#mention of lindsey jones

[venussaidso]

who tf do ketu men frequently date? 🧍🏼

so i decided to check the charts of ex/current partners of some selected well known ketu men.

See, Timothee Chalamat having dated Rahu and Jupiter girls kinda validates my theory of Ketu men going for these planetary archetypes. I also see Moon and Mercury nakshatra women.

He dated Shatabhisha ASC, Vishakha Moon Lourdes Leon. Was with Eiza Gonzalez who has Shravana Sun & a possible Purva Bhadrapada Moon. His iconic pairing with Lily Rose Depp who's Rohini Sun & Swati Moon and Vishakha ASC. And finally Kylie Jenner -- Ashlesha Sun, Swati Moon.

Avan Jogia, who is Ashwini Moon, is dating Punarvasu Moon Halsey -- and she also has Hasta Sun AND Swati ASC. He's also dated Zoey Deutch who is a Vishakha Sun. He dated Swati Sun Cleopatra Coleman. He had a thing with Vishakha Moon Miley Cyrus 💀

Ben Barnes, who is Ashwini Moon & Magha Sun, dated Ardra Moon Tamsin Egerton. Then Shatabhisha Moon Felicity Jones. And also Vishakha ASC AND Hasta Moon Julianna Hough.

Possible Magha Moon Robert Sheehan with his long-time girlfriend Revati Sun Sofia Boutella.

Idris Elba's -- who's Magha Moon -- current wife is a Punarvasu Sun AND a Jyestha Moon mwahaha.

Ashwini Moon Benedict Cumberbatch's wife is a Purva Bhadrapada Sun AND Rohini Moon.

Ashwini Moon Michael C. Hall's first wife had Revati Moon, name's Amy Spanger. Then he married Jyestha Sun Jennifer Carpenter who ALSO has Punarvasu Moon and a Hasta ASC.

Ashwini Moon Matt Dillion had dated Vishakha Moon Denise Richards. Also Punarvasu native Cameron Diaz. And I believe his recent partner is Vishakha Moon Roberta Mastromichele. He'd dated Ashlesha ASC, Swati Moon and Shravana Sun Heather Graham.

Magha Moon Paul Wesley was married to Hasta Moon Torrey DeVitto. He was also engaged to Punarvasu native Phoebe Tonkin.

Ashwini Sun Machine Gun Kelly (who also dated Punarvasu native Halsey), was with Ashlesha Moon Megan Fox. Daniel Day Lewis' wife is a Revati Moon. Cilian Murphy, who I also believe to be Ketuvian, is married to a Jyestha Moon woman. Christian Bale's -- who's Ashwini Moon -- wife may have Revati Sun (she may also be Ashwini Sun if she was born past noon).

And Ketu men also go for Ketu women. Justin Trudeau's wife is an Ashwini Sun. Machine Gun Kelly dated Ashwini native Amber Rose.

Ashwini Moon Milo Ventimiglia's wife, Jarah Mariano, is a Jyestha Moon. He's dated Ashwini Moon Alexis Bledel and also Hayden Panettiere who's also an Ashwini Moon with Magha Sun.

Ashwini Moon Boris Kodjoe's wife, Nichole Ari Parker, is a Mula Moon with a Hasta Sun.

Magha Sun Andrew Garfield was with Magha ASC, Swati Sun and Hasta Moon Emma Stone. He also dated Mula Sun Shannon Woodward. He'd been with Ashwini Sun and Vishakha Moon Phoebe Dynevor. Also Ardra Sun Alyssa Miller. He got on with Ashlesha Asc & Purva Bhadrapada Moon Rita Ora too.

Mula Sun, and confirmed Ashwini Moon, Jared Leto, had dated Vishakha Moon Scarlett Johansson. Then Ashley Olsen who is literally a Magha Moon with Ashlesha ASC. He'd been with Punarvasu ASC Cameron Diaz. He was also linked with Ardra Sun Lindsey Lohan. Had an iconic love struck moment with Shatabhisha Sun, Hasta Moon Lupita Nyong'o. I think Valery Kauffman too who's Rohini Sun and Shravana Moon. Reminder that he's a Krittika Asc, he's a Sun nakshatra and my god he's got a running list of hookups I can't deal with right now so Valery is where it ends. It's honestly giving Leonardo DiCaprio lmfao who's also a Sun nakshatra (can't stand solar males💀).

If I stumble on more Ketu men, I'll probably keep editing this post. But there's a pattern here. It's Rahu, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter and Ketu nakshatras that frequently pop up in the women they date. Honorable mentions are Sun and Mars nakshatras. Seriously, I find this fascinating.

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (17-23 Dec 2023)

shout out to matt rogers for this delightful new entry to the xmas song canon

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes #0) (Travis Baldree, author & narrator) - prequel novel of Viv's much younger days - just as fun and cozy as Legends & Lattes

🥰 Hashtag Soulmates (everwitch) - 44K, RWRB AU - deliberately tropetastic sort-of meta fic where Henry's a fanfic writer & Alex is one of his biggest fans and they work together but don't know it. Hard to explain but fun to read. Good stuff on the nature of fanfic; also hilarious bits where it walks right up to the crackfic line but doesn't go over. I really enjoyed reading something the author so clearly had a blast writing.

😊 In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life (Amy Schneider, author & narrator) - entertaining read

😍 Tommy Cabot Was Here (The Cabots #1) (Cat Sebastian) - reread, novella; just really in a mood to reread in this universe! Hadn't read this since I read Daniel's book, so it was fun to see him guest star as a 12 yr old

😍 Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots #2) (Cat Sebastian) - reread; I love all the Cabots but this one is my #1 fave by a smidge. The grumpy/sunshine is *chef's kiss*!

😍 Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots (The Cabots #3) (Cat Sebastian) - reread; Alex & Daniel are actually dating but too oblivious (and busy pining in silence) to realize it. I love these dumbasses.

😍 Luke and Billy Finally Get a Clue (The Cabots #3.5) (Cat Sebastian) - reread, set in the Cabots 'verse but with no Cabots in sight. Just two baseball boys pulling their heads out of their asses and figuring out what they mean to one another.

💖💖 +102K of shorter fic 💖💖

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Game Changer - s5, e6

Make Some Noise - s2, e15

Dirty Laundry - s3, e8

D20: Fantasy High: Sophmore Year - e16-20

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - s1, e1-6

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

It's Been a Minute - The IBAMmys: The It's Been A Minute 2023 Culture Awards Show

Today, Explained - EU vs. AI

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Songs To Help You Study

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - A Return to Recipe Graves

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Old City Hall Station

⭐ Switched on Pop - "Did I mention that it's Christmas in this club?" (w Matt Rogers)

The Sporkful - New Year’s Food Resolutions 2024

Today, Explained - How Barnes & Noble survived

Big Gay Fiction Podcast - "Time to Shine" with Rachel Reid

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang - “They Couldn’t Be Nicer Boys” (w/ Seth Meyers)

NPR's Book of the Day - 'Black AF History' examines American history from the perspective of Black people

Code Switch - Here are our favorite Code Switch episodes from 2023

Ed Zitron's 15 Minutes In Hell - Episode 20: Jamelle Bouie

Ologies with Alie Ward - Lemurology (LEMURS) with Lydia Greene

99% Invisible #564 - Mini-Stories: Volume 17

Today, Explained - The stretched-too-thin blue line

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Sniffing out What’s Special with Saskia Wilson Brown

One Year - 1990: The Angry Death of Kimberly Bergalis

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang - "You Can't Trust These Gay Guys"

⭐ Films To Be Buried With - Leslie Jones

Dear Prudence - My Mother-In-Law Doesn’t Wash Her Hands After Using The Bathroom. Help!

Cautionary Tales - When Stalin Killed the Weekend (with The Happiness Lab)

Our Opinions Are Correct - How Doctor Who Stood the Test of Time

Our Opinions Are Correct - BONUS: If You Could Turn Into Any Form of Transportation, What Would You Pick?

