#disney's loss our win

[ilovedthestars]

my thoughts on the nimona movie (no spoilers)

I literally just finished watching the nimona movie. It is SO good. I liked the graphic novel and the trailers looked incredibly promising and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. It is so queer, and so trans, and knowing that ND Stevenson wrote Nimona years before coming out gave me a lot of emotions about the way this was realized on screen. I don’t know how much he was involved in the adaptation, but it’s absolutely something he should be proud of.

I wondered how Nimona would work as a movie, knowing that Hollywood is sometimes bad about book adaptations. But the trailers gave me the impression that they were changing some things but keeping the spirit of the graphic novel alive, and after seeing the movie I think that’s 100% true. They mixed things up quite a bit—there are a few scenes that are straight out of the graphic novel, but most of the events of the plot were new or reworked in a different way from the original. But the original themes underlying Nimona are not only still there, they’re made even more big and bold and obvious by the changes.

And let’s talk about the animation for a second!! Nimona might not quite be as flashy as spiderverse, but the animators were absolutely still doing groundbreaking things with the animation. It’s 3D animated, but rendered in a way that’s designed to look more like 2D animation. Instead of hyperrealism they went for stylization, but still with the super dynamic motion of 3D models. This article [https://mashable.com/article/nimona-animation-style] talks a little bit about the artistic choices that went into it, and how they were going for the vibe of "graphic novel come to life." (I still have no idea how they pulled off cel shading on 3D models, but I’m so impressed.) The lighting in particular stood out to me as very cool, and the transitions when Nimona shape shifts were absolutely seamless. The whole movie just looked incredibly cool.

Speaking of the artistic skill that went into this film, two of the three main characters (Ballister and Ambrosius) were drawn as white in the graphic novel, and were changed to people of color in the movie, with such skill that when I went back to reread the original to prepare for the movie I had a genuine moment of “wait, they were white?” Their character designs were adapted so perfectly as to be instantly recognizable, while also fitting their style into the updated aesthetic of the movie. (Which has a super cool medieval/futuristic thing going on, expanded from what we see in the graphic novel.) Nimona is also, I cannot overstate, so perfectly Nimona. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into capturing the essence of ND Stevenson’s drawings.

The plot of the movie was not anything particularly new—“maybe the monsters aren’t monsters after all” is an oldie but a goodie—but it was done very well. Even though I’d just reread the graphic novel, there were enough changes that there were plenty of surprises. Also, did I mention how funny it is? There are so many hilarious lines & visual gags that don’t veer into the awkward place that animated movies aimed at a young audience sometimes land. And again, I cannot emphasize enough that it is even more explicitly queer than original, and they leaned into the trans vibes of Nimona very hard. Props to Stevenson and everyone else who worked on this movie.

[gentlebeardsbarngrill]

03/07/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Samba Schutte; Dominic Burgess; Lindsey Cantrell; Rhys Darby; Fan Spotlight; Never Left Podcast; Cast Cards; AdoptOurCrew; SaveOFMD Crew; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Tonight's Taika;

I figure we could all use some normalcy tonight so I'm going to treat tonight like every other night and bring some news in-- Love Notes are where to go for commentary/love tonight lovelies.

== David Jenkins ==

All the photos from his Instagram Post Are listed here on Tumblr

Instagram Source

== Samba Schutte ==

Good news! Samba ISNT GONNA STOP POSTING BTS!

Samba BTS Videos

OFMD 2 Set Shoutout #2 Video Part 1

OFMD 2 Set Shoutout #2 Video Part 2

OFMD 2 Set Shoutout #2 Video Part 3

OFMD 2 Set Shoutout #2 Video Part 4

OFMD 2 Set Shoutout #2 Video Part 5

Rhys Wink Video - @kiwistede ty

#Crew4Life video

== Dominic Burgess ==

Being the upstanding gentleman that he is, Dominic is still out here supporting us.

== Lindsey Cantrell ==

Getting love from Lindsey regarding our loss. Ty so much hon.

== Rhys Darby ==

Look whose cameo is back 👀

== Fan Spotlight ==

== Never Left Podcast ==

The Never Left Podcast has decided to throw hands and I fucking love it. Balls for days. Never Left Podcast - A Message for David Zaslav and Casey Bloys

Art by: AmysBirdHouse

= Cast Cards =

Even with the bad news, our lovely @melvisik is still at it! More cast members to collect! Love it!

== Watch Party Reminders ==

March 8th - Next Goal Wins!

When:  8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST

Thank you @lamentus1 for the info! Now available to buy in the UK: £11.99 @ Apple (https://tinyurl.com/mr3p6bvm) and £9.99 or £11.99 @ Amazon https://tinyurl.com/2fwdmezz. 

(US fans can watch on Hulu, and Disney Plus)

Watch Party Hashtags:

#SaveOFMD

#OurFlagWins

Mar 4 - Mar 8: Wrecked Season 1

Don't have access? DM @iamadequate1 on Twitter or Tumblr

Season 1 watch from March 4th to March 8th. 

Times will be 10pm GMT / 5pm EST / 4pm CST / 2pm PST. 

Saturday there will be a re-watch for those who need to catch up (time TBD) .

Hashtags: 

#WreckedPirates

#SaveOFMD

#RhysDarbyFaction

== Adopt Our Crew ==

A message from our dear friends at @adoptourcrew

== Save OFMD Crew ==

Our good friends over at @saveofmdcrewmates also had a message for us.

== Love Notes ==

Hey there lovelies. Boy. What a day it's been, huh?

Never thought the clowning/honking would stop. I have to say, I'm glad at least that David saw all our commentary about "if he thought there was no hope he'd say something" and did in fact say something.

It's a bit of a hard pill to swallow, I know. We're all going through the various stages of grief right now. Some of us are already progressing on at a quick rate, others are still at the beginning.

I know I've said some of this across the platforms so I apologize if you've heard it already, but I think it's important to hear.

YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU POSSIBLY COULD.

Whether it was only signing the petition, or tweeting every day for a week, or just supporting your crewmates. Every little bit to every large bit you did--

You did EVERYTHING you could.

None of this is your fault. None of this is David or the Cast's fault, and certainly none of it is the fans fault. You did everything you could, and even if it feels like it it was all for nothing, it meant so very very much.

Every Cast and Crew member got to see how much they meant to you. Smaller cast members like our friends Wendy Anderson, and Damien Gerard, and Dominic Burgess have all gotten to feel so much love from us. They've come in and participated with us in our various fuckeries, and we've gotten to know them better because of it!

Every single streaming service we targeted got to see just how much queer media means to us. So many new fans got to join us on this journey because we were loud, polite menaces, and we made a safe space for them to join us. Not just streaming services and new fans, but products, and groups too! Fucking Astroglide did watch parties with us, squishables got involved! Q+ and Pink News!

News Media ALL OVER THE DAMN PLANET looked at us and commiserated and shared their distaste for our loss.

ALL OF THAT MATTERS.

If ONE streaming service picks up a true queer show (not just queer bait) because they saw our engagement, it was worth every single tear lost.

If ONE queer kid, years from now, gets a show where they feel represented because we fought for our silly little pirate show, it was worth EVERY SINGLE EFFORT.

IF ONE of your crew-mates felt included and decided to stick around on this planet a little longer because of it, IT WAS WORTH IT.

IT MATTERS.

It already matters so much, to all of us. I get to spend every day, feeling hope in humanity because of this fandom. Every single day I come online and I see just how creative, and kind, and accepting you all are, and it gives me so much hope for the future. I feel loved again, for me, not who I pretend to be in my day to day life.

