#Mollie Hemingway

[justinsentertainmentcorner]

Edith Olmstead at The New Republic:

Fans of 11-time Grammy Award–winning singer Dolly Parton came to her aid this week, in response to a tacky, homophobic hit piece published by a right-wing magazine.

The Federalist is a conservative outlet that has previously taken aim at Taylor Swift, accusing her of indoctrinating her listeners into man-hating feminism, a thinly veiled grievance about their inability to control the thoughts of young women. Now it’s taken aim at the Queen of Country herself, likely for much the same reason. The newest article took issue with Parton using her Christian faith as a rationale for her acceptance of all people, including those who identify as LGBTQ+. “Parton’s version of love, which includes condoning immoral sexual behavior, (be who you are she said), is unaligned with God’s vision for humanity,” the author wrote, going on to compare Parton to a secular leader spreading “false gospel.” Trying to cut down such a beloved figure and awarded philanthropist is pretty ridiculous, and especially ironic for a publication that previously published an article pushing for her to be the next president of the United States.

The Federalist’s Ericka Andersen went after Dolly Parton in her column, and she got rightly dinged for blaspheming the good name of Dolly Parton.

[contemplatingoutlander]

DECODING FOX NEWS

The propaganda in this one Fox News segment is astounding, and succinctly sums up the alternate reality that right-wing media have constructed regarding Biden and Trump.

Mollie Hemingway, the editor-in-chief of the right-wing media outlet The Federalist, does four things in this video:

She ignores the history of the Trump family's financial corruption, both during his administration and shortly afterward (when Jared was given control of investing $2 billion by the Saudis).

She implies that the repeatedly debunked Burisma claim against the Bidens is true.

She implies that all the indictments against Trump are due to the Biden administration's attempts to "persecute" Trump for standing up "for the people" to the "corrupt" Biden regime.

She likens the indictments to what happened in the past in communist regimes, where people like the Czech Republic's Václav Havel had been persecuted but later became presidents.

Below is a breakdown of the video:

HEMINGWAY: Also does, though, is it shows us what we're dealing with as our country. We've had a lot of people who have become political leaders and become incredibly wealthy.

HEMINGWAY: Joe Biden spent 50 years in public service and his family all has bank accounts where they take money from foreign people. They go to public service, and they come out much better.

HEMINGWAY: You have with President Trump one of the first and only people to actually stand up against that corrupt regime.

HEMINGWAY: Seeing the persecution that comes associated with it, which also kind of makes the case for him, because people see that if you go along with the regime, good things happen to you. If you stand on behalf of the people, they will try to destroy you.

HEMINGWAY: So there's like a weakness that's shown here in the same way you think of like the... what the communists used do to their political opponents. They would imprison them.

HEMINGWAY: After communism ended, some of those people became presidents and leaders like Václav Havel in Czech Republic because people knew they were persecuted and imprisoned because they were they were opposing a corrupt regime.

If any of Trump's indictments end in conviction, dangerous civil unrest may very well occur--likely in part because of the kinds of false, wreckless statements that Fox News contributors like Mollie Hemingway have made repeatedly.

[notfye]

“ernest only has lovely things to say about you” unfortunately became the pinnacle of flirting for me somewhere along the way. alas.

[chriswolak]

Armed Services Editions

Armed Services Editions were pocket-sized editions of literary works distributed to service members during World War II. There was a book written about them that has been on my TBR list for way too long: When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win WWII (2015) by Molly Guptill Manning. Publisher’s blurb: Published December 2nd 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt When America entered…

[arcticdementor]

(link)

[kyoukamybeloved]

“You sound like you’re certain he’s human.”

“There’s no way I could hate a man-made character string this much.”

