#you know guillermo loves abba. you know it

[justenjoythegossip]

THE CONTINUING DISASTROUS PR STRATEGY REGARDING CHRIS AND ABBA’S “RELATIONSHIP”

The PR strategy regarding Chris and Abba has been a disaster, even before they even debuted their “relationship” officially with their first papwalk in NY. It has failed on almost every level. Maybe not for the brands that have been sponsoring their relationship, we would need their numbers to know for sure. But this PR strategy has been a disaster and utter failure for them either as a “couple” or for them as individuals. 

The discrepancy between a product and the marketing strategy…

Let’s say you want to sell junk food from a fast food chain. You do need to find a positive angle to sell your product. You can say you have diversified and created healthier options. What you can’t do is to sell your product by saying it’s the most nourishing and healthiest food on the planet. The disconnect between what you are presenting and reality is so great that you lose all credibility to the point of absolute ridicule. You need to know your product, you need to know your brand identity and then look for every possible ways to present it in a positive light. This is what a PR spin is set out to do. And this explains why this “RS” has been such a failure for both Chris and Abba from a PR perspective. This RS hasn’t been on brand for either of them, and the way it has been marketed differs way too much from reality…

Not on brand for Chris…

During an interview with costar ADA, Chris once got very irritated with a journalist who mentioned his brand. But there is little doubt he was being disingenuous about it because he is very well aware of his brand. He is someone who is “shrewd” according to costar RDJ and who lurks around on SM to see what is being written about him. He knows his brand consisted of being Captain America, the perfect internet boyfriend and the loving dog dad. And it’s no coincidence that every single time he was being called out for something questionable he did, he posted his dog Dodger as damage control. 

It has been discussed enough as it is so I won’t go into the various reasons why his “relationship” with Abba is not on brand for him. 

But we can wonder whether this unlikely pairing for him was done on purpose in an effort to rebrand him. And indeed since Endgame, he has expressed his interest in playing bad guys in an apparent effort to show his range. And he seems to have specialized in more villainous parts:  Ransom in Knives out, Lloyd in the Gray Man, shady Pete in Pain Hustlers. He was also supposed to play the evil dentist in Little Shop of Horrors. 

But his team has sent mixed signals in this strategy to distance himself from his famous alter ego, as he keeps mentioning Captain America every chance he gets. It’s difficult to know why. Did this strategy fail in getting him the opportunities he wanted or expected? Did their strategy of rebranding him work a little too well? What we do know is that he keeps referring to the part he is most recognizable for, how precious his sendoff is to him, if he plans on coming back and so forth…

Not on brand for Abba…

Some mods have discussed Abba’s latest interview, called on her obvious bullshit and how her words and actions don’t match. Personally I am not interested in promoting her or even discussing her more than I have to. Especially since I am not too keen on giving her or her team ideas on how to better market herself. So I won’t…

Chris and Abba Baptiste are not a private and/or popular couple…

The narrative they are selling that they are such a private and famous couple just doesn’t fly. Their latest stunt with the alleged dinner with two other famous couples was ridiculous at best. They didn’t sell the “happy loving couple” part with their staged and awkward PDA, and the “private and popular” part was even less believable. The intervention of Chris’ bodyguard Guillermo was hilarious as if they were rock stars who needed protection from the frenzy of their many fans. Please… It seemed that there was no one out there, except the paps they called themselves (Backgrid) and I guess the valet who parked their borrowed car.

Again what they are selling is so far from the actual truth that it has done nothing but bring shame and ridicule upon them.

Private couples don’t breadcrumb their RS on SM, they don’t debut their RS via a staged and bad papwalk on the day of their show debut, they don’t have articles about their valentines’ cringy pics and videos before they are even posted and I could go on and on and on…

Chris and Abba are not private individuals either…

I think it has been well established that Abba is neither private nor shy. Someone who posts a shower porn on their Insta just isn’t. 

But neither is Chris. I am not even talking about the fact that he leaked his own privates. One could argue he did it accidentally. But even if that’s true, he leaked his own nudes because he was trying to share a private video of game night. Chris is someone who has used his family, his friends, his beloved dog and charities he works with in his PR games for the longest of times, he has called the paps on himself, he has shared the most intimate details about himself such as when he lost his virginity and so on… The truth is that he has been more than willing to use his private life to advertise himself. Saying you are private and being private are two very different things. 

And that’s part of the reason why Chris has faced such a strong backlash from his very devoted and loyal fans since the beginning of this shitshow. The disconnect between his brand and what he is currently presenting to the public is just far too great. And this disconnect has created a lot of anger and resentment in his fandom. That’s why we can safely assume that this PR strategy hasn’t served his best interest… 

This PR shitshow has failed Abba as well big time and will continue to do so…

Of course, Abba is not blameless in the fact she hasn’t benefited from these PR games. She and her entourage have trolled Chris’ fandom who in return exposed her. 

Also her whole attitude, her lack of professionalism/work ethic and her very problematic personality were hurdles that would have been impossible to overcome for anyone. 

But she was unlikely to benefit from the charade anyway because Chris isn’t the household name he once was. Especially outside of Marvel. If people have any doubt about this, they should watch the show Billy Eichner did with Chris. It was telling. 

Abba Baptiste… Alba Baptista sorry is still a no-name despite having had trillion articles written about her (about her being this great humanitarian, about her being almost abducted, about her eyebrows and so on). Because being the “wife” of an actor known for having been Captain America was never going to be her golden ticket to Hollywood. She had to put in the work. 

[patheticpaprika]

Just found this completely written in my drafts from January cause I got incredibly annoyed at it and abandoned it, but feck it posting it anyways, why not. So you know how in wwdits when the credits hit in the cult episode (s3 ep8) this song comes on to punch you in the gut after everything you've just watched?

