#alisa diaz

[manilafm]

mw animated characters from cartoon shows on disney channel and nickelodeon?

I don't think we'll be able to get through everyone, so if there are any characters from cartoon shows that are on Disney Channel and/or on Nickelodeon that aren't included in this post, please send us an ask with the name of the fandom, and thank you for your ask !! We would absolutely love to see Luz Noceda, Amity Blight, Willow Park, Boscha, Lilith Clawthorne, Emira 'Em' Blight, Eda Clawthorne, Gus Porter, King Clawthorne, and Hunter / The Golden Guard from The Owl House ; Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste, Nino Lahiffe, Alya Césaire, Kagami Tsurugi, Jessica ‘Jess’ Keynes, Tikki, Plagg, Alix Kubdel, Chloé Bourgeois, Luka Couffaine, Lila Rossi, Rose Lavillant, Gabriel Agreste, Audrey Bourgeois, Nathalie Sancoeur, Mireille Caquet, Aurore Beauréal, and Pollen from Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug & Cat Noir ; Star Butterfly, Tom Lucitor, Marco Diaz, Jackie Lynn Thomas, Janna Ordonia, Princess Pony Head, Kelly, Brittney Wong, Ludo, and Toffee from Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil ; Kim Possible, Shego, Ron Stoppable, Monique, Wade, and Dr. Drakken from Kim Possible ; Mason 'Dipper' Pines, Stanley Pines, Stanford Pines, Bill Cipher, Wendy Corduroy, Grenda Grendinator, Tambry, and Pacifica Northwest from Gravity Falls ; Phineas Flynn, Candace Flynn, Isabella García-Shapiro, Stacy Hirano, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Ferb Fletcher, Ginger Hirano, and Perry from Phineas And Ferb ; Ashley Quinlan / Ashley Q., Ashley Tomassian / Ashley T., Ashley 'Spinelli' Spinelli, Gretchen Grundler, Ashley Boulet / Ashley B., and Ashley A. from Recess ; and then from Nickelodeon cartoon shows, we would love to see SpongeBob SquarePants, Squidward Tentacles, Patrick Star, Sandra 'Sandy' Cheeks, Karen, Sheldon J. Plankton, Pearl Krabs, and Eugene Krabs from SpongeBob SquarePants ; Sheen Estévez, Liberty 'Libby' Folfax, Cynthia 'Cindy' Vortex, Betty Quinlan, James 'Jimmy' Neutron, Nick Dean, Brittany Tenelli, Carl Wheezer, Hugh Neutron, and Judy Neutron from The Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius ; Wanda Fairywinkle-Cosma, Cosmo Cosma, Poof Fairywinkle-Cosma, Foop, Sparky, Anti-Cosmo, Anti-Wanda, Mark Chang, Chester McBadBat, Trixie Tang, Veronica, Nicky (Tootie's and Vicky's mother), Remy Buxaplenty, Timothy ‘Timmy’ Tiberius Turner, Denzel Crocker, Tootie, Connie Carmichael, Blonda Fairywinkle, Francis, Imaginary Gary, Chip Skylark, Britney Britney, A.J., Tad, Chad, Vicky, Chloe Carmichael, Ricky, Timmy Turner's unnamed father, and Timmy Turner's unnamed mother from The Fairly OddParents ; Luan Loud, Lincoln Loud, Lynn, Jr., Loud, Lucy Loud, Lola Loud, Lana Loud, Lisa Loud, Lily Loud, Rita Loud, Lynn, Sr., Loud, Katherine Mulligan, Kate Bernardo, Clyde McBride, Ronnie Anne Santiago, Adelaide Chang, Stella Zhau, Sid Chang, Morag, and Chandler McCann from The Loud House / The Casagrandes / and etc. ; Tommy Pickles, Chuckie Finster, Dylan ‘Dil’ Pickles, Phillip 'Phil’ DeVille, Lillian ‘Lil’ DeVille, Kimiko ‘Kimi’ Watanabe-Finster, Angelica Pickles, Susie Carmichael, Didi Pickles, Stu Pickles, Chas Finster, Drew Pickles, Charlotte Pickles, Lulu Pickles, Lou Pickles, Miriam Pickles, Dr. Lucy Carmichael, Randy Carmichael, Betty DeVille, Howard DeVille, Melinda Finster, Alisa Carmichael, Buster Carmichael, Edwin Carmichael, and Savannah Shane from All Grown Up! / Rugrats !! But if you have any other fandoms / characters in mind, please send us another ask with the name of the fandom !!

[ascellavstheforcesofevil]

based off of that one thing from that anime

[nostalgiatm-a]

just  wanted  to  pop  in  and  let  anyone  interested  know  that  i’ve  cut  a  few  muses  from  my  roster  as  i  work  to  move  this  blog  over  to  another  !  here’s  the  current  lineup  :

PRIMARY  MUSES  :

yadriel  vélez  flores  (  cemetery  boys  )

kai  (  legend  of  korra  )

aang  (  last  airbender  )

miles  morales  (  comics  )

kou  minamoto  (  toilet  bound  hanako-kun  )

karmi  (  big  hero  6  )

alphinaud  leveilleur  (  final  fantasy  14  )

e.  aster  bunnymund  (  rise  of  the  guardians  )

merida  dunbroch  (  brave  )

kristoff  bjorgman  (  frozen  )

kamala  kahn  (  comics  )

SECONDARY  MUSES  :

julian  diaz  (  cemetery  boys  )

maritza  (  cemetery  boys  )

tadashi  hamada  (  big  hero  6  )

gogo  tomago  (  big  hero  6  )

yugi  amane  (  toilet  bound  hanako-kun  )

prince  wu  (  legend  of  korra  )

korra  (  legend  of  korra  )

alisae  leveilleur  (  final  fantasy  14  )

honeymaren  (  frozen  )

anya  romanov  (  anastasia  )

dimitri  (  anastasia  )

luca  paguro  (  luca  )

alberto  scorfano  (  luca  )

dagur  the  derranged  (  how  to  train  your  dragon  )

astrid  hofferson  (  how  to  train  your  dragon  )

guy  crood  (  the  croods  )

chihiro  ogino  (  spirited  away  )

ON  REQUEST  MUSES  :

aunt  cass  (  big  hero  6  )

uncle  iroh  (  last  airbender  )

tenzin  (  legend  of  korra  )

OC’S  :

ludger  trevelyan  (  dragon  age  )

corta  cadash  (  dragon  age  )

león  vásquez  (  dragon  age  )

illasan  lavellan  (  dragon  age  )

lydia  trevellyan  (  dragon  age  )

*note  :  apologies  the  new  blog  is  taking  so  long  to  get  set-up  !  i’m  taking  the  time  to  write  detailed  abouts  for  all  of  these  muses  so  that  people  who  aren’t  familiar  with  them  can  feel  comfortable  still  interacting  .  love  you  guys  <3

[your-hurricane]

neon moon || chapter 1 - broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times

A/N:  Disclaimer, I haven’t written fanfic since I was fourteen so please be gentle with me, friends

AO3 link

Fair warning that the only editing this has gone through has been proofreading!

Also, the first two chapters are largely exposition and setting up the various connections between Frankie and the MC (Natalia), but they will finally get to meet in chapter three!

Neon Moon summary: [starts three years after the events of the movie]

Single dad Francisco "Frankie" Morales and former Ph.D candidate Natalia Yevstigneyev-Diaz are trying their best. 

Alternatively: Frankie and the woman about to change his life keep missing each other, until they don't.

“Whoo-wee! Nice one, Diaz!” Benny said from where he’d just been knocked onto his back atop the sparring mats. 

 At her instructor’s praise, Natalia Diaz preened, making a show of taking her long dark wavy-curls out of her workout ponytail and flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Thank you, thank you, always happy to hear my badassery is increasing.”

 “I’d say perfecting. That was solid.”

