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thegeminisage · 5 months

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oh boy it is MAJOR star trek update time. i've fallen behind (thanks, hades). tuesday we watched "tribunal" and "the jem'hadar," wednesday we watched "the search" part i, and last night we watched "the search" part ii and "house of quark." whew!

tribunal:

O'BRIEN DOES SUFFER MORE THAN JESUS. THE MEMES WERE RIGHT

them shooing him out of the door at the beginning was so cute. he is like a worried mother leaving the station alone. mister workaholic

TECHNICAL MANUALS ON VACATION. scotty would be proud

i love o'brien and keiko so much. i like that their marriage is imperfect but also they're still wildly in love even after being married for a few years and having a baby. i mean, they were literally just rando side-characters on tng and ds9 has elevated to a whole new level. like, o'brien saying multiple times he didn't want her there to see him the way he was, especially if there was gonna be an execution, and her like oh hell No, there are star trek ships that have had less compelling courtroom drama. THEY MADE COURTROOM DRAMA ACTUALLY INTERESTING. even the spirk courtroom drama was a little dry comparatively, all respect due ofc.

keiko was amazing in this. odo was like you are gonna show up and NOT give them the show they want and she was like oh absolutely and followed through. her and odo getting ready to raise hell together was not what i expected but i loved it

it's like such a nightmare scenario for her too. she's never sure when her husband is gonna get hurt when he's away and never sure when she's gonna get that bad news and she still just sticks it out. more on keiko in a few episodes but i love her

unexpected bonding between odo and o'brien!! i loved that tbh. odo is so harsh and suspicious sometimes it shocks me (i'm kind of used to thinking of him as just a little birthday boy), but i love that despite that o'brien's speech genuinely moved him, and he did everything he could to help

i really love when we get into o'brien's cardassian issues. firstly, having seen people he knew be taken and brought back all kinda fucked up, including picard, he must've known exactly what he was in for. he got off lightly compared to picard, but it was still really shocking and upsetting to see him stripped and "processed" also his poor molar. secondly, WHO can blame him for being racist after this...this episode was almost enough to make ME racist. like, the cardassian ideas of trials and justice are so horrific. he was so lucky to have people working on figuring his shit out for him, because that system is DESIGNED to make you give in to despair and become totally resigned, which he almost did do for a second there. that was SCARY.

also, i guessed the plot twist about the guy secretly being a cardassian before they revealed it, which made me feel like a smarty

the jem'hadar:

was prepared to hate this one because it was a "quark being annoying" episode and i am TRYINNGGGG so hard with quark but it's a struggle. i want to connect to him emotionally just a little bit like JUST a little bit. he really is so funny and entertaining sometimes, i'm ALMOST there, but it would be easier if they didn't make him annoying on purpose

that said, sisko episodes for MEEEEEE. we never get enough sisko content. him encouraging jake re: his science project and then also trying to BE A DAD TO NOG even though he didn't want nog along...mwah. and then he also got to have his own action hero moment!! AND he wouldn't that lady leave quark behind even though he didn't want quark there to begin with. HE'S SO GREAT my best friend sisko

i'd like to point out that jake's first request was NOT to visit the gamma quadrant but to pilot the shuttle, which he did eventually get to do lol and good for him

jake and nog were great in this. i really love watching their little shenanigans

plot twist about this lady being a spy was EXCELLENT, i never saw it coming. quark delivering the news (and picking the fake lock!) is an extra nice touch. i like quark better than i like dax, i think (i have yet to connect emotionally with either of them, but generally he's a more fun presence onscreen), and tbf the "are you racist against ferengis" thing was a pretty good running bit

the search part i:

okay, we had to watch this one without subs, so i probably missed a fair bit of it, but i did NOT care for this one as much

firstly, introduction of the defiant, which is definitely just the tng set with the lights turned off lol. come on, get your tng out of here!!

i did like the romulan being there. it really is the wild west out there on ds9 they can just talk to whoever

i loved the bit about jake and sisko finally unpacking 😭

unfortunately neither was not his best self in this episode, which is the main reason i didn't like it.

meanwhile, odo is being a dick to kira who is trying to comfort him and being a dick to ME by extension because i want to enjoy my odo/kira shared screentime, and then we play him needing to go into his bucket in front of quark for laughs when it was Such a big deal in the lwaxana episode, and finally he just KIDNAPS kira and takes instead of staying and fighting? i guess it's not like there was anything he could have done, but it still didn't feel great compounded with "oh i have compulsion to go to this nebula that i'm gonna yell at kira about" who yells!!! like it felt like he was putting the compulsion ahead of what he would normally do. and also, kira spent the entire episode trying to comfort him and he kept rejecting that comfort...come on dude are you crushing on her or not

also, sisko privately being like yeah i tried to keep odo from getting fired but they kinda had a point though...ouch. that's not My Sisko, Who Always Backs Up His People

drove me nuts because odo FINALLY FOUND HIS PEOPLE. i wanted to be excited but i was just tired of him being a dick to kira :(

that said. dax's hair looks MUCH better in the updo. still way too big. but much more bearable.

the search part ii:

luckily. LUCKILY. this episode blew my tits clean off

odo asking All His Questions and kira gently reminding him it's not a police interrogation and him NOT. being a dick to her.

goop hand sex??? did he fuck this shapeshifter lady right in front of kira's salad??? he makes hands to touch people with but also, to goop with.

hey, wtf was up with the implication that odo is SUPER old and possibly fucking immortal? like, they said he'd been gone a long time and they weren't expecting him for another 300 years...do you think he knows how old he is? i don't think he does. he doesn't even know his own birthday. he may not have known the average lifespan/rate of aging for his own species. and now he's getting told he's got at least 300 years left. jesus christ

when dax and obrien showed up i was like no way are they on the fucking holodeck or something that was WAY too easy and then i kept getting convinced it was real but something else would happen and i'd go back to being paranoid AND I WAS RIGHT!!!!! god i love correctly predicting plot twist. i also love being surprised by them so you can never go wrong with a good plot twist for me

"solids" and "monoforms" is really good shapeshifter lingo. i love that. also "changeling" being a reclaimed slur is SO funny

admiral whoever the fuck from tng showing up to be like yeah we are doing another treaty the romulans will have no complaints 😇 girl, like the native american episode? like they didn't have complaints?? i hate this bitch so bad

ACTION HERO GARAK IN THIS EPISODE. however briefly. him knocking that guy out was spockcore. like when spock pretends there's a spider on your shoulder to know you out. same thing with garak said loose thread. i can't believe we got him again so soon...he only had a bit part to play here but hey, did he fucking die?? did fake garak die inside julian's brain??? while in his arms? did julian just have to hallucinate holding garak tenderly as he died for their cause?? are they okay???

oh yeah also whatever the fucj he had going on with sisko was EXTREMELY flirty. wow.

anyway garak dying plus transfer orders made it a sure thing that it wasn't real, but i was so pleased also to have guessed there was holodeck shit behind the shapeshifter door about .2 seconds before we saw it happen. i can't believe odo said "the door was made to keep something in" and still opened it. he is insane(ly in love with kira and would do anything for her including opening cursed doors).

the ending of this episode is what really got me. the shapeshifters BEING the founders. kira having to be the one who goes "you're with the dominion" and odo having to be the one who goes "you're THE FOUNDERS." they figured that awful truth out TOGETHERRRR

furthermore. when odo was like "but why kill so many people, these solids just want to expand their knowledge via exploration" and this lady was like "the solids are nothing like us." HIS. FACE. we got to watch him in realtime evaluate his entire life in about .5 seconds

like, imagine this. he has looked for home his entire life. he has been an outcast his ENTIRE LIFE. and just when he finds it and experiences the brief euphoria of feeling at home in his own skin, so to speak, he finds out they go against everything he stands for and in that split second he realizes that 1. he has more in common with the humanoids he has felt like an outsider to this entire time than he ever will with these other shapeshifters 2. he is no longer an outsider to these particular people because they are his friends 3. he is going to count himself among the humanoids instead of his OWN PEOPLE because this bitch is crazy. ALL OF THAT IN AN INSTANT.

I ALREADY HAVE A LINK: THESE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! KILL MEEEEEEEEE

also the founder lady being like yeah you think you like justice but you actually want order, like us, you're like us was SO EVILLL like he literally does take his justice too far sometimes. he has the potential to be evil AND HE CHOOSES. NOT TO. AUGHGHGHGH

AND THEN THE VERY LAST SCENE...oh my GOD

like. he's seen kira at so many low points and now she is seeing him go through this

AND

SHE

HELD

HIS

HAND

HE MAKES HANDS FOR KIRA SPECIFICALLY TO HOLD!!!!!!!!!

the way he leaned in his he was tempted to kiss her. do you think that's the first time he felt that urge. did he even recognize it. he may have had shapeshifter goo sex with that lady but they didn't KISS. he's never been kissed and he wants a little kissy AUGHGHGH

also, the way she leaned in like she was tempted to kiss HIM. do you think she acknowledged that to herself later or firmly repressed it because she's technically still banging bareil. girl, forget him. odo could be your man

also, hi, kira touching HIS COMM BADGE TO ACTIVATE IT. AND NOT HER OWN. im going to be ILL i had to pause between episodes because i was in hysterics

kira/odo is. so important adn good. i was terrified after the search part i that it would be bad. but, it is so good that i am dying

house of quark:

i think beating hades and watching odo and kira hold hands in the same day made me invincible bc normally i hate quark episodes but i didn't even mind this one. i thought it was the best quark episode we'd gotten yet

i do like the like. every once in awhile you see quark have an emotional response to something and then firmly repress it. like he accidentally killed the klingon and looked down at the blood on his hands and he was SHOOK but then the very next scene he's like alright we're rolling that HEY EVERYBODY I KILLED A KLINGON! which is like, funny, His Antics, but he did the same thing is that little game episode (i know lol) when he found out he was playing with peoples' lives - he doesn't really wanna be responsible for all of that. it's not what i want from him exactly but at least it's consistent and proof he DOES have emotions under there

at the end of this episode when they were like...quark, now people respect you. it's true. i do respect him a little more after all of that. not only was he uniquely suited to sussing out this klingon's crimes he also outsmarted their system of justice and had to be a little brave to do it. "i got lucky" gambling man indeed. his moment with rom at the end was also kind of sweet, but it makes me wish rom was more than comic relief more often.

i also really liked this klingon woman?? normally klingon politics are pretty dry to me, but even though the sexism was annoying her plight and subsequent solving of it was engaging. it's too bad "quark's ex-wife" isn't a subject that's going to get him roasted in future episodes

B-PLOT. keiko and o'brien!!! man. women? feminism?

so i feel like keiko left because the actress was pregnant...idk anything about it and i'm not gonna look it up bc spoilers, but ik she isn't leaving the show permanently so this seemed like a way to explain a temporary absence. and they could have done that a million ways but they CHOSE to make it about her happiness

like, you could have said "oh keiko's doing fine she's just not here rn" for half a season. you could have done "yeah keiko found out her true passion IS teaching and forget botany." they could have even said "the arboretum will fix her!" like, i would have bought it! she's got plants now! but instead they explored her unhappiness and what she wants out of life and how her needs aren't being met by being a SAHM/teacher. she loves botany. she's passionate about plants, and making her profession her hobby WOULD be unsatisfying. RESPECT KEIKO JUICE?? idk it was so nice. she still deserves that arboretum though

also, she's sooo pretty with bangs. suddenly keiko the most attractive woman in the world idk

anyway, i'm so close to coming around on quark. i should watch more quark episodes right after being extremely difficult video games. manifesting this happens for me in the future

NEXT TIME: "equilibrium" and "second skin."

