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f1tyreslightmyfyre · 6 months

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Immortal Artistry - Ch. 1

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A Vampire AU F1 Fic Featuring Charles Leclerc x Fem!Reader, George Russell x Fem!Reader, hints of Max Verstappen x Fem!Reader, Lestappen, Sebchal, and Sainzell (or Russainz?)

Also on AO3

Ch. 1 Warnings: Language; vampire blood violence

2023

“Now, remember,” Xavier Marcos Padros instructed. “Señor Leclerc is a very important client of this firm. His family has been with us for nearly 100 years, and we don’t want to cast a poor impression on the newest generation.”

“No, sir.” You agreed, nodding at your boss.

“That is why I want you to personally oversee the meeting.” The lawyer continued. “There is no other paralegal that I trust more with the closure of his documentation. The paperwork has already been signed by his grandfather, and Señor Leclerc just needs a witnessed signature to complete the transfer of estates and power of attorney to his name.”

“Yes, sir.” You bit back an irritated sigh, listening for the third time as your boss explained the situation. As if you haven’t already spent long hours and late nights preparing the Leclerc account paperwork for the all-important transfer and supporting the grandfather’s witnessed signature process.

“Your work on this family case continues to impress, and I’m confident that you will represent our firm proudly.” He paused to consult his notes. “Now, Señor Leclerc has been arranged for 2100 hrs tomorrow night at his personal request.” He looked back at you unashamedly. “I assume that time won’t be a problem for you.”

Even now, your boss’ haughty words still gnaw at you. Just because the man is a senior partner in one of the world’s most prestigious law firms and you’re fortunate enough to be on his team of paralegals doesn’t mean that you’re not entitled to a life of your own outside of work. All of your clients are wealthy and successful and privileged, and you see no reason why Señor Leclerc should be treated any differently.

But at the end of the day, part of your job is client satisfaction, and your boss won’t hear of you inconveniencing a client, no matter their assets. That’s why you’re still at your desk despite the clock reading 2051 hrs. That’s why you’re still in your pristine business suit and heels while the rest of the building grows dark and empty around you. That’s why the executive conference room table contains the spread of the various official forms for Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc, III to sign upon his arrival.

You exhale another sigh as you casually scroll through the newsfeed on your phone, skimming headlines and associated ledes.

DESPITE ALL ODDS, BRANGELINA BACK TOGETHER

Earlier this year saw the return of Bennifer, and now, fans are stunned at the return of Brangelina. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt famously wed in 2014, and Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt just two years later. The divorce proceedings have been anything but amiable, and despite the divorce never being legally finalized, it appears that may no longer be needed…

FAMOUS RAPHAEL, DA VINCI PAINTINGS MISSING SINCE WWII TURN UP IN BELGIAN HOME

Among the scores of artwork lost during the chaos and destruction of WWII, two of the most famous pieces have finally resurfaced after more than 75 years. Raphael’s Portrait of a Young Man and da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine were last seen at the Wawel Castle in 1945, at the home of Hans Frank, who Hitler appointed as governor of the General Government in Poland. The Belgian businessman now in possession of these classic masterpieces has come under investigation as authorities seek to understand how the artwork came into his custody. Historians value the Portrait of a Young Man and the Lady with an Ermine at over €500 million and €300 million, respectively…

STAR WARS FANS SPOT LIGHTSABER-LIKE OBJECT ON MARS SURFACE IN NEW NASA PICTURES

New photos released by NASA show an object on the surface of Mars, looking like a lightsaber from the iconic Star Wars series. Despite its appearance, this mysterious item is actually a titanium tube containing a rock sample that rests on the Red Planet’s surface…

You glance at the time, not willing to risk being late, and set your phone down. Smoothing the drape of your suit jacket and matching skirt, your heels echo off the marble as you walk down the empty corridor. The elevator ding breaks the silence, and you glance out over the Monaco skyline as you descend to the front lobby.

With two minutes to spare, you offer a nod in silent greeting to the night guard on duty at the front desk and come to a stop just inside the tall, glass doors. You keep a keen eye on the street for the approach of a dark sedan or SUV, something that won’t be easy to see in the glow of streetlights. But that’s not the vehicle that pulls up to the front kerb.

Actually, you don’t know what kind of vehicle it is, but the vintage bright cherry red sports car is impossible to miss. It screams elegant taste and wicked speed, and with the convertible top down, it puts the driver on full display. His pale skin stands out immediately against the cut of his black suit and as he exits the car, closing the door behind him, it’s a devastating combination. Or, perhaps, it’s just the expertly tailored lines of his suit or the rakish sweep of his brunette hair or the mercurial glow in his green eyes.

You may spend your life catering to the ultra-wealthy and well-dressed, but this man is truly in a league of his own.

Forcing a swallow and hoping your cheeks aren’t too flushed, you step forward to push open the front door. “Good evening, Mr. Leclerc. Welcome.”

He nods, offering a polite smile as he steps inside. “Thank you. And thank you for taking this meeting so late.” His crisp dress shoes echo off the marble in tandem with your footsteps. “Xavi’s office has always been gracious to accommodate my chaotic schedule.”

You nod gently even though his words give you pause. Nothing about him looks chaotic, whether in the details of his appearance or his calm, collected demeanor. In fact, he looks crisp and polished, as if his day has just started. Pushing the thought aside, you guide him towards the elevator lobby. “Of course, sir.” You say as you press the ascent button. “We’re always happy to work with our clients to assure their needs are met.”

“An admirable sentiment.” The corner of Leclerc’s mouth lifts as he motions you first into the elevator. “I think you are new to Xavi’s team as we have not met before, no?”

Your cheeks blush full red hot as you realize your breach of etiquette. “Oh, goodness – yes, I… apologies for not introducing myself.” You give your name and extend your hand which he politely accepts. Immediately, the firmness of his grip, the softness of his skin, and the chilly temperature against your own strikes you.

His eyes glitter under the elevator’s overhead lights. “Pleased to meet you. You already know this, but I’m Charles Leclerc, III. Though, Charles or ‘Charles’ is just fine.”

Even after letting go of his hand, the phantom chill still lingers on your skin. It’s not a particularly cool night outside, as evidenced by the open cockpit of his car, and you can’t put your finger on why his skin should be so chilly.

He must sense your confusion because a small, sheepish smile comes to his handsome face as he rests a hand in his trousers’ pocket. “I apologize if my cold fingers surprised you… I should have warned you before that I’m cold blooded. I never can seem to get warm.”

“Oh no, please,” you say with a reassuring smile despite the heat rushing to your cheeks and the quickening of your heartbeat as the elevator dings. “You don’t need to apologize – I was just wondering if I could offer you some warm tea.” The words roll off your tongue as you step out of the elevator with him close behind. Thinking on your feet is a key part of your job even if it stresses you out.

“That’s not necessary, though I do appreciate your concern. And you needn’t worry or be so nervous.” He flashes a hint of a teasing, yet reassuring smirk. “I’m not going to give Xavi a poor report about you this evening.”

Your eyes go wide, and you hate that he’s so perceptive. Pushing open the door to the executive conference room, you exhale a gentle sigh. “Thank you, I… I-I’m sorry that you felt the need to say something. I will work to improve in the future.”

“No need.” He shakes his head shortly. “My grandfather says that I unnerve people, so that is something I am also working to improve.”

Is that what it is? Right from his opening comment on chaotic schedules to the chill of his skin, something about him has set you off-balance. You can’t even recall the last time that you forgot to introduce yourself in a business meeting, and yet tonight… tonight is quickly devolving into a night you want to drown with a bottle of wine.

You can’t find an immediate answer, instead turning your attention to the spread of paperwork on the table. “If you’d like to be seated, I have everything arranged for you here.” You watch him move around the table on silent footsteps and fold elegantly into a plush chair as you continue. “I understand that you previously had the opportunity to review the transfer of estates, accounts, and power of attorney paperwork prior to your grandfather signing.”

He nods in confirmation. “Yes, and everything was as expected.”

You nod in return as you motion at the pen resting alongside the first form. “Then, please, feel free to confirm the versions signed by your grandfather align with your understanding prior to signing.”

Stepping back to allow him a modicum of privacy, you fold your hands in front of your jacket and quietly wait. Instead of hideous fluorescent lights, the can ceiling lights emit a soft golden glow that plays handsomely off the tint of his hair and highlights the elegance of his fingers as he traces the words on the paper.

You’ve never met the grandfather – the original Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc – confined as he is in an exclusive care facility, and the paperwork provides few clues about how he amassed his vast fortune. He became a client in 1946 after rising to wealthy prominence and only continued to add to this fortune and collection of estates. His son - Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc, II – passed away after a long battle with illness, leaving only his son – the man now seated at the conference table – as the sole heir. But where are the wives and mothers in all of this family business? Are the Leclercs truly so old-fashioned as to only let the men inherit the estates and conduct family business?

Of course, it’s all no business of yours whatsoever. Europe still harbors its pockets of aristocratic thought, and your job isn’t to judge them for it.

Your train of thought derails as you watch Charles reach into the interior pocket of his suit jacket. He withdraws a sleek, black capped pen with gold accents and deftly unscrews the cap. Glancing up at you, he offers another cute, almost shy smile. “You’ll forgive me if I’m a little old-school,” he says as a gleaming gold fountain tip comes into view. “Ball point pens just aren’t as artistically satisfying.”

His signature isn’t the neatest that you’ve ever seen. In fact, next to his grandfather’s, it’s downright illegible aside from the leading C and L. For someone who shuns ball point pens in favor of artistry, you’re surprised that his signature is so… unremarkable.

Wetting your top lip, you take a breath. “If I may… are you an artist, sir?”

The corner of his mouth lifts – whether with amusement or a more private sentiment, you can’t tell. “I have certainly studied art,” he says as he continues to scan and sign the array of papers. “I suppose one could call me a collector of art, but while I claim paltry skill with a brush, I do favor myself for having an appreciation of beautiful pieces.”

