#ja one nyc

[warhead]

[majaloveschris]

I live in the NYC area and recently received a local newsletter from my neighborhood showing outdoor summer movies in the local public park.

The reason I’m telling you this is bc something kind of interesting happened. One of the movies they were showing this summer is mrs Harris goes to paris.

In the neighborhood newsletter blurb discussing the movie, they mentioned Lesley manville (the star), AB, and then isabelle huppert.

No mention of Lucas Bravo, Jason isaacs, etc.

It was really bizarre to me bc AB being listed as second billing for a random local newsletter makes little sense to me as she was very clearly not the star or even second star. Lucas B technically should be bigger than her as he has a pivotal role in Emily in Paris which is still going on and hasn’t been canceled, and he was just in a romcom hit with George Clooney and Julia roberts last summer. He’s also a professional model and has been on runways and mag spreads this past year alone.

Ab had WN that got canceled and she didn’t even do any interviews for the second season. She has not been in any large endorsements or gotten any super prestigious roles since, but she did go public with a more famous actor.

If anyone is questioning if the PR is working…there’s your answer. Her name is getting out there and the search algorithm for her name is getting more and more out there as well.

Is any of this due to her own talent and success? (LOL)

Or is it more likely the huge PR boost given to her by someone else’s name?

I think the reason some ppl, esp team real, is doubtful about PR bc AB herself is not doing the legwork to put her name out there for more positive professional recognition. Her very actions/inactions seem to point to her hoping that the PR boost will do the work for her.

Many women who started dating more famous men usually had their own careers or would leverage the association to their professional benefit. Examples: Kaia gerber (mother is supermodel Cindy Crawford, boyfriend is Austin butler), Gigi hadid (already famous in her own right) and whatever her thing is with Leo DiCaprio, Hannah Davis (model) and Derek Jeter, Natalie V (works in the industry) and Henry Cavill. You’ll see most of these women have their own personas and social media and continue to do their own thing outside of being connected to famous men. Even if you feel they dated/married up or are opportunists as well, they still have their own thing going on. They didn’t just go into hiding so all ppl will ever think of is that they’re spending all their time following their man around.

By contrast, the dating rumors began for AB and she immediately pivots to “never being seen” unless it’s to let ppl speculate she’s with him.

She gives the vibes of a person who very much hopes the offers will fall into her lap bc she got her name attached to an A lister. She forgot that she is not marketable by herself and has no IT factor so ppl are still not checking for her. Being pretty on a basic level and attending one fashion show does not make you a star.

I know ATP the discussions on this have hit beyond the point of broken record. But I stand by it - she never wanted to work for fame. She wanted it handed to her, and still does. Her little friends JA and his sister also wanted to reap the benefits by association, and really believed all of their statuses would magically elevate due to their “association” with an A lister.

No wonder CE has spent this entire year mentioning the “industry” and what it makes you do. This was a hint, y’all.

This whole "relationship" definitely gets her name out there. WN was successful, but not enough to give her a name in HW or in America.

I think one of the other really good examples of how big of a boost it is for her can be seen on WN's number. So the official People article came out on November 10, 2022, exactly on the day the show's second season debuted. The first season had never been trending before that. Not when it came out, not when they announced the second season. However, after the announcement, not just the second but even the first season started trending, with the first season in 32 countries and the second season in 70. I've seen that a lot of people have said they only started watching the show because they wanted to see who the woman Chris is dating is. And I will also admit that back in, like, January 2022, I also checked the show because I was interested in who she is.

Obviously, I'm not saying those people didn't like WN or that they just watched two seasons because she is dating him. I'm pretty sure there were people who did it because of that, but I'm also pretty sure there were people who liked the show and the characters, but maybe they didn't even know about it before that. WN is not my cup of tea, but that doesn't mean it's a bad show. Not at all. But I think the fact that it started trending and that more people started to watch it has to do with their relationship. It has to do a lot, in my opinion.

A lot of Chris fans love them together, support them, and even defend her and their relationship. So yeah, the fact that her name is now connected to his helps her out big time.

It always bugged me that she never really promoted her work. I guess she did a little more when the second season of WN came out, but it wasn't anything special. She also seems reluctant to engage with her fans. They keep tagging her; they write sweet messages for her, but no reaction. Not even a thank-you or anything like that. They were trying so hard to save WN.

I just don't like her or her personality. I mean what we can see from it.

[lunarcovehq]

JASMINE ST. CLAIRE (GRETA ONIEOGOU) HAS FOUND.

Connection: Adopted Siblings (2/2)

Suggested Name: UTP

Age Range: 21 - 35

Species: UTP

Suggested FCs: Any POC, but some suggestions include Alisha Boe, Ryan Destiny, Lucien Laviscount, Keith Powers, Regé Jean Page, Charles Michael Davis, Cierra Ramirez, Coco Jones, Im Jinah / Nana, Jacob Anderson, Jamie Chung, Mimi Keene, etc. 

Connection Description:

Jasmine was adopted into your character’s family at around the age of 16. Your character’s dads were family friends of Jasmine’s mom. They were planning to help Jasmine and her mother get to Lunar Cove seeing that Jasmine was raised in an off-the-record Dark Coven that was against the Official Lunar Cove Coven and her father was a notorious criminal whom got himself arrested in human prison to avoid being punished by the Council.

Jasmine and her mother were trying to get out of the Dark Coven. But, when your character’s parents found Jasmine she was all on her own and she refused to speak about what happened to her mother. 

