#my think piece otd

[weremerricat]

analysis on the last lottienat scene in ep 5 because i can’t stop thinking about it

i think its important to note how ever since nat has been at lottie’s compound she has consistently resisted lottie. even when she relented and attended lottie’s acolytes sessions she never directly approached her feelings or confined to anyone, which is what lottie wants. there’s a resistance to lottie’s offer of safe vulnerability because nat has a history of avoidance. she more or less refuses to acknowledge her pain or any vulnerable emotion, and chooses to bottle them up or forget about them with substance. i should also point out that since her attempt, she has been sober. i personally think this is an important factor in her able vulnerability with lottie, because her senses are clear and she’s conscious in her thoughts and memories.

this is one of the few to none instances where we see adult nat completely vulnerable. i feel like this is the first time where the wall that she has built all these years has finally broke and that dam has been released. there’s no usual hardness to her eyes. she’s allowing herself to be vulnerable with a woman she has harbored so much animosity for, yet she’s one of the only people in the world who could understand nat. in her revelation to lottie the words, this secret, she has kept buried has been spoken aloud. they are sober words, and speaking it aloud to another person has made it all so real. because the last time she spoke them aloud was with a cloudy substance tainted mind, but now it’s all clear. it’s a conscious revelation which makes it that much scarier for her.

lottie’s reaction to those words.

in nat’s admission, this has just confirmed lottie’s worst fear. the way her expression falls and tears silently fall in a pained expression lets you know the dread she felt at finally knowing what nat was right about. i think in her eyes you can tell she already knew what nat was going to say, but she didn’t want it to be true.

now this. god i love this so much because it’s so devastating. the way nat let’s herself be comforted. she’s letting the woman who has, not by purpose, caused her so much hurt and anger since the crash. it’s nat regressing back to her teenage self in this moment because that part of her, this desolate yet hardened girl, has never let herself be comforted. and deep down nat is still that teenage girl with so much trauma and ache on her heart. it’s so sad because you can see the visible relief on teen nat’s face. she’s relieved she doesn’t have to feel this burden of this darkness alone anymore. and lottie, poor lottie, is there to ground her. lottie reaching for teen nat’s hand and holding it. lottie in the midst of taking in nat’s heavy words is still offering what comfort she can to nat. because lottie has never once lied to nat when she told her she wants her safe. because she cares. lottie cares so much. and it’s such this mundane action but it speaks so loud especially between natalie and lottie given their history.

oh i love this shot so much. i think it’s captured so gorgeously. you have lottie. lottie who is holding nat in her moment of vulnerability. lottie who is processing the sober truth of nat’s confession. lottie who has been confirmed of her worst fear being reality. and it’s ominous and sinister. the hesitant look as she turns around to see her own shadow reflecting that of the darkness shrouding them. her shadow reflecting the silhouette of this estranged entity, and her expression is of pure terror and pain. i personally love the score in this scene. how the bgm is soft and then crescendos to this shrilling and haunting rendition of no return when lottie sees her own shadow. lottie’s expression here is so haunting and it genuinely gives me chills.

[opera-ghosts]

OTD in Music History: Composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky watches as his “1812 Overture” receives its world premiere at a historic “all-Tchaikovsky” concert held in 1882. Tchaikovsky hated the “1812 Overture.” He wrote it on commission for an Exhibition of Industry and the Arts that was slated to be held in Moscow, and, as he explained in a letter to his patron and close confidante Countess Nadezhda von Meck (1831 - 1894): "There is nothing less to my liking than composing for the sake of some festival. What, for instance, can you write on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition except banalities and generally noisy passages?” Tchaikovsky worked quickly, finishing the piece in just a few weeks, and he expressed his final judgment in a letter written to another friend shortly before the premiere: “I don't think my Overture has any serious merits, and I shouldn't be at all surprised and offended if you find that it is in a style unsuitable for symphony concerts." Whatever its “serious merits,” the “1812 Overture” has long been one of the most famous and widely-beloved pieces of music ever written – it remains a ubiquitous part of pop culture today, and it is arguably the single most famous work that Tchaikovsky ever composed (in a catalogue that is filled with some *very* stiff competition). PICTURED: A very rare original concert program that was handed out to audience members at yet another historic Tchaikovsky concert, held about a decade later – the very first memorial concert ever put on in his memory, in December 1893, just a few weeks after his sudden death. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844 - 1908) conducted Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony, "Francesa da Rimini," and "Marche Slav,” and historically important pianist Felix Blumenfeld (who studied with Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory) also performed a set of his solo piano works.

