at the road, watching the light turn green.

“She’s good, she says hi,” he said awkwardly. “Great.” “How are you? What have you been up to lately?” He quickly changed the topic.

“I’m good. I spend a lot of time with my friends a lot. Actually, this weekend, not sure if it's Saturday or Sunday, but I’ll have a friend coming over and it’s kind of new and I’m not sure if it’s time for you guys to meet yet…” “I’ll be gone for the day, don’t worry. Is it a guy or a girl?” I saw from the corner of my eyes that he was looking at me with a smirk. I glanced at him carefully then turned back. “A woman.” “Oh a woman, okay. Do I know her?” Dad asked with a teasing voice. “Probably,” I cleared my throat, already nervous about the whole conversation. “So she’s famous?” “Yeah, but it’s like really new. We only had one date so far,” I smiled shyly, trying to control my joy. “That's great, kid. And how was it?” “The best date I ever had. I don’t know, I feel like it’s already serious you know. And I really like her so I hope everything goes great.” Really hope it will, honest to God. She’s one of the best things that happened to me in the past couple of months.

“I’m glad Y/n. What’s she like?” “Well… She’s like a ray of sunshine, to be honest. She’s really funny and flirty and she makes me blush like all the time. She is uhm divorced and she has a daughter. She’s amazing really.” “A daughter?” The surprise in his voice. “Yeah, she’s three and she’s really cute.” “So she is older than you?” “Yeah, a little but it doesn’t bother me. She’s very intelligent and doesn’t really care about other people’s opinions, so she’s just… I don’t know, open-minded I guess.” “Maybe that’s what you need. I mean someone mature and seen the world.” “Okay, she’s not that much older, only by 8 years.” Furrowing my eyebrows, I pulled up to the driveway. “Oh, that’s not much. Will you tell me who it is?” Dad asked as we got out of the car.

“Hmm…” “Oh come on, you told me basically who she is, just not her name.” He got his suitcase from the back and I walked up to the door, unlocking the house. “You swear not to tell anyone though,” I watched as dad rolled the suitcase in, closed the door behind himself, and looked at me with big eyes.

“Swear on my mother’s grave,” he put his hand over his heart. “Especially not mom,” I took my coat off alongside my shoes. “Why can’t you just tell me? You know, you can trust me,” he spread his arms. He's right though.

“Okay… uhm,” nervously walking around the living room, I finally sat on the armrest of the couch. Dad stood at the living room door, on the edge for sure. “She’s a friend of Chris’s,” I started. “Okay…” I saw the wheels turning in his head. “It’s Scarlett Johansson…” I mumbled quietly, looking everywhere but at him. “Who?” Dad pushed his head forward, since I was so quiet. “Scarlett Johansson.”

He leaned to the door frame, crossing his arms. “Didn’t I raise you right?” “Oh my god…” I closed my eyes, hanging my head low. “What? She’s a very good-looking woman and she’s very successful. And from what you told me, she’s an amazing person. I’m proud of you, kid.” He walked up to me, wrapping me up in a big hug. “Thank you? I guess… but we’re not dating, you know?” “Yet! It seems like she’s got you wrapped around her finger pretty bad.” I smiled at his words and nodded. “She really does.”

***

In the next couple of days, we were at home mostly. Once or twice we went out to dinner or lunch or just walked around town for a while.

It was Friday night, Dad thought it was the perfect time to watch a movie after we had dinner. Opened a bottle of wine and settled down on the couch, watching a film of his choice.

“I don’t even like this guy,” I murmured as I watched Matt Damon on the screen. “Why not?” “Because he has an asshole face. I’ve never met him though.”

I’m not mean I swear, I just have people who I look at and I don’t like them, does that make sense?

My phone started buzzing next to me and I quickly reached for it to see that it was Scarlett. “I’ll be back,” I said as I was getting up from the couch, taking the call.

“Hi,” I said swiftly, really nervous about the call. Gosh, I felt my Palma being sweaty and I swear my heart was racing. “Hey, I just wanted to check if we’re still on for the weekend,” Scarlett spoke and I smiled like an idiot as soon as I heard her voice. “Yes, of course. Which day is better for you?” I fidgeted with my fingers anxiously, waiting for her answer. “Tomorrow is great if that’s alright for you.” “It is, yeah…” I felt the nerves linger through the phone call, neither of us knowing what to say.

Taking a sharp breath in, I had to break the silence. “I uhm… I miss you,” I bluntly stated and I felt like someone knocked all the air out of my lungs. I was so nervous and scared about how she was going to react but then she spoke. “I miss you too, darling. I honestly can’t wait to see you. It’s a shame you’ll leave for three months, I hope you won’t forget about me,” she said and I could imagine that smirk on her face that drives me oh so crazy. “Of you? Never. On the other hand, I hope you won’t forget about me, there are a lot of people who would like to get their hands on you…” I smirked, hoping to hear a good reaction. “Oh Y/n, no one compares to you. I met you for a reason and I’m throwing that away,” okay my heart just burst out of happiness and joy. “You’re making my ego so much bigger with this,” I chuckled shyly, feeling the heat creeping up my neck right to my cheeks. “You started this when you were screaming my name, don’t you remember?” Now, I was definitely blushing at that sentence and how she lowered her voice… god this woman. “Isn’t Rose there with you?” I cleared my throat. “No, she wanted to sleep over at my mom’s.” Oh wow, she’s so much. Of course, she’s doing this on purpose. “You’re something else, aren’t you?” I asked, walking up to my bedroom. “Don’t tell me you don’t like it,” yeah she’s just really good at this. Talks her way into my head then somewhere else… “I did not say that. Don’t put words in my mouth,” I grabbed some jeans from the wardrobe and started to get dressed. “I thought you liked having things in your mouth, but I guess I was wrong,” she sighed dramatically. “You’re hooked already wow… so desperate,” I murmured with a smirk. “You’re the one who’s already getting dressed, who’s desperate now?” How proud is she… but she’s right, I was almost out of the house. “This was your plan all along, don’t pretend it wasn’t,” I grabbed a leather jacket and walked downstairs. “Oh, it was.” “I know, I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” “Can’t wait.”