"Have you ever considered for one moment that I might be happy for the first time in decades?! DECADES!"

Nandor hates being a vampire. He sees it as constant sameness that weighs down on him and washes away any purpose or belonging. But Guillermo brings him back. To him, vampirism is nothing but a gift and a reason for respect.

Now imagine a future episode, after Guillermo has been turned by Dereck. He's returned to the house and refuses to play the familiar anymore. He refuses to be their inferior. He's determined to change the sameness. Yet Nandor is too busy being upset that he wasn't the one to turn him and fully expecting him to finally leave for good causing him to be extra prickly and dismissive. The others just treat him like he was still human. How can anything truly change if they refuse to acknowledge anything has?

"Nothing ever changes in this house. Nothing is ever going to change. Unless I change it."

He had already become stronger than them. He had already demanded respect before. He had grown confidence and strength in himself. He'd done this all before. Vampirism solved nothing because he wasn't the one that refused to change.

He'll never be enough for Nandor, will he? He was never inadequate, Guillermo had long since grown past that. He just had always believed he was.

He is finally done. He says his goodbyes and leaves to be his very cool vampirey self without them. He's left, and this time he has no reason to come back. Nandor believes Guillermo only stayed to be turned into a vampire. Nandor's worst fears have finally been "confirmed," although only caused by his own manifestation.

Guillermo was his catalyst. Without him, the sameness of forever bores down on him. Guillermo makes him happy. For so long he'd been searching for someone that would make him like eternity but he'd been there all along. Yet all he had been doing was expecting he'd leave. He craves change but is terrified of its uncertainty. He desperately seeks closeness but is too scared to believe he can ever have it. No one could ever see him in his entirety and ever want to stay. This was simply further proof. He loved and was loved back but he refused to accept the possibility and hid behind his wall of indifference.

Mr. Emotional-Inteligence-of-A-Brick finally does a little self-reflection and realizes he needs Guillermo there. He makes him happy. He tries to get Guillermo to come back, but it's too little too late.

"Have you ever considered my happiness, Nandor?! You say you need me there and then act like you don't care about me. I'm done being not enough for you. I'm far better than that." "I am sorry Guillermo... I did not realize I made you so unhappy." "Yes because you never realize! Why do you even try to act like you care?" "I do care!" "Oh you do? Then tell me why." "...I" "Goodbye Nandor."

Yet with all his sulking and frustrated (not to mention terrible) attempts from his housemates to talk to him and cheer him up, Mr. Emotional-Inteligence-of-A-Brick finally does some reflection. He finally asks himself (maybe with some prompting from someone else) why Guillermo leaving was his worst fear in the first place. Why does he even care? Cue:

B-roll footage of Nandor drifting around the house before cutting back to him just standing there staring at the floor with a 1000 micro-expressions fliting on his face. But before the chorus kicks in. The music stops just long enough for Nandor to look up to the camera, absolutely terrified. (He cares for him. He needs him. He loves him. But it's too late, isn't it?) The credits hit and the song continues. So, when you're near me, darling, can't you hear me? S.O.S The love you gave me, nothing else can save me, S.O.S

#should I be making a fanfic for this lol #parallels my beloved #bonus points if it was episode 8 #although it'd be far too good of a season finale cliffhanger #wwdits #nandermo #wwdits s4 spoilers #wwdits speculation #although more like wishful thinking lol #Spotify #paprika's pantry of posts

[therealriver1]

(P.S This is part two continued from the previous post. Please scroll down to read the first half)

⦁ The Lovely Bones 2009 (This isn't a feel-good type of movie but still worth the watch) ⦁ The Brothers Grimm 2005 (Starring the late Heath Ledger with Matt Damon) ⦁ Pirates of the Caribbean 2003 series 1-5 (Definitely one if my favorite Disney films I'd say.) ⦁ The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe 2005 (I confess I never read the books, but I really liked the movie) ⦁ My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2002 (I loved it! I still rewatch it every now and then) ⦁ 13 Going on 30 2004 (Young me was obsessed with this film and watched it quite a few times) ⦁ The Holiday 2006 (I don't really like all those cheesy Christmas movies, but this one was the exception) ⦁ Into The Blue 2005 (I admit during this time I wanted to see every movie Paul Walker was in) ⦁ Mamma Mia 2006 (A musical movie that didn't make me cringe. It was so nice to see them singing ABBA songs) ⦁ Gothika 2003 (Not your typical horror but psychological horror. Not everyone thinks it's great, but I liked the plot) ⦁ The Others 2001 (I used to think this was so scary! I grew up on horror thanks to my dad, I watched a lot of them, and this was a good one) ⦁ The Sleeping Dictionary 2003 (Young Jessica Alba looked stunning. It's a slow drama but you might like it) ⦁ The Mummy 1999 (I actually watched The Mummy Returns first without knowing about the original. I like everything Egypt, relic or mummy related) ⦁ The Transporter 2002 (I do believe this movie was a hit at the time and the action is top notch) ⦁ Real Steel 2011 (Giant fighting robots, c'mon! This was so much fun to watch) ⦁ The Thing 1982 (If you can't handle gore, you might not like it, but I thought it was great! I even enjoyed the version that came out in 2011) ⦁ The Ghost in the Darkness 1996 (Based on a true story of killer lions, this one was definitely memorable) ⦁ Down With Love 2003 (I don't watch a lot of rom coms, but this was so good) ⦁ Uptown Girls 2003 (A charming film starring the late Brittany Murphy) ⦁ The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012 (I of course watched all of the LOTR movies beforehand, but I enjoyed the Hobbit series more) ⦁ Wedding Crashers 2005 (If you are looking for a fun time then this one is a good choice) ⦁ Joe Dirt 2001 (Apparently there was a sequel that I never watched but I very much liked the first movie) ⦁ I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry 2007 (Adam Sandler and Kevin James pretend to be a married couple in this comedy) ⦁ X-men 2000 (I love all the X-men movies in the series) ⦁ Kate and Leopold 2001 (Your typical romance starring a young Hugh Jackman) ⦁ Hellboy 2004 (A cool action/fantasy film by director Guillermo Del Toro and it's based on a comic book in case you didn't know) ⦁ Van Helsing 2004 (Werewolves vs vampires in this one starring Hugh Jackman as the legendary monster hunter Van Helsing) ⦁ Meet The Fockers 2004 (I enjoyed this one more than the first film) ⦁ Awake 2007 (Imagine being fully conscious while under anesthesia and hearing and feeling everything that's happening around you. Starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Terrence Howard) ⦁ She's The Man 2006 (I know I can't be the only one who loved this movie when it came out) ⦁ Wild Hogs 2007 (This is definitely one of my fave comedies to watch) ⦁ Face/Off 1977 (A great thriller starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta) ⦁ The 6th Day 2000 (Another one of my favorites starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) ⦁ Beetlejuice 1988 (I just hope Beetlejuice 2 will be as good as the first one) ⦁ The Shining 1980 (Thrilling and psychological, I just had to add this to my list, it's a classic. Wonderful performance from Jack Nicholson)

