#we do get sheet music + there’s a director and stuff

[carcinized]

im so nervous cus later im going to this fairly prestigious choral event sing along thing (like u have to have an invite and stuff) and i dont know the parts im singing HDJFFJA

[astrodances]

"Now I've had the time of my life No, I never felt like this before Yes, I swear it's the truth And I owe it all to you"

This is a very, very special drawing for me. ✨

In September of last year, I watched Dancing With The Stars' "Step Into the Movies" special again, at the end of which they recreate "The Time of My Life" scene from Dirty Dancing. And that sent me on a nostalgia trip back to my high school theater days over a decade ago now, where the drama club accepted my idea to do a "Time of Our Lives" theme, and a performance for that song à la Glee. Mind you, I was mainly the stage manager/techie sort, but I did some scenes for the showcases, and participated in this song with my then-boyfriend, along with two other couples.

And while we were hanging out in the green room backstage, a friend took some pictures of us. Including the one that directly inspired this drawing of Webby + Lena.

This started out as a memory remix of that photo, after watching the DWTS special, because I thought these two lovebirds would be really cute subjects for it.

But once I got going, it turned into a love letter, for many things.

As part of the remix aspect of it, I now picture myself in Lena's spot in the photo, getting to have the short hair I wish I had had back then, and getting to wear a suit and tie! (Yes, in the original photo, I am wearing the dress and red bow Webby's sporting here, and I have long hair. 🙈 Though I will say here that the little heart necklace she's wearing is exactly like the one I had, too! :)) Drawing this was really cathartic for my nonbinary self. 💜

And as for Webby, in this remix, she represents someone that, in retrospect, I wish I had shared this moment with from back then. In many ways, she really was the Webby to my Lena. 💜💖💝

(Literally) beyond the subjects of this though, this is indeed very much a love letter to a lot of things, to passions. The background is pretty much a replica of the drama classroom wall we were in front of for the photo, at least as far as layout goes, with a few direct recreations of things that were on the wall and on the table there. Everything else was me being a passionate (theatre) nerd.

(Details (many details) of said nerdiness and alternate versions below the cut!)

I've included un-blurred and background-only versions (and a version with drop shadow lines on the girls, because why not? it's a cool effect!) below, but I just want to point out the details, because I'm so dang proud of this.

The posters/programs for The Phantom Blot of the Opera, Featherspray, Chickago, and My Fair Dewey are obvious duck-parody references to their real-world counterparts (with the latter being the exact poster they use in DuckTales, in Dewey's dream in "Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!" So thanks, Dewey! 😂). The Featherspray one was also included because Hairspray was one of the shows we did in high school! And lemme just say, creating theater posters is really fun!!

The MJ the Musical poster and the half-shown Notre Dame de Paris "Duckbill" right behind Lena's head are particularly special to me, since they (along with Phantom) are my favorite musicals, and getting to draw those two was especially fun!

The L'Orange Theater poster in the top-right is a bunch of duck easter eggs in one - the L'Orange Theater is mentioned and seen in the very first episode of DuckTales 1987, and of course, there's Aquarioon from DT17! Looks like it toured in Duckburg a long time ago. 😉

And the sheet music is the DuckTales theme! (Or at least the left side of it :P)

The "Congrats" card, calendar (the whale for upper half was my own touch), folder, page of random backstage stuff behind Lena's head (which includes little Star Trek and Darkwing Duck references), and golden "Theatre" card (with my old director's favorite quote) are directly from the photo (or at least based on what I could see through its blurriness 😝), as is the very edge of a cast photo in the upper-right. The purple note (totally not with any secret messages whaaaaat) below that, the certificate of excellence, and the little pride heart pins everywhere are little garnishes/dedications. 😊

The stage/theater diagram below the certificate is really cool, because that's a direct recreation (+ another hidden message) of a project a friend and I did for stagecraft back in our freshman year - I was even able to copy my own handwriting for the labels! 😄😂

The "Time of Our Lives" poster is a reference to the showcase I mentioned above that inspired all this, though the real-life poster looked very different, from what I remember.

The green bag below is sorta a nod to the secret pal exchanges we used to do during shows. 😉

And finally:

The Glittering Goldie show poster is me just having an absolute blast drawing her once again and coming up with something for her Blackjack days! And bonus - I'll be posting a gradient-only version of Goldie tomorrow! Really happy with how she turned out!

And the "All the World's a Stage" poster is me combining all of my theatre nerdiness with my passion for space and a good pun! 😁

ANYWAY...

I learned a lot with this drawing, about creating and about myself.

And I just had so, so much fun with it - it was all love, all passion, all happiness for this one. 💜💖💝

Wishing the same for all of you. ✨

Love, Astro 💜

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for almost getting my friends and family killed?

Ok, so I (M, 17), recently got a job at an animation studio. This had been my dream for a while now, as I love to draw and I have always wanted to be a professional artist. I think my new boss, D, wasn't really hiring anyone new at the time he hired me because everyone was confused as to why I was there at all, but I got settled pretty quickly.

Then weird stuff started happening. D apparently had put pipes in to run ink through, and one of the pipes had burst in the sheet music closet and covered the musical director, S, in ink. I didn't really think anything of it, but later S began to pester the animators for ink. This seems weird but I saw him drinking some. He also seemed to be obsessed with this...machine. I've never seen it but I know it exists.

Anyways. The thing above is important, I swear. You see, I also wanted to prove myself to D. He had a lot of faith in me. Showed me things he didn't show anyone else, like the theater he has bought out. He even took me out for dinner to tell me about his big plans. Treated me real special. So...I may have stolen some ink and paper to take home. You see, I don't have much at home and I didn't want to show D a drawing on the back of a receipt. So I took it home, and tried drawing. It didn't look good, but my granddad drew something really good! And I accidentally showed that to D the next day so I wouldn't get fired. Luckily he believed me, but this just made me work harder. Though...the picture, the drawing itself...it had moved on the paper. This is important, I swear.

I began to stay late to practice, and I practiced with my granddad too. I got much better. But one night I was working real late at the studio, and I heard a noise. I got up to investigate. It took a while to find anything, but I ended up opening a door. A door that I shouldn't have opened. I think I let something out. It scared me.

A few days later I realized something really bad. The ink was alive, somehow. It could leech off paper. You see, at this point S had gone missing. So we knew something was up. I ran home from work because I got so scared, and the ink was already trying to take over my grandad. I washed it off in time but I didn't feel good. The studio was shut down for a few days, but work started again eventually.

Now I just feel so bad. Did I do something real bad?

[bobokitty]

Just saw your latest post about how much you really like to talk about animation pipelines, I also noticed you said pipelines, with an s. Could you elaborate on that, is there multiple?

Also also could you talk about animation pipelines look like? I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to capture the entirety and it’s nuances/complexities in just a singular post (would absolutely love to see you do that tho) but like also just really interested to see what that’s like and if people outside of the pipeline usually have any misconceptions about it

(Hope that made sense 😭 activated me like a sleeper agent when I saw that post because I’m super interested in hearing this stuff LOL)

OH HO HO!!!!! PIPELINES, YES, WITH A S!!

