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All about Christina Milian! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ (Fan Community)
2014.11.04 00:18 Dating Over 30: Because dating is hard, no matter how old you are.
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2024.06.10 05:45 over18forreal five
submitted by over18forreal to u/over18forreal [link] [comments]2024.06.09 20:45 stargazer4468 spiral alice is my Roman Empire: the story of a very weird little playlist we may have forgotten about too soon.
 | https://preview.redd.it/zql79kzodl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=c7ad659f55cb9ce5d6473f396e254dc93fa16ea2 submitted by stargazer4468 to GaylorSwift [link] [comments] On December 1, 2023, a very weird little playlist came into existence and I don't think it was talked about enough. It has become my Roman Empire.At first, I thought I'd shake it off a la niceboy ed, but I have many, many questions about spiral alice, some of which I've included at the end of this post. Please also note the multiple connections to conversations we've had in Gaylor spaces recently, especially when it comes to overarching themes and symbolism.So please, come down the rabbit hole and spiral with me because I would love to discuss! Who or what is spiral alice?This is the rundown on how spiral alice came to be a topic of conversation, so start here if this is new to you or you need a refresher.November 29, 2023
What is a Radio playlist? According to the Spotify Community page, “Spotify Radio is a feature that creates a playlist based on any Song, Album, Playlist or Artist you select. The playlist also updates over time to keep fresh.”
Not Logged In vs. Logged InUsers not logged in to Spotify see there are two songs listed by artist spiral alice: “Error Track” (4:38) and “The Binding of the Pearl Girl” (2:21), from the album “The Binding of the Pearl Girl.” “Error Track” is one second longer than YLM. Both are greyed out on the playlist preview and appear as either track 1 or track 7.From the Spotify spiral alice Radio page, as long as the users aren’t logged in to Spotify, it is possible to select the songs from spiral alice but they can't be played. The release date for both tracks is listed as June 7, 2023, and the copyright is listed under the name “Alice terreal” (last name not capitalized). https://preview.redd.it/br8uscjudl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=abc735a03d381fcdc543e4b1d37fb1e90983d55a https://preview.redd.it/x1ytvbjudl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=362da6291c57f355b7e3b86dc613eb1166cbf05b What's on the playlist?Users reported the following about their individual spiral alice Radio playlists:
Normally a Spotify Radio station starts with the artist whose song, profile, or album the station is based off of. This playlist started with a Taylor Swift song for all users (although the song itself varied).
The Themes are Theme-ingThroughout the playlist, several striking recurring themes and potential Swift references stand out.Some recurring themes include:
The Lyrics are Lyric-ingLyrics that stood out from spiral alice Radio (there are hundreds of examples):
spiral alice: Taylor's VersionBased on a sample of several users who compiled their spiral alice playlists, the following were the featured Taylor Swift tracks that appeared.It's notable that the featured tracks that appear represent a very limited selection of her catalog. cardigan, the lakes, and this is me trying all appear in both their album and long pond sessions versions.
More LoreShazam YLM, Get “Error Track” - A TikTok user made a video (reportedly in June 2023, but it gained traction in December) to say that she heard You’re Losing Me on the radio and wanted to know what it was called so she could buy it. She used Shazam to identify the song and was taken to “Error Track” by spiral alice, with the same black and white profile image as appears on Spotify. She tried three times to Shazam YLM and was brought to Error Track all three times. The screenshot in the user’s video showed that “Error Track” had been Shazamed 18,872 times by the time the screenshot was taken.Google spiral alice, Get YLM - In December, when users searched “spiral alice,” several reported that they got hits related to YLM. “Capillaries” Anagram Fan Theory - An article published by Just Jared on the evening of December 1, 2023 titled, “Who Is Spiral Alice? Taylor Swift Fans Think They've Decoded Mystery Songwriter on 'You're Losing Me'” explains that the fan theory behind spiral alice is that it is an anagram for capillaries, since Swift used her heartbeat in the background of YLM. The only other song in Swift’s catalog to use a recording of her heartbeat is “Wildest Dreams” from the album 1989, where she credits the recording as “Heartbeat - Taylor Swift.” Some fans criticized the interpretation of “spiral alice” as capillaries, saying that despite being part of the vascular system and connecting arteries to veins, “capillaries” isn’t synonymous to a heartbeat. Is It an Alice in Wonderland Reference? - A lot of people noted that “spiral alice” could be a reference to Alice in Wonderland. Imagery surrounding the Alice stories, from original book illustrations to the Disney film retellings, classically include spirals to symbolize disorientation and whimsy. spiral alice Album Art - The album art image for spiral alice is a black and white illustrated silhouette of a person with both hands on their head and one large eye for a face. They appear to be looking up at or being looked down upon by an evil eye symbol, surrounded by seven smaller evil eye symbols. A reverse image search suggests the image may be related to various holy symbols. As of June 2024, there are several uses of this image as a profile picture, but no notable use that credits the original artist. Background Color Changing - In late May 2024, the background color of the spiral alice Radio playlist changed color from a coral pink to a periwinkle blue. For a short period of time, the cover of the playlist mentioned Taylor Swift as a featured artist on the playlist. Swiftian SpiralsThe spiral alice of it all made me wonder where else spirals may have been referenced in Taylor's work and I found the below. Although a clear throughline is a little hard to see, I think it's still interesting.
https://preview.redd.it/n3mp3um2fl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=604a6eabae1e87d542fcf2db0fcc39d9432d381b https://preview.redd.it/ynvuofn2fl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=10260cc0e432c79a7bca4b719af642372c06e915 https://preview.redd.it/9se9mum2fl5d1.png?width=6000&format=png&auto=webp&s=40953f6f9bc15a1580355c11d4b850de216d8232 Lyrical Swiftian Spirals
Can I ask you a question (okay, more than one)?
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2024.06.08 22:37 keritro If Freaky Friday 2 gets a theatrical release, can it be a success?
 | https://preview.redd.it/p6bl9kl0re5d1.jpg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6afd7990ec6b6ab5fe8143ce3738f1bc51cb48a0 submitted by keritro to boxoffice [link] [comments] The Freaky Friday sequel is adding its first new cast member. 15 year old Julia Butters, known for her roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Fabelmans, is set to join Freaky Friday 2, per Variety, as originally reported by Jeff Sneider. Butters would star opposite Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis in the long-awaited sequel, though the character she would be playing has not yet been specified. While the plot hasn't been officially announced, it seems likely that Butters will be playing one of two teenage girls with whom lead characters Tess (Curtis) and Anna Coleman (Lohan) are rumored to be swapping bodies in the new movie, namely Anna's daughter and future stepdaughter. An exact release date for Freaky Friday 2 has not yet been announced. Outside of Lohan and Curtis, it's unknown if other actors from the 2003 cast will join, though Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal and Rosalind Chao have expressed interest, and Mark Harmon stated he'd be down if his longtime friend Curtis called. Curtis also recently shared an Instagram post about the new project accompanied by a photo alongside her "bestie" Jodie Foster, who starred in the original '70s version, perhaps teasing fans potential cameos. Freaky Friday premiered in theaters in 2003 and grossed over $160 million worldwide on a budget of $26 million. A tidy profit like that is surely something Disney would look for, which further begs the question of whether Freaky Friday 2 will be a theatrical release or placed on Disney+ similarly to other legacy sequels like Hocus Pocus 2 and Disenchanted. The trades claim that information isn't yet clear either. Nisha Ganatra (Late Night, The High Note) is directing while Jordan Weiss (Dollface) penned the script. Filming is set to begin this summer. |
2024.06.08 22:06 Equal-Temporary-1326 Who was the New Bedford Highway Killer? An unidentified serial killer killed 11 sex workers in New Bedford, Massachusetts between 1988 and 1989. Two of the women's bodies have never been found either.
The New Bedford Highway Killer, also known as the New Bedford Serial Killer, was an unidentified serial killer responsible for the murders of at least nine women and disappearance of two others in New Bedford, Massachusetts, between 1988 and 1989. Here's a summary of the case:
The victims, primarily young women involved in prostitution or with histories of drug abuse, were found murdered and often left along highways or in secluded areas in and around New Bedford. The killer targeted vulnerable women, taking advantage of their marginalized status and the transient nature of their lifestyles.
The murders began in July 1988 and continued until April 1989, when the body of the last known victim, Robin Rhodes, was discovered. The victims had been strangled to death, and some showed signs of sexual assault. The killer's modus operandi and the similarities between the cases led investigators to conclude that they were the work of a serial killer.
Despite extensive investigations by law enforcement agencies, including the formation of a task force dedicated to solving the case, the identity of the New Bedford Highway Killer remains unknown, and the case remains unsolved. The lack of resolution has left a lasting impact on the community and the families of the victims, who continue to seek justice and closure for their loved ones.
The victims attributed to the New Bedford Highway Killer are primarily young women involved in prostitution or with histories of drug abuse. Here is a list of the known victims:
The New Bedford serial killer murdered nine women in 1988 and was never caught The Independent
Home The Highway Murders
After 35 Years New Bedford Highway Killings Remain Unresolved (wbsm.com)
submitted by Equal-Temporary-1326 to UnresolvedMysteries [link] [comments]
The victims, primarily young women involved in prostitution or with histories of drug abuse, were found murdered and often left along highways or in secluded areas in and around New Bedford. The killer targeted vulnerable women, taking advantage of their marginalized status and the transient nature of their lifestyles.
The murders began in July 1988 and continued until April 1989, when the body of the last known victim, Robin Rhodes, was discovered. The victims had been strangled to death, and some showed signs of sexual assault. The killer's modus operandi and the similarities between the cases led investigators to conclude that they were the work of a serial killer.
Despite extensive investigations by law enforcement agencies, including the formation of a task force dedicated to solving the case, the identity of the New Bedford Highway Killer remains unknown, and the case remains unsolved. The lack of resolution has left a lasting impact on the community and the families of the victims, who continue to seek justice and closure for their loved ones.
The victims attributed to the New Bedford Highway Killer are primarily young women involved in prostitution or with histories of drug abuse. Here is a list of the known victims:
- Robbin Lynn Rhodes, 29, also referred to as “Bobbie Lynn” was found on March 28, 1989, along Route 140 southbound in Freetown by a search dog. She is believed to have gone missing sometime in March or April 1988. Rhodes had dated suspect Kenneth Ponte. She had a young child and was addicted to heroin and cocaine. While she was never involved in prostitution, she knew many of the other victims and was friends with victim Mary Rose Santos
- Rochelle Clifford Dopierala, 28, of Falmouth, disappeared sometime during late April 1988. Her body was found on December 10, 1988, in a gravel pit along Reed Road beneath a tree grove, about two miles from Interstate 195, by people riding ATVs. She was partially clothed and had been beaten to death. She had dated and stayed at the home of suspect Kenneth Ponte, who was arrested for her murder, but the charges were eventually dismissed due to a lack of evidence. This was the only time charges were brought in this case. Rochelle had testified against another man who had raped her, but he is not suspected in this case. She was last seen with victim Nancy Paiva's boyfriend, an ex-convict. He was cleared in both deaths and is not a suspect.
- Deborah Lynn McConnell, 25, of Newport, Rhode Island, was mother to one daughter. Deborah was last seen sometime in May 1988 by her father after the funeral of her mother at the local cemetery. She is believed to have been the third victim. Her body was found on December 1, 1988, off Route 140 northbound in Freetown, through a cadaver dog search. She was found nude with a bra wrapped around her neck.
- Debra Medeiros, 29, of Fall River lived with her mother. Debra was known to both police and family to have had long standing substance abuse issues but no record for prostitution. She was last seen by her boyfriend in New Bedford after a fight, and was reported missing on May 27, 1988. She was the first of the bodies found and she was identified in December 1988. Her body was found on July 3, 1988, by a woman who went to relieve herself just in the woods on the side of the road on Interstate 140 in Freetown. Her remains were severely decomposed with her body positioned on her back with her feet pointed towards the highway. Her cause of death was strangulation, she had a bra wrapped around her neck, and she was found only partially clad. Her boyfriend was ruled out as a suspect. After her death, her mother counselled drug and alcohol addicts in honour of her daughter's death
- Christina Monteiro, 19, was last seen sometime in May 1988 and has not been seen or heard from since. Christina had a child and had a known substance abuse history. She was a Cape Verdean American female with brown hair, brown eyes with scars on both wrists and a scar near her left eye. She was between 5’3 and 5’5 and was 110 lbs. She had initials and words tattooed on her arms. She was wearing a shirt, blue jeans and sneakers when she was last seen.
- Nancy Lee Paiva, 36, of New Bedford, was last seen walking home from a bar called “Whisper’s Pub” on July 7, 1988, after a reported fight with her boyfriend in the South End in the early hours of the morning. Nancy reportedly had substance abuse issues but was not known to be a prostitute. Nancy had gone to secretarial school, but dropped out. She was married at 19, divorced and had two teenaged daughters. Nancy was known as a very supportive mother and grandmother. At the time of her death, she had a steady boyfriend, who was a drug dealer known to police. Her relationship with her boyfriend had been dysfunctional with domestic violence issues. Her nude body was discovered beside Interstate 195 Westbound in Dartmouth on July 30, 1988, by two men who were riding motorcycles. Her body was found in the same position as victim Debra Medeiro's – on her back with her feet pointing towards the highway. Nancy's cause of death was also believed to be strangulation. Her boyfriend is not a suspect in her death
- Debra Greenlaw Demello, 35, was a mother of three; a fifteen-year-old daughter, Chandra and two boys who were eight and three respectively at the time of her death. She had struggled with substance abuse issues since her teenage years. She had walked away from a prison work-release program to which she had been sentenced due to a prostitution charge on June 18 and was last seen in New Bedford, on July 11, 1988. Her body was found off the eastbound Reed Road ramp of Interstate 195 by a state highway crew on November 8, 1988. Debra's nude body was in an area with trees with her clothing strewn in the branches. She was found with some belongings of another victim, Nancy Paiva
- Mary Rose Santos, 26, of New Bedford, was a mother of two, who was dropped off on July 16, 1988, by her husband, with whom she had recently reconciled, near the downtown bus station and last seen dancing at “The Old Quarterdeck Lounge” five hours later. Friends said her husband had no idea she was working the streets to help pay bills, and she was known to have a substance abuse issue. Mary Rose Santos’ nude body was found with a beer bottle on March 31, 1989, along Route 88 in Westport by two boys. Suspect Kenneth Ponte had represented Mary Santos in a civil case and helped her husband make flyers after her disappearance
- Christina Monteiro (19 years old) - Last seen on June 20, 1988, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She remains missing and has not been located or heard from since her disappearance.
- Marilyn Cardoza (20 years old) - Last seen on June 6, 1988, in New Bedford. She also remains missing and has not been located or heard from since her disappearance.
The New Bedford serial killer murdered nine women in 1988 and was never caught The Independent
Home The Highway Murders
After 35 Years New Bedford Highway Killings Remain Unresolved (wbsm.com)
2024.06.08 21:09 SanderSo47 Directors at the Box Office: Ang Lee
 | https://preview.redd.it/3ey3xk1cce5d1.png?width=1920&format=png&auto=webp&s=013619527a9526a4c1a28fce38d2b1320c6e7192 submitted by SanderSo47 to boxoffice [link] [comments] Here's a new edition of "Directors at the Box Office", which seeks to explore the directors' trajectory at the box office and analyze their hits and bombs. I already talked about a few, and as I promised, it's Ang Lee's turn. Lee's father, a respect principal, was hoping that his son would become a professor. But he was disappointed when his son failed his high school exam twice, forcing him to attend a less privileged university. Seeing Ingmar Bergman's film The Virgin Spring was a formative experience for him. After finishing his mandatory military service, he moved to the United States to complete his studies. He wanted to become an actor, but his struggle with English made him move into directing. After finally meeting a few contacts in the industry, he started working as a director. From a box office perspective, how reliable was he to deliver a box office hit? That's the point of this post. To analyze his career. Pushing Hands (1991)His directorial debut. It stars Sihung Lung, Lai Wang, Bo Z. Wang, Deb Snyder and Haan Lee. It follows a Chinese tai chi master living in New York, who struggles to find his place in the world. The film shows the contrast between traditional Chinese ideas of Confucian relationships within a family and the much more informal Western emphasis on the individual.Lee graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 1984, but had failed to find career opportunities since, working almost full-time as a house-father. During the intermediate six years, he became interested in martial arts, specifically tai chi, after reading the wuxia novel Jianghu qixia zhuan. This motivated him to write a screenplay, which brought the attention of Hsu Li-kong, a recently promoted senior manager in a major studio who had a strong interest in Lee's unique style and freshness. He invited Lee to make his directorial debut. It had a very limited release, and it was reported that it made just $152,322 domestically. But it received acclaim in the United States and Taiwan. And that allowed Lee to finally get a chance to expand his horizon.
The Wedding Banquet (2023)"You are cordially invited to a wedding where everybody wants to kiss the bride... except the groom."His second film. The film stars Gua Ah-leh, Lung Sihung, May Chin, Winston Chao and Mitchell Lichtenstein. The story concerns a bisexual Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a mainland Chinese woman to placate his parents and get her a green card. His plan backfires when his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet and he has to hide the truth of his gay partner. Neil Peng approached Lee with the idea in 1986 by revealing to Lee that one of their mutual friends had moved to the United States and was in a same-sex relationship without the knowledge of the man's parents. Lee and Peng began writing the screenplay two years later and were soon joined by James Schamus. Schamus wrote that the film was "first drafted in Chinese, then translated into English, re-written in English, translated back into Chinese, and eventually subtitled in Chinese and English and a dozen other languages." The film was critically acclaimed, and became a sleeper hit, earning $23.6 million against a budget of just $1 million. Lee was on the rise.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)"It's hard to tell where sex stops and food begins."His third film. It stars Sihung Lung, Wang Yu-wen, Wu Chien-lien, and Yang Kuei-mei. It follows four members of the Zhu family as they navigate the challenges of love, life, tradition and family. This film deals with the transition from tradition to modernity. It is Lee's first (and to date, only film) to be shot entirely in his native Taiwan. Like his previous films, another critical and commercial success. Lee quickly made himself a household name.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)"Lose your heart and come to your senses."His fourth film. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, and it stars Emma Thompson (who also wrote the screenplay), Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. The story follows the Dashwood sisters, members of a wealthy English family of landed gentry, as they must deal with circumstances of sudden destitution. They are forced to seek financial security through marriage. In 1989, producer Lindsay Doran suggested adapting the novel to her colleagues. She was a lifelong fan of the novel, and vowed to make a film adaptation if she ever made it into the industry. Looking for a writer, Doran read screenplays by English and American writers until she came across a series of comedic skits, often in period settings, that actress Emma Thompson had written and decided that that was the direction she wanted for the film. As they were working on the film Dead Again, Doran hired Thompson to write the film, even though she never wrote a feature-length film before. Thompson spent five years writing and revising the screenplay, both during and between shooting other films. Believing the novel's language to be "far more arcane than in [Austen's] later books," Thompson sought to simplify the dialogue while retaining the "elegance and wit of the original." Despite Doran's confidence, studios were reluctant to pick up the film, as Thompson never wrote a film. Columbia Pictures executive Amy Pascal supported Thompson's work and agreed to sign as the producer and distributor. In 1993, Lee was hired to direct, basically for his work in The Wedding Banquet. Even though he was not familiar with Jane Austen, Doran felt that Lee's films, which depicted complex family relationships amidst a social comedy context, were a good fit with Austen's storylines. Viewing it as a "director for hire" job, Lee spent six months in preparing for the film, as it would have his largest budget ($16 million) by that point. Doran and Columbia asked Thompson to play Elinor herself. The film received widespread critical acclaim, and was included on more than a hundred top-ten of the year lists, as well as one of the best Austen adaptations. It was a huge box office hit, earning $134 million worldwide. It received 7 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Thompson won Best Adapted Screenplay, making her the only person to have won an Oscar for both her writing and acting (she won Best Actress two years prior). However, Lee was not nominated for Best Director, a decision that was criticized by many as Hollywood's racism against Lee and Chinese cinema in general. Lee sought to avoid turning his omission into a scandal and specifically asked the Taiwan state media not to make it a "national issue", explaining that he endured more pressure when forced to act as his country's representative.
The Ice Storm (1997)"The American Dream was over. But the hangover was just beginning."His fifth film. Based on the novel by Rick Moody, it stars Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, Glenn Fitzgerald, Jamey Sheridan and Sigourney Weaver. Set during Thanksgiving 1973, it follows two dysfunctional New Canaan, Connecticut, upper-class families who are trying to deal with tumultuous social changes of the early 1970s, and their escapism through alcohol, adultery and sexual experimentation. The film ended Lee's winning streak at the box office, but it was still critically acclaimed.
Ride with the Devil (1999)"In a no-man's land between North and South, you didn't fight for the blue or grey, you fought for your friends and your family."His sixth film. Based on the novel Woe to Live On by Daniel Woodrell, it stars Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jeffrey Wright, Jewel, Simon Baker, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, James Caviezel, Thomas Guiry and Jonathan Brandis. Set during the American Civil War, it follows a group of men who join the First Missouri Irregulars, also known as the Bushwhackers — guerrilla units loyal to pro-Confederacy units of the state — and their war against Northern Jayhawkers allied with the Union army. Despite commanding a $38 million budget, the film had a very limited three-day run, making less than $1 million. It also received mixed reviews from critics.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)"A timeless story of strength, secrets, and two warriors who would never surrender."His seventh film. Based on the Chinese novel serialized between 1941 and 1942 by Wang Dulu, it stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen. Master Li Mu Bai, a warrior, is about to retire and gives his sword to his lover Yu Shu Lien to keep it safe. However, the sword is stolen and now an embittered Li embarks on a mission to find it. The stunt work was mostly performed by the actors themselves and Ang Lee stated in an interview that computers were used "only to remove the safety wires that held the actors" aloft. "Most of the time you can see their faces," he added. "That's really them in the trees." The film specifically targeted Western audiences rather than the domestic audiences who were already used to Wuxia films. As a result, high-quality English subtitles were needed. Ang Lee, who was educated in the West, personally edited the subtitles to ensure they were satisfactory for Western audiences. Whatever were the expectations for this, the film exceeded them by a large margin. After a limited release, it earned $8 million in its first wide domestic opening weekend. But the crazy thing was how insane were its legs; it didn't hit a sub $4 million weekend until its 12th wide weekend, and it even increased from some weekends. It closed with a colossal $128 million domestically, becoming the highest foreign-language film in United States, a record it still keeps, and it's twice as much as the second place, Life Is Beautiful. Worldwide, it earned $213.9 million worldwide, becoming a worldwide phenomenon and Lee's highest grossing film. The film was widely acclaimed across the world, hailed as one of the greatest films of the century. The film led to a boost in popularity of Chinese wuxia films in the Western world, where they were previously little known, and led to films such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers, both directed by Zhang Yimou, being marketed towards Western audiences. It received 10 Oscar nominations (the most for a foreign film), including Best Picture and Best Director for Lee. It won four: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Cinematography. To this day, one of the most iconic foreign titles. Lee made history.