It's Been a Minute - Why does flying suck so much?

Off Menu - Ep 217: Ross Noble (Christmas Special)

⭐ Song Exploder - Foo Fighters "The Teacher"

⭐ Overinvested - Ep. 290: The Cutting Edge

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

my christmas playlist

Celtic Christmas

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album [The Beach Boys] {1964}

Merry Axemas & Merry Axemas 2

Orchestral Christmas Pops

Latin Jazz Christmas

Punk Rock Christmas

Lindsey Stirling Christmas

Orchestral Holiday Pops

It's a Holiday Soul Party [Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings] {2015}

my Christmas Divas playlist

Have You Heard of Christmas? [Matt Rogers] {2023}

Simply Christmas [Leslie Odom Jr.] {2016}

The Christmas Album [Leslie Odom Jr.] {2020}

Christmas With You [Laufey & Norah Jones] {2023}

Christmas Island [Jimmy Buffett] {1996}

'Tis The SeaSon [Jimmy Buffett] {2016}

Quality Street: A Seasonal Selection for All the Family [Nick Lowe] {2013}

The Muppet Christmas Carol (Special Anniversary Edition) {2005}

Punk Rock Christmas

Classical Christmas

Rock & Roll Christmas

[asm5129]

RWBY V9 Episode 3 Analysis

On the way to the castle, Weiss stresses, once again

“We aren’t Alyx”

Clearly gonna be a very important issue

They can’t just follow someone else’s story

They have to make their own

The Red Prince is really the perfect distillation of how Volume 9 is balancing comedy and drama

He’s primarily a comedic character, but he also establishes more about Alyx, more about what happened in the Ever After since her story ended, and he represents the consequences of her actions. plus, even though he himself isn’t much of a threat, the casualness with which he sends two of his men behind the bushes to be beheaded is genuinely unsettling. He may be a comedic character, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be a genuine problem for them if they piss him off (which inevitably they do, because he’s an entitled brat who gets pissed off at EVERYTHING. which, you know, he’s a little kid but...he’s also got way more power than most kids so i struggle to cut him slack for his immaturity)

“Did i used to be this unbearably pompous?” XD Oh Weiss, remarkably, you were not this bad

Surprisingly, the soldiers taking credit for the gift turns out very helpful

But Ruby, poor girl

She gave up Penny’s sword and it was thrown away like it was worthless

“How could you...” Lindsey Jones really giving it her all, and the facial expressions match her skill

Even if they can be put back together, as indicated by the Curious Cat later on, the panicked screams of these two soldiers make it pretty clear they’re going to fell all the pain any human (or faunus) would.

hell of a first impression. Goofy little kid, but if you piss him off he’ll have you beheaded without hesitation, and he gets pissed off at the slightest thing that doesn’t go his way. Every comedic thing he does is underlined with the fact that one of the first things we saw him do was order some of his soldiers beheaded for getting a color wrong

I feel like the butterfly with the bright blue wings will matter. It’s wings are way too similar to the wings of the smoking caterpillar-esque creature in the opening, not to mention how our attention is drawn deliberately to it multiple times. Checkov’s Butterfly, let’s call it for now

Little’s yes after helping compliment the prince is adorable

Love how this game showcases Ruby’s leadership style. She was given a bunch of literal pawns, but over the course of the game works to minimize damage and ends up working with her so-called pawns due to inspiring them and treating them like their lives have value, rather than them working for her

meanwhile the Red Prince actually already continues the trend of villains falling to their own hubris he decides to be cruel and make WBY pieces on the board before knowing what they were capable of So even though this world runs on different rules, the character work remains consistent

so...Neo’s probably next then...

Love the transformation sequence. Great animation, love the visual gag of yang trying to fight back and the magic making her punch herself in the face for it

“Now we’re all Littles!” Little’s perception of the world continues to fascinate me.

“No one’s going to get hurt....right?”

Ruby’s priority is always minimizing harm. Love it.

And of course...the Prince doesn’t answer her question.

I feel really bad for the pawns on the board..they're clearly super traumatized

It’s cool to see the girls working properly as a team again. We haven’t gotten to see them properly strut their stuff in a long while, thanks to the last several volumes hammering home just how absolutely unfathomable the odds stacked against them were, as well as the growing cast and the many fires they had to put out (metaphorical fires, sorry Watts)

Little continues to be adorable, cheering with leaves as pom-poms after Weiss gets her groove on

Blake’s blush is adorable and i can’t wait until the fated Bumblby kiss that finally wakes Yang up to the love around her

Again, the Prince is a comedic character, but the emotional pain Alyx put him through is very real, and our heroes are gonna have to deal with that because it seems Alyx has very much colored the locals opinions of humans. I am...incredibly intrigued about who Alyx is. I mean, her actual nature. I love how varied the interpretations of her actions are.

And again, our heroes inspire others to fight, instead of sacrificing lives unnecessarily. there is a sense of camaraderie. Ruby’s leadership style at work here.

“Little’s a mouse...at least i think.” “Sure!” Again, Little intrigues me with their way of looking at things.

And there he is--or his eyes anyway. The Cat.

the subjects of the red Prince hate humans so much the red and white pawns alike come after WBY, even after the White pawns just being inspired by them.

Fantastic combat scene, with some fantastic music.

Love the detail that Blake is running out of bullets. They’ve got limited supplies here.

“I”VE WON. Give up already.”

“We. Wont.”

The utter conviction. Ruby is not capable of giving up, even when she doesn’t have enough hope to fill a single jar.

:Love the shot that obscures her eyes. This whole sequence really shows how fraught Ruby’s mental state is. As her companions fight, She is moving around, trying to figure out how to help, ultimately just putting her head in her hands because she feels so paralyzed.

“Unable to do the one thing you were put on this acre to do” Well that’s awfully specific Cat.

Clearly this ties in with how the Ever After deals with identity and purpose. we’ll have to wait and see exactly how though.

The Cat clearly has serious authority here. The entire room immediately starts listening to him as soon as he speaks, including the Prince.

“You must play your game and win at any cost”

and him losing the game literally broke him. If you take away the things that we use to form our sense of self, we either crumble or we double down--the Prince here looks like he’s doing a bit of both.

Identity can be a fragile thing, especially if you build it upon a fragile base.

Haven’t seen many people talk about this but...I’m pretty sure the cat made him back off. Like, not just through his authority--he does something to the prince’s heart to temporarily dull the pain

Freaking love the M.C. Escher vibes of this escape

Ruby is literally carrying her team on her shoulders now. Things are gonna get rougher and rougher for our poor girl.

“Times change, you know, and so do we when it’s our time to change. Don’t you?”

our heroes are going to be very different people when they get back to remnant.

Also, that silver glow is DEFINITELY silver-eye-esque.

.

“You’re not nearly as interesting as the others I’ve met” So we know he’s met Alyx but...has this cat met any other humans, i wonder?

Rocking horsefly. Still a good pun.

And here we have two VERY different parts of the ever after right next to each other. looks awfully like a Light and Dark....perhaps similar to two douchebag gods we know of?

The Jaberwalker bleeds surprisingly normal-looking blood. That probably means something.

Is he kinda like Salem’s hound? that’s a wild thought.

“Fix”? That’s a new one for the Jabberwalker. What are you trying to fix, you intriguing creature?

Considering Neo was right next to Ruby as they fell, she wound up here quite a bit later. Just more evidence for some time shenaniganery this volume.

Neo is like...compulsively shapeshifting. There’s no purpose to shifting into Cinder and Ruby. And then her Semblance just moves out from her and becomes a bunch of her. Something is clearly off with Neo’s semblance, and i’ll be honest, it doesn’t feel like a semblance evolution. It feels..intentionally more unnatural than that.

