#tessa scanlon

[druidcore]

nsfw alphabet and split it up between all of our muses because... stealing your words... IDC DO IT DANI

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Tessa I can imagine being super snuggly after sex. Running her finger down Ford’s chest, sighing contentedly like a happy little kitten. She stretches out, burrows down into the bed and will stroke Ford all over. Her hands will grip his biceps and rub all the way down to his hands and up again, while she hums. 

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

April’s favorite body part for herself is actually her stomach. She’s spent hours before in front of her mirror running her hands over her taut skin, admiring the way her ribs don’t protrude, but expand like wings wrapped around her heart. She deeply romanticizes forgotten ares of her body showing them the love that the rest of her body gets without prompting, but her stomach is her favorite one. She intends to preserve it forever. 

On Dominic, her favorite body part is his back. It’s corded with muscle speaking of years and years of dedicated work and labor. She daydreams daily of kissing him there, an inch above his jeans all the way to the nape of his neck. Her fingers itch to knead into his skin, working out all the tension and stress knotted there. His back is magnificent. 

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

One of Rhiannon’s dirtiest fantasies is to have not one –– but multiple people cum on her face. There’s something to the act, a little degrading and a little rewarding which pleases her. To be an object of desire that not just one but two (or even three) guys are obsessed with is something that has always fascinated her. She’s never admitted it to anyone though, out of partial shame and fear that she’ll be ridiculed or slut-shamed for it. Opinions on the matter tend to vary, and if she’d ever do it, she’d want to do it with people that wouldn’t make her feel dirty (in a bad way) for it. 

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Penelope once masturbated in the Quidditch stands. She was one of the only people there –– it was a cold day out –– and the Slytherin team was likely practicing and she was trying to study, but the more she watched them practice, the more she got the urge to do something a little… dirty. And before she knew it, her fingers were her down her skirt, behind her books. She came once and instantly stopped. The whole experience was incredible, but extremely nerve-wracking and she never did anything of the like again. 

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Safe to say Mandy’s got little to no experience. The first boyfriend she had tried to pressure her into sex and she didn’t want to and ended up running out of his house. The most they did was over the top petting and he made her stroke him and she hated it because he kept pointing out everything she was doing wrong, and it was all just too much too fast. And then her next boyfriend was a kid from her mom’s Church, and she set them up, and when Mandy was making out with him and actually wanted to jerk him off, he shamed her and made her feel dirty. Her relationships since have been with guys who make out with her and bring her to family events and stuff, but she always gets cheated on with other girls “willing to put out”. Because she’s from a small town there’s word around that she’s a goody goody among the school kids and then that she’s promiscuous among the church kids. Either way, no one is giving her any, so she hasn’t had chances to explore what she likes or not. 

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Ronan’s favorite position is actually simple missionary –– he likes to see a woman’s pleasure on her face as he’s, ahem, giving it to her. And honestly, what woman would protest that? Having him above with a hand braced on the wall, driving into her? It’s been nothing than successful so far. 

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Zahra is definitely kinda goofy. She likes to make her partners feel comfortable and will probably like laugh and smile a lot during sex, which sometimes intimidated some of her ex boyfriends because they weren’t secure in their confidence as a result of hers. She likes having fun, wild sex and trying new things and sometimes kind of embarrassing incidents occur and sometimes you just have to laugh them off and she’s great at that. 

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Before the whole apocalypse started, Willa occasionally shaved down there when she had to –– for bikini season and for swimming classes. But after, obviously things sort of took a turn. Razors weren’t really one of the most important things to stock-pile or focus on, so that… kind of took a backseat to bigger and more important things. Still, when her and JP started sleeping together, she put an effort into finding a pair of scissors at at least trimming a little when things got too wild. She’s not too bothered about the situation down there though, she’s never been too hairy, and honestly if he can’t deal with her body hair during the zombie apocalypse, there’s no way they’re ever going to make it out of it. 

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…) 

Nesrin has a hard time being intimate, if she thinks about it. Her favorite sex positions are reverse cow-girl and doggy, just because that level of eye contact and kissing during sex are so... intense and she never knows how to handle it. She’s never really had sex with someone she was in love with, and whether she knows it or not, it’s like she’s subconsciously waiting to be fully intimate (and romantic) with someone she does genuinely have feelings for. Malcolm, probably, would be the first. Uh oh. 