Admittedly, understanding the art of art isn’t something you pride yourself on. You appreciate museums and the history they hold, but you’re not all that familiar with art history or defining characteristics of art over the centuries. Slowly, you nod as he recaps the pen. “It sounds like you would have seen a lot of interesting pieces over the course of your studies.”

His eyes flash with something you can’t place – something predatory, something fond, something satisfying. “Yes,” he says at length as he rises. “I have seen much, with much still left yet to see.”

All at once, you remember the late evening hour. “Of course, sir, please – I don’t mean to keep you any longer than you need.”

“It’s no trouble, and your curiosity is not unwelcome.” A charming smile warms his face. “Actually, it’s flattering that despite this suit you would still consider me to be an artist.”

Your brow furrows as a confused smile slants the corner of your mouth. “Artists come in all shapes and sizes, don’t they? Just because you’re not starving and dressed in rags doesn’t mean that you couldn’t be an artist.”

“Art is what we make of it, non? As are those who create it.” He steps towards you and the door, offering the clumsiest attempt at a wink you’ve ever seen. “And that is for each of us to decide.”

Maybe it’s the sonorous tone of his voice or the light glinting in his green – or grey? Or hazel? – eyes, but you can’t look away. He’s utterly gorgeous and your body heats up in appreciation of this handsome man standing before you. The scent of cedar, citrus and earth reaches your nose – and fuck, how did you not notice his cologne earlier? It entrances you, and the longer you hold his gaze, the more you feel yourself floating…

Until he blinks away and motions towards the door. “After you.”

Shaking from your stupor, another embarrassed flush stains your cheeks as you move towards the elevator. He’s hardly the first supremely attractive man that you’ve interacted with on this job, but none of them have rendered you so stupid before.

“My grandfather says that I unnerve people, so that is something I am also working to improve.”

You brush the memory of his earlier words aside, swallowing your unease as you search for something to say. “Thank you again for coming by this evening.” You finally say, sticking to the safe topic at hand. “I’ll file the paperwork in the morning, and Señor Padros will be in touch if there are any unforeseen complications with the transfer.”

“I have complete faith in Xavi, and you, by extension.” Charles says breezily as you both step into the elevator. “He has served my grandfather well, and no doubt, will continue to serve me well in his stead.”

The odd choice of words strikes you. You don’t consider yourself in the service industry and you’re pretty sure that your boss doesn’t consider himself a servant to the wealthy elite, but maybe it’s just another indicator of how old-school this young man next to you truly is.

“As always, we appreciate your support and business.” You say on professional reflex, despite the distracting scent of Charles’ cologne that you can’t stop noticing. “I will be sure to pass along your reassurance to Señor Padros.”

“Again, there is no need.” He flashes another reassuring smile as the elevator doors open to the main lobby. “I owe Xavi a visit soon to discuss further matters and I will gladly tell him in person.”

His words beg further questions in your mind but you know better than to ask. Whatever relationship he has with your boss – professional or otherwise – is also certainly none of your business.

Your heels click to a stop near the front door and he pauses beside you. With a bow of his head, he holds your gaze as he speaks. “Thank you again for accommodating such a late meeting. It’s been an unexpected pleasure.”

“Thank you, sir. You, too.” You nod in thanks as he turns for the door. “I hope that you have a good rest of your evening.”

His mouth slants with a wicked grin as he pushes out into the dark night. “Of course. I’m just getting started, after all.”

A shiver crawls down your spine as he saunters up to his red car and sinks down into the plush leather seating. The glass building façade muffles the revving engine, but as he shoots off into the night, you’re left with more questions than answers.

Sighing deep, you offer a good night wave to the front desk guard, focused only on getting your bag and going home. The trip back to your desk and down to the parking garage passes in a familiar blur only broken when the elevator doors ding open. Yellow light from the sodium-vapor lamps paint the concrete surroundings in a hideous, monochromatic glow. Even through the glass doors of the elevator lobby, the ubiquitous buzzing of the light fixtures can still be heard. But it’s the frustrated groans of a tall, slender man carrying a box piled high with file folders and trying to pull the doors open that draws your attention.

“Here,” you say in greeting, offering a friendly smile as you step up to assist with the door handle. “It looks like you’ve got your arms full – literally.”

“Oh, thank you.” The man turns brilliant, blinding blue eyes on you and a megawatt smile around his posh British syllables. “You have no idea just how heavy this box is.”

You hold the door open for him as he steps through, maneuvering the box and his messenger bag through the opening. “You’re welcome. Do you have a big case ahead?”

“Yeah,” he says with a nod as the door closes behind you. “Boss needs recommendations by noon tomorrow and I’m so far behind.”

“Ugh,” you groan in commiseration. “I’ve been there, too – it can be so fast-paced sometimes. Who’s your boss?”

“Musconi. He’s not one of the senior partners or anything – not like Padros or Bonnington – but, well, I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so I’m still learning. I’m George Russell, by the way. I’d offer you my hand, but well…” He shrugs and flashes another handsome smile as he hefts the box in his hands.

“No worries, George.” You say before offering your own name. “Welcome to the firm. I hope you continue to settle in alright.”

“Thank you. Everyone’s been really helpful so far.”

You spot your car ahead and turn to offer him a wave. “Well, if I can help with anything, please let me know; otherwise, have a good evening and see you around, George.”

“Lovely to meet you, and thanks again!” He calls out after you, poorly attempting to offer a wave despite his full arms.

As you start the ignition and drive through the garage, you just catch George rounding a concrete pillar to another car.

You don’t see George open the car’s boot, depositing the box and bag before slamming the top down. You don’t see George reach into the backseat, to the dead body slumped across the backseat like someone sleeping. You don’t see George tuck the borrowed employee badge back into the man’s pocket before sliding into the driver’s seat.

And you definitely don’t hear George make a phone call as he drives off. “Yeah… Leclerc just left, and I’ve made contact.”

1940

“Quel est l’ordre, Lieutenant?”

Charles slows his steps, surveying his assembled platoon of French and Monegasque soldiers as he answers in French. “We’re stopping here for the night.”

Beaufort glares over at Charles. “Stopping here, sir?” He glances around at the splintered remains of the French woodlands, the craters in the earth, and the tree shards that litter everywhere. “I’ll roll over and get a splinter in my ass.”

“Better than up your ass!” Moreau bellows as he laughs at his own jab and a few others join in.

Charles can’t say that he disagrees, but he’s careful to keep the amusement from his face. “Either way, I suggest that you use this last bit of daylight to clear a resting place that won’t result in needing medical aid.”

A low murmur of chuckles and assent rises from his men as they start to settle into the destruction. Other platoons flank them on all sides, making similar encampments as they stretch out among the shattered trees and the growing shadows of twilight that rapidly obscure into darkness.

For days now, they’ve been marching through burned and battered countryside, each ruined village indistinguishable from the next. The Panzers prove relentless in their siege, and the Luftwaffe bombs haven’t helped, either. Charles isn’t a high enough rank to possess a map, but his basic knowledge of the sky from training indicates a steady march in a northwesterly direction.

Fall back to Dunkirk. That’s his command from on high.

He yawns as he continues to survey his men. They number so few now, and the missing faces will haunt the rest of his days. As their commanding officer, he knows every last man in his platoon, but now… only a handful remain. A handful that he is personally responsible for leading out of this hell and into the unknown.

If the Allied Forces are well and truly surrounded, what fresh horrors await them when the enemy finally catches up to them in Dunkirk? Will the British prioritize evacuation of their own troops first? What chance does he stand to ever get back home to Monaco?

But wars are lost on pointless thoughts like that. Thinking so far ahead won’t serve him well in the here and now. He just needs to solve this problem, and then solve the next problem. To stay alive and always keep moving forward.

Someday – when Charles has access to endless alcohol and a real bed – he’ll lose himself to those other dark, destructive musings.

“Merde, that’s an ill wind, isn’t it?” Severin’s voice carries low in the night.

“Sure… like ghosts are riding its wings.” Porcher agrees with a grumble as the sound of a hand slapping thick fabric becomes audible. “But no more of that talk. Between the Jerrys, your ass, and these damnable tree roots, I don’t need any extra help from nightmares for not sleeping.”

Allowing his lips to quirk in the cover of darkness, Charles turns from his men, satisfied that they’re settling in well enough for the night. He slows and steadies his footfalls, not wanting to disturb anyone as he makes his way through the dimly lit landscape.

Moments alone are truly rare, but he can steal a few to relieve himself. Counting his steps to gauge his return, the sounds of men snoring, breathing, talking and coughing fade into the breeze.

True peaceful silence at last.

Charles closes his eyes, indulging it for the space of a breath, before going about his business. His eyes roam skyward, catching glimpses of starlight through the wispy clouds. In his mind’s eye, he imagines the brush strokes to try and capture such splendor on canvas. It makes him long to return to his position at the art institute, to nurture creation instead of destruction. With a sigh, he looks back down to the war-torn ground, righting his uniform and webbing. In truth, it’s better not to dally.

A cigarette is his next order of business. It helps him forget about his toothbrush that went missing during a forward advance some weeks back.

In complete silence, strong, vice-like hands grip his shoulders out of the darkness, throwing Charles off his feet. He hits the ground hard, breath forced from his chest and stealing his voice as plain blooms in the back of his skull. His assailant looms over him, a shapeless shadow that pins him to the ground with effortless ease.

Charles kicks feebly as his vision swims, thrashing to dislodge his attacker and break free from the commanding hold. But the impossibly cold weight above him remains immobile, crushing him into the muddy ground. Surely, this must be another man… but a German soldier? Or possibly a confused Allied soldier?

Icy fingers suddenly claw at the collar of Charles’ uniform, wool and buttons shearing easily as horror creeps into Charles’ rising panic. The dark shadow above him bears down, unbothered by Charles’ desperate attempts to scratch and claw along his back. Twin points of searing pain explode in Charles’ neck as sharp, pointed teeth rip through his skin. A strangled cry rasps in Charles’ throat against the agony as the shape of the attacker’s mouth changes, and he seals his lips to Charles’ skin, supping greedily as he pulls suction.

