#Elyse Max

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A bill that would add child sex trafficking and statutory rape to the crimes eligible for the death penalty was debated Monday in a Missouri Senate committee — despite conflicting with U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Mike Moon, an Ash Grove Republican who said Monday that one of the “principal purposes of government” is to “punish evil.”

Rape of children under 14 and child trafficking of children under 12 would be crimes eligible for the death penalty under his bill.

“And what’s more evil than taking the innocence of the child during the act of a rape? Children are in large part defenseless and an act such as rape can kill the child emotionally,” he said.

“And so I believe a just consequence, after a reasonable opportunity for defense, is death.”

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee heard the bill Monday.

State Sen. Karla May, a Democrat from St. Louis, pointed to Moon’s stance of “believing in life” as an outspoken opponent of abortion without exception for rape or incest, yet supporting expanding the death penalty.

“A 12 year old who gets pregnant, you believe that she should bring that child in the world, am I correct?” May asked.

“What crime did that child, that developing human child, commit to deserve death?” Moon replied.

“…But you believe in killing the father to that child?” May asked, if the father is a rapist.

“Yes,” Moon said. “If an attacker commits a heinous crime such as the ones that I mentioned in this presentation, I believe that if they’re charged and convicted, absolutely.”

The Rev. Timothy Faber testified in support of Moon’s bill, pointing to the “lifelong repercussions” of child rape and trafficking.

“It’s also a well established fact that those who commit sexual crimes seldom if ever change their ways,” he said. “Once a sexual offender, always a sexual offender.”

Elyse Max, co-director of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, opposed the bill during Monday’s hearing.

“If the goal is to overturn established U.S. Supreme Court precedent, it’s far from a guarantee,” Max said, “and the amount of resources the state of Missouri would have to spend as well as the trauma to child victims during the process cannot be understated.”

The U.S. Supreme Court in the 2008 case Kennedy v. Louisiana ruled giving the death penalty to those convicted of child rape violates the constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment unless the crime results in the victim’s death or is intended to. Only homicide and a narrow set of “crimes against the state” can be punishable by death, the court ruled.

“Adding statutory rape and trafficking as death-eligible crimes are a slippery slope,” Max said, “of expanding the death penalty to non-murder crimes that would bring the constitutionality of Missouri’s death penalty into doubt.”

“Instead of spending millions of dollars to possibly change long-standing precedent, Missouri resources should be spent to protect children from abuse in the first place, and ensure survivors have access to mental health treatment and proper support, following the offense,” Max said.

Moon said, regarding the Supreme Court precedent, that it’s worth challenging.

“That’s something that we need to start the conversation about,” he said, “and those things need to be challenged.”

Florida passed a similar law for victims of rape under age 12 last year. It received bipartisan support. In December, prosecutors in that state announced they’d seek the death penalty in a case of a man accused of sexually abusing a child.

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the state’s bill could lead the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit the issue.

Mary Fox, director of Missouri State Public Defender, which provides defense for the majority of death penalty cases in the state, argued Monday that the death penalty is “no deterrent to a crime.”

Fox also noted that an 18 year old dating a 14 year old could be executed under Moon’s legislation because that would be considered statutory rape.

Mei Hall, a resident of Columbia who also said she was a victim of sexual abuse, also testified in opposition.

“I don’t wish my abuser death,” Hall said. “I wish them to be sequestered away and unable to harm more people, for sure. But I don’t think it’s the state’s place to kill people in general and I don’t think it’s the state’s place to make it more difficult for child victims to come forward.”

Lobbyists from Empower Missouri and Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers also testified against the bill. A lobbyist from ArmorVine, testified in support.

Missouri was one of only five states to carry out death sentences last year, along with Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama. There are two executions scheduled for this year.

Three House bills filed this year would eliminate the state’s death penalty, but none has made it to a committee hearing.

[mumblingsofmemory]

Zoe Belle Elyse by Max Thompson

[medium-observation]

September Release!