[tigermike]

*** Medal of Honor Monday! 🇺🇸🇺🇸 ***

During this week in 1944, American soldiers should have been at home celebrating Christmas and New Year’s. Instead, they were fighting off one last German push during the Battle of the Bulge.

One of these soldiers, Pfc. Melvin Biddle, was a normally soft-spoken man. He later even admitted to being scared during combat. “But I lost a lot of fear because I was out there and couldn’t let the troops down,” he told a journalist in 2008.

He needed that attitude on December 23, as he fought with the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment near Hotton, Belgium. Our soldiers were trying to rescue another company that had been surrounded by German forces.

Biddle was designated lead scout when two other men were injured. “I didn’t know I would be lead scout,” Biddle joked. Naturally, he went anyway.

Indeed, you’d never know that Biddle was soft-spoken—or scared—in the hours that followed. He “aggressively penetrated a densely wooded area,” according to his Medal citation. He advanced within yards of not just one, but at least five enemy positions. He threw hand grenades into machine gun nests, and he took out German snipers with “unerring marksmanship.”

Biddle described one of these encounters.

“There’s underbrush and cold, snowy,” Biddle said. “I came up—this small German outpost with the three guys. . . . I shot the first one and then the second one tried to shoot me and I had to shoot him. The third one ran from me and I shot him in the shoulder and he kept going. And I shot him again in the shoulder and he still kept going. And then all hell broke loose.”

Biddle wasn’t done yet. He scouted enemy positions—alone—for hours that night. He was freezing and his hands were so cold, he later said, “I wasn't sure I would be able to fire my rifle. I determined I was going to put a finger through and pull on the thing if I had to.”

Biddle’s efforts bore fruit. The young private returned with intelligence that allowed Americans to knock out two enemy tanks the next morning. That same day, Christmas Eve, he was dispatched as lead scout on another advance.

“I thought after all that the day before, they wouldn't put me out front again,” Biddle joked. “But they did. And he said you were so lucky yesterday, we're gonna use you again today.”

Biddle took out more of the enemy that day, but another notable incident occurred when he came upon a young German boy tied to a tree. The boy was in uniform, and it appeared that he’d been tied up so he wouldn’t retreat. “And everybody said shoot him, shoot him,” Biddle recounted. “And I says I don't think we need to. And we took him prisoner.”

Would you believe that Biddle was still uninjured after two days of fighting? He wasn’t hit until about a week later, when a piece of shrapnel hit his neck. He discovered that he’d been nominated for the Medal of Honor while he was recovering from that injury.

“I'm not a hero, not at all,” he said in 1999. “When the Army put me out front, they put the responsibility on me, and you think about that responsibility instead of the fear.”

His country begged to differ with him.

“We call them the Greatest Generation for a reason,” the Indiana Governor said when Biddle passed away in 2010, “and in Melvin Biddle we have just lost one of the greatest of the great. Every Hoosier is proud that our state produced such a man.”

---------------------------

If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. :)

Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2022 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the shar e feature instead of cutting/pasting.

#TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistory

[finngualart]

i was browsing my PS folder last night and found a whole bunch of Black Sails sketches/unfinished pieces, some of which i had completely forgotten about and some of which are (i think) quite hilarious. since OTD in 2014 the first episode aired, i felt it would be fitting to share them :)

MORE UNDER THE CUT (some are a bit spicy)

[usnatarchives]

From Pictorial Parade, online here.

HAMMERIN' HANK BREAKS RUTH'S RECORD #OTD 1974

By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

#OTD in 1974, Hank Aaron (who died in January 2021) hit his 715th home run, breaking Babe Ruth’s legendary record before a crowd of 53,775 people, the largest in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. This achievement was bittersweet; at each step of his historic rise, he faced systemic and extreme racism that included hate mail and death threats. He described the effects of this vitriol on his family and his heart:

“It really made me see for the first time a clear picture of what this country is about. My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats, and I had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. I had to duck. I had to go out the back door of the ball parks. I had to have a police escort with me all the time. I was getting threatening letters every single day. All of these things have put a bad taste in my mouth, and it won’t go away. They carved a piece of my heart away.”  NYT interview.

Aaron saved many of those letters and even the death threats.