#gxg #scarlett johansson #scarlett johansson x you #scarlett johansson x reader #scarlett johansson x female reader #scarlett johansson imagines

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whatinthehale17 · 9 months

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I'm thinking about a new USWNT fanfic but with them in the Harry Potter world. It's a mix of all of my favorite players (most of them are from the 2019 world cup). I've been working on a one-shot for them but i might make it into like a little story. Here's one of the ideas-

Title- But your empty eyes seem to pass me by (Leaving me dancing with myself)

Summary- With the Yule Ball coming up, 4th years and above were desperate to find dates. That included Emily Sonnett and Kelley O'Hara. So, why not strike up a bet? Be the first one to find a date to the ball. If you lose, you have to do whatever the other wants for a whole week. Of course, both of them had someone in mind.

But, asking out that person was harder than each of them thought, seeing as they weren't the only ones interested. Now it was a race against the clock to not only ask them before the dance, but also ask them before someone else gets to them first. What could go wrong?

Ships/friendships- Emily Sonnett & Kelley O'Hara, Emily Sonnett & Rose Lavelle, Kelley O' Hara & Tobin Heath, Kelley O'Hara/Alex Morgan, Emily Sonnett/Lindsey Horan, Tobin Heath/Christen Press, Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger, Sam Kerr/Kristie Mewis, Sue Bird/Megan Rapinoe

I guess the world cup got me back into my USWNT obsession lmao.

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allpromarlo · 11 months

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since the important part of you (my mutuals) asked, here's rose oc wank: nfl edition

this is gonna get a lil unrealistic and of course if you (for some fuckn reason) have a problem with ocs for a real life sports league then GET OUUUTTTTT

n e ways

so i already spoilered some of the things this peculiar group of Sad Wet Men have to offer but i wanna start with the running back or as i (the name generator i ran through 437 times.) called him, duane cameron. he's a rb who got drafted in 2011 in the 2nd round bc i just can't let go of my senior citizens (terms and conditions apply i KNOW 34 isn't old) to the panthers. i don't know if they were actually in need of a rb at that time but fuck it they have one now and he's gorjus.

he's known cam (1st ovr pick yannooooo) since high school (after moving away from canada...but that's a whole thing i don't even wanna get into that) and when they got drafted to the same team cam was more enthralled by it than duane but hey he'll have to live w that now. no eli manning shenanigans you are STAYING THERE

n e ways he played for the panthers for a couple seasons and he was always in the top 10 rb conversations (from 2012 onwards bc the only thing people remember him for in 2011 is getting batista bombed by jj watt). he won opoy in 2014 for the first time and repeated in 2015. yk what also happened in 2015.

bc i am chronically living in the past and i'll never stand for the injustice that was dealt on that particular day in 2016, of course my 6'7 babygirl (don't question the dimensions. just Don't.) was the missing piece to the panthers super bowl and they do win that shit fuck you and your big ass forehead peyton. duane also wins sbmvp bc of his outlandish 377 yard performance (I FUCKING WARNED YOU) but you could expect that

n e ways after an easy repeat in 2016 (julio i wanted you to have this so bad but...the Narrative) and some drama in 2017 (mainly due to cam making the bail for no fucken reason) my boy finally hung up the boots in carolina and signed with the ravens because i am a biased little fangirlie and i want my team to have everything. he won the chip in 2019 w the murder birds and maybe sorta somewhat did it again in 2022 but shhhh

n e ways this was a LOT for just one guy and trust me he's the only one with that much history. movin tf on

so in my last post i did mention a 2nd oc who's a social experiment. well his name is ansis knight (that was NOT my idea btw i asked my brother to give me a name for a cornerback and this is what he came up with) and he's a social experiment in the sense that he's literally german. like his dad is american and everything but the dude grew up in Heidelberg, schönste Stadt im Land.

as i said he's a cb & plays for the eagles as of right now and he's very. idk. he's a dumbass and he does things he shouldn't do a lot of the time but Never On The Field. on the field he's the most annoying little bastard (especially for qbs bc for SOME FUCKING REASON he's everything everywhere all at once and they can't escape him) and wrs have a burning hatred for him (so do i). but off the field he's just this very Peculiar Personality and nobody knows what his deal is except amon-ra bc out of all the wrs he bothers every week amon-ra gets the most of it. you can imagine how he reacted when he saw his week 1 matchup last season

not a lot of history on him bc he's still fairly new but i'll just say he's my weirdest saddest wettest football guy and i love him very a lot

AND NOW. FOR THAT MOTHERFUCKER THAT WAS PART OF THE FUCKING NBA OC POST (which is so outdated by now you don't even know)

cole grAnt.

i'll take away first that he's shrunk a bit (6'10 is ENOUGH, jfc) and he's an edge rusher now which means he's the biggest menace to society the world has ever seen. he was drafted by the colts in the 6th round after a solid college season (UNDERDOG STORY RAAAAHHHHH) but they traded his ass to baltimore (eheh. hey) after an...interesting 2021 season. let me explain por favor

basically, he was tackled pretty fucking hard at one point (however hard you can hit a 6'10 dude who's built like a fucking wardrobe) and hit the ground awkwardly. @ the beginning he thought it was just a concussion and bc it was right ahead of bye week, he came back the next game. in THAT game tho he collapsed on the field and when they did a scan on his ass they found that a blood vessel exploded in his brain which caused intracranial hematoma (inner bleeding in the brain for all you non googlers). my man basically died for a second and he didn't play another game afterwards, but in 2022 he came back w a vengeance and he made joe burrow's life HELL in week 5 (and the wildcard game)

i don't know why i went THAT hard on cole's injury i just thought that i was coddling these men too hard and needed one of them to SUFFER. i mean duane already did for the duration of the 2018 season but i needed PHYSICAL SUFFERING i needed there to be BLOOD.

anyways that would be all i hope you understand at least some of it goodnight goodbye

@heyitswolfman pls accept my humble offering + apology i had some bs to deal w today so this comes late <3<3 sawry

#if this doesn't get any notes i'm deleting it next morning #you have till 7 am #now you're all familiar with my disaster children. thank u for ur attention #nfl #oc philosophies

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herstory5 · 1 year

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Shout out to: "Taja Lindley" for this beautiful, creative, captivating, visual imagery!!! This image speaks VOLUMES! Stay WOKE folks! https://www.tajalindley.com/thebagladymanifesta

“Bag Lady”

A song that is currently resonating in my mental space is by Erykah Badu, “Bag Lady”. There’s a section of the chorus that goes, “Bag lady, you gone hurt your back draggin’ all them bags like that.” Where oh where do I begin to unpack all of this mental and emotional baggage? Last week was the first week of my new African American studies course titled, “Sunken Place: Racism, Survival, and Black Horror Aesthetic.”