One of your character’s dads (the one who is a witch) was an old flame of Jasmine’s mom, Violet. They dated back in High School and although they fell out of touch, when Violet reached out, they couldn’t not help. Only to their dismay they found themselves with a teenager to look after and Violet missing.

Your character’s other dad was hesitate to take Jasmine in given the circumstances, but ended up growing to love Jas the moment she stayed under their roof. Your character’s parents would later end up adopting Jasmine when she was seventeen.

Your character grew up in NYC (Queens to be exact) and went to High School there, either with Jasmine or right before or after Jasmine. 

I’m totally up for plotting their dynamic. I’d love for them to be close in some capacity since Jasmine is fairly distant with everyone else in her life. I imagine she would have been distant starting out with your character as well and very quiet for those first few weeks, seeing that Jasmine is afraid to get close to people/had just witnessed the death of her mother. She considered herself cursed since she was dealing with dark magic repercussions from her time in the coven. Your character could have been excited to have a new sibling or felt jealous of Jasmine for disturbing the existing family dynamic etc. But, would warm up over time.

Also, there were probably rumors growing up surrounding the St. Claire family after adopting Jasmine given that her father is a notorious criminal in both the human world and the supernatural world, so your character probably noticed the rumors and gossip that started circulating surrounding their new sister and their family after the adoption.

Jas’ biological father, Silas Chamberlain, will be brought in at some point as a temporary villain which could add another layer to their family dynamic.

Please be sure to contact the player before applying:

Becca is available for DMs on @cantfightmoonlight!!

[kmp78]

Yeah! And he made the decision to incude Thinn to his job team. 🤧

Doubt it… 😂 EW doesn’t do things without JL. If EW was replaced by Thinnie, then the decision was JL’s. 💯

Guys... nobody replaced anyone. TTT has a picture with his 'team' because there was a DINNER together probably and going out to say thank you and goodbye! And Thinn had a meeting with him and his 'crew' out there in Paris! That is why there is a pic in the elevator with his team. It was quick meeting and that's it! Do you think he met her more often? There are mostly always his assistant who is with them and I suspect even during his NYC stroll at his t-shirt Nana was the one who was responsible to take and send the pics to the media. Jared is not meeting with her exclusively. She is trying hard to earn more but Jared simply is putting Thinn at her place (among her team and other girls he hired to do their jobs as stylists, PA's and servants). If he was so in love with her he would help her in her career simply. He jas connections. He is doing nothing for her. Because he does not consider her as ANY kind of girlfriend. She is a friend... with NO benefits it seems. And that is sad how this situation goes. 

***

What on earth... 😂🙄

[king-shango-the-great]

Shango's Thoughts:

Shango's Dating Choices

I have always loved Black Women. I've been raised around mostly women that served as my example of womanhood. My mother (RIP) was greatest source of a Goddess/Empress that I've ever seen, & no one since has come close. And I'm not being biased when I say this either.

Jamaican immigrant who brought her sisters (my aunts) here... Mama was a hard working nurse who took care of her communities; both in St Mary, JA, as well as in the Bronx, NYC when we moved here.

So when she returned to the Ancestors when I was young, she left me with the only blueprint I've known of the kind of woman I would desire as an adult.

The problem was, most Amerikkkan women have not been that for me. I came to Amerikkka during an era where everything was shifting; alot of toxic ideas were creeping into our communities, & it had a very adverse effect on Black relationships & love.

It got worse when I was separated from the Caribbean & African communities in NYC that I spent much of my time around.

This may be hard for some to hear, but dating in Black American circles has been extremely difficult... Alot of the customs, traditions & attitudes surrounding relationships that come natural for Island & African people simply aren't there for Black Americans. What seems natural & common sense for me, has become difficult & counterintuitive.

I tried my best to adapt, especially during my college days, which led to my bouts with depression, withdrawal, loneliness, etc that many people on social media complain about.

The Mean Girl was the prevalent experience that I encountered when trying to date. The didn't do me well, at all. Again, the women in my community(s), in my family, & especially my mother, were not that way. So I had no defense mechanism in place to handle it. Most of the time, I was feeling dissed, attacked, & humiliated.

I watched my American Brothas navigate the personalities of Sistas pretty well; but again, they were born into the cultural paradigm, so it made sense that they could.he successful with it. And I was envious of them becauae of it.

However, I learned to look past my personal feelings about it, & began to realize that these social interactions are due to alot of the pain that our people have experienced here in Amerikkka. While I was intellectually aware of this truth, that it's not our peoples fault, I was nonetheless emotionally wounded by it via my personal experiences.

As a result, I've spent most of my adult life single, because I don't wanna dishonor my mother's legacy by being with a woman that she wouldn't approve of.

Don't get me wrong; I have had relationships, & a few of them lasted awhile, as I'm a serial monogamist. And while a couple of them were intense, all.of them lingered on far longer than they should have. And the others, I've realized in hindsight that I the Ancestors (my mother included) helped me dodge a bullet for.

So now, I've spent thebpaat decade making alot of cultural, social, & financial changes in my life. This includes:

Having the kind of job that will afford the kind of relationship that I desire

(Re)Tapping into the cultural/spiritual values that are conducive to the kind of relationship that I desire

Soon relocating to an environment that is more conducive to the kind of relationship I desire.

Surrounding myself with the kind of women that I desire.

To be clear: not only do I love Black women, but I want a complete relationship that leads to love, marriage, & a family.