We raised money for SO MANY charities. We made LITERAL differences in people's lives. People we don't know, and who don't know us. Do you know how incredibly powerful that is?

Do you know just how much those tiny ripples cascade over this entire earth? Kindness is one of the most powerful driving forces in this world. It is not quantifiable in any way, and yet it makes such an impact.

We have some of the most amazingly talented, and resourceful, and brilliant people on the planet in this crew. That's all of you. You are absolute treasures, every single one of you.

And you know what? You didn't fucking deserve this.

You deserved your show back. You fought hard for it, and you are allowed to be angry about it. You are allowed to cry, or scream, or lie on the floor and not get up for a while. You are allowed to grieve.

Some of you haven't got there yet. Some of you are still fighting the good fight, or trying to support others, and just know lovelies, we will all be there when you struggle too.

I've said it before, but grief isn't linear, it comes in waves, and no matter how each of us proceeds tomorrow, it's going to continue to take time to heal from.

Whatever YOU NEED to cope, do it.

Do you wanna "Fuck it we ball" and keep fighting? Fucking do it.

Do you wanna go cry in a corner and take a week off? Fucking do it.

Do you wanna go hug a fellow crew-mate and tell them a goofy ass joke so they laugh? Fucking do it.

Do you wanna go read fanfiction til you pass out? Make sure to drink some water, but go fucking do it.

Do you wanna draw, or sing, or write something that gets some of this awful energy out? Well? You guessed it--Go fucking do it.

BUT a gentle reminder lovelies:

Don't go hurt anyone, they don't deserve it.

Don't hurt yourself, YOU don't deserve it.

We've got discords, and tumblr, and twitter, and dm's galore. If you need support, reach out. I know so many of your crew are reaching out to each other to send love and support, and dole out all the hugs.

Lean on each other.

We are in this together.

We still have each other, and we will continue to.

This is not the end for OFMD. Whether it gets renewed in 10 years, or gets a movie, or graphic novels, or some other medium. This is not the end. It's certainly not the end of any of the cast & crew's careers. We will have so much to support them in going forward.

This fandom, these friends, don't end with this.

Keep making your fanfiction-- write and draw your own s3! Share it! Take this wonderful piece of queer art and joy that means so much to us and keep extending its infinite universes. Write meta and discuss and laugh and cry about it. We have lost the potential for s3, but we haven't lost what we already have, which is a glorious piece of media.

We have the cast & crew who continue to support and send love, and share our artwork and stories.

We have each other.

Now I'm gonna go mama bear on you and ask you to consider some things:

Have you had any water lately? Have you had anything to eat? Have you slept? Have you gone to the bathroom lately? Have you been outside, even for a moment?

Then finally, going with one last thing. This song helped me a lot today. Maybe it'll give you some love today too.

Just Begun by WILD

Not your vibe? Are you angry? @celluloidbroomcloset reminded me of this gem today:

This isn't the end crew.

This fandom is our home. We've just begun.

== Daily Darby / Tonight's Taika ==

I realize the vibe might be off for these gifs but you deserve dopamine inducing gifs, you can fight me about it later.

Rhys gif: @ofmd-ann / Taika Gif: @dallonismysavior

[richincolor]

We have five books on our radar this week, and there's something for just about everyone here. Which ones are you adding to your TBR list?

Against the Darkness (In Every Generation #3) by Kandare Blake Disney Hyperion

This epic finale to the The Next Generation trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake ( Three Dark Crowns ) features the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil. For generations, the Slayer was supposed to be the chosen, the one girl in all the world with the power to stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. When Willow used the scythe to call up all the potential slayers at once, it changed everything. For years, the slayers have been working and fighting together as a team. Then the Darkness came, killing many slayers and trapping the rest in an alternate dimension. And Frankie Rosenberg, the world’s first Slayer-Witch, found herself fighting evil alone. Sort of. Sure, she has her new Scooby Gang, plus the help of her mom, Willow; Watcher, Spike; and even the brooding-but-hot Hunter of Thrace. But even though they have a master plan (obviously), the gang is more fragmented than ever. So maybe it really is up to Frankie—and Frankie alone—to stand against the darkness. With Jake’s wild werewolf brother back in town, Dark Willow threatening to return, and the Darkness preparing for the final stage of their attack, now is not a great time to wallow in teen angst. After all, she’s the Slayer. It’s time to slay.

And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter Tundra Books

A mother's death forces a teen girl to reevaluate their tumultuous relationship in this powerful coming-of-age novel for teens. For fans of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Coi is just eighteen years old, but has already survived years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother. After being kicked out of her mother's house at age fourteen, Coi has lived with her father, and together they've created a peaceful life. That peace ends suddenly when her mother dies. While Coi struggles to find kindness in her heart for the woman who only hurt her, she starts having lucid dreams, forcing her to relive moments of abuse and emotional trauma that eventually led to Coi's abandonment. Her mother's passing also reopens the door to her mother's side of the family, including her beloved younger half-sister, Kayla, her stepfather and her grandmother. Each of them challenge Coi's long-held views about her mother, especially Kayla, who, Coi realizes, is taking their mother's loss hard. As she reconnects with her family, Coi learns to see parts of her mother she never experienced, and for the first time since she was abandoned, opens her heart to forgiveness.

Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa Wednesday Books

When a Mariachi star transfers schools, he expects to be handed his new group's lead vocalist spot—what he gets instead is a tenacious current lead with a very familiar, very kissable face. In a twenty-four-hour span, Rafael Alvarez led North Amistad High School’s Mariachi Alma de la Frontera to their eleventh consecutive first-place win in the Mariachi Extravaganza de Nacional; and met, made out with, and almost hooked up with one of the cutest guys he’s ever met. Now eight months later, Rafie’s ready for one final win. What he didn’t plan for is his family moving to San Antonio before his senior year, forcing him to leave behind his group while dealing with the loss of the most important person in his life—his beloved abuelo. Another hitch in his plan: The Selena Quintanilla-Perez Academy’s Mariachi Todos Colores already has a lead vocalist, Rey Chavez—the boy Rafie made out with—who now stands between him winning and being the great Mariachi Rafie's abuelo always believed him to be. Despite their newfound rivalry for center stage, Rafie can’t squash his feelings for Rey. Now he must decide between the people he’s known his entire life or the one just starting to get to know the real him. Canto Contigo is a love letter to Mexican culture, family and legacy, the people who shape us, and allowing ourselves to forge our own path. At its heart, this is one of the most glorious rivals-to-lovers romance about finding the one who challenges you in the most extraordinary ways.

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier Clarion Books

From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology. In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt ... gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning. Every wish demands a price. Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong. Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time - hope. But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

The Smoke That Thunders by Erhu Kome Norton Young Readers

From a debut Nigerian author: a spectacular young adult fantasy rooted in West African mythology and brimming with adventure. In this mesmerizing fantasy rooted in Urhobo and West African folklore, sixteen-year-old Naborhi longs for a life away from her small, traditional clan in Kokori. But as her rite of passage approaches and she is betrothed to an arrogant young man, Naborhi feels her dreams slipping away from her. Then Naborhi becomes bonded to a mysterious animal and begins having harrowing visions of a kidnapped boy. She soon meets Atai, the son of an Oracle from a rival queendom, and learns that she is being guided by the gods. She and Atai, along with Naborhi’s eager-for-adventure cousin, Tamunor, set off across the continent to rescue the mysterious boy. But when they find him―and find out his true identity―Naborhi realizes there is more than just her freedom at stake: she must stop a war that has already been set in motion. With lush, unique worldbuilding and a dynamic cast of characters, The Smoke That Thunders is a gripping story of political intrigue, fierce love, and what it means to be free.