“Look at us getting along so well. That’s what makes me love you!”

similar posts: 1, 2, 3

little beast - Richard Siken// art by @velaversal// I know the end - Phoebe Bridgers// cinnamon girl - Lana del Rey// This poem is want - Seema Reza// art from @seukorei// portrait of a blank slate - lovejoy// stormbringer - Kafka Asagiri// the secret history - Donna Tartt// art by @greendy2l// renegade - Taylor swift and big red machine// persuasion - Jane Austen// letters to Sartre - Simone de Beauvoir// art by @lotus-pear// pretty when you cry - Lana del Rey// for memories - wilbur// art by @liyv// Stormbringer - Kafka Asagiri// bite the hand - boygenius// shrike - hozier// Dazai Chuuya age fifteen - Kafka Asagiri// art by @thornedarrow// on a red horse - Marina Tsvetea// think of you - bleached// fragile - Molly Burton// art from dead apple manga// lonely - Natalie Wee// a loving feeling - Mitski// manga panels from Dazai Chuuya age fifteen and Dead apple// good light - Andrea Gibson// the papa and mama dance - Anne Sexton// ruin & rising - Leigh Bardugo// she is made of chalk - L.M. Dorsey// a farewell to arms - Ernest Hemingway// perfume - lovejoy// art by @j11nko// tasting the moon - Caitlyn Slehl// bonjour tristesse - Françoise Sagan// trust - Lucy Dacus// art by @pleucas// opera house / cigarettes after sex// on earth we’re briefly gorgeous - Ocean Vuong// the basket - Willa Cather// art by @pleucas// wanting - Emma Bleker//

tagging moots and some accounts who seemed to really like my other skk webweave, if you want me to untag you no worries just send me a message :)

@amagami-hime @philzokman @vivid-vices @nnavia @dazaiyuri @aelxr @bunglegaydogs @circuslemon @ricelover888 @anneme404 @charlidrawz @gorotic @oatmilkbasic @zamxii @dinosaur-mayonnaise @pendragonstar

[bighermie]

Biden Himself Is The Force Destroying America That He Warns Against

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today we have eight fics in modern settings for you all! Have a look at them below the cut and if you end up checking some of them out on ao3, please don’t forget to leave kudos and comments! 🩷

Having Trouble Breathing In by Torchiclove (17,445 words, Teen) Pairing: Keyleth/Pike Trickfoot (Pikeleth) Warnings: None

‘The paramedic would take her breath away, if the asthma hadn’t done it for her.’ Keyleth falls for Pike in a modern AU.

Reccer Says: Enjoyable and well written fic of Keyleth falling for Pike in a modern AU. Explores Keyleth as a character with anxiety and it's a great, gentle depiction of falling in love with great characterisation despite the rare pair.

Live your whole life on a might-have-been by Chrome (2,681 words, Teen) Pairing: Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast (Widobrave) Warnings: None

Just a very short and atmospheric peice set in a modern au where Caleb and Veth met at university, and he’s driving her part of the way home for the holidays.

Reccer Says: I can’t describe the feelings this fic gives me. It’s understated and bittersweet and so full of longing that you’ll want to die. It feels like a Hemingway story almost with the way it manages to pack so much meaning in between the words the characters actually say.

And I became hypnotized by freckles and bright eyes by SunshineAndaLittleFlour (1,007 words, Teen) Pairing: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast (Shadowidomauk) Warnings: Drunk kissing

Molly didn’t realize he probably shouldn’t be kissing someone else’s partner until after he’d already started doing it.

Reccer Says: This fic, this whole series in fact, is absolutely wonderful! Its fun, flirty and emotional as well as smutty and one of the best stories/series for the purple boys and their ginger partner. Always a delight to read and this fic starts an awesome series off wonderfully!

softly, softly by maricolous (837 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Mollymauk Tealeaf (Fjolly) Warnings: None

Fjord comes home from his shitty retail job to Molly, his roommate-turned-partner. They make out about it.

Reccer Says: It’s very cute and sweet, with a side of what feels Fjolly-typical horniness. It’s a fun little fic!

if we were a movie by burningdarkfire (8,800 words, Teen) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett (Beaujes) Warnings: None

Jester decides to try and set Caleb and Essek up and ropes Beau into it. Cue many “friend” double-dates, a classic disaster lesbian Beau crush, attempts at coping with it, delightful romcom nonsense, a fun side of Shadowgast, and a very sweet ending.