The woman I require needs to be spiritual, sexual, & cultural. She needs to be creative, ambitious, mentally/emotionally/physically healthy, & a nurtured.

This will allow me to be the protector & provider that I desire to be.

Until then.....

[somuchyoudontknow]

When JA traveled to the US it was a different airline and his clothes were different from the new one and from his BF's pics/

not so different. Same shirt actually. His tee is different inside of shirt and his beard length looks longer todays pic. So it looks like it was on his baggage. If this airlines have planes to bermuda, I believe it was from that. Or I have another theory, these idiots posted from bakery. So it looks like they went to concord. If they were at concord really, this might be from that trip. Maybe they went to ma from nyc to go bermuda and met up with tara and chelsea, went there with private jet. We don’t know that. I think he is hinting this. Just a theory.

Yes, they have flights to Bermuda. I highly doubt they went on a private flight. If they had, they would have posted pics already. Just look at them, they are dumping photos continuously from the trip.

[crispy-chan]

EMPIRE STATE OF MIND SOUNDS SO COOL!! nyc as the setting tho omg also i'm sorry seeing scintilla really made me think of "can't you see me?" and huening kai's part LOL but your wips sound really cool jas!! <33

The song has had such a chokehold on me eve since I was a tiny dweeb in the single digits lol. My mom was a big fan of Alicia keys so one thing led to another and till this day I’m obsessed with the song.

I think I first thought of the idea last august when we were in New York and something within me just clicked lol. Chan as a rising rapper trying to make a name for himself and y/n as a struggling college student. I still don’t know how but they will meet and baam.

Also I always imagined this fic to be 40k don’t ask me why 😭😭

Lmfaooo. Idk if the name is even somehow relevant to the fic but scintilla is just such a pretty word 😭☺️🫶

Tysm tho !! I appreciate your kind words izzy ❤️❤️ I am wishing you a lovely day 💕

[just-kiss-me-you-fool-hehe]

i have never felt more ready for a monday in my life

our little new week countdown has never made me feel more ready for a new week ahead

we got high and had so many giggles like i was doubled over half the night bc i was just so happy

it was so nice for jasmine to teach us how to make things together and give us instructions and she wants us to do human centipede style pani puri night and have a contest for who can make the best one

i think it'll be so fun to have them over honestly

it was so cute how we all ate from one plate and fed each other it was so sweeeeeeeeeet

and how we helped each other fight the sunday scaries

i loved when jasmine would bump my shoulder and we have a little giggle or she would hold my hand while i told her something

i taught them how to pin messages in imessage and how to look at screen time and how to add limits they had no idea!!!

i was telling them how i think 5 letter names are the best closely followed by 3 letter names/nicknames

questions

how much do you hold hands and are you happy with it (nyc is not good for hand holding, sf is very conducive to hand holding)

do you get sad in the winter

how often can you without leaving your apt

who is your favorite tiktoker

how much time do you spend on your phone (not kevin deleting him and jasmines entire imessage history bc of the unpinning when he clicked delete)

what is one thing you shipped last year

what does your friendship pyramid look like

how long do you think the honeymoon period lasts

how much time do you spend on tiktok (we were talking about screen time and i got sad that kevin had insane hinge screen time and it made me kinda sad)

where are you on the scale of wanting to make friends actively to not wanting to make friends at all? i said how i was at a 0 because i haven't even been able to look at cashiers or other people i could talk to but it's only bc i went like 15/10

i was also telling them how i feel so fulfilled bc in the past i felt like i could never have too many friends and i always have and still feel like the lame little kid that no one wanted to hang out with and now i feel so content with my friendships that nothing is missing i am just over the moon with everyone i know i couldn't be happier that my life feels so fulfilled and overflowing with love

i find myself being really turned on sometimes when i look at him he's just wearing a black shirt but sometimes i look and i see the tiny waist and giant shoulders and the muscles and i'm fully horny and 😩🤨

see this the position i don't wanna be in when i'm pining after someone i just hate it

next time i want to focus on being intentional, putting my phone away and just enjoying the moment for what it is, being really present and not being stressed about trying to look cool

everyone there already thinks i am cool i don't need to try so hard

questions for jas, does mark get annoyed when you ask him to clean

jas was saying how she thought it was cute that i asked her for shroom tips bc it means she's my go to person (i had been telling them about how when i found the pill in my carpet and immediately asked them about it and they knew what it was i told mel and she was like love that you immediately consulted your local drug dealers)

it was truly a movie 🥹

[raybizzle]

"Light It Up" (1999) is a drama thriller written and directed by Craig Bolotin and stars Usher Raymond, Glynn Turman, Forest Whitaker, Judd Nelson, Rosario Dawson, and Vanessa Williams. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and his wife, Tracy Edmonds, produced the movie, and Tracy was the soundtrack's executive producer with Michael McQuarn. The soundtrack was a success, peaking at #19 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and featured one charting single by Ja Rule called "How Many Wanna."

By 1999, high school-themed inner-city films were abundant. In addition, Hollywood produced more films to complement the commercialization of hip-hop/R&B towards the youth. Usher was very popular as an R&B singer in 1999, and "Light It Up" was his first featured film as lead actor. Other young cast members were familiar actors from film and T.V., such as Fredro Star, Sara Gilbert, Clifton Collins Jr., and Robert Ri'chard. So, the film had all the necessary elements to be successful. However, 1999 was also the year of the Columbine High School shooting.