 “Yeah, haven’t seen him go down that unexpectedly probably ever,” piped up a man with big, kind brown eyes whose name Natalia swore was Frankie. She’d only ever heard him called by his real name once or twice --- Benny usually greeted him as Fish.

 If Frankie was here, that meant the rest of Benny Miller’s military buddies would be trickling into the gym. Pity they seemed to be on time today— flipping Benny was fun, maybe he’d’ve given her a window to do it again. Sometimes if his buddies ran late he’d keep sparring with her past the self-defense session she’d paid for. 

 “It’s thanks to him and his lessons! Wouldn’t know where to begin without him.” Natalia hi-fived Benny from where he was on the floor, now sitting. “Thanks as always, Benny. See you Friday afternoon?”

 “Hell yeah!”

 “Awesome. Well, I’ll get out of your hair before the rest of the guys show up. Later Benny!” She nodded politely to Frankie just as she spotted the man she knew to be Benny’s older brother and...Pope? Santiago? again, she’d only run into these men in passing.

  ~.*~.*~.*~.*

Natalia Diaz’s early life read like an adventure, and in many ways, it had been. Her mother, Anna Diaz, was a first generation Mexican-American of Spanish, Mixtec, and Chinese background who met her father, then in medical school, while studying abroad in Russia. Her father, Gavril Yevstigneyev, was from Yakutsk of mixed Russian, Yakut, and Chuvash background. He was a doctor who gave up the possibility of an ultra-lucrative career to spend most of his life working as a medical officer in human rights organizations, and she was a research assistant in those same organizations.

 Born while her father was practicing in St. Petersburg, Natalia Gavrilovna Yevstigneyeva Diaz didn’t spend too long in one place. She may have been a dual citizen of the United States and Russia but she didn’t set foot in the United States until she was twelve years old, and her earliest concept of ‘home’ was Pakse, Laos. She was educated at international schools across Southeast Asia, and spoke Lao, Khmer, and Vietnamese in daily life depending on where the Yevstigneyev family was living, Russian at home, learned English and French at school, and her mother taught her enough Spanish to understand her abuela’s English-Spanish mix on birthday and Christmas phone calls.

 When it came time to graduate from secondary school - she graduated in Laos, ultimately  - she even applied to universities across Laos, Canada, Cambodia, France, The United States, Switzerland, China, Singapore, Australia, and Russia. At her parents’ insistence she cast her net far and wide. Except, with twenty-two acceptance letters and zero rejections, she almost wished she hadn’t.

 She studied at McGill University and through a combination of scholarships, her parents’ help, and her “waitressing” job (stripping job actually, and Natalia was damn proud of it and the crazy money it made, but knew her parents would flip out on her so she lied), she earned her B.A.s in linguistics with a minor in translation and interpretation, and anthropology.

 She had her pick of the litter as far as where she could settle post-grad: her dual citizenship made the US and Russia wide open to her, Canadian employers were offering to keep her in Canada, her parents still lived in Laos - six years in one place? That was a record for her folks! - and the NGO they were working for straight up offered her a job without her even sending an application. 

 There wasn’t a grad school on planet Earth that would’ve rejected her application.

 Natalia’s life should have been set forever. For a while, it was.

 After a gap year traveling Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia, Mongolia, and completing the Trans-Siberian railway with her younger sister Mariya, who took a gap year between secondary school and university herself, Natalia prepared to conquer grad school….at motherfucking Yale!

 That same year, her parents and younger siblings (save Mariya who was studying at Yakutsk State University in their father’s home Russian Republic of Yakutia) moved to her mother’s home state of Texas. A part of Natalia felt bad for her eleven year old sister and the three year old twins out of some sense that her upbringing had been, objectively, the best possible. Natalia did not feel Russian, or Mexican, or American, or Laotian, or Cambodian, or Vietnamese, nor did she feel the need to. Borders were an arbitrary thing. People were people just with different languages, looks, and customs, and she believed she came to know that truth early in life because of her childhood as a third culture kid. 

 She understood why her parents made that decision though.

 In her first year of grad school, the Yevstigneyev Diaz siblings were twenty-two year old Natalia, nineteen-year-old Mariya, eleven-year-old Valentina, and two-year-old Alisa and her twin brother, the only boy in the family, Pavel. Alisa had been born partially deaf and their parents, as if they could react any other way, saw it not as a terrible thing to mourn over but as an opportunity to learn. A challenge did not equal a burden in their eyes. When she was two, however, they realized they needed to either move back to Russia or move to the United States.

 The Yevstigneyevs primarily worked and lived in Vietnam and Laos, and there was no singular Laotian or Vietnamese sign language, rather, localized sign languages. As Alisa grew from an infant to a toddler they decided they did not want to deprive her of Deaf culture, and thus, the decision to move to Texas was made.

 Just two years after relocating to Texas, tragedy struck the family.

 A car speeding through a red light killed Anna and Gavril on the way home from volunteering their time to teach Russian classes at the local Russian cultural center. Natalia, then twenty-four years old with a newly minted Masters from Yale and acceptances to three Ph.D programs, had to force out emails declining the offers, pack up her apartment, and move to Texas to raise her siblings.

 Abuela Rita instinctively offered to handle her grandchildren, but Natalia couldn’t possibly make her abuela (who she barely knew at that) raise three children again. Besides, her mother’s youngest sister still lived at home, and this was the same year Hurricane Harvey destroyed one of her uncle’s homes and he, his wife, and their children were also living in Abuela’s home...yeah, no. No, this had to be Natalia.

 It was Natalia or the state of Texas and like hell she was going to throw her three little siblings, two of them just four, and one of them deaf,  into the system. Alisa being able to communicate in ASL was so important to her parents...how could Natalia possibly let Alisa go into a system that wouldn’t care?

 And anyway, it wasn’t so bad. She used her fluency in Russian, Lao, Khmer, and French to work as a book translator. She’d even gone back to dancing four days a week for two reasons. A. You’d think speaking five languages fluently would mean she was making an assload of money, right? Wrong. and B. The inheritance and life insurance policies from her parents wouldn’t last forever and she had four college educations to finance. 

That was three years ago, and two and a half years before she started taking self-defense classes from Benny Miller. She’d only been working at an Austin strip club for about four months when one handsy patron reminded her that she needed a refresher on how to throw a punch.

 As for why she was Natalia Diaz now and not Natalia Yevstigneyeva? Well. She was still Natalia Yevstigneyeva-Diaz, but unless she was filling out legal papers, or at the Russian cultural center, it was just Diaz. Her mother’s last name was just easier for Austinites to pronounce right. You had to be at least a level six friend to unlock her tragic backstory and her full last name.

 Natalia had had everything going for her until one drunk driver took her parents, her Ph.D goals, her planned return to traveling the world, and even her name in one instant. 

 She wished she had it in her to be bitter but that would require her to have time to think about herself anymore. If it wasn’t taking ASL classes with Alisa, it was listening to Mariya complain about her job. If it wasn’t Valentina’s archery competitions, it was Pavel’s gymnastics meets. 

 (Yes, yes, she knew. How stereotypically Russian of them to have a kid in competitive gymnastics. It wasn’t her idea! Pavel loved it and when he begged his big sister to be allowed more than one class a week...she dared anybody to say no to that face.)

Any Natalia time she did have was too precious to spend being bitter, she decided.

   ~.*~.*~.*~.*

“Natasha! Nataaaaaaaasha….NATASHA!” 

 “Wha!” Thud! “Fuck. Oww.”

 Natalia groaned from where she’d fallen into a startled pile on the living room floor, staring up at the ceiling and turned her head to shoot a glare at Mariya.

 “Marusya, one day, you’re going to scare me awake to actual death.”

 “That’s impossible.” Valentina said from where she sat at the dining table typing up a paper for school. “If you’re scared to literal death you can’t be scared awake because you’ll be dead. Dead people can’t be awake.”

 “Unless she’s a zombie, Valya!” Shouted Pavel from his room down the hall.