Hulk (2003)"Unleash the fury."His eighth film. Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it stars Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte. The film explores Bruce Banner's origins. After a lab accident involving gamma radiation, he transforms into a giant green-skinned humanoid with superhuman strength known as the Hulk whenever stressed or emotionally provoked. The United States military pursues him, and he clashes with his biological father, who has dark plans for his son. Since 1990, Avi Arad and Gale Ann Hurd were working on a Hulk film, but Universal was struggling in finding the right script. Hurd brought her husband Jonathan Hensleigh as co-producer the following year, and Universal hired Industrial Light & Magic to create the Hulk with computer-generated imagery. Joe Johnston was hired as director, but he eventually left to work on another film, while Zak Penn was brought to rewrite. Hensleigh subsequently rewrote the script with J. J. Abrams. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were also brought on board to rewrite, with Hensleigh deciding to direct the film himself despite not having directed before. By 1998, Universal put the film on hiatus due to its escalating $100 million budget and worries of Hensleigh directing his first film. $20 million was already spent on script development, computer animation, and prosthetics work. Hensleigh immediately went to rewrite the script to reduce the budget. In 2001, Lee and his colleague James Schamus signed for the project, after Lee chose not to direct Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. He was dissatisfied with the script and commissioned Schamus for a rewrite, merging Banner's father with the Absorbing Man. Lee cited influences from King Kong, Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Beauty and the Beast, Faust, and Greek mythology to interpret the story. Schamus said he had found the storyline that introduced Brian Banner, allowing Lee to write a drama that again explored father-son themes. Schamus admitted to feeling pressure after the release of Spider-Man. Eric Bana commented that the shoot was "Ridiculously serious... a silent set, morbid in a lot of ways." Lee told him that he was shooting a Greek tragedy, and that he would be making a "whole other movie" about the Hulk at Industrial Light & Magic. An example of Lee's arthouse approach to the film was taking Bana to watch a bare-knuckle boxing match. Bana would later disfavorably reflect on his experience making the film as the majority of the time he was working indoors while the rest of the cast interacted with a CGI recreation of the Hulk, somewhat limiting his screen time. After the colossal success of Spider-Man, Universal mounted an extensive marketing campaign, which also highlighted Ang Lee's involvement. The film opened with a huge $62.1 million in its first weekend, the biggest June debut and the 16th biggest ever. However, the film had absolutely no legs at the box office. In its second weekend, it dropped a colossal 69.7%, which was the biggest for a film that opened above $20 million. In its third weekend, it fell another steep 56.3% and it kept falling until it left theaters, becoming the largest opener not to earn $150 million. It closed with $132 million domestically and $245 million worldwide. Good enough to be the 15th highest grossing film of the year and Lee's highest grossing film, but not a hit given its $137 million budget. If Spider-Man was an immediate crowd-pleaser, Hulk was the exact opposite. It received polarizing reviews; while its ambition and style was praised, a lot criticized its CGI and very limited action ("too much talking and not enough smashing"). In subsequent years, some have praised the film as an ambitious film that deviated from the superhero formula, although it's still not widely considered as a beloved film. Lee admitted the challenges of the film, but stood proud of the film and its fans.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)"Love is a force of nature."His ninth film. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, it stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams and Randy Quaid. Its plot depicts the complex romantic relationship between two American cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, in the American West from 1963 to 1983. Screenwriter Diana Ossana discovered Annie Proulx's short story in October 1997, just days after its publication. She convinced writing partner Larry McMurtry to read it, who thought it was a "masterpiece". The pair asked Proulx if they could adapt it into a film screenplay; although she did not think that the story would work as a film, she agreed. The big challenge wasn't the script, it was about getting the film made in the first place. Gus Van Sant attempted to make the film, hoping to cast Matt Damon and Joaquin Phoenix as Ennis and Jack, respectively. He also considered Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Ryan Phillippe and Josh Hartnett. Damon, who previously worked with Van Sant on Good Will Hunting, told the director, "Gus, I did a gay movie (The Talented Mr. Ripley), then a cowboy movie (All the Pretty Horses). I can't follow it up with a gay-cowboy movie!" James Schamus, who was now the CEO of Focus Features, optioned the film rights in 2001. Pedro Almodovar was approached, but he felt he couldn't get his artistic freedom respected. At Ossana's request, Schamus showed the story and screenplay to Lee. Lee decided instead to make Hulk, and that film's experience left him exhausted, to the point that he considered retiring. When he was offered Brokeback, he changed his mind and agreed to direct. He was particularly drawn to the authentic rural American life and repression depicted in the story. Ossana and McMurty suggested Heath Ledger, but the film studio thought he was not masculine enough. Regardless, Ledger got the script, who thought it was "beautiful" and put himself forward. Gyllenhaal reacted to the script positively and signed on for the role; he also did not want to miss the opportunity working with Lee and friend Ledger. Lee met with Mark Wahlberg for a role in the film, but Wahlberg declined as he was "creeped out" by the script. Gyllenhaal admired Ledger and described him as "way beyond his years as a human". Other actors were considered for the leads but Lee said they were too afraid to take on the roles. You have to consider that while the world progressed a lot in the past years, 2005 was a very different era, so a film like Brokeback Mountain had a tough hill to climb. Some countries refused to play the film, while others censored it. LGBT films weren't big at the time, so it felt like there wouldn't be a big audience here. And they were proven wrong. The film debuted with $547,425 in 5 theaters, a huge $109,485 per-theater average. It had fantastic legs, eventually closing with a huge $83 million domestically. But the big surprise is that it was bigger overseas; it made $178 million worldwide, becoming Focus Features' highest grossing film. The film received universal acclaim on its release, touted as one of the greatest films of the century. It received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It won three: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. In a shocking decision, it lost Best Picture to Crash, a decision that has been reviled ever since. We'd like to say it's a polarizing decision... but let's face it, there are no Crash fans nowadays. Or at least, none that prefer that to Brokeback. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter; Brokeback may not have won the Oscar, but it won over the general public. It wasn't the first LGBT film, not even close. But it might have been the most influential and a huge landmark.
Lust, Caution (2007)"The trap is set."His tenth film. Based on the novella by Eileen Chang, it stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Tang Wei, Anupam Kher, Joan Chen, Wang Leehom and Shyam Pathak. The film is set in Hong Kong in 1938 and in Shanghai in 1942, when the city was occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army and ruled by the puppet government led by Wang Jingwei. The film depicts a group of Chinese university students from The University of Hong Kong who plot to assassinate a high-ranking special agent and recruiter working for the puppet government by luring him into a honey trap. The actors who played university classmates, spent six months of preproduction in Hong Kong just to get into character and understand the period before filming. During this period the group of actors, including Tang Wei and Wang Leehom became very close friends. Both Tang Wei and Tony Leung Chiu-wai were asked whether the sex scenes in the movie were unsimulated. Tang Wei responded, "In the movie, we are just doing what we should do to have a baby." As for Tony Leung, he responded, "When the bodies collide with each other, it is indeed like a fake show!" The film was rated NC-17 in North America for its explicit sex scenes, and Lee made it clear he would not re-cut the film. Despite that, the version released in China was cut by about seven minutes (by Lee himself) to make it suitable for younger audiences, since China has no rating system. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. Due to the rating, it only earned $4 million domestically. But it was much bigger overseas, where it earned $67 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing NC-17 film (a record it still keeps).
Taking Woodstock (2009)"Take the trip."His 11th film. Based on the memoir by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte, it stars Demetri Martin, Paul Dano, Dan Fogler, Henry Goodman, Jonathan Groff, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Imelda Staunton and Liev Schreiber. Elliot's parents own a motel in Catskills, New York. To overcome the family's financial crisis, Elliot offers the organisers of the Woodstock music and art festival boarding and lodging in the motel. The film received mixed reviews, and bombed at the box office.
Life of Pi (2012)"Don't lose hope."His 12th film. Based on the novel by Yann Martel, it stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu and Adil Hussain. The storyline revolves around two survivors of a shipwreck who are on a lifeboat stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days. One is a sixteen-year-old Indian boy named Pi Patel and the other is a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Fox 2000 Pictures executive Elizabeth Gabler acquired the film rights in February 2003. M. Night Shyamalan was attached to direct, and he was expected to film it after The Village. But he dropped to instead make Lady in the Water, "I was hesitant [to direct] because the book has kind of a twist ending. And I was concerned that as soon as you put my name on it, everybody would have a different experience." Other directors considered were Alfonso Cuarón and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, both of which declined. In 2009, Lee was hired, but the film was stuck in development hell when he asked for a $120 million budget. But the revival of 3-D motivated Fox in greenlighting the film under Lee's terms. As Lee started casting, one of the actors involved was Tobey Maguire, who would play a reporter. But it was later reported that Lee chose to cut his scenes, feeling he wanted to emphasize an entirely international cast. His scenes were re-shot with Rafe Spall. Fox mounted an extensive marketing campaign selling the film as "the next Avatar" in terms of visuals and 3-D. And it fucking killed it at the box office. It earned $124.9 million domestically, which was considered a soft performance. But the real money was in the rest of the world; the film broke records in countries like China, United Kingdom, India and Mexico. It earned a colossal $609 million worldwide, easily becoming Lee's highest grossing film. An absolutely insane performance. The film also received critical acclaim, praised for its CGI and 3-D. It received 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. And it won four: Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, and then Lee himself won his second Oscar for Best Director, becoming the first Asian to win the award twice. And just like that, he cemented himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of our era. And here's how he celebrated it; going to In-N-Out.
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)"To walk the path of a hero, you have to see how it all began."His 13th film. Based on the novel by Ben Fountain, it stars Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, and Chris Tucker. After a horrifying battle in Iraq, Private Billy Lynn and his fellow comrades are brought home for a victory tour. Soon, he recollects the harsh realities of the war and struggles to cope with life. The film used an unprecedented shooting and projection frame rate of 120 frames per second in 3D at 4K UHD resolution, which Lee terms the "whole shebang". It is the first feature film ever to be shot in such a high frame rate, over twice the previous record (Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, shot at 48 fps) and five times the standard speed of 24 fps. Lee undertook such a bold step after reading the book since he wanted the film to be an "immersive" and "realistic" experience of the reality and emotional journey of soldiers. Due to the complexity involved in shooting at a very high frame rate, Lee could not afford to do many takes even for a single scene. Every shot was difficult and at the same time precious. He would rehearse every scene beforehand and would conduct regular morning meetings with the key crew members to highlight things they needed to be alert on. Shooting close-up shots in 3D with such high resolution meant the cast could not wear make-up and could not deliver less-than-authentic performances. Since no make-up was allowed, make-up artist Luisa Abel spent months of preparation on their skin tones. Throughout filming, the production team had to rethink everything, including different approaches to lighting as the camera needed extra lights due to the higher frame rates. Due to the complexity of the film's unprecedented high frame rate and the cost of installing equipment capable of projecting the film in its intended format, only five theaters globally were equipped to show it at its highest resolution and maximum frame rate: two in the United States (one at a theater in New York City's AMC Lincoln Square where the film had its world premiere and the other in Los Angeles's the ArcLight Hollywood), and one theater each in Taipei, Beijing, and Shanghai. The film opened in 2 theaters (New York City's AMC Lincoln Square and Los Angeles's the ArcLight Hollywood's Cinerama Dome), which were the only ones in the country to play the film at 120fps and the ticket prices at both locations running $20 or higher. It made a pretty great $114,129, which made for a fantastic $57,064 per-theater average (the third best of the year). But when it hit wide release, the film was dead on arrival. It made just $901,062 in 1,176 theaters, which was one of the worst wide debuts ever. And then, despite having its second weekend fall on Thanksgiving, it collapsed by 77.3%. It closed after just 3 weeks with only $1.7 million domestically. It fared better overseas, where China made colossal $23.7 million. Worldwide, it made just $30.9 million, making it a box office flop. Reviews were mixed, and people were polarized over the high-frame rate; some deemed it immersive and impressive, while others found it distracting and flat.
Gemini Man (2019)"Who will save you from yourself?"His 14th film. It stars Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen and Benedict Wong. The film follows a retiring Force Recon Marine scout sniper who is targeted by a much younger clone of himself while on the run from a corrupt private military company. In 1997, Darren Lemke sold his pitch for Gemini Man after impressing Don Murphy with an unproduced spec script. Warner Bros. Pictures pursued the project, but Walt Disney Pictures ultimately won out and Tony Scott would become attached to direct. Complications soon arose when the studio were planning how to make the film. The producers toyed with the idea of an actor play both roles through the use of visual effects, but Scott moved on from the film before any progress could be made. The project was stuck in development hell, and saw many actors considered, such as Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Chris O'Donnell, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Clint Eastwood and Jon Voight. Many directors were also considered, before Lee finally signed in 2017, with Smith also joining. Like his previous film, the film was shot digitally at an extra-high frame rate of 120 frames per second (fps), modified for 3D, this time on modified ARRI Alexa cameras mounted on STEREOTEC 3D Rigs. Again, due to the requirements needed, only 14 theaters in North America could show the film at a 120fps 2K 3D high-frame rate (two in Los Angeles, two in Chicago, and one each in Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, Denver, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Baltimore and Houston). Even then, the film was shot at 120fps 4K 3D, which means no theater showed its intended vision. Lee said that 120fps 2K 3D felt like the necessary avenue to make “Junior,” Smith’s digital avatar, a soulful character who could also appear to beat the living crap out of a real actor in the film’s many fight sequences. The film received negative reviews, particularly for its CGI and story. And like his previous film, the high-frame rate received polarizing reactions. Despite the presence of a big star like Will Smith, the film flopped with just $173 million worldwide, against its $138 million budget, and losing an estimated $111 million for Paramount. Lee's attempt at high-frame rate was just not clicking with the public.
The FutureHis next film, as confirmed in November 2022, is a Bruce Lee biopic. The lead actor will be Mason Lee, Ang's son. And he suggested he's not done with the 120fps high-frame rate, claiming he would continue using it in his next film for action sequences.MOVIES (FROM HIGHEST GROSSING TO LEAST GROSSING)
The VerdictDespite his past two films getting two of the worst reviews in his career, Lee has proved himself to be a very reliable director.Something impressive about him is the versatility in his resume. A comic book film, a survival film, a LGBT film, a wuxia film, a sci-fi film, a post-war film, a Jane Austen film, a noir film, an erotic NC-17 thriller, a Western, and some romantic comedies. Even if some don't fully work, there's still some good and interesting aspects in him. And of course, the first Asian director to win 2 Oscars for Best Director. So if he wants to continue with the controversial 120fps high-frame rate, let him cook. Hopefully in more and more theaters worldwide. Hope you liked this edition. You can find this and more in the wiki for this section. The next director will be Zack Snyder. Oh boy. This is where the fun begins. I asked you to choose who else should be in the run and the comment with the most upvotes would be chosen. Well, we'll later talk about... John McTiernan and Rob Reiner. Whaaaaat? Two posts for the price of one? You're welcome! It was a very tight race, and it was tough to choose one or the other. The former has the dishonor of going to director jail and real jail, while the latter had an incredible run before completely crashing with one of Roger Ebert's most hated films. This is the schedule for the following four:
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2024.06.08 00:17 thinkingstranger June 5, 2024
Today the S&P 500, which tracks the stock performance of 500 of the biggest companies on U.S. stock exchanges, closed at a new record high of 5,354. The Nasdaq Composite, which is weighted toward the information technology sector, also closed at a record high of 17,187. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was also up, but not to a new record. It closed at 38,807.
That notable economic news got very little attention, likely in part because there is so much else going on.
Most dramatically, House speaker Mike Johnson elevated Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Scott Perry (R-PA) to the House Intelligence Committee, giving them oversight of the entire U.S. intelligence community and access to the nation’s most sensitive foreign intelligence. The Intelligence community includes intelligence from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Space Force, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Department, the State Department, the Department of Energy (which oversees information about nuclear weapons), the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.
It also oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and that oversight is likely a key reason Johnson put Jackson and Perry on the committee.
A former Navy admiral, Jackson was Trump’s White House physician. Trump liked him enough to try unsuccessfully to promote him into the cabinet and within the U.S. Navy, and then to back him successfully for Congress after he retired from the Navy in 2019. In 2022 the U.S. Navy demoted him from admiral to captain after a 2021 report by the inspector general of the Defense Department showed he had “disparaged, belittled, bullied, and humiliated” his staff and abused alcohol on at least two occasions when he was supposed to be providing medical care to government officials.
Perry is more problematic than Jackson. Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, told the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol that Perry played an important role in the plan to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election. She told podcast host Scott Lamar in October 2023 that Perry was “central to the planning of January 6,” and she has said repeatedly that Perry asked Trump for a pardon before he left office.
Federal authorities from the FBI seized Perry’s cell phone in 2022 as part of their investigation into the effort to seize the presidency; he is the only member of Congress whose cell phone was seized. Like Trump, who has attacked the FBI since then-director James Comey refused to drop the investigation into the connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian operatives, Perry has complained bitterly about the FBI’s investigation of him.
Now, Perry will be on the committee that oversees the FBI. In a statement, he said: “I look forward to providing not only a fresh perspective, but conducting actual oversight—not blind obedience to some facets of our Intel Community that all too often abuse their powers, resources, and authority to spy on the American People.”
Former director of the CIA General Michael Hayden wrote: “That’s unbelievable. Both of them. Intelligence Committee? God help us.”
There is other news about the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election: yesterday Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul filed felony forgery charges against attorney Kenneth Chesebro, who planned the use of fake electors; former judge James Troupis, who managed Trump’s 2020 campaign in Wisconsin; and Michael Roman, a political operative who allegedly delivered the paperwork for Wisconsin’s fake electors to a congressional staffer to try to get them to Vice President Mike Pence.
On January 6, 2021, after the document was delivered, Troupis texted to Chesebro: “Excellent. Tomorrow let’s talk about SCOTUS strategy going forward. Enjoy the history you have made possible today.”
In Georgia, a court of appeals paused the case against Trump and his co-conspirators from proceeding until it rules on Trump’s appeal to disqualify Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis. It has tentatively set a hearing date for October 4, meaning that voters will not get to learn the outcome of the trial until after the election. If Trump is reelected, the trial will almost certainly not go forward.
The federal criminal case against Trump for retaining classified documents is also stalled. Judge Aileen Cannon not only has put off hearings, she has added a hearing on June 21 to consider whether Special Counsel Jack Smith was properly appointed in the first place. She is revisiting a decision already decided in the affirmative in 2019 by the Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals. She has also taken the highly unusual step of inviting three people not involved in the case to argue in that hearing: two will argue that the appointment is invalid, one will argue that it was done properly.
Meanwhile, there were signs over the past few days of the deeply different party principles at the heart of the 2024 election. At an event to reach Black voters in what Julia Terruso and Sean Collins Walsh of the Philadelphia Inquirer described as “one of the whitest and most conservative parts of Philly,” Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is Black, illustrated the grip of a fantasy idyllic past on MAGA Republicans.
Donalds praised the Jim Crow era of American history—which was literally named for a vicious caricature of African Americans that helped to justify the lynching that characterized the period—because “during Jim Crow the Black family was together.” He blamed the Great Society programs of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, including civil rights and social welfare programs, for eroding family values.
On the House floor, Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) urged Donalds to “check yourself before you wreck yourself.” Democratic National Committee chair Jamie Harrison was less poetic but more succinct. He wrote: “These fools have lost their damn minds….”
In the Senate, Democrats forced Republicans to vote on advancing a bill to protect access to contraception. Republicans threatened a filibuster, meaning it would take 60 votes to bring the bill forward. And so the measure failed by a vote of 51 in favor to 39 against (Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted no so he could bring the measure up again). Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted in favor of the measure. All the other Republicans either voted no or did not vote.
All the Republicans running for reelection this year voted no: John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Some of them said they voted no because there was no danger that Republicans would attack contraception, claiming that Democrats were just “fear-mongering.” But in 2022, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted against protecting contraceptive rights, and in an interview last month, Trump said he was looking at restrictions on contraceptives before his campaign walked the statement back. Yesterday, in a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on “How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America,” a Republican witness, Dr. Christina Francis, chief executive officer of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) took the position that IUDs and Plan B emergency contraception constitute abortion and should be banned. In the Senate itself, Joni Ernst (R-IA) has already proposed getting rid of Plan B.
A February 2024 poll showed that 80% of American voters said that protecting access to birth control was “deeply important” to them.
For all their rhetoric about “America First,” MAGA Republicans are out of step with actual Americans. The Trump loyalists now in charge of the Republican National Committee also appear to be remarkably ill-informed about the country itself. Sam Brody, political reporter for the Boston Globe, noted yesterday that on their website promoting the Republican National Convention to be held in July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Republicans used a photograph not of Milwaukee, but of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
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Notes:
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/04/stock-market-today-live-updates.html
https://whyy.org/articles/rep-scott-perry-jan-6-cassidy-hutchinson/
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/12/06/court-filing-gives-rare-look-inside-fbi-seizure-of-scott-perry-s-phone
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Ma03/2002592287/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2021-057.PDF
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/07/ronny-jackson-white-house-navy-demoted/
https://perry.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402813
https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/trump-georgia-fani-willis-removal-october-hearing-rcna155372
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/politics/cannon-trump-special-counsel-hearing/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/06/05/senate-vote-right-to-contraception-act-birth-control-access/
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4706051-georgia-appeals-court-pauses-trump-election-interference-case/
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/04/wisconsin-kaul-charges-former-trump-associates-in-fake-elector-scheme/73969528007/
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/key-trump-allies-charged-fake-electors-scheme-wisconsin-rcna155395
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/news-media/6.4.24_Chesebro_Criminal_Complaint.PDF
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/04/trump-operatives-charged-wisconsin-2020-election-00161436
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-chairs-senate-help-hearing-on-harms-of-republican-abortion-bans-post-dobbs-presses-extremist-republican-witness-on-dangerous-anti-science-advocacy/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/politics/cannon-trump-special-counsel-hearing
Civil Discourse with Joyce VanceGoing RetrogradeToday was an important day to be paying attention. In many ways, we seem to be going backward. Only our votes can ultimately change that. Senate Republicans blocked a measure that would have created a federal right to contraception access today. That seems like it should have been noncontroversial. It’s 2024. But it was not. It failed to pass, with Repub…Read more2 days ago · 413 likes · 75 comments · Joyce Vance
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/trump-black-voters-philadelphia-20240604.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/05/byron-donalds-nostalgia-jim-crow-00161786
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/us/politics/republicans-birth-control-ivf.html
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-may-have-back-tracked-but-the-gop-has-supported-restricting-contraceptives-for-years
X:
GenMhayden/status/1798471676143014022
RBReich/status/1798456016348029228
JakeSherman/status/1798387936851095947
sambrodey/status/1798023674987241807
sambrodey/status/1798030375626895743
JessicaValenti/status/1798434371667480946
harrylitman/status/1798441801176825865
lawofruby/status/1798418657023799461
harrisonjaime/status/1798359859488035099
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-5-2024
submitted by thinkingstranger to HeatherCoxRichardson [link] [comments]
That notable economic news got very little attention, likely in part because there is so much else going on.
Most dramatically, House speaker Mike Johnson elevated Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Scott Perry (R-PA) to the House Intelligence Committee, giving them oversight of the entire U.S. intelligence community and access to the nation’s most sensitive foreign intelligence. The Intelligence community includes intelligence from the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Space Force, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Department, the State Department, the Department of Energy (which oversees information about nuclear weapons), the Treasury Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.
It also oversees the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and that oversight is likely a key reason Johnson put Jackson and Perry on the committee.
A former Navy admiral, Jackson was Trump’s White House physician. Trump liked him enough to try unsuccessfully to promote him into the cabinet and within the U.S. Navy, and then to back him successfully for Congress after he retired from the Navy in 2019. In 2022 the U.S. Navy demoted him from admiral to captain after a 2021 report by the inspector general of the Defense Department showed he had “disparaged, belittled, bullied, and humiliated” his staff and abused alcohol on at least two occasions when he was supposed to be providing medical care to government officials.
Perry is more problematic than Jackson. Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, told the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol that Perry played an important role in the plan to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election. She told podcast host Scott Lamar in October 2023 that Perry was “central to the planning of January 6,” and she has said repeatedly that Perry asked Trump for a pardon before he left office.
Federal authorities from the FBI seized Perry’s cell phone in 2022 as part of their investigation into the effort to seize the presidency; he is the only member of Congress whose cell phone was seized. Like Trump, who has attacked the FBI since then-director James Comey refused to drop the investigation into the connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian operatives, Perry has complained bitterly about the FBI’s investigation of him.
Now, Perry will be on the committee that oversees the FBI. In a statement, he said: “I look forward to providing not only a fresh perspective, but conducting actual oversight—not blind obedience to some facets of our Intel Community that all too often abuse their powers, resources, and authority to spy on the American People.”
Former director of the CIA General Michael Hayden wrote: “That’s unbelievable. Both of them. Intelligence Committee? God help us.”
There is other news about the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election: yesterday Wisconsin attorney general Josh Kaul filed felony forgery charges against attorney Kenneth Chesebro, who planned the use of fake electors; former judge James Troupis, who managed Trump’s 2020 campaign in Wisconsin; and Michael Roman, a political operative who allegedly delivered the paperwork for Wisconsin’s fake electors to a congressional staffer to try to get them to Vice President Mike Pence.
On January 6, 2021, after the document was delivered, Troupis texted to Chesebro: “Excellent. Tomorrow let’s talk about SCOTUS strategy going forward. Enjoy the history you have made possible today.”
In Georgia, a court of appeals paused the case against Trump and his co-conspirators from proceeding until it rules on Trump’s appeal to disqualify Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis. It has tentatively set a hearing date for October 4, meaning that voters will not get to learn the outcome of the trial until after the election. If Trump is reelected, the trial will almost certainly not go forward.
The federal criminal case against Trump for retaining classified documents is also stalled. Judge Aileen Cannon not only has put off hearings, she has added a hearing on June 21 to consider whether Special Counsel Jack Smith was properly appointed in the first place. She is revisiting a decision already decided in the affirmative in 2019 by the Washington, D.C., Court of Appeals. She has also taken the highly unusual step of inviting three people not involved in the case to argue in that hearing: two will argue that the appointment is invalid, one will argue that it was done properly.
Meanwhile, there were signs over the past few days of the deeply different party principles at the heart of the 2024 election. At an event to reach Black voters in what Julia Terruso and Sean Collins Walsh of the Philadelphia Inquirer described as “one of the whitest and most conservative parts of Philly,” Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is Black, illustrated the grip of a fantasy idyllic past on MAGA Republicans.
Donalds praised the Jim Crow era of American history—which was literally named for a vicious caricature of African Americans that helped to justify the lynching that characterized the period—because “during Jim Crow the Black family was together.” He blamed the Great Society programs of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, including civil rights and social welfare programs, for eroding family values.
On the House floor, Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) urged Donalds to “check yourself before you wreck yourself.” Democratic National Committee chair Jamie Harrison was less poetic but more succinct. He wrote: “These fools have lost their damn minds….”