I did a talk last month about that that was supposedly recorded, but I absolutely hate hearing the sound of my voice ahaha. So! Every studio has a different pipeline variation, and within those studios, the shows and projects have their own variations. I'm still kind of new in the industry. October will be my third anniversary. However, I love finding out how things work (I used to work in tech before making a whole career/life switcheroo)~

Here's a pipeline that I made with my personal experience on a show:

And here is one based off the book, Producing Animation:

Each of these boxes requires a team of people, size of course depending on project scale and budget. As part of the production admin (production assistant tho in name only ahahaha I am again someone who sticks their nose into things and work directly with leads and directors), you have to be those lines connecting all the boxes and make sure everyone gets what they need. In the one I made, you'll notice how there is a loop happening in various parts. Pre-pro (pre production) is what gets done before animation. Script, storyboard, character/prop design, and backgrounds. (Interestingly enough, this is not the same for every production! Boutique deals with a lot of short term projects, like ads, music videos, pitch work. Various studios make their bread and butter this way. It's short term work and sometimes you get clients who will pay a lot for like some weird passion project. Think like, The Line, or what Cartoon Saloon does between movies. Anywho! Sometimes things like backgrounds won't get done until it's time for animation!) Anywho! In pre pro, character designs are influencing storyboards which are then influencing design and what sheets need to be made and backgrounds are being made which then set what the board artists can work in but then board artists want to change location angles and suddenly next thing you know, Producers have nuked an entire sequence and all of that work is cut ahaha. You even have editors going in and adding their own touch to the boards, adding in audio recordings and temp sound effects and music to try and get the feel, etc.

Oh god this is a lot of text on my phone and I haven't even scratched the surface LOL!! Point is, there is a lot of back and forth happening. Animation on a larger scale IS a group project. Miss on that production staff glue and oh boy. You will get....something in the end, but it will not be....... I've seen some disasters ahahaha. You got what you got and things could have been avoided. (And sometimes a team can be the best team and then you got these producers who have no idea how animation works but alas they are footing the bill and what can you do????)

...I 100% cannot capture this in a single post lol! I can barely cover it in an hour lecture. We haven't even mentioned spreadsheets and other programs (I have yet to try ftrack or shotgrid but I would love to get my hands on them and see how they work in a production; they also include file management which right now I do manually). Ehehehehe it's fun~~ Every day is something new~ Oh man I want to see what it's like with live action as well! It has to be a completely different beast!!! One day~~

[ninjadeathblade]

Moulin Rouge Discotrain AU (part three)

Summary: (Post-game canon) The Conductor and DJ Grooves agree to finally work on a movie together. They come up with 'Moulin Rouge', a musical drama filled with romance. Over time the two directors grow closer and discover that maybe they don't hate each other as much.

Beginning | Previous | Next

Word count: 1,444

Warnings: Does Snatcher talking about being dead count?

Author's notes: Snatcher might be a little out of character but he's here with contracts so something went right. Hat Kid is here too!

Grooves looked up as Hat Kid knocked on the door, jumping slightly at the large shadowy figure next to her.

He walked up to the door, giving the child a questioning look over the top of his sunglasses.

"Darling, is this your…friend you told me about?" He questioned before looking up at the large ghost.

It seemed to trail off into the shadowy street, its purple body melting into the surroundings. Its yellow eyes and mouth stood out against the darkness at least, even if they were alarming.

"Why hello there! I believe we've come to strike up a contract about being in a movie!" The ghost greeted, grinning.

Grooves slowly opened the door, looking between the ghost and the girl.

"Darling? Are you sure this is your friend?" Grooves reiterated. Hat Kid nodded and smiled, walking in and immediately over to the sunglasses machine.

"Darling, if you break any stuff this time then I can't just rip up your charges. You will have to pay the studio what you owe." He looked back up at the ghost. "Are you sure you're friends?"

"Sadly, yes, I'm contractually obligated to be her friend. The name's Snatcher by the way," he introduced himself, extending one long arm. The penguin tentatively shook his hand before looking towards the owl side of the studio.

Grooves hadn't seen the Conductor since he'd returned to his own office.

"Excuse me, I just need to find my partner," Grooves apologised, quickly making his way along the same route he'd walked last night. He knocked lightly against the door.

"Darling?" He waited for a response, not getting one, before finally giving up and just opening the door.

The Conductor was slumped over at his desk, head resting atop scattered sheets of paper. The penguin rolled his eyes, walking over and gently prodding the owl. The Conductor merely groaned and buried his face further into his arms.

"You've got to get up darling."

"Why?" Conductor whined, batting away Grooves' flipper as the penguin reached for him again.

"Because the girl and her friend are here. And I don't fancy interviewing a ghost on my own," Grooves huffed. The Conductor rolled his head to the side, letting out a deep breath.

"I need somethin' to drink if we're interviewing a pecking ghost," he grumbled, slowly sitting before then standing.

"I can ask one of the penguins to pick up some coffee on the way in-"

"Sure, do that. But I need something stronger first if we're talking to a pecking ghost," he interjected, walking over to a cabinet at the side of the room and pouring himself something that smelled strongly like alcohol.

The door squeaked open further and Grooves turned to look at Hat Kid, who was now sporting two pairs of sunglasses. They weren't as nice as his of course, but they were still fairly decent.

"Darling! There you are! Now, where's that friend of yours?" Grooves questioned.

Hat Kid shrugged, gestured vaguely back towards the reception before walking into the room and snagging a piece of paper off the desk.

"Lassie, that's not yours. We need that so put it down, would yer?" Conductor said, not even waiting for an answer before manhandling the child so she let go of the paper.

He then picked her up and carried her until they were out of the office, gesturing for Grooves to follow. Once there was no one left inside he let go of Hat Kid and quickly locked the door.

"Alright then, let's go find yer friend." Hat Kid grinned and eagerly began to skip back towards the reception.

"Peck knows how she's got so much energy. Hope my grandkids aren't like that when they're older."

"What, you hope your grandkids don't grow up to be fabulous actors?" Grooves joked but the Conductor frowned.

"I hope they don't. Their ma doesn't need that. Besides, they already dance around like they're on birdseed. I don't need them more hyperactive," Conductor laughed sadly.

Grooves was about to interject when they arrived back at the reception, Hat Kid jumping up and down happily while pointing to Snatcher.

"Peck me, there really is a ghost."

"I would say 'in the flesh' but we all know that's impossible because I'm dead. So-" Snatcher snapped his fingers, a boom of thunder echoing through the air as a piece of paper and a quill hovered in the air in front of the two birds.

"Just sign here and we can get under way."

The Conductor reached out and grabbed the quill, starting towards the paper but Grooves snatched it out the way, holding it away from his shorter companion as he read it.

"Darling, there must be a mistake," Grooves let out a stunted, nervous laugh. "This says about us giving you our souls in exchange for you working with us."

Hat Kid stuck her tongue out at Snatcher as the ghost shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's not that big a deal, is it? I mean, aren't actors meant to sell their souls to the stage anyway?" Snatcher asked, face twisting with confusion.

"Yeah, whassa big deal?" Conductor asked, staring up at Grooves while also trying to grab the scroll from him.

Grooves shot him a distasteful look as Conductor leaned against him to try and gain more height. "Gimme that."

"No. You're sleep deprived and possibly hungover, I don't trust you with this," Grooves objected, glad that the Conductor was so short in comparison to him and his platform shoes.

Hat Kid skipped over to stand beside the two of them, extending her hands for the paper and quill.

The two birds reluctantly handed over the objects and the child set to quick work with crossing things out and writing new things in, before handing the paper back to the penguin.

"Kid, that's not how contracts work," Snatcher groaned, twisting his long body around to look at the paper as well. "But why not, it's not like I've got anything better to do. Stealing souls has been boring recently so I might as well try acting."

Grooves blinked, doing a double-take.

"So you don't really care about the contract?"

"Not at this point. As I said, I'm bored. Maybe acting will give me a renewed spark for my true line of business. So, when do I begin?" Snatcher asked, snapping his fingers again. The quill and paper burst and disappeared and Hat Kid clapped happily.

"Kid, if you're gonna act then I seriously need to sort you out a voice. As cute as your little gestures and silly faces are, they won't go very far in the grand scheme of things."

"So-" Conductor started.