A new sensation erupts – one of ragged, exquisite pleasure – that mixes with the blinding pain to ebb and flow through his entire body. Charles’ mind overloads at the onslaught as his body grows stiller and more pliant. His pitiful protests become sluggish as a creeping fog eats at the very center of his being. His arms fall to the ground, weakened and motionless as the delicious, terrifying pressure continues on his neck.

And then… only darkness.

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jbaileyfansite · 11 months

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Vanity Fair Article about Fellow Travelers (2023)

When Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey first met at a coffee shop on Cumberland Street in Toronto, on the verge of beginning six months of filming for their decades-spanning limited series Fellow Travelers, they made a pact to have each other’s backs. Sounds simple enough, given that they were about to embark on some of the richest screen work of their respective careers. But over Zoom, both actors speak of that introduction now as almost sacred. Watch Fellow Travelers, and you’ll understand why. The Showtime epic depicts an extraordinary intimacy between its lead characters, and asks for true vulnerability from Bomer and Bailey, who deliver without compromise.

Adapted by Oscar nominee Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia) from Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel, Fellow Travelers (premiering this fall on Paramount+ With Showtime) examines the volatile, passionate, deeply loving romance between Hawkins Fuller (Bomer), a charismatic if somewhat opaque war hero turned political staffer, and Tim Laughlin (Bailey), a religious idealist looking for his way into the DC grind. They meet at the dawn of the early-’50s Lavender Scare, in which Senator Joseph McCarthy and his chief counsel Roy Cohn purged whomever they deemed gay or lesbian from government roles—dubbing them communist sympathizers—and sparked a national moral panic around homosexuality. The series then builds into a kind of grand chronicle of queer American history, tracing the evolution of Hawk and Tim’s relationship through various eras before culminating in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s.

The project came to Bailey at a serendipitous moment. For the first time in his life, the breakout star of Bridgerton was in demand and being asked what he wanted to do next. “My answer was always, ‘Well, I’d love to do a sweeping gay love story,’ but my experience actually was that I’d never really seen them,” Bailey says. “Or if I had, I hadn’t seen actors like me and Matt play those roles.” (Both Bailey and Bomer identify as gay.) That dream opportunity abruptly presented itself in Fellow Travelers, which Bailey joined after Bomer had already signed on as both star and executive producer. “The story had been marinating with Ron for a solid decade before I ever came on board,” Bomer says. “Ron had an almost religious zeal about this project, this world, and these characters that just washed over everyone involved, and made it the profound experience that it was.”

Nyswaner had already done considerable research on Fellow Travelers, having previously planned to adapt the book as a film. He had more recently established himself in prestige TV—writing for Showtime dramas like Homeland and Ray Donovan—while continuing to work in movies. His script for last year’s Amazon feature My Policeman introduced him to producer Robbie Rogers; Nyswaner sent Rogers the Fellow Travelers novel, which sparked a conversation about making a limited series out of it. “The ambition of going through the different decades and finding a really compelling story—nothing like that had been done, where it’s an epic gay love story that has this political element that’s woven through it,” says Rogers.

Fellow Travelers leaves no stone unturned, expanding its world beyond Hawk and Tim to fashion an expansive historical tapestry. A core parallel strand of the drama follows Jelani Alladin’s Marcus Hooks, a queer Black political journalist finding a new partner of his own (Noah J. Ricketts), while Nyswaner’s early episodes also dig into the vicious methods of McCarthy (a transformed Chris Bauer) and the appalling hypocrisy of Cohn (Will Brill). “Something like an estimated 10,000 people lost their jobs, and a lot of folks took their own lives,” Bomer says. “That’s the landscape that these people are dealing with.”

But Hawk and Tim are our flawed, fascinating heroes—with Fellow Travelers incisively situating their intense chemistry within a broader political context. The lush, sweeping, deliberately old-fashioned quality of the filmmaking, templated by Emmy-winning director Daniel Minahan (American Crime Story), contrasts sharply with the show’s incredibly specific focus on one couple’s dynamic. That intimate story is largely told, with a surprising and crucial boldness, through sex.

“The nuance of a complicated, volatile queer relationship is the power balance—and that is what is amazing about Tim and Hawk,” Bailey says. “Every single sex scene is a meticulous examination of power.” Fellow Travelers heats up as Hawk gets Tim a job working for McCarthy—and tasks him with spying on the senator for intel on his tactics, and insights into his weaknesses. This give-and-take inevitably moves into the bedroom, the spaces where these two men must grapple with not only their hidden blossoming love, but also the transactional quality of their bond. “There’s a level of trust and intimacy that’s even more valuable when society is against you,” Bomer says. “You keep your secrets together.”

The resulting sex scenes, capturing a range of role plays, will ring as highly authentic to gay men, and mark uncharted territory for mainstream dramatic TV—even on a network like Showtime. “Not that it will be shocking to people, but I hope when people watch it, they’re like, ‘Oh, wow. They really went for it,’” Rogers says. The production made intimacy coordinators available to the cast throughout filming, and Bomer and Bailey felt an intrinsic trust with each other, rooted in that Cumberland Street pact. “I will be so interested to see how people respond to it,” Bailey says. “To me, being queer also is about, as two men, how you negotiate your giving of your body to the other person. That is something that I’ve always yearned to see properly done because I know how extraordinary it is to experience it.”

At one point, Bailey sent Bomer a video of Torvill and Dean’s legendary “Bolero” ice dance. “We’re two ice skaters dancing together—it sort of felt like that,” Bailey says with a laugh. Bomer chimes in: “It was really interesting to find the different types of expression of their love and intimacy over the different time periods,” he says. “It was like opening a Christmas present every time I would see Jonny in a new time period and see what he would bring to the table with it in this new chapter of Tim’s life.”

The show begins by shifting between the ’50s and ’80s, but its latter half shakes up the formula, hurtling into periods of liberation. In Hawk, Bomer charts the expansion of a man who’s compartmentalized a vital part of his being for much of his life. “Love is dangerous—it’s a threat to his very existence, and Tim is really the only person who can challenge that,” he says. Over time, he marries a childhood friend, Lucy Smith (Allison Williams), while continuing to see Tim. The show does not ever cast Tim in a pitiable light, however. “He’s very pure, even though he’s always searching for absolution and truth, and he is fundamentally very clear on who he is,” Bailey says. “I could see who that was.”

The ’80s segment of the show, glimpsed through to the final episode, opens with the characters separated—with their tense, heartbreaking reunion leading into the narrative’s conclusion. Over eight hours, the show ambitiously recreates everything from ’50s DC to ’70s Fire Island to ’80s Bay Area—all in Toronto and somehow, per Rogers, under budget. The final scenes take place at the famed AIDS quilt, with the production designers thoroughly reimagining the iconic National Mall site. They had Cohn’s actual square on hand, and designed some others from scratch. “When you see it, you won’t believe it,” Rogers teases. “You’ll be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this looks like they shot it in DC.’”

By the time production wrapped, Bailey and Bomer faced a fulfilling—if not easy—goodbye. “Just getting to play the character over the course of 35 years—some of the scenes that take place in the last episode for me were such a rite of passage in terms of saying goodbye to the character,” Bomer says. Adds Bailey, “It’s been just the most joyous, emotional, and also informative experience I’ve had on a job. I’ve never grieved a character more.”

Well, kind of. Bailey actually filmed the third season of Bridgerton at the same time as Fellow Travelers. “I had a really weird time,” he says. At the time, he’d regularly commute between Canada and the UK. And for his last day making Fellow Travelers, he worked through an emotionally draining 19-, maybe 20-hour shoot with Bomer. The work bled into the weekend. Bailey finally left the set for the last time. And by Monday, he was back in Regency-era England, transported 200 years into the past, in character as Anthony Bridgerton. “When I say I grieved it, I didn’t actually have any space to,” Bailey says now of Fellow Travelers. “But I still think about Tim a lot.” Understandably—this is a life story that’ll stay with you.

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#fellow travelers #fellow travelers spoilers #vanity fair ft article #vanity fair #interviews:2023 #interviews #jonathan bailey #matt bomer #jonny bailey #robbie rogers #ron nyswaner #NEW!

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opiatemasses · 4 months

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Exposing the Exploitation of College Athletes

Imagine coming to work every day, risking significant bodily harm, generating hundreds of millions of dollars every year, but not receiving any kind of pay, would you stay in the job? This, in many cases, is the life of a college athlete. Modern slavery is defined as “when an individual is exploited by others, for personal or commercial gain”. So, I ask you, is this any different?

Student athletes are demanded so much of them and are the heart and soul of a billion-dollar market, but unlike anyone else working within college sports, they’re the only ones who don’t receive a slice of the pie. The question is, do they deserve to?

This blog will analyse the various aspects of this controversial topic and look at the long fight college athletes have had for proper compensation.

What is the NCAA?

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) is the governing body for college sports and athletes in the USA and Canada. The member-led organisation is responsible for the competition and eligibility rules for intercollegiate athletics. It was formed in 1906, and consist of 1,100 member schools, representing more than 500,000 athletes. The NCAA states it is “dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes”, but how dedicated are they really?

A Brief History of the NCAA

How Popular is College Sports?

In 2022, the NCAA made $870 million in TV revenue alone. 14.3 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2023 March Madness Basketball Championship game, which is more than the number who tuned in for the final round of the 2023 Masters Golf Championship. In 2020/21, the NCAA awarded over 152,000 athletic scholarships.

In the USA, college sports are often just as popular as their professional counterparts. For example, the largest stadium In College American Football is the University of Michigan’s 107,601-seater stadium. This is 25,101 more seats than the largest stadium in the NFL: the New York Jets and New York Giants shared home, MetLife Stadium. College fans are also among some of the most dedicated in the world. In 2022, fans of Indiana University were seen to be waiting outside their stadium 24 hours before their big basketball game versus the University of North Carolina to secure tickets.

