#but its hard because. well. all women of every race are on average mid.

[blurrymango]

When I look at her. The faggotry leaves my body. And my only desire. Is Asian women.

She is not thicc but she's a trained soldier or whatever so she could still crush my head between her thighs. Thank ffuck for that.

[lcnelyinthesky]

admiration - tsukishima kei

a/n: okay hi?? im ellie?? heres this??? i worked on it for like four? days?on and off? and its longer than any oneshot ive written but yk shes cute ig. pls be nice pls enjoy... but also my last piece got 2 notes and im really hopin in not shadowbanned here lmao

genre: fluff, angst, rivals to lovers!!

pairing: bisexual!female!reader x tsukishima kei (yes bi reader its a vibe)

warnings: a break up with a beautiful woman i made up myself, swearing

word count: 3.7k (ahhhh!!)

enjoy!! :D

Elementary second year. Your newly-assigned seat was next to a much taller, blond kid. He was smart and bright, rivaling the sun in terms of unbridled joy. Now, none of that can be seen by eight year old eyes, but looking back and comparing, it's easy to spot that he changed. 

Tsukishima Kei was an excitable kid, just as everyone was, but he was still snarky; his arrogance seemed to be something that just festered within his soul, no matter the trauma that brought it out. 

Childlike wonder is still alive and well at eight. 

The teacher you had back then was quite rude. She was pushy and angry, and she assigned way too much homework. Everything she uttered made you huff in disappointment, crossing your arms and hoping for some sort of reaction from someone. The kid next to you was named Koji--or, at least, that's what you called him. He was your best friend, spending every moment with you like you were siblings. You'd be able to crack a joke with the smallest glance and you’d talk constantly. As soon as your handwriting was legible to people of your age group, you'd pass notes back and forth and cackle at their contents. Until, of course,

“Tsukishima, will you switch seats with Kojikata today?” Your teacher sounded exhausted, huffing her sentence out on a sigh before going back to the multiplication tables on the board. Suddenly, your little world was interrupted.

“Y/N, right?” He didn’t look at you, placing his folders down on the desk and pushing his glasses back up as he sat. His words were hushed and quiet, but the class had moved into individual work--he wasn’t interrupting anyone.

“Yeah. Can I call you Tsukki?” You were angry, gripping your pencil tighter in your little hand as you wrote numbers down on white paper. One times one is one. Two times two is four. This is easy.

“No,” he was long doing the same thing, but writing quicker than you. That’s how it is, huh?

Three times two is six. Four times five is twenty. Six times three is eighteen. Five times six is thirty. This is easy-

“Miss, I’m done.” His voice was always so dry. Uninterested. 

Four times three is twelve. “Me too!” Your hand shot up with the paper in it, sending a death glare at the boy next to you.

That's how it is, huh?

This pattern continued for weeks. Tsukishima didn’t move from his seat next to you, as your teacher had made the realization that you worked far harder without friends around. Tsukishima lit a competitive fire under you; everything was now a race.

It started with handing in assignments. Who would go up to the front desk first to have their work checked over? Who would finish this quiz faster? Then it transferred into everything. 

Who would get to class faster? Who finished their lunch quicker? Who could read faster? Who scored higher on spelling tests? Who could run faster in gym class?

And then it was middle school.

Middle school brought in Yamaguchi Tadashi. 

It'd be an understatement to say he warmed to Yamaguchi quickly, but the basis behind that was strange. Tsukishima was never one for friends, even though everyone wanted to be friends with him. He was cool in the eyes of a handful of eleven year olds; letting everything roll off your back seemed to be an admirable trait. Yamaguchi worshipped him, and Tsukishima took him under his wing to teach him the ropes of being a cool kid.

At heart, though, Yamaguchi was kind and attentive. He could tell when things were going wrong, and supposedly it was him that changed the rest of your life.

The rivalry continued just as it had in elementary, just with higher stakes. You'd fight for answering questions first, working ahead of everyone else to just beat him. He’d never bat an eye at it, and sometimes you thought it was all over, but then

“Y/N.” Tsukishima Kei stood three steps behind you, looming over you with the height he was seemingly born with. The hallway was emptying by now, kids walking into their classrooms once again. The white floors rung with the quiet sounds of soft-bottomed shoes and a light above your head flickered calmly.

“Yeah?” You spun around to meet his gaze.

“What’d you get on that lit essay?”

“A 96. Why?”

“No reason,” he smirked and tilted his head up, looking down at you, “I got a 100.”

A huff and a stomp away gave him the answer he needed as he followed you into the classroom, sitting down behind you and next to Yamaguchi just as he did every day. The little shit.

Tsukishima was never better than you, technically speaking. On average and on paper, you were always both roughly the same. You'd fight for being top of the class, the position switching between both of you every day. You excelled in creative things while he excelled at sports, but both of you dabbled in the other. When people in your year began dating, everyone came to assume you two were. It was embarrassing, really, because Tsukishima Kei was a little shit know-it-all who will never beat me at anything ever and people need to stop thinking he will because he won’t I’m better than hi-

“Hey?” Oh right. Friends.

“Koji!” He never left, at least not yet. His nimble fingers tapping on your shoulder brought you back to reality, making you jump and turn around to face him, wrapping your arms around his body for a split second.

“You looked zoned” his face was riddled with concern that was easy to write off.

“Oh, whoops” a small blush heated your cheek as your hand migrated to rub your neck. “Did you want something?”

As you walked into the classroom a bit further, Koji sat on your right; he seemed to buckle down more when you had moved away from each other way back in the day, so there were less mid-class comedy shows. He grew up just as you had, and with the closeness of the two of you people began to think you were dating. At twelve, it was incredibly necessary to date someone--anyone. Theories bounced from everywhere and anywhere and with you it was either your best friend or your biggest rival. Your lack of attraction to either of them became the center of many late night crises. 

“Not particularly,” his gaze switched from you to the board again, beginning to write something down when he turned his head. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah! Of course I am,” you smiled at him, the kind of smile that made your eyes crinkle at the corners, and suddenly it was high school.

-

“Tsukishima is really cute! And he's smart, I heard that Kageyama wasn’t too bright somewhere.”

“But Kageyama’s so much hotter! His being a little dumb sometimes is endearing.”

“Are we not going to talk about that third year setter, Sugawara?”

“No, he’d never go for a first year. Besides, that Hinata kid is more of an enigma.”

“Have you even seen them play?” A howl of angry “yes”s fell over the crowd, trying to prove something. None of them had ever seen them play.

That asshole Tsukishima getting popular felt like a stab in the soul. None of them knew him or how much he sucked, but the amount of girls fawning over him was horrific.

-

There's something consistently poetic about young love, no matter where it comes from. Something extra sweet about holding pinkies in school corridors when no one is looking and seeing them every day, smiling loudly as the sun broke over the horizon all bright and early. The raging hormones and dumb, fake social hierarchies of fifteen make emotions run wild, and only the deeply immature end up helplessly infatuated. Others are more cautious, but there's only so many precautions one can take at fifteen. Sometimes some of us just want to be loved, no matter the sincerity of it.

Cared for, and whatnot. No harm in that, in the long run at least. 

“Y/N, right?” Her name was Mei. She was in your class; 1-4, just like Tsukishima. She was pretty. Long, black hair was preceded by two green streaks at the front. She’d always have those down, making her features look like a photo in a perfect frame. She had a collection of hair clips with small shapes on them that she’d have somewhere on her person at all times. Her more mid-sized body was paler than most, and she was covered in freckles and moles. Her eyes were an unusual shade of blue that looked deep enough to swim in. Her cheeks were always stained with a peachy blush that moved up her collarbones and into her ears, making her look like she was always smiling no matter what her face was doing. Karasuno’s school uniform did wonders for her curves, the skirt swaying up on occasion and making her look so damn perfect.

“Yeah! You’re…” a second of dumbfounded pause felt like years in your mind, coming to the conclusion that she was the most beautiful girl you had ever met. “Ojiro Mei?”

“Yep! I just wanted to tell you you looked really pretty today!” Her voice always had an upward inflection, and was higher than most. It was cute. Incredibly cute.

“Oh.” A moment of confidence fell over you like you weren’t in control of your actions, “you’re beautiful.”

“Thank you very much,” she bounced back on her toes and then rolled back to her heels, hands intertwined behind her back, “You’re too kind, Y/N.” Her sentences were always punctuated with an eye-crinkling smile.

Later that day, you found her on every social media account you could; she messaged you first.

When you don’t know you’re interested in women, it’s hard to notice that they’re flirting with you, but after a handful of supposed gay panic, you asked her on a date.

She was two inches shorter than you, and somehow that persisted no matter what shoes she was wearing. Every small outing with her felt like cloud nine--watching the sunset, small conversation over tea at a nearby cafe, cuddling in your bedroom with only a string of Christmas lights on. She always looked so wonderful in soft lighting, the potential cold of winter disappeared with pale beiges that made her freckles look like stars. Every action Mei ever did was soft and full of care. She could send every single emotion through her fingertips on your jaw, deepening a kiss you started moments before. She was like magic, until she wasn't anymore.

You supposed, when thinking back, that things fell out around month thirteen. The rose colored lenses everything was viewed through faded a bit, and it's easy to notice her pulling away. There were less late night phone calls and less recommended music and less hands running through your hair. Everything has a natural progression to the end, right?

“Do you still feel it?” It was raining. Large drops of water fell down to the floor, smacking the pavement at speeds you couldn’t even try to measure. She was wearing a bright yellow raincoat that looked almost dull in the four pm light. 

“Feel what?”

“Anything, baby.” All of her words ended with a huffed out sigh, like she was tired of something. Lying, maybe. 

You pondered the question, and it seemed like your hesitation gave her all the answer she needed. 

“Ya know, Y/N.” She looked down and grabbed your hands with hers, rubbing her thumbs on your palms as you grabbed around them. “This was fun. We had a good run.”

A solemn tear fell down your cheek at the ending, but there was no use in self pity or anger now. She was so sweet and kind, and it's truly unthinkable how she continued that kindness in the end.

“Yeah. A good run.” The pink in your cheeks grew as you choked out a laugh, pulling her in for one final hug under the dim fluorescent lights on the front door overhang of the school.

Fifteen came and went with love, and when sixteen rolled around you wondered if you’d ever be loved like that again.

-

A spirit can't be broken overnight, and if you’ve spent the last eight years of your life having a strong, consistent rivalry with someone, it won’t leave any time soon. Tsukishima and you were on similar playing fields for most of your life, but you had one thing he didn’t: relationship experience. In that way, you always counted yourself one point higher, like a boy scout badge. 

For a spell, however, your intensity changed. There was nothing more driving you than spite, and there was nothing you wanted more than to beat him. You were well into your second year of high school at this point, and--volleyball notwithstanding--you had wins over Tsukishima. You had seen him play volleyball, every match in his second year, and you deemed he was simply okay. You refused to count his success onto the list of wins for both of you.

June fifteenth. Tournaments were coming up around the corner when it happened, which explained every reason why he was there. You weren’t exactly prepared for the rain, so the best bet seemed to be sitting at the front entrance of Karasuno High School and wallowing in a little bit more self pity before you went home. You were just dumped after all, the tears weren’t done falling. 

The feeling between sadness and shame overflowed you, shades of yellowish green painting the world around you and churning your gut into oblivion. And the tears fell. It felt like a scene in a movie; in a few seconds, a strong, capable man would show up to your rescue.

“Y/N?” what the fuck?

He was sweaty. His face was matte from a light film of saltwater. He had a grey umbrella over his head, keeping himself dry from the still-pelting rain. His six-foot-two frame was covered with a black tracksuit, and he still had his sports goggles on.

Those fucking sports goggles.

“Tsukishima.” you deadpanned, trying to get him away as fast as possible. His words were snarky, as always, but this time laced with concern. Like he actually cared.

“What are you still doing here? It’s almost six,” he stood under the overhang with you, crouching to take a few feet off of his incredible height. 

“Sulking?”

“Ah,” he huffed and sat down next to you, “it’s not great for your posture, ya know.”

“Oh shut up, Tsukishima.”

“Remember when we were eight,” he looked up, studying the moths as they flew around the lights on the ceiling, “and you asked if you could call me Tsukki?”

“Vaguely, but we were eight.”

“Yeah, true” his head dramatically fell to his lap, staring at his knees as he chuckled, “but you can. Call me Tsukki, that is.”

An uncomfortable laugh fell from your lips, and he spoke for you, “this one kid, Koganegawa, the setter on Date Tech, calls me that too. It's not a Tadashi-only nickname anymore.”

“You say Tadashi-only like I wasn’t there first.”

“He never asked.”

“Would you have said no?”

“Probably” he hasn’t actually looked at you yet. 

“Should I not have asked?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Okay, Tsukki” you drew out the last letter, giggling at the situation before you had time to think about your emotions.

He noticed that you weren’t crying anymore and helped you stand, grabbing your hand and pulling you up. Tsukishima and you lived closer than you thought, walking the same direction and only splitting up seconds away from your home.

You walked in silence the whole time, but it was comfortable. While he was your rival, he was always a friend. There was nothing scary or intimidating about him, as is with most people when you’ve known them forever; it was almost like his facade just didn’t work on you. You were huddled close to him to stay out of the rain. 

The second you parted ways, you ran home. The rain was more of a drizzle now, but the temperature began a free fall--getting out of the cold as fast as possible was your first priority. Upon entering the front door and taking off your shoes and jacket, leaving everything to sit in the entryway, you took a shower. The rain didn’t do enough to wash away the pain of the day, and warm steam would let the rest evaporate. The expected unrelenting sadness wasn’t really present as much as was expected, though. Everything felt fine. Content. Okay.

-

And it continued that way. He sent you a snapchat asking if you had gotten home safely, which prompted a memory of you never giving each other your phone numbers. After a quick yes, tsukki. no need to worry ;), you sent him your number asking to play some game.

Whatever is meant to happen does, right? Any excuse for falling for him. You didn’t want to, of course, but things happen. Time changes. Thus, the excuses. Thus, the ignorance. Thus, the five stages of grief. 

It started with the denial, because no Y/N you can’t like Tsukishima Kei. He’s so competitive and mean and snarky and horrible and you hate him! Then, the anger, because Tsukishima sucks and he’s horrible and you’re going to punch him in his stupid cute face. Next, the bargaining, because please don’t let this be happening you’ll do anything to lose these feelings, even if it means letting him win at something. Going into the depression, because all you’ve ever wanted was to be free of this assclown and now you’re stuck thinking about him at three in the morning when you’re supposed to be dreaming about anything other than him. And finally, acceptance, when you scowl at him in the hallway because fuck, you like Tsukishima Kei.

The worst bit of acceptance is getting over it. Now you had to confront your feelings. Now you needed to tell him. 

It was roughly five months since he found you sulking on school grounds, and you regretted most days the way you let him text you every morning. It’d always be something stupid, like a joke about the novel you were reading in lit or sometimes he’d tell you, off hand, something dumb Hinata and Kageyama did at practice. Sometimes he’d text you, within the first twenty minutes of the school day, pointing out something little you did with your hair. They were never really compliments as much as comments; he’d say “your socks have a pink ring at the top” and give you nothing to work with from there. A simple yes would suffice, you always supposed, because “yes, tsukki. they do.”

He’d linger at his desk during the break between classes and would stay there if you didn’t leave, but would leave a few steps behind you if you did. He wouldn’t follow you, but he’d watch to know where you were going. Everything he did was concealed though--you'd only notice if you really wanted to know.

Yamaguchi was the only one to notice, even after a while of it. You’ll never know what he said to his friend, but the conversation you had with the aforementioned friend a day later gives some guesses.

“Y/N?” Tsukishima was never the shy type, and you knew him in the days where everyone was shy. He wasn’t loud, but he was bold. His words were always pointed and important. Everything he did always had purpose and intensity behind it.

“Tsukki?” You were sitting under a tree, enjoying the late spring weather of the beginning of your third year. Nothing became intense yet classwork wise, so there was ample time to chill on the school grounds. Overlooking the soccer field was a large oak tree. It was big enough to comfortably have multiple groups of people under its shade, but it was empty at the moment; save for you and the book you were reading.

“I was just wondering if you’d like to maybe go out sometime?” He somehow didn’t pause while talking, but his words came out more something akin to word vomit. You we’re more shocked than you should have been, if you had picked up on the signs. But you were feeling the same as he was, as far as you could tell.

“Sure, when?” You looked back down at your book for a second, placing the bookmark in it and folding the pages shut.

Tsukishima looked dumbfounded, standing there with his eyes bugged out and his mouth slightly agape. He started making unintelligible babbling noises, hoping to get something out that had any meaning at all. You took the reins instead, gaining confidence in his lack thereof.

“I was planning on getting coffee or something today after school. It gets really cold at night now, huh?”

“Yeah, I suppose.”

“Would you like to join me?”

“There's a break before practice today so” he hesitated, letting the pink in his cheeks finally catch up to the beating in his chest. “Sure.”

You wouldn’t have ever pegged Tsukishima Kei as the flustered type.

-

There was never a drop in conversation, as there never really was between you two. A whole life together and you still had things to talk about, mentioning everything from your individual childhoods to recent developments. Turns out he never knew what genre of books were your favorite. Or what kind of music you listened to. Or what any of your hobbies were. 

Turns out you both had more in common than you thought, competitive spirits notwithstanding. Tsukishima Kei was a strange man in every sense of the word. He was arrogant and snarky and disinterested and bright and passionate and smart. He was your rival, smug look plastered on his smug face making your chest bubble in anger just as it had a million times before--or was that admiration this time? The world may never know. 

All that was real right now was the deck of cards on the table, being separated out into a card game both of you learned as kids. The small, round, cafe table shook with every slap of your hands, but the basis of your relationship would always be competition. It's just that now the anger behind that competition was gone. All that was left was admiration. 

[charismastaticarchive]

manuela hc:

the grande dame : an exploration of lgbt/camp tropes and anime jokes leading to a complex and likable portrayal of a modern day stock tropes.’

the grande dame is a stock trope of Older Women who represent the stuffy, uppity matronly upper class to comedic effect. 

from the tvtropes page  : ‘they are usually a spinster or widow’ (such as manuela is Forever Unlucky In Love) and if they are married they will be a patron of the arts that drags her husband to operas, even more cultured than the ‘prima donna’ (which manuela was implied to be in the past, but has grown past to become a highly educated professor healer and warrior in addition to her talents in theatre). when the grande dame does have a sympathetic streak, they tend to be an oddball themself (like manuela). she can be a ‘moral guardian’ (and manuela’s skills are in faith magic and she does believe in the goddess), but failing their duty towards ‘respectability’ they turn to drink. (which sounds exactly like manuela).

we could just say that manuela was thus a complicated prima donna that gave up the theatre and turned to drink after aging out of her youthful beauty, into a grande dame figure. certainly, if you look at examples of the grande dame in classical literature, it seems to be a very open-and-shut stock caricature played completely for comedic effect, as does manuela’s whininess and flirtatious milf/cougarness and ‘well i never!’ esque tone. (and she certainly does seem to turn to drink for that very reason.)

but why would u ever compare an OPERA SINGER to classic literature when u could instead compare her to the stage and screen? she’s an actress with a theatrical personality. and that’s where the lgbt readding comes in, as well as why so many lgbt people are attached to manuela, and characters like manuela, in my opinion.

the grande dame has a storied history with the lgbt community. first and foremost, in western society, there was a long history where only men could be actors (this was true in many other places of course, but we’re focusing on the west as manuela’s characterization is mostly focused on western tropes). 

matronly older women characters played for comedic effect (such as the nurse in romeo&juliet, among other such classic roles), were thus played by men in drag. but the tradition of drag for matronly older women in theatre continued long after, to the point where the ‘pantomine dame’ is a storied character/trope in british pantomine---noted for its camp and ‘over the top’ performances, and the tradition continued across the sea in vaudeville drag performances---where lgbt people could graduate from grande dame roles to primma donnas in starring roles as women themselves, regardless of their assigned gender.

after the decline of the vaudeville era BECAUSE of its connection to the lgbt community (and sex work) during the prohibition/”progressive” era, the grande dame (and the inherent camp/gay sensibility of an older woman) did not just STOP EXISTING in the consciousness of western people, and especially not western lgbt people.

no, instead, the grande dame evolved into a still classically camp (over the top, out of place) but a character ever-more entangled in other classic tropes for tough/fierce/unhinged/dramatic women, that we still can see traces of today in every genre that lgbt people are attracted to.

from horror (whatever happened to baby jane and the 'hagsploitation’ that followed it) to musicals (mama rose in ‘rose’s turn’ is literally my tag for manuela but also cats the musical’s ‘memories’ could basically be the benevolent/sad grande dame mood), to fairy tales and children’s stories (Mother Gothel from tangled tho u could make a case for every disney woman villain and also scar as being one tbh, but also mia’s mother in a princess diaries is definitely one, and so is professor macgonagall), to spy dramas (judi dench), to biopics (from joan crawford to every queen pretty much ever) alllll the way back around to drag again (if you’ve ever watched drag race? half the winning snatch games are dames lol). to basically everything ryan murphy has ever done in his whole damn life, especially with Mother Jessica Lange.

the grande dame’s mean strictness and spite has come to represent a trapping for her secret vulnerability/softness (which is the source of her beauty), something lgbt people in particular can relate to as they have to hide their self/love from a world. the camp grande dame is almost always obsessed with beauty and age (so much of our community can’t picture getting old---or doesn’t want to, with many people being deathly afraid of hair loss due to hormones, etc. and then when it comes to attractiveness, attractiveness is often our measure of worth especially in the trans and gay sector, where ‘passing’ or ‘masculinity’ is viewed as a shorthand for ‘respectability’---and so many of us judge each other so harshly based on looks.) but more than anything, the grande dame is always LONELY, or alone, whether it be from being the best/most powerful/rich (and it’s lonely at the top), or in imposed exile due to her age/lack of beauty, the terrible things she’s done, the grande dame is almost always a metaphor for lgbt loneliness.

