#twitter pack theo james

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Theo James twitter packs 🥀

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c is for cool and h is for hOT

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[alexskarsgardnet]

New Alex interview with Metro News + some of our favorite photos from the world premiere of The Aftermath!

Sixty Seconds with Alexander Skarsgård

The Swedish Big Little Lies star, 43, on sex scenes, signature dishes and the one strict rule in his famous family

Metro:  Your new film, The Aftermath, is set just after the end of World War II. Did you feel it was an unusual slant on a familiar subject?

Alex:  The story of the war has been told so many times in literature and on screen but not often in a very nuanced way. It’s always the heroic Allies versus the evil Germans and then they throw in a token ‘good’ German to prove they were not all bad. Here, I thought it was beautiful to get to know the people on the other side of the trenches. My character, Stefan Lubert, has been compromised so he carries a lot of guilt. It felt like a real character.

Metro:  You and Keira Knightley have an intense sex scene. What’s the secret?

Alex:  You’ve just got to commit to it and go for it. If you get nervous or start holding back, it gets weird. I had a sex scene with Greek actor Theo Alexander on True Blood. He’s also straight and we were like, ‘OK, dude, here we go!’ We were naked, making out, rolling around on the rug in front of a fireplace. But we were both really excited about the scene.

Metro:  You come from a big acting family led by your father Stellan, who starred in Mamma Mia! and Good Will Hunting. Are you all very close?

Alex:  Very much so. The hub is still Södermalm, south Stockholm, where we grew up. I live in New York. I haven’t had a place in Stockholm in 15 years and I just got an apartment there because I want to spend more time home in Sweden. Two of my brothers have children and it’s even harder now when I’m away, with those little kids. You’re gone for four or five months, then you come home and they barely recognise you. I’m excited to be spending more time in Stockholm and when I am there we all live two blocks from each other. It’s wonderful. We are a very tight family and Dad loves to cook. We all get there in the afternoon, hang out, play with the kids and then we eat and drink wine all night.

Metro:  What’s his signature dish?

Alex:  He doesn’t really have one dish. He is inspired by his travels. He will come home from Vietnam and then he will be all about Vietnamese food for a couple of months. Then he will be down in Morocco and he will come home and it will be tagines for a couple of months. He’s an extraordinary chef, he really is. Arguably more passionate about that than acting! When he’s not working, he will wake up thinking about what to cook for dinner. He has his routine where he goes down to the market, talks to the butcher, gets the good stuff, then goes to the liquor store and gets his wine and goes home. Then from three or four he will be cooking.

Metro:  Did you grow up with any strict rules?

Alex:  Dad was strict about punctuality, which he got from his father. And I appreciate that. If we decide to meet at six o’clock and you turn up at 6.20, you’ve just stolen 20 minutes of my life. It’s disrespectful. Either let me know in advance or have a good excuse… out of laziness or bad planning is not acceptable. But it contradicted his personality because he wasn’t a strict dad overall. He was very bohemian and very relaxed. He let us do our thing when we were children: explore our own paths, make our own mistakes and find our way in life. Punctuality was the one thing he was very militaristic about.

Metro:  You did a stint of military service. Did you learn discipline there too?

Alex:  I don’t know if it’s a case of chicken or the egg here. When I was a kid I was quite organised and I don’t know if that attracted me to the military or whether it was the other way around. I think it was in my DNA. But it became essential to be organised during those 18 months in the military. When you are out in the woods in the middle of the night, if you don’t know where you packed stuff in your backpack, you are in trouble.

Metro:  Doubtless it helped for getting into shape when you played Tarzan. Did you keep the muscles?

Alex:  No. It was so lovely to just let go and eat whatever I wanted and to drink and relax. We filmed it in London and our costume designer gave me a massive banoffee pie when we wrapped. It was incredible!

Metro:  You played a spy in the BBC’s The Little Drummer Girl. Does this mean you hold a fantasy to play James Bond?

Alex:  I grew up loving the Bond movies and I’m still a big fan of them but not really.

Metro:  You’re in the middle of shooting Godzilla Vs Kong. How has it been going?

Alex:  Oh, I’m loving it. For the past two years I’ve been shooting cerebral movies and TV with a lot of very dark subject matter such as The Aftermath, so very fulfilling and interesting projects, but also emotionally draining. My character in Godzilla Vs Kong is very different. He’s not the stereotypical action hero.

The Aftermath opens on March 1

Sources/Thanks:  Article:  James Mottram for Metro.news (x), Photos:  SocialNews.xyz (x), Colin Hart (x, x, x) and berndt2_photo twitter (x).

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[teatreethot]

Comet AU Headcannons

- Aaron is married to George King at age 19 to escape his abusive uncle. Living with King, however, is no different to living with Timothy Edwards

- Aaron’s parents died before he was 3, so he and his sister were given to his uncle.

- His uncle targeted him only, and his sister eventually ran away with Tapping Reeve

- King owns King Industries, so he’s pretty fucking rich

- Aaron is basically New York’s flower child. Everyone knows him, everyone loves him, and he’s just the softest boy you’ll ever meet

- Aaron loves New York (when his husband is not around) but will always cherish his home in New Jersey.

- James Madison is his godbrother. He and Thomas Jefferson basically raised Aaron.

- James has leukemia

- James and Thomas were engaged when they were 20 but broke it off because James didn’t want Thomas to be sadder than he has to be when he died.

- After Martha (Thomas’ wife) died, James and Thomas have engaged again. They are currently engaged.

- John Laurens married Martha Manning, Laf married Adrienne, Alex married Eliza and Herc married his wife.