The Lord of the Rings - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

August 28, 2024 (Matinée) - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Spencer Davis Milford (Frodo), Michael Kurowski (Sam), Lauren Zakrin (Galadriel), Ben Mathew (Pippin), Will James Jr. (Aragorn/Strider), Tom Amandes (Gandalf), Tony Bozzuto (Gollum), Alina Taber (Arwen), Eileen Doan (Merry), Matthew C. Yee (Boromir), Justin Albinder (Legolas), Ian Maryfield (Gimli), Jeff Parker (Elrond/Saruman), Rick Hall (Bilbo Baggins/Steward), Suzanne Hannau (Rosie Cotton), John Lithgow (Voice of Treebeard), Joey Faggion (Ensemble), Mia Hilt (Ensemble), James Mueller (Ensemble), Jarais Musgrove (Ensemble), Hannah Novak (Ensemble), Adam Qutaishat (Ensemble), Laura Savage (Ensemble), Bernadette Santos Schwegel (Ensemble), Ty Shay (s/w Ensemble), Luke Nowakowski (s/w Ensemble)

Notes:

Fantastic capture of this incredibly immersive and beautiful production. there is a bar in the bottom right corner of the screen that doesn't take away except for one moment where Gandalf and Frodo are talking on the stairs in act one, but overall I worked around it and you can always see Frodo and sometimes Gandalf. At points people are in the audience and I wasn't able to capture them but you can always hear them and I do my best to always try to make sure to capture anything in the audience that I could. Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBFvi6

Video is $20

Moulin Rouge! The Musical - First US National Tour

April 7, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Christian Douglas (Christian), Nicci Claspell (u/s Satine), Amar Atkins (u/s Harold Zidler), Nick Rashad Burroughs (Toulouse-Lautrec), Andrew Brewer (The Duke of Monroth), Jordan Vasquez (u/s Santiago), Sarah Bowden (Nini), Renee Marie Titus (La Chocolat), Adea Michelle Sessoms (u/s Arabia), Max Heitmann (Baby Doll), Kamal Lado (Pierre), Tommy Gedrich, Tamrin Goldberg, Cameron Hobbs, Nathaniel Hunt, Chloe Rae Kehm, Melissa Hunter McCann, Luke Monday, Tanisha Moore, Kenneth Michael Murray, Elyse Niederee, Omar Nieves, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Connor McRory

Notes:

Really beautiful capture of Nicci, Amar and Jordan as Satine, Zidler and Santiago respectively. Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://www.flickr.com/gp/196227588@N02/a6RiV4g980

Video is $20

Beetlejuice - First US National Tour

June 30, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Justin Collette (Beetlejuice), Isabella Esler (Lydia Deetz), Megan McGinnis (Barbara Maitland), Will Burton (Adam Maitland), Jesse Sharp (Charles Deetz), Sarah Litzsinger (Delia Deetz), Hillary Porter (Miss Argentina), Abe Goldfarb (Otho), Brian Vaughn (Maxie Dean), Maria Sylvia Norris (Maxine Dean/Juno), Madison Mosley (Girl Scout)

Notes:

Beautiful Capture of Abe, Larkin and Haley's last performance with the company. My camera was having a lot of issues for Act 1, 2 minutes is missing during ready set (still has audio), And then after every song there's a short 2 second blackout. Act 2 is perfect with no issues with my camera. Also the last US stop before a month break and then Mexico! Some washout and shakiness throughout.

NFT Date: March 1st, 2025

Screenshots: https://www.flickr.com/gp/196227588@N02/7B2h6860bv

Video is $18

Videos can be purchased through me at mediumobservationtrading@gmail.com

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/ZGMqkeb9p5

[thegreatimpersonator]

I watched a few people react to TTPD and I gotta say, each person going "WHO IS THIS SONG ABOUT" after various songs or lines left a bad taste in my mouth. Sure, it's fun to put a potential face to the scene description but maybe take it easy? These are real people not the Barbie dolls in the stores? Especially when thousands of people are watching you? And when you think for more than a split second you realize a single line can apply to a few different people?

That being said, Darriel and Ashton are the best people reacting to all the music if you ask me, and despite loving her regular content, watching Elyse Myers was downright painful.

I liked Elyse's videos so far, oof :/ but yes, it's so scary how everyone instantly approach new songs with a deductive mindset -> like they need to grab all the hot details about this random celebrity's personal affairs as quick as possible because the craze only lasts for a week at max

[crimsonxe]

So LiS: DE livestream:

Still at the start of live stream but they're starting off good via "we knew we'd have to respect the original 2 endings of LiS" and this

"romance" fuck off, the only romance I need is Chloe and Pricefield continuing.

Okay, having Elyse Willems as the host is unfair >.< Love her, if that wasn't clear.

Just want to point out that the term they use for Max's profession:

[An artist-in-residence is when a museum recruits a person (or group of people) with a specific skill or attribute to produce work, provide advice, and/or promote the museum for a defined period of time, from just a few days to a year or more.]