Anyway Neo means business this volume and she just became expoenntially more dangerous...quite literally

[tobacconist]

living and dying on the internet

this is the key to the pseudonyms: Denise = Kristina Horner (italktosnakes) Crystal = Lindsey (Pottermoosh) Penny = Lex Croucher Laura = Becky (Tikken) Freya = Louise Jones (?) Marilyn = Carrie Hope Fletcher (itswaypastmybedtime) David = Jack Howard

there are plenty of other people mentioned in the book but i dont think theyre given pseudonyms

[jules-has-notes]

collaboration spotlight — Dad Bod by 4Eva29

It's important to have reasonable expectations, especially in romantic relationships. Attraction is a complex and mutable thing. As many couples enter their thirties or fourties, the things they appreciate about each other can change. But those new aspects deserve to be celebrated just as much as initial infatuation. Let the ladies of 4Eva29 show you what they mean.

Details:

title: Dad Bod

performers: Shalisa James, Labri Wright, Kellie Smith, Michelle Knight, & Jackie Isham (4Eva29); David Kotary, E. Michael Evans, John Wright, Chris Jones, Jeff Williams, & Chadd Winston (dads); Julian James (cashier)

written & arranged by: Jeremy & Shalisa James

release date: 17 August 2018

My favorite bits:

the faux marimba backing track

all the suggestive produce 🍆🥒🍌🍈🍾

the exaggerated descending filter sweep

♫ "He'll even purchase my [Tam]pax" ♫ Now that's a solid dude.

everyone spitting bars during the breakdown

the cashier's expression when Kellie drags the cucumber down his face

ascending harmonized riffing!

incorporating the shopping carts into the third dance break 🛒

the subtle counterpoint line in the final chorus

Trivia:

○ This video was filmed after hours at an actual store — Town Square Market Groceries in St. Cloud, FL.

○ It's the third in a series of 4Eva29 co-productions from PattyCake and Entertainment Central, the company owned by Shalisa and Jeremy that supplies live entertainment throughout the Orlando area and across the country.

○ This song was also mentioned in their "News Flashback!" mockumentary.

○ Several of the dads have ties to the PattyCake guys.

Michael played Gaston in "Beauty and the Bieber", and has continued in that role for the Villains Lair series. He was also the Tin Man in "Will.of.Oz", and the leading man in "La La Land".

David was a courtier in "Michaeleficent", one of the directors in "La La Land", and an animator in "Disney Showman".

John played Thor in "Avengers: Thunder". (He is also, of course, married to Labri.)

Jeff replaced Rene as bass in Toxic Audio / Vox Audio, who Layne had done some audio engineering for, both live and in the studio.

Chadd was part of the theme park community, particularly in the City Sounds cast at Universal Studios both with Eli in Japan, and with Geoff, Earl, and Jeremy in Orlando. More recently, he has done some camera work with VoicePlay.

○ Julian is the final member of the James family to appear in a video produced by PattyCake. His younger brother was Prince Phillip in "Michaeleficent", his dad played Tony Stark in "Avengers: Thunder", and his big sister played a young version of Michelle in the 4Eva29 "News Flashback!" mockumentary.

○ The ladies' choreography was created by Lindsey Galvin Todd, who is yet another "Beetlejuice Revue" alumna, having played cheerleaders Hip and Hop for a couple years. She has also danced and choreographed for several Disney live shows.

○ Kellie and the group's official account both posted behind the scenes videos of filming the dance sequences.

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[popmusicu]

Daisy Jones and The Six: how the 70s pop music influenced the tv show

Released on March 3rd, it became very popular because of the cast, the fashion, the fact it’s based in a book, and mostly the music. The story is set in the late 60s, and almost the complete decade of the 70s. It follows a band that started out playing rock and then rose to fame when a pop singer was included.

The group is all played by actors that prepared for their roles with vocal coaches and a lot of rehearsals. They became a band themselves. In the book, written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, there is a “song book” at the end, with the lyrics of most of the music mentioned previously. In the TV show, real songwriters wrote 24 original songs that were streamed along the ten episodes.

They released an actual album called ‘Aurora’, 11 songs and 45 minutes long (very 70s, when there weren’t records longer than that). It’s very pleasing for me to hear the voices of co-stars Sam Claflin, who plays Billy Dunne, and Riley Keough, who plays Daisy Jones (and is the granddaughter of rock and roll star Elvis in real life), complementing each other. They blend really well, and the job the rest of the band do with the instruments is great too.

There is a character named Simone Jackson, who is Daisy Jones’ best friend and also a singer. She doesn’t do rock but disco music. A genre that started getting attention in the late 60s and became very popular in the 70s. The show focuses on Simone’s story during episode 7, titled “She’s Gone”, where she’s seen as a disco pioneer in the New York underground scene.

The episode titles are all songs from that decade:

Track 1: Come and Get It (Badfinger - 1969)

Track 2: I’ll Take You There (The Staple Singers - 1972)

Track 3: Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Elton John - 1975)

Track 4: I Saw The Light (Todd Rundgren - 1972)

Track 5: Fire (Ohio Players - 1975)

Track 6: Whatever Gets You Thru The Might (John Lennon - 1974)

Track 7: She’s Gone (Daryl Hall and John Oates - 1973)

Track 8: Looks Like We Made It (Barry Manilow - 1976)

Track 9: Feels Like The First Time (Foreigner - 1977)

Track 10: Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide (David Bowie - 1972)

This fictional band was inspired by a 70s real band: Fleetwood Mac. It is not a biography though. The author of the book the series is based on, was inspired by the 1997 concert ‘The Dance’. The whole band was reunited. The concert was full of tension, especially between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, who were in a relationship during the 70s and seemed to have reconnected in the time of that performance. Seeing their relationship, she decided to write the characters of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne.

In March, Lindsey Buckingham posted a clip on TikTok of the 1997 performance of ‘Silver Springs’ from ‘The Dance’ concert with the caption “I heard we’re talking about that '97 'Silver Springs’ again”. Riley Keough replied: “Yes we are”.

In episode 8 during a live performance of 'The River’, Daisy angrily sings at Billy, who continues to play guitar while staring back at her. This is a direct homage to Fleetwood Mac’s performance. Also, some songs sample Fleetwood Mac.

The show’s main title theme song, it’s 'Dancing Barefoot’

 by Patti Smith, a famous 70s singer. Along the series they play songs from artists like: The Byrds, Carole King, Billy Preston, Lou Reed, Aerosmith, The Beach Boys, Barry Manilow, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Rolling Stones, and many others. The whole list can be found online or you’d just have to watch the show!

Catalina Vargas

[tiredeldritchhorror]

OK SO I JUST READ THE THING ABOUT RYAN AND GAVIN DREAMING AND GAV BEING IN A COMA AND NOW IM CRYING THANKS, seriously though you're stuff is really cool and I love you!

Hey hey hey!!!Have a long ass post

Gavin’s coma was caused by a car accident. He was relatively fine though concussed and fell into a coma when he passed out on the way to the hospital.

When he woke up to an empty space and only his patient gown on, he felt alone. So he thought of something more comfortable to wear, and so it was. He learned that he could create anything, objects, land, plants, and animals. No people though. He didn’t want to think about the people that probably have moved on, or maybe not, time was impossible to tell. ———————————————————

Ryan has always been able to cross into dreams. He found it illogical and tried to test it and failed on all accounts, though he did know he had a range where he had to be within 10 miles of the dreamer. He accepted that he could never be rid of it, so he stopped sleeping. Everyone should have the right to privacy and going into dreams was an invasion that he was uncomfortable with.

He got a job at a place where he was allowed to come in at anytime, which was great as he could take naps during the day and avoid getting stuck in someones dream. One day he was so exhausted he passed out close to 5 and thus was caught in a dream. This dream was different though. Other dreams are fuzzy and hard to remember or describe, however, this one was vivid at the start, he felt awake as he looked around.