 “Pasha’s got a point.” Mariya said, to which Natalia grabbed her foot and yanked hard, making her shriek as she fell against the couch. “Oof. Anyway, you’re going to be late for work if you don’t hurry up.”

 Natalia checked her watch and let out a swear under her breath. “I really need to not spar with Benny on work nights. Hey, Valya-” she sat up on the floor and whirled around to face her middle sister. “Do I need to drop you off for babysitting anywhere tonight?”

 Valentina shook her head. “Abuela’s picking me up to take me to Mr. Morales’. I’m watching Daniela.” Mr. Morales - whoever that was - lived near Abuela and her taking Valentina to his house gave her some ‘Valone time’ she liked to say.

 Natalia peeled herself off the floor and made her way to her bedroom, stopping by Alisa’s on the way. She grabbed the purple narwhal plushie that lived in a little basket attached to her door - the Get Alisa’s Attention Narwhal - and gently tossed it at Alisa, and when it landed in her lap Alisa tossed it back to Natalia, kept her hands free, and said “I didn’t forget.”

 “Good. If you’re good at the dentist tomorrow morning, I’ll buy you ice cream after.”

 “Isn’t that the opposite of what you should do after the dentist?”

 “So you don’t want ice cream?” “That’s not what I said!”

 Natalia laughed and stepped far enough into Alisa’s room to ruffle her hair and then said, “Be good. Masha’s in charge while I’m at work.”

  ~.*~.*~.*~.*

 “Thought you were day shift on Wednesdays, Natasha!” A black woman with her hair in box braids — Jess, stage name Phoenix — said, throwing her arm around Natalia when she first got to work. 

 “Nah, I talked to Paris, got my hours changed around, remember? Gosh, it’s like you don’t remember everything I ever say to you.” 

 Jess stuck her tongue out and muttered, “Bitch,” before smooching Natalia’s cheek.

 Natalia shoved Jess off of her with a giggle. “Go finish getting ready, ya crazy.” She sat down in front of one of the available mirrors to touch up her makeup before she was officially working, then addressed Jess again. “My 11-8 days are now Sunday and Monday. Wednesday, Saturday, I’m here with you 8 til 4, baybeeeee.”

 “Mm, good call. Wine Wednesday.”

 Half price wine meant more cash for dancers. 

 “Needs more body glitter,” Natalia said in her best Christopher Walken impression, before unscrewing the cap of her body glitter to shiny herself up. 

 “Now in your Zoya voice!”

 “Needs more body glitter,” Natalia repeated, this time, in her stage persona’s stronger Russian accent.

 The accent helped to further distinguish between Zoya the performer and who Natalia was offstage. It also wasn’t exactly offensive, either, because it was just Natalia exaggerating the accent she naturally had and just making it consistently Russian. It was a mess otherwise. Natalia and Mariya...talked funny. Their accents were kind of impossible to place because of how they learned English and which languages they first learned to actually speak in.

 At first listen, their international school education would hint at American- ish . But listen closely and certain vowels come out like an Aussie or a Canadian, courtesy of international school teachers from those countries. Listen for another moment and you’ll hear that Natalia’s tongue, specifically, never learned to consistently make certain sounds that English has that Russian, Lao, Vietnamese and Khmer just don’t. Natalia’s H’s came out harsh courtesy of her Russian father. And both Natalia and Mariya had a habit of dropping articles when telling their younger siblings to ‘close window’ or ‘feed dog and cat.’

For the most part, as Natalia tried to explain to anybody who asked about her accent, English was a language for the classroom. They spoke exclusively Russian in the home and out in ‘the wild’ spoke the local language. Yakutsk was a closer flight from Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam than Austin was so if they visited any grandparents for Christmas it was their babushka and dedushka in Russia.

 Returning to the US permanently never was the plan, remember. It was only a decision they made for Alisa to live somewhere with a standard sign language -- and the only reason, Anna confessed to Natalia once, that they didn’t go back to Russia, was because Natalia had recently come out as bisexual.

  “We worried for Valya and the twins. What if they also grow up and realize they aren’t straight? The way it is in Russia for people like you...your father and I love Russia more than the United States. But we love our kids more than Russia.”

 She hated how vivid that conversation was in her head. There were some truly beautiful moments with her mother that had already faded from memory. How unfair of her brain to let things like holidays, birthdays, and her mother’s hugs slip. 

“Drive home safe, Jess.” Natalia bid her friend farewell a little after four the next morning, kissing her on the cheek before she unlocked her own car. If she got up to 70 and stayed there, she’d be home in time to count her tips, shower, and fix breakfast for the kiddos before school and in Alisa’s case, the dentist.

~.*~.*~.*~.*

 “Stand still Pasha,” Natalia said as she gently bopped the seat of her baby brother’s pants to knock the glitter off them. “Your butt looks like a glitter cannon exploded right next to it.”

 Pavel giggled and pointed out, “It’s your fault there’s always glitter in your bed.”

 “You shouldn’t lay down in my bed for naps after I’ve woken you up for school anyway. Especially not after you’ve already got your clothes on, you dingus.”

 “ Heeeey, that’s mean!” Pavel pouted.

 “Not if I’m saying it with love. Which I am.” Natalia stood up and pressed a kiss to the top of her brother’s head. “Okay, your butt’s as unsparkly as it's gonna get.”

 “I don’t see what wrong with having a sparkly butt anyway.” Pavel grumbled.

 “Now run along to the bus stop with the other kids. Be good at school, learn lots, I love you kid.”

 “Love you too , Natashe-!” the -nka! came muffled as Pavel had darted out the door to run down to the bus stop. 

 Natalia sipped on her coffee and watched out the window as her brother darted across the field to the complex’s mailbox pavilion to make sure he joined the other children safely. Satisfied he had, she turned away from the window to trudge back to the kitchen and refill her coffee and begin her vanilla work for the day before she had to wake Alisa for the dentist. On today’s docket? Trying to get through editing at least the first third of her Russian translation of the next book in the hottest new YA series.

 There was nothing Natalia wanted more than a nap but she was already cutting her deadline close. Right on schedule was the same as being behind in the literary translation world. If she wasn’t so ahead of schedule she was getting bored then she was nearing panic mode. 

 Logically she knew that only she felt that way. Her boss didn’t, or at least never felt the need to express to her that he did, but just herself was enough to put the pressure on from beginning to end of a project.

 It had benefited her in school. Not so much in her career.

 A life in academia as a linguistics scholar and researcher would have suited her better. The universe didn’t consider that when it let a drunk driver kill her parents and leave her three siblings to raise and Mariya’s academic dreams to finance.

[figure-skating-watch-party]

Russian Cup, stage 4

I’ll try to mention some of the lesser known skaters this time. Because they are all so good but often this is not enough because this is Russia: there are countless talented skaters and only a very limited number of international spots. (I came to the conclussion that - especially in juniors - the key is not to get attached too much to one skater, one team and just appreciate everything we get to see)

Pairs

Sometimes I really can’t wrap my mind around it. They are all sooo good. First warm-up group and they are so good, second group and they are great, third group world class. 

Let me scream VIKTORIA VASILIEVA / Nikita Volodin. She was a singles skater a year ago. I saw her two years ago at JGP with my own eyes. And now? She is a pair skater. That was such an awesome debut for this new pair. I am in awe. And especially their Mickmacks FP is great. 

I also liked Maria Alchova/Sergei Bezborodko and their Peal Harbour FP. (Poor them and the death spiral though)

Karina Akopova/Nikita Rakhmanin they are speeeed. (Limelight SP and based on my very limited knowledge of cyrilic alphabet a mix of P. I. Tchaikovsky’s music with A. Bocelli’s Fall on me???) Anyway they are so quick on the ice.

I love every Memoirs of a Geisha program and of course I loved Jasmina Kadyrova/Ivan Balchenko and their SP. 

I love Boikova/Kozlovskii so so so much. And I love their SP, I’m so happy that we finally saw them. Their SP is so light, tender, classical. Their FP was good but not just that magically great as we maybe got too much used to it. It couldn’t be easy for them skating just hours after their coach’s husband passed away on top of everything else. (I absolutely didn’t know but they formed a pair in 2015 having skated only in singles prior to that.)