[collectors-tablet]

"The Owl House was canceled"

cons: truly a huge loss that a series like this had to be condensed and cut off when it was so amazingly spectacular. Sure it's a win for queer rights to have a kids show with so many openly, loudly, and accepted queer characters in it, but how much does that really mean when disney buries the show and prevents it from getting a wider audience than it needed? how much lost content is there? it's really not a simple thing to brush off and really we should be angry and always remember that disney isn't our ally when it comes to queer rights

pros: the collector

[homeofthemany]

jack versus kai

part 1, part 2, part 3

third & final part of the "kickin' it in china" analysis! our boy fights for his life on the great wall of china.

TW for light discussion of ptsd & trauma; once again, it's all nonspecific.

jack fighting for his future

very tiny thing but jack going to congratulate kai is STUPID because he didn't earn it & jack of all people wouldn't be able to let go of that but i don't have much to say about it. i understand that they needed a reason for him to approach to see the tattoo lol. would've been awkward if dude was just. watching kai hug his buddies. lmfao.

anyway jack's strong sense of justice is what starts this fight. not only does he know that what's happened to him is unfair, he now also knows that kai was behind it. i genuinely think he'd have a much easier time letting go of the fact that he had to forfeit if he didn't find out kai put those guys up to it, because that fact just adds another level of wrongness to it. jack would approach him with the most threatening, silent fury, & that anger would override his trauma-rooted anxiety about confronting him.

to jack's credit though, he doesn't throw the first punch. he most likely just wanted to show kai that he knew he was afraid of him, & being aware of that that was probably enough for him to find that closure he'd been seeking ever since kai beat him. he already won the fight because his opponent didn't want to have to fight him.

on top of the fight itself being super cool, jack is fighting for more than just his own safety here! he's not just facing kai, he's facing his past while also chasing the future in karate he's wanted since childhood. martial arts is really important to him & he's finally been able to practice it in a way that doesn't make him feel miserable, surrounded by friends who actually enjoy his company & support him—not to mention the growing father-son bond he's been developing with rudy! this new jack has something to fight for now, people he cares about, & a future to look forward to. he knows he can't back down to kai here, & for the first time, he doesn't want to.

i like that this is one of the longer fights in the show, too. jack & kai are roughly on the same level, so it makes sense for jack to struggle to get the upper hand, while also literally fighting with a broken hand. i have stuff to say about jack's alarmingly impressive adaptability in combat, but that's for another time.

jack sparing him is obviously an "intense disney channel moment" type thing, but i do think there's something to be said about how he still does what he thinks is right. he knew he won the fight when kai had to beg for his life lmao. i like it. he still whoops kai after he punches his broken hand too, so good for him!

conclusion

because of his ptsd, jack would have a chronic & irrational fear of losing because of kai. not necessarily failure, just losing. he's afraid that every match he loses is going the end the same way his loss to kai did: he'll end up extremely injured, & the people that he cares about will turn him away. that's why he has to do better. he has to win all of his matches, & he has to keep training.

defeating kai leaves jack feeling the most fulfilled he's probably ever felt in his life LOL. it would take a long time to set in, but it also wouldn't cure that ptsd he has. it would, however, leave him feeling satisfied & proud of himself, especially after kim & rudy would definitely express how proud they are of him, too. he'd feel a lot more confident in his abilities because he took down the first & only guy to have ever beaten him so badly.

this win gives jack what he needs to keep moving forward, now more confident than ever. it doesn't matter that kai gets to keep the trophy because jack's the one who won this time, and he knows that. that's all he needs.

[hayscodejew]

With 230(!) votes, the results are in for round one of the Nice Jewish Character Showdown! Voting for round two is live here, and is open until 6 pm EST on Friday, October 28th. Check below the break for detailed results on the first round of voting!

The Pines twins scratched the Strilondes out of their save file, winning 88.3% of the vote (203) versus their 11.7% (17).

Tommy Pickles is being put down for his nap, losing the vote with 38.7% (89) against Ron Stoppable's 61.3% (141).

As much as I love Toby (and had him as the winner on my own bracket), his political know-how was no match for James Buchanan Barnes, raking in only a third of the votes (31.3%, 72 votes, versus 68.7% and 158).

The war of the SoCal NJBs who rocked our tv screens in the early 00's has been decided, with Seth Cohen losing the vote (19.6%, 45 votes) to Disney Channel's Gordo (80.4%, 185). The power of a bar mitzvah episode!

The first of several tight races, Gretchen Weiners has run over Cher Horowitz with a school bus (don't worry, she's fine), with a vote of 118 (51.3%) to 112 (48.7%).

Second of the neck and neck races, turns out Fran Fine is just what the doctor prescribed, beating Barbie 117 (50.9%) to 113 (49.1%). All those Christmas dresses really don't work in Babs' favor, huh?

Whatcha doin', Rachel Berry? Not winning the tournament, that's for sure! Isabella took Rachel out to the curb, with an impressive margin of 205 (89.1%) to 25 (10.9%). I'm sure Rachel will take it in stride, though -- after all, "you're all minorities, you're in the glee club" (Mr. Schue, s1e7)

In a somewhat surprising (and potentially upsetting) twist, the coded character beats the explicitly Jewish one in the battle of the Smart Bitches, knocking Christina Yang out early and keeping Miss Frizzle in the competition (175, 76.1% to 55, 23.9%). It's okay, Christina, there's space for you in the school bus. Field trip!

No surprises that our next matchup is as close as it is... with 119 votes (51.7%) to 111 (48.3%), the winner of the DC Patriarch matchup is Bruce Wayne himself, Batman. It's okay, Kal-El, I'm still thinking about the Hebrew School class when we discussed your story as a Moses allegory.

I'm convinced that Ben Grimm and Peter Parker go to the same synagogue, which makes his loss to the webslinger a bit easier to handle (29 votes to Spiderman's 201, 12.6% to 87.4%). BTW if y'all haven't read the comic where The Thing becomes canon Jewish, you're missing out.

Is anyone shocked that Spock won the Space Jews matchup? No? Me neither. As much as I love a good Futurama episode, nothing beats Nimoy. Zoidberg's going back in the dumpster he lives in behind the Planet Express building, bringing home 39 votes (17%) in comparison to Spock's whopping 191 (83%).

Yoinks, how'd the Scooby Gang manage to win this one? With a margin I by no means expected to be this definitive, the Mystery Machine pulls ahead of the ENTIRE cast of the X-Men with 154 votes (67%) to their 76 (33%).

In the war of the Magical Boys, the alchemy was not in Edward Elric's favor, getting only 39.1% of the vote (90) to Steven Universe's 60.9% (140).

The last of the neck and neck battles, turns out Sam Manson is going ghost, with 49.6% of the vote to Willow Rosenberg's 50.4% (114 to 116).

I guess my thesis had some public consensus backing, because about two thirds of y'all agree that werewolves are INCREDIBLY Jewish, 143 votes to 87 belonging to Frankenstein's Monster (62.2% and 37.8%). Stream 'Cry Wolf' on Spotify.

Oscar the Grouch's cousin Moishe is definitely pleased with the results here, with the Muppet ranking in 58.3% of the vote against Jake the Dog's 41.7% (134 to 96).