Reccer Says: It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s heartfelt. Everyone’s voices are so on-point and every moment Feels like them. Beau is a mess and I love her, I want to squish Jester in my hands, and the wizards are menaces of a side pairing. Also the conversation between Beau and Essek at the maid cafe is so good.

candy hearts (so sweet on you) by thaumasilva (5,149 words, General) Pairing: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett (Beaujes) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Implied Stalking (not between Beaujes)

Beau keeps visiting the gift wrapping station at the mall to get her Winter’s Crest presents wrapped, and the cute tiefling working there keeps giving her candy hearts with flirty messages, or: Three times Beau wanted to ask Jester out, and the one time she didn’t have to.

Reccer Says: It's just a sweet as the name implies, aaaa it's so cute

Intervention by VioletTeaTime (1,965 words, Teen) Pairing: Fjord/Caleb Widogast (Widofjord) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fjord intimidates the guy bothering bartender!Beau’s favorite customer into taking a hint and leaving. Then he gets flirted with and Beau complains about having to watch.

Reccer Says: ace fjord my beloved <3 also the boys' background friendships with Beau are very sweet

all actions and reactions by grayintogreen (2,879 words, General) Pairing: Astrid Beck/Jester Lavorre (Jestrid) Warnings: Depression, Burn-out

One of her friends suffered a breakdown, the other found religion, and now Astrid Beck, suffering from burnout and stress and a myriad of other things a pre-law student can suffer, has found the cherry on her misery sundae. Someone keeps buying all of the cinnamon scones she loves, and now she must end them.

Reccer Says: An amazing translation of the characters into a Modern AU, and surprisingly sweet

Thank you for joining us for our second recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 🩷 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author’s intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 🩷

Submissions for next week’s list are already open! We’ll be featuring Whump. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Pre-Relationship, and you can also submit fics for that now!

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you’re interested in everyone’s favorite wizards, you can’t go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 🩷

[beardedmrbean]

After a report implied many voters of color in swing states are souring on President Biden, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, sparked outrage for implying they are only doing so because they are uninformed and blinded by their feelings.

CNN's "State of the Union" host Dana Bash spoke to a panel on her show about a recent report from The New York Times, "Trump Leads in 5 Critical States as Voters Blast Biden, Times/Siena Poll Finds." The report included polling that claimed, "Black voters — long a bulwark for Democrats and for Mr. Biden — are now registering 22 percent support in these states for Mr. Trump, a level unseen in presidential politics for a Republican in modern times."

Bash addressed Crockett and read an excerpt from the report, "In a remarkable sign of a gradual racial realignment between the two parties, the more diverse the swing state, the farther Mr. Biden was behind, and he led only in the Whitest of the six."

"It’s really scary for me," Crockett replied, before going on to explain why she thinks this shift appears to be happening.

"Here’s the deal, perception is reality, and so when you look at the data that was provided in this poll, it talks about how people feel… it is all about how you feel in that moment," she said. "While the facts may not align with their feelings, their feelings are dictating their reality and their reality is that they feel better or they felt better when Trump was in office."

Crockett added that Democrats have been "trying to push back" against this, even as "some very popular African American artists out here saying things like ‘Oh I got checks when Trump was in office. I want those checks again,’ not understanding that really came from Congress."

"So we have got a couple of things, the perception issue and then we also have an issue as it relates to civics in this country and people not understanding exactly how any of this works," she concluded.

As footage of Crockett’s statement shot across the internet, commentators condemned her rhetoric on social media.

"’Voters are too stupid and they don't understand their betters’ is probably not a great campaign message for Democrats," The Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway wrote.

"The utter disdain these elitist lawmakers have for their own constituents is really mind-blowing," commentator Joe Concha wrote.

"Where did she get such a sense of superiority?" journalist Miranda Devine wrote.

"Pre Obama the Democrat’s stock response to dropping numbers in a demographic was, ‘we’ll go and listen, and try hard to earn that support,’" columnist David Marcus wrote. "Today it is, ‘they are wrong, and somewhat ignorant, we’ll show them why we are smart and right.’"