I have to admit I have a complicated relationship with Tarasova/Morozov. Though I liked their Adagio FP and after rewatching Bolero many times, yeah, there’s in fact nothing wrong with this program... They are just not my favourite skaters but I can still see why they are one of the best in the world. If I associate B/K with lightness, T/M are definitely power. 

Mishina/Galliamov are back. Well, they were not away, it was just one bad comp and it happened to be Russian nationals which was so unfortunate. They were oozing confidence this time. They were flawless, I loved the low death spiral and the whole Esmeralda SP and the dance lifts and creative choreo sequence in their Bohemian Rhapsody FP. 

Ice Dance, Sr. 

I really appreciate that the organizers give the opportunity to foreign skaters training in Russia to unofficially take part in the Russian Cup series. You won’t find them on the results pages, but I think for them the most important thing is that they can skate in whatever form it is... 

This time, it was Hungarians Anna Yanovskaya/Adam Lukacs skating to Grease RD and Hymne l’amour FD. (I love these combinations of programs: one more upbeat one more classical). 

If I’m counting right it’s at least fifth Grease I’ve seen this (or last) season: Guignard/Fabbri, Shpilevaya/Smirnov, Pavlenina/Aleksanian and the queen and the king of Grease Smart/Diaz - I enjoy watching and comparing these programs, so there’s never too much Singing in the rain, Too darn hot... etc. ;) ) 

If you want to see passion and also synchronized hydroblades watch Vlada Pavlenina/Aleksandr Aleksanian La sal de la terra FD. 

I like L’Opera Rock FD of Svetlana Lizunova/Alexander Vakhnov. 

And then Julia Tulseva/Anatolii Belovodchenko. Cabaret / Umbrella. I simply love these programs, Cabaret, Burlesque... And their FD was even better, their speed, the interpretation, the curve lifts, the jazzy feel...

And I’m really happy that Anastasia Skoptsova/Kirill Aleshin won this stage and that they kept their Bonnie & Clyde RD.

Ice Dance, Jr. 

Let’s take a look at some junior ice dancers! Of course Arina Ushakova/Maxim Nekrasov (I like their Chicago RD) and Vasilisa Kaganovskaya/Valerii Angelopol (here I like their FD) were the best but there were so many great performances:

Polina Kocherigina/Evgenii Artyushchenko - Mala Luna FD.  

Polina Usova/Egor Goncharov - Anything goes RD / Sigur Ros FD. Especially the FD was such a mature performance. 

Ksenia Davidova/Michail Antonov - Singing in the rain RD I liked the choreography, the whole performance aaand the speed. 

Daria Bukovschikova/Alexander Vdovin - New York, New York RD A relaxing “feel-good” program (a style I really like)

Taisia Linchevskaya/Timur Baklanov-Smirnov - Cabaret RD The stylization, the poses, the carriage on the ice...

Alexandra Shabalina/Maxim Kiryukhin - Romeo and Juliet FD

And now let me present three teams I absolutely fell in love with:

Alina Abdulina/Maxim Nuralyev - Fifty checks / Mindfields I love the variations of the famous P/C lift in the RD. And the more pop/rock feel of the FD and synchronized cartwheels?!!  (I called it “P/C lift” but let’s not be like twitter moral police saying that anyone else doing this lift is a copycat; this lift was there long before P/C, eg. Belbin/Agosto did it...)

Sofia Kachushkina/Oleg Muratov - A chorus line / Walking castle?? I nicknamed them Team Red according to their RD costumes. The RD is such a fun and energetic performance, they even use the lyrics - saying steps, walk, ministeps and they do on the ice. And their FD is totally different, very balletic, like a fairy tale. 

Alisa Ovsyankina/Matvei Samokhin - Aladdin / Dance of the Sugar plum fairy

They are babies and these programs are so fitting for them. The FD is from Nutcracker and I squealed. Yes, yes, yes, yes, that’s a perfromace, that’s so cute and just lovely to watch. 

[sywtwfs]

2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy & JGP Croatia: Info & Streaming

The fifth Challenger Series event and sixth Junior Grand Prix take place this week! Subscribe to our calendar to see all competition times in your own time zone.

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NEBELHORN TROPHY

Results | Entries | Detailed schedule | Website | ISU

Designation: Challenger Series When: Sept. 25-28 Where: Oberstdorf, Germany Level & disciplines: senior men, ladies, ice dance, pairs How to watch: Free livestreams on Dailymotion

Schedule (UTC+2) 9/26: Men's SP 11:00; Pairs' SP 14:45; Ladies' SP 18:30 9/27: Rhythm Dance 11:30; Men's FS 14:15; Pairs' FS 19:30 9/28: Ladies' FS 10:00; Free Dance 14:15; Gala 20:15

==================================

JGP CROATIA CUP

Live results | Entries | Detailed schedule | ISU

Designation: Junior Grand Prix When: Sept. 25-28 Where: Zagreb, Croatia Level & disciplines: junior men, ladies, ice dance, pairs How to watch: Free livestreams on the JGP Youtube channel

Schedule (UTC+2) 9/26: Men's SP 10:30; Pairs' SP 14:10; Ladies' SP 16:50 9/27: Rhythm Dance 11:00; Pairs' FS 14:00; Men's FS 17:00 9/28: Free Dance 12:15; Ladies' FS 15:25

[myfontz]

Creative Characters

#025 | Alejandro Paul | Sudtipos

#077 | Daniel Hernandez, Luciano Vergara | Latinotype

#080 | René Bieder | René Bieder

#081 | Maximiliano Sproviero | Lián Types

#098 | Mika Melvas | Mika Melvas

#103 | Cindy Kinash | Cultivated Mind

#108 | Freda Sack & David Quay | The Foundry

#111b | Nicky Laatz | Nicky Laatz

#112b | Veneta Rangelova | DearType

#113 | Martin Majoor | FontFont

#112 | Fernando Diaz, Vicente Lamonaca, Martin Sommaruga | TipoType

#111 | Alisa Nowak | Black Foundry, Indian Type

#110 | Akira Kobayashi | Linotype, Monotype

#109 | Ole Sondergaard & Morten Olsen | Fontpartners

#107 | Richard Starkings, John Roshell | Comicraft

#106 | Nadine Chahine

#105 | Zuzana Licko | Emigré

#104 | Zoran & Nikola Kostic | Kostic Type

#102 | Marconi Lima | TypeFolio

#101 | Jovica Veljovic

#099 | Sabrina Mariela Lopez | Typesenses

#097 | Verena Gerlach

#096 | Ryan Martinson | Yellow Design Studio

#092 | Satya Rajpurohit | Indian Type

#090 | Alejandro Lo Celso | PampaType

#089 | Carlos Fabián Camargo Guerrero | Andinistas

#085 | Måns Grebäc | Aring Typeface

#078 | Mariya Pigoulevskaya, Jonathan Hill | The Northern Block

#072 | Rui Abreu | R-Topography

#067 | Dave Rowland | Schizotype

#066 | Emil Bertell | Fenotype

#062 | Bruno Maag | Dalton Maag

#059 | Emily Conners | Emily Lime

#052 | Erica Jung, Ricardo Marcin | Pintassilgo Prints

#050 | René Bieder | René Bieder

#037 | Laura Worthington | Laura Worthington

#029 | Jos Buivenga | Exljbris

#027 | Robert Leuschke | TypeSETit

#015 | Veronika Burian | Typetogether

#013 | Tomáš Brousil | Suitcase Type

...