Fully fits in-line with the idea of her just being temporarily away from Chloe or even Chloe arriving later if the Bae ending option is chosen.

"There is no canon ending to LiS" very good approach to have in mind. Players via a convo with Safi will get to set choices made in prior game, including the LiS ending choice. Ignore YT's dumbass CC errors:

Like I said, they don't need to bother any romances cause they're DOA. Chloe is the only one for Max and vice versa when I play.

Safi is cute as a FRIEND but not anything more than that and for sure doesn't remotely match Chloe & Max's chemistry

Still not a single reason given why Max had to be brought back for this instead of just having a new character with no ties, including an iconic relationship from the first game.

[arundolyn]

do you mind if i ask how you rip guilty gear animations? ive been wanting to get into ripping however there are very limited resources and few accounts are active that still rip. advice is very appreciated, thank you:)

just realized how stupid long this got right before posting so . cut

the way i do it for strive is, via unverum just for ease of use bc you can flip mod on/off at will before opening the game, get the mods that change the background of ajatar hunting ground to black/green/blue (i think it's by ultima?) and use the color of your choice (usually i use blue because black can screw with the outlines and green can cause weird lighting issues. blue can as well but it seems the least invasive of all of them to me, you can only really notice on stuff like zato bc eddie comes out sorta bluish bc he's translucent. there may be mods to help with that kind of thing but i havent looked)

pick whatever characters you want and go to training mode (unless you need something specific, like win/lose poses, of course. if it has to be during a fight you can just go to local vs with a controller and make the other character your keyboard so you dont actually have to fight) and record with OBS. pick whatever settings you think look best graphically both in strive and on OBS, idk if i can advise with those choices too well bc my hardware is beefy enough to handle max settings for stuff, ymmv

after recording, go to photoshop (doesnt matter what version, mine is ancient and ill gotten gains ive had for years. find your means. use something similar. idk) just drag the video in (no need to import it any special way) and literally just. go frame by frame copying the stuff from the animation you want into a new file and after you have all the frames go and erase it by hand. i usually use the magic eraser thing on around 50 tolerance (may need to be adjusted at times) and with anti aliasing (just cause i like the outlines not to be smooth, that also can make the "sprites" transparent and have an ugly white outline around it in gifs, do whatever you think looks good) and contiguous unchecked (contiguous just so that you dont have to go around clicking every blue/green/black spot individually, as that takes much longer. sometimes this cant be avoided, like if your character has colors too close to the background or an effect you want to keep is too close to the background color youre erasing)

additional mods i use at times are ones that turn certain characters im not focusing on invisible (like chipp or i-no, cant remember who made that one) just so i dont have to worry about cropping around another character if they do an idle animation or something, and theres one that disables lighting effects (like gio's glowies when she has full meter, or certain moves like baiken's dust or tsurane sanzu watashi) so that the gifs look nicer devoid of the like... engine based context. of that makes sense

as for XRD, i used to use a cheat table camera mod for rev that was kinda adapted from the one for sign, but since the rollback update it looks like its broken and i dont think anyone has cared much to fix it, but also havent had the time to mess around with it myself. the sign one might still work? theres a reddit thread with it out there somewhere still i think. be warned re: sign tho bc the models are kinda janky and lower quality, which probably isnt noticeable to most people but its definitely glaring to me when i moved from sign to rev. they did some major improvements on like everyone in rev

last but not least, a word of caution regarding certain things. i'd warn against trying to do any overdrives or anything that has a superflash (when the camera focuses on the character using a move, usually, like jack-o's forever elysion driver) or the strive pre move cutscene things (like baiken's tsurane sanzu watashi) as well as intro/outro cutscenes, since making them transparent not only will be a pain in the ass but probably would look weird due to the camera movement + lack of background. same goes for stuff like bursts or walk/run cycles where the character moves significantly and the camera angle might change, since not only will it be a bitch to line up correctly so it loops properly, but if the character's location or the camera angle changes it might end up looking off because the model is being viewed from a slightly different angle. not sure how obvious that would be to someone who didnt Do it but ive learned that through trial and error. might also just be perfectionism on my part. id usually get around this on xrd with the cheat table bc you could lock the model in place (but it would still move technically, which was nice if you didnt want effects like the little dust clouds when you dash getting in the way) but ive never seen anything similar for strive. from what i know it should be possible for sure, just slightly tricky to some extent and i dont really know how one would go about doing that or have the time to learn. the console for UE is locked in strive and idk if theres a way to unlock it, but that would potentially be a way to freeze models in place quick and dirty if necessary. there ARE a few camera mods out there for strive, but any model freezing aspects are just like.. full game pause, not frozen in place.

hope this is comprehensive enough to help somewhat. have a slayer

[mywifealhaitham]

#MYWIFEALHAITHAM?!

