#Henry Craig Severance

[englishsub]

book rec by me

so you want to get back into reading books but have no idea where to start and disdain booktok (if you get me started on this however i will become an unskippable cutscene so that's for another day). understandable. there is so much out there and it is all so overwhelming and you don't even know what you like now that you've been a decade out of the game. again, understandable. it does not have to be scary. i will help you. below i have created some categories that can get you started.

i want to read Literature

literary fiction, with crossover from historical fiction and magical realism

PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING by melissa fu

THE VASTER WILDS by lauren groff

THE FAMILY CHAO by lan samantha chang

OUTER DARK by cormac mccarthy

SEVERANCE by ling ma

LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS by ryka aoki

IDENTITTI by mithu m. sanyal

PIRANESI by susanna clarke

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that won't break my brain

sci-fi and fantasy that is gentler on the brain cells. easier to grasp magic systems with multiple but not an overwhelming number of overlapping plotlines

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by heather fawcett

KINGS OF THE WYLD by nicholas eames

THE JASMINE THRONE by tasha suri

THE CITY OF BRASS by s.a. chakraborty

A RIVER ENCHANTED by rebecca ross

JUNIPER AND THORN by ava reid

BLACK SUN by rebecca roanhorse

THE FINAL STRIFE by saara el-arifi

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER by andrea stewart

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that forces me to lock the fuck in

i would not recommend picking these up as your first foray back into books after many years of not reading recreationally, but i'm not your mom.

THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by simon jimenez

JADE CITY by fonda lee

THE FIFTH SEASON by n.k. jemisin

THE RAGE OF DRAGONS by evan winter

A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE by arkady martine

GIDEON THE NINTH by tamsyn muir

THE ART OF PROPHECY by wesley chu

THE GRACE OF KINGS by ken liu

horrify me!

there is far more to the horror literary canon than stephen king and dean koontz, i promise. consider looking up warnings for these.

TENDER IS THE FLESH by agustina bazterrica

THE RUINS by scott smith

CONFESSIONS by kanae minato

EPISODE THIRTEEN by craig dilouie

REPRIEVE by james han mattson

MARY by nat cassidy

DEAD SILENCE by s.a. barnes

AUDITION by ryu murakami

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY by cassandra khaw

don't care, i want romance

some of these feature crossover genres, like fantasy and horror.

VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by isabel cañas

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by sue lynn tan

SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE by tia williams

HAPPY PLACE by emily henry

ONE DARK WINDOW by rachel gillig

i want QUEER romance

again, a mix of historical, fantasy, and contemporary crossover genres.

WE COULD BE SO GOOD by cat sebastian

IN MEMORIAM by alice winn

MOST ARDENTLY by gabe cole novoa

A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE by foz meadows

A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by freya marske

THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE by justinian huang

SPELL BOUND by f.t. lukens

SORRY, BRO by taleen voskuni

ONE LAST STOP by casey mcquiston

DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE by ashley herring blake

i haven't felt anything since i read percy jackson/the hunger games in middle school/high school

adventure is still out there.

SCYTHE by neil shusterman

WE HUNT THE FLAME by hafsah faizal

SIX OF CROWS by leigh bardugo

GEARBREAKERS by zoe hana mikuta

i'll read anything that's not straight or white

many books in the above categories fit this, but here's even more, across a variety of genres.

LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by malinda lo

BABEL by r.f. kuang

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES by latanya mcqueen

THE UNBROKEN by c.l. clark

IF YOU'LL HAVE ME (graphic novel) by eunnie

LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE by sher lee

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by shelley parker-chan

"all ya books suck"

like any other genre or book age group, there are duds and there are standouts. ya is not special in this regard. try some of these!

DIVINE RIVALS by rebecca ross

STRIKE THE ZITHER by joan he

THE RED PALACE by june hur

A STUDY IN DROWNING by ava reid

EMPIRE OF SAND by tasha suri

LEGENDBORN by tracy deonn

i check out and read a lot of these books for free via my local library by using the libby app (you can even add your friends' library cards to gain access to libraries in places you don't live). when i'm feeling like reading via audiobook, i use libro fm!

look, no one HAS TO read diversely. no one is going to be reverse fahrenheit 451'd and locked in a room with no fanfic and only books and not let out until they work their way through the entire literary canon. but reading, and reading widely, and reading diversely, is what teaches people to form their own opinions and question the things they are told. it's why they hang up stuff like "READ READ READ!!" in grade school classrooms.

we live under systems that increasingly benefit from going unquestioned. no, of course reading ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by robin hobb is not going to dismantle these systems tomorrow, nor probably even in our lifetimes. but doing it will help set up a world capable of doing it in the future. and until further notice, we are all part of this wretched world. might as well read a good story while we're here.

anyway, i'm reading THE WEST PASSAGE by jared pechaček and the new cmq book this week.

[scotianostra]

National Library of Scotland.

Just popped into the National Library to grab some pics, knowing they have always got a wee display focusing on Robert Burns, the content changes from time to time, this time it features Tam O 'Shanter.

Following the success of the Kilmarnock edition of his poems, Robert Burns put off his plans to emigrate to Jamaica instead headed for Edinburgh. He was encouraged by James Cunningham, the 13th Earl of Glencairn, who had read his poems and greatly enjoyed them.

When he arrived in 1786 the Earl received him warmly and introduced him to his circle of friends. This opened many doors to the makar and Burns described the Earl as his "titular Protector".

Through him he met Henry Erskine, the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, who in turn introduced him to Jane, Duchess of Gordon who invited him to several of her drawing room parties.

One of his acquaintances was Agnes Maclehose, or Agnes Craig, known to her friends as Nancy. Although a romance may have been on the cards, Rabbie fell out of a carriage on his way to a dinner date at her place near Potterow and injured his ankle. The chance anything developing was gone, but the two wrote many letters to each other, you can find them online, Google them, I am out the house just now and writing this post on my phone. Inspired by Nancy he went on to write the beautiful Ae Fond Kiss about her.

Burns spent some time in Edinburgh during 1787 where he was acclaimed as a poet. The 3,000 copies of his first Edinburgh edition, dedicated to the gentlemen of the Caledonian Hunt, sold rapidly and he was popular in Edinburgh Society.

It was his success as a poet that stopped him going to The West Indies.

[madsmilfelsen]

Hello! I'm really curious, what books/authors would you recommend to someone who's new to writing horror?

Hi! Here is what I have on hand (minus my loaned out copies of my favorite book ever Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones and Never Whistle At Night: an indigenous anthology of dark fiction which made me cry on an airplane and made the person next to me very uncomfortable, like she was just trying to build a cart at banana republic, apologies to seat 17B)

God’s Cruel Joke Lit Mag because I’m in them and will be in issue 4, too :) published either mid-January or February 2024– @labyrinthphanlivingafacade is in issue 3 with a great short story that I won’t spoil ***right now the magazines are available to purchase in physical copies but I was told all issues will be free to download as pdfs pretty soon!