In "Light It Up," a scuffle between a high school student and a security officer results in the officer getting shot in the leg. As a result, a standoff between the police officers and students transpires. The premises of the film and Columbine have nothing to do with each other, and Bolotin completed filming before the incident. Still, there were some marketing challenges, as the film earned nearly $6 million on a $13 million budget. A similar thing happened with the movie "Trespass" in 1992 because the racial tension from the L.A. riots hurt the film's marketing value.

Overall, the movie received the most criticism from the writing direction. The acting in the film from the young stars is commendable, and they all maximize their opportunities to excel on screen. It's an intense movie with many layers, as each primary student has a narrative.

Director: Craig Bolotin Writer: Craig Bolotin

Starring Usher, Forest Whitaker, Rosario Dawson, Robert Ri'chard, Judd Nelson, Fredro Starr, Sara Gilbert, Clifton Collins Jr., Glynn Turman, Vic Polizos, Vanessa Williams, Gaddiel Otero, Frank Dominelli

Storyline High school students attend an inner-city NYC school that is in poor condition. After beloved teacher Ken Knowles (Judd Nelson) gets suspended by Principal Allan Armstrong (Glynn Turman), students (Usher, Rosario Dawson, Robert Ri'chard, Clifton Collins Jr.) take a stand, leading to their suspension. Things escalate when an altercation between the security officer Dante Jackson (Forest Whitaker) and a student leads to Jackson getting shot. As tensions mount, the students hold Jackson hostage, and a standoff between them and the police begins while the nation is watching.

Available on DVD and streaming services.

[majaloveschris]

I hope it is, but I ain’t believe ‘a friend of Joana’ just told that to that fan page. They are the ones who saw her in NYC with that man, but still no proof of that eithe / AB's friend circle talk with fan pages all the time. AB and her mom also. I think it is true news. They saw her in NYC and got confirmation from Joanna's friend. Friend said it is fine if they tell on their fanpage. The European man is probably Carlotto. She was following him, Joanna, Justin also. CE fans made rumors.

Could be. I've heard they talk to fans, but does anybody have any evidence of this? 

If it's true I'm happy, Carlotto has also left a few comments under her posts, and they seem to be on good terms with JA, and Joanna. However, these things don't mean anything. We’ll see.

[trascapades]

🎭#ArtIsAWeapon

Reposted from @mtc_nyc - Join us at #KingJamesPlay for Black Theatre Night on Thursday, May 18 🏀 This performance will feature a special reception as well as a post-show discussion about “The Culture of Fandom" with Jarrod Barnes (@jarrodbarnes_), Clinical Assistant Professor of Sport Management at @nyuniversity and moderated by Jas Dhami, VP Sports and Streaming at @wearesocialus.

Use code LEBRON at nycitycenter.org for $35 tickets.

 

Information about this event, a podcast episode featuring an interview with playwright Rajiv Joseph, and a playlist inspired by the show can all be found at MTCBeyondtheStage.com (link in bio)

•

King James

by Rajiv Joseph

directed by Kenny Leon

with Glenn Davis, Chris Perfetti, Khloe Janel

OFF-BROADWAY AT

New York City Center Stage I - 131 W 55th St (between 6th and 7th avenues) #NYC, 10019

"King" LeBron James was just the hero that Cleveland needed. One of the greatest NBA players to ever hit the court, his influence on the whole city loomed large for the dozen years of his reign. Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph’s (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) wonderfully funny and remarkably moving new play chronicles the unexpected friendship between two men whose intertwined fortunes are tied to those of their idol. This highly anticipated, adrenaline-packed New York premiere about the power of connection is directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (A Raisin in the Sun, Fences). - VIA www.manhattantheatreclub.com/who-we-are/about-mtc/bts-off-broadway/

#LeBronJames #TheaterLovers #OffBroadway #Play #BlackGirlTheaterGeeks

[somuchyoudontknow]

I mostly have believed this rs to PR, but have switched to "I don't know what this is" at times (which now may be one of them after this Bermuda trip).

Regardless of whether this is PR or real, the optics of this trip can be viewed by some as possibly being a bachelorette party. Only girls (+ gay bffs)? Then this trip conveniently is held shortly before the alleged wedding is to take place (September)? Chelsea and Justin publicly post videos/pics which they knew the fandom would figure out they were in the same place? There's the argument some key people may be missing, but has any source been able to identify everyone who was there? IF the engagement is real, it is possible to have multiple bachelorette parties/showers based on circumstances; my sister-in-law had two because she has family & friends in Ireland (where she is from) and in the States where she had been living so it was easier to have parties in each location than to expect people to take time and spend money to travel twice .

As for no engagement ring, it absolutely makes no sense she is not wearing it IF there is a real engagement or even for a PR stunt. That said, I don't put it past AB & JA to wear/not wear a ring when they know pics are to be taken just to mess fans.

People who are following Chris' friends on sm are sharing info. It seems wives went. Also, why would Justin not show Joana? Joana went back to PT, and she posted. Why didn't ALba invite her to the Bah party when she was in NYC?

[firstdegreefangirl]

March 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

(A few days late, but finally here!)

Total books read: 6 

Total pages read: 2,152 

Days read: 27/31 

Average star rating: 3.79/5 

Challenge Prompts Filled: 14 in March; 33 total. Popsugar: 4(10)/40. Romanceopoly: 5(10)/36. CRAD: 1(3)/12. BTBL: 4(11)/52 

Mini reviews under the cut!