“To remind myself that we are not that far removed from when I was chasing the record. If you think that, you are fooling yourself. A lot of things have happened in this country, but we have so far to go. There’s not a whole lot that has changed.” USA Today interview.

Such hatred didn’t stop him. Instead, Aaron seized the opportunity for greatness and advancement on the field and beyond (from here): :

“In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing.” - Hank Aaron

President Carter welcomes Hank Aaron to the White House, 8/15/1978, Carter Library, NARA IDs 180805 and 180806.

“A breaker of records and racial barriers, his remarkable legacy will continue to inspire countless athletes and admirers for generations to come.” –President Carter

President George W. Bush Presents Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hank Aaron, 7/9/2002, George W. Bush Library, NARA ID 6734115.

Related online resources:

Special Topics page: Baseball at the National Archives

eBook: Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives

Related Tumblr post: Letter from Jackie Robinson to Nixon Deputy Special Assistant Roland Elliott, 4/20/1972.

Teaching with Documents, Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate

Prologue Magazine story: Jim Crow, Meet Lieutenant Robinson

Pieces of History blog post: Jackie Robinson’s 100th

Teaching Activities on DocsTeach: Analyzing Jackie Robinson’s White House Letter, Analyzing a Photograph of Jackie Robinson, Analyzing a Letter from Jackie Robinson: “Fair Play and Justice”

Online Exhibit: Letter from Jackie Robinson to IKE about the Little Rock 9

President Jimmy Carter welcomes Hank Aaron to the White House, 8/15/1978, from the Carter Library, NARA ID 180801.

[lettersfromorion1959]

hello!

i’m a 20-year-old doctorate student looking to make some extra money to pay my bills without going into debt. i LOVE writing and i LOVE bringing fictional characters to life, so i’ve decided to try to start a little business that can bring those to life. on commission, i want to make one-shots and short fanfictions for you. i will also write letters to you from your favourite fictional character or celebrity. these can either be virtual pieces of writing or - for a slightly higher price - physical copies of letters. these are the prices i’m thinking for virtual pieces (physical copies will be dependent on shipping):

for a letter to you, from any character or celebrity: $8 for a normal letter, $10 for an NSFW letter

for a one-shot: $8 for fluff, angst, or any other non-sexual trope you want, $10 for smut

for a short fic (a few chapters): $15 for a non-sexual fic, $20 for one including smut

it’s important to note that i will not write sexual content about any celebrities or real people - that is reserved for fictional characters. if you’re interested, you can message me and i’ll send you a form to fill out with every detail i’ll need!

a little more about me:

i am (unfortunately) a US native. 20 years old, an aries sun/leo moon/gemini rising, a gryffindor, an ENFP, a type 8 enneagram. i love yellow. i have a rare disease (gastrointestinal and chronic). i’m starting an OTD program to earn my doctorate in occupational therapy, and i want to work specifically with victims of child abuse. cat person. hobbies include writing, hiking, copyediting, and netflix. i love harry potter, witchcraft (hellenistic neopagan here!), hockey, folk music, disability advocacy, and making new friends!

regardless of if you take me up on my offers to write for you or not, i hope you have a wonderful day/week/year.

[boymeetsweevil]

So i finished For science earlier today... and then just finished Off the deep end... without connecting that you wrote both these stories lol excuse my tired brain. But omg. Hi. Im lov. For science is just- i absolutely love each character so much and you brought so much life into them and ;_; it is a beautiful series. And then OTDE is so 🥺😭🥺😭 excuse me i was not expecting the tears. But i know they reunite i just know it. 😭😭 can u imagine yoongi and namjoon becoming bffs too tho omg 🥺💚

Omg no worries it’s funny that you read them both back to back. But thank you so much for the kind words. Both those pieces are really dear to my heart 😭it’s always so nice to know they made others have a good time. Wow tears I love tears. I like to think that they do reunite but god can u imagine the drama of explaining that one summer to joon lol. If they become bffs that must have been one wild ride

[egcdeath]

What kind of clothes do you like? Do you prefer comfort over fashion? Do you like following trends or seeing your own? What's something you're afraid to wear? What's a piece of clothing that is a staple in your otd?

the answer to like.. all of these questions are comfortable. i like my clothes to be very practical and like 99% of the time i don’t think about how fashionable or trendy is. something i’m afraid to wear? i wouldn’t say i’m afraid of wearing skirts, but i strongly dislike wearing them. a staple in my closet are my multitudes of sweatshirts. although i haven’t been wearing them lately because it’s been pretty hot where i live 😊