He wandered into Gavin’s dream. He walked around and found the patient, and he was breath-taking. Ryan had never seen someone so beautiful, or a creeper. Thats when he realized why the world looked slightly familiar, and realized; fucking minecraft. Gavin seemed to notice his presence after the creeper he was tending to started to blink as a warning.

———————————————————

His sleep cycle was normal finally, well as normal as his forced insomnia allowed him. He still took naps and went to bed, and every time he would somehow end up in Gavin’s dream. Gavin’s world was amazing, they were detailed and filled with creatures. He met Gavin’s cats Smee and Columbo a few times. They were wary of every creature but they were tolerate of Ryan and they loved Gavin to death.

He never asked why Gavin was always dreaming and only thought about how beautiful this man was, sometimes he would just look at Gavin and smile, and Gavin smiled back with his beautiful green eyes and adorable long scarf.

Then Gavin asked the date and when Ryan answered Gavin seem so shocked and started tearing up. Why would he cry? Why would he ask for the date? Did Gavin ever wake from his dreams? Why didnt Ryan notice? He never heard Gavin talk about family or friends just his cats and what they could do or be in this world.

Gavin told him then and there after he asked. It was so easy and he never cared to ask, he was a terrible friend. Gavin talked about his crash and how he didnt know if his family or friends were still waiting for him or if they moved on, he assumed his family kept him alive out of fading hope that their son would wake up miraculously. He talked about his friends, his second father figure Geoff, his mother figure Jack. His boi Michael and Michael’s fiancée (or maybe wife now) Lindsey, His godsister Meg and how amazing she was, and of course his best friend Dan whom he did little slow motion videos with.

When Ryan woke up that time he struggled to find the Gavin, as he gave no indication to which hospital was at or the last names of his friends. So he started searching. He started his unhealthy habit of not sleeping to try and find them, find Gavin. When he passed out he tried to pry info from Gavin, who became distant every time his long winded descriptions of his friends ended.

And then he found him, Geoff Ramsey.

———————————————————

It was hard to find him, and even harder to convince a total stranger to met with him. When he started talking about Gavin though Geoff looked so tired and so sad. Its been almost a year since the accident and Geoff was losing hope rapidly, as was Gavin’s family. Ryan tried his best to ask about the hospital and the room number but it felt wrong to ask a grieving man to talk about his possibly dying son.

So he started asking around, he met Gavin’s friends but he tried to keep his distance. He wanted to meet them properly when Gavin woke up. He never told Gavin what he’s been doing.

Then Gavin started fading. At first it was not noticeable, he tried to grab Ryans hand and he phased through it. He freaked out when Gavin was almost translucent. What was happening, he had to look faster, he had to find Gavin.

Then Geoff asked Ryan if he wanted to go see Gavin off. His family was taking him off life support. Ryan freaked out but accepted, and when he saw Gavin in that hospital bed looking so frail and small and sad rather than his usual bubbly and flushed face he wanted to cry. His family was due to come tomorrow and do it, but non family (including Dan and Meg) wasn’t allowed.

That night Ryan tried to sleep and see Gavin and tell him but he couldnt seem to do it. He needed to save him. The next day came and Ryan was running out of ideas, he tried to go the hospital but they wouldnt let him in, saying that Gavin’s family asked for no non family member visitors. So Ryan did what he had to, he took some sleeping pills and prayed that the effects would take soon.

When he finally dozed off all he thought about was Gavin and how this man had changed his life and they never really met outside the dreams.

He hoped he wasnt too late.

———————————————————

The world was empty. No buildings, no wandering creepers. No Smee or Columbi to greet him cooly. All Ryan saw was Gavin sitting on the white floor, transparent that he was just a mirage.

Gavin gave a teary eyed smile to Ryan and shrugged, saying that he was preparing for this since he came here.

Ryan tried to talk but Gavin asked him to sit down for a bit, and he could do nothing to listen.

He leaned on Ryan’s shoulder after seated and started laughing. Or sobbing, Ryan couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he might be too late. So he started talking about what he was doing the last few months.

Telling Gavin that he’d met everyone, how Meg and Dan were suspicious because they knew Gavin so well and they never heard of him. How Geoff and Jack had welcomed him and even started calling him a Gent. How he’d met Michael and his fiancée, they were waiting for Gavin to wake up before they did it as Michael would have no one else as his best man. He’d even visited him at the hospital, and how he cried when Geoff told him that Gav was being taken off life support.

As Ryan finished he turned to Gavin and tried to wipe the tears streaming down the others face. He was crying as well as he said that he loved Gavin, and that he has been the reason Ryan grew to love his gift. He begged Gavin to wake up, and Gavin cried more, and told Ryan that he felt himself being pulled, that he Loved Ryan too.

Then Ryan woke up.

———————————————————

Ryan cried as he sat up from his bed, he sobbed openly and felt his heart begin to break when he heard buzzing, it was Geoff. How could he handle the news that he lost Gavin twice? He had to, because Gavin’s friends and family somehow became his as well. So he accepted and raised the phone to his ear.

‘He woke up’

End (i might make an epilogue if yall want)

[kjclfaller]

heard laura stahl and khoi dao are dating that's so *clenches fist*

[samwisethewitch]

Cults? In my life? It’s more likely than you think.

In my last post, I talked about how the Law of Attraction and Christian prosperity gospel both use the same thought control techniques as cults. I’ve received several public and private replies to that post: some expressing contempt for “sheeple” who can be lead astray by cults, and others who say my post made them scared that they might be part of a cult without knowing it.

I want to address both of those types of replies in this post. I want to talk about what a cult really looks like, and how you can know if you’re dealing with one.

If you type the word “cult” into Google Images, it will bring up lots of photos of people with long hair, wearing all white, with their hands raised in an expression of ecstasy.

Most modern cults do not look anything like this.

Modern cultists look a lot like everyone else. One of the primary goals of most cults is recruitment, and it’s hard to get people to join your cause if they think you and your group are all Kool-Aid-drinking weirdos. The cults that last are the ones that manage to convince people that they’re just like everyone else — a little weird maybe, but certainly not dangerous.

In the book The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple, author Jeff Guinn says, “In years to come, Jim Jones would frequently be compared to murderous demagogues such as Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson. These comparisons completely misinterpret, and historically misrepresent, the initial appeal of Jim Jones to members of Peoples Temple. Jones attracted followers by appealing to their better instincts.”

You might not know Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple by name, but you’ve probably heard their story. They’re the Kool-Aid drinkers I mentioned earlier. Jones and over 900 of his followers, including children, committed mass suicide by drinking Flavor Aid mixed with cyanide.

In a way, the cartoonish image of cults in popular media has helped real-life cults to stay under the radar and slip through people’s defenses.

In her book Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control, Luna Lindsey says: “These groups use a legion of persuasive techniques in unison, techniques that strip away the personality to build up a new group pseudopersonality. New members know very little about the group’s purpose, and most expectations remain unrevealed. People become deeply involved, sacrificing vast amounts of time and money, and investing emotionally, spiritually, psychologically, and socially.”

Let’s address some more common myths about cults:

Myth #1: All cults are Satanic or occult in nature. This mostly comes from conservative Christians, who may believe that all non-Christian religions are inherently cultish in nature and are in league with the Devil. This is not the case — most non-Christians don’t even believe in the Devil, much less want to sign away their souls to him. Many cults use Christian theology to recruit members, and some of these groups (Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.) have become popular enough to be recognized as legitimate religions. Most cults have nothing to do with magic or the occult.

Myth #2: All cults are religious. This is also false. While some cults do use religion to recruit members or push an agenda, many cults have no religious or spiritual element. Political cults are those founded around a specific political ideology. Author and cult researcher Janja Lalich is a former member of an American political cult founded on the principles of Marxism. There are also “cults of personality” built around political figures and celebrities, such as Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao, and Donald Trump. In these cases, the cult is built around hero worship of the leader — it doesn’t really matter what the leader believes or does.