Films I've seen previously, like "Get Out," are being seen from a fresh perspective. The "rose-colored glasses" are no longer being worn. Professor Due gives us some insight on the origins of Black Horror, explaining that "it was a means to transfer real life traumas — fear and anger into a fictitious drama." I've always found it odd that I just cannot get enough of watching horror, even if it makes me cringe, squirm, increase my heartbeat, and stay awake at night with nightmares. Where does it come from? Professor Due made a statement claiming, "those who watch horror did better during the pandemic." As much as I'd want to, I just don't have time to fully unpack this statement. Yeah right, who am I am kidding, I can't wait to unpack this!

My mother abandoned my sister and me when I was just 5-years old. She left me and my sister in the care of our abusive, emotionally unstable, and often absentee father. My paternal grandmother took majority care of me and my sister until her health began to decline. She had adopted my father and his siblings from Germany, but that's a subject for another day. My sister and I were heading to school one day when we heard our grandmother's voice from a distance; upon turning around, we saw our disoriented and undressed grandmother (Nana) making her way up the street. Nana was exhibiting symptoms of dementia; I would learn later. When I was 11 years old, Nana passed. Those 6 years in-between the time of her death were very emotionally and mentally taxing on me and my sister. That was the beginning of the end for us. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2019, less than a year before the pandemic. Fast forward to the pandemic, and my mother succumbs to cancer. I felt abandoned once again. I have endured much trauma in my life.

A major part of my childhood from a young age I recall watching horror and thrillers with my mother, father, paternal grandmother, cousins, siblings etc. Television shows and films like, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock’s – The Birds, Psycho (all of them) and Rear Window, Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, The Shinning, Poltergeist, many…many Stephen King films; Carrie, The Shining, It (I’m still freaked out by clowns), Christine, Pet Cemetery, Misery, Cujo and soooooo many more. Every person in my family I listed above had experienced trauma. Due to the brain's inability to differentiate between fiction and reality, when I watch a horror movie, a component of my mind believes that "Freddy Krueger (for example)" is after me in real life. So, how exactly can watching horror help you decompress? Specifically, those of us with anxiety and trauma. It makes me think of my ancestors and how they were able to survive such inhumanity, such brutality. Once the mind has gone through several traumatic experiences, it strengthens and realizes that it is capable of surviving. Regardless how it may seem, horror films inform us that fear is not fatal. Therefore, those who watch horror and/or have endured traumatic events may have done much better during the pandemic. Without this course, I highly doubt I would have been able to conceptualize this.

When so much of life seems out our control, horror may help us recover and get control over our feelings. Black men are being executed unjustly, and no one is being held accountable, eerily similar to the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras. Women's rights to their bodies are being violated, with the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Black Horror is more than a cinematic feature; it is a daily lived reality for Blacks in AmeriKKKa.

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dansnaturepictures · 2 years

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04/09/2022-Peartree Green

We came here today to look for the Wryneck, we didn’t see it but did see a nice few birds. One of my favourites the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Flycatcher, a delightful few Willow Warblers, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit nicely again lately, a fair few Robins, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Magpie and Herring Gull. It was great to chat to fellow birdwatchers looking for it seeing someone we had met before who we had a good chat with.

There was a lovely decent sized group of Speckled Wood pretty butterflies to see with towards the end in a wooded area with one earlier in the walk too with Small White seen too. It was nice to see a bee here and possible flies too. There were some lovely plants about here with lovely chicory, nice purple flowers, wall rocket I believe some nice yellow ones I took the seventh picture in this photoset of some, a pretty lone pink and white restharrow as shown in the sixth picture I took in this photoset today, similarly coloured bindweed as shown in the second picture in this photoset, buddleia, ragwort and carrot key ones to see. There was a smashing selection of berries with a fair few about and shiny scarlet rose hips standing out with apples and blackberries seen too.

There were nice views here today. There had been a recent devastating fire here which I actually saw from Lakeside on a Friday evening walk so it was sad to see so much of it burnt out here today. But there was some encouraging small bits of green growth coming through and it was interesting to see burnt out vegetation next to bits untouched and apples on burnt out trees. Seeing views into Southampton including of St. Mary’s stadium as I did when here in 2019 was nice. We had been to this site in 2018, 2019 and 2020 for butterflies but only in a corner of it so it was nice to take the opportunity to explore it more today. In touches of sunshine lines of green trees sparkled in the light with small patches of yellow leaves visible. I took the third, fourth, fifth and eighth pictures in this photoset of views here today.

I enjoyed fuchsia and other flowers in the back garden and on the balcony today. I took the first picture in this photoset mostly focusing on the fuchsia before we left to go out this afternoon and the ninth of pretty colourful flowers in the garden in a great bit of sun when home. As the sun emerged nicely at times this evening when home I liked looking at and taking some photos of the smashing green leaves out the front which its nice to make the most of. I got the tenth and final picture in this photoset the nearest trees featuring in this look that bit lighter as they had yellow leaves in the “false autumn” which have since dropped off it was nice to look over to Lakeside when taking this too. The pink flowering of the steeplebush is making quite a comeback I noticed tonight out the front and the buddleia out the front seems to have a decent of amount of flowering possibly as a result of recent relief rain for the landscape with the rose hips looking good and nice and red as they are really starting to lately tucked in beside the buddleia. I liked seeing Goldfinch including lovely young ones including one being fed what a year I have had for young Goldfinches a key part of my best ever year for seeing and photographing young birds and House Sparrows again on the balcony feeders this evening. There were nice sky scenes at home tonight. I liked seeing black mullein on the way home too. Another great weekend, I hope you all have a good new week.

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xtruss · 2 months

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Polar bears are a common sight in the western Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada. Photograph By Roy Toft

Polar Bears are Trying to Adapt to a Warming Arctic. It’s Not Working.

The Bears Can’t Thrive on Land, a Concerning Discovery as Sea Ice Continues to Disappear at a Rapid Pace, a New Study Says

— By Stefan Lovgren | February 13, 2024

For the polar bears of Manitoba, Canada, the sea ice that envelops western Hudson Bay for most of the year is the ideal hunting ground for a feast of blubber-rich seals. But then come the dog days of summer, when the ice melts and the bears are forced onto land. There, life is no picnic for these giant creatures.