As you can see, college sports is a huge industry. The athletes are the centre of this popularity and are the reason so much revenue is able to be generated. Therefore, it seems only logical that the athletes should be compensated, especially when you see the sacrifices they make.

Leaving it all on the field, for what?

All college athletes make tremendous physical sacrifice on their journey through college. In the NCAA there are 20,718 American football injuries a year, with 841 of them being spinal injuries. For some, these injuries can be life-changing…

In 1955, Ray Dennison suffered a head injury, and later died, while playing in an American football game for Fort Lewis A&M. When his widow applied for workmen’s compensation benefits, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled against Dennison’s widow, and said they weren’t eligible for benefits because the college was “not in the football business”. This isn’t just an issue of the past, more recently, when Rutgers player Eric LeGrand suffered a paralysing spinal cord injury in 2010, and there have been so many more examples of players suffering life-changing injuries throughout the history of college athletics, showing how this is a ever-present issue, and a constant risk.

Incidents and court cases like these coined the term ‘student athlete.’ This term was deliberately ambiguous. They weren’t just ‘students’, to not understate their athletic obligations, but they also aren’t just ‘athletes’, which might imply they are professionals. This means universities can forgive athletes for not meeting academic standards, but also are not required to provide compensation for any more than the cost of their studies. This meant the exploitation could continue. Colleges could keep using these young people for their financial gain and could continue not providing them with the compensation they deserve.

It is too easy for the NCAA to exploit these athletes. They demand total commitment and complete allegiance to the sport. But if they’re hurt during this commitment, the organisation can claim you’re just a student, toss you aside, with insufficient support and no help, to bring in the next man.

Ed O’Bannon vs NCAA

In 2009, a cornerstone was turned in the fight against the NCAA. Ed O’Bannon, UCLA Basketball star, was visiting a friend when his friend’s son shouted “Ed, you’re in my video game!” O’Bannon was furious. No one had asked his permission, and he was certainly not paid for his likeness being used.

O’Bannon lawyered up and sued the NCAA, alleging antitrust law violations, by preventing college athletes from earning money from licensing opportunities. This lawsuit generated enormous publicity and discussion and was the first major blow to the NCAA’s amateurism regime, and the first step in a long walk for justice.

The Breakthrough

In 2021, college football was changed forever. College sports has been strictly amateur since 1869. But for the first time, players can now legally put some money in their pockets.

NCAA athletes can now earn money through business ventures, without jeopardising their eligibility, thanks to the changes in the NIL rules. The NIL rule changes allow players the right to sell their name, image and likeness, and profit off themselves. They are also now able to endorse, promote and advertise businesses. Although, this relies on the athlete’s ability to monetise themselves, and is definitely not the same as them receiving a salary.

This meant that players can financially benefit from their fame, giving them some security. Should they suffer a life-changing injury, they could have financial support, which they have not had until now. But is it enough? Do they not deserve their share of the revenue? Do they not deserve to be treated as athletes?

Where is the fight going?

To play devil’s advocate, some may say the awarding of athletic scholarships to athletes is sufficient payment for their services. However, this is not unique to sports. Universities offer academic scholarships for a variety of different disciplines, with a lot of these being much more secure than athletic scholarships. If a player gets injured, they risk losing their funding, and will be cast away, with no financial support from the university that at one point hailed them as heroes.

There has been a long line of people who have contributed to college athlete’s fight for compensation, and the fight is still ongoing. In December 2023, three college athletes, from American football and basketball, have once again sued the NCAA over lack of pay. Martyrs have risked their bodies, their livelihoods and even their lives. You will watch these athletes compete, fight and risk everything on the television for your entertainment, and they deserve to be compensated, and they deserve to be supported, even beyond their collegiate lives, for the sacrifice that they make, and the value their sacrifice brings.

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If this topic has interested you, and you would like to read more, here are some articles I recommend reading:

https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA322563607&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=15439518&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E5a33b62b&aty=open-web-entry

https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/tndl65&div=16&g_sent=1&casa_token=pYsfzste_PYAAAAA:4DooaR9EWLHJKn6bUyGPN4Tcw8OYrJxh5Qt2i9YWNibuedrnfYMnoWN3wfcUs5S-V3r9tXPQ&collection=journals

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolekraft/2023/08/21/why-the-public-strongly-supports-paying-college-athletes/

#ncaa #college sports #exploitation #social justice

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crankygrrl · 2 months

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Private equity ruins everything

Today, vets:

The UK government is not amused.

The same thing is happening in Canada and the US (reading this NR was infuriating: "strategic buyers eager to see a consolidation in the veterinary service market, which has predominantly been represented by independent owners." Get right in the fucking sea, you ghouls).

As is typical with private equity, consumer prices have skyrocketed and customer satisfaction has plummeted along with veterinarians' real income and job satisfaction, and the quality of care they provide for animals.

From The Nation (April 2023):

Harming customers and employees is a terrible way to sustain a business. But private equity firms often succeed when their companies struggle or fail. And here it is worth explaining what, exactly, “private equity” is. Briefly, private equity firms use a little of their own money, a lot of investors’ money, and even more borrowed money to purchase companies. Typically, firms aim to make operational or financial changes to the companies they buy and then sell them a few years later for a profit. Such a business model seems straightforward, but private-equity-owned companies often have lousy outcomes for three reasons. First, most firms tend to hold the companies for only a few years, which encourages short-term profits over, say, investing in workers or sustaining a long-term customer base. Second, firms tend to load up their companies with debt, and extract various transaction and management fees from them. This tends to force companies to cut costs solely to service their new owners. Finally, firms are tremendously successful at avoiding legal consequences for their actions, a problem compounded in the veterinary industry, where clients can recover little, if anything, for the death of their pets. This encourages a certain callousness toward workers and customers, as firms know that little will happen to them if something goes wrong. Private equity firms can profit even when their companies decline, their customers suffer, and your pets die.

Time to bust the trusts again: Private equity bought out your doctor and bankrupted Toys“R”Us — here’s why that matters - The Verge

#private equity ruins everything #Dystopian capitalist Hellscape.#I don't know if this is feasible but it's giving 'Hey maybe we need to regulate debt-financed acquisitions' and 'Ban private credit markets

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bighermie · 1 year

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cmipooja · 8 months

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Global Decarbonization Service Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Growing Environmental Concerns

The Global Decarbonization Service Market is estimated to be valued at US$69.73 billion in 2023 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 12.3% over the forecast period 2023 to 2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. This market involves the provision of decarbonization services that help reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable energy practices. With increasing concerns over climate change and the need to transition towards clean energy sources, organizations and governments around the world are seeking decarbonization solutions. These services offer various advantages, such as reduced environmental impact, improved energy efficiency, and compliance with regulatory standards. Market key trends: Technological advancements driving decarbonization efforts One key trend in the global Decarbonization Service Market is the increasing focus on technological advancements to drive decarbonization efforts. Advancements in renewable energy technologies, energy storage systems, and carbon capture technologies are enabling organizations to adopt more sustainable practices. For example, the implementation of smart grids and advanced metering infrastructure allows for better monitoring and management of energy consumption, leading to optimized energy usage and reduced carbon emissions. Similarly, the development of carbon capture and storage technology enables the capture and sequestration of CO2 emissions from industrial processes, reducing their impact on the environment. PEST Analysis: - Political: Governments worldwide are implementing policies and regulations to encourage decarbonization. This includes carbon pricing mechanisms, renewable energy targets, and incentives for clean energy adoption. - Economic: The economic benefits of decarbonization, such as cost savings from improved energy efficiency and the creation of green jobs, are driving market growth. Additionally, the declining costs of renewable energy technologies make them more affordable and attractive alternatives to fossil fuels. - Social: Increasing public awareness and concern about climate change are driving demand for decarbonization services. Consumers and organizations are actively seeking sustainable solutions to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future. - Technological: Technological advancements, as mentioned earlier, are playing a crucial role in accelerating decarbonization efforts. The development of innovative solutions and the integration of renewable energy sources into existing infrastructure are enabling a more sustainable energy transition. Key Takeaways: 1: The Global Decarbonization Service Market Size is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 12.3% over the forecast period. This growth is driven by increasing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable energy practices. For example, the rising global temperatures and extreme weather events are motivating governments and organizations to adopt decarbonization services. 2: In terms of regional analysis, North America is expected to be the fastest-growing and dominating region in the Decarbonization Service Market. This can be attributed to government initiatives promoting clean energy adoption, favorable regulatory frameworks, and high awareness among consumers about the importance of decarbonization. 3: Key players operating in the global Decarbonization Service Market include Schneider Electric, ENGIE, Siemens, AECOM, EDF Group, Johnson Controls, DNV, Honeywell, Carbon Clean Solutions, Green Charge Networks (ENGIE Impact), ERM (Environmental Resources Management), First Solar, Tesla, CarbonCure Technologies, and Ørsted. These companies are actively providing decarbonization services and developing innovative solutions to address the increasing demand for sustainable energy practices.

#Decarbonization Service Market #Decarbonization Service Market Insights #Decarbonization Service Market Forecast #Decarbonization Service Market Analysis #Decarbonization Service Market Values #Decarbonization Service #climate change #carbon footprint #stor #age technologies #renewable energy #Coherent Market Insights

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jobscirculars · 1 year

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Saptahik Chakrir Dak 16 December 2022

Saptahik Chakrir Dak 16 December 2022 Saptahik Chakrir Dak 16 December 2022 and Weekly Job Newspaper 16-12-2022 have been published Next week by the authority. Saptahik Chakrir Khobor pdf Download from here jobs Circulars. Weekly Jobs Newspaper সাপ্তাহিক চাকরির খবর has published on 16 Decemberr 2022 with HD pictures. All Weekly Jobs Newspaper 2022 Bangladesh. Chakrir Khobor 16/12/2022 and…

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theboywhocan11 · 1 year

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My Thoughts on Children of Dune Novel by Frank Herbert

Novel Title: Children of Dune Author: Frank Herbert Date Published: 1976 Edition: Ace premium edition / June 2019 (as shown above) Pages: 477 This would be my first time in returning to read the Children of Dune book since the last time I read it back during my high school years in the early 2000s. At that time, my mind was not fully developed enough to understand the intricate details that were presented in the book. Fast forward to April 2023, I finally picked up the Ace premium edition of the said novel from my local, public library and I can now finally say that I’ve completed my reading journey of all 6 Dune novels written by Frank Herbert and the the Dune 7 duology books (Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson) with Children of Dune being my last.