[wolf-grimoire]

THE KIDS DON'T BUY IT... (the US propaganda machine is really actually dead)

The Great Nation of America the Make Her Great Again has lost the propaganda war against herself. This is both good and very bad news. Because, for as long as I can remember—and likely as long as you can too—Western media was virtually the only dog around. It kept us on the same page. From the same nightly briefing around the tube with Dan Rather to the series finale of the Sopranos, we were all in it together. Not anymore. Now, we’re tribal viewers, tribal in our propaganda tastes. And this means, of course, we’re ripe to be balkanized by savvy media overlords.

            In many ways, our media unity was a strength. We knew ourselves as American citizens, not as members of the global tribe. The ubiquity of net technologies changed this a little, introducing some to foreign news sites or blogs or even social media. But the arrival of the global identity is ultimately brand new. Here in the states especially, Tik Tok has allowed for the proliferation of global opinion like never before, but even as recently as the last pandemic, something like public shaming and outright censorship kept American hearts firmly rooted in we’re the good guys territory. And this was despite the whole rabid Trump vs. Decency sentiment shared by half the country. Throughout it all, Americans huffed their own propaganda, content on the same old supply. Fastforward to the end of Biden’s first term, and everything has changed.

            Somehow, Americans themselves have turned on their own propaganda machine.

            Not merely the straightforward uncut propaganda coming out of the Pentagon. Surely, we’ve bucked that stuff before. Suddenly it’s the whole goddamn thing we’ve had enough of—Disney, Nickelodian, Fox and other media giants have all been demoted. Rather than trusting their worldview and accepting their products in good faith, Americans have waged a bipartisan information war against the giants. Viral exposes, memes, and good taste leave the Disney and their ilk struggling in a new geography of total suspicion, digilence, high accountability, and a newfound self respect.

            Devastatingly for the machine, all this change has raised America’s collective expectations when it comes to our own entertaining propaganda. America’s total denial of the half assed bunk being pushed for propaganda these days really is a problem, however.

The truth is that US foreign policy in the Middle East and our military spending in Ukraine, coupled with the massive systemic failures at home—from immigration and border issues to inflation and economic pressure—average Americans are disgusted. We cannot watch our tax dollars being poured into the genocidal military campaigns being waged by Israeli PM Netanyahu’s regime and simply nod along.

            Incredibly, the Biden administration acts oblivious to the bipartisan disgust. It’s no wonder. Since Bush the Younger, every president has embraced largely the same psychopathic cadre of arms dealers, bankers, and warmongers. Examples like Bush-era lawyer Philip Zelikow, who led the 9/11 Commission while being instrumental in designing the invasion and strategy of the Iraq war, and he’s likely to be picked to lead the upcoming Covid-19 Commission.

            Only this time, we remember the lies about Iraq’s non-existent nukes, and we all see what’s really playing out in Gaza. Many see the same horrifying disregard for human life in our military support for Ukraine despite hundreds of thousands of losses and the total leveling of a culture with almost no real chance of victory. We all see the callousness of the gunrunners that control our foreign policy, and we’re tired.

            The danger now is real, and it’s clear.

            By breaking away from our own establishment’s narratives, we both win and lose the propaganda war. Two things are bound to happen:

            Our own rogue system and its panicking agents will do anything necessary to stay in power, and the slipping grip on our minds and souls will be supplemented by a new grip on our wallets, freedoms, and bodies.

            The second part is this: when our elite lose the propaganda war, it’s a global loss. As ordinary people, we can’t broadcast ourselves effectively to the whole of the globe like our sinking mess of an establishment can. Foreign adversaries and any others looking to fill the vacuum will absolutely profit and benefit enormously from America’s losses.

            Attempts at fomenting chaos inside the country will come both from our own establishment and intelligence agencies and known and unknown foreign actors. We can be sure of that. Much of the time, the most effective propaganda is simply the truth—half cocked, emulcified and cut with baby powder, but a version of real events none the less.

            A real break with the machine’s narratives at the critical mass we seem to have reached is, in my lifetime, unprecedented. It doesn’t make me giddy, though. I’m wary of it all. There’s an paranoia, a tension in the climate. More and more, a growing dread.

            Now is the time to keep your head. Apply pressure. Regimes do not die peacefully in the Land of Make Wall Street Great Again Land. Act accordingly.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #615

Top Ten Songs from Pixar Films

Disney is always associated with music. The very concept of a “Disney song” is so ingrained into our cultural perception of the company, that we even have multiple sub-genres within; the “villain song”, the “I Want song”, the “comedy song”, etc. Not all Disney animated films are musicals, and not all the musicals are the same, and if you go back earlier than the Renaissance the style itself hadn’t solidified in any way, but all the same; you say “Disney song”, chances are people know what kind of thing you mean.

The same is not true of Pixar. When the company first rose to prominence in the late nineties, they felt in opposition to the standard Disney formula (despite Disney releasing all their films and, eventually, buying them outright). Disney animation was just about starting the downswing towards the end of its Renaissance era; the standard pattern established by the groundbreaking likes of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast was, arguably, starting to wear a bit thin through repetition (although I’ll definitely go to bat for late-Renaissance-era bangers like Tarzan and The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Pixar films weren’t musicals, they weren’t fairy tales, they weren’t literary adaptations or allusions. They were modern, they were comedies, they were buddy movies; they had wit and verve and contemporary references. However, right from the start, they still had songs.

Because we think of the “Disney musical” versus the “Pixar comedy”, I think we tend to overlook just how excellent some of the music in these films was, right from the off. Toy Story was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song (although it did lose to Pocahontas), and it was an accolade the studio would receive a number of times, even winning on more than one occasion. But these songs weren’t the kind of breakout Broadway bangers Disney was producing; they were, more often than not, non-diegetic, songs that functioned the way a musical number might, but were merely “on the soundtrack”. Jessie doesn’t actually sing “When She Loved Me” in Toy Story 2; there’s no evidence the characters “hear” the song at all. But as a narrative device, it serves the same purpose; it imparts emotional information in the most powerful manner possible. Even when characters in Pixar movies do sing, it’s in a “realistic” manner – like, they pick up a guitar and sing – rather than the emotional explosion of a traditional musical number.

All this is to say that Pixar films have some tremendous songs and this is a list of them. It isn’t score, though; these are all proper songs with words and that. And I’m not allowing songs that were already written. These have to be new songs that debuted in the film. And that’s that!

No apologies if some of these make you cry, by the way.

When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2, 1999): I think this I the moment when the sophisticated, mature themes that underpin a lot of Pixar’s stories became very apparent. After what was essentially a knockabout buddy comedy in the first Toy Story, this really rammed home the subtext: the toys were us, parents, saying goodbye to children. There’s an inherent tragedy at the core of the Toy Story films because children will, inevitably, unthinkingly abandon their toys, but the toys will never truly abandon the children. This is heartbreakingly illustrated in this song, a tender ballad of loss that rings all too true.

Remember Me (Coco, 2017): oh Christ, here we go again; a song so good they feature it three times in three different ways. Presented initially as something of a love song, it is revealed to be an incredibly heartfelt lullaby to a child from a parent who has to go away. The simple refrain and Latin guitar helps make it feel like a classic song, something from our own childhoods. Its later use in the film is one of Pixar’s most eye-watering moments, and that’s saying something.