#WHEW. that was a big one.#personal #star trek blogging #ds9 lb

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ectogeo-art · 1 year

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astral plane sloanshir!

(for the WIP ask game)

Yay, thanks for the ask!!! Okay so this is an Extreme Measures rewrite in which Garak and not O'Brien is with Julian as they incept into Sloan's mind. Instead of making them do the whole runaround in his mind palace, Sloan just immediately says that he'll tell them the cure if Julian sleeps with him. <3 Garak and Bashir are together already in this scenario, and it's Sloan's dying wish to a) fuck Julian, and b) sow discord in their relationship hehe ^_^ (He only accomplishes one of these things, garashir never really falters)

Snippet below the cut that is not explicit but also not particularly the safest for work:

“Well, what are you waiting for, Sloan? Get undressed, if you want me to fuck you out of your mind before you die.”

“Don’t act like you don’t want this too,” Sloan said haughtily. “I don’t mind taking my secrets to the grave, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” Julian said blithely. “That’s why it’s especially telling that you offered yourself up just to give me such information. I’ll grant your final request and give you the kind of dicking down that you’d apparently compromise all of your principles for, but I promise, you are the only one that wants this. For me, it’s just the most expedient course of action.” He shrugged. “But it’s no skin off my back if you want to stay in denial. Now, get yourself ready. Do whatever you need to do in order to prepare, I’ll be back in a second.”

Julian turned away abruptly and headed to the replicator, not even looking to see if Sloan was doing as he asked.

As Sloan opened his mouth to argue back again, Garak cut him off with a disappointed click of his tongue. “He doesn’t follow orders very well, does he, dear?” he said over his shoulder to Julian as though Sloan wasn’t there.

“Mm, nowhere near as well as you,” Julian said, brushing his lips across Garak’s cheek as he returned. “It’s pathetic. His dying wish and he can’t even be bothered.” He stood in front of Garak and draped both arms over Garak’s shoulders. “Now help me, will you?”

“Anything you want.” He said it pointedly, for Sloan’s benefit, almost showing off. This was what you did when Julian Bashir wanted something from you.

“Touch me,” Julian breathed as he kissed along Garak’s neck ridges. “I need you to get me hard, since he definitely won’t.”

#my fic #wip ask game 2023 #wip ask game #ask game

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xoxokiaraaxoxo · 2 years

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I posted 26 times in 2022

That's 13 more posts than 2021!

6 posts created (23%)

20 posts reblogged (77%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@earthtoharlow

@goldensonlyangel

@l0caltiredgirl

@multistann

@reidselle

I tagged 6 of my posts in 2022

#fezco x reader - 3 posts

#dominic fike x reader - 3 posts

#tom holland x reader - 3 posts

#euphoria - 2 posts

#peter parker x reader - 2 posts

#euphoria imagine - 2 posts

#brad simpson x reader - 2 posts

#nate jacobs x reader - 2 posts

#angus cloud x reader - 2 posts

#vinnie hacker x reader - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 33 characters

#tom holland peter parker x reader

My Top Posts in 2022:

MASTERLIST

Fezco:

-Butterflies

Dominic Fike:

- Headcanon: Dating Dominic

Tom Holland:

- Love Songs (Peter Parker)

Brad Simpson:

-coming soon

Zabdiel De Jesus:

-coming soon

Nate Jacobs:

-coming soon

Calum Hood:

-coming soon

Vinnie Hacker:

-coming soon

99 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

REQUESTS

Hey loves! I wanted to start a blog cause I enjoy reading the works of others. I wanna take requests from those who would like to submit any. The people I will write for are listed below, if there is someone different you would like me to write for, put it in the request! I don't have many rules, but if I don't feel comfortable with a request I will not write it. Please give me some time if you do request something I will definitely try to get it done asap. I don't mind writing smut but I am definitely not the best at it. If you have any requests you can submit them in the request link on my account! Thank you so much!

Rules:

-Please be respectful

-Specify the gender pronouns, I will assume female pronouns

-Please be specific in the details of your request

-Please be specific in character preferences

I will write:

-Scenarios

-Headcanons

-Oneshots

-Fluff, Angst, Suggestive Content

I will not write:

-Anything that I am not comfortable with writing

-Anything that may offend someone's sexuality, gender, identity, or ethnicity

-Dylan O'Brien (Stiles Stilinksi, Mitch Rapp, Thomas)

-Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes)

-5 Seconds of Summer

-Calum Hood

-Luke Hemmings

-Ashton Irwin

-Michael Clifford

-Jack Harlow

-Kian Lawley

-JC Caylen

See the full post

116 notes - Posted January 8, 2022

Love Songs

Summary: You and Peter are best friends and get seated together on the plane for the trip to Europe. Thanks to turbulence you and Peter have a moment.

Requested by @gpiggy98

A/N: Thank you so much for your request! I paired this imagine with Love Songs by Maggie Lindemann, listen to it while reading it! Enjoy, let me know what you think!

Pairing: Peter Parker (Tom's) x You

Word Count: 870 words

Warnings: Fluff

https://youtu.be/C84k1OgZre4

You and Peter have been best friends since you moved into the apartment next door to him. You two were always together, most people assumed the two of you were dating. But that wasn't the case you were just friends. Every time someone would ask if you were a couple Peter was always quick to tell them you were just friends. It was freshman year that you felt different when he would call you his best friend. Then it hit you realized you had a crush on Peter. You knew you needed to keep it a secret.

You were getting ready to go to the airport for the Europe trip. A knock on the door lets you know that Peter is ready to go. You go to let him in and you see the way he looks at you with his cute smile

"Hey Pete"

"Hey, you ready yet? I called for the taxi it should be here in like five minutes"

"Yea, give me a second to grab my stuff," you tell him walking towards your room to grab your bag

"Let me help you," he says when you walk back out pulling your suitcase.

"I got it," you tell him.

"No, let me be a gentleman and help you," he smiles.

You grin at his antics and let him get the suitcase. He grabs your suitcase along with his and you two go to the elevator to the lobby of your building to get into your taxi. He puts your bags in the trunk and you get in the taxi.

"Are you excited?" he asks you

"Yes, but I'm a little nervous. I've never been on a plane before" you tell him honestly.

"You'll be okay, hopefully, we get paired up to sit together," he says with the smile that gives you butterflies

When the two of you get to the airport you check in your bags, go through security and meet up with the rest of the people going on the trip. You and Peter check in with the teachers and let them know you guys are there. Peter goes to say hi to Ned, while you find a spot to sit. The teacher then calls for everyone to come over, that they have announcements to make on how things will work when we reach Prague. You pretty much zone out for most of the speech due to mostly everyone talking over them. You pay attention when they say something regarding seating on the plane

"You can sit with who you want, you all need to pair up, you are all old enough to make smart decisions on where you sit, please make good choices"

You feel eyes on you, you instantly look up to find Peter looking at you smiling. When the teacher finishes their speech, Peter walks over to you.

“You ready to go,” he asks you

“Yup”

The two of you follow the rest of the group into the line to check-in. You scan your ticket and walk on the plane with Peter. The two of you find your seats, put your bags up and sit for the flight. You take the window seat and Peter sits in the middle. You start feeling a bit nervous when the plane gets going. Peter taps your leg you look at him passing you an earbud. You put it on hearing one of your favorite songs playing

"I'll take away the hurt"

"Tell me all your fears"

"And if you're feelin' scared, I'll be here"

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218 notes - Posted January 22, 2022

Dating Dominic Headcanon

Pairing: Dominic Fike x You

Request by @gaiath: Hi can I please request dating Headcanons for Dominic Fike?

A/N: Thank you for your request! Hope you enjoy!

-Dominic always come to you for your opinion on his outfits

-He always tries to take you with him wherever he goes

-He's always there for you no matter what

-He calls you babydoll

-He loves seeing you get along with his family especially his mom and his little sister

-The two of you take his sister out whenever you go to Florida

-He takes you to Naples to show you where he grew up

-He loves to go on trips with you

-He loves going on adventures with you

-You always go to the studio to watch him record

-You help him with writing songs

-He takes you with him on set for Euphoria

-He loves to spoil you

-You to go to all of his shows

-He's always holding your hand

-He loves to cuddle with you

-He loves to just be in your presence

344 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Butterflies

Summary: You and Fezco never really hung out or got to know each other. But when you two end up sharing a blunt alone, things get a little heated.

Pairing: Fezco x You

Warnings: Smoking, Mentioning of drugs, Language

Word Count: 1,054 words

You and Rue have been friends for years, when you found out she ended up in rehab you honestly were terrified. You always told her that she needed to stop, you never did anything stronger than smoke weed.

Rue just texted you that she was on her way to your house to hang out. Knowing Rue that meant she wanted to go get some stuff from Fez. That's all the two of you did together anymore since she got outta rehab and she became friends with Jules.

You hear a knock coming from the window, you look over to see Rue standing there.

"Hey bitch" you say letting her in.

"Wassup, you ready?" she asks.

"Yea, where we goin'?" you ask her already having an idea.

"To Fez's to chill," she says.

You two walk outside and start your walk to the gas station, it's about a twenty-minute walk from where you live.

"Where you been lately?" you ask Rue

"Around, with Jules mostly," she tells you

"What's up with you two? You dating" you ask

"Kinda, not really. All I know is, I like her a lot" she says

You smile, you've never seen her like this. You two finally make it to Fez's. Rue starts knocking on the door mad hard. Ash opens the door looking mad asf

"Why the fuck you knockin' like the cops' bro?" he asks

"Cause I can," Rue says walking in the house

"Hey Ash," you say walking in after Rue

"Come right in then," Ash says closing the door behind us

Rue and I walk into the house and into the living room. Fez is sitting on the couch on his phone. He looks up to see who walked in

"Rue I told you I'm not giving you any more drugs," he tells her

"C'mon Fez, I just need a couple," Rue says

"No Rue, you just got outta rehab and shit. You needa stop messin' with this shit" he tells her

Her phone starts ringing, she answers it and talks for a minute. She hangs up the phone

"I gotta go," she says getting up and leaving without a word. Once the door slams shut. Fezco looks at me and asks

"What'd you need?"

"Just give me my regular," you say now wanting to get outta his house.

See the full post

2,283 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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ofhouseadama · 3 years

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I think it was first mentioned ages ago but can you talk about the Garak/Cardassian breeding kink and Julian learning about it?

*slams fists on the table* yes ABSOLUTELY

Actually my wife and I were just talking about the patented Cardassian Breeding Kink (TM) a few nights ago while driving six and a half hours up to NoVa for a wedding because all our weirdest and funniest and most unhinged ideas come to us after dark in the car on the highway.

But like... in a society where hereditary legacy and bloodlines and legitimacy are so important and bastardy and premarital/extramarital sex is so transgressive and deviant and tantalizing... there HAS to be a breeding kink. Like come on. Look at Catholicism. I know Dukat is a raging sociopath and Garak is... Garak but from what we know, Cardassian society is obsessed with children and producing children and punishing people for producing the wrong kind of children and rewarding people who have a litter of legitimate heirs.

If it walks like a breeding kink, talks like a breeding kink...

It's a breeding kink.