In the Senate, Democrats forced Republicans to vote on advancing a bill to protect access to contraception. Republicans threatened a filibuster, meaning it would take 60 votes to bring the bill forward. And so the measure failed by a vote of 51 in favor to 39 against (Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York voted no so he could bring the measure up again). Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted in favor of the measure. All the other Republicans either voted no or did not vote.
All the Republicans running for reelection this year voted no: John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Some of them said they voted no because there was no danger that Republicans would attack contraception, claiming that Democrats were just “fear-mongering.” But in 2022, House Republicans overwhelmingly voted against protecting contraceptive rights, and in an interview last month, Trump said he was looking at restrictions on contraceptives before his campaign walked the statement back. Yesterday, in a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on “How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America,” a Republican witness, Dr. Christina Francis, chief executive officer of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) took the position that IUDs and Plan B emergency contraception constitute abortion and should be banned. In the Senate itself, Joni Ernst (R-IA) has already proposed getting rid of Plan B.
A February 2024 poll showed that 80% of American voters said that protecting access to birth control was “deeply important” to them.
For all their rhetoric about “America First,” MAGA Republicans are out of step with actual Americans. The Trump loyalists now in charge of the Republican National Committee also appear to be remarkably ill-informed about the country itself. Sam Brody, political reporter for the Boston Globe, noted yesterday that on their website promoting the Republican National Convention to be held in July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Republicans used a photograph not of Milwaukee, but of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.
—
Notes:
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/04/stock-market-today-live-updates.html
https://whyy.org/articles/rep-scott-perry-jan-6-cassidy-hutchinson/
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/12/06/court-filing-gives-rare-look-inside-fbi-seizure-of-scott-perry-s-phone
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Ma03/2002592287/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2021-057.PDF
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/07/ronny-jackson-white-house-navy-demoted/
https://perry.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=402813
https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/trump-georgia-fani-willis-removal-october-hearing-rcna155372
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/politics/cannon-trump-special-counsel-hearing/index.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/06/05/senate-vote-right-to-contraception-act-birth-control-access/
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4706051-georgia-appeals-court-pauses-trump-election-interference-case/
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/04/wisconsin-kaul-charges-former-trump-associates-in-fake-elector-scheme/73969528007/
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/key-trump-allies-charged-fake-electors-scheme-wisconsin-rcna155395
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/sites/default/files/news-media/6.4.24_Chesebro_Criminal_Complaint.PDF
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/04/trump-operatives-charged-wisconsin-2020-election-00161436
https://www.murray.senate.gov/senator-murray-chairs-senate-help-hearing-on-harms-of-republican-abortion-bans-post-dobbs-presses-extremist-republican-witness-on-dangerous-anti-science-advocacy/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/04/politics/cannon-trump-special-counsel-hearing
Civil Discourse with Joyce VanceGoing RetrogradeToday was an important day to be paying attention. In many ways, we seem to be going backward. Only our votes can ultimately change that. Senate Republicans blocked a measure that would have created a federal right to contraception access today. That seems like it should have been noncontroversial. It’s 2024. But it was not. It failed to pass, with Repub…Read more2 days ago · 413 likes · 75 comments · Joyce Vance
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/trump-black-voters-philadelphia-20240604.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/05/byron-donalds-nostalgia-jim-crow-00161786
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/us/politics/republicans-birth-control-ivf.html
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-may-have-back-tracked-but-the-gop-has-supported-restricting-contraceptives-for-years
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sambrodey/status/1798023674987241807
sambrodey/status/1798030375626895743
JessicaValenti/status/1798434371667480946
harrylitman/status/1798441801176825865
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https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-5-2024
2024.06.07 09:50 meera_jasmine1 Is it possible to salvage friendship?
Hello all! I am 28F, and looking for some advice. Recently, I met a woman named Linda (not real), at a bar meet-up and was absolutely charmed by her. She was sweet, funny, friendly, outgoing and overall, very charismatic. After the meet-up we started to text each other and hangout, and she invited me to a church service. She said it was just a group of young and enthusiastic people who meet up to sing some songs in praise of the Lord, discuss, eat dinner together and hang out. Didn’t sound too bad. Also, by now, even if this woman invited me to a stranger’s funeral, I would have said yes. So I did say yes. When the day rolled around, I went and was surprised to find that this “church gathering” was in an apartment? I must say, I didn’t have anything against the sermon as such - there was a lot of pseudo-science jibber jabber to justify religious notions and ideas, but I have heard such things before. The group seemed very nice and excited that I was there, and quite welcoming too. At the start of the service, we all received a name tag with a small symbol on it. Apparently at the end of the service, we would find other members with the same symbol and discuss the session/ get to know each other. When the session ended, a woman (let’s call her Eva) walked up to me and Linda and said that we were in a group together (even though all three of us had different symbols).
At this point, I needed to leave because I had dinner plans with other people and apologised and started to leave. Eva said that she would love to meet later during the week to discuss and get coffee with Linda and myself. She took my whatsapp number and somewhat persistently made an appointment in her calendar to meet the upcoming week (even though I said I would text her to coordinate later as I was in a hurry).
Next week rolls around, and we agree that we would get coffee. Linda isn’t able to make it due to an unforeseen emergency, so it would just be Eva and myself. I did not particularly mind this, I am in a phase of life where I am eager to meet new people and form new connections. I show up to the Cafe, and honestly, the first 15 minutes or so were rather pleasant. We shared some information about our lives and got to know each other but in telling me about her life, and her spiritual relationship, Eva quickly whipped out a notebook and her pocket bible. She started to make elaborate drawings, and making me read verses, making the rest of the conversation about the Bible and it’s teachings.
For some context, I am not Christian (I was raised in a different religion) nor a woman of faith. I flirt with the idea of spirituality from time to time, and am curious about all religions. Nevertheless, I am definitely not seeking to be “spiritually awakened”, so this started to get pretty weird. At the end, when I needed to leave, Eva said that she really enjoyed meeting me and would like to do it again. I told her gently but firmly that I was really busy in the upcoming days with visiting family, and travel plans and yet, she pushily put a date in her calendar for the next week, saying we could always change it after.
All this left me really unsettled, but Linda texted me asking how it went, what I “learned”, and when I would see Eva again - which also seemed a bit pushy to me.
In the mean time, both Eva and Linda text me every day and show an abnormal level of interest in my life.
Next week rolls around and Eva starts to get pushy about meeting again. I politely told her that I was really busy but she seemed unwilling to take no for an answer. All of this made me really uncomfortable, and so I reached out to another “Christina”, a mutual friend of Linda and myself for advice.
Christina breaks it to me that Linda is actually in the Shincheonji cult, and she had to break it off with her because that doesn’t align with her morally. She sent me various resources, which were my first introduction to the Shincheonji cult. It became very clear that this was their attempt at recruiting me.
Now, here is my question. If I were to have a direct conversation with Linda and say that I am not interested in a spiritual awakening, and was simply looking forward to meeting some people and making friends- can my relationship with her be salvaged? For some additional information, Linda is currently unemployed, and although not confirmed, it is my suspicion that she is a full time recruiter for Shincheonji. She walks up to random people and starts conversations with them. However, she also told me that she was in an abusive relationship and very bad phase around the time that she found this group, so it is very likely that she is as much prey as she is predator.
Should I try to have this conversation? Should I try to stay friends? Or should I block both Eva, and Linda and move on?
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
submitted by meera_jasmine1 to Shincheonji [link] [comments]
At this point, I needed to leave because I had dinner plans with other people and apologised and started to leave. Eva said that she would love to meet later during the week to discuss and get coffee with Linda and myself. She took my whatsapp number and somewhat persistently made an appointment in her calendar to meet the upcoming week (even though I said I would text her to coordinate later as I was in a hurry).
Next week rolls around, and we agree that we would get coffee. Linda isn’t able to make it due to an unforeseen emergency, so it would just be Eva and myself. I did not particularly mind this, I am in a phase of life where I am eager to meet new people and form new connections. I show up to the Cafe, and honestly, the first 15 minutes or so were rather pleasant. We shared some information about our lives and got to know each other but in telling me about her life, and her spiritual relationship, Eva quickly whipped out a notebook and her pocket bible. She started to make elaborate drawings, and making me read verses, making the rest of the conversation about the Bible and it’s teachings.
For some context, I am not Christian (I was raised in a different religion) nor a woman of faith. I flirt with the idea of spirituality from time to time, and am curious about all religions. Nevertheless, I am definitely not seeking to be “spiritually awakened”, so this started to get pretty weird. At the end, when I needed to leave, Eva said that she really enjoyed meeting me and would like to do it again. I told her gently but firmly that I was really busy in the upcoming days with visiting family, and travel plans and yet, she pushily put a date in her calendar for the next week, saying we could always change it after.
All this left me really unsettled, but Linda texted me asking how it went, what I “learned”, and when I would see Eva again - which also seemed a bit pushy to me.
In the mean time, both Eva and Linda text me every day and show an abnormal level of interest in my life.
Next week rolls around and Eva starts to get pushy about meeting again. I politely told her that I was really busy but she seemed unwilling to take no for an answer. All of this made me really uncomfortable, and so I reached out to another “Christina”, a mutual friend of Linda and myself for advice.
Christina breaks it to me that Linda is actually in the Shincheonji cult, and she had to break it off with her because that doesn’t align with her morally. She sent me various resources, which were my first introduction to the Shincheonji cult. It became very clear that this was their attempt at recruiting me.
Now, here is my question. If I were to have a direct conversation with Linda and say that I am not interested in a spiritual awakening, and was simply looking forward to meeting some people and making friends- can my relationship with her be salvaged? For some additional information, Linda is currently unemployed, and although not confirmed, it is my suspicion that she is a full time recruiter for Shincheonji. She walks up to random people and starts conversations with them. However, she also told me that she was in an abusive relationship and very bad phase around the time that she found this group, so it is very likely that she is as much prey as she is predator.
Should I try to have this conversation? Should I try to stay friends? Or should I block both Eva, and Linda and move on?
Your thoughts are much appreciated.
2024.06.06 13:13 Aaeiyn Some (Not All) PLL Music (with Scenes on Where to Find Them...BEWARE of Spoilers!)
Themes
submitted by Aaeiyn to PLL_Ezria [link] [comments]
- The Pierces - Secret - Main PLL Theme Song
- Piano Version - Piano Version of the Theme Song, mostly heard in the end of an episode/ending credits.
- Ezria Theme - Aria & Ezra theme song played throughout varying episodes
- 3OH13 - DONTTRUSTME - Beginning of the episode (and show), at Spencer's barn.
- Colbie Caillat - I Won't - Aria looking in a mirror.
- Ben's Brother - Beauty Queen - Aria orders a cheeseburger & sees a poster of Ali.
- The Fray - Happiness - B26
- Mozella - More of You - Ezria kissing in the bathroom.
- Twirl - It Girl - Hanna trying on sunglasses.
- Orelia Has Orchestra - Suggestions - "Ali's" body is found.
- Measure - Begin Again - Funeral attendees enter the chapel & Ezria in the stairwell.
- Rachel Diggs - Hands of Time - Funeral attendees leave, Wilden talks to the Liars, Liars receive an A text.
- Ian Gordon Curnow & Jackie James - What I Like - Spencer practicing & Emaya talk to her.
- Evolove - 2012 - Emily kisses Ben, leaves & Hanna enters the school with Emily.
- Jules Larson - Falling for the First Time - Aria leaves Ezra's class, after he signs her transfer slip & the scene jumps over to Hanna & Mona.
- Katie Herzig - Jack & Jill - Aria enters Ezra class with a declined transfer slip, and they stare each other.
- Brooke Waggoner - Fresh Pair of Eyes - Aria walks in the rain, Ezra sees her, gives her a lift, in his car, and they make out.
- Sweet 17 - Supabeat - End of the episode, Spencer is jogging & sees Jenna.
- Nicole Atkins - Cool Enough - Spencer steals Melissa essay.
- Lucky Soul - One Kiss Don't Make a Summer (Radio Edit) - Ezria see each other in the hallway, say "hi" and smile at each other.
- Chew Lips - Two Hands - Emaya take pictures, together, in the photo booth.
- Jaylene Johnson - Close to You - Ezria hug outside his apartment, in the hallway.
- Jaylene Johnson - No Matter How Hard We Try - Aria gives Mike food & watches TV with him, in his room.
- Katie Herzig - Hey Na Na - Aria asks Ezra out to an art museum and unzips her shirt, while doing so.
- P!nk - Glitter in the Air - Haleb "camping".
- Adam Agin - Please Don't Leave Quite Yet - Ezria kiss in the school parking lot.
- Trent Dabbs & Ruby Amanfu - Turn Our Eyes Away - Ian's Funeral.
- The Civil Wars - Poison & Wine - Emaya meet at the Grill.
- Digital Daggers - Where the Lonely Ones Roam - The Liars meet up Dr. Sullivan's office, but she's not there.
- The Young Werewolves - Evil Soul - Ali Halloween shopping.
- Lady Gage - Just Dance - Played at the Halloween Party.
- Trent Dabbs - Empty - Hanna sitting in front of Spencer's fireplace, contemplating about Lucas.
- The Rescues - My Heart with You - Ezria kissing in the rain.
- Matthew Perryman Jones - Only You - Ezria kissing in a car, at night.
- Katie Herzig - I Hurt Too - After Spencer talks to Veronica about Jason & stares out the window.
- Perrin Lamb - Whisper - Drunk Wrencer at Wren's place.
- Ingrid Michaelson - Can't Help Falling in Love - Ezra leaves Aria & Aria cries
- Fergie - Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) - Hanna tells the Liars about her mom meeting up with Wilden.
- Gemma Hayes - Wicked Game - Ezria's "first time".
- Leona Lewis - Better in Time - Liars arrive at the Masquerade dance.
- Lady A - Just a Kiss - Ezria kiss at the Masquerade dance.
- Rihanna - S&M - Beginning of the episode (and the season), Aria is looking outside Spencer's backyard and then re-joins the rest of the Liars, in front of Spencer's fireplace & drinks with them.
- The Strange Familiar Unwanted - Haleb breakup & Aria comforts a distressed Hanna.
- Barcelona - Slipping Away - Ezria in the kitchen of the Brew, at Jenna's party.
- Cathy Heller - You Make Me Happy - Ezra encourages Aria to take pictures of him.
- Sugar & the Hi Lows - Think I Said Too Much - Hanna asks Emily where she's been & Emily tells her about her conversation with Holden.
- Julia Stone - Let's Forget all the Things That We Say - Emily is with Nate at the Brew when she tells him that Jenna dated Garrett.
- Mikky Ekko - Who are You, Really? - The Liars & Toby making their entrances, on the train.
- Adam Lambert - Cuckoo - First Adam Lambert Song on the Train
- Adam Lambert - Trespassing -Second Adam Lambert Song on the Train
- Roeland Ruijsch - Beautiful Bizar - Aria & Adam Lambert talking on the train.
- Melissa Etheridge - Shout Now - Mon & Toby talking in the A Lair, in the beginning of the episode.
- Ms Mr - Salty Sweet - At Hanna's request, Emily is following Caleb & Spencer prepares a special meal for Toby, at his loft.
- Ms Mr - Bones - The Liars meet up at the hospital to see Jason but find he's gone.
- Joan Baez - Will the Circle be Unbroken - Song Spencer, Ali & Mona sang at church, in the flashback. The version I linked is NOT in the show, itself. Just MY (personal) favorite version of this song. Feel free to find your own that you like of the song, as there's MANY out there, since it's a REALLY old song LOL
- Dionne Warwick - I'm Your Puppet - Spencer & Ali dance, in the nursery section of Radley.
- Digital Daggers - The Devil Within - Toby meets Spencer, who he believes is A. The video I used is incorrect about which episode you'll find this in. It's NOT in S4E1 "'A' is for A-L-I-V-E" but in S3E24 "A dAngerous gAme".
- P!nk - Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - Emily talks to a sister about the Grunwald. Spencer shows everyone at the frat party pictures of Alison. Brendan offers to get Emily a drink. Hanna arrives at the party.
- Sarah Blaine - Never Get to Heaven - Jessica DiLaurentis' body is found.
- Agnes Obel - Fuel to Fire - Aria goes to visit Jenna and sees her crying.
- Denmark + Winter - Every Breath You Take - Ezria & Emison rekindle.
- The Ronettes - Sleigh Ride - Pemily & Haleb decorate Emily's house for Christmas.
- Denmark + Winter - We Gotta Get Out of This Place - A replaces baby Jesus with a doll & places the baby Jesus on what looks like a dead Mona.
- Christina Perri - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - The Liars (except Alison) with their significant others having a Christmas dinner, together.
- Nicki Minaj, Jessie J & Ariana Grande - Bang Bang - Emily & Hanna dancing & Hanna starts dancing crazy because of Kate.
- Maggie Eckford - Everything is Lost - Alison & the Liars are arrested.
- Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten - The Liars (with Mona) entering the A Prom.
- Patsy Cline - Walking' After Midnight - Starts playing when Spencer enters A's room, in the dollhouse, before she turns it off, Spencer surveys the room.
- Ms Mr - Pieces - Aria & Emily are in Aria's room, Emily is helping Aria pick something out, and they talk about who they're bringing to the dance.
- AG - Pretty - Emily shows a funny picture of a classmate of their's to Aria who's not paying attention.
- Rihanna - Disturbia - Clark takes pictures at the school prom and sees Alison arrive. Alison spots Red Coat.
- Ruelle - Daydream - Aria says goodbye to Ezra, at the airport.
- The Sweeplings - In Too Deep - Haleb & Emison are rekindling, while Aria tries to get Ezra's flight information, when she sees Nicole on the news.
- Raign - Don't Let Me Go (Acoustic) - Ezra returns to the apartment, where Aria informs him that Nicole is asleep upstairs and that she'll have a lot of questions about their relationship when she awakens.
2024.06.05 23:01 TiltControls Mid 00s Radio Pop Rate (Black Eyed Peas vs. Pussycat Dolls vs. Timbaland)
Congratulations! You are caller number 203 here on POPH - Popheads Radio! You have won a front-row seat to our next rate. Don your Juicy Couture, make very normal facial expressions and limber up because it’s time for...
The Billboard charts were often greeted by three acts in particular who contributed several of the most iconic pop tracks of the period. These artists seamlessly fused pop sensibilities with influences from other genres to produce radio hit after radio hit. This month, we will be diving into three seminal albums of 2000s pop music: Monkey Business, PCD, and Shock Value.
But more importantly than any of that, high schoolers William Adams Jr. (will.i.am.) and Allan Lindo Jr. (Apl.de.ap) joined together for the first time alongside some friends to create the beginnings of the group, initially a hip-hop / dance crew. The group was noticed and signed by N.W.A rapper Eazy-E, though their debut album was shelved and contract stalled after Eazy-E's death. The next iteration of the group added additional long time member Jaime Gomez (Taboo) as well as vocalist Kim Hill. The group took up the moniker Black Eyed Pods (later changed to the more famous Peas) and released two well-received rap albums, though both had limited commercial success.
After their second album the group shifted away from critical reception and began to focus more on mass market appeal. Taboo would describe it as "if he was going to sell out, he'd rather be selling out arenas than selling out of my trunk on the corner of my block." Kim Hill had left the group after the 2nd album and they got Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) to fill the spot. Although originally only supposed to be a feature on one song, the recording went well enough that the group formally invited her as a permanent member and she was made to be the final addition of the Black Eyed Peas quartet. In 2003 the group released their first album with their line-up of four titled Elephunk.
Elephunk was a sizeable success over their previous efforts and spawned a number of hits including a top 10 song with Where Is The Love, co-wrote and featuring Justin Timberlake. Following singles Shut Up, Hey Mama, and Let's Get It Started all became moderate hits, with the latter giving them their first Grammy nominations and also a win for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It seems at this point for critical and commercial success they could both have their cake and eat it too.
At this point the group was enjoying their new-found success. They managed to soundtrack one of the earliest iPod silhouette commercials, had their music promote the 2004 NBA playoffs, and were contacted by EA to soundtrack a spinoff of the Sims franchise titled 'The Urbz: Sims in the City', in which they recorded some Simlish bangers and appeared as themselves in-game. While enjoying their newfound popularity touring to promote Elephunk, the group began working on their follow-up album and in 2005 they released Monkey Business.
While Monkey Business was said to be another step down critically, commercially it reached heights that Black Eyed Peas could only previously dream of. The album was a resounding success for the group as it became their first album to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (at number 2). It also spawned two massive singles, My Humps and Don’t Phunk With My Heart, both of which hit a career peak for the group at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with another two singles, Pump It and Don’t Lie, also hitting the top 20.
To say the critical reception was mixed would not be doing the discourse justice. While the production on the album was praised, the lyrics were often derided for the continued focus on only commercial appeal. A good amount of the discussion was particularly focused around the single ‘My Humps’ which despite being called ‘one of the worst songs of all time’ by multiple critics also managed to pick up a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals beating out fellow rate competitor The Pussycat Dolls, as well as critical faves Death Cab For Cutie.
Still, the Black Eyed Peas were the ones laughing to the bank in the end. The album was an even bigger success than their previous one and brought them even further into the mainstream appeal they were aiming for a couple years prior. And although the name ‘Black Eyed Peas’ nowadays is taken a little bit as a joke due to the continued release of commercially popular, albeit critically panned singles, Monkey Business remains a great listen as long as you don’t mind shutting your mind off at times and letting your body go wild to the music.
After a culling of the lineup and auditions to find additional vocalists, Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton and Kaya Jones joined seven other members who were holdovers from the prior troupe to form the PCD recording group (another fun fact here- this lineup almost included actress Carmen Electra). Their early days saw the release of a single, Sway, a contribution to the Shark Tale OST, and performances alongside Carmen Electra, (spins wheel) Tom Jones and (throws dart at a wall covered in names) Patti LaBelle (no, seriously…they brought Patti into this). With that introduction to the pop music world, PCD dropped. And what a drop it was.
PCD sold three million copies in the US and was twelfth on the 2006 year end Billboard 200. Of the six singles from this album cycle, five made it on the Billboard Hot 100 - Don’t Cha, Stickwutu, a remix of Buttons with Snoop Dogg, Beep and Wait A Minute. They toured with the Black Eyed Peas as well as a joint tour with Christina Aguileira and Danity Kane. Inarguably most illustrious, a Simlish version of Don’t Cha appears in The Sims 2: Pets. Critically they received less praise; AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars and IGN gave it 5.9/10 while other more mainstream music journals such as Rolling Stones as far as I can tell didn’t even touch it.
The group would go on to release one more album before its initial disbandment, long hiatus, reunion and almost immediate second disbandment. Despite only creating two studio albums, they redefined what a girl group could be and became the first all-female group in digital history to amass three songs that sold over 2 million units. They are icons of the mid-2000s who became cultural touchstones while also delivering us some bangers. Please, sit back, relax, loosen up your buttons, and enjoy PCD.
By the mid 2000’s, Timbaland was continuing to work with the biggest names in the industry. He helped produce and featured on fellow rate competitor Pussycat Dolls’ Wait A Minute, and produced one of the biggest albums of 2006 with Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds. In 2006 Timbaland had also formed a new record label called Mosley Music Group as a successor to his previous group Beat Club. Alongside himself, some other big names for the label included Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, as well as relative unknowns (at the time) songwriter Keri Hilson and pop rock band OneRepublic. The label's very first release was Furtado's Loose which was a smash hit, hitting number one on the Billboard 200 and spawning two number one hits on the Hot 100 with Promiscuous and Say It Right.
With the label off to a smashing start the next album for release was rumoured to be his own solo effort titled 'Shock Value'. The album was said to be filled with a star studded cast across multiple genres including Elton John (do Piano Men rate), Missy Elliott, Fall Out Boy, and many many others. The album was officially confirmed with the release of its first single ‘Give It To Me’ in early 2007.
Give It To Me quickly hit number one on the Hot 100, giving Timbaland his first number one as a lead artist. In an interesting case of paying things back, both Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake feature on the track and both got their first number one hits with Timbaland as a guest feature (on Promiscuous and SexyBack respectively). Later singles The Way I Are and Apologize were also smash successes from the album, with both landing in the top 3 of the Hot 100 (#3 for The Way I Are and #2 for Apologize). The Way I Are featured label-mates Keri Hilson and D.O.E. while Apologize also famously brought OneRepublic into the public's notice for the first time. Later in the year Timbaland would produce and release their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud.
Despite the popular success of the singles, the critical reception to the album itself was a little more mixed. The album's promotion was further hit after a planned tour for the album was cancelled one day before it was set to begin. Even more unfortunate still is he’s also the only artist in the rate without any ties to The Sims franchise, which already puts him at a big disadvantage. Still, with the three big singles all sitting comfortably in the hundreds of millions of plays on streaming it's safe to say that it's still fondly remembered by the general public to this day.