╰─▸ ❝ N0W L0@D1NG... ? ! ?. . .

. . . . . welcome . . . @user!

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

hihi welcome to my blog >_0 !! I'm elyse or elysia and I write fanficton. . .

READ MY CARRD B4 REQUESTING thanks ^_^

# REQUESTS [OPEN] - 8/10

MATCHUPS CLOSED!

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊@ rules utc. . .┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊

╭ ─┉─ • ─┉─ ╮

☆ I'll write for. . .

bsd, pjsk, enstars, twst, genshin, vnc, black butler, hells paradise :3

• max of 3 characters per request

• you can request either headcanons, short fic, hc + short fic or a match up!!

• I write for DARKER topics like self harm, suicide, past traumas, eating disorders ect for COMFORT only. all fics will be tagged properly

• no like heavy nsfw but I'll write suggestive things...

♡ #MATCHUP?! - when requesting a match up please provide• your name + pronouns, what gender you want to be matched with, your personality, what you would like in a partner ♡ ADDITIONAL INFO IS ALWAYS HELPFUL!

╰ ─┉─¡! • !¡─┉─ ╯

[transformers-coded-music]

[ Don't give me no reason to run from this prison I would rather stay instead There's nothing to save, I'm safe in this grave There's no pain when you are dead ]

Anyway-

(Max-core ? 😳)

Max angstcore gang yippers

Girl my fan continuity is gonna bless him ok like damn the poor guy

[elysefz]

place: a hospital in italy

“do not tell me to calm down. i am family and you will tell me where he is.” she could be heard down the hall making demands of the staff, trying to come off as in charge and ending up half-hysterical. they hadn’t let her find him on the boat, something about his injuries. which had only ratcheted up her anxiety. 

finally, she was given a room number and elyse practically flew around the doorframe and into the room. then she stopped. there was max, alive as a nurse wrapped another layer of gauze over his shoulder. she felt like she could have just collapsed right there. he was alive. she moved further into the room, “are they taking you home?” @maximiliians​

[highsocietyhq]

☾ ° › update 9:00 am !

the sun rose and the comfortable and safe darkness was set aside. this was bad news for our escapees. klaus and ronan had fought valiantly against fate but not even they could fight against two search parties dedicated to catching royals. 

the other groups did not have much luck either max, sylvie, aurel and julien could not outrun well rested men despite their best efforts. uriah, araya, nikolai, sergi & kurakin were slightly luckier — or at least nikita kurakin was. he was the only one who did not get caught. 

new day, new rules ! at the break of dawn the men began moving people around. first the monarchs were picked out: alexei, anneli, max, sergi, jianguo, lixue & catherine were taken to the room with arnauld and michael — matilde and levente were removed. only one was missing: verona di savoia. but instead of seeing that particular blonde get pushed into the room, fanni croÿ was escorted into the room. 

the monarchs ( and a poorly identified blonde ) were informed of the reason behind their capture: each monarch had a demand to respond to. inability to act would lead to being eliminated. 

it was the chinese’s turn to start. they were told to end the blockade on the bohai strait. they were given four hours.

in the same building ronan, maitê, matilde, wiebke, robbie, xiuying, vitya, layla & aslan were contained in the same room.

ana maria, andrew, daisuke, hafiz, freja, marisol, art & okeyo were locked in a room in the building close to the docks. 

ilija, sol, ireti, jelani, aurel, klaus, helena, araya, effie, silje, sylvie, gwen, gabriel were all moved to a room in the building on the west coast.

in a different room meixu, uriah, nikolai, elyse, julien, giselle, olimpia & alessandro were held captive.

ariel, bash, reggie, yasmin, levente, ines & tekla were placed in the building in northwest. as were  giovanni, natalia, manon, johannes, samuel, barbie, leo, verona, dianna & sasha.