And I think that Kira knows this. I think she has to know. And we were talking about a scenario where Garak is on DS9 coming or going from Earth or Bajor or somewhere for diplomatic reasons and Julian's stayed behind on Cardassia because he has a few patients at his clinic due to deliver any day now, he has to see them through to the end, no matter what happens -- and so Garak and Kira are sitting in Quark's or in a holosuite drinking when Garak gets a vid of Julian cradling multiple fat Cardassian babies. He hasn't slept in two days and it looks like it, he's in his surgical scrubs, he's covered in viscera from the birth but like... babies. Fat, healthy babies. A rare and precious commodity on post-Dominion bombardment Cardassia. These are the first fat, healthy born at term and in the 99th percentile of height and weight Cardassian babies in over a YEAR.

And Kira. She's had just enough to drink to see how this is effecting Garak. He's blushing however Cardassians blush. The man is flustered. There's a second video taken by the mother of one of the babies as Julian rocks the baby while doing the post natal exam. It's too much for him to bear. The most transgressive thing that the bastard son of a ruling class man can do is want to participate in legally sanctioned marriage and sire some heirs.

She decides to make it worse. Kira chooses violence. Taking a gulp of springwine and running her mouth about how Julian is like, so good at medicine. So good at it that he transplanted Kirayoshi O'Brien into her uterus. She wonders what he could do if he had enough time and resources to transplant an entire uterus. The science is probably there. Hell, if he'd had the time and been able to operate on himself, he would have transplanted Kirayoshi into himself. And if anyone was gonna know how to engineer a Human-Cardassian baby, it's Julian. And Julian would make such pretty babies. Wouldn't he make such pretty babies with someone, Garak?

How does Julian find out about this exchange? Desperately unclear. I think Garak is definitely still years from admitting to himself what he wants, which is to like. Heal and be capable of emotions and participating in a family and having friends.

But I think Julian definitely notices how Garak acts the first time Julian puts a foundling baby in his arms while he pulls out medical supplies and formula and a blanket and diapers in anticipation of examining the baby before calling the orphanage. And like. Garak's not ready, they're both not ready. And Cardassia's reproductive health crisis in the face of starvation and disease and radiation is critical enough that a relatively healthy newborn will have no problem being placed in a family.

But after that... every time Julian discovers a foundling baby on the clinic steps in the hours before it opens for the morning, he puts the baby in Garak's arms. And eventually, the baby that's found is a Human-Cardassian hybrid. And Garak balks.

Because this baby won't have such an easy time being placed. Cardassians want babies they can pass of easily as theirs. They want uncomplicated newborns without histories and traumas and the complex medical issues that come along with first generation hybridization. This baby will just go to the orphanage. Who will hold them? Rock them to sleep? Make sure their needs are met? How dare you, Julian. It would be so irresponsible. The baby needs to stay with us. We'll protect them and take care of them and hold them dear and if you dare to tell me that that's fatherhood I will deny it vehemently.

But anyway somewhere in that process they both get very drunk at like, someone's wedding or a festival and Julian goads Garak during sex by telling him he wants to have his babies and tells him to cum inside him.

We all contain multitudes.

#ask #anonymous #emily watches ds9 #otp: there's hope for you yet

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silent-era-of-cinema · 4 years

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Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular idols of the American screen.

A specialist in melodrama, her most famous film was Smilin’ Through (1922), but she also scored artistic triumphs teamed with director Frank Borzage in Secrets (1924) and The Lady (1925). Her younger sister Constance Talmadge was also a movie star. Talmadge married millionaire film producer Joseph M. Schenck and they successfully created their own production company. After reaching fame in the film studios on the East Coast, she moved to Hollywood in 1922.

Talmadge was one of the most elegant and glamorous film stars of the Roaring '20s. However, by the end of the silent film era, her popularity with audiences had waned. After her two talkies proved disappointing at the box office, she retired a very wealthy woman.

According to her birth certificate, Talmadge was born on May 2, 1894, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Although it has been widely reported she was born in Niagara Falls, New York, after achieving stardom, she admitted that she and her mother provided the more scenic setting of Niagara Falls to fan magazines to be more romantic. Talmadge was the eldest daughter of Fred Talmadge, an unemployed chronic alcoholic, and Margaret "Peg" Talmadge, a witty and indomitable woman. She had two younger sisters, Natalie and Constance, both of whom also became actresses.

The girls' childhoods were marked by poverty. One Christmas morning, Fred Talmadge left the house to buy food, and never came back, leaving his wife to raise their three daughters. Peg took in laundry, sold cosmetics, taught painting classes, and rented out rooms, raising her daughters in Brooklyn, New York.

After telling her mother about a classmate from Erasmus Hall High School who modeled for popular illustrated song slides (which were often shown before the one-reeler in movie theaters so the audience could sing along), Mrs. Talmadge decided to locate the photographer. She arranged an interview for her daughter, who after an initial rejection, was soon hired. When they went to the theater to see her debut, Peg resolved to get her into motion pictures.

Norma Talmadge was the eldest of the three daughters and the first pushed by their mother to look for a career as a film actress.[9] Mother and daughter traveled to the Vitagraph Studios in Flatbush, New York, just a streetcar ride from her home.[7] They managed to get past the studio gates and in to see the casting director, who promptly threw them out. However, scenario editor Beta Breuil, attracted by Talmadge's beauty, arranged a small part for her as a young girl who is kissed under a photographer's cloth in The Household Pest (1909).

Thanks to Breuill's continued patronage, between 1911 and 1912, Talmadge played bit parts in over 100 films. She eventually earned a spot in the stock company at $25 per week and got a steady stream of work. Her first role as a contract actress was 1911's Neighboring Kingdom, with comedian John Bunny. Her first real success came with Vitagraph's three-reel adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities (1911), in which she played the small role of the unnamed seamstress who accompanies Sidney Carton to the guillotine. With help from the studio's major star, Maurice Costello, the star of A Tale of Two Cities, Talmadge's acting improved and she continued to play roles from leads to extras, gaining experience and public exposure in a variety of characters—from a colored mammy to a clumsy waitress to a reckless young modern, she began attracting both public and critical notice. By 1913, she was Vitagraph's most promising young actress. That same year, she was assigned to Van Dyke Brooke's acting unit, and throughout 1913 and 1914, appeared in more films, frequently with Antonio Moreno as her leading man.

In 1915, Talmadge got her big break, starring in Vitagraph's prestigious feature film The Battle Cry of Peace, an anti-German propagandist drama, but ambitious Peg saw that her daughter's potential could carry them further, and got a two-year contract with National Pictures Company for eight features at $400 per week. Talmadge's last film for Vitagraph was The Crown Prince's Double. In the summer of 1915, she left Vitagraph. In the five years she had been with Vitagraph, she made over 250 films.

In August, the Talmadges left for California, where Norma's first role was in Captivating Mary Carstairs. The whole enterprise was a fiasco; the sets and costumes were cheap and the studio itself lacked adequate backing. The film was a flop, and the small new studio shut down after the release of Mary Carstairs. The demise of National Pictures Company left the family stranded in California after only one picture. Deciding it was smarter to aim high, they went to the Triangle Film Corporation, where D. W. Griffith was supervising productions. On the strength of The Battle Cry, Talmadge got a contract with Griffith's Fine Arts Company. For eight months, she starred in seven features for Triangle, including the comedy The Social Secretary (1916), a comedy written by Anita Loos and directed by John Emerson, that gave her an opportunity to disguise her beauty as a girl trying to avoid the unwelcome attentions of her male employers.

When the contract ran out, the Talmadges returned to New York. At a party, Talmadge met Broadway and film producer Joseph M. Schenck, a wealthy exhibitor who wanted to produce his own films. Immediately taken by Talmadge both personally and professionally, Schenck proposed marriage and a production studio. Two months later, on October 20, 1916, they were married. Talmadge called her much older husband "Daddy". He supervised, controlled, and nurtured her career in alliance with her mother.

In 1917, the couple formed the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation, which became a lucrative enterprise. Schenck vowed he would make his wife the greatest star of all, and one to be remembered always. The best stories, most opulent costumes, grandest sets, talented casts, and distinguished directors, along with spectacular publicity, would be hers. Before long, women around the world wanted to be the romantic Norma Talmadge and flocked to her extravagant movies filmed on the East Coast.

Schenck soon had a stable of stars operating in his studio in New York, with the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation making dramas on the ground floor, the Constance Talmadge Film Corporation making sophisticated comedies on the second floor, and the comic unit with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle on the top floor, with Natalie Talmadge acting as secretary and taking occasional small roles in her sisters' films. Arbuckle brought in his nephew Al St. John and vaudeville star Buster Keaton. When Schenck decided it was financially advantageous to rent Arbuckle to Paramount Pictures for feature films, Keaton took over the comedy unit and was soon brought into the Talmadge family fold, at least for a time through an unhappy arranged marriage to Natalie Talmadge.

Talmadge's first film for her studio, the now lost Panthea, (1917) was directed by Allan Dwan with assistants Erich von Stroheim and Arthur Rosson. The film was a dramatic tour de force for her in a story set in Russia of a woman who sacrifices herself to help her husband. The film was a hit, turning Talmadge into a sensation and established her as a first-rate dramatic actress.

Talmadge's acting ability improved rapidly during this period. She made four to six films a year in New York between 1917 and 1921. Under Schenck's personal supervision, other films followed, including Poppy (1917), in which, she was paired with Eugene O'Brien. The teaming was such a hit, they made 10 more films together, including The Moth, and The Secret of the Storm Country, a sequel to Tess of the Storm Country (1914), starring Mary Pickford.

In 1918, she reteamed with Sidney Franklin, who directed The Safety Curtain, Her Only Way, Forbidden City, The Heart of Wetona, and 1919's The Probation Wife. These films have small-scale settings and familiar actors appearing from one film to the next. An advantage of the East Coast locale was access to the country's best high-fashion designers, such as Madame Francis and Lucile. Between 1919 and 1920, Talmadge's name appeared on a regular monthly fashion advice column for Photoplay magazine; her publicist was Beulah Livingstone.

Throughout the 1920s, Talmadge continued to triumph in films such as 1920's Yes or No, The Branded Woman, Passion Flower (1921), and The Sign on the Door (1921). The next year, she had the most popular film of her entire career, Smilin' Through (1922) directed by Sidney Franklin. One of the greatest screen romances of the silent film era, it was remade twice, in 1932 with Norma Shearer, and in 1941 with Jeanette MacDonald.

After Smilin' Through, Schenck closed the New York studios and Norma and Constance moved to Hollywood to join Keaton and Natalie. Talmadge's Hollywood films were different from her New York films. Bigger and glossier, they were fewer but more varied, often with period or exotic settings. She teamed with cinematographer Tony Gaudio and some of Hollywood's finest costume designers for a more glamorous image. She also worked with top-flight directors such as Frank Lloyd, Clarence Brown, and Frank Borzage. With help from films directed by her first husband Joseph M. Schenck, she became one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1920s.

In 1923, a poll of picture exhibitors named Norma Talmadge the number-one box office star. She was earning $10,000 a week, and receiving as many as 3,000 letters weekly from her fans. Her film Secrets (1924), directed by Frank Borzage, marked the pinnacle of her career, with her giving her best performance and receiving the best reviews. In 1924, Schenck had moved over to head United Artists, but Talmadge still had a distribution contract with First National. She continued to make successful films such as The Lady (1925) directed by Frank Borzage and the romantic comedy Kiki (1926) directed by Clarence Brown, remade later by Mary Pickford as a sound film in 1931.