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Fallon can never get herself off. It’s just one of those things where it’s unsatisfying and she’s always left more frustrated after than before. She can’t manage to get out of her head –– she needs to be firmly planted in the moment to really get off. Her inability to do so leaves her feeling discontent and insecure. She’s tried –– believe her, but at a certain point she sort of just gave up and hasn’t bothered to keep trying. Now she only orgasms when someone (Graham) gives her one. 

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Mera’s definitely got a huge daddy kink and is always interested in a lg/dd type relationship. She wants to be pampered in every aspect of life and being “daddy’s little princess” is something that highly appeals to her. Her dating history has always landed her with attractive but trifling and broke men and so she needs someone sturdy and reliable, but still a little wild and sexy (and preferably rich lmao) to lay it down good, and spoil her with goodies and love and lots of sex.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

Dana’s favorite places to “do the do” are pretty wild, as compared to the usual bed, bathroom, etc. She likes doing it in wide open spaces. Her biggest fantasy is to do it in big palace courtyard or something of the sort. Other places that rank up there are rooftops (element of danger there, obviously) and her high-school basketball court (the acoustics in that thing are phenomenal okay??). 

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

There’s just something about sexting in plain view which gets Lauren wet like no other. When her and Josh are on opposite ends of the counter, looking so innocent as they wait for new customers in silence, but being so absolutely filthy in reality, she sometimes feels like she could hop onto the counter and ask him to have sex right there and then. 

And the way his arms flex whenever he does anything flexible is also an incredible turn on. He’s got strong arms, and large palms. She finds herself daydreaming about their imprint on her ass more often than not. 

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Taylor’s absolute biggest no-no is anything to do with bodily fluids separate from cum. No golden showers, none of that. Despite being pretty nasty in bed, this is the one thing she’ll be super judgemental about and easily disgusted by, not only because personal hygiene is important to her, but because she also thinks it spawns terrible expectations and ideas in people’s minds. 

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Wes likes to receive more –– but that’s just because he’s so used to giving in all other aspects of his life, that getting feels like a huge gift to him? I feel like he really savors and appreciates every single blowjob he ever gets. As for his own skill in giving, his first girlfriend was older than him and boy did teach him him well. 

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

Cassia is as #romantic #aesthetic sex as it gets. I’m talking like, candles and having slow sex in the moonlight. It’s hips writhing like the slow roll of the ocean waves and the drawn-out rise and plunge of herself on his length. It’s the complete opposite of frenzied. It’s intense, and yes, incredibly sensual. It’s a stimulation all over the body, everywhere they touch. 

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

It depends on the person she’s with, when it comes to Aislinn. She’s come to hate them with her boyfriend, because it feels impersonal and almost disrespectful, but she has a feeling that might not be the case with Jax, because he actually pays her pleasure attention. 

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Parker’s kind of wild tbh. He’s experimented a lot. He love love loves rectal stimulation and is always down to try new things, including but not limited to: threesomes, sex parties, sex swings, swinging… Anything along those lines he’s always ready to try at least once. His mantra happens to be: try it once, and if you don’t like it try it again just to make sure. 

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Justine is kind of-kind of not a virgin. There’s never been time to lose her virginity to someone, as in have sex, but she has broken her hymen before using –– yes, you guessed it –– a hairbrush. It hurt a lot and she had to weather it herself, but it hasn’t scared her off sex. She just hasn’t had time to have a boyfriend or anything, but she’s eager to actually have sex for the first time, especially since she won’t have to deal with the pesky issue of losing her virginity to someone who’ll blunder through it. She wants someone experienced who will take care of her right. But again, where even is the time? 

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Tessa has tons, tons, tons of toys. In her line of work she prided herself on not having to sleep with anyone, but since a) not many of her past boyfriends had ever been adept at finding her G spot (or her clit) and b) she’s sometimes had to go through long dry spells without sex, she’s built up quite a nice little collection of toys. She tends to prefer dildos to vibrators because most brands tickle her too much, even though dildos are more work. Her favorite one is a waterproof clear silicone one that she saves just for when she wants to take a bath or shower –– which is, for some reason, her favorite place to masturbate. Something about the steam and the atmosphere. 