"I mean, it's probably kinda fun too, right? I'm a big fan of your movies anyway. I did think about going into acting when I was still alive. Of course it didn't work out; I studied law instead and then my ex killed me," Snatcher rambled. "I've gotta say, it'll be interesting to see where you go with this movie, you've both got such different tastes in how you go about things. I mean, I never thought you'd ever work together on anything."

"Shut it, you peck neck!" Conductor shouted and the ghost paused, mouth forming a small 'o' shape as he looked down at the angry owl. "I don't care what yer did while alive! Can you act?!"

"I most certainly can."

"Then that's all ya had to say!" The yellow bird huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Can you make yourself a reasonable size at least?"

"I can try. Have you got a role for me though?"

Conductor rocked back and forth on his heels angrily.

"Hold on please," Grooves said, leaning down to be closer to the owl before continuing in a whisper. "Darling, he seems like he might be able to pull of the role of the man who runs the Moulin Rouge-"

"Harold Zidler."

"-Yes, him. I feel like this is the exuberance we're looking for," Grooves suggested. "We can give him a chance at least." Conductor looked sceptically between the penguin and the ghost.

"Fine! I'll sort out yer script later. Grooves, get everyone in. We need to sort out the script. And you-" he whirled to face Hat Kid "-you had better find me more actors! I'm countin' on you lassie."

The little girl grinned, offering him a thumbs up before waving to Snatcher and heading out the studio.

"Right, come on then. We can set yer up with a script."

Grooves grabbed Conductor's arm as he walked past. "Thanks for giving him a chance."

"Shut up. I'm doing this to win the award again, not for you."

[quantomoo2]

So I was recently struck with awe over marching bands. So many things need happen for them to work right and I think they deserve some appreciation. Here are the things you need for a marching band:

1. Be able to play music This is super obvious, but I feel like it could get overlooked with the rest of this stuff. Like, sure it isn't that hard to play music, but for a lot of people that is already magical in its own way and I think we should take a moment to recognize that

2. Memorize an entire piece Another obvious one, but it actually sometimes a feat to memorize an entire piece of music. Most normal bands have sheet music for a reason. There are a lot of subtle details that are important to remember to really elevate music and memorizing it isn't easy.

3. Do that while moving Remember that this is about a marching band? Playing music is a challenge on its own, but now you have to do it while marching (not just walking, its actually more precise and oftentimes more vigorous) around on a field. You know what doesn't mix super well? Playing an instrument that requires breathing in very specific ways to use and a lot of physical activity. Always respect the people who can control their breathing enough for that.

4. Memorize your movements too I mean, obviously. If you have to memorize your music you have to memorize your marching too. Just another layer of things to juggle so that you can perform

5. Account for sound travel Bet you didn't think of this, but sound doesn't travel instantly. In fact, it travels so slowly that people playing on sides of a football field narrow-wise will be off time from each other. One of my band directors once showed us a neat trick by getting 3 drummers to play perfect triplets by positioning them in different spots across the field and playing at the same time as a visual cue. And you can't just fix that by playing faster or slower, no you have to play at the correct speed just offset by the correct amount for your position (which changes). You can't even listen to other people because of this delay. If you ever listen to a marching band moving across the field and everyone is coming in together, that isn't nearly as easy as you might expect.

6. Coordinate at least a hundred other people to do this at the same time Its not a marching band if you do it alone, so you better believe you need a lot of other people to be able to do everything above. Even beyond getting them to play right, getting this many people in the same places, as well as feeding and watering them, is a major organizational feat.

Sooo, yeah.

[diagnosed-anxiety-disorder]

how i got into the composers that i listen to and or play frequently

Bach: My dad has most if not all of his no accompanist violin thingies i forgot what theyre called on his phone and he would play them a lot around the house. Aaaaaaand he's my piano teacher's favorite composer so I learned i think 5-6 of his inventions and uhh Bach competition and then it turns out my violin teacher is also trained in Bach so uhh yeah. Also his stuff is really fun to play on the piano

Mozart: forced to play Mozart. He's more fun on the violin than the piano but for some reason my sense of rhythm just disappears the moment that I see his sheet music

Beethoven: my teacher's teacher's teacher's teacher's uhhh et cetera was Beethoven. I don't know how and I don't know how far back but it makes sense but Im not gonna dox myself so Imma not explain. Also for some reason to stop me from having an anxiety attack my parents would play his 5th symphony 1st movement and I would calm down??? I also saw his 5th symphony live once it was amazinggg and idk when i first listened to 9th 2nd movement but I like that one. Timpanis go brr. I also played one of his piano sonatas and it was so fun I love it

Chopin: okok two reasons 1. my cousin forced me to sight read his nocturnes and other excerpts from literal jpeg images off of his phone when I was like 11 and told me to learn more of his pieces bc apparently he was the best composer to him 2. my friend with perfect pitch pretended to have a gay crush on him for like an entire school year and he ended up teaching me one of the runs in the Waltz in C# minor

Liszt: well first of all, im teaching myself Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 because I was specifically told by my piano teacher last week that he wouldnt teach me Liszt at all so I was like fine ill do it myself reality can be whatever i want. But before that, friend with perfect pitch was learning La Campanella and wouldnt shut up abt it so I tried it out and I was like ooooooo jumps are fun

Shostakovich: His Jazz Suite is literally my childhood my dad would play his Waltzes a lot growing up haha. And I was in a Shosty piano trio once but we only played one piece :( and I started listening to his symphonies bc orchestra director likes them and i want to get on his good side ahfkljsd; but i also really like them so it's all gud

now, as you can see how short this lis(z)t is (haha im so funny), i really need to listen to other stuff so uhh if anyone has any piece recommendations ill take them! /nf

[steele-soulmate]

Tattooed Wings, CHAPTER 586, Peter Steele & OFC, Soulmate AU

SUMMARY: Mary Claire Bradley meets her soulmate- literally- the famous Peter Steele of metal group Type O Negative. But will obstacles including trauma, stalkers, and toxic family members get in the way of their life?

WARNING: mentions of child rape (nothing graphic) PTSD, milk kink, soft smut, grinding, assault, fingering, hand jobs, blow jobs, 69, P in V sex, blood, noncon rape, violence, death, vandalism, graffiti, attempted kidnapping, break-ins, wild animal attacks, terrorist attack (sabotage) consensual impregnation, bareback, impregnation kink, creampies, terrorist attacks (shootings) hit and run pedestrian accident, precipitous labor, neonatal death, abandoned baby, child intoxication, death of a minor character

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS:

I’m going to be taken an undisclosed break from writing Tattooed Wings. If you want to reach me, come find me on Tumblr at @steele-soulmate.

WORDS: 1156

 “Hello, hello, hello again, mama and mama’s family!” Ken Anderson greeted the family as we all trooped into the Paper News Theater, eager (as per usual) for the day of rehearsals for the new Ken Anderson musical. “How is everyone doing today?”

“Exhausted!” I told him with a smile as Peter quickly set up a collapsible play pen to dump the babies into in order to keep them all corralled and in one place. “The triplets are teething, as I’m quite sure you may have guessed already.”

The famed Broadway director only came over to affectionately pat the heads of all the tiny little babies before going straight over to chit chat with the pianist accompanist, who had just arrived moments after the Ratajczyk clan trooped in. I meanwhile, took the opportunity to fold myself onto the floor and begin to stretch, welcoming in Elizabeth and Katie as the two girls followed after their mommy.

After Ken Anderson had handed out new sheet music that he wanted us to run through that day, the cast began to bump our way through Disney’s The Nightmare Before Christmas- A Broadway Tale. And so, we all began to go over our lines and assigned songs with laughter and chatter in between.