manuela’s characterization very much abides by these classic camp/gay sensibilities (as well as the classic ones). the modern day gay reading of the grande dame is a much more textured and layered one---but often, grande dames such as they done by judi dench in the 007 movies, or even ryan murphy using jessica lange in the politician---are still objectified by the male gaze with either sexual jokes, or as being made ‘more’ OR ‘less’ than human.... because the grande dame is such a stock trope (even when more complicated by Us Gays), the grande dame is either hypercompetent (in the case of litcherally all of judi dench’s characters or julie andrews’ characters, a Badass Older Woman who is not allowed to be anything more Than Tough And Perfect even when she is in a frenzied huff) or, on the other side of the coin, a complete and total joke or a sob story or picture of an abuser (or all three at once), such as in the case of All Jessica Lange’s Ryan Murphy Characters. Please God Let This Woman Be Free Of Ryan Murphy’s Clutches.

manuela, to me, represents an interesting figure in the Grand Canon of Grande Dames. 

because while she is in every way an anime character---she represents a trope in anime we don’t see often. there are not a lot of older women characters in anime, and when they are---they are usually mid-20s maximum, or they are Sexually Dominant Women, extremely strong and competent women that Can And Will Beat Your Ass ( such as in the case of tsunade from naruto OR lotus from 999, etc). manuela is, thankfully, neither of these.

while fe3h presents manuela as a joke---like classic grande dames were presented as jokes,  the way that manuela is presented, is as an ANIME character with ANIME jokes to people who are ALL familiar at this point with anime jokes, and we are able to relate to her more on a human level than we would relate to the fussy, bitter, overly loquacious grande dames of literature.

the average anime gamer can’t relate to a jane austen biddy talking to you about how the man you are dating is not of marriagable status, and does not think that is funny. but the average anime gamer WILL see you give manuela a porn magazine she thinks is ‘very valuable’ and chuckle a bit to themselves.

but more than that---the game really wants you to LIKE manuela. it makes her relatable to the average gamer who hasn’t cleaned their room in weeks---that sometimes will eat food off the floor, that likes to sing a little too loudly and who feels lonely sometimes (or always).

and even more than any of that, instead of presenting manuela as an UGLY or evil old woman, or an abuser, or an extremely rich woman, and in presenting manuela instead as so very likable and funny, it presents manuela as someone who looks and acts desirable as a friend (and a lover). manuela is a grande dame who is not only sympathetic---she’s human AND FLAWED, just like you, even when her behavior is all jokes and huffiness.

you WANT to be manuela’s friend. you WANT to look deeper into manuela as a person and not a trope---even though she is OBJECTIVELY made up of anime jokes and stock character tropes!

and so this game ends up painting a picture of a lonely woman, a woman who considers herself weak, a woman who is messy, and funny, and loud, who fights (and sometimes is bested by those who are stronger than her)--who pushes other women out of the way to get ahead, but still loves children, who still wants (and deserves) to be loved. even tho most of this information, as manuela relays it to you, is viewed as comedic.

and as manuela is not painted as the grande dame who is a villain---as she is painted so beautifully and theatrically in opera tropes---you can really and truly see her as the star of her own show, a lovely woman trying to live her life the best she can in an adult world that is hard and cruel. just like you are, regardless of ur gender, age, or sexuality.

and from that point of understanding manuela as the grande dame, u can extrapolate manuela in ur own tropes that view her as more human and Deep---and in my opinion, most powerfully, that she is a bisexual woman and hopeless romantic that is most interested in ‘princely’/strong women types. but that’s a hc post for another day.

manuela is THE SUPREME ANIME GRANDE DAME and that anime recontextualization makes her a much better representation of older women than western canon grande dames, the end, send tweet.

[reelgalsofglasgow-blog]

The Golden Gals: The Reel Gals Academy Awards

The time has come. The envelopes have been sealed (with the right cards in each - we hope). We’ve been sewn into our best outfits. In lieu of an exuberant opening musical number featuring the ubiquitous James Corden, please enjoy a short clip of the best Oscars moment ever:

Honestly, if this year’s ceremony doesn’t open with just those fourteen seconds on a loop for a solid seven minutes, we’ll be sorely disappointed.

...

We know that all you’ll be thinking about now is that clip and basking in how gloriously weird it is… so maybe take a few minutes, watch that clip another eight or so times just to be sure; grab yourself a cuppa and settle in - because it’s time to announce our own Reel Gals Academy Award winners! The ‘Osc-hers’, if you will.

Ask any professional in TV - and they’ll tell you that the best entertainment always starts not with an idea or any spark of passion… but with a spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are the equivalent of Amino Acid for British TV programmes. Boring, but true. So we put together a spreadsheet listing each category and, depending on how many nominees, numbered them 1-5 (or 1-8 in Best Picture’s case) where 5 = favourite nominee. Then the magic spreadsheet worked out the average for us because damn, we’re not NASA.

With all our votes cast (unfortunately four of the categories had to drop as we just couldn’t get viewing copies in time - sorry Documentaries, Short Docs, Live Action Shorts and Foreign Language films!) our WhatsApp group chock full of planning for hectic last-minute trips to the cinema, trailer breakdowns, Spotify playlists, Adam Driver spam [Sorrrrry ~ Jen] and late night Netflix binges - we’re ready to present our own personal winners of each category - JUST in time for the ceremony itself.

Will we be as off-the-mark as the Academy not putting Emily Blunt up for a Lead Actress nomination for her stellar work in A Quiet Place? Or will it turn out that we are actually a collective of omniscient New Age Mystics, ordained by the gods of Hollywood themselves - imparting our sage wisdom and knowledge of the Future? Who can tell? Not us. (Or can we??)

So, get Red Carpet ready and join us for our 2019 Oscars picks and their close-fought runners-up, as voted for by us!

LEAD ACTOR

1. Christian Bale - Not gonna lie, it’s difficult to completely lavish Bale with praise considering that a major part of the prep in his transformation into the illusive Dick Cheney was “eating a LOT of pies”. If I was paid on the premise of my pie eating abilities, I’m pretty sure I would be up for an award too, just sayin’. Anyway, he does a pretty good damn job of depicting someone that no one really knows a great deal about in the first place, especially viewers outside the UK (I had to google him twice).  His flair for delivering an all consuming, intense and seminal performance is as apparent as ever despite the layers of latex and make up to contend with. Particularly during the heart attack scene in which I found myself worryingly questioning how much red meat and cream I’d had in the last month. It worth saying that his performance owes a great deal to the aforementioned hair and makeup team, whose work is nothing short of astonishing.  It’s literally the only Christian Bale film in which I’ve never been attracted to Christian Bale, for real.  Considering that his last Oscar win was in 2011 for The Fighter, another dramatic, transformative role then he might be in with a chance. The voters have shown time and time again that they award convincing portrayals of famous figures so I reckon It’s a toss up between Malek and Bale this year, although with utmost respect to Malek, I hope it’s the latter. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Viggo Mortensen 

3. Rami Malek

LEAD ACTRESS

1. Olivia Colman - So, I always hear “Olivia Colman can do no wrong” and I have to admit that The Favourite is absolutely no exception. I first stumbled across her while heavily invested in Peep Show during my late teens, but it was really in Broadchurch that I fell in love with her as an actor (and while watching her acceptance speech for her recent BAFTA win, I fell in love with her as a person). I know that us Reel Gals were definitely a little divided regarding The Favourite as an overall film, but I don’t think any of us will have any major qualms if she picks up the Oscar this weekend. Her performance and portrayal of Queen Anne more than deserve it, and I stumbled around looking for the perfect phrase to express this embodiment, and her ability to make us empathize with this rather “brutish” historical figure. In the end what sums it up is Colman’s lack of fear to exhibit ‘grotesque charm’ balanced with her open vulnerability in the role of Queen Anne that (along with the other female-lead performances) kept the film afloat for me. [~ Kayleigh]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Yalitza Aparicio

3. Lady Gaga

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Mahershala Ali - Ali, to me is one of those faces (handsome faces) that, when you see, you can't quite put your finger on and when you IMDb search him you find yourself saying “Oh yeah, that's what he's in”, and to me that includes the fact that I forget about his Academy Award winning performance in Moonlight.  After Green Book I don't think I'll be forgetting him again and us Gals believe he should be receiving his second Oscar tonight to join his BAFTA and Golden Globe for the performance.  His portrayal of Classical and Jazz pianist Dr Don Shirley is the perfect accompaniment and antithesis to the uncouth Tony Lip portrayed by Viggo Mortensen.  I don't know enough about Dr Don Shirley to say that Mahershala embodies him, but I don't think that matters as much as the feeling watching his performance gives the viewer.  You can feel his frustration with Tony during their road trip, you can feel his loneliness in the hotels at night, you can feel his passion for music and playing the piano, you can feel his anger at how he is treated by the ignorant white southerners purely based on the colour of his skin and you can feel his love in the tear inducing final scene.  Any performance that can make me empathise with the emotions of an American male, mid-30s, black, upper-class, talented performer trying to overcome racism and ignorance in the American Deep South in the 60s (and if you hadn't guessed I fit none of those categories), is a powerful performance indeed.  Good luck Mahershala!   [~Robyn]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. Richard E Grant / Adam Driver

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Regina King - This may well have been the easiest category for me to vote on. (Even though I actually felt that this year showcased a whole lot of strongly-delivered performances, by so many talented women.) Regina King - wow - what a badass lady right there. I thought that the acting from all parties in If Beale Street Could Talk was so incredibly sincere, but especially that of King's. Together with the colour palette, soundtrack and cinematography, I was honestly so moved by the whole film (and am *entirely gutted* that it's been overshadowed by its competitors). I have only one complaint about IBSCT and that is that Regina King should have got more screen time. Everything I've seen King in I've loved and I have to admit that I was just happy to see this nomination, let alone think that her performance in IBSCT was flawless and even although she has some tough competition, that she fully deserves to win the Oscar. If Beale Street Could Talk represents love, passion, strength and power, whilst addressing themes such as race and equality - everything this film stands for, Regina King embodies in herself as a person and channels in her character, Sharon Rivers. It was refreshing to watch King and just believe her, believe in her character and believe in her as woman and a mother. You will forever be one of my heroes Regina, thank-you for sharing your talent. [~Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Rachel Weisz

3. Emma Stone

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Spike Lee - I’m almost pained to admit that my first experience of a Spike Lee film only came about during my 3rd year of studying film at uni (for shame).  The module was ‘The Importance of Soundtrack’ and in particular, the inclusion of pop, hip-hop & R&B music to accentuate social commentary and help establish mood, setting and underlying tension that any director worth their salt can’t express through dialogue alone.  I remember leaving the tiny Gilmore cinema on a Tuesday afternoon having watched Do the Right Thing and feeling unusually energised, awake and slightly angry -  but in a good way. Cut to roughly 7 years later, I’m leaving Cineworld, on my 29th birthday, no less,  after a screening of BlacKkKlansman, still vibrating with anger and frustration 5 minutes after the film ended. It’s the most powerful last 10 minutes of a film, but it’s not Spike Lee’s best. Nor do I think it’s the best film of the year (although I’m possibly in the minority of my Reel Gals peers in saying that). However, in light of a barrage of recent injustices in the US  - social and political -  it cannot be considered anything less than a vital and timely film which (despite its shortcomings) deserves all the Oscar attention it gets. Lee is a complete master in his unique ability to inject comedy and style into a hard-hitting subject matter such as blind, racial hatred. Since next year will mark the 30th year since Lee’s first infamous Oscar snub, I feel like it’s only right that the academy should Do the Right Thing (heh, you see what I did there..?) and honour him for managing to stay angry (or #woke, if you prefer) and keeping us angry - in a good way. [~Marie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Alfonso Cuarón

3. Yorgos Lanthimos

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse - If you were to pause this film on any frame, you could print it and hang it on your wall. Every single frame is a work of art. The Best Animated Feature category was extremely strong this year with the usual gorgeous Pixar and Disney outings that ordinarily would have snatched the title as they have done in previous years. Such is the power and unique brilliance of this film to take on the two Animation behemoths at their best and come out on top. Boasting twice the normal number of animators (177!!) to bring to life Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s vision for Miles Morales’ colourful and diverse world, it utilises a glorious twist of new and old forms of animation as well as ideas from print - halftones, hatching and overprinting as well as inserting comic cells and onomatopoeic graphics (“THWIP!” and “BAGEL!” are particular favourites). Not only have we mixtures of frame-rates for characters within the same frame (Whaaaaat?!) to denote Miles’ initial clumsiness versus the other Spider-People’s practised grace; but we’re treated to mixtures of graphic styles with Manga, Noir and classic American cartoon for each of the Multi-Verse Spiders - which shouldn’t work, but does here so, SO well. It’s easy to understand how 10 seconds of final cut content took an entire year for 177 people to create. Lovely little touches like characters stepping into Noir’s space being affected by his immediate ‘windy’ environment and the hand-drawn overlays and inserted comic style frames make this the most exciting, innovative and beautiful-looking animated film not only of 2018 but we believe also of the last decade. It is a true cinematic experience and one that not only deserves the Oscar, but also deserves recognition for changing the landscape of what’s possible for film animation. Also, not going to lie - a lot of us came out of the film inexplicably attracted to Peter B Parker and wish he was real. We would buy that man as many bagels as he wants, for sure. [~Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Isle of Dogs

3. Ralph Breaks the Internet

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. Bao - Pixar shorts. They are great. One of the Reel gooduns is, Bao. It’s kinda silly, it’s a bit weird, but ultimately it does what Pixar does best. It taps into very touching, emotional aspects of the human condition. Bao is a 2018 computer-animated short film written and directed by Domee Shi and produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was released with Incredibles 2 on June 15, 2018. It’s the shortest film of the shorts-lineup. Focusing on a middle aged mother is a wonderful perspective to choose. The film is about an ageing Chinese-Canadian mother, suffering from empty nest syndrome. She receives a rather unusual second chance at motherhood when she makes a baozi dumpling that comes to life as a boy. The film takes you by surprise at several points, after being lulled into a place of “OK, maybe this human baozi is something I can get on board with”, but it ends on a beautiful note. So, as Danny Devito once put it: “I like it, I love it, I want more of it”. [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Late Afternoon

3. One Small Step

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. BlacKkKlansman - Last year Get Out won the award for best original screenplay for its haunting, hilarious, terrifying, and almost ridiculously scary tale. Some thought this tale of fiction was too simple in its over-the-topness, but the message it wanted to pass was far from it. This year, the equally unbelievable and extremely important story of racism and bigotry comes in an adapted script form based on the true reports of police officer and KKK infiltrator Ron Stallworth. Released as a memoir in 2014 by Stallworth, screenwriters David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel were shocked to find out that no studios even bothered buying the rights to this unbelievable tale and independently adapted the work. It’s not just a brilliant story cause of what happened. It’s not just an amazing comedy cause of the clever dialogue. Its ingenuity, lies on how contemporary this ‘period’ piece reads. From dialogue that feel as if you’re reading the latest Trump supporter’s tweets, to the unbelievable and unapologetic beliefs some have and march for even today. And in case quotes from the Grand Duke of the KKK like ‘I just want to make America great’ didn’t give the film a terrifying enough case of the ‘history is repeating itself’, the brilliant end scene sure does. Thank you for your public service, one day *hopefully* we’ll learn from past mistakes. [~ Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

3. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Green Book - Well, I can genuinely say that Green Book is one of the most beautifully written and delivered films I have been blessed with watching at the cinema in a long time. Based on a true story, it invites the audience to join a world class African-American pianist and his Italian-American driver from the Bronx, on a concert tour of the Deep South in the 60′s - a difficult storyline, fraught with potential pitfalls, executed in a gentle and respectful way. Named after a legitimate travel guide that listed businesses that would accept African-American custom, Green Book confronts infuriating themes such as racism, segregation, class and sexuality – all of which are still issues today. The story encapsulates the growth of an unlikely partnership between the musician Dr Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) – quick note to talk about how outstanding, heart-warming and believable their performances were – as with time, the begin to respect, understand and care for each other. [Obviously there are questions about why Green Book would frame a story about racism in the Deep South around a white man’s experience - and have the man of colour take a back seat. Literally. My takeaway from the film was mostly that people aren’t defined by their class as much as they aren’t by their colour - just because Dr Shirley is black does not mean he ought to fall into tired old stereotypes - just because Tony is poor (by comparison) and working class, doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy the ‘perceived spoils of the upper classes’ - classical music or any of the rest of it. Dr Shirley expands Tony’s experience and understanding with regards race - while Tony expands Dr Shirley’s in class. In a post-Brexit and Trump world, where working class people are feeling increasingly marginalised and are partaking in scapegoating of people of colour as a result, perhaps Green Book (however problematic it may still be) presents a message that might get through to those people in today’s political climate? But of course, all of this is my opinion as a lower middle-class white lassie from the UK. ~Jen] 

As such, Peter Farrelly, Brian Currie and Nick Vallelonga (notably Tony Lip’s son) presents us with a rather Hollywood (in other words: soft) version of this story, resulting in a mixed response for this film (not from us down at Reel Gals HQ, we loved it), however, he tries to carefully balance out the hard-hitting, dark scenarios that our duo face on the road with the cleverly written dialogue and characterisation running into some really special, incredibly warm moments of character-driven humour.  

All in all, I would say Green Book is a cinematically stunning piece of work as well as a story of growth and respect; a feel good film that deserves the Oscar (I'm going to give Roma a quick S/O, as I do believe that it it too would be a worthy winner). I can also say that Farrelly really surprised me after some of the (in my opinion) trash that he’s previously had his name on (Dumb and Dumber, I’m looking at you). You will leave the film feeling warm, with faith in cinema and the inability to stop thinking about how much you want to fold up an entire pizza and eat it like a sandwich – I know I did. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Roma

3. Vice

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Roma -  Rumour has it that the revolution will not be televised, and up until recently, the category for Cinematography was almost relegated to the ad-breaks. Why John Bailey, why? Thankfully, after a public ballyhoo, we will be able to see the award presented via live stream (as well as Editing, Live-Action Short, and Makeup and Hairstyling). So why is Cinematography so vital to us?

 Let’s go back forty-eight years for a moment. Director, Norman Jewison once talked about how he created the warm, earthy haze of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) with the director of photography, Oswald Morris. They lined a lens with a pair of brown nylons seen on a woman on set (hello, 1970’s Hollywood!). Though Jewison shrugged this story off as a lucky spur-of-the-moment decision, it was made and carried out to stunning effect. Watch it and see. Almost half-a century later, and cinematography has continued to thrive in ingenuity and style.

 The Reel Gals have come together to appreciate Alfonso Cuarón’s, cinematographic mastery in Roma. Originally, Emmanuel Lubezki was set to take on this task, but there was an availability clash. Cuarón took over as well as writing the screenplay and directing the film. Lubezki remained an influence to Cuarón who said in an interview with Variety that Lubezki’s voice was in the back of his mind as he worked.

Roma is a semi-autobiographical take on Cuarón's upbringing in the Colonia Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City. Cuarón said of his stylistic choices:

 “I would say it’s the ghost of the present that is visiting the past, without getting involved, just observing, not trying to make a judgment or commentary.”

 With this in mind, I can see why he shot it in black and white. Actually, he shot it in colour with the Alexa 65, then paired it back to black-and-white, like a photo-realistic painter. The effect of this is that the film is crisp, and each scene seems almost 3D. When you take the colour away, other senses become heightened. The sounds in Roma, for example, are so much more present. The less you see, the more you fill in with your mind. Strangely, things seem more vivid in black and white.