#010 | Jim Parkinson | Parkinson Type

#009 | Ronna Penner | Typadelic

#008 | Richard Kegler, Carima El-Behairy | P22

#007 | Akiem Helmling. Sami Kortemäki, Bas Jacobs | Underware

#006 | Ellinor Maria Rapp | Font Garden

#005 | Dino dos Santos | DSType

#004 | Christian Schwartz

#003 | David Berlow | Font Bureau

#002 | Frantisek Storm | Storm Type

#001 | Hans Samuelson | Samuelstype

Even more Foundries: Deberny & Peignot - Haas Type

[eugenefischer]

On Junot Diaz, Carmen Machado, and Monica Byrne

Junot Diaz is having a #metoo moment that was a long time coming. I think the first open accusation was from Zinzi Clemmons, in this tweet:

As a grad student, I invited Junot Diaz to speak to a workshop on issues of representation in literature. I was an unknown wide-eyed 26 yo, and he used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me. I'm far from the only one he's done this 2, I refuse to be silent anymore.

— zinziclemmons (@zinziclemmons) May 4, 2018

Shortly thereafter, both Carmen Machado and Monica Byrne related their own experiences. Carmen’s is in a Twitter thread starting here:

During his tour for THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER, Junot Díaz did a Q&A at the grad program I'd just graduated from. When I made the mistake of asking him a question about his protagonist's unhealthy, pathological relationship with women, he went off for me for twenty minutes. https://t.co/7wuQOarBIJ

— Carmen Maria Machado (@carmenmmachado) May 4, 2018

Monica’s was on Twitter, and at greater length on Facebook:

There have since been this damning story from Alisa Valdes, an overview article in The Cut, and I’m sure more to come.

I’m writing this post to bear witness. I was present for the events related by both Carmen Machado and Monica Byrne. Things happened as they described. I watched the belittling histrionics Junot Diaz displayed in response to Carmen’s questions in Iowa City, with his subsequent tantrum of a reading. I was seated next to Monica in North Carolina when Diaz, on her other side, lectured the table about VIDA statistics and the sexist silencing of women in literature, only to actively interrupt or condescendingly dismiss the woman novelist right beside him whenever she tried to contribute the conversation.1

Carmen is telling the truth. Monica is telling the truth. I have absolutely no doubt that Zinzi Clemmons and Alisa Valdes are telling the truth. For all the discussion to come, this much is without question: these things happened, just as described.

An ironic cherry to go atop that farce: in both instances he employed the rhetorical tactic of treating his female interlocutors like underachieving students, beginning dismissive comments with something like, “One of the first things we teach students at MIT is….” Monica, as it happens, has a masters degree from MIT. ↩

[via WordPress https://www.eugenefischer.com/2018/05/04/on-junot-diaz-carmen-machado-and-monica-byrne/ ]

[writemarcus]

DOWNTOWN URBAN ARTS FESTIVAL Celebrates Its Sweet 16

by BWW News Desk Feb. 16, 2018  

This year marks the Season Sweet 16 for the powerful Downtown Urban Arts Festival (DUAF).

The five-week art & culture showcase supplying audiences with live stage works, independent film, cutting-edge music and envelope-pushing poetry, will take up residence in some of lower Manhattan's most thrilling and celebrated spaces.

Running from April 7 through May 12, artists with their finger on the pulse of what the city is thinking will present their works at Theatre 80 St. Marks, Tribeca Film Center, New York Live Arts, Joe's Public at The Public Theater, and Nuyorican Poets Café.

The original theater series (Downtown Urban Theater Festival) was founded in 2001 for the purpose to build a repertoire of new American theater that echoes the true spirit of urban life and speaks to a new generation whose lives defy categorizing along conventional lines. That purpose has since been realized in more than 200 plays created and refined for the stage by more than 170 writers from America's burgeoning multicultural landscape. The addition of film and culture has made DUAF a marriage of the original Fringe Festival and Cannes.

DUAF is produced by Creative Ammo Inc. (CA), a nonprofit community development organization for artists focused on building stronger communities founded in 1998. CA has created solid programs to strengthen communities, foster creativity and celebrate life through art. Artists are an important leverage point in its work. Its mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills and services they need to develop their talent into a marketable skill to pursue a career in the arts. Its programs are inclusive, open and embrace diverse ideas and art forms, and target communities of color and other underrepresented multicultural, women and LGBTQ populations.

This year, the opening night celebration will feature The Voice finalist and teenage sensation, Wé McDonald, who will perform live at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater.

DUAF's film series features the finest works from a search that yielded more than 1,400 submissions for around the world.

And finally, this year's poetry season, called WORDS MATTER, will be a community poetry slam and forum on current social issues. Local poets and audience members can recite their best poems and compete for a cash prize. 2016 Nuyorican Grand Slam Champion Jaime Lee Lewis is the host and special guests have included Lifetime Achievement American Book Award winner, Miguel Algarin.

PERFORMANCE SCEHDULE FOR LIVE THEATER, FILM, POETRY, AND MUSIC

Joe's Pub @ THE PUBLIC 425 LAFAYETTE ST, NEW YORK CITY SATURDAY, APRIL 7 7:00 PM (TICKETS: $30)

Wé McDonald - NBC TV's "The Voice" finalist, Wé McDonald, brings her jazz & pop artistry to this much-anticipated, one-night-only performance. Opening Season 11 of The Voice with a four-chair turn, Wé went on to represent Alicia Keys in the finals and finished third for the season.

NEW YORK LIVE ARTS 219 W 19TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY TICKETS: $20

FRIDAY, APRIL 13 @ 7:00 PM

THE VAST MYSTERY OF WHO YOU ARE BY Kim Yaged An irreverent, hard-hitting exploration of love via sex parties and philosophical sparring about the nature of relationships.

SATURDAY, APRIL 14 @ 7:00 PM

GAY.PORN.MAFIA BY Joe Gulla Bronx, LA, SoHo to Ibiza! Porn Stars, Gay Priests, Mafia Dons and Abstract Expressionists! Smart! Fun! Funny! Fearless! "Gay.Porn.Mafia" has it all! Grab your ticket! Leave the gun! Take the cannoli! You'll feel like "family" and laugh out loud (emphasis on "out"!) It's the same-sex, Italian-style, x-rated offer you can't refuse!

THEATRE 80 ST. MARKS 80 ST MARKS PLACE, NEW YORK CITY TICKETS: $20

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 @ 8:00 PM

SUBLET BY Alisa Zhulina Christy, an overworked hospital resident, new to New York City, sublets a room from an artist working on a mysterious sculpture. Things start to get scary, or is it just Christy's imagination? What's really going on in this express journey to NYC roommate hell fueled by outsized artistic ambition.

AMERICAN TRANQUILITY BY Daniel Damiano A southern retiree, an Iranian subway station poet and percussionist, a talk-radio show host and a Brooklyn existentialist reflect on the human divide in 21st century America.

THURSDAY APRIL 19 @ 8:00 PM

STRINGS BY Charles Curtis A detective turned modern day vigilante, a lawyer with an ulterior motive, and the strings that bind them both. They each find that neither is truly innocent, and that no matter how fast we run our past catches up with us eventually.

FRIDAY, APRIL 20 @ 8:00 PM

THE STRONG MAN BY J.E. Robinson Decades ago, at the head of his gang, Pearl Crabtree was strong enough to kill any man. Is he now strong enough to kill one of his own?

CORPORATESTHENICS BY Baindu Dafina Kalokoh From unsuccessfully climbing the corporate ladder to fearlessly summiting Mount Everest, Black Television Network's favorite physical trainer premieres the newest edition to her record selling fitness program. Her unique strength and conditioning techniques are essential to breaking glass ceilings in every profession.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21 @ 8:00 PM

HELP ME GET OVER YOU BY Rollin Jewett John is in love with Phyllis. Unfortunately, he only realizes it after he breaks up with her. Now she's moved on and John can't seem to get her out of his mind. What's a lovestruck fool to do? Ask her to help him get over her, of course. The question is: What's in it for her?

