#this was my aunt’s original vinyl!

[i-dont-want-your-hysteria]

I'm gonna be bingeing all of Leppard's studio albums on strictly physical formats while i work on my huge ass study guide for my final exam of the semester so be prepared for rants of all sorts

[gaviicreates]

Blog Post: Filet Crochet - Tall Ship

It's April 2022 and I've just added "Wellerman" to my playlists. Like most trends, I've discovered it late, but that doesn't stop my fervor in finding as many shanty bands as I can get my hands on. I re-watch "Master & Commander" and "Pirates of the Caribbean", I start and finish OFMD in a weekend, I buy the fancy vinyl of The Longest Johns' most recent album, I make up stanzas for Drunken Sailor, and I start reblogging ship after ship after ship - ships at sea, ships approaching pirate islands, ships in the mist and at night and with sails gloriously unfurled.

I tour a tall ship for my birthday, then spend the afternoon at an Irish pub listening to familiar songs that aren't shanties but come from similar traditional roots.

At some point, I admit... yep, I'm drawn to the aesthetic of tall sailing ships. And I celebrate it.

I celebrate anything that brings joy. So this time last year (Sep 18 if you are curious), my daydreams about ships chasing the horizon led me to pick up my crochet hook, start a row of chains and some double crochets, and make one of those vague, ominous posts: a simple: it begins.

And finally, I can say, it ends.

Reel version of the progress pictures available here. (Warning: For Photo movement sensitivity, I use zoom transitions)

This was my first big filet crochet project, and in full transparency, I learned the technique just so I could make this pattern. I first picked a few free patterns that were symmetrical between rows, as one of the challenges I had was reading left-to-right, then right-to-left in sequence based on whether I was on the right side of wrong side as the pattern progressed. My first non-symmetrical pattern was HandmadebyRaine's dolphin table runner. Fairly soon after I decided I was ready. I was probably less ready and more eager... but what's a better way learning a new technique than working on something you know you're going to be really passionate about?

Filet Crochet is a technique in which the pattern creates a mesh with filled in and open blocks, where the filled in spaces (or the inverse) makes an image. The only stitches you need to start learning is the chain and the double crochet, so in some ways it is quite beginner friendly. I'd recommend starting with a symmetrical pattern like I did until you are used to switching the reading direction with the rows.

Another challenge I had along the way: I lost the crochet hook I was using about halfway up. I think I actually was using a 2.00mm originally, but the challenge with these small hooks is that you can't really buy them on an individual basis - at least from what I've seen. This is the reason I have 3-4 .5mm's which I never use, but the 1.75mm and 2.00mm that I use all the time have a habit of walking away.

From there, the main challenge was keeping motivated, especially after that lull in the middle of the project. At the beginning and the end, the stitches were flying off the hook.

Pattern: Sailing Ship Doily by Crafty Sasha Hook size: 1.75mm Crochet Thread: Aunt Lydia's Size 10 GaviiCreates - 2023

So my year long passion project finally comes to end. I haven't yet picked a space in my home for this project to live, so it's not yet on display. It is such a statement piece, I'd like to make it somewhere visitors may see it. I'm proud!

As far as filet crochet - I really liked the technique! It's another way for me to use my thread, another style for doilies or table runners. I definitely think it will be added to my rotation. What do we think for next? A chicken?

[bunnygirl678]

I fucked up and put the moon on the back but whatever!

The stars glow in the dark but I ran out of the vinyl that glows so the moon is just sparkles!

Originally was going to do constellations buttttttt the stars were too big so it’s just a bunch of them lmao

My aunt always says she will mess things up on purpose in her projects so she remembers that she is not like God and that she has flaws (but really she does it on accident and then just made up a bs reason lmao)

[go-go-devil]

Captain Leafheart, 2002-2023

Today my dear pet frog, whom I named Captain Leafheart, died in his miniature pond. I made sure to bury him under the same backyard trees as my deceased mammalian pet, for his legacy was just as great as theirs!

Originally he wasn't even my frog. He once belonged to my cousin, but around ten years after getting him he moved out to college and decided not to bring his frog with him. My aunt, already having several other animals to take care of, asked me if I was willing to take in the amphibian, and since I had lost the last of my own frogs not too long I happily obliged!

I ended up renaming him to "Captain Leafheart" a few years later due to his original name being the same as an old friend I had drifted apart from after high school, which made me a bit uncomfortable with keeping it (a major improvement I'd say!).

I've always enjoyed caring for frogs, and the Captain was certainly remarkable. His nighttime croaking was always a pleasure for me to listen to, as was witnessing him hunting all of the crickets I'd buy for and flies I'd catch for him. Once he started living with me he got to experience the texture of moss for the first time, and I'll never forget how long he laid in the first batch I harvested for him <3

His living space also happened to be in my rec room, and so he was treated to a whole lotta music from my vinyl records, or at least as much as his eardrums could pick up (which probably wasn't much at all). Tree frog eardrums are very limited in what acoustic patterns they pick up on.