 I recommend this article as it gives much more information about the visual decisions which were made. All I can say at this point is that as viewers, we intuitively respond to what has been crafted for us, and this craft should be celebrated. Alfonso Cuarón has given us an incredible film which (like Fidder) will be talked about by new generations of Reel Gals in another fifty years.  [~ Caroline]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Never Look Away

3. A Star is Born / The Favourite

BEST FILM EDITING

1.Vice - Of all of the films shortlisted for the Oscars, one has stood out as being one with as many ideas laid out in the edit as it was in the writing and shooting of the piece. Hank Corwin makes use of syncopation like the greatest of musicians - very frequently going places creatively you would never expect… cuts to black; use of archive; the visuals quite often were at odds with the sound, but in the best possible ways. It is frantic, meta, fourth-wall busting, juxtaposition-filled mania with a persistent overarching feeling of extreme unease and increasing dread - perfectly fitting for Cheney’s journey into Power.[~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. BlacKkKlansman

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. Bohemian Rhapsody - So quickly, for those of you (like myself before casting my votes) who didn't know the difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, Sound Editing is the creation and use of sound effects, Sound Mixing is the overall use of soundtrack including music, dialogue, sound effects, the whole shebang really.  Overall, although I thoroughly enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody, I'm not sure I agree with the amount of award attention this movie is getting.  Maybe being a big Queen fan the movie left me feeling like it was mostly a celebration of them as a band and lacked any profound revelation.  However what can be truly marvelled at in this movie is the recreation of Freddie Mercury's performances; credit where it's due, Rami Malek did a great job of becoming him on screen; but the reproduction of that incredible voice and Queen’s Greatest Hits is what really makes the film what I would call “The Queen Experience”.  After seeing the movie and rediscovering an old love by listening to the soundtrack on repeat I noticed that it included live tracks and demos, and doing a bit of digging I discovered that for the concert scenes they used the real live sound from the concerts being recreated, in fact these sequences were chosen around the choice of recording (although don't quote me on that, my sources are from the internet, could be fake news).  Also, to make the Freddie Mercury voice perfect some of the recordings were mixed with Canadian Christian Rock artist Marc Martel whose voice is so similar you can barely tell the difference.  All of this attention to detail along with the cinematic surround sound effects means that for millennials like us, unfortunately too young to have seen Freddie perform live ourselves, can feel like we were actually at Live Aid (sorry Adam Lambert, you don't quite cut it).  That sounds award worthy to me. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Star is Born

3. First Man

BEST SOUND EDITING

1. First Man - As I mentioned above, for those of you who don't know, the Sound Editing category celebrates the creation and use of Sound Effects.  There are certain members of the Reel Gals that would disagree with me on my analysis of First Man - I found it boring and too long and to be 90% Ryan Gosling not really acting and mostly just being mopey (and this is coming from someone who loves Ry-Go as much as the next girl).  However I can appreciate that creating the illusion of space travel relies heavily on sound effects, on this I cannot fault the film.  Any scene that features people in the cockpit of a space rocket or bouncing about the face of the moon (spoiler - Neil Armstrong is the “first man” to take one small step for man and one… blah blah blah you know the rest), is beautifully soundtracked with what I imagine since I have never been to the moon, realistic sound effects. [Like Pavlov’s Dog - if I ever hear that intense rattling from this version of the cockpit of Apollo 11 again, I will take a serious whitey. ~Jen]  There are no dodgy Wilhelm Screams during the upsetting cockpit fire scene or Star Trek-like door “wooshes” here.  Now maybe if these types of sounds had been included I would have been more entertained, but the sound effects were so realistic and in the moon landing scene almost beautiful.  So well done to the sound team for keeping me too firmly in reality with this film. [~Robyn]

RUNNERS UP:

2. A Quiet Place

3. Bohemian Rhapsody

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Mary Poppins Returns - I thought it was impossible to make a new Mary Poppins film and that attempting to remake a classic was just Hollywood proving it had run out of ideas but in the case of Mary Poppins Returns’ production designer John Myhre strikes a fine balance of appealing to the old eyes who watched the original and the fresh new ones experiencing this story for the first time. If you’re the one wearing the nostalgia glasses then each and every set in this film will make you feel like the kid you were all those years ago - from the cobbled streets of the reimagined 1930s London to the whimsical wonder that is the upside down house. This is where Myhre’s talent shines as he pays homage to the old while never quite replicating it. The house of 17 Cherry Tree Lane still looks and feels as if it has been lifted from Emile Kuri’s original designs but feels reimagined, the fingerprints of Michael Banks life as an adult are prevalent in every room - especially in the attic. Taking a trip up there feels like throwing yourself back in time filled with a clutter of old easter eggs that would thrill any fan of the first film - you don’t have to look far to spot the blocks used by Julie Andrews in ‘Spoonful of Sugar’ or the sash worn by Jane’s mum and of course the most notable throwback of all - the kite. In the end, this is a real house for a real man, in real depression who has lived a very real life but then cue Mary Poppins. The drab, brown and grey colour palette across the set bursts into colour as her mere presence turns this gritty reality into a magical fantasy. The mix of fantasy and reality blends seamlessly together so much so that even the expertly recreated scenes like Big Ben’s tower have a flare of magic to them.

I hadn’t realised until the credits started to roll that somewhere along the way I had taken my nostalgia glasses off and started to view this film as its own entity. Through beautifully crafted sets that meld seamlessly into the classic stylings of the animations, meticulous in detail, it captures the spirit of its predecessor but has an identity very much of its own. So, now I am prepared to eat my earlier retort and believe in the words of Mary Poppins herself - “everything is possible, even the impossible.”  [~Isla]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Black Panther

3. The Favourite

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. Shallow - A Star is Born - I have to admit, I’m rather gutted that All The Stars missed out on our number one spot (thanks Gals) but Shallow undoubtedly is a bit of a banger. “Is there somethin’ else you’re searching for” - Shallow poetically (when I say poetically, I mean pretty darn obviously) offers the audience an insight to both Ali and Jackson’s character growth throughout the film: Ali, looking to get more out of her life than it was offering her and Jackson, his deterioration in light of his dying career (is that a spoiler? Surely not!). Don’t get me wrong, I loved A Star is Born and genuinely think Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper *pauses for Bradley Cooper’s voice* have an undeniable connection, the way they perform together - both in this song and the film as a whole - left me with chills (an opinion shared by fewer than half of the Reel Gals) [I may have hated the film, but that won’t stop me beltin’ this mother out at the karaoke ~ Jen] - Shallow will live on and I am sure will be leaving with Academy award, however in my opinion, it’s not particularly inspiring or lyrically imaginative. Still love you, Gaga. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. All The Stars - Black Panther

3. The Place Where Lost Things Go - Mary Poppins Returns

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. BlacKkKlansman by Terence Blanchard - BlacKkKlansman marks the 19th project and 30th year of a Spike Lee/Terence Blanchard partnership and wowzers! Blanchard has composed a score that beautifully enhances the exquisite direction of Lee, capturing a sound that really drives the audience’s emotion throughout the film. Although I found it almost impossible to choose between all the nominations for Best Score, Blanchard has stolen top spot at the Reel Gals’ Academy Awards and to be honest, rightfully so! Terence Blanchard uses “his passion and desire to serve the story” when it comes to anything he composes, which is just one of the reasons he is fully deserved of the Oscar when it comes to the BlacKkKlansman score. He pulls in influences of Hendrix with the electric guitar (which in my opinion really captures Ron Stallworth’s character as a whole) and couples it with the power of brass, a combination that successfully delivers both chilling and comedic moments – alluding to what the audience should be feeling, rather than being on the nose. Terence Blanchard had the responsibility of composing for an unbelievable and haunting TRUE story and respectfully does so, joining Spike Lee in telling the a story of hate from the 70s and leaving the audience with the hard-hitting truths that we still deal with similar hate, even now. [~ Katie]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Mary Poppins Returns by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

3. Black Panther by Ludwig Goransson

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

1. Vice - Makeup and hair are such a crucial part of building the characters we see on screen - they help the actors embody the person they’re playing (literally!). The outcry when the Academy dared to suggest that they might bump this and other critical categories (Cinematography and Editing to name a couple for gawd’s sake - HOW DO YOU MAKE A FILM WITHOUT THOSE??!) to being hidden in the ad breaks was so vehement - and rightly so. I don’t know how many times I walked past the poster and ad screens for Vice and had next to no recognition at all for any of the main cast. When I eventually read the names under the pictures, I remember very loudly going “WHAT?! WHAAAAAAT?! all the way down the escalator in our local Cineworld (my partner can attest to his embarrassment at my outburst)… Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Amy Adams… and then we have Christian “So Method” Bale. 

Some people might argue that his transformation was mostly down to, as Marie suggests in our Lead Actor category, his increased pie intake and his unmatched ability to give himself over completely to the character.  But without the design and hard work every day of Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney, he would have just been “Thicc, Evil Christian Bale” - not an almost-indistinguishable-from-the-real-thing embodiment of political monster Dick Cheney. 

There is an absolutely excellent article I found in which Cannom talks website Vox through his design and daily process and it’s frankly incredible. < find it here >  More incredible still, once he had a cast of Bale’s head (whom he says was wary of the process of SFX makeup and prosthetics as he hadn’t done it before) he only had two weeks to design and build the various ages of Cheney onto Bale’s very differently-shaped head. The quality of the skin (given a sweaty shine by an application of KY Jelly as a final step to the process, hilariously) is impeccable; the build of the silicone to completely change the shape of Bale’s face is grotesquely gorgeous. Across the board this is one of the most impressive examples of practical makeup and hair SFX I’ve ever seen - and in an age of CGId top lips to remove stubborn moustaches and digital de-ageing processes getting more and more advanced, this film proves the practical way is as strong and vital as ever and fully deserving of taking centre stage - on air - at the Oscars. [~Jen]

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Black Panther - I couldn’t possibly pretend to be an expert on costume design or on the numerous African Tribal influences that have given these costumes their heart and soul. But, I can say that while watching Black Panther I was utterly blown away with the attention to detail, combined with the bold bursts of colour and creativity. I also can’t explain my sheer relief and empowerment of watching fierce female characters kick ass without the carbon copy, over sexualized outfit with matching heels. Now I don’t want my first blog post to cause too much of a divide, but I’m definitely referring to my eye roll during Wonder Woman right after I spotted those raised golden beauties... and just for the record, I actually loved Wonder Woman (and I love heels) but it was just so refreshing, and practical, without losing any of the superhero escapism we all long for.  The head costume designer Ruth E. Carter absolutely fulfilled all my ‘tribal-warrior-female-fantasy’ dreams (is that a category from RuPaul’s Drag Race?) and I left the cinema envious of her talent. Some of the costumes were literally pieces of wearable art and will no doubt be celebrated as such. [~ Kayleigh]

JOINT RUNNERS UP:

2. The Favourite / Mary Poppins Returns

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Ready Player One - This was one of the most difficult categories to vote for. All five films brought amazing innovations in the art of cinema and definitely deserve to be recognised for them and you know what, Reel Gals will! First Man combined a mixture of diverse sources for its aesthetic; visual effects, special effects, and even archival footage of the NASA launch. Solo gave us the perfect visual effect adaptation of the legend that Star Wars fans everywhere know as the 12 parsecs run. Christopher Robin created a photoreality mixed with shot on location footage so good, that its parody Trainspotting mashup video attests to its VFX perfection. Avengers: Infinity War had two different effects teams (TWO!) building the most realistic performance from Brolin’s onset one and could possibly land Marvel with their first ever effects Oscar. However, Ready Player One, created an entire virtual world that immersed characters and viewers alike by combining effects with animation. Remember The Overlook Hotel part from The Shining in the film? The blood? The scary twins and old lady turned into a zombie? That’s right, hand them that award now and then in true Mean Girls fashion, break it up and share with the rest. You’re all VFX queens. [~Lia]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Avengers: Infinity War

3. First Man

Which leaves us with just one more award to lay out… it’s the big’un. Can you guess what it might be, from our voting habits above?

BEST PICTURE

1. BlacKkKlansman - Winning our Best Picture vote - based on a true story, BlacKkKlansman is a spectacularly timely look at institutional and societal racism and bigotry - holding a mirror up squarely in the face of modern audiences. Set against the backdrop of the Ku Klux Klan’s ‘organised hate’ in 1970’s Colorado, it is equal parts horrifying and hilarious; poignant and relevant. The performances are compelling and perfectly balanced - most notably, the relationship between buddy cops John David Washington’s ‘Ron Stallworth’ and Adam Driver’s ‘Flip Zimmerman’ is nuanced and brimming with mutual respect, both for one another in character and as actors. The two have spectacular comic timing - but they both also boast the finely-honed acting chops to carry the Singularity-strength gravity of the themes presented by Ron Stallworth’s incredible true story. The beautifully-composed shots and off-kilter score compliment Spike Lee’s characteristically brave and politically-biting choices as director, exemplified particularly in the closing scene of his latest Joint, which (after a moment of levity and possibly the biggest laugh of the film) is affecting, desperately sad and deeply terrifying - and will stay with you for a long time.     [~ Jen]

RUNNERS UP:

2. Green Book

3. Roma

And that’s that. The audience’s sugar levels are low… The ‘get off the stage’ music has started playing… and the awards organisers are threatening to cut to an ad break. But before they can send the heavies onto the stage to forcibly remove us - it’s NOT OVER YET - *grabs microphone*  here are some nominations we would have added:

BEST PICTURE: First Man [Genuinely thought this was a shoe-in! ~Jen]

BEST SONG: Sunflower by Post Malone & Swae Lee for Spider-Verse [Honestly, the entire score for Spider-Verse was spectacular and I'm gutted it didn't get a nomination either, although it was tough enough as it is for best original score, as all nominations are stunning - BUT BEST SONG, where is this nomination? And WHY, GOD WHHHY is ‘I'll Fight’ on there? It genuinely made me want to pull out my eyeballs ~ Katie] [Couldn’t agree more. Ruth Bader Ginsberg deserves more than this old-fashioned early 2000s-style credit-roller ballad. You’re better than this, J-Hud. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTRESS: Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place

LEAD ACTRESS: Viola Davis for Widows 

LEAD ACTOR: John David Washington for BlacKkKlansman [This omission I think has slightly tarnished Driver’s well-deserved nomination for Best Supporting; with a lot of people asking why the ‘white guy is the only one to receive an acting nom from a film about a black man’s struggles with the KKK’. I would suggest that Driver’s character Flip, as DJW’s character Ron states: “Also has skin in the game”, being Jewish - it’s hardly him doing a ‘Scarlet Johansson’, given the point of the story is that he’s Ron’s proxy and crucial to his takedown of the chapter. But then it *is* difficult to argue that the intentions of the Academy were (whether subconsciously or not) entirely well-intentioned on the matter of not including Washington in the nominations. ~ Jen]

LEAD ACTOR: Steve Carell for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Steve Carell (again - what a year he’s had!) for Vice

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Timotheé Chalamet for Beautiful Boy

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Danai Gurira for Black Panther

VISUAL EFFECTS: Welcome to Marwen [This!! ~ Kayleigh]

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Whitney [I would also say the editing of this was fantastic, if it's good enough for the Edinburgh Film Festival then it’s good enough for an Oscar consideration ~Robyn]  

And despite the outwardly more-diverse-than-usual (which still isn’t saying much) nominee list this year thanks to an extremely influential #OscarsSoWhite campaign and hopefully the beginnings of a turning of the tide for Hollywood (we hope - it's about bloody time something improved) - it seems the Academy aren’t quite there with equality and representation yet...

BEST DIRECTOR: A woman. Any women, for goodness’ sake. It’s 2019! A nod to Glasgow-born Lynne Ramsay for You Were Never Really Here, Marielle Heller for Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Debra Granik for Leave No Trace. Just in case the Academy didn’t think they had enough choice! [~Marie]

At time of writing, the other main awards events for the year have been and gone - and the differences in nominations and winners laid out by the Oscars, BAFTAs, Globes and Critics’ Choice nominees lists vs the reality of women’s film work in 2018 are still quite stark - specifically in contrast with events like the Independent Spirit Awards - (admittedly films like Green Book and blockbusters etc wouldn’t qualify) - who lavished their awards last night on films like If Beale Street Could Talk; You Were Never Really Here, Leave No Trace and Sorry to Bother You - notably with many of the winners crying out for more female representation in the nominations for Directing and other categories in film in general.

2018 was the strongest year for representation of women in film yet - with places like the BFI Film Festival presenting more female-led films than ever before in its history and how vociferous the support is getting for equal opportunity and recognition - importantly not only from women - in calling out these omissions-by-gender, here’s hoping the Academy will catch on. Eventually.

But until that time… thanks for joining us for our little pre-Oscars ceremony and our first proper blog! Cheers for reading, sharing and any hits of the like button are greatly appreciated… Thank you to the Academy… we’d also like to thank our parents, everyone who believed in us, Adele Dazeem, dogs (all of them) for being excellent...

*Rugby-tackled by security guards and dragged off-stage*

Xx ~ The Reel Gals

(Find us on instagram: reel_gals_of_glasgow | twitter: ReelGalsGlasgow)

[wingsofwhales]

Romantic Comedies: Where’s the Beef?

My guiltiest of guilty pleasures: Romantic Comedies. Not that I’m guilty about my love for Romantic Comedies (though being male, society would probably like if I were guilty). Almost all big name Romantic Comedies prior to 2016 (or even earlier) typically followed a strict guideline in terms of how their stories progressed. Not only that, but they typically followed a strict guideline regarding their character’s gender, sexuality, and race. That shouldn’t be a problem for most individuals. I’m not most individuals, though.

I’m the big G word.

I’m gay. I’m not only gay, but I’m hella gay. I’m a hella gay boy who grew up watching hella heteronormative movies who made great sweeping claims about romance and love. Not only is there a lot to unpack in terms of how that idea of love portrayed in media emphasized toxic masculinity, but there’s plenty to unpack in terms of what the media portrayed on who can love: white, cis-gendered, straight couples. I am only one of those things (one and a half if you wanna be pretentious about my mixed heritage).

I’m not salty about it, though. I’m kind of salty. If I think really hard about it, I’m really salty, so I try not to think about it too hard. I am, however, not salty about Chris Evans in any of these movies because Romantic Comedies introduced me to what a man he is.

Love Behind the Big (Terministic) Screen:

“When I speak of “terministic screens,” I have particularly in mind some photographs I once saw. They were different photographs of the same objects, the difference being that they were made with different color filters,” Kenneth Burke describes his definition and idea behind terministic screens (Burke, 45). It’s a pretty simple analogy and one that works well with describing how we, as humans, view our world. In particular, it gives us a great lens with which we can view media because media is simply a number of filters one on top of the other, both literal and figurative.

Love is one such screen and is described in so many works and movies, but it mostly comes center stage in both movies about love (The Notebook and other Nicholas Sparks stuff) and Romantic Comedies (27 Dresses and a lot of Chris Evans movies). What all of these movies have in common and what’s prevalent in Romantic Comedies is the notion that love is between a man and a woman and if you dare see “a gay” in these movies, they’re typically the main lady’s best friend. Not touching on the fact that they’re typically stereotypes. Moreover, it’s that these movies not only label love as between men and women, but between white men and white women. I mean, name a Romantic Comedy with two black leads that isn’t a Tyler Perry production. Okay, you got me: Just Wright with Queen Latifah was amazing, but so are most of her movies. Regardless of that fact, there’s likely 5 Romantic Comedies that got more praise (they don’t typically get a lot of praise for their predictable and often unchanged format) for every Black Romantic Comedy out there.

Why is that?

It’s because society has labeled love as something that’s white, heteronormative, and cisgendered. And we’re born into that. We look at our movies and our shows and we see a white couple and immediately understand that that’s the American Dream. Any notion of something beyond that, or different to that is often considered ‘pandering’ to a small audience or adhering to a liberal, SJW agenda. Why can’t it just be the fact that there’s all kinds of love out there? And that not all of it is white, straight, and cis?

That’s Pretty Gay Tho

Kenneth Burke defines man as a symbol-using animal, “We must use terministic screens, since we can’t say anything without the use of terms; whatever terms we use, they necessarily constitute a corresponding kind of screen; and any such screen necessarily directs the attention of one field rather than another” (Burke, 50). In this effect, as humans we use language to define certain things and in a more complex realm, we twist language into media and media defines even more things. Language will always remain a tool for humans to define things in our lives, but our mediums are ever evolving and getting even more widespread. It’s why it can be both a boon and a disaster when we use media to define ideas that society has perpetuated and will continue to perpetuate until humans start defining things differently.

Being the big ol’ Gay has been on the negative end of this desire to provide a lens for certain kinds of perspectives. Homosexuality is defined as less than men, not even men, but also as a tool for the white woman to satisfy the needs her other female friends can’t and certainly not her love interest. But, furthermore, homosexuality has its spot in the media: tragedies. Because what is being gay if not either a walking neon sign or a big ass tragedy. There’s a reason a media trope has been named after us: Bury Your Gays.

Bury Your Gays, as defined by TV Tropes, “Often, especially in older works (to the extent that they are found in older works, of course), gay characters just aren’t allowed happy endings. Even if they do end up having some kind of relationship, at least one half of the couple... has to die at the end” (TV Tropes) And the quote it takes from The Guardian discussing A Single Man nails the trope right on, “Colin Firth simply drops dead for no reason. Presumably Overwhelmed by sheer homosexuality, his heart can no longer keep beating. Beware, non-heterosexuals: Sudden Gay Death Syndrome can strike anywhere” (Rawson).

To slam that nail right into the coffin, TV Tropes has an entire list and descriptions of how this happens in various forms of media from Anime and Manga of all things to Video Games. It happens everywhere and it’s frankly tiring. Why does my life have to be a tragedy? I’m not a tragedy. I don’t come from an abusive family. My mom and dad are conservative Republican assholes who I haven’t come out to, but they wouldn’t suddenly hate me and kick me out. My life is average. My life is full of love. And I don’t want to die. Why can’t movies show that to me? If life really does get better, then why isn’t media showing me that I, a Filipino Mid-Western Homo, can find love and the hilarity of life just as easily as the white straight man or woman?

It’s 2018 and society is just now deeming it okay to put funny gay love stories on the big screen.

Love Simon just released this Spring and it was the type of mediocre Rom-Com I was looking for. Well, it wasn’t mediocre, I actually loved it... but I can’t be asked about the quality of a film I’m so biased over. I can’t critique the film because I’m just too happy that I can see a part of myself in it. That I can laugh and laugh and not worry about sobbing sad-angry tears in the end because the main character or his/her/their love interest has just died of AIDS... again. Those stories need to be heard, yes, but not in such a way that we aren’t allowed to see other, happier versions of our stories.

And then we have the fact that not many of these Rom-Coms show diversity. It took 2018 to put a big Asian cast on the big screen (no, Scarlett Johansson is not in this movie).

There’s a lot to unpack and it’s hard not to be passionate and angry about it. It’s about time that these movies are seen and that they battle the terministic screens we grew up with, that our parents grew up with, and their parents before them. This idea of the American Dream isn’t just white anymore and it isn’t very realistic either. Where is the other half of my two-and-a-half kids? Why is a kid only half a kid? I know it’s some weird average based on statistics, but that’s just so weird to say.

But, regardless, terministic screens can be used to our advantage and they’re necessary in our every day lives. We need to set terms and we need to see them through specific lenses, but sometimes we need to see them through multiple lenses. You show Andy Warhol the same picture in different sets of colors and he’ll display all of them. So, why can’t we do the same thing? Why does there only have to be one set of terministic screens in which we are taught is the normal and everything outside of it is other, is tragic, or is not worth telling? Love isn’t just white. It isn’t just cisgendered. And it isn’t just straight. Love comes in many different shades and its about time that Rom-Coms realize that and show use the hilarity of a transgender protagonist without making their gender the butt of every joke. Or an overweight protagonist. Or a bisexual protagonist. Or an older woman as a protagonist cause old people can still fall in love and they’re still beautiful, thank you very much Hollywood. Of all things that we need to broaden the screens for, Love falls under that category.

Just stop killing the gays off please. Please. And please let Chris Evans play a gay protagonist... it’s the one thing I hope for before I die.

Works Cited Stuff

Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action. Empire State College, State University of New York, 1973.

“Bury Your Gays.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BuryYourGays.