When lunchtime rolled around, everyone found out that Ken Anderson had placed an order for at least two hundred boxes of pizzas with either pepperoni, all the meats, extreme cheese, or all the veggies toppings, at least eighty boxes of garlic bread, at least sixty boxes of chicken wings with blue cheese dressings, at least fifty boxes of parmesan zucchini sticks, wrapped meatball subs and individual sized cartons of pasta salad. For those with dietary restrictions, he had thoughtfully purchased dairy free, meat free or vegan boxes. I couldn’t help but notice that Elizabeth had requested a box of vegan prepared foods while Katie piled on all of the meats onto her plate.

“Elizabeth, you don’t like meat anymore?” I asked her in a soft voice as she came over to sit next to me.

“I’m trying to go vegan, mommy,” she explained, pulling apart her cheese pizza. “I really don’t enjoy the idea of me eating an animal that was bread to be slaughtered for human consumption.”

“Ah, okay.” This was the first time that I was hearing about this as Peter was feeding the babies each a skinny strip of cheese pizza.

“Though I’m not asking you to go out and buy vegan food for me- that stuff is expensive,” she continued to speak around bites of food. “But when I start to get an allowance, maybe I can chip into buying food and get a few vegan substitutes for me?”

“That sounds agreeable to me,” I agreed after a moment of thinking. “I do believe that there is a vegan supermarket nearby the house- we can run by there and have a look-see at what all they offer, how does that sound?”

“Hey sweetheart, I couldn’t help but overhear you,” Peter interjected, looking up from his plate, piled high with a generous amount of food. “But what do you think of the kids having their own bank accounts and cards where we can just deposit money into instead of just giving them cold, hard earned cash?”

“And teach them how to adult in their lives?” I hummed in an agreeing tone of voice. “Why hadn’t I thought of that?”

“Because even super mommies have fart days,” Elizabeth deadpanned.

Ken Anderson, who was passing by with his arms full of stand in props, dropped everything and had to sit down from laughing so hard.

“Oh Elizabeth? I hope you’re happy now,” I poked at the dragon. “You broke Ken Anderson.”

“It was my pleasure,” she said, getting another strong wheeze out from the African American man.

I shot my daughter a dirty look, telling her to calm down, which she did do with a sheepish squeak.

Katie finished eating her third plate of food, standing to go grab more.“That’s enough food now, mo stór,” I clucked at her. “You are not allowed to get urpy, you hear me?”

“Yes mommy,” she agreed, collecting plates from all around her as she trotted off to the trash can to go and dump everything.

All the tiny, little babies- Baby Tommy, Baby Noah, Baby Eve, Baby Mattie, Baby Teddy and Baby Jojo- were toddling all over inside the baby play pen, looking absolutely adorable as they bopped along to the piano music and babbled softly to themselves and their little baby dollies.

“Hey, I’m sorry, but can I please leave my son with you?”

I smiled sweetly at the ensemble member, who had been wrestling with a fussy little man for much of the rehearsal day, watching as she settled the cranky little man in with the Ratajczyk babies before rejoining the run through of ‘This is Halloween’ as the opening number.

“Boys and girls of every age Wouldn't you like to see something strange? Come with us and you will see This, our town of Halloween”

“Hall-a-weenie!” yelled out Baby Tommy, cackling gleefully as someone plucked him from the play pen and everyone began to worship him as though he was the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown.

Oh Baby Tommy, I thought as I saw Peter taping the adorable event with his cell phone. You are such an icon.

Mo stór, my dear, Irish Gaelic 

TAGLISTS ARE OPEN/ ASK BOX IS OPEN/ REQUESTS ARE OPEN/ PLOT BUNNIES ARE WELCOMED

If you liked this, then please consider buying me a coffee HERE It only costs $3!!!

PETER STEELE TAGLIST

@rock-a-noodle

@ch3rry-c01a

[ghosts-of-love]

⭐️

anything you want to talk abt that you haven’t been able to!! little hidden references, lines you love, legit anything !!

oh my goodness okay!! with 22 published fics and [redacted] wips, this is a very broad topic haha. i might do a mix of stuff that's published and stuff that's not but that i'm still proud of! i'm gonna open a whole bunch of them now and see if anything comes to mind hehe

(spoilers for season 5 here too)

there’s a bit in an unpublished uni au involving some backstory and a dog and dog imagery in general across two different perspectives that i'm really proud of – this probably makes no sense rn but once it’s published and you get to chapter 8 (? I think) then it probably will. I just, I wrote it a while back and since then I’ve seen a real uptick in people also using dog imagery (‘kicked puppy’ etc) or cat imagery (‘soggy wet kitten man’ etc) for the captain and so I’m really happy we’re all on the same page there!!

I also changed and added a whole bit of the Captain’s backstory to this au in response to hearing Noah Kahan’s The View Between Villages. It’s incredible how much I think of the captain in this specific fic. It makes me really emotional. I hope I’m able to publish it all soon because I really want other people to understand where I’m coming from.

another thing I haven’t published yet, but I wrote the ending for tqatd basically after I wrote the first couple of chapters and I’m actually quite proud of it. Feel like I’ve done a decent amount of foreshadowing for it, or maybe not foreshadowing as such, but like little hints so it will be less of a surprise and more of an ‘oh, this was always on the cards, wasn’t it?’ type situation. Idk though now I’m worried ahaha

I know I’ve already done a whole post about this but the fact that I named the kid in adored chapter 5 ‘Jimmy’ short for James and had him be a mirror of teenage-Cap is even more meaningful to me now that we know that Captain’s name.

The printed and annotated article that Cap gives Pat in adored, called ‘The Subversive History of Women Using Thread as Ink’ is real.

There are some similarities and callbacks in tqatd that I really enjoy. In chapter 5, when Pat finds the sheet music for the songs Cap has written about him, his thoughts quickly turn saucy and he imagines blowing Cap while he plays him the songs on the piano. This comes up multiple times again.

In chapter 8, when Thomas is using his siren-y powers, the Captain believes for a moment that Pat is kneeling down in front of him and he hears ‘the sound of a piano playing’. This is because Thomas has gotten confused between what he’s seen in Pat’s head and what he’s seen in the Captain’s. He’s accidentally projecting Pat’s fantasy in Cap’s mind (not that he minds).

Then in chapter 11, it pops up again when Pat’s listing all the places they’ve had sex – the king-sized bed ‘(and a wall, and a desk, and an armchair, and a shower, and a piano seat)’.

However, it’s not until Chapter 12 and later in the timeline (Valentine’s day!) that Pat actually fulfils the initial fantasy for both of them hehehoho

that’s about everything I can think of for now tbh but feel free to ask any follow up questions :) <3 <3

fanfic writers: director's cut

[peckforlovingheck]

Austin x Odette

(oneshot was requested by @laraiiziaa )

(Happy birthday btw!)

Within each move she did, the chords danced along. He tried to keep his mind on the keys of the piano. Austin couldn’t help but smile once the routine reached the finale.

The audience roared. As it should. Austin thought they all did great, but one best of all. Odette Garnier.

Saying she was really good was an understatement. She was one of those people who you knew would be successful in their craft.

Austin picked up his music sheets as the curtain fell. The dancers walked off the stage. He began to walk off when someone stopped him.

“You actually practiced.” Odette said. “Yeah? That’s kind of required-“ Austin replied. “No, but like, you actually put effort into it. Usually we have half-assed music because of how cheap the directors are.” Odette explained.

“Oh.” Austin tried not to smile. There was a silence between the two. He felt the need to compliment her back. After all, this could be the day he said all the things he’d thought about her-

“You weren’t bad.” He sputtered. Austin wanted to punch himself. Not bad? You’ve admired this girl for the entire year and think she’s a fucking goddess on earth. All you can fucking think to say is that she wasn’t bad?!