- They are all about four years older than Aaron

- The Schyler Sisters are VERY protective of Aaron.

- They’re all friends with Aaron

- Aaron loves Theodosia, and Theodosia loves him back. Theo is three years older.

- Aaron entered college at age 13, where he studied medicine and law. He graduated both at age 16 and is currently a distinguished brain surgeon.

- He used to date Jon Bellamy before he died in the war

- Aaron also is an ABSOLUTE theatre kid.

- He can sing, dance, play instruments, act and even draw

- King, however, doesn’t like the arts, so he doesn’t allow any of it in the house. Aaron doesn’t want to get beaten more than usual, so he listens to his husband.

- Aaron writes songs in his free time, then produces them with Jeffmads in the Monticello (their house in New York)

- King also has a track record for physical, emotional and sexual abuse with his partners. The locals can only imagine what happens to Aaron behind closed doors.

- King is cheating on Aaron with Samuel Seabury and Charles Lee and EVERYBODY knows

- George Washington is a mortal enemy of King but hates Aaron. He favours his adopted son, Alexander.

- Martha Washington loves Aaron. She, along with half of New York wants to adopt Aaron. 

- The Rev Squad are trying to get Aaron out of this household and marriage, but King keeps hiring the best lawyers to fight against them.

- This often leads to twitter wars between Hamilton and King.

- Aaron was once a model for Vogue since he had unique feminine hips and a small waist, while being able to have a six pack and NOT look weird. King didn’t allow this because he was jealous.

- After telling Vogue to back off, King proceeds to slut shame his ‘husband’. This is still continuing

- Aaron and King had a daughter named Elsie. Aaron loves her more than the stars and the moon. King despises her because of her gender. King dragged Aaron away one-day when she was sick. Aaron couldn’t help her.

- Elsie died before she was 2

- Aaron knows that one-day things will get better. He knows he will end up with Theo. He knows he will be happy.

[sciencespies]

COVID-19 Claims the Lives of Three Jazz Greats

https://sciencespies.com/news/covid-19-claims-the-lives-of-three-jazz-greats/

COVID-19 Claims the Lives of Three Jazz Greats

The jazz world lost three of its most legendary musicians to COVID-19 this week.

Trumpeter Wallace Roney died Tuesday in New Jersey, pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr. died Wednesday in New Orleans, and guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli died on Wednesday in New Jersey. They were 59, 85 and 94, respectively.

Ellis Marsalis Jr.: A Father and Mentor to Jazz Players

American jazz musician Ellis Marsalis Jr (left) and his son, fellow musician Wynton Marsalis (right), backstage after a rare performance as a duo at the Blue Note nightclub, New York, New York, June 4, 1990.

(Photo by Jack Vartoogian / Getty Images)

Marsalis was a towering figure of modern jazz. Through his teaching, he became the patriarch of a musical family that extended well beyond the four sons who followed in his footsteps, report Janet McConnaughey and Rebecca Santan for the Associated Press.

“Ellis Marsalis was a legend,” wrote Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans, where the musician spent most of his life, on Twitter Wednesday night. “He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz.”

The Marsalis family patriarch held teaching positions at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of New Orleans. He had retired just this year from a three-decade stint playing weekly gigs at a small New Orleans club called the Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.

“With the passing of Marsalis, we have lost not only a gifted pianist, but also a person committed to the importance of music education and jazz history,” says Theo Gonzalves, curator of cultural and community life at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

Marsalis was known for his talents on the piano—he played alongside such greats as Cannonball Adderley and recorded more than 15 albums—but he was proudest of his legacy as a mentor and educator who carefully shepherded the next generation of musicians, including four of his six sons, reports Andrew Limbong for NPR.

“He was like the coach of jazz. He put on the sweatshirt, blew the whistle and made these guys work,” Nick Spitzer, host of public radio’s “American Routes” and a Tulane University anthropology professor, tells the AP.

Marsalis’ son Wynton is a trumpeter, as well as the artistic director of jazz at New York’s Lincoln Center. Branford took up the saxophone, leading “The Tonight Show” band and touring with Sting. Delfeayo, a trombonist, is a prominent producer and performer. Jason is a drummer of note with his band and as an accompanist. Marsalis’ two other sons—Ellis III, a poet-photographer, and Mboya—did not pursue music.

“My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father. He poured everything he had into making us the best of what we could be,” says Branford in a statement.

Despite hailing from New Orleans, with its eponymous style of jazz, Marsalis’ musical heroes were virtuosic purveyors of bebop, including Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. His devotion to “straight-ahead jazz” trickled down to his sons, as well as other musicians he taught, including Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison Jr., Harry Connick Jr. and Nicholas Payton, report Giovanni Russonello and Michael Levenson for the New York Times.

Marsalis’ children and students became the vanguard of “a burgeoning traditionalist movement, loosely referred to as the Young Lions,” write Russonello and Levenson in the Times. Roney, the trumpet player who died Tuesday, was one of these students.

In 2010, musician Anthony Brown and Ken Kimery, program director of Smithsonian Jazz, interviewed Marsalis for the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program. Recounting the conversation now, Kimery says the pianist “afforded us great insight into his family history, life in New Orleans,” favorite musicians and education, among other topics. The full transcript of the interview is available here.

Wallace Roney: Young Lion and Miles Davis Protégé

Wallace Roney performs at the Second Fandango Jazz Festival at La Palma in Rome, Italy.

(Photo by Ernesto Ruscio / FilmMagic)

Horn player and composer Wallace Roney was one of the “Young Lions” influenced by the Marsalises, but his chief association is with his idol and mentor, Miles Davis.