In the next several paragraphs, after clicking the “Keep reading” demarcation line below, will cover my thoughts about the Children of Dune book (Ace premium edition of June 2019), the Children of Dune Mini-series adaptation, and the list of the details in highlighting the differences between the book and the adapted TV mini-series that aired on the then Sci-Fi Channel of Children of Dune.

When I watched the Children of Dune mini-series on the then Sci-Fi Channel so many years ago, it helped me in having a visual reference when reading the Children of Dune novel recently, this year. The mini-series in my opinion did a great job in being concise and getting the point of what the Children of Dune’s main points are about. That is, every revolution in overthrowing the previous, corrupt government / regime, gets replaced with a newly corrupted one that’s led by a new ruling class of entrenched bureaucrats and corrupt institutions that brought great harm to many people. Furthermore, Children of Dune mini-series (which covers both Dune Messiah (2nd book) and Children of Dune (3rd book) also does a great job in showing the consequences of how people’s over fanaticism of worshipping Messianic hero-leaders, too, can lead to harm to many people along with its effects on the breakdown of the various customs and traditions of a society. In this case, the transformation of Arrakis as a planet that led to the degradation of the Fremen culture, beliefs, and customs.

After finishing the book, I say that Children of Dune (the novel) has more intrigue and more political maneuvering involved by various characters and their factions in one upping the other in their goal to have greater control of the Imperium of humankind. This ranges from Alia Atreides plotting an abduction on her mother, Lady Jessica Atreides and blame it on House Corrino. Then, there’s House Corrino being led by Wensicia Corrino and later her son, Farad’n Corrino trying to find a weakness in the Atreides Imperial government to exploit and initiate their takeover it. Then, there are various Fremen groups who are neutral and do not want to do anything with Alia’s led government and there are rebel Fremen factions who are totally against the mediocrity of the Muad’Dib religion (Paul Atreides worshipping) that’s embodied in the current government of the Atreides Empire on Dune and how it’s corrupting the Fremen culture and customs. This includes how Fremen no longer possess high quality stillsuits to survive in the deserts to how Fremen relied more on advance technology outside of Planet Arrakis and thus forgetting the old ways of how their forebears used to live. In addition, various Fremen groups are also concerned and even opposed the transformation of the deserts of Arrakis into a lush, paradise, which can potentially end all spice production that could bring about a demise to the entire human human civilization in the Dune universe.

With that mind, the following list below highlights some differences between the book version and the adapted Sci-Fi channel’s TV mini-series version of Children of Dune in showcasing how much the adapted TV mini-series condensed and simplify several details from the book in order for it to be presentable to a television audience

In the novel, the Atreides twins, Leto II and Ghanima are 9-year old children with heightened mental faculties in remembering the genetic memories of their ancestors and how it affects their behavior towards others.

In the mini-series, Leto II and Ghanima were made to look like they’re in their late teens / early adult years.

In the novel, there are way more minor characters who do not show in the mini-series. This includes Muriz, Sabiha, Assan Tariq and others.

Halfway into the the novel, Farad’n Corrino took more leading role in the internal affairs of his House along with his loyal, Sardaukar officer, Tyekanik. This occurred during his meeting with Duncan Idaho and Lady Jessica where he ordered his mother to step aside and have him take over.

In the mini-series, all plotting and masterminding of House Corrino’s attempted return to power on Arrakis were all done by Weniscia Corrino, Farad’n’s mother. This includes a scene where House Corrino abducts a giant sandworm from Arrakis. In the book, however, there’s mentioned of a rumor of a giant sandworm being captured and being grown off-planet, but it’s not explicitly illustrated.

In the novel, there are two sietches that are part of Leto Atreides II’s arc. The first sietch being Jacurutu / Fondak where he was tested by Gurney Halleck to undergo a spice trance in order to uncover the memories of his ancestors as per Lady Jessica Atreides’ orders. Then, later, Leto II will go to another sietch called Shuloch where he placed the sandtrout on his body that begins his transformation in becoming the God Emperor and rule the Imperium for the next 4,000 years.

In the mini-series, the above named sietches were combined as one. However, only the plot point about Leto having sandtrout living skin on his body was used.

In the novel, Leto Atreides II remembered his ancestor, Harum who was a cruel and autocratic leader whose leadership style help maintain the safety of his people. The novel does not provide further details of this Harum, but it’s implied he was a ruler from ancient Earth. Harum’s leadership style would become the basis on how God Emperor Leto II would rule the Imperium before his demise at the end of the 4th Dune novel, “God Emperor of Dune.”

In the mini-series, Harum did not get shown.

In the novel, Alia Atreides heard the voice of her ancestor, Agamemnon. The novel also does not reveal whether this is Agamemnon of ancient Greece on Earth or the Agamemnon from the Butlerian Jihad books by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.

In the mini-series, Agamemnon did not make an appearance.

In the novel, there’s a scene where Ghanima, after she gets captured and returned to the hands of her aunt, Alia Atreides, Ghanima got into this big argument with Irulan Corrino and Alia Atreides about her marriage to Farad’n Corrino. Ghani is totally against the marriage, but she agreed to a compromise with her aunt that she’ll marry Farad’n on the condition that she gets the chance to end his life as a way to exact revenge of the death of her twin brother, Leto II. However, the memory of her brother’s death was a false memory that was implanted in her mind.

In the mini-series, this specific plot point is not shown.

In the novel, Paul Atreides as The Preacher got assassinated by one of Alia’s priests.

In the mini-series, Paul’s life was ended by a rogue Fremen.

In the novel, Alia’s demise is where she committed auto defenestration, the act of propelling oneself off the building. This happened after Leto bust open a window and two options were presented to Alia: the Trial of Possession or auto defenestration.

In the mini-series, Alia ended her knife by using Leto II’s given crysknife and stabbing herself. Thus, freeing her from the control of her ego-memory of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. In her final words, Alia told her mother that “I [she] want her brother,” which is a call back to the same line in the Frank Herbert’s Dune mini-series also aired on the Sci-Fi channel. In my opinion, this is a better scene of Alia’s demise because it provided emotional closure and mourning from the other characters who are closed to her and pity her when she fell into a state of “abomination” where she’s controlled by the memories of her ancestors.

In the novel, Stilgar was offended, but reluctantly agreed to Leto II’s plan to ensure the survival of humankind for the next thousands. The plan includes the potential end of the Fremen culture.

In the mini-series, this above mentioned scene did not get shown. What we did have instead that’s somewhat from the book is the scene where Leto II gave the watery remains of Alia to Stilgar to be poured over the desert sands of Arrakis. Then, there are lines of dialogue where Leto II told Stilgar that all leaders are human and they too make mistakes. Thus, solidifying the end to stop defying hero leaders and putting them on a pedestal.

In the novel, at the very end, Farad’n Corrino was given the name Harq Al-Ada and he, like Stilgar, got taken back about the idea of what’s going to happened to the Sardaukar. That is, they’re given over to the command of God Emperor Leto II, which will ultimately lead to their demise. In God Emperor of Dune (the 4th book), both the Fremen and Sardaukar no longer exists as actual groups in the Dune universe. Instead, there’s an emergence of the Fremen and Sardaukar warriors where their descendants become the Fish Speakers, an all-Female army of God Emperor Leto II. However, at the very end of Children of Dune (book), Farad’n caved in and told Leto II to take the Sardaukar away from him.

In the mini-series, we don’t have the above mentioned scene. All we got instead is where Ghanima and Farad’n had a brief one-on-one dialogue about how Farad’n will never be made husband to Ghani, but there will be a time for love between the two where they will sire a line of descendants that will live on for the next thousands of years.

Overall, the Children of Dune novel has so much events going on that I think an individual with a much more analytical mind and patience can get through the myriad of details in the text. After finishing the novel, I say that I have much more appreciation to what Frank Herbert wrote for this 3rd installment of the Dune series in showing the rise and fall of Muad’Dib. The same appreciation goes for the Sci-Fi Channel’s TV adaptation in bringing a more understandable version of the story on the silver screen.

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kenyandisclosure · 5 months

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The plight of Kenya's jobless youth: A story of hope and despair.

By Emmanuel Okiru, 17 November 2023

Kenya is facing a serious challenge of youth unemployment, which affects millions of young people who are either out of work or stuck in low-quality and informal jobs. According to the World Bank, the youth unemployment rate in Kenya was 13.35 percent in 2022, among the highest in the world. The situation is worse in urban areas, where the youth unemployment rate was 19.1 percent in 2009, the latest year for which data is available.

The causes of youth unemployment are complex and multifaceted, ranging from a slow-growing economy, a mismatch between the skills of the labor force and the demands of the market, a lack of access to capital and credit, and a high population growth rate that outstrips the creation of new jobs. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has exaggerated the problem, as many businesses have closed down or reduced their operations, leading to massive layoffs and income losses.

However, despite all these, there are also stories of hope and resilience among the Kenyan youth who are trying to overcome the barriers and create opportunities for themselves and others. Some of them have benefited from various initiatives and programs that aim to provide them with skills, training, mentorship and funding to start and grow their own businesses or find decent employment.

One such program is the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), which was established by the government in 2006 to support youth entrepreneurship and innovation. The fund offers loans, grants and business development services to youth groups and individuals who have viable business ideas or existing enterprises. According to the fund's website, over 12 billion Kenyan shillings has been disbursed to more than 1.4 million youth since its inception.