But she still stood there happily. “Oh-uh.. thanks.. I thought of five things I would have done differently to be honest.” Odette said, then laughing to herself.

Austin awkwardly grinned.

“Oh by the way, you need a ride?” Odette asked. “Uh.. sure..-“ Austin replies.

“Get your stuff then, we’ll leave at five.”

Austin watched her walk off the stage. He heard her talking to another dancer. What he overheard was:

“..-ohmygodohmygod..”

“What?”

“I think he likes me back-“

“What did you do?-“

“I asked him if he needed a ride—“

“..holy shit, Ette.”

Austin decided to pretend he didn’t hear it but at the same time, he couldn’t help but smile like an idiot while grabbing the sheet music.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Underdog Kids (2015)

Underdog Kids is like a bad children’s drawing you find on the internet. The further you are from it emotionally, the more fun you’ll have. If you know Phillip Rhee - the star, writer, director, and producer of this family film - do not watch this. You’ll want to die of embarrassment. Composed almost entirely of plot points you've seen elsewhere - most specifically the kind found in The Karate Kid, The Bad News Bears and other kid sports movies - it's entertaining, but not in the way intended.

Former mixed martial arts champion Jimmy Lee (Phillip Rhee) reluctantly agrees to coach a ragtag team of kids at the Mid-County Community Center. If the children’s issues weren’t enough to deal with, Jimmy’s desire to get back into the world of professional sports threatens to pull him away from them at any point.

The only surprise in Underdog Kids is that at no point does some kind of bigwig come over and announce that the community center is going to be torn down unless someone can raise a fat stack of dollar bills. This movie has nothing going on so it’s packed with clichés like the silent black teen who flies into a rage whenever he’s teased, the other kid who’s embarrassed by his mom’s attempts to be frugal at the movie theater, the little girl who wants to get her nails done but can’t because her dad is poor, the siblings whose parents have recently died in a car crash and are being taken care of by their single aunt, and the fat kid whose father thinks he’s a source of shame. There are others too, but you get the idea.

Even for these kinds of stock characters, the writing is as weak as a kitten. Jimmy’s nickname is “the Lightning Bolt”. Not because he’s fast; because he was hit by lightning as a kid. What does that mean? Nothing. Another example. In a normal movie, the scene showing that the pint-sized martial artist can’t punch out a candle would be early on. Then, you’d have a bunch of training, maybe a couple of scenes where he matures or learns something and then confirmation that his arc is over with a scene showing that now, he's acquired a new skill. Here, we go straight from the “I can’t do it” scene, to the kid’s birthday party when he puts out the candle by himself. That’s amateur-level stuff but it’s nothing to the fat kid’s “arc”. And no, that’s not me being mean. That’s what the character is. In every scene, he’s stuffing his face or talking about food. I know the actor got paid, but he had to feel a little dirty. Everyone else has clearly been cast for their ability to throw kicks and punches. Him? he was cast because of his figure and Phillip Rhee gives him the most humiliating scene. It’s the big tournament and the Underdogs are hopelessly outmatched. Most of their opponents - hailing for the Cobra Kai-like Scorpions - tower over them. Porky runs around in terror until he falls on the ground. When his adversary reaches to take him out, he gets a giant, stadium-filling fart in the face and passes out. It doesn't end there. Later on, we see the kid’s dad cheering, telling the crowd that’s his boy down there! Either Dad’s sense of smell, hearing, and sight have long eroded, or he came in late. Either way, it does not feel justified at all.

Underdog Kids continues to find to ways do what everyone else has done before, but worse. After all of the dubiously won matches, the Scorpions and Underdogs are tied. Now, they will be judged via a choreographed dance set to music. You think this is where that “embarrassing” ballet regiment we saw earlier will pay off, but no. The Scorpions go first and their performance is so incredible they receive a 49 out of 50. How bad is it that you can not only tell me who’s going to win but what their score will be, and what each individual judge’s sheet will say? And no, this is not the kind of movie that will surprise you by having the ‘dogs lose because the Scorpions are led by a cheating coach who has no sense of fair play and bullies his students. He’s pure evil and absolutely must be defeated to teach the dumb kiddies watching and laughing at all the farts a lesson about how cheating is wrong.

While Underdog Kids looks professional, the performances are generally weak and the fight choreography isn’t convincing. Then, you have the script, which introduces storylines and then drops them unceremoniously, fails to capitalize on the characters introduced and holds no surprises. It’s the kind of movie that’s sure to put you to sleep unless you go in knowing it’ll be bad. That extra information allows you to make it into a fun experience by making sarcastic remarks with your friends. (March 11, 2022)

[themovieblogonline]

SXSW: Documentary vs. Narrative: Telling a Personal Story

So, you've got a story to tell. A personal saga that needs to escape your brain and grace the silver screen (or, you know, YouTube). But a big question blocks your path: documentary vs narrative? For a lot of filmmakers, this is a very real and very interesting choice. Real Reel vs. Reel Fake: What's the Diff? Documentaries? Think real people, real situations (well, mostly real), and zero Hollywood make-believe. You point your camera, capture life's unscripted moments, and weave them into a tapestry of truth (or at least your truth).  Let's face it, documentaries are the budget-friendly option. Your wallet might whisper its preference too. As one panelist noted, "Documentaries can often be done with a lot fewer financial resources than a narrative film." This is because you're capturing real life, not building fantastical worlds. Another panelist chimed in with a practical tip: "I would also encourage you to, if you can, roll two cameras at once." While this might seem like a small detail, it can save you big bucks in editing later. Narrative films, however, can be budget black holes. Actors, costumes, sets, mind-blowing special effects. This all comes with a hefty price tag. Even a short sci-fi flick can drain your resources faster than a zombie horde on a buffet run. Remember, one panelist joked that they once saw a director using "five cameras at once" because "you never get another take" in documentaries. So, if your bank account is doing the Macarena, a documentary might be the smarter choice. But hey, if you've got the funds and the crew, who are we to stop your cinematic dreams? Documentaries also pack a punch of authenticity. People see real folks, dealing with real stuff, and that connection can be powerful. But documentaries aren't all sunshine and roses. Capturing compelling footage takes time and patience. You gotta be a master stalker, waiting for those golden moments to unfold naturally. And forget fancy edits or crazy special effects! Documentaries have to stay grounded in reality (think less "Star Wars," and more "Slice of Life"). Narrative: Lights, Camera, Action (and Maybe a Fake Mustache) Narrative films let you unleash your inner storyteller. Want your grandma to be a sword-wielding knight? Bam! Done. Want your childhood bully to get chased by a flock of angry pigeons? Consider it filmed (metaphorically, of course). Narrative films can also be more polished and visually stunning. Think sweeping landscapes, dramatic music swells, and slow-motion close-ups of a single tear rolling down your cheek (cue the violins!). But with great creative freedom comes great responsibility (and maybe a bigger budget). Hiring actors, renting equipment, and finding those perfect locations can cost a pretty penny. Plus, with all that creative control, it's easy to get lost in the fictional weeds and forget the heart of your story. So, Which Way Should You Doc or Dodge? The answer, my friend, depends on your story and your style. Here's a quick cheat sheet: - Go documentary if: Your story thrives on authenticity, you're on a budget, and you're a master of patience. - Go narrative if: You crave creative freedom, have a wild imagination, and possess the resources to bring your vision to life (or at least a decent chunk of those resources). - Bonus Tip: Why Not Both? Sometimes, the best stories defy easy categorization. Maybe your personal journey started in real life, but your imagination takes over for the grand finale. Blend elements of both documentary and narrative to create a hybrid beast that's uniquely yours. Remember, the most important thing is to tell your story in a way that resonates with you and your audience. Don't let the choice of Documentary vs Narrative hold you back. So grab your camera, unleash your creativity, and get ready to share your personal saga with the world! Read the full article

[sympatheticvibrationsfic]

People in the Orchestra

The principal/chief conductor is also known as the music director, which I think is the better title because it actually describes the nature of the job. If the orchestra were a sports team, they would be the coach. The bulk of their work happens behind-the-scenes: leading rehearsals, doing admin stuff like planning the music calendar and handling auditions, attending meetings with the board/sponsors/etc., and all the things the audience never really gets the chance to see.