A pivotal moment in the pair’s relationship took place at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival, reports Nate Chinen for NPR. Davis, recruited by producer Quincy Jones to perform two of his albums, insisted that Roney, who stood in for him during rehearsals, join him onstage.

The younger musician “instinctively jumped in to handle some of the more technically demanding parts, and implicitly joined a chain of succession,” writes Chinen.

This public endorsement from arguably the most famous trumpet player of all time immediately launched Roney to a new height of jazz celebrity—but it also dogged him as he sought to differentiate himself.

“[A]s his career went on, Mr. Roney managed to neutralize most of those criticisms,” writes Giovanni Russonello for the New York Times. “His nuanced understanding of Davis’s playing—its harmonic and rhythmic wirings as well as its smoldering tone—was only part of a vast musical ken. His own style bespoke an investment in the entire lineage of jazz trumpet playing.”

Roney released just under 20 albums as a bandleader. Fittingly, he won a 1994 Grammy for the album A Tribute to Miles.

A 1987 profile of Roney by James McBride of the Washington Post gave the musician a simple and unqualified introduction: “His name is Wallace Roney III. He is 27 years old. He is from Washington, and he is one of the best jazz trumpet players in the world.”

Critic Stanley Crouch, meanwhile, recalled a performance delivered by a teenage Roney in a 2000 profile for the New York Times.

“As soon as Mr. Roney commenced to swing, the noise level in the club immediately dropped off, and those in the middle of conversations or laughing and joking turned their attention to the bandstand,” wrote Crouch. “At the end of the tune, the room took on a crazily jubilant mood, and the clapping wouldn’t stop.”

Bucky Pizzarelli: A Supporting Player Who Moved to Center Stage

Bucky Pizzarelli performs onstage at Living Legends of Jazz during Miami Beach Jazz Fest on January 10, 2015.

(Photo by Johnny Louis / Getty Images)

The eldest of the three jazz men who passed away this week was Bucky Pizzarelli, “a tasteful sage of jazz guitar who spent the first phase of his career as a prolific session player and the last phase as a celebrated patriarch,” according to Nate Chinen of NPR.

Pizzarelli’s tremendous command of his instrument allowed him to draw “attention to the song he was playing, rather than the playing itself,” adds Chinen. “His rock-solid rhythmic footing and broad harmonic understanding were hallmarks of a warmly understated style.”

Describing Pizzarelli as “a master of the subtle art of rhythm guitar as well as a gifted soloist,” Peter Keepnews of the New York Times notes that the musician appeared on hundreds of records across genres. More often than not, he went uncredited.

Pizzarelli toured with Benny Goodman and was a stalwart in Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” orchestra before the talk show moved taping from New York City to Los Angeles in 1972. When the production’s cast and crew packed up, Pizzarelli stayed behind and began making a name for himself in New York nightclubs.

The musician is survived by his son John, also a renowned jazz guitarist. The father-son duo performed and recorded together many times.

Pizzarelli’s signature seven-stringed guitar is on display at the National Museum of American History. The guitar’s extra string was tuned to a low A, allowing him to provide a bass line even when playing alone or in concert with another guitar player. The jazz legend—who performed into his 90s despite multiple hospitalizations caused by stroke and pneumonia—played the guitar up until the day he donated it to the museum in 2005.

In a 2016 interview with Inside Jersey’s Jay Lustig, guitarist Ed Laub, a student and collaborator of Pizzarelli’s, aptly summed up his mentor’s approach: “It’s about making beautiful music. It’s not about grandstanding. And that’s what his whole personality is about.”

LeRoy Neiman, Big Band, 2005

(LeRoy Neiman / Photo by Richard Strauss, NMAH)

Reflecting on the trio of jazz giants’ legacy, curator Theo Gonzalves looks to a LeRoy Nieman painting on view at the National Museum of American History.

Called Big Band, it “features 18 of the greatest performers and composers of American music,” says Gonzalves. “When musicians like Wallace Roney, Bucky Pizarelli, and Ellis Marsalis pass away, we are lucky that we can take some solace by listening to their recordings. But isn’t it a comforting thought as well to imagine them, in a way that Nieman does, performing in concert for eternity?”

#News

[ourreferences02]

seventy-three questions

I guess this is like if some random person wanted to interview my kids, idk. Ignore how some things capitalized on their own, ik it’s very annoying. not to mention, I didn’t bold or italicize anything. there’s too many words in this post it would take too much time, sorry. have fun reading all of this

q: what’s your favorite movie you’ve seen in the past month?

Richard: Richard peter Johnson. it’s about me. for sure.

bella: to the bone. I forget if they have a trigger warning. I don’t know, I liked it.

calum: john wick. there’s a lot of cool stuff

leia: frozen and moana!!!

q: favorite animal?

Richard: I honestly don’t know. for shits and giggles, maybe cougars

bella: um... when I was little I really liked birds, bunnies, lions, and lambs

calum: dragons are super strong and op

leia: puppiessssssss

q: best friend’s name?

Richard: sam

bella: i’m not very close with anyone. ally, I guess

calum: kirk junior

leia: luke

q: book you plan on reading?

Richard: the catcher in the rye

bella: pride and prejudice

calum: I want to get the guiness book of world records for 2017

leia: the blue fairy book. it’s about fairy tales

q: something that positively shaped you?

Richard: sick as it sounds, my girlfriend set herself on fire and had to go to the hospital. it was because of me, and when she made it out of that experience with no burns it somehow got me to be more appreciative and inspired me to stop being such a dick sometimes

bella: theo.

calum: I heard about LeBron james

leia: life

q: biggest secret?