[allaroundmelbourne]

Reality TV audition will make you cry

Just a heads up, you might want to have some tissues handy before reading this article. A 21-year-old man with Down syndrome has become this years first viral sensation thanks to his stunning audition on a UK reality TV show. The video of Andrews appearance on BBC one show The Greatest Dancer has been viewed more than 22 million times on Facebook since last week. Heres how the show works according to its website: The audition takes place in a dance studio like no other dancers will perform in front of a mirror which has an audience on the other side, watching and voting if they like the performance or not. If 75 per cent of the audience vote to say they like what they see, the mirror will open and the dancer will go through to the next stages of the competition and be mentored by one of the Dance Captains (Cheryl, Matthew Morrison and Oti Mabuse). But fail to hit 75 per cent and theyll be dancing alone and not progress any further. Watch Andrews audition in full below, but grab some tissues first: The show is made by Simon Cowells company, Syco, and if theres one thing Cowell knows how to do, its make TV that tugs at the heart strings. And thats exactly what happened when Andrew was featured in the shows first episode last week. In a piece to camera before his audition, Andrews mum explained that his son discovered dancing by watching Strictly Come Dancing on TV 10 years ago. He used to re-enact all the dances in our living room, Donna said. It just made him feel joyful.

media_cameraAndrew has been dancing for 10 years. Andrew appeared nervous at first when he took to the stage to dance to Justin Timberlakes Cant Stop The Feeling, but it took just 35 seconds for 75 per cent of the audience to vote in his favour. As the mirror opened and Andrew saw the huge crowd cheering him on, he was visibly overwhelmed and stopped dancing momentarily before his mum encouraged him to keep going.

media_cameraThe mirror opened and Andrew saw the huge crowd cheering him on.

media_cameraAndrew's mum was overcome with emotion as she watched her sons audition. When his routine finished, Andrew received a standing ovation from the crowd and two of the judges were in tears. I just feel really moved by the whole thing, dance captain and former Girls Aloud member Cheryl commented. That was amazing and to watch you and see your excitement and see how much you thrive from an audience is such a special moment. You should be really proud of yourself. You clearly need to be doing this more because it does something for your soul.

media_cameraThe dance captains couldnt get enough of Andrew. Former Glee star Matthew Morrison agreed, saying, I think youre gonna inspire a lot people with that performance. If viewers werent in tears yet, producers then added another uppercut of emotion when they brought Andrews best mate, Tom, onto the stage to congratulate his friend. Andrew, you are a legend mate, thank you so much for that beautiful audition! Thats what dance is about and thank you for bringing your best mate Tom, might have to steal him as my best friend #GreatestDancer #TGD Jordan Banjo (@Jordan_Banjo) January 5, 2019 Doubt very much that Im the only beer drinking, football watching, thinks hes a bit of a macho lad, that almost cried watching Andrew dance. #TGD Micky Bird (@Mickybirdman) January 5, 2019 I really didnt expect to enjoy yet another reality talent show. But what I wasnt ready for was inspirational dancer Andrew who made us all cry and touched my heart. Absolutely beautiful moment #DownSyndrome #Downsyndrome #GreatestDancer #TGD Diary Of An OTD Girl (@DiaryOtdGirl) January 6, 2019 OMG i loved watching Andrew dance and seeing the happiness in his face when the mirror opened. This is why i love dance, it doesnt matter who you are, you can be who you want to be! Full blown tears of joy over here! #TGD Emma Howard (@elhoward9) January 6, 2019 If watching Andrew dance doesn't make you smile/feel good for just a minute then you have no heart... What an inspiration he and his mum are.#thegreatestdancer #TGD Darren (@DarrenMDewar) January 5, 2019 The Greatest Dancer is an eight-part series which airs in the UK on BBC One on Saturday nights. The winner of the show will walk away with $88,000 in prize money and get to perform on another reality show, Strictly Come Dancing. Get the jump on the celeb goss everyone will be talking about tomorrow. Sign up for our daily arvo entertainment newsletter here. Originally published as Reality TV audition will make you cry https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/television/the-greatest-dancer-man-with-down-syndrome-goes-viral-after-audition/news-story/58db542f4e401f5158fa6f6f57e6279d