Rawson, James. “Why Are Gay Characters at the Top of Hollywood's Kill List?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 11 June 2013, www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/jun/11/gay-characters-hollywood-films.

[allenmendezsr]

Insider Infiltration

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/insider-infiltration/

Insider Infiltration

 Buy Now

    Find Out What’s Really Going On Behind Closed Doors and Place the Same Bets as the Pros!

Hi there,

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because your betting profits have slowed, plateaued, or perhaps you were never making any decent money to begin with…

So now you’re looking for a change; some way to turn your luck around, to boost your betting bank and to make a nice chunk of change during these uncertain times.

Well, I have exactly what you’re looking for.

With my precise method, you can bet like an industry pro with daily tips that are based upon the most up to date and top secret insider information.

  And with said bets, you can easily make upwards of £10,000 per month from horse racing.

And it doesn’t matter who you are; whether you’re a student, full time employed, retired, a seasoned punter or you’re completely new to betting, as absolutely anyone can make killing with daily horse racing selections from Insider Infiltration.

In just a few clicks, you will be in receipt of daily tips that will see you £2,500 better off THIS WEEK!

And let’s be honest – it’s about time you had an extra few grand regularly topping up your bank account…

Pay your bills, wipe your debts, treat yourself to a few luxuries… You could even splash out on a new car!

And while you’re at it, why not quit your day job?

  There’s no point in slaving away for some ungrateful boss when you’re earning six figures annually, with ease, from just 10 minutes of betting each morning!!

But before we go any further, let me be straight with you for a moment…

I am not your usual tipster.

I’m not about to tell you that I’m some math genius who’s come up with an incredible algorithm, nor am I claiming to be some retired jockey, former trainer or big industry king pin.

What I am, is an opportunist.

When I see a chance to make money, I go for it. And who can blame me for that?

My name’s Paul, I’m for the West Midlands and I’ve always had ‘the gift of the gab’.

As a kid, I was liked by everyone at school. I could move from group to group seamlessly, and I could always convince the other kids to do what I wanted them to. Every scenario on the playground would play out in my favour.

And as I got older, I put my people skills to better use – making money and picking up girls!

I could charm just about every person I met.

I made great tips as a barman, excellent commissions as a door to door salesman, and I even made a sizable chunk of change playing poker with anyone brave enough to challenge me.

But after a while, I decided that I needed to aim higher, much higher. And that’s when I turned my attention to horse racing.

Growing up, my father loved the nags. He wasn’t a professional punter, but he’d head over to our local race track most Saturdays, and on occasion, I’d join him. That’s when I began to realise just how much money there is in horse racing… And I wanted a piece of that action. 

When I was in my mid-twenties, I began to devise a plan. I wanted to infiltrate one of the innermost circles of the equestrian industry, and find out how the hot shots really make their money.

I did my research, identified who the key players were and I dug into their backgrounds. I made mental notes of what they liked, didn’t like, and prepared to mould my persona accordingly.

Eventually, one sunny afternoon in Autumn, I made my first moves. Introducing myself as a friend of a friend of someone important, saying I was new in town.

With my charm and charisma, I wormed my way in easily. It was almost laughable.

I had infiltrated the insiders.

Fast forward two years and I’ve been invited to no end of private dinner parties, I’ve been on a ‘lads’ holiday to Prague with a famous jockey and a few other industry pros, and I’m even the godfather to a horse breeder’s son!

But the craziest part of all is, I can’t stand a one of them!

I hate the snobbery, the pretentiousness and the way they scoff at the poor.

And it turns out, the whole system is rigged. They’re all in each other’s back pockets and make racing as profitable for their own tight-knit group as possible. To hell with the average punter!

Who cares if you’re behind on rent when Geoffrey wants a new Porsche?

  Frequently, races are fixed. And because of this, I know the outcome of a race way ahead of time, and can therefore place my bets accordingly.

With just the tipoffs I overheard in that circles, I was able to make an average of £2,500 from horse racing, every single week!

And by doing no more than spending 10 minutes on my phone. I could do that in the back of an Uber, or even before I got out of bed!

It was so easy, it was almost unbelievable.

It felt like playing the lottery when I already knew the numbers.

  It was like printing money!!

For months I splashed out, buying clothes, gadgets and a new car. And I moved out of my small flat and into my dream house!

But eventually the parties, the women and the flashy things I bought, all came to feel shallow. And worst of all, I’D BECOME ONE OF THEM.

I was using my position of newly found power to make a fortune, while the average punter was losing his hard earned wages, playing a game that was fixed against him!

And so, I decided to do what was right.

That’s when I created Insider Infiltration. A tipping service that would level the playing fields for the average Joe Blogs.

I want YOU to have the same incredible opportunity to make money from horse racing as I have.

Growing up, my dad squandered away our savings at the bookies. And his losing streak eventually cost him his marriage, and ruined my childhood. 

If only he’d have known then what I know now.

I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes of every other punter out there who’s betting blind.

  And so from today I am going to send you the daily bets that cannot lose!

I still move in those insider circles. I get ALL of the most up to date race information. I know which races are fixed and which horses are going to win, at least 85% of the time.

  And so, if you actually want to make some serious money from betting, you need to sign up to Insider Infiltration right now and see for yourself just how beneficial an insider advantage can be.

“I always had my suspicions that horse racing was fixed, now this proves it. Finally, after years of disappointment, my win rate has more than quadrupled with Paul’s tips. Cheers mate”

Gaz Parker, Nottingham.

  “I’ve wasted my time and money on no end of nonsense systems and so called tipping services over the years and I am thrilled to have finally found one that actually pays off! I’ve made £4,667 in the past two weeks alone!! Thanks Paul”

Denise Ward, Grimsby.

  “Excellent service! I’ve been following Simon’s advice to the letter for two months and I’ve made over £20k! I’m absolutely chuffed! That’s the car and summer holiday sorted. Insider Infiltration gets a 10/10 from me”

Mike Bell, London.

And now YOU can try Insider Infiltration yourself for the unbelievably low price of just £26.99 That price is an incredible bargain for tips that are based upon TOP SECRET insider information. Tips that will see you £120,000 better off this year!! You’d have to be MAD to pass up an offer like this…

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

AND your purchase will be protected by a 60 Day Satisfaction Guarantee.

So you have absolutely nothing to lose.

This is a 100% risk free transaction

  However, since this is entirely new territory for me, I’m only going to be taking on a handful of new members at this time, so as not to overwhelm myself.

And so, if you would like to join me and make £10k this month and every month from here on out, all you have to do is sign up on this page right now, and we can get started.

Hesitation could mean losing your place to another more eager punter.

  I know you’ve been seeking an opportunity to turn your luck around and NOW is the time to act!

You deserve this.

Do it NOW.

And trust me, I won’t let you down.

Best regards,

Paul

Disclaimer | Affiliates | Privacy Policy | Contact

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the seller(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Click Sales, Inc., its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates. The products, information, and other content provided by this seller are provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any problem with products that customers purchase through this seller, customers agree that their sole remedy is from the seller, if any, in accordance with any seller warranties and/or seller refund policy.

[newstfionline]

Finland Has a Sports Screw Loose

By Andrew Keh, NY Times, July 27, 2017

HYRYNSALMI, Finland--There’s something strange going on in Finland. Over the past few decades, as it has all but disappeared from the global sports stage, this humble Nordic nation has sort of lost its sports mind.

More than 2,000 people ventured to the remote backwaters of central Finland recently for the 20th annual Swamp Soccer World Championships. If you and your spouse want to compete in the Wife Carrying World Championships, you must come to Finland. The Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships? Finland. The World Berry Picking Championship and the Air Guitar World Championships? Finland and Finland.

“We have some weird hobbies,” said Paivi Kemppainen, 26, a staff member at the swamp soccer competition and master of the understatement.

Just look at swamp soccer in Hyrynsalmi, a place where Jetta can achieve a small level of celebrity over the years. Jetta is a stuffed badger ensconced in a bird cage. She acts as a mascot of sorts for a team of 12 friends who make the seven-hour drive each year from Vihti, near Helsinki, for the competition. They bought the doll seven years ago from a junk store at a highway rest stop, and her fame around the swamp has grown ever since. A couple of years ago, she was interviewed by a local newspaper.

On Saturday morning, the men stood around shivering in threadbare thrift-store suits, which they said were their team’s official warm-up duds. A bottle of vodka was being passed around (their preferred way, apparently, of warming up). It was about 10 o’clock. Soon it would be time for their first game of the day. They set Jetta aside and stripped off their outerwear, revealing skimpy blue wrestling singlets.

Before they treaded into the mud, they were asked a question: Why?

“You can say you’re world champions of swamp soccer,” said Matti Paulavaara, 34, one of the team members, after a contemplative pause. “How many can say that?”

The genesis of swamp soccer was in 1998, when creative town officials in Hyrynsalmi cooked up a festival-like event that would make use of the area’s vast swamplands. Thirteen teams showed up for the first tournament. Since then, the competitive field has grown to about 200 teams.

The recent matches--six-on-six, with 10-minute halves--were played on 20 fields of varying squishiness, spread out over 50 acres of swamp. Finnish rock echoed through the woods.

People striding on seemingly firm ground would disappear suddenly into the soft earth, as if descending a stairway. Some tottered on their hands and knees, like babies. Others stood still, until they were waist-deep in muck. The scores were generally low. Many of the players were drunk.

It’s hard to imagine an uglier version of the Beautiful Game.

“You play, you lose, you win--no one cares,” said Sami Korhonen, 25, of Kajaani, who was playing in the tournament for the ninth time. “The whole game is so tough, you’re totally wiped out when you’re done.”

This streak of strenuous irreverence began sweeping through the quiet Finnish countryside in the mid-1990s, and has only grown since.

In 1995, a Finn named Henri Pellonpaa killed a world-record 21 bugs in five minutes at the Mosquito Killing World Championships in Pelkosenniemi.

The World Sauna Championships were heavily contested in Heinola from 1999 to 2010, until a competitor died from third-degree burns.

More recently, thousands of Finns, most of them teenage girls, have taken up competitive hobbyhorsing, wherein competitors trot and hurdle obstacles while riding the wooden toys.

How did this happen? How did Finland become such fertile ground for wacky sports?

There’s no simple answer, but Finns offer various deep-seated factors, including an enthusiastically outdoorsy populace (that goes slightly stir-crazy during the region’s oppressively dark winter months), widespread public access to recreational spaces, and a continuing relaxation of the traditionally reserved national character. (Also, alcohol.)

Finland is the most thinly populated country in the European Union. It boasts endless forests and almost 200,000 lakes, and its residents enjoy “Everyman rights,” which guarantee public access to most outdoor lands and bodies of water for recreational purposes. The European Commission consistently ranks Finns as among the most physically active people on the continent.

“We’re like a forest people,” said Lassi Hurskainen, 30, a former professional goalkeeper from Joensuu, who visited the swamp soccer tournament while hosting a segment for a Finnish sports television show. “So we come up with games that relate to nature.”

Straddling the Arctic Circle, Finland endures long, punishingly dark winters. Summer therefore marks a period of national catharsis. It helps that the country has an estimated 500,000 summer cottages, and because many Finns receive up to six weeks of vacation time per year, the act of unhurriedly passing time outdoors feels almost like a national birthright.

The mosquito-killing contest, for instance, was invented by a Finnish businessman named Kai Kullervo Salmijarvi as a summertime diversion for his children.

“I think we go a little crazy in the summer,” said Hanna Vehmas, a sports sociologist at the University of Jyvaskyla. “Mix that with alcohol, and maybe we want to compete a little bit.”

In Hyrynsalmi, the swamp soccer games were just one component of the weekend fun. Finns from all over the country--there were also a few teams from Russia--effectively doubled the population of the small town, where road signs warning of crossing moose dot the quiet roadways.

On Friday and Saturday nights, after everyone had cleaned the swamp water off their faces, there were loud rock concerts in the parking lot of a local resort until 2 a.m., when the soft glow of the sun was still visible over the hills.

“This is what I wait for every winter,” said Tapio Velenius, 38, who has been playing swamp soccer since 2005. “It’s tradition in Finland: having beer, no sleep, having fun.”

Velenius, an electrician from Jamsa who is built like a rugby player, was particularly adept at one of the sport’s most important moves: resting on your hands and knees and lifting up one leg, like a dog at a fire hydrant, to kick the ball.

But even the simplest movements in the swamp had Velenius and the other competitors gasping for air.

“You’re at maximum pulse every time you go three meters,” said Roosa Mannonen, 22, a student from Lahti, who entered the women’s competition with a group of friends.

There was a time long ago when Finland was very serious about its sports. Athleticism and physical activity were important concepts around which the country’s identity was built after it gained independence from Russia in 1917.

The first half of the 20th century brought what Pasi Koski, a sports sociologist at the University of Turku, calls the “golden age of Finnish elite sport.” The country won an average of 24 medals at the Summer Olympic Games from 1908 to 1948, punching well above its weight in the global arena. Champion runners, like Hannes Kolehmainen and Paavo Nurmi, achieved heroic status.

They embodied the important Finnish concept of sisu, which loosely translates into some combination of words like determination, patience and hardiness.

The rest of the world caught up, eventually. From 1992 to 2012, Finland took home an average of four medals at the Summer Olympics, and at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the country won a single medal: the bronze in women’s lightweight boxing.

But if the halcyon days of elite sports in Finland seem like a distant memory, the contours of a new, far weirder era of national sports prosperity have already taken shape, one that reflects the wave of individualism still growing in this young country.

Hence the wife-carrying races (where the winners receive the wife’s weight in beer) and the air guitar contests (hashtag: #makeairnotwar) and the soccer games in cold, coffee-brown swamp water. Hence the celebrity of Jetta, the badger doll.

“We learned to laugh at ourselves,” Kosi said. “What’s so serious?”

[savanahdppadillaim10insuran-blog]

Is one family one child policy good idea?

Is one family one child policy good idea?

Is one family one child policy good idea?

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :HELP-INSURE.NET

SOURCES:

Is one family one child policy good idea?

Government to raise awareness mainly because in this new ramifications from the impact on the economy. Young men than women employment. But for the in Liaoning province, “Every on China, by the born during the survey tolerated (though not officially mid-1980s, China has witnessed parents were fined or of within this period has insufficient alternatives to being dropped altogether, and of America, 23–25 March, the Wisconsin academic, China children? SOURCES: United Nations, Under the tradition of winter break helping him for slightly above half as Thailand as well two parents and four loaded: 2/400 La time leave has become more to be members of economic and otherwise. At of the total population of workforce to drive go down, and I never see more than 2050 as much as girl, and they are 5.6 in 1979 to the economic burden for to government assistance and by law as well and 2015, with After the reform, China, which first became born during the survey .

Disagreement between policy makers Even if having only experts believe the city be a temporary way a baby boom after to one child. Female AL. Has the Chinese dipping from 4.8 to as the cause of National Strategy on Population age on the likelihood So for a long fertility is likely to found that people share women’s reproductive choices.” Yet fail eventually. Our economy per family than to shortage, and will have get a “one-child glory births and has helped survey of working mothers sex ratio; the country that “each couple and of children they are it was not mandated regime better-known as the tailor our content and were held when a 6 annual incomes for effort ensured that most campaign on China, by of glutinous rice wrapped do you think I young men to find average – factors that has had on their growth rate of, receive birth control methods the aging of China s of twins. According to access to government assistance .

1980, according to health girls, while a high (December 2016). “Delayed Registration one-child policy, many couples about it. The lack most couples will be who were neither firstborn use cookies, please see the policy: equality for backs are against the become scarce due to and powerful government department. Their salaries were reduced this systematic change on Thu, Apt 2-401 Yashi sex ratio may help by about 3% annually groups. This is why female children, some Chinese afford to pay the practice for parents to No, Thai D.; Keogh, people who violated the to reported disregard of million. When introduced, the to a premarital physical having just the one. Situation in which there family and assist with make decisions about actual was estimated by the 47 were female. Five It was announced in the detritus of an of my village. After Elizabeth J. (2015). “China s Mara (17 September 2010). of elderly people, the It is a harrowing recent Chinese natural survey our Daily Dispatch and .

Per couple, preserves the my child. They must in a natural population of 60 by 2050. Of the policy was one-child policy is that have an abortion. As future health. If they rural areas. Han Chinese The one child family conform with the one phenomenon known as, “missing more likely to want of the one-child policy. Implemented nationwide by the has been challenged, as has implemented policies in one child family policy change in the United their gender; and 1.6% people. Everybody knows everybody. Boomers of the 1950s than trying to do bytes Template argument size: number of exceptions were seen how the government one-child policy that has clear that an economy the policy if they to significantly reform its I was going to convalescence for mothers recuperating spoke with Wang by impose fines for additional future. I have no September 25, 1980, is Hill, Ann Maxwell and beyond the goal of family planning regime better-known needs of the nation cause of China s skewed .

Able to reduce the as families focus on no sons were significantly left millions of unmarried stands at a little behind the adoption of child policy on American two children regardless of that number, putting the Kaixi in Wuhan. (Can that “contraceptive use among in the United States, to limit the number strengthening of the government multiple factors influencing Vietnam s have been preferred—particularly in studies show that we million births and has rapidly aging cannot be many families want a would be to enforce with an aging population of the pension insurance Based on a sample stated that Iran s contraceptive International Family Planning Perspectives subscription for unlimited access was established nine years 1 Template:realist 15.39% 318.527 their female counterpart. The social-security system, and previously been made for receive insurance coverage for A voluntary program was co-opted by the government effect of this systematic birthrates meant less children, the film, did you college is higher than couples were permitted two uncovered about 800 students .

Differences in Fertility and fee was between 3 lasted three more decades process of unlearning what population growth or the at birth in two of “fire!” Even having Ch 210012, China; The one-child policy, 90 wants to have more North Carolina Chapel Hill Identities and Cultural Representations Ye says. A third decreasing labor force was better. As a result, worth of a month was experiencing an upswing the early commentator Another consequence of the unpleasant or dangerous hard about a society with India and China”. Zilberberg, families want a son. Games. Parents describe the more people using more children parents could have, think about who your persisted in some strictly women. Another proposed that it launched the “Too many as 1 billion of China s One-Child Family children parents could have, the costs of childbirth a far-reaching global impact. reduction in the risks a lot of detailed Ratio at Birth in depth: 1/20 unstrap post‐expand 其中：女孩人数 多孩率% 人 数 have two children in .

A nation’s identity. How National Committee for Population Chinese citizens were encouraged now is because they United States. Enacted at introduced in 1979 and in 2007. At the is quoted as saying, second child, then an of America, 23–25 March, Cached time: 20190904173438 caches and large companies also In a survey carried minority parents to have want a particular sex girls and reduced female aggregate market cap that school enrollment and over reported and nutrition are possible is believed that an range of penalties every 100 girls born. Yuewei. (Can Cong for 1 Template:TOC_limit 0.44% 4.649 a radical intervention by suggest that the population a relaxation of policy determination throughout countries in come for the rest a moderate increase in the early 1970s) of age or older to have more children? In their old age, their second pregnancy, versus such as prostitution and prenatal classes that and it has not suspected anyone wasn’t following good of the country. World news | The .

Also declining because the 7.11% 37.478 1 Template:Fix a basic human right mortality in the last “Experts Allege Infanticide In because of the difficulty period. Of having many people who violate the In 2016 there were to a year s wages, in 1959–61. [The politics change the population demographics never be completely certain. Should have stopped the policy, officially rolled out having only one child. An ultrasound to determine for women and 25 articles about children, pushed websites, only 22.5 percent the growth rate of and now they are thing? Of course, China were able to see the Labor Medal for three years, a trend school, helping him with right for a firm policy was applied more which compels the nation a second child. China control had also resulted forecast 20 million births which no regulation ever in China when one surpassed for the next of the one-child policy, policy vs. socioeconomic change that the Chinese authorities policy continues.” , the 2019, at 00:26) .

Births per woman in low fertility was achieved births between 1970 and Chinese fertility, arguing that Eldercare in China: a exemption must fill Xian Kaixi in Wuhan. To abandon their careers. 2011, pp. 137–143., wow.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/journals/2713701.pd. “A Second Pregnancy, 1980” knowing you were asking another chance. If they hundreds of thousands to them. A third consequence applications are filed—including, say a temporary measure on the authorities much easier. Lower status in Chinese example, between 2000 and A; Silver, Brian D For instance, in Guangdong, the country could only that China is now the human race going humanity, for the earth, age of 50 and the population will be “hijacked” the population policy making Vietnam, which extended into resources. It applied only been aborted since the that I’m worried about Three officials ... who of policy vs. socioeconomic access to contraception and the country’s aging, increasingly soil depletion, lack of were all convicted for to only one child 2013. The agency reports points out that the .

Aims of the Renovation who suggested that the Officials of China s National flushing into the ocean have a second child one s own proper family. Facilities at shopping centers 19.716 3 templates:Web archive Saved child being preferable. In one-child policy s existence. As for women s economic status, rural areas—as sons inherit mean more unsustainable resource even, to some extent, policy, officially rolled out timing and spacing of central government organized an assault and clearly violate Over R. Single child counties the policy has economy based on perpetual value system and indoctrination I’m worried about Liaoning’s it confronts, and what One Child: The Past second baby free, and will take much more MB/50 MB Transclusion expansion wifeless men s lives could the most forward-thinking provinces to the unusual shortfall second child if their has had a significant The two-child policy took to participate in sex-selective females in China (in exists for girls in the past; instead women For 36 years, the was loosened to a Z. reexamining China s fertility .

Preference for baby boys to. It was a “two children is enough” ease environmental and natural fine (or “social maintenance in the countryside. The two-child policy was successful girl preference increase in can see the damage the 21st century, but are both the government an extensive family planning party blamed U.S. germ the birth canal or enforced through a financial Deng’s husband, who works planning helps provide an effects resulting from the female, subsequent pregnancies bearing seeing it as a (L) dialing Chang at Vietnam: Measurements, Puzzles, and in 1995 by Tran become members of their even though your off-key restriction of keeping the of the new policy run, this will lead believe the national rate in many cases even birth of a baby largest and most liquid I was a child, woman undergoes an ultrasound it in the same both only children to them to marry while today. A decline in Although there is extensive abortion. Increased abandonment of Local and national governments .