Unpregnant by Jenna Hendriks and Ted Caplan 

⭐⭐⭐⭐(¼) 

Me, sitting down for “a few minutes” to read on my night off work. Then, also me, closing the back cover like 90 minutes later. Once this story got under way, I was hooked. The pacing was perfect for a weekend-long, time-crunched road trip. I loved watching Ronnie rebuild her friendship with Bailey and rediscover the person she should have been all along. The only thing I might have changed was waning to see Kevin face just a few more consequences for how he kickstarted the story, but that’s Ronnie’s choice to make and I’m glad she reclaimed her agency from him. When I picked this one up from the 50 cent library sale rack, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from an “abortion road trip,” but this was laugh out loud funny in places, and just perfectly heartwarming in others. All of that said, Albuquerque is too far from Missouri, which was … kind of the point.  

Challenge Prompts: Beat the Backlist – Featuring travel (time optional) 

The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

This was really cute! I love second-chance romance, and the missed connections element made it even more interesting to me. It was really fun getting to watch Jasmine and Alex get to know each other for who they are, not just the images they’d built up in their heads. That said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the ex-boyfriend arc, or Alex being really jealous when Jas interacted with her ex, even though she assured him more than once that there wasn’t anything there. They were friends first, they run in the same social group, they’re going to cross paths here and there. There was some excellent personal growth, though, seeing Jas learn to go after what she wants and do things for herself. The PR/marketing angle was really fun, as someone who took a few classes and dabbled there in college, and who doesn’t love a book about donuts? (Note: as I’m writing this review like two weeks after I read the book, I’m realizing that it was cute, but largely forgettable. It’s a light, fluffy romance, but nothing that totally changed my life. Good read, definitely recommend it, but a lot of the details and such have already slipped my memory. VIVID memories of the Dodgers cap scene, though, if that sways anyone’s opinions.) 

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Has yellow on the cover 

What if It's Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera 

⭐⭐⭐ 

OK, first of all, as a proud Broadway fan, I’m ashamed to admit how long it took me to realize that the title and the section titles are all from Dear Evan Hansen lyrics. I should have caught on right away, that’s my show, but WOW did I miss that one. That said, this has been on my TBR for ages, but it’s longer than some of the other books, so I kept putting it off. I’m glad I finally pulled it out, even if it was my slowest/longest read for the month. The pacing was just about perfect, and I love the MCs. Liiiiiiitle weird for me because I know close friends irl with the names of two of the characters, but that’s a personal issue and I don’t expect it to be universally relatable. No fault of the authors that they named the characters after my friends. Again with the missed connections romances, but this one took a fun and literal spin on it for the first section of the book. It’s been a minute since I’ve thought about CL missed connections ads, but it was so much fun watching the characters try to find each other in all of NYC. And once they did, I loved getting to follow along as they navigated summer romance and that instant connection they felt to one another. The ending was beautiful, if heart-wrenching, but it helped me to know that there’s a sequel to follow up on where things left off. And I loved how chock-full it was of musical references and New York City through the eyes of someone experiencing that part of the world for the first time.  

Prompts filled: Popsugar – A book with a song lyric as the title; Romanceopoly – M/M romance; BTBL – Multiple POVs 

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour 

⭐⭐⭐(½) 

I judge books by their covers. I’ll say it. Especially when they’re at the dollar store so it’s a low-risk investment. The text on the cover of this one was/is SO PRETTY, and I loved the premise of “you have to do something epic this summer,” without any elaboration on what that something might be. The MCs are all freshly graduated from high school, but honestly they read enough like adults that this didn’t feel particularly YA except where it was specifically mentioned. It walked a very neat line between “handles real-world issues with characters who feel like real people” and “fluffy romance novel” that can be a hard balance to strike. I related so hard to Emi looking for the perfect couch, as someone who will get clear visions of what I’m trying to find and refuse to settle for anything less. Ava’s story is heartbreaking and beautiful, and I loved watching Emi and Charlotte try to navigate their differences from her with tact and compassion, even when they didn’t always understand what she’d been through. (Also, it’s not likely to fit better anywhere else in this review, so I’ll just point it out here: I’m picturing Clyde as Sam Elliot, and I will not be accepting constructive criticism at this time or ever.) I don’t know a lot about the inner workings of Hollywood and/or the film industry, but I really enjoyed the behind the scenes look at indie films. The ending stressed me out; there was a point where I remember clearly thinking that there was no way they’d be able to wrap everything up in the number of pages that were left, but everything felt nicely paced and the falling action wasn’t rushed. Very cute, less fluffy than other books I’ve read but not in a way that made it feel hard to digest. There were a few parts where I didn’t feel very invested in what came next, which is where the stars got knocked off, but all things considered, I enjoyed this one. 

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Ever Afters St/Sapphic romance; Popsugar – A book about or set in Hollywood; BTBL – This house is alive (or at least very important) 

A Million Little Things by Susan Mallery 

⭐⭐⭐(½) 

As we know, I love Susan Mallery. By and large, she writes a great blend of women’s lit and romance, all in the same story. This was a fun read, for sure, but fell a little flat for me compared to some of her others. Mostly, I think she tried to do too much with characters who spent too much time apart. The book follows three women, two best friends and one of the friends’ mothers, but for large portions of the story they’re not really on speaking terms with each other. It made the different storylines feel disjoined and distant from one another. All three stories were interesting, but I think they might have been better served separately, or at least with clearer distinguishments between the different POVs. Pam is a complicated woman and I liked watching her actively fight against her internal biases (for the record: pictured her as Wendie Malick). Jen’s growth was tangible, and her ending tugged at my heartstrings. And I LOVE Zoe. It was so rewarding to see her grow into herself as an adult and learn to take charge of her own life. Even when some of the people in her world didn’t support her, she never wavered on her own beliefs, and that’s an admirable sort of conviction. The ending felt abrupt, though. Jen’s storyline was resolved pretty completely, but everyone else’s seemed to be left more open/ambiguious -- which isn’t necessarily a bad way to end a story, but it left things feeling a little unbalanced between the three MCs. All in all, Mallery is still one of, if not my favorite author, but there are other books of hers that I’d recommend over this one.  