Severance by Ling Ma (body horror but not in the way you think, the real horror is repetition and loneliness)

Wilder Girls by Rory Power (body horror)

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis (adjacent the horror genre but a hell of a read)

ANYTHING BY STEPHAN GRAHAM JONES ANYTHING

We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirely Jackson (I read this for the first time last spring boy howdy, I also included The Lottery for its suspense)

Dean Koontz because my husband suggested it for the list— this was just the first title I grabbed, I think he said Patrician Crowell too but I was busy looking for Mongrels

A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans (I didn’t finish this because depression set in shortly after I started but the first chapter plays with second pov which I really liked, I’m determined to read it this year)

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (I really enjoyed HBO’s adaptation)

The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey (likely the only zombie stories that made me weep uncontrollably)

Girls & Sex by Peggy Orenstein (non-fiction: explores modern young women navigating sexuality and because I have a thing for loss of autonomy— it’s been a few years since I read it but there is discussion of sexual assault, but I appreciate the expanse of her research and even included a conversation with someone who is asexual)

Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James (got a chill just typing this out— the audio book is exquisite)

You’ll notice some nonfiction because, as a historian undergrad, nothing scares me more than man. The battles of Leningrad and Stalingrad are particularly stomach churning. America’s Reconstruction Era is full of acted out malice and under taught in my opinion.

An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The 900 Days, The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison E. Salisbury

Enemy at the Gates by William Craig

(On the other side of WW2 I have a book of the experiences of German solider’s left over from a paper I wrote on the inadequacy of Nazi uniforms and how it expedited their failure in Russia, Frontsoldaten by Stephen G. Fritz)

Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr (one of my favorite authors, try finding “How Reconstruction Still Shapes American Racism” Time Magazine, April 2, 2019, I used it as a source for a paper on the history of voting rights)

Bloodstoppers and Bearwalkers— folk tales of Canadians, Lumberjacks & Indians by Richard M. Dorson (published around 1952 but content collected from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the 40’s)

Raven Tells Stories: An Anthology of Alaskan Native Writing (I’m Alutiiq and the museum on Kodiak has a lot of stories recorded under Alutiiq Museum Podcast— my kids and I listen on Spotify)

I think the genre of horror is really mastering tension and playing on peoples fears which is why I included old school folk stories (An Underground Education had a great write up on the Grimm Brothers and the original fairy tales from around the world such as the Chinese and Egyptian Cinderella, as well as several different sections of funny tales, torture techniques, absolute weirdos etc etc) in this vein of thought The Uses of Enchanment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno Bettelheim could prove to be useful

If you’re writing a character with Bad Parents— Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and Toxic Parents (it has a longer subtitle but I don’t see my copy anywhere) might be able to help you shape character traits

I reached out to @littleredwritingcat who has a mind plentiful in sources who recommended

The Gathering Dark: an anthology of folk horror (I will be picking this one up asap)

Toll by Cherie Priest (southern gothic)

Anything by Jennifer MacMahon

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

[its-only-v]

Best Shows of 2022

Yes, I'm putting this on Tumblr after 2022 has ended. Yes, it's also entirely too long with 30+ shows and all categories that I made myself.

The Best Show That Feels Like an Extended Award-Winning Cut of a Movie

And yes, I mean it in a good way, and not in the way that it should’ve been a movie and not a tv show. Slow Horses made the time fly by and it was so excellent that its second season is already airing right now and the show just came out in March. A big reason to watch it is also Gary Oldman, who plays one of the leads in the show. He’s also announced that he’ll be retiring after it ends - but don’t worry, it won’t be anytime soon because Apple has already renewed it for third and fourth seasons. How is that for a stamp of approval?

The Show with the Superhero in Most Desperate Need of a Therapist

On one hand, we have Peacemaker who has daddy issues (understandably so) and survivor’s guilt. On the other hand, there’s everyone in The Boys. We have definite psychopath Homelander and possible psychopath Soldier Boy and what’s Butcher doing this season with superpowers? But I doubt a therapist would be safe from the maniacs in The Boys so I’ll give this one to Peacemaker who would make better use of the help and not kill the therapist (this guarantee doesn’t extend to Vigilante).

The Show with the Highest Tension

This one’s a tie between The Bear and Severance. And what a surprise, both of them have the workplace as the central setting. Besides what I’ve already said about them in separate editions dedicated just to them, do I need to say more? Fine, here’s one line - it’s best to go in blind for Severance because you want to be surprised and I’ve watched The Bear all the way through three times.

The Best Show About Worst Career Changes That Sort of Work Out

A tie and both of these are comedy shows. Killing It follows Craig (Craig Robinson) an entrepreneur-turned-python hunter in Florida and Our Flag Means Death follows Steve Bonnet (Rhys Darby), a gentleman-turned-pirate. Both of them should not be doing what they’re doing but they do it anyway and it manages to sort of kind of work out along with hilarious situations along the way.

The Show with the Weirdest Relationship

Nobody can explain the plot of The Time Traveler’s Wife in a way that doesn’t make you narrow your eyes. Clare (Rose Leslie) first meets her husband Henry (Theo James) as a little girl when he travels back in time to a clearing near her house as an adult. She grows up falling in love with him because who wouldn’t (and she finds out that he’s already married her in the future so it’s destiny)? But it’s technically okay because he keeps his distance (and it’s not like he time/space travels on purpose) and he’s actually first met her as an adult when she’s an adult too (who has been in love with him since her childhood so is it acceptable?). It was cancelled after the first season because of the entire HBO/Warner Bros/Discovery disaster of a merger so we won’t be exploring more complexities of this relationship but it was interesting to watch while it lasted.

The Show with the Best Fictional Criminals

Sprung makes having a crew seem fun. You’d love to hang out with them and commit crimes (for legal purposes, this is a joke and I’m not condoning crime). We also had some white-collar crime in the new season of Industry but I’ll give them the leeway that crime isn’t their full-time job.

The Show with the Best Real-Life Criminals

This category was previously going to be called best shows based on real life, but then all the characters were fans of shady business practices. The contenders include WeCrashed (about WeWork), Super Pumped (about Uber), The Dropout (about Theranos) and Black Bird (about getting a criminal to get a serial killer to confess) (let’s pretend Inventing Anna didn’t happen for the sake of my sanity). Black Bird is the clear winner here. It has Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser giving their career-best performances and the show feels like a spiritual successor to True Detective and Mindhunter, which elevates it even more.