Also before anyone asks, don't worry! I did play Captain Beefheart for Leafheart, Trout Mask Replica to be precise. Hopefully there were enough frog frequencies in that insanity of an album for him to enjoy!

Leafheart lived a remarkably long life for an animal, and especially for an Australian green tree frog! Rest in Peace, Captain. You brought such joy to my life in your own humble way 🐸

[earthbaby-angelboy]

(I'm hoping this might help distract you a bit)

Here's something interesting about me:

My first name is Erin (E's middle name, though of course spelled differently)

I was born a week after E (on January 15th, 1992)

I don't know if this is true or not, but I swear I remember hearing from a relative once that my mom and dad were listening to Elvis in the car while bringing me home from the hospital.

...I don't know, it kind of makes me wonder if E's spirit was watching over me from the beginning or something. I'm sorry, I probably sound like I'm nuts lol!

(thank you lovely, i really do appreciate it. in turn, i’ll give some facts too!)

1. my aunt’s father was stationed in memphis and met elvis there. he asked for an autograph, and he ended up getting two. the story goes that elvis went to sign one side of the vinyl, but his pen crapped out so he flipped it and signed the other side too! my aunt never inherited the autograph, cause her dad gave it to his girlfriend at the time🥲

2. i have a long ass name. my first name is reid-callahan, but on here i shorten it to calla cause it’s more cutesy. my confirmation name is concetta (“conception” in italian, in honor of the virgin mary), and my middle name is kobain. so, my full name (not including my last cause privacy lol) is reid-callahan “calla” concetta kobain. jesus christ. /j

3. some songs that have been on repeat recently are “girls just wanna have fun” by cyndi lauper, “guaglione” by connie francis, “this night has opened my eyes” by the smiths, “no particular place to go “ by chuck berry, and “hound dog” by big mama thornton.

4. i have a memorial photo of elvis from 1978 in its original frame. it has the lyrics to “love me tender” on it. this, alongside my silhouette ring and locket bracelet, are my most prized possessions.

4. you do NOT sound nuts. i believe his spirit was watching over me from the beginning too. when i went to the theatres to see the movie and my ma took a picture of me, the time stamp was 3:33. i can’t tell you the amount of times i’ve been upset or begging for a sign that things will work out, and i look at the clock and see an angel number while one of his songs come on. i truly don’t believe that’s a coincidence :,)

thank ya, this helped <3

[frnkmush]

my boyfriend's aunt got me dd vinyl today for christmas. my collection is complete!!!!!!

i also now have all the watchment comics too!!!! like the originals!!!! i am unbelievably happy rn!!!!!

[retvenkos]

cym as.... random objects

MUTUALS — let me know if you want to be included or taken off!

absolutely screaming,,, i love how absolutely Unintelligible this one is going to be,,,, gonna scale down the scope to random things laying around in my house rn (which used to be my grandfather’s house, for context)

@murswrites — the under cabinet, electric can opener that my grandma installed on the kitchen cupboard in like,,,,, 1985 (i feel like you'd appreciate the utility asdfghjhgf, but also, she used to work at kmart and was always the first person on the block to get ~ fancy new appliances~ and you have the cool kid vibes)

@musicallisto — my grandfather’s copy of the bluejackets’ manual (14th edition) printed in roughly 1950-55 (it’s a book you’re given when you join the navy, and i’m not saying you support the u.s. military asdfgjhgfd but i feel like you’d appreciate the mystery of him keeping it even though he never spoke of the navy)

@scvrllet — my sisters absolutely MASSIVE hydroflask (128 oz) that no one has used since she moved

@mirclealignr — the (once gold painted) vintage, lion door knocker on the front door (that no one uses)

@swanimagines — the little, wooden “fairy door” that sits at the base of this massive tree in my backyard (i remember looking into the tiny, opaque window for hours when i was little and believing i saw fairies looking out at me)

@ughgclden — the super cheesy yellow shag carpet in my sisters bedroom closet that we still need to pull up (original to the house so,,,,, roughly installed in 1970-78)

@permanentreverie — my grandmother’s bookcase, filled with historical fiction, Christian Romance, prayer journals, and like,,,,, 8 different copies of the bible, all heavily annotated

@donnakenobi — my little sister’s bookcase filled with stuffed animals, each of which has a name, an entire backstory, a distinct personality, and (on many occasions) an accent

@amortensie — my grandma’s recipe book, filled with extra pages written by my great-grandma or great aunts

@anthonysharmaa — my incredibly heavy and incredibly sharp marble bookends that i always jokingly weaponize

@davey-in-a-minivan — my vhs copy of the prince of egypt and cats (1981)

@heliads — my busted up monopoly board that is missing like,,, half of its houses and hotels

@oceanspray5 — my mom’s collection of old photographs, spanning from 1980-2008

@noesapphic — the collection of jesus candles in my bathroom in case of power outage