Myth #3: All cults are small fringe groups. Cults can be any size. Some cults have only a handful of members — it’s even possible for parents to use thought control techniques on their children, essentially creating a cult that consists of a single family.  There are some cults that have millions of members (see previous note about Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses).

Myth #4: All cults live on isolated compounds away from mainstream society. While it is true that all cults isolate their members from the outside world, very few modern cults use physical isolation. Many cults employ social isolation, which makes members feel separate from mainstream society. Some cults do this by encouraging their followers to be “In the world but not of the world,” or encouraging them to keep themselves “pure.”

Myth #5: Only stupid, gullible, and/or mentally ill people join cults. Actually, according to Luna Lindsey, the average cult member is of above-average intelligence. As cult expert Steven Hassan points out, “Cults intentionally recruit ‘valuable’ people—they go after those who are intelligent, caring, and motivated. Most cults do not want to be burdened by unintelligent people with serious emotional or physical problems.” The idea that only stupid or gullible people fall for thought control is very dangerous, because it reinforces the idea that “it could never happen to me.” This actually prevents intelligent people from thinking critically about the information they’re consuming and the groups they’re associating with, which makes them easier targets for cult recruitment.

So, now that we have a better idea of what a cult actually looks like, how do you know if you or someone you know is in one?

A good rule of thumb is to compare the group’s actions and teachings to Steven Hassan’s BITE Model. Steven Hassan is an expert on cult psychology, and most cult researchers stand by this model. From Hassan’s website, freedomofmind.com: “Based on research and theory by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, Edgar Schein, Louis Jolyon West, and others who studied brainwashing in Maoist China as well as cognitive dissonance theory by Leon Festinger, Steven Hassan developed the BITE Model to describe the specific methods that cults use to recruit and maintain control over people. ‘BITE’ stands for Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control.”

Behavior Control may include…

Telling you how to behave, and enforcing behavior with rewards and punishments. (Rewards may be nonphysical concepts like “salvation” or “enlightenment,” or social rewards like group acceptance or an elevated status within the group. Punishments may also be nonphysical, like “damnation,” or may be social punishments like judgement from peers or removal from the group.)

Dictating where and with whom you live. (This includes pressure to move closer to other group members, even if you will be living separately.)

Controlling or restricting your sexuality. (Includes enforcing chastity or abstinence and/or coercion into non-consensual sex acts.)

Controlling your clothing or hairstyle. (Even if no one explicitly tells you, you may feel subtle pressure to look like the rest of the group.)

Restricting leisure time and activities. (This includes both demanding participation in frequent group activities and telling you how you should spend your free time.)

Requiring you to seek permission for major decisions. (Again, even if you don’t “need” permission, you may feel pressure to make decisions that will be accepted by the group.)

And more.

Information Control may include…

Withholding or distorting information. (This may manifest as levels of initiation, with only the “inner circle” or upper initiates being taught certain information.)

Forbidding members from speaking with ex-members or other critics.

Discouraging members from trusting any source of information that isn’t approved by the group’s leadership.

Forbidding members from sharing certain details of the group’s beliefs or practice with outsiders.

Using propaganda. (This includes “feel good” media that exists only to enforce the group’s message.)

Using information gained in confession or private conversation against you.

Gaslighting to make members doubt their own memory. (“I never said that,” “You’re remembering that wrong,” “You’re confused,” etc.)

Requiring you to report your thoughts, feelings, and activities to group leaders or superiors.

Encouraging you to spy on other group members and report their “misconduct.”

And more.

Thought Control may include…

Black and White, Us vs. Them, or Good vs. Evil thinking.

Requiring you to change part of your identity or take on a new name. (This includes only using last names, as well as titles like “Brother,” “Sister,” and “Elder.”)

Using loaded languages and cliches to stop complex thought. (This is the difference between calling someone a “former member” and calling the same person an “apostate” or “covenant breaker.”)

Inducing hypnotic or trance states including prayer, meditation, singing hymns, etc.

Using thought-stopping techniques to prevent critical thinking. (“If you ever find yourself doubting, say a prayer to distract yourself!”)

Allowing only positive thoughts or speech.

Rejecting rational analysis and criticism both from members and from those outside the group.

And more.

Emotional Control may include…

Inducing irrational fears and phobias, especially in connection with leaving the group. (This includes fear of damnation, fear of losing personal value, fear of persecution, etc.)

Labeling some emotions as evil, worldly, sinful, low-vibrational, or wrong.

Teaching techniques to keep yourself from feeling certain emotions like anger or sadness.

Promoting feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness. (This is often done by holding group members to impossible standards, such as being spiritually “pure” or being 100% happy all the time.)

Showering members and new recruits with positive attention — this is called “love bombing.” (This can be anything from expensive gifts to sexual favors to simply being really nice to newcomers.)

Shunning members who disobey orders or disbelieve the group’s teachings.

Teaching members that there is no happiness, peace, comfort, etc. outside of the group.

And more.

If a group ticks most or all of the boxes in any one of these categories, you need to do some serious thinking about whether or not that group is good for your mental health. If a group is doing all four of these, you’re definitely dealing with a cult and need to get out as soon as possible.

These techniques can also be used by individual people in one-on-one relationships. A relationship or friendship where someone tries to control your behavior, thoughts, or emotions is not healthy and, again, you need to get out as soon as possible.

Obviously, not all of these things are inherently bad. Meditation and prayer can be helpful on their own, and being nice to new people is common courtesy. The problem is when these acts become part of a bigger pattern, which enforces someone else’s control over your life.

A group that tries to tell you how to think or who to be is bad for your mental health, your personal relationships, and your sense of self. When in doubt, do what you think is best for you — and always be suspicious of people or groups who refuse to be criticized.

[dragynkeep]

Hold up, Lindesy was on the 100? Never knew. Glad I avoided it.

no no, there's two lindsey's wheeze. lindsey jones is who plays ruby but lindsey morgan, who was mentioned in the ask, is a completely different actress who plays raven on the 100.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hi squiggles! I just had a one on one video chat with Lindsay Jones! I wanted to do the one with her and Aaron but as I have social anxiety with video chats and such I thought one person to chat with would be better, although I didn’t have a actual moving video of her while chatting, it was a still image. That helped I suppose though I’m not sure if it was like that for everyone who chatted one on one or if my phone was being wonky again with video chatting. But anyway, I asked her about Rosegarden and she said she sees them like she saw Aang and Katara from ATLA, brother and sister and she was surprised when they ended up together (Aang and Katara that is). She mentioned she tends to be bias with shipping. She says she feels like Oscar and Ruby were thrust into their roles and they have a host of emotional stuff they’re going through with that but they can relate to each other that way! It was a fast chat but I enjoyed it greatly! Oh she also mentioned she likes Nuts and Dolts and we gushed over the pairing together. The words came naturally which isn’t easy with me at times but she’s very friendly and easy to talk to ^^.

Hey Sweet. As I told you in DM, thank you for sharing your experience with the Galaxy Con one on one chat with Lindsey. In regards to Lindsey’s opinion on Rosegarden, I find it interesting that she placed them in the realm of mirroring Katara and Aang (like most Rosegardeners have in the past) yet she refers to the Kataang relationship as brother and sister?

I’m actually surprised by that impression since as a former Avatar fan and Kataang shipper, it was very apparent (at least to me) from the first time they met that Aang had feelings for Katara; not to mention the moments in the narrative that highlighted that Katara shared Aang’s feelings too so…hearing someone say they saw them like siblings is odd to me. Not trying to knock Lindsey’s opinions. This is just my first time hearing someone refer to Kataang as a brother and sister type of bond. But to each their own.

I’ve actually known that Lindsey favours Nuts and Dolts since she mentioned it in a past panel so it’s cool. I like Nuts and Dolts too but more as a friendship. I feel like Penny is like another best friend to Ruby, next to Weiss.