Lava (Lava, 2014): is it a cheat to have a song from a short? Hell no, it’s where Pixar began and it’s where they still love to shine. Lava was put out alongside Inside Out and I don’t think I’ve ever consistently cried more often in the cinema. A somewhat jaunty Hawaiian melody tells a story that feels like a creation myth, with two lovestruck volcanoes missing each other across millennia. The life-affirming triumph of love in the face of tragedy is a nice change of pace from the sadder songs we’ve had so far, but it’s no less tear-jerking.

Touch the Sky (Brave, 2012): ah, thank goodness – this isn’t sad at all! Probably one of the more under-sung songs on this list (no pun intended) it’s a stirring Celtic ballad about freedom. Whilst in some respects it’s a little on-the-nose, its evocative melody contains a lot of passion and also reminds me of the songs from Lord of the Rings, which in turn reminds of the Lord of the Rings movies, and that’s a good thing.

If I Didn’t Have You (Monsters, Inc., 2001): the first outright jaunty number on this list (and the first Pixar song to win an Oscar!), it’s a hoot as Billy Crystal and John Goodman do something of a riff on the old Frank ‘n’ Dean-style buddy-buddy duets. A beautiful pean to friendship, it’s funny and sweet and a minor bop, and is also one of the few songs here sung in-character.

Un Poco Loco (Coco, 2017): Coco is so great it’s the first film to pop up twice on this list (spoiler: it won’t be the last). This song is a blast, a really funny, silly love song about being besotted and willing to do anything despite it seeming crazy. It works so well in the film as a cathartic bonding moment for our two heroes.

Nobody Like U (Turning Red, 2022): amazingly – shockingly – this wasn’t nominated for Best Song at the Oscars. Turning Red – Pixar’s best film for maybe a decade – goes deep on the early-noughties nostalgia, no more so than in this absolutely pitch-perfect parody of a boy band. The central characters’ desire to see 4*Star sing this boppy number rings so true, and absolute top marks to Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell for making a song that really could have been sung at the MTV Awards in 2002.

You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Toy Story, 1995): the classic is here at last! With a kind of charming, louche swagger, Friend in Me is a delightfully plodding little ditty about, well, being a great friend. Randy Newman’s deep, dulcet tones are iconic (and, ahem, ripe for parody), but are also warm and – yes – friendly. There’s something about those opening bars that just makes you feel nice.

I Will Go Sailing No More (Toy Story, 1995): from triumph to tragedy with this, another oft-overlooked minor banger in the Pixar songbook. Telling the story of Buzz’s sad realisation of his own toyhood, it charts the quixotic attempts to achieve the impossible. The use of sailing as a metaphor – when obviously Buzz wants to fly – carries connotations of epic historic voyages, something melancholy and timeless; like Buzz will never board the grey ships to the west.

Le Festin (Ratatouille, 2007): a beautiful French ballad that perfectly recreates the sort of song you think of when you think of a film set in Paris. The lyrics obviously sound better in French, but they compare life and love to food, and celebrate the hero finally getting to enjoy a feast. It’s dead good.

Well, there you go – ten great tunes from, er, seven great films. Next week: Christmas!

[jmrothwell]

Spotify wrapped fic ask! 17?

Hey there!!! Hope you are having a good day!! ^_^ Thanks for the ask!!

(Hoooly, this got long XD)

.

17 is Orion by Metallica which is purely instrumental vibes!! (Has a great bass part)

Although the vibes are broken down into three distinct parts which could readily lend itself to a 3 part story structure

For no reason other than vibes I'm thinking some weird hybrid post-apocalypse style story telling.....like Studio Ghibli soooooo far past post apocalypse that we are in the middle of a new timeline. The old world mostly forgotten distant stories and ruins of the past.

Part 1: So we have simple folk, living an almost near brutal existence. Probably working for someone who heard of some great historical power and is seeking it for themselves (Different reference, Disney Atlantis) Well, our hero/heroes discover this for themselves, and are like ummm no, we're not gonna keep breaking our backs so you can get all sorts of power/destroy everything all over again.

Either they run away/or are chased out.

Part 2: Feels like wandering and introspection.

Our hero(heroes) are trying to deal with the aftermath of what ever choice has led them here. If it's more than one of them probably getting to know each other better, bonding, building those ties/strength that would (in stories like these) inevitably lead to the happy ending. Maybe form a few new allies, see the potential in starting life somewhere else

Part 3: Knowing what they know our hero/heroes can't just stand back and let our power hungry villain get away. Plus they've left family and friends behind and who knows what's happening to them?

And their new allies/friends aren't going to let them go on their own. So back home they go.

(the song sort of fades out no clear ending, however we aren't going to have that. Although we may have a slightly unsatisfying bittersweet ending, with a few losses.)

.

Making this JatP is relatively easy. Our main heroes are Sunset Curve(or the Phantoms rather), (who still have their connection to music, it's the highlight/bright spot of the life they live.)

Caleb is our power hungry villain, is charisma and charm helping keep people on his side. Sunset Curve have gotten in trouble in the past before for some minor things, and Caleb uses this to his advantage, by pulling a sort of Scar(Lion King) move.

He tries to convince the Phantoms if they openly stand up to him, he'll first punish the people they care about and then them. "Besides between the two of us, who are they going to believe?" This in turn drives our boys to just high tail it out of there. They leave behind Willie, Bobby(he wasn't there for the discovery and inadvertently proves Caleb's 'no one will believe you' point) and their families.

They wander into Julie, the Molina's, Victoria, Flynn and maybe even Carrie(Dirty Candi Crew), and Nick.

The story then proceeds as described above. Winning through the power of Love(Becuase it's JatP of COURSE it does!!) Although they very nearly lose(or outright do lose) Bobby in the process.

and their is a schism after the bring down Caleb. Alex's and maybe Reggie's Parents side with those who think Caleb did no wrong. However they have a much better family with Luke, and Julie and everyone else anyway.

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Send a number 1-101 and I'll tell you what fic I'd make based on my spotify wrapped

[ryancastleyt]

The Moment we knew Gordon Bombay would do Anything to Win #MightyDucks #podcast #movieclips #nhl #fy

The Moment we knew Gordon Bombay would do Anything to Win #MightyDucks #podcast #movieclips #nhl #fy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzUDmi44sY From Episode 121 of the Dissect DJs podcast. We break down one of the most iconic sports movies of the 90s that immediately went from fictional Disney hockey team to real life hockey team in the NHL- The Mighty Ducks! Where does Mighty Ducks rank among all-time sports movies? ✅ Subscribe To My Channel For More Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@RyCASTLE/?sub_confirmation=1 ✅ Important Links: 👉 Website: https://ift.tt/Hhvdkqi ✅ Stay Connected With Me: 👉 Instagram: https://ift.tt/wGCpb5d 👉 TikTok: https://ift.tt/fgHuGxR ============================== ✅ Other Videos You Might Be Interested In Watching: 👉 Did These Movie Boyfriends Suck? | Dissect DJs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU8bDZWpsm4 👉 Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Video is more 80s Wild than you Remember | Retro Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy6ujXvq18k 👉 In Memoriam 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t9iRyXagG4 👉 Everything that Happened in 2023 | Music Video Rewind https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5A1dH9zEso ============================= ✅ About Ryan Castle: Hello I am Ryan Castle I dive deep into the heart of classic pop culture on my channel, exploring everything from timeless tunes to iconic TV and film moments. Join me on the Dissect DJs podcast for a lyric-by-lyric breakdown of popular songs, and delve into thought-provoking discussions and nostalgic movie chats. Don't miss my Retro Review series, where I dissect the historical significance and hilariously absurd moments of retro scenes, all through a comedic lens with engaging edits and insightful commentary. 🔔 Subscribe to my channel for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/@RyCASTLE/?sub_confirmation=1 ===================== #MightyDucks #movies #moviereview #podcast #videopodcast #videopodcasts #musicvideo #podcastcomedy #comedy #90s #90smovies #emilioestevez #MightyDucks #mightyducksmovie #anaheimducks #funny #moviereaction #sportsmovies #hockey #hockeymovies #mightyducks1992 #moviepodcast #moviepodcasts #dissectdjs #ryancastle #jasonmalabuyoc #musicpodcast #funny #funnypodcast #fy #90smovie #mrducksworth #homersimpson #thesimpsons #Heavyweights #kenanthompson #CoachRiley #GordonBombay #JoshuaJackson #Hans #conspiracytheory #charlieconway #adambanks #littlegiants #nhl #nhlplayoffs #videoreaction #disney #waltdisney #disneyplus #hulu #fy #foryour #foryoupage #moviespeeches #movieclips #ducks #throwback #movieclassics Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage which is incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of reading any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information we provide at your own risk. Do your own research. Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use © Ryan Castle via Ryan Castle https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE_9cPng3hNlthfQ7On3TCg June 14, 2024 at 06:00AM