Deprived of adequate food supplies, the bears must live off their fat reserves for several months. Now, climate change is causing that wait to grow even longer, as warming temperatures melt the sea ice earlier in the spring and solidifies it later in the fall. The Arctic, research shows, is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. The question is: How will polar bears adapt to more time spent on land?

The answer, according to a new study published in Nature this week, is not very well. The study shows the carnivores forage for food, such as birds and berries, rather than resting, which is what scientists thought most bears did while on land. But the study also concludes that doing so causes the bears to spend as much extra energy as they gain from eating the food. During the study's three-week research period, bears lost an average of more than three pounds of weight each day while waiting for the ice to form again.

“There’s no winning strategy” for the bears, says study leader Anthony Pagano, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage, Alaska. “They will not be able to find the food they need on land.”

Forced to spend longer periods on land without sufficient food could cause vulnerable individuals, especially young bears, to suffer from starvation, scientists warn, eventually endangering the survival of entire populations.

With polar bears increasingly moving into new land spaces in search of food, dangerous confrontations with humans are also likely to increase, researchers say.

Today is International Polar Bear Day … and we are discovering how the animals (above) are adapting to a warming environment. In Manitoba, Canada, the sea ice that covers western Hudson Bay for most of the year serves as their hunting ground and haven. However, as the months become warmer and the ice melts, polar bears are forced to live longer periods of time with less food. Photograph By Norbert Rosing, National Geographic Image Collection

Surprisingly Active

Polar bears live in 19 regions across the Arctic, from Canada to Greenland to Russia. While some populations live on permanent ice, others inhabit seasonal ice. Climate change has caused ice loss to some degree in all the regions, leading to drastic population declines. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists polar bears as vulnerable to extinction.

Between 1979 and 2015, the length of time without ice in western Hudson Bay has risen by three weeks, according to the study. About 800 polar bears dwell in the western side of Hudson Bay, a decline of 30 percent since 1980. Those bears now spend an average of 130 days on land a year, a number expected to increase by 5 to 10 days per decade in the future.

To glean how the polar bears spend their time on land, Pagano and his team placed GPS-enabled video trackers on 20 Hudson Bay bears for three-week periods in the summers between 2019 and 2022. The scientists tracked the animals’ diet, movement, behavior, changes in body mass, and how much energy they exerted each day.

“Previously we only had snippets [of information] on what the bears do on land,” says Pagano, who led a similar study several years ago focusing on the bears’ activity on sea ice.

The behavior of the bears varied wildly. Three made long swims in open water, with one female swimming over a hundred miles. Video footage revealed the bear finding a dead beluga whale during her swim, but that she was unable to feed on it. “It highlighted how the bears are not able to eat in open water,” says Pagano.

He says the findings surprised him and his colleagues, who had thought polar bears mostly minimized their activity while on land to conserve energy.

While adult males did indeed spend almost all their time resting—reducing their energy expenditure on land to levels similar to hibernating bears—70 percent of the bears were shown to actively move around in search of food sources, which included berries, grasses, and bird and caribou carcasses. Those foods are far less energy rich than a seal's blubber.

Nineteen of 20 bears—regardless of age, sex, or size—lost weight.

The study predicts that a quarter of adult males, the largest and most resilient individuals that can weigh up to 1,700 pounds, would start running into starvation issues after 180 days on land. But more vulnerable individuals, such as young bears, would get to such a point far sooner.

Survival of the Fattest

Andrew Derocher, a Biology Professor at the University of Alberta in Canada who has long studied polar bears, points out that some individuals are in better shape than others.

“Some animals can go many, many months before they’re in trouble, while others may run out of energy in a matter of weeks,” says Derocher, who wasn't involved in the study. He says the fatter a bear is from the months of feeding on the sea ice, the better it can deal with the ice-free period. “I call it survival of the fattest,” he says.

With polar bears spending more time on land and actively moving about the landscape in search of food, “there’s an element of desperation that goes on with some of these individual bears that puts them into potential conflict with people."

In the past, the polar bears have usually come to shore and congregated near the town of Churchill in Manitoba, which has a long history of managing polar bears, including maintaining a holding facility known as “polar bear jail” where dangerous bears are held before being relocated far from town.

But there are now signs that more polar bears may be migrating farther north in search of sea ice, potentially moving into communities that are nowhere near as well set up to deal with problem bears as Churchill is.

“These bears may smell some dog food and go right in,” says Derocher. “It’s not like they want to feed on our garbage. They want to go out on the ice and start hunting seals. But increasingly they’re stuck on land.”

#Polar Bear 🐻‍❄️ | Climate Change | Ice Sheets | Polar Regions | Predators #Stefan Lovgren #National Geographic

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 5 months

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Love is a Rose

by queenssaviour Harley can see herself with Bruce, although his most attractive quality to her must be the childhood trauma that's followed him all the way into his adult life. That’s her type, damaged guys and smart… Girls. Harley’s eyes land on the hottest, most gorgeous woman she’s seen all night. Red hair, green eyes, a beautiful smile as she talks to another gorgeous woman holding a glass. Harley feels really fucking dumb, but she can’t stop staring. Her eyes go from the woman’s silky dress hanging at her hips to the ample amount of cleavage it shows. She must be at least a head taller than Harley, although she seems to be wearing heels. And her fingers? The way her long elegant fingers with short, crimson red nails hold on to the champagne glass she’s holding? Bruce Wayne can go home. *** OR: Two women walk into the Bachelor villa and they (gasp) FALL IN LOVE? Written for the HarlivyWeek prompts Alternate Universe (Day 1) & Flowers/Firsts (Day 5) (No previous knowledge about the Bachelor is needed.) Words: 2263, Chapters: 1/10, Language: English Series: Part 4 of My Harlivy Week Works Fandoms: Harley Quinn (Cartoon 2019), Harley Quinn (Comics), Poison Ivy (Comics), Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), Batman - All Media Types, DCU Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/F Characters: Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley, Selina Kyle, Bruce Wayne, Dinah Lance, Helena Bertinelli, Lena Luthor, Kara Zor-El, Zatanna Zatara, Diana (Wonder Woman), Katana (Character), Nia Nal, Mera (DCU), Felicity Smoak, Amanda Waller, Tawny Young Relationships: Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel Additional Tags: AU, the bachelor - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Eventual Smut, Bisexual Harleen Quinzel, Lesbian Pamela Isley, Bisexual Selina Kyle, A lot of bisexuality via https://ift.tt/BfTaj8Q