One of the at least nine theories of the origin of the tradition for celebrities to stamp a hand in Hollywood involves Talmadge. According to it, in 1927, she accidentally stepped into wet concrete in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Talmadge's last film for First National was Camille (1926), an adaptation of a novel by Alexandre Dumas the younger later remade by Greta Garbo. During filming, Talmadge fell in love with leading man Gilbert Roland. She asked Schenck for a divorce, but he was not ready to grant it. Despite his personal feelings, he was not going to break up a moneymaking team and continued casting Roland in Talmadge's next three films released by United Artists. Talmadge and Schenck separated, though he continued producing her films. He was now president of the prestigious but theater-poor United Artists Corporation, and the rest of Talmadge's films were released for that company. UA's distribution problems, however, began to erode her popularity. Her first films for this studio, The Dove (1927) and The Woman Disputed (1928), were box-office failures and ended up being her last silent movies.

By the time Woman Disputed (1928) was released, the talking film revolution had begun, and Talmadge began taking voice lessons in preparation. She worked diligently with voice coaches for over a year so she could make her sound debut. Her first talkie, New York Nights (1929), showed that she could speak and act acceptably in talkies. While her performance was considered to be good, the film was not. Talmadge next took on the role of Madame du Barry in the 1930 film Du Barry, Woman of Passion. With incompetent direction and Talmadge's inexperience at a role requiring very demanding vocal acting, the film was a failure, in spite of the elaborate sets by William Cameron Menzies.

On March 29, 1928, at the bungalow of Mary Pickford, United Artists brought together Talmadge, Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, John Barrymore, Dolores del Río, and D. W. Griffith to speak on the radio show The Dodge Brothers Hour to prove that Griffith could meet the challenge of talking movies.

Talmadge's sister Constance sent her a telegram with this advice: "Quit pressing your luck, baby. The critics can't knock those trust funds Mama set up for us". As time passed, it became increasingly clear that the public was no longer interested in its old favorites, and Talmadge was seen as an icon of the past. Talmadge had been increasingly bored with filmmaking before the talkie challenge came along, and this setback seems to have discouraged her from further attempts.

She still had two more films left on her United Artists contract. In late 1930, Samuel Goldwyn announced he had bought the film rights to Zoë Akins' comedy play The Greeks Had a Word for It for her. She reportedly did some stage rehearsals for it in New York, but within a few months, she asked to be released from her contract. She never again appeared on screen. (Goldwyn eventually made the film version of The Greeks Had a Word for It under the title The Greeks Had a Word for Them in 1932.)

Upon leaving the movie world, Norma Talmadge rid herself of all the duties and responsibilities of stardom. She told eager fans who were pressing her for an autograph as she left a restaurant, "Get away, dears. I don't need you anymore and you don't need me."

Some time before late 1932, Talmadge decided against marrying Gilbert Roland, as he was 11 years her junior and she feared he would eventually leave her. Mother Peg fell ill, and died in September 1925. In late 1932, Talmadge began seeing her ex-husband Joseph Schenck's poker friend, comedian George Jessel. In April 1934, Schenck, from whom she had been separated for seven years, finally granted Talmadge her divorce, and nine days later, she married Jessel. Schenck continued to do what he could for Norma and her sisters, acting as a financial adviser and guiding her business affairs.

Talmadge's last professional works consisted of appearances on Jessel's radio program, which was sagging in the ratings. The program soon ended, and the marriage did not last; the couple divorced in 1939. Schenck's business acumen and her mother's watchful ambition for her daughters had resulted in a huge fortune for Talmadge, and she never wanted for money. Restless since the end of her filmmaking days, Talmadge traveled, often shuttling between her houses, entertaining, and visiting with her sisters. In 1946, she married Dr. Carvel James, a Beverly Hills physician.

In her later years, Talmadge, who had never been comfortable with the burdens of public celebrity, became reclusive. Increasingly crippled by painful arthritis and reported to be dependent on painkilling drugs, she moved to the warm climate of Las Vegas for her final years. According to Anita Loos' memories of Talmadge, the drug addiction came first which caused arthritis and was the basis of Norma's interest in her physician husband. In 1956, she was voted by her peers as one of the top five female stars of the pre-1925 era, but was too ill to travel to Rochester, New York, to accept her award.

After suffering a series of strokes in 1957, Talmadge died of pneumonia on Christmas Eve of that year. At the time of her death, her estate was valued at more than US$1,000,000 ($9,180,462 in 2020). She is interred with Constance and Natalie in their own niche in the Abbey of the Psalms in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Norma Talmadge has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1500 Vine Street.

Talmadge Street in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles is named in honor of the silent screen star. Also, the community of Talmadge, San Diego is named for her and her sisters, and one of the community's streets is named Norma in her honor.

#norma talmadge #silent era #silent hollywood #silent movie stars #golden age of hollywood #classic movie stars #classic hollywood #1920s hollywood

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phantom-le6 · 3 years

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Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 (6 of 6)

To round of my look into season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, here are my reviews of that season’s last two episodes.

Episode 25: In Theory

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Lt. Commander Data and Lt. Jenna D'Sora are in the torpedo room configuring several probes with which the Enterprise will explore a nearby nebula. D'Sora explains that her ex who she just split up with has asked her to dinner, prompting Data to remind her why they broke up as part of a standing agreement between the pair of them. Later they play together in a chamber concert along with Keiko O'Brien. D'Sora complains of her abilities as a musician, but Data insists that he could not hear anything wrong.

Later, on the bridge, Data is reviewing the information from the probes sent into the nebula. He theorises that life might have evolved differently in the nebula because of the volume of dark matter detected. Captain Picard orders the ship to the nearest planet within the nebula. Data and Jenna configure further probes, when she kisses him on the cheek and then on the lips, before leaving the room. Data seeks the opinion of his friends, specifically Picard, Guinan, Geordi La Forge, Commander Riker, Counsellor Troi and Lt. Worf. Data decides to pursue the relationship and goes to Jenna's cabin with a bunch of flowers, where he informs her that he created a romantic subroutine for the relationship.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise is approaching an M-class planet within the nebula. Picard enters his ready room and finds his belongings scattered on the floor. He calls in Worf, who cannot explain their displacement. Jenna arrives at Data's cabin where he is painting. She tells him to continue, but is then annoyed when he does so, causing him some confusion. The ship arrives at the coordinates for the planet but finds nothing there. Then it suddenly appears as the ship's computer warns of a depressurization in the observation lounge. The crew investigate and find all the furniture piled in one corner of the room.

Data visits Jenna, but she seems unhappy and he is acting erratically in order to find an appropriate response to make her happy. It becomes evident to the crew that the nebula is causing distortions in space; Picard orders the ship into warp to leave the nebula as quickly as possible but this speeds up the distortions. Whilst investigating them, Lieutenant Van Mayter is killed when a distortion embeds her into the deck. Data discovers that dark matter is causing the distortions. The ship can detect the pockets at short range, but not in enough time to move out of the way. Worf proposes using a shuttle to lead the Enterprise out, and Picard insists on piloting it alone.

Picard pilots the shuttle through the field of distortion pockets; he is initially successful, but the shuttle is damaged near the perimeter of the nebula. Chief Miles O'Brien transports the Captain back to the ship before the shuttle is destroyed. However, the Enterprise is now near enough to the edge of the nebula to no longer need the shuttle to scout ahead, and they quickly depart. Afterwards, Jenna reveals to Data in his quarters that she broke up with her boyfriend because he was emotionally unavailable and then pursued Date because he was the same. Data realises that she is breaking up with him and explains that he will delete the subroutine. Jenna departs and Data is seemingly unperturbed, although his cat, Spot, jumps into his lap as if to comfort him.

Review:

This episode was Patrick Stewart’s directorial debut on the show, following on the heels of fellow cast member Jonathan Frakes taking a shot at directing during the previous season. Like Frakes, Stewart was handed a Data episode to do, and in some respects it’s a good episode. In others, it’s less brilliant, specifically having a techno-babble B-plot thrown in because TNG was very much enslaved to the idea that the character always had to have an enemy or an anomaly putting them at risk, regardless of whatever else might be going on. This plot doesn’t inter-connect with the A-plot except for both things happening in the same episode, and it includes Picard playing shuttle pilot when he’s not really the TNG character of note by way of piloting skills. In fact, TNG and DS9 never really had a definitive helm officer in the way that the original series had Sulu and Voyager had Tom Paris, which when you have to do an episode with this kind of B-plot is a bit of a must.

However, the meat of the episode is Data making forays into the world of romantic relationships, and to some degree I appreciate how some of his behaviours in this area are quite autistic. His asking around the majority of the main cast and Guinan for advice, his inability to pick up relationship skills ‘on the fly’, and his emulation of stereotypical romantic interactions rather than just being himself are all things I can see someone on the spectrum doing. Hell, I’ve done them all in my own unique way, and I can’t help but cringe a little reflecting on that.

However, Data is only able to go so far both with his relationship and with his representation of the autistic mindset in this scenario because he lacks emotion. I understand that this was meant to be the point; according to Memory Alpha, a lot of original series fan mail for Spock was from women who felt they could reach the character’s suppressed emotional core. This episode was born of a fascination with this aspect of fandom, only it was written to see if a romantic relationship could work with a being who was hard-wired not to feel any emotion, to really explore the ‘ghost in the machine’ concept through Data.

This, for me, is where the episode’s main plot really loses efficacy, because by definition a romantic relationship requires emotion, and as such Data was never going to succeed. Frankly, I’d rather have seen them hold this plot off until the films when Data is finally given license to have emotions. It would have been great to see Data have a romantic relationship then, because it would have been a more complete, well-rounded exploration of his status as an autism metaphor within the world of Trek. As it is, characters like Voyager’s Doctor and Seven of Nine end up serving better in this capacity.

It’s also disappointing to see that, not unlike some of my own early experiences in romance, Data isn’t being approached out of a genuine romantic interest on the part of Jenna. To her, he’s basically a re-bound fling; she’s struggling with being single again, keeps having to be reminded why this is so, and tries to make something happen with Data to ‘fill the void’. It’s not unlike how some girls used to pretend to go out with me to test, and mock, my gullibility, and for me it’s right up there with people who go out with someone just to avoid being single (done that), or to get something else like a roof over their head or cash. To my mind, no one should ever do anything like this; if you want a romantic relationship with someone, it should be real romance or nothing.

If you want a fling, a rebound or anything similar, then you seek out something more casual like friends-with-benefits, and you say that’s what you want up-front. Leading people on is never ok, and it seems to me it only happens because of neurotypical selfishness and unwillingness to talk about you want before anything happens. The model of discussion-first-action-second is something that already exists within certain forms of sex play, and it’s probably going to gain wider and wider use over time for consent in general, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that would not only make all relationships more autism-friendly, but it would also vastly reduce the potential for being misled.

What would have improved this episode, aside from Data actually having emotions, would have been to see the female guest character seek him out just from general attraction with no recent ex being mentioned, and perhaps having the B-Plot put the A-Plot characters in danger more directly. That would have helped the B-Plot gain some additional worth and would have created a dramatic scene that would have more conclusively answered the ‘ghost in the machine’ question around Data. As it is, it’s a middling episode and a poor showing for something Data-centric; I give it 5 out of 10.