The Best Show About Teenagers Falling in Love with Teens Who Act Their Age

This was a difficult one to pick with very strong top three contenders - the new season of Young Royals, the last season of Love Victor, and Heartstopper. But, at the end, how could this not go to Heartstopper that’s romantic, wholesome, cute, and does not fail to put a big smile on your face? (The characters of The Sex Lives of College Girls are also teenagers but the second season is still airing so jury’s still out on that and if they all look & act like teenagers or rather young adults is up for debate)

The Show with the Best Power Couple

George (Morgan Spector) and Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon) from The Gilded Age, overcome the absolute drabness of their names to be the best power couple in television this year, not just in a period drama. Doing a bad relationship is easy. A great relationship? Tricky. Especially when it happens to be set in the past, with all its problematic period-accurate outlook. But Julian Fellowes has aced it (Bridgerton, please take note so you can have Season 2’s promising couple back for the third season, which didn’t happen this year).

The Show with the Most Toxic Couple

Yes, I said doing a bad relationship is easy. But - hear me out. Doing a toxic relationship with such compelling characters who happen to have insane chemistry? Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat (Sam Reid) from Interview with the Vampire will make you go from thinking they-should-be-together-forever to please-someone-enforce-a-restraining-order. And as a bonus, there are multiple toxic relationships to go around along with toxic traits that don’t include ripping people’s heads or organs off their bodies (murder can be excused but Lestat, don’t open your relationship if you’re going to throw a fit once your partner takes you up on it and definitely don’t turn a teenager into a vampire to have an adoptive child to save your marriage). Runner-up goes to The Great, which had its second season air this year, with a couple that would also gladly kill each other but at least they’re honest about where they stand.

The Sexiest Show with Queer Vampires

How is this a category? How can this not be a category when you have What We Do in the Shadows’ latest season, and new shows including Interview with the Vampire, Reginald the Vampire, Vampire Academy, and First Kill all airing in the same year? Vampires definitely had a resurgence this year and not just on television (Dracula Daily was also a phenomenon this year and we had the iconic Morbius that needs no introduction and the overlooked Netflix film Day Shift with Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco as vampire hunters). But all of this is just to say that yes, Interview with the Vampire wins again, and Guillermo from WWDITS would agree and we should take his word for it.

The Best Show About Making Money Off the Female Gaze

Minx and Welcome to Chippendales both have businesses trying to capitalize on the female gaze - the first with a magazine and the second with a troupe of male strippers. Since Welcome to Chippendales is still airing and I’m not entirely convinced it’ll stick the landing, Minx wins this one by default but it’s also a very strong show which might have won anyway.

The Best Show To Take You On a Vacation

Or, more specifically, Italy. Yes, the second season of The White Lotus wasn’t the only show with a scenic Italian setting this year. While at the time of writing The White Lotus hasn’t ended yet, I know Mike White isn’t going to lead us astray. The other show that takes you on a vacation in Italy during Mussolini’s era is Hotel Portofino, which weaves in beautiful locales, interesting characters, history, and a mystery to keep you hooked till the end of the season.

The Show with the Best Murder Victim

The Afterparty. RIP Xavier (Dave Franco), you were a superstar blessed with predicting your own death in your music video. (Bonus points for the song being a banger, with the creators filming the full music video even though it wasn’t in the show and releasing a full EP by the character on Spotify).

The Show with the Most Underrated Detective

With a lot of criminals come a lot of criminal catchers. You know the trio of Only Murders in the Building but I bet you’ve not heard of Bell Prescott from Panhandle is a genius crime solver and there couldn’t have been a more fitting name for him for the way he acts. Luke Kirby (who you might know as Lenny Bruce from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - also the only good part of this year’s new season which I didn’t like much) plays the lead - he manages to solve years of unsolved cases all while not having stepped out of his Florida mansion (that he shares with his mother and pet crocodile) since the death of his wife (whose presence he still hallucinates). Also, like any crime-solving genius, he also gets an assist from a sidekick (rookie cop Tiana Okoye) who makes up for his flaws, making them an epic crime-solving duo.

The Best Supernatural Show NOT About Vampires

Well, not exclusively anyway. Supernatural Academy is my pick for this one, which won't entirely be a surprise. It was such a well-made show and had so much mature storytelling than I was expecting from it. I was also considering The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself because that was such a good show but it only picked up about halfway through and now it's been cancelled with just the first season on Netflix. While there hasn't been any news of Supernatural Academy's second season, I'm more hopeful of Peacock keeping shows going than Netflix at this point so I hope we'll see more of it.

The Best Show About Shows

Please take a moment to acknowledge the meta commentary by the placement of this category at the end. Thank you.

Please take a moment to acknowledge the meta commentary by the placement of this category at the end. Thank you.

There are multiple shows in this category and all are winners. The Rehearsal is technically a reality show that also shows you what goes into the making of a reality show. We also have Reboot for scripted fiction, which you’ve probably guessed from the title is a show about the making of a reboot that also happens to have an all-star comedy cast. If we extend the definition of a show to all types of shows because why not, we also have Hacks, whose new season was about the making of a new stand-up show on the road. Also an excellent watch.

[czolgosz]

i went to a used book sale today... procured:

railroad color history: new york central railroad (brian solomon & mike schafer) — i'm not actually that into trains but it appealed to me.

the complete guide to the soviet union (jennifer louis & victor louis) — travel guide from 1980

an anthology including the big sleep (raymond chandler), "the undignified melodrama of the bone of contention" (dorothy l. sayers), "the arrow of god" (leslie charteris), "i can find my way out" (ngaio marsh), instead of evidence (rex stout), "rift in the loot" (stuart palmer & craig rice), "the man who explained miracles" (john dickson carr), & rebecca (daphne du maurier) (i already have this one..) — it's volume 2 of something (a treasury of great mysteries) which annoys me but whatever

an anthology including "godmother tea" (selena anderson), "the apartment" (t. c. boyle), "a faithful but melancholy account of several barbarities lately committed" (jason brown), "sibling rivalry" (michael byers), "the nanny" (emma cline), "halloween" (mariah crotty), "something street" (carolyn ferrell), "this is pleasure" (mary gaitskill), "in the event" (meng jin), "the children" (andrea lee), "rubberdust" (sarah thankam mathews), "it's not you" (elizabeth mccracken), "liberté" (scott nandelson), "howl palace" (leigh newman), "the nine-tailed fox explains" (jane pek), "the hands of dirty children" (alejandro puyana), "octopus vii" (anna reeser), "enlightenment" (william pei shih), "kennedy" (kevin wilson), & "the special world" (tiphanie yanique) — i guess they're all short stories published in 2020 by usamerican/canadian authors

an anthology including the death of ivan ilyich (leo tolstoy) (i have already read this one..), the beast in the jungle (henry james), heart of darkness (joseph conrad), seven who were hanged (leonid andreyev), abel sánchez (miguel de unamuno), the pastoral symphony (andré gide), mario and the magician (thomas mann), the old man (william faulkner), the stranger (albert camus), & agostino (alberto moravia)

the ambassadors (henry james)

the world book desk reference set: book of nations — it's from 1983 so this is kind of a history book...