"Imagine being this dismissive of your voters? Democrats seem to think the people who they need to elect them are all stupid and incapable of understanding what’s actually happening," radio personality Mike Opelka wrote.

"Oh really," Fox News host Lawrence Jones III wrote.

Many commentators, especially Black conservatives, scorched Crockett for appearing to underestimate Black voters' ability to grasp politics.

"In other words, according to Democrat @RepJasmine Crockett, Blacks are too stupid to understand how much better they are under Biden," conservative commentator and former 2024 presidential hopeful Larry Elder wrote. "Not too bigoted! If Trump said this, Democrats would be drawing up another article of impeachment."

"Once again telling the Black community that we are not intelligent enough to see what’s going on and understand it," former Republican congressional nominee Jeffrey A. Dove wrote. 

"Democrats: Blacks are too emotional to think clearly. Smart pitch," HotAir associate editor David Strom wrote sarcastically.

[fics-n-stuff]

Molly Ringwald is an Absolute Babe

Pairing: Robin Buckley × Reader (fem)

Summary: Y/N comes into the video store every weekend, and Steve is convinced that she's been flirting with Robin. Robin isn't so convinced, until a certain movie selection prompts a shift in their dynamic.

Word Count: 3k

A/N: Despite my bisexuality and crushes on many a female fictional character, this is the first fic I've written for any of them. Idk how much I like it but Robin was occupying alot of brain space and I needed to write something.

You pushed open the door to Family Video and headed straight for the desk. It was right before closing on Friday evening and you were worried that they would be getting ready to close up shop, but Steve was behind the counter with a smile as you walked over.

“Hey, do you have the movie Personal Best?” You asked.

“Uh... not sure, let me check.” He replied and turned to the computer. You waited as he typed it into the inventory search. “No, doesn’t look like it. If you want, I could order it in for you, it would probably arrive in a couple of weeks.”

“Yeah, that would be great, thanks. It’s from 1982, Mariel Hemingway and Patrice Donelly.”

“No problem. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No thanks, I’m just gonna grab a couple other movies.” You smiled and stepped away.

You did a bit of browsing in the romcom section and settled on The Breakfast Club, before making a beeline to the familiar shelf where they kept The Rocky Horror Picture Show and grabbing that too before you returned to the counter. You set the tapes down on the counter and handed your ID over to Steve.

“Rocky Horror again. What’s that, four times?” He joked.

“Five I think.” You chuckled. You looked around the store, your eyes searching for the other employee, as Steve checked out your movies. You spotted Robin talking to a mom and daughter over by the kids’ animations and smiled subconsciously.

Steve passed your ID back to you and you handed over the money for the movies, turning to leave with a thanks and an exchange of goodbyes.

“Robin!” You called across the store, and she turned to find the origin of her name. When she spotted you, she smiled. You smiled back, giving a wave before heading out the door.

Robin finished up with the mom and daughter and found the place empty after they left. Her and Steve started cleaning up, getting ready to close up shop. While she was sweeping the floor, Steve came up beside her.

“I’m right.” Steve said smugly, leaning against the counter. “I’m right and you know I’m right.”

“Right about what?”

“Dude! Y/N likes you!”

“Steve, no. We’ve been over this, okay? It’s not the same for me as it is for you.” She replied, shaking her head.

“Yeah, I know that Robin, but listen. She is here every weekend and if I serve her then she makes sure she says hi to you, but if you serve her then I only get a hello if I spot her first.”

“So she likes me more than you, big whoop.” Robin shrugged and went to put the broom away. Steve flicked off the lights and grabbed the key, and they closed up shop and headed to Steve’s car.

“Robin, Y/N likes you. I promise.”

“You can’t promise me that, Steve. In fact, you can’t even promise me that she’s gay.”

“She rented Rocky Horror for the fifth time in four months today. And every time she comes in she rents something with a babe in it; this time it was The Breakfast Club, and you can’t deny that Molly Ringwald is an absolute babe.” Steve argued passionately.

