berlingotesque · 2 years ago
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Has this been done before
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yuttikkele · 6 months ago
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I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU…. MY SPIDER-MAN REDESIGNS!
starring the lovely... the iconic... COFFEE BEAN GANG!!!
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These are my go-to designs for the Spider-Man characters, but I also have my own AU just for them!
When I was redesigning the Coffee Bean Gang (again), I ended up conjuring a whole new plot. So, I present to you: the Spider-Delinquents AU! I have also dubbed this universe Earth-3974.
Synopsis: The government is overly corrupt and controlling. Peter finds himself wrapped up in legal troubles and gets sent to New York’s Holly Springs Institution of Correction, or just Holly Springs Reform School, after an accident involving Oscorp, Harry Osborn, and a fist fight. There, he sees how unjust the system is, and he and his newfound friends (Harry, Gwen, MJ, and Flash) work to put a stop to it.
Under the cut I have a little backstory for each of the characters leading up to how they got sent to Holly Springs Reform School!
Peter: After a trip to Oscorp, Peter starts to feel woozy. As he’s stumbling around trying to get home, he runs into Harry Osborn, literally. Harry pushes back, and the two get into a brawl that completely destroys the location they’re at. Unable to pay his debts and marked as a troublemaker by the government, Peter is sent to Holly Springs Reform School.
Peter starts out at Midtown High, where he is, of course, bullied by Flash Thompson. He doesn't have any friends while at Midtown, not because he's a nerd, but because he has a superiority complex and thinks he's too good for the kids who have the same interests as him, and nobody likes him because of it. Actually the closest thing he has to a friend at Midtown IS Flash, yeesh. Once he gets humbled, schooled by Uncle Ben, and surrounded by the people he thought he was above, Peter learns to be a better person and actually make friends. He will now die for those friends. Also Peter has heterochromia for no reason other than it looks cool. He says he's a skater boy but homeboy has no clue how to skate.
MJ: MJ grew up with an abusive dad and an unstable mother. By the age of 5, both of her parents lost custody of her. Instead of an orphanage, the government enrolled MJ in a reform school to “prevent her from turning out like her parents.” She is the kid who has been there the longest despite doing nothing to get sent there. Since she grew up there, Holly Springs is the only place MJ knows as home.
I always see complaints about MJ adaptations and how they're so distant from how she is in the comics. WELL, sorry to all the MJ purgers, but in my AU, MJ acts the most unlike her comic book counterpart. Instead of an extroverted, smooth, cool gal who slays the day away and can get any man she wants, this MJ is a shy, clumsy weirdo with little to no social skills. Since she wasn't around her parents for too long, MJ does not fear romantic relationships; however, being raised in a reform school, MJ has problems connecting with anyone in general. She can be described as the neighbor's kid who no one wants to play with because she's weird, but she's actually really nice. She has an undying optimism and hope that even the worst people can become good. Her personality is similar to Marina lida from Splatoon if that helps get the point across. While MJ and Peter become good friends, they do not ever feel romantic attraction towards each other in this AU. MJ is, however, a chronic piner and has a huge crush, you'll never guess who.
Harry: Harry was minding his own business (actually, tending to his FATHER’S business that he was assigned to do) when all of a sudden, he’s shoved to the ground. Looking around, he finds the culprit. Surely, this guy does not know that Harry is an Osborn, and Osborns do NOT get pushed around. Harry lunges back at him, and a fight ensues. After destroying the entire location, Harry is sentenced to reform school, and while his dad could easily pay off the judge, Norman thinks this experience will make Harry into a man.
Harry is an entitled rich kid who doesn't really know how to make friends. He hasn't really had to try since he's been able to entertain himself just fine with the money he has. Harry loves his dad and tries to do everything he says, but he usually falls short of Norman Osborn's extremely high expectations. Plus, he's starting to question if everything his dad says really has any merit. Regardless, he doesn't want to let his dad down and tarnish their family name, so he'll keep trying to become the man his father always wanted him to be.
Gwen: After not getting enough attention from her dad, Gwen starts to feel a defiance toward law authorities. This defiance only grows upon learning what work keeps her dad from coming home at night. Using her intellect, Gwen commits petty crimes in abstruse ways just to mess with the cops. She becomes particularly skilled with mechanics, metalwork, and chemicals. But, even the most careful artists make mistakes, and Gwen gets caught. Her dad, who surprisingly looks sad, has no choice but to turn her in.
Gwen and Harry do NOT get along. At all. It's probably because Gwen is a goth and Harry is the textbook definition of a prep. They're forced to get along but ooooh they do not like each other. They still become great friends, but the goth vs prep hostility is always there. Gwen dates Peter in this universe, but she breaks up with him before she can die. People know not to mess with her because she is very capable (another reason why she does not die), and she WILL haunt your nightmares. Everyone finds her creepy and scary besides MJ.
Flash: Actually, Flash doesn’t attend Holly Springs Reform School. Flash goes to Midtown High, Peter’s previous school. Though Flash bullies Peter, he doesn’t actually mean him any harm. So, when Flash hears Peter is being sent to H. Springs, he’s worried he tipped Pete over the edge. This scares Flash, worried he’s become like his father, and leads to him bettering himself. Little does Flash know he’s not done with Peter just yet.
Flash won't tell anyone this, lest it tarnish his bad boy persona, but he worked hard and bought his car with his own money. Since his no-good father is out of his life, Flash realizes there is no reason for him to be like his dad and pick on others to make himself seem better, so he starts his journey of improvement. Basically, Flash is in his healing arc while everyone else is in their "going thru it" arc. Flash's healing arc is interrupted by being dragged into whatever mess the rest of the gang's got themselves into.
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watcheraurora · 4 months ago
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Even Ice Walls Fall Down Superpowered Characters Rundown
As promised to @marabelle5, now that Strong Walls and Healing Light are fully posted, I can add a little bit to the characters that I redacted for spoiler reasons. Most of this is the same as the original ask, but take a look at the Soup Group entries
Fic Universe this is for
Tango Tek
Alias: Deepfrost
Powers: cryokinesis (control of ice/cold), umbrakinesis (control of darkness/shadows, which he generates and can see through) "fueled" by his heartbeat, Sonic Shriek (actually a twist on the umbrakinesis, as it's the heartbeat's volume multiplied exponentially)
Side effects: blue-grey eyes + ice-blue hair while using powers (frost in hair maintains the blue longer) that fades after a minute or two. Sclera of eyes turn black when he's using his darkness, eyes glow slightly to allow him to see through his darkness. Prominent cold aura when powers are in use, barely-noticeable cold aura normally. Skin always cold. Struggles to maintain control over powers when emotions run high. Immune to frostbite.
Bonus information: has ADHD, played hockey in school, has a 160 IQ (above genius-level), is considered one of the most powerful superpowered people in the city, is very creative at using his powers, could be considered paranoid but he prefers the term "cautious", manifested his powers at 17
Jimmy Solidarity
Alias: Sheriff
Powers: Super strength, increased speed, enhanced endurance, fast healing
Side effects: Increased metabolism to fuel powers, increased muscle density (no appearance changes to speak of, apart from noticeable musculature)
Bonus information: has a cat named Norman, needs glasses but wears contacts with his superhero mask, manifested his powers at 22, the latest anyone on record has ever manifested powers (usual range is 16-20)
Scar Goode
Alias: HoTGuY
Powers: Acute senses (sight, smell, hearing, etc.), enhanced strength (nowhere near Sheriff's maximum), tactile telekinesis (can control the things he touches with his mind. Mainly used to improve his aim). Is best known as an archer
Side effects: Power manifestation overcame a neuromuscular disease that left him unable to walk, but not permanently. He still occasionally has fits where his legs won't work. Powers slightly saturated the shade of green of his eyes.
Bonus information: uses a mechanical glider to fly, can adjust the draw weight on his bow to 600 pounds, manifested his powers when he was 18
Joel Beans
Alias: Lore
Powers: Electrokinesis (lightning control, lightning is green), flight (Superman-style), invulnerability
Side effects: lightning flickers in the sclera of his eyes when he uses lightning. Permanent green streak in his hair that cannot take dye. Power manifestation and invulnerability removed his allergies. Giving him more endurance, speed, and strength because he can't injure himself by overdoing things. Immune to electrocution.
Bonus information: is married to the mayor of the city, Lizzie. Manifested his powers when he was 19. Is retired from field work and instead runs the superhero division and acts as the heroes' handler
Stephen Violett
Alias: Impulse
Powers: pyrokinesis (control of fire), and photokinesis (control of light), but he is a brilliant inventor of technology and experimenting with biology. Allegedly created creatures called Phantoms. Presumably created GeminiSlay and Blood Moon's weapons
Side effects: Active use of powers make eyes turn yellow and glow. Also has a warm aura when powers are not in use, and an extremely hot aura when powers are in use, immune to burning
Bonus information: is the biological father of the Soup Group's other two members (which is known to the other two main villains in the city, but not spoken about), manifested his powers when he was 20, built and rides the Pulse Bike: a highly advanced motorcycle, is almost a genius
Gem Violett
Alias: GeminiSlay (most often referred to as just Slay)
Powers: Unknown by most people. Primarily a melee fighter with an energy sword not unlike a lightsaber
Side effects: when powers are in use, one eye turns red, the other gold
Bonus information: her powers manifested when she was 18, uses a motorcycle
Pearl Violett
Alias: Blood Moon (often referred to as just Moon)
Powers: Unknown to most people. Known for being extremely acrobatic and mobile. Primarily a ranged fighter with a bow that shoots arrows of light/energy
Side effects: Eyes tend to turn red when using powers
Bonus Information: her powers manifested when she was 17
Etho [Last Name Unknown]
Alias: Arctic Fox
Powers: Unknown. (Information that I've revealed to the audience but the characters don't know is that he's Immortal as a main power) Incredibly skilled at hand-to-hand combat and stealth.
Side effects: Left eye turns and glows red when his powers are in use
Bonus information: is one of the longest-serving field heroes in the city, maintains friendly respect with Deepfrost after the latter was kicked out of the division, never removes the mask that covers the lower half of his face at the division, is an extremely private person, is almost a genius
Grian [Last Name Unknown]
Aliases: CuTeGuY, Poultry Man
Powers: clairvoyance (CG), enhanced dexterity (CG), flight with wings (CG&PM. CG's wings are parrot-like, PM's are chicken-like), telepathy (unknown to people), teleportation (unknown to people), memory manipulation (unknown to all but Deepfrost, who is vaguely aware). Primarily fights with a bow and arrow (CG). Can use illusions and/or change appearances between CuTeGuY and Poultry Man on the fly, as necessary (unknown to people). Immortal (unknown)
Side effects: Eyes glow violet when using clairvoyance
Bonus information: Is an actual god. Like, a minor deity, but still a deity. Has been around for thousands of years and pretends to be mortal because he finds it fun and it staves off the boredom of living forever. He uses whichever alias and costume will suit his needs for what he wants at any given moment. Thrives off chaos. Martyn is the only mortal who knows he's a god.
Doc [Civilian Name Unknown]
Alias: Doc
Powers: can create things out of raw materials using just his hands, can spawn minions (zombies and skeletons), has a cybernetic eye and arm with extra features including but not limited to thermal/night vision and extra strength
Side effects: Unknown
Bonus information: First known person to manifest powers over 30 years ago, created such dangerous weapons trying to overcome Joel's invulnerability that Joel chose to retire to protect the city, manifested powers when he was 19, considers Deepfrost something of a surrogate son and the best protégé he ever took under his wing
Rapid-Fire Round! XD
Cub [Last Name Unknown]
Alias: None
Powers: Technopathic (can control technology with his mind)
Side effects: Permanent eye-color change from blue to vibrant teal
Bonus information: is an intelligent inventor, creates the suits for the field heroes, doesn't want to be known for the powers he had no choice in: rather his creations, doesn't do field work and never wants to, manifested his powers at 16, is good friends with Scar
Cleo [Last Name Unknown]
Alias: formerly Zombie Queen
Powers: extremely fast healing factor/regeneration (like Wolverine or Deadpool)
Side effects: permanent vibrant lime green eyes and a somewhat palid skin tone
Bonus information: was the third person in the city to manifest powers (not including the immortals) around 25 years ago, has never done field work, assists Cub in creating the heroes' armor/suits, also is the primary medic in the superhero division's infirmary, manifested powers at 20
Bdubs [Last Name Unknown]
Alias: formerly Sleep King
Powers: Dream and sleep manipulation and creation
Side effects: Sleeps a lot
Bonus information: also has never done field work, is good friends with Etho, manifested powers at 18
False Symmetry [Civilian Name Unknown]
Aliases: False Symmetry, Queen of Hearts(, Heads, and Body Parts)
Powers: Unknown. (Combat prowess nearly unmatched. Has been witnessed making her sword appear in her hand)
Side effects: Unknown
Bonus information: an information broker, has her fingers in every pie in the city and always tries to know everything important going on, manifested her powers when she was 16
TFC [Civilian Name Unknown]
Alias: TFC
Powers: Geokinetic (control of Earth)
Side effects: Unknown
Bonus information: manifested powers not long after Cleo, was kind of tied with Etho for longest-serving field hero. Founded the division with Etho and Joel. Lost his life in the line of duty, saving civilians (accident not killed). Powers manifested when he was 17
Ren Dogg
Alias: none
Powers: Shapeshifter
Side effects: unknown
Bonus information: Is one of the only superpowered people in the city who actively hides his powers from both the superhero division and the villains. Manifested at 19. Martyn is the only person who knows he has powers
Mumbo Jumbo [Civilian Name Unknown]
Alias: Mumbo Jumbo
Powers: Unknown
Side effects: Unknown
Bonus information: Unknown
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madraleen · 11 months ago
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The Promised Neverland - Kaiu Shirai/Posuka Demizu Vol. 16-20: A “YOU STUCK THE LANDING!” Commentary + Overall Thoughts
-the seven walls are time and space? very interesting.