yet another fiction anthology......... including the general's ring (selma lagerlöf), "mowgli's brothers" (rudyard kipling), "the gift of the magi" (o. henry) (i have already read this one..), "lord mountdrago" (w. somerset maugham), "music on the muscatatuck" (jessamyn west), "the pacing goose" (jessamyn west), "the birds" (daphne du maurier), "the man who lived four thousand years" (alexandre dumas), "the pope's mule" (alphonse daudet), "the story of the late mr. elvesham" (h. g. wells), "the blue cross" (g. k. chesterton), portrait of jennie (robert nathan), "la grande bretèche" (honoré de balzac), "love's conundrum" (anthony hope), "the great stone face" (nathaniel hawthorne), "germelshausen" (friedrich gerstäcker), "i am born" (charles dickens), "the legend of sleepy hollow" (washington irving), "the age of miracles" (melville davisson post), "the long rifle" (stewart edward white), "the fall of the house of usher" (edgar allan poe) (i have already read this one..), the voice of bugle ann (mackinlay kantor), the bridge of san luis rey (thornton wilder), "basquerie" (eleanor mercein kelly), "judith" (a. e. coppard), "a mother in mannville" (marjorie kinnan rawlings), "kerfol" (edith wharton), "the last leaf" (o. henry), "the bloodhound" (arthur train), "what the old man does is always right" (hans christian anderson), the sea of grass (conrad richter), "the sire de malétroit's door" (robert louis stevenson), "the necklace" (guy de maupassant) (i have already read this one..), "by the waters of babylon" (stephen vincent benét), a. v. laider (max beerbohm), "the pillar of fire" (percival wilde), "the strange will" (edmond about), "the hand at the window" (emily brontë) (i have already read this one..), & "national velvet" (enid bagnold) — why are seven of these chapters of novels....? anyway fun fact one of the compilers here also worked on the aforementioned mystery anthology. also anyway Why did i bother to write all that ☹️

fundamental problems of marxism (georgi plekhanov) — book about dialectical/historical materialism which is published here as the first volume of something (marxist library) which is kind of odd to me tbh

one last (thankfully tiny) anthology including le père goriot (honoré de balzac) & eugénie grandet (honoré de balzac)

[fanthropology]

This post is for an audience of… me. I am shouting this into the void because I am unhinged and I just need to say something unhinged, because I feel it in my heart.

The James Bond franchise alternates between serious Bonds and funny Bonds. We had Daniel Craig (serious), before that Pierce Brosnan (funny), before that Timothy Dalton (serious), before that Roger Moore (funny). And on and on.

So we’re due for a funny Bond is what I’m saying.

There’s been a lot of names floated for Bond. Tom Hardy, Rege Jean-Page, Henry Golding, Idris Elba, Jamie Dornan, Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Elordi…

But I am here to make a case for an actor I have never seen mentioned, but who would be a fantastic funny Bond. Joel Fry.

I’m aware I’m unhinged. I started with that.

So first things first: Joel Fry is British, so he meets the basic requirement.

He’s had several good roles (OFMD, GOT, Cruella), but is still largely unknown, which I think should also be a requirement - you don’t want the actor to overshadow the character.

He’s attractive, he’s tall, athletic but not overdeveloped muscles. He can play romance believably.

He’s incredibly funny, specifically in a way where the audience feels like they’re in on the joke with him (which is the best way to play funny Bond).

I know that I am the only person who believes this but I just needed the void to hear me out on this.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Really! SH became increasingly delirious. He looks ridiculous. And why it must be weird. The answer is simple: what he wants to highlight; he invents and remembers and what he blends into his life; he forgets.

Why does he want something so desperately? It does not work. If he doesn’t have practical skills, He’s not a big deal. Meaningless resume to attract attention and get interviews. Daniel Craig beat out him for James Bond’s role 🙄 How did this happen?

Many actors were being discussed for Bond. But, Martin Campbell, James Bond’s director, said he had tested eight actors who did screen tests on “Casino Royale” at the final. Besides Daniel Craig, Goran Visnjic, Sam Worthington, Alex O’Loughlin, Julian McMahon, Clive Owen, and Henry Cavill, (the studios considered Henry Cavill but was too young at the time as he was only 22), other names were heavily rumoured, Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor. SH’s name was not on the list.

The audition is 'in person' and takes place face to face. The next step, a screen test, is to act on the screen, the casting director observes how you look on screen and evaluates how you act without other actors in the room. But the interesting thing is SH was not among the 8 finalist actors in the screen test. It seems SH wasn't in the James Bond producers and directors’ cards 😮

Fortunately, Daniel Craig was perfect for the character, for several reasons, including his background, skills, and accomplishments. “Just Jared” should put enough distance between Daniel Craig and SH, who is a lesser-known name and figure. SH wouldn’t have been as good as Craig, no way.

SH did not lose Bond to Daniel Craig. He is out of line talking about his James Bond auditioning. He was excluded during the first round auditions and was not included in the James Bond’s screen test in front of a camera, to see if he was apt for the role, but Daniel Craig did it. So I don't know 🤷‍♀️ When SH realised that he had lost something?

Take a look back at Daniel Craig's casting story for James Bond’s film CASINO ROYALE.

SH, it's important to learn. He is not very subtle in seeking 007’s role. His comments diminish any chances when actors/candidates do not talk about James Bond. He is causing burnout more than enough by promoting himself, in every interview.

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

BFCD Robots & Whatnots Characters Masterlist

Here’s the thing... I have several characters on the page that are somehow related to a machine. I did some janky tagging early on and sometimes keep a lot of tags. Therefore, I wound up not knowing when to tag a robot or a cyborg or whatever/whichever term a piece of media uses for their versions of them. I had to look up definitions for this. Lol. But, the tagging for a lot of them vary by user, so I mostly leave whatever tag was on the post, and will just list the names without separating between types.

Alice Autofac, Electric Dreams 

Bertha Van Weld Sanjay and Craig

Computo (Danielle Foccart) 

Ela I AM

Grandmother Raised by Wolves

Maeve Millay Westworld

Ms. Connors Class of 1999

Robecca Steam Monster High

Uncanny Valley Miraculous Ladybug

Android:  (in science fiction) a robot with a human appearance.

Cyborg:  a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body.

Charlotte Page Henry Danger got some enhancements at the end of the show that nobody explained, but she appears to have gotten some cyborg capabilities | Diana Freeman Lovecraft Country (Honorary, because of the robotic arm she needs after being touched by demons) | Irene Renie Watson Humans (Honorary because she wanted to be a synthetic so bad, she had an identity crisis to become a “synthie.”) 

Robot:  (especially in science fiction) a machine resembling a human being and able to replicate certain human movements and functions automatically.

Synthetic Humans: artificially created humans who possess special abilities and physical capabilities far above those of regular humans.

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.): the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages.