GROUPS:

the building in the middle of the island:

group one: alexei, anneli, max, michael, arnauld, catherine, fanni, sergi, jianguo, lixue

group two: ronan, maite, matilde, vitya, layla, aslan, wiebke, robbie, xiuying

the building close to the docks:

group three: ana maria, andrew, daisuke, hafiz, freja, marisol, art, okeyo

the building on the west coast:

group four: ilija, sol, ireti, jelani, aurel, klaus, helena, araya, effie silje, sylvie, gwen, gabriel

group five: meixu, uriah, nikolai, elyse, julien, giselle, olimpia, alessandro

the building in northwest:

group six: ariel, bash, reggie, yasmin, levente, ines, tekla

group seven: giovanni, natalia, manon, johannes, samuel, barbie, leo, verona, dianna, sasha

[maximiliians]

"Elyse-" Max was halfway through the door before he realized that the blonde in the front living room was not the one he was looking for. Instead, Ingrid - or, as he recalled someone telling him she now preferred- Wil, the youngest of that side of his family. Elyse's little sister who now bore his mother's Prussian title. That he'd heard about to no end, and yet Elsye had said nothing about her arrival, interesting. "Wil, how are you, when did you get in?" @ingrds

[my-humble-abode]

This is for @heir-of-the-chair​, who was curious about my RwD binder!

It’s all digital for the moment, because a) I don’t want to print out new versions of all the character stuff after s3 comes out, and b) I started it right at the end of the school year, and I don’t have a printer, so I’m going to have to wait until school starts again at the end of January to be able to print anything on the school printer anyway.

Let the tour begin, I guess

This is the whole folder - we’ve got extra little folders for analysis and breakdowns of things, character profiles of NPCs and PCs, folders for my silly little sketches and fics (both of which are so self-indulgent that I probably won’t share them tbh, but honestly? who knows. also maybe i’ll draw/write something that i’m more inclined to share at a later date), then you’ve got theories, which is currently empty, but will probably be filled very quickly the second the first episode of s3 drops, and then the final folder is the in-progress transcripts of all the episodes.

There are also just some documents with my personal favourite moments from the show, the descriptions of their gala outfits (for possible drawing purposes later, especially Dani), an incredibly quick domino effect meme I made (which I’m happy to share if someone wants it) and then my personal modern headcanons for the crew (which I may also share if anyone is interested).

These are all the NPCs that I currently have profiles for - either because they’re really interesting, I love them, we have a lot of information for them or they’re somewhat important to any of the characters. You can see that some of them (Cressida and Elyse, my beloveds) have had more work done to them than others and that is because a) we have a fair bit of information for those two and b) I love them. There are a couple of important NPCs that aren’t here, mostly from s2, and the reason for that is because we don’t really know a whole lot about them, and definately not enough to fill a profile with. Mystra isn’t there yet, and neither is any of VR-LA’s old crew, because anything on any of those is entirely reliant on whatever happens in s3.

NPC character profiles include the character’s name, their race, their resident wierd little dude (if they have one - this is basically just Cressida and also maybe Hira? undecided on whether to count the frost salamander as a wierd little dude or not. also not 100% on if Lula counts, so), their appearance, personality, any character arc they may have (this one is particularly for Ione and Elyse, both of whom have some fairly major events and changes that we see), any relationships they may have with the rest of the crew or other characters, any noteable magic items/characteristics/quotes and, if known, their plane of origin, max HP, AC, alignment and age.

The character profiles for PCs are broken down further into one-shot PCs and guests, and the crew of the Per Aspera.

One-shot PCs and guests includes exactly who you thought it would: the Curse of the Amulet gang and our boy Hans. Yes, the Curse of the Amulet gang have last names, no, none of them are there, yes that is because I both keep forgetting to write them down and also I don’t know how to spell some of them. Also, yeah, most of the Curse of the Amulet crew haven’t been worked on yet, this binder is still a definite work in progress. I will get there though, I swear!

The crew of the Per Aspera is also very self-explainatory regarding who it includes, it is our main four PCs. Dani’s is the largest so far because her’s was the first one I made, and so, while it is also unfinished, it has had a bit more work put into it than the other three.

PC profiles include the exact same information as NPC profiles, but they also include who plays a character, a character’s class and a lot more detail, especially in the backstory department.

Like I said, the drawing and fic is just for me, and the theories folder is empty, so I’m not going to be putting screenshots of those in.

The transcripts folder is very organised, with a folder for level-ups, one-shots, Q and As and a folder for each season (although s3 is obviously empty right not). Each transcript includes a description of the episode up top, as well as a list of NPCs that make an appearance. In terms of completion, s1 ep1 is the only one with any real progress made, I’m about half an hour in, and it is taking approximately forever.

There’s the beginning of ep1, if anyone is curious as to how I’m formatting those.