Richard: don’t have one, really

bella: it wouldn’t be a secret if I told someone, would it?

leia: I found out that my best friend is sleeping beauty! but a boy!

calum: not telling. i’m not retarded.

q: on a scale of one to ten, how excited are you about life right now?

Richard: ten? idk

bella: 6... hehe

calum: five is average. so five.

leia: a bagillion gazillion and one

q: iPhone or android?

Richard: androids have potato cameras

bella: iPhone. I guess if they’re too expensive an android would be okay

calum: aren’t andriods robots

leia: aye aye captain hahahhahhahhahhaha

q: twitter or Instagram?

Richard: twitter

bella: definitely Instagram

calum: I like jetpack joyride

leia: graham crackers?

q: who should everyone be following right now?

Richard: me. just kidding, um... my friends tyrone and Tanisha. they’re living on their own for the most part, with two twin babies, at fifteen. kudos

bella: not kim Kardashian.

calum: stalkers. show them how they make other people feel.... oh sorry, wrong kind of following

q: favorite food?

Richard: I can’t come up with something so i’m just going to say pizza

Bella: i like chicken alfredo pasta. I’m not sure if it’s my favorite though

Calum: hot dogs

Leia: crackers

q: least favorite food?

Richard: cornbread. I’ve seen timmy wolf down a whole loaf. It was huge. There was a lot of blowing chunks after. Scarring, tbh

Bella: never liked green beans

Calum: eggplants, carrots, and bananas

Leia: steak is hard for me to chew sometimes

q: what do you love on your pizza?

Richard: cheese

Bella: cheese. Oh, richard said that too? Ffs

calum: pepperonis

Leia: anchovies! Just kidding, i’m joking!

q: favorite drink?

Richard: i’ve got no clue. water is very underrated

Bella: i used to love lemonade. Haven’t had that in years. Oh, right. I like tea, coffee, root beer, yeah

Calum: i’ve never had vodka, but vodka

Leia: do slushies count?

q: favorite dessert?

Richard: i’m a fabulous dessert -wink- um, no, in all seriousness, chocolate ice cream

Bella: huh. I haven’t had dessert in a while either. Shit.

Calum: chocolate chip cookies

Leia: everything sweet

q: dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Richard: well I know how tyrone would answer this. I guess milk chocolate

Bella: milk?

Calum: both

Leia: ooooooh, one second, i’ll be back! NO IT’S NOT TO GET CHOCOLATE

q: coffee or tea?

Richard: coffee

Bella: they’re both good for photos, coffee tastes better, but tea is better for you

Calum: alcohol

q: hardest decision?

Richard: what to answer for this question. That counts?!

Bella: life or death. I chose life, obviously

Calum: i’m bored

Leia: my mom asked me if i wanted a dog or a cat! I said dog, but she never got either one

q: favorite fruit?

Richard: peach. -eyebrow wiggle- I actually don’t know

Bella: pineapple, mango, peach, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, watermelon...

Calum: pear

Leia: applllllllles!!!

q: favorite singer or songwriter?

Richard: shawn mendes. I’M JOKING

Bella: isabella vail. Sorry, no self-promo? Okay, theo herondale -grin-

Calum: eminem

Leia: idina menzel

q: favorite song?

Richard: can’t say

Bella: that’s a lot of pressure

Calum: i’m hungry

Leia: I’VE BEEN STARING AT THE EDGE OF THE WAT-

q: if you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?

Richard: shawn mendes. I’M STILL JOKING I SWEAR

Bella: theo.

Calum: that’s gay

Leia: MOANA

q: if you had a tattoo, where would it be?

Richard: could i get a tramp stamp

Bella: i can’t choose, whoops

Calum: my arm

Leia: but they’re permanent!!

q: to be or not to be?

Richard: to be

Bella: to be or not to be.. ahh.. Love it

Calum: not to be

Leia: tooooo beeeeeeee... Two bees?

q: bird-watching or whale-watching?

Richard: whale-watching but only if i could ride the whale

Bella: bird-watching, they make such pretty sounds

Calum: a bird shit on my head

Leia: whale-watching because then i could see mermaids too!!!

q: best gift ever received?

Richard: sofia and will, thank you so much for your second creation. Not that the other ones aren’t good i just mean i love wed oh god just shut up richard. Praise you guys, hallelujah. Rest in peace, will. Would’ve been nice to get a “NOW YOU BE CAREFUL WITH MY DAUGHTER!” chat.

Bella: meeting theo was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.. wait is anyone going to see this? Oh god please no UM OKAY best gift other than that, i got a purple flower pin from.. someone.. Although i technically didn’t get it from them..i don’t want to think about this, never mind

Calum: my mom got a basketball hoop for me

Leia: everything!!

q: best gift you’ve ever given?

Richard: i once decorated bella in glitter and shit and then tried to give her to my mom. Yeah, i still don’t know why i did that. Awww, my little sissie, i’m gonna give her a hug after this

Bella: i wouldn’t know

Calum: i gave kirk junior a whole pack of gum once

Leia: i gave luke’s grandma a pretty flower. She’s really nice.

q: last gift you gave a friend?

Richard: the cornbread timmy threw up

Bella: i’ve never had a real friend, um, i gave annabelle a horse necklace and dora a set of nail polish. But they’re just people i talk to sometimes. Plus annabelle.. ugh

Calum: i gave savannah a pencil. Hope she liked it

Leia: i gave my mom a hug today!!

q: favorite video game?