@champagnesupernxvas — my sister’s astronomy and anthropology books

@juliastrojan — my character shoes from my theatre days

@teaand-dreams — my grandma’s massive collection of unused cards for every occasion imaginable (i WILL find a use for the “happy 16th birthday, granddaughter” and “happy bar mitzvah” cards istg)

@moonlit-imagines — my grandfather's collection of vhs western movies

@the-radio-star — my grandfather’s two (2) MASSIVE velvet paintings with the really thick, embossed frames (pick your poison - the tiger in the jungle or the building landscape that i think is supposed to be mexico)

@brokenandheadoverheels — my brother’s collection of old vinyls and his record player that is “broken but salvageable”

@locke-writes — my brother’s punching bag that once belonged to my uncle and still has the picture of some nameless nemesis on it (very funny, kinda mysterious...)

@missameliep— my mother’s recliner (this is very sacred, actually)

@biqherosix — my grandfather’s lock box that just has newspaper clippings of his father, siblings, and cousins, some of which whom i cannot name

[mitchipedia]

Neurologist Oliver Sacks feared for the future:

My favorite aunt, Auntie Len, when she was in her eighties, told me that she had not had too much difficulty adjusting to all the things that were new in her lifetime—jet planes, space travel, plastics, and so on—but that she could not accustom herself to the disappearance of the old. “Where have all the horses gone?” she would sometimes say. Born in 1892, she had grown up in a London full of carriages and horses.

...

I have not adjusted as well as my aunt did to some aspects of the new—perhaps because the rate of social change associated with technological advances has been so rapid and so profound. I cannot get used to seeing myriads of people in the street peering into little boxes or holding them in front of their faces, walking blithely in the path of moving traffic, totally out of touch with their surroundings. I am most alarmed by such distraction and inattention when I see young parents staring at their cell phones and ignoring their own babies as they walk or wheel them along. Such children, unable to attract their parents’ attention, must feel neglected, and they will surely show the effects of this in the years to come.

I'm nowhere near Sacks' age or generation. He was born in 1933, and died in 2015, age 82. But I'm old enough to have lived most of my life without cell phones, and I have adjusted fine.

Indeed, I can't think of a single technological thing from my childhood or young adulthood that I miss very much. Over-the-air television? Rotary phones? Vinyl records? 8-track tapes? Nope, nope, nope, and nope. That may surprise people who see all the nostalgic ads and photos or post here, but I just do that for fun. And I'm aware of all the 21st Century technologies that allow me to see those images, and share them easily.

Those people staring at their cell phones would have been distracted by other things if they'd lived in other generations.

Also, likely what they're doing on their phones is communicating with other people. So it all evens out.

Much of this, remarkably, was envisaged by E. M. Forster in his 1909 story “The Machine Stops,” in which he imagined a future where people live underground in isolated cells, never seeing one another and communicating only by audio and visual devices. In this world, original thought and direct observation are discouraged—“Beware of first-hand ideas!” people are told. Humanity has been overtaken by “the Machine,” which provides all comforts and meets all needs—except the need for human contact. One young man, Kuno, pleads with his mother via a Skype-like technology, “I want to see you not through the Machine. . . . I want to speak to you not through the wearisome Machine.”

He says to his mother, who is absorbed in her hectic, meaningless life, “We have lost the sense of space. . . . We have lost a part of ourselves. . . . Cannot you see . . . that it is we that are dying, and that down here the only thing that really lives is the Machine?”

I first encountered this story in school in the 1970s, and the Machine then seemed like a metaphor for television. Now it seems at first glance like the Internet.

But as I think about the story now, I think it's relevant today as a metaphor for the economic-political system we're enmeshed in, where we fill our lives with work and productivity and consumerism and the latest stupid thing that a politician or celebrity said or did.

Sacks is also worried that civilization itself might collapse soon. Me too, Dr. Sacks.

[tcriacosta]

We may be flailing, but we're not failing, babes ♡

BASIC STATS:

NAME: Vitoria Izabel Acosta

AGE: 29

DOB: October 31st, 1993

LENGTH OF TIME IN FAIRFORD: Her whole life (aside from a year abroad)

HOUSING: Coral Coast

OCCUPATION: Owner (Inherited) of Main Street Records

PERSONALITY: Enigmatic, confident, warm-hearted, impulsive, calculating, cunning.

FOUNDING FAMILY: Acosta

CONNECTION IDEAS

BASIC INFO:

Okay babes, here's the basic, the bare bones...the real down and dirty details of one Vitoria Acosta.

She grew up in Fairford, not much of a huge surprise there given she's a legacy kid of one of the founding families. But nonetheless I digress. Born and bred native of the town and loved it, you could pry the town from her cold dead hands.

She grew up with the confidence of a 6'5" footballer in the body of a 5'2" Latina (cue tragic music in the background). Which means of course she'd easily go toe to toe with any bullies she met, and somehow managed to make friends in nearly ever social circle throughout her school years despite being among the more 'popular / cheerleader' crowd.