[petrodragonicapocalypse]

NANDERMO X MAMMA MIA

vampires, ABBA, homoeroticism, questionable video editing.... this is my magnum opus

#you know guillermo loves abba. you know it #also yes i am reposting this snsgdhdh like 2 people saw the version with the video last time #i taught myself video editing in the year of our lord 2021 for this shit lmfaooo #the idea came to me in a vision sent through the ether by harvey guillén himself #nandermo #nandermo fan edit #guillermo x nandor #nandor x guillermo #nandor #nandor the relentless #guillermo #guillermo de la cruz #guillermo wwdits #nandor wwdits #what we do in the shadows #what we do in the shadows fx #wwdits #abba #mamma mia #fan edit #fan cam #video #my posts #Youtube

[softgothexe]

Here's some of my WWDITS headcanons as a ✨ treat ✨

Guillermo;

He was a theater kid in highschool. He planned on doing theater in college, but never got to enroll cause of Nandor.

His comfort ice cream is Cherry Garcia, because I just know that boy loves cherries.

His favorite musicals are Chicago, Dracula: The Musical, Mamamia, Hades Town and Into The Woods.

He's really into Eurovision. Idk why I just know he would be.

One of his favorite bands is ABBA

He loves Neil Gaiman.

Nandor;

His loves Bath & Body Works ((his favorite scents are Warm Vanilla and A Thousand Wishes because he thinks it grants him a thousand wishes))

His favorite stone is amber, and he loves rubies.

He really loves MamaMia, and watches it with Guillermo on their movie nights.

I can see him genuinely loving soccer but not as much as basketball.

That's all got so far! If you wanna know more or my headcanons for the other vampires, just lmk ig

#haha lmao uh yep #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #wwdits #my headcanons #i hope this isnt cringy lmao

[celestialflights]

hihi yes id love to hear abt ur hcs!!!! :D

thank you! here they are, enjoy!

guillermo

he's trans!! whoever first came up with the trans guillermo headcanon i am giving you a hug. he literally has so much transmac energy it's insane

i saw someone say that he does nadja's hair and that is so True and Correct

also kind of combining those first two i hc that when he was a child he had longer hair and he learnt lots of different hairstyles, and while he's happier with short hair, he still likes doing hair, which is why he does nadja's hair (also i may or may not be planning a fic based on this premise 👀)

he had an emo phase when he was a teenager and was a huge mcr stan

he likes abba! i don't know why i just see him as really liking them (and also quite a few of their songs have big nandermo vibes)

nandor

i am honestly on board with the nonbinary nandor headcanon. he can have a funky gender as a treat

this is not really realistic, but when i was watching season one i got a-spec vibes from him (not for any specific reason, just vibes and because i'm a-spec and like to project), so screw it, greysexual nandor rights

he's neurodivergent in some way or another

his love language is gift giving :)

okay, so we know he likes arts and crafts, so i think he'd love the idea of friendship bracelets and make them for the other vampires and guillermo. he'd buy little charms for them and just be so excited about it

so i realised as i was writing this i don't have that many headcanons for the others, so i hope this will do for now!

#what we do in the shadows #wwdits #guillermo de la cruz #nandor the relentless #ask #anon

[kakasakumuses]

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜

°✧∘˚The lovely @thesliveren tagged us. Thank you for the tag, dear! It took a short while to kick all the muses into action but every question has our answers now!°✧∘˚

°✧∘˚Nickname:°✧∘˚ Erato: Calliope has the nickname Callie Callie: Thalia sometimes calls her Cliopatra Clio: Melpomenes’s nickname is Melpo and everyone but herself calls her that. Thalia: The nickname for Erato is Lydia. Even more so after our Discord discussion. Melpomenes: I have given Thalia the nickname Ithalia because there is nothing worse than being a Greek muse and being called a different country.