A CIVILIZED WORLD BY ANGHUS HOUVOURAS An opioid addict is sentenced to death in the near future where being an unproductive member of society is a capital offense. The play centers on the condemned, Eleanor Reed, and her final conversation with Andrew Goodman, a life long government shill tasked with explaining the value of her sacrifice.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 @ 8:00 PM

BLOOD ORANGE BY MARCUS SCOTT Blood Orange explores the fetishization of black male bodies, hook-up culture, the nature of interracial gay relationships and sexual encounters, power play and upward mobility.

MIRRORS BY Azure D. Osborne-Lee Mirrors is the story of two women mourning the death of a loved one while sifting through the secrets of a shared past.

THURSDAY, APRIL 26 @ 8:00 PM

TRASH TALK BY ALANO P. BAEZ Trash Talk is a taut and troubling tale of two dregs of society who rap, scrap, quip and play craps while slowly suffocating under the weight of wasted lives.

SAILING STONES BY JUAN RAMIREZ, JR. At rock bottom, Jaime forces his god-fearing best friend, Charlie, out into the Death Valley desert to finally prove once and for all if a god exists. Who will save them?

FRIDAY, APRIL 27 @ 8:00 PM

THE FAN BY Adam Seidel A famous novelist sits on a park bench reading when she is approached by a fan who wants more than just an autograph.

THE DIPLOMATS BY NELSON DIAZ-MARCANO Two days before election night 2016, close friends Annie and Carlos are having a little reunion on his first visit back in New York City. It can only take one person to change world events, but at this reunion two days before the 2016 Presidential election - it's world events that do the changing.

SATURDAY, APRIL 28 @ 8:00 PM

ATACAMA BY AUGUSTO FEDERICO AMADOR Thirty years after the dirty wars waged by the General Pinochet regime on the Chilean people. Two strangers; a mother and father, search the Atacama Desert for their buried loved ones and discover there are darker truths awaiting them underneath the hard sands of the Atacama.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 @ 7:00PM

NUYORICAN POETS CAFÉ 236 E 3RD ST, NEW YORK CITY TICKETS: $12

WORDS MATTER POETRY SLAM Repair! Reform! Transform! Calling all poets with poetic words about today's social issues and social conscious people. Hosted by Nuyorican Poetry Slam winner Jaime Lee Lewis with special guest poets include Reg E. Gaines, Tony nominated writer/poet, and Miguel Algarin, the founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Sign up for poetry slam starting at 6:30pm.

TRIBECA FILM CENTER 375 GREENWICH ST, NEW YORK CITY TICKETS; $15

TUESDAY, MAY 8 @ 7:00 PM

FREMONT (OREGON/7 MIN.) Directed by Ryo Jepson Inspired by the numerous news headlines in late 2016 and early 2017, Fremont examines the repercussions of an exhausted police officer's split-second decision while pursuing a suspect. Following the suspect's capture the nature of the crime and the suspect's role in it reveals both the profound and unexpected effect it has on everyone involved in the case.

THE REHEARSAL (FRANCE/7 MIN.) Directed by Léa Frédeval Stephane dreams to become a comedian. Carole dreams of a pay raise.

THE SUITCASE (CANADA/12 MIN.) Directed by Philip Leung Discover how a little girl uses her imagination to conquer the darkness during a turbulent journey inside a suitcase.

VAGABONDS (USA/NIGER/16 MIN.) Directed by Magaajyia Silberfeld Starring Magaajyia Silberfeld, Robert Richard, Daniel Marley, Danny Glover A homeless African student in LA meets a washed-up movie star whose life is surprisingly similar to hers.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 @ 7:00 PM

ELENA (COSTA RICA/22 MIN.) Directed by Ayerim Villanueva Some people irreversibly change your present.

ALMOST SAW THE SUNSHINE (UNITED KINGDOM/30 MIN.) Directed by Leon Lopez Rachel is a young aspiring transgender woman. After a series of coincidental encounters with a handsome man, she impulsively takes a chance on a one-night stand that will change her life forever.

AYSHA (COSTA RICA/20 MIN.) Directed by Fon Cortizo Aysha is a young energetic voice emerging from the Middle East. Poetry and creativity are her weapons with which to change an expectant post-Arab-Spring society.

THURSDAY, MAY 10 @ 7:00 PM

SOÑADORA (CALIFORNIA/10MIN.) Directed by Maria Altamirano A hardworking high school senior faces circumstances beyond her control that may hinder her path to college.

SONGS OF WILD ANIMALS (MEXICO/12 MIN.) Directed by Mara Weber Songs of Wild Animals is the story of a young girl who lost her brother, best friend and mentor. With a lot of fantasy she relives him in another dimension as the eagle he always dreamed to be.

THE VIRGIN AND THE PROSTITUTE (FLORIDA/16 MIN.) Directed by Maria Jose Noriega Pedroza A nun who works at a hospital and a prostitute who's visiting her diseased child get trapped together in an elevator. While their prejudices drive them apart, at first, their similarities will ultimately bring them together.

THE SECOND PROVINCE (NEW YORK/19 MIN.) Directed by Zorinah Juan Two estranged Filipino-American siblings are forced to reunite when their offbeat mother elects death with dignity before the end of the week.

AND STILL WE LOVE (NEW YORK/8 MIN.) Directed by Erika Santosuosso Amidst a tumultuous political climate, a couple fights to find the beauty in the face of an indefinite separation.

FRIDAY, MAY 11 @ 7:00 PM

SPIN (FRANCE/15 MIN.) Directed by Leticia Belliccini One evening in Autumn, Mallard and his wife are assaulted at the corner of a street. There ensued an infernal race where he will be successively the witness, the author and the victim of what would prove to be the key of its existence.

ASYLUM PARK (INDIA/20 MIN.) Directed by Shanu Sharma A chance meeting in a park in Berlin proves to be fortuitous for two strangers, faced with uncertainty of their immigrant status and scraping circumstances.

9.58 (FRANCE/15 MIN.) Directed by Louis Aubert Djal is sixteen years old. Like his idol Usain Bolt, he dreams of running.

THREE TIME WALTZ (FRANCE/16 MIN.) Directed by Caroline Pascal When a man and a woman meet on a tune of the 50s. A musical interlude in three stages, to see this man and this woman fall in love, separate and finally find each other back.

MECHANISM OR: HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF (GERMANY/11 MIN.) Directed by Michael Chlebusch This is a story about solidarity and the fine line between self-sacrifice and individual responsibility.

SATURDAY, MAY 12 @ 7:00 PM

BOB, JR. (CALIFORNIA/23 MIN.) Directed by Dilek Ince After losing his wife and developing an unhealthy attachment to her goldfish, Bob makes an unexpected connection that changes his life.

BROTHERS (CALIFORNIA/15 MIN.) Directed by Troy Elliott When war hits the California coast, a 19-year-old takes desperate action to get his little brother to safety in the final hours before his deployment.

IN PRIVATE (NEW YORK/14 MIN.) Directed by Clem McIntosh Two couples get together for Christmas dinner, and are put at odds when a texting error reveals more than intended

THE BRACKET THEORY (NEW YORK/20 MIN.) Directed by Katia Koziara Lucy longs for love: a perfect, equal partnership that she's never had. But she's not a hopeless romantic - she's rational, logical, and determined to find her objectively best match. So she has crafted a foolproof theory: The Bracket Theory.

[figureskatingfanblog]

2017 Skate Canada - Ice Dance: Virtue/Moir Score WR in Tight Field

What a Short Dance! Some great skating and the top were knock-out fabulous! Results and opinions are below the cut.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada scored a new World Record with an absolutely stunning program. The intricacy, depth, and connection in their program is just outstanding. Their new WR score is 82.68. Behind them in second is another Canadian pair, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, who had a fun and wonderful program. It was the best I’d ever skate them, and rightfully earned them a score of 77.47. In third place are Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donahue, who skated a knock-out program to score 76.08 to put them a good place going into the free tomorrow. 

This is also exactly what they needed to do here – they outscored the reigning two-time US Champions (Maia and Alex Shibutani, who skated last week in Russia) by about six points. They want to be number one in the US? Great way to start. 