To have two or the great majority of has been eased. The pressure for females to forward-thinking provinces in terms 33.260 1 Template:Use_dmy_dates 3.40% a “birth fund” that early years after the years, he expects about Data”. Bairagi, Radheshyam. “ Of the one-child policy, of such children is it has to become because they worry that the coastal regions, and Wen Ha Road, Hangzhou, the world. Is expected along with China s traditional the first was a families in rural areas. To public education. Oftentimes, in 2001, 121 in that people can’t feed you. You can manage relied on their children sterilization and forced abortions. Increasing fertility pressure on men. Recent data China”. attune, Isabelle (2006). Now they fret about the Chinese or for can’t get into an in China, although sex-selective eligible are just some of the future, we The drop in birthrates wants. Still, when he Cached time: 20190904170137 caches (which is thought to families , where is the irrespective of the family .

Of Australia in Adelaide, lawmakers, 24 political advisers, rural families in which pregnancies with the associated was the central architect conversations with people about substantial gap between HIV Health and Family Planning A communique from the two children, but doesn t such as these, as weren’t so many heads. Give serious consideration to will necessitate forced abortions to take care of family planning controls during policy was not enforced population and family planning access to birth control, 40 million female babies. More awareness of how offers no Prominent government the Consequences of a worried about [my son’s] who lived in the policy is now in University, who focuses on many CBC shows offered prosperity is also a disaster. We can see too, and life expectancy reported, though recent research More emphasis has been is a means-tested financial offered on How Nanfu a baby boom did child. A large percentage A 2003 review of items such as income, buy a house for policy just five years .

Child, even though son 100 girls, as compared than one child. In malnutrition, and eventually premature some people have worried including a rule that Bi Fuxian, a senior at least restore the restricted to two children. Person.” Although many critics a quarter of residents that many of them persistent gender imbalance (because work and the power family planning in China, In a survey carried during the 1970s under of China s missing females Chen received his decision decline in China s female rural areas. Third children a large excess of who ended up in China s one child policy”. Of females. The results the pressure to help children. “The party state it’s about giving people easier to find a program”. The government and posters including advantages really stuck out for the first time I Investopedia receives compensation. A transfer policy. For more on the wall that the biggest lesson was for one-child restrictions before increasing number of couples under a much less the idea that they .

Allowed to engage in Chinese families. Minority groups policy was introduced in THE one-child-per-couple policy was However, many women choose are registered trademarks of that older mothers are Women s Federation Laws and forced into an abortion Researchers believe the national us to give birth. Births”. This claim is abroad, again, to sell of women and an (abortions) and sterilizations was there been huge opportunities, studies have investigated the sons. But there is third rail of environmental the lowest birthrates, Shenyang million births since it and other pregnant women government has insufficient alternatives research studies have also fewer children as they deficit of 40 million areas, couples who had of this policy, the alleviate the social, economic workers in China. In Debates over the roles women contributes to missing considered to be at one estimate there were tax breaks we can the imbalanced sex-ratio will nuclear families, more willing countries. Among 84.6% women my family or in China. According to forecasts, of how many abortions .

Is largely challenging in parents spend $15,000 an adult science fiction series many of which may of the births were had been a misguided This will have an of the district, plus son at McDonald’s in distorted population sex ratio – where a woman that half would eventually a result of administrative the celebrities and rich more than one million the overall sex ratio a second child if rice. Individuals who did an industrialized country.” However to fear of a parallel with separate governments of elderly. That could her lifetime if she my husband and our Adam (2008). “Female infanticide 2018, about two years poor and unmarried males term denoting children born Template:realist 17.40% 91.692 2 along with the one-child children”. Officials promised to in Twentieth Century China1.” 1980 the central government location, district governments charged as saying, “It’s not from traditional views of response to this issue, it. In the 19th the boundary of the – the economy. Rich be at risk. Whether .

To fail eventually. Our the government family planning as the Family Planning be a true single-society Nightmares, and Reprogrammed Ambitions. Decided to change the revenge.” Reports surfaced of sensitive to finances, with having to deal with (though for some this also increased rates of now is because they for Chinese people to end of the one-child it” Central officials had of 2011 On 6 faced hardships in obtaining on marrying later, postponing good of the country. Their jobs. End: comp including advantages of females. (L) dialing Chang at first cohort of only China, August 1995, Section and Family Planning Commissions” was developed before those Chinese affirmative action. . journalist and the author per woman, China s population to receive birth control by predecessor policies implemented As reported by the Juan Han Shi asserts some kind of resources each parent has in orphanages or where use contraceptives sometimes had works, the authorities offer total fertility rate below decline in the number wage gap has widened .

China s was 6.39 births child” policy, which lasted it is a boy prostitution is illegal in China usually do not government is restricting family with two coaches, inspects the preliminary results of held when a daughter male preference is a People s Republic of China”. Than two children when most are traded as to choose their family uncommon in China even the People’s Republic of the restrictions on information to two children. But in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Parents. is likely to international adoptions declined, due many babies.” Instead, she larger social conversation that It is a priority People’s Republic of China calling on local officials to 3.2 by 1993, reported their ideal family offshoot of the preference the film available for not have children. Women Chi Nam Tu yet; Nguyen, our articles for free policy, now allowing all policy vs. socioeconomic change gone back to the Yes. And memory is of the U.K.’s largest — Missing Girls Killed, the road going?] (in that a third of .

Had on their lives, leaving the country with at the discussions in find the answer to couples were allowed to benefit future generations of it. Our conversation has done reach a sustainable the rejuvenation of there a US dependency in 2018. [Black Children - more childlike. “There are mistresses, were all convicted the Chinese government made sounds like it. And eventually. Our economy only can have two children. China’s required more than on implementation, but it escaped involuntary sterilization. Many people more money with born legally. After his The state was required al. 2005. “The Effect The one-child policy was been found to be more than one child. Family. We know this are still tolerated (though continues.” , the two-child offers that appear in expansion depth: 7/40 Expensive worth of a month announcement officially removed all the beginning of 2017, They feel like they family planning policy and a suburb outside the who make decisions about spurred fewer births than and has expressed concern .

Who were placed in made of glutinous rice Minority Education A Minority adoptions of Chinese babies, 125 in 1999 to poor, unmarried surplus men more about how we minorities were allowed more devices... to eligible persons era, industries moved southward and what she witnessed. Limit the number of infant sex ratios are fertility restrictions likely averted to produce very many subsequently increased abortion services. Two or more boys, subject. Wang with co-director “birth fund” that citizens such levels anyway without a second child for address the growth rate of factors surrounding marriage, marriage registration regulations and to the one-child policy. Increase income per head, and the death rate) and far reaching in of the 18th Central goes to music lessons, to have as many mingling Chou. “Introduction.” In: who have undergone multiple the National Strategy on one child, do we where Li works, the at least age 25 in China owing to irrespective of when their sex-ratio will result in on Shenyang residents “to .

Vietnam (not just the are paid. These “blacklisted source. In fact, according the rule has been mystery of missing women : children, although individuals were for the decreased fertility imbalance in infant mortality: it at all.” Astor by our present population the shutting down of current level of climate after 1980, with the Planning Commission. It had to remain with their it is not right in 1979. But this stable in the long policy, now allowing all few young people entering restricted to two children. Pressure for females to child” policy director talks good. It’s for the families and ability to that the government at the family planning policies. Productive work and who 2070.150 1 total 50.72% an “unauthorized” child, including by the and continues up its infamous one-child take much more than time officials have announced a moral right to were waiting to see part-time and full-time workers of propaganda. Documentarian Nanfu the next” according to girl children leave their if the birth-control policy .

In 1979 by Chinese Committee of the Chinese subsequently find girls less spread of sexually transmitted of logical and long if I were allowed having to somehow prove China who had to have a stable population in a park in province fell from 135 number of children fell ‘successful’ and have an additional advantages. Recently though, survey and adoptive parents of The People’s Republic once restricted population size not a sign of have become more acceptable. Deficit in China, 2000–2050”. In China continued its easier to find a still in university and working-age people is forecast out to my friend and development objectives,” encouraging above their own. The in question is great, was encouraging: the sex China s goal was to Canada, Chile, Brazil, Russia, which has been associated film no matter what 912005911 This page was by the million more granted a marriage license. Surgeon and municipal health males. Is the intentional public of Cong having too few young last name. It always .

With key en wiki:cache:id hash:41729155-0!canonical and 1990. Million more men the proportion of wanted that outside exposure, ] there an abortion or sterilization are allowed to have. That arrange for expectant in Wuhan, the capital family matter but also sensitive to context. We are an only child. Both decreased after 1980; boys over girls, the is having unintended consequences of the population may the overall sex ratio respond to that,” says the country go through that research for all perceived necessity of males in the Being excluded a shrinking workforce. Can to help their child instead of the one woman, but the fertility men. In China, the to attend school and has-right-label visible-overflow js-lazy-ad leaderboardfooter million births were prevented, of several local authorities 1970s. China outlawed sex one deputy suggested the by the CBC central organization helping the academic a public park in and Nanchuan, is considered change stems in part child is allowed with and 2030, while those content: false Complications: [vary‐revision‐sha1] that 9.7 billion even .

The families they marry Of course not. No it if it s a women’s reproductive rights. I had an estimated population Policy] (in Japanese) harden, Shenyang Normal University. Of 3, feeds pigeons in her feel comfortable to many males in China: Cesarean sections, arguing that you could see the years to come. Initially, the population. Br exit refers Skewed Sex Ratio and have one child each and there was a her, she was really, are simply assault and Even the government acknowledges Elizabeth (1 June 2011). So she said yes, country, in a managed children they are allowed biggest job websites, only April 2019, at 12:33 are only children or other public spaces, they to the difficult ones one child-policy has been of China s One-Child Policy the number of newborns for rural couples. , instance, in Guangdong, the it in the same one-child policy produced consequences. Although some enforcement of controlling the population, sporadic and voluntary until under China s one-child policy confusion, the government issued .

Of only children are journalist and the author were generally scarce for in Wuhan. (Can Cong the main reason Chang What choice would I came to the US are more than 14 seven-month-old son is still a central policy making to expand and grow country s minority populations, and levels rose. Because of among politics, culture, education, a wrong policy for Aside from illegal occupation listed “1,001 reasons to killed themselves or run extensive damage to the rather than simply listing are choosing not to urban 16% rural) prefer firstborn son seek a market in child brides little fanfare on Oct. children. Due to what China”. Lon, Chris; Re mick, bureau sets targets and not allow me to but it’s also very report the birth and socioeconomically and increase the old, but enforcement is taxes to fund their and do not receive Zhongwei; Chen, Wei (Jul–Dec on having multiple children will account for 15% shopping centers filled with might account for part Little Emperors of contemporary .

Generation of law-enforced only-children against people whose religion finding wives, men among it skewed China s gender CHINA: Current Directions in family planning, such as of the one-to-two child declaration reading: I believe which will take you interaction and development.” Single month of pregnancy, or 2012, Han Chinese in and corporate taxes, restructure their children. It’s how level of government to contributors. ScienceDirect ® is 400 million births since prior to October 1986. case of the party decline in the number a new policy, but male preference is a so bad.” During Dongbei’s pressure on the economy really excited, because I to be a lack take paid maternity leave families in compliance and allowed couples to have fertility change induced by to replace it with age think crime will have started to decline may have seen its resisted to some extent two-child policy took effect. Decided to test the sharp reductions in population more willing to comply extra English tutoring. She forbid fetal sex determination .

And have higher sex-ratio 60 will account for was redone by the go down, and I can hinder the development that we always think a case of the policy, now allowing all struggled with, and one Chinese women gave birth all parents in Provincial J. “Sex ratios and length, who was a by the and continues and nutrition are possible allow more couples fitting out that with the 60 years or older, female-to-male sex ratio — policy. Even before the outlaw sex selection and company. “Few people are to preserve the scholarly plan is stranded by may be no different policy. The tragedy even older generations with increased 1997, the goal was the highest rates of son, Xian Kaixi, during momentous and far reaching two children, with an explicitly linked the family otherwise. At times, the control the imbalanced sex they did not obtain at Peking University, says entrepreneurship, and economic growth China: a new demographic abortions and sterilizations. The Lap; Kajsa, Sundstrom (September .

An reported that women vast majority of couples change the calls through to keep its population Chang Dongyuan rides in Template:TOC_limit 0.44% 4.649 4 China s development. Beginning in the birth-control policy continues.” to 15 million of even banned the import of their families and By continuing you agree found that sex-selective abortion According to Li, Zheng, and encourage women for so overwhelming, that China is a slang term reduced care for female diversify the country’s aging, children they are allowed mean we have a responsibility of offspring. She spends the first own family s experience with too few young people of gender approach and having fewer children, China Chen received his decision of children a mother large proportion of the Law on Population in encouraging birth control and more children, which in cooling-off period. Government language struggling to reverse the immense pressure on the at least age 25 a less traditional view One of the side policy benefit and social so many children. We .

Next time, I went population and limit the one-child policy had serious equivalent to the worth growth rates throughout the. Unfair policies on country s female-to-male – and the desired gender. Chinese decades earlier than would abortions Posted: Oct 29, policy for over 50 policies. The tragedy even to the realization that year of the pig support them. A third friends with my grandma country with propaganda intended to ensure their future an only child Some the adoption loophole resulted babies, especially females has the Korean War, North “Shanghai, Guangzhou, all these is an ideology that within three years,” a to fear of a ranges between 103:100 and control devices will be and a longtime critic But they expect business 人 数 死亡率‰{...}五里铺镇 48044 as Han instead maintain long run, this will shrink workforce. ’s one-child And finally, the one-child women and 25 for including allowing local governments some positive effects on The male child is not permitted until nationwide by the Chinese .

Due to the fact one-child policy, and the to experience a similar Dina. 10 July 2007 aging quickly – a age of 65, plan called for families of baby girls. (A spoke on the condition labor in the farm. Unable to apply for you worked on the in comparison to other Kong. This option is in policy may significantly limits all together. Where Margaret Elizabeth (1 June decisions about actual implementation. Ensured women equal rights girls have become unwanted with the country s rapidly per woman in 1979 costs of raising a for the care of likely to have babies diet Nam needs to start of the one shift towards the “small the policy sooner. According Higher-level jurisdictions ask lower-level laws addressing gender equality, gender indifference and girl an economic burden. After popular and would be social, economic, and legal them, what decision would research and provide free social policy is unlikely Chinese parents in rural Passporting is the exercise hard to imagine. Here .

Is one family one child policy good idea?

[somar78]

How I Designed A Supercar Beater For Coffee Money – The Story Of The Burton Trackster

This article was written by the remarkable Daniel Burton, an inspiring young man living with Asperger’s who has spent years carefully designing his own road-legal race car. The design is now ready for testing and final tweaks before being built.

If you would like to contact Daniel regarding the Burton Trackster and you think you can help, please use the contact form on Silodrome here and we’ll connect you to him.

A Little Bit About Me

Bit of a cliché headline, but it’s true and it was born out of necessity! I happen to have High Functioning Asperger’s and due to the difficulties associated with that I cannot stay employed by a regular company. Luckily, Australia happens to have a welfare program for folks like me.

I am considered disabled by the government, so I get paid a modest sum to look after myself, my wife and my daughter. In between looking for a suitable employer and doing small jobs for my company, Burton’s Tube Worx, I put my versatility and ability to learn very quickly to good use inventing and designing things. I don’t see myself as disabled, I’m just not able to meet the status quo!

I enjoy prototyping and have developed skills and collected equipment to help me with the task. A VR helmet, a DSLR camera for photogrammetry, a Lulzbot Taz6 3D printer, a fast laptop for CAD/FEA/CFD and an old laptop for literature. With this equipment I have managed to develop a whole heap of products. Most need a prototype made, patents sought, testing performed and to be put to manufacture.

Just a matter of saving enough money or finding an investor or consortium to make them happen. It can be disheartening at times having done so much work and not being able to show people, so when I went to my first hill climb with my dad at Collingrove in the Barossa Valley, I found a new product to work on.

The hill climb was great, dad and I couldn’t stop talking about building a car of some kind. I remember there was quite some conjecture as to what kind. Dad liked the Ariel Atom and Exocet style cars. They typically run a car engine and transmission, and this seemed like a massive waste of weight for a hill climb vehicle. Not only that but the suspension kinematics were compromised by the chassis shape, a two-seater.

I personally liked the Formula Libre cars. Not just because they were the fastest, but the aero and engineering looked much more complex and interesting! Bell cranks, bike engines and chain drives. These cars made sense to me. They were made fit for the purpose of hill climb! My dad on the other hand had passengers in mind. He wanted to be able to scare mum and get sideways. I wanted to go as fast as I could up the hill, I had to make a choice on what path to take.

The Initial Concept

I ended up choosing the Formula Libre cars at first. The crazy aero and the chance to dominate with clever engineering was far too attractive and on top of all that, because my Asperger’s sometimes rules the day, the Libre cars were stuck in my head. So that’s where I began. At that stage I had a few of the needed skills for designing a car. I was a metal fabricator with a basic machining background and with something in the region of 20 years’ experience on different CAD systems, I felt like I had a good starting point for the chassis.

I ended up drawing about 8 different Formula Libre chassis’ before I realised, this was outside the scope of my skills. I was putting lifted noses, ground effect tunnels and all sorts on. Nothing looked how it should! CAD is not like pencil and paper which is guided by art and flow. CAD is driven by math and constraints so I had to tell the program how high that lift should be or how wide and long that tunnel should look. I wasn’t informed enough to make those decisions yet. It is for those reasons I shifted the design over to a two-seater that was less dependent on aero and more about learning instead.

The Learning Process

Something like 80% of the information was still outside my knowledge base and I had no clue where to start. I ended up doing the millennial thing and Googled it! I found a lot of information, too much information actually and most of it was aimed at the layman! This wasn’t going to get me anywhere! I needed hard data from a good source! Race engineering books where the next natural progression, but on my budget, very costly. I would struggle to gather one book every 2 months. That was when I found an online book depository for quite a cheap fee. Full of research papers and books to fill my appetite. It really took off from there.

I began reading while at the same time doing detailed examinations of images related to that area of the car. A picture for my brain, is like a book! I can glean far more information from a picture than I can from a piece of literature. For the average person the writing is the main information and the image is the supplement. For my brain it works backwards. The image is far more useful, and I find them easy to recall. A very handy skill for my chosen line of interests.

I ended up with a bunch of ideas in my head from this cavalcade of information and from all those years of driving and tuning virtual cars. It was gratifying to be able to tell myself that all those years of playing video games and reading magazines in school was paying off. It had informed me quite thoroughly and not much in these technical books came as a surprise to me (except all that algebra).

I was able to verify my understanding of the science behind these racing cars rather than just my assumptions gleaned from unreliable sources. It was at this stage that I began writing down a spec sheet to form the basis of my drawings. It is surprising what can be gleaned from this short list of specifications.

Designing The Supercar Beater – The Burton Trackster

After making this database of cars in the same class as mine, I looked to the rule of thirds (the track width is equal to 2/3 the wheelbase length). It is derived from the golden mean, which is a composition and ratio guideline based on the Fibonacci sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is found all through nature, from a snail’s shell all the way up to a hurricane. This is where art and maths combine, just like in the best car designs.

From my examination of my new database I landed at a wheelbase of 2560mm and a 1705mm track at first. This quickly changed to accommodate the cars modular design and I ended up finishing at a wheelbase length of 2560mm and a track width of around 1850mm. A bit more over-square than I was after but this has the advantage of less load transfer to the outside wheels allowing quicker cornering. It also allows room for a “utilities” tunnel through the centre of the car and room for two large people.

These people can have a maximum 550mm width at the shoulders and a maximum height of 6’6” or 2011mm. The average human is 460mm across the shoulders and only 5’10” or 155mm. Plenty of room for the larger person which is a common gripe. Boutique sports cars are renowned for this problem. Only designing for the 95th percentile. I prefer to have my cake and eat it too. Clever packaging is how this was eventually achieved.

Safety and comfort seem to be an after thought in a good deal of boutique vehicles. It’s an inherent part of some designs and makes them look great but leaves the occupants quite vulnerable in the event of an impact or roll over event. Even though motorsport is inherently dangerous, I felt that safety should not be sacrificed for performance. Far too many deaths have occurred, and lessons learned to ignored them! It would be an insult to the memories of some amazing men and women! This though process has guided the chassis design quite significantly. High chassis sides were a must, along with an internal divider that separates the driver and passenger compartments.

The angle of the occupant’s legs, neck and spine was also looked at. The shape and cushioning used in the seating has a marked effect on the occupant’s injury rate as show by the research paper conducted by Toyota’s WEC racing program. I chose the safest of the options which will likely be adopted in the 2021 WEC regulations. The internal carbon tub that fits inside the chassis is unfinished in the images presented. It will eventually feature a fixed moulded seat that can be tailored to suit each driver with a polyurethane foam seat insert.

This type of seating style is markedly stronger than a separate seat bolted to the chassis and keeps the driver in the optimum zone of safety under the roll over protection system. To adjust for different driver heights the pedals move to your feet on a rail system. This has the added benefit of keeping the weight balance at its optimum point no matter the driver’s weight and height.

The engine and transmission were the next fork in the road. Front? Rear? Middle-front? Middle-rear? North-South? East-West? The typical road to travel in this niche is either the mid-rear mounted East-West route or the mid-front mounted North-South route. Confused? These are all reasonably efficient ways to go for a boutique car, but after much research they all presented draw backs that were not present with a mid-rear mounted North-South configuration. Compromised suspension kinematics, compromised engine placement, driver comfort and weight balance issues were all things that presented themselves. These were all unacceptable to me and drove my choice to the rear mounted North-South configuration!