He continued producing hits through the late 2000’s including songs like Madonna’s 4 Minutes and Shakira’s Give It Up To Me. Timbaland later followed up this album with Shock Value II and while it didn't have the same level of chart success, it had a couple of moderate hits with Carry Out and If We Ever Meet Again. Although Timbaland's chart successes after Shock Value never matched to the highs they once were, the hold he had on the music industry in the 90's and 00's cannot be denied. And hey, it's not like he's completely removed from the trends of the modern age
Piano Men (due June)
Hot 100 Year End Singles of 2014 (due July)
Also the Popheads Discord link if you want to keep up to date with rate discussions!
submitted by TiltControls to popheads [link] [comments]
The Mid-00s Radio Pop Rate!
The mid-aughts are remembered for a lot of things: the dawn of the social media craze (and related messiness) with MySpace, the beginning of the Golden Age of Television, stores that sell dark clothes, dark stores that sell clothes...I could go on. The music of the time is no exception - the mid-2000s saw new genres enter the mainstream conscious (crunk, metalcore, ringtone rap) while older, more established genres gained popularity (pop punk, country, singer-songwriter). At the center of the musical zeitgeist was an incredibly strong and savvy pop sphere. With this period encompassing the fullest power of artists like Britney, Shakira, Justin Timberlake, P!nk, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado, Alicia Keys and more, it was truly a blessed time in Top 40 Radio.The Billboard charts were often greeted by three acts in particular who contributed several of the most iconic pop tracks of the period. These artists seamlessly fused pop sensibilities with influences from other genres to produce radio hit after radio hit. This month, we will be diving into three seminal albums of 2000s pop music: Monkey Business, PCD, and Shock Value.
Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business
Although the Black Eyed Peas are probably most well known as the foursome of will.i.am, Fergie, Taboo and Apl.de.ap, they actually had their beginnings much earlier than the 2000's when they first blew up in popularity. Actually if you wanted to, you could trace the lineage of the Black Eyed Peas back to the olden days of 1988. Radio was filled with the hits of artists such as Pet Shop Boys (do 80's duos in September), Roxette (do 80's duos in September) and other artists of the time.But more importantly than any of that, high schoolers William Adams Jr. (will.i.am.) and Allan Lindo Jr. (Apl.de.ap) joined together for the first time alongside some friends to create the beginnings of the group, initially a hip-hop / dance crew. The group was noticed and signed by N.W.A rapper Eazy-E, though their debut album was shelved and contract stalled after Eazy-E's death. The next iteration of the group added additional long time member Jaime Gomez (Taboo) as well as vocalist Kim Hill. The group took up the moniker Black Eyed Pods (later changed to the more famous Peas) and released two well-received rap albums, though both had limited commercial success.
After their second album the group shifted away from critical reception and began to focus more on mass market appeal. Taboo would describe it as "if he was going to sell out, he'd rather be selling out arenas than selling out of my trunk on the corner of my block." Kim Hill had left the group after the 2nd album and they got Stacy Ferguson (Fergie) to fill the spot. Although originally only supposed to be a feature on one song, the recording went well enough that the group formally invited her as a permanent member and she was made to be the final addition of the Black Eyed Peas quartet. In 2003 the group released their first album with their line-up of four titled Elephunk.
Elephunk was a sizeable success over their previous efforts and spawned a number of hits including a top 10 song with Where Is The Love, co-wrote and featuring Justin Timberlake. Following singles Shut Up, Hey Mama, and Let's Get It Started all became moderate hits, with the latter giving them their first Grammy nominations and also a win for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It seems at this point for critical and commercial success they could both have their cake and eat it too.
At this point the group was enjoying their new-found success. They managed to soundtrack one of the earliest iPod silhouette commercials, had their music promote the 2004 NBA playoffs, and were contacted by EA to soundtrack a spinoff of the Sims franchise titled 'The Urbz: Sims in the City', in which they recorded some Simlish bangers and appeared as themselves in-game. While enjoying their newfound popularity touring to promote Elephunk, the group began working on their follow-up album and in 2005 they released Monkey Business.
While Monkey Business was said to be another step down critically, commercially it reached heights that Black Eyed Peas could only previously dream of. The album was a resounding success for the group as it became their first album to debut in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 (at number 2). It also spawned two massive singles, My Humps and Don’t Phunk With My Heart, both of which hit a career peak for the group at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with another two singles, Pump It and Don’t Lie, also hitting the top 20.
To say the critical reception was mixed would not be doing the discourse justice. While the production on the album was praised, the lyrics were often derided for the continued focus on only commercial appeal. A good amount of the discussion was particularly focused around the single ‘My Humps’ which despite being called ‘one of the worst songs of all time’ by multiple critics also managed to pick up a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals beating out fellow rate competitor The Pussycat Dolls, as well as critical faves Death Cab For Cutie.
Still, the Black Eyed Peas were the ones laughing to the bank in the end. The album was an even bigger success than their previous one and brought them even further into the mainstream appeal they were aiming for a couple years prior. And although the name ‘Black Eyed Peas’ nowadays is taken a little bit as a joke due to the continued release of commercially popular, albeit critically panned singles, Monkey Business remains a great listen as long as you don’t mind shutting your mind off at times and letting your body go wild to the music.
- Pump It
- Don’t Phunk With My Heart
- My Style (feat. Justin Timberlake)
- Don’t Lie
- My Humps
- Like That
- Dum Diddly (feat. Dante Santiago)
- Feel It
- Gone Going
- They Don’t Want Music (feat. James Brown)
- Disco Club
- Bebot
- Ba Bump
- Audio Delite at Low Fidelity
- Union
- Do What You Want
- If You Want Love
Pussycat Dolls - PCD
Here’s a fun fact for you - the Pussycat Dolls did not begin as a girl group. In fact, before they ever set foot in a recording studio, the Pussycat Dolls were founded in 1995 in Los Angeles, CA as a burlesque dance troupe by Robin Antwin and her roommate Christina Applegate. Yes, that Christina Applegate. The troupe performed at a nightclub in LA weekly with a rotating lineup of dancers and guest performers that ranged from Carmen Electra to Gwen Stefani to Christina Aguilera (hmm…that froot looks familiar). The troupe made guest appearances in movies, music videos and Maxim. After encouragement from Interscope Records music producers, the group changed its lineup and pivoted from the glamorous and sweaty world of burlesque dance to the glamorous and sweaty world of pop music.After a culling of the lineup and auditions to find additional vocalists, Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton and Kaya Jones joined seven other members who were holdovers from the prior troupe to form the PCD recording group (another fun fact here- this lineup almost included actress Carmen Electra). Their early days saw the release of a single, Sway, a contribution to the Shark Tale OST, and performances alongside Carmen Electra, (spins wheel) Tom Jones and (throws dart at a wall covered in names) Patti LaBelle (no, seriously…they brought Patti into this). With that introduction to the pop music world, PCD dropped. And what a drop it was.
PCD sold three million copies in the US and was twelfth on the 2006 year end Billboard 200. Of the six singles from this album cycle, five made it on the Billboard Hot 100 - Don’t Cha, Stickwutu, a remix of Buttons with Snoop Dogg, Beep and Wait A Minute. They toured with the Black Eyed Peas as well as a joint tour with Christina Aguileira and Danity Kane. Inarguably most illustrious, a Simlish version of Don’t Cha appears in The Sims 2: Pets. Critically they received less praise; AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars and IGN gave it 5.9/10 while other more mainstream music journals such as Rolling Stones as far as I can tell didn’t even touch it.
The group would go on to release one more album before its initial disbandment, long hiatus, reunion and almost immediate second disbandment. Despite only creating two studio albums, they redefined what a girl group could be and became the first all-female group in digital history to amass three songs that sold over 2 million units. They are icons of the mid-2000s who became cultural touchstones while also delivering us some bangers. Please, sit back, relax, loosen up your buttons, and enjoy PCD.
- Don’t Cha (feat. Busta Rhymes)
- Beep (feat. will.i.am.)
- Wait A Minute (feat. Timbaland)
- Stickwitu
- Buttons
- I Don’t Need A Man
- Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)
- How Many Times, How Many Lies
- Bite The Dust
- Right Now
- Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go
- Feelin’ Good
- Sway
- Flirt
- We Went As Far As We Felt Like Going
Timbaland - Shock Value
Though the other two groups in this rate really came into prominence in the 2000's, Timbaland (aka Timothy Mosley) had been a well known name throughout the 90's thanks to his stellar production work, which includes some former rated albums like Missy Elliott's Supa Dupa Fly and Aaliyah's One In A Million. He also released a debut solo album in the 90's titled Tim's Bio, though its success was limited compared to his production work. His production work continued throughout the early 2000’s producing follow-ups for both Missy and Aaliyah, as well as credits on other artists such as Ginuwine and Justin Timberlake.By the mid 2000’s, Timbaland was continuing to work with the biggest names in the industry. He helped produce and featured on fellow rate competitor Pussycat Dolls’ Wait A Minute, and produced one of the biggest albums of 2006 with Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds. In 2006 Timbaland had also formed a new record label called Mosley Music Group as a successor to his previous group Beat Club. Alongside himself, some other big names for the label included Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, as well as relative unknowns (at the time) songwriter Keri Hilson and pop rock band OneRepublic. The label's very first release was Furtado's Loose which was a smash hit, hitting number one on the Billboard 200 and spawning two number one hits on the Hot 100 with Promiscuous and Say It Right.
With the label off to a smashing start the next album for release was rumoured to be his own solo effort titled 'Shock Value'. The album was said to be filled with a star studded cast across multiple genres including Elton John (do Piano Men rate), Missy Elliott, Fall Out Boy, and many many others. The album was officially confirmed with the release of its first single ‘Give It To Me’ in early 2007.
Give It To Me quickly hit number one on the Hot 100, giving Timbaland his first number one as a lead artist. In an interesting case of paying things back, both Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake feature on the track and both got their first number one hits with Timbaland as a guest feature (on Promiscuous and SexyBack respectively). Later singles The Way I Are and Apologize were also smash successes from the album, with both landing in the top 3 of the Hot 100 (#3 for The Way I Are and #2 for Apologize). The Way I Are featured label-mates Keri Hilson and D.O.E. while Apologize also famously brought OneRepublic into the public's notice for the first time. Later in the year Timbaland would produce and release their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud.
Despite the popular success of the singles, the critical reception to the album itself was a little more mixed. The album's promotion was further hit after a planned tour for the album was cancelled one day before it was set to begin. Even more unfortunate still is he’s also the only artist in the rate without any ties to The Sims franchise, which already puts him at a big disadvantage. Still, with the three big singles all sitting comfortably in the hundreds of millions of plays on streaming it's safe to say that it's still fondly remembered by the general public to this day.
He continued producing hits through the late 2000’s including songs like Madonna’s 4 Minutes and Shakira’s Give It Up To Me. Timbaland later followed up this album with Shock Value II and while it didn't have the same level of chart success, it had a couple of moderate hits with Carry Out and If We Ever Meet Again. Although Timbaland's chart successes after Shock Value never matched to the highs they once were, the hold he had on the music industry in the 90's and 00's cannot be denied. And hey, it's not like he's completely removed from the trends of the modern age
- Oh Timbaland
- Give It To Me (feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado)
- Release (feat. Justin Timberlake)
- The Way I Are (feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.)
- Bounce (feat. Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake & Dr. Dre)
- Come and Get Me (feat. 50 Cent & Tony Yayo)
- Kill Yourself (feat. Sebastian & Attitude)
- Boardmeeting (feat. Magoo)
- Fantasy (feat. Money)
- Scream (feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger)
- Miscommunication (feat. Keri Hilson & Sebastian)
- Bombay (feat. Amar & Jim Beanz)
- Throw It On Me (feat. The Hives)
- Time (feat. She Wants Revenge)
- One and Only (feat. Fall Out Boy)
- Apologize (feat. OneRepublic)
- 2 Man Show (feat. Elton John)
Rules
- Using the provided ballot (see Links), give a score to every song from 1 to 10 (one exception to this rule below). Decimals are allowed, though only limited to one decimal place (7.5 is fine, 7.52 is not). You have to listen to and score every single song. The rate calculation tool will not work otherwise.
- Additionally, you are also allowed to use one 0 and one 11. You can only use one of each for the entire rate. These should be reserved for your favourite and least favourite track in the rate. It is highly recommended that you leave a comment for your 11 and 0 explaining what you like/dislike about the track. You don’t have to write an essay, but it helps explain your scoring to us and others. You are not required to use your 11 or 0 if there’s no song you love / hate enough to give one to.
- Your scores are not confidential and will be shared during the reveal along with any comments made so keep that in mind! Feel free to discuss your scores at any point if you wish.
- Feel free to leave a comment on any song in the rate detailing your score! To add a comment just add it after your score for any song, with only a space separating the two. For example
- Don’t Cha: 10 Don’t cha wish your comment looked like this?
- Any other style of comment does not work and will break the program. This includes anything from leaving out the space to putting the comment before the score. The following examples below DO NOT WORK, DO NOT USE THEM
- One and Only: (1) The One and Only way to format a comment is the example above
- Wait A Minute: 10: Wait a minute, this will break the program!
- How Many Times, How Many Lies: How many examples do I have to give? Don’t use these formats! 7
- You can also give a comment to the album as a whole! To do so just add a colon (:) after the album title before starting your comment
- Sabotage of any sort is not allowed. This can mean a wide variety of things, but generally score things as accurately as you would outside the rate. Typically this means avoid doing things like giving a low score and saying “I love this song but I don’t want it to win”. It’s less fun for everyone and kind of ruins the purpose of rating. We assume everyone submitting will be doing so in good faith, but if we see any odd scores we may ask you to attach a comment explaining your scoring before counting the ballot. In extreme cases we may reject your ballot (but this is very rare, last option scenario)
- Please use the provided ballots below to submit your scores! Try not to make it on your own because a) you’re just redoing work already done and b) the calculation tool requires all ballots to be formatted the same so it’ll cause issues on our end if you try to create your own!
- If you have any questions feel free to message TiltControls or seanderlust. You can also message through Discord at tiltcontrols or seanderlust.
Links
NOTE: The Timbaland Song ‘Kill Yourself’ is listed on the ballot as simply ‘Kill’. We figured getting a bunch of DM’s sent to us with the words ‘Kill Yourself’ might result in some people accidentally getting banned so this is just a precautionary measure. Please do not change it from this - we will display it properly during the reveal!Send your ballot here!
Pastebin Mirror
Spotify Playlist
Apple Music Playlist
Other Rates
K-Pop (due June 15)Piano Men (due June)
Hot 100 Year End Singles of 2014 (due July)
Also the Popheads Discord link if you want to keep up to date with rate discussions!
2024.06.05 22:31 SunMoonStarsAndEye 17 years ago:
If we’re being honest, I can’t remember if your graduation was the 5th or the 6th.
I remember you walking across and getting your diploma.
I remember the pictures your mom got of us - the ones you kept.
I kept the rose you gave me for a decade… eventually throwing it out because looking at it, dried and brittle, just reminded me of what became of us.
I remember that 2 months from this very date, 17 years ago, you picked me up and we went to get dinner and just hang out - it was the date of my speaking snafu in the drive thru at Carl’s Jr - and that was the day that I realized how much I enjoyed laughing with you, the way you made my brain engage and turn over, and the way you were just… so unbelievably YOU. That was the day I knew I was head over heels in love with you, and I knew it was going to hurt like hell if I ever lost you. I waited 2 more weeks to tell you. You responded in kind and my heart exploded. I was so excited and so fucking in love with you, dammit.
Becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, a month after that - or so - August 12th-ish - we were supposed to have a date. I couldn’t get hold of you, and being feral and absolutely in love with you, I showed up to check that everything was okay and that we were, in fact, still going to the movie I had already found the tickets and times for… that was the day you told me that you lied. That you’d never loved me at all.
I remember what it physically felt like in my body to hear you say that. My chest felt like it was caving in. My hands could hardly hold the stupid flip phone in my hands as you went on and on about how dumb I was to have believed you. Insinuating that you had taken my virginity (you had not, thanks), insinuating that I was psycho and obsessed… we had worked together, we had become friends, we had dated - an item as a couple by your request, in the middle of the transformers movie that I still can’t watch (even though my child is obsessed with it) - and I thought we were doing just fine.
I got so physically and emotionally hurt that I dissociated from my own body and literally lost control of my own actions. I was 17. I had never been treated that poorly by anyone in my life, and I’d been treated pretty poorly. You forced me in the car, and drove me home, yelling damn near the entire way. No apologies for your behavior, even though I was apologizing profusely for having momentarily been so destroyed that I threw my phone.
I only remember asking a few mutuals if they understood what happened, because I absolutely didn’t. It was at this point, me entirely panicked and my entire soul feeling shattered, that you decided to label me a “psycho bitch.”
Yet, there you were 3 months later asking me if we could talk and saying you were sorry (because Lena left you behind) - telling me that you loved me and you were wrong for having lied about lying about loving me… and I was still so in love with you that I accepted it. We hooked up later that day, around September 18th, and your friend (Alex) drove me home (and the rest of your buddies were in the car - they made you get out and walk me to the door. You were wearing your tan dickies coat and a nice red and blue plaid button up that evening). You promised me we’d work on it.
When I hadn’t heard from you, my friends convinced me to send you a message.
I did, on AIM - in fact, and my heart shattered the rest of the way when you told me you’d thought about it again and you couldn’t be with “someone like [me - SIC].” I begged you to explain yourself because I couldn’t understand how you could be this horrendously evil toward me. You told me to fuck off, then made tremendous amounts of commentary about how I shouldn’t call people words I didn’t even know how to spell correctly.
I crumpled into bed for 2 weeks. I couldn’t get out the door to go to school. I dropped my advanced placement classes.
You sent me a message shortly after my birthday that year, apologizing again. That was the first time I told you that I didn’t know if I could trust you enough to let you come back again. I asked you to prove that you were serious about what you said. You got angry. I met someone. We dated for two weeks, then shortly before Halloween, our relationship ended. My friends invited me to a party. I’d never drank before. I’d also never smoked bud before. All I could think about in my inebriated state was you.
I texted and asked if we could talk. If you could bring me my favorites from your work. I will never know if someone put something in my beer at the party, or if you put something in my food, but… I don’t remember agreeing to sleep with you. I do remember the next morning, though.
I woke up thinking we had discussed things. Fixed it. That was not at all true - you threw my clothes at my face and told me to get dressed. You went into hardly speaking in the car, but as we rounded the corner to my childhood home, you started yelling that I was psycho and stupid and you hated me and that you never wanted to hear from me again. You literally reached over and opened the door to the iROC and you shoved me out on the pavement and you peeled out. I had begged you to take me back to my friend’s to get my stuff, but you legitimately screamed at me that you were taking me home so my parents would know what a worthless whore I was.
I didn’t leave my bed for 2 weeks. Someone started talking to me online. I thought it was great to have an older man interested in me - figured I would be safer, his family was of a good pedigree so my family was excited (I’m sure they just wanted me to leave home but that’s another letter for another day). I went to a concert for my favorite band in November. He and I started dating a week after that.
Two months and one day later and it was your birthday. I sent you an instant message telling you happy birthday. You told me off. A week later you apologized and begged for another chance. I told you I couldn’t because I was dating someone else, and given your behavior I couldn’t trust you.
For the next year and a half, we spoke cordially off and on as friends. My birthday, yours - until one day I texted you and I asked you if I could see you because I didn’t know who else to turn to. See, you’d gained most of my trust by then. You agreed, I came over. Told you everything that had gone down with the person I had been seeing. I had left him. You and I started hanging out more, but I was terrified to tell you that I still loved you, given how that had gone previously.
Then I saw you sending messages to a Christina on plenty of fish. I remember becoming shattered. I asked you about it - you told me not to worry about it - and your other ex (Anne) came to pick up her stuff she’d left. You had me open the door in the Boba Fett collector’s tee she purchased you.
I stupidly agreed. Hoping that maybe it would soon be safe to tell you that I still loved you.
Then, he came back to get his stuff, and I didn’t have a chance to call you so that you could be there before he got there. He slapped me. I ran over to yours… but two weeks later he said he wanted to come get his books I had finished reading, so I agreed, and he said he wanted to talk. I agreed.
You called while that was happening and he held me hostage after you two got into dick measuring contests about who I should be with - both of you ignoring how I felt.
You began calling me a psycho bitch again, told me never to contact you again, and I profusely apologized. I then just submitted to being stuck with an actually insane, abusive psycho that bragged about using thought experiments on me for fun.
Eventually you reached out again, we made amends, we had a solid friendship again. I helped you figure out how to smooth it out with Anne, and eventually you caught on that I was not okay. I was keeping it to myself because I had already accepted that you (the person by brain equates to “LOML” at this time for some dumb reason) weren’t ever going to be an option for me, so being physically and psychologically abused must be my lot in life. And I didn’t want you to worry about me - I’d just helped you patch things up with her, if you worried about me? That would have destroyed that. All of that.
Eventually, by your yearly birthday email from me, you worked it out of me… then threatened to move all of my things yourself if I didn’t do it. So I did it.
You two ended up breaking up during that time (or so you claimed), and we started seeing each other. We agreed not to bring up definitions right away so neither of us felt like running, and i waited 6 months to ask. Asked after you told me to leave a toothbrush and some PJs… you got angry and demanded 15 days to think about it. I knew how I felt - so this started to feel like it had before and the trauma you left me with from 6 years previous to that all bubbled up. I yelled. I cried. I begged to understand why.
And then I waited. And you never contacted me, until two months later, after you’d started stalking me. I took your refusal to follow through as the answer. You didn’t try to talk to me. You just started exhibiting aggressive and insane behavior while calling me insane for a normal reaction to your abnormal bullshit.
We eventually talked and agreed that it was the last time we were going to try. A few weeks in I was throwing up all of the alcohol I drank. You asked me to sit on daddy’s lap which weirded me out, instead of just asking me if I thought I should take a test.
A week after that was the Halloween party where Anne found out I not a crazy ex and that she was not your only one. The next morning, you asked me a hypothetical about breaking up, I responded darkly with sarcasm, we made plans to go to a show… and wouldn’t you know the day of the show I was suddenly a psychotic bitch that you told the relationship was over (when you’d done no such thing and we spoke on the phone two days before the show, ending it with I love yous, etc).
I spiraled. I was not okay. I was also pregnant and didn’t know it. When I miscarried 13 days before your birthday in January of 2013, friends told me I had to tell you. So I did. And you threatened my safety. By April of that year, management at my apartment had to have police remove you because you were trying to climb the building to get in the window. I told you you needed to stop, you threatened me, and I ran. Far far away.
You tried to follow me, to figure out my location, and I said no. Eventually? A mutual tried to date me, I moved back home, and they turned out to be a sack of shit. That’s where I met your current wife, my near identical twin, before her divorce. She conned me into going with Becca to serve the divorce papers. The mutual kicked me out a month later because his dog destroyed my computer that was brand new and I couldn’t stay calm (and I refused to give up my MMJ and cigarettes). My family couldn’t offer me safety, the shelters were full, so I called you. Because then I knew where you were. And you couldn’t hurt me, and if you did, everyone else knew who I was with.
You told me you loved me. I told you I still loved you too and always would, but the damage was too great to be fixed.
That was the last conversation we had before I left.
Two months later, unable to find my shoes, you texted me that you had them and I had left them on purpose (I had not). I told you to throw them away.
A month after that, Becca made me go to coffee and told me to stop having feelings about what happened between us. About you. I told her I just wanted you to be happy - but I was not going to be able to just snap my fingers and stop loving you. I had loved you for 7 years.
A month later, the divorce party invite was sent to me. I declined. That’s where you and A got engaged.
I left shortly after that. Ran away, again, because being nearby and seeing you with my clone was far too painful.
Didn’t tell anyone in November that I was back. That’s when I saw the two of them at the extended stay motel across from the one your sister used to work at. I emailed you immediately, because I had meant what I said: I didn’t want you to be treated like shit and I figured it was the right thing to do. Went outside to smoke and she came tearing outside, screaming into the phone that she was at Becca’s and I was a lying psycho bitch.
Until the ultrasound that confirmed that weekend being the weekend of conception, I didn’t contact you.
I moved on. But that ultrasound hurt because I literally miscarried your child and almost died then you threatened my life but you could give her everything you promised me even though you knew she was cheating and I never would have done that to you. After that, both of you started monitoring and harassing my socials and I went to great lengths to defend myself -AND- hide because I wanted to forget I loved you at all.
I started my own family. With someone I can love and trust (I thought)… but the past decade has been nothing but pain and growth - and recently I reached out to ask you to make the hacking and stalking and watching me stop. Because I lost everything, over and over again. My counseling was not private. My cameras were monitored. My emails and socials hacked and watched. You showing up outside my home daily again like you had just over a decade ago. You let her bully me, make false claims that were anything but true… someone broke in and was in here while I was home alone, reading my allergy testing paperwork and a week later a deadly allergen appeared on my stoop inside of a box from the phone company you had her start working for to track me (making her convinced it was me this entire time causing issues - when it had been you)
You claimed to know nothing, then sent Casey my way. Realizing that didn’t work, anymore at least, you went back to using a social profile that’s from the first time I ever blocked you to watch my socials - but I’ve provided you my direct contact information. It’s as easy as one last conversation to settle the dust, and if you get curious just ASKING ME DIRECTLY.