She’s proud of her toys, and even when she’s in a relationship with Ford, she won’t throw them away. They’re her babies –– in fact, she might even have names for some of them. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Tessa is not a tease. Not at all. She has very little patience when it comes to someone she actually likes. If she wants him, she’ll make it obvious and she’ll go for it. And as for being teased, she has a love/hate relationship with it because on one hand she’s getting the attention she wants, but on the other hand, god damn it, its not enough –– she wants more. 

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Taylor is, of course, loud. Not only is she loud, she’s vocal about everything she’s feeling too. She grunts when Tyler bottoms out, she swears when she’s close to the edge, and during particularly exhaustive romps where they’ve fucked more than once in one night, his name tends to blur into other words. And she’s always been this way –– uninhibited. She’s the roommate you never want to have because sometimes not even wearing headphones is enough to block her out. If you’ll recall, she’s got the lungs of a future broadway star. Her voice can pitch super high –– the shitty university dorm walls never stood a chance. 

BONUS: Tessa gets… very complimenting in bed. Ford can expect a lot of “oh god, I love your cock! don’t stop!” during and after. She’s also opinionated and will easily give directions like, “go faster!” “harder!” etc. until it’s perfect and by then she can hardly speak, save for the gibberish that’s coming out of her mouth. 

EXTRA BONUS: Fallon is quiet. She’s not a screamer, she’s not loud, but in contrast it’s intense and earth-shattering the way she comes. Her breathing deepens and stills and she makes these short keening gasps the closer she gets to orgasm. She’ll try to moan Graham’s name, but the sheer pleasure makes it impossible for her to get past the first three letters before her eyes are rolling to the back of her head and she’s coming for him. 

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

It had to happen. It’s not that she’s got a dirty mind (alright, she sort of does) but they work at a bagel shop, for Christ’s sake. It’d be criminal of them to not take advantage of the fact. One day Lauren proposes to Josh that they make a bagel with a hole big enough to fit his dick through because… Well, why not? All the tools (pun intended) are at their disposal, and they’ve got the whole place to themselves after they lock up. Even if he doesn’t agree, it was worth a shot to ask, and to see the look on his face. 

And if he does agree? Well, she loves Bagels, and she loves Josh’s dick so… Best of both worlds. 

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Yeah, Jasey definitely has a piercing down there. Her clit is pierced, something she got done when she was 18 and wanted to do something wild. Her and her best friend got it done together and cheered each other on. Jasey swore up a storm when it was done, because she’s incredibly sensitive down there. It also was a very hard healing process for her because it got infected once, but she took care of it afterwards and now it’s all good. She also happens to not shave or wax, but trips the pubes when they get too long. Her hair is light brown and slightly coarse, and grows slowly. She has to do maintenance maybe every three weeks. 

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Kaja’s sex drive has never been too high. She’s been called a prude many times simply because of it. Sex has just never been one of her primary, or even secondary interests. She’s also never met anyone where the connection between them has been electric. To be honest, her life has been pretty bland, as far as things go. She entirely expects for sex to be the same, even when others claim it’s this awesome, epic thing. 

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Nat never really falls asleep after sex. Due to always having to be on the run and on the move, there’s never anytime to sleep, and even if there was, she usually never trusts people enough to fall asleep next to them. However, down the line with Nik, I can imagine that show of like… vulnerability almost where she’d finally allow herself to nod off? I don’t know if she’d tell him the significance of it, though. 

[pauldeckerus]

Winning Photos from the 2018 Nikon Small World Competition

Nikon has announced the winning photos from the 2018 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, the 44th annual contest celebrating “excellence in photography through the light microscope.”

The first place photo, shown above and captured by Emirati photographer Yousef Al Habshi, shows part of the compound eye of an Asian Red Palm weevil and the greenish scales that surround it. The beetle is usually less than 0.43in (11mm) in length.

Al Habshi created the photo using reflected light and by stacking 128 micrographs into a single photo.

“The main challenge was to show the black body against the black background without overexposing the skin and scales,” the photographer says. “Because of the variety of coloring and the lines that display in the eyes of insects, I feel like I’m photographing a collection of jewelry. Not all people appreciate small species, particularly insects.