°✧∘˚Zodiac:°✧∘˚ Callie: Scorpio! Clio: A Gemini and sometimes a Cancer Melpomenes: I’m a Virgo. Erato: Sagittarius Thalia: Aquarius

°✧∘˚Number of followers: °✧∘˚ 119

°✧∘˚Height:°✧∘˚ Callie: 1.71m Clio: 1.69m Melpomenes: 5’3 Erato: 1.68m Thalia: 5’2

°✧∘˚Hogwarts House:°✧∘˚ Callie: Slytherin Clio: Ravenclaw Melpomenes: Ravenclaw Erato: Gryffindor Thalia: Hufflepuff

°✧∘˚Last thing I googled:°✧∘˚ Callie: Overalls Clio: What is the zodiac for June 20th Melpomenes: Edward Cullen everything about me invites you in Erato: arhcive of our own Thalia: the shadow of kyoshi

°✧∘˚Song stuck in my head:°✧∘˚ Callie: I’ll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan Clio: Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine because Melpo is blaring it Melpomenes: Cosmic Love by Florence + the Machine Erato: Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars because Callie watched Pitch Perfect and sang that out loud along Thalia: Whatcha Say by Jason Derulo. I lied. Now I have it stuck in my head.

°✧∘˚Amount of sleep:°✧∘˚ Callie: 11 hours and counting Clio: Six hours Melpomenes: I slept a minimum of four hours and a maximum of five last night. Erato: a solid 9 hours Thalia: Wait, sleep is a thing? Never enough

°✧∘˚Lucky Number:°✧∘˚ Callie: 11 Clio: 6 Melpomenes: 7 Erato: 2 Thalia: 17 because of the ABBA song of the Dancing Queen of course

°✧∘˚Dream job:°✧∘˚ Callie: A famous artist, but maybe a librarian or an art teacher. Clio: Archeologist Melpomenes: Story editor Erato: Greek philosopher Thalia: I want to be a Kardashian

°✧∘˚Wearing:°✧∘˚ Callie: PJs Clio: Pyjamas. Melpomenes: It is a pyjamas day in this house so I am wearing pyjamas, too. Erato: PJs Thalia: The fanciest dress I own ... PJs

°✧∘˚Favorite song:°✧∘˚ Callie: Anywhere Is by Enya Clio: Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute Melpomenes: Ego by Willy William Erato: Highway to Hell by ACDC or Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple Thalia: Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede

°✧∘˚Favorite Instrument:°✧∘˚ Callie: Piano, or violin, or transverse flute. Clio: Piano Melpomenes: Guitar Erato: Triangle Thalia: Triangle

°✧∘˚Aesthetic:°✧∘˚ Callie: Cottagecore Clio: Adventurecore Melpomenes: Dark Academy Erato: Romantic Goth Thalia:

°✧∘˚Favorite authors: °✧∘˚ Callie: Marion Zimmer Bradley and Jane Austen. But also, I’m speaking for all my sisters when I say that every author in this fandom has captured our hearts. Clio: Terry Pratchett and Suzanne Collins( or Jane Austen here?) Melpomenes: I want to mention Guillermo del Toro because of his work in the film industry, but as a true answer to the question I will unquestioningly pick Sylvia Plath. Erato: Virginia Woolf and William Shakespeare Thalia: Ann Brashares

°✧∘˚Favorite animal noise: °✧∘˚ Callie: That first bark of a dog then he doesn’t know how to do it correctly Clio: A chick peeping Melpomenes: A bird setting flight from a tree branch and flapping its wings while it soars through the leaves. Erato: A cat purring Thalia: the thing the fox says

°✧∘˚Random note: °✧∘˚ Callie: Who are you really? Clio: Do your best to make room for things in your life that spark joy Melpomenes: Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc. Erato: Reading a slow burn at 4 am is self care Thalia: Send me memes next Memeday or else!

If you see this, you are tagged! Look under the read more for an easy template!

°✧∘˚THE MUSES°✧∘˚

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜

Nickname:

Zodiac:

Number of followers:

Height:

Hogwarts House:

Last thing I googled:

Song stuck in my head:

Amount of sleep:

Lucky Number:

Dream job:

Wearing:

Favorite song:

Favorite Instrument:

Aesthetic:

Favorite authors:

Favorite animal noise:

Random note:

#tag game #thesliveren #the muses sing together #callie #clio #melpomenes #erato #thalia #melpo #the muses #kakasakumuses #clio: tag reader you are TAGGED

[second-rate-mischief]

Rules: tag ten followers you want to know better! Tagged by @makerofrunevests. Thanks, lovely.

NAME: A girl is no one.  STAR SIGN: Aquarius (like Tom; yo HOLLA).  HEIGHT: 5‘7″. I think.  WHAT’S YOUR MIDDLE NAME? A girl is no one.  PUT YOUR ITUNES ON SHUFFLE. WHAT ARE THE FIRST 4 SONGS THAT POPPED UP?  I used Spotify with a playlist of my favorite music at the moment: “Hallelujah” by Noah Kahan, “Nobody Cares” by LEON, “Cold, Cold Heart” by Hank Williams, and “Honky Tonkin’” by Tom Hiddleston. It didn’t even get to my boat loads of Queen and ABBA. I’m disappointed.  GRAB THE BOOK NEAREST YOU AND TURN TO PAGE 23. WHAT’S LINE 17? “’... I terminated the radar and transitioned it over to ASDE.’”(from “The Strain” by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan)  EVER HAD A POEM OR SONG WRITTEN ABOUT YOU? Once. That I know of. Any others, @who-killed-the-king?  WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU PLAYED AIR GUITAR? Air guitar? Fam, I play actual guitar.   WHO IS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH? Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, and Benedict Cumberbatch. They are four of my five huge crushes, in general.  WHAT’S A SOUND YOU HATE + SOUND YOU LOVE? I hate the sound of construction. I love the sound of thunderstorms.  DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? Absolutely. HOW ABOUT ALIENS? Yes, but not in traditional green men.   DO YOU DRIVE? Yup.  IF SO, HAVE YOU EVER CRASHED? No. Never. Thank goodness.  WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? I’m currently reading “Magpie Murders” by Anthony Horowitz.  DO YOU LIKE THE SMELL OF GASOLINE? I don’t like it, but I don’t despise it, either. It just... exists.  WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU SAW? Last movie I finished was Carol. Last movie I actually saw was Infinity War (I fell asleep watching it last night).  DO YOU HAVE ANY OBSESSIONS RIGHT NOW? Writing fanfiction. Loki. Iced coffee. Makeup. Food. Books (I’m finally reading them after getting out of my depression).  DO YOU TEND TO HOLD GRUDGES AGAINST PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE YOU WRONG? It really depends on what has been done, and who has done it. If it’s someone I hold dear, and it was a mistake or a misunderstanding, of course I won’t. But if it’s something serious, then yes.   IN A RELATIONSHIP? I have a mental relationship with 5 people. Not at the same time. This sounds...... so much worse than what I meant. 