One of the beneficiaries of the YEDF is Mary Wanjiku, a 24-year-old who runs a poultry farm in Kiambu County. She started her business in 2019 with 100 chicks, after receiving a loan of 50,000 shillings from the fund. She has since expanded her farm to 500 birds and sells eggs and chicken to local hotels and supermarkets. She has also employed two other young people to help her with the daily operations.

"I am very grateful to the YEDF for giving me this opportunity to start and grow my business. It has changed my life and given me a sense of purpose and dignity. I am able to support myself and my family, and also create jobs for other youth in my community," this is what she had to say in an interview with the Kenyan disclosure team.

This is just an example of how some Kenyan youth are coping with the challenge of unemployment and how some programs are trying to address it. However, there is still a lot that needs to be done to create more and better opportunities for the millions of young people who are still struggling to find their place in the society and the economy.

YEDF Testimonial video. Source: https://m.facebook.com/StateHouseKenya/videos/short-video-youth-enterprise-development-fund-yedf-beneficiaries/891250118940038/?locale=ms_MY

Photo gallery depicting the state of Unemployment in Kenya.

Kenyan youth protesting over increased unemployment. Source; Business Daily Newspaper, 2020.

Jobseekers wait to hand in their documents during recruitment at County Hall in Nairobi

Source; Nation Media Group, 2019.

Job seekers queuing for interviews in Nairobi. Source; The East African Newspaper.

Kenyan doctors protest against unemployment. Source; https://www.aa.com.tr

Unemployment rate in Kenya over the years.

The graphs below give a clear depiction of Kenya's state of employment over the years;

Source: <a href='https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/KEN/kenya/unemployment-rate'>Source</a>

Unemployment rate in Kenya from Q3 2019 to Q4 2022. Source; https://www.statista.com/statistics/1134370/unemployment-rate-in-kenya/

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newstfionline · 8 months

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Sunday, September 3, 2023

No power and nowhere to stay as rural Florida starts recovering from Hurricane Idalia (AP) The worst of Hurricane Idalia left residents of a region of tight-knit communities trying to find places to live as they rebuild—if they decide it’s even worth it—and waiting potentially weeks for electricity to be restored after winds and water took out entire power grids. A power cooperative warned its 28,000 customers it might take two weeks to restore electricity. More than 100,000 homes and businesses in Florida and Georgia remained without power Friday, according to PowerOutage.us. And even with high temperatures below normal, the high humidity meant sweltering late-summer days and nights, with no power to run air conditioners. Emergency officials promised trailers would arrive over the weekend to provide housing in an area that didn’t have much to begin with.

Americans’ Ideal Family Size Is Larger Than the Birthrate Suggests (WSJ) What do you think is the ideal number of children for a family to have? Most Americans say the answer is two to three children, according to various surveys over nearly 90 years, even as actual birthrates drop lower than that. In fact, the share of people saying they want three or more children has risen as the actual number of children being born has dropped. Why aren’t people having the families they idealize or intend to have? All sorts of life happens, and you don’t necessarily end up with the family you expected theoretically in a survey.

.ai (Bloomberg) The Caribbean island Anguilla, a British territory, has made bank this year because their country-level domain address is .ai, and amid the AI trend they’re making a fortune off of new registrations. This year, registrations at the top level domain doubled to 287,432 on the year, which would mean that Anguilla will reap in the ballpark of $30 million for the year from selling the domains, up from $7.4 million brought in in 2021.

The Bolivian Job (Rest of World) An estimated 20 percent of the total vehicle fleet in Bolivia has been smuggled, mostly stolen in neighboring Chile and then driven across the desert to one of the 73 illegal markets that are remarkably easy to find. The Bolivian government is aware of the issue, and the car thieves have become a lifestyle of their own, called chuteros with their own TikTok scene and whatnot. Naturally, this has the Chileans furious, and local police are overwhelmed with reports. Chile’s even got a new AI-fueled startup, SafeByWolf, designed to identify boosted cars faster for the insurance industry.

More than 100 British schools may face danger of collapse (BBC) More than 100 schools in England are scrambling to make arrangements after being told to shut buildings with a type of concrete prone to collapse. The government gave the order just days before the start of the autumn term. Some pupils have already been told they will be learning remotely, in temporary classrooms or at different schools. Schools found with buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have been told they must introduce safety measures, which could include propping up ceilings. This came after the government was made aware of a number of incidents where RAAC failed without warning, not just in school buildings, but elsewhere too.

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism (AP) Clad in white shirts and carrying bouquets, children across Russia flocked back to school Friday, where the Kremlin’s narratives about the war in Ukraine and its confrontation with the West were taking an even more prominent spot than before. Students are expected each week to listen to Russia’s national anthem and watch the country’s tricolor flag being raised. There’s a weekly subject loosely translated as “Conversations about Important Things,” which was introduced last year with the goal of boosting patriotism. A new high school history textbook has a chapter on the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the “special military operation”—the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war, and some basic military training is included in a course on self-defense and first aid. “School ... is a powerful mechanism for raising a person subordinate to the state,” said Nikolay Petrov, visiting researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “For a while the school was outside the active attention of the state. Today, it’s all coming back.”

As Ukraine’s Fight Grinds On, Talk of Negotiations Becomes Nearly Taboo (NYT) Stian Jenssen, the chief of staff to the secretary general of NATO, recently had his knuckles rapped when he commented on possible options for an end to the war in Ukraine that did not envision a complete Russian defeat. His remarks provoked an angry condemnation from the Ukrainians; a clarification from his boss, Jens Stoltenberg; and ultimately an apology from Mr. Jenssen. The contretemps, say some analysts who have been similarly chastised, reflects a closing down of public discussion on options for Ukraine just at a moment when imaginative diplomacy is most needed, they say. Given that even President Biden says the war is likely to end in negotiations, Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, believes there should be a serious debate in any democracy about how to get there. Yet he, too, has also been criticized for suggesting that it is important to talk to Russia about a negotiated outcome. “There is a broad and increasingly widespread sense that what we’re doing now isn’t working, but not much of an idea of what to do next, and not a big openness to discuss it, which is how you come up with one,” he said. “The lack of success hasn’t opened up the political space for an open discussion of alternatives.”

Pope, in Mongolia, laments earth devastated by countless conflicts (Reuters) Pope Francis, in words that appeared to be aimed at China rather than the neighbouring country he was visiting, said on Saturday that governments have nothing to fear from the Catholic Church because it has no political agenda. In an address to bishops, priests, missionaries and pastoral workers, he said Jesus gave no political mandate to his apostles but told them to alleviate the sufferings of a “wounded humanity” through faith. “For this reason, governments and secular institutions have nothing to fear from the Church’s work of evangelization, for she has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the quiet power of God’s grace and a message of mercy and truth, which is meant to promote the good of all,” he said. On Saturday morning, Francis called on leaders to dispel the “dark clouds of war.”

Typhoon Saola makes landfall in southern China but appears to cause only light damage (AP) Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and parts of the coastal mainland suspended business, transport and classes. Damage appeared to be minimal, however, and some services were returning to normal by afternoon. Meanwhile, Taiwan issued a warning Saturday for a second typhoon, Haikui, which was expected to pass over the island Sunday, before traveling onward to the central Chinese coast.

Biden approves military aid to Taiwan under program normally used for sovereign states (NBC) On Wednesday, Washington approved a transfer of arms to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing program, which is normally reserved for use with sovereign states. Currently, neither the U.S. nor U.N. acknowledges the island nation as its own country in order to maintain diplomatic ties to China. Beijing voiced its “strong dissatisfaction” and “firm opposition” to the weapons sale, claiming that it hurt “China’s sovereignty and security interests” while damaging “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Even as China-U.S. dialogue has picked up in recent months with multiple American officials visiting Beijing, the White House has continued funneling arms to Taiwan. Last month, Washington approved a $345 million arms package to the country, and is working to send $500 million worth of F-16 fighter jets to Taipei as well.

With wary eye on China, U.S. moves closer to former foe Vietnam (Washington Post) The United States and Vietnam are poised to significantly enhance their economic and technological ties, bringing the former foes closer at a time of increased Chinese assertiveness in the region. The deal, expected to be announced when President Biden makes a state visit to Vietnam next weekend, is the latest step by the Biden administration to deepen relations in Asia. For Hanoi, the closer relationship with Washington serves as a counterweight to Beijing’s influence. The establishment of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” will give the United States a diplomatic status that Vietnam has so far reserved for only a handful of other countries: China, Russia, India and South Korea.

The low, low cost of shipping (London Review of Books) The truth is that shipping is responsible, as Rose George put it in the subtitle of her classic 2013 book on the subject, for ‘90 Per Cent of Everything’. It is the physical equivalent of the internet, the other industry which makes globalisation possible. The internet abolishes national boundaries for information, news, data; shipping abolishes these boundaries for physical goods. The main way it does this is by being almost incomprehensibly efficient and cheap. As George points out, if you’re having a sweater shipped from the other side of the planet, the cost of shipping adds just a cent to the price. Another way of putting it would be to say that shipping is, in practice, free. This has had the effect of abolishing geography and location as an economic factor: moving stuff from A to B is so cheap that, for most goods, there is no advantage in siting manufacturing anywhere near your customers. Instead, you make whatever it is where it’s cheapest, and ship it to them instead.

#headlines #news

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dweemeister · 6 months

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NOTE: This write-up contains full spoilers after the fifth paragraph.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Leading up to the theatrical release of Killers of the Flower Moon, director Martin Scorsese went on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) to present an evening of films that inspired his approach to his latest work. The first film of that evening's primetime schedule was the short silent film The Last of the Line (1914), directed by Jay Hunt. That Western short film starred a cast of almost entirely composed of Oglala Lakota actors alongside Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa (a major silent film star) playing the chief's son, Tsuru Aoki as an American Indian woman, and various white actors as U.S. Cavalrymen. It is an unusual piece, as it is presented almost entirely from the Lakota chief's (Joe Goodboy) perspective. Both Killers of the Flower Moon and The Last of the Line tell tales in which the ways of white Americans subsume the traditions of and irrevocably traumatize American Indians.