Episode 26: Redemption (Part 1)

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

Captain Picard and the Enterprise are asked to attend the installation of Gowron as the Leader of the Klingon High Council, as it is Picard’s final duty as the Arbiter of Succession. Gowron intercepts the Enterprise en route and informs Picard that the House of Duras will challenge Gowron's position, which may lead to a Klingon civil war. Picard states he cannot intervene beyond his role as arbiter, and asks Worf to escort Gowron to the transporter room. There, Worf informs Gowron of the truth about his discommendation; Gowron thanks Worf for killing Duras, but explains that he cannot clear Worf’s name because he needs the support of the council, many of whom are loyal to Duras. Worf then requests a leave of absence from Picard to visit his brother, Kurn, who controls a small fleet of Birds of Prey, and to urges him to back Gowron. Worf plans to use this support as leverage so that once installed as the Leader, Gowron can reinstate their family name.

Interrupting the ceremony, the Duras sisters present their deceased brother's illegitimate son, Toral, who has the lineage to challenge Gowron. Picard is called on to determine Toral's candidacy. Relying on Klingon law, Picard comes to the conclusion that Toral is too inexperienced to be Leader, and secures Gowron's candidacy. This, however, prompts a majority of the council members to abandon Gowron. Gowron returns to his ship to meet with Worf, who offers his brother's fleet's support in exchange for the return of his family name to honor. Gowron initially refuses, but they are attacked by two ships loyal to the House of Duras. Worf and the arrival of Kurn's fleet dispatch the attackers. Picard completes the rite and installs Gowron as Leader; Gowron restores Worf's family honor.

Gowron and the Enterprise crew learn that the Duras sisters are assembling a fleet to incite a civil war. As the Federation cannot get involved in internal affairs of the Klingon Empire, Worf resigns his commission from Starfleet to assist Gowron and Kurn. As the Enterprise evacuates the area before fighting begins, Toral and the Duras sisters consider Picard a coward, but their Romulan ally, a woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to the late Tasha Yar, emerges from the shadows and warns them that Picard may return.

Review:

Apparently, this episode was originally planned as the season 3 cliff-hanger finale, but had to be delayed because those working on the show who wanted this episode really had to fight for it. Apparently, Gene Roddenberry didn’t want to do any kind of war stories, even if that war was internal to the Klingons and not something the Federation got involved in. Granted, I don’t think this episode could be as good as it is without everything leading up to it, and part of that groundwork lays here in the fourth season as well as the third and second. Nevertheless, it seems that once again Roddenberry was taking his idealism one step too far, and I’m guessing him having to step back from production of the show due to increasingly ill health around this time was the only reason we got this episode.

Being only one part of a larger story, of course, the episode loses out a little for not being quite as self-contained as it otherwise would be as a one-part episode. However, it delivers a lot for part 1 of a two-part narrative; we finally see Worf get his discommendation lifted and Gowron take command of the Klingon Empire, only to then see Worf resign his commission when Picard won’t wade into the civil war, even though we all know by now Picard should realise it’s not even remotely an all-Klingon affair. Picard and Worf are well aware that the Duras family are thick as thieves with the Romulans, and they’ve had the recent events of ‘The Mind’s Eye’ to illustrate to them that dividing the Federation and Klingon Empire is high on their agenda. Surely Picard should have been able to put 2 and 2 together in this part and sided with Gowron outright, rather than appearing to cling to the Prime Directive.

This is where TNG, and Trek as a whole, falls down a little; it can’t seem to come up with a consistent approach to the Prime Directive. Some episodes it gets broken, others it gets adhered to, and at times you’ll get a non-adherence for a situation that in a later or earlier episode saw the rule being upheld. Back in season 1, Picard was willing to dare the wrath of the Edo’s ‘god’ to save Wesley Crusher from execution, but in this episode, Picard won’t act to save Worf when Gowron’s ship gets fired upon. Both times someone from the Enterprise was in danger, so surely Picard should take the same actions, but he doesn’t. I can’t tell if this meant to be a follow-on from ‘The Drumhead’ and they stupidly cut out some exposition where Picard says ‘we have to be extra careful now to avoid another Satie-style witch-hunt’, or if it’s just a lack of attention to continuity.

For me, this episode really relies on Worf and Gowron to carry it, as Picard’s so-called ‘tightrope walking’ just makes him look decidedly unheroic and not a little ruthless. Honestly, this episode would have benefited from a more Kirk-ian/Sisko-esque style of captain. Overall, I give it 7 out of 10.

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blackkudos · 4 years

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Rosario Dawson

Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress and singer. She made her feature film debut in the 1995 independent drama Kids. Her subsequent film roles include He Got Game (1998), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Men in Black II (2002), Rent (2005), Sin City (2005), Clerks II (2006), Death Proof (2007), Unstoppable (2010), and Top Five (2014). Dawson has also provided voice-over work for Disney, Warner Bros., DC Comics, and ViacomCBS' Nickelodeon unit.

For her role in Rent, Dawson won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture; for her role in Top Five, she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy.

Dawson is also known for having several roles in comic book adaptations. These include Gail in Sin City (2005) and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014), providing the voices of Diana Prince / Wonder Woman in the DC Animated Movie Universe and Barbara Gordon / Batgirl in The Lego Batman Movie, as well as her portrayal of Claire Temple in five of the Marvel/Netflix series: Daredevil (2015–2016), Jessica Jones (2015), Luke Cage (2016–2018), Iron Fist and The Defenders (both 2017).

Early life

Dawson was born on May 9, 1979, in New York City. Her mother, Isabel Celeste, is of Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry. Isabel was 16 years old when Rosario was born; she never married Rosario's biological father, Patrick C. Harris. When Rosario was a year old, her mother married Greg Dawson, a construction worker. Dawson has a half-brother, Clay, who is four years younger.

Isabel and Greg sublet their 199 Avenue A apartment to Paul de Rienzo and moved their family into a reclaimed building after being approved by the 544 East 13 Street residents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan as members of a affordable housing plan. During that time Rosario and Clay would also grow up in Texas. Dawson has cited this part of her history when explaining how she learned that, "If you wanted something better, you had to do it all yourself."

Career

As a child, Dawson made a brief appearance on Sesame Street. At the age of 15, she was subsequently discovered on her front-porch step by photographer Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, where Korine lauded her as being perfect for a part he had written in his screenplay that would become the controversial 1995 film Kids. She went on to star in varied roles, ranging from independent films to big budget blockbusters including Rent, He Got Game and Men in Black II.

In 1998, Dawson teamed up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999". The new remixed version featured the actress in an introductory voice over, offering commentary on the state of the world in the year before the new millennium. The following year, she appeared in The Chemical Brothers' video for the song "Out of Control" from the album Surrender. She is also featured on the track "She Lives In My Lap" from the second disc of the OutKast album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, in which she speaks the intro and a brief interlude towards the end.

In 2001, she appeared in the movie, Josie and the Pussycats as band member Valerie Brown.

Dawson starred as Naturelle Rivera, the love interest of a convicted drug dealer played by Edward Norton, in the 2002 Spike Lee film drama, 25th Hour. In the 2004 Oliver Stone film Alexander, she played the bride of Alexander the Great. In the autumn of 2005, Dawson appeared on stage as Julia in the Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" revival of Two Gentlemen of Verona. It was her first appearance on stage.

In the film adaptation of the popular musical Rent in 2005, she played the exotic dancer Mimi Marquez, replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega, who was pregnant and unable to play the part. She also appeared in the adaptation of the graphic novel Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, portraying Gail, a prostitute-dominatrix. Also in that year, she appeared in a graphically violent scene in the Rob Zombie film The Devil's Rejects. Though the scene was cut from the final film, it is available in the deleted scenes on the DVD release.

She starred as Becky in 2006's Clerks II, and mentioned in Back to the Well, the making-of documentary, that the donkey show sequence was what made her decide to take the role. In May of the same year, Dawson, an avid comic book fan, co-created and co-wrote the comic book miniseries Occult Crimes Taskforce. She was at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con to promote the comic. She co-starred with former Rent alum Tracie Thoms in the Quentin Tarantino throwback movie Death Proof in 2007, part of the Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse. She teamed up with friend Talia Lugacy, whom she met at the Lee Strasberg Academy, to produce and star in Descent. On July 7, 2007, Dawson presented at the American leg of Live Earth.

In 2008, Dawson starred with Will Smith in Seven Pounds and in Eagle Eye, produced by Steven Spielberg. Beginning in August, she starred in Gemini Division, an online science fiction series. In the computer animated series Afterworld, she voiced the character Officer Delondre Baines. On January 17, 2009, Dawson hosted Saturday Night Live. Later in the year, she voiced Artemis of Bana-Mighdall in the animated film Wonder Woman.

In 2009, Dawson performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. In 2009, Dawson also voiced the character of Velvet Von Black in Rob Zombie's animated feature, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. For the Kasabian album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, she is featured singing on the track "West Ryder Silver Bullet".

In 2010, she starred in the movies Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, as Persephone, and Unstoppable, as railway yardmaster Connie. In 2013, she played Apple's mother in the independent film Gimme Shelter. The following year, she reprised her role as Gail in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. In 2015, she played Claire Temple in the Netflix web television series Daredevil, a role which she reprised in Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. Dawson's likeness was also used in the Jessica Jones tie-in comic as her character on both shows. Dawson has continued this role in 2017 in Iron Fist and The Defenders. In 2018, she played the female lead role in the Netflix movie, Krystal. In 2020, she was cast as the Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+.

Personal life

Dawson is a self-professed Trekkie who mentioned both her and her brother's love of Star Trek in an interview with Conan O'Brien, and also demonstrated her knowledge of several Klingon words.

Dawson adopted a 11-year-old girl in 2014.

From 2016 to 2017, Dawson dated comedian and television host Eric Andre.

In March 2019, Dawson confirmed that she is in a relationship with United States senator Cory Booker.

In October 2019 Derek Finley, a trans man, filed a case in Los Angeles against Dawson and her family for alleged incidents involving discrimination, verbal abuse, misgendering and physical assault. Finley had been employed as a handyman, living with the family and had known them for decades. The Dawson family has not publicly commented.

In February 2020, Dawson publicly came out as a member of the LGBT community.

Politics

Dawson was arrested in 2004, while protesting against president George W. Bush.

Dawson endorsed Barack Obama for re-election in 2012, and Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination in the 2016 Democratic Party primaries. On April 15, 2016, Dawson was among the protesters arrested during Democracy Spring in Washington, D.C.

In mid-2019, Dawson endorsed her boyfriend Cory Booker in the 2020 presidential election. Booker ended his campaign for president on January 13, 2020. Had she become First Lady of the United States, Dawson said she would have advocated for solutions to youth homelessness. On March 9, 2020, Dawson endorsed the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, whom she had also previously endorsed in his 2016 bid.

Philanthropy

Dawson is involved with the Lower East Side Girls Club and supports other charities such as environmental group Global Cool, One Campaign, Operation USA, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), the International Rescue Committee, Voto Latino, and Stay Close.org, a poster and public service ad campaign for PFLAG where she is featured with her uncle Frank Jump. She has participated in the Vagina Monologues (she refers to her vagina as "The General") and serves on the board for V-Day, a global non-profit movement that raises funds for women's anti-violence groups through benefits of this play.