That being said and don’t take this the wrong way fam but…I hope you didn’t ask Lindsey for her opinion on Rosegarden hoping for some kind of validation that the ship is going to be confirmed or anything like that. My reason for saying this is that I’ve noticed that some RWBY fans like to treat the word of the voice actors as gospel---like if a VA says something about a particular subject (like a favoured ship and possibility of it being endgame in the show) then said fans will take this news and run with it like it’s the truth.

Given how much I’ve been hearing Rosegarden involved in discourse lately since V7, I just hope the one on ones don’t spark anything further since to be honest with you, I’ve grown really tired of the shipping discourse. I really love Rosegarden but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t becoming more and more difficult for me to just enjoy loving my favourite ship in the RWBY community when there are people who just won’t let us Rosegardeners have fun, y’know what I’m saying?

That being said, I’m glad to hear that you had fun chatting with Lindsey. Lindsey always struck me as a humble cool person and it’s cute that you two got to gush over your favourite ships. Hopefully more folks will share their experiences with the one on one chats. I’d like to hear from anyone who chatted with Aaron or Lindsey and Aaron together.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[tayley]

I know this is random but do you know if Hayley, warren fu, or Lindsey ever mention the inspo for the mask from simmer mv(the one with the hair through the eyeholes)? Cause a mask/hat with a VERY similar concept popped up on my Pinterest. Stephen Jones’ fez mask (a very famous hat designer). Idk if anyone has brought this up before. It sucks if they gave no credit considering that there are already claims that those mvs were plagiarized. I doubt this was Hayley’s doing tho since this has never been a problem with paramore because if they do take something they will make it very clear where the inspiration came from. It seems like the blame falls on either Warren or Lindsey if they really did steal ideas.

oh wow that is fairly similar. i’m not sure about credits being given. the inspiration most definitely came from here though and like hayley said before, i’m sure she had zero idea.

[misscrawfords]

Hey hey! My apologies for not answering your delightful Agatha Christie comment on my blog awhile back -- I was out of town over the past couple days and it cut into my Tumblr time. Basically, I would love any and all recs! I have an extra fondness for characters getting stuck in eerie isolated locations (including but not always big old houses!) and, of course, compelling female characters in general. :)

It has been so long since you sent this but I have finally got round to thinking about my one true love, Agatha Christie, and put together a list of recommendations! I’ve picked out 10 you might enjoy, aiming for some that are maybe a bit less well known. Everyone knows And then there were none which is tbh the most well known “characters stuck in eerie isolated locations” novel. Similarly Death on the Nile, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express etc.

These are in no particular order.

1. They came to Baghdad

A surprise first choice but this is one of my favourites and one I re-read quite frequently. It’s a thriller with a plucky young woman as its heroine. Victoria Jones is determined to travel and follows a handsome man to Baghdad where she gets caught up in international espionage. Exotic locations! Fun heroine! Ludicrous spy plot! Unnecessary inclusion of archaeology because this is Christie! I love it and I think it would make a terrific film.

2. The Hollow

Personally, this is Christie’s darkest and most psychologically compelling novel, though I know others will disagree. It features Hercule Poirot who arrives at a country house to find a man shot dead in the swimming pool, his wife standing over him holding a gun. Seems simple, but obviously it isn’t. This is very much a country house mystery but the motivations of the suspects, including some very well drawn women, are dark and complex.

3. The Seven Dials Mystery

A bunch of young people play a trick on their friend Gerry with tragic consequences and get caught up in, you’ve guessed it, international espionage. The plucky heroine, “Bundle”, is great fun and the mystery pulls you forward between country houses and creepy locations in Soho, London. Not deep but definitely fun.

4. N or M?

I can’t create this list without at least one Tommy & Tuppence mystery and this one is my favourite, set when they’re married and during WW2. The setting makes this for me, in a distinctly creepy seaside boarding house, making something very mundane seem full of peril. Tuppence definitely has the run of the investigation here too and she’s a great sleuth. If you want to read them in order, start with The Secret Adversary which is also fun but quite similar to other books on this list.

5. Cat Among the Pigeons

Not a country house here, but a girls’ boarding school! In many ways just as confining and isolating. This is a Hercule Poirot mystery but most of the cast are women from school girls to teachers with a past. I remember the solution to the mystery being unexpectedly touching and this is definitely a story dominated by women with compelling back-stories.

6. Body in the Library

I couldn’t not include Miss Marple here because you don’t get more of a compelling female character than her - she is my contented spinster role model and I’m not even slightly joking here - and this is arguably one of the best. As for plot, couple find an unknown body in their library and call Miss Marple in to help. I mean, it pretty much does what it says on the tin.

7. The Big Four

A bit like The Came to Baghdad I feel like this is one I love and nobody else does, so I have to recommend it even though it doesn’t really fit either of your criteria. Poirot and Hastings chase all over Europe to increasingly implausible places to bring down a global conspiracy. I mean, there is a very clever female character in it, but mainly I just think this is really cool and I love thrillers.

8. Appointment with Death

Do the cliffs of Petra count as an eerie, isolated place? Because a vile matriarch is murdered there and I keep coming back to this one when thinking about cool and creepy settings and compelling female characters. The murder victim and her influence definitely counts but her relatives are also pretty messed up and interesting. This is a Poirot mystery.

9. Dead Man’s Folly

Another country house murder, this time involving everyone’s favourite apple eating authorial avatar, Ariadne Oliver. She’s invited to stage a fictional murder hunt for friends at their country house, but gets a bad feeling about it so invites Poirot along. Guess what? There’s a real murder! Plenty of twists and turns and some interesting women along the way.

10. Peril at End House

Poirot steps in to protect an extremely... accident prone... young woman. Nick Buckley is a rather darker version of characters like Bundle and Victoria mentioned above which makes this quite a compelling story.

There are, of course, lots more I love, and now I really want to go away and read Christie for the rest of the weekend!

If you want other detective fiction recommendations, can I suggest Lindsey Davis who has written the Marcus Didius Falco series set in Ancient Rome. Her style is fabulous and witty and she’s very historically accurate. Alongside Falco is also the wonderful senator’s daughter, Helena Justina. And she has recently been writing a spin-off series starring Falco and Helena’s daughter, Flavia Alba, whcih are also great. They do need to be read in order though, so start with The Silver Pigs (not the best one tbh but sets the scene).

I’d also recommend Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series, starring a forceful Victorian lady and her irascible archaeologist husband, Emerson, who solve mysteries in Victorian Egypt. Start with Crocodile on the Sandbank. 

And it goes without saying, but if you haven’t read Dorothy Sayers, especially the Harriet Vane books, you need to do that right now. Start with Strong Poison.

Happy reading!

[romancereadingdiva]

Top Reads of 2020!

Here are my top reads of 2020! These are the 5 👑 books that I read this year and would want with me if I somehow ended up on a deserted island! This year I wanted to keep my top reads to only one book per author unless it was a series, so I decided to have honorable mentions if an author wrote more than one book this year and I loved them all. 

In no particular order my top reads are the following:

👑 The Brayshaw series by Meagan Brandy. This series has strong heroines, alpha heroes and twisty storylines that had me riveted to the pages!

Start with book 1, Boys of Brayshaw High: https://www.meaganbrandy.com/bobh

👑 The Brilliance Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones. I just love Lisa Renee Jones books! She knows how to write romantic suspense that keeps me engaged, and this one had music which made it perfect. 

Start with book 1, A Reckless Note: https://www.lisareneejones.com/brilliance-trilogy.html

👑 The next books in The Devils’s Due series by Eva Charles. I read the first 2 books in the series, Depraved and Delivered, last year, and they were on Top reads of 2019 list. I continued to love this series this year with Bound and Decadent about 2 different couples in The Devil’s Due universe. 