I’m sorry for overreacting in my youth, but I’m not sorry for the boundaries I maintained after you’d broken my walls down at the end of 2012. I’m not sorry for standing up for myself and telling you there would be a court order if she didn’t stop. I’m not sorry for documenting all of the insanity.
I’m, at this point, only sorry that you’ll never be man enough to reach out or show up to clarify all of this directly with me. And I’m honestly sorry that I ever allowed you to behave so poorly and maintain the level of love I one time had for you.
I’m also super sorry we ever blurred the lines again in January of 2014.
But I’m not sorry I loved you. I pity you for how blinded you’ve been by your own misconceptions and inabilities to rationally communicate after I caught her cheating on you and she banned us from communicating.
I’d say I hoped things got better for you, but as you’re still at it monitoring me instead of communicating directly (and obviously having to hide that fact from your own self fulfilling prophecy of “marrying a psycho bitch”) - I take it the look we exchanged two years ago now, in passing, said more than you ever will.
If you ever find a way, or a will, I’ll gladly discuss all of this with you - all emotions removed except the one where I love you enough to want to offer you healing and understanding so you can lay the misconceptions and burdens down. I’d still be your friend, but I recognize that your own toxic behaviors and smear campaigns against me in a futile effort to refuse accountability for the ways you destroyed me and any hope for us are your own undoing.
I love you, Benjamin. You know this. I know this. The world knows this. We just weren’t destined to be what either of us ebbed toward and flowed away from in the decade you were everything to me. I hope one day you heal that space so you never have to come face to face with the ways you behaved in our youth in any of your daughter’s future partners. Or even in your own.
You may have been hurting and projecting onto me. I get that. And I was hurting and traumatized and struggled to trust you.
Bottom line is we both fucked up. But, life has afforded us ways to heal for the people we do have now. I hope you’re willing to lay down the battle axe and settle this. No romantic anything attached anymore. I just avoid you and yet adore your tenacity and intelligence. I miss your friendship, but, not enough to allow you to continue to creep and not call you out for it. And if you managed to work with K on this all… well, you’ve gotten the texts. You know how I feel.
Be well. I’m easy to find and ready to settle all of this for the rest of eternity if you can open to the reality instead of your delusions about what was.
All my best, TC
(P.S. the initial black gold ring with skulls and pink diamonds she pulled the design for from my Pinterest board I started after you and I discussed marriage eons ago.)
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I remember you walking across and getting your diploma.
I remember the pictures your mom got of us - the ones you kept.
I kept the rose you gave me for a decade… eventually throwing it out because looking at it, dried and brittle, just reminded me of what became of us.
I remember that 2 months from this very date, 17 years ago, you picked me up and we went to get dinner and just hang out - it was the date of my speaking snafu in the drive thru at Carl’s Jr - and that was the day that I realized how much I enjoyed laughing with you, the way you made my brain engage and turn over, and the way you were just… so unbelievably YOU. That was the day I knew I was head over heels in love with you, and I knew it was going to hurt like hell if I ever lost you. I waited 2 more weeks to tell you. You responded in kind and my heart exploded. I was so excited and so fucking in love with you, dammit.
Becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, a month after that - or so - August 12th-ish - we were supposed to have a date. I couldn’t get hold of you, and being feral and absolutely in love with you, I showed up to check that everything was okay and that we were, in fact, still going to the movie I had already found the tickets and times for… that was the day you told me that you lied. That you’d never loved me at all.
I remember what it physically felt like in my body to hear you say that. My chest felt like it was caving in. My hands could hardly hold the stupid flip phone in my hands as you went on and on about how dumb I was to have believed you. Insinuating that you had taken my virginity (you had not, thanks), insinuating that I was psycho and obsessed… we had worked together, we had become friends, we had dated - an item as a couple by your request, in the middle of the transformers movie that I still can’t watch (even though my child is obsessed with it) - and I thought we were doing just fine.
I got so physically and emotionally hurt that I dissociated from my own body and literally lost control of my own actions. I was 17. I had never been treated that poorly by anyone in my life, and I’d been treated pretty poorly. You forced me in the car, and drove me home, yelling damn near the entire way. No apologies for your behavior, even though I was apologizing profusely for having momentarily been so destroyed that I threw my phone.
I only remember asking a few mutuals if they understood what happened, because I absolutely didn’t. It was at this point, me entirely panicked and my entire soul feeling shattered, that you decided to label me a “psycho bitch.”
Yet, there you were 3 months later asking me if we could talk and saying you were sorry (because Lena left you behind) - telling me that you loved me and you were wrong for having lied about lying about loving me… and I was still so in love with you that I accepted it. We hooked up later that day, around September 18th, and your friend (Alex) drove me home (and the rest of your buddies were in the car - they made you get out and walk me to the door. You were wearing your tan dickies coat and a nice red and blue plaid button up that evening). You promised me we’d work on it.
When I hadn’t heard from you, my friends convinced me to send you a message.
I did, on AIM - in fact, and my heart shattered the rest of the way when you told me you’d thought about it again and you couldn’t be with “someone like [me - SIC].” I begged you to explain yourself because I couldn’t understand how you could be this horrendously evil toward me. You told me to fuck off, then made tremendous amounts of commentary about how I shouldn’t call people words I didn’t even know how to spell correctly.
I crumpled into bed for 2 weeks. I couldn’t get out the door to go to school. I dropped my advanced placement classes.
You sent me a message shortly after my birthday that year, apologizing again. That was the first time I told you that I didn’t know if I could trust you enough to let you come back again. I asked you to prove that you were serious about what you said. You got angry. I met someone. We dated for two weeks, then shortly before Halloween, our relationship ended. My friends invited me to a party. I’d never drank before. I’d also never smoked bud before. All I could think about in my inebriated state was you.
I texted and asked if we could talk. If you could bring me my favorites from your work. I will never know if someone put something in my beer at the party, or if you put something in my food, but… I don’t remember agreeing to sleep with you. I do remember the next morning, though.
I woke up thinking we had discussed things. Fixed it. That was not at all true - you threw my clothes at my face and told me to get dressed. You went into hardly speaking in the car, but as we rounded the corner to my childhood home, you started yelling that I was psycho and stupid and you hated me and that you never wanted to hear from me again. You literally reached over and opened the door to the iROC and you shoved me out on the pavement and you peeled out. I had begged you to take me back to my friend’s to get my stuff, but you legitimately screamed at me that you were taking me home so my parents would know what a worthless whore I was.
I didn’t leave my bed for 2 weeks. Someone started talking to me online. I thought it was great to have an older man interested in me - figured I would be safer, his family was of a good pedigree so my family was excited (I’m sure they just wanted me to leave home but that’s another letter for another day). I went to a concert for my favorite band in November. He and I started dating a week after that.
Two months and one day later and it was your birthday. I sent you an instant message telling you happy birthday. You told me off. A week later you apologized and begged for another chance. I told you I couldn’t because I was dating someone else, and given your behavior I couldn’t trust you.
For the next year and a half, we spoke cordially off and on as friends. My birthday, yours - until one day I texted you and I asked you if I could see you because I didn’t know who else to turn to. See, you’d gained most of my trust by then. You agreed, I came over. Told you everything that had gone down with the person I had been seeing. I had left him. You and I started hanging out more, but I was terrified to tell you that I still loved you, given how that had gone previously.
Then I saw you sending messages to a Christina on plenty of fish. I remember becoming shattered. I asked you about it - you told me not to worry about it - and your other ex (Anne) came to pick up her stuff she’d left. You had me open the door in the Boba Fett collector’s tee she purchased you.
I stupidly agreed. Hoping that maybe it would soon be safe to tell you that I still loved you.
Then, he came back to get his stuff, and I didn’t have a chance to call you so that you could be there before he got there. He slapped me. I ran over to yours… but two weeks later he said he wanted to come get his books I had finished reading, so I agreed, and he said he wanted to talk. I agreed.
You called while that was happening and he held me hostage after you two got into dick measuring contests about who I should be with - both of you ignoring how I felt.
You began calling me a psycho bitch again, told me never to contact you again, and I profusely apologized. I then just submitted to being stuck with an actually insane, abusive psycho that bragged about using thought experiments on me for fun.
Eventually you reached out again, we made amends, we had a solid friendship again. I helped you figure out how to smooth it out with Anne, and eventually you caught on that I was not okay. I was keeping it to myself because I had already accepted that you (the person by brain equates to “LOML” at this time for some dumb reason) weren’t ever going to be an option for me, so being physically and psychologically abused must be my lot in life. And I didn’t want you to worry about me - I’d just helped you patch things up with her, if you worried about me? That would have destroyed that. All of that.
Eventually, by your yearly birthday email from me, you worked it out of me… then threatened to move all of my things yourself if I didn’t do it. So I did it.
You two ended up breaking up during that time (or so you claimed), and we started seeing each other. We agreed not to bring up definitions right away so neither of us felt like running, and i waited 6 months to ask. Asked after you told me to leave a toothbrush and some PJs… you got angry and demanded 15 days to think about it. I knew how I felt - so this started to feel like it had before and the trauma you left me with from 6 years previous to that all bubbled up. I yelled. I cried. I begged to understand why.
And then I waited. And you never contacted me, until two months later, after you’d started stalking me. I took your refusal to follow through as the answer. You didn’t try to talk to me. You just started exhibiting aggressive and insane behavior while calling me insane for a normal reaction to your abnormal bullshit.
We eventually talked and agreed that it was the last time we were going to try. A few weeks in I was throwing up all of the alcohol I drank. You asked me to sit on daddy’s lap which weirded me out, instead of just asking me if I thought I should take a test.
A week after that was the Halloween party where Anne found out I not a crazy ex and that she was not your only one. The next morning, you asked me a hypothetical about breaking up, I responded darkly with sarcasm, we made plans to go to a show… and wouldn’t you know the day of the show I was suddenly a psychotic bitch that you told the relationship was over (when you’d done no such thing and we spoke on the phone two days before the show, ending it with I love yous, etc).
I spiraled. I was not okay. I was also pregnant and didn’t know it. When I miscarried 13 days before your birthday in January of 2013, friends told me I had to tell you. So I did. And you threatened my safety. By April of that year, management at my apartment had to have police remove you because you were trying to climb the building to get in the window. I told you you needed to stop, you threatened me, and I ran. Far far away.
You tried to follow me, to figure out my location, and I said no. Eventually? A mutual tried to date me, I moved back home, and they turned out to be a sack of shit. That’s where I met your current wife, my near identical twin, before her divorce. She conned me into going with Becca to serve the divorce papers. The mutual kicked me out a month later because his dog destroyed my computer that was brand new and I couldn’t stay calm (and I refused to give up my MMJ and cigarettes). My family couldn’t offer me safety, the shelters were full, so I called you. Because then I knew where you were. And you couldn’t hurt me, and if you did, everyone else knew who I was with.
You told me you loved me. I told you I still loved you too and always would, but the damage was too great to be fixed.
That was the last conversation we had before I left.
Two months later, unable to find my shoes, you texted me that you had them and I had left them on purpose (I had not). I told you to throw them away.
A month after that, Becca made me go to coffee and told me to stop having feelings about what happened between us. About you. I told her I just wanted you to be happy - but I was not going to be able to just snap my fingers and stop loving you. I had loved you for 7 years.
A month later, the divorce party invite was sent to me. I declined. That’s where you and A got engaged.
I left shortly after that. Ran away, again, because being nearby and seeing you with my clone was far too painful.
Didn’t tell anyone in November that I was back. That’s when I saw the two of them at the extended stay motel across from the one your sister used to work at. I emailed you immediately, because I had meant what I said: I didn’t want you to be treated like shit and I figured it was the right thing to do. Went outside to smoke and she came tearing outside, screaming into the phone that she was at Becca’s and I was a lying psycho bitch.
Until the ultrasound that confirmed that weekend being the weekend of conception, I didn’t contact you.
I moved on. But that ultrasound hurt because I literally miscarried your child and almost died then you threatened my life but you could give her everything you promised me even though you knew she was cheating and I never would have done that to you. After that, both of you started monitoring and harassing my socials and I went to great lengths to defend myself -AND- hide because I wanted to forget I loved you at all.
I started my own family. With someone I can love and trust (I thought)… but the past decade has been nothing but pain and growth - and recently I reached out to ask you to make the hacking and stalking and watching me stop. Because I lost everything, over and over again. My counseling was not private. My cameras were monitored. My emails and socials hacked and watched. You showing up outside my home daily again like you had just over a decade ago. You let her bully me, make false claims that were anything but true… someone broke in and was in here while I was home alone, reading my allergy testing paperwork and a week later a deadly allergen appeared on my stoop inside of a box from the phone company you had her start working for to track me (making her convinced it was me this entire time causing issues - when it had been you)
You claimed to know nothing, then sent Casey my way. Realizing that didn’t work, anymore at least, you went back to using a social profile that’s from the first time I ever blocked you to watch my socials - but I’ve provided you my direct contact information. It’s as easy as one last conversation to settle the dust, and if you get curious just ASKING ME DIRECTLY.
I’m sorry for overreacting in my youth, but I’m not sorry for the boundaries I maintained after you’d broken my walls down at the end of 2012. I’m not sorry for standing up for myself and telling you there would be a court order if she didn’t stop. I’m not sorry for documenting all of the insanity.
I’m, at this point, only sorry that you’ll never be man enough to reach out or show up to clarify all of this directly with me. And I’m honestly sorry that I ever allowed you to behave so poorly and maintain the level of love I one time had for you.
I’m also super sorry we ever blurred the lines again in January of 2014.
But I’m not sorry I loved you. I pity you for how blinded you’ve been by your own misconceptions and inabilities to rationally communicate after I caught her cheating on you and she banned us from communicating.
I’d say I hoped things got better for you, but as you’re still at it monitoring me instead of communicating directly (and obviously having to hide that fact from your own self fulfilling prophecy of “marrying a psycho bitch”) - I take it the look we exchanged two years ago now, in passing, said more than you ever will.
If you ever find a way, or a will, I’ll gladly discuss all of this with you - all emotions removed except the one where I love you enough to want to offer you healing and understanding so you can lay the misconceptions and burdens down. I’d still be your friend, but I recognize that your own toxic behaviors and smear campaigns against me in a futile effort to refuse accountability for the ways you destroyed me and any hope for us are your own undoing.
I love you, Benjamin. You know this. I know this. The world knows this. We just weren’t destined to be what either of us ebbed toward and flowed away from in the decade you were everything to me. I hope one day you heal that space so you never have to come face to face with the ways you behaved in our youth in any of your daughter’s future partners. Or even in your own.
You may have been hurting and projecting onto me. I get that. And I was hurting and traumatized and struggled to trust you.
Bottom line is we both fucked up. But, life has afforded us ways to heal for the people we do have now. I hope you’re willing to lay down the battle axe and settle this. No romantic anything attached anymore. I just avoid you and yet adore your tenacity and intelligence. I miss your friendship, but, not enough to allow you to continue to creep and not call you out for it. And if you managed to work with K on this all… well, you’ve gotten the texts. You know how I feel.
Be well. I’m easy to find and ready to settle all of this for the rest of eternity if you can open to the reality instead of your delusions about what was.
All my best, TC
(P.S. the initial black gold ring with skulls and pink diamonds she pulled the design for from my Pinterest board I started after you and I discussed marriage eons ago.)
2024.06.05 00:42 Reasonable-Lack-6585 [Discussion] Runner Up Read RtWE - Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Chapter 1 through Chapter 5
Hello bookclub and welcome to the first discussion on Americanah!! Just a reminder please check out the schedule and Marginalia!
Summary:
Chapter 1:
We are introduced to Ifemelu. A recent graduate of a fellowship at Princeton University. Ifemelu is awaiting a train to take her to Trenton to get her hair braided. While reflecting on how no such store would be open in Princeton we learn Ifemelu writes a blog about her observations of American Blacks from the perspective of a non-American black. Ifemelu reflects on how some of her blog topics and how it had been gathering a loyal audience; however, Ifemelu has written her final blog in anticipation for her move back to her home country Nigeria. She reflects on her wanting to return and the prospect of seeing her former love Obinze. Ifemelu travels to Trenton making more observations about the various peoples in the area. She ends up at a salon and begins getting her braids. Her stylist Aisha works her braids and the two don’t get along very well. Ifemelu we learn has broken up with her American boyfriend Blaine who she really doesn’t love and that she has lied to her parents about why he is not arriving in Nigeria with her. Aisha pesters Ifemelu with a variety of questions including why Igbo men won’t marry non Igbo women which Ifemelu rebuttals mentioning her extended family have married a variety of people from different countries. Ifemelu tries to deflect Aisha’s questions but ends up slipping that she is going back for her man Obinze. We learn that according to Ifemelu’s friend Ranyinudo Obinze is married and has a baby daughter. Ifemlu has told a variety of people she is moving back including Obinze via an email.
Chapter 2:
Obinze sees Ifemelu’s email while being driven by his driver Gabriel. We see what Ifemelu wrote to him; Ifemelu uses a pet name that she had for him “ceiling”. This name was given to him while they were intimate with one another and no one else used this name for Obinze. We learn that Obinze’s last email exchange with Ifemelu was contentious; Obinze gives a beggar boy money from his car as he makes his way home through Lagos traffic while wondering if Ifemelu’s American boyfriend called her ceiling. We are introduced to Onize’s wife Kozi who is preparing herself for a dinner party with”the chief”. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters his daughter Buchi, the nanny Christina, his wife’s sister Chioma, a new house girl Marie, and Mohammed the gateman. Kosi begins to prepare for their evening as Onize gets ready for the dinner. Obinze remarks how he hopes an oil company is buying a new block of flats near their home which Kozi remarks his will bring shell. Obinze thinks how he already knows an oil company has rented the flats and how these senseless lies he tells Kozi are meant to have her challenge or speak against him; however, she never does. Obinze and Kozi arrive at the Chief’s party. Obinze reflects on the first time he attended one of the parties with his cousin Nneoma. We learned that the chief has pursued Nneoma, but she only has taken money from him to start her business, which after the Chief meets Obinze he does for him helping him build up his business. Obinze after attending many parties is told by Chief about properties he intends to buy for much less than they are actually worth and wants Obinze to front the deal; Obinze agrees with the encouragement of his cousin. Obinze becomes wealthy and his still not understanding why Chief decided to help him. While Obinze and Kozi are in attendance at chief’s party Kozi and Mrs. Akin-Cole debate on the merits of sending Buchi to either a French or English school. Obinze mentions why not send his daughter to a Nigerian curriculum, but both women are puzzled by his comments. While attending the party Obinze talks to a journalist named Yemi who Obinze feels sorry for because of his lacking education. Obinze reflects on when he ran into Ranyinudo at the Plams mall and he thinks about Ifemelu. Upon returning home and is cooked dinner, which reminds him how his wife dismissed their last maid because she had condoms on her personal. Kozi assumed the maid would attempt to engage in sexual relations with Obinze where he thought it was a precaution by the maid from her former employer which Obinze stated raped the maid. Obinze retires to his study and responds to Ifemelu’s email making the response “a balance earnest and funny” hoping it will garner a response.
Part 2
Chapter 3:
Ifemelu is still at the hair salon getting her braids. Aisha continues to pester Ifemelu about meeting and speaking with her boys she wants to marry. Ifemelu gets up and sees she missed a phone call that makes her smile. Aisha continues to pull ifemelu’s hair. This leads to a flashback of Ifemelu’s childhood when she witnessed her mother cutting off her own hair and burning both her hair and religious objects. Ifemelu’s moves from various churches and begins to become more devout, even conducting fasts to get Ifemelu’s father promotions, good heath, etc. Eventually Ifemelu’s mother begins to see an angel which leads her to settle with Pastor Gideon, Ifemelu reflects how while she as not religious her mothers faith did bring some comfort, until the General came into their lives. We see Ifemelu’s mother praise the arrival of the General who she references as the mentor for Ifemelu’s aunt Uju. Aunt Uju is able to get a position with a hospital with no open vacancies. Aunt Uju gains a new house and and many other benefits now that she works for the military hospital. Aunt Uju hopes to one day get her own clinic. While Ifemelu’s mother believes this to be a miracle, it was a random encounter at a wedding that prompted the General to wanting to take care of Aunt Uju. Ifemelu’s father loses his job after he refuses to call his direct supervisor mummy. While he tries to find a new job he eventually falls into a depression and is unable to find work. He rarely leaves the couch and eventually the family begins to fall behind on rent. Ifemelu’s mother continues to want to not show their struggling and continues to work with the church and has Ifemelu go to work with sister Ibinabo to make flower garlands. Sister Ibinabo is described as self righteous and has a hostility towards the young girls. Ifemelu makes a statement about why she should make garlands for men she views as criminals that give sister Ibinabo pause. Ifemelu’s mother finds out and becomes angry with Ifemelu, but Aunt Ujo is called over to help mitigate the situation. Eventually when Ifemelu falls in love with Obinze it is Aunt Uju who tells Ifemelu to kiss and touch but not to allow him to have sex.
Chapter 4:
We continue with the flashback showing Ifemelu and Obinze time in secondary school and their first meeting. Obinze is the new student from Naukka where his mother a professor and another professor were rumor to have gotten into a real fight, and that his mother had beaten the other professor. Ifemelu and her friend Ginika go to another students house for a party. Kayode the student hosting the party and some of the other boys try getting Ginika and Obinze together; however, when Obinze meets Ifemelu he becomes instantly drawn to her instead of Ginika. The two dance and hang out and later have a conversation about one another. Obinze tells Ifemelu the truth about his mother’s incident with the professor. It turns out she accuse the other professor of misusing funds and was slapped in public causing some female students to make t-shirts supporting her. As they speak Obinze states he intends to chase Ifemelu rather than Ginika. They discus Nigerian proverbs and debate about their favorite books. They kiss and start dating; they also begin to attend club activities of one another and Ifemelu begins to worry that she is too happy.
Chapter 5:
Ifemelu and Ginika have a falling out over Obinze, but this is short lived once Ginika family is going to be moving to America. Ginika is sad, but Ifemelu is secretly relieved. Their group of friends gather together before Ginika leaves and go through Ginika’s stuff. They joke that once she returns Ginika will have a pretentious American accent and will think Nigeria is backwards; in other words she will become “Americanah”. The group talks about their other connections or travels to foreign countries. One friend Emenike who makes up stories about having rich parents. Many including Obinze are wealthy or privileged while Ifemelu is on scholarship for their school. Obinze invites Ifemelu to his house to meet his mother which makes her nervous. Ifemelu meets Obinze’s mother who is welcoming. Ifemelu goes over often for dinners and movies. One day Obinze’s mother leaves and Obinze and Ifemelu hook up prior to her returning. When she gets back she notices the movie hasn’t changed scenes since she left and pulls Ifemelu into her bedroom for a talk. Obinze’s mother asks if they’ve done anything sexual, and Ifemelu says they have not. His mother advises her to wait. She asks Ifemelu to tell her when she and Obinze begin having sex, which exasperates Obinze, but Ifemelu feels no shame which she attributes to his mother’s tone.
Background information: A great deal of the story is in the shadow of the military dictatorships that occurred in Nigeria. Here are some information concerning some of the history of Nigeria.
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Summary:
Chapter 1:
We are introduced to Ifemelu. A recent graduate of a fellowship at Princeton University. Ifemelu is awaiting a train to take her to Trenton to get her hair braided. While reflecting on how no such store would be open in Princeton we learn Ifemelu writes a blog about her observations of American Blacks from the perspective of a non-American black. Ifemelu reflects on how some of her blog topics and how it had been gathering a loyal audience; however, Ifemelu has written her final blog in anticipation for her move back to her home country Nigeria. She reflects on her wanting to return and the prospect of seeing her former love Obinze. Ifemelu travels to Trenton making more observations about the various peoples in the area. She ends up at a salon and begins getting her braids. Her stylist Aisha works her braids and the two don’t get along very well. Ifemelu we learn has broken up with her American boyfriend Blaine who she really doesn’t love and that she has lied to her parents about why he is not arriving in Nigeria with her. Aisha pesters Ifemelu with a variety of questions including why Igbo men won’t marry non Igbo women which Ifemelu rebuttals mentioning her extended family have married a variety of people from different countries. Ifemelu tries to deflect Aisha’s questions but ends up slipping that she is going back for her man Obinze. We learn that according to Ifemelu’s friend Ranyinudo Obinze is married and has a baby daughter. Ifemlu has told a variety of people she is moving back including Obinze via an email.