-smol emma jumping out of the cupboard and screaming RAAAYYY is the epitome of emma.
-jeez, hayato is adorable
-wth, ayshe's and demon's story is heartbreaking
-one thing i have to commend the manga for is structure. it stops the action and moves away to keep the tension- but just so. just for long enough. not too long so that it becomes frustrating or that you've forgotten what's happening.
-julius' comrades as first food offers?! JEEZ!
-hayato is a snitch.
-Iss should ask for emma's family, right? the most important thing to her? i call the being "Iss," yes. i don't know what to do with the lettering
-okay, clearly the reward is an emma sacrifice, but i don't believe for a second that emma will get an unhappy ending so how are we solving this
-oi! OI! NORMAN IS COUGHING UP BLOOD, OI, STOP THAT! i figured he might have been experimented on too, but oi~
-omg ray's so happy to see sonju and mujika
-low-key cathartic that emma calls norman a liar that she can't trust. yes, girl, say it. it's the same thing, always the same story, it goes beyond this manga. the positive traits when someone is your ally become negative traits when they become the opposition, even though the person themselves hasn't changed at all.
-norman's "i'm scared" inner thoughts are heartbreaking
-the part where norman asks ray and emma to help him, heartbreaking
-norman: gives the most honest and vulnerable "i want" speech of his life. ray: got it. the brevity, the simplicity, i love it.
-with all those lil lines on his face, i'm just imagining norman permanently beet red at this point. and i love the idea that extreme determination and single-mindedness can actually be a cry for help. i haven't seen it put so bluntly before, and it's very true.
-now that norman's opened up, he looks like emma and ray's age. it's cool
-OI BITCH LEAVE ZAZIE ALONE!
-SONJU IS THE QUEEN'S BROTHER?!?! PRINCE SONJU?!
-why did they give norman a bow, that boy can't shoot to save his life
-REDEEM YOURSELF, ISABELLA! NOW IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE
-yes, oliver, slay! we love to see it
-damn there's such good moments in these final volumes, i'm starting to worry about s2 of the anime. is any of that there?
-YES ISABELLA YES! YES! she looks so chipper when she explains she'll betray the farm, lol.
-i know i'm obsessed with aot, but at times i legit think the promised neverland is the deliberate antithesis of aot. and i have no problem with that.
-leuvis is also a sibling? did we know that? if so, i forgot.
-ray's scarf is blue?! i imagined it maroon
-ugh, they shot minerva in the back. somehow that feels worse
-SMEE?! SMEE?! SMEE KILLED MINERVA?! NORMAN'S SMEE?! (*in retrospect, norman’s smee is never explored, oof. an oversight)
-ray and norman are having a sweet moment in the panel where everyone's celebrating the end of the farms, it's adorable
-aah okay, not gonna lie, i teared up at emma and phil's reunion
-ray's expression when he says sorry and thanks to phil, they nail it.
-oooh you're killing off isabella? i didn't expect it, but it makes sense.
-yeah, of course they love isabella and isabella loves them. it's not as black and white as ally and enemy.
-don be like, "RAY GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE, MOM IS CALLING"
-ray continues to be my favorite and most nuanced character, followed by norman. but ray is number one by far. by far far far
-I CALLED IT, THE REWARD MUST BE EMMA'S FAMILY! i don't know what that means yet, BUT I CALLED IT because the story abides by its logic, love that for it
-lmao imagine how terrified all these children/adults who knew nothing must be, just whooshing out of existence into another world
-AHAHA EMMA'S NOT HERE! NICE! what did she do and how do we save her
-yes, that's a good reward. true to the story. i mean, bad for everyone, but narratively good. amnesiac emma
-emma feeling the void in the space inside of her where her family was, very well-expressed
-ah. final chapter. please stick the landing.
-TWO YEARS! IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS!
-GHOSTIES SAVING THE DAY AAAHHHH
-ASDJHKSFJK THEY FOUND HER, WHAT A GREAT PANEL, RAY AND NORMAN AND EVERYONE. she must be terrified. they're all strangers.
-my boy ray shines, i love it
-aww norman "thank goodness," what a soft boy. also he's crying, have we ever seen him cry before? he didn't cry for isabella
-the lambda group thriving :'))) they have effective medicine for their side effects :')))
-dang it, norman's speech is giving me the feels
-"why does it feel warm but also painful in my heart?" is literally a summary of the final chapter.
-ah, bb ray is crying now too
-THEY'RE GONNA LIVE TOGETHERRRR, SCREW DESTINY
-mujika looks happy, and sonju looks sonjuish :)
-not sure if the old man knows it, but he's just been adopted by fifty thousand children
-okay, i am so happy. this is a perfect ending. this is just. it's so good. it tooketh and it gaveth and now the mini torettos can all live together. i'm so happy with the ending.
~ ~~ ~~~
-i'm so happy in general that i read the manga. we started off neutrally, then things got rough and i genuinely thought if it might be better to quit, but from around the midpoint and onward it just got better and better. the story is exactly what it promises to be, very true to itself, and it pays off in every aspect.
-ray is my GOAT in this manga. norman is as nuanced as ray, i just vibe with ray the most. but i consider them both good characters. emma, on the other hand, is a very straightforward character, very static, but she works. she is the pillar of the story and she's exactly what she's meant to be. i like that she pushes everyone towards kindness, and when *they* can't be kind, she takes care of the issue herself from a place of kindness so that they won't have to fight from a place of unkindness. it's an interesting approach. and then, i have a soft spot for oliver and hayato for some reason.
-one thing that made me roll my eyes was that in such a huge cast, everything is so unanimous. the norman and vincent incident aside, there's no fights, no real resistance, no dissent. but it's not the kind of story where there would be, where there would be a point to be, so i don't feel like holding that against it. and it tried to give it that aspect too, with emma going against her fam to find Iss and all that.
-everything abides by the logic and tone of the story. and the ending just elevates the whole thing even higher, because it stuck the landing so well imo.
-now on to the anime, to finally hear their voices. i fear for the dreaded s2, and dare i say, i am also a little intrigued.
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algolagniaa · 8 months ago
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1, 6
read: tithe/valiant/ironside, kushiel’s dart, frankenstein, Peter Pan, maeve fly, we have always lived in the castle, the road through the wall, my sweet audrina, a series of unfortunate events, deltora quest, literally every piece of changeling lore you can get your hands on
watch: the last unicorn, crazy ex girlfriend, terminator: the Sarah Connor chronicles, the dark crystal (optional)
listen to: Enchant and Opheliac (full album) by Emilie Autumn, deep within a faerie forest by Gary Stadler and Wendy Rule, everything Lana Del Rey did pre Norman fucking Rockwell
play: slay the princess (I know it’s not part of the question but it’s important)
I am deeply spiritual but not religious. but I’m also not anti religious. I see different religions as different pathways to understand and form a relationship with God rather than as absolute truths. if you study any of them long enough it’s clear how human understanding has diluted the actual truth of god which is inevitable bc human minds can’t fully comprehend that
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amberfaber40 · 2 years ago
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Diane Kruger Says She Works Less Since Becoming a Mom: 'Everything Changed with Motherhood'
Diane Kruger Says She Works Less Since Becoming a Mom: 'Everything Changed with Motherhood'
"Things just change when you have a family. You want to keep everyone together," said Diane Kruger, who shares her 3-year-old daughter with fiancé Norman Reedus
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Diane Kruger Calls Matthias Schoenaerts 'Cute' at 'Maryland' Cannes Photo Call | diane kruger matthias schoenaerts maryland photo call 07 - Photo
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Celebrities in Bikinis
Stars hit the beach in swimmingly good style. See all the best celebrity bathing suit photos here!
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Zoom Celebrity: Los 10 mejores looks de Diane Kruger
Street Style: Los 10 mejores looks de Primavera de Diane Kruger
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22 Sexiest Looks in the History of the SAG Awards
Jennifer Aniston and Eva Longoria never stop slaying.
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Actresses Photo: Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger, star of such films as National Treasure, Troy, etc.
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How Diane Kruger Learned To Stop Treating Exercise Like A Chore
“I thought I needed to work out to be able to eat what I wanted—and I dreaded it.”
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Nice dress
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HQ Hot Pictures
Diane Kruger
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"Things just change when you have a family. You want to keep everyone together,” said Diane Kruger, who shares her 3-year-old daughter with fiancé Norman ReedusBy Vanessa EtienneVanessa EtienneVanessa Etienne is an Emerging Content Writer-Reporter for PEOPLE.People Editorial GuidelinesPublished on December 23, 2021 02:02 PM Trending Videos Photo: Caleb & Gladys for Women’s HealthDiane Kruger is embracing her new norm as a working mother.In a recent interview with Women's Health, the 45-year-old actress opened up about how motherhood has changed the way she approaches her career. Kruger is mom to a 3-year-old daughter, whom she shares with fiancé Norman Reedus."Everything changed with motherhood — it's such a cliché, but it's true," the actress shared."The way I look at work is different. I love to work; in fact, I cherish it more today than I did before, but at the same time, you look at everything from a different angle," she told the outlet. "It's not: What's it going to do for my career? It's more about: Could it fit into my schedule? How can I make it work? Is it going to be worthwhile?"With a toddler at home, and Reedus busy filming The Walking Dead in Atlanta, Kruger said she often brings her daughter with her to work, traveling around the world together for various jobs.Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Caleb & Gladys for Women’s Health"That's always been very hard, and probably a reason I work less," she said in the interview. "Things just change when you have a family. You want to keep everyone together."The actress also admitted that she was relieved when she was able to get back into work after "six months of being a full-time mom.""I was ready to get back to me, and to get out of the house," she said. The mom of one was able to do just that by hitting the gym in preparation for her latest film, The 355, which sees her as a German agent who teams up with elite spies from countries around the world to take down a common enemy.Though she described returning to work as "daunting," Kruger told Women's Health that "it was fun to have a few hours away each day to focus on my body and my work," noting that she felt supported being on a set filled with other working moms. Norman Reedus/instagramKruger and Reedus welcomed their daughter in November 2018 and have since been protective of details about their child — including her name and exact birthday. While the pair are notoriously private about their toddler, they do occasionally share pictures that don't show her face.In July, Reedus shared a rare glimpse into the couple's family time with their daughter when he shared a photo of the trio out for a stroll on his Instagram account.In the photo, the actor can be seen carrying their daughter on his shoulders as Kruger pushed a stroller while walking in front of them.Back in 2019, Kruger opened up to PEOPLE about her daughter with Reedus and how the little one is developing quite the personality."She's not really girlie, she's kind of a dude," the actress said, adding that she's still saving some Chanel for her daughter. "It's fun to have a girl, I will say. I like that, too."
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90363462 · 2 years ago
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ENTERTAINMENT
TV
'The Walking Dead' Series Finale Includes Heartbreaking Deaths and Also Hope: 'We're the Ones Who Live'
After 12 years and 177 episodes, The Walking Dead wraps up its flagship series and sets up a future for fan-favorite characters
By
Breanne L. Heldman
Published on November 20, 2022 11:59 PM
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This post contains spoilers from Sunday's series finale of The Walking Dead.
After 12 years, 11 seasons, 177 episodes, The Walking Dead on AMC reached its finale, even as the zombie apocalypse rages on.
And what a heartbreaking, blood-soaked finale it was.
When the penultimate episode concluded with Judith Grimes (Cailey Fleming) shot by Governor Pamela Milton (Laila Robins) and beloved characters all scrambling to save her, it was clear the 90-minute finale was going to hurt.
The episode opened with Daryl (Norman Reedus) busting into the hospital begging for help, only to be met by Commonwealth troopers who knock him out. Meanwhile, the hoard of walkers is coming. Thankfully, Judith wakes up long enough to find enough strength to get the doors shut and blocked before passing out on the ground once again beside Daryl.
A Complete Guide to Every Walking DeadSpin-Off Show
And then came the first two casualties of the night: Jules (Alex Sgambati) falls to the swarm and musician Luke (Dan Fogler) gets bit. His friends manage to get him to the hospital and gather around him as he bleeds out — but not before making sure they find the harmonica in his jacket pocket. He makes them promise to play. "Always."