[mwsa-member]

The Art of War Plus The Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns: Special 10th Anniversary Edition by Shawn R. Frost, Sun Tzu, Gary Gagliardi (translator)

MWSA Review Pending  

Author's Synopsis

A winning playbook ten years in the making!

Why did we write this book? After avoiding political involvement for decades, I got frustrated and had an axe to grind and needed a practical guide to winning in politics for non-political-science-majors. That book didn’t exist, so we wrote it.

We first published much of this book in 2014 before Shawn's SUCCESSFUL run for School Board. He defeated a two-term incumbent, named Disney, who was the President of the State School Board Association. When Frost beat Disney by almost 10 points, local journalist Russ Lemmon referred to it as a "Shocking" victory and spent several column inches of front page real estate speculating on how a first time candidate beat a powerhouse named Disney. We knew it boiled down to two words: Better Strategy.

Reasons to buy this book: You want to WIN

"All of Politics is Local, but the science of strategy (winning) is universal and timeless."- Political Sun Tzu™

You want to sharpen the most powerful weapon in any contest, the human mind.

If your opponent reads this book, and you don't, it's over for your campaign

You want to follow in the path of a consultant with an almost 94% win rate over 5 cycles

Here’s what’s different about this book: This builds on The Art of War plus the Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns by Gagliardi and Frost (2014) by adding an epilogue by Frost "10 years on the front lines of politics and the culture wars", Political Sun Tzu Key Concepts throughout, and End of Chapter Summaries to highlight key points from the past 10 years on the political battlefield and hard-won lessons.

This book is two books in one: on the left hand page is Gary Gagliardi's award winning translation of Sun Tzu's Bing Fa (Chinese) as The Art of War (English) and the facing page is the political interpretation. Much of this book was first published as “Sun Tzu’s Art of War plus the Art of Politics: Strategy for Campaigns” Feb 10, 2014, ISBN: 9781929194728

Does this book even work? Yes, it absolutely does. When we wrote this book, I hadn’t even been a candidate, let alone an award-winning political consultant and campaign educator and it delivered massive wins for me and our clients. This is the guidebook used to help shape the political landscape in Florida since 2014. The primary author, Shawn R. Frost, has used this book to get bills passed, candidates elected, and help launch political committees and movements.

The updates in this Special 10th Anniversary Edition add to that winning formula.

Frost's former clients, friends and colleagues regularly appear on FoxNews, NewsMax, OANN, Daily Wire, CNN, MSNBC, and in print everywhere. He considers himself to be a slightly smarter version of Forrest Gump in that he has had a front row seat to history. All because he mastered the mindset and skills contained in this book, and the courses at Science of Strategy Institute and he practiced and refined them at his consulting firm, MVP Strategy and Policy LLC.

That's the thing about good strategy, it is universal in its effectiveness and timeless in its influence.

We can’t promise you will win 93% of the time like Frost did, but reading this book moves you in the right direction. You will know how to win your campaign, see a loss coming sooner, or win eventually by advancing your strategic position through a winning or losing campaign over time.

Read this book again and again, to sharpen your mind like a sword, until winning becomes an instinct.

NOTE: A nearly identical version of this book was also published as "Political Art of War: Winning Strategy for Local Campaigns" ISBN:979-8883734686 and ASIN: B0CXCCMNMH on Kindle. Readers are advised that these are essentially the same books with minor layout and design variations

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—How to/Business

Number of Pages: 237

Word Count: 46,194

[denimbex1986]

'It's the stuff of dreams: Andrew Scott, aka the Hot Priest, and Paul Mescal, Normal People's heartthrob extraordinaire, fall in love in an eerie new story directed by Andrew Haigh.

But things are far from breezy: Haigh's moody romance drama, a meditation on memory and love, drills down on the way human beings cope with loss. Things are not what they seem. Scott’s character, Adam, is still dealing with the death of his parents; Mescal’s character, Harry, has a substance abuse problem.

"If you don't cry at Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal's performances in All of Us Strangers, you need to start asking yourself some questions..." said the Standard in a piece about how to watch the film without weeping throughout.

Now the new film has just landed on Disney+, thrilling subscribers. Here's everything to know about All Of Us Strangers.

What's the film about?

All of Us Strangers is loosely based on Japanese writer Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers, which tells the story of a man who befriends two strangers who closely resemble his dead parents. His health deteriorates and he realises the pair are actually ghosts feasting on his energy.

In Haigh's adaptation, the film follows Andrew Scott's character, Adam, who returns to his rural childhood home from London, where his dead parents seem to be still residing.

Although they cannot be real, they certainly feel real, and the experience allows him to go over childhood memories: "All the way through All of Us Strangers, writer-director Andrew Haigh’s noble attempt to introduce the complex subject of gay shame to the mainstream, I was reminded of the most famous line of Philip Larkin’s poetry. “They f*** you up, your mum and dad/ They may not mean to, but they do.” What would happen, poses Haigh, if they got to apologise afterwards?" said the Standard.

Running alongside this story is the blossoming relationship between Adam and his neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal), who slowly fall in love.

Is there a trailer?

Yes...Against the extended dance version of the Pet Shop Boys’ Always On My Mind, we are introduced to Adam and Harry. It’s not clear what they mean to each other yet – or will come to mean to each other – but they start talking about Adam’s childhood. His parents died just before he was 12 years old, he tells Harry.

The trailer takes us away from the London tower block, and to a suburban house – Adam’s childhood home. Adam approaches the building, and as he enters his mum (Claire Foy) and dad (Jamie Bell) welcome him, frozen in time?

“Is this real?” asks Adam. “Does it feel real?” replies his mum.

“Our boy’s back home,” smiles his dad, holding out his glass in another scene, as the reunited family sits around the table. Judging by these strange, sorrowful scenes, the film is going to be an absolute tearjerker.

Who has made the film?

All Of Us Strangers has been written and directed by award-winning British filmmaker Haigh, whose 2011 drama film Weekend told the story of a brief but intense romance between two men who meet at a gay club. The film was highly praised and won Best Screenplay at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

Since then, Haigh has directed and written 45 Years (2015), which starred Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay as two retirees who have been married for 45 years. At the 2015 Berlin Film Festival, both actors won the Silver Bear awards for their roles in the film.