A guest conductor is pretty self-explanatory. They're invited for one concert (or even a whole series of them) and take over for the chief conductor in the meantime.

The orchestra is divided into instrument sections, which are also subdivided into smaller sections:

strings (first violin, second violin, viola, cello, double bass)

woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon)

brass (French horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba)

percussion (timpani*, percussion, harp**, piano**)

[* = While the instrument is still technically a member of the percussion family, a timpanist is a specialist on their instrument and is assigned their own separate section.]

[** = There's always been some debate about whether these two belong to percussion or strings, but they're usually just seated with the percussion section at the back.]

Each section is led by a principal/first chair. They play the biggest and most challenging parts in a piece, as well as any solo passages for their instrument. In sections where each member plays a different part (i.e. brass and woodwinds), the principal is typically assigned the highest register. In some sections where only one instrument is usually required per piece (i.e. harp / timpani), the musician performs alone.

The concertmaster is the first chair of the first violin section. They are also the leader of the orchestra. If we go back to the sports analogy, the concertmaster would be the team captain. They essentially represent everybody else in the orchestra, which is why the conductor shakes their hand (and only their hand) before each concert. A good concertmaster is widely respected and even beloved by the other members of the orchestra.

Non-American orchestras commonly have more than one concertmaster. But even in the US, they have associate concertmasters and assistant concertmasters who can take over for them if they're unavailable. These two are also referred to as the second chair and third chair, respectively.

Orchestras also book soloists, who are the "celebrities" of the classical music world. They are signed on years in advance for one concert (or several, depending on their schedule or even their level of fame) and receive special billing as guest performers. The most popular soloists are pianists and violinists.***

[*** = In prestigious orchestras, many members play as soloists on the side. They could even score their own record deals and tours.]

If an orchestra particularly enjoys working with a soloist, they can sign them on as an artist-in-residence. Their contracts usually last a year and allow them to collaborate with the orchestra in concert series and/or outreach programs.

Orchestras can also offer positions to composers-in-residence, who are commissioned to compose brand-new music. This is an amazing opportunity for living composers to get their work heard and to earn money for a job that otherwise doesn't pay a ton.

Of course, an orchestra isn't just its musicians but also its huge team of crew and administrative staff behind-the-scenes.

A vital member of the staff is the librarian, who is in charge of the musicians' sheet music. They prepare copies of the sheet music months ahead, so the orchestra can use them during practice/rehearsal. When it's time for a concert, they set up all the individual sheet music on the stands before the performance and pack them all up again after.

The transport team is also crucial to a successful orchestra tour. Because of how fragile/expensive/enormous the instruments are, the team carefully transports them in padded cases in climate-controlled compartments. In a way, the instruments are their passengers (who require far more care and attention than the musicians do).

Lastly, there is the general manager. They might work in a large team, depending on how big and active the orchestra is. From musicians' contracts to scheduling and booking to outreach programs to recordings, they handle pretty much everything that keeps the whole show running.

[babaleshy]

Abandonment Issues

I have this need to compile all known things likely to contribute to my abandonment issues because I don't know if I'll ever get help with them. The things that contribute mostly involve things that have happened to me, and I will be adding examples of situations that cause them to kick in.

Because I know this will be a rather long post, I'll have a page-breaker.

First is a list of a timeline of significant events that contributed to the development of my abandonment issues:

The earliest would be when my dad took my brother and me grocery shopping at Kroger, and when we got to the check-out, he realized he forgot the money. He then proceeded to, after gaining permission, left not only the cart full of groceries at the front desk, but also left me and my brother with the groceries, with my brother still barely out of toddlerhood (if not still a toddler) so he could drive a HALF AN HOUR HOME to get the money, then come back. (I revealed this to mom a month or 2 ago and apparently she didn't know about this and was pissed while my dad grinned innocently.)

Each time there was a group of friends at the house of whom I thought was a friend, all activities were chosen knowing I knew little of how to participate, or it was something I wasn't interested in. (She didn't wanna be my friend anymore, even explicitly telling me this, but I just wasn't getting it for some reason.)

After my older cousins became a certain age, they wanted littler to do with me, and my younger cousins I couldn't relate to.

My parents hardly spent much time with me unless it was something they wanted to do instead of nurturing any of my interests beyond birthday and xmas gifts.

I wasn't included much in activities at family gatherings (and as I got older, nobody wanted to talk to me beyond a greeting and would suddenly ignore me).

Despite being the only French Horn player in middle school, I frequently did not get my sheet music and would have to ask. A lot. And sometimes, I still didn't get the sheet music and had to improvise.

7th grade, we went to Louisville, KY (a RIDICULOUSLY LONG CAR RIDE from Ohio due to so many traffic jams thanks to several accidents on the highway), and I was largely ignored.

When I switched to mellophone in high school for marching band, my band director seemed to have forgotten to assign me spots for drills a few times... despite being the only one playing that instrument.

A science class my sophomore or junior year, the teacher said we could work with only one other person on an in-class assignment. The class was an uneven number. My 2 friends in that class worked together. I was by myself. I had points taken off because I didn't work with anyone. Because I couldn't.

Any bullies I've had, I got no help, with being told by teachers and authorities that there's nothing they could do except punish me in some way for being in the fight at all (while the bullies never got in trouble), or my parents telling me there's nothing they can do and to just stop making myself a target.

Anytime I needed help in class, the teacher wouldn't actually help, just repeat what they've said, and when I say that I still don't understand it, I'm told, "Then I don't know how to help you," and proceeded to ignore my pleas for help in class.

Extended family only ask about me through my parents, and never try to contact me, so I'm just a blip within smalltalk for them.

Nobody taught me how to care for myself, so when I got into college, I was a train wreck, but figured some stuff out quickly despite entering back Autistic burnout and having meltdowns and breakdowns.

Our whole dorm (6 roommates in total including myself) in the first room I stayed in all went grocery shopping, with a couple of roommates having friends come along. I had a collapsible shopping cart to haul groceries with, so when we were on our way back in the middle of the night when it was snowing and freezing, everybody walked almost half a block ahead of me, talking and laughing. I was left alone, struggling to pull the heavy cart over the uneven sidewalks by myself. No one checked to see how I was doing or if I needed help. They didn't seem to notice until they realized they got to the dorm building way before I did. When I got there, they asked me what took me so long. I said it's a heavy cart and nobody was helping. One of them tugged the cart a bit, acknowledged that it was heavy, and then they all continued to ignore me again.

2nd dorm room, I went with 2 roommates out of town to get supplies to make my first (and so far, only) partial fursuit. Everything was fine and when it came time to take the bus home, I was reading the wrong schedule (I didn't realize the bus schedule was updated) so no buses ran into downtown, only as far as a particular neighborhood. I offered to have my dad come give us a ride, but they refused, with my closest roommate being royally pissed. My dad would've been there just in time, but they weren't convinced. The drive my dad would've taken would've been an hour and 45 minutes. When we walked, it took us 4 hours to get back to the dorm. They walked 2 or 3 blocks ahead of me, and I had my cellphone out to avoid feeling alone. My parents couldn't stay on for very long for reasons I can't remember. I got onto the phone with my then-boyfriend (now-husband) and he could only be on the phone until he had to go to bed because it was very late and his stepdad wanted him off the phone. By the time we got back to the dorms, my roommate was fine and said she was over it already.