The girl could party, but in her sophomore year of high school when her Uncle brought home a beat up 1973 Bronco...Vitoria started dedicating more of her social time to fixing it up with him than partying like it was 1999. She traded her her shiny pumps for greased overalls as soon as her backpack hit the floor of her childhood home, running to the garage to work on her beloved truck.

Mechanics came easy to her, in fact some of her friends often joked she could probably become the next Macgyver with a manicure. So despite her initial ideas of pursuing a degree in fashion or foreign policy, she went to college for mechanical engineering (with a wild card minor of music).

Donna Sheridan was the original hot girl summer, and Vitoria seemed to want to follow in her footsteps. So after her college graduation the 22 year old set out on a globe trotting adventure that took her, really, wherever the wind blew her. She worked odd jobs in places she stayed for longer periods, and enjoyed immersing herself in the various cultures and cities.

Home sweet home didn't seem to be just a sign that she saw in craft stores, because a little over a year later during her month in Belgium she got a call. Her aunt wanted to retire, and had decided to leave her shop in Tori's care. The young woman had always loved Main Street Records, so the chance to own it herself was one she wouldn't pass up.

That's how she made it back to Fairford, six years ago. She bought a place in Coral Coast, settled back into her beloved hometown and couldn't be happier. (Well I mean she wouldn't mind meeting Val Kilmer but that's irrelevant at the moment).

Personality wise, she's whiskey in a teacup. Her spunky side hits you when you don't expect it thanks to the typically laidback air about her. She either dresses like Cher Horowitz, Rachel Green or (young) Donna Sheridan, depending on the day, possibly in between but honestly those are the vibes. Her Bronco is essentially her baby and she adores it as such. She has an impressive garden, nearly as impressive vinyl collection and is a wicked pool & dart player. Ironically loves chess but only loosely learned how to play so she never goes in with a plan, is a lowkey nerd in lots of things so feel free to nerd out with her 9 times out of 10.

IN HER WORDS:

“What’s it like, living in Fairford? Did you ever picture yourself settling down here or did you always know this would be your home?”

“Fairford has always been my home. I’m a born and bred native, sweetheart, so I’ve never really imagined myself anywhere else. At least in a permanent sense.” Vitoria mused, biting into a fry. “I considered settling in Ireland permanently, after college when I was traveling. It was the closest sense to home that I’ve felt beyond the borders of Fairford, so you can imagine the temptation for me. But I guess to make a long answer short; I’ve always known I’d end up in town one way or another. And when I inherited the record store, it set things in motion for me.”

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“If you could recommend one hidden gem around town everyone should try, what is it? What makes it so special?”

“Well now if I told you where a hidden gem of a place was, that would defeat the whole purpose of it being a hidden gem. Wouldn’t it babes?” Tori joked before shaking her head. “I’m just messing with you, we don’t gatekeep here. Crusty’s, the pizza place yea? If it suddenly becomes super popular after this and I can’t get a table I’m comin’ to fight. But they make the best pizza, absolutely never fails to brighten my day—or night—depending on when I manage to grab a box for myself.”

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“It’s the little things in life; tell me three things that bring you a great deal of joy or put a smile on your face.”

“Oh let’s go, these are the kind of questions I love to answer. My Pinterest boards could probably give you better answers but let’s try this. 1. Driving my Bronco on those picturesque summer afternoons that are moving into evenings, where the sun is setting but the air is still warm. Some 80’s or 90’s song is playing on the radio and seems like time is irrelevant. 2. Picking vegetables from my garden, or watering flowers when the sky is that ominous grey and the clouds are rolling in, the smell of rain on the air and the anticipation that that first crack of thunder brings. 3. Working late nights at the record shop restocking for the next day, music playing softly in the background with takeout boxes scattered on the counter."

[naughtygirl286]

This week Everything was set, all who were going were ready and so we went to see Evil Dead Rise and boy were those Dead Evil lol

Now in all seriousness I personally am not a big fan of the Evil Dead franchise I have seen the original trilogy and have it on DVD. We went to see the 2013 remake, I read some of the comics and watched the first season of the TV show (I plan to watch the rest at some point) but anyway with all that its not really one of my favorite things. Its more of a "friends" thing like I know ppl who think its the greatest thing and I take part in it becasue they like it. I kinda see it like Zombie stuff I'm not a huge fan of Zombies and it takes alot for me to get interested in that but I'll watch Zombie stuff to make certain friends happy. So with that I wasn't really super interested in going to see this but I went anyway. and it was an alright movie I can say it was very wet and gooey and plenty of sticky bloody messes everywhere lol there was plenty of gore and and grossness but it was so over the top at times that it felt kinda silly in away

As for the story you kinda start at the end of the movie first like the opening sequence is kind of like an epilogue in the grand scheme of the entire story but after that it does a "the day before" type of thing so the entire movie takes place all in one night. It follows a Mother and her 3 kids as they are packing up and getting ready to move becasue the apartment building where they live s being torn down at the end of the month. During the night a storm is raining heavy as the Mother's Sister shows up for a visit. During this the Mother sends the kids out to get a Pizza and on their way back an earthquake happens which opens a hole in the parking garage to a hidden chamber where one of the kids goes in and finds a book "Bound in Human Flesh and penned in Blood" and of course does the stupid thing and takes it home along with some old vinyl records and then while home they are messing with it and open it and release the "Evil" turning their Mom into a Deadite and then she goes on to infect others turning them into one too and it is up to the the Aunt and the kids to stop it if they can..