Technopath: (plural technopaths) (parapsychology, science fiction) A person with techno-telepathic ability, capable of reading the electrical signals of devices, such as computers, around them. OC: Finessa Talbot

Technological Geniuses & Specialists should probably be included, because they control robots often, but like... they’re generally heroes and in hero genres. I’ll abridge this later to include them. For now, accept this one: The Brains of the Operation, which is not specific to technology, but they usually know some technological things because - genius. 

[beardedmrbean]

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that he will not block Mississippi from carrying out with next week’s scheduled execution of an inmate who is suing the state over its use of three drugs for lethal injections.

Thomas Edwin Loden Jr., 58, faces a Dec. 14 execution date, which was recently set by the Mississippi Supreme Court.

U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate handed down a ruling late Wednesday, saying Loden’s execution can happen even while the lawsuit is pending. The Associated Press left phone messages for two of Loden’s attorneys Thursday, asking whether Wingate’s ruling would be appealed. Those calls were not immediately returned.

Loden has been on death row since 2001, when he pleaded guilty to capital murder, rape and four counts of sexual battery against a 16-year-old girl.

Attorneys for the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center sued the Mississippi prison system on behalf of two death row inmates in 2015, saying the state’s lethal injection protocol is inhumane. Loden and two other Mississippi death row inmates later joined as plaintiffs.

Mississippi carried out its most recent execution in November 2021, and that was the state’s first in nine years.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections revealed in court papers in July 2021 that it had acquired three drugs for the lethal injection protocol: midazolam, which is a sedative; vecuronium bromide, which paralyzes the muscles; and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Burl Cain said the drugs listed in the court records were the ones used for the execution in 2021. He would not say where the department obtained them. Cain said in a sworn statement Nov. 30 that the state has sufficient quantities of the three drugs for another execution.

Mississippi and several other states have had trouble finding drugs for lethal injections in recent years since pharmaceutical companies in the United States and Europe began blocking the use of their drugs for executions.

Jim Craig, a MacArthur Center attorney, told Wingate during a Nov. 28 hearing that since 2019, only Alabama, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Tennessee have conducted executions using a three-drug protocol. Gerald Kucia, a Mississippi special assistant attorney general, told Wingate during the hearing that the U.S. Supreme Court has never blocked a method of execution.

Wingate wrote in his ruling that the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld a three-drug lethal injection protocol as recently as seven years ago in a case from Oklahoma.

“Importantly, the State of Mississippi executed David Neal Cox approximately one year ago, using a three-drug midazolam protocol,” Wingate wrote. “This court has before it no evidence that the State incurred any problems in carrying out Cox’s execution using its lethal injection protocol.”

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 27 states have the death penalty. Craig said a majority of death-penalty states and the federal government used a three-drug protocol in 2008, but the federal government and most of those states have since started using one drug.

Craig also pointed out that Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey recently sought a pause in executions. Ivey ordered a “top-to-bottom” review of the state’s capital punishment system after an unprecedented third failed lethal injection.

Mississippi court records show Loden kidnapped Leesa Marie Gray, who was stranded on the side of a road in northern Mississippi’s Itawamba County on June 22, 2000. The records said Loden spent four hours repeatedly raping and sexually battering Gray before suffocating and strangling her to death.

Gray disappeared on her way home from working as a waitress at her family’s restaurant in the Dorsey community. Prosecutors said she was last seen driving out of the restaurant parking lot. Relatives found her car hours later with her purse still inside and the hazard lights flashing.

[kyndaris]

A Jaded Bookstore

A week or so after my date with Spring, I met up with bachelor number 6. Tall, Caucasion, with a head of wild unruly curls and younger than me by four years, he was the only one to offer the date that I’d been craving from the start. A first date at Kinokuniya - the Japanese bookstore in the heart of the city. So, you can imagine the dilemma I found myself in. How could I say ‘no’ to books? Even if the date turned out terribly, it was simply impossible to tear myself away from the bait that had been lain before this bookworm.

Not that there were any immediate red flags when it came to Mr 6 - who shall henceforth be called Benoit. Plus, it was going to be a date in the middle of the day AND it was in a populated store. No chance of being brutally murdered. I hoped.

Benoit met me outside the store. Or, at least he tried to, but since I’m a slippery eel of a bookworm, I’d managed to sneak in and head to my favourite section: Fantasy and Science Fiction. After looking through a few titles, I saw a notification on my phone and responded sheepishly that I had slipped into the store but would try to meet him at the entrance. Once introductions were properly made, we resumed roaming the shelves of my favourite genres and chatted generally about our lives.

Much of the conversation devolved into him - Benoit - asking me a few questions and me responding. Once I had finished, I often had to remind myself to reverse the question and learn more about him as well. You know, simple getting to know each other stuff. A dance one would think I’m already aware of having gone on quite a few first dates.

Alas, I can see why people want to skip the small talk.

Regardless, somehow the conversation came round to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out film. It was probably because I was recounting how utterly disappointing Amsterdam was. In any case, we both expressed our delight at the upcoming Glass Onion film (yes, this was in early November 2022. I know the post is up in February 2023 but give a girl a break when it comes to detailing the adventures of her love life, will you?), even as we strolled through the Fantasy and Sci-Fi section for several long minutes as I pondered what books to buy.

Was I disappointed that he didn’t offer to buy my books for me? A bit. But in our current economy (or the economy of November 2022), it didn’t feel appropriate to demand such favourable treatment. Especially when Benoit was still studying to be a speech pathologist. 

Can you imagine? Truly? Me, the woman was raking in more dough - albeit saddled with a hefty mortgage - requesting a poor penniless University-aged boy (okay, they probably aren’t that destitute nor is the world so Dickensian) to buy me gifts on the first date? It just wouldn’t be fair. 

After all, I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need to man. Except maybe Henry Cavill’s depiction of Geralt of Rivia. Or Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal of Aragon?

Phew! When did it get so steamy in here? And what was I talking about again?

Ah, that’s right. The date with Benoit. So, because we both liked our mystery thriller films and Benoit himself was fascinated by accents, especially the ridiculous one affected by Daniel Craig, his codename was formed.

Once I had roamed my fill, I walked away with two novels. Benoit, too, had also picked out a novel he had been eyeing for a while. Jade City by Fona Lee. Apparently he, like a bookish online friend that I know who reads this blog but doesn’t like or comment on these posts, had also fallen for quite a few Chinese authors and was also dabbling with their online works. He also heaped quite a bit of praise on Cixin Liu and the Three-Body Problem. 

It’s probably a sign that I ought to buy a few of his novels and give them a spin myself. See what the fuss is all about.

By the time we had shopped to our hearts content, our stomachs were grumbling for food. Eager to have a variety of options for lunch, we headed towards Pitt Street Mall and the food court on the upper levels rather than the one down underneath Myers. After all, this was a first-rate date. It needed to be fancy. No expensive McDonalds burgers for us!