Chapter 2:
Obinze sees Ifemelu’s email while being driven by his driver Gabriel. We see what Ifemelu wrote to him; Ifemelu uses a pet name that she had for him “ceiling”. This name was given to him while they were intimate with one another and no one else used this name for Obinze. We learn that Obinze’s last email exchange with Ifemelu was contentious; Obinze gives a beggar boy money from his car as he makes his way home through Lagos traffic while wondering if Ifemelu’s American boyfriend called her ceiling. We are introduced to Onize’s wife Kozi who is preparing herself for a dinner party with”the chief”. We are introduced to a wide variety of characters his daughter Buchi, the nanny Christina, his wife’s sister Chioma, a new house girl Marie, and Mohammed the gateman. Kosi begins to prepare for their evening as Onize gets ready for the dinner. Obinze remarks how he hopes an oil company is buying a new block of flats near their home which Kozi remarks his will bring shell. Obinze thinks how he already knows an oil company has rented the flats and how these senseless lies he tells Kozi are meant to have her challenge or speak against him; however, she never does. Obinze and Kozi arrive at the Chief’s party. Obinze reflects on the first time he attended one of the parties with his cousin Nneoma. We learned that the chief has pursued Nneoma, but she only has taken money from him to start her business, which after the Chief meets Obinze he does for him helping him build up his business. Obinze after attending many parties is told by Chief about properties he intends to buy for much less than they are actually worth and wants Obinze to front the deal; Obinze agrees with the encouragement of his cousin. Obinze becomes wealthy and his still not understanding why Chief decided to help him. While Obinze and Kozi are in attendance at chief’s party Kozi and Mrs. Akin-Cole debate on the merits of sending Buchi to either a French or English school. Obinze mentions why not send his daughter to a Nigerian curriculum, but both women are puzzled by his comments. While attending the party Obinze talks to a journalist named Yemi who Obinze feels sorry for because of his lacking education. Obinze reflects on when he ran into Ranyinudo at the Plams mall and he thinks about Ifemelu. Upon returning home and is cooked dinner, which reminds him how his wife dismissed their last maid because she had condoms on her personal. Kozi assumed the maid would attempt to engage in sexual relations with Obinze where he thought it was a precaution by the maid from her former employer which Obinze stated raped the maid. Obinze retires to his study and responds to Ifemelu’s email making the response “a balance earnest and funny” hoping it will garner a response.
Part 2
Chapter 3:
Ifemelu is still at the hair salon getting her braids. Aisha continues to pester Ifemelu about meeting and speaking with her boys she wants to marry. Ifemelu gets up and sees she missed a phone call that makes her smile. Aisha continues to pull ifemelu’s hair. This leads to a flashback of Ifemelu’s childhood when she witnessed her mother cutting off her own hair and burning both her hair and religious objects. Ifemelu’s moves from various churches and begins to become more devout, even conducting fasts to get Ifemelu’s father promotions, good heath, etc. Eventually Ifemelu’s mother begins to see an angel which leads her to settle with Pastor Gideon, Ifemelu reflects how while she as not religious her mothers faith did bring some comfort, until the General came into their lives. We see Ifemelu’s mother praise the arrival of the General who she references as the mentor for Ifemelu’s aunt Uju. Aunt Uju is able to get a position with a hospital with no open vacancies. Aunt Uju gains a new house and and many other benefits now that she works for the military hospital. Aunt Uju hopes to one day get her own clinic. While Ifemelu’s mother believes this to be a miracle, it was a random encounter at a wedding that prompted the General to wanting to take care of Aunt Uju. Ifemelu’s father loses his job after he refuses to call his direct supervisor mummy. While he tries to find a new job he eventually falls into a depression and is unable to find work. He rarely leaves the couch and eventually the family begins to fall behind on rent. Ifemelu’s mother continues to want to not show their struggling and continues to work with the church and has Ifemelu go to work with sister Ibinabo to make flower garlands. Sister Ibinabo is described as self righteous and has a hostility towards the young girls. Ifemelu makes a statement about why she should make garlands for men she views as criminals that give sister Ibinabo pause. Ifemelu’s mother finds out and becomes angry with Ifemelu, but Aunt Ujo is called over to help mitigate the situation. Eventually when Ifemelu falls in love with Obinze it is Aunt Uju who tells Ifemelu to kiss and touch but not to allow him to have sex.
Chapter 4:
We continue with the flashback showing Ifemelu and Obinze time in secondary school and their first meeting. Obinze is the new student from Naukka where his mother a professor and another professor were rumor to have gotten into a real fight, and that his mother had beaten the other professor. Ifemelu and her friend Ginika go to another students house for a party. Kayode the student hosting the party and some of the other boys try getting Ginika and Obinze together; however, when Obinze meets Ifemelu he becomes instantly drawn to her instead of Ginika. The two dance and hang out and later have a conversation about one another. Obinze tells Ifemelu the truth about his mother’s incident with the professor. It turns out she accuse the other professor of misusing funds and was slapped in public causing some female students to make t-shirts supporting her. As they speak Obinze states he intends to chase Ifemelu rather than Ginika. They discus Nigerian proverbs and debate about their favorite books. They kiss and start dating; they also begin to attend club activities of one another and Ifemelu begins to worry that she is too happy.
Chapter 5:
Ifemelu and Ginika have a falling out over Obinze, but this is short lived once Ginika family is going to be moving to America. Ginika is sad, but Ifemelu is secretly relieved. Their group of friends gather together before Ginika leaves and go through Ginika’s stuff. They joke that once she returns Ginika will have a pretentious American accent and will think Nigeria is backwards; in other words she will become “Americanah”. The group talks about their other connections or travels to foreign countries. One friend Emenike who makes up stories about having rich parents. Many including Obinze are wealthy or privileged while Ifemelu is on scholarship for their school. Obinze invites Ifemelu to his house to meet his mother which makes her nervous. Ifemelu meets Obinze’s mother who is welcoming. Ifemelu goes over often for dinners and movies. One day Obinze’s mother leaves and Obinze and Ifemelu hook up prior to her returning. When she gets back she notices the movie hasn’t changed scenes since she left and pulls Ifemelu into her bedroom for a talk. Obinze’s mother asks if they’ve done anything sexual, and Ifemelu says they have not. His mother advises her to wait. She asks Ifemelu to tell her when she and Obinze begin having sex, which exasperates Obinze, but Ifemelu feels no shame which she attributes to his mother’s tone.
Background information: A great deal of the story is in the shadow of the military dictatorships that occurred in Nigeria. Here are some information concerning some of the history of Nigeria.
2024.06.04 23:38 LetterGrouchy6053 The unravelling of MAGA and the return of justice.
With the conviction of Trump (now officially a felon) and the inevitability of his conviction in three other upcoming trials, MAGA is feeling the full weight of justice for their attempts to overthrow the results of a legitimate election and the nullification of eighty-seven million American votes.
In New York, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and soon Nevada, indictments have been raining down on the traitors like the ketchup Trump puts on his steak. The list of these swine follows and convictions are certain because so many of them have accepted plea deals -- they are ratting on each other like the vermin they are -- and Trump, already an unindicted co-conspirator, will be implicated in each, and every, scheme. He is unindicted co-conspirator, but only for a nonce -- his turn is coming.
America has had enough and will extract its pound of flesh, and do it with a wistful smile.
See this -- Italics mine.
Wisconsin prosecutors indicted former Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro and James Troupis for their role in the “fake elector” scheme trying to overturn the 2020 election on Tuesday, according to multiple reports—the latest in a string of lawyers who are facing consequences for their work with former President Donald Trump.
© Provided by Forbes
Key Facts
Kenneth Chesebro: The attorney, who is described as the architect of the Trump campaign’s “fake electors” scheme—in which GOP officials in battleground states submitted false slates of electors to Congress claiming Trump won—was criminally charged in Wisconsin on one count of forgery, after previously being indicted in Georgia, though he took a plea deal right before his case went to trial.
James Troupis: Troupis was also reportedly indicted in Wisconsin Tuesday; another Trump attorney who helped organize the false electors scheme, the lawyer had previously avoided criminal charges in other states and settled a civil lawsuit regarding the electors plot in Wisconsin in March.
Jenna Ellis: Ellis has been charged in Arizona after previously being indicted in Georgia and taking a plea deal in that case and has been suspended from practicing law for three years as a result of her Georgia guilty plea. The Colorado Supreme Court previously publicly censured Ellis for violating rules that attorneys must not “knowingly [engage] in any [noncriminal] conduct that involves dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation,” with the attorney admitting in court she had made “misrepresentations” while representing Trump after the election that were “reckless” and had a “selfish motive.”
Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani, who led Trump’s post-election efforts, was charged in Arizona for his role in—where he initially tried to evade being served—after already being criminally charged in Georgia. The former mayor has had his law license suspended and proceedings are underway to determine if he should be fully disbarred; he’s also been sued for defamation by voting machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic and was ordered to pay $148 million to Georgia election workers whom he defamed, which resulted in Giuliani declaring bankruptcy.
John Eastman: Eastman was also reportedly charged in Arizona, after already being indicted in Georgia and having 11 charges filed against him by counsel for the California State Bar stemming from his efforts to challenge the election results with Trump. A judge recommended in March that Eastman be disbarred and sanctioned $10,000 for his post-election efforts, which the lawyer intends to appeal.
Christina Bobb: Bobb was reportedly charged in Arizona, the first charges the attorney and former One America News anchor—who now serves as an attorney for the Republican National Committee—has so far faced. The lawyer joined Trump’s legal team in November 2020, according to the Washington Post, and the indictment cites a text message that ties the lawyer to the “fake elector” scheme in which GOP officials submitted false slates of electors to Congress claiming Trump won their states.
Jeffrey Clark: Former DOJ attorney Clark, who faced charges from the D.C. bar for aiding Trump’s post-election efforts from within the agency, broke at least one rule of professional conduct related to his actions after 2020 election, a D.C. ethics committee found in a preliminary ruling, setting the stage for possible punishment or even disbarment—Clark was also criminally charged in Georgia.
Sidney Powell: A judge dismissed an attempt by the Texas State Bar to discipline Powell in February after the bar alleged Powell’s post-election efforts had violated rules for professional conduct, though she now faces a separate disciplinary investigation in Michigan after being sanctioned for her post-election lawsuit in that state. After advising Trump and bringing her own post-election lawsuits in four states, Powell also still faces defamation lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic, a reported federal investigation into her organization’s fundraising arm and was criminally charged in Georgia, though she later reached a plea deal.
Michael Cohen: Trump’s longtime attorney served a three-year sentence in prison and home confinement for tax evasion and campaign finance-related crimes, after he orchestrated a series of “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal over allegations they had affairs with Trump.
Alina Habba: Habba, who’s representing Trump in many of his post-presidency legal battles, has been sanctioned multiple times in Trump’s failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton; she was first ordered to pay with her co-counsel $50,000 in sanctions and $16,274 in attorneys’ fees to one defendant in the case, and she and Trump were then sanctioned in January for nearly $1 million payable to Clinton, her campaign and other Democratic operatives.
Cleta Mitchell: Mitchell, who participated in Trump’s phone call in which he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results, resigned from her law firm Foley & Lardner in January 2021, saying she left the firm due to a “massive pressure campaign” against her from the left to oust her over her associations with Trump.
Other Georgia Attorneys: Attorneys Ray Smith and Robert Cheeley were also indicted as part of the Georgia case against Trump and his allies, after Smith worked on behalf of the Trump campaign in Georgia and Cheeley pushed false claims of election fraud at a legislative hearing in the state.
Pending Complaints: Ethics complaints urging state bars and disciplinary boards to investigate attorneys have been filed and remain pending against multiple Trump lawyers who aided his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including Mitchell and Boris Epshteyn, though court records show another complaint against Trump attorneys in New Mexico was dismissed.
Attorneys’ Fees: Trump and his campaign have been ordered to pay attorneys’ fees in a number of failed lawsuits—though it’s unclear if his attorneys have been forced to personally shoulder any part of those costs—including more than $20,000 to two Georgia counties over post-election litigation, $1.3 million to former White House advisor Omarosa Manigault and more than $54,000 to Daniels.
What To Watch For
Chesebro and Troupis have still yet to be arraigned in Wisconsin. Giuliani, Eastman and Bobb have all pleaded not guilty in Arizona, while Ellis still hasn’t been arraigned yet. It’s unclear how long it will take for the criminal cases in Arizona and Wisconsin to play out. The investigations into Powell and Ellis are ongoing, and it remains unclear how the court will rule in Clark’s ongoing disbarment hearings. No trial date has yet been set for the defendants in Georgia who haven’t taken plea deals. (Giuliani, Eastman, Clark, Smith, Cheeley and other defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.)
Tangent
A number of lawyers who aided Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but did not directly represent him in court or advise him, have also faced punishments. Powell’s co-counsel in the Michigan case—in which Trump was not a plaintiff—were all sanctioned and jointly forced to pay more than $175,000 in attorneys’ fees, as well as ordered to undergo legal education and referred to their respective state bars for potential discipline. Attorney Lin Wood, who was involved with the Michigan litigation along with other post-election lawsuits, has been under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia for his efforts since even before the Michigan order was issued. He ultimately retired before the State Bar could formally discipline him.
Chief Critic
Chesebro and Troupis have not yet commented on the charges against them. Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman called the Arizona case an effort to “eviscerate” the justice system in a statement, saying the attorney is “proud to stand up for the countless Americans who raised legitimate concerns surrounding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.” (The other attorneys have not yet responded to the charges.) Trump’s attorneys have largely denied wrongdoing and opposed the efforts to punish them, with the exception of Cohen, who pleaded guilty to his crimes, and the attorneys who have taken plea deals. (Powell still denies the defamation allegations against her, and told Forbes the sanctions against her in Michigan set a “dangerous precedent to stand that puts at risk every lawyer who represents an unpopular cause or client.”) In a statement after the ruling on his disbarment, Eastman’s lawyer said the attorney “maintains that his handling of the legal issues” over whether the 2020 election could be overturned was based on reasonable legal precedent and that Eastman was following “the same process taken by lawyers every day and everywhere.” He also opposed Eastman not being able to practice law to pay his legal fees while he faces the charges in Georgia, saying, “That is not justice and serves no legitimate purpose to protect the public.”
Surprising Fact
After the court ordered sanctions in the Clinton case against Trump and Habba, Trump and Habba went on to voluntarily withdraw two cases stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud litigation against the Trump Organization, which courts had suggested could be viewed as frivolous and result in sanctions.
Trump and his allies filed approximately 60 court cases in the aftermath of the 2020 election seeking to change its outcome, ultimately losing all but one case, which was a minor dispute in Pennsylvania that did not impact the overall results. Since leaving office, Trump has continued to be deeply ensnared in legal issues, as he’s faced numerous lawsuits over his alleged role in the January 6 riot at the Capitol building, four criminal cases, James’ civil fraud case against him and his company and two defamation lawsuits from writer E. Jean Carroll. The fraud and Carroll cases have resulted in Trump being ordered to pay a combined $540 million to James and Carroll, though the former president has maintained the cases against him are “witch hunts” designed to harm his presidential campaign, and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against him.
https://www.salon.com/2024/06/04/poppi-soda-has-been-hit-with-a-claiming-the-brand-falsely-advertised-its-health-benefits/
submitted by LetterGrouchy6053 to u/LetterGrouchy6053 [link] [comments]
In New York, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and soon Nevada, indictments have been raining down on the traitors like the ketchup Trump puts on his steak. The list of these swine follows and convictions are certain because so many of them have accepted plea deals -- they are ratting on each other like the vermin they are -- and Trump, already an unindicted co-conspirator, will be implicated in each, and every, scheme. He is unindicted co-conspirator, but only for a nonce -- his turn is coming.
America has had enough and will extract its pound of flesh, and do it with a wistful smile.
See this -- Italics mine.
Wisconsin prosecutors indicted former Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro and James Troupis for their role in the “fake elector” scheme trying to overturn the 2020 election on Tuesday, according to multiple reports—the latest in a string of lawyers who are facing consequences for their work with former President Donald Trump.
© Provided by Forbes
Key Facts
Kenneth Chesebro: The attorney, who is described as the architect of the Trump campaign’s “fake electors” scheme—in which GOP officials in battleground states submitted false slates of electors to Congress claiming Trump won—was criminally charged in Wisconsin on one count of forgery, after previously being indicted in Georgia, though he took a plea deal right before his case went to trial.
James Troupis: Troupis was also reportedly indicted in Wisconsin Tuesday; another Trump attorney who helped organize the false electors scheme, the lawyer had previously avoided criminal charges in other states and settled a civil lawsuit regarding the electors plot in Wisconsin in March.
Jenna Ellis: Ellis has been charged in Arizona after previously being indicted in Georgia and taking a plea deal in that case and has been suspended from practicing law for three years as a result of her Georgia guilty plea. The Colorado Supreme Court previously publicly censured Ellis for violating rules that attorneys must not “knowingly [engage] in any [noncriminal] conduct that involves dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation,” with the attorney admitting in court she had made “misrepresentations” while representing Trump after the election that were “reckless” and had a “selfish motive.”
Rudy Giuliani: Giuliani, who led Trump’s post-election efforts, was charged in Arizona for his role in—where he initially tried to evade being served—after already being criminally charged in Georgia. The former mayor has had his law license suspended and proceedings are underway to determine if he should be fully disbarred; he’s also been sued for defamation by voting machine companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic and was ordered to pay $148 million to Georgia election workers whom he defamed, which resulted in Giuliani declaring bankruptcy.
John Eastman: Eastman was also reportedly charged in Arizona, after already being indicted in Georgia and having 11 charges filed against him by counsel for the California State Bar stemming from his efforts to challenge the election results with Trump. A judge recommended in March that Eastman be disbarred and sanctioned $10,000 for his post-election efforts, which the lawyer intends to appeal.
Christina Bobb: Bobb was reportedly charged in Arizona, the first charges the attorney and former One America News anchor—who now serves as an attorney for the Republican National Committee—has so far faced. The lawyer joined Trump’s legal team in November 2020, according to the Washington Post, and the indictment cites a text message that ties the lawyer to the “fake elector” scheme in which GOP officials submitted false slates of electors to Congress claiming Trump won their states.
Jeffrey Clark: Former DOJ attorney Clark, who faced charges from the D.C. bar for aiding Trump’s post-election efforts from within the agency, broke at least one rule of professional conduct related to his actions after 2020 election, a D.C. ethics committee found in a preliminary ruling, setting the stage for possible punishment or even disbarment—Clark was also criminally charged in Georgia.
Sidney Powell: A judge dismissed an attempt by the Texas State Bar to discipline Powell in February after the bar alleged Powell’s post-election efforts had violated rules for professional conduct, though she now faces a separate disciplinary investigation in Michigan after being sanctioned for her post-election lawsuit in that state. After advising Trump and bringing her own post-election lawsuits in four states, Powell also still faces defamation lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic, a reported federal investigation into her organization’s fundraising arm and was criminally charged in Georgia, though she later reached a plea deal.
Michael Cohen: Trump’s longtime attorney served a three-year sentence in prison and home confinement for tax evasion and campaign finance-related crimes, after he orchestrated a series of “hush money” payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal over allegations they had affairs with Trump.
Alina Habba: Habba, who’s representing Trump in many of his post-presidency legal battles, has been sanctioned multiple times in Trump’s failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton; she was first ordered to pay with her co-counsel $50,000 in sanctions and $16,274 in attorneys’ fees to one defendant in the case, and she and Trump were then sanctioned in January for nearly $1 million payable to Clinton, her campaign and other Democratic operatives.
Cleta Mitchell: Mitchell, who participated in Trump’s phone call in which he urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results, resigned from her law firm Foley & Lardner in January 2021, saying she left the firm due to a “massive pressure campaign” against her from the left to oust her over her associations with Trump.
Other Georgia Attorneys: Attorneys Ray Smith and Robert Cheeley were also indicted as part of the Georgia case against Trump and his allies, after Smith worked on behalf of the Trump campaign in Georgia and Cheeley pushed false claims of election fraud at a legislative hearing in the state.
Pending Complaints: Ethics complaints urging state bars and disciplinary boards to investigate attorneys have been filed and remain pending against multiple Trump lawyers who aided his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including Mitchell and Boris Epshteyn, though court records show another complaint against Trump attorneys in New Mexico was dismissed.
Attorneys’ Fees: Trump and his campaign have been ordered to pay attorneys’ fees in a number of failed lawsuits—though it’s unclear if his attorneys have been forced to personally shoulder any part of those costs—including more than $20,000 to two Georgia counties over post-election litigation, $1.3 million to former White House advisor Omarosa Manigault and more than $54,000 to Daniels.
What To Watch For
Chesebro and Troupis have still yet to be arraigned in Wisconsin. Giuliani, Eastman and Bobb have all pleaded not guilty in Arizona, while Ellis still hasn’t been arraigned yet. It’s unclear how long it will take for the criminal cases in Arizona and Wisconsin to play out. The investigations into Powell and Ellis are ongoing, and it remains unclear how the court will rule in Clark’s ongoing disbarment hearings. No trial date has yet been set for the defendants in Georgia who haven’t taken plea deals. (Giuliani, Eastman, Clark, Smith, Cheeley and other defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.)
Tangent
A number of lawyers who aided Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but did not directly represent him in court or advise him, have also faced punishments. Powell’s co-counsel in the Michigan case—in which Trump was not a plaintiff—were all sanctioned and jointly forced to pay more than $175,000 in attorneys’ fees, as well as ordered to undergo legal education and referred to their respective state bars for potential discipline. Attorney Lin Wood, who was involved with the Michigan litigation along with other post-election lawsuits, has been under investigation by the State Bar of Georgia for his efforts since even before the Michigan order was issued. He ultimately retired before the State Bar could formally discipline him.
Chief Critic
Chesebro and Troupis have not yet commented on the charges against them. Giuliani spokesperson Ted Goodman called the Arizona case an effort to “eviscerate” the justice system in a statement, saying the attorney is “proud to stand up for the countless Americans who raised legitimate concerns surrounding the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election.” (The other attorneys have not yet responded to the charges.) Trump’s attorneys have largely denied wrongdoing and opposed the efforts to punish them, with the exception of Cohen, who pleaded guilty to his crimes, and the attorneys who have taken plea deals. (Powell still denies the defamation allegations against her, and told Forbes the sanctions against her in Michigan set a “dangerous precedent to stand that puts at risk every lawyer who represents an unpopular cause or client.”) In a statement after the ruling on his disbarment, Eastman’s lawyer said the attorney “maintains that his handling of the legal issues” over whether the 2020 election could be overturned was based on reasonable legal precedent and that Eastman was following “the same process taken by lawyers every day and everywhere.” He also opposed Eastman not being able to practice law to pay his legal fees while he faces the charges in Georgia, saying, “That is not justice and serves no legitimate purpose to protect the public.”
Surprising Fact
After the court ordered sanctions in the Clinton case against Trump and Habba, Trump and Habba went on to voluntarily withdraw two cases stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud litigation against the Trump Organization, which courts had suggested could be viewed as frivolous and result in sanctions.