“Through photomicrography we can find a whole new, beautiful world which hasn’t been seen before. It’s like discovering what lies under the ocean’s surface.”

Here is a selection of other winning photos from this year’s competition:

Spore Structures

2nd place. Fern sorus (structures producing and containing spores). Rogelio Moreno Gill of Panama, Panama.

Bug in Bubble House

3rd place. Spittlebug nymph in its bubble house. Saulius Gugis of Naperville, Illinois, USA

Peacock Feather

4th place. Peacock feather section. Can Tunçer of İzmir, Turkey

Spider Embryo

5th place. Parasteatoda tepidariorum (spider embryo) stained for embryo surface (pink), nuclei (blue) and microtubules (green). Dr. Tessa Montague, Harvard University of Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Retina

6th place. Primate foveola (central region of the retina). Hanen Khabou of Paris, France

Tear Drop

7th place. Human tear drop. Norm Barker, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine of Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Weevil Portrait

8th place. Portrait of Sternochetus mangiferae (mango seed weevil). Pia Scanlon, Government of Western Australia of South Perth, Western Australia, Australia

Stalks and Pollen

10th place. Stalks with pollen grains. Dr. Csaba Pintér, University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty of Keszthely, Hungary

Human Cell Division

11th place. Human fibroblast undergoing cell division, showing actin (gray), myosin II (green) and DNA (magenta). Nilay Taneja, Vanderbilt Universit of Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Butterfly Wing Scales

12th place. Urania ripheus (butterfly) wing scales. Luciano Andres Richino of Ramos Mejia, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

A Mite on a Bee

15th place. Varroa destructor (mite) on the back of Apis mellifera (honeybee). Antoine Franck of Saint Pierre, Réunion Island, France

Breast Tissue in Lactation

17th place. Breast tissue in lactation: Milk filled spheres (red) surrounded by tiny muscle cells that squeeze out milk (yellow) and immune cells that monitor for infection (blue). Caleb Dawson of Melbourne, Australia

Hornet Venom

19th place. Vespa velutina (Asian hornet) with venom on its stinger. Pierre Anquet of La Tour-du-Crieu, Ariège, France

You can find the complete gallery of winning photos on the Nikon Small World Competition website.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2018/10/19/winning-photos-from-the-2018-nikon-small-world-competition/

[thegloober]

These are the winning photos from the 2018 Nikon Small World competition, prepare to be amazed

Nikon Small World competition was founded in 1974 to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope. The results of the 44th competition have just been announced, and they will take your breath away.

This year, the contest had nearly 2,500 entries from scientists and artists in 89 countries. The judges have chosen the top 20 images, and we’re bringing you the winning photos here on DIYP.

The subjects of the photos vary a lot, which makes the selection even more interesting. In these photos, you can see “everyday stuff” such as human tears, but there are also images of phenomena such as cell division. Still, all these photos have something in common: they show an extreme close-up of their subjects and give us a unique view even on the things we thought we knew.

The judges evaluated the photos on originality, informational content, technical proficiency, and visual impact. First place was awarded to Emirati photographer Yousef Al Habshi, who sees the eyes as the windows to stunning insect artwork and research. The 2018 winning image captures part of the compound eyes and surrounding greenish scales of an Asian Red Palm Weevil. This type of Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle is typically less than 11 mm (0.43 in) in size and is found in the Philippines.

1st Place Yousef Al Habshi Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Eye of a Metapocyrtus subquadrulifer beetle Reflected Light 20x (objective lens magnification)

Al Habshi captured the image using a reflected light technique and stacking of hundreds of images: he made a compilation of more than 128 micrographs. According to Al Habshi, “the main challenge was to show the black body against the black background without overexposing the skin and scales.” He was able to strike the perfect balance by controlling the background distance from the subject and using deft lighting and sample positioning.

Second place was awarded to Rogelio Moreno for his colorful photo of a Fern sorus, a clustered structure that produces and contains spores. As for the third place, it was awarded to Saulius Gugis for his adorable spittlebug photo, captured using focus-stacking.