But yeah, that’s basically the whole will-be binder! (I do have a physical binder to put them in, it’s just not with me right now, so no photo of that, I’m afraid). Happy to share specific things or give more detail or any of that jazz if people are interested, but. Yeah!

[coochiequeens]

The co-director of MADP, Elyse Max, told local news outlet KRCG: “We just implore the Governor to find mercy in his heart. Amber is a gentle human. Everyone who knows her knows that Amber is not of future harm.” WTF Elyse? Sott raped a girl back in 1992 and raped a murdered a woman in 2003.

Government officials and “prison reform” activists in the United States are backing an effort to block the execution of a convicted child sex offender and murderer who began identifying as transgender while on death row. 

Missouri Democrat Representatives Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver have issued a letter to the state’s governor requesting clemency for Amber McLaughlin, a man who is set to become the first transgender inmate executed by the state for his crimes on January 3, 2023.

Formerly known as “Scott,” McLaughlin began transitioning while on death row for the horrific rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Beverly Guenther, in 2003.

According to court records, Guenther and McLaughlin met in 2002 and began living with each other shortly into the relationship. But the cohabitation was marred by break-ups that were often so serious that Guenther sometimes had to obtain restraining orders to keep McLaughlin away from her.

In the spring of 2003, Guenther and McLaughlin formally ended their relationship, but McLaughlin continued to pursue the woman, exhibiting stalking behaviors by frequently visiting her place of work and calling her.

On October 27, 2003, McLaughlin was arrested after burglarizing Guenther’s home. He told arresting officers he was trying to reclaim possessions he left behind at the home while living with Guenther, and was arraigned in November. Guenther had filed for a protective order just two days before McLaughlin murdered her.

On the night of November 20, while the protective order was in effect, McLaughlin drove to Guenther’s workplace and waited for her in the parking lot of the office building. He ambushed her as she walked towards her truck, pulled her to the ground, and sexually assaulted her.

After violating the woman, McLaughlin stabbed her to death and shoved her corpse in his hatchback. He drove Guenther’s body to a nearby river, and disposed of it in the underbrush. McLaughlin was arrested the next day at the hospital while attempting to obtain medication for his mental illness.

McLaughlin was ultimately found guilty of first-degree murder and forcible rape. A trial jury was unable to decide whether to impose a sentence of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole, and the presiding judge made the final decision to issue the death penalty. 

McLaughlin has unsuccessfully appealed his sentence multiple times over since it was handed down.

In 2016, McLaughlin was granted a stay of execution, but it was re-instated by a Federal Appeals Court in 2021. On September 29, after years of delays, the state of Missouri announced a date of January 3, 2023, had been set for McLaughlin’s execution.

In addition to the 2003 murder of Beverley Guenther, McLaughlin also had a historical sex offender registrationdue to a 1992 conviction for raping a 14-year-old girl.

On December 12, McLaughlin’s legal counsel filed a clemency petition urging Missouri Governor Mike Parson to intervene and prevent the execution. In the 27-page document, McLaughlin’s lawyers portrayed their client sympathetically, stating that he was “failed by the institutions… that should have protected [him].”

Included in the petition were descriptions of childhood physical and sexual abuse, periods of time spent in foster care, brain damage from fetal alcohol exposure, and mental illness that manifested as depression.

Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) took up McLaughlin’s cause and rallied at the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday, December 27, to request that Governor Mike Parson grant clemency to McLaughlin. The organization delivered a petition with over 6,000 signatures to Parson’s office.

The co-director of MADP, Elyse Max, told local news outlet KRCG: “We just implore the Governor to find mercy in his heart. Amber is a gentle human. Everyone who knows her knows that Amber is not of future harm.”

The plea was supported by seven former Missouri judges, according to MADP, and two Democratic state representatives of Congress.

A joint letter signed and issued by both Rep. Bush (D-MO) and Rep. Cleaver (D-MO), delivered alongside MADP’s petition, requested that Governor Parson halt the scheduled execution and commute McLaughlin’s sentence to life in prison, citing “gender dysphoria” and “mental health issues” as mitigating circumstances.

The letter, dated December 27, argues that jurors deliberating McLaughlin’s sentence were deprived of “crucial mental health evidence,” including information regarding his “gender dysphoria,” as his defense lawyers “failed to present it.”

Using feminine pronouns for McLaughlin, the politicians wrote: “Ms. McLaughlin faced a traumatic childhood and mental health issues throughout her life. She experienced horrific abuse and neglect at the hands of various caregivers; court records indicate her adoptive father would frequently strike her with paddles and a night stick, and even tase her. Alongside this horrendous abuse, she was also silently struggling with her identity, grappling with what we now understand is gender dysphoria. The abuse, coupled with the persistent mental turmoil surrounding her identity, led to mild neurological brain damage and multiple suicide attempts both as a child and as an adult.”