Eventually, Daryl, Carol (Melissa McBride), Judith on a gurney and the rest of the group make it from the hospital and find Yumiko's doctor brother Tomi (Ian Anthony Dale), who gets to work on Judith. And it looks like the Little Ass Kicker will live to kick more ass.
Meanwhile, Rosita (Christian Serratos), Eugene (Josh McDermitt) and Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) find Coco and the other kidnapped babies but have to take shelter in an ambulance amid the seemingly endless swarm. They exit and fight off the walkers before climbing a pipe and entering an open window a few floors up.
Gabriel, with a baby strapped to him, makes it to safety, as does Eugene and the baby in his care. As Rosita starts to climb, the walkers pull her down and she eventually falls. In true TWDfake-out fashion, it appears she's down for the count for a moment until she emerges, slaying walkers left and right. She makes her way atop the ambulance and leaps to the pipe and through the window.
Norman Reedus Pays Tribute to The Walking Dead as Series Wraps Final Season: 'What a Ride'
The next time we see her, Rosita is staring at a sleeping Coco. Eugene comes over and asks her if she's looking forward to summer, but Rosita remains silent as he rambles on about the benefits of infants learning to swim. Finally, he asks again, "I can't wait for summer. Can you?" She gives him a look. "Rosita, when you fell?"
She nods and shows him a bite on her back. Her fate is sealed. She's soaking in her final moments with Coco. "You're going to be fine," she tells Eugene. He responds: "I just love you so much."
"I love you too," she says, letting a tear fall.
But there's another person whose fate needs to be determined: Pamela Milton.
Mercer (Michael James Shaw) offers to help the former Alexandrians escape while he and the Commonwealth citizens on his side face an inevitable battle. "People are dying and I can't just stand by," he says. "This isn't your fight. They aren't your people."
Ezekiel (Khary Payton) begs to differ. "Yes they are. And so are you," he declares. Aaron (Ross Marquand) chimes in: "We need to do more than just save ourselves." Quickly, the rest of the crew agrees they're going to stay and fight.
Norman Reedus 'Suffered a Concussion on Set' While Filming Final Season of The Walking Dead
When everyone surrounds Pamela, she declares Mercer a traitor. But he won't take it. "No, you are, Governor. You disappeared hundreds of citizens, led the dead to our doorstep. You shot a child. And now you've left thousands out there to die," he says, referring to the Commonwealth citizens trapped outside Pamela's gated community as the hoard approaches.
Gabriel marches toward the gate: "We're opening the gate and letting these people in and I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me." And Pamela urges her lieutenants to "shoot him."
But when Daryl insists, "We all deserve better than this. ... You've got one enemy: We ain't the walking dead," Pamela's army changed their tune.
Mercer arrests Pamela as Gabriel opens the gates, letting the citizens in — and leaving the walkers out. Seeing zombie Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) at the gates, Pamela walks towards him, ready to let him kill her. But dying by suicide was more mercy than Pamela deserved, and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) shoots zombie Hornsby, freeing her.
"You have to help them Governor, all the people that are still out there!" Judith shouts. "It's not too late. It's never too late!"
Melissa McBride Exits The Walking DeadSpin-Off: We 'Hope to See Carol Again'
All the living make quick work of a plan to blow up the wealthy neighborhood within the Commonwealth, including Pamela's house, by blasting Living Colour's "Cult of Personality." They pour gasoline into the sewers and set explosives — and burn a good part of the Commonwealth to the ground in one of the show's biggest explosions ever.
"We kept you alive, after everything you've done, because we've all done things," Carol tells Pamela.
Earlier in the episode, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) apologizes to Maggie for killing Glenn (Stephen Yeun), delivering a speech about how sorry he is, and how she needs to live on. "I finally understood what you must've felt," he says. "I am so sorry for what I took from you, what I took from your son."
Later, Maggie responds (and Cohan delivers one heck of a monologue): "I've been thinking about what you said. I want to thank you. I can stop wondering if you'll ever say those words and if I can ever forgive you. Because I know now: I can't. Glenn was a beautiful person. I'll never love anyone like that again. I remember this smile, his goodness, and the way he made me feel. But when I look at you, all I see is that bat coming down on his head, blood running down his face. I hear him calling for me, and I hear you mocking me while he's dying. So I can't forgive you, even though I'm so grateful that you saved my son. Even though I know that you're trying. I'm trying too. Because I don't want to hate you anymore. I don't want to hurt like that. And I don't want my son to see that anyone has that kind of hold on me. If you and Annie want to stay, you've earned your place. … Because all I have are my memories, and I don't want to remember Glenn like that."
Soon after, it's time to celebrate. The favorite characters gather for a meal much like the one Carl Grimes dreamed of just before his death. Everyone is hugging and laughing and eating and drinking.
Lydia (Cassady McClincy) and Elijah (Okea Eme-Akwari) reunite and Magna (Nadia Hilker) and Yumiko (Eleanor Matsuura) kiss, rekindling their relationship. And Daryl looks out the window to the ground below and catches Negan's eye. They exchange a nod, and Negan walks away. For good. (Or, for now. As we know, he and Maggie will be reunited in New York City some way, somehow, for The Walking Dead: Dead City, coming to AMC in April.)
But Rosita is sitting alone at the dinner table, and Gabriel notices, and soon everyone knows what's to come. She enjoys quiet and beautiful farewell moments with Maggie, Carol, Daryl, Coco and Gabriel, who prays over her in a true full-circle moment for his character. "Receive her into your arms of mercy," he begins.
Finally, Eugene sits beside her. "I wouldn't be the man I am today if I hadn't met you," he says. She turns to him and smiles: "I'm glad it's you in the end," she says, referring to the fact that he will have to stop her from turning into a walker once she's dead.
Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira Surprise Walking Dead Fans at Comic-Con with Spin-Off Series News
One year later, Eugene places flowers beside a plaque dedicated to Rosita and other fallen favorites. He and Max (Margot Bingham) have a baby — called Rosie — and they are all smiles as Ezekiel and Mercer are sworn in as Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively. Judith receives a compass and letter from Negan. Maggie wants to chat about the future.
And Daryl is ready to head out on a new adventure. He and Carol sit on a bench for one last chat. "I wish you were coming with me," he says in a fiction-meets-reality moment. (McBride was initially going to be costarring with Reedus on his spinoff.) "I'm proud of you. I am. You took Hornsby's job and made it your own... You made everything better. And you'll keep making it better."
"I'm allowed to be a little sad," she says. "You're my best friend."
Judith and R.J. join them and hug Daryl as he prepares to mount his motorcycle. "I'll find 'em both," he tells Judith, referring to Rick and Michonne. "I'll bring 'em home."
Judith, the wisest child in the world, tells him: "Daryl, you deserve a happy ending, too."
Daryl and Carol exchange "I love yous," and he's off.
But that's not the end. Boom: It's Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira)! In alternating voiceovers, they alternate statements like "I think of the dead all the time. And about the living who I lost. I think about them all, every day," and "I tried to get to you and your brother again and again … but I still got you, and you've got me. "We'll always be together, even when we're apart. We're love and Love is endless.
"We are endless."
And then we see them: Michonne looking like a true warrior still on a mission, Rick scruffy and barefoot (and wearing a CRM jacket) forced to surrender to a helicopter. "You've been located and are instructed to surrender," a voice from the chopper says. "It's like he told you, there's no escape for the living."
But Michonne says in a voiceover: "Remember what I said. It's what he said: 'We're the ones who live.'"
The final shot is Judith and RJ looking out at the landscape. "We get to start over," she says. "We're the ones who live."
The Walking Dead spin-offs will air in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.
Sent from my iPhone
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itsthemysterykids · 2 years ago
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Can we get more Mystery (Addams) Family?
Coraline Mystery is an eccentric, loud, crazy rich lady while her husband is more quiet and elegant
Lili and Neil were adopted while Coraline and Wybie were on a date in the cemetery
They heard them crying in a box next to a gravestone, one thing lead to another, now they’re parents
Dipper and Mabel are family friends who are living with them because they’re wanted fugitives in a couple of countries
Just supernatural-related stuff, no big deal
Coraline always wears red and black suits
The family dines like normal rich people- Fancy chandeliers, super long table, fancy-looking utensils, sit in old electric chairs
Coraline and Wybie are weirded out by normal people
Wybie: Coraline, love, that child is smiling at me.
Coraline: Ghastly. Look away, dear.
Norman is their undead butler who may or may not have a crush on Dipper
The family HATES anything happy, sunshine, rainbows, a ton of color
Lili and Neil were invited to a Princess themed party and Coraline nearly called the police for such an ‘inappropriate theme’
Lili and Neil are not ashamed of their dramatic parents
Coraline and Wybie are VERY involved in their kids’ academics, always attend parent-teacher and PTA meetings at school
*The principal calls Wybie, sounding a little disturbed too, saying Lili is in his office*
Wybie: What could my little bat have possibly done? *Gasps* Did she make someone smile?
Principal: … Your daughter got into a fight with another student!
Wybie: *Grins* Did she win?
Principal: Sir, she punched Razputin Aquato in the face.
Wybie: Lili, I told you, go for the eye.
They constantly make out during PTA meetings, much to the disgust of the other parents
Once, Lili had to do a book report on a fairytale about a knight who slayed a dragon… and you can imagine how livid Coraline and Wybie were when their daughter came home crying about how a knight in shining armor killed a poor, defenseless dragon
Lili: Mother, it was terrible, they killed him!
Coraline: Mr. Hilliard?
Lili: The dragon!
Coraline: *visibly shocked* What dragon?! Who killed the dragon?
Lili: A knight in shining armor! He killed the dragon!
Coraline: I can't believe anyone would kill a dragon!
Wybie: That poor defenseless dragon.
Mabel is always cursing people she doesn’t like… And people she does like. Feelings are weird
Dipper likes to plant mines everywhere, in the house, the streets, schools, hospitals
He also owns an expansive weapons collection
Raz is their next door neighbor, a normal boy who wants some excitement in his life… That’s when he meets the Mysteries
Lili invites him over and already, he’s freaked out… And loving every minute of it
Neil is often Lili’s target for shooting practice
Lili: I’ve missed you, Neil. *Points a gun at his head* But my aim is getting much better.
Norman plays the organ beautifully and it even catches Dipper’s attention as he plays the death march.
Halloween is their Christmas
As a family, they summon spirits together
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bookobsessionxxx · 4 years ago
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I have a lot to say about Soprah saga, but I am still watching things unfold. There are some quick things that I NEED to talk about though.
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“I was trapped and didn’t know it, until Meghan told me.” - Prince Harry
This has to be the most telling statement from the Soprah saga. It speaks of a man who didn’t have these so called epiphanies until his beautiful and amazing wife TOLD him. In other words, none of the things he has complained about his family and nation, would have ever been realized had it not been for M. So my question is, how is this being glamorized as a feminist slaying the dragons to save this poor man from his evil family? Had the genders been reversed, there’d be pitchforks calling H abusive & controlling. Just check out this moment in which H tried to talk, and was again, shut down. This is a perfect example of how far gone H is in Meghan’s cult. He is an obedient puppet who can’t even dispute her ridiculous lies in front of a camera. Can you just imagine how much worse it has to be in private?
I will admit that I have a weak stomach for false victimhood and BS, so I did not watch the 2 hour whinge-fest. However, I did see several clip highlights that people have shared on twitter and tumblr. It’s honestly worse than I could have ever imagined. Just reading the transcripts were already cringe-worthy and cheesy, but actually watching how it was delivered is even worse. Hearing her compare herself to the little mermaid gave me goosebumps in a Norman Bates kind of way. It also made me laugh thinking that this has to be proof that she lurks on tumblr too. I mean she already admitted to going on social media and getting hurt, so why not peruse the blogs on tumblr. @thefraudess was the one who pointed out how she is making sure people stop comparing her to ursula, so she says she’s Ariel. “I lost my voice when I found my prince” 🤢🤢🤢
Lastly, the assassination of Catherine’s character was the most predictable, yet still most heinous act of the entire lie-athon. If I had participated in the drinking game, I would have been sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. All the things we expected were there: Diana parallels and how she would have approved, mean old toxic palace staff, racist family, and of course, Catherine is at fault! Look, I actually believe it when she says she cried, but before you get mad at me, hear me out. This is a classic narcissist and an actual actress, z-list and a bad one, yes, but still an actress. I can easily picture her crying to H how K was mean to her and made her cry when all she wanted is to make everyone happy. What I obviously don’t believe is that the reverse happened. If we look closely at her words and how she said it, you can tell that she is once again lying in order to be the “gracious and innocent victim.” Here is the transcript: "A few days before the wedding, (Kate) was upset about something — the issue was correct, about flower girl dresses — and it made me cry and it really hurt my feelings," Meghan, who's expecting her second child, said. "I thought in the context of everything else that was going on those days leading to the wedding that it didn't make sense to not be ... trying to be supportive." Ok, so an unbiased journalist would probe and ask, what made K upset in the first place? It is telling that she herself drops that tidbit, isn’t it? Could K be upset that she literally just had her third child and is still being kind enough to involve herself in your second wedding, Rachel? Or could K be upset because you were being your ridiculous self towards an innocent child? Then she goes on to say... "It wasn't a confrontation, and I don't think it's fair to (Kate) to get into the details of that because she apologized and I've forgiven her.” Seriously??? How can anyone believe this act??? Oh I forgave her, but I’m still so kind by not explaining further because it may accidentally that I was in fact the evil and unreasonable one in this scenario. Funny how she always talks about how emotional being pregnant or a new mother is, yet she always conveniently forgets Catherine was pregnant when they got engaged, then just had a baby in the weeks leading up to her wedding. What a joke! Some feminist! For those who can see through her act, it is very obvious how much she hated that Catherine will always be above her in the hierarchy. However, as a proud royal watcher, I’m also pleased to know that Catherine is also above her in character. She is a true Queen!