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

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brookston · 8 months

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Holidays 8.30

Holidays

Barberry Day (French Republic)

Constitution Day (Kazakhstan, Turks and Caicos Islands)

Frankenstein Day

Fred Hampton Day (Illinois)

Gai Jatra (Cow Festival, in remembrance of people who died the previous year; Kathmandu Valley, Nepal)

Huey P. Long Day (Louisiana)

International Day of the Disappeared

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (UN)

International Missy Barratt Day (Aenopia)

International Puma Day

International Whale Shark Day

Manu Ginobili Day (Texas)

Motel Day (Colombia)

National Beach Day

National Bite People Who Annoy You Day

National Black Beauty Founders Day

National Grief Awareness Day

National Harper Day

National Holistic Pet Day

National Small Industry Day (India)

Onam begins (India) [thru 9.8]

Pinaglabanan Day (Philippines)

Popular Consultation Day (East Timor)

Rowboat Day

Saint Rose of Lima’s Day (Peru)

Slinky Day

Talk Intelligently Day

Victory Day (Turkey)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Cabernet Sauvignon Day

National Mai Tai Day

National Toasted Marshmallow Day

New England Apple Day

5th & Last Wednesday in August

La Tomatina (world's biggest food fight; Bunol, Spain) [Last Wednesday]

National Meals on Wheels Day (Australia) [Last Wednesday]

Tug-of-War Day [Last Wednesday]

Willing-To-Lend-A-Hand Wednesday [Wednesday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Independence Days

Ashoka (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Kohlandia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Leylandiistan & Gurvata (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Tatarstan (from Russia, 1990) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Agilus (a.k.a. Aile; Christian; Saint)

Alexander of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)

Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster (Christian; Blessed)

Anne Line, Margaret Ward & Margaret Clitherow (Christian; Saints)

Black (Positivist; Saint)

Candle in a Wine Bottle Day (Pastafarian)

Charisteria (Charis, Goddess of Mercy; Old Roman Thanksgiving)

Day of Satisfying the Hearts of the Ennead (Nine Major Gods; Ancient Egypt)

Eustáquio van Lieshout (Christian; Blessed)

Stephen Nehmé, Blessed (Maronite Church / Catholic Church)

Charles Chapman Grafton (Episcopal Church)

Fantinus (Christian; Saint)

Felix and Adauctus (Christian; Martyrs)

Festival of Charisteria (Day to Give Thanks; Ancient Rome)

Fiacre (Christian; Saint)

Full Moon [9th of the Year] (a.k.a. ...

Autumn Moon (Traditional)

Barley Moon (Alternate, England, Wicca)

Binara Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Chrysanthemum Moon (China)

Chusok (Harvest Festival; South Korea)

Corn Moon (Amer. Indian, Traditional)

Falling Leaves Moon (Traditional)

Fruit Moon (North America)

Han’gawi (Harvest Festival; North Korea)

Harvest Festival (Full Moon closest to Equinox)

Harvest Moon (Amer. Indian, Colonial, Neo-Pagan, Traditional)

Moon of Brown Leaves (Traditional)

Mulberry Moon (Choctaw)

Navajo Sing Festival (Navajo)

Nut Moon (Cherokee)

Singing Moon (Celtic)

Southern Hemisphere: Crow, Lenten, Sap, Sugar, Worm

Storm Moon (South Africa)

Taw Thalin Full Moon (Myanmar)

Wise-Crone Moon (Native American)

Zhongqiu (a.k.a. Chong Chao; China)

Isaac Levitan (Artology)

Jacques Louis David (Artology)

Jeanne Jugan (Christian; Saint)

Narcisa de Jesús (Christian; Saint)

Pammachius (Christian; Saint)

The Pullover Sweater (Muppetism)

Robert Crumb (Artology)

Rose of Lima (Christian; Saint)

Santa Rosa de Lima Day (Peru)

Third Onam (Rice Harvest Festival, Day 3; Kerala, India)

Thor Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 16 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [16 of 24]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [39 of 60]

Premieres

Anna Karenina (Film; 1935)

Bad Girl, by The Miracles (Song; 1959)

Beer (Film; 1985)

A Bird in a Guilty Cage (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Carnival Row (TV Series; 2019)

Dance, Girl, Dance (Film; 1940)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV Series; 2019)

Emma (Film; 1996)

Flesh + Blood (Film; 1985)

The Good Girl (Film; 2002)

Heart-Shaped Box, by Nirvana (Song; 1993)

Hey Jude, by The Beatles (Song; 1968) [1st Apple Records release]

Highway 61 Revisited, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Kravn the Hunter (Film; 2023)

The Late Show with David Letterman (Talk Show; 1993)

Medúlla, by Björk (Album; 2004)

Music of the Sun, by Rihanna (Album; 2005)

Santana, by Carlos Santana (Album; 1969)

Side to Side, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2016)

State Fair (Film; 1945)

Surf’s Up, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1971)

Top Hat (Film; 1935)

What Happened to Monday (Film; 2017)

Today’s Name Days

Felix, Herbert, Rebekka (Austria)

Aleksandar, Aleksandra (Bulgaria)

Didak, Margarita, Petar (Croatia)

Vladěna (Czech Republic)

Albert, Benjamin (Denmark)

Emil, Meljo, Mello, Miljo (Estonia)

Eemeli, Eemi, Eemil (Finland)

Fiacre (France)

Alma, Felix, Heribert, Rebekka (Germany)

Alexandra, Alexandros, Evlalios, Filakas (Greece)

Rózsa (Hungary)

Donato, Fantino (Italy)

Alija, Alvis, Jolanta (Latvia)

Adauktas, Augūna, Gaudencija, Kintenis (Lithuania)

Ben, Benjamin (Norway)

Adaukt, Częstowoj, Gaudencja, Miron, Rebeka, Róża, Szczęsna, Szczęsny, Tekla (Poland)

Ružena (Slovakia)

Íngrid, Pedro (Spain)

Albert, Albertina (Sweden)

Raisa, Rhoda, Rosa, Rosabelle, Rosalie, Rosalind, Rosalinda, Roseanne, Rose, Rosemary, Rosetta, Rosie (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 242 of 2024; 123 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 35 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Geng-Shen), Day 15 (Geng-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Elul 5783