Prompts Filled: BTBL – Family drama; Romanceopoly – Spring/secret pregnancy; Popsugar: Book about a family 

Just My Type by Falon Ballard 

⭐⭐⭐(½) 

I love this one! What an excellent impulse purchase at Target, even if I came home from the store and remembered that I’d already been approved for the ARC and forgotten to read it before publication. Everything from the bright purple color to the journalism-themed second-chance love story felt like it was catered perfectly to my tastes, and once I made it into the story, I was excited to find out that I was right! The characters feel so real and authentic, down to their little quirks and cell phone ringtones in a way that made the story so incredibly immersive. The idea of a love story that's centered around staying single was unlike anything I've read before, and I loved watching Lana grow into herself as a person. Outside of the romance plotlines, there was just enough side plot about her life (her mom, her boss, her bestie, etc) that she felt like such a REAL person, not one half of a love story. The only thing I'd have liked to see in the ending was a bit of closure on her friend's relationship status (if you know, you know). Now I'm going to have to go back and read Lease on Love, and I can't wait to find out what stories come next! 

Prompts Filled: CRAD March (starts with next letter in the alphabet); Popsugar: BookTok recommendation; Romanceopoly: Flirts Corner/Contemporary romance by an author I haven’t tried before. 

[nwdsc]

(Natureza (produced, arranged & conducted by Claus Ogerman) | Joyce with Mauricio Maestro | Joyce Morenoから)

Natureza (produced, arranged & conducted by Claus Ogerman) by Joyce with Mauricio Maestro

Not long after the dawn of her career, as a teenager in Rio de Janeiro, Joyce was declared “one of the greatest singers” by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Yet despite reputable accolades and the fact that she has since recorded over thirty acclaimed albums, Joyce never quite achieved the international recognition of the likes of Jobim, João Gilberto and Sergio Mendes, all of whom became global stars after releasing with major labels in the US. There was a moment when it seemed Joyce might be on the cusp of an international breakthrough. While living in New York, Joyce was approached by the great German producer Claus Ogerman. Ogerman had already played a pivotal role in the development and popularisation of Brazilian music in the 1960s, recording with some of the all-time greats like Jobim and João Gilberto, as well as North American idols like Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Bill Evans. "I met him in New York City, in 1977”, recalls Joyce. “I was living and playing there, and João Palma, Brazilian drummer who used to play with Jobim, introduced me to Claus. We had an audition, he liked what we were doing and decided to produce an album with us.” Featuring fellow Brazilian musicians Mauricio Maestro (who wrote/co-wrote four of the songs), Nana Vasconcelos and Tutty Moreno, and some of the most in-demand stateside players including Michael Brecker, Joe Farrell and Buster Williams, the recordings for Natureza took place at Columbia Studios and Ogerman produced the album, provided the arrangements and conducted the orchestra. But mysteriously, Natureza was never released, and what should have been Joyce’s big moment never happened. As Joyce remembers, “I returned home, but Claus and I remained in contact, by letters and phone calls. He was very enthusiastic about the album and tried to hook me up with Michael Franks. He wanted me to go back to NYC in order to re-record the vocals in English with new lyrics, which I actually wasn’t too happy about. But then I got pregnant with my third child and could not leave Brazil. And little by little our contact became rare, until I lost track of him completely. And that was it. I never heard from him again." While Claus was known to be something of an elusive character, the album’s disappearance might also have been a result of timing. The Brazilian craze was coming to an end, making way for disco and new wave at the end of the seventies, and Ogerman struggled to find a major label interested in a new Brazilian sensation. Additionally, as Joyce mentions, it wasn’t quite finished. Ogerman wanted to add finishing touches to the mix and to record alternative English lyrics for the US and international markets - a critical artistic difference between Joyce and Ogerman. As the military dictatorship’s grip on Brazil began to subside in the 1980s, Joyce had a handful of hits in her home county, including a tribute to her daughters ‘Clareana’, and the iconic ‘Feminina’ - an intergenerational conversation between mother and daughter about what it means to be a woman. But already a feminist pioneer, these successes were hard fought. Joyce had caused controversy as a nineteen-year-old when she became the first in Brazil to sing from the first-person feminine perspective, and the institutional sexism she faced was worsened by the dictatorship who would often censor her music. Even once the Junta was out of the way, Joyce found herself up against the male-dominated major record companies in Brazil, who sought to dictate her career and sexualise her image, before dropping her for refusing to play along. A few years after the success of her albums Feminina and Agua E Luz in Brazil, Joyce’s music began to find its way to the UK, Europe and Japan, and “Feminina” and “Aldeia de Ogum” became classics on the underground jazz-dance scenes of the mid to late-eighties and early-nineties. The full-length version of “Feminina” from the Natureza sessions was first heard on a Brazilian Jazz compilation in 1999 and “Descompassadamente” was licensed for a CD compiling the work of Claus Ogerman in 2002. Following these, word began to get out about an unreleased Joyce album with Claus Ogerman and the legend of Natureza grew. Forty-five years since it was recorded, Natureza finally sees the light of day, as Joyce intended: with her own Portuguese lyrics and vocals. Featuring the fabled 11-minute version of ‘Feminina’, as well as the never before heard ‘Coração Sonhador’ composed and performed by Mauricio Maestro, Natureza’s release is a landmark in Brazilian music history and represents a triumphant, if overdue victory for Joyce as an outspoken female artist who has consistently refused to bow to patriarchal pressure. ***Disclaimer! While “Feminina” and “Descompassadamente'' were mixed by legendary engineer Al Schmitt and mastered from the original master tapes, the remaining five tracks are unmixed. Due to significant deterioration of the master-tapes, the best audio source for these tracks was an unmixed tape copy Joyce had kept of the recordings. The best care has been taken in the restoration and mastering of this release, but the sound quality may differ from other releases on Far Out Recordings. We advise listening to sound clips before buying where possible. クレジット2022年9月30日リリース Joyce Moreno - Lead vocals, lead guitar (all tracks, except for ‘Coração Sonhador’ and ‘Ciclo da Vida’), rhythm guitar & vocals on ‘Ciclo da Vida’ Mauricio Maestro – Rhythm guitar & vocals on all tracks, lead vocals and guitar on ‘Coração Sonhador’ and ‘Ciclo da Vida’ Buster Williams - Double Bass João Palma - Drums (all tracks except for ‘Moreno’, ‘Pega Leve’ and ‘Descompassadamente’) Naná Vasconcelos - Percussion Tutty Moreno - Percussion, drums on ‘Moreno’ and ‘Pega Leve’ Joe Farrell - Flute (except for ‘Pega Leve’) Ion Muniz - Flute on ‘Pega Leve’ Michael Brecker - Tenor saxophone Mike Manieri – Vibraphone Warren Bernhardt - Keyboards Orchestra arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman Produced by Claus Ogerman Recorded by Frank Laico at Columbia Studios, NYC, 1977 ‘Feminina’ and ‘Descompassadamente’ mixed by Al Schmitt