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Overall, I couldn’t believe anything that came out of these two twats’ mouth because of their empty actions. I will have more to say about her dismissing Catherine’s experience as just “rude” whereas hers was supposedly way worse. So stay tuned 🍵
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andytcnks · 3 years ago
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Andromeda Druella Black Tonks: Behind the Name
Andromeda
The name of a constellation and a galaxy contained within it. In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia boasted that she and her daughter were more beautiful than all the Nereids, Poseidon ordered a sea monster to attack their country. Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice for the monster. When Perseus arrived to slay the monster, she was saved and he took her as his wife. However, thinking she should not escape her punishment, upon her death Poseidon placed her in the heavens chained to a throne.
Andromeda also goes by “Andy” and, less frequently and usually only by her husband, “Dromeda”
She very much sees “Andromeda” and “Andy” as different personas she puts on depending on how close she is to the person she’s talking to. Andromeda is the ice queen, the perfect eldest daughter of the House of Black, the ruthless Slytherin, the girl with the ramrod straight posture and the flawless manners. Andy is her softer side, the hopelessly in love romantic, the girl who has every Elvis record, the housewife that bakes just to fill the house with the smell of biscuits, the mother to both her daughter and her sisters.
Druella
Andromeda’s mother’s name. Her Rosier grandparents likely meant it to be a form of the Latin name Drucilla, meaning "dewy-eyed" or "fruitful". It is also, in its own right, a Germanic name meaning “an elfin vision.”
Having had a strained and distant relationship with her mother from birth, Andromeda has never used her middle name.
Black
After the color. In Western culture, the color black is associated with darkness and evil, but also with prestige and sophistication. In ancient China, black was associated with water, which corresponds to Slytherin, the traditional house of the Black family.  In English heraldry, black represents darkness and ignorance.
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is known to be one of the oldest and wealthiest Pureblood families in all of Britain. The family motto is Toujours Pur, or “Always Pure,” and most members of the family took this to heart. Any impurities in the line, be they muggles, muggleborns, squibs, or blood traitors, are quickly pruned from the family tree along with the family members they tainted.
Andromeda is fairly well-known among Pureblood circles as the first Black child of her generation to have been disowned. She happily owns this reputation, especially because it’s equally known that she “left for love” after falling for Ted. She normally drops her name, but occasionally during both wizarding wars she used it as a middle name as a way of protecting her daughter through reminding people of who she was.
Tonks
A patronymic muggle surname from the name Tonk, a diminuative of the Aramaic name Thomas, meaning “Twin”. The muggle Tonks family historically emerged in the Midlands, with the first Tonks on record appearing in 1250 and family history claiming that they held a family seat in the region as early as the Norman conquest.
Andromeda started practicing her signature as a Tonks long before the wedding so that it would be flawless the day after. In fact, it got so into her muscle memory that signing it as Andromeda Black on the marriage certificate felt and looked unnatural. She may have accidentally signed a few documents at her job at Gringotts with Tonks before the wedding, but nobody ever noticed or called her out on it.
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adevotedappraisal · 4 years ago
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Magdalene by FKA Twigs, a review.
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I’ve been learning some shit from women from as long as I’ve been alive. Always some other shit that I never asked for but I got told it.  I used to treat them things they said as laws as a child, but I never saw them in a book, so then I stopped believing them.  They were always hushed laws though, laws told with squinted eyes and italicized whispers, laws told when no one else was around.
I mean, now of course men make the real laws that we know and live by.  Well come on now, we write them on parchment, and display them on lights, we code them into computers, inscribe them on coins and stone. But these women…man women tell you some other shit, like glue shit, in low, muttered tones in the quiet part of the house.  Like advice on… well not how the world works, but how to deal with the world when it works against you, and how to make it work for you. But you see, I’ve come to believe that the fairer sex tells you different laws than the vaunted laws and advice of our fathers because they all around see the world differently than men do.  They may, in fact, have been harbouring different goals than us all along.  
I mean for christssakes us men have our hero’s journey as clear as day, writ large and indelible across history books and entertainment.  You could take that Joseph Campbell mono-myth theory and see it expressed in Arthurian swash-buckle, the middle earth ring-slaying of Tolkien, or in the recently concluded tri-trilogy of Star Wars galactic clashes.  We’re in the empire business, as Breaking Bad’s Walter White infamously said.  But still, the question always lingered to me: what is the heroine’s journey? Is it really just a lady in a knight’s armour? Or some tough-as-nails spy for some interloping government’s intelligence agency, delivering kidney kicks in a designer pencil skirt?
Well, I’ve come to believe that the heroine’s journey is navigating the waves of history we imperial and trans-national men make from our railroads and pipelines, our satellites and wars, them at once preserving a culture and sparking a path and creating a bond between cultures in order for them and their (il)legitimate brood to survive.  That old chestnut about how behind every successful man is a woman always unnerved me by its easy adoption. I kept thinking ‘bout that woman.  I kept thinking, what the fuck was she thinking?
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You see women’s heroes, they ain’t as clear as day to me.  They don’t kill the dragon, they don’t save the townspeople, they don’t shoot the Sherriff, or the deputy, or anyone most times. When I ask people in public at my job what super power they would like, most men go for strength, flight, and regenerative abilities (my pick).  Most women went with mind reading and flight. In late night conversations though, with the moonlight coming through the white blinds and resting soft on us like so, I sometimes manage to hear that women’s heroes heal and clean the sick of the nation, in sneakers with heels as round as a childhood eraser; they feed a family with one fish and five slices of wonder bread; they would run gambling spots in the back of their house, putting the needle back on the Commodores record and patrolling the perimeter of the smoked-out room with a black .45 nested by their love handles; they climb up flag poles and speak out loud in public for the disposed and teach children those unwritten, floating laws while cloistered in the quiet part of the house.  
Although their heroines are sometimes from the top strata of society –a Pharaoh here, an Eleanor Roosevelt there, an Oprah over there—they also name a healthy mix of radicals and weirdos with modest music success, people like Susan B. Anthony, Frida Kahlo, Virginia Woolf, or Nikki Giovanni, I mean did Nina Simone or Janis Joplin even crack the Billboard top ten? Yet there they are, up on the walls of a thousand college dorms across the country.  So even though I couldn’t’ve foreseen it, it makes sense that of all the ultra-natural creatures, of all the great conquering kings and divining prophets of the Holy Bible, Mary Magdalene ends up the spirit animal for the album of the year for 2019.
Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jewish Rabbi Jesus during the first century, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament of the Bible, a figure who was present for his miracles, his crucifixion and was the first to witness him after his resurrection.  From Pope Gregory I in the sixth century to Pope Paul VI in 1969, the Roman Catholic Church portrayed her as a prostitute, a sinful woman who had seven demons exorcised from her.  Medieval legends of the thirteenth century describe her as a wealthy woman who went to France and performed miracles, while in the apocryphal text The Gospel of Mary, translated in the mid-twentieth century, she is Jesus’ most trusted disciple who teaches the other apostles of the savior’s private philosophies.
Due to this range of description from varying figures in society, she gets portrayed in differing ways, by all types of women, each finding a part of Magdalene to explain themselves through.  Barbra Hershey, in the first half of Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) plays her as a firm and mysterious guide, a rebellious older cousin almost, while Yvonne Elliman, in Norman Jewison’s 1973 film adaptation of Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar is lovelorn and tender throughout, a proud witness of the Word being written for the first time.  In “Mary Magdalene,” FKA Twigs, the Birmingham UK alt-soul singer, describes the woman as a “creature of desire”, and she talks about possessing a “sacred geometry,” and later on in the song she tells us of “a nurturing breath that could stroke you/ divine confidence, a woman’s war, unoccupied history.” Her vocals that sound glassy and spectral in the solemn echoes of the acapella first third, co-produced by Benny Blanco, turn sensual and emotive when the blocky groove kicks in.  That groove comes into its own on the Nicolas Jaar produced back third, and when this all is adorned with plucked arpeggios it sounds like an autumnal sister to the wintry prowl of Bjork’s “Hidden Place” from her still excellent Vespertine (2001). 
This blending of the affairs of the body and of Christian theology is found in the moody “Holy Terrain” as well.  While it is too hermetic and subdued to have been an effective single, it still works really well as an album track.  In this arena, Future is not the hopped up king of the club, but a vulnerable star, with shaded eyes and a heart wrapped up in love and chemicals, sending his girl to church with drug money to pay tithes.  Over a domesticated trap beat he shows a vulnerable bond that can exist, wailing his sins and his devotion like a tipsy boyfriend does in the middle of a party, or perhaps like John the Baptist did, during one of his frenzied sermons, possessed and wailing “if you pray for me I know you play for keeps, calling my name, calling my name/ taking the feeling of promethazine away.”
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Magdalene, the singer’s sophomore release, takes the mysterious power and resonance of this biblical anti-heroine, and involves its songs with her, these emotional, multi-textured songs about fame, pain and the break up with movie star boyfriend Robert Pattinson.  With “Sad Day,” Twigs sings with a delicate yet emotional yearning, imbued with a Kate Bush domesticity. The synth pads are a pulsing murmur, and the vocal samples are chopped and rendered into lonely, twisting figures.  The drums crash in only every once in a while, just enough to reset the tension and carve out an electronic groove, while the rest of the thing is an exercise in mood and restraint, the production by twigs, Jaar and Blanco, along with Cashmere Cat and Skrillex, leaves her laments cosseted in a floating sound, distant yet dense and tumultuous, the way approaching storm clouds can feel.   Meanwhile “Thousand Eyes” is a choir of Twigs, some voices cluttered and glittering, some others echoed and filled with dolour. “If you walk away it starts a thousand eyes,” she sings, the line starting off as pleading advice and by the close of the song ending up a warning in reverb, the vintage synths and updated DAWs used to create these sparse, aural haunts where the choral of shes and the digital ghosts of memory can echo around her whispered confessional.
In many of these divorce albums, the other party’s role in the conflict is laid bare in scathing terms: the wife that “didn’t have to use the son of mine, to keep me in line” from Marvin Gaye’s Here My Dear from 1979; the players who “only love you when they’re playin’” as Stevie Nicks sang on Fleetwood Macs Rumours (1977); or as Beyonce’s Lemonade (2017) charges, the husband that needs “to call Becky with the good hair.”   At first though, Twigs is diplomatic, like in “Home with me,” where she lays the conflict on both sides here, expressing the rigours of fame, the miscommunication –accidental or intentional –that fracture relationships, and the violent, tenuous silence of a house where one of the members is in some another country doing god knows what, physically or mentally. “I didn’t know you were lonely, if you’d just told me I’d be home with you,” she sings in the chorus over a lonely piano, while the verse sections have the piano chords flanked by blocks of glitch, and littered with flitched-off synths. Then, the last chorus swirls the words again, along with the strings and horns and everything into a rising crescendo of regret.
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Later in the album however, her anger once smoldering is set alight, in the dramatic highlight “Fallen Alien.” Twigs sings with an increasing tension, as her agile voice morphs from confused, pouting girlfriend to towering lady of the manor, launching imprecations towards a past lover and perhaps fame itself. “I was waiting for you, on the outside, don’t tell me what you want ‘cuz I know you lie,” she sings, and, after the tension ratchets up becomes “when the lights are on, I know you, see you’re grey from all the lies you tell,” and then later on we have her sneering out loud “now hold me close, so tender, when you fall asleep I’ll kick you down.”  All while pondering pianos drop like rain from an awning, tick-tocking mini-snares and skittering noises flit across the beat like summer insects, the kicks of which are like an insistent, inquisitive knocking at the door, and then there’s that sample, filtered into an incandescent flame, crackling an  I FEEL THE LIGHTNING BLAST! all over the song like the arc of a Tesla coil. The song is a shocking rebuke, and it becomes apparent upon replays that the songs are sequenced to lead up to and away from it, the gravitational weight giving a shape and pace to the whole album.  Because of this, the other songs on Magdalene have more tempered, subtle electronic hues and tones, as if the seductive future soul of 2013s “Water Me” from EP2, and the inventive, booming experimentation of “Glass & Patron” from 2015s M3LL1SSX, were pursed back and restrained until it was needed most, and this results in an album more accomplished, nuanced and focused than her impressive but inconsistent debut LP1 (reviewed here).  