Richard: OH MINECRAFT FOR SUUUUUUUURE!!! sorry i’m not in a serious mood

Bella: i don’t really play video games, the sims, i guess

Calum: call of duty games

Leia: roblox!! I like the pizza delivery game

q: favorite meme?

Richard: oh boy

Bella: are you serious? Right in front of my salad?

Calum: the spongebob music one

Leia: what’s a meem

q: last country visited?

Richard: greece

Bella: greece

Calum: how much longer

Leia: greece

q: favorite body part on a human?

Richard: well this could get some perverted answers

Bella: eyes. But “eyeballs” sounds atrocious.

Calum: pussy

Leia: their hearts!!!!!!

q: favorite color?

Richard: i like reds, blues, greens, idk

Bella: i loved yellow when i was younger. Blues are good too. As for the stuff that’s not on the rainbow, i guess i like black, gray, silver, gold, and white. Oh red is good sometimes

Calum: red, green, orange

Leia: light blue

q: least favorite color?

Richard: that murky brown and green mixture -shudder-

Bella: the colors that we can’t see or imagine. So frustrating.

Calum: yellow

Leia: i like all of the colors, i wouldn’t want any to feel bad about themselves

q: diamonds or pearls?

Richard: i mean there are no pearls in minecraft... OKAY I’LL STOP

Bella: diamonds

Calum: you could sell the diamonds and be rich

Leia: great grandma grace had pearls

q: heels or flats?

Richard: i lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt, but i make these high heels work

Bella: it depends

Calum: heels are sexy.

Leia: no girl can walk in heels, can they? OMG BELLA YOU’RE WALKING IN HEELS

q: pilates or yoga?

Richard: how about just working out

Bella: yoga

Calum: there’s yoga instructor porn

Leia: you mean pirates or yoda? Yoda is in star wars with princess leia, so yoda

q: jogging or swimming?

Richard: swimming for sure

Bella: i mean, i love swimming. But it’s hard to go near a pool when you’ve drowned yourself. I’m sorry i keep being gloomy

Calum: sorry, i fell asleep

Leia: swimming!

q: best way to de-stress?

Richard: hahahhahhahah

Bella: talking to someone, hugging someone, etc.

Calum: sleeping helps

Leia: just breathe! ahhhh...

q: if you had one superpower, what would it be?

Richard:i heard about a superpower that is all the superpowers

Bella: richard told me abo- he said that too?!

q: weirdest person you ever met?

Richard: the howler or the tricycle guy

Bella: theo. -devilish grin- nO I’M KIDDING DON’T TELL HIM I SAID THAT! Awe, i feel bad

Calum: my whole family

Leia: i don’t know, everyone’s weird in their own way

q: favorite flower?

Richard: i don’t know about many besides roses

Bella: i could list my top 50 if you want

Calum: ew

Leia: dandelions grant wishes!

q: last time you cried?

Richard: when my girlfriend was in the hospital

Bella: ...

Calum: crying is for chumps

Leia: i’m too happy to cry

q: do you like your handwriting?

Richard: no?

Bella: im not sure

Calum: oh bitch i fell asleep again

Leia: i forget to dot my i’s sometimes

q: do you bake?

Richard: i live in a house with girls, of course. OH SHOOT WAS THAT SEXIST, I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE TH- oh right. Forgot about calum. LOVE YA CAL

Bella: baking and cooking are both fun

Calum: no. i eat the baked goods though

Leia: i eat the cookie dough heheh

q: least favorite thing about yourself?

Richard: my anger issues

Bella: my luck

Calum: i’m amazing

Leia: i-i love myself!!! haha..

q: favorite thing about yourself?

Richard: idk

Bella: haha

Calum: everything

Leia: i think i’m nice

q: who do you miss most?

Richard: ggg. Great grandma grace

Bella: not ben. I liked you when you were alive, but you are unbearable as a ghost

Calum: i just want to play basketball

Leia: everyone who is in heaven!!!

q: what are you listening to right now?

Richard: the wind, i guess

Bella: arctic monkeys

Calum: leia trying to sing. She sucks

Leia: my favorite tarzan song

q: favorite smell?

Richard: um

Bella: rain, books, fire, theo, dryer sheets, flowers, oh no did i say theo? -blush- please don’t put that in

Calum: no idea

Leia: freshly baked sugar cookies, bella’s are better than my mom’s!

q: last person you talked to on the phone?

Richard: sam. He’s giving me updates on gilly and her baby. I hope she’s doing okay..

Bella: i got some type of hate call from someone. Idk who.

Calum: kirk junior and i were talking about basketball

Leia: luke. He said i’m giving him mixed signals. I have no clue what that means

q: last person you sent a text to?

Richard: tyrone

Bella: charlie

Calum: i don’t have a phone.. one day

Leia: look! The lollipop made my tongue blue!!!

q: sport you wish you could play?

Richard: is archery a sport? Because that’s cool

Bella: i don’t play any sports -sigh-

Calum: i do play basketball, but i really like basketball, so basketball.

Leia: i wish i could ice skate more

q: hair color?

Richard: a medium/dark brown

Bella: i’m a brunetteeeee

Calum: light brown

Leia: blonde!

q: eye color?

Richard: green. Idk about greater detail

Bella: crystal blue? It’s like a blue but if you turned the saturation down a bit and put some shine in there

Calum: i don’t check

Leia: blue, like blue whale

q: scary films or happy endings?

Richard: both

Bella: happy endings

Calum: no real man likes happy endings

Leia: scary movies scare me

q: favorite season?

Richard: tough

Bella: it really depends. Spring is very rainy but i like the rain. Summer is super hot but school’s out and it’s beautiful out. Fall comes with the colorful tree leaves and the clothing, and winter is cold but you have hot chocolate and oversized sweaters

Calum: i bet bella gave a long answer. Loser.