Now I have to say The visuals and practical make-up and all that were all excellently done the production design on this was pretty amazing. The ripping of the girls scalp off around the first was kinda cool. and the weird monster things where all the Deadites merged into on creature was interesting also and that whole thing with the wood chipper was something.. lol and all the crazy stuff they had Alyssa Sutherland who plays the Mother Ellie do was pretty good but yeah It was all pretty crazy tho

Now I can say it wasn't really scary I didn't feel that it was I didn't jump at anything or feel scared at all it was all I just feel that it was all pretty wild and over the top. I did feel it was a little weird at times and like I said it was all very gooey and blood soaked I do feel that the acting was good and very intense and like I said Alyssa Sutherland who plays the Mother Ellie as soon as she get possessed she totally steals the show!! and everyone else did a great job too I think while filming this they probably had alot of laughs

but other then that it was an alright movie they did do some references to the original movies this one is suppose to have no ties to the originals but they do use some familiar lines and a chainsaw is involved lol but yeah like I said it was alright. If you like the Evil Dead series/franchise you might like this one.

[moorheadthanyoucanhandle]

MOTHERS, SONS, DAUGHTERS

Opening this weekend...

Evil Dead Rise--This fifth feature in the beloved horror series that began in 1981 moves most of the action out of the woods and into the city. An earthquake uncovers a copy of the "Book of the Dead" in the bowels of a decaying L.A. apartment building. Near the tome are a couple of vinyl records on which a priest has recorded the incantations necessary to invoke the evil spirits that re-animate dead bodies to torment the living. The kid who finds all this is an aspiring DJ, so he has turntables, so...

Through this laborious set-up, the lissome tattoo-artist single mother (Alyssa Sutherland) ends up possessed by a malevolent force. It's up to her guitar-tech sister (Lily Sullivan) to defend her nephew and two nieces. Gruesome mayhem ensues, hitting on the obligatory tropes of the series--grinning, leering, levitating corpses, oceanic amounts of gore, hurtling demonic POV, the repeated phrase "dead by dawn!"--as well as nods to Kubrick's The Shining and to Fargo.

I'm afraid I've run out of patience with this style of horror flick. Watching a woman's corpse terrorize and murder her children probably wouldn't be my idea of entertainment in any case, but here it's not only unpleasant but tedious. I've grown weary of films in which characters stand transfixed as something ghastly happens in front of them. After a while one begins to suspect that all the interminable gasping and whimpering and slowly backing away may not even really be about generating terror or heightening suspense, but rather about padding a thin script out to feature length.

Sam Raimi's original Evil Dead trilogy was not inconsequential cinema. The "shaky cam" techniques that Raimi and his cronies developed on those indies, out of economic necessity, were highly influential on the Coen Brothers and Barry Sonnenfeld and others. But beyond the realm of technical innovation, Raimi's movies, especially the marvelous Evil Dead II of 1987, had a low-tech vigor, a whimsical sense of macabre comedy and a guileless campfire-story gusto that, combined with the one-of-kind slapstick acting of star Bruce Campbell, made them classics.

Raimi and Campbell are listed as executive producers on Evil Dead Rise, but almost none of the twisted magic of their early work can be felt here. There's some elegance to the production design, and leading ladies Sutherland and Sullivan are stunning, Bukowski-style L.A. goddesses. There's a sweet line in which the youngest niece tells her aunt why she thinks she'll be a good mom someday. And the Hieronymus Bosch-like horror into which the demon's victims conglomerate themselves is a decent Raimi-ish idea, though the CGI renders it soulless.

I'm told that this film, directed by the Irish Lee Cronin, was originally slated to open on cable TV but got a theatrical release after test audiences took to it. So it may be that I've just aged out of this sort of thing, and the movie will truly please audiences. If so, even though it's not for me, I nonetheless find it cheering that people still want to scream in company.

Somewhere in Queens--Less than a month after opening the Phoenix Film Festival, Ray Romano's feature directorial debut opens theatrically here in the Valley. Romano, who co-wrote the script, also stars as Leo Russo, a bedraggled hangdog sad sack who works for his family's contracting business in the title borough. Leo isn't the favorite son, however. His father (Tony LoBianco) shows more respect to Leo's slick brother Frank (Sebastian Maniscalco). Maybe everybody loves Raymond, but nobody loves Leo.