The two representatives concluded their appeal by describing McLaughlin as a “woman” and referencing discrimination against “LGBTQ+” people.

“Ms. McLaughlin’s cruel execution would mark the state’s first use of the death penalty on a woman since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment in 1976, and even worse it would not solve any of the systemic problems facing Missourians and people all across America, including antiLGBTQ+ hate and violence, and cycles of violence that target and harm women.”

A spokesperson for Gov. Parson told NBC News that the governor is reviewing the clemency request.

Earlier this month, Oregon Governor Kate Brown commuted the death sentences of 17 men convicted of violent murders, including one male inmate who had begun identifying as a woman while on death row.

According to court documents, in 1994 Karl Anthony Terry killed Jeffrey and Dale Brown with a samurai sword while they slept. The three men belonged to an organization that Terry called the “Order of the Black Dove.” The creed of the Order of the Black Dove, as stated in Terry’s journal entries, “celebrated violence and other anti-social behavior.”

While incarcerated and awaiting the death sentence, Terry began identifying as transgender and adopted the name Tara Ellyssia Zyst. Terry has used nearly a dozen other aliases in addition to Tara Ellyssia, such as Miazni Theidra, Deluria Dinnae, Uujohne Aejetta, and Ula Mitsata. He is being held at Snake River Correctional Facility in Ontario, Oregon, a medium-security mixed custody prison, and is now listed as “female” in prison records.

By Genevieve Gluck Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.

[medium-observation]

FEBRUARY RELEASE

Beetlejuice - First US National Tour

January 21, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video | Matinée

Cast:

Justin Collette (Beetlejuice), Larkin Reilly (u/s Lydia Deetz), Megan McGinnis (Barbara Maitland), Matthew Michael Janisse (s/w Adam Maitland), Jesse Sharp (Charles Deetz), Sarah Litzsinger (Delia Deetz), Hillary Porter (Miss Argentina), Abe Goldfarb (Otho), Brian Vaughn (Maxie Dean), Lexie Dorsett Sharp (s/w Maxine Dean/Juno), Haley Hannah (s/w Girl Scout), Ryan Breslin (s/w Ensemble)

Notes:

Excellent video of Larkin and Matthew as Lydia and Adam respectively. Minimal washout with very little to no obstruction.

NFT DATE: August 1st, 2024

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBbtWz

Video is $20

Moulin Rouge! The Musical - First US National Tour

January 6, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video | Matinée

Cast:

Mark Doyle (u/s Christian), Arianna Rosario (alt Satine), Robert Petkoff (Zidler), Kevyn Morrow (e/c Toulouse), Andrew Brewer (Duke), Danny Burgos (Santiago), Sarah Bowden (Nini), Harper Miles (La Chocolat), Nicci Claspell (Arabia), Max Heitmann (Baby Doll), Kamal Lado (Pierre), Sam J. Cahn, Darius Crenshaw, Jimena Flores Sanchez, Tommy Gedrich, Cameron Hobbs, Tamrin Goldberg (s/w), Pepe Munoz (s/w), Tanisha Moore, Brayden Newby, Elyse Niederee, Kent Overshown, Stefanie Renee Salyers, Adéa Michelle Sessoms, Preston Taylor

Notes:

Absolutely perfect video of Mark, Arianna and Kevyn as Christian, Satine and Toulouse respectively! Zero obstruction, minimal washout.

NFT DATE: August 1st, 2024

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB9sf1

Video is $20

Wicked - Second US National Tour (Munchkinland)

January 28, 2024 - Medium Observation

Video

Cast:

Olivia Valli (Elphaba), Celia Hottenstein (Glinda), Colin LeMoine (u/s Fiyero), Timothy Shew (The Wizard), Kathy Fitzgerald (Madame Morrible), Tara Kostmayer (Nessarose), Kyle McArthur (Boq), Boise Holmes (Doctor Dillamond), Mitchell Tobin (Chistery), Jane Brockman (Midwife), Alexia Acebo (Witch's Mother), Wayne Schroder (Witch's Father / Ozian Official), Jennifer Mariela Bermeo (Ensemble), Remmie Bourgeouis (Ensemble), Sean Burns (Ensemble), Jōvan Dansberry (Ensemble), Matt Densky (Ensemble), Marie Eife (Ensemble), Jenny Florkowski (s/w Ensemble), David Kaverman (s/w Ensemble), Lauren Leach (Ensemble), Megan Loomis (Ensemble), Madison Claire Parks (Ensemble), Jackie Raye (Ensemble), Kat Rodriguez (Ensemble), Anthony Santos (Ensemble), Derek Schiesel (Ensemble), Tregoney Shepherd (Ensemble), Brett Stoelker (Ensemble), Maggie Van Wieringen (Ensemble)

Notes:

Fantastic video of Colin Fiyero! Some readjusting throughout, minimal washout. 