Leia: summer!

q: sexual fantasy?

Richard: where did that come from

Bella: -beet red- w-what?

Calum: huh

Leia: what’s that?

q: hugs or kisses?

Richard: both

Bella: bot- HE SAID THAT TOO? WTH

Calum: neither

Leia: hug time!

q: rolling stones or the beatles?

Richard: the beatles

Bella: the beatles, for sure

Calum: how many left?

Leia: why are we talking about things in the garden

q: favorite sex position?

Richard: i swear this came out of nowhere

Bella: -blink-

Calum: missions. Missionary? Yeah, that’s what i meant

Leia: i’m so confused

q: farthest you’ve been from home?

Richard: i died twice. Dk where i ended up

Bella: see i killed myself, and then i was in some sort of darkness for a week until i decided to come back

Calum: are we close to finished

Leia: look at this nail polish! Isn’t it so pretty?!

q: left or right?

Richard: the price is right

Bella: right

Calum: left

Leia: right

q: lipstick or lip gloss?

Richard: um

Bella: lipstick

Calum: almost?

Leia: lip gloss

q: scariest dream?

Richard: you’d know if i pissed myself

Bella: ..don’t want to talk about it, sorry

Calum: im not scared of anything

Leia: cookeh im mah mout, un segont

q: favorite type of hair?

Richard: i guess i like head hair over pubic hair

Bella: depends

Calum: hairless cats

Leia: those naked rodents

q: title of your autobiography?

Richard: one second, let me think of something

Bella: i wouldn’t write an autobiography

Calum: Perfection

Leia: my life

q: favorite sound?

Richard: did i really just fall asleep

Bella: sorry, what? I was doodling.

Calum: basketballs bouncing

Leia: water

q: favorite animal?

Richard: wasn’t this already a question

Bella: On the other side of a street I knew, stood a girl that looked like you, i guess thats deja vu

Calum: there has to be only a couple left

Leia: what

q: girl crush?

Richard: there’s this girl named wednesday herondale, she’s honestly my dream girl -grin-

Bella: how’d you know i’m bi? nO NOT BIPOLAR

Calum: i-i don’t h-have one..

Leia: i love my sister!

q: last photograph you took?

Richard: you’d expect it to be a nude because i’m a teenage boy, yeah, yeah, i see you.. well, i’ll have you know, it’s a picture of... my girlfriend. isn’t she beautiful, look at her!

Bella: okay so this one is o- fine. Don’t let me go into detail.

Calum: i took this selfie on my ipad by accident. I have a double chin in it haha WAIT WE’RE DONE?! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Leia: oh this one’s of my finger! whoops!

[chapulana]

It’s Time To Embrace The Calm

We are only days past the last blockbuster trade to happen around New York City hoops, and just days away from the 2019 NBA trade deadline. The Mecca of Basketball is under the spotlight yet again after the New York Knicks, in what seems to be a move that contradicts their recent history, sent young sensation Kristaps Porzingis packing to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for what looks to be a more promising future for the blue and orange in former Mavericks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and the cap space that they’ll enter the summer with.

Nine years after making cap room for LeBron James and then getting turned down, New York is gunning for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Entering the decade, the Knicks gambled and miserably failed, settling on Amar’e Stoudemire as their marquee free agent signing of the summer. Talk about a blunder. The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, were still on the under-the-radar-moves market back the, signing the likes of Jordan Farmar and Travis Outlaw. It wouldn’t be until later in the season when both New York franchises blew the horns and traded for Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams.

From that point in February 2011 until today, only a couple of the moves that have sent shockwaves around the league had their epicenter in NYC. Bargnani joined the Knicks in 2013 while the Nets basically destroyed anything resembling a bright future in the trade with Boston, pushing the win-now mentality to unexplored limits. Good for both NY-based franchises, it seemed like they had learned the lesson with time and perspective taking a place in their paths until KP got kicked out of town entering this past weekend.

Now hear me out. I like trades. Actually, I love trades, and I’m sure you do too. They keep the league alive, they get us glued to our phones refreshing Twitter faster than it can handle it and they are fun to speculate and make stories with, fantasizing about what could and could not happen. The problem, though, is that trades bring agitation, and agitation is not good all of the times. What just happened with the Knicks trading Porzingis, come to think of it, makes me see the franchise in some sort of empty and peaceful place at first thought. They have traded not only KP but also Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. They have received two guys they will probably cut in Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan. Basically, New York has emptied the room and traded for things-to-come. The thing with this is that the hopes the Knicks will carry from this point to next July when they’ll need to go all-in are surreal. They are and will be over the top. Anything sort of bringing the two best available FAs will feel like a loss.

Brooklyn, on the other side of the coin, remains in a completely different place and stage. Don’t be fooled, though. The Nets have the assets and armory to go all-in themselves and snatch Anthony Davisfrom New Orleans. It would be the most resembling gamble to what the Knicks have done by trading their franchise player. Would it give Brooklyn a better chance at winning the championship? Surely, not a lot of players best AD’s game. Would it be an intelligent move? Nope. No. You know what happened the last time the Nets went for it with a big move. Yes, they made the playoffs. Yes, they lost only against the mighty Miami Heat. Do you know what did they do too? Get into a four-year tailspin that saw the franchise end with a losing record each and every one of those seasons, only to–seemingly–break that span this year.