“She could just have easily have gotten it for Judd Nelson.” Robin refuted.

“For god’s sake Robin can you just open your eyes for one goddamn minute? She’s gay! She’s gay and she likes you. I’ve had enough girls like me to know what a girl looks like when they like you.”

“Wow, that wasn’t a casual brag at all.”

“Not the point.” Steve groaned in annoyance.

“Well, no offense Harrington, but you’re not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and I don’t feel comfortable taking your word on something so important.” Robin said. “I can’t risk making a move without being certain that she likes girls.”

“I am certain that she likes girls.”

“Well I’m not.”

Steve rounded the last corner onto Robin's street and pulled up to the curb outside her house. She reached over to grab her bag from where she had dumped it on the backseat and pushed her door open.

“All I’m saying is, you’re never gonna get a girlfriend if you’re too paranoid to realise when a girl likes you.” He said as she climbed out of the car.

“Okay, thank you Steve.” Robin droned.

“Molly Ringwald!” Steve called as she swung the door shut. She responded by flipping him of through the window before heading up to her house.

+ + +

“Hey Steve! Did my movie come in yet?” You asked eagerly as you came up to the Family Video desk, handing over the tapes that you had rented the previous weekend: Victor/Victoria and Back to the Future.

It was Saturday morning and it had been two weeks since Steve had ordered Personal Best in for you, so you were hopeful that it had arrived.

“Yes, it did.” Steve smiled, producing a tape from under the desk and holding it up triumphantly. “I read the blurb on the jacket, sounds interesting.”

“Really, you think?” You questioned, knowing full well that the blurb revealed that it was a movie about two female athletes who fall in love.

“Yeah. I like a good sports flick.” He put the tape down on the counter and slid it over to you. “Let me guess, you’re gonna go pick out a musical before you check out?”

“Ugh, you know me so well Harrington.” You smiled, snatching up the tape and stepping back from the counter. He chuckled as you walked away, off to browse the shelves for a musical that took your fancy.

As you rounded a corner you came upon Robin tidying up a shelf and stopped dead in your tracks, your heart stopping for a moment. You steadied yourself with a deep breath and headed over.

“Hey, Robin.” You greeted and she turned away from the shelf to face you.

“Oh, hey Y/N.” She smiled. “Come for your weekly movies?”

“Of course.” You chuckled, holding up the tape in your hand. “I’m especially excited about this week, Steve ordered this one in for me special.”

“Oh yeah, he mentioned. He said it was something I might like but I never got around to reading the blurb.”

“Here, read it now.” He held it out to her and watched as she took it from your hand. You watched her closely as she read it wanting to see how she reacted to the gay detail. She made a little gasp and her eyebrows rose slightly, presumably as she got to that reveal, but there was no indication of whether that was a positive or negative reaction. You held your breath.

“Yeah, I guess Steve was right.” She laughed slightly, handing the tape back to you.

“Sounds like something you’d enjoy?”

“Yeah. Maybe I’ll rent it myself when you’re done with it.” You smiled at that, hoping to God that this meant what you hoped it meant. “Anyway, um, I better get back to work and you probably want to find your second movie.”

“Yeah, I should probably do that.” You laughed a little awkwardly and shuffled around Robin in the aisle. “I’ll see you next week then.”

“Yeah, see you next week.” She smiled, then you turned and headed down the aisle and she turned back to the shelf.

You picked out The Sound of Music and checked out with Steve before leaving. Your best friend, Lisa, was waiting for you in the car and she gave you an in credulous look when you skid in behind the wheel with a sigh.

“You still didn’t ask her out, did you?” She questioned, but already knowing the answer.

“No, I couldn’t. But, I am almost one hundred percent certain that she’s gay now.”

“Oh, really? How come?”

“Well, when she read the blurb for Personal Best she said that it was something that she would like to watch.”

“Oh my God, Y/N, that was the perfect opportunity to ask her to watch it with you! I can’t believe you missed that shot.”