Info on The Devil’s Due books: https://evacharles.com/devils-due

👑 The Redemption by Nikki Sloane. This is Macalister’s story from the Filthy Rich Americans trilogy that was on my Top Reads of 2019. His redemption was incredible, and I loved his heroine. 

Filthy Rich Americans info: https://www.nikkisloane.com/filthy-rich-americans

▪️Honorable Mention: The Pool Boy. I loved and enjoyed this younger man/older woman romance so much!

Info on The Pool Boy, part of The Nashville Neighborhood series: https://www.nikkisloane.com/the-nashville-neighborhood

👑 In Fury Lies Mischief by Amo Jones. I am in love with this Midnight Mayhem series, and if I could live in this world then I would! The first book, In Peace Lies Havoc, was on my Top Reads of 2019 list. It continued with In Fury Lies Mischief, because Fury + Mischief = Magic! 

Info on the Midnight Mayhem series: https://www.amojonesbooks.com/midnight-mayhem

▪️Honorable mentions: all the other Amo Jones books I read this year which are: The Elite Kings Club series, Crowned Duology and Sicko. Her writing is just brilliant, & I highly recommend her.

Info on The Elite Kings Club series: https://www.amojonesbooks.com/the-elite-king-s-club

Info on the Crowned Duology: https://www.amojonesbooks.com/crowned-trilogy

Info on her standalone Sicko: https://www.amojonesbooks.com/flip-trick

👑 Lilac by BB Reid. This rock star reverse harem was all consuming. 

Info on Lilac: https://www.bbreid.com/lilac

▪️Honorable mention: the last book in her When Rivals Play series, The Prince and the Pawn. It was bittersweet because it ended, but it was a profoundly beautiful read. 

Info on The Prince and the Pawn: https://www.bbreid.com/the-prince-and-the-pawn

👑 Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills. Ava and Knox went through a lot in this book, especially Ava, and they have a piece a heart forever! 

Info on Dear Ava: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/books

▪️Honorable Mentions: I Promise You and The Renege Pact. I promise you will love I Promise You like I did if you read it! The Renege Pact was golden!

Info for I Promise You: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/books

Info for The Revenge Pact: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/

👑 Bury Me With Lies by SM Soto. This is the second part of the Twin Lies Duet; they first part, Kiss Me With Lies, was on my Top Reads of 2019 list. This conclusion was a beautifully written story of intense suspense and messy love that when combined took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that I remembered all year. 

Info on Bury Me With Lies: https://authorsmsoto.com/books/

▪️Honorable Mention: Chasing the Moon. This was a second chance romance of star crossed lovers that made me emotional throughout the story. 

Info on Chasing the Moon: https://authorsmsoto.com/

👑 Truly by Carmel Rhodes. Truly was truly remarkable and phenomenal! A new to me author this year, and I am so happy I found her! I

Info on Truly: https://carmelrhodes.com/

👑 Dark Legacy Complete Series by Tate James and Jaymin Eve. This was a twisty, suspense series with an intense romance between Riley (aka Butterfly) and Beck that I just loved. 

Info on the Dark Legacy Series: https://www.tatejamesauthor.com/dark-legacy

👑 Stroke of Midnight by K Webster. This was a filthy but delicious romance, and I can’t wait for book two which releases at the end of January!

Info on Stroke of Midnight: https://www.authorkwebster.com/product/stroke-of-midnight/

👑 Riot House by Callie Hart. A new to me author this year, and I am so happy I found her too! Bless Wren’s black heart, he had a plan for Elodie, but what happens when he falls for her? An amazing book is what happens, and the cover is stunning!

Info on Riot House: http://calliehart.com/index.php/book/riot-house/

👑 I Dare You by Lylah James. This is the second part of a duet; book one, Do You Dare?, was on my Top Reads of 2019 list. This book broke my heart and eventually put it back together, and I loved Maddox and Lila so much.

Info on I Dare You: https://authorlylahjames.com/truth-and-dare-duet/i-dare-you/

👑 The Reed Rivers Trilogy by Lauren Rowe: Bad Liar, Beautiful Liar and Beloved Liar. These books gave me life; I loved them so much! I had been waiting for Reed’s story, and it did not disappoint!

Info The Reed Rivers Trilogy: http://www.laurenrowebooks.com/reed-rivers-trilogy

▪️Honorable Mention: Smitten. I was smitten with this book from the first page to the last!

Info on Smitten: http://www.laurenrowebooks.com/smitten

👑 The Glass Heart Academy series by Lindsey Iler: Glass Heart Savage and Glass Heart Broken. This suspense/mystery mixed with an intense romance made for an unforgettable reading experience.

Info on The Glass Heart Savage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49268705-glass-heart-savage

👑 The Sainthood Trilogy by Siobhan Davis. This is another new to me author this year and I had been wanting to read her books. When the opportunity to read these as ARCs arrived, I took it! I am so ecstatic I did! A fierce heroine falling for four guys while trying to stop a bad guy was riveting to read. 

Info on The Sainthood Trilogy: http://siobhandavis.co.uk/the-sainthood-boys-of-lowell-high-series/the-sainthood-series-the-sainthood-boys-of-lowell-high-1-3/

👑 Not My Hero by Michelle Heard. This is not a hot and steamy romance; this is two broken souls finding each other, healing and slowly falling in love. It’s difficult to read because of the pain they each suffered, but it was beautiful and worth it. 

Info on Not My Hero: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48578538-not-my-hero

👑 Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer. My list would not be complete without Edward on it! I had a few issues with this book, but it did not overshadow how much my love grew for Edward while reading.

Info on Midnight Sun: https://stepheniemeyer.com/midnight-sun-2020/

👑 How the Hitman Stole Christmas by Sam Mariano. I love her unconventional love stories, and this one was no different! Jasper kidnaps Autumn after stopping to help her on the side of the road, because he wants to bring a girlfriend home for Christmas. Fun times and romance ensues!

Info on How the Hitman Stole Christmas: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55967138-how-the-hitman-stole-christmas

👑 A Guy Walk Into My Bar by Lauren Blakely. This author’s first M/M romance made me smile, laugh, swoon and touched my heart. 

Info on A Guy Walks Into My Bar: https://laurenblakely.com/aguywalksintomybar/

👑 The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancee by Annika Martin. I laughed out loud at this author’s rom-com about a fake relationship between a grumpy billionaire and his optimistic hairdresser that was steamy and swoony too! 

Info on The Billionaire’s Fake Fiancee: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55583284-the-billionaire-s-fake-fianc-e

👑 Crowne Point series books two, three and four by Mary Catherine Gebhard: Stolen Soulmate, Forbidden Fate, Destroyed Destiny. This author ripped out my heart, made me sob while holding on to the Kleenex box then eventually put my heart back in my chest. Story and Gray burrowed into my heart and will never leave.

Info on Crowne Point series: https://marygebhard.com/collections/crowne-point

👑 Royal Elite Series by Rina Kent. Elsa and Aiden (Deviant King, Steel Princess and Twisted Kingdom) captivated me from the beginning, and the couples which are friends or relatives of Elsa and Aiden that came after them did as well. I binged these books and love them with my whole heart. 

Info on Royal Elite Series: https://www.rinakent.com/royal-elite-series

▪️Honorable Mention: Royal Elite Epilogue. An epilogue for all the couples of the Royal Elite Series.

Info on Royal Elite Epilogue: https://www.rinakent.com/royal-elite-series

▪️Honorable Mention #2: Kingdom Duet. This Aiden’s father’s story. He was alpha, demanding, possessive, and I loved him. His heroine was sassy, strong and perfect for him. 

Info on the Kingdom Duet: https://www.rinakent.com/kingdom-duet

Thanks for sharing your time with me, and I hope you find and read amazing romance books from my Top Reads of 2020 list! 

[backgrounddisneycharacters]

13th April 2020

Jock Lindsey

Perhaps better known for flying Indiana Jones away from Rene Belloq and the Hovitos and for having a pet snake called Reggie, Jock Lindsey plays a bigger role in the storyline of Disney Springs.