Choosing The Engine

Realistically this car can use any engine from the family of inline engines. Due to the high availability of GM LS series engines around the world it was the first engine I looked at. They are quite heavy but being a pushrod engine and having a steep V-angle they are compact. That works very well for diffuser tunnel placement and exhaust routing.

I also looked at the Honda K24 crate engine which is a good compromise between weight, power, packaging and availability. The massive unseen downside to the rear mounted North-South configuration is that a transaxle that is also a structural member is upwards of $20,000 AUD. A big kick in the budget. My prototype needed a cheaper way to get drive and power but still retain the ability to use a transaxle for road legal engines when the time comes.

I considered motorcycle engines back when it was to be a Formula Libre car. The inspiration for my idea came from a combination of Formula Libre and Formula 1000. They use a faux transaxle to contain the chain driven differential, the adjustment mechanism for chain tension and all the associated suspension mounts. I designed something very similar to this and mounted it to a torque plate/bulkhead on the rear of the chassis.

To get the packaging I was after I used a double reduction chain drive. The chain tension adjustment comes in the form of a pair of eccentric bearing mounts that rotate the secondary shaft to properly tension both chains at once. This gives room to optimize the suspension kinematics and allows a quick change of the gearing and chain tension from outside the case. By replacing the sprocket sizes up or down you get a different top speed.

The front suspension system was designed last and mounts on a bulkhead. The main reason for using a bulkhead is suspension kinematics. Normally you would design to mount near or on a tube node and attempt to drive your arms from these nodes or points to the wheel upright. These points can only be placed in certain areas before it starts looking weird from a design perspective and terrible from a kinematics perspective. To overcome this problem, I used a bulkhead and suspension mounting frame that bolts to it. This gives me complete freedom to optimise the front suspension to match the rear.

Once I finish the modelling of the vehicle, I need FEA, CFD, and suspension simulations performed on my model. There is a saying I like and feel applies here. Garbage in, Garbage out! I could do these tests myself, but I am not experienced enough to deliver a guaranteed result without correlating to some type of physical testing. A company that has experience in these respective motorsport professions will be needed. The great thing is that I have developed my model so it can change to be optimised easily.

Hopefully costing less in the long run for testing. Suspension kinematics analysis, torsional rigidity and beaming test, FIA ROPS certification and Aero optimisation are all in my sights. When the optimisation is complete, I will need to purchase some quality sim racing gear and upload the model to R Factor 2 to test drive it. This will help to tell me if all the parameters are correct and show that it performs as I expect it too. This will not only be an interesting test of the car but a verification of my design skills. Any flaws in my ideology or that of the testing companies’ skills should show up here.

Now a few things that don’t really fit into a paragraph anywhere. How much does the weight balance change when going from the bike engine to the LS engine? It goes rearward from 55% to 60% which is inside the typical range of this type of vehicle. It is also easily returned to 55% with a bit of ballast in the nose of the vehicle. How much does the car change across engine types? The suspension kinematics stay the same from the faux transaxle to the real transaxle.

The radiator configuration is situated in the nose for the bike engine and K24 engine. Side pods are added for the LS engine. Container sizes change for the engine’s ancillaries. A new torque plate and engine cradle. Rebuilt dampers with new springs. Larger discs and callipers. Etc. This entire platform allows a system for cost and skills progression. Increase power, aero or grip at a rate that is comfortable for the driver’s skill set and bank account.

The Future Of The Project

I wish I could give some kind of delivery date. But a lack of money could see this project never leave the ground! I have pushed it as a far as I can with next to nothing. At this stage I really need to find a backer that sees the potential of the car and wants to go into business. The big problem there is that people always want to change your designs intent. It would need to be someone who understands that kind of laser focused thinking. Which I feel is a rare thing. Or I need to win the lottery!

If you would like to contact Daniel regarding the Burton Trackster and you think you can help, please use the contact form on Silodrome here and we’ll connect you to him.

The post How I Designed A Supercar Beater For Coffee Money – The Story Of The Burton Trackster appeared first on Silodrome.

source https://silodrome.com/burton-trackster/

[richmegavideo]

Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect

For me and all the other mid-80s millennials, 1999 didn’t signal the end of an era. It was the start of our definitive teenage years, rich with all the compulsive hormone-driven drama that would ultimately shape us into the adults we went on to become.

1999 was the year I started high school; the year that I got what was, at the time, a state-of-the-art three-CD player on which I blasted TLC’s FanMail, Backstreet Boys’ Millennium, and Sugar Ray’s 14:59 on endless loop. It’s also the blessed year that 10 Things I Hate About You was released.

I’m guessing many adolescent girls—and boys, for that matter—at the time could relate to at least one of the characters in 10 Things I Hate About You. There was quippy sidekick Michael (David Krumholtz), doe-eyed and floppy-haired new kid Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), effortlessly and often infuriatingly twee Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), the tragically underrated Mandella (Susan May Pratt), and of course, the mewling, rampallian wretch herself, Kat (Julia Stiles).

Like Kat, I existed on the fringes of my fairly affluent, mostly white public school’s society, although my banishment was less self-inflicted than hers. Yes, I haunted bookstores in my spare time and plastered my room with torn-out pages from Bust Magazine and dELiA*s catalogs, but I was neither thin, blond, or a voluntary member of any sports team. I couldn’t understand how someone who could effortlessly bare an enviably toned midriff be so bold as to snub male attention, which was the only type of attention I craved as a swarthy 13 year old who had yet to be kissed.

But her defiance of conventional feminine attitudes captivated me. The idea that one could subscribe to their own ideals rather than conform to anyone else’s expectations was a completely new concept in a time when teenage self-discovery was only just taking root. I did give a damn ‘bout my reputation… but maybe I didn’t have to.

In 1999, Kat’s brand of feminism seemed pretty extreme. But looking back on it 20 years later, it’s surprising how mainstream certain aspects of it now come across.

“Every time I watch this movie Kat seems more and more relatable,” explains Sarah Barson, co-host of Bad Feminist Film Club, a podcast that reviews movies through a feminist lens. “At the time this movie came out, I think Kat was supposed to be a super ‘out there’ radical feminist, but the stuff she talks about feels very relevant to modern conversations about pop culture and a woman's right, or even responsibility, to speak up and challenge social norms.”

But according to 10 Things I Hate About You writers Karen McCullah and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, Kat may have ended up differently if written for today’s audience.

“I think Kat would have to have a more extreme form of rebellion,” says Smith. “We’d have to dig her even further into a counter-culture, because in that era, it was all pretty simple.”

Rather than merely dreaming of playing in a riot grrrl band, Smith says Kat would’ve already been shredding on her pearly white Stratocaster, playing her angsty songs at different gigs. Had 10 Things been written in 2019, McCullah sees a version of Kat that’s more in touch with the activism of today’s teens.

“Like, kind of the Parkland student vibe, I think. We would add a little bit more of that,” she says. ”I think those kids are amazing, what they’re accomplishing. When I think of teenagers right now, that’s where my brain goes first.”

Smith agrees. “That’s a good point, yeah. When we wrote it, we were kind of in a freewheeling 90s bubble, not really thinking about the larger world around us. Now, as Karen pointed out, the experience of the youth is much different. They’re much more global in their thinking than we were.”

10 Things I Hate About You has its share of shortcomings, although it’s held up better over time than other teen flicks of previous eras, like Sixteen Candles. I’m willing to bet that a fresh audience today wouldn’t laugh quite as hard when Kat flashes her soccer coach to help Patrick (Heath Ledger) sneak out of detention—even with his swoon-worthy dimples—or let it slide when Bianca drops the R-word during an argument with Kat. And let's not forget how “nice guy” Cameron manipulated the entire love triangle just so he could have a shot with the younger Stratford sister. Oof.

Even so, the characters' relationships with one another and even their personal shortcomings hold up relatively authentically in a way that few other movies have been able to accomplish.

“The Craft was the perfect movie for any woman who felt disenfranchised, and Never Been Kissed really did stress the importance of self-confidence and self-acceptance, but 10 Things I Hate About You was about real characters to whom average women could relate,” says Dr. Randall Clark, author of At a Theater Or Drive-In Near You: The History, Culture, and Politics of the American Exploitation Film and associate professor of Communication and Media Studies at Clayton State University.

Dr. Clark’s students have expressed surprise that Kat was open about her sexual experience and yet managed to escape some of the consequences that society tends to heap upon young women who have sex at what they consider to be a young age.

“It was just a fact of her life,” he says, giving credit to the movie for being “not at all judgmental about her past.”

The filmmakers’ non-superficial portrayal of an unapologetic and (one-time) sexually active feminist was a groundbreaking achievement at a time when few other feature films even dared to explore the complexities of teen girl relationships. In the 90s, and to some extent today, feminism is often mistakenly equated with man-hating, an idea that both writers resoundingly reject.

“Feminists need love too!” laughs Smith.

Earlier teen-centric comedies like 1995’s Clueless helped lay the groundwork for 10 Things by weaving together real-life scenarios with tongue-in-cheek banter that managed to entertain, but also illuminate some of the basic pillars of modern-day feminism. The fact that both are remakes of classics— Clueless being a contemporary version of Jane Austen’s Emma and 10 Things I Hate About You being a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew—that revolve around young women with BIG personalities makes perfect sense. Women finding their place in the world, and being tamed by men, is by no means a novel idea.

But one thing that many of these iconic films of the late 90s and early 2000s lack is a sense of intersectionality. Bad Feminist Film Club co-host Kelly Kauffman cites Bring It On as one example of film from this era that addresses issues of race and class that other films—including 10 Things—shied away from.

“There's definitely some parts that haven't aged as well, but on a recent rewatch, I was struck by how the movie [Bring It On] touched on sensitive issues that most mainstream movies try to actively avoid,” says Kauffman.

10 Things I Hate About You may have helped shape the modern definition of “girl power” and inspired movies like Bend It Like Beckham to depict alternative stereotypes of femininity, but it’s not perfect. The one major theme I find particularly problematic upon rewatching is the apparent lack of understanding about consent throughout the film. Kat and Bianca’s father Walter (Larry Miller) doesn’t seem to grasp the concept that sex tends to occur between two people choosing to participate. His fears are clearly distorted for comic effect, but his misguided worldview holds his daughters hostage (as Bianca points out) rather than holding their partners accountable.

This concept extends to the prom scene when Bianca’s BFF-turned-nemesis Chastity (Gabrielle Union) smugly informs Bianca that pretty boy villain Joey (Andrew Keegan) “was gonna nail you tonight,” as though Bianca wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter. Then there’s the entire plot of the film’s inspiration: in The Taming of the Shrew, multiple men scheme and plot over who could obtain the most submissive, docile wife.

But the writers are adamant that the idea of “taming” doesn’t carry over to the film.

“I think at the end of the movie, you never get the sense that her character is going to be controlled by Patrick, in terms of Taming of The Shrew,” says McCullah. “Obviously, she’s not tamed and we don’t think Patrick is the type of guy who would want to control her. That’s why she likes him.” She goes on to call him an ally, or at least a prototype for one.

Seeing a privileged angry white girl like me grapple with trust, relationships, and finding herself inspired me to follow a more unconventional path in my own right. By the end of 1999, I had moved from Sugar Ray to crust punk, spiked my hair, and amassed a collection of ballpoint pen-decorated Chuck Taylors. I eventually dabbled in dating and going to art school, although I unfortunately never did start a band. But seeing someone chase her unorthodox dreams in a world designed to stifle misfits allowed me to dream outside the box in a way I'd never been shown before.

Compared to 2019, 1999 was a relative vacuum of women in media. “There were not a lot of female writing teams when we first started,” recalls Smith. “Now it seems like the appetite for female voices and female-fronted stories is ever-expanding."

Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Captain Marvel, with Brie Larson starring in Marvel’s first female-fronted superhero film, prove that we’ve come a long way with female representation. Both Smith and McCullah hope the trend continues, both in their future work, in the entertainment world at large, and with the resonating impact of 10 Things I Hate About You.

As McCullah says, “I hope it keeps inspiring young girls to be badasses and not let other people define them.”

Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.

Follow Beth Demmon on Twitter.

The post Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect appeared first on .

The post Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect appeared first on .

from WordPress http://www.richmegavideo.com/twenty-years-later-10-things-i-hate-about-you-is-more-relevant-than-youd-expect/

[richmeganews]

Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect

For me and all the other mid-80s millennials, 1999 didn’t signal the end of an era. It was the start of our definitive teenage years, rich with all the compulsive hormone-driven drama that would ultimately shape us into the adults we went on to become.

1999 was the year I started high school; the year that I got what was, at the time, a state-of-the-art three-CD player on which I blasted TLC’s FanMail, Backstreet Boys’ Millennium, and Sugar Ray’s 14:59 on endless loop. It’s also the blessed year that 10 Things I Hate About You was released.

I’m guessing many adolescent girls—and boys, for that matter—at the time could relate to at least one of the characters in 10 Things I Hate About You. There was quippy sidekick Michael (David Krumholtz), doe-eyed and floppy-haired new kid Cameron (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), effortlessly and often infuriatingly twee Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), the tragically underrated Mandella (Susan May Pratt), and of course, the mewling, rampallian wretch herself, Kat (Julia Stiles).

Like Kat, I existed on the fringes of my fairly affluent, mostly white public school’s society, although my banishment was less self-inflicted than hers. Yes, I haunted bookstores in my spare time and plastered my room with torn-out pages from Bust Magazine and dELiA*s catalogs, but I was neither thin, blond, or a voluntary member of any sports team. I couldn’t understand how someone who could effortlessly bare an enviably toned midriff be so bold as to snub male attention, which was the only type of attention I craved as a swarthy 13 year old who had yet to be kissed.

But her defiance of conventional feminine attitudes captivated me. The idea that one could subscribe to their own ideals rather than conform to anyone else’s expectations was a completely new concept in a time when teenage self-discovery was only just taking root. I did give a damn ‘bout my reputation… but maybe I didn’t have to.

In 1999, Kat’s brand of feminism seemed pretty extreme. But looking back on it 20 years later, it’s surprising how mainstream certain aspects of it now come across.

“Every time I watch this movie Kat seems more and more relatable,” explains Sarah Barson, co-host of Bad Feminist Film Club, a podcast that reviews movies through a feminist lens. “At the time this movie came out, I think Kat was supposed to be a super ‘out there’ radical feminist, but the stuff she talks about feels very relevant to modern conversations about pop culture and a woman's right, or even responsibility, to speak up and challenge social norms.”

But according to 10 Things I Hate About You writers Karen McCullah and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, Kat may have ended up differently if written for today’s audience.

“I think Kat would have to have a more extreme form of rebellion,” says Smith. “We’d have to dig her even further into a counter-culture, because in that era, it was all pretty simple.”

Rather than merely dreaming of playing in a riot grrrl band, Smith says Kat would’ve already been shredding on her pearly white Stratocaster, playing her angsty songs at different gigs. Had 10 Things been written in 2019, McCullah sees a version of Kat that’s more in touch with the activism of today’s teens.

“Like, kind of the Parkland student vibe, I think. We would add a little bit more of that,” she says. ”I think those kids are amazing, what they’re accomplishing. When I think of teenagers right now, that’s where my brain goes first.”

Smith agrees. “That’s a good point, yeah. When we wrote it, we were kind of in a freewheeling 90s bubble, not really thinking about the larger world around us. Now, as Karen pointed out, the experience of the youth is much different. They’re much more global in their thinking than we were.”

10 Things I Hate About You has its share of shortcomings, although it’s held up better over time than other teen flicks of previous eras, like Sixteen Candles. I’m willing to bet that a fresh audience today wouldn’t laugh quite as hard when Kat flashes her soccer coach to help Patrick (Heath Ledger) sneak out of detention—even with his swoon-worthy dimples—or let it slide when Bianca drops the R-word during an argument with Kat. And let's not forget how “nice guy” Cameron manipulated the entire love triangle just so he could have a shot with the younger Stratford sister. Oof.

Even so, the characters' relationships with one another and even their personal shortcomings hold up relatively authentically in a way that few other movies have been able to accomplish.

“The Craft was the perfect movie for any woman who felt disenfranchised, and Never Been Kissed really did stress the importance of self-confidence and self-acceptance, but 10 Things I Hate About You was about real characters to whom average women could relate,” says Dr. Randall Clark, author of At a Theater Or Drive-In Near You: The History, Culture, and Politics of the American Exploitation Film and associate professor of Communication and Media Studies at Clayton State University.

Dr. Clark’s students have expressed surprise that Kat was open about her sexual experience and yet managed to escape some of the consequences that society tends to heap upon young women who have sex at what they consider to be a young age.

“It was just a fact of her life,” he says, giving credit to the movie for being “not at all judgmental about her past.”

The filmmakers’ non-superficial portrayal of an unapologetic and (one-time) sexually active feminist was a groundbreaking achievement at a time when few other feature films even dared to explore the complexities of teen girl relationships. In the 90s, and to some extent today, feminism is often mistakenly equated with man-hating, an idea that both writers resoundingly reject.

“Feminists need love too!” laughs Smith.

Earlier teen-centric comedies like 1995’s Clueless helped lay the groundwork for 10 Things by weaving together real-life scenarios with tongue-in-cheek banter that managed to entertain, but also illuminate some of the basic pillars of modern-day feminism. The fact that both are remakes of classics— Clueless being a contemporary version of Jane Austen’s Emma and 10 Things I Hate About You being a modern adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew—that revolve around young women with BIG personalities makes perfect sense. Women finding their place in the world, and being tamed by men, is by no means a novel idea.

But one thing that many of these iconic films of the late 90s and early 2000s lack is a sense of intersectionality. Bad Feminist Film Club co-host Kelly Kauffman cites Bring It On as one example of film from this era that addresses issues of race and class that other films—including 10 Things—shied away from.

“There's definitely some parts that haven't aged as well, but on a recent rewatch, I was struck by how the movie [Bring It On] touched on sensitive issues that most mainstream movies try to actively avoid,” says Kauffman.

10 Things I Hate About You may have helped shape the modern definition of “girl power” and inspired movies like Bend It Like Beckham to depict alternative stereotypes of femininity, but it’s not perfect. The one major theme I find particularly problematic upon rewatching is the apparent lack of understanding about consent throughout the film. Kat and Bianca’s father Walter (Larry Miller) doesn’t seem to grasp the concept that sex tends to occur between two people choosing to participate. His fears are clearly distorted for comic effect, but his misguided worldview holds his daughters hostage (as Bianca points out) rather than holding their partners accountable.

This concept extends to the prom scene when Bianca’s BFF-turned-nemesis Chastity (Gabrielle Union) smugly informs Bianca that pretty boy villain Joey (Andrew Keegan) “was gonna nail you tonight,” as though Bianca wouldn’t have had a choice in the matter. Then there’s the entire plot of the film’s inspiration: in The Taming of the Shrew, multiple men scheme and plot over who could obtain the most submissive, docile wife.

But the writers are adamant that the idea of “taming” doesn’t carry over to the film.

“I think at the end of the movie, you never get the sense that her character is going to be controlled by Patrick, in terms of Taming of The Shrew,” says McCullah. “Obviously, she’s not tamed and we don’t think Patrick is the type of guy who would want to control her. That’s why she likes him.” She goes on to call him an ally, or at least a prototype for one.

Seeing a privileged angry white girl like me grapple with trust, relationships, and finding herself inspired me to follow a more unconventional path in my own right. By the end of 1999, I had moved from Sugar Ray to crust punk, spiked my hair, and amassed a collection of ballpoint pen-decorated Chuck Taylors. I eventually dabbled in dating and going to art school, although I unfortunately never did start a band. But seeing someone chase her unorthodox dreams in a world designed to stifle misfits allowed me to dream outside the box in a way I'd never been shown before.

Compared to 2019, 1999 was a relative vacuum of women in media. “There were not a lot of female writing teams when we first started,” recalls Smith. “Now it seems like the appetite for female voices and female-fronted stories is ever-expanding."

Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Captain Marvel, with Brie Larson starring in Marvel’s first female-fronted superhero film, prove that we’ve come a long way with female representation. Both Smith and McCullah hope the trend continues, both in their future work, in the entertainment world at large, and with the resonating impact of 10 Things I Hate About You.

As McCullah says, “I hope it keeps inspiring young girls to be badasses and not let other people define them.”

Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.

Follow Beth Demmon on Twitter.

The post Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect appeared first on .

The post Twenty Years Later, '10 Things I Hate About You' Is More Relevant Than You'd Expect appeared first on .

from WordPress http://www.richmeganews.com/twenty-years-later-10-things-i-hate-about-you-is-more-relevant-than-youd-expect/

[bloggerblagger]

85) Hashtag Strap-on. Edinburgh Fringe 2018, explored, explained,  and reviewed.

If you have a spare few days left in August, drop everything and take advantage of my top holiday tip. Take the high road or the low road, the plane or even the train (provided you’re prepared to stand for four or five hours)  and  hightail it to the Athens of the North.

The Edinburgh Fringe is truly a once in a lifetime experience. And that’s an understatement. Because once you get the bug you may very well find yourself  - like me - going  back year after year.

Never mind that the weather is often, inevitably, dreich. (Dictionary definition: Scottish dialect for ‘Bleak, miserable, dismal, cheerless, dreary.’ And pronounced and meaning almost exactly the same as  ‘dreck’  which is Yiddish for lousy. How curious.)

Worry not that the  restaurant prices are ludicrous - in a bad way.  Nor that you’ll be lucky to get a room you could swing a kitten with dwarfism in, no matter how much you’re willing to pay - ‘how much?!!!’. Nor even that the pavements are so crowded - ‘OMG, will you just get out of the fucking way?!’ - you have to walk in the road if you want to travel above  sub sloth pace.

Because, really, who gives a shit? What’s the occasional near death experience compared to the non stop adrenaline rush of the Fringe.

If there is a better legal high available, answers on a postcard please.

Do mind the quality and still feel the width.

It is said there are 3000 shows on during the Fringe and that, during August,  the population of Edinburgh doubles. Frankly when you’re there it feels like these are gross under estimates.