“I was nervous, Lisa! I let it get awkward because I didn’t know what to say.” You pouted.

“Whatever. Can we go to Jessica’s party now?”

“Yeah.” You huffed, starting up the car and manoeuvring out of your parking space.

“Next week. You have to do it next week.” Lisa said. “Otherwise you’re just gonna chicken out of it forever.”

“Yeah, okay. Next week.” You muttered.

+ + +

When you walked into Family Video the following Saturday, you were both happy and terrified to see Robin standing behind the counter. You walked around the store to give yourself time to work up the courage to say what you wanted to say to her, picking out your movies for this weekend.

With one last deep breath, you mustered your most confident smile and headed up to the counter.

“Hey, Y/N.” Robin greeted happily as you approached. “How you doing?”

“Good.” You nodded. “How about you?” You slid the tapes you were returning across the counter to her and placed the ones you were checking out down too.

“Good.” She echoed. You watched her put into the records that you had returned last week’s tapes before grabbing the other two off the counter. “Rocky and Mary Poppins.” She read the titles aloud with a chuckle “Interesting pairing.”

“Well, my brother asked for Rocky and I decided that I’m on a bit of a Julie Andrew’s kick.” You smiled.

“Nice.” She nodded. You handed over your ID to check the tapes out and took another deep breath to psyche yourself up.

“Hey, so, Robin, I was thinking maybe you’d wanna catch a movie with me tonight?” You said quickly before you could chicken out. You saw her hands falter as she checked out the tapes and hoped to God that you weren’t making a huge mistake.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” She sputtered, a surprised smile slowly growing on her face. “I’d like that.”

“Great.” You grinned, letting out a laugh of relief. “The theatre just started showing Pretty in Pink, I can pick you up after work?”

“Sounds great. Pick me up after closing, about 8:15?”

“Okay, I’ll be back in a few hours.” You smiled. Robin handed you the tapes and your ID and you exchanged slightly awkward goodbyes before you left.

“What was that?” Steve asked with a suggestive smirk as he returned to the counter and sidled up beside Robin.

“Um, you don’t have to give me a ride home from work today.” She answered a bit shyly.

“Wait, seriously?” He checked. Robin bit her lip to suppress her grin and nodded. “Oh my God, that’s awesome! What are going to do?”

“We’re gonna go see Pretty in Pink at the movie theatre.” She answered.

“What did I tell you? Molly Ringwald.” Steve said smugly. Robin smacked him in the arm before they promptly ended their conversation as the next customer stepped up.

You arrived back at the video store at 8:10, a huge grin on your face as you pulled up to park outside. Most of the lights had been turned off but you could still see Robin and Steve tidying up through the window.

You waited patiently for Robin to come out, your fingers tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the music playing out of the radio. Your window was filled down slightly, so you heard it when the door to the video store opened and Robin and Steve stepped out, bickering about something or other.

You watched Robin as she locked the store, and smiled when she turned in your direction and spotted you. Whatever comment she had been making to Steve died on her lips as she smiled back, raising her hand to wave at you. You rolled your window down further.

“You ready?” You called.

“Yep.” Robin nodded, finding her feet and starting towards you.

“Alright, you kids have fun.” Steve smiled teasingly. “See you on Monday, Robin.”

“Yeah, okay, bye Steve.” She waved hurriedly, walking around to the passenger side of your car. He looked at you and gave you a wink before heading for his own car. You rolled up your window and turned to look at Robin as she slid into the passenger seat of your car and put on her seatbelt.

“The next showing is at 9:00, so we’ve got some time to kill.” You said.

“That’s okay, we can just talk.” She replied apprehensively. You smiled again and nodded before starting up the engine and heading out of the parking lot. “I’ve never, um... I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Me neither.” You said. “Well, not a proper one, at least; I technically went on one date with Bobby Harris when I was thirteen but that was...” You trailed off, finishing your sentence with a performative shiver that made Robin laugh. “So does Steve, like, know..?”

“Yeah.” Robin nodded. “I told him in summer. He’s cool, if you were worried about that. He actually figured out that you like me before I did, so.” She added with a nervous chuckle. You thought it was cute. “Do any of your friends know?”