Well, that's not true. His siblings and his wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) love him well enough, but they don't take him seriously, or listen to him. A sultry widower (Jennifer Esposito) on a jobsite seems to take a shine to him, but he's not the adulterous type.  Leo does have a source of pride, however: his quiet son "Sticks" (Jacob Ward) is a high school basketball star. One night at a big game, Leo and Angela are surprised to learn that Sticks has a girlfriend (Sadie Stanley) they didn't know about. The same night, they learn that he may be good enough for a college scholarship.

Though it's often funny, a forlorn atmosphere hangs over the early scenes of this movie that had me bracing for some sort of wretched tragedy that would leave the characters standing around emergency rooms or something like that. But the story, though it stings, doesn't drag us through the mud; it takes off in unexpected and painful yet believable and sometimes exhilarating directions.

The feel for the setting is convincing, and so is the large cast. The ensemble scenes are well-executed, especially the girlfriend's debut at a big family dinner, where she both irks and impresses the relations with her nerviness. Romano plays Leo as a toned-down version of his stage and sitcom persona, cowed and slow-witted, and his tentative, apologetic boyishness is poignant, even when you can see how his family could find it irritating.

For a while it seems like the film is underutilizing the mighty Metcalf, but finally Angela gets her big moment. Romano lets her articulate the theme of the movie, admitting probably the most frequent emotion of the parenting experience: Fear.

Also opening this weekend, at Harkins Chandler Fashion 20 and Harkins Arrowhead, is Tom Huang's fine comedy-drama Dealing with Dad...

It's slated to play at Harkins Shea and at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre in Sedona starting April 28.

I reviewed it last year, after it made the rounds of several festivals including Phoenix Film Festival. It's very much worth checking out.

[myevilmouse]

One of the many fun aspects of reading Star Wars fanfic is figuring out from whence came the inspiration: EU (Legends) Canon, Clone Wars & Rebels (animated), Prequels, Sequels, Original Trilogy. I will offer up that I am from the Rebels camp, Clone Wars, and then I took the Thrawn Off-ramp, which led me to wander into EU/Legends. (I go where Thrawn takes me 🤣) all of this has taken place in the last 18 months.

Since I have dove heavily into one aspect of your catalogue - Thryce - I was initially under the impression that you may have come from the Rebels camp, too, but alas! An enormous portion of your writing includes Luke! Add to this, the most recent fic that I am reading of yours mixes both EU & Canon characters. Queries:

What are your Star Wars genre influences?

Where/when did you become interested in Star Wars

Which character do you like best (My guess was Luke)

Thank you!

Hello my friend @beebee-76 and thank you for this wonderful excuse to shriek about loving Star Wars this evening! This got very long, so let's go below the cut!

So the best way to start is with your second question, and I think you may enjoy reading a couple posts I made a while back, one about how long I’ve been in SW fandom:

and one about the experience I had as a young kid seeing Ep V in the theatre:

In summary, I grew up with Star Wars.  My family was a Star Wars family.  My brother had the Darth Vader action figure case, the bed sheets and bedspread (which I have now muwahaha) and stacks and stacks of Star Wars comics, the old ones, with He-Man Luke and all that late 70s madness.  I had the vinyl read-along storybooks

and all that.  My parents loved Star Wars too, my mom adored Han, and my sister wanted to be Princess Leia.  It was a family thing. 

So the where? At home.

The when is…as long as I can remember.

Next to your character ask, which absolutely you are correct ma’am, Luke Skywalker is my main squeeze. 

he's so gorgeous amirite

I love him so much it fills my chest with bubbly squee just to contemplate the extent of my adoration.  Luke Luke Luke.  He’s the hero!  He’s handsome!  He’s kind!  He looks soooooo good in black!  Nnnnggghhhh.

You know me primarily from Thrawn/Thryce fic, but Thrawn was never a huge interest of mine apart from being a good villain in The Thrawn  Trilogy.  I always LIKE the bad guys but I didn’t find him particularly sexy or anything. 

Evilmouse’s idea of a sexy bad guy is more typically like:

(pretty much anything combining naughty + Kiefer Sutherland)

It was fanfic, actually, that turned me on to the “new canon” Thrawn and I started with the 2017 book (which I read I think in 2019? Or late 2018) and then I -had- to see Rebels. 

My sisters’ kids went through a Rebels phase, they dressed up as Ezra and Sabine for Halloween, stuff like that.  I remember being like “Who?!  What?!” but I am the cool aunt, the one who knows more about Star Wars than they do in most respects, so they told me about the exploits of the Ghost crew and I sort of listened without understanding anything about the characters and I was the only person my nephew knew that he could talk to about Jacen and Ben and all was cool. This was before our man showed up in Season 3...

Therefore, after reading the Thrawn book, and before the other “new” Zahn books came out (which is a discussion for another day), I had to see what the cartoon had done with this intriguing character.