Islamic: 13 Safar 1445

J Cal: 2 Aki; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 17 August 2023

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 18 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Black]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 70 of 94)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 9 of 32)

#calendar #Holidays

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brookstonalmanac · 8 months

Text

Holidays 8.30

Holidays

Barberry Day (French Republic)

Constitution Day (Kazakhstan, Turks and Caicos Islands)

Frankenstein Day

Fred Hampton Day (Illinois)

Gai Jatra (Cow Festival, in remembrance of people who died the previous year; Kathmandu Valley, Nepal)

Huey P. Long Day (Louisiana)

International Day of the Disappeared

International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (UN)

International Missy Barratt Day (Aenopia)

International Puma Day

International Whale Shark Day

Manu Ginobili Day (Texas)

Motel Day (Colombia)

National Beach Day

National Bite People Who Annoy You Day

National Black Beauty Founders Day

National Grief Awareness Day

National Harper Day

National Holistic Pet Day

National Small Industry Day (India)

Onam begins (India) [thru 9.8]

Pinaglabanan Day (Philippines)

Popular Consultation Day (East Timor)

Rowboat Day

Saint Rose of Lima’s Day (Peru)

Slinky Day

Talk Intelligently Day

Victory Day (Turkey)

Food & Drink Celebrations

International Cabernet Sauvignon Day

National Mai Tai Day

National Toasted Marshmallow Day

New England Apple Day

5th & Last Wednesday in August

La Tomatina (world's biggest food fight; Bunol, Spain) [Last Wednesday]

National Meals on Wheels Day (Australia) [Last Wednesday]

Tug-of-War Day [Last Wednesday]

Willing-To-Lend-A-Hand Wednesday [Wednesday of Be Kind to Humankind Week]

Independence Days

Ashoka (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Kohlandia (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Leylandiistan & Gurvata (Declared; 2014) [unrecognized]

Tatarstan (from Russia, 1990) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Agilus (a.k.a. Aile; Christian; Saint)

Alexander of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox)

Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster (Christian; Blessed)

Anne Line, Margaret Ward & Margaret Clitherow (Christian; Saints)

Black (Positivist; Saint)

Candle in a Wine Bottle Day (Pastafarian)

Charisteria (Charis, Goddess of Mercy; Old Roman Thanksgiving)

Day of Satisfying the Hearts of the Ennead (Nine Major Gods; Ancient Egypt)

Eustáquio van Lieshout (Christian; Blessed)

Stephen Nehmé, Blessed (Maronite Church / Catholic Church)

Charles Chapman Grafton (Episcopal Church)

Fantinus (Christian; Saint)

Felix and Adauctus (Christian; Martyrs)

Festival of Charisteria (Day to Give Thanks; Ancient Rome)

Fiacre (Christian; Saint)

Full Moon [9th of the Year] (a.k.a. ...

Autumn Moon (Traditional)

Barley Moon (Alternate, England, Wicca)

Binara Full Moon Poya Day (Sri Lanka)

Chrysanthemum Moon (China)

Chusok (Harvest Festival; South Korea)

Corn Moon (Amer. Indian, Traditional)

Falling Leaves Moon (Traditional)

Fruit Moon (North America)

Han’gawi (Harvest Festival; North Korea)

Harvest Festival (Full Moon closest to Equinox)

Harvest Moon (Amer. Indian, Colonial, Neo-Pagan, Traditional)

Moon of Brown Leaves (Traditional)

Mulberry Moon (Choctaw)

Navajo Sing Festival (Navajo)

Nut Moon (Cherokee)

Singing Moon (Celtic)

Southern Hemisphere: Crow, Lenten, Sap, Sugar, Worm

Storm Moon (South Africa)

Taw Thalin Full Moon (Myanmar)

Wise-Crone Moon (Native American)

Zhongqiu (a.k.a. Chong Chao; China)

Isaac Levitan (Artology)

Jacques Louis David (Artology)

Jeanne Jugan (Christian; Saint)

Narcisa de Jesús (Christian; Saint)

Pammachius (Christian; Saint)

The Pullover Sweater (Muppetism)

Robert Crumb (Artology)

Rose of Lima (Christian; Saint)

Santa Rosa de Lima Day (Peru)

Third Onam (Rice Harvest Festival, Day 3; Kerala, India)

Thor Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 16 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [16 of 24]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [39 of 60]

Premieres

Anna Karenina (Film; 1935)

Bad Girl, by The Miracles (Song; 1959)

Beer (Film; 1985)

A Bird in a Guilty Cage (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Carnival Row (TV Series; 2019)

Dance, Girl, Dance (Film; 1940)

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV Series; 2019)

Emma (Film; 1996)

Flesh + Blood (Film; 1985)

The Good Girl (Film; 2002)

Heart-Shaped Box, by Nirvana (Song; 1993)

Hey Jude, by The Beatles (Song; 1968) [1st Apple Records release]

Highway 61 Revisited, by Bob Dylan (Album; 1965)

Kravn the Hunter (Film; 2023)

The Late Show with David Letterman (Talk Show; 1993)

Medúlla, by Björk (Album; 2004)

Music of the Sun, by Rihanna (Album; 2005)

Santana, by Carlos Santana (Album; 1969)

Side to Side, by Ariana Grande (Song; 2016)

State Fair (Film; 1945)

Surf’s Up, by The Beach Boys (Song; 1971)

Top Hat (Film; 1935)

What Happened to Monday (Film; 2017)

Today’s Name Days

Felix, Herbert, Rebekka (Austria)

Aleksandar, Aleksandra (Bulgaria)

Didak, Margarita, Petar (Croatia)

Vladěna (Czech Republic)

Albert, Benjamin (Denmark)

Emil, Meljo, Mello, Miljo (Estonia)

Eemeli, Eemi, Eemil (Finland)

Fiacre (France)

Alma, Felix, Heribert, Rebekka (Germany)

Alexandra, Alexandros, Evlalios, Filakas (Greece)

Rózsa (Hungary)

Donato, Fantino (Italy)

Alija, Alvis, Jolanta (Latvia)

Adauktas, Augūna, Gaudencija, Kintenis (Lithuania)

Ben, Benjamin (Norway)

Adaukt, Częstowoj, Gaudencja, Miron, Rebeka, Róża, Szczęsna, Szczęsny, Tekla (Poland)

Ružena (Slovakia)

Íngrid, Pedro (Spain)

Albert, Albertina (Sweden)