2nd Place Rogelio Moreno Panama, Panama Fern sorus (structures producing and containing spores) Autofluorescence 10x (objective lens magnification)

3rd Place Saulius Gugis Naperville, Illinois, USA Spittlebug nymph in its bubble house Focus Stacking 5x (objective lens magnification)

In addition to the top three winners, the Nikon Small World contest has recognized 92 more images from all over the world. We bring you the rest of the top 20 photos below, and you can view the entire gallery, along with Images of Distinction, on the contest’s website. Also, check out the last year’s winners here.

If you’d like to submit the photos of your own, you can do it via this link. The contest is open not only to professionals but to hobbyist photographers as well. And now, let these winning images inspire you to experiment with microphotography yourself.

4th Place Can Tunçer İzmir, Turkey Peacock feather section Focus Stacking 5x (objective lens magnification)

5th Place Dr. Tessa Montague Harvard University, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA Parasteatoda tepidariorum (spider embryo) stained for embryo surface (pink), nuclei (blue) and microtubules (green) Confocal 20x (objective lens magnification)

6th Place Hanen Khabou Vision Institute, Department of Therapeutics Paris, France Primate foveola (central region of the retina) Fluorescence 40x (objective lens magnification)

7th Place Norm Barker Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pathology & Art as Applied to Medicine Baltimore, Maryland, USA Human tear drop Darkfield 5x (objective lens magnification)

8th Place Pia Scanlon Government of Western Australia, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development South Perth, Western Australia, Australia Portrait of Sternochetus mangiferae (mango seed weevil) Stereomicroscopy, Image Stacking 1x (objective lens magnification)

9th Place Dr. Haris Antonopoulos Athens, Greece Security hologram Darkfield Epi-illumination 10x (objective lens magnification)

10th Place Dr. Csaba Pintér University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty, Department of Plant Protection Keszthely, Hungary Stalks with pollen grains Focus Stacking 3x (objective lens magnification)

12th Place Luciano Andres Richino Punto NEF Photography Ramos Mejia, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina Urania ripheus (butterfly) wing scales Image Stacking 20x (objective lens magnification)

13th Place Charles Krebs Charles Krebs Photography Issaquah, Washington, USA Balanus glandula (acorn barnacle) Autofluorescence 5x (objective lens magnification)

14th Place Andrew Moore & Dr. Erika Holzbaur University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physiology Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA African green monkey cell (COS-7) stained for actin and microtubules Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Microscopy 100x (objective lens magnification)

15th Place Antoine Franck CIRAD – Agricultural Research for Development Saint Pierre, Réunion, Reunion Island Varroa destructor (mite) on the back of Apis mellifera (honeybee) Focus Stacking 1x (objective lens magnification)

16th Place Dr. Amanda D. Phillips Yzaguirre Salk Institute for Biological Studies La Jolla, California, USA Mouse oviduct vasculature Confocal 10x (objective lens magnification)

17th Place Caleb Dawson The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Department of Stem Cells and Cancer Melbourne, Australia Breast tissue in lactation: Milk filled spheres (red) surrounded by tiny muscle cells that squeeze out milk (yellow) and immune cells that monitor for infection (blue) 3D Confocal Microscopy 63x (objective lens magnification)

18th Place Justin Zoll Justin Zoll Photography Ithaca, New York, USA Amino acid crystals (L-glutamine and beta-alanine) Polarized Light, Image Tiling 4x (objective lens magnification)

19th Place Pierre Anquet La Tour-du-Crieu, Ariège, France Vespa velutina (Asian hornet) with venom on its stinger Reflected Light, Focus Stacking 6.3x (objective lens magnification)

20th Place Dr. Nicolás Cuenca & Isabel Ortuño-Lizarán University of Alicante, Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain Human retina Immunocytochemistry and Confocal Microscopy 40x (objective lens magnification)

[All images are courtesy of Nikon Small World and used with permission]

Source: https://bloghyped.com/these-are-the-winning-photos-from-the-2018-nikon-small-world-competition-prepare-to-be-amazed/

[latestnews2018-blog]

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Tessa Thompson’s Earrings In ‘Sorry To Bother You’

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/there-were-zero-things-better-this-week-than-tessa-thompsons-earrings-in-sorry-to-bother-you/

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Tessa Thompson’s Earrings In ‘Sorry To Bother You’

Welcome to Good Shit, HuffPost’s weekly recommendation series devoted to the least bad things on and off the internet. 