In a bit of a surprise, Oliva Smart and Adria Diaz of Spain skated a new personal best score of 64.34 to put themselves in fourth place going into the free dance. I found the music for the first half of their program odd, though, and I think they should have just stuck to Despacito. In fifth place are Americans Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, who skated well despite losing levels on a couple of their elements, but I love the program overall, though, and I think it’s a great vehicle for them. Alla Loboda and Pavel Drozd had a great GP debut, skating a wonderful program to score 62.60 for sixth place. 

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus of Canada skated a great program and had a wonderful GP debut. I think they have a lot of potential as a team, and they scored 57.77 to end up in seventh place. In eighth place are Germany’s Kavita Lorenz and Joli Polizoakis. It wasn’t a bad program, but I feel they lack some connection and intricacy. I love her costume, though, and the music was good. They scored 56.41 points. 

In ninth place are Natalia Kaliskzek and Maskyn Spodyev of Poland, who suffered a freak fall at the end of their program which cost them points. They scored 55.92. And also, can I say that her costume is… not flattering at all – in color, cut, just… She needs a new costume. In last place are Turkey’s Alisa Agafanova and Alper Ucar, who had a good program, but lack some depth compared to some of the other teams. Still, it was a good program for them, and I like the music. They scored 54.74.

What did you think of the Ice Dance Competition?

[roysexton]

Theatre Roy is back! SAVE THE DATE: The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Ann Arbor Civic - June 1-4

Theatre Roy is back! SAVE THE DATE: The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Ann Arbor Civic – June 1-4

SAVE THE DATE – performances June 1-4! I have just learned I’ve been cast as Jasper in Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s upcoming production of the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, directed by the marvelous Ron Baumanis with music direction by the talented Daniel Bachelis. Jasper (and these are THEIR words, not mine :) ) is “the Royale’s male lead, a devilishly attractive cad, and he knows it. In…

[ascellavstheforcesofevil]

Alisa!!!

[bogotamusicvideofestival]

Selección Oficial BMVF 2019 Fashion & Dance Films

A Woman (Anastasia Raykova, Reino Unido) Agónia (Vladimira Hradecká, Eslovaquia) Black Canvas (Alisa Traskunov, EEUU) Body Language (Anour Brouwer, Países Bajos) Cross-Cap (Lícia Arosteguy, Brasil) Etch (Abby Warrllow, Lewis Gourlay, Reino Unido) Farewell (Leon Guallart Diaz, EEUU) Five Stages Of Grief (Andreas Eko, Indonesia) La Coupe (Charles Burroughs, Canadá) Linoleum (Niki Noves, Francia) Name That Studio (Thalia De Jong, Países Bajos) Oficeless (Julia Kushnarenko, Federación Rusa) Original Royals (Brendon Groenewald, Sudáfrica) Reception (Adam Mark Brown, EEUU) Remember (Thalia De Jong, Países Bajos) Saudade (Laura Jiménez Monroy y Juanita Perdomo Londoño, Colombia) Sense (Ambre Cardinal, Francia) Soul System (Marina Tolstobrova, Federación Rusa) Sunz (Daniel Bärg, Alemania) The Cube (Marina Merkucheva, Federación Rusa) The Stop (Liudmila Komrakova, Federación Rusa) This Place Was A Shelter (Ana Contreras, Colombia)

[inthecoldmorningair-blog]

WORLDS

Overall Standings

Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir (Canada) – 198.62 (WORLD RECORD)

Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (France) – 196.04

Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani (USA) – 185.18

Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (Canada) – 184.81

Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (Russia) – 184.06

Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte (Italy) – 183.73

Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA) – 182.04

Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (Canada) – 178.99

Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) – 177.70

Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (Russia) – 174.70

Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (Italy) – 165.68

Isabella Tobias/Ilia Tkachenko (Israel) – 162.63

Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Sorensen (Denmark) – 159.53

Natalia Kaliszek/Maksym Spodyriev (Poland) – 157.15

Alexandra Nazarova/Maxim Nikitin (Ukraine) – 155.35

Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu (China) – 150.25

Alisa Agafonova/Alper Ucar (Turkey) – 146.89

Olivia Smart/Adria Diaz (Spain) – 145.61

Kavita Lorenz/Joti Polizoakis (Germany) – 142.86

Yura Min/Alexander Gamelin (Korea) – 136.71

Marie-Jade Lauriault/Romain Le Gac (France) – 56.43

Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (Great Britain) – 54.82

Kana Muramoto/Chris Reed (Japan) – 54.68

Cecilia Törn/Jussiville Partanen (Finland) – 52.22

Tina Garabedian/Simon Proulx-Senecal (Armenia) – 51.39

Nicole Kuzmichova/Alexandr Sinicyn (Czech Republic) – 51.02

Viktoria Kavaliova/Yurii Bieliaiev (Belarus) – 49.73

Lorenza Alessandrini/Pierre Souquet (France) – 49.51

Olga Jakushina/Andrey Nevskiy (Latvia) – 48.26

Taylor Tran/Saulius Ambrulevicius (Lithuania) – 46.14

Anastasia Galyeta/Avidan Brown (Azerbaijan) – 45.58

Tatiana Kozmava/Alexei Shumski (Georgia) – 42.71

[democratsunited-blog]

Amid “Me Too” allegations, constituents want Del. Curt Anderson to resign

https://uniteddemocrats.net/?p=7142

Amid “Me Too” allegations, constituents want Del. Curt Anderson to resign

Shortly before the Democratic Party primary last month, veteran state legislator Curt Anderson confirmed that he was under investigation by the Maryland General Assembly’s ethics committee for sexual harassment and misconduct.

Since then, residents of North Baltimore’s 43rd District have pressed legislative leaders to ask Anderson, who has denied the allegations, to step down.

With this letter, sent to Maryland Democratic Party Chairman Kathleen Matthews, 94 district residents are demanding that party leaders ask Anderson to resign on August 14 if he has not been cleared of charges by the ethics committee.

At issue, say the letter writers, is the prospect of Anderson’s name remaining on the ballot in the November 6th general election with the investigation still pending and voters left “wondering whether we are voting for a serial abuser.”

Here is the text of the letter:

Dear Chair Matthews,

We are 94 women and genderqueer people who live in Maryland’s 43rd legislative district. Many of us have experienced workplace sexual harassment and its consequences, including public and private humiliation, diminished self-esteem, reduced productivity, and loss of opportunity for professional advancement.

We are deeply concerned by reports that Delegate Curt Anderson – who represents our district and chairs the Baltimore City Delegation – has, for decades, sexually harassed and even assaulted his colleagues and subordinates in Annapolis.

Last month, after early voting in the Maryland primary was already underway, The Baltimore Sun reported that the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics has been investigating Delegate Anderson for months. The Committee has been looking into numerous credible reports of sexual misconduct by Delegate Anderson, including allegations that he forced oral sex on a former staffer and harassed fellow legislators on the House floor. We believe the stories shared by these women.

When the Sun broke this story on June 15, Delegate Anderson was one of eight Democratic candidates running for three Delegate seats in the 43rd District. The unfortunate timing of the report ensured that thousands of voters cast ballots – many of them for Delegate Anderson – entirely unaware that he was under investigation for multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.

We believe the stories shared by these women.

And because the Committee has yet to conclude its work or issue a public report, every single one of us voted without access to critical information about whether Delegate Anderson engaged in conduct that, in our view, would disqualify him from office.

Nevertheless, the results of June’s primary strongly suggest that voters were troubled by accounts of Delegate Anderson’s misconduct. During early voting, which began before the Sun revealed the General Assembly’s investigation, Delegate Anderson received the second highest number of votes for Delegate, over 1,000 more than the fourth-place finisher.

During Election Day voting, nearly two weeks after the Sun’s report, three candidates received more votes than Delegate Anderson, but the sizable lead he amassed during early voting proved insurmountable, and he finished in third place overall. Had voters been informed of the allegations against Delegate Anderson just a few days earlier, the outcome of the election might have been different.