Brooklynites appreciate the current situation. The front office should too. The vibes around the team can’t get any better. The roster has been affected by injuries as much as you can think of, yet the Nets are still out there battling on a nightly basis. Although results have not gone the Brooklyn way lately with a losing record during the past five games, the season saw a 180-degree turn when the calendar flipped to December. The Nets went from 8-15 at that point to 28-25 by the end of January. They were rewarded with four All-Star call-ups (Russell to the main event, Allen and Kurucs to the youngins’ gig and Joe Harris to the three-point contest).

You can read those last four names again, and try to find some commonality among them. Was I to tell, I’d say they all fit the homegrown, franchise-developed model to a point. Yes, D’Angelo Russell was acquired via trade with the Lakers, but he was an outcast in Hollywood and he was kicked out at the first chance LA had before betting on Lonzo. He has found a home in Brooklyn and nobody can’t tell me he doesn’t look like he’s finally got his stuff right and is on the path to becoming something big. Joe Harris has spent more time in the G-League than in the NBA after being taken by the Cavs in the 2014 draft. Brooklyn didn’t appear in his bio until 2016 when they bet on him by signing the Washington State native to a multi-year deal in July. He just re-signed with the Nets this past summer for no less than $16MM.

Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs, well, no explanation needed. A 22nd and 40th picks by the own Nets, these low-key, under-the-radar, unheralded prospects are now making more than a few franchises regret their draft decisions. Yes, non-lottery picks are usually a crapshoot. But you have to know your stuff and still make a pick, and it is not just pure luck when you get these two folks in back-to-back years. And don’t forget about someone named Dzanan Musawho happens to be lighting the G League up and looks like another key piece for what is yet to come to Brooklyn, same as late call-up Theo Pinson.

So, all in all, the franchise still doesn’t have a roster capable of putting together a deep run into the playoffs. There are flaws, there is a lack of talent (or, at least, fully-developed talent), and the rotation depth is hurt by injuries. A win-now move like going for Anthony Davis would bring immediate–but to my eye false–hopes and expectations to Nets’ fans. A top-five player carries that aura and the need of winning, no matter what is around him (ask LeBron James and his fringe-quality roster). Not a lot of franchises are in the position Brooklyn is at now. Not too good, not too bad either, but surely based on a young core of players with tons of upside and even cap room to spend on game-changers this next summer without the need of pulling the trigger on some risky moves like those performed by the Knicks this past week.

I already wrote a few days ago about how the impression of New York being a blue-and-orange landscape is turning. Turns out the very own Knicks are helping that change happen at light speed now without a visible face in their roster and everything up in the air. Brooklyn’s DLo, Dinwiddie, Allen, and company are the straw that stirs NYC’s drink.

Let me say it again. We all like some trade-related excitement, but we better calm down a little, see the deadline come and go, focus on developing the roster and the young players during the following months and set our dreams on who could arrive come July when the free agency gates open for everyone. Yes, even to those who didn’t take the biggest gamble ever in the history of their franchise and could have potentially give away the most prized player to ever step on their court as one of their own in quite some time.

* * *

Read the feature on NetsRepublic.

[kellysbookblog]

CONOR (Boston Underworld) by  A. Zavarelli Now Released!!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42444427-conor

My Goodread’s Review link:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2629677063?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

My Amazon Review Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R25OCNL4NN2E1U?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_srp

Blurb:

Ivy

When I stumbled into a mafia run club seeking a job, I was looking for protection. Little did I know I’d need protection from him.

Conor O’ Callahan was exactly the kind of danger I was trying to avoid. He was gorgeous as sin with an accent hotter than Hades, but that’s where the charm ended.

He was also cynical, cold, and downright cranky.

So, you could imagine my surprise when he gave me a proposition. Marry him or lose my life.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ve learned to do what’s necessary to survive in this world, and that includes marrying a mobster. Regardless of what he might say, it’s only temporary.

It’s not like I’m going to sleep with him. Or fall for him.

Because that would be stupid, right?

Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RgY0Gh

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2RgY1dj

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2RiTJSA

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Rhzk0u

Teaser: attached

Early Praise for the Novel:

"It held me in its clutches with the hotness, the sweetness, and the action-packed ride I never wanted to end!!"- Erika, Bookhaven Bookblog

"I love me some Conor. He is dreamy af. Lethal and sweet, my ultimate book boyfriend!"- Amber, Leave Me Alone I'm Reading

"I read this in one sitting, devoured it, inhaled it, loved it!! Not once did I put it down."- Kitty Kat's Crazy About Books

"He is the ultimate alpha perfection!" - Sansa Reads

"JUST GRAB THIS BOOK ASAP and READ IT."- Gone With the Romance

Author Bio:

A. Zavarelli is a book junkie, cat lover, and traveler when plagued by intense cases of wanderlust. She likes all things chocolate, books that come with warnings, and putting her characters through hell.

Her tales have been known to flirt with darkness and sometimes court it unabashedly altogether. Revenge themes and tortured souls are her favorites to write and this gives her an excuse to watch bizarre and twisted documentaries in her spare time.

She is slightly obsessed with Theo James and funny animal memes. If you don’t mind these things, you should add her on facebook.

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/azavarelliauthor

FB Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/943497375705372/

Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/AZavarelli

Website: azavarelli.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AZavarellibooks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/A.-Zavarelli/e/B00U2562W8/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13549895.A_Zavarelli

[londontheatre]

There’s something ironic about writing a review on a piece of theatre that has dialogue to the effect of who cares what some two-bit reviewer thinks of my work anyway?” Irony aside, Sex with Strangers is an honest and thought-provoking production examining the changing nature of human relationships, definitions of success and the way in which modern technology defines who we are.