Haigh also directed Lean on Pete (2017), a coming-of-age drama which starred Charlie Plummer as a young man who makes friends with a racehorse.

What have the critics said?

All Of Us Strangers premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in Colorado in late August, where it picked up some stellar reviews.

The film has 94 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been described by critics as “a nuclear-grade tearjerker”, “an enormously satisfying and affecting experience,” and having “piercing insight and arresting performances”.

The Standard loved it, describing it as "bleakly handsome filmmaking, with a virtuoso cast". Other reviewers have been just as taken by the film, calling it, "an emotionally wrenching masterpiece", "mesmerising", and a "glorious magic-realist meditation on grief".

What have the actors said?

Both Scott and Mescal have been doing a lot of press for the film. Speaking to British Vogue about working with Scott, Mescal said: "We became very close because of the nature of this project – not just because of the sex scenes, but because of the emotional intimacy that these two characters share. That was just the perfect climate to fall in love with Andrew as a human being. It’s a very easy thing to do."

Scott, who is gay, has spoken about the film's exploration of gay shame: "I think for so many people, particularly queer people, you can feel like a stranger in your own family," he said to ABC Entertainment. "Even if they haven't directly rejected you, you just feel slightly different… [But] discomfort within a family and love within a family can coexist. It's pretty common."

Where to watch All of Us Strangers in the UK?

For Disney+ subscribers, the film has now landed on the platform. For non subscribers, it’s available to buy from £9.99 on Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Apple TV.'

[finishinglinepress]

FLP is collaborating with Rosemary’s House again this year in stunning Greece. Make sure to use the affiliate code FLP XRH

https://www.rosemaryshouse.org

Unleash Your Creativity: Apply for a 2024 Workshop at Rosemary's House!

Dive into a transformative writing workshop experience amidst the ancient beauty of Greece, where the echoes of the past ignite your creativity. Rosemary’s House beckons you to join a select group of 9 writers from across the globe in a place once dubbed "phlegra," the land of fire.

Under the guidance of esteemed mentors, immerse yourself in a melting pot of genres—from journalism to filmmaking, publishing to theater, and beyond. Our industry-renowned fellows will challenge you to expand your horizons, refine your craft, and provide invaluable mentorship tailored to your creative journey.

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📅 2024 Schedule - Explore and Apply:

We believe in multi-genre workshops, so you are welcome to apply to any of the residencies below.

August 16th-24th: Mentor Marisa Renee Lee

Marisa Renee Lee is a called-upon grief advocate, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of the award-winning book Grief is Love, Living with Loss. In addition to her work in the grief space, Lee is a Former Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement and a Senior Advisor on the Domestic Policy Council under President Obama and the Founder and CEO of Beacon Advisors, a mission-driven consulting firm focused on strategic planning and partnerships, change management, and coaching and advisory services for leaders. Lee regularly contributes to Elle, Vogue, The Atlantic, MSNBC, and CNN and serves as an expert for Ritual's well-being app. She is a graduate of Harvard College

August 16th-24th: Mentor Krishan Trotman

Krishan Trotman is the Vice-President and publisher of Legacy Lit. She joined Hachette Books in 2016. In 2020 she launched Legacy Lit, an imprint dedicated to books that give voice to issues, authors, and communities that have been marginalized, underserved, and overlooked. This includes BIPOC authors, all women, and any group that they believe deserves a spotlight. She is the co-author of the Queens of the Resistance series and she has been featured in New York Times, Essence Magazine, New York Magazine, Publisher’s Weekly, Salon, Shondaland, Cheddar TV, MSN, CSPAN, and more.

September 6-13th: Mentor Jenny Zhang

Jenny Zhang is the author of the story collection Sour Heart and the poetry collection My Baby First Birthday. She is the recipient of the Pen/Bingham Award for Debut Fiction, the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and an O. Henry award. Her work appears in The New York Times, Poetry, Harpers, N+1, Best American Poetry, and other publications. She’s written television and film for A24, HBO, Netflix, Apple, and Amazon. She holds degrees from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Stanford University.

September 24-31: Mentor Adam Leipzig

Adam Leipzig is a filmmaker, producer, educator, and author. He has been a senior executive at Walt Disney Studios, the president of National Geographic Films, and has worked independently as a producer, distributor, or supervising executive on 38 films that have disrupted expectations, including March of the Penguins, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Dead Poets Society, Titus, The Way Back and A Plastic Ocean. Adam's movies have won or been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, 11 BAFTA Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys, 2 Directors Guild Awards, 4 Sundance Awards, and 4 Independent Spirit Awards.

September 24-31: Mentor Ben Taub

Ben Taub is a staff writer at the New Yorker. He has written for the magazine about jihadism, crime, conflict, climate change, exploration, and human rights, on four continents and at sea. In 2020, he won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, for his work on the lasting effects, on former detainees and guards, of American abuses in Guantánamo Bay. He has also received a National Magazine Award, two consecutive George Polk Awards, a Livingston Award, a Robert F. Kennedy Award, an Overseas Press Club Award, and other honors, and his work has appeared in recent editions of “The Best American Magazine Writing” and “The Best American Travel Writing.” Taub also received the ASME Next Award for Journalists Under 30, and was named one of Forbes's 30 Under 30 in Media.

October 2-9: Mentor Heather Aimee O'Neill

Heather Aimee O’Neill has worked with hundreds of novelists, memoirists, short-story and essay writers in her roles as the assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop and as an independent editor and writing coach. She helps writers start, finish, polish, and find publication for their work. Many of her students and clients have gone on to publish with major publishers, including Viking, W.W. Norton, Harper Collins, Double Day, Flatiron Books, and Simon & Schuster, among others. As a Lambda Literary Poetry Fellow, Heather co-authored the poetry collection "Obliterations" with Jessica Piazza, published by Red Hen Press. Additionally, her poetry chapbook, "Memory Future," earned the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award.

🖋️ Apply Now to Ignite Your Creative Spark!

For questions and support, contact our admissions team at apply@rosemaryshouse.org. To stay updated, follow our instagram @byrosemarys. We can't wait to discover the depths of your imagination and look forward to reading your work.

[richincolor]

Review of Rez Ball by Byron Graves Heartdrum

Publisher’s Summary: These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon’s former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.

But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon’s dreams, their story isn’t over yet.

My Thoughts: Forgive me for a second, but I need to gush. I don’t often gush, but I really did love this book and Tre’s story. From the very beginning Byron Graves had me on the edge of my seat. We are dropped right into the final moments of a regional playoff game that means a lot to Tre, his family, and his community. The loss they’ve had makes them want the victory even more than usual. Byron expertly weaves that tension throughout Tre’s year to come and made it so putting down the book was almost impossible.

The structure of the story is that Tre is trying to make the varsity team with the ultimate goal being an NBA spot and one of his friends is making a documentary along the way. It was a clever bit of storytelling because Tre does several interviews for this film and we get to hear his answers to questions that might not be asked in typical daily conversations. The documentary frames the story well.

Aside from the way the story is structured, the setting and community is incredibly vivid. The rez, the high school, and the basketball courts are painted clearly and it feels like I stepped through into this space and time to see and hear the “beautiful chaos” of the game and can appreciate the relationships of everyone involved. This book is going to speak loudly and clearly to those folks who’ve played and/or watched rez ball.