In October 2008, Dawson became a spokeswoman for TripAdvisor.com's philanthropy program, More Than Footprints, Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy and Save The Children. Also in October 2008, she lent her voice to the RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence. She recorded a voice message for the Giverespect.org Web site stressing the importance of respect in helping stop domestic violence. In 2012, Dawson partnered with SodaStream International in launching the first annual Unbottle the World Day, a campaign conceived in an effort to raise awareness to the impact of cans and plastic bottles on the environment. Dawson also sits on the Board of Directors of Scenarios USA, which works to support a generation of reflective, outspoken, and confident youth through filmmaking and uses film to educate students through a variety of programs.

#05/09

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ladyfogg · 4 years

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May I? - 1/?

Fic Summary: Ensign Faith Diaz struggles to hide her mental illness from her fellow shipmates aboard the Enterprise until an intrigued Data goes out of his way to try to understand her behavior. At his insistence, Faith tries to figure out what she's truly passionate about and eventually seeks the professional help she needs. Fic Masterpost.

Fic Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Data/Female OC

Warnings: tw: depression, tw: anxiety, fluff, friends to lovers, eventual smut

A/N: Hey guys! I have this fic posted over on AO3 already but thought I’d post it here as well. Currently there are 12 chapters. This fic is ongoing and while I have a clear arc/story in the works, I haven’t decided when it will end. I’m just kind of going with it. This story has been my support fic throughout this whole fucking quarantine mess and I’ve been having a lot of fun writing it. I’ll be posting all the chapters so far throughout the week.

It may seem that everyday something happens aboard the Enterprise. It was almost like every week it was an invasion, a messy political shift, a weird time distortion loop, hostile negotiations...the list went on and on. However, in reality, there was a lot of time when nothing happened. When the ship glided through space effortlessly and the crew fell into a steady routine. Occasionally, they stopped at a planet to gather samples or map it. But other than that, all was quiet.

It was on one of those routine days that Data found himself in Engineering, helping Geordi with several re-calibrations. They were minor modifications the two had wanted to implement for some time yet had not been able to.

All had gone according to plan and they were in the process of completing their work when Geordi stood up straight, a triumphant smile on his face.

"All set," he declared. "The conductors are functioning five-percent higher than normal. We should run a level one diagnostic just to be sure but there shouldn't be any issues."

"I agree. Readings are well within standard parameters," Data concluded, fingers dancing across the console.

"I asked Diaz to do a manual sweep just to be sure," Geordi said. "I haven't heard from her yet but it doesn't seem like anything is out of place." He tapped his communicator. "La Forge to Ensign Diaz, what's the status of your sweep?"

Geordi waited for a response but one did not come. He tapped his communicator again. "Ensign Diaz, report!"

Nothing.

Data had only known Ensign Diaz in passing but he recalled Geordi's increasing frustration with the new crew member. She did not seem to have the same level of skills as some of her fellow engineers and her behavior had been less than exemplary.

"Where is she?" Geordi muttered. "Computer, locate Ensign Diaz."

" Ensign Diaz is located in Jefferies Tube 42B."

"Now what the hell is she doing in there?" Geordi said with exasperation. "And why isn't she answering?"

Data cocked his head as he ran through all possible scenarios. "I have calculated two hundred and thirty possible reasons for Ensign Diaz's behavior. One, she found a structural issue that she decided to correct. Two, one of the conductors may be showing signs of stress the computer cannot detect. Three—"

"Thanks, Data. I get it," Geordi cut him off. "Well, whatever the reason, I'm going to find out what's going on."

He had barely taken a step away from the console when his own communicator beeped. "Riker to La Forge, meet me in Transporter Room One. Prepare to beam to the planet's surface."

Geordi sighed but responded, "Aye, Commander. On my way."

Data saw Geordi glance in the direction Ensign Diaz had gone. "I am not required on the Bridge until oh-eight hundred hours. I can locate Ensign Diaz for you," he offered.

Geordi looked relieved and gave his best friend a smile. "That'd be great, thanks, Data. I'll be back as soon as I can." He gave him a pat on the back as he walked by.

Data finished his work a second later before heading to the tubes. He found one of them already open and climbed inside.

He did not see any signs of the ensign so he proceeded forward.

"Ensign Diaz?" he called, his voice echoing off the metallic walks around him.

He came across her communicator a short distance away, sitting at the bottom of a ladder. Frowning, Data picked it up and examined it. It did not look damaged and a quick diagnostic revealed it was in working order. He continued his search.

When he climbed the ladder, he was met with the sight of Ensign Diaz, deeply engrossed in one of the panels on the wall.

"Ensign Diaz?" he asked.

She spun around in surprise. Once she realized who spoke, she tried to straighten up, though it was difficult in such a tight space.

"Commander Data! What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Data held up her communicator. "I found this in the shaft behind us. I believe it is yours."

Diaz touched the spot on her uniform where it should have been as if she had not known it was missing.

"Thank you. It must have slipped off when I was climbing." She took it from him, pinning it back in place.

"Why are you in the tubes? Commander La Forge asked me to find you. He said you were told to do a manual sweep."

"I was a-and I did," Diaz stuttered, tucking a loose strand of dark hair back into her braid. "While I was doing so, I noticed one of the panels was out of alignment. Physically. I-I tried to correct it. It wouldn't budge so I decided to try to get it from the other side."

"I see." Data moved forward to check her work. Sure enough, he could see where the unit was off-center. "Most curious. That should not be possible."

"That's what I thought. But I can't seem to get it back into place."

Data knew what was going to happen before it did. Yet even with his quick reflexes, he was not able to prevent the accident.

Diaz did not have a proper grip on the part when she tugged on it. She had been perspiring and as a result, her hands slipped. The momentum sent her forward, where she smashed her head on the metal edge of the unit.

She screamed in pain, hand pressed to the spot as Data pulled her away. "Son of a bitch!" she exclaimed.

"Are you alright?" Data asked.

"Aside from seeing stars, I think so. Let's just fix the stupid thing and get out of here."

"I will handle it." Data carefully released Diaz, letting her rest against the tube wall while he took her place. Within seconds he fixed the situation, securing the unit into its proper position before determining it was in perfect working condition.

"My readings indicate everything is in working order," he said as he moved his tricorder over the unit. "Good work, Ensign."

"Thanks," Diaz said, removing her hand from her head.

Data looked at her, only to realize her forehead was smeared with blood.

"Ensign Diaz, you are bleeding."

"What? No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. I believe you injured yourself when you hit your head."

"It's not that…" She looked at her hand, the color draining from her face when she saw blood on her palm. "...bad."

Data put his recorder in his pocket and made a move to tap his communicator but she stopped him.

"No, wait! Don't!"

"Ensign, you are bleeding. I must contact sickbay."

"Honestly, I'm okay. I just need something to wipe up the blood. I'll be fine."

"I insist."

Diaz sighed and Data noted her eyes looked glossy. He wondered if the injury was more severe than she was letting on.

"Let's at least get out of this stupid tube," she said. "I promise I'll walk there myself."

"That would be acceptable. As a precaution, I will accompany you to Dr. Crusher."

He motioned for her to move ahead and the pair began to backtrack. It was slow work as Diaz was careful not to leave a trail of bloody handprints in their path. When it came time to climb the ladder, Data insisted on going first so he could monitor her in case she needed help.

He kept his eyes on Diaz, looking for any signs of distress while she descended. He noted her balance was unsteady. She rocked slightly and had to pause several times. During one of those times, she shut her eyes, arms wrapped around the rung in front of her.

"Ensign Diaz—"

"Please, call me, Faith. I never liked formal titles very much."

"As you wish. Faith, are you experiencing dizziness?"

"Sir, I'm fine."

Data found himself making a noise of disbelief. "No. You are not."

Faith cracked her eyes open, glancing down at him and Data saw her arms trembling as she tried to keep herself up. "Commander?"

"Yes?"

"I think I might pass out."

Her eyes rolled back in her head and her grip loosened, sending her tumbling off the ladder. For the second time, Data caught her in his arms. Quickly he tapped his communicator.

"Data to Transporter Room Two. I need immediate transport for two to sickbay. Current location Jefferies Tube 42B."

"Aye, Commander!" O'Brien's voice answered. "I'll have you there in a jiff."

A second later, Data found himself standing in the middle of sickbay, Faith's limp body in his arms. Dr. Crusher whirled around, eyes widening when she saw them.

In an instant she was at their side, scanning Faith. "What happened?" she demanded.

"Faith hit her head. She became weak and lost consciousness."

"How long ago?"

"The injury took place approximately ten minutes ago. She has been unconscious for thirty seconds."

"Data, get her up on the bed for me."

As he carried her across the room, her eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh, where am I?"

"You are in sickbay," he answered, gently lowering her down onto one of the beds.

"What happened?"

"Do you not remember hitting your head?"

Faith's eyes closed and she swallowed thickly, her head lolling from side to side. "It's all fuzzy." She grew still again.

"Faith? It's Dr. Crusher. I need you to open your eyes again. Can you do that for me?" When there was no answer, Beverly injected Faith with something while handing Data a towel. "Data, press this to her wound while I get my dermal regenerator. We have to stop the bleeding."

"Yes, Doctor."

Data did as he was told, pushing Faith's bangs back from her face so he could see the wound properly. It was deeper than he initially noticed. He pressed the towel to it, noting how much paler she had become in such a short period of time.

Beverly reappeared a moment later. He stepped aside so she could work, watching with rapt attention as she peeled the towel away before spraying the wound with antibacterial ointment. Once it was clean, she carefully sealed up the wound, leaving nothing but smeared blood in its place.

"That's done at least," she muttered to herself. She picked up her tricorder and resumed scanning the young woman.

"Will Faith be alright, Doctor?"

"She should be. According to my readings, she has a concussion. I recommend she be taken off duty for the time being."

"A smart recommendation."

Beverly finished scanning Faith, but this time her mouth deepened into a frown. "Hmm…" She scanned her again.

"Is something wrong?" Data asked.

It took a moment for the doctor to acknowledge his question. When she did, Beverly gave him a tight smile. "Nothing you need to worry about. Thank you for your help, Data. I can take it from here. You're free to go."

"I have already created a formal report of the accident. I will send it to you now for your records."

"That'd be great, thanks. And I'll let Geordi know not to expect Faith for a few days."

"Excellent. Have a good day, Doctor."

Data took his leave, but something came over him and made him pause, turning to look back. Faith was still unconscious and Dr. Crusher was staring at her as if deep in thought. Her expression was one Data had come to associate with that of concern.

However, he had duties to attend to. So he left sickbay and filed the incident for later review.

#data soong #commander data #lt commander data #data tng #star trek next generation

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braddersbangerz · 6 years

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A Dabberdees master list of angst and fun but mostly angst.

It’s all Doctor Who. We’ll start with my ongoing series first. Mainly following series eleven Doctor Who but Twelve and Bill make an appearance in Lost in Space... and Time.

Old Friends Senior Companion Sanctuary:

Don't encourage him Graham O'Brien - Jack enters the TARDIS. Jack Flirts With the Team. Jack is forcibly removed from the TARDIS. Has a second chapter now.

Fancy meeting you here - The Doctor is used to meeting herself, but when faced with her current companion knowing her old companion, she's proper confused, as Ryan so delightfully put it.

The ones left behind often get forgotten - Thirteen fixes the mistake that Eleven made, and she curses herself, that she has to be the one to do it. Rory’s dad Brian is in this one.

We'll help you find your mum, okay - Yas helps a young girl find her mother again, but why does The Doctor know her and her mother? She wonders.