[newstfionline]

Monday, February 8, 2021

America’s Mothers Are in Crisis (NYT) By now, you have read the headlines, repeating like a depressing drum beat: “Working moms are not OK.” “Pandemic Triples Anxiety And Depression Symptoms In New Mothers.” “Working Moms Are Reaching The Breaking Point.” You can also see the problem in numbers: Almost 1 million mothers have left the workforce—with Black mothers, Hispanic mothers and single mothers among the hardest hit. Almost 1 in 4 children experienced food insecurity in 2020, which is intimately related to the loss of maternal income. And more than three-quarters of parents with children ages 8 to 12 say the uncertainty around the current school year is causing them stress. The pandemic has touched every group of Americans, and millions are suffering, hungry and grieving. But many mothers in particular get no space or time to recover. Philip Fisher, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon who runs an ongoing nationally representative survey on the effect of the pandemic on families with young children, says, “People are having a hard time making ends meet, that’s making parents stressed out, and that’s causing kids to be stressed out.” This buildup can lead to toxic stress, “And we know from all the science, that level of stress has a lasting impact on brain development, learning and physical health.” Almost 70% of mothers say that worry and stress from the pandemic have damaged their health.

Pandemic’s Toll on Housing (NYT) As the pandemic enters its second year, millions of renters are struggling with a loss of income and with the insecurity of not knowing how long they will have a home. Their savings depleted, they are running up credit card debt to make the rent, or accruing months of overdue payments. Families are moving in together, offsetting the cost of housing by finding others to share it. Even before last year, about 11 million households—one in four U.S. renters—were spending more than half their pretax income on housing, and overcrowding was on the rise. By one estimate, for every 100 very low-income households, only 36 affordable rentals are available. Now the pandemic is adding to the pressure. A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia showed that tenants who lost jobs in the pandemic had amassed $11 billion in rental arrears, while a broader measure by Moody’s Analytics, which includes all delinquent renters, estimated that as of January they owed $53 billion in back rent, utilities and late fees. Other surveys show that families are increasingly pessimistic about making their next month’s rent, and are cutting back on food and other essentials to pay bills.

In pandemic, more people choose to die at home (AP) Mortuary owner Brian Simmons has been making more trips to homes to pick up bodies to be cremated and embalmed since the pandemic hit. With COVID-19 devastating communities in Missouri, his two-person crews regularly arrive at homes in the Springfield area and remove bodies of people who decided to die at home rather than spend their final days in a nursing home or hospital where family visitations were prohibited during the pandemic. He understands all too well why people are choosing to die at home: His own 49-year-old daughter succumbed to the coronavirus just before Christmas at a Springfield hospital, where the family only got phone updates as her condition deteriorated. “My daughter went to the hospital and we saw her once through the glass when they put her on the ventilator, and then we never saw her again until after she died.” Across the country, terminally ill patients—both with COVID-19 and other diseases—are making similar decisions and dying at home rather than face the terrifying scenario of saying farewell to loved ones behind glass or during video calls.

Trump’s Senate impeachment trial (AP) Arguments begin Tuesday in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump on allegations that he incited the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Will he be convicted? It’s unlikely. While many Republicans were harshly critical of Trump for telling supporters to “fight like hell” and go to the Capitol, their criticism has since softened. The shift was evident during a Jan. 26 test vote. Only five Republican senators voted against a motion that was aimed at dismissing the trial. It will take a two-thirds vote of the 100-member Senate to convict Trump of the impeachment charge, which is “incitement of insurrection.” If all 50 Democrats voted to convict him, 17 Republicans would have to join them to reach that threshold. Most Republicans have avoided defending Trump’s actions the day of the riot. Instead, lawmakers have argued that the trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office.

Ecuadoreans vote for president (Reuters) Ecuadoreans choose a new president on Sunday, with many voters weary of painful economic austerity measures and eager for a return to socialism, encouraging left-wing candidate Andres Arauz who hopes to win without needing a runoff vote. The 36-year-old economist, a protege of former president Rafael Correa, leads in polls on promises to make $1 billion in direct cash payments to families and to disavow the conditions of a $6.5 billion IMF financing package. His main rival, Guillermo Lasso, has been hurt by his image as a conservative banker, and pollsters say the possibility of low voter turnout due to the pandemic could dent his support. Lawyer and indigenous activist Yaku Perez is third in the polls. An Arauz victory would extend Latin America’s return to leftist policies, already evident in Argentina and Bolivia, a challenge for Washington as it duels with China for influence in the hemisphere.

With Carnival scrapped, Rio’s Sambadrome hosts vaccinations (AP) In a normal year, Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome would be preparing for its great moment of the year: the world’s most famous Carnival parade. But a week before what should be the start of Carnival, the pandemic has replaced pageantry, with the great celebration put on hold until next year as Rio struggles to quash a rise in COVID-19 cases. The Rio mayor’s office opened a drive-thru immunization station Saturday at the Sambadrome, where a line of cars queued up on a broad avenue built for floats. Rio’s city government officially suspended Carnival and warns it will have no tolerance for those who try to celebrate with open street parades or clandestine parties, saying it is monitoring social media to detect any.