NFT DATE: August 1st, 2024

Screenshots:https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBcqfY

Video is $20

Videos can be purchased through me at mediumobservationtrading@gmail.com

[svmucl]

“ i don’t think max listens to me, ” sam admitted as he pushed a steaming cup of coffee in front of elyse. “ he insists on non-violence but i’m having a hard time seeing what our other options are. have you talked to him in a while ? ” ( @elysefz​ )

[robinbuckley1985]

“Love That Lasts More Than One Lifetime”

Prompt: “I would find you in every lifetime”

Requested: Yes, thank you Skye

Pairing: Robin Buckley X Elyse Harrington(OC)

Summary: After finally defeating Vecna, Robin and Elyse have a moment alone.

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, Steve being a pain in the ass, Mention of fear of loss/death, My mediocre writing skills.

A/N: Hope you guys like this! Make sure to send in requests.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

After the tireless fight against Vecna, it was finally over. He was stopped once and for all. In honor of this, the group decided to have a movie night. Spending time with each other while they weren’t trying to stop alternate dimensional monsters. They all sat around the Wheeler’s basement. Nancy and Jonathan were cuddled together with a blanket wrapped around them at one end of the long couch, Steve and Argyle occupying the other end. Max, Lucas, Eleven, Mike, WIll and Dustin were sitting in front of the couch. Elyse and Robin are sitting on the smaller couch, sitting on opposite ends. No one in the group knew about their relationship. They had decided this when the craziness of the Upside down started again. 

They both decided the group had bigger things to worry about than their relationship. About half way through the movie, Elyse had snuck her way upstairs to grab a drink. While she stood in the kitchen, she heard the basement door creak open. A moment later she saw her girlfriend walk towards her. “Hi.” Robin said, a playful smile on her lips. She slipped her arms around Elyse’s waist, pulling her closer. “Hey.” Elyse responded, placing a gentle kiss on Robin’s cheek. This is the first moment they’ve had to themselves since Friday night after the pep rally. “I missed you.” Robin said, leaning her forehead against Elyse’s. The other girl let out a small laugh. “We’ve spent the last five days together.” Robin pulled away a bit to look the shorter girl in the eyes. “That doesn’t count. We almost died like fifty times.” 

“I know. But, at least we don’t have to worry about this shit anymore. We can finish senior year and then get out of Hawkins.” Robin let out a sigh, resting her head on Elyse’s shoulder. Elyse gently rubbed the taller girl’s back, taking in the calm moment which has been so rare for them over the past few days. “We should head back down soon or they might catch on.” Elyse said, the smirk very visible in her voice. Robin let out an airy laugh. “In a minute. I just…” Robin looked in her girlfriend’s eyes, a tear threatening to fall. “I’ve been so scared of losing you over the past few days. I did almost lose you. I don’t know if I would’ve survived losing you.” A single tear slid down the girl’s cheek, Elyse’s hand coming up to gently wipe it away. 

‘You don’t need to worry anymore, I promise. You’re not going to lose me. And even if you did, I would find you in every lifetime, Robin.” Robin pulled the girl into a passionate kiss. Both girls were engulfed by the kiss, not hearing the basement door creak open. They heard someone clear their throat, who it was not registering in either of their minds yet. When the two girls pulled away, they were met by Steve standing in the doorway of the kitchen. “So, this is why you two snuck off?” He had a shit-eating grin, clearly enjoying the endless jokes he could make. “Shut it, Steve or so help me god.” Robin jokingly threatened. Steve raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything. But, you guys might want to get back down there before they start forming their own conclusions.” And a moment later he was out of sight, walking down the hall to the bathroom. The two girls looked at each other, laughing a bit before finally making their way back to the basement. They both retook their seats on the couch, however this time much closer, Robin’s head resting on Elyse’s shoulder. Who cares if the rest of the group knows? They have each other and can finally breathe. That’s more important. They have each other.