This technique of electronic restraint has shown up in the most recent albums by experimental pioneers, with the sparse, mournful tension of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool (2017), it’s cold, analog synths and digital embellishments cresting on the periphery of the song, and with Wilco’s Ode to Joy from last year, an album bereft of their lauded static and electric scrawl, mostly embossed in acoustic solitude and brittle, wintery guitar licks.  Twigs and her co-producers take the same knack for the most part throughout the album, like with closer “Cellophane,” where the dramatic voice and piano are in the forefront, while effects crunch lightly in the background like static electricity in a stretched sweater, and elsewhere, as the synths of “Daybed” slowly intensify into a sparkling soundscape, as if manufacturing an awakening sunrise through a bedroom window.  And it is this seamless melding of organic and electronic instruments, to express these wretched and fleeting emotions of heartbreak that makes this the album of the year.
It makes sense that an artist like FKA Twigs would be drawn to a figure like Mary Magdalene.  Of the many Marys in the New Testament, she stuck out as palpably different, or rather, she depicted a differing part of womanhood than the other two.  She wasn’t the chaste, life-giving mother of Jesus, or the dutiful Mary of Clopas. Instead, Magdalene was this mixture of sexuality and spirituality, one of those figures that managed to know men and women in equal measure, wrapped up with the blood as well as the flesh.  Twigs also played with this enrapturing sexuality in her work, writhing around in bed begging some papi to pacify her and fuck her while she stared at the sun, then making you identify with the lamentations of video girls, and then telling you in two weeks you won’t even recognize who you were seeing before.  There was something mysterious and layered to her millennial art-chick sexpot act though, layers that have begun to be revealed with this album.  
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We realise now, that what she was depicting all along was more like the sexual heat that lays underneath devotion, as opposed to fleeting, mayfly lust, and that she now understands the weight and half-life of love.  That is, that beyond the sex and patron and fame there is a near sacred love we build between each other for a while in time, lasting as long as both hands can bear to hold it, and also that the death of a relationship still has the memory of the love created warm within it that then radiates off slow into the air.  A love that then falls into our minds for safekeeping dark and unobstructed now, the way Jesus’ blood fell from his wound into Joseph of Arimathea’s grail held aloft.  
“I never met a hero like me in a sci-fi,” FKA Twigs sings, an evocative line less so for the hegemonic patriarchy of the worldwide movie and comic book industry suggested by ‘the sci-fi’ here, and more for the ‘hero like me’ part, which suggests she had to make her hero origin story all up, without the scaffolding of centuries of relatable mythologies, presenting us with an avatar of millennial love, in all of its tortured luster.  And you hear this type of love in her voice, no longer changed up and ran through a filter for Future Soul sophistication most times, but out in the open now, to express particular emotions, whether it’s in that swooping, falling ‘I’ in the heart-break closer “Cellophane,” or her assured realisation, later on “Home With Me” where she says “But I’d save a life if I thought it belonged to you/ Mary Magdalene would never let her loved ones down.”  
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It’s never about how to conquer with these women you see.  In the end of all relationships it’s how they find their way out after us temporarily embarrassed conquerors are about to leave, jacket slung over shoulder, standing by the door. You squint your eyes back at her this time, and you listen this time, while she tells you, or tells the ground in front of you, what parts of love to let go of, and what parts are worth holding on to in this age of Satan, the parts that will help you become yourself. “I wonder if you think that I could never help you fly,” the song tells you then, one of those stinging admissions that only women come up with, and you wisely stay silent, and then the piano chords part, the synths subside. And for a while there as she looks at you, as the breathy sortilege in the song keeps going, it all sounds like something worth believing in again.  And then, the words she says to you start to come across like laws.
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viviennevivisection · 2 years ago
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Session 19 Notes - “A Favor” - 9-28-22
-Ellie gave Cass the “no makeup” makeup look and curled her hair with Alice’s curling iron
-Cass is wearing her usual purple overalls, but cinched! Slay 
-Ellie is wearing a yellow sundress with a white headband and white kitten heels (with the intention of co opting the Riley Smith Look but better)
-Naomi did not change 
-Heading to Ms. Moody’s house for dinner — it has a wrap around porch 
-MM and Ellie (adult) are drinking sweet tea
-It’s giving the house from Practical Magic 
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-Jamieson is also coming for dinner 
-Eleanor is grown woman (Alice’s age) but…doesn’t seem to be all there —> in her mind palace 
-“It’s probably not smart to cast in Ms. Moody’s house without her permission.” - Cass
-Jamieson is here 
-“This is Naomi and Ellie! … and Ezra!” 
-Jamieson is gnomish her (kind of) 
-The dinner consists of studio ghibli type food 
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-We are saying grace!
-There’s some divine magic happening…
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-It acts as a modified hero’s feast…16 temporary hit points
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-Jamieson is trying to get a viral GoFundMe to fund the school —> he wants to take a field trip to Idella 
-Everyone loves Woodvale…and no one leaves!
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-Ms. Moody literally hates Riley 
-Jamieson has a crush on Cass
-Eleanor has trauma
-Ellie spent most of the dinner chit chatting to/at Eleanor, trying to find a special interest that may bring her out of her shell. She seemed to appreciate it, but didn’t really change. She’s dealing with something that she would benefit from forgetting. She’s stuck on something and when she disappears, that’s where she goes. 
-She may benefit from having an “Ellie” 
-Ms. Moody gave us the cobbler recipe 
-Eleanor Adler (her married name) 
-Going on a walk with Ms. Moody to Talk About Things
-Explaining the internal ley system and arcane virus stuff as we understand it to Ms. Moody
-Woodvale Sickness has always been around — but usually only affected miners. In those days, it used to be more of an inconvenience as opposed to a life-threatening illness
-It’s seemed to have gotten worse over time 
-The Mines closed 30-50 years ago 
-Correlations 
-People didn’t from [from the illness] before Dodder showed up 
-Thought to have been caused by long term exposure to whatever is in the mines (residuum, Ms. Moody thinks)
-Giving MM a crash course in how to read internal ley systems 
-Eleanor’s daughter passed away from Woodvale Sickness
-Going to the Town Meeting
-Vibes are like Gilmore Girls Town Hall in the barn 
-Ezra Darcy!
-Riley is also wearing a yellow sundress, but it looks homemade :) mine is designer 
-Cass is snatching her waist
-Ezra Darcy is a hottie, but we been knew (Markiplier vibes, but like…dirty from work)
-Norman Steele (president of Dodder) has issued an ultimatum for the town of Woodvale 
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-The party approaching Ezra and Riley 
-Ezra Darcy: “Cassie!”
-Cass: “You know nobody calls me that.”
-Ezra Darcy: “I call you that.” 
-Ellie to Riley: “Did you make that! That’s so cute! In the city we’re so busy all the time, I basically have to buy designer clothes.” 
-I think this is where an enraged Riley made a comment through gritted teeth that she liked my dress, and Ezra said that they should get her one like it
-Ellie: “Oh, do you want this one? I have so many dresses— you’d be doing me a favor!”
-Nothing about Woodvale Factory makes any fucking sense — with the mines closed, they ship everything here to be made and then have to ship it away once it’s done. There are workers everywhere. Why Woodvale? There has to be something we and the town at large don’t know about. A bargaining chip. Ellie said all of this (a little bit more nicely) and ended up giving a worker of the world, unite kind of speech
-Cass did in fact trap Riley in the mines lmao 
-Cass is revealing that she stole the key 
-“It seems like the mayor’s daughter [dodder] has been..reckless.” Cass has committed the public execution of Riley Smith 
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-Riley tried to use her magic item (necklace) — suggestion spell 
-Ellie and Naomi go to the bathroom, Ellie casts detect magic, and Naomi asks DN to follow Riley and Ellie can SEE HER? “Oh my god, is that you? I’m your biggest fan!!!”-DN has agreed to follow Riley, Naomi feels weird because it’s first time she’s noticed an absence as opposed to feeling a presence
-Cass came clean to Judd about not finishing school — that she’s not graduating. “More like Dodder didn’t want me to. I found something they didn’t want me to know.” 
-Judd: “Are you in danger, sweetie?” 
-Cass: “No.” NAT 1 DECEPTION 
-Judd is a slay dad, we Stan 
-Cass “may have an ace up her sleeve when it comes to the negotiation” 
-Cass is asking about Grandad AGAIN
-Ezra Darcy #confirmed has an arcane virus, similar to Heather’s. His internal ley system is weakened like Cass’, but not zeroed like (Gay) Ezra’s
-Ezra had plans to leave Woodvale!
-Naomi can’t cast magic without DN! Omg 
-Cass delivered the superior yellow sundress to Riley via Watts lmao 
-We sent Ms. Moody a magic letter with the information that Ezra Darcy is infected with the AV 
-Grandad was a ranger 
-One day a shift didn’t come back when it was supposed to — seemingly vanished without a trace
-The official story was that there was a collapse from digging too deep. No survivors. 
-Grandad disputed this. He said he saw an unnatural glow and started to feel weird, compelled to keep going when everyone else flat out refused 
-The Miller Curse
-There are other tieflings in Woodvale, but the Millers got hit three generations in a row
-Judd: “I’m so proud of you and I love you.” 
-There are crazy expensive-skeletons everywhere in Cass’ bedrooms — Watts prototypes
-Dark Naomi has returned…
-She showed up Riley storming out of the Town Meeting and scurrying to a nice home — our POV is smooth, like we’re floating — she goes inside straight to the dining room where Charlie Smooth is doing paperwork. There is a suit sitting there as well, smoking a cigar. This man doesn’t have an accent and Cass (watching over the telepathic bond) recognizes him as Norman Steele. 
-The Smiths and Dodder are officially #confirmed in bed together 
-Norman knows! He saw!! (Cannot remember what he knows or what he saw but this note is so ominous)
-“Did you lose a key, Riley?” Norman to Riley 
-THEY MADE MY ARRIVAL INTERESTING?? 
-“Did he fucking come FROM HELL?” -Sam 
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-Norman to Riley: “I need you to work on Charlie, he’s been….resistant.” (AAAAAAAAAAAAH) 
-It needs to be of Charlie’s free will that he signs the deal 
-Norman to Riley if she fucks this up: “You know the consequences.” STRAIGHT TO HELL HOPEFULLY!
-Is Norman Steele……….Kirruk? 
“This small town bitch is going to sell the city to HELL to marry some hunk?” 
-What is Riley’s…last name? Smith….Helen Smith 
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-Edible Wikipedia Time 
-Looking up an old interview of Helen Smith…she has a slight Woodvalian accent 
-White searching, Ellie finds a news article posted TODAY: Techrono ends partnership with Helix Labs. Quietly the relationship was dropped — and there is a public paper trail.
-WHY? BECAUSE DR. CUNT COULDN’T GET US???
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-Danny Wright doesn't know anything about the split (presumably I quit or am fired) but he’ll try and poke around and let us know
-Dr. Cunt was the dean of students at the Aurora Conservatory 
-(Now why are all the deans of students evil? I wish we had spoken to the one in Idella) 
-Cass went around mending various things around the house while everyone was asleep <3 
-Naomi is TRYING to sleep 
-“You see…what you’ve seen before.” 
-“What makes something real anyway?”
-Dark Naomi is suddenly there on top of her, reaching toward Naomi’s cheek as her own face seems to rot and sag 
-Naomi felt Dark Naomi physically touch her
-“You owe me a favor.” 
-The ghost of her touch 
-Naomi is drawn to look outside the window with an overwhelming sense of being watched. Dark Naomi is standing on the wood line with Dark Ezra. “A Favor,” She says and turns and walks into the woods. 
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dailyaudiobible · 3 years ago
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05/22/2021 DAB Transcript
2 Samuel 1:1-2:11, John 12:20-50, Psalm 118:19-29, Proverbs 15:27-28
Today is the 22nd day of May welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is wonderful, it is a joy to be here with you as we bring another week to its conclusion and…and release it. It becomes a part of the past and we keep moving forward, day-by-day but here we are at the end of a week and it’s been a wonderful week as we’ve continued to examine the life of King Saul, Israel’s 1st king. Of course, yesterday in our reading Saul died in battle along with his 3 sons on Mount Gilboa in a battle with the Philistines. Now, we’re moving into 2 Samuel.