I had to go to the emergency room at my first job at some point and a co-worker took me there, but he had to get back to work. When I was in a room finally, I wasn't seen for 8 hours because they didn't put any indicator on the door that someone was in there, so they didn't even know I was in there until they were looking for another bed for another patient.

When my brother died, mom paid attention to other people's kids, and I stopped existing to her for the longest time. She still barely listens to me when I try to socialize with her despite living with her (unless I say something she doesn't like hearing). My dad hardly paid any attention to me, too, and when I try to socialize, I'm suddenly "talking too much."

Ever since we moved in with my parents due to bedbugs and financial reasons, I've hardly had any friends keep in much contact with me after the first few years.

There are likely others. Now here are situations where my abandonment issues kick in:

My husband wanting to hang out with some friends or one of his siblings; I'll fear he's doing this to get away from me.

My parents ignoring me when I try to socialize.

Unable to keep any convo going with friends online, making me fear they either don't want to talk to me and find me annoying, or they don't want to make time because they think I'm annoying.

Extended family not being in contact with me.

I can't watch Jurassic World 2 because that brachiosaurus being left behind to suffer in the lava hit me personally and I relate with that CGI dino far too much to ever watch that movie again.

The counselor I was trying to see for said abandonment issues ignore any and all concerns I originally went there for and debunked everything I experienced by claiming it's me being anorexic because of my BMI (when in actuality, I have health issues and even stated that I'm seeing doctors for it). She also completely ignored the fact that I'm eating food, but my metabolism is too high. She also offered to have my husband come in on a session, and I agreed, and when it was obvious he took my side, he stopped existing to her.

The dietitian I was seeing ignored the fact that I kept saying endometriosis can royally fuck with the digestive system, she even told me she doesn't understand how it can affect that, and proceeded to beg me to eat as if I don't eat or I'm refusing to eat much. So because of her and the counselor, I feel like I'm not allowed help all because of the stupid BMI.

I see people come out in the LGBTQ community and witness them (many of whom I know) get not just enthusiastic support, but they talk about it. I come out as a demiwoman or greysexual, and it's "oh, that's nice ^^" and that's it... It's like nobody wants to talk to me.

These abandonment issues make me feel like I don't exist, that I'm either a ghost somehow communicating somewhat with the living, or that I'm watching television and I'm so immersed that I'm trying to communicate with the characters expecting them to talk back.

But when I finally do exist, it's mostly when someone has a problem with me. I'm suddenly "too much" or "difficult to live with" (as an old roommate put it). The only support I've ever had is my husband, who does his best, and I love him for it, but it's not easy. I need professional help, but because my BMI, a number that's based on assumptions and bullshit, is far more important than my actual fucking struggles, I don't feel I'm allowed any help whatsoever.

I'm gonna do some searching for another counselor or therapist that will take my insurance and see about hopefully booking an appointment during the warmer weather.

It's stuff like this as to why I can't see myself do much actively for whatever community I become a part of. I can only do passive things like help move information along or maybe grow food. And I'm so out of practice when it comes to socializing that I fear making friends IRL might be impossible at this point. I don't even think the friends I still sort of keep in touch with online would be able to handle being around me IRL. Right now, I'm just trying to help keep my sanity functioning.

[pouringmeout]

11/17/22

My Grandpa Shander and I used to visit alone without my mom and dad in the room, or brother and sister, usually Grandma Shander wasn't around either.  In the other room visiting my mom in the kitchen.

I was a loner and writing music and film stars on Instagram and making films and screenplays for YouTube and my hard drive.

Sending out materials and not getting much back.

Toby Kebbell had an agent or manager in London actually reply.  She said if you find a producer or backing we would love to read the screenplay you queried us for.

I never officially found the backers.

I wanted him to play Arc, or ARKMIN in my screenplay I finished in February of 2013, the year after I discovered the writings of the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.  A feature film to be my first movie director job for the cinema about the "Phenomenon of Psychedelics" and other drugs.  In the early drafts Arc had a cocaine problem and gets help.  I ended up changing that as a way to tell young people to not mess around with that stuff.  Cocaine is very bad in my opinion.

So back to what I was writing before about my Grandpa Shander....

Oh yeah, it was not an Anti-Drug movie, the way Full Metal Jacket was supposed to be not a Paths of Glory 2 or another Stanley Kubrick anti-war film.  He wanted to capture the "phenomenon of war," not be a repeat of the World War I Kirk Douglas picture.

So "Arc & Cyl In Skunk Zoo" was about Mushrooms, LSD, Weed, and booze, and going out with friends to a regular spot with free live music, not DJ's or just turntables, but bands who didn't make any money yet doing it.

My Grandpa told me all sorts of stuff when we visited in my early and middle 30's.

He liked seeing me, and everyone else in the family, did not visit as often as I.  My mom and dad were going down to the Heights to visit often.

Once a month or so.

So I recently put on the Irishman, directed by Martin Scorsese and photographed by Rodrigo Prieto, ASC AMC for Netflix.

The woman in the movie that I remembered was I thought "Shandolini" the "mob royalty wife, who was from the same town in Sicily as the Bufalinos, Came over on the Italian Mayflower,"

My great uncle supposedly married an Italian or maybe even a Sicilian mobster before our side of the family told them to go to hell.

We never met Al's side of the family as children, this falling out happened before my dad went to medical school at Loyola, (not University of Notre Dame like the rest of the family, mostly) married my mother and I was even a thought.  

They were angry at us.  My Grandma and Grandpa Shander received a sum of money from the will, earned at a Wood Shop Factory they owned in the Heights after my great Grandfather Otto Shander Junior died in the 80's.

No, I think my Grandpa Shander's (J.R. Otto Shander) brother, my great uncle Al Shander-died in the 80's and we got an old upright ancient piano.  It was dark wood like an off black and not even a dark brown looking thing.  I thought it wouldn't sound good, and I guess my mom said we got it tuned and fixed up.  And I played after lessons every two weeks or so on it.

One of my teachers was just down the road from here, two houses off Sunset Drive, no joke.

I played for my Grandpa when he came to visit from the South Side of Chicago and he sat right next to me. 

"Steven play something for me," he said.

I was like ok Grandpa, this one I don't even have to look at the notes, this one's called "Greensleeves."

I put up the book of songs, opened the page and it was like when I was showing off my free throws or my lay-ups in the driveway to the my neighbor's moms and dads taking out the trash in the 80s.

Hey Mr. Buchanan I can make a three pointer now, watch...

Ok Steve, good job, wow.

Megan home?

No, she's out at the gym.

Oh gymnastics, ok.

Wonder why they call it that Grandpa?  

What's Green-Sleeves?

All the other songs I had to read the notes, the sheet music in front of me, that one I could do without even having my eyes open.

Like I was an expert at this one song, but all the others were harder and needed attention to the dumb fucking treble and bass fucking clef, this shit... 

I was in first grade or second I think, maybe younger.

He was so impressed with my skills as a little boy at the dumb and ugly looking Shander inherited piano.

I don't remember him saying much, but the look on his face was so great, like he loved me, like he saw me doing something he was proud of.

I wasn't going on "His List" for that shit.  

No I was eating all my food off my plate and not wearing a ball-cap at the table, no elbows on table, no cuss words, I was kicking some first grade ass with that stupid fuckin' song!

Wonder what is means?  

Dad?!

Wow, when I fund out about that context, I was like What the Literal Fuck.

Made me shiver and I had the chills like the Boogey Man was back, and Freddie and Jason, the guy from Pet Cemetery 2 (in the window with that drill-bit in the tv preview) and Pinhead were shitting their pants all the fuck over again.