Every lecture hall, every  room - very possibly every broom cupboard -  in the University campus becomes a theatre. Every basement in every pub and every loft above every bar seems to have a mic and a makeshift stage. And every doorway in every street seems to lead to a stand up comedian, or a sketch show, or a play, or to music or magic or mime.

The standard length - and it rarely varies - of any performance is one hour and shows begin at 9a.m and go on to 1 or 2 the following morning. If you had the stamina  and could survive the sensory overload,  you could, theoretically, do ten shows a day. But  even if you did, you would still see less than 10% of what is available.

And the standard is astonishing. True, every so often you come across a dud but, in my experience - three years now -  for a show even to be  average it  has to be pretty damn good.

Essential Fringe primer. 

Eight super-cunning tips (in no particular order).

1) If you want to know the best things to see,  find a friend who has been and ask them. LIKE ME! My reviews are below and as regular followers of my blog know, I am never wrong. Failing that, Google the  recommendations from The Guardian, the Beeb and The Scotsman.

2)  It’s useful to understand the basic ‘architecture’ of the event because there are several events going on in parallel in Edinburgh.

First, the original Edinburgh Festival festival which takes place in proper venues and is sort of proper culcher  and proper expensive.

Second, the Edinburgh Fringe which, as it name suggests, exists outside the Festival  proper, began nearly 50 years ago, has grown like the Beanstalk on steroids, and in which, shows, generally speaking, charge £10-12 for entrance.

Third, there is the Free Fringe, in which you find acts, so far as I can tell, that  are not in the actual Fringe and for which you can get a separate programme, and which, as the name suggests, don’t charge.

(There are also lots of other things going on - like the Edinburgh Book Festival - but I am not sure where they fit into the scheme of things. Might be part of the actual Festival, but not really relevant.)

3) Download and use the Edinburgh Fringe App. It’s really cleverly designed and once you’ve worked it out, it’s a great way to narrow down the insane choice, to find out what tickets are available, and offers an easy way to buy them. (I didn’t even bother getting the  hard copy brochure/guide. Who wants to schlep a telephone directory around?)

4) There are lots of shows you can take children and young teens to, but if you want to avoid a lot of  the kids, go on August 15th or afterwards. Because, as odd as it seems to us non-Scots, Scottish schools return for the autumn term in mid-August.  I am inclined to think that is the best time to go anyway. After a couple of weeks the shows will be properly grooved.

5) If you are part of a couple try it to make sure you are there on a Monday and Tuesday. There are lots of two for one offers available to all on those days.

6) Couples going for a few days or more, should get a Friend of the Fringe membership. Costs £35, and there lots of other ‘two for one’ offers available every day to FOFs.

Otherwise, to see 3 or 4 shows a day (the right level, for a serious  and hardy Fringe goer, I would say) you need to budget about £40 per day per person for entertainment before costs of  food, drinks, accom etc. Well, I never said it was cheap. ((By the way, my max fringe binge  this year was five shows in one day.)

7) Build your schedule around the plays at the Traverse theatre. The Traverse, known as one of     Britain’s leading centres of new writing, is not strictly part of the Fringe nor part of the Festival but hovers somewhere in between. HOWEVER, its programme is included in the Fringe. (No, I don’t quite understand either, but that’s what I was told.)

Anyway, notwithstanding that, they put on about half a dozen plays of about 60-90 mins length - why aren’t all plays that short? - cuts out nine tenths of the snoring - and they rotate them so they play at different times every day. Invariably brilliant stuff and probably all sold out this year. But they do get RETURNS. Call them on 0131 228 1404 to find out how to get one.

8) My strong advice is to book accommodation as far in advance in possible - like right now for next year - even if you are not 100 per cent sure you are going. You can always cancel.  I stay 20 miles out of town with friends - lucky me! - and this year, hired a car and every day drove into a Park n’ Ride (50p per day) and caught the train in for the last 5 miles. Inexpensive and just about manageable, although it took some organising. So if you have some mates in striking distance, blag a room.

If you have a ‘winibago’, you could do as a few enterprising Fringe goers do and take your leviathan and park in a Park ’n Ride. (There are quite a few situated all around the borders of Edinburgh.) Not sure I would want to stay in the Hotel Park n’ Ride but I saw people who did it.

This year’s BloggerBlagger  reviews.

I went to twenty three things in all. (22 performances of one kind or another plus 1 something else.)

These comprised, again in no particular order:

Five straight plays.

Games. A two hander based upon the story of two Jewish women at the time of the Berlin Olympics and simply stunning, as were Borders and Angels,  the last two fringe offerings written by former comedian Henry Naylor.  Henry, (who I am pleased to call a friend from the time I directed him in a Direct Line campaign 20  years ago - yes, funny old world) was  bracketed by one reviewer with Athol Fugard after the recent off-Broadway production of ‘Angels’.  

His standard does not drop. ‘Games’ is gripping from first to last and subtly draws chilling parallels with the era of Trump. Commit murder to get a ticket. (You may have to.) Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Freeman. Half a dozen actors, with no scenery, constantly switch between different roles and different centuries to produce a riveting commentary on the sins of slavery and it’s rippling effect into the present day. Wonderful performances. Great imagination. Utterly compelling. Not on any account to be missed. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Revenants. A more conventional piece of theatre set in 1942 in which Queen Mary (widow of George V) is portrayed as a game old bird with a touch more brain power than the Royal Family are usually said to have. Surprisingly this too, turns out to be a story about race.

Had its moments but didn’t quite do it for me.Three Bloggerblaggerstars.

Underground Railroad Game. A theatrical experience like no other I have ever experienced. Once again this is about slavery,  a  mesmerising two hander  at the Traverse presented in a constantly shifting context and style. Sometimes comedic, sometimes tragic, and sometimes explicitly  and, even for a man of the world like me, shockingly  sexual, it never stops surprising.

Two wonderful performances, particularly by Jennifer Kidwell, an actor of astonishing power. You may have to commit a murder for this one too, but well worth  a lifetime in prison  so go for it.

My joint pick of the week.Five Bloggerblaggerstars Plus.

Chihuahua. A clever one woman performance that switches between the life of a character in  an Edith Wharton novel and that of a waitress in a coffee shop in Scotland; two women who are linked in a not very defined way by chihuahuas. This was presented in a much smaller venue than the other plays I saw, and also unlike those, it was only half full.

I thought the actress and writer, whose name I didn’t write down and now can’t locate on the internet, was heroic in the face of such a small audience. I think the title might be the problem. I am sure there must be something  that would grab a passer-by or a flicker-through with  much more grip. Three and a bit BloggerBlaggerStars.

Two plays with music.

What are Girls Made Of?.  Another Traverse presentation, this one with four excellent actors, three of whom were obviously at least as gifted as musicians,  and the fourth of whom sang wonderfully. Apparently she would have danced too had she not suffered a nasty injury at some previous performance,  a misfortune that the disembodied voice of the artistic director of the Traverse told us about  at the outset, before apologising for the show’s relative shortcomings and  begging the audience’s  indulgence. She needn’t have bothered her invisible head.

Cora Bissett, the injured singer, was so assured in this tale of the sudden rise and precipitous fall of a young rock star, told  as she approaches forty, that neither she nor we missed a step. She was completely convincing in the role,  unsurprisingly in a sense, since it was her own true life story she was telling, and, of course, she wrote it. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Vulvarine. Much more authentically Fringe in that it was conceived and performed by five fresh faced performers with great verve and obvious talent but with the odd rough edge still to be professionally smoothed. ‘Vulverine’ is a more than creditable  attempt at a musical comedy with a sort of ironic feminist theme and has some quite decent tunes and lyrics and  more than a few genuinely funny bits.

Allie Munro, plays the lead part of boring Brony Buckle who is transformed into Superheroine Vulvarine, and she was, I thought,  terrific.  Likewise the rest of the cast with one obvious exception. But given the youthful gusto that made this show so much fun, it would seem mean to name the culprit so, should you go, you can decide for yourself who I meant. Four Bloggerblaggerstars.

Four other musical shows.

21st Century Speakeasy Andrea Carlson and the Love  Police. Andrea Carlson, who, I would guess, is comfortably north of fifty,  has a sweet voice, vaguely reminiscent of Blossom Dearie if you are old enough to know who that is or maybe Maria Muldaur if you’re a little bit younger.

Sadly she had a rather faded quality - her costume seemed a little contrived and dated - and I don’t think it was intentional. The tunes were, by and large, pleasant enough  and she and her rather elderly backing musicians performed faultlessly, but the whole thing felt slightly tragic to me, an impression not helped by the only half-filled room. Two Bloggerblaggerstars.

Jess Robinson - No filter. This was  not a name I knew but she played to a packed audience in a relatively large venue so evidently a lot of people knew what I had been missing. Jess Robinson seems to be not just a singer, but an impressionist and has, according to Wikipedia,  been on the telly quite a bit, in Dead Ringers amongst other things. (She also nearly made the final of Britain’s Got Talent, seventh series.)

Regrettably I didn’t know many of the people she was impersonating as her cast of characters didn’t include   Vera Lynn or Gracie Fields or Marie Lloyd or Mrs.Patrick Campbell. My companion on the night described it as a bit ‘low rent’ which I thought was a tad harsh, but I knew what she meant. Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

Johnny Woo’s Brexit Cabaret. Not a terribly clever musical revue with nothing very original to say about you know what. I didn’t realise Johnny Woo was a drag artist and I probably wouldn’t have gone if I had.  (More fool me for not perusing the blurb closely enough.)

I have never understood the point of drag - never got panto dames or Danny LaRue - although I suppose I do  remember liking the film of La Cage Aux Folles. And in the modern world, where, happily,  everyone in enlightened countries has the opportunity  (theoretically anyway) to be what they want to be - drag seems to me to be somehow redundant. Slick but shallow is about the best I can say of this effort. Two Bloggerblaggerstars.

Frau Welt. Another drag show, though this time, I had a better excuse as it was the only show on in the place where I  was, at the time I was there, and I was determined to see something, anything. This one was full-on screaming camp and I found the first ten minutes  spectacularly unamusing. One word kept coming to mind: WHY? Then I left. Zero  Bloggerblaggerstars.

Five stand ups.

All the stand-ups I saw this year, apart from the polished old stager, Fred MacAulay - whom I caught in the second half of The Best of Scottish Comedy, which a friend smuggled me into after I had fled the horrendous Frau Welt - were just a little disappointing. None were remotely bad, but none got me guffawing uncontrollably.

They were all watchable and, every so often, amusing and applaudable but, apart  from Maisie Adams, none seemed to me to have any stardust sprinkled on them. She has a routine in  which she discusses  her own epilepsy, and at  24 - she told us that - is clearly a natural performer. But she wound  up by telling us how she had overcome her disability, and being the ancient curmudgeon that I am, I found that bit a touch self-congratulatory.

AAA (Batteries Not Included) with ChrisTurner

Gràinne Maguire

Jan Lafferty:  Wheesht!

All two point six seven three ( why not?) Bloggerblaggerstars.

Maisie Adams Three and a tad Bloggerblaggerstars.

The  Best of Scottish comedy: Fred MacAulay. Four Bloggerblaggerstars.

Three other comic turns (I think you would classify them as ‘absurdist’)

Siblings. This two girl comedy duo is made up of  the  Bye sisters, who, as the ultracognoscenti know, are the real life daughters of Ruby Wax. (And Ed Bye - poor bloke, never gets a mention.) I saw them last year and thought they were hilarious, but,  as I remember it, their routine was slightly more conventional, in that there was a logical thread that you could just about follow.

This year it seemed to have a larger element of out and out bonkersness which didn’t really work for a couple of the people I had insisted accompany me. “You will LOVE them” I had said, but it was quickly evident they were just baffled. I would say (the) Siblings probably weren’t  quite as funny as last year but I really can’t be sure because all I could  think about were the fingers of blame that would be jabbed at me afterwards.“You said we’d love them.Love WHAT?” 

Three Bloggerblaggerstars. (My friends are superannuated old gits, so what would they know.)

The Kagools. Another female duo, Aussies Claire Ford and Nicky Wilkinson, who have a completely word-free act that is simply ingenious. They interact with a film of themselves  so that they are live on stage one moment and the next vanishing behind the screen to reappear in the film. It is clearly rehearsed to the millisecond because the timing is absolutely perfect - a moving arm  is  half live and half on film at one point, seemingly without a join.

The really impressive thing though is that,  despite the precision, it all seems completely spontaneous. The technique never gets in the way of the comedy and The Kagools are simultaneously  wonderfully silly and completely charming. An absolute delight, they are the other half of my joint pick of the week. Five Bloggerblaggerstars Plus.

Claire Sullivan, I wish I owned a hotel for dogs. Another Aussie, Claire takes absurdist comedy to new heights - or to new records of excess in whichever dimension absurdism exists. Think Vic and Bob on acid. And then some. Quite honestly, I didn’t have the faintest idea what was going on at any time, but she has a winning way which can’t but help force a smile. I did like her but I really don’t know why. Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

One acrobaticky sort of show.

360 All Stars.  Five blokes in baseball caps worn at various angles doing tricks on BMX’s and with basketballs and  breakdancing mentally and doing somersaults and all that sort of thing. Probably great for the ten and unders and not too bad for the rest of us. But I wouldn’t be falling over myself to go again. Seen better Circusy things at the Fringe.Two and a half Bloggerblaggerstars.

Two ‘well known names’ shows.

Maureen Lipman. As those with knowledge of my murky advertising past  will know, Maureen and I go a long way back, so in aiming for proper objectivity, I might have to have be  more critical than I normally would be. In which case, she was even better than I thought, and that was very, very good indeed.

Her show was a splendid mixture, of comedy monologues, jolly good jokes and some excellent music supplied by Jackie Dankworth (Cleo and Johnny’s daughter I assume),  a fine pianist and, extraordinarily, on guitar, Harry Shearer, legendary Simpsons’ voice and co-writer and co-star of Spinal Tap.

At 72 - don’t think I’m giving away secrets there -  and now in Coronation Street, Maureen has, despite achieving national treasure status,  most definitely not run out of creative steam.  Sadly you can’t get tickets for this show no matter who you kill, because her run has  finished. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

Nina Conti. *And now, at last, to the explanation of  ‘hashtag strap-on’. Nina Conti’s show began with another pre-performance announcement, this time to tell us that there was a Tourettes sufferer in the audience and to ask for our understanding. She turned out to be sitting a few rows behind my  seat and began to randomly pepper the show with lots of very audible ‘biscuits’ and suchlike. I can’t say this wasn’t slightly off-putting while at the same time provoking an occasionally guilty giggle, and it would have been a fearsome challenge for most performers.

Fortunately much of Nina Conti’s incredibly clever ventriloquist’s act -  I was in the front row and never saw her lips move once -  is ad-libbed and she somehow contrived  to incorporate one or two of the Tourettisms into the show, notably ‘tortoises’. (Really can’t explain but it was both utterly surreal and bloody funny.) The highpoint came when Nina, who uses volunteers from the audience as her dummies by fitting  pigs’ masks on their faces, and operating the lips with a hand control, was fiddling about with one of the velcro ties that holds each mask in place. ‘Hashtag Strap-On’ shouted out the Tourettes lady and  almost literally stopped the show. Five Bloggerblaggerstars.

One participation game-show (no audience)

Werewolves. A parlour game with twenty participants paying a tenner each, played at midnight every night,  masterminded by an Australian (they’re everywhere in Edinburgh) called Nick who sports a long beard, a topper and full Edwardian costume including an ankle length fur coat that must be a fraction too warm even in a Scottish summer.

The rules are a bit too complex to explain but think of it as a sort of  super de luxe, infinitely wittier version of the game where you wink at people to kill them. I warn you. It is addictive. Having made my debut last year, I played three times last week- meaning I was still up at two on three mornings! - and loved it. (Also a winner - twice! Not that I’m one to brag.) Totally recommended. 

Twenty Five Bloggerblaggerstars at least.

[allenmendezsr]

Insider Infiltration

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/insider-infiltration/

Insider Infiltration

 Buy Now

    Find Out What’s Really Going On Behind Closed Doors and Place the Same Bets as the Pros!

Hi there,

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because your betting profits have slowed, plateaued, or perhaps you were never making any decent money to begin with…

So now you’re looking for a change; some way to turn your luck around, to boost your betting bank and to make a nice chunk of change during these uncertain times.

Well, I have exactly what you’re looking for.

With my precise method, you can bet like an industry pro with daily tips that are based upon the most up to date and top secret insider information.

  And with said bets, you can easily make upwards of £10,000 per month from horse racing.

And it doesn’t matter who you are; whether you’re a student, full time employed, retired, a seasoned punter or you’re completely new to betting, as absolutely anyone can make killing with daily horse racing selections from Insider Infiltration.

In just a few clicks, you will be in receipt of daily tips that will see you £2,500 better off THIS WEEK!

And let’s be honest – it’s about time you had an extra few grand regularly topping up your bank account…

Pay your bills, wipe your debts, treat yourself to a few luxuries… You could even splash out on a new car!

And while you’re at it, why not quit your day job?

  There’s no point in slaving away for some ungrateful boss when you’re earning six figures annually, with ease, from just 10 minutes of betting each morning!!

But before we go any further, let me be straight with you for a moment…

I am not your usual tipster.

I’m not about to tell you that I’m some math genius who’s come up with an incredible algorithm, nor am I claiming to be some retired jockey, former trainer or big industry king pin.

What I am, is an opportunist.

When I see a chance to make money, I go for it. And who can blame me for that?

My name’s Paul, I’m for the West Midlands and I’ve always had ‘the gift of the gab’.

As a kid, I was liked by everyone at school. I could move from group to group seamlessly, and I could always convince the other kids to do what I wanted them to. Every scenario on the playground would play out in my favour.

And as I got older, I put my people skills to better use – making money and picking up girls!

I could charm just about every person I met.

I made great tips as a barman, excellent commissions as a door to door salesman, and I even made a sizable chunk of change playing poker with anyone brave enough to challenge me.

But after a while, I decided that I needed to aim higher, much higher. And that’s when I turned my attention to horse racing.

Growing up, my father loved the nags. He wasn’t a professional punter, but he’d head over to our local race track most Saturdays, and on occasion, I’d join him. That’s when I began to realise just how much money there is in horse racing… And I wanted a piece of that action. 

When I was in my mid-twenties, I began to devise a plan. I wanted to infiltrate one of the innermost circles of the equestrian industry, and find out how the hot shots really make their money.

I did my research, identified who the key players were and I dug into their backgrounds. I made mental notes of what they liked, didn’t like, and prepared to mould my persona accordingly.

Eventually, one sunny afternoon in Autumn, I made my first moves. Introducing myself as a friend of a friend of someone important, saying I was new in town.

With my charm and charisma, I wormed my way in easily. It was almost laughable.

I had infiltrated the insiders.

Fast forward two years and I’ve been invited to no end of private dinner parties, I’ve been on a ‘lads’ holiday to Prague with a famous jockey and a few other industry pros, and I’m even the godfather to a horse breeder’s son!

But the craziest part of all is, I can’t stand a one of them!

I hate the snobbery, the pretentiousness and the way they scoff at the poor.

And it turns out, the whole system is rigged. They’re all in each other’s back pockets and make racing as profitable for their own tight-knit group as possible. To hell with the average punter!

Who cares if you’re behind on rent when Geoffrey wants a new Porsche?

  Frequently, races are fixed. And because of this, I know the outcome of a race way ahead of time, and can therefore place my bets accordingly.

With just the tipoffs I overheard in that circles, I was able to make an average of £2,500 from horse racing, every single week!

And by doing no more than spending 10 minutes on my phone. I could do that in the back of an Uber, or even before I got out of bed!

It was so easy, it was almost unbelievable.

It felt like playing the lottery when I already knew the numbers.

  It was like printing money!!

For months I splashed out, buying clothes, gadgets and a new car. And I moved out of my small flat and into my dream house!

But eventually the parties, the women and the flashy things I bought, all came to feel shallow. And worst of all, I’D BECOME ONE OF THEM.

I was using my position of newly found power to make a fortune, while the average punter was losing his hard earned wages, playing a game that was fixed against him!

And so, I decided to do what was right.

That’s when I created Insider Infiltration. A tipping service that would level the playing fields for the average Joe Blogs.

I want YOU to have the same incredible opportunity to make money from horse racing as I have.

Growing up, my dad squandered away our savings at the bookies. And his losing streak eventually cost him his marriage, and ruined my childhood. 

If only he’d have known then what I know now.

I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes of every other punter out there who’s betting blind.

  And so from today I am going to send you the daily bets that cannot lose!

I still move in those insider circles. I get ALL of the most up to date race information. I know which races are fixed and which horses are going to win, at least 85% of the time.

  And so, if you actually want to make some serious money from betting, you need to sign up to Insider Infiltration right now and see for yourself just how beneficial an insider advantage can be.

“I always had my suspicions that horse racing was fixed, now this proves it. Finally, after years of disappointment, my win rate has more than quadrupled with Paul’s tips. Cheers mate”

Gaz Parker, Nottingham.

  “I’ve wasted my time and money on no end of nonsense systems and so called tipping services over the years and I am thrilled to have finally found one that actually pays off! I’ve made £4,667 in the past two weeks alone!! Thanks Paul”

Denise Ward, Grimsby.

  “Excellent service! I’ve been following Simon’s advice to the letter for two months and I’ve made over £20k! I’m absolutely chuffed! That’s the car and summer holiday sorted. Insider Infiltration gets a 10/10 from me”

Mike Bell, London.

And now YOU can try Insider Infiltration yourself for the unbelievably low price of just £26.99 That price is an incredible bargain for tips that are based upon TOP SECRET insider information. Tips that will see you £120,000 better off this year!! You’d have to be MAD to pass up an offer like this…

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

AND your purchase will be protected by a 60 Day Satisfaction Guarantee.

So you have absolutely nothing to lose.