Unlike The Last of the Line, Killers of the Flower Moon, distributed by Paramount and Apple, is based on actual events. Adapting David Grann’s nonfiction book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon concentrates on the Osage Reign of Terror – a series of murders of Osage tribespeople, relations, and allies in 1920s Oklahoma. In addition to the lives of the Osage and the perpetrators of these crimes, much of Grann’s book also documents the rise of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI, which became the FBI), as they were instrumental in the investigation in a fraction of these murders. By his admission, Martin Scorsese said that his and Eric Roth’s (1995’s Forrest Gump, 2021’s Dune) initial drafts of the screenplay concentrated too largely on its white characters. Recalling his viewing of The Last of the Line back in his university days, Scorsese thought it wise to consult with members of the Osage Nation (Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear was especially helpful) over how he might better depict Osage perspectives, and empower their voices.

Scorsese is not entirely successful in this respect, and I think he would be the first to agree that he could have highlighted the Osage characters with greater attention, despite the commercial and executive constraints on this production. Scorsese would also probably be the first to agree that he is not the most appropriate person to tell the story of the Osage Reign of Terror, as he all but acknowledges in the film’s closing moments. In spite of this, Killers of the Flower Moon represents extraordinary moral and personal growth from Scorsese in how he depicts criminals and their victims. It is a delicately made film that interrogates how avarice and casual racism can lead to unconscionably serial violence – a saga not exclusive to any one American Indian tribe.

For generations before Europeans sailed to the New World, the Osage people roamed the southern Great Plains, in what are now the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The annihilation of the American bison and the Indian Wars led to the Osage’s removal to a reservation on land that the U.S. federal government considered worthless (that reservation is coterminous with Osage County, Oklahoma). The discovery of oil on Osage territory in 1894 saw the Osage, by the 1920s, become some of the richest people per capita in the United States. After that historical context, we find World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) returning stateside to take a job with his uncle, William King Hale (Robert De Niro), on Hale’s vast ranch. Hale, an important force in local affairs, is a friend to the Osage – he even haltingly speaks their language. Some time after, Ernest begins courting Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), a full-blooded Osage who, along with her family members, owns various oil headrights. Ernest and Mollie marry. Following their marriage, a rash of homicides of wealthy Osage sends torrents of fear through the tribal community – attracting the federal government’s attention after only far too much death.

The sizable ensemble cast also includes Jesse Plemons as Tom White, a former Texas Ranger turned BOI Agent; Tantoo Cardinal as Lizzie, Mollie’s mother; John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser as the competing attorneys in the murder trials; Cara Jade Myers, Janae Collins, and Jillian Dion as Mollie’s sisters Anna, Rita, and Minnie. Only Indigenous Americans played the indigenous roles, speaking or not – also including William Belleau, Tatanka Means, Everett Waller, and the late Larry Sellers.

It is not often that I cite a film for a lack of exposition, but that is a concern early on here. Scorsese and Roth’s screenplay poorly explains a mechanism contributing to the motivations of these murders. In response to sensationalized reporting from white-owned news media about the Osage’s wealth, the federal government forced full-blooded (and some partial-blooded) Osage to enter into financial guardianships – effectively deeming them a second-class citizen or an “incompetent”, unable to spend a certain amount of money without their white guardian’s permission. In a film that progressively unfolds the plotting of its perpetrators, this is among the most malignant practices in asserting white control over the Osage. The lack of much explanation here is an unnecessary complication for non-readers already attempting to keep track of the dramatis personae and digest the various subplots of the film’s sprawling 206 minutes.

Additionally, the film does not concentrate on its Osage characters to the extent some would prefer. As various Indigenous Americans have commented, such an approach by Scorsese and Roth ensures that the film’s intended audience are all those who are not indigenous. We see little of Osage life outside of moments of racial abuse, violence, and funerals. Killers of the Flower Moon makes no attempt to explain how the formally educated Osage of Mollie’s generation (including Mollie herself) were taught in schools that forbade the speaking of the Osage language, attempting to “reform” American Indian children to fit into white society.

Yet the audience glimpses other moments: naming ceremonies, the merger of Catholic and Osage traditions in significant life events (such as marriage), and even the ritual dance in the film’s final moments. In these fragments of Osage customs, it is also noticeable how much these naming ceremonies, marriages, funerals, and other more mundane moments become less grounded in the old practices over time. The bittersweet moment where Mollie’s mother, Lizzie, meets and walks away with her departed ancestors is the moment where, for this film’s purposes, the Osage’s disconnection to the past becomes pronounced. Mollie and her fellow Osage attempt to adhere to those customs, but, with the passing of elders like her mother, the Osage ways from time immemorial are all but consigned to the history books. The depiction of the Osage is always respectful, avoiding damaging and noble stereotypes.

Despite the lack of deeper Osage representation, this is not to say the filmmakers waste an excellent Lily Gladstone as Mollie (the film’s moral center). As Mollie, who has diabetes, begins to suffer from the effects of intentionally tarnished batches of insulin, Gladstone’s involvement with the narrative recedes in the film’s closing act. But before that, Gladstone plays Mollie wonderfully with self-assured posture and gait, sly and understated humor, and a piercing silent glance at critical moments. Juxtaposed with DiCaprio’s portrayal of Ernest, one has to wonder how Mollie falls for him. If Gladstone’s performance reminds some of Olivia de Havilland’s in The Heiress (1949), that is no coincidence (Gladstone also physically resembles de Havilland somewhat). Scorsese’s portrayal of Mollie and Ernest’s relationship contains revelations and moments similar to that found in The Heiress, and that film was an invaluable reference for Scorsese and his lead actors during production.

This is not so much a glimpse into the Osage way of life in 1920s Oklahoma as it is an interrogation of how white American racism (the perpetrators, at least in this treatment, are all white) led to a series of murders committed and discussed nonchalantly. Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is more concerned with how Ernest Burkhart’s and William Hale’s obsession for wealth leads them to conspire to kill Osage tribespeople for their oil headrights. Hale is the ringleader in the murders of at least two dozen Osage (De Niro is appropriately loathsome despite playing someone who should be middle-aged); the easily-manipulated Ernest (a solid outing by DiCaprio) one of many conspirators abiding by Hale’s orders.

Scorsese has long depicted American organized crime in films like Mean Streets (1973), Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995), and The Irishman (2019). Since The Departed (2006), there has been a noticeable evolution in how Scorsese frames his criminal protagonists. All of these films, to some extent, concern themselves with how unchecked male egos – rife with delusions of self-grandeur and sexual gratification – descend into violence and moral depravity. Yet over the last decade and a half in films like The Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), but especially The Irishman, Scorsese has leaned into his Catholic upbringing to express his characters’ sense of profound guilt. Whether or not there is true repentance in the face of their actions stirs open questions and vociferous debates about the morality of these characters or, sometimes, Scorsese’s filmmaking itself.

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. Ecclesiastes 10:1

It does not happen often in the film, but Scorsese shows both De Niro’s Hale, DiCaprio’s Ernest, and their fellow conspirators swatting away flies multiple times in Killers of the Flower Moon – usually just after or before committing or discussing a murder or some other heinous action. Flies appear to indicate the corrupted souls of this film, a Biblical personification of sin and lack of remorse. The white characters' casual conversations about violence against the Osage and their refusal to take responsibility for all of their misdeeds – including Ernest, despite testifying against his uncle at the federal trial – suggests that such attitudes towards American Indians were widely-held. Though the U.S. government is no longer engaging in a formal war against Indigenous Americans and Klansmen no longer parade down the streets of Osage County without anyone blinking an eye, a violent epidemic against Indigenous Americans still persists.

The tremendous efforts of BOI Agent Tom White and the federal prosecutors to bring Hale, Ernest, and their associates to justice were a drop in the bucket in respect to sheer amount of suspicious deaths among the Osage from the late 1910s to the early 1930s. Scores, perhaps hundreds, of other murders or Osage tribespeople were never investigated or listed inaccurately as accidents, suicide, or reasons unknown. One aspect of the narrative that Scorsese holds over the book’s original author, David Grann, is that Scorsese’s treatment repudiates any notion of a white savior. Scorsese downplays White’s role, in comparison to his treatment in Grann’s book (which, because it is also a chronicle of the rise of what would become the FBI, reads almost like a procedural). It is the Osage who save themselves – they are the ones who gather the money to lobby and pay for the federal investigation.

Scorsese’s collaborators behind the camera provide incredible artistry. Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (2000’s Amores perros, The Irishman) has had a banner year, alongside his work on Barbie (2023). Prieto demonstrates a visual mastery in a variety of scenarios: widescreen landscapes of the prairies with oil derricks far in the background, sweeping crane and dolly shots in scenes teeming with activity, and tense closeups of white and Osage faces. But what would Prieto’s work be without editor Thelma Schoonmaker (1980’s Raging Bull, 2011’s Hugo)? Schoonmaker, a Scorsese regular, can take what, on paper, should be a meandering narrative and turn it into a movie with a distinctive rhythm and storytelling efficiency – even if it runs almost three-and-a-half hours. To keep Killers of the Flower Moon’s 206 minutes (without intermission, which I find ableist even though I never left my seat in the cinema) comprehensible and never tedious is among Schoonmaker’s crowning achievements an editor.

Meanwhile, costume designer Jacqueline West (2001’s Quills, 2022’s Dune) asked Julie O’Keefe, an Osage Nation member, to serve as a costume cultural adviser. Together, the two called upon the Osage Nation to help in researching what the Osage would have worn in the 1920s. West, for her work in The Revenant (2015), had previously undertaken research on the clothing of Plains Indians. But collaborating with O’Keefe made West realize how the costume design in Killers of the Flower Moon needed to be specifically Osage. Osage artisans sewed together all the Osage blankets, garments, and shawls seen in this film. The unusual collaboration between West and O’Keefe lends to Killers of the Flower Moon a visual authenticity magnificent to behold.