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

The Church of Bad Dads – Teddy Hose Parts 1 and 2

The Blessed Child podcast is hosted by Renee Thomas

This week I spoke with Teddy Hose who is an artist and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. We spoke on a range of topics from growing up in Bridgeport Connecticut, the history of the church, current issues in energy and politics, the power dynamics in the cult and how we are healing after being labor trafficked in the Unification Church by an para military organization called “Special Task Force” (STF, OLT, GPA).

Teddy Hose grew up in the Tarrytown community just north of the city, near the Moon family in the 80s and 90s, before his family moved to Seattle when he was a teen. Teddy was a 2nd generation leader in Seattle in high school, then went on to do STF and attend the University of Bridgeport for 2 years, before transferring to the School of Visual Arts in NYC. He now creates social media videos for television networks career-wise, and his own art on the side, currently music. Teddy is most known for his whistleblower efforts on cults and the Unification Church, having appeared on Netflix’s Explained, A&E’s Cults & Extreme Belief, and numerous podcasts while doing graphic design for the Falling Out podcast.

The Church of Bad Dads – Teddy Hose Part 1 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-of-bad-dads-teddy-hose-part-1/id1564810060?i=1000576425470

The Church of Bad Dads – Teddy Hose Part 2 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-church-of-bad-dads-teddy-hose-part-2/id1564810060?i=1000576427821

Find more on Teddy Hose at http://teddyhose.com/press.html https://thenib.com/moon-child/ tiktok @2dhose teddyhoseworks@gmail.com

This shows artwork is done by Teddy Hose

⚠️Trigger warning: Death, Murder, Abuse⚠️

Unification Church Theologian Dr. M. Mickler http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/SunMyungMoon13/SunMyungMoon-211216.pdf

Annie Choi, heir of one of Korea’s largest insurance companies, was womb-cleansed at 17 by a married Sun Myung Moon. [She inherited maybe less that 1% so Sun Myung Moon was not able to grab much through her.] Moon got Annie Choi pregnant in 1965. Sam Park was born in January 1966, when Moon was then married to Hak Ja Han.

Annie Choi’s BROTHER explains a lot here: Sun Myung Moon used a ‘Honey Trap’ – Choi Soon-yeong explains

The story of Annie Choi and Sam Park

Tribal messiah Hometown Church Providence-Moon post Danbury prison

CARP and Family Fellowship for Sustainable Outreach http://www.tparents.org/Library/Unification/Publications/JournalUnificationStudies9/JUS_2008.pdf

____________________________

Cultpodcastshow

The Moonies Part 2: A Smelly Boi https://cultpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-63-the-moonies-pt-2-a-smelly-boi/

The Moonies Part 3: DO Drink the Kool-Aid https://cultpodcast.podbean.com/e/ep-64-the-moonies-pt-3-do-drink-the-kool-aid/

Note:

“Baek” or “Baek Kim” is Baek-moon Kim (1917-1990), an earlier Korean messiah.

____________________________

https://www.cultpodcastshow.com/post/the-tragedy-of-young-oon-kim

which seems to be largely based (with added humor) on: Young-oon Kim joined, but it ended in tears and flames https://tragedyofthesixmarys.com/young-oon-kim-it-all-ended-in-flames/

It is doubtful that Young-oon Kim directly brought in thousands of members.