“Yeah, my friend Lisa. She’s captain of the debate team.”

“Oh, Lisa Jennings. She seems nice.”

“Yeah she’s the sweetest. She’s actually been pushing me to ask you out for, like, two months.”

“Really? Wait, oh my god, how long have you liked me?” She questioned, a look that mixed shock and amusement on her face.

“No, you don’t need to know that.” You chuckled with a gentle shake of your head.

“Please? I really wanna know. I feel like it would be good for my self confidence.” Robin smiled sweetly. You bit your lip nervously, glancing between her and the road, before letting out a sigh.

“Okay. You remember that time last year that band and theatre both thought they had the music room booked?”

“Yeah, it was a shit show.” She nodded.

“Okay, well, while the teachers were bickering about who actually had the room booked, you made a joke. I don’t even remember what it was, but the face you made when you made the people around you laugh was... really cute.” You explained.

“But that was, like, seven months ago.” She commented, and you stayed silent, pursing your lips as not to show how embarrassed you were at revealing just how long you had liked her. “Oh my God, that’s adorable.”

“Let’s not talk about that.” You mumbled.

You pulled into the parking lot of the movie theatre and slotted right into an empty parking space. You shut off the engine and checked your watch.

“We’ve still got half an hour.” You said.

“That’s okay. Gives us time to get popcorn and still get the good seats.” Robin replied.

The two of you headed in and bought your tickets and snacks, chatting happily as you went. You let her pick your seats and she sat you pretty much right in the middle of the theatre. You had expected the place to be a lot busier, given that it was a Saturday night showing of a big new movie, but there were only a handful of other people in the theatre so far. You supposed there was still about fifteen minutes for people to turn up before the showing started, but still. It was nice though; made you feel less nervous about being on a date.

You settled into your chair, a small bucket of popcorn on your lap and your drink in the cup holder next to you. Robin had the same, and she smiled over at you as she chewed a few kernels of popcorn.

“I guess I should have asked before I got here but, are you a fan of romcoms?” You asked her.

“Yeah, I mean, who doesn’t like a good romcom?” She nodded. “But I tend to prefer horror or, like, a mystery thriller. What about you?”

“I don’t know, I just like movies.” You shrugged, then added in a whisper: “Bonus points if there’s a pretty lady in it.”

“Oh, yeah, a hundred percent.” Robin giggled.

More people filtered in as the last minutes before the start of the showing passed, and eventually the theatre was just over half full.

“I’m really glad you asked me to come here with you.” Robin whispered, leaning in closer so only you would hear. “I would have been too nervous to make the first move.” She leaned back with an awkward smile, and you felt a goofy smile pull at your lips too. You went to reply, but the lights went down before you could open your mouth and the screen lit up as the first ad started to play through the speakers.

You had a faint smile on your lips throughout all the ads and trailers, sparing glances over at Robin every minute or so. When you looked over at her as the movie was starting, you caught her looking back at you. She smiled as she tossed another piece of popcorn into her mouth, and you suppressed the urge to grin by taking a sip of your drink.

Robin turned back to the screen, and your eyes lingered on her side profile for a moment before you followed suit. Then, as Molly Ringwald put in her earrings and applied her mascara, you felt Robin’s hand meet yours where it sat on the armrest.

You kept your eyes on the screen, smiling again, as you linked your fingers with hers, moving your arm to tuck your joined hands under the armrest to hide from any wandering eyes. You heard Robin let out a quiet sigh of relief and squeezed her hand slightly, very much looking forward to what was to come for the two of you.