I hated going to piano lessons, but it was like Sunday school, I had to go, no choice, do it Steve, just do it little Shander boy!  

And thank you God I had to go, and thank mom and dad for making me go-you stricter than heck Jesus-Loving-Monkeys.  It really was a blessing in my life you guys-holy shit, thank you.

Usually he was grumpy and very strict and kind of mean, like a pissed off drafted NAVY guy who never got off the aircraft carrier, when the Bomb turned them around in the South Pacific in World War II.

Panama Canal?

Ok Grandpa, not all the stories are coming out today, but they should soon.

I miss you man.  You had your moments of mean comments, but this shit is insane man.  You weren't kidding when you you showed me with your hand and fingers-the width of the glass at Al Capone's apartment complex in your neighborhood as a little boy.  It was extra thick to prevent bullets from the street sweepers or other dangers to their outfit.

Chicago....

I learned music first on that piano.  I do not believe I know the truth about my family secrets for very serious and also very dangerous, reasons and/or details to my safety and literal human body's lifespan.

The family on the other side wanted the money for starting a business, they didn't want to go to get an education.  The will said on my Great Grandpa Shander's wishes, that it was money for school only, College or University, maybe even vocational stuff.

I could be hearing a load of bullshit on this one too.

I doubt that.

My Aunts and Uncles all went to fancy colleges or universities with the money from that will.

I found one of these cocksuckers online, Facebook.com, my family name, and he was a MAGA hat wearin' fool. 

So if my relatives on the Uncle Al Shander side are really all that I think they are, boy are they suspect in this fucking story. 

Maybe not, who knows? 

Mahalo Mother Fucker/ (thank you in Hay-Why, whoever you are...)

I do not fucking love you.

I love my family, my fans, my people on the pen pals service.

Keep your head up you guys, it's fucking cold as a mother fucker and we all don't clear the medical for the Frozen Tundra down there on the Ice, The South Pole Ice....

Means you don't get medically cleared to go there.

The Wilderness Left

[woollenpharaohs]

“There is no Belgian record that was so eagerly anticipated as From Deewee, the new Soulwax. It says a lot about the hero status that Stephen and David Dewaele enjoy. However, they too were once just long-haired rockers with a musical dream. Photographer Bruno De Cock stood (closely) and looked at it.

They now operate from a hyper-modern sanctuary in Ghent, but the first Soulwax seeds were planted in the garden house of one of the grandparents on the Waterspoorbaan in Ghent. Drummer Piet Dierickx in front of his grandparents' garden house. David, the youngest Dewaele, rehearsed there with his group, in which bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Piet Dierickx also played', says photographer Bruno De Cock, who closely followed Soulwax in his early years. captured the sensitive plate. “One day I went to see one such rehearsal with Stephen, my classmate and good friend. We did that half-laughing, but it was already clear then that Stephen wanted to participate.' He joined the group, and Soulwax was born. Envy It soon became clear that this was not the umpteenth average rock group. These guys had too much drive and tons of ambition for that. “Back then, you were quickly viewed as skewed if you were ambitious,” says De Cock.

“At that time, groups were stuck in their niche, they didn't want more. Soulwax does, I immediately realized that. On top of that, they also just had tons of talent, everyone could see that. I remember getting chills regularly when I saw them at rehearsals. They believed in what they were doing, so we as bystanders started to believe in it too." In the beginning, the success of the band was sometimes scorned that they had it easy' with a father like Jackie 'Zaki' Dewaele, a radio and television presenter who had amassed a certain name and fame in Flanders with his music programs.

"It's a shame that sometimes people reacted jealously. Soulwax has certainly traveled its course under its own power. People like Zaki or their aunt Arlette (Vereecke, ed.), then Guns N' Roses press officer and guitarist Slash's love, were mainly a source of inspiration. They showed the boys that it was possible to make it. Although it is still not entirely clear to me whether Arlette was really an aunt of theirs or not…' 

To this day, the Dewaeles are regularly worn by perfectionists, workaholics and notorious music nerds. It was no different in the early years. At home, the brothers had an extensive music collection at their disposal, which they eagerly took in. They often spent whole afternoons listening to music or watching clips on their large television. 'As teenagers, the Dewaeles were already walking music encyclopedias,' says Bruno De Cock. 'We sometimes did music quizzes with friends in Stephen's student room, he just knew everything. And David could use it too. From the popular top 30 stuff to the most obscure stuff, they soaked it all up like a sponge. We just could never win.” 

Stephen was DJing back then, without David at the time. He combined his music knowledge with his sense of eclecticism. De Cock: 'Never before had I seen a DJ combine Motörhead with funk from the 1970s. Nobody did such a thing. That limitlessness was already in their own music back then.” As the eldest of the gang, Stephen quickly pulled the sheets to himself. He had a clear vision of the music and the concept of the group, and acted like a true art director: everything had to be right, right down to the smallest details. Not only the music, but also the look of the band and the records. “I made their press photos and artwork at the time, but even that was sometimes a hell of a job. For the cover of the first EP 2nd Handsome Blues I made hundreds of Polaroids in an old laundromat. In the end they didn't know which one to choose, so it became a poster with all the photos on the front, and the text on the back. Again, only they did such things.”

In addition to being hard workers, the Dewaeles have always had the image of good kids. Guys who know how to make a party explode, but not how to achieve ecstasy themselves. “That image is correct,” says De Cock. “In the past, they were regarded as misfits in that way. Everyone smoked a joint at parties, and most did more than that. But not him. Stephen did not smoke, drink or do drugs. Most of all, he was on the dance floor at 3 a.m. between the druggies, shoving a camera under their noses. That fascinated him, why people did such things. Besides, he had enough weird traits of his own to be able to party without aids.”

"We were also a bit older than the rest of the group, felt we were above those drugs. We dared to laugh about that. For the 18-year-old Stephen, there may have been a kind of urge to prove against those 14-year-old pants. Today Piet is the tough, bearded drummer of Drums Are For Parades, but just look at what a baby face he had with Soulwax at the time. Then you start to understand Stephen.' (laughs) Soulwax made more and more appearances in the nineties, and became part of a scene with Belgian bands from different cities. The Dewaeles were regularly programmed together with bands such as dEUS and Fifty Foot Combo. They inspired each other. Steven Janssens – known from The Whodads and Daan – was a striking figure in Belgian music with his fat rockabilly crest.

“David looked up to Steven very much. They were both gearsluts, you had to hear David talk about his Plexiglas guitar. He learned new techniques from Steven, he was a bit of David's teacher. On the day of the photo above, they happened to be sharing the same poster, but when they weren't performing themselves, they acted as each other's roadies. It was a crazy relationship that the two had.' Early promise Soulwax's current, electro-based sound can hardly be compared with the music they made in their early years. Their former idols were the stoner rockers of Kyuss, The Black Crows and Masters Of Reality, the group of Chris Goss. The latter was enlisted as the producer of their first full-length album, Leave The Story Untold. 

‘That record may sound very 90s, but on the other hand it also contains very sophisticated elements. They were already cutting and pasting, and playing recordings backwards. With all his experience, Goss managed to put the pieces of the puzzle together, but the ideas and creative input did not come from the producer, but from the Dewaeles themselves. And that is no different today.'

 Bruno De Cock now works for Doctors Without Borders, where he is responsible for the photo productions and the database manager. Contact with the Soulwax boys has now dwindled, he says. Although he regrets that he did not experience their real heyday: 'It is a pity that I was never able to go to America, yes. Those must have been crazy times. But on the other hand: going on tour with a lot of friends, that can get out of hand sometimes.' (laughs)” [Rest of article is inaccessible]

- Soulwax, how it started: 'Everyone smoked joints, except the Dewaeles' - Knack Focus, 23/03/2017. (Tranlsated using google translate)