Introduction to the book of Second Samuel:
And as we’ve talked about in the past there was no Frist and Second Samuel originally. This was all 1 manuscript, First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings, all one big manuscript but they’re broken apart and First and Second Samuel are kind of broken apart at a place where Saul’s reign has ended because he’s died and so Second Samuel now focuses on upon the character David. This little shepherd boy who became a national hero after killing Goliath and then had to grow up so fast under the spotlight and just become a cunning warrior just to stay alive because the King wanted him dead. Well now the King is dead and David is alive and David was supposed to be fighting in that battle where Saul lost his life but he was supposed to fight as a Philistine because he had defected to the Philistines to try to stay alive, to try stay out of Saul’s grasp. But then once they gave him shelter, they expected to allegiance and so he and his men were to go in battle but the Philistines freaked out and sent David home because they’re like, “we’re going into battle with his…with his own countrymen so if he turns on us and starts slaying us from within, like he’s just gonna endear…like they’re gonna receive him back.” So, David got back to his town Ziklag and it had been raided and everybody had been taken. And, so, that’s a bad day. They had to travel 3 days just to get back home away from the battle lines and then they found everything was gone. And, so, they had to go in pursuit, which they’ve done and everything has been recovered. And, so, just to kind of give us the big broad scope here as we go into Second Samuel, Saul died on Mount Gilboa which is basically in the Jezreel Valley up in the north not…not too far south of the Sea of Galilee. Whereas Ziklag is way down in the transitioned zone into the…into the desert. And, so, David is in Ziklag, he’s recovered all of the property that was stolen from them and Saul is dead on Mount Gilboa. The news of…of the defeat of the Israelites hasn’t reached David in the Philistine territory yet. And that’s precisely where we are as we begin 2 Samuel. And, so, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the English Standard Version this week, which is today, Second Samuel chapter 1, verse 1 through 2 verse 11.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word and another week. We thank You for another week and we thank You for another week in the scriptures and we thank You for all that we learn, week-by-week, day-by-day, this slow methodical step-by-step accumulation. It just continues to transform us as we learn and as things seep into our hearts and begin to transform the way we’re looking at things and the way we’re reacting to things. We are so grateful. And, so, come Holy Spirit and continue this work as we continue to surrender ourselves to You and the work that You are doing within us. Come lead into all truth, we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website, its home base, it’s where you find out what’s going on around here. If you’re using the app, you can access all of these things as well.
And primarily the Community section, this is where the Prayer Wall is, this is where we get connected, this is where we stay connected. So, check that out.
Also, the Shop, the Daily Audio Bible Shop is stocked full of resources that are intended for the journey that we currently find ourselves on. Whooo, we are almost, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but we’re pushing toward the end of the 5th month every day. It’s hard to believe that we’re 5 months into this year already, but we are nearly. And, yeah, the Daily Audio Bible Shop is full of resources that are for this voyage through the Bible in a year. And, so, check that out.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. And thank you, thank you for your partnership. We’re in this together and if we weren’t we wouldn’t be in this at all. And, so, with a heart of deepest gratitude, thank you for your partnership as we continue to bring the spoken word of God read fresh every day and given freely to whoever will listen to it anywhere on this planet, anytime of day or night and to build community around that rhythm so that we know that we’re not going through it alone. And not just the Bible but through life. We’re in this together and if that makes a difference then thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address if you prefer is P.O. Box 1996 Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174.
And as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Prayers and Encouragement:
Good morning Daily Audio Bible family this is James from the beautiful Northeast Georgia mountains. This is…like to pray for Noah who called in today and talked about his addiction to pornography. And Noah you…you can get passed this. It’s a very dark place. I…I would encourage you to use some prayer and fasting and…and just want to encourage with a…a verse it’s Psalm 101 and verses 3 and 4. It’s says I will set nothing wicked before my eyes, I hate the work of those who fall away, it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me, I will not know wickedness. So, what I’d encourage you to do with this Noah, is to print it out. I used a little label maker for myself, I put it on the bathroom mirror, the car mirror, my windshield any…my workstation, I put it everywhere. And every time I saw it, I read it and I…I prayed it and, in the mornings, when I went to bed and I did that for a long time and I still do it. So, I love you brother and you can get through this, I’m gonna be praying for you. And God bless you.
Hi neighbors, this is Lisa the Encourager I hope you all are doing very well. I wanted to call and pray for a couple of the DABbers that were going through some difficult things. Ashley called in from California and her dad had a stroke. And Ashley, I just want you to know that I’m praying for you and your dad and that his recovery and that he will have a complete recovery and be able to…have rehabilitation so that this mild stroke doesn’t impact his life and that he will be able to be there for you and you’ll be able to love on him for many, many more years. And I also want to pray for Beloved in Texas. And I definitely…my heart is just broken for you and what you’re dealing with, with your 13-year-old daughter contemplating anorexia and eating disorder and trying to navigate through that with a counselor that has her best interest at heart and also to do it in a loving and Christian way. I’m just praying for you Beloved in Texas and I’m going to be thinking about your daughter too and praying that her heart will be stronger, and she will love herself and that she will grow out of this…that it won’t impact her for a lengthy period of time and that you will get the resources that you need to help her. And I’m also praying for Norman. I know you have cancer Norman. And I am so happy that you’re at peace in your heart for your…you know where your heart is with Christ, but I am praying that…
Hey DABbers it’s Laurie from Central Ohio and I wanted to call in, I know so many are facing different things and I wanted to pray for you. So, regardless of what you are struggling with be it medical issues or addiction to alcohol, drugs, porn, sex, food…whether you struggle with loneliness, self-doubt, depression, whatever…whatever it is, anything that you are facing this prayer is for you. Dear Jesus, I come to You to lift up each of those listening and their families. Lord, You know each of them by their name. You know what each is facing and whatever it is God, please work in each of our lives. May we sense Your love and guidance. May our loved ones come to know You personally. May we be Your light to others. In Your name we pray. Amen. Until next time know that I am…
Hey family it’s Jesse from Washington. I just wanted to call in and thank everybody for their advice and for their prayers. It’s really like lit a new fire under me. I…I missed, I’ve been behind, I’ve been so busy cause my dad’s in the hospital and my grandma’s whatever…everyone’s getting better by the way so thank you for your prayers. My dad’s making a lot of progress, he’s getting out of the rehab facility tomorrow. My grandma is in a lot better spirits and we figured out that, you know, if we get a massage therapist to come to her house, I know they’re opening back up, she thinks that would really, you know, make her feel a lot better so I pray for us to find a massage therapist that will take her insurance and come by a couple times a week. But yeah, just thank you for your prayers and your advice, like I said, I thought I missed it, or I thought that my call was to whiney or needy and they didn’t play it or something, I don’t know. And, so, I guess I just totally missed it and then I missed the…the weekly, the weekend thing last week and I’m halfway through it and man, its overwhelming. I love you guys. I thank you so much. And I knew no matter what that people would be praying for me even if they didn’t hear my prayers. I know God, you know, knows that…that at least I burned a calorie and asked for prayers. But it’s really awesome to hear you guys praying for me. And I love you. Thank you so much guys. Alright. Bye.
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greatninjadragon · 7 years ago
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My Manga Thoughts The Promised Neverland 49
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“Look this manga is pretty dark so I got to know how to kill them before they kill me.”
The Promised Neverland 49 Teach Me
-All the kids are impressed by the food Ray made them and wonder how he got it. He just said he cooked it. I love Ray.
-Three days have passed. When they told Sung-joo and Musica where they want to go, an area south-east, Sung-joo suggests they go north and head there by going around the forest. It’s longer but going there directly will lead them to the territory of wild demons.
-It’ll take them about five days to exit the forest and another day to reach their destination. During that time Musica and Sung-joo will teach the kids useful skills like how to cook, identifying plants, and how to use weapons like a bow.
-Sung-joo is going out since they have to cross a river and he’s going to scout the area. Emma wants to come along too.
-They get outside and the river is shallow so it’s easy to cross, but that also means the demons can cross it easily too.
-After he sees that no demons are around, Emma asks Sung-joo to teach her how to kill. Well looks like Emma’s going to do some demon slaying.
-Actually as cool as that sounds, what she means is she wants him to teach her how to hunt animals. Emma has always been taken care but now she’s in a situation where she has to get her own food even if it means killing it.
-She starts by taking down a bird. Then Sung-joo says they need to begin the Gupuna ritual, which involves a plant very familiar to Emma.
-The Gupuna ritual involves taking a common weed called a Vida and stabbing the chest of your prey. Sung-joo says that she’ll be presenting her kill to the gods and if the Vida blooms into a flower it means it’s good to eat. This will also drain the blood from the body but she has to do it while her prey is still alive or the blood won’t drain properly.
-Emma recalls seeing the same flower embedded in Conny back at the beginning of the series and thinks about all of her friends that have died including Norman. Thanks for reminding us that he’s dead.
-She doesn’t want to do it at first but Emma goes ahead with the ritual and stabs the bird with the flower. It blooms and they head back.
-Sung-joo asks if there is any wrong but she just says nothings wrong even though she recounted everyone she knew who was most likely killed the same way.
Rating: 7/10. (eat or be traumatized)
Thoughts: A good chapter with Emma showing some good initiative by not only wanting to learn a useful skill but also having to do learn to do something unsettling like take another life. I really thought she wanted to learn how to fight demons, which again would’ve been awesome, but it makes more sense to learn how to kill something for food since that takes priority over killing your enemies. The Gupuna ritual not only shows some of demon culture but from a story telling perspective, demonstrates how hard it was for Emma to kill something for food. Something the demons have been doing to her friends for years. Also while I don’t consider this a criticism of the chapter, we get a short hand version of that speech you often see in manga about living by taking another’s life. It’s a hunting speech that I see appear in many manga even Full Metal Alchemist had it.
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cake-faceshawty · 6 years ago
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If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. And being the birthday diva I am, what better way to kick off twenty-nine twenty-fine than with a girls trip to somewhere new. And thus,
#DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE
was born.
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Upon my return from Havana last July, I instinctively started searching for my next vacation spot, and was drawn to the beautiful beaches, exciting adventures and delicious food DR had to offer. I therefore had no doubt that #DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE would be in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
I know what you’re thinking – what is this chick’s obsession with Spanish-speaking countries? Honestly, I’m not sure either 😂 (aside from my love of Hispanic food), but keep in mind that my birthday is in the dead of winter, so travel options are limited due to the weather.
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Being the lunatic that I am, by the end of July I had presented my closest girlfriends with a full on PDF document that had everythangggggg (I do my homework, okay!). I had decided on travel dates, given airline options from each person’s point of origin, accommodation options, a full on itinerary and a budget for the entire trip.
However, similar to my Cuba planning, I found limited information online. Even harder, was finding out anything beyond the confinements of all-inclusive resorts. Perhaps it’s because I’m from a popular tourist destination (so I know how it goes), but the thought of staying in a hotel and ONLY experiencing what they present to you at the resort does not excite me. I want to explore the cuisine that hasn’t been watered down to satisfy the palates of tourists; I want to interact with locals and explore beyond the resort walls. And while Punta Cana is known for being a resort town, I knew there was more to be seen than the hotel disco and food buffet.
Within three months, three girlfriends and I had booked flights (catch flights, not feelings okurrrrr), secured a beautiful bungalow via Airbnb and committed to a fully packed birthday getaway to D.R.!
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We spent 6 days exploring Punta Cana, eating way too much rice, consuming wayyy too much alcohol and collecting memories to last a lifetime.
Of course I couldn’t limit you guys to just glam shots on Instagram! So, here are all my tips for planning a vacation to Punta Cana.
My follow-up post will have more on where to go, what to eat, what I wore (you know I love a slaycation) and things to do. I hope these posts will answer all your questions!
About Dominican Republic
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The Dominican Republic is a part of the second biggest Caribbean island, Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. From a tourist’s perspective, the island would seem to be simply beaches and palm trees; however, they also have mountains, deserts and a rich history.
The official language of DR is Spanish, and while some might assume based on the popularity that Punta Cana is the capital of DR, it is actually Santo Domingo.
Their currency is the Dominican Peso, however, USD, CAD, Euros and GBP are accepted in most places in Punta Cana.
Punta Cana
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Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean and therefore has tons of resorts and villa options. It encompasses Cap Cana, Macao, Bavaro, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Uvero Alto and Arena Gorda. From the picturesque beaches to the epic nightlife, Punta Cana has become a prime vacation spot if you’re looking for a luxury vacation, some kind of turn up or just want to slay relax on the beach all day – and of course learn a little about the country’s culture!
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The beaches and surrounding area reminded me of Jamaica’s north coast – beautiful white sand, lush grass, palm and coconut trees, and warm locals willing to accommodate you despite the language barrier.
What you should know before traveling to Punta Cana
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While US passport holders do not need a visa to enter DR, there are visa restrictions for some countries. Jamaicans can enter DR without any visa requirements, however, if you are travelling through the US, you will of course need a US visa. Multiple blog posts had warned of a $10 visitor fee that must be paid before going through immigration, however, we were not required to pay any additional fees. Perhaps that fee is now outdated or included in the ticket fee, but no cash payment was required at the airport from any of us – and we traveled from different locations on different airlines.