When Lakeith Stanfield compliments Tessa Thompson’s earrings in “Sorry to Bother You,” the camera cuts close to the ornaments framing Thompson’s face.

In quirky block letters, one earring says “MURDER MURDER MURDER,” the other says “KILL KILL KILL.” They’re the first of many audacious pairs that Thompson, playing a fiery artist-activist, wears in Boots Riley’s fantastic new movie. Others display men in electric chairs, Bob Dylan and Prince lyrics, and the apt words “WILDLY ORIGINAL” ― all accentuated by Thompson’s electric-orange curls.

As rowdy as the earrings may be, they’re one of the more grounded oddities in this surreal odyssey about race, capitalism and loud manifestos. ― Matthew Jacobs

Romelu Lukaku, A God

Watch Lukaku’s run. Drags the defender inside to create space for Meunier and then dummies it brilliantly for Chadli. Brilliant work. pic.twitter.com/RKseQLdX7q

— Jake. (@YedIin) July 2, 2018

I want you to stop, for one moment, and watch the video of this run by Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s star striker, in the dying moments of Belgium’s 3-2 win over Japan in the World Cup’s round of 16. (In the above GIF, he’s the guy in red who starts at the bottom left of the screen.)

Lukaku, like many black soccer players, is often stereotyped as a big, strong, physical athlete whose greatness is defined by those qualities. But while he is all of those things, he’s also smart as hell when it comes to his positioning and his ability to see how a play should unfold before it does ― and then make it unfold exactly that way. This run is proof: Watch how Lukaku drags the defender nearest him toward the middle of the field to create space for the first pass. Watch how he follows that by pulling another defender in the opposite direction to create space for the next pass. And then, watch how he dummies that pass, stepping over it so that it runs to an open Nacer Chadli ― who is only open because of Lukaku ― on the far post. It’s brilliant. It’s all beautifully, mind-numbingly brilliant.

Lukaku is Belgium’s leading scorer, but he’d spent the first 89 minutes of the match against Japan failing to find the back of the net over and over again. No one would have blamed him for trying to bury that shot ― it was the last minute, the match was tied, he’s their best player, he’s there to score goals. But he knew the right play was to take the defenders out of the play completely, to let the ball run to Chadli, to let the wide open guy nail home the win instead. Romelu Lukaku is God. Also: he’s fluent in at least seven languages. He is brilliant, and I love him. ― Travis Waldron

The Charming Netflix Rom-Com That Makes Up For That Adam Sandler Movie

Listen, Netflix, I’m never going to forget that you made “The Ridiculous 6” possible, nor should I. BUT. Today I’m feeling nothing but gratitude for the proliferation of streaming-content creators, and Netflix in particular. See, I love a good, old-fashioned, stomach-flipping romantic comedy, and in this superhero-crazed environment I rarely get one as fun and unabashedly sweet as “Set It Up.” I missed it when it came out last month, but now that I’ve seen the Claire Scanlon-directed confection, I plan to watch it daily at least. 

The premise: Harper (Zoey Deutch) and Charlie (Glen Powell), the beleaguered assistants to, respectively, a hotshot sports journalist (Lucy Liu) and a venture capitalist (Taye Diggs), decide to prod their bosses into dating each other in hopes that a fresh romance will prove a distraction from work. They manufacture a relationship between their bosses ― and accidentally start to fall for each other. The movie gleefully subverts numerous rom-com tropes, like the grand running-to-the-airport gesture, while maintaining the goofy-sweet heart of a true romantic comedy. 

The cast is peppered with brilliant comedic turns ― Tituss Burgess, Meredith Hagner, Pete Davidson ― and the leads are a delight. Deutch is so winsome, I literally wished I could wear her as a skin suit, and Powell looks at her in that heart-melting way that every rom-com hero must do to win my heart. It was a bit disappointing to see the actors of color pushed, as usual, into supporting roles (of course in a rom-com about the oft-ignored assistants, it’s the assistants who are white). Here’s hoping the rumors that Lucy Liu’s character may get a sequel come true. ― Claire Fallon

This NYC Teen’s Valedictorian Speech

@StuyvesantHigh valedictorian: Find a way to diversify my school. #SHSAT #StuyAlum #MatteoWong https://t.co/g1pjCIyBxm

— Stuyvesant High (@StuyvesantHigh) June 28, 2018

The best writing I read this week came courtesy of a teenager. His name is Matteo Wong, and he is the most recent valedictorian at Stuyvesant High School, an elite New York City public high school that finds itself enmeshed in a larger battle over how (or how not) to combat racial inequality in the city.