Though Benoit was able to settle for a karaage rice bowl, I was less decisive with my food options. It wasn’t after a few minutes of looking through everything that was on offer before I settled on going Greek and grabbed a pita wrap from Zeus Street Greek.

FANCY!

And just like our conversation in the bookstore, Benoit would ask me question after question. I suppose the one thing I felt could have been better was if he allowed some topics to breathe. Instead of dissecting more on the lore of World of Warcraft, he would jump to the number of pets I had rather than allow for a sizable rant about what the writers had done to poor Sylvanas character and the blatant favouritism shown to the Alliance over Horde leaders.

Not that I’ve played World of Warcraft much over the years. I’ve dabbled with it but each new expansion seems to retcon backstory or walk back character developments so quick as to give anyone that wants to follow the lore whiplash.

Regardless, I learned that he had an older sister that had gotten him invested into the Warcraft universe, that he wasn’t much of a comic reader and that he had gone back to university to pursue something he was passionate about instead of coasting on his first degree that had proven to be less than enjoyable.

Once lunch was done, we even had pancakes at gram!

Big fluffy pancakes that left me stuffed and unable to move.

But as with all good things, the date had to come to an end. As we both took the train, we headed to the closest train station. And as we said our goodbyes, Benoit leaned over and gave me a hug before I could duck out of the way! The sheer nerve of the man! How dare he! 

Still, trying to be polite, I patted him awkwardly on the back and so, the date concluded.

While I like to keep an open mind, a part of me wonders if Benoit will be the one. He did offer a second date to watch Glass Onion when it was in cinemas but I was busy during that time. A disappointment, to be true, but after I’d managed to catch it on Netflix, I was able to provide him with quite a few insights on what I thought about the sequel movie to Knives Out. 

Can I just say that the ending, as they were smashing the glass statues, I was honestly terrified for Helen’s feet. She was wearing open-toed sandals for goodness sake! She could have totally cut herself up if she hadn’t been careful!

Other than that, my favourite character was Peg and her ‘so done with this bullshit’ attitude when it came to dealing with Birdie. I don’t think I could ever willingly get into such a toxic codependent relationship - be it with a partner or friends - but I loved how Jessica Henwick portrayed Peg in the film. Including her outfits that weren’t quite cool enough.

Don’t get me started on the stretching in the background when everyone was still getting introduced. So good!

Long story short, I just wanted an outlet to talk about Glass Onion following everyone falling in love with Daniel Craig as the gay southern detective. And maybe ruminate on relationships? I don’t know. Probably not.

It just felt good to chat with someone that I can connect with when it came to talking about mystery who-dunnits. Now we just need Kenneth Branagh’s Hercule Poirot (I’ve honestly been loving the Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. The fact that Emma Mackey got to display her acting chops beyond Sex Education is GREAT!) to go up against Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc and see who is the superior scenery chewing detective with a ridiculous accent.

What? You want more? You're saying that it's not enough to just chat about something I like and that you want a deep discourse about the human condition or something something connection with another being?

Fine. Well, there’s still the second date with Spring that I can ruthlessly dissect for your reading leisure. Stay tuned to the next episode of...

DATE 2.0: The Kyndaris Story.

Yes, I’ve even added a secondary title to it. I hope you’re happy about living vicariously through my relationship failures.

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE FACULTY!

Teachers, Instructors and Coaches of the Lucyverse

Here’s a tribute to all the teachers at the Lucyverse University! 

Jean Valjean Raymond (Apache Dancing) played by Shepard Menken in “The Adagio” (1951). Ethel suggests the recently-arrived cousin of someone at the French laundry to teach Lucy how to dance the Apache. He turns out to be more interested in amore than apache! 

Percy Livermore (English / Grammar / Elocution) played by Hans Conried in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (1952). Naturally, tutor Livermore has show business aspirations. Conried also played various teachers and instructors on Ball’s radio sitcom “My Favorite Husband.” 

Madame LeMond (Ballet) played by Mary Wickes. LeMond was the premiere ballerina of the French Ballet. She puts Lucy through her paces at the barre. 

Arthur ‘King Cat’ Walsh (Jitterbug) played by Arthur Walsh in “Lucy Has Her Eyes Examined” (1953). In real life, Walsh was one of Hollywood’s most popular Jitterbug dancers / actors. His first film role was as a Jitterbugging soldier in Stage Door Canteen (1935). 

Robert Dubois (French) played by Alberto Morin in “The French Revue” (1953). A waiter moonlighting by giving French lessons, DuBois is really in show business and wants to audition for Ricky at the Tropicana. In reality, Morin was not French, but born in Puerto Rico! 

Kitty Winslow (Dance) played by Lucille Ball in “K.O. Kitty” (1958), an episode of the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. The dance instructor turns boxing coach when she ‘inherits’ a prize fighter. Lucy Carmichael also coached a prize fighter (played by Don Rickles) in a 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Henry Taylor (Math) played by William Windom in “Lucy Digs Up a Date” (1962). Although Jerry calls him ‘Old Man Taylor’, he is a new young bachelor recently relocated to Danfield from San Francisco. He replaced teacher Mr. Lucas (a character we never see). In various episodes of “The Lucy Show” Jerry also talks about teachers named Mrs. Lopus and Miss Clementine. 

Vito (Fencing Instructor) played by Vito Scotti, also in “Lucy Digs Up a Date” (1962). He gives lessons at the new Danfield YMCA. 

Professor Dr. Gitterman (Singing and Acting) played by Hans Conried in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (1963) and “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (1963). The roles are reversed when Lucy uses his breath control techniques in “Lucy Teaches Ethel Merman to Sing” (1964). 

Dr. Adrian Vance (Chemistry) played by Lou Krugman in “Lucy and Viv Take Up Chemistry” (1963). Vance teaches night school at Danfield High. 

Mr. Sheldon (Judo) played by James Seay in “Lucy and Viv Learn Judo” (1964). Sheldon runs a Judo and Karate studio in Danfield. During the lesson he is assisted by his prize students, Louis Coppola and Ed Parker, who were real-life martial arts experts hired for the episode. 

Professor Guzman (Art) played by John Carradine in “Lucy Goes To Art Class” (1964). Guzman teaches Beginning Art Class at Harold’s Stationery and Art Store in Danfield.    

Mickey Rooney (Acting) in “Lucy Meets Mickey Rooney”. The school Mickey Rooney wants to open is called The Players Showcase. 

When “Lucy Gets Her Diploma” (1967) she attends Wilshire High School. There she has several teachers (top left to bottom right):

Larry Wilcock plays the Math teacher

Barbara Babcock plays the English teacher

Olive Dunbar plays the Biology teacher

Donald Randolph plays the History teacher

Ken Jones (Dance) played by Ken Berry in “Lucy Helps Ken Berry” (1968).  Jones teaches a course of tap and soft shoe for $25. 