She did write the very first published Divine Principle in 1956. It was in English!

She did bring many Ewha Womans University students to Moon for womb-cleansing.

____________________________

A transcription for this episode can be found here https://wildspacetattoo.wixsite.com/tattoo/post/the-church-of-bad-dads-teddy-hose-s4-e39

To support this podcast, you can visit https://www.patreon.com/Renrobot or https://ko-fi.com/renrobot

---

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/blessed-child2/support

[cantfightmoonlight]

JASMINE ST. CLAIRE

Slow down, you crazy child. You're so ambitious for a juvenile. But then if you're so smart, tell me why are you still so afraid, hmm?

Quick-witted, guarded & independent 26 year old witch. Born in Boston. Resides in Shadow Lake & has been in town just long enough to witness the murders. Father is Silas Chamberlain- notorious criminal. Raised as dark witch prodigy, now trying to keep to herself as she waits for the consequences from her dark magic days to catch up to her.

>>> FULL BIO HERE.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

FAMILY

Older Half-Brother ➵ OPEN

Half-Sisters ➵ Poppy & Poppy’s Twin

Adopted Siblings  ➵ WC HERE

WORK

Boss at Lunar Cove Times ➵

Rival Journalists ➵ WC HERE

Assistant/Photographer at the Lunar Cove Times ➵ 

Someone who started out their career together with her ➵

Work Husband/Wife ➵ Tommy

Scooby Gang in Scooby Doo (Meddling Kids) ➵

PAST

There is No Place Like Home ➵ Someone who knows Jasmine from her time in Boston/growing up.

College Friend/Classmate ➵ Someone who went to NYU with Jasmine or knew Jas from her time in NYC.

Family Friend/HS Friend ➵ Someone who met Jasmine through the St. Claires or maybe was a friend of the family. They could have even gone to HS together in NYC.

PLATONIC

Best Friend ➵

Someone who brings out the best in her ➵

Someone who brings out the worst in her ➵

Unfriendly Neighbors ➵ For anyone who lives at Shadow Lake. Could share a ceiling or a wall or could live in the building next door. They could get annoyed with each other or bang at each other through the walls etc. Or could even get annoyed with Jas’ RV parked out in the parking lot that she used to live in before Dahlia invited her to move in.

Friendly Neighbors ➵ For anyone who lives at Shadow Lake. Could share a ceiling or a wall or could live in the building next door. Could constantly be showing up at each other’s places or couch crashing. 

Roommate ➵  Dahlia

Phone a Friend ➵ The person she calls to bail her out of trouble

One Sided Friendship ➵

Frenemies ➵

Shows up to her house from time to time with her favorite liquor ➵

Friends who had a falling out or drifted apart ➵ Maybe Jas pulled away from them since she started to become worried that they could be killed by her curse too.

Wingman/Wing Woman/Wing Person ➵

Stumbled upon the other in either an awkward or personal moment and now have trouble looking them in the eyes ➵

A person who follows her around like a sad puppy dog ➵ Could tie into one of the work connections above or be separate

Former crush turned friend ➵

Former crush turned foe ➵

Breakfast Club ➵  Someone she met once when traveling; they opened up to each other and had a breakfast club-esque relationship for a day/weekend before they parted ways, only to see each other again now

Serendipity ➵  Someone who she consistently runs into again and again over the years; could be friends or acquaintances, but neither can deny, it’s weird that they keep on meeting like this

The Other End of the Bar ➵ A party friend or acquaintance. Someone they can call for a good time out on the town or to go get high with.

For a Night In ➵ The two characters always hang out behind closed doors, but their friendship never seems to span beyond movie nights and nights in. It’s almost as if someone doesn’t want to be seen out with the other.

SUPERNATURAL

WEREWOLF SPECIFIC ➵ Finds wolf in the woods from time to time naked after they shifts and begrudgingly helps them find their pants 

WITCH SPECIFIC ➵ Current coven members who Jasmine becomes close to who help give her a reason to want to join the coven

WITCH SPECIFIC ➵ Jasmine grew up in an off-the-record Dark Magic Coven that was operating against the official Lunar Cove Coven. Your character could have been a member of this organization see WC’s HERE & HERE. 

OPEN TO ANY SPECIES ➵ Or your character could be someone who had a run-in with the Dark Coven over the years. Jasmine was part of the Dark Coven until she was 16, so anywhere in that time frame.

OPEN TO ANY SPECIES ➵ Likewise, Jasmine could have performed dark magic on your character growing up before the age of 16 for her.

RESURRECTED ➵ WC HERE

WITCH SPECIFIC ➵ Bad Influence; Your character could tempt Jasmine to want to dabble in Dark Magic again.

VAMPIRE SPECIFIC ➵ Jasmine could let your character feed off of her for the high of it.

WITCH SPECIFIC ➵ Someone she practices magic with.

RELATIONSHIPS

Ex who ended on Good Terms ➵

Ex who ended on Bad Terms ➵

FWB ➵

Recent One Night Stand ➵

Past One Night Stand ➵ Dilan

First Time ➵

First Crush/First Love ➵

Past Hookup/Flame ➵

Unrequited Love ➵ Someone who had feelings for Jasmine, but she never reciprocated. 

Exes who are now friends, but don’t ever talk about the fact they dated ➵

First Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Partner ➵ 

Kindergarten Couple ➵ 

Blind Date ➵

Went on a blind date in the past  ➵  how they met; could be friends now or awkward around each other ever since