The simple question of which students should go to which schools is an intensely emotional one for many parents, especially white ones, who have been known to yell when people propose that schools should reflect the demographic makeup of the city that surrounds them. It is widely considered an incredibly complex question as well. But that’s what makes Wong’s valedictory speech ― a version of which was published in Crain’s New York Business ― so fantastic. His writing is clear and measured, uplifting while also based on the facts.

“The problem: New York City’s best public high school is less than 4 percent black or Hispanic, demographics which compose nearly 70 percent of the city’s school-age population,” he writes. “This debate revolves around two truths. One: These statistics are unacceptable. To accept them is to buy into a racist myth of black and Hispanic inferiority that has very real, physical and psychological repercussions. To accept these demographics is to make Stuyvesant a toxic environment for black and Hispanic students. The way forward is unclear, but the status quo is broken.”

The 850-word speech, which I suggest you read in full, just gets better from there. If only adults could speak with the same level of candor. ― Maxwell Strachan 

An Incredibly Boring (And Great!) Reality TV Show

I’ve been told to watch “Terrace House,” an unassuming Japanese reality television show in which three young men and three young women live in a house together, for years, and this week the Netflix algorithm gods blessed me by finally suggesting I put it in my queue. I’m only a handful of 28-minute episodes into the show, and yet I’m already a convert. If you’re looking for a way to soothe your news-ridden, tweet-ridden, over-stimulated soul, binge your way through this series. (Parts 1 and 2 are already on Netflix, and Part 3 is being released at the end of this month.)

The weird thing about “Terrace House” is that very little happens and yet it’s completely captivating. As a consumer of American reality TV, specifically the “Bachelor” franchise, I’m primed for high drama ― big fights, lots of tears, ominous music cues, carefully produced confrontations and very little eating on camera. “Terrace House” flouts these conventions, opting instead to lean into the seemingly mundane. It makes you wonder why American shows keep trying to raise the emotional stakes of reality television when the Japanese have figured out a way to draw in audiences with no stakes at all. ― Emma Gray

Amy Adams In Anything (But This Week In “Sharp Objects”)

HBO is back with another limited series in “Sharp Objects,” based on the debut novel of author Gillian Flynn. Alongside showrunner Marti Noxon and director Jean-Marc Vallée, the “Gone Girl” scribe brings her dark crime thriller to the screen in a compelling fashion.

The always superb Amy Adams plays reporter Camille Preaker, who returns home to Wind Gap, Missouri, to cover the mysterious murders of two young girls. But it’s her own past that haunts her as she’s reunited with her overbearing mother (Patricia Clarkson) and rebellious teenage half-sister (Eliza Scanlen) in a hometown burdened with pain. It premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ― Leigh Blickley

Bron Snow, AKA A Clash Of Kings, AKA June 19, 2016

giphy

On Sunday, June 19, 2016, I watched on a split-screen as the Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 7 of the NBA finals and Jon Snow defeated Ramsay Bolton in the Battle of the Bastards on “Game of Thrones.” Yes, it was two years ago, but it was beautiful. The days of the Cavs championship drought and of Jon Snow making his pouty face — not because it was cool, but because his life kinda sucked ― were over.

Now, with LeBron James leaving the Cavs and “Game of Thrones” coming to an end, it’s good to remember that moment can never be taken away from us. Some of my own colleagues, who are now celebrating LeBron in LA, counted him out of that 2016 series from the start, much like many doubted the White Wolf.

But the North remembers. Cavs fans remember! We know no king but the kings in the North and Northeast Ohio. I don’t care if they’re bastards or they moved to LA ― Ned Stark’s blood and Cavs wine-and-gold run through their veins! They’re my kings from this day until their last day! ― Bill Bradley

Tina Lawson’s Instagram Account

Tina Lawson, the mother of our true saviors Beyoncé and Solange, has the Instagram feed from Heaven. But this photo of her and her man, Richard, waiting to see Smokey Robinson is the blackest thing I have seen this week. I am fucking LIVING for it. I grew up listening to Smokey Robinson because of my mama and nana. So I feel like this could be my parents and that warms my soul in a way I can’t fully explain.