Sister Mary Alice (Grade School Teacher) played by Mary Gregory in the film Yours, Mine and Ours (1968). Sister teaches Lucy’s son Philip and objects to him using his adopted name Beardsley, insisting he is still legally a North. 

Buddy Rich (Drums) coaches Craig in “Lucy and the Drum Contest” (1970).

Mike Howden plays a Ski Instructor in “Someone’s On the Ski Lift with Dinah” (1971). 

Freddy Martin coaches Lucy Carter in the saxophone in “Lucy and Her All-Nun Band” (1971). Martin was a saxophonist and band leader who first gained national attention in 1940 and continued on through the 1970s.

Professor Dietrich and Professor John Kleindorf played by Murray Matheson and John Davidson in “Lucy and the Professor” (1973). Kleindorf is the head of the music department of the college Kim attends. Dietrich is the author of the best-selling book Sex and the College Girl.

Jack Scott (Auto Mechanics) played by Robert Rockwell in “The Not-So-Popular Mechanics” (1973). Scott teaches night courses at Valley Trade School. Rockwell is probably best remembered as biology teacher Mr. Boynton on “Our Miss Brooks” (1952-56) opposite Gale Gordon and Mary Jane Croft, a series filmed at Desilu Studios. 

Mr. Tweed (Pottery) played by Roger Twedt in “Lucy and Uncle Harry’s Pot” (1973). Twedt was a real-life art teacher from Palm Springs, California. He also  was Lucille Ball’s adviser for using the pottery wheel.

[lboogie1906]

Henry Threadgill (born February 15, 1944) is a composer, saxophonist, and flutist. He came to prominence in the 1970s leading ensembles rooted in jazz but with unusual instrumentation and often incorporating other genres of music. He has performed and recorded with several ensembles: Air, Aggregation Orb, Make a Move, the seven-piece Henry Threadgill Sextett, the twenty-piece Society Situation Dance Band, Very Very Circus, X-75, and Zooid. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album In for a Penny, In for a Pound. He performed as a percussionist in his high-school marching band before taking up baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, and flute. He studied at the American Conservatory of Music and Governors State University, majoring in piano, flute, and composition. He was an original member of the Experimental Band, before leaving to tour with a gospel band. He enlisted in the Army, playing with a rock band in Vietnam. He was discharged in 1969. He formed New Air with Pheeroan akLaff, replacing Steve McCall on drums, and reformed the Henry Threadgill Sextett. The six albums the group recorded feature some of his most accessible work, notably on the album You Know the Number. The group's unorthodox instrumentation included two drummers, double bass, cello, trumpet, and trombone, in addition to his alto saxophone and flute. Among the players were drummers akLaff, John Betsch, Reggie Nicholson, and Newman Baker; bassist Fred Hopkins; cellist Diedre Murray; trumpeters Rasul Siddik and Ted Daniels; cornetist Olu Dara; and trombonists Ray Anderson, Frank Lacy, Bill Lowe, and Craig Harris. In 2018, Threadgill composed the string quartet "Sixfivetwo" for the Kronos Quartet, which they recorded as part of their "Fifty for the Future" project. He was born in Chicago. He is married to recording artist and ethnomusicologist Senti Toy, known as Sentienla Toy Threadgill. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/CorrXnTLyUL/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[qnewsau]

Jacob Elordi plays gay in racy 50s queer drama On Swift Horses

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/jacob-elordi-plays-gay-in-racy-50s-queer-drama-on-swift-horses/

Jacob Elordi plays gay in racy 50s queer drama On Swift Horses

Aussie Jacob Elordi and his co-star Diego Calva share several steamy sex scenes in an intriguing 1950s gay drama On Swift Horses, which just premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

In the film from Fellow Travelers director Daniel Minahan, Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her husband Lee (Will Poulter) are beginning a new life after Lee returns from the Korean War.

But their suburban American dream is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic younger brother, card shark Julius (Jacob Elordi).

Julius meets Muriel for the first time shirtless, sprawled over the hood of his pickup truck.

As the erotically-charged film unfurls, Muriel finds herself questioning what she wants and engages in a steamy affair with a bohemian neighbour named Sandra (Sasha Calle).

Meanwhile, drifter Julius heads for Las Vegas and starts having his own love affair with a fellow gambler Henry (Babylon hunk Diego Calva).

Diego Calva in Babylon

Plenty of sex scenes in On Swift Horses

The reviews for the film are out after On Swift Horses’ premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Variety confirms that the film features “plenty” of steamy sex scenes between Jacob Elordi and Diego Calva’s characters, as well as scenes of “compulsive gambling, rib-cracking gangsters and grifters, underground gay bars and urban horse riding.”

On Swift Horses is directed by Daniel Minahan, who directed the first two episodes of last year’s brilliant limited series Fellow Travelers.

He said at the festival, per Variety, that the story offers “a re-imagining of the American dream, except through a queer lens.”

The film is based on a novel by Shannon Pufahl, which has won lesbian fiction awards.

Daniel Minahan said the book has an optimistic tone, rather than a relentlessly tragic story.

“She made a story about people who were hiding themselves, people who were watching, people who were exploring and trying to find themselves, and they end up connecting,” he said.

“It’s not a tragic ending to this story. It ends on a note of hope. That was important to us all along.”

Read more:

New Farm Queer Film Festival unveils 2024 lineup

Joaquin Phoenix’s cryptic response after exit from ‘explicit’ gay film

Omar Apollo has sex scene with Daniel Craig in new film Queer

Gay romantic drama Fellow Travelers is a hit with critics

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[spaciousreasoning]

Water and Fire

I saw an article recently that said there are more than 200 waterfalls in Oregon. So, on Thursday we drove down to Roseburg and headed east along OR 138, Oregon’s Waterfall Highway, also known as the Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway. The Waterfall Highway stretches along the North Umpqua River for more than 79 miles and allows access to almost two dozen waterfalls.

As it turned out, our first and only waterfall of the day was Susan Creek Falls, a moderate family-friendly hike of only about 1.5 miles round trip from the trailhead. But the fire-damaged area lacked shade, so we'll have to return during cooler weather to check out the other falls.

We continued eastward for at least another 40 miles or so, trying to get to more waterfalls, but they required more walking or too much driving. Better directions will also be needed for our future excursions. Things often look much easier to find on a map on the computer.

After stopping at the Dry Creek Store for a soda, some water, and a candy bar, we turned back west, retracing the route we had been on thus far. We stopped again at the Susan Creek Day Use Area, where we had parked when accessing the trail to the falls earlier.

This time we took the path to the raft-launching site, and Nancy took off her shoes and socks and soaked her feet in the Umpqua River for a brief period. We picked up a brochure that described the rafting opportunities and warnings for various sections of the river. Rafting or kayaking are not likely to be in our future, no matter how mild any of the sections of the river might be.