Jock Lindsey, a freelance pilot, was frequently hired by the archaeologist and adventurer, Indiana Jones. Their first adventure together was to South America to search for an artefact. He later flew Jones and his boss Marcus Brody to Tibet in search of a missing archaeologist, who they found, and so Jock flew them to Shanghai. Later on, Jock would fly Jones to Peru, where he would fly Jones away from the Hovitos and have roughly thirty seconds of screen time and two lines, one of which mentions his pet snake, Reggie, but both of which are an important plot point building up Jones’ fear of snakes. Jock would fly Jones to look for the Fountain of Youth and while on this job, he stopped off at the small town of Disney Springs. Later in his life, he would become a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers and become the owner and proprietor of Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs, a watering hole for members of the S.E.A. before expanding to the public at large.

[newyorkprelawland-blog]

It’s Pride Month! A Brief History Of The Advancement And Setbacks Of LGBTQ Rights In The United States

By Jordan Wappler, Fordham University Class of 2022

June 18, 2020

A Supreme Court ruling this June barring workplace discrimination marked another milestone in the progress of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the United States. From Executive Orders to local ordinances, laws related to the legal protections and equitable treatment of LGBTQ Americans have seen many changes since the 1950s. Progress, although ultimately significant in many aspects, has been gradual and complicated, with both advances and reversals. With this month marking Pride Month, here is a look at the milestones in this movement.

1953- Executive Order 10450

On April 27, 1953 President Dwight Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450. This order prohibited homosexual people from working in the federal government or any private contractors of the federal government. The rationale behind this order was that homosexual people would be security risks (PBS). Homosexuality at the time was considered to be a sexual perversion, and therefore homosexuals were included as a “sexual perversion” mentioned in section 8aiii of the order.

1958- US Supreme Court Case SuOne, Inc. v. Olesen

January 13, 1958 was the first time the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexuals, protecting their First Amendment constitutional right (PBS). The Supreme Court reversed the lower court decision that the gay magazine One: The Homosexual Magazine by Mattachine Society was obscene (NY Times).

1961- First State Decriminalization of Homosexuality

On July 28 of 1961, Illinois became the first state to end its anti-sodomy law, essentially decriminalizing homosexuality.

1971 & 1972- Minnesota Supreme Court and US Supreme Court, Baker v. Nelson

Two men, Jack Baker and Michael McConnell, requested the United States Supreme Court pronounce that Minnesota’s failure to allow them to marry was a violation of the Constitution (NY Times). The court dismissed the appeal for “want of a substantial federal question” and no oral arguments were held (Constitutional Law Reporter). This was impactful because opponents of same-sex marriage used this ruling to support their future arguments.

1973- Kentucky Court of Appeals, Jones v. Hallahan

Marjorie Jones and Tracy Knight, both women, sued for a marriage license when they were denied by a county clerk. The court ruled against them, concluding that the term marriage was already defined as a union between a man and a woman, and therefore two women were not eligible to enter into a marriage (LexisNexis). 

1977- NY County Supreme Court, Richards v. US Tennis Association

A transgender woman,Renee Richards,was a tennis player who wanted to play in the United States Open but was denied entrance in 1976 based on her gender identity. She won an injunction under New York law and subsequently participated in the 1977 US Open (NY Times).

1982- First State to Outlaw Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation

In 1982, Wisconsin outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation.

1986- US Supreme Court, Bowers v. Hardwick

As the AIDS crisis surged, anti-gay rhetoric and hysteria grew. When a police officer exercising a warrant on an unrelated matter caught Michael Hardwick having sex with another man, he arrested him for not complying with the anti-sodomy statute at the time. On June 30, 1986, the United States Supreme Court ruled that Georgia State’s criminal sodomy law was constitutional (Encyclopedia Brittanica).

1993- “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

On December 21, 1993, the Department of Defense issued a directive that forbid the US Military from excluding applicants from service based on their sexual orientation (PBS). Although homosexual acts or declaration that one was homosexual were still forbidden, applicants were no longer required to reveal their sexuality.

1996- Defense of Marriage Act

September 21, 1996, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as a legal union only between a man and woman, and hence not requiring any state to recognize same-sex marriage from out of state (PBS).

1998- Executive Order 13087

President Clinton signed Executive Order 13087on May 28,1998, amending Executive Order 13087 to “provide for a uniform policy for the Federal Government to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation” (GovInfo).

2000- First State to Legalize Civil Unions/Registered Partnerships

On April 26, Vermont legalized civil unions and registered partnerships for same sex couples.

2004- First State to Legalize Gay Marriage

May 18, 2004, Massachusetts court found denying same-sex couples’ marriage to be unconstitutional.

2008- Proposition 8 in California

In November of 2008, California voters approved proposition 8, which made same-sex marriages in the state of California illegal (PBS).

2009- Matthew Shepard Act

On October 28, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard Act, which expanded 1969 US Federal Hate Crime Law to incorporatecrimes driven by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability (PBS).

2010- Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

On December 18, 2010, Clinton’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is repealed by the US Senate, meaning homosexuals can serve openly in the military.

2015- US Supreme Court, Obergefell v. Hodges

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage legal in all states.

2018- US Supreme Court, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

The Supreme Court ruled that “showing hostility to religious people in applying nondiscrimination laws violated the First Amendment’s free exercise clause” (NY Times). However, specifics and guidelines around if and when religious people can refuse service to same-sex couples was left ambiguous.

2019- US Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia Circuit, US Supreme Court, Doe v. Trump

In July of 2017, President Trump posted a Tweet proposing to ban transgender people from US military service (FreedomForAllAmericans). The military ban began officially on April 12, 2019 and court ligation against it continues.

2020- Elimination of nondiscrimination healthcare for LGBTQ people

On July 12, 2020 President Trump finalized his new rule that eradicates nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people’s healthcare and health insurance (NPR). This rule pertains to the nondiscrimination protections that were laid out in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, a federal law that made it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, nationality, sex, age or disability. Under Obama in 2016, “sex” included all gender identities (NPR). Lindsey Dawson, associate director of HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation explains that “under the new rule, a transgender person could, for example, be refused care for a checkup at a doctor’s office” (NPR, Lindsey Dawson).

2020- US Supreme Court, Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga. and Altitude Express Inc. v. Zarda

By a 6 to 3 vote, the court held that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects gay and transgender employees from workplace discrimination. The 1964 legislation’s “because of sex” clause was found to apply to LGBTQ workers, expanding the act’s impact to a new class of employee. The court ruling was prompted by two cases. One was brought by two gay men who were fired because of sexual orientation, the other by a transgender woman for embracing her gender identity at work. The ruling sided with plaintiff’s argument that the 1964 legislation, while not specifically mentioning LGBTQ people, afforded protections from termination of employment that were not based on job performance (NY Times).

In addition to the milestones noted above, laws related to the rights of LGBTQ people continue to be shaped at the local and state level. It is likely, in a divided political climate, that further progress and controversy will continue to be a legal focus with both advocates and opponents seeking further changes across a wide spectrum including family law, workplace discrimination and other key civil rights arenas.

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https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-milestones-american-gay-rights-movement/

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP87B01034R000100030071-4.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/us/legal-history-lgbtq-rights-timeline.html

https://constitutionallawreporter.com/2012/12/20/baker-v-nelson-the-often-forgotten-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-case/

https://www.lexisnexis.com/community/casebrief/p/casebrief-jones-v-hallahan#:~:text=Facts%3A,license%20to%20marry%20each%20other.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Bowers-v-Hardwick

https://www.freedomforallamericans.org/doe-v-trump/

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-06-02/pdf/98-14689.pdf

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/12/868073068/transgender-health-protections-reversed-by-trump-administration

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/gay-transgender-workers-supreme-court.html

Photo Credit: Ludovic Bertron