Which leads us to your first question, about my genre influences. 

First of all, as mentioned, I grew up with the OT.  The OT is the unchangeable, unalterable, untouchable and all others are subordinate to the OT (original theatrical release, natch) canon.  Also of course all the Ewok Adventures are canon and don’t you dare tell me Cindel isn’t real. 

(ahahah you can tell I’m old cause I just unironically wrote ‘natch’)

Second, the Thrawn Trilogy are the real sequels.  Forever and always.  When Heir to the Empire came out, everyone including my mom freaked out at the fact that Lucas had PERMITTED a continuation of his saga.  A continuation that felt real, true to the characters, and took us further into their galaxy and timeline where real growth and change had not made them unrecognizable, cynical caricatures of themselves, where love and kindness still triumphed, and we had a ‘hey the gang’s all here’ wonderful adventure against a worthy adversary.  So yeah, The Thrawn Trilogy comes second to the OT in ‘my canon’.

You can’t erase Jaina and Jacen or Anakin or Ben or MARA or WINTER or any of these wonderful characters that lived and breathed in that galaxy Zahn allowed us to experience anew.  They are and will forever be!

OK enough of that. 

I stuck with the EU books for quite a while.  I wanted to stay in that galaxy. I am one of the weird people who don’t absolutely hate the Jedi Academy books, mainly because I think when I read them I was like a vacuum just sucking up the worldbuilding and it’s SUCH a fabulous era for our hero.  As a Luke devotee, I both wanted him to find love but was jealous of any potential mates that were presented.  I remember when I finished Children of the Jedi and I was like…uh…ok so Luke’s found love but it’s suuuuuper weird and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

Things were fixed what felt like 100 years later with the return of Thrawn in the Hand of Thrawn Duology. Luke recognized his soulmate at last and all was right with the world (even though Zahn still sucks at writing romance, I forgive him cause he was good at so much else).

I read a LOT of the EU books.  A lot.  Tales from Jabba’s Palace was one of my faves and all of those became canon in my heart too.  God I love the Rancor Keeper’s Tale. 

Bless you Paul Brooke.

But the numerous books started to blur and real life started to prevent me from keeping up with them.  I eventually gave up I think with the gazillion Jedi Apprentice novels (I couldn’t keep up), although my mom was still reading them!  She’s a major fan, guys.  Major.  And then the prequels came out.

I like the prequels alright, and certainly what came after put their perceived failings into a kinder perspective.

Slight tangent: I admit to being annoyed sometimes by this need to make everything in the OT "make sense" and explain it in the prequels. Like... no. Why did Leia say she remembered her mother's face? Because when they wrote that scene they didn't know ANYTHING ABOUT LEIA'S MOM AND IT SERVED THE SCENE. I understand some people need to explain things for themselves, but as someone who is old and cranky, I dislike uh...I'm not thinking of the word cause it's late, but this need to explain things in the context of "canon" that was written long after the OT was perfected. I think that's backwards. It shouldn't be like "Oh Obi Wan let Vader strike him down because of X that happened in the new TV show" it should be "X is in the new TV show because Obi Wan let Vader strike him down." Does that make sense? Maybe not. I stop before I make less sense.

More genre influences...Rogue One is good.

Video games too, bear inclusion.  Star Wars video games have typically been more engaging to me than many of the books, and feel more authentic than some of the disjointed canon or EU out there.  Dark Forces, Jedi Knight and Jedi Outcast, Fallen Order, Battlefront II to this day is one of my fave SW stories EVER.  Del Meeko my beloved.

Hmmm….am I going off on another tangent?

So I guess here is the TL;DR because it’s already late how did this happen?!

For writing Luke Skywalker, I focus on the OT Luke and the EU Luke we find in Zahn’s books—that’s what informs my writing the most.  I am not immune to Stover’s Luke either.

For writing Thrawn, I focus on 2017 Thrawn and EU Thrawn, who I believe are not mutually exclusive.  I use Rebels Thrawn to inform my dialogue choices sometimes, and that voice mmmhmm thank you for the voice Lars. 

I tend to think of Rebels Thrawn as like…the kids version of EU Thrawn, if that makes sense?  Like he’s not entirely removed from the character but he certainly is different in many ways, mostly to simplify the good v evil aspect of the cartoon and be just incompetent enough as an antagonist that our heroes can always escape/save the day.

I don’t have a problem with him, but I think “my Thrawn” is more 2017 than anything else, since he’s most romantic version and I write primarily smut.  EU Thrawn has his sexy moments and definitely has an influence on my take, though.  Anytime I start thinking 2017 Thrawn is too heroic, EU Thrawn shows up to demonstrate what a bastard he really is. And he certainly has sexy bastard scenes sometimes….Anyway, I have written a couple fics where I consciously merge the two and those are some of my favorite fics.