Just before hitting I-5, we stopped in Roseburg to let Nancy take the wheel again, and I napped off and on until we got home. When dinner time arrived, we drove out OR 126 to Craig’s Lucky Logger Restaurant, which shares a building and kitchen with Henry’s Bar. Nancy got a cheeseburger and I chose a French dip, both of which turned out to be quite good. As were the French fries, which were accompanied by Ranch Dressing, something I enjoy now with fries and tater tots.

After dining, we drove along Camp Creek Road, which follows the north side of the McKenzie River and intersects with Marcola Road. Along the route we noticed some smoke from a fire that evidently had started with a car on fire and burned about 10 acres before firefighters managed to bring it under control.

There are other fires around the state, a few of them quite large, including one close to a waterfall along OR 138 that we did not reach on our drive. The fire danger was noted as high or extreme in most places. It likely to get worse as the summer continues, as it was when we visited last August and found ourselves breathing smoke for several days.

We might make more visits along the Pacific Coast in the coming days and weeks. For one thing, the temperatures are much lower, even in the daytime.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"COMMITTEE FAVORS SELECTING JOBLESS TO WORK ON FARMS," Toronto Globe. April 12, 1933. Page 11. --- Motion Sponsored by Fraleigh and Newman Referred to Henry ---- MANY SPEAKERS HEARD ---- The Committee on Agriculture went on record yesterday in Queen's Park as favoring selection of unemployed men who would work on farms for board and lodging, with a minimum wage to be paid by the Ontario Government, and the organizing of others unemployed for other public services. The motion, sponsored by H. T. Fraleigh (Conservative, Lambton East) and William Newman (Liberal, Victoria North), is referred to Premier Henry for consideration.

Another resolution sponsored by Mr. Fraleigh and J. A. Craig (Conservative, Lanark North) urges Hon. T. L. Kennedy, Provincial Minister of Agriculture, to continue his efforts in conjunction with the Federal Minister in pursuing a further policy to aid the marketing of live stock.

Financial Aid Sought. H. L. Craise, President; W. W. Robinson, Vice-President; and C. I. Delworth and E. J. Atkins of the Fruit Marketing Council, sought aid of the committee in obtaining financial assistance of the Government to carry on their work. The efforts of the board in obtaining markets for produce which might have overflooded Ontario markets, was stressed and compulsory registration of growers urged. If the latter was possible, a fee would take care of the operation of the Council, it was explained. The question was left to the Minister to deal with.

Special speakers addressed the committee on timely subjects. D. А. Campbell, live stock shipping agent, of Montreal, reviewed export costs and told the committee of the various types of cattle suitable for the British market; J. M. McCallum, Chief of Stock Yards Service for the Federal Government, read an extensive address on "Export Cattle"; and F. C. Fletcher, General Manager of the Union Stock Yards, spoke on stock yards' service.

Reports Tabled. A comprehensive report and several recommendations were tabled by W. J. Bragg (Liberal, Durham), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Fruits and Vegetables. Other reports were received on live stock, from Mr. Fraleigh; on dairy products and egg- grading, from Chairman James A. Sanderson (Conservative, Grenville); and on colonization, from Hon. Dr. Paul Poisson, Chairman of that special group.

The several subcommittees were praised by Chairman J. E. Jamieson (Simcoe, Southwest) for the labor and time they had put on their several reports. Chairman Jamieson's report will be tabled in the House today.

[damage-defense-digest-32571]

Prospect Park Zoo Set to Reopen After Eight Months of Restoration

Wildlife Conservation Society prepares for the return of visitors following severe flood damage

After nearly eight months of extensive restoration efforts, Prospect Park Zoo is preparing to welcome back visitors. The zoo, located in Brooklyn, New York, was forced to close its doors due to severe flood damage caused by a record-setting rainstorm in September. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees the zoo, recently announced on social media that it is looking forward to reopening later this spring, with an official date set to be disclosed in the coming week.

Although the flooding caused millions of dollars worth of damage, none of the approximately 400 animals residing in the zoo were harmed.

The rainstorm on September 29 resulted in the zoo's basements being filled with up to 25 feet of water, leading to significant damage to the boilers, HVAC and electrical equipment, and aquatic life support system.

Restoring Critical Infrastructure

The closure of Prospect Park Zoo was announced in October, with the Wildlife Conservation Society emphasizing the need to protect the zoo and its critical infrastructure from future extreme weather events. Craig Piper, the vice president of City Zoos for the Wildlife Conservation Society, stated that the restoration efforts would focus on preventing future flooding of the facilities.

Piper highlighted the zoo's previous experiences with storms Henri and Ida two years ago, which also caused considerable damage. He expressed concerns that these extreme weather patterns would continue due to climate change.

Damage Assessment and Restoration

The torrential downpour during the rainstorm caused extensive damage to the zoo's infrastructure. The basements, which were inundated with water, suffered the brunt of the destruction. The boilers, HVAC and electrical equipment, and aquatic life support system were all severely affected.

Over the past eight months, restoration efforts have been underway to repair and replace the damaged infrastructure. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been working tirelessly to ensure that the zoo is not only restored but also equipped to withstand future weather events.

Protecting the Animals

While the infrastructure damage was significant, the good news is that none of the animals residing in Prospect Park Zoo were harmed. The zoo's staff swiftly implemented emergency protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals during the flood.

The animals were temporarily relocated to safe areas within the zoo, away from the flooded basements. The dedicated team at the Wildlife Conservation Society ensured that the animals received the necessary care and attention throughout the restoration process.

Anticipated Reopening

The Wildlife Conservation Society is eagerly anticipating the reopening of Prospect Park Zoo. With the restoration efforts nearing completion, visitors will soon be able to once again enjoy the diverse range of wildlife and educational experiences that the zoo offers.

An official reopening date is expected to be announced next week. The society is working diligently to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors.

After months of intensive restoration work, Prospect Park Zoo is on the verge of reopening its doors to the public. The Wildlife Conservation Society's efforts to repair and fortify the zoo's critical infrastructure have been instrumental in ensuring its resilience against future extreme weather events. Despite the significant damage caused by the record-setting rainstorm, the animals within the zoo remained unharmed, thanks to the swift action taken by the dedicated zoo staff.

The reopening of Prospect Park Zoo not only signifies a return to normalcy but also serves as a testament to the resilience and determination of the community. As visitors once again flock to the zoo, they will have the opportunity to witness the incredible diversity of wildlife and learn about the importance of conservation efforts. The reopening serves as a reminder of the vital role that zoos play in educating the public and protecting endangered species.

As climate change continues to pose challenges, the restoration of Prospect Park Zoo stands as a symbol of the ongoing battle to safeguard critical infrastructure and protect vulnerable ecosystems. The reopening is a cause for celebration, but it also serves as a call to action for individuals and communities to take steps towards mitigating the impacts of climate change and preserving our natural world for future generations.