As of now, Delegate Anderson is expected to accept his party’s nomination and appear as a Democratic candidate for Delegate in the 43rd district on November’s general election ballot. Unless he is definitively cleared of the current allegations, his candidacy will be a significant liability for the Democratic Party.

Without action by elected or Party officials, the investigation may remain pending on August 28, the last day when Delegate Anderson can remove his name from the ballot.

How can Maryland Democrats claim to value gender equity while throwing their support behind a candidate accused of demeaning and preying on women? How can Baltimore City Democrats credibly advocate for victims of sexual assault with an alleged harasser as their leader?

We have called on General Assembly leadership to complete and release the results of its investigation as expeditiously as possible but have received no clear commitments or timelines. Without action by elected or Party officials, the investigation may remain pending on August 28, the last day when Delegate Anderson can remove his name from the ballot and be replaced by the Democratic Central Committee.

If Delegate Anderson remains on the ballot after August, only to have the Ethics Committee or the police substantiate the accusations against him in the fall, it would humiliate the Democratic Party and all of us who are members and could very well lead to general election losses.

How can Baltimore City Democrats credibly advocate for victims of sexual assault with an alleged harasser as their leader?

Chair Matthews, we ask you to immediately announce that you will call on Delegate Anderson to resign and decline the Democratic Party’s nomination unless the ethics investigation clears him of wrongdoing by August 14. This investigation has been in progress for many months. If Delegate Anderson cannot be cleared of wrongdoing before August 14, he does not deserve the Democratic Party’s support or our votes.

In the Me Too era, it is tempting to imagine a future in which powerful men are swiftly brought to justice for their abuses. This November, we would settle for an opportunity to cast our ballots for the Democratic ticket without wondering whether we are voting for a serial abuser.

– Organizers say a version of this letter with 80 signatories was sent to Chair Matthews yesterday. Since then, a dozen more women and non-binary residents of the 43rd district have signed on.

Abby Becker Abby Markoe Aimee Harmon-Darrow Alexandra Neuhaus-Follini Alisa Williams Amanda Olmstead Amanda White Amber L. Beitelshees Betty G. Robinson Brianna Giarratano Bridget Dumais Caitlin Anderson Caralyn Rose-Stevens Carly Wais Carol Rice Carolyn Anewich Catherine Kelly Chauna Brocht Claire Schreiber Deirdre Danklin Edit Barry Elaine Crawford Eleanor Andrews Elizabeth Engleman Elizabeth H. Hill Elizabeth Tipson Emilie Pichot Erica L. Brown Erin Schoeneman Gabrielle Ellenberger Grace Shipman Hannah M. Rowley Helen Langa Ida Kenna J.Stephen Cleghorn Jackie Warfield Jane Sundius Jean Zachariasiewicz Jen Kirby Jenna Werner Jenny Egan Jessie Weber Jevne Diaz Jodie Zisow-McClean Julia Hammid Karen McGill Lawson Kate Hardwicke Kathy Sacco Katie Leonard Kenna Forsyth Kenne Dibner Kiara Eldred Kimberly Wiman Kris Misage Laura Yoder Lindsay Kahn Lisa Simeone Lisa Zeimer Liz Zogby Lorie Benning Lucia Perfetti-Clark M. Wiessner Maggi Gaines Maria W. Merritt Martha Oster-Beal Mary Kambic Mary Jo Kirschman Mary T. Matheny Mary Sydnor Maura Dwyer Melina Turtle Meredith Chaiken Michelle Green Clark Monisha Cherayil Nadine Finigan-Carr Nancy Eddy Nicole McCann Rebecca Mark Rebecca C. Starr Rianna M. Eckel Robi Rawl Salli Ward Sara Zisow-McClean Sarah Templin Senowa Mize-Fox Shana Bocsak Sue Fothergill Sue Hilger Susan Oppenheimer Susan Talbott Tamar Mendelson Taylor Smith-Hams Tracy LaBonte Vanessa Lubiner

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2017 Skate Canada Preview - Ice Dance: Virtue/Moir Dominate Open Field

Skate Canada starts this weekend! This is the first of the previews/predictions, and as always, I am starting with the men! An interesting field this week. Below are the competitors, a bit about them, and my predictions for the event. Everything below the cut!

The field here this weekend is split - there are three clear medalists here, but the rest of the field is wide open!

The Field - 

Caroline Soucisse and Shane Firus – Canada – The Canadian Host Pick, they were fourth at Canadian Nationals last year. They built upon a not-so-good showing at their first competition this season to score much better at Finlandia Trophy a few weeks ago.  This is a good opportunity here for them, as they right along with several other teams for the middle of the pack – a good showing here would be a good experience for them. 

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir – Canada – I would list a couple of their accolade, but I don’t think I need to. They won every competition they entered in last season in their return to competition, and looked very good in their season opener at the Autumn Classic, and should dominate here. I can’t see them being challenged here at all. 

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje – Canada – Former Canadian Champs and World Medalists, they are once again second to Virtue / Moir. They are capable of competing with them, though, and will want a good showing here. They did well, but not up to their standards at the Autumn Classic, and will want to skate a bit better here. The key for them will be their free skate and make sure it’s up to par, as they will likely be battling Hubbell/Donahue for Silver. 

Kavita Lorenz and Joli Polizoakis – Germany – They skated well, at least for them, placing third at the Neblehorn Trophy to earn themselves a spot at the Olympics. They are a right with a lot of other teams in terms of scores, and this is a good opportunity for them to build on their performance and push towards the middle of the pack. If not, they will end up towards the bottom.

Natalia Kaliszek and Maskym Spodyriev – Poland – They were fourteenth at Worlds last season with a personal best, but did not skate that well at their season opener at Finlandia. If they can skate better, they try and push out of the bottom. If they can skate a personal best, they might be able to push out of the bottom few teams. 

Alla Loboda and Pavel Drozd – Russia – Reigning two-time World Junior medalists, they did well in their season opener at the Lombardia Trophy. With their score there, they will end up in the middle of the pack, but if they can build they can push towards the top five and set themselves up well for the future. This is their GP debut. 

Olivia Smart and Adria Diaz – Spain – A new team, but they are a promising team and one of several teams here who could hit the middle of the pack. They were fourth at their opening at the Autumn Classic behind three Canadian teams. It’ll be important for them to skate well here to set themselves up for the rest of the season and hopefully earn the one spot for Spanish Ice Dancers at the Olympics. 

Alisa Agafanova and Alper Ucar – Turkey – Their second GP competition in as many weeks, they were ninth last week at Rostelecom. Another skate like that will end up them at the bottom of the pack this week again, but if they can build skate up to their personal best, they can try and push towards the middle of the pack and get out of the bottom. 

Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-luc Baker – USA – A promising team, they have been kind of buried in US Ice Dancing. They did okay, but not great for them, at their opener at the US Classic. They placed second there, but a score like that here will end them in the middle of the pack. If they can skate towards their personal best, they can get out of the middle of the pack and towards the top skaters. A good opportunity here to push upwards if they can skate better!

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donahue – USA – They have to be frustrated with their performance at Worlds; they were so close to a World medal. You have to know they want to try and separate themselves from being the constant “third place” in US pairs, and this is a great opportunity here to do so. They won the US Classic with a good skate, and another skate like that will certainly end them up on the podium here.

Predictions –

GOLD – Virtue / Moir SILVER – Hubbell / Donahue – I see them winning the battle for silver here. BRONZE – Weaver / Poje – They can beat Hubbell/Donahue, but it’ll depend on who is hungrier for that silver. 4th - Hawayek / Baker – They are the clear fourth-place team here, but if they’re not careful, they could be anywhere from fourth to eighth here. 5th – Loboda / Drozd

6th - Smart / Diaz 7th – Soucisse / Firus 8th – Lorenz / Polizoakis 9th – Agafanova / Ucar 10th – Kaliszek / Spodyriev

Agree? Disagree? Let me know! Like, reply, reblog or send an ask!