Now I definitely have rambled too long, because this document says I’m at 1400 words so I thank you so much as always @beebee-76 for the distraction and the ask and am sending you happy thoughts and love this evening.

[sapphosvioletts]

ON COMING INFODUMP 🚨 i got back into record collecting, i used to do it with my aunt all the time when i was younger and i finally got a new record player, and i'm genuinely so excited! i forgot how much i loved collecting and it's nice doing it on my own

yesterday i went to 3 different thrift/antique stores vinyl hunting, spent almost 4 hours (look sifting through all of the vinyls takes forever) and i'm happy with what i found!

and the 'introducing the beatles one'? i got it for only $5 and it has no warps, barely any scuffs. every single other beatles vinyl was listed for over $20 and that was at the cheapest, i saw one that was $60. it doesn't have a cover (which is okay with me, i don't mind if this one has a cover or not), so i don't think while putting them out they realized it was the beatles because there were tons of open vinyls, they're not going to read through all of them. i found it in the very back and it didn't have a price on it soooo the lady only asked for $5😎 and so i looked up the catalog number, and i could full well just be an idiot and looking at the wrong thing. but turns out it's a pretty rare one some worth up to $400. i'm not selling it, i want it for myself and also they aren't worth much without the cover. but still i cant believe i got that for only $5

tbh never heard of the blue 45 but it was only $2 and it has flowers in the name so i got it solely for that reason. and the genesis one i didn't rlly recognize i can only remember like one maybe two songs from them tbh but was only $3 so eh why not

then today this one thrift store was selling records for ridiculously cheap. i got the alice in wonderland set (which was literally only 97 cents for the ENTIRE set. 4 vinyls in it!!) that book was my favorite growing up and even if i don't ever use it i couldn't pass it up. then i found cabaret, one of my favorite soundtracks and i have in fact been listening on repeat since i got home. i'm used to the film version so the original version is really cool!! then i got the beatles one at walmart, yes i know i just got a beatles one but it's a different album and tbh i rlly just wanted eleanor rigby 😭

so this weekend was very successful!!! yes i only have about 57 cents left in my bank account but it's worth it

now i'm on the hunt for pink floyd. i do not have $50 for each album. but i have wanted the wall and the dark side of the moon for the longest fucking time praying that i can find them they're all i want *inserts meme of spongebob fish banging desperately on the floor*

[lucianamiglioranzi]

"Abel" is rocking on his horse while admiring the fairies playing on their cascade... He was painted with advanced techniques using thermal paints made with the same materials that make up the vinyl I produce and which I named Magical Dimensions ® . The combination of both results in the perfect reproduction of the different layers of a baby's skin, as well as the texture and other small peculiarities, such as diaper rash, milia, birthmarks, "stork bites", natural desquamation, in addition to nails, tears, " babinha" and many other minutiae. The very fine hairs, meticulously microimplanted with “nano” needles, are extracted from very special alpacas, which inhabit the Andes mountain range, the so-called sacred mountains of the Incas. The beautiful clothes in the Dusty Rusty Fairy Nest® collection are works of art in their own right. Each piece is filled with a poetic nostalgia that takes us back to our childhood, when happiness had no limits while we played in the backyard of our grandmothers' houses or among the aromatic and multicolored flowers in our aunts' gardens. They were designed by me. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️The original reborn kit Abigail was sculpted by the amazing Laura Tuzio Ross ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️one of the very few sculpt kits from other sculptors I handpicked myself to compose very unique realistic babies in my nest of fairy. To complete all the magic, Abel made his way to mom’s home traveling protected inside the bubble, symbol of the "Babies n' Bubbles" brand that imitates the mother's belly and was inspired by the stories my aunt told me when I was a child... #babiesnbubbles #lucianamiglioranziart #lucianamiglioranziartdolls #bebesquasedeverdade #magicaldimensionsnursery #pixie #fairy #fada #duende #gnomo #dimesoesmagicas #magicdimesions #artdolls #pocosdecaldas #hyperrealistic #rebornbabydoll #rebornprototype #dustyrustyfairynest #limogginabeings. (at Luciana Miglioranzi Criações Artisticas. Reborn Babies N' Bubbles) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSittcuQk1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[actionfigureinsider]

OTASCO stood for “Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company” and they were an all purpose retailer that also carried toys. Growing up in Oklahoma they always seemed to be the store that got in the latest #kenner #starwars action figures FIRST. Since all of my family shopped there for different things I made sure to give my grandparents and aunts and uncles lists of the figures from the card backs that I was looking for and it always paid off! I remember OTASCO is where I got my original vinyl caped Jawa as well as a lot of Jabba’s palace goons like the Gamorean Guard and Wequay from that store. They are all long gone now but they served me well in my childhood. #otasco #vintagestarwarsfigures #oklahoma https://www.instagram.com/p/ChkOXf8uRBG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[pennielane]

The backside of the “Twist and Shout” vinyl released in Canada, February 1964.

Do with this information what you will.