Though Byron Graves was definitely writing to and for Native readers, this story can also speak to others because there are universal themes of pain, loss, community, love, survival, and people striving to thrive. There are difficult situations and many moments of intense pressure on and off the court. I appreciated that there are wins and losses and it’s hard to guess which one is coming. Above all, it all felt real. Life isn’t often as tidy as a Disney or Hallmark movie. Tre is making some excellent choices like his summer training plan and he’s also managing to make some poor choices that create dumpster fires.

He’s surrounded by friends, including one he’d like to have as more than a friend, and family who help him navigate life and bring love, laughter, and sometimes hard truths. HIs parents are still grieving the death of his older brother so it’s a struggle for all concerned, but they are steady. They don’t always see through to his pain, but they give him space and support when they do see past his armor.

Recommendation: Get this as soon as you can. Pre-order. Recommend it to your local library. Do all the things that will get it into your hands and into lots of other hands too. It’s a page turner with a lot of excitement and heart. I will be recommending this one to pretty much anyone. I watched basketball frequently with my father when I was a child, but am not interested enough to watch it on my own as an adult. Nevertheless, I cared about every single game in these pages. Graves pulled me in there and had me in the stands jumping and cheering with the Red Lake Warriors fans.

[hollenka99]

2023 According to my Tumblr Archive

January

Sherlock Holmes finally entered the public domain in his entirety

Speaker of the House shenanigans in the US

Polls became a thing

The Last of Us show began airing

Panic! At The Disco disbanded (despite it only really being one person anyway)

The Tumblr Sexyman Tournament (Tumblr edition) ended with Cecil from WTNV beating Sans

February

The whole site smelled of vanilla extract for a while

I finally got the chance to see Puss In Boots: The Last Wish and fell in love with Death a month after the rest of the internet

A new Professor Layton main series game was announced after the fandom has been surviving on spin offs for far too long

Mcytblr was commiting just so much voter fraud in our own sexyman competition

March

Limited Life started

Gary Lineker called the government out for having facist policies and indirectly caused a massive walkout at the BBC

I discovered The Lion In Winter

QSMP started

Glue trap meme

April

The Mishapocalypse returned for the 10th anniversary

The 'this Barbie is' meme

Across the Spider-verse came out

Tucker Carlson got fired from FOX

The Writers' Guild of America voted to go on strike

May

The Tories got fucked over in local elections by losing over 1000 seats

An elderly couple sat in a church and were given hats

Queen Charlotte aired on Netflix

Generation Loss

June

Across The Spiderverse came out

I broke our coffee table and I'm still laughing about it

The Oceangate submersible

July

I watched Nimona (and read the comic it was based on too)

Puppet History came back for its 6th season

SAG-AFTRA joined in with the WGA's strike

Colleen Ballinger played her ukulele

I shared the Apollo 11 in Real Time website and it became my most popular post of the year which is cool

Ted Nivison and Eddy Burback revealed they went to every Margaritaville in North America

Months of memes finally culminated in Barbenheimer Day

Season 5 of The Dragon Prince

August

Season 2 of Heartstopper

Planet of the Bass

Tumblr got really into Tree Law for a few days

Charles Martinet retired from being Mario's voice

September

Trump's mugshot

Doctor Who released its trailer for the 60th anniversary

PJO did the same for the upcoming Disney+ show

October

Israel found a reason to intensify their genocide against Palestinians

BBC Ghosts returned for its 5th and final season

The WGA were able to get most of the strike conditions met

danandphilgames announced it was coming back after a 5 year hiatus

The clingyduo divorce arc began

Nerdy Prudes Must Die premiered

Secret Life began

Matthew Perry died

November

SAG-AFTRA were able to win their strike too

Suella Braverman finally got the sack

But somehow, David Cameron returned

Zack and Cody had their dinner reservation

Tommy wrote rpf about himself and Tubbo

American Arcadia was released

The first of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials said trans rights

December

Henry Kissenger finally fucking died

James Somerton and other plagiarists got absolutely called out

Wilbur Soot decided to drop an album without any warning

The 'they should have been at the club' meme

The Gȁvlebocken got pecked to death

Gonna be honest, the majority of my archive for this month is just. So Much Doctor Who.

[psychelis-new]

Hi lys. 9, 10, 13, 14, 22, 23, 24.

Have a nice day/evening/night.

hey, thanks for sending! hope you have a wonderful day/night :)

9. What's your all time favourite movie/tv show? Honestly Idk... it's either I can't choose or I cannot remember titles now. A fav movie of mine anyway could probably be a Disney animation (very likely) like The Sword in the Stone or something like that. There are many movies I like but I cannot really choose not mention them atm sorry... oh wait Minamata. I mentioned it not long ago because I was thinking about photography so yeah. That one too was good.

10. What are you enjoying to do in your free time? These days I enjoy napping/sleeping, I'm really tired tbh. But in general I work out or draw/paint (even if lately I'm not doing the last 2 almost at all)

13. Your dream place to visit? I have a bunch of particular places I'd like to visit like Iceland (for the nature and hopefully the Northern Lights), Easter Island, Salar de Uyuni, that place in Denmark (Grenen/Skagen) where the Baltic meets the North Seas but not mix, Jindo Island, Mont Saint Michel... but ofc I'd be okay with just visiting other cities/countries.

14. Something you wish you were better at? Everything? I'm never satisfied about what I do but I'm working on that. I'm trying to be more accepting of what I do, because I always do my best even if the result is not exactly like I would want it to be (our minds just cannot consider our "humanity" at times, so we should start teaching them about it ig).

22. Best memory you could think of? I think I have already mentioned it but anyway, it's about my dog. We were in a park, he was playing with other dogs when I got thirsty so I went to a little fountain to drink. It was like a few meters away from my father (I was a kid). I didn't make 2 steps away from him that I found my dog right by my side looking up at me. So I looked back and then kept on moving towards the fountain. Once there, there were 2 cyclists that wanted to drink so I stopped moving to let them drink, but my dog (a german shepherd) started barking until they had to take their bikes and move away. At that point my dog looked at me like "didn't you want to drink?" and so I went to drink, he drank right after me, then walked me close enough to my dad and ran back to the other dogs. My dad was laughing so hard, so as the other dogs' owners. To me it was like nothing special? Idk. Oh the cyclists could go back to drink then. I want to add my dog wasn't trained, nobody could have ever succeeded in that lol (I could only teach him a few tricks but related to playing together, never orders like sit or lay... he did that only when he wanted to, otherwise he would have given you a face like "why?" and I mean he was right). He was just him, a stubborn free spirit. But he was a fast learner and a very good thinker/empath, so he just usually came up himself with such (often protective) behaviours.

23. Worst memory you can think of? I have a bunch, and they're all about (TW) losses. For example ofc my dog and grannies. Not gonna go in detail ofc, I also don't wanna trigger any of you. (/TW) A year and a half/2 years ago as well it was kinda a long bad period. But bad moments and losses are part of life, we take what's best and go on, right? :)

24. Do you have any fears? Sure, I'm plenty. As humans, we all have fears and there's nothing wrong in having them. It all depends on how we deal with them. If we let them win us over and control us, or if we try to at least have a talk with them and check if there's anything right or reasonable in what they're pointing out to us. If we're able to take ourselves by the hand and try to go on or do what we really want to despite the fear. And... especially when I'm stressed I don't like (TW)using knives or scissors or needles or anything that could potentially cut/harm me (it's ocd ig).(/TW) I also suffer a bit from vertigos but mostly there are things that make me pretty uncomfortable.