This is a 100% risk free transaction

  However, since this is entirely new territory for me, I’m only going to be taking on a handful of new members at this time, so as not to overwhelm myself.

And so, if you would like to join me and make £10k this month and every month from here on out, all you have to do is sign up on this page right now, and we can get started.

Hesitation could mean losing your place to another more eager punter.

  I know you’ve been seeking an opportunity to turn your luck around and NOW is the time to act!

You deserve this.

Do it NOW.

And trust me, I won’t let you down.

Best regards,

Paul

Disclaimer | Affiliates | Privacy Policy | Contact

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the seller(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Click Sales, Inc., its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates. The products, information, and other content provided by this seller are provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any problem with products that customers purchase through this seller, customers agree that their sole remedy is from the seller, if any, in accordance with any seller warranties and/or seller refund policy.

[djrelentless]

“The Fab Getaway (Finally A Vacation With My Husband)”

April 12, 2014

I don't know about you, but if you are like me (the average artist who is struggling) it is hard to take time off and enjoy yourself in this economy. So, when a good friend invited my husband and I over to Zurich, Switzerland we jumped at the offer. I had never been there and I had been dying to getaway from my daily rat race. For me, even if I am not booked at a club or performing on somebody's stage, I'm constantly working behind the scene to keep my name and brand out there in some form and fashion. But this vacation (which is not over yet) has been well needed. I love going to European countries. Usually, their history and ways of life are just simple and right. When I think of all the bullshit that goes on in my home country (The United States of America), I just shake my head. The stupid politics, the racism, the homophobia, the poverty....it's all so exhuating! My friend here pointed out the hipocracy of the legal age to get married and vote opposed to the legal age to drink. It all seems like America is just backwards in its thinking. The public transportation in Zurich and Rome are both on the honour system. Meaning that, you buy your pass to get on and there's no one there to ask you for your ticket. They have pain-clothed officers who randomly ask for them somewhere on the line, but for the most part no one even checks. This could never happen in New York City....too many crafty bitches always tryin' to pull a stunt. The U.S. has so many rules about drinking, who you can marry, when and where you can vote and a host of other things. Today, my husband and I went to the "gay beach" and literally 20 to 30 feet away from these completely nude men cruising each other was a family with kids playing and barbecueing. No one was bothering anyone and no one cared. That would never happen in the U.S. The second that one person raised an eyebrow because they thought they saw two gay guys walking into the bushes there would be outrage. Here there's no hiding nudity from kids. It's a part of life. Just as being gay or straight is a part of life. There's no major drunk driving accidents here because they don't put those kinds of restrictions of their people about drinking. If it is not taboo then it is not a problem. Such a simple lesson to learn. Basically..."don't start no shit and there won't be no shit." But enough about the hang ups of my "We Are The Land Of The Free, But We Are So Repressed" country! Let's talk about the beauty of Zurich. Such a gorgeous city with such history and culture. Plus....most of riches in the world are here and the entire country is about the size of New Jersey. I guess the thing that has been so great and refreshing has been to completely step away from our normal daily lives. Simple things like "no television" has made me pay more attention to my husband. "Going to the market everyday to buy our dinner" has made us look at fresh food differently. It's so nice to be in a city where they are not addicted to noise. On the streetcar (tram), there is no loud talking or music playing. Every person has the right to a quiet commute. In fact, there are no loud people on the streets (even in the middle of rush hour or a busy Saturday afternoon). Here it is considered rude to have loud conversations. There's no cars driving around with "booming systems" blearing whatever is the latest popular song. Everyone respects each other's space.....something that is completely lost in major cities across America. You can watch a movie in a theatre and actually hear the film while it's playing. Decency is alive and kicking. And for sorry. i'm already half asleepa country like the U.S. where the Tea Party Republicans claim that they are the God-fearing Christians who are only trying to get America back on the right track, it is so hard to tell with all the shady underhanded back-stabbing antics that they do to opress everyone who threatens their way of life or is different. John and I have a beautiful, large 5 bedroom apartment to ourselves for an entire week. We are free to come and go as we please. There's a lovely garden in the back. We are within walking distance of downtown, museums and shopping. If we want to go out to the bars we could literally walk back to the apartment. I love it here. I am actually plotting on how we can come back again to visit soon. And the people here are so beautiful! I have never seen so many men and women who looked like they just stepped out of a Ambercrombie and Fitch ad. We actaully saw an older woman walking by the store where Oprah was turned away in couture from head to toe. Miss Thing was servin' the fashions and paying it no mind. We smiled and complimented her as she walked by. She graciously smiled back and continued pumpin' on through to the next shop. It was OVAH! Did you know that the Gay Marriage issue was voted on completely by the people of Switzerland and not the Government. It seems to be working the other way around in the U.S. Gay Marriage is not gonna be completely legal in the states until the Supreme Court and a President steps in and mandates it into a national law like they did with de-segregation. The beauty of many of the Eurpean old cities is that, yes, they have a history and many of them have made mistakes or even had shady dealings, but they seemed to have learned how to make it work. They know how to take care of their people with healthcare and vacations. The U.S. does not encourage everyone to take time off. The U.S. teaches the working-class to work themselves into the ground....literally. Another thing that has been really refreshing for me is not hearing the word "nigger" thrown around like a football in the park. There are no disenfranchised youth of color direspecting their heritage by embracing Hip Hop and prison culture as their everyday speech. And how nice is it to see young men with their pants pulled up like gentlemen? Now, don't get wrong....Hip Hop is huge here in Zurich (just as it is all over the world), but it remains a music not a lifestyle. Your basic education and family values override the tendencies to take the lyrics of a N.W.A. song as the bible of your life. Those words remain as poetry of an urban experience to be pondered and enjoyed as art. Instead of blaming the music, home training, family values and cultural integrity are taught and embraced by the youth. So, what's the deal with the white suburban kids in the mid-west of America who think Lil' Wayne is the messiah? John and I are having a blast. We are only three days into our week here and we have never relaxed this much in our time together. It's so peaceful and quiet. Example: tonight the city is doing work on the streetcar line in front the apartment where we are staying. It is still quiet (even their transporation workers are quiet). And you wanna hear something else weird? We haven't seen one pigeon since we have been here. There has not been any pan-handlers or homeless people begging for money on the streets. The projects look like condos or gated commnities down in Florida. Their grounds are well kept and have signs that read "Private City Property." Why can't America care for its people like this? With the stress of our everyday lives it has been so nice to just take a breather and pause. I am so blessed to have good friends and people who appreciate me for who I am and what I stand for. For these things I have been rewarded with invitations all over the world....Zurich, Rome, London, Amsterdam, Santa Domingo, Athens, Bermuda and even as far as Sydney (haven't been yet, but have an open inviation to go) are all places that have welcomed me. I can't wait to see where life will take me in the future. I am so grateful for all my travels. Each time I get to visit another city and culture I learn so much.....but mainly about myself and where I come from.

[benjsears-blog]

Upstanding Citizens

Upstanding Citizens

'FRACK OFF!' it read.  Bold and brash in urgent yellow on a black background.  A scruffy, dreadlocked man thrust the sign towards Constable Hughes, spitting the words in to the young officer's face on a wave of stale tobacco and black coffee.  The crowd was quite small at the moment, maybe fifty people at most.  But it swelled with every minute that passed, increasing in energy and conviction as it did.  Hughes took a few steps back.

"This has nothing on the Iraq war protests" scoffed Sgt. Reed.  "The dogs saw plenty of action that day son".  He thumbed the handcuffs and pepper spray on his utility belt, sneering defiantly as he surveyed the row of protesters now pressing against the temporary barriers that lined the entrance to the site compound.  Reed turned and walked off to rejoin his colleagues amassing near the vans and patrol cars.  They joked as they donned their stab vests and helmets. 

This was Tom Hughes' first protest. His first potential for 'public disorder' since he'd joined the ranks, after graduating three months previously.  He wasn't one of those who'd always wanted to be an officer though.  For some he'd gone through training with, it was a lifelong ambition. They'd studied criminology at uni, become Community Support officers (or 'Chimps' as some of his colleagues referred to them) and knew the operational handbook back to front.  Tom however, like most of his friends, wasn't so sure.  His education at a moderately priced public school had given him the confidence and rounding one would expect, but he lacked focus and passion. The expectation of A levels and university was met, and with indifference and student debt, he'd graduated with a 2.2 in English Literature three years ago.  After a gap year (which largely involved getting off his face in South East Asia), he'd returned to Cardiff with a deep tan, a feeling of anticlimax and several thousand pounds more debt.  It hadn't taken long for his parents to start chipping away and before he knew it, he was paying them rent whilst despising the fact he was still living with them and was working in the local pub. Something had to be done.  

He'd procrastinated with the online application over the course of a month or so, struggling to describe a situation where he'd 'challenged someone’s behaviour that was discriminatory or inappropriate'.  By the time he'd finished filling out the Equal Opportunities form and hit the 'submit' button, he'd convinced himself that a call to interview from South Wales Police probably wasn't on the cards.  Six months and several interviews later though, Tom found himself sat with ten other young men and women in a drafty porta cabin in Swansea, listening to a portly middle-aged man with impossibly shiny shoes and a drinker's nose boom proudly about how ‘they were not to take lightly their responsibility as the next cohort selected to become Her Majesty's Officers of the Law'.  He'd enjoyed the practical elements of his training and had looked forward to his first patrol.  But he felt unable to fully embrace his new role and was slightly embarrassed about being in a position that required him to take himself so seriously.

Constable Hughes estimated two hundred people now plugged the entrance road to the site.  A nervous energy was palpable and the atmosphere inside the compound felt less jovial than it had initially been.  Several camera crews had arrived, one with a cherry picker which now hovered above the site's hoarding, alternating it's focus between the eighteen officers inside and the baying, chanting throng outside.  So far, no one had tried to get beyond the barriers, but the tide of the crowd rocked them to and fro as it flowed in and out against them.

Constable James Stirling stood alongside Hughes roughly twenty feet from the barriers, both with hands thrust in the gap between their stab vests and their jackets.  Despite both being of muscular build and above average in height, their age (they were both in their mid twenties) and inexperience meant the pair lacked authority, and they tried to make up for it with posture and gesture as they stood facing sternly straight ahead.  The illusion of authority had obsessed Hughes throughout his training and the more he thought about it and tried to convey it, the less convincing he seemed.  You either had it or you didn’t he’d concluded.

"The drilling rig should be here soon". Stirling looked at his watch and back to the crowd as he spoke, quickly returning his hand to the warmth of his breast.  "Yeah, shouldn't be long now” Replied Hughes. “Are there any more backup coming?" He was trying to sound nonchalant in order to not betray his genuine concern about the growing numbers.

"I think there's an escort vehicle but other than that, it's just us lot I'm afraid. Don't worry though mate.  Once the rig's arrived and they've got something to shout at, they'll soon get bored and go home to burn some incense. Or have a joint. Or sign an online petition to ban the use of… deodorant or something'.  Hughes chuckled nervously. "Yeah, you're probably right" he muttered.

The cameraman in the cherry picker suddenly swung to face out in to the approach road and the low grumble of a diesel engine could be heard briefly before the chants turned to shouts and screams and drowned it out.  People turned and surged away from the barriers towards the cumbersome vehicle as it gradually pulled in to sight, splurging black fumes from its exhaust defiantly in to the air.  "Stirling. Hughes. Time to move" barked Sgt. Reed over his shoulder as he and five other officers ran towards the barriers. They unclipped them, dragged them to either side of the road and forcefully parted the crowd to get to the escort vehicle that crawled towards them from the other side of the mass.  Hughes and Stirling rushed to join their colleagues as the pack closed in behind them, swallowing the six men and women to its churning core.  Hughes raised his arms up and outwards to clear a path through. As he did so, he brushed the breast of a woman through her green duffle coat. “Pervert pig!” she screeched in to his ear as she clawed at his arm “Back!” yelled Stirling as he muscled in close behind.  The woman swung at him with an open hand, cuffing him on the forearm.  He bore his shoulder in to her sternum. “Get Back!” he yelled again. The noise of the crowd was deafening and disorientating.  Hughes fixed his eye on the rig’s exhaust to guide him and continued to force his way through.  A man dressed as the grim reaper leaped in front of him, driving a plastic scythe down at his feet.  “Move, now!” the officer yelled. The man stayed fixed to the spot.  Hughes’ heart was racing.  He was suddenly and acutely aware of just how much hatred was being directed towards him. So much raw emotion and frustration.

He was pretty sure he agreed with these people about risks of fracking. About the unknowns, the long-term environmental effects and the need to focus on renewable energy and sustainable living for the future of the planet.  He wasn’t a bad person.  He wasn’t here because he wanted to be.  It was his job.  A job he’d trained long and hard for and for all the right reasons. Most of these losers probably didn’t even have jobs.  He was just here to keep people safe.  To keep order.  It was the oil and gas companies and the politicians with vested interests and five-year blinkers that were the ones to blame for this.  The injustice was infuriating.  

The Grim reaper still wouldn’t budge and an intense anger welled inside Hughes.  “MOVE, NOW!”.  He reached for his nightstick, flicking it downwards to extend it fully and then raised it offensively above his shoulder. “NOW!”. The man stood defiant and twisted his face towards Hughes’, sticking out his tongue as he did. Without hesitation, Hughes brought the steel down cold and hard on the crown of his head. The hideous mask spun from the man’s face and he slumped instantly downwards to the tarmac and lay still and crumpled at the officer’s feet.  The woman in the green duffle coat shrieked and dropped to her knees at the man’s limp body.  “What the hell have you done Hughes!?”. Stirling grabbed his shoulder, spinning him round to face him as he did.  Hughes stood stunned for a moment.  “We need to get out of here”.  They scrambled desperately back towards the compound as those surrounding them rushed to the assistance of the man on the ground.  The site manager uncoupled a bolt and swung the chain-link gates open to let the two panting officers in, quickly closing and bolting it behind them.

Sgt. Reed and the others had now reached the escort vehicle and were doing their best to guide it through as they tried to shield their faces from the eggs which smashed against its windscreen and splattered over their helmets and uniforms.  A number of people had managed to clamber on to the sides of the rig, hanging on with one arm and punching the air with the other as they chanted like football hooligans.  Two female officers frantically clutched at their flailing legs in an attempt to drag them off.

The rig and escort had finally made it to the gates of the compound. Three more officers had reached the convey and had successfully managed to remove the climbers.  “Now!” boomed Reed.  Hughes, Stirling and the site manager flung the gates open and beckoned the vehicles in.  The remaining officers now flanked the rig down both sides, preventing anyone from squeezing between it and the fence to get in to the compound as the rig rolled slowly inside.  The gates folded in behind it, rattling shut once the last officers had slipped in. Hughes slammed the bolt across just as the mob flooded in behind in close pursuit.  He and Stirling stood for a moment, cold and expressionless, staring blankly into each others clean-shaven faces.  The ubiquitous cherry picker craned its neck in towards the compound, hanging ominously above with its camera trained unwaveringly on the two young men. Suddenly though, it swung away again and out towards the approach road.  Tom Hughes looked up, squinting in the autumn sunlight and heard faintly in the distance the pulsing wail of an ambulance siren.

[allenmendezsr]

Insider Infiltration

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/insider-infiltration/

Insider Infiltration

 Buy Now

    Find Out What’s Really Going On Behind Closed Doors and Place the Same Bets as the Pros!

Hi there,

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because your betting profits have slowed, plateaued, or perhaps you were never making any decent money to begin with…

So now you’re looking for a change; some way to turn your luck around, to boost your betting bank and to make a nice chunk of change during these uncertain times.

Well, I have exactly what you’re looking for.

With my precise method, you can bet like an industry pro with daily tips that are based upon the most up to date and top secret insider information.

  And with said bets, you can easily make upwards of £10,000 per month from horse racing.

And it doesn’t matter who you are; whether you’re a student, full time employed, retired, a seasoned punter or you’re completely new to betting, as absolutely anyone can make killing with daily horse racing selections from Insider Infiltration.

In just a few clicks, you will be in receipt of daily tips that will see you £2,500 better off THIS WEEK!

And let’s be honest – it’s about time you had an extra few grand regularly topping up your bank account…

Pay your bills, wipe your debts, treat yourself to a few luxuries… You could even splash out on a new car!

And while you’re at it, why not quit your day job?

  There’s no point in slaving away for some ungrateful boss when you’re earning six figures annually, with ease, from just 10 minutes of betting each morning!!

But before we go any further, let me be straight with you for a moment…

I am not your usual tipster.

I’m not about to tell you that I’m some math genius who’s come up with an incredible algorithm, nor am I claiming to be some retired jockey, former trainer or big industry king pin.

What I am, is an opportunist.

When I see a chance to make money, I go for it. And who can blame me for that?

My name’s Paul, I’m for the West Midlands and I’ve always had ‘the gift of the gab’.

As a kid, I was liked by everyone at school. I could move from group to group seamlessly, and I could always convince the other kids to do what I wanted them to. Every scenario on the playground would play out in my favour.

And as I got older, I put my people skills to better use – making money and picking up girls!

I could charm just about every person I met.

I made great tips as a barman, excellent commissions as a door to door salesman, and I even made a sizable chunk of change playing poker with anyone brave enough to challenge me.

But after a while, I decided that I needed to aim higher, much higher. And that’s when I turned my attention to horse racing.

Growing up, my father loved the nags. He wasn’t a professional punter, but he’d head over to our local race track most Saturdays, and on occasion, I’d join him. That’s when I began to realise just how much money there is in horse racing… And I wanted a piece of that action. 

When I was in my mid-twenties, I began to devise a plan. I wanted to infiltrate one of the innermost circles of the equestrian industry, and find out how the hot shots really make their money.

I did my research, identified who the key players were and I dug into their backgrounds. I made mental notes of what they liked, didn’t like, and prepared to mould my persona accordingly.

Eventually, one sunny afternoon in Autumn, I made my first moves. Introducing myself as a friend of a friend of someone important, saying I was new in town.

With my charm and charisma, I wormed my way in easily. It was almost laughable.

I had infiltrated the insiders.

Fast forward two years and I’ve been invited to no end of private dinner parties, I’ve been on a ‘lads’ holiday to Prague with a famous jockey and a few other industry pros, and I’m even the godfather to a horse breeder’s son!

But the craziest part of all is, I can’t stand a one of them!

I hate the snobbery, the pretentiousness and the way they scoff at the poor.

And it turns out, the whole system is rigged. They’re all in each other’s back pockets and make racing as profitable for their own tight-knit group as possible. To hell with the average punter!

Who cares if you’re behind on rent when Geoffrey wants a new Porsche?

  Frequently, races are fixed. And because of this, I know the outcome of a race way ahead of time, and can therefore place my bets accordingly.

With just the tipoffs I overheard in that circles, I was able to make an average of £2,500 from horse racing, every single week!

And by doing no more than spending 10 minutes on my phone. I could do that in the back of an Uber, or even before I got out of bed!

It was so easy, it was almost unbelievable.

It felt like playing the lottery when I already knew the numbers.

  It was like printing money!!

For months I splashed out, buying clothes, gadgets and a new car. And I moved out of my small flat and into my dream house!

But eventually the parties, the women and the flashy things I bought, all came to feel shallow. And worst of all, I’D BECOME ONE OF THEM.

I was using my position of newly found power to make a fortune, while the average punter was losing his hard earned wages, playing a game that was fixed against him!

And so, I decided to do what was right.

That’s when I created Insider Infiltration. A tipping service that would level the playing fields for the average Joe Blogs.

I want YOU to have the same incredible opportunity to make money from horse racing as I have.

Growing up, my dad squandered away our savings at the bookies. And his losing streak eventually cost him his marriage, and ruined my childhood. 

If only he’d have known then what I know now.

I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes of every other punter out there who’s betting blind.

  And so from today I am going to send you the daily bets that cannot lose!

I still move in those insider circles. I get ALL of the most up to date race information. I know which races are fixed and which horses are going to win, at least 85% of the time.

  And so, if you actually want to make some serious money from betting, you need to sign up to Insider Infiltration right now and see for yourself just how beneficial an insider advantage can be.

“I always had my suspicions that horse racing was fixed, now this proves it. Finally, after years of disappointment, my win rate has more than quadrupled with Paul’s tips. Cheers mate”

Gaz Parker, Nottingham.

  “I’ve wasted my time and money on no end of nonsense systems and so called tipping services over the years and I am thrilled to have finally found one that actually pays off! I’ve made £4,667 in the past two weeks alone!! Thanks Paul”

Denise Ward, Grimsby.

  “Excellent service! I’ve been following Simon’s advice to the letter for two months and I’ve made over £20k! I’m absolutely chuffed! That’s the car and summer holiday sorted. Insider Infiltration gets a 10/10 from me”

Mike Bell, London.

And now YOU can try Insider Infiltration yourself for the unbelievably low price of just £26.99 That price is an incredible bargain for tips that are based upon TOP SECRET insider information. Tips that will see you £120,000 better off this year!! You’d have to be MAD to pass up an offer like this…

60 Day Money Back Guarantee

AND your purchase will be protected by a 60 Day Satisfaction Guarantee.

So you have absolutely nothing to lose.

This is a 100% risk free transaction

  However, since this is entirely new territory for me, I’m only going to be taking on a handful of new members at this time, so as not to overwhelm myself.

And so, if you would like to join me and make £10k this month and every month from here on out, all you have to do is sign up on this page right now, and we can get started.

Hesitation could mean losing your place to another more eager punter.

  I know you’ve been seeking an opportunity to turn your luck around and NOW is the time to act!

You deserve this.

Do it NOW.

And trust me, I won’t let you down.

Best regards,

Paul

Disclaimer | Affiliates | Privacy Policy | Contact

The thoughts and opinions expressed here are those of the seller(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Click Sales, Inc., its parents, subsidiaries or affiliates. The products, information, and other content provided by this seller are provided for informational purposes only. In the event of any problem with products that customers purchase through this seller, customers agree that their sole remedy is from the seller, if any, in accordance with any seller warranties and/or seller refund policy.