Also, look at that selfie. It’s just terrible enough to be a fantastic auntie and uncle pic. I love it. I love them. I’m crying. ― Julia Craven

Comedian Kate Berlant

HBO/ANNAPURNA PICTURES/NETFLIX/GETTY/VIMEO

Remember that time Roseanne Barr shrieked the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game? That is not my recommendation for the week. My recommendation for the week is the human being who wrote a thesis on the deconstructionist milestone that was Barr’s scream-performance: Kate Berlant. (She did this in grad school, really!) 

Berlant is in the new film “Sorry to Bother You,” which according to my colleague Matt Jacobs, you should really see. But she’s also appeared in “Search Party,” “High Maintenance,” “The Characters” and “555.” She’s a prolific scene-stealer and best friends with John Early, with whom she’s apparently writing a film. I recommend it! Them! Her! ― Katherine Brooks

A ’70s Gangster Film, Why Not?

For years, I’ve been trying to track down Elaine May’s mid-’70s masterpiece “Mikey and Nicky,” starring John Cassavetes and Peter Falk as childhood friends turned low-level gangsters turned frenemies. The film, which is now streaming on Kanopy, was well worth the years of searching. It’s better than every other Netflix crime show you’ve just binged.

The premise is simple: Cassavetes’ character knows there’s a contract out on his life and calls Falk to help him out. The rest of the film concerns what Falk does with his friend’s fate during the course of one boozy, cigarette-stained night. You can see the movie’s influence all over “Goodfellas” and shows like “The Sopranos.”

But the thing that will stay with you long after the film is over are the spare scenes with the women in their lives ― the ones who take their late-night calls, their abuses and their endless, tormented need. You see it in their eyes. They know what’s up. ― Jason Cherkis

Red Shorts, Blue Shirts: A Phenomenon

We’ve uncovered an international phenomenon: Each summer, dudes across the world bust out red shorts and, after very little consideration, decide that the only fashionable pairing is a blue shirt. Two of our reporters have been documenting this for four years — but this is bigger than our circle of friends now. Prepare to have your third eye opened. We bring you the RedShortsBlueShirt Instagram page and a whole hell of a lot of red shorts-blue shirt combos. ― Andy Campbell

Kumail Nanjiani’s Cheeseburger Freakout

I still can’t stop thinking about Kumail Nanjiani’s cheeseburger-related freakout in “The Big Sick.” We’ve all been on the wrong side of a customer service issue at the exact worst moment, and watching Nanjiani channel that is perfection. He strikes just the right notes of sympathetic and ridiculously funny. It’s hard to pick a favorite moment from the scene because I loved all of it ― from his yelling “Who the fuck is we, man?” to his knocking over the trash can and then feeling bad and slowly, sadly picking it all up again. ― Anna Krakowsky

Inner Peace

HuffPost

Get last week’s Good Shit here.

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘1621685564716533’); // Edition specific fbq(‘init’, ‘1043018625788392’); // Partner Studio fbq(‘track’, “PageView”); fbq(‘track’, ‘ViewContent’, “content_name”:”There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Tessa Thompson’s Earrings In ‘Sorry To Bother You’”,”content_category”:”us.hpmgarts” ); fbq(‘trackCustom’, ‘EntryPage’, “section_name”:”Culture & Arts”,”tags”:[“@health_gad”,”@health_depression”,”@health_models”,”@health_erectile”,”@health_ibs”,”lebron-james”,”amy-adams”,”tessa-thompson”,”kate-berlant”,”romelu-lukaku”],”team”:”us_enterprise_culture”,”ncid”:null,”environment”:”desktop”,”render_type”:”web” ); waitForGlobal(function() return HP.modules.Tracky; , function() /* TODO do we still want this? $(‘body’).on(‘click’, function(event) HP.modules.Tracky.reportClick(event, function(data) fbq(‘trackCustom’, “Click”, data); ); ); */ );

[druidcore]

Instagram Aesthetics; Tessa Scanlon 

“✨✨✨ says it all.”

( source images x / x )