Arrange your transportation beforehand: whether you plan to rent a car or need a driver to take you to your accommodation, make these plans before you travel to avoid unnecessary airport stress and get the best prices possible.
About 90% of the resorts are all-inclusive: if you want that resort life and prefer to pre-pay for accommodation, food, alcohol and entertainment, one of these resorts may be your best bet.
Most places in Punta Cana accept USD, Euros, GBP and CAD, so there’s no reason to change your money to pesos. Major credit cards were accepted most places, however, I recommend you bring cash (mostly small bills) for some excursions, tips, and other small purchases.
You can book a lot your excursions in advance online, so you don’t have to worry about them getting sold out. We tried to book as much as we could beforehand in order to efficiently plan our itinerary.
The weather app isn’t always right. The day before we traveled, I was getting a bit nervous because all I saw were rain clouds and possible thunder storms on the Weather App. However, since this is a tropical place, occasional rain clouds appear for short periods. It drizzled maybe twice during our stay and none of our plans were affected by these rain drops.
As a mostly Catholic country, nudity is illegal! So save your topless tanning for elsewhere. If you really want to avoid tan lines, spend some extra dinero on a room with a private pool.
SIM cards with unlimited data for a week are available for $10 USD through Claro, so save on roaming charges and just purchase one at BlueMall (literally less than 10 minutes from the airport) to stay in the loop. Most public places also have Wi-Fi, so you’ll be able to instagram all your amazing pictures in real-time.
What to pack…
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As previously stated in my Cuba post, I am not a light packer – I embrace the slaycation lifestyle completely and commit to the slayage – which you cannot do from simply a carry-on. I simply must check a bag when I travel! I’ll try to stick to the basics because  I will have a follow-up post on how to pack for a slaycation, so stay tuned!
Passport. Duh, for any international flight this is necessary – but it always has to top the packing list. I can’t imagine driving all the way to the airport only to realise I left my passport on the bed.
Money. Get your coins ready – and whatever cards you’ll be carrying.
Bags. 1 carry-on, 1 checked bag, a backpack/tote, appropriate bags for outfits.
Toiletries. I’m a naturalista, so of course I have to pack shampoo, conditioner, styling products and a spray bottle. But, you’ll also need toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, first aid kit, any necessary medication, deodorant, sunblock, tanning oil, lotion, tampons/pads, makeup, razor, bug spray and makeup. The good thing about this destination is that Supermercado Nacional in Punta Cana has most things you could possibly want: from Advil to Andrews to Herbal Essences. So if you forget any toiletries there’s no need to fret – you can get most of your necessities at the supermarket.
Electronics. Cell phone, iPad/tablet, camera, portable charger, charger cables for all devices, earphones, blue tooth speaker. I opted to leave my laptop at home to resist any temptation to work while on vacation.
Clothing. Underwear (my standard is 2/day plus extras), shorts, cool clothing (it is a tropical destination), swimsuits, a sweater/jacket, sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, heels/dress shoes, “fancy” clothes, sleep clothes and a hat. Once again, Punta Cana is a modernized island so if you need anything, you can probably pick it up at a mall. BlueMall has a huge Zara, Nike, Aldo, Levi’s, Under Armour, just to name a few. So if you forget anything or want to change an outfit, you can always go shopping 💁🏾.
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Travel
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We booked our tickets online through our preferred airlines. I use an app called Hopper where you can put in your destination and dates to see flight price predictions on various airlines. You can also watch the flight to know when the right time to book is in order to get the most affordable ticket. If you prefer to stay at an all-inclusive resort, you can find flight + hotel options on aa.com, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.
Traveling from Kingston, Jamaica, Justine-Renee and I booked on American Airlines (my preferred airline). The flight was from KIN (Norman Manley International Airport) to MIA (Miami International Airport), then to PUJ (Punta Cana International Airport). The flight from MIA to PUJ was about 2 hours and the entire travel time was about 7 hours. We left Kingston at 7:49 AM and landed in Punta Cana at 3:15 (DR is 1 hour ahead). The cost for my ticket was $715 USD, which is kinda pricey considering I booked it from October, but I digress…
Please note that the flight prices were probably higher than usual since it is a tropical destination and February is right in the middle of peak season.
My friend Tamara traveled on Jet Blue for less, but her travel time was longer as it went from KIN to FLL to SJU (Puerto Rico) to PUJ. Her return flight, however, only had a layover in FLL.
Christine traveled from North Carolina on Southwest Airlines; her travel time was a bit longer than ours and went from RDU to ATL to PUJ. Her return flight stopped at FLL instead of ATL.
Estimate the ticket price to be anywhere between $500 to $800 depending on your city of origin and when you book the ticket.
Accommodation
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As previously stated, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of staying at an all-inclusive resort, plus based on the size of my group, it was more economical to stay at a villa/bungalow. However, there are a wide range of resorts to choose from, especially in Bávaro.
Cap Cana, which is less than 20 minutes from the airport, is a gated resort area containing luxury condos, resorts, beaches and entertainment options.
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We rented a villa that was absolutely amazing! It was safe (you need a pass to get through the Cap Cana entrance and to enter Green Village where we stayed), spacious, beautifully decorated, and just perfect for our girls’ trip. It had an outdoor shower and bath tub, and our own private pool and barbecue patio with an expansive backyard (not to mention a beautiful view!). We were also close to the shopping mall, supermarket, restaurants and Scape Park so the location was perfect. Our host, Carlos, was very welcoming and checked on us often; he gave us wonderful recommendations for activities, beaches and restaurants, and replied quickly if we had any questions.
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For 5 nights, our villa was about $1400 USD total, which wasn’t too bad when split 4 ways.
Check out our home in paradise (thank you Carlos) here:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/23742780?guests=1&adults=1
How to get around
One thing that had us anxious when planning this vacation was transportation. While Punta Cana does have public transportation (taxis) and tour buses, we felt it would be easier on our schedule (and pockets) to rent a car. I can honestly say we found the least helpful information as it related to car rental.
First of all, you must know this: the people of Punta Cana drive like taxi men in Montego Bay, so if you can handle that, you can handle Punta Cana. As for people used to “safer” driving conditions, I can understand your reservation – you may want to stick to taxis or private tour operators. I’m pretty sure we only passed two stoplights around downtown Punta Cana; otherwise, it was just a bunch of roundabouts (they really love roundabouts) and wildness a bit of a free-for-all.
I highly recommend you reserve your car prior to your arrival. We reserved our Alamo rental a week before (no deposit required) through Expedia. While I did pay for the collision insurance through Expedia ($11/day that you pay upfront), I think you can pass on that. The insurance company offers a good insurance package and we opted to get all the recommended insurance since we were driving in unfamiliar territory.
Originally, in trying to keep within the budget, I had reserved a midsize sedan. However, we reached an agreement that the four of us AND our luggage would not be comfortable in a Tiida (A TIIDAAAA!?!) so we decided to upgrade to an SUV upon arrival. Fortunately, they were out of the immediate upgrade option, and for the same price as a Suzuki Vitara, we were able to rent a full-size SUV. For 6 days and the full insurance package, we paid $418 with no hidden fees or surprises. The only request was that we  bring the car back with a full tank of gas.
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The full tank the car came with was sufficient for 6 days of driving all over the place! We didn’t have to get gas until we filled it right before the return time. The cost to fill the tank was about $75USD.
One thing to note is that in order to rent a car, the person renting must have a valid driver’s license and credit card with the same name. You don’t pay for the car when you first rent it: instead, the company will put a hold on the credit card for $500USD and upon return of the car (provided no damages or accidents), they will subtract the cost of the rental from the $500 hold and return the balance to your credit card. This was a relief for us as we were under the impression that they would be charging the rental fee AND putting the hold for $500 all at once.
Overall the rental experience was hassle-free with no hidden charges, and driving in Punta Cana wasn’t a bad experience. Plus, whether you are roaming or purchase a SIM card, you can use WAZE or Google Maps to get around easily.
  The cost
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It’s safe to say that Punta Cana is a pricey vacation spot. I mean let’s face it: it is an area developed for tourism. However, plane ticket and accommodation aside, it wasn’t too bad on the pocket. Grocery shopping is so affordable, we were actually in shock! During our first supermarket run, we bought food items, more alcohol, toiletries, and just so much stuff for the four of us, and somehow the bill was only $120!!! If you live in Jamaica, you can understand how cheap that is for a full cart of things for four people.
There are many affordable options for dining out. Depending on your budget, you can spend anywhere between $10-60 on a meal (sometimes including cocktails). Just do your research beforehand and explore your dining options. We were also happy to have a place to cook in so we could budget our meals efficiently.
I had initially placed our total budget (airfare, accommodation, car rental, food, excursions, “braffing”) at $1700-$2000 USD per person. And while we did upgrade the car rental, we stayed within that budget range.
  My tips + thoughts
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Get a Spanish dictionary app. Know the basics! I’m not going to lie, I felt like I experienced more of a language barrier in DR than I did in Cuba. Some do know English, but we did experience several service persons who did not speak a lick of English. Just because it’s a tourist destination, do not expect everyone to know Enlglish!!! You are in a Spanish-speaking country!!!!
Purchase the SIM card. I don’t care how much of a shella you are, once your phone is unlocked, purchase the $10 SIM card from Claro. $10 is so affordable and it’s unlimited data for a week. Like… where [else] dey do dat at????
Buy your alcohol in Duty Free when you land. If you plan on getting lit like we did, get your alcohol (especially champagne, Hennessy, tequila) in the duty-free store because it’s so much cheaper! They had some great deals (like 2 bottles of Moet for $120USD) and they had these delicious fruit-infused spirits. You can sample them literally as you step out of immigration. We bought the Papaya-infused Tequila and the Mango-infused Rum. The only downside is we did have to mix some Appleton in the cocktails because those spirits are only 20% alcohol and in Jamaica we’re used to 40% Appleton and 63% White Rum so you know how that goes…. 😁.
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Drink bottled water. While the water is relatively clean, depending on where you’re from, you can still get traveler’s diarrhoea or some kind of stomach reaction. I prefer to keep it safe – especially after getting sick in Cuba 🤦🏾‍♀️.
Do not wait until the last-minute to buy souvenirs! We waited until the morning we were leaving and headed to Bavaro to find some souvenir shops. A lot of those places don’t open until midday, so we couldn’t wait and ended up with the limited (and overpriced – $9 for a shot glass 😒) airport finds. Try to actually visit some local stores outside of the airport.
Be open to new experiences – especially food! While you will find American chains such as Wendy’s and Pizza Hut, do not travel to a new country to only eat French fries and pizza! Try some local cuisine – explore the food options!
While it is disappointing, there is a chance you could experience some racism or prejudice while in DR. I don’t want to bash the entire island for 2 instances we experienced, but I do think it is 2 too many. However, if you’re familiar with how some Dominicans think about black people and people of Hispanic descent who don’t speak Spanish, you’ll understand why we weren’t exactly surprised; we were more taken aback that this could happen in a tourist area like Punta Cana, when so many tourists from all over the world come to visit year-round. Anyway, please don’t let those two incidents discourage from seeing all that Punta Cana has to offer. We had a wonderful time otherwise and were met with warmth and hospitality from the other locals.
  Tips for planning a group trip
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Plan your trip at least six months in advance. This gives people enough time to bail on plans to commit to everything.
Be cautious of who you invite on a group trip: personalities clash and nothing is worse than spending a ton of money to go see a new country only for a spoil-sport to rain on everyone’s parade. Take into consideration personality traits and rooming arrangements (don’t invite a neat freak and a messy Betty and have them room together – that’s an argument waiting to happen).
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Plan your budget from the jump and set a reasonable timeline for that budget. A good thing to do is to mark up all costs, so there’s some wiggle room in case things come up or prices go up (or if you live in Jamaica, you can work with the fluctuation of the dollar). It’s better to come back with some extra funds than to have an insufficient amount while overseas.
Pay for things as you go along to avoid having to fork out a lump sum. Since the budget for this trip was kinda steep, I made sure we paid for things over the six month period, so that by the time the trip came around, any money spent would be on going out and other trip expenses. We started by paying for the Airbnb from September (you can pay 50% upfront and the balance 2 weeks before your trip), booked the flights in October, shopped for outfits between November and December, paid for excursions in January and by the end of January we paid the balance on the villa. By the middle of February our only costs were things paid for in DR. This was so much easier than forking out $2000USD one time! After all, my friends and I don’t have sugar daddies are not big ballers (YET!).
Try to make an itinerary beforehand: this way, you can have an idea of what each day will be like (what will the wake up call be? will the lunch spot be close to the activity we’ll do in the morning?), and you can efficiently plan your outfit options based on what you’ll be doing. I’m a foodie, so I also like to check restaurant reviews and menus before I go so I don’t waste money on bad tasting food. Not to mention, this will help you stay within your budget so you don’t end up going to restaurants with four dollar signs and have no money left in the budget for activities. But keep your options open: certain places may not pan out, so it’s important to have back-ups. I’ll be sharing my psychopathic  PDF with you guys at the end of this post.