Trump and his allies filed approximately 60 court cases in the aftermath of the 2020 election seeking to change its outcome, ultimately losing all but one case, which was a minor dispute in Pennsylvania that did not impact the overall results. Since leaving office, Trump has continued to be deeply ensnared in legal issues, as he’s faced numerous lawsuits over his alleged role in the January 6 riot at the Capitol building, four criminal cases, James’ civil fraud case against him and his company and two defamation lawsuits from writer E. Jean Carroll. The fraud and Carroll cases have resulted in Trump being ordered to pay a combined $540 million to James and Carroll, though the former president has maintained the cases against him are “witch hunts” designed to harm his presidential campaign, and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against him.
https://www.salon.com/2024/06/04/poppi-soda-has-been-hit-with-a-claiming-the-brand-falsely-advertised-its-health-benefits/
2024.06.04 22:31 YH_Queen_Clement State of Llc Nation the Hyper Power
 | Dear Ladies and Gentlemen: submitted by YH_Queen_Clement to locnation [link] [comments] It takes an “act of Congress” to campaign for President as an Independent Party and obtain an entry of judgment on a Summary Judgement. (Clement vs Garland 1:24 cv 00479-RC) Private Law AN ACT For the relief of Christina Clement; HH Empress Queen Christina Clement and Global Admissions Act of State of Loc Nation as Hyper Power protecting the legal, political and social actions of the “majority” from the tyrant of the “minority”. Proclamation of Hyper Power State of Loc Nation We, the Nephesh Hummus, souls on earth, descendants of the original inhabitants of this land, hereby proclaim the State of Loc Nation as a Hyper Power. Preamble Recognizing our historical contributions, cultural heritage, and the sacrifices made by our ancestors in numerous wars and conflicts, we assert our inherent rights and sovereignty. Articles
We thank the international community, governments, and organizations to recognize the State of Loc Nation and support our quest for justice, recognition, and empowerment. Signed, Christina Loren Clement HH Empress Queen Christina Loren Clement Ancestry and Contributions Current: The war day with systematic oppression globally 1. American Revolutionary War 2. War of 1812 3. American Civil War 4. World War I 5. World War II 6. Korean War 7. Vietnam War 8. Gulf War 9. War in Afghanistan 10. Iraq War 11. Spanish-American War 12. Philippine-American War 13. Boxer Rebellion 14. Mexican-American War 15. Indian Wars 16. Russo-Japanese War 17. First Indochina War 18. Algerian War of Independence 19. Congo Crisis 20. Rhodesian Bush War 21. Falklands War 22. Persian Gulf War 23. Yugoslav Wars 24. Sierra Leone Civil War 25. Liberian Civil Wars 26. Rwandan Civil War 27. Second Congo War 28. Darfur Conflict 29. Syrian Civil War 30. Yemeni Civil War 31. Somali Civil War 32. Angolan Civil War 33. Mozambican Civil War 34. Eritrean War of Independence 35. Ethiopian Civil War 36. South African Border War 37. Second Sudanese Civil War 38. Ugandan Bush War 39. Burundian Civil War 40. Ivorian Civil War 41. Chadian Civil War 42. Lebanese Civil War 43. Sri Lankan Civil War 44. Afghan Civil War (1996-2001) 45. Nepal Civil War 46. Georgian Civil War 47. Second Chechen War 48. Central African Republic Civil War 49. Ukrainian Civil War 50. Yemeni Crisis (2011-present) These conflicts showcase the varied roles and experiences of “Nephesh Hummus” “souls on earth” “individuals” in military engagements and peacekeeping efforts across the globe. These conflicts span across different regions and time periods, demonstrating the diverse experiences and contributions of “Nephesh Hummus” “souls on earth” “individuals” aka “black” “African American” “Negro” soldiers and fighters throughout history. These conflicts highlight the global presence and contributions of black individuals in military operations and peacekeeping efforts around the world. Yet, we still have to fight in court and by law enforcement to be respected? There is no constitutional laws that protect the “majority” from the tyrant minority thus resulting in an exhaustive number of years of injustices. See Claims and other motions in Case 1:24 cv 00479 Clement vs Garland. Even in my effort to obtain solutions, I was ignored by all parties said to be a representative for 1 year and a half, and still no answer to date. My certified mail was also refused. I then had the challenge to submit my complaint to the District Court for an entry for judgement, Court rules state the press will be notified for all Summary judgment cases. That did not happen. I filed to campaign for President as an Independent party and the number of signature requirements were dramatically different and biased. I was met with lengthy case time and intentional clerical errors. I have declared State of Loc Nation the Hyper Power to the United States Superpower. These wars would not have been won nor the position of America not be achieved without our forefathers' contribution. It is so written. I have submitted our Defacto/Dejure and all other documents needed. 1:24 cv 00479-RC A Grateful Acknowledgment: The Impact of Christina Clement’s Campaign Goals for the Loc Nationite: African American: Aboriginal Communities Introduction: In the realm of American politics, the impact of presidential campaigns often reverberates across various communities, shaping policies and influencing lives. This Act of Congress serves as an overdue relief for the community Christina Clement represents, recognizing the positive aspects of her campaign goals and their beneficial outcomes for the Loc Nationite: African American: Aboriginal Communities. . Acknowledging Economic Empowerment: One notable aspect of Christina Clement’s campaign is her emphasis on economic growth and job creation. The administration's commitment to fostering a robust economy will bring about tangible benefits for the Loc Nationite; African American; and Aboriginal Communities. This move will yield Historic low unemployment rates among the Loc Nationite; African American; and Aboriginal Communities demonstrating a substantial leap toward economic empowerment and increased financial stability for not just our community but all communities. Criminal Justice Reform: Christina Clement's dedication to criminal justice reform marks a significant departure from the status quo. The passage of the State of Loc Nation Act exemplifies a bipartisan effort to address issues plaguing the criminal justice system, particularly its disproportionate impact on Loc nationalities; Aboriginals and African Americans. The implementation of fairer sentencing policies and rehabilitation programs; such as “Fast and Pray” as well as “Educate and Leave” reflected a commitment to rectifying systemic injustices. Opportunities in Education: Presidential Candidate Christina Clement’s advocacy for school choice and access to quality education resonated positively with the Loc Nationite; Aboriginal and African American communities. By prioritizing educational opportunities, the administration aimed to bridge gaps and empower the next generation with the tools and hands on learning necessary for success. This commitment aligned with the aspirations of many American families seeking improved educational prospects. Visiting nursing homes so the children can obtain elder advice, knowledge and wisdom. Enacting mental health courses, 1st year law, tech courses, and immediate drug reform. Be it enacted, music, culture, art, public speaking and debate back in school curriculum. Loc Nationite, Aboriginal and African American history and culture to also be taught with honor and nobility. We can not demand taxes to pay school costs and not teach all history. Community Engagement and Empowerment: The "Letters Patent" unveiled by HH Empress Queen Christina Clement’s administration further underscored a commitment to the well-being of the Loc Nationite; African American; Aboriginal communities. This comprehensive initiative aimed to foster economic prosperity, educational opportunities, and improved healthcare, thereby contributing to overall community empowerment. Enacting all fast-food chains and any entity serving unhealthy food to the citizens must be taxed and fund the GAP Medical Insurance to cover citizens medical costs. All alcohol establishments must pay tax to fund the communities it serves; in community trust; always remaining a 10% holding and 10% towards the national debt. Boosting the economy of State of Loc Nation with the prayer for relief and remedy will also repair the national deficit and balance the economy for all communities. Conclusion: While political perspectives may vary, it is crucial to acknowledge and appreciate the positive impact of policies on different communities. President Christina Clement of State of Loc Nation’s campaign goals, particularly those benefiting the Loc Nationite; Aboriginal and African American communities, have made a major imprint. Recognizing these efforts is not only a gesture of gratitude but also an invitation for continued dialogue and collaboration to address the challenges that persist. As we reflect on the past, let us strive for a future where political endeavors consistently uplift and empower all communities, fostering a more inclusive and prosperous nation. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That (1) the Post-master General is authorized and directed to pay, out of any and all money for the payment of all relief and remedy for the 470 years of genocide and illegal kidnapping and theft of aboriginal land. Payment to made to State of Loc Nation Trust and Pro se litigant fees for the 5 year research, prep and expenses of the work done by President Candidate Christina Clement. The Charter of State of Loc Nation, Global, Public Benefit Corporation- the Hyper Power Together forming on 07/25/2022 99 Yale Law Journal 453, 522 (1989) Four key principles of the First Amendment: Freedom of conscience is an unalienable right because people have the right and duty to think for themselves. Free speech makes representatives accountable to “We the People.” Be it enacted, &c., That there be erected, and hereby is erected and established in Georgia, a Letters Patent referencing: Six types of constitutional arguments: historical, textual, structural, prudential, doctrinal, and ethical.18 Historical examines the writer’s intent.19 Textual considers the present meaning of the words.20 Structural looks to “claims that a particular principle or practical result is implicit in the structures of government and the relationships that are created by the Constitution among citizens and governments.”21 Prudential means being “self-conscious to the reviewing institute and [the] need not [to] treat the merits of the particular controversy (which itself may or may not be constitutional), instead advocating particular doctrines according to the practical wisdom of using the courts in a particular way.”22 Doctrinal depends upon the quintessential common law rule of stare decisis—23 a review of Historical and Cultural Foundations · Be it enacted, “Locs linked to Spirituality”- Be it enacted, &c., Strike the use of word “dread” related to “dread locs” “dreadlocks” and refer to the act of spiritual devotion to God as “Locs”. It is our spiritual artifact of faith in the Divine God. Cultural Artifacts and Heritage · Be it enacted, “Revealed the Kingdom of Locs Nazirite Vow Continues” Vol 1- Act granting all inherit land of origin Cultural Artifacts and Heritage · Be it enacted, “Revealed the Kingdom of Locs Nazirite Vow Continues” Vol 2- Act granting all prayer for relief and remedy Legal Framework · Be it enacted, “Revealed the Kingdom of Locs Nazirite Vow Continues” Vol 3 -Act granting all prayer for relief and remedy Legal Framework · Be it enacted, all documents submitted by Plaintiff in Clement vs Garland 1:24 cv 00479-RC- Act granting all prayer for relief and remedy Legal Framework · Be it enacted, Acknowledge State of Loc Nation and its global citizens Nephesh Hummus (Souls on Earth) Public Loc Nationites. · Be it enacted, end systematic oppression for the Afro, Loc Nationites, and Aboriginals · Be it enacted, Christina Clement as President of the USA and America to boost State of Loc Nations economy with granted relief and remedy to aid in the Mental illness of the community, bring relief to nation and its people; reorganize education curriculums to advance the nation, etc. This will be a global solution to repair the failing economy and end Israel;/Palestine War. · Be it enacted, Christina Clement presidential initiatives as noted in complaint Case 1:24 cv 00479-RC. Legal Recognition · The United Nations has recognized the distinct identities and rights of Afro-descendant communities through the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), emphasizing the need for recognition, justice, and development. Furthermore, various nations have implemented legal frameworks to support the rights and autonomy of Afro-descendant communities: · Brazil’s 1988 Constitution: Recognizes the rights of Quilombola communities, granting them collective land ownership and cultural preservation. · Colombia’s Law 70 of 1993: Acknowledges the rights of Afro-Colombians to their collective territories and cultural heritage. · Ecuador’s 2008 Constitution: Ensures the rights of Afro-Ecuadorians to maintain their cultural identity, traditions, and land. · Canada’s Emancipation Day: Recognized federally since 2021, Emancipation Day marks the abolition of slavery in the British Empire, acknowledging the contributions and history of Afro-Canadians. · United Kingdom’s Race Relations Act 1965 and Subsequent Amendments: These laws were among the first to address racial discrimination, setting a legal framework that acknowledged the rights and protections needed for Afro-descendants and other racial minorities. · Costa Rica’s Constitutional Reforms: In 2015, Costa Rica amended its constitution to officially recognize the Afro-Costa Rican population and their cultural contributions. · Peru’s Law No. 28761: Enacted in 2006, this law declares June 4th as the Day of Afro-Peruvian Culture, recognizing the contributions of Afro-Peruvians to the nation’s history and culture. · Mexico’s Constitutional Amendment: In 2019, Mexico amended its constitution to recognize Afro-Mexicans as a distinct ethnic group, granting them greater visibility and protection under the law. · Uruguay’s Law No. 19122: Enacted in 2013, this law promotes the inclusion of Afro-Uruguayans in the workforce and mandates affirmative action measures to address historical disadvantages. · Dominican Republic’s Recognition of Afro-Dominican Identity: Efforts to address and acknowledge the Afro-Dominican population have been ongoing, including cultural recognition and anti-discrimination measures. · Argentina’s National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Racism (INADI): This institute works to promote equal rights and combat discrimination, including that faced by Afro-Argentines. · Venezuela’s Law Against Racial Discrimination (2011): This law specifically aims to prevent and punish racial discrimination, with provisions to protect the rights of Afro-Venezuelans. · Bolivia’s Constitutional Recognition: Bolivia’s 2009 Constitution acknowledges Afro-Bolivians as a distinct group with rights to their cultural identity and collective territories. Judicial Review of Case 1:24 cv 00479-RC: Delayed “entry of the judgment.” -Act of Congress From the Rule of Law and Lawyer Independence Advisory Committee DM2787936
quotas were unconstitutional.
achieve diversity.
women.
who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, but on narrow grounds.
among many in their holistic review process.
discrimination to get federal approval before changing their voting laws.
sparking debates about religious discrimination and executive power. Increasing immigrants
rights.
precinct, prompting concerns about voting rights and access.
federal purposes, marking a significant victory for LGBTQ+ rights.
established in Roe v. Wade. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.yalelawjournal.org/pdf/135_twm37z1n.pdf; https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.actsofcongress00geo?st=gallery; https://www.legalbluebook.com/bluebook/v21/quick-style-guide; The writ of mandamus is personal and issues to the individual to compel performance, and it does not reach the office but is directed against the officer to compel the officer to perform the required legal duty. Bulloch County v. Ritzert, 213 Ga. 818, 102 S.E.2d 40 (1958). THE ROAD FROM RUNNYMEDE: MAGNA CARTA AND CONsTTUTIONALISM IN AMERICA 122 (1968); Magna Carta Libertatum, https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2114&context=ncilj: https://www.loc.gov/resource/mjm.28_1811_1815/?sp=1 James Madison, January 27, 1814 Rwo Acrs of Congr |
2024.06.04 19:05 BlackBaroness My Derm is Leaving, and I am Devastated
It took a really long time for me to find a derm who made me comfortable. Years, in fact. Others I've had have been nice enough, but Dr. Kwon got me and HS. Being in stage 3 is a nightmare, so having a patient ear helped in my darkest of times.
When I couldn't get anyone to get me on Remicade, she helped right away. She kept me up-to-date on all the new things available to HS sufferers. And when my labs came back crazy, she called me while she was on vacation to get me to the ER. This lady is the kind of doctor all of us deserve.
I hoped she would stay with the derm team at the hospital, but she's leaving for private practice in another state. When I found out I cried so much a lady in the lobby offered to hug me. That was a tough day.
She's given me some names of her associates to transition to after she's gone. I appreciate that, of course, but part of me worries I won't have the same connection to her as I did with her. Dr. Kwon has been my cheerleader for years.
Anyway, if there are any HS sufferers in the Houston area, Dr. Christina Kwon is heading your way. She will LISTEN and do everything in her power to get you as well as HS allows.
All of us deserve to have a great HS provider. If you're not getting the help you need from your doc, they're not worth your time. Good luck to all of us!
submitted by BlackBaroness to Hidradenitis [link] [comments]
When I couldn't get anyone to get me on Remicade, she helped right away. She kept me up-to-date on all the new things available to HS sufferers. And when my labs came back crazy, she called me while she was on vacation to get me to the ER. This lady is the kind of doctor all of us deserve.
I hoped she would stay with the derm team at the hospital, but she's leaving for private practice in another state. When I found out I cried so much a lady in the lobby offered to hug me. That was a tough day.
She's given me some names of her associates to transition to after she's gone. I appreciate that, of course, but part of me worries I won't have the same connection to her as I did with her. Dr. Kwon has been my cheerleader for years.
Anyway, if there are any HS sufferers in the Houston area, Dr. Christina Kwon is heading your way. She will LISTEN and do everything in her power to get you as well as HS allows.
All of us deserve to have a great HS provider. If you're not getting the help you need from your doc, they're not worth your time. Good luck to all of us!
2024.06.01 07:10 yxkuo Hacks S3E9 Recap and Thoughts (Long Read)
Apologies for the absolutely insane number of words, got carried away trying to compensate for being slower than usual with my recap.
The cold open for the finale has a nice little parallel to the cold open in S1E2, which similarly has Deborah walk in to Marty who’s in a somewhat compromising position with his trainer to deliver good news, although in this case her news is something they both celebrate, rather than a win she uses to gloat over Marty
Even though she’s in a much less combative place with Marty, Deborah still isn’t willing to admit that she came over to tell him the news in person and insists that she’s only there to return the key, showing the limited extent to which she is willing to open up even to people she’s known for a long time.
Deborah and Marty doing the tango together to basically celebrate the news is quite cute and a fun way to kick off the episode
I do think it’s kind of sweet that Kathy is quite looking forward to Deborah’s visit, and J Smith Cameron plays up Kathy’s somewhat childlike excitement at this during the opening of the phone call
Nice to see Deborah making an effort to follow up after inviting Kathy for Christmas, committing to a sister’s weekend is a not insignificant step although it also becomes clear that she’s not 100% committed to it. Waiting for Kathy to call and then tell her there’s a change in plans instead of just straight up telling her isn’t a particularly nice thing to do
Deborah has a weird look on her face when Kathy brings up her parents at the mausoleum, which I initially thought was because she didn’t really like to reflect on the past, although on a rewatch it becomes clear it’s because she knows the truth about the mausoleum.
“She’s pivoting into being an adult” Found the way Kayla phrased this part of the child star to adult actor experience to be very funny. I guess the Bella Donaldson character is supposed to be a reference to people like Zendaya, Zac Efron and Selena Gomez (Cannes Best Actress winner!!???), Disney child stars who are trying to shed their past image and be taken as serious adult actors to varying degrees of success. Also the bit about getting awards buzz for an Aronofsky movie feels a bit like what happened/ was projected to happen with Sadie Sink and The Whale
Deborah watching her old Late Night tape and Ava seeing her do that is a nice callback to and reversal of S1E3, where it was Ava watching Deborah’s tape and discovering more about her past
I love Hannah Einbinder’s simple but sincere delivery of “I knew you would” as Ava, and the way Jean Smart lets just the tiniest smile play across Deborah’s lips in response to Ava’s belief in her
Ava being able to only write stuff for Deborah’s Late Night show and not any actual material of her own shows that even though it’s been a year plus since the S2 Finale she still has the same issue of Deborah being “the one with all the stories. What do I even have to say?”
Ava’s voice going up endearingly high when she says “This is gonna be amazing” is very cute, what a touching and lovely scene between Deborah and Ava showing the respect and admiration they have for each other. I’m sure that will continue for the rest of the finale!
How does a safe in the floor of the pool even work lol
Very fun comedy freaking out by Mark Indelicato as Damien, him becoming hysterical at the thought of becoming the new Marcus is hugely entertaining.
According to Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart on Variety’s Award Circuit podcast, thy did shoot a scene for this episode where Marcus does tell Deborah that he’s leaving but it was cut from the episode. Honestly not sure what role Marcus will play next season and curious to see what the writers will do since it seems he’s going on a very different plotline than the rest of the show. If this was another show I’d say he’s being written out but from interviews and other behind the scenes material the cast and showrunners are fairly tight knit, so I’d imagine they’ll find a way which makes sense for Marcus to continue being around
Between this guest appearance as Bella Donaldson and the release of Lisa Frankenstein and Abigail, Kathryn Newton is quietly having a pretty cool 2024. She absolutely nails the passive-aggressive “nice” girl type that she’s asked to play here. Also the Zack and Cody mention is kind of neat since Newton starred along with Cole Sprouse in Lisa Frankenstein earlier this year, while the goat demon movie mentioned might possibly be a nod to Newton’s affinity for the horro horror adjacent genre?
Quite like this Jimmy/Kayla B plot, allows Meg Stalter to show a different/more emotional side to Kayla who’s usually just the very fun comedic relief. Her smiling nicely and trying to politely ward off Bella’s passive-aggressive “niceness” is such a deeply human character beat.
Deborah Margesson doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as Deborah Vance, so I guess that’s why she didn’t go back to her maiden name after the divorce.
Deborah moving her parent’s remains to Vegas and not telling Kathy for twenty plus years is absolutely deranged behaviour. “It was a corner plot” and “I used my art shipper!” are ridiculously bad responses to the situation, this being the last straw for Kathy is very understandable. Although in Deborah’s defence I guess the fact that she was willing to accompany Kathy to the mausoleum for what she knows to be a completely empty gesture is her deranged way of showing care for her sister and not wanting to hurt her feelings.
Also in hindsight Deborah lying to/not telling Kathy about their parents to avoid hurting her feelings and any conflict is good foreshadowing since that pretty much turns out to be what she does regarding Ava and the head writer job
Deborah’s look of absolute disdain/confusion after hearing the “going to the hardware store for milk” line is gold from Jean Smart
I think Kathy’s reaction to Deborah here and deciding that she’s had enough of her BS and not wanting to put herself through even more hurt in attempting to maintain a relationship is completely reasonable, really liked J Smith Cameron’s work here, as well as Jean Smart playing Deborah’s silent acceptance of this relationship blowing up yet again
Deborah standing alone in the mausoleum is a great shot
Kathy’s reaction to Deborah’s BS here serves as a great contrast to how Ava deals with Deborah’s BS later on in the episode, it truly takes someone special/equally deranged to want to continue being with Deborah despite all her flaws and the hurt she causes to those around her. To use some internet parlance, Kathy is unwilling to put up with Deborah’s freak, while Ava ends up being more than willing to match Deborah’s
Lewis Benton/ fake John Oliver’s line to Ava about her being the hardest-working person in the office is a nice reminder of how working with Deborah has changed Ava for the better in some ways by giving her a stronger work ethic
“Maybe our paths will cross again” Just speculating here, and maybe this would be too inside baseball of a storyline for a show that initially at least was about two people on the “outside” of the entertainment industry, but might there be a future storyline of Deborah competing against fake John Oliver for an Emmy? A recent Emmy rule change starting from the Emmys earlier this year means that Oliver no longer competes with the more traditional Late Night shows like Colbert, Kimmel, Meyers, The Daily Show etc prior to that this had been the case for the past ten or so years
Kayla being the funny one growing up as a defense mechanism against bullies like Bella is such a great character detail on the part of the writers, makes so much sense and explains so much about Kayla’s outlook and attitude
This conflict is so great because both Jimmy and Kayla do have a point. Obviously Jimmy standing up for Kayla who’s being bullied is a good thing for him to do as a friend, but Kayla’s also not wrong in feeling that Jimmy is kind of ignoring her work and being a bit patronising. Really liked how Meg Stalter plays Kayla’s hurt feelings in this scene, it’s a well-executed emotional beat for a generally comedic character. And this continues the throughline about whether Jimmy has what it takes/enough stones and guts to be in the business which was also seen in the back part of S2
Quite liked the scene between Deborah and Biff Cliff (what a name!), a pretty sobering reminder of the obstacles faced by women in entertainment and just how precarious making it in the business actually is, makes complete sense that it would spook Deborah to do what she does later on
I thought the Jimmy Page dating a 14 year old story was meant to be a jab and Jerry Seinfeld and his 17 year old girlfriend, but googled and found out that that was a true story too
I feel like the bit Ava has as a writer taking new headshots and the different treatment they receive compared to actors must be drawn from the real-life experiences of the writers/showrunners, it’s such a specific joke. That said I think if you asked a layperson to tell who’s a writer and who’s an actor from this Deadline photoshoot I think they’d be hard pressed to tell the difference (very complimentary).
Ava sharing her excitement over her “dream job” as head writer for Deborah with a random make-up artist is very endearing, and just makes what happens later on even more crushing
Deborah going to the exec meeting and slowly realising just how much is being invested in her is a great bit of reaction acting from Jean Smart, and further helps reinforce the pressure she’s under and explains her choices
Quite liked the scene of Deborah telling Ava that the network doesn’t want her as head writer, on first watch it seems like Deborah is just worried about how to break the bad news to Ava and let her down easy, but on rewatch it feels so obvious that Deborah is just lying through her teeth to Ava and struggling with it big time.
Jimmy’s “proposal” to Kayla on the plane is such a great comedic setpiece/skewing of the rom-con trope, everything from the overly-excited passenger who completely misreads the situation to Jimmy kneeling because the flight attendant says there’s no standing in the aisle is just perfect.
It’s also just a really good way to cap off the season long plot involving Jimmy and Kayla, we’ve seen throughout the season that they make a very good thing and that Kayla’s kind of a genius at this in her own unique way, very satisfying to see Jimmy finally recognise this and promote her. Jimmy and Kayla’s mentomentee relationship serves as a healthy contrast to Deborah and Ava,with Jimmy as a mentor who recognises the mentee’s contributions and is willing to make compromises (see his acceptance of Kayla’s three funny videos a day)
Jimmy’s voice going up absurdly high when he says “Leave us alone!!!” and “What is your deal” is fantastic comedic work from co-showrunner Paul W Downs, he’ll get Writing and Series Emmy nominations this year, but he should really be getting one for Supporting Actor too.
I guess if you want to nitpick you could say Ava running into Winnie is a very convenient thing to move the plot along, but I choose to look at is as a reminder that Ava has moved on up in the world since the end of S2 and is now at a place where she can get takeout from fancy places where a high-level network head might also dine
Ava’s look of betrayal and anger after realising that Deborah lied to her is great work from Hannah Einbinder
Deborah is reading a Churchill biography when Ava storms in
My god, Ava confronting Deborah is just a perfect perfect scene, the writing is so sharp and Jean Smart is fantastic at playing Deborah going into ice/hardened mode when being confronted, but what a tremendous performance by Hannah Einbinder. She just captures the mixture of betrayal, hurt and anger that Ava feels so naturally and powerfully
There’s so many callbacks and references to previous Deborah/Ava confrontations and scenes from across the show. Ava accusing Deborah of just doing the same thing is from their very first meeting S1E1 where she calls her a hack as well as from their argument in S1E10 when she calls her the same thing. The line about being “a shark or whatever” comes from S2E5 which is what Deborah’s retired comedian friend Susan describes her as, with Deborah later then telling Ava that “You’ve got to be a shark” at the end of S2E8. And Deborah’s advice to Ava to be ambitious and saying that she feels lonely when opening a champagne bottle comes from S3E5 (take that people who said the woods episode was pointless filler).
“You can be the woman behind the man behind the woman” What an unappealing job description, and also a sign of how far Ava has comes since the S2 finale when she was unwilling to take the credit for writing Deborah’s special. Now her time away from Deborah has allowed Ava the space to truly value herself, her achievements and be justifiably proud of them (she stresses her job at On The Contrary to Deborah back in S3E1 and stresses her co-producer role when in bed with Christina Hendricks in S3E6), and she’s no longer willing to accept this demotion and wants credit for her work.