The face of fear - A chance encounter with an powerful entity causes The Doctor to bump into a very old friend. But why does she look look at Graham in fear? This is angsty as fuck. It’s Hurt/Hurt. No happy ending.

Lost in Space... and Time - When a wave of Chronon energy hits Graham, it transports him away from The Doctors TARDIS and replaces him with a person The Doctor knows. A person that really shouldn't be in her TARDIS and why doesn't she remember any of this happening? Meanwhile, Graham has woken up in a familiar looking ship with an angry Scotsman's boot firmly pressed to his chest and a "What have you done with Bill?" question directed at him. (Ongoing)

One shots:

Unbroken - Yaz knows something is up with Graham when he didn't want to travel with them on this day. She goes to support her friend but finds out some hidden truths about the man she sorta considers a grandad as well. (Ace Graham and Bi Yaz)

Colours - When Ryan, Yas, and The Doctor are arrested it's up to Graham to rescue them but there's a little issue in the way, one he hasn't told them about.

Prove to me that you've changed. Resolution What If. - A what if scenario for the end of Resolution. If it was a different person.

Undertale: With a Vengeance - Ryan finally finds the one game that he knows The Doctor would love, because you don't have to kill anything to complete it. It's the perfect late Christmas gift for her.

Hopeless Wanderers - Yasmin and The Doctor need a little help to realise their feelings for each other. Truth be told, Yas just didn't expect to find it in the club that's she's drowning her sorrows in. And definitely not from him. Bi!Graham

How do I live without the pair of you - A short piece where Graham remembers someone he lost before he fell for Grace. Bi!Graham.

The Pursuit is On! - It’s The Chase and started as Crack but sorta involved into it’s own thing. Is slightly cracky still.

Doctor, I've just killed a man - Basically an AU where Graham did kill Tzim-Sha, and it doesn't end very happy.

Jacket of Holding - The TARDIS has a gift for Graham, the most sensible of Team TARDIS. (This is crack)

#doctor who #masterlist #archive of our own #ao3 #thirteenth doctor #graham o'brien #yasmin khan #ryan sinclair

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wozman23 · 3 years

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An Ode To Conan (AKA Conan Ode’Brien)

The year was 1995... or maybe '94... or at least sometime around then, give or take a year. I had just entered, or would be entering middle school, at age eleven... or twelve. With a new school came a later bedtime. So around that time I discovered two things: Saturday Night Live, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. That was when my world changed.

For as long as I can remember, I've been a silly kid. My parents even used to throw an extra letter in my name and call me “Jokey.” Occasionally, they still do. But now, looking back, nearly 25 years later, I don't know if I'd have ever predicted just how much of my joking nature I'd be able to maintain at this point in my life. Today, at 37, if you ask me to sum up my personality in two words, they'd be “weird” and “funny.” As most age, they lose those traits. They'd instead define themselves as a “Personal Trainer” or a “Civil Engineer.” But I'm still just “weird” and “funny” - a goofball rebelling against the notion of “growing up.” I stubbornly keep the letter 'y' on the end of my name when most Josephs my age pick a more mature alternative. I have little interest in being anything else, and aspire for nothing more.

Much of that is thanks to a tall, freckled, red-headed idol I found on the late night airwaves of NBC, who danced as if he had strings on his hips and let people touch his nipple. I grew up watching cartoons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Disney movies with comedic voice actors, and blockbuster movies like Ghostbusters and Mrs. Doubtfire, but I'd never seen anything as wildly experimental as Late Night. The (arguably) grown man at the helm still retained such a whimsical, silly, absurd outlook on life. He was a big kid, just having fun. It blew my mind. I was hooked. And it showed me that even if I was weird, I wasn't alone.

The absurdity of Conan and Late Night continues to be unrivaled, even to this day. There was a Masturbating Bear, who just went to town on this oddly nondescript jock strappy looking thing, Preparation H Raymond, an overly goofy looking character, with buck teeth and massive ears, who sang songs about applying a cream to irritated buttholes, and Triumph The Insult Comic Dog, who eviscerated Star Wars nerds and crashed the Westminster Dog Show. Clutch Cargo bits, where moving mouths were inserted into pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Jackson, and Bill Clinton, always brought the laughs in the early days, with both Robert Smigel's impressions and the disregard for making things look authentic. The In The Year 2000/3000 bits provided the rapid fire jokes of randomness that I aspire to write today, one of my favorites being: “Babies will start listening to dance music when Lady Gaga teams up with The Goo Goo Dolls to form the super group, Gaga Goo Goo.” Other recurring bits like Celebrity Survey, SAT Analogies, and Made-For-TV Movie Castings provided similar repeatable formats that brought laughs night after night, as did Actual Items, a swipe at Leno's Headline's bit. If They Mated provided us with the horrors of what the love child of two celebrities would look like, in worst case scenarios. Desk driving bits and car chase spoofs with model towns and cars always delivered. There were the silly Satellite TV Channel bits, with the standout, the Men Without Hats Conversation Channel, as well as the truly pointless – yet my all-time favorite character – Cactus Chef Playing ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ on the Flute, created solely to poke fun at the criticism that the show was absurd. Conan Sings A Lullaby was always some macabre fun. At one point, The Walker Texas Ranger lever swept the nation, ultimately resulting in one of the oddest clips ever to grace television. “...Walker told me I have AIDS.” Constant cameos delighted, with frequent appearances from Larry King and Abe Vigoda, who were both always willing to go the extra mile for a laugh. And occasionally, my beloved comedy worlds would combine with someone from SNL like Will Ferrell showing up, dressed as a sexy leprechaun, or engaging in some other antics. Jim Gaffigan birthed the Pale Force cartoon. Hornymanatee.com became a thing. Remote bits, like Conan playing old timey baseball, were always instant classics. Plus, the show birthed the idea of travel shows, with trips to places like Finland and Toronto - the second of which has one of my other favorite remote bits, Conan training with the Toronto Maple Leafs. So much memorable, silly, recklessly avant-garde stuff happened in those years of Late Night. And all the best moments happened when Conan acknowledged the astronomical stupidity of it all. It was always a pleasure to watch, and it all felt expertly crafted just for me.

In the end, a program that got off to a rocky start, fighting off cancellation time and time again, blossomed over the course of fifteen years into a comedy juggernaut and bastion of brilliant buffoonery for my generation. It was practically perfection.

Then the first transition happened...

Like many, I was apprehensive about the switch to The Tonight Show. It was great to see Conan inherit what was formerly known as the pinnacle of late night talk shows, but I wondered if America was ready to watch a bear play with his dick at 11:30pm, especially the demographic that had enjoyed Leno's far more traditional approach. I think we now have that answer. NBC managed to repeat their past mistakes, and fumbled another smooth transition of hosts. Things got kind of ugly, but Conan managed to land on his feet at TBS, where his show continued to run for another eleven years, giving him and his employees - who had relocated to Los Angeles at the start of The Tonight Show - steady work.

The one issue with the migration was that Conan no longer retained the rights to any of his intellectual property. Exceptions were made, but most of this bits and characters were absent from the now titled show, Conan. There was also one less show a week. However, new bits were concocted regularly, like Coffee Table Books That Didn't Sell, Basic Cable Name That Tune, and NBA Mascots That Should Never Dunk. New characters were spawned, like Minty, the Candy Cane That Briefly Fell on the Ground, Punxsutawney Dr. Phil - The best Dr. Phil bit since Letterman’s Words of Wisdom - and Wikibear. Will Forte showed up atop a stuffed buffalo as network owner, Ted Turner. Experimental stand-up sets, like Tig Notaro pushing a stool around or Jon Dore & Rory Scovel being double booked provided some of the best stand-up sets ever. Embracing a digital, web-based format, they introduced new segments like Clueless Gamer, catering to my love of video games. There was Puppy Conan, and Mini Conan. Plus, they doubled down on travel shows, creating the Conan Without Borders series, which I believe to be Conan's best work to date, and a shining example of who he is as a person. There were Fan Corrections, which allowed me to influence his show for five minutes, and throw my own zaniness into the world, and back at the man who stoked the funny fire in me. At some point in life, I may achieve greater things, or have children, but I may still always say that the greatest day of my life was the day I was on Conan.

So Conan did have bright spots, but to me things were never quite the same. They were still good, but not amazing. Slowly it felt like things were beginning to decline. Longtime writer/performer Brian McCann left to return to New York. A while later, so did Brian Stack, finding a job with Colbert. The show was eventually cut to a thirty minute format. They spun it like it was a good change for the show. I however had my reservations. While I'd hoped for more experimental comedy, it seemed like the first half of the show was cut in favor of still getting in sizeable celebrity interviews. The band was gone, as were the options for nightly music acts. That meant no more fantastic moments like me discovering Lukas Graham with his subdued “7 Years” performance. Stand-up was pretty much gone too, which meant no more killer sets like Gary Gulman's bit on state abbreviations or Ismo's foreign take on the use of the word “ass” in English linguistics. Occasional product placement reared its ugly head. They had to keep the lights on, and they found a way to. So I continued to watch practically every show over the course of the eleven years.

When the pandemic hit, I found myself with more free time. So I decided to check out the Team Coco podcasts, cherry picking from the best guests of Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend, The Three Questions with Andy Richter, and Inside CONAN: An Important Hollywood Podcast. Never having paid attention to any podcasts, I found a love for them. And sometime amidst the pandemic, watching Conan interview some random celebrity, from some show I probably didn't care about, through Zoom, I kind of became at peace with the idea of a nightly Conan program ending.

From middle school, to high school, and then to college, I tuned in when I could. Without the luxury of the internet in its currently glory, or DVRs, I'd tape episodes on a VCR. Barring two or three episode of Conan that I missed while working two jobs, I've seen every episode of Conan, every Tonight Show, and a good streak leading into the end of Late Night. But I will admit that towards the end, it has sometimes felt like a chore.

One thing I didn't drag my feet on was attending tapings. It was one of the first things I did when I came to LA. Over the past few years I was fortunate to get to attend three tapings of Conan. In hindsight, I probably would have went more often. I brought family and friends along with me when they visited, but the treat was primarily for me. When he announced that the final few weeks of shows might have an audience, I knew I must go. I put in for two tapings, and fortunately the stars aligned for the third to last show with Seth Rogen. I was hoping for Ferrell, or Sandler, but it was great! It was the first show where masks were optional and it went recklessly off the rails. Like Conan, I've never been into pot. It's another of the things I enjoy about him. Like him, I don't really have a problem with it, but I've never tried it because I don't think it's for me. I’m the same way with alcohol. With a friend in town this week, I tried one of the beers he bought. I hated it, but I struggled through it. I’ll occasionally drink some fruity wine cooler but that’s about it. So seeing him reluctantly try the joint Seth handed him because he didn't care since the show was wrapping was great. Unseen in the TV edit was that after that segment, Conan and his producer, Jeff Ross, had a lengthy discussion as the band played. As the band wrapped up, Conan came back up and said to expect a rough edit on the show since they wouldn't be able to air them smoking. Turns out they could, which made for good TV. It was a symbolic moment where a man who's spend his entire career blazing his own trail – no pun intended - did so once more, knowing he had nothing to lose. I also put in a ticket request for the last show on the morning of because registration reopened for some reason, but I never got a confirmation. I'm excited to watch it tonight, but also sad to see things come to and end. But at least I can say I was there in the end.