Public Buildings Set Ablaze in Chile After Police Shoot Street Juggler (NYT) Demonstrators angered by the fatal police shooting of a popular street juggler set several public buildings ablaze in southern Chile Friday night, leaving a city of almost 34,000 people practically without public services. The shooting took place after the juggler, identified as Francisco Martínez, did not comply with a police officer’s request to provide identification as he performed at a busy intersection in the center of Panguipulli, a popular lakeside community, witnesses said. An argument followed, during which the officer pulled out his gun and fired at least two shots at Mr. Martínez’s feet, witnesses told reporters. Videos taken by witnesses, which spread widely on social media, show the juggler jumping to avoid the shots then running toward the officer with his props in the air. The officer then shot him in the chest, witnesses said, and he died at the scene. Police then barricaded themselves in their station. Since protesters were unable to attack the police station, they turned to other government symbols. Ten public offices in the city of Panguipulli burned to the ground, including the municipal government building, the post office, the civil registry, a local court and a water management company, the authorities said.

Himalayan glacier breaks in India, up to 150 feared dead in floods (Reuters) As many as 150 people were feared dead in northern India after a Himalayan glacier broke and swept away a hydroelectric dam on Sunday, with floods forcing the evacuation of villages downstream. “The actual number has not been confirmed yet,” but 100 to 150 people were feared dead, Om Prakash, chief secretary of Uttarakhand state where the incident occurred, told Reuters. A witness reported a wall of dust, rock and water as an avalanche roared down the Dhauli Ganga river valley located more than 500 km (310 miles) north of New Delhi.

Protests sweep Myanmar to oppose coup, support Suu Kyi (Reuters) Tens of thousands of people rallied across Myanmar on Sunday to denounce last week’s coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in the biggest protests since the 2007 Saffron Revolution that helped lead to democratic reforms. In a second day of widespread protests, crowds in the biggest city, Yangon, sported red shirts, red flags and red balloons, the colour of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party (NLD). “We don’t want military dictatorship! We want democracy!” they chanted. On Sunday afternoon, the junta ended a day-long blockade of the internet that had further inflamed anger since the coup last Monday that has halted the Southeast Asian nation’s troubled transition to democracy and drawn international outrage. Massive crowds from all corners of Yangon gathered in townships and headed toward the Sule Pagoda at the heart of the city, also a rallying point during the Buddhist monk-led 2007 protests and others in 1988.

Palestinian leader’s path to elections is fraught with peril (AP) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ call for elections has thrown his political future into peril, forcing him to negotiate competing demands to engage with a friendlier U.S. administration, mend the rift with his militant Hamas rivals and keep his unruly Fatah movement from breaking apart. It’s far from clear the elections will actually be held. Doing so will require an agreement between Abbas’s secular Fatah movement and Hamas, which have been bitterly divided for more than a decade despite multiple attempts at reconciliation. The two sides plan to meet in Cairo this week. The outcome of the talks will largely depend on the 85-year-old Abbas. He has spent decades nonviolently seeking a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war. Instead, he has come to rule an increasingly autocratic and unpopular Palestinian Authority confined to parts of the occupied West Bank. Reconciling with Hamas and holding elections could shore up his legitimacy and meet longstanding Western demands for accountability. But even a limited victory by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and Western countries, could result in international isolation and the loss of vital aid—as it did after Hamas won the last parliamentary elections in 2006.

#headlines #news

[dreamers-queen]

Getting to know me

Tagged by @katiesmindpalace19912 - thank you, dear! Rules: Answer 30 questions, tag 20 blogs Nicknames: DreamersQueen is my historical (or hysterical) internet identity - whenever you see that name, or a similar one like this blog’s name, chances are that’s me (except the Twitter guy, that’s definetely not me). I have other nicknames in real life, diminutives of my name that I will keep private. They’re even more hysterical tho, trust me. Gender: Female Sign: Aries, but I was born so close to be Pisces that I basically AM a Pisces, in every possible aspect. Height: 1,48 m. A FUCKING DWARF. That’s 4,85 feet. Freud would say that’s why I’m obsessed with tall boys, probably. Time: 6:20 am Birthday: March 21 Fave Bands: Cigarettes After Sex, The Beatles, Sleeping At Last, Abba, Phosphorescent, Disturbed and many many many others. Fave Solo Artists: Iron&Wine, James Blunt, Stromae (aw I miss him), Jaymes Young, Rag'n'Bone Man, Rufus Wainwright and lots of others. Song stuck in my head: Lullaby Love by Roo Panes Last movie I watched: (at the movies) The Shape Of Water (higly recommended it’s a fucking masterpiece MARRY ME GUILLERMO) Last show I watched: I’m not very into shows, I started Dark but soon abandoned it...the last one I finished was Hemlock Grove When did I create my blog (this one): May 2013 What do I post: Beautiful men, unpopular opinions, dresses, houses and lots of shitpost Last thing I googled: The lyrics of Lullaby Love Do I have any other blogs: Dude, I can’t even manage this one properly lol Do I get asks: Very rarely, I’d like to get more. Even anon, it’s fine. Instruments: I tried. I failed. Music is not my thing to do. Why did I choose my URL: It’s my hysterical nickname, I told you. Well, it’s a variation of it, because the original was taken at that time. Following: 306 Followed by: 332 Average hours of sleep: 6-9 What am I wearing: jeans and a sweater Dream job: Photography or anything related to cinema. My current job is cool too tho, but sometimes I hate it.  Dream trip: Paris or London or New Zealand Fave food: PIZZA Fave song: Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth Last book I read: I just finished IT. For the third times. Still fucking scary.