Directed by Peter Dubois and performed in the intimate Hampstead Theatre, the production is equal parts warmth and humour as it is unsettling and challenging. A cast of two, the show centres around the characters of Olivia and Ethan; one a talented yet unappreciated author resigned to a life of hobby writing, the other a charismatic celebrity blogger on the verge of finishing a screenplay. The immediate chemistry between characters is as wildly obvious as the traits that polarise them, but as the script progresses it becomes clear that while their definitions of success could not be more opposed, they both long for the achievements of the other.

The script is written with poignant symmetry, and despite a complete shift in power and undeniable growth in both characters, appears to end on almost the same discussion with which it begins. Opening in a secluded cabin in Michigan, Laura Easton presents a modern-day romance; two people, undeniable attraction, the ability to provide the other with all they are longing for – what could possibly go wrong? According to Laura Easton; ambition, desire, and Google.

The production has some incredibly funny moments, particularly from Ethan, portrayed by Divergent star Theo James. Introducing us to the confident and charming entrepreneur and slowly unveiling the complex and unfulfilled human being buried beneath, James portrays this role with honesty and depth. He repeatedly raises the stakes and forces us to question where his true motivation lies and whether he can be trusted.

Coming into her own in the second act is Emilia Fox’s Olivia. Olivia is at a turning point in her career, somewhat resigned to her stasis and a foreigner in Ethan’s world of technology and celebrity. Fox makes Olivia easily accessible to audience members, unapologetically revealing her insecurities in a way that makes her a personable and relatable character. She complements James’ Ethan beautifully but does not take the balance of power from him until the second act, despite his disarming moment of vulnerability towards the end of the first. And no, I’m not referring to his risqué ‘book moment’, though it certainly was disarming!

Sex with strangers is funny, heart-warming, thought-provoking and just a little bit unsettling – everything a brilliant production should be. Challenging the audience to consider who we are online and how this impacts our relationships, the story is elegantly portrayed with incredibly honest performances and a clear vision from director Peter Dubois. Hampstead Theatre certainly have something special on their hands!

Review by Cassandra Griffin

‘Look, I’m giving you another chance to show the world how talented you are. Take it. It’s worth the risk’

Olivia, an attractive and talented but underappreciated mid-career writer, is unexpectedly trapped overnight in a secluded, snowed-in B&B with Ethan, an equally attractive and wildly successful young blogger.

Her latest novel is an unsung masterpiece; his blog is being made into a movie. She prefers books; he prefers eBooks. She is anonymous; he has half a million Twitter followers. But opposites soon attract passionately as each realise they want more of what the other has. But the closer they get, the more they must confront the murky side of ambition, success and Wi-Fi…

Laura Eason’s smart comedy is a multifaceted love story packed with hidden ambitions, soaring desires and secret agendas.

Peter DuBois reunites with Emilia Fox following sell-out hit Rapture, Blister, Burn in 2014. His other directing credits include All New People (West End) and Becky Shaw (Almeida).

Emilia’s stage credits include Coriolanus and Richard II (both Almeida Theatre) and Good (Donmar) and her TV appearances include Silent Witness, Merlin and The Queen.

Sex with Strangers Hampstead Theatre Eton Avenue, Swiss Cottage, London, NW3 3EU

http://ift.tt/2l29F88 LondonTheatre1.com

[londontheatre]

Sex With Strangers opens at the Hampstead Theatre on 27th January 2017 – booking to 4th March 2017.

Theo James will join Emilia Fox in the UK premiere of Laura Eason’s smart comedy Sex with Strangers, directed by Peter DuBois. Emilia Fox returns to Hampstead Theatre following the sell-out hit Rapture, Blister, Burn in 2014 and Theo James will make his professional stage debut in this multifaceted love story packed with hidden ambitions, soaring desires and secret agendas.

Olivia, an attractive and talented but underappreciated mid-career writer, is unexpectedly trapped overnight in a secluded, snowed-in B&B with Ethan, an equally attractive and wildly successful young blogger.

Her latest novel is an unsung masterpiece; his blog is being made into a movie. She prefers books; he prefers eBooks. She is anonymous; he has half a million Twitter followers. But opposites soon attract – passionately – as each realise they want more of what the other has. But the closer they get, the more they must confront the murky side of ambition, success and Wi-Fi…

Emilia Fox plays Olivia. Theatre credits includes Rapture Blister Burn (Hampstead Theatre), Coriolanus, Richard II (Almeida Theatre), Good (Donmar Warehouse), Katherine Howard (Chichester Festival Theatre) and The Cherry Orchard (RSC & Albery Theatre). She is best known for portraying Dr. Nikki Alexander in Silent Witness (Series 8 – 19), other television credits include The Tunnel, The Casual Vacancy, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Pride and Prejudice. Film credits include The Carer, The Devil’s Harvest, Suspension Of Disbelief, A Thousand Kisses Deep, Ways To Live Forever, Dorian Gray and The Pianist.

Theo James plays Ethan. Theo trained at Bristol Old Vic before launching his film career. He has starred in the Divergent series, based on the novels by Veronica Roth as well as other films to include War on Everyone, The Benefactor, The InBetweeners Movie and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. TV credits include Golden Boy, Downton Abbey and Bedlam. Upcoming films due for release include The Secret Scripture and Backstabbing for Beginners.

SEX WITH STRANGERS By Laura Eason Directed by Peter DuBois Designed by Jonathan Fensom 27 January – 4 March 2017 Mon–Sat 7.30pm; Wed Mats 2.30pm; Sat Mats 3.00pm

http://ift.tt/2hKtN1x LondonTheatre1.com