Raisa, Rhoda, Rosa, Rosabelle, Rosalie, Rosalind, Rosalinda, Roseanne, Rose, Rosemary, Rosetta, Rosie (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 242 of 2024; 123 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 35 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Coll (Hazel) [Day 23 of 28]

Chinese: Month 7 (Geng-Shen), Day 15 (Geng-Shen)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 13 Elul 5783

Islamic: 13 Safar 1445

J Cal: 2 Aki; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 17 August 2023

Moon: 100%: Full Moon

Positivist: 18 Gutenberg (9th Month) [Black]

Runic Half Month: Rad (Motion) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 70 of 94)

Zodiac: Virgo (Day 9 of 32)

#Holidays

0 notes

greensparty · 11 months

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Album Reviews: Hollywood Vampires / Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys In The Campfire / Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

This week I got to review three high-profile rock albums being released this week. No not the new Foo Fighters album (stay tuned for my thoughts on that), but three albums with band member who have quite a few albums in my collection:

Hollywood Vampires Live in Rio

Around 2012, Alice Cooper formed a super group with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Johnny Depp, the Hollywood Vampires. The name was a clear reference to the 70s group of Hollywood drinking buddies Cooper was a part of. The group released a self-titled album in 2015 filled with mostly cover songs and loads of guest stars. I included it in my Best Albums of the 2010s list. In 2019 they released Rise, which was all originals. Due to the band members busy schedules they don’t tour or record as frequent as one would hope. This week they were supposed to play a rare Boston show and it was postponed to late July. Fortunately to hold me over until that show, they are releasing a CD and DVD live album Live in Rio of a 2015 live concert they did at Rock In Rio for 100,000 fans. The main three are joined by Tommy Henriksen (he’s a frequent collaborator of Cooper’s). Much like the albums, there’s special guest appearances at the concert featuring Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses), Matt Sorum (GNR and Velvet Revolver), Zak Starkey (The Who) and more.

album cover

For this review I got to hear the album, but not the DVD. But even with audio only, you can hear this band holding court for a stadium full of fans. The set is very heavy on covers (from their peers like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, John Lennon and more) and Alice Cooper standards, but it’s worth picking up if you’re not an expert because of how this super-group interprets the covers. It really is a meeting of the minds to hear these three come together and play off each other. I’m a super-huge Joe Perry fan and he it having a ball covering rock classics here, but best of all is the Aerosmith standard “Train Kept a Rollin’” (originally by Tiny Bradshaw). Can’t wait until I get to see this band live now!

For info on Hollywood Vampires: https://www.hollywoodvampires.com/

3.5 out of 5 stars

Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire Wronger

Tommy Stinson has long been a secret weapon in rock and roll! His band The Replacements were one of the all-time great alternative rock bands ever (one could argue they inspired the alt-rock movement of the 90s). After The Replacements (or The Mats for short), he has been in some big and small musical endeavors. He joined Guns N’ Roses from 1998 to 2014, replacing Duff McKagen on bass, for the Chinese Democracy era of GNR. He was also an on-again off-again member of Soul Asylum from 2005 to 2012. He has also had various other musical endeavours included his short-lived band Bash & Pop, who reunited in 2016 (read my review of their 2017 album Anything Could Happen and their 2017 Boston concert). Now Stinson is back with a new project with Chip Roberts, Tommy Stinson’s Cowboys in the Campfire and their debut album Wronger drops today from Cobraside.

album cover

This is kind of different from a lot of Stinson’s previous bands. There’s always been an element of folk, country and Americana sounds in his music, but here it is on full display. Ironically, it reminded me a ton of his former Replacement bandmate Paul Westerberg’s solo work. The name is fitting because in some cases it’s just a few guys playing by a campfire. This might not have the drunken rockers that Stinson is known for with Mats and Bash & Pop, but in terms of flexing his musical muscles and showing his range, he’s more than exceeded expectations. At times it felt like a 50s or 60s pop country album. Way back around 1996, I saw Westerberg in some interview and he said of his Eventually album (paraphrasing) “Pick it up and give it a chance. If you don’t like it, put it away for 5 years and listen again. I’m sure you’ll like it by that time.” That’s kind of my feeling about this Wronger album. It’s good, but with time it might be even better.

For info on Tommy Stinson’s CITC: https://www.tommystinson.com/

3.5 out of 5 stars

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Council Skies

Since the 2009 break-up of Oasis, there’s been a few releases including the live album Knebworth 1996 and the 25th anniversary edition of Be Here Now. Both of those served as reminders of what a great band Oasis was back in the day. As everyone hopes that the fighting Gallagher brothers Noel and Liam make up and reform the band, that has yet to happen and both have had their own musical endeavors. Liam has actually surprised everyone with some solid albums like As You Were. Noel, who was the chief songwriter and leader of Oasis but not the singer, formed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Expectations have been high for that band, but their albums have been mixed. The band’s first new album in over 5 years Council Skies drops today from Sour Mash.

album cover

Up until this point, the High Flying Birds have had moments of greatness, but mostly it’s felt like more of the same from lesser Oasis albums. I am super happy to report that the new album is not only the band’s best album yet but Noel’s best non-Oasis work too. Noel’s brand of Britpop is on full display here and the band really is trying a lot harder than they have on previous albums. While we all hope for an Oasis reunion (well, let me clarify that - a Gallagher brothers reunion since they are the only constants from start to finish of Oasis), this is about the best Noel has delivered since then! Amen!

For info on Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: https://www.noelgallagher.com/

4 out of 5 stars

#album reviews #hollywood vampires #joe perry #Alice Cooper #johnny depp #tommy henriksen #tommy stinson #tommy stinson's cowboys in the campfire #noel gallagher #noel gallagher's high flying birds #music nerd

0 notes

fictionzsurveys · 2 years

Text

**Blue Survey**

💙 What are three things you like that are blue? : My water bottle, train card, and the short story “Blue Roses.”

😱 What are three things that have shocked you? : The backslide in rights for women in the United States, housing prices, and gas prices.

🥶 What are three of your favorite ways to warm up when you're freezing cold? : A jacket, warm water from the tap, and a room heater.

😰 What is one sad song that you enjoy listening to? : Too many. The lullaby in Pan’s Labyrinth really gets me or Iroh’s song about his son.

🦋 Do you like butterflies? : Sure.