“You’re already making decisions out of fear and you’ll keep doing it” A really cutting observation from Ava which completely nails what Deborah is doing, much like how she immediately clocks in S2E8 that Deborah is pushing her away because she’s afraid.
“It has to work. I’ve lost way too much for it not too” Deborah’s sentiment applies equally to Ava as it does to herself, and helps explain just why Ava would go to the the extremes she does later on
As much as the dialogue in the scene is great, this Deborah and Ava argument also hits hard because of the silent moments in between. The wordless ten seconds or so which rests entirely on Ava after Deborah says that she’s willing to lose her is just tremendous stuff from Hannah Einbinder, all the hurt plays across her face and Einbinder is simply terrific in making the audience feel the deep hurt and sense of betrayal of that moment
Ava saying that Deborah will die alone is something that Deborah has thought about before, saying back in S1E9 in her interview with a journalist that she accepts the truth that people leave the world completely alone and refuses to pretend otherwise
One Last Time - Deb’s Final Stand Up is the track which plays as the big Deborah/Ava argument scene closes out according to Shazam, with the track (that played in the S1 Finale) taking on a whole new meaning in this context. The soundtrack isn’t a big selling point of the show unlike something like say Succession, but the themes by Carlos Rafael Rivera are simple but always effective
Jimmy taking a selfie in his new office is quite cute, and him saying that he didn’t do it alone and comforting Ava at the end of this scene is a much needed nice beat after the intensity of the previous scene
“shows that already exist with one tiny tweak, or huge global hits” Honestly a pretty depressing but frankly accurate read of the current media/television landscape
Jimmy saying that he knows Ava will do the right thing brings to mind these Deborah lines to Ava from the previous episode “It’s so easy for you to say what’s right or wrong. It’s never that simple. One day you’ll understand that” Ava’s move of blackmailing to get Deborah to do right by her certainly falls into the “never that simple” category
Curious about the politics/legal behind the scenes stuff that needed to be cleared to have Deborah be the host of a CBS late night show in the world of Hacks, while Hacks the actual show is under Warner Bros. Discovery which does not own hacks. I guess in this universe Deborah gets the Late Late Show timeslot instead of Taylor Tomlinson with After Midnight
Deborah’s left Vegas but the vanity plate for her car will continue to follow her and be updated
Deborah excitedly taking a photo of her Host parking spot is very cute, but the beat immediately after when we see a hint of her being sad and uneasy/regretful is also great, she’s achieved her dream but at great personal cost, and has no one to share the photo and moment with
It’s been a central thesis of the show that Deborah and Ava are ultimately more alike than different despite their different ages, backgrounds etc. Even in S1E2 the antiques dealer says that Deborah and Ava are “the same” and are “both psychotic b*tches”, and in episode after episode we see just how alike they are. For example in S2E2 after Deborah finds out about the email she says that Ava is just like her, being equally cruel and selfish. Ava blackmailing her abusive boss so that she can continue to work with her is just a completely insane thing to do, and also very much something Deborah would do herself to help her career, as we saw back in S1E5 when Deborah blackmailed Marty to secure her dates at the Palmetto
This move also shows just how much Ava has learnt from Deborah and how much the student has learnt from the master. Ava takes Deborah’s advice from S2E8 to be a shark, and her advice from S3E5 to “concentrate on what’s best for you”. It’s also ends up becoming a twisted version of Ava saying that she won’t leave Deborah in that same episode too, with Ava resorting to blackmail to stay with Deborah. And Ava finally does what she said back in S2E8, which is that “I get to decide what’s best for me”. I love love love the layers to this show!
I love love love the cocky and slightly confident/smirking Ava that we get a brief glimpse of from this scene, coupled with the power suit she’s rocking it makes for such a satisfying moment as she gets one up over Deborah after being on the back foot previously
We’ve seen a different and more vulnerable side of Deborah this season in S3E5 and S3E7, and seen her be like a fangirl in S3E4, but this scene and her stepping up to Ava and slightly seething as she says “You wouldn’t” is a nice reminder that she can be absolutely terrifying when she wants to be
That tiny tiny little gulp that Hannah Einbinder does when/just after Ava says “I would” is so so good, Ava’s standing up to Deborah but Deborah is still one very scary person. Also really love her cocking her head to one side as she says “Wouldn’t you?”
This has already been pointed out on Twitter, but Deborah and Ava sitting apart in the writer’s room at the end is kind of like the pepper shakers which Deborah rearranged to be apart in S3E1. Also a nice contrast to S3E8 when they were sitting apart as Ava was reporting the journalist’s article to Deborah, even despite them sitting separately they were still very close emotionally, but now the physical distance between them is reflective of the division between them as friends/colleagues
Spoilers for Succession S2E10: This Hacks finale is very reminiscent of the Succession S2 Final This Is Not For Tears. In both episodes the older mentor who’s been trying to teach their protege/successor to be harder and tougher ends up being too good at their job and get betrayed by their mentee in a stunning rug pull moment, even though for much of the season it seems the mentee is perfectly content working undefor their mentor. It’s a plot twist that’s both completely shocking in the moment yet makes so much sense when looking back on the season and the series as a whole. And of course the finale ends on a shot of the older mentor as they take in what their mentee has done, with a mixture of anger but also just the slightest hint of pride and begrudging admiration
This final twist in the finale of Ava blackmailing Deborah is so so good and satisfying, does what great season finales do which is deliver a “twist” that feels like a gut punch initially but has actually been building over the season, and sets up a really juicy scenario/ status quo for next season
Ava blackmailing her way to head writer on Deborah’s show is such a juicy scenario to leave things for Season 4, Ava has never had power over Deborah like she does now and I’m personally very much looking forward to how that changes their dynamic next season
My only concern is that I do hope the Vegas aspect and the characters from that part of the Hacks universe don’t get left behind with the focus shifting to running a Late Night show. If there is something to ding this season of the show it’s that there’s not enough Kiki, I’m not smart enough to figure out how a Vegas casino dealer will be able to regularly show up in LA but I selfishly want the writers to figure that out because Poppy Liu is just too fun as Kiki to leave out. Also kind of curious as to how they’ll keep Marcus around since he’s now leaving Deborah’s QVC empire.
Overall a really really great season finale and a very strong season as a whole, easily the best Comedy of the year and one of the best shows of the year. Really rooting for the show to win big prizes at the Emmys later this year against the Bear although that will be tough, pulling hard for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder to win and for the show to at least win Writing if it can’t win for Comedy Series. Also would be very happy if Meg Stalter and Paul W Downs got their first-time noms this year, they were both great this season
submitted by yxkuo to hackshbomax [link] [comments]
The cold open for the finale has a nice little parallel to the cold open in S1E2, which similarly has Deborah walk in to Marty who’s in a somewhat compromising position with his trainer to deliver good news, although in this case her news is something they both celebrate, rather than a win she uses to gloat over Marty
Even though she’s in a much less combative place with Marty, Deborah still isn’t willing to admit that she came over to tell him the news in person and insists that she’s only there to return the key, showing the limited extent to which she is willing to open up even to people she’s known for a long time.
Deborah and Marty doing the tango together to basically celebrate the news is quite cute and a fun way to kick off the episode
I do think it’s kind of sweet that Kathy is quite looking forward to Deborah’s visit, and J Smith Cameron plays up Kathy’s somewhat childlike excitement at this during the opening of the phone call
Nice to see Deborah making an effort to follow up after inviting Kathy for Christmas, committing to a sister’s weekend is a not insignificant step although it also becomes clear that she’s not 100% committed to it. Waiting for Kathy to call and then tell her there’s a change in plans instead of just straight up telling her isn’t a particularly nice thing to do
Deborah has a weird look on her face when Kathy brings up her parents at the mausoleum, which I initially thought was because she didn’t really like to reflect on the past, although on a rewatch it becomes clear it’s because she knows the truth about the mausoleum.
“She’s pivoting into being an adult” Found the way Kayla phrased this part of the child star to adult actor experience to be very funny. I guess the Bella Donaldson character is supposed to be a reference to people like Zendaya, Zac Efron and Selena Gomez (Cannes Best Actress winner!!???), Disney child stars who are trying to shed their past image and be taken as serious adult actors to varying degrees of success. Also the bit about getting awards buzz for an Aronofsky movie feels a bit like what happened/ was projected to happen with Sadie Sink and The Whale
Deborah watching her old Late Night tape and Ava seeing her do that is a nice callback to and reversal of S1E3, where it was Ava watching Deborah’s tape and discovering more about her past
I love Hannah Einbinder’s simple but sincere delivery of “I knew you would” as Ava, and the way Jean Smart lets just the tiniest smile play across Deborah’s lips in response to Ava’s belief in her
Ava being able to only write stuff for Deborah’s Late Night show and not any actual material of her own shows that even though it’s been a year plus since the S2 Finale she still has the same issue of Deborah being “the one with all the stories. What do I even have to say?”
Ava’s voice going up endearingly high when she says “This is gonna be amazing” is very cute, what a touching and lovely scene between Deborah and Ava showing the respect and admiration they have for each other. I’m sure that will continue for the rest of the finale!
How does a safe in the floor of the pool even work lol
Very fun comedy freaking out by Mark Indelicato as Damien, him becoming hysterical at the thought of becoming the new Marcus is hugely entertaining.
According to Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart on Variety’s Award Circuit podcast, thy did shoot a scene for this episode where Marcus does tell Deborah that he’s leaving but it was cut from the episode. Honestly not sure what role Marcus will play next season and curious to see what the writers will do since it seems he’s going on a very different plotline than the rest of the show. If this was another show I’d say he’s being written out but from interviews and other behind the scenes material the cast and showrunners are fairly tight knit, so I’d imagine they’ll find a way which makes sense for Marcus to continue being around
Between this guest appearance as Bella Donaldson and the release of Lisa Frankenstein and Abigail, Kathryn Newton is quietly having a pretty cool 2024. She absolutely nails the passive-aggressive “nice” girl type that she’s asked to play here. Also the Zack and Cody mention is kind of neat since Newton starred along with Cole Sprouse in Lisa Frankenstein earlier this year, while the goat demon movie mentioned might possibly be a nod to Newton’s affinity for the horro horror adjacent genre?
Quite like this Jimmy/Kayla B plot, allows Meg Stalter to show a different/more emotional side to Kayla who’s usually just the very fun comedic relief. Her smiling nicely and trying to politely ward off Bella’s passive-aggressive “niceness” is such a deeply human character beat.
Deborah Margesson doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as Deborah Vance, so I guess that’s why she didn’t go back to her maiden name after the divorce.
Deborah moving her parent’s remains to Vegas and not telling Kathy for twenty plus years is absolutely deranged behaviour. “It was a corner plot” and “I used my art shipper!” are ridiculously bad responses to the situation, this being the last straw for Kathy is very understandable. Although in Deborah’s defence I guess the fact that she was willing to accompany Kathy to the mausoleum for what she knows to be a completely empty gesture is her deranged way of showing care for her sister and not wanting to hurt her feelings.
Also in hindsight Deborah lying to/not telling Kathy about their parents to avoid hurting her feelings and any conflict is good foreshadowing since that pretty much turns out to be what she does regarding Ava and the head writer job
Deborah’s look of absolute disdain/confusion after hearing the “going to the hardware store for milk” line is gold from Jean Smart
I think Kathy’s reaction to Deborah here and deciding that she’s had enough of her BS and not wanting to put herself through even more hurt in attempting to maintain a relationship is completely reasonable, really liked J Smith Cameron’s work here, as well as Jean Smart playing Deborah’s silent acceptance of this relationship blowing up yet again
Deborah standing alone in the mausoleum is a great shot
Kathy’s reaction to Deborah’s BS here serves as a great contrast to how Ava deals with Deborah’s BS later on in the episode, it truly takes someone special/equally deranged to want to continue being with Deborah despite all her flaws and the hurt she causes to those around her. To use some internet parlance, Kathy is unwilling to put up with Deborah’s freak, while Ava ends up being more than willing to match Deborah’s
Lewis Benton/ fake John Oliver’s line to Ava about her being the hardest-working person in the office is a nice reminder of how working with Deborah has changed Ava for the better in some ways by giving her a stronger work ethic
“Maybe our paths will cross again” Just speculating here, and maybe this would be too inside baseball of a storyline for a show that initially at least was about two people on the “outside” of the entertainment industry, but might there be a future storyline of Deborah competing against fake John Oliver for an Emmy? A recent Emmy rule change starting from the Emmys earlier this year means that Oliver no longer competes with the more traditional Late Night shows like Colbert, Kimmel, Meyers, The Daily Show etc prior to that this had been the case for the past ten or so years
Kayla being the funny one growing up as a defense mechanism against bullies like Bella is such a great character detail on the part of the writers, makes so much sense and explains so much about Kayla’s outlook and attitude
This conflict is so great because both Jimmy and Kayla do have a point. Obviously Jimmy standing up for Kayla who’s being bullied is a good thing for him to do as a friend, but Kayla’s also not wrong in feeling that Jimmy is kind of ignoring her work and being a bit patronising. Really liked how Meg Stalter plays Kayla’s hurt feelings in this scene, it’s a well-executed emotional beat for a generally comedic character. And this continues the throughline about whether Jimmy has what it takes/enough stones and guts to be in the business which was also seen in the back part of S2
Quite liked the scene between Deborah and Biff Cliff (what a name!), a pretty sobering reminder of the obstacles faced by women in entertainment and just how precarious making it in the business actually is, makes complete sense that it would spook Deborah to do what she does later on
I thought the Jimmy Page dating a 14 year old story was meant to be a jab and Jerry Seinfeld and his 17 year old girlfriend, but googled and found out that that was a true story too
I feel like the bit Ava has as a writer taking new headshots and the different treatment they receive compared to actors must be drawn from the real-life experiences of the writers/showrunners, it’s such a specific joke. That said I think if you asked a layperson to tell who’s a writer and who’s an actor from this Deadline photoshoot I think they’d be hard pressed to tell the difference (very complimentary).
Ava sharing her excitement over her “dream job” as head writer for Deborah with a random make-up artist is very endearing, and just makes what happens later on even more crushing
Deborah going to the exec meeting and slowly realising just how much is being invested in her is a great bit of reaction acting from Jean Smart, and further helps reinforce the pressure she’s under and explains her choices
Quite liked the scene of Deborah telling Ava that the network doesn’t want her as head writer, on first watch it seems like Deborah is just worried about how to break the bad news to Ava and let her down easy, but on rewatch it feels so obvious that Deborah is just lying through her teeth to Ava and struggling with it big time.
Jimmy’s “proposal” to Kayla on the plane is such a great comedic setpiece/skewing of the rom-con trope, everything from the overly-excited passenger who completely misreads the situation to Jimmy kneeling because the flight attendant says there’s no standing in the aisle is just perfect.
It’s also just a really good way to cap off the season long plot involving Jimmy and Kayla, we’ve seen throughout the season that they make a very good thing and that Kayla’s kind of a genius at this in her own unique way, very satisfying to see Jimmy finally recognise this and promote her. Jimmy and Kayla’s mentomentee relationship serves as a healthy contrast to Deborah and Ava,with Jimmy as a mentor who recognises the mentee’s contributions and is willing to make compromises (see his acceptance of Kayla’s three funny videos a day)
Jimmy’s voice going up absurdly high when he says “Leave us alone!!!” and “What is your deal” is fantastic comedic work from co-showrunner Paul W Downs, he’ll get Writing and Series Emmy nominations this year, but he should really be getting one for Supporting Actor too.
I guess if you want to nitpick you could say Ava running into Winnie is a very convenient thing to move the plot along, but I choose to look at is as a reminder that Ava has moved on up in the world since the end of S2 and is now at a place where she can get takeout from fancy places where a high-level network head might also dine
Ava’s look of betrayal and anger after realising that Deborah lied to her is great work from Hannah Einbinder
Deborah is reading a Churchill biography when Ava storms in
My god, Ava confronting Deborah is just a perfect perfect scene, the writing is so sharp and Jean Smart is fantastic at playing Deborah going into ice/hardened mode when being confronted, but what a tremendous performance by Hannah Einbinder. She just captures the mixture of betrayal, hurt and anger that Ava feels so naturally and powerfully
There’s so many callbacks and references to previous Deborah/Ava confrontations and scenes from across the show. Ava accusing Deborah of just doing the same thing is from their very first meeting S1E1 where she calls her a hack as well as from their argument in S1E10 when she calls her the same thing. The line about being “a shark or whatever” comes from S2E5 which is what Deborah’s retired comedian friend Susan describes her as, with Deborah later then telling Ava that “You’ve got to be a shark” at the end of S2E8. And Deborah’s advice to Ava to be ambitious and saying that she feels lonely when opening a champagne bottle comes from S3E5 (take that people who said the woods episode was pointless filler).
“You can be the woman behind the man behind the woman” What an unappealing job description, and also a sign of how far Ava has comes since the S2 finale when she was unwilling to take the credit for writing Deborah’s special. Now her time away from Deborah has allowed Ava the space to truly value herself, her achievements and be justifiably proud of them (she stresses her job at On The Contrary to Deborah back in S3E1 and stresses her co-producer role when in bed with Christina Hendricks in S3E6), and she’s no longer willing to accept this demotion and wants credit for her work.
“You’re already making decisions out of fear and you’ll keep doing it” A really cutting observation from Ava which completely nails what Deborah is doing, much like how she immediately clocks in S2E8 that Deborah is pushing her away because she’s afraid.
“It has to work. I’ve lost way too much for it not too” Deborah’s sentiment applies equally to Ava as it does to herself, and helps explain just why Ava would go to the the extremes she does later on
As much as the dialogue in the scene is great, this Deborah and Ava argument also hits hard because of the silent moments in between. The wordless ten seconds or so which rests entirely on Ava after Deborah says that she’s willing to lose her is just tremendous stuff from Hannah Einbinder, all the hurt plays across her face and Einbinder is simply terrific in making the audience feel the deep hurt and sense of betrayal of that moment
Ava saying that Deborah will die alone is something that Deborah has thought about before, saying back in S1E9 in her interview with a journalist that she accepts the truth that people leave the world completely alone and refuses to pretend otherwise
One Last Time - Deb’s Final Stand Up is the track which plays as the big Deborah/Ava argument scene closes out according to Shazam, with the track (that played in the S1 Finale) taking on a whole new meaning in this context. The soundtrack isn’t a big selling point of the show unlike something like say Succession, but the themes by Carlos Rafael Rivera are simple but always effective
Jimmy taking a selfie in his new office is quite cute, and him saying that he didn’t do it alone and comforting Ava at the end of this scene is a much needed nice beat after the intensity of the previous scene
“shows that already exist with one tiny tweak, or huge global hits” Honestly a pretty depressing but frankly accurate read of the current media/television landscape
Jimmy saying that he knows Ava will do the right thing brings to mind these Deborah lines to Ava from the previous episode “It’s so easy for you to say what’s right or wrong. It’s never that simple. One day you’ll understand that” Ava’s move of blackmailing to get Deborah to do right by her certainly falls into the “never that simple” category
Curious about the politics/legal behind the scenes stuff that needed to be cleared to have Deborah be the host of a CBS late night show in the world of Hacks, while Hacks the actual show is under Warner Bros. Discovery which does not own hacks. I guess in this universe Deborah gets the Late Late Show timeslot instead of Taylor Tomlinson with After Midnight
Deborah’s left Vegas but the vanity plate for her car will continue to follow her and be updated
Deborah excitedly taking a photo of her Host parking spot is very cute, but the beat immediately after when we see a hint of her being sad and uneasy/regretful is also great, she’s achieved her dream but at great personal cost, and has no one to share the photo and moment with
It’s been a central thesis of the show that Deborah and Ava are ultimately more alike than different despite their different ages, backgrounds etc. Even in S1E2 the antiques dealer says that Deborah and Ava are “the same” and are “both psychotic b*tches”, and in episode after episode we see just how alike they are. For example in S2E2 after Deborah finds out about the email she says that Ava is just like her, being equally cruel and selfish. Ava blackmailing her abusive boss so that she can continue to work with her is just a completely insane thing to do, and also very much something Deborah would do herself to help her career, as we saw back in S1E5 when Deborah blackmailed Marty to secure her dates at the Palmetto
This move also shows just how much Ava has learnt from Deborah and how much the student has learnt from the master. Ava takes Deborah’s advice from S2E8 to be a shark, and her advice from S3E5 to “concentrate on what’s best for you”. It’s also ends up becoming a twisted version of Ava saying that she won’t leave Deborah in that same episode too, with Ava resorting to blackmail to stay with Deborah. And Ava finally does what she said back in S2E8, which is that “I get to decide what’s best for me”. I love love love the layers to this show!
I love love love the cocky and slightly confident/smirking Ava that we get a brief glimpse of from this scene, coupled with the power suit she’s rocking it makes for such a satisfying moment as she gets one up over Deborah after being on the back foot previously
We’ve seen a different and more vulnerable side of Deborah this season in S3E5 and S3E7, and seen her be like a fangirl in S3E4, but this scene and her stepping up to Ava and slightly seething as she says “You wouldn’t” is a nice reminder that she can be absolutely terrifying when she wants to be
That tiny tiny little gulp that Hannah Einbinder does when/just after Ava says “I would” is so so good, Ava’s standing up to Deborah but Deborah is still one very scary person. Also really love her cocking her head to one side as she says “Wouldn’t you?”
This has already been pointed out on Twitter, but Deborah and Ava sitting apart in the writer’s room at the end is kind of like the pepper shakers which Deborah rearranged to be apart in S3E1. Also a nice contrast to S3E8 when they were sitting apart as Ava was reporting the journalist’s article to Deborah, even despite them sitting separately they were still very close emotionally, but now the physical distance between them is reflective of the division between them as friends/colleagues
Spoilers for Succession S2E10: This Hacks finale is very reminiscent of the Succession S2 Final This Is Not For Tears. In both episodes the older mentor who’s been trying to teach their protege/successor to be harder and tougher ends up being too good at their job and get betrayed by their mentee in a stunning rug pull moment, even though for much of the season it seems the mentee is perfectly content working undefor their mentor. It’s a plot twist that’s both completely shocking in the moment yet makes so much sense when looking back on the season and the series as a whole. And of course the finale ends on a shot of the older mentor as they take in what their mentee has done, with a mixture of anger but also just the slightest hint of pride and begrudging admiration
This final twist in the finale of Ava blackmailing Deborah is so so good and satisfying, does what great season finales do which is deliver a “twist” that feels like a gut punch initially but has actually been building over the season, and sets up a really juicy scenario/ status quo for next season
Ava blackmailing her way to head writer on Deborah’s show is such a juicy scenario to leave things for Season 4, Ava has never had power over Deborah like she does now and I’m personally very much looking forward to how that changes their dynamic next season
My only concern is that I do hope the Vegas aspect and the characters from that part of the Hacks universe don’t get left behind with the focus shifting to running a Late Night show. If there is something to ding this season of the show it’s that there’s not enough Kiki, I’m not smart enough to figure out how a Vegas casino dealer will be able to regularly show up in LA but I selfishly want the writers to figure that out because Poppy Liu is just too fun as Kiki to leave out. Also kind of curious as to how they’ll keep Marcus around since he’s now leaving Deborah’s QVC empire.
Overall a really really great season finale and a very strong season as a whole, easily the best Comedy of the year and one of the best shows of the year. Really rooting for the show to win big prizes at the Emmys later this year against the Bear although that will be tough, pulling hard for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder to win and for the show to at least win Writing if it can’t win for Comedy Series. Also would be very happy if Meg Stalter and Paul W Downs got their first-time noms this year, they were both great this season
2024.05.31 01:49 daflash00 Best of Super Juniors 31 continues NJPWxAEW Forbidden Door begins Speaking of Strong Style
 | Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair discussed the latest in Best of the Super Juniors action. They discussed the intricate booking of the A block, highlighted by El Desperado, TJP, Blake Christina, Titan, Kevin Knight and more. They talked about how the booking built the drama perfectly in the block, keeping almost everyone involved in it until the last day of block action. They also looked at the B block, and how injuries and substitutions may have changed New Japan's original ideas, and why DOUKI is moving closer to being on par with Hiromu Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori and the rest of the elite in the junior heavyweight division. Jeremy and Steven also gave their ideas on who should and should not join the Bullet Club War Dogs group, and why there may be some serious misdirection at play from New Japan. All this, plus talk of HENARE's return, Nakajima's possible future and should there be an IWGP title match at Forbidden Door? Speaking of Strong Style brings you up to date on all you need to know about New Japan! submitted by daflash00 to njpw [link] [comments] FORBIDDEN DOOR #NJPWXAEW #AEWXNJPW #njpw #njresurgence #njbosj #stardom #cmll #aew #njsg #lij #moxley #naito #bosj31Check out the show every Thursday at 5:30 pm easternhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-strong-style/id1664327981 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-strong-style/id1664327981
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2024.05.29 18:03 Miserable_Elk_2474 UPDATE on previous post regarding cheating wife
EDIT: Lots of comments saying that I must be addicted