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Have you ever been to Punta Cana? Are you planning a trip there? Comment below and let me know. Feel free to ask any questions also ❤️
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¡DESTINACIÓN PUNTA CANA! If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. 3,648 more words
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henrysbritlitblog-blog · 8 years ago
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Donald Trump and the Arthurian Narrative
One of the more prominent characterizations of a ruler in Arthurian literature - especially in Scott’s Ivanhoe  and White’s Once and Future King- is military conquest. We watched Wart’s evolution in role from humble servant/squire to that of the Legendary King Arthur. In Arthur’s younger years as a leader, he was excited and invigorated by military conquest. Arthur fought to assimilate the defeated peoples into his own kingdom and forced upon them a new way of life - a “better” way of life by his standards. He was King and therefore knew best - the “might makes right” concept. Scott’s Ivanhoe was also a faithful soldier in the Third Crusade in which chivalrous and pieous glory was leveraged to justify an extensive and relentless military conquest against Saladin for control over the Holy City Jerusalem in the late 1100’s[Ref(1)].  It was for the benefit of one group (the Christian Normans and Saxons of England) for which the Perfect Knight and Richard the Lion-hearted fought, strongly displaying the “might makes right” characteristic of leadership. This webpage describes how both Saladin and Richard both fought for the same reasons but on different sides:  
http://www.shadowedrealm.com/medieval-articles/exclusive/richard_saladin_warriors_third_crusade
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[Above: King Richard slays a muslim noble. (From Pinterest)]
But Arthur eventually came to a critical conclusion after White’s Merlin paralleled his conquest to that of Hitler: “might isn't always right”, and might should fight for what is right by moral standards. Military conquest in support of “Might for right” is a cumulative metric that emerges from the Arthurian characterization of the leadership of a good ruler. We can even criticize Richard for personally entering the Crusades when his country needed him most. As a result of his military exploits, his position was usurped by John and the kingdom fell into unrest. Let’s analyze how our current President Donald Trump measures up with this metric of leadership by looking at his recent military action against the President of Syria Bashar al-Assad.
During the previous presidential administration, Trump warned Obama through Twitter “Do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside.”[Ref(2)] It has been argued across many platforms that the best way for America to be involved in the civil war would be through political pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to walk away from his office. This approach would mean less US military involvement and more discussion on political pressure.  Now with Trump in the White House only a few months, he has apparently revised his position on the Syrian situation and authorized the delivery of 59 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles into a Syrian airbase where, according to intelligence reports, a chemical attack was launched on rebels who are politically opposed to the Syrian ruler. 
In the heat of the moment, the Administration's actions were hailed as strategically decisive and courageous. Any news report we saw that day commended the retaliation on the Syrian airbase. But in a press release Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard rebuked Trump’s retaliation, saying it was reckless and complicated the Syrian conflict.
“This Administration has acted recklessly without care or consideration of the dire consequences of the United States attack on Syria without waiting for the collection of evidence from the scene of the chemical poisoning...However, because of our attack on Syria, this investigation may now not even be possible. And without such evidence, a successful prosecution will be much harder.” [Ref(4)]
The Congresswoman’s remarks hone in on the characteristics of the leadership Trump displayed with this military strike. The American response to the reports of a chemical attack was short-sighted and possibly premature, in an example of military action by a ruler based on his singular definition of the right thing to do - a clear example of the “might is right” concept. Many have criticized the US as being the “World Police”, pushing our ideas of foreign policy on those who have different ideologies than our own and using military action where diplomacy could have been used. Think of the movie “Team America: World Police”, and realize that this satirical film was based on just that idea of “might is right”. Only time will tell how the inevitable Syrian reaction will play out but what we can say is that Trump’s actions last week are completely inconsistent with the Arthurian characterization of strong moral leadership of a ruler, he was in fact acting in the “might IS right” style rather than the “might FOR right” capacity.  
Another very important aspect of a leader, which shows up a bit in Ivanhoe through the character Wilfred of Ivanhoe and shows up quite extensively in The Once And Future King through the character Arthur, is courage and bravery. One reason for why this is a vital piece of being a great leader is simply that leaders must make hard decisions where there is no right answer, and they must be able to back up their decisions through force and/or dexterity. Another reason is that a leader may have to show that courage to be chosen (or take over) a position as a leader. The latter example applies in many countries today (like Syria), where revolutions are occurring and the most courageous and brave will persevere and become the new leader(s).
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In the story Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, the protagonist's name is Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Wilfred shows a few signs of his courage and bravery. One of these examples follows. “Finding himself now at his ease and near shelter, his curiosity began to awake, and he demanded of the guide who and what he was. ‘A Palmer, just returned from the Holy Land,’ was the answer” (Scott, Ivanhoe). A “palmer” is someone who had fought in the Crusades. Just the fact that Wilfred had been in a war, had actually been in the Crusades shows plenty of courage and bravery. To be willing to die for a belief or for a country clearly shows someone who is brave and may be capable of leading that country.
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The other novel being looked at too answer this question of courage and bravery in a leader is The Once And Future King by T.H. White. In this novel, the protagonist’s name is Arthur and he is plenty brave and courageous. Even the small things like sleeping “out of doors” and continually being persistent and sticking his neck out to continually try to hit the target show courage and bravery on Arthur’s part. On page 55, Kay (the Wart’s training accomplice and brother) was “afraid” of the crow taking the Wart’s arrow mid-air, but the Wart was described as “furious.” This little quote just shows that Arthur is someone who is wired to be courageous and brave, to take on large adversaries and come out victorious. And the larger things, like when Arthur insists on turning into an ant (though, he is not ready in his training) to get through a keyhole and help Myrtle. Or when Arthur helps Robin Wood save Friar Tuck even though he is a young man and not an adult. Arthur simply exudes courage and bravery throughout the story.
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To apply this bravery and courage narrative to our current administration-namely Trump, I think it is important to state that I do not agree with everything that he is doing, but I do think he is courageous and brave in military matters. With his “small loan” of one million dollars, it probably did not take much of this bravery to become a successful business mogul in our society. However, as president I have seen him and his administration be very brave in sticking up for the little guys and not allowing terror to be openly struck amongst the people of the world. How does he stand up? Well, he certainly stood up when he sent 59 missiles at Syria in retaliation for their government pulling a massacre of 90 people with chemical warfare. To compare, our former administration under President Obama did not stand up after a similar chemical attack in the same country - even though he and his administration said that they would. So, within 100 days, President Trump has already shown more courage and bravery than President Obama did in his eight years in office. Another way in which he has stood up is by sending his “armada” (though, there was a bit of a detour) to the Korean Peninsula. This is showing bravery to extend out and attempt to protect South Korea (and really the world) from the ever-so-unpredictable and illegitimate tyrant Kim Jong Un. This comparison is very important to me because while I disagree with many of the social and domestic aspects of this administration, I completely back this administration’s foreign policy and use of military force when necessary. While I do think social aspects are very important, which is why I register as a Democrat, think of the situation we would be in if it wasn’t for the previous emphasis put on our military. In these stories we read, there is always conflict throughout the land of England and the righteous one wins out in the end. In our real-world conflict, I choose to believe that America and Trump are the righteous ones when speaking on the conflict in many Middle Eastern countries and with North Korea. So, hopefully our world works as the novel does and we defeat our enemies who deserve to have their regimes come to an end.
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A common and strong connection can be made between many leaders and patriotism. Patriotism is, “the attachment to homeland” and it is often found in the people who represent and lead a country. It is certainly found in the leaders of the tale Ivanhoe as well as a clear characterization of the United States current leader and President, Donald Trump. In Ivanhoe, we see two cases of patriotism, one with King Richard and one with his brother, Prince John. There appears to be a healthier case of patriotism as well as a very unhealthy and extreme case. The desire to become a leader naturally comes with the passion for the country being lead, it is clear that King Richard has this passion as a king and fights for his country. While it may be viewed as uncaring and dismissive of King Richard to have the throne to go and fight, he is doing the dirty work of a king and fighting for the country he cares for. John has reached an extreme and unhealthy side of patriotism. As a Norman king he feels a sense of patriotism for his country as well as for his people and will go to extreme lengths to make that clear.
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Donald Trump, like Prince John in some ways, exhibits an extreme case of patriotism. Donald Trump’s entire campaign and message to the United States is “Make America Great Again”. He is famous for this attitude that anything can be solved and he is the one who can get it done. He is willing to go to any lengths to protect the United States and has already proven that he will. He has already sent missile strikes and is planning to take on the issues of North Korea. It is hard to say whether patriotism in this case is good or scary because it can very easily go either way. Both Prince John and Donald Trump could use their overwhelming passion for their countries to do so much good but they could also lead their countries into absolute destruction if they are not careful.
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In all of the Arthurian stories we have read and especially in The Once and Future King, leaders are characterized by their patriotism and their love and pride in their country. King Arthur was an example of how patriotism can be a good power and it can fuel a good King and any good leader. Prince John appeared to be overwhelmed with the patriotism he had for his native people and treated others unfairly. Today, we wait and see which way Donald Trump will swing. The hope is that he uses his passion to make good changes that need to be made, the fear is that he will use his power to start WWIII.
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The Arthurian narrative portrays men as being strong, brave, and patriotic, but it doesn’t use the same glorifying light to describe women. In fact, it is far more likely that the Arthurian narrative will describe women as less than men; they often cannot obtain the same positions of power, or are treated as if they aren’t even people with thoughts and feelings. The rulers in the Arthurian narrative have extraordinary amount of chivalry, meaning they are kind and dutiful to women, but this chivalry often undermines that woman’s personhood and glorifies men. Though these stories were written about a time when women had far less rights than men and feminism didn’t even exist, Donald Trump exhibits some of the same chivalric characteristics as these Arthurian rulers.
This sexism is a common theme throughout the Arthurian stories we have read. In The Knight’s Tale by Chaucer, Emylye asks to be her own woman without being forced into marriage, but that request is denied, and she is forced into marriage. In The Once and Future King, women are once again given the backseat with regards to who can sustain a position of power. Guenevere is seen as powerful, but only for her marriage to Arthur. Finally, Ivanhoe characterizes women in a way where they are subjugated to their traditional stereotypical roles as women: Rebecca tends to Ivanhoe’s battle wounds, and Rowena represents the ideal match for an Arthurian ruler because she is beautiful, loyal, and chaste.
To a certain extent, women in these Arthurian tales are treated as objects. This is more evident in older stories like those of Chaucer, but it is also true of Rowena in Ivanhoe. She is primarily considered as an object that represents worth when she marries someone. De Bracy attempts to court her for marriage and Athelstane tries to marry her to another Saxon so that their children would have good blood. She is never expressly given a choice and she doesn’t get to be as powerful or important as the men in the story. Donald Trump seems to treat women in a similarly demoralizing way. In 2016, a video was released of him speaking candidly about how he likes to treat women:
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Since most Arthurian narratives are usually told from the point of view of someone living in that time period, it makes a lot of sense that the rulers in these stories would act in a way that prioritizes men. There was no such thing as feminism, and chivalry was viewed as a positive thing for women. Despite the difference in time period, Donald Trump shares some of these Arthurian qualities. He has demonstrated that he views women as objects most worthy of compliments for their appearance, and he has undermined many powerful women in the process. Although the effects of these sexist ideas has changed, the way that Donald Trump and many Arthurian rulers view women is the same.
References:
Cable  News Network, 19 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Cohen, Claire. "Donald Trump Sexism Tracker: Every Offensive Comment in One Place." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 04 June 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.
Coll, Steve. "Trump's Confusing Strike on Syria." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 07 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Featured Character: King Richard - Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2017
Lawson, Rich. "Richard and Saladin: Warriors of the Third Crusade." Medieval History Resources - Shadowed Realm. Shadowed Realm - Medieval History Resources, 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Lendon, Brad. "China criticizes North Korea, praises US on nuclear issue." CNN.
McKirdy, Euan, and Barbara Starr. "Syria strikes: Site of chemical attack hit again.”
CNN. Cable News Network, 08 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Post, G. (2017, January 23). Trump Declares National Day Of Patriotism. Retrieved April 21, 2017
"Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Trump's Military Strikes in Syria Are Reckless and Short-Sighted."Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Press Kit, 07 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
RT.  “‘We are sending an armada’ MSM getting heated over US, North Korea tensions".
Scott, Walter. Ivanhoe. London: Dent, 1970. 20 Apr. 2017. Web.
Seattlerock. "Trump Gets Caught Saying "Grab Her by the Pussy"." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Oct. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.
Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Ivanhoe Theme of Patriotism. Retrieved April 21, 2017
US News Today. “BREAKING: President Trump Orders Military Strikes, more than 50 Tomahawk Missiles Fired into Syria”. YouTube.com. Published on Apr 6, 2017. Accessed Apr. 18, 2017. 
White, T H. The Once and Future King. , 1987. Web.
Youtube. Abc network 14/4/17. Video. 20/4/17.
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