For 28 years Conan and cast have delivered the show they wanted to make. Contrastingly, compared to the other late night shows, its always been far more apolitical, which I appreciate. Comedy to me is about dissociation. It's why I favor and write left-brained jokes about random subjects. No one really needs to hear another hackneyed Trump or Biden joke. Regardless of the state of the world, I could tune in to Conan for a mostly unbiased, silly outlook on the world. Conan always seemed to bring out the best in the guests too, making his show the premier show to tune into when someone was out in the circuit promoting something. Even the stereotypical animal segments or cooking segments provided ample laughs.

Most of the talk will be about Conan himself. But a very large part of what has always made Conan's shows great wasn't even him. A large cast of stellar writers and performers brought countless characters to life. Brian McCann and Brian Stack were longtime favorites. There was the No-Reason-To-Live Guy with his kayak, Hannigan the Traveling Salesman, Artie Kendall the Singing Ghost, and The Interrupter, to name just a few. Even people who had no business performing were utilized brilliantly, like original announcer Joel Godard or Max Weinberg both acting like creeps and perverts, trombone player Richie "LaBamba" Rosenberg being a dolt, and graphic designer Pierre Bernard in his deadpan Recliner of Rage segments. Jordan Schlansky was a comedy well. Andy Richter also deserves more praise. His quick wit makes him the perfect sidekick. I can't even begin to enumerate the amount of instance in which he was lightning fast with a witty response to someone or something. His more recent Sports Blast segments were absurdly stupid, and his Hillbilly Handfishing remote stands out as one of the best.

The late night talk show concept is built around volume. With 4368 episodes among three iterations of shows, there's a lot of time to fill. Things didn't always work, but most of the time they did. That's what you get when you experiment and evolve the medium. I've been thinking a lot about my history with the show, and it's amazing just how many silly bits, characters, and moments still bounce around in my noggin. I've only covered a small sample of the many great moments over the years. It's always seemed really weird to me that Conan has kind of been the underdog. To me, no one holds a candle to his brilliance. I can only liken attending his tapings to a few other experiences: the time I finally got to see Michael Jordan play as a Wizard, or Rush's final R40 tour – three great entities who may not have been at the height of their careers, but were still massively impressive none the less. Conan concluding tonight is very bittersweet. The future is uncertain. The details for his HBO Max show are nebulous. It's going to be far more small scale. I've always admired how much Conan has taken care of his cast and crew. He paid his writers during the strike, and his entire crew during the pandemic. But they will certainly fracture now. Will any of the writing staff follow? Will longtime performer Dan Cronin be there? Will Andy be back? Time will tell, but until then, television, the internet, and the world of comedy, will be a little less funny. In many ways, I wish we lived in a world we he still hosted Late Night, or a successful Tonight Show. But the late night landscape has changed a lot in the last few decades, so who’s to say this wasn’t the better timeline. If there’s one thing I cling on to that keeps me hopeful about the future, it’s Conan’s closing monologue from Late Night. Especially its ending: "It's time for Conan to grow up... and I assure you that's just not going to happen. I can't. This is who I am, for better or worse. It's just, I don't know how."

That hits me just as hard as it did in ‘09, if not harder. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The guy that started hosting in ‘93 is the same guy we see today. He’s still just as childish, just as absurd, just as brilliant, and a man of integrity. And as long as he is, so too will I be.

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mocktheright · 4 years

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James O'Brien condemns "despicable" media treatment of NHS workers - James O'Brien condemns "despicable" media treatment of NHS workers. The media's portrayal of key workers in years gone by has led to the conditions these workers now face during the coronavirus crisis. Reflecting after the nationwide minute's silence to remember key workers who have died on the frontline against coronavirus, James O'Brien was taken aback by the public's support for workers that they once were convinced to oppose. He spoke about a newspaper article he read around the time he joined the show "describing firefighters as if they were nazi infiltrators" and how this media portrayal affected the public. "I watched members of the public being groomed and gaslit into attacking firefighters believing nonsense that they all have second homes in Ibiza." This was a turning point for James. He remembered being "absolutely baffled about how anybody could be completely turned against people that run into our house when it's on fire with the intention of carrying us and our children out." James asked listeners to recall "the doctors strike a couple of years ago" where some of the UK's newspaper media was "encouraging the British public to turn on doctors". He remembered public opinion of the strikes at the time and urged Brits to be mindful of this for the remainder of the coronavirus crisis. "Think about that on Thursday night when you're standing on your doorstep hitting a saucepan with a wooden spoon - were you one of the people that used to ring the show putting the boot into doctors and claiming they were greedy?" James pointed out that the attitude of the public during the strikes in years gone by has led to the desperation key workers are experiencing during the coronavirus crisis. "If you got turned against all of them you're probably complicit in the scenario we're currently contemplating where we're expecting them to go to work ill-equipped." He added to the mix an anti-immigration sentiment that was rife in the NHS through media coverage at the height of the campaign against key workers. "We know now the phrase 'we should train our own' was one of the most despicable examples of subtle racism this country will ever see - how many of the dead were born elsewhere?" "Think on that as you hit your saucepan with a wooden spoon on Thursday night." -- from Mock the Right on Facebook - bit.ly/2TKLJMe

#ResistingHate #MockTheRight #Antifa

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courtneytincher · 5 years

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Carney to Face Lawmaker Who Wants Straight Talk on Brexit

(Bloomberg) -- Bank of England Governor Mark Carney is set to face tough questions on Wednesday after Parliament’s Treasury Committee named John Mann as interim chair.Mann and Carney have had colorful exchanges at committee hearings over the years. The MP previously told Carney he talks like an economist and to put his answers on the impact of a no-deal Brexit on food prices “as more of a human being.”That exchange was late last year, but it’s been a recurring theme. In 2013, just months after Carney took over the BOE, the Labour Party lawmaker asked whether the governor was selectively choosing data to politically “present a rosier picture” of the economy. In response, Carney said he was “more than mildly offended.”Mann’s appointment as Treasury Committee chair is temporary. He replaces Nicky Morgan, who left for a role in the cabinet, and an election for the role will likely take place later this month.The pro-Brexit lawmaker’s first chance to grill Carney as chair comes Wednesday, when the governor appears along with BOE chief economist Andy Haldane and fellow policy makers Jonathan Haskel and Gertjan Vlieghe.The hearing will cover the August Inflation Report as well as the U.K.’s relationship with the European Union. The session may also give the central bank the opportunity to fulfill the committee’s request for updated Brexit analysis, first released last year.While Mann, 59, has so far missed every Inflation Report hearing this year, he was present for the one on previous BOE scenarios in December 2018.At the time, he came to Carney’s defense, thanking him for the analysis, which he said was “vital as part of this country’s democracy.” He also dubbed the criticism of the governor by Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg as “contemptuous of Parliament.”That was after Rees-Mogg, a former member of the Treasury Committee, responded to the scenarios by calling Carney a “second-tier Canadian politician” and accused him of failing to understand his role.Still, Mann hasn’t always been so kind to Carney. In the lead-up to the 2016 referendum, he said on Twitter that Carney is “reliant on fear factor alone” to promote the idea that banks could relocate if the country voted for Brexit.Mann’s Twitter handle says he’s “not scared to say it how it is.”To contact the reporter on this story: Jill Ward in London at [email protected] contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at [email protected], Brian SwintFor more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com©2019 Bloomberg L.P.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

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#Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Morrison remembering advice from late Sir Henry Cecil ahead of Saturday’s Investec Derby

As a young boy Hughie Morrison was given some sound advice by the late Sir Henry Cecil.

'Go and learn about life before you think about training, 'the legendary trainer told the teenager. They proved wise words and ones Morrison reflected on this week the contemplated possibility of winning the £ 1.5million Investec Derby, a race won four times by Cecil.

If Morrison, 58, who worked for a healthcare group and a lighting firm before starting training at 37, can win the 240th running of the historic race with Oisin Murphy-ridden Telecaster, Cecil's advice will have a neat symmetry.

Trainer Hughie Morrison says he's outnumbered in Saturday afternoon's Investec Derby

They also helped shape Morrison to cope with everything thrown at him.

Two years ago, there seemed a big chance that Morrison would not be in a position to saddle a runner anywhere, let alone in the Derby.

When his moderate filly Our Little Sister tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid at Wolverhampton in January 2017, the potentially faced a minimum two-year ban.

But Morrison fought to clear his name, passionately arguing he was the victim of a 'malicious plot', a scenario suppo rted by the seemingly motive-free, evidence-less doping or a poor performer in a case with no suspicious betting patterns.

An independent BHA disciplinary panel Morrison ended the 'on the balance, Mr Morrison was an innocent of any involvement 'as he was fined £ 1,000.

Ironically, news about the case emerged two years to the day that Telecaster won the Dante Stakes to emerge as the top British-based Derby hope.

Morrison said: "It was very traumatic having spent all my life trying to be straight and honest to be accused or something which had absolutely nothing to do with us.

" It was a slight on one's character. I was upset and always will be. ”

Morrison reckons fighting his case the cost him £ 150,000 and also horses. His Berkshire stables contain 70 horses but are no longer full to capacity.

They have also never potentially contained a horse like Telecaster, the son of 2008 Derby winner New Approach sent to Morrison when he failed to meet his reserve at the 2017 yearling sales.

Morrison had trained Telecaster's dam, 2012 Oaks runner Shirocco Star, and it soon saw the new recruit inherited the family talent.

But the colt did not make the track until March, when second to Bangkok, another of today's big hopes, at Doncaster.

For the past fortnight, Morrison and Telecaster's owners have had a debate about whether to pay the £ 85,000 Derby supplementary entry fee for a colt whose third career started in the Dante Stakes at York was only 16 days ago. internship when it was thought he was too immature to be an Epsom contender. Had he been left in it would have cost £ 7,860 for him to run.

So sure was Morrison that he would not be required at Epsom that he made plans to attend his nephew's wedding in Stockholm this afternoon.

Morrison, who opted to run today Telecaster after discussions with Mark Weinfeld, head of his Castle Down Racing owners and MD or his Meon Valley Stud breeders, said: 'We always thought he was a seriously nice horse and we had a long debate before initially pulling him out of the Derby in March.

'The lightbulb moment was Doncaster. I thought he'd run very well and we'd also heard Bangkok was very highly rated.

'Oisin then pressed the button and taught him to be a racehorse in his second race at Windsor. He is an intelligent horse. He picks things up very quickly. "

Morrison, who spent two years assisting trainer Paul Cole, caught the racing bug off his father James, the long-serving MP for Devises.

He owned and bred two Oaks winners – Juliette Marny (1975) and Scintillate (1979) – as well as breeding the 1978 St Army winner Julio Mariner.

Morrison, who has trained for the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge's parents Mike and Carole Middleton, for a short time found himself House Captain in charge of a Boris Johnson during his school days at Eton.

Given that background, it may seem strange to cast him in the role of underdog but with the might of Aidan O'Brien's stable responsible for seven of the Derby 13 runners, in a sporting sense this afternoon that's what Morrison is.

The trainer joked: "I am a Southampton supporter and it's a bit like Southampton's five-a-side team taking on Manchester City's first eleven. "

The sort of challenge Cecil would have relished

Trainer Hughie Morrison says he's outnumbered in Saturday afternoon's Investec Derby but not outgunned as he saddles the leading British-trained hope Telecaster.

The Oisin Murphy-ridden winner of York's Dante Stakes face the seven-strong challenge from Aidan O'Brien's stable.

Morrison said: "I am a Southampton fan and it's a bit like Southampton's five-a-side team taking on Manchester City 's first XI.'

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