🧢 Do you ever wear baseball caps? : I used to, but not anymore. I read about men wearing baseball caps to protect against the sun but they leave their ears exposed and get skin cancer on the tops of their ears. So now I prefer a hat with a brim if I need to keep the sun at bay.

🐟 What do you think is a good name for a fish? : Bloseph.

🐠 Have your ever taken swimming lessons? : Yep, my mom took us all to swimming lessons when we were kids. No idea if I can recall how to swim now but hopefully it’s like riding a bike.

🐬 Would you ever want to swim with dolphins? : Nope.

📚 Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? : Fiction.

🚙 Have you ever driven a blue car? : Yep, my old Nissan Versa.

🐳 Name three things you associate with water.: The water tribe, Juan de Fuca Strait, and life.

🥏 Have you ever played frisbee?: Pretty sure.

👥 If you have a significant other, what is his/her name? : Do not.

🦕 Do you believe that dinosaurs are extinct, or do you think they actually exist still and teachers/scientists are lying to us? : They’re long gone, unless you think birds are another type of dinosaur, then they’re all over the place.

🅿️ What are three things in your room that starts with a "P"? : I’m not there now, but pillow, pleather, and pink carrying case for SD cards.

🔵 What is your favorite shade of blue? : Neon.

🏃‍♀️ Do you like to run? : I’m coming around to the idea.

♿️ Have you ever had to use a wheelchair? : Nope.

👖 Do you prefer jeggings or skinny jeans?: Jeans.

👮‍♀️ Have you ever been pulled over by a cop? : Yep.

🈳 What are three things you have done that you hope to never do again? : Get into a position where someone wants to be my friend (or more) and I lead them on because I can’t tell them “no,” get into debt, own a gas car.

👤 Do you like to remain anonymous on the internet? : Sometimes.

👕 Do you own any polo shirts? : Nope.

👔 What was the last formal or semi-formal event that you went to? : An award show in 2019 that required a tux.

🥣 When was the last time you ate cereal? : Whoof, no idea. A while.

🌐 Have you ever been to Disney's Epcot? : Nope.

🔹 Name three things that the word "diamond" makes you think of.: Bar, -back snake, necklace

🌀 Do you like to draw swirly symbols?: Not particularly.

🧞‍♂️ What are three things you would change about your life if you could?: Be satisfied with less.

🧞‍♂️ What are three things you would change about your body if you could? : Nothing, I’m just glad I got healthier.

🧵 Have you ever embroidered something?: Nope.

🔷 What is your least favorite shade of blue? : Cornflower.

🎽 Were you ever on a track team, and if so, what was your favorite part of track (sprinting, long distance running, pole vault, long jump, hurdles, etc.)? : Nope.

📘 What was your favorite subject in elementary school? : Whatever involved reading stories.

🟦 Name someone you know who's favorite color is blue.: No idea.

🪣 Do you own a blue bucket? : Nope.

🫐 Do you like to eat blueberries by themselves, or do you only like them in things (such as blueberry bagels)? : In things.

🏧 When was the last time you used an ATM machine? : A few weeks back I think to grab a twenty.

🛋 What color is your living room couch? : Brown.

🪁 Have you ever flown a kite, and if yes, what did you think of it? : I think so. It was tough.

🛗 Have you ever been stuck in an elevator? : Nope.

🖌 What was the last thing you painted? : A horse mask to make it look like BoJack Horseman.

🫂 Who was the last person who gave you a hug?: Probably my mom or one of my brothers.

🐋 Do you like to swim? : I would if I had a private pool. I’m not comfortable being in water around people.

🚎 What are three things you like about going on vacation? : Planning, exploring, eating.

🩱 Would you rather swim laps or tread water? : Tread water.

🏳️‍⚧️ Name one person you know who identifies as transgender. : H.

🏳️‍⚧️ Have you ever questioned your gender? : Nope.

👩🏿‍🔧 When was the last time you had to call a mechanic? : January 2020.

👨‍🎤 Have you ever dyed your hair blue? : Nope.

🥿Do you own a pair of blue shoes? : Nope.

🫃Who's one person you know who is currently pregnant? : No one I can think of.

🙆‍♂️ What is one song you like that has motions to it? : Ke$ha’s “Take It Off.”

🙋‍♂️ Do/did you often raise your hand in class in school? : When I was a kid more than when I was a teenager.

💇‍♂️Do you need a haircut? : When I shave it off every other day.

👕 Are you wearing a blue shirt? : Nope.

🌎 Have you ever wished you'd been born on another planet? : Nope.

❄️ What is your favorite thing to do in the snow? : Watch it fall.

💧Do you drink enough water? : Never enough.

💦 Do you enjoy rainy days?: Yep. Some of my favorite days were rainy.

🌊 Have you ever swam in the ocean? : Yep. It’s not for humans.

🧊 Have you ever slipped and fallen on the ice?: Yep. I walked out of my apartment, slipped on icy concrete, went back inside, and emailed work to tell them “nope.”

🛝 What were three of your favorite things to do at recess as a kid? : Probably monkey bars or something.

🎣 Do you like to eat fish? : If it’s not bony.

⛹️‍♂️ Who's your favorite basketball star?: Charles Barkley in the Clerks animated series.

🎭 What's your favorite musical? : Phantom’s good (yeah, basic).

✈️ Where was the last place you flew on a plane? : San Jose.

💺 Have you ever flown first class? : Yep. They moved me there when seats were all taken.

🛸 Do you want to see a flying saucer? : Sure.

⛴ What cruise ships have you been on? : None.

🗺 What are three countries you don't really have any interest in visiting? : Uh... Laos, Estonia, Venezuela.

💎 What pieces of jewelry are you wearing right now? : None.

🧿 Do you like to play Uno? : Not particularly.

🩻 What was the last x-ray you had? : Dental.

📫 Have you ever watched Blue's Clues? : Nope.

💤 Do you like to sleep? : Sure.

Ⓜ️ What are three things you like that start with an "M"?: Majora’s Mask, melancholy music, Mitski.

💠 Do you like to make lists? : You must be new.

🔠 Did you go to morning or afternoon kindergarten? : Morning.

🆓 What is one thing you've gotten for free on your birthday? : I think I get a free popcorn from AMC.

🇬🇷 Have you ever been to Greece? : Nope.

🇬🇷 Do you like Greek yogurt? : Sure.

And last but not least...did you like this survey? : A few weirdly phrased questions, but we made it.

#survey #source #lovemesomesurveys

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