When it comes to music in a Martin Scorsese movie, Scorsese tends to rely on preexisting music to establish the setting. Noteworthy original scores are not a given in Scorsese films (Bernard Herrmann’s score to 1976’s Taxi Driver and Howard Shore’s for Hugo the outliers). Robbie Robertson (guitarist/songwriter for The Band, in addition to his solo Americana music and rock career) is the composer here, but his score barely warrants notice. Like O’Keefe, Robertson also collaborated with Osage musicians to implement their musical traditions with his blues-influenced electric guitar. The electric guitar and Hammond organ lines might, in other hands, be glaringly anachronistic and inappropriate for the purposes of a project like Killers of the Flower Moon. However, Scorsese elects for minimal use of music, relegating Robertson’s score as nothing but aural wallpaper to fit a scene – without narrative or thematic development, in service of “vibes”. Most modern film critics might consider this “effective” composing; I deem it uninteresting in the context of the movie and otherwise. If anything, the music that stands out most in this film was composed and performed by the Osage themselves.

The criminals inhabiting a Scorsese movie used to, despite their deeds, possess a swagger to their criminality. Since The Irishman, that criminal swagger is no longer. With the depiction of the Osage characters and their loved ones, Scorsese offers the viewpoints of the victim’s survivors to a substantial degree for the first time. Though perhaps not as developed as one might wish, to include these views is a sort of personal artistic penitence for Scorsese.

In the penultimate scene of Killers of the Flower Moon, we find ourselves in a production of the radio show The Lucky Strike Hour, with the performers wrapping up an episode covering the Osage Reign of Terror. The Lucky Strike Hour was produced in conjunction with the BOI/FBI to dramatize real-life cases. The program lionized J. Edgar Hoover (who headed the BOI/FBI from 1924-1972) and glorified the processes of the Bureau and policing at-large. One by one, the performers read off the fates of the main figures to wind down the epilogue: the Shoun brothers; Byron Burkhart (Ernest’s younger brother); Ernest; Hale. Finally, up steps Martin Scorsese to the microphone, breaking the fourth wall. He reads a few sentences about Mollie. Mollie Burkhart remarried after divorcing Ernest and died of diabetes in 1937. Despite the murders of her sisters, potential murder her mother, and Ernest’s confession, her obituary made no mention of the Osage murders.

Scorsese looks at the audience.

Cut to a modern-day Osage ceremony. So they remain.

For more than a century, Hollywood films concerning American Indians like The Last of the Line and Killers of the Flower Moon have been told by non-indigenous storytellers. Similar situations exist in other narrative artforms. These works have almost always been narratives about the damage done to Indigenous Americans’ lives due to the encroachment of non-indigenous people. As honestly and nobly as Jay Hunt and Martin Scorsese attempted to make a movie about American Indians, there is a moral dilemma in presenting Indian suffering as a form of entertainment. Scorsese acknowledges this in his reading of Mollie’s epilogue, reclaiming that space from the radio show away from J. Edgar Hoover and the BOI/FBI.

In a film industry so rife with performative nods to diversity without due action, he also must have intuited this dilemma of depicting Indigenous American suffering when he first approached the Osage Nation for assistance on this movie. So why bother to make Killers of the Flower Moon if he is not the most suitable person to tell a story that concerns the Osage?

My answer might not be the one you wish to read. The environment that fosters narrative art, in any medium, prefers dramatic obligations over moral ones. Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is an attempt to bend that dynamic – to expose, in harsh lighting, the complicity of those who facilitated these murders and those who, even to the slightest degree, benefitted from these tragic events. Those beneficiaries include Martin Scorsese and his non-indigenous cast and crew for making this film. Perhaps this sort of moralism is too absolute for you, the reader. Yet, with those final moments of Killers of the Flower Moon, such questions were certainly on the filmmakers’ minds. It is a perilously risky ending that I found deserved and poignant.

The Osage of Reign of Terror was once an American media sensation. Before the publication of Grann’s book and in the century since, it has largely been forgotten outside members of the Osage Nation. It is valuable to debate who should author something like Killers of the Flower Moon (the book and the movie) and how they do so. The greater good is that we learn about the inhumanity of these murders and the humanity of the victims and those who tried to stop these killings. The winds across the Oklahoma prairie whisper in remembrance, and the least we should do is listen.

My rating: 9.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog. Half-points are always rounded down.

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

#Killers of the Flower Moon #Martin Scorsese #Leonardo DiCaprio #Robert De Niro #Lily Gladstone #Jesse Plemons #Tantoo Cardinal #John Lithgow #Brendan Fraser #Cara Jade Myers #JaNae Collins #Jillian Dion #Tatanka Means #Rodrigo Prieto #Thelma Schoonmaker #David Grann #Eric Roth #Robbie Robertson #My Movie Odyssey

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rabbitcruiser · 8 months

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Labor Day

Summer’s final fling has arrived in the form of Labor Day. Yes, most of us get the day off, but this holiday triggers mixed emotions. While summer still has 21 calendar days left, it’s time to get serious. School’s starting and there’s a sense that summer vacation is over. So what’s behind Labor Day — and how did it earn a place as a federal holiday?

Let’s take a look.

When is Labor Day 2023?

Labor Day always falls on the first Monday in September, which means anywhere from September 1 through September 7. This year it's September 4 in the U.S. and Canada. However, this is not the case for most countries — the majority of which celebrate on May 1.

History of Labor Day

Do you get weekends off work? Lunch breaks? Paid vacation? An eight-hour workday? Social security? If you said “yes” to any of these questions, you can thank labor unions and the U.S. labor movement for it. Years of hard-fought battles (and the ensuing legislation they inspired) resulted in many of the most basic benefits we enjoy at our jobs today. On the first Monday in September, we take the day off to celebrate Labor Day and reflect on the American worker’s contributions to our country.

Labor Day History

There’s disagreement over how the holiday began. One version is set in September 1882 with the Knights of Labor, the largest and one of the most important American labor organizations at the time. The Knights in New York City held a public parade featuring various labor organizations on September 5 — with the aid of the fledgling Central Labor Union (CLU) of New York. Subsequently, CLU Secretary Matthew Maguire proposed that a national Labor Day holiday be held on the first Monday of each September to mark this successful public demonstration.

In another version, Labor Day in September was proposed by Peter J. McGuire, a vice president of the American Federation of Labor. In spring 1882, McGuire reportedly proposed a “general holiday for the laboring classes” to the CLU, which would begin with a street parade of organized labor solidarity and end with a picnic fundraiser for local unions. McGuire suggested the first Monday in September as an ideal date for Labor Day because the weather is great at that time of year, and it falls between July 4th and Thanksgiving. Oregon became the first U.S. state to make it an official public holiday. 29 other states had joined by the time the federal government declared it a federal holiday in 1894.

Maguire or McGuire? Read more on this unusual coincidence in our FAQs below.

What is the Haymarket affair?

On May 4, 1886 — at a time when most American laborers worked 18 or even 20 hours a day — tens of thousands of workers protested in cities all across the U.S. to demand an eight-hour workday. Police in Chicago attacked both those peaceful protests and a workers planning meeting two days later, randomly beating and shooting at the planning group and killing six. When outraged Chicagoans attended an initially peaceful protest the next evening in Haymarket Square, police advanced on the crowd again. Someone who was never identified detonated a bomb that killed a police officer, leading cops to open fire on protesters and provoke violence that led to the deaths of about a dozen workers and police.

The Pullman strike

Ironically, Chicago was also the setting for the bloody Pullman strike of 1894, which catalyzed the establishment of an official Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on the first Monday of September.

The strike happened in May in the company town of Pullman, Chicago, a factory location established by luxury railroad car manufacturer the Pullman Company. The inequality of the town was more than apparent. Company owner George Pullman lived in a mansion while most laborers stayed in barracks-style dormitories. When a nationwide depression struck in 1893, Pullman decided to cut costs the way a lot of executives at the time did — by lowering wages by almost 30% while he kept the rent on the dormitories he leased to his workers at pre-depression levels.

Railroad boycott

These conditions ultimately led workers to strike on May 11, 1894. The walkout gained the support of the nationwide American Railroad Union (ARU), which declared that ARU members would no longer work on trains that included Pullman cars. That national boycott would end up bringing the railroads west of Chicago to a standstill and led to 125,000 workers across 29 railroad companies quitting their jobs rather than breaking the boycott.

When the Chicago railroad companies hired strikebreakers as replacements, strikers also took various actions to stop the trains. The General Managers Association, which represented local railroad companies, countered by inducing U.S. Attorney General Richard Olney, a former railroad attorney, to intervene. Indianapolis federal courts granted Olney an injunction against the strike, a move that allowed President Grover Cleveland to send in federal troops to break it up.

A few days later, Cleveland realized that he had to act quickly to appease the country’s increasingly agitated labor movement. But he didn’t want to commemorate the Haymarket incident with a May holiday that would invoke radical worker sentiment. So Cleveland harkened back to the first established September 1882 holiday and signed into law that Labor Day in the U.S. would be celebrated on the first Monday in September.

Labor Day vs. May Day

Communist and socialist factions worldwide eventually chose May 1 as the date to mark the Haymarket affair. A 1904 conference issued a plea that trade unions stage rallies on the first day of May — demanding to make the eight-hour workday standard. They organized the action in the name of “universal peace.” The 1st of May is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world, generally known as “Labour Day,” “International Workers’ Day,” or a similar name – although some countries celebrate a Labor Day on other dates significant to them, such as Canada, which celebrates Labor Day, like the U.S., on the first Monday of September.

Here’s the U.S. Department of Labor’s official tribute to U.S. workers on Labor Day:

“The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known, and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.”