[thechanelmuse]

My Book Review

In his first memoir, The Big Sea, Langston Hughes unveils his self-portrait as a depressed, vulnerable young world traveler in his 20s in the 1920s, aiming to understand his family and sense of self against the barriers of society. His gift of words and will to finally be leads to his self-discovery, awakening, and budding friendships in the midst of examining the racial construct and class structures around him in various countries. I Wonder As I Wonder is a continuation of his wanderlust spirit around the world into the 1930s. Langston paints a portrait of societal structures and cultures around the world —Cuba, Haiti, Russia, Soviet Central Asia, Japan, Spain — (even witnessing dictatorships and the Spanish Civil War) and within the US. He makes his imprint as a gifted wordsmith during the The Great Depression, meeting new and some familiar faces along the way. Just as The Big Sea, I Wonder As I Wonder is a layered sensory book. You feel like you’re right there in the past as a curious world traveler, seeing through his eyes, taking field notes, witnessing the shaping of various countries and the way it translates to the daily lives of the people, and how it all compares/contrasts to today. It's funny that upon concluding this memoir, Langston still writes about wanting to be a writer: “But that is what I want to be, a writer, recording what I see commenting upon it, and distilling from my own emotions a personal interpretation.” The thought of doing while actually doing. Journeying through the preceding pages with him, you understand it's really his longing to make his passion a successful earning career in spite of barriers. He did indeed.

SN: The photos aren’t included in book, but are pivotal to the details in the book. 

Langston Hughes with dog on beach at Carmel, California (1934)

The next 3 photos are Langston Hughes in Haiti (1931)

The next 2 photos are Langston Hughes and Dorothy West in route to Russia (1932)

The Russian film company Meschrabpom's "Black and White" film team on the SS Europe (1932). Front row from left: Mildred Jones, Louis Thompson, Constance White, Katherine Jenkins, Sylvia Garner, Dorothy West, Mollie Lewis. Middle row from left: Wayland Rudd, Frank Montero, Matt Crawford, George Sample, Laurence Alberga, Langston Hughes, Juanita Lewis, Alan McKenzie. Back row from left: Ted Poston, Henry Lee Moon, Thurston Lewis, Lloyd Patterson, Loren Miller

Langston Hughes and German journalist Arthur Koestler (far right) on a cotton kolhoy in Soviet Central Asia (1932)

Langston Hughes in Ashgabat (1932)

Thaddeus Battle, former student at Howard University and activist in the National Negro Congress, Bernard “Bunny” Rucker, and Langston Hughes on the battlefield in Spain (January 1938)

Langston Hughes, Soviet journalist Mikhail Koltsov, Ernest Hemingway, Cuban poet and journalist Nicolás Guillén in Madrid, 1937

[gusty-wind]

Incredible testimony by Mollie Hemingway.

She summed up everything wrong with our elections.

PLEASE HAVE A LISTEN.

[antidrumpfs]

President Joe Biden’s fiery Thursday night State of the Union speech was bad news for the preferred narrative from pro-Trump commentators that Biden is a dementia patient on the brink of death. So they responded by baselessly claiming he must have been on performance-enhancing drugs.

OutKick’s Clay Travis, 9:44 p.m.: “What drugs have they shot him up with tonight? This is not how normal people talk.”

Right-wing cartoonist Ben Garrison, 9:45 p.m.: “They really jacked up Joe with the drugs tonight- think there's a IV bag under his jacket?”

TownHall’s Kurt Schlicter, 9:49 p.m.: “Maybe the paramedic who called into @HughHewitt this morning and told me Biden would be on cocaine was right!” 

Podcaster Monica Crowley, 9:53 p.m.: “Biden, pumped full of god-knows-what drugs to make it through this pack of lies, blasts Pharma.”

Fox contributor Mollie Hemingway, 9:54 p.m.: “Plot twist: It was Joe Biden's cocaine in the White House!”

RealClearInvestigations’ Mark Hemingway, 9:57 p.m.: “The rushed jittery pace of this speech is the drugs, right?” 

Fox host Greg Gutfeld, 10 p.m.: “Think we found out who that coke belonged to.”

[4libertylover]

"It's just very interesting to hear all of this defense of democracy when the current strategy of the Democrat Party is to actually imprison their top political opponent and then try to keep American people from being able to vote for the candidate of their choice. That is a direct attack on free and fair elections. That is an attack on democracy." - Mollie Hemingway

[arcticdementor]

(link)