Top 3 universes I’d like to join: MIDDLE EARTH HERE I COME and that’s it I tag: @delightswithviolentends, @billegend, @milqi, @karaokke, @signore-delle-cime, @illyriagoddess, @breadrunnersofcakedom and anybody who reads me and feels like letting us know something about them - consider yourself tagged by me, my friends, you’re welcome and I love you all.

[personblogging]

ALL THE EMOJI QUESTIONS

TY GEM

🐰 what is one secret that you’ve never told anyone? i don’t really like the original star wars movies

💗 if you could hug anyone, who would it be? nick offerman or the queer eye guys

🐹 what are some of your favourite Pokémon and why? i love ice and flying type so by default articuno’s my fave, but i also LOVE litwick and pumpkaboo. also my fave starter is squirtle

🌠 if you were in charge of the world, what would the world look like? socialism and rebooting the DC films

👀 what was the most recent vivid dream that you had? i was on the run cause i had superpowers and nancy from stranger things was tracking me down

☀️ what do you like the most about your best friend? her honesty and her willingness to push me to be better

😘 talk about your crush or partner she’s a youtuber named Stef Sanjati and holy shit she’s so fucking pretty

💁 if someone was rude to you, would you be rude back? i’d probably just say something sarcastic in return or tell them that they’re insignificant and their attempt to be remembered by disturbing someone else’s life is just sad and they ultimately won’t have an impact on this world

🌟 what do you like about yourself? (must choose at least 3 things!) fuck you. i guess… uh, my creativity, my taste in film, and… idk my kindness?

🐾 what are you scared of most? how will you overcome it? i’m terrified of death and probs won’t overcome it. ya know that MBmBaM bit where griffin’s like “okay i’ll think about death… OH GOD IT’S ALL GONNA STOP ONE DAY” that’s me 24/7

🎁 what never fails to make you happy? my best friend calling me

💙 what annoys you about some people? being rude

😤 do you get angry easily? yes but i internalize

🐇 what do you always daydream about? i daydream more than i do things tbh it’s a lot

🌻 if you could change 3 things about the world what would you change?  the rate of acceptance, the entire economic system, more video games that aren’t just about murder (GIVE ME MORE ADVENTURE GAMES, DAMNIT)

🍓 send me 4 names: kiss, befriend, kill or marry? i guess i technically can’t do this one?

✈️ what is your dream city and why? LA i just wanna live there it has the career path i wanna do and i know some friends and family who live out there

☕️ talk about your ideal day wake up, hang out with by bff, play with our dog, play D&D with my friends, get drunk later in the night while playing video games

🌸 are you an introvert, ambivert or extrovert? ambivert

💧 when was the last time you cried? uh like yesterday morning

🎵 name 5 songs you love at the moment Somewhere Only We Know by Keane, Dancing Queen by ABBA, Django Jane by Janelle Monae, Remember Me from Coco, and anything by The Killers

⚡️ if you had any superpower, what would it be and why? i’d want the power to travel to alternate realities

💛 if you could talk to your younger self, what would you say? do your fucking homework, kid

💚 who are you jealous of and why? i’m jealous of literally anyone i meet

💎 which one would you rather have more of: intelligence, beauty, kindness, wealth or bravery? why? tbh i’m already kind, and i’m feeling vapid right now so either beauty or bravery

🙊 what are you ashamed of? what am i not ashamed of is the better question

🌺 which languages do you know? which do you want to learn? i know english and i really wanna learn spanish mainly so i can connect with my family

🍀 if you could be any fictional character’s best friend/lover, which fictional character would you be? look i’m not nearly as in love with Doctor Who as i used to be but i am not turning down being that fucker’s companion

☁️ talk about your dream universe. it’d pretty much be a fantasy world on crack… The Adventure Zone

💜 which acts of kindness are you going to do today? i’m about to go to sleep the main act of kindness is letting myself actually do that

🐬 if you could transform into any animal/magical creature, what would you be and why? phoenix cause flight, being pretty, and immortality

🍄 talk about someone/something you really dislike people who voted for trump, especially people who did it out of spite. there’s one girl from high school who said on facebook that she voted for trump cause people called her a racist and it’s like, holy fucking shit, so you, a white girl, was called racist by your white friends, and just to spite them you decided to screw over latinos, muslims, black people, and other minorities? fuck you

😣 talk about some things that have been making you depressed/angry/anxious lately EVERYTHING

🍪 what did you want to be as a kid, and what do you want to be now? i wanted to make video games as a kid, now i want to make movies

🍰 what are some of your favourite sugary foods? okay i know most people hate them but i love those really soft supermarket cookies. also gummy worms

🍑 what are you obsessed with? right now, D&D

💘 what happens to you when you’re stressed? i internalize and die a little inside

😪 what are you sick of? my self-hatred

🙀 are you an adrenaline seeker? yes

💥 what are some unpopular opinions that you have? life is strange has good dialogue. 

☔️ would you consider yourself a good person? i like to think so

😊 what do you like to do as hobbies? i know i keep talking about dungeons and dragons but guys it’s such a good game

🎤 what’s the last song you hummed or sang by yourself? django jane

🐝 what’s your worst trait? how are you planning to improve it? procrastinating. i’d improve it but i keep putting that off

🎨 what do you always doodle when you’re bored? i honestly don’t doodle i usually just write down shitty ideas i have

🐻 what’s stopping you from chasing your dreams? my depression

🌷 what’s your mbti personality and why do you think it suits you? ENFP idk why it suits me i guess if i were in a story i’d be the boring protagonist

🐶 send me 3 fictional people and I’ll choose my favourite! again can’t do this one…

👑 who are your favourite celebrities and why? donald glover because he’s an amazing director, writer, actor, everything and keeps being awesome at those things. also jordan peele because i love comedy and horror and he went from one to the other so seamlessly and is generally amazing

🐴 opinion on __? …

🍋 do you consider yourself an emotional person? hells yeah

📚 share 3 books that you love and your favourite quote from them. 

Slaughterhouse-Five “Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.”

The Hobbit “’There is a long road yet,’ said Gandalf. ‘But it is the last road,’ said Bilbo” 

Harry Potter “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.”

😔 what do you always do when you feel sad? does it help? repress and it does not help

😌 what thoughts keep you going when you’re sad? my dog

🌍 which country do you live in? america

🐧 describe yourself in 3 words kind, creative, sad

🐵 which quotes changed you? ”And you know what you do with all that pain? Shall I tell you where you put it? You hold it tight, ‘till it burns your hand, and you say this: No one else will ever have to live like this. No one else will have to feel this pain! Not on my watch.”

💭 do you keep a diary? i have a dream journal word document

💫 who inspires you? guillermo del toro, jordan peele, donald glover and greta gerwig

👻 do you believe in ghosts and why? i don’t believe in ghosts but i’m afraid of him. i like to believe that consciousness is too complicated for there to not be remnants after death, but idk man

🎀 what’s your fashion sense like? nerd-chique

🎬 what are some of your favourite films? Okay let’s FUCKING DO THIS

Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Haunting (1963), Spirited Away, Moonlight, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Princess Mononoke, Inside Out, The Wizard of Oz, Stand By Me, Mad Max: Fury Road, World of Tomorrow, Pan’s Labyrinth, Selma… I could go on tbh

🍦 what is one treasured childhood memory? i’m gonna be uber cliche and say my trip to Disneyland

🐼 if you could meet anyone, who would it be and why? have i talked about donald glover enough? cause it’s him

#agemorsomething #ask #personal

[amatuer-movie-buff]

First Project

So last August a little list came out on BBC. This was a list of the 100 best movies made since 2000 according to 177 film critics from all over the world (Caveat: The list is actually 102, there are three movies ranked at 100). Of the movies listed I have only seen 24.5 movies (I could never finish Brokeback Mountain), and I have been meaning to watch the rest. When I was toying with the idea of making this blog I decided I would watch all of these movies and write a review on each of them, including the 24.5 movies I have already seen. I’ll work backwards, from 100 to 1, because that way the movies should get progressively better, though even 100 will be a good movie. If you want to see the BBC post about the movies (including their methods) click here. I’ll copy the list below as well just in case. So if anyone is reading, enjoy my musings on these movies, and forgive my lack of writing expertise, I am just an engineer, we’re not know our writing skills. Without much further ado, allons-y!

100. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016) 100. Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) 100. Carlos (Olivier Assayas, 2010) 99. The Gleaners and I (Agnès Varda, 2000) 98. Ten (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002) 97. White Material (Claire Denis, 2009) 96. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton, 2003) 95. Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012) 94. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008) 93. Ratatouille (Brad Bird, 2007) 92. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik, 2007) 91. The Secret in Their Eyes (Juan José Campanella, 2009) 90. The Pianist (Roman Polanski, 2002) 89. The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel, 2008) 88. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy, 2015) 87. Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001) 86. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes, 2002) 85. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, 2009) 84. Her (Spike Jonze, 2013) 83. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg, 2001) 82. A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2009) 81. Shame (Steve McQueen, 2011) 80. The Return (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2003) 79. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000) 78. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013) 77. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007) 76. Dogville (Lars von Trier, 2003) 75. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014) 74. Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine, 2012) 73. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004) 72. Only Lovers Left Alive (Jim Jarmusch, 2013) 71. Tabu (Miguel Gomes, 2012) 70. Stories We Tell (Sarah Polley, 2012) 69. Carol (Todd Haynes, 2015) 68. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001) 67. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, 2008) 66. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (Kim Ki-duk, 2003) 65. Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold, 2009) 64. The Great Beauty (Paolo Sorrentino, 2013) 63. The Turin Horse (Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky, 2011) 62. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009) 61. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013) 60. Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006) 59. A History of Violence (David Cronenberg, 2005) 58. Moolaadé (Ousmane Sembène, 2004) 57. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012) 56. Werckmeister Harmonies (Béla Tarr, director; Ágnes Hranitzky, co-director, 2000) 55. Ida (Paweł Pawlikowski, 2013) 54. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2011) 53. Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann, 2001) 52. Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2004) 51. Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010) 50. The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2015) 49. Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard, 2014) 48. Brooklyn (John Crowley, 2015) 47. Leviathan (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2014) 46. Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami, 2010) 45. Blue Is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013) 44. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, 2013) 43. Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011) 42. Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012) 41. Inside Out (Pete Docter, 2015) 40. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005) 39. The New World (Terrence Malick, 2005) 38. City of God (Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, 2002) 37. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2010) 36. Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako, 2014) 35. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000) 34. Son of Saul (László Nemes, 2015) 33. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008) 32. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006) 31. Margaret (Kenneth Lonergan, 2011) 30. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook, 2003) 29. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008) 28. Talk to Her (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002) 27. The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010) 26. 25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002) 25. ​Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000) 24. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012) 23. Caché (Michael Haneke, 2005) 22. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) 21. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014) 20. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) 19. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015) 18. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, 2009) 17. Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006) 16. Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012) 15. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007) 14. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012) 13. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006) 12. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007) 11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013) 10. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007) 9. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011) 8. Yi Yi: A One and a Two (Edward Yang, 2000) 7. The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011) 6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) 5. Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014) 4. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001) 3. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) 2. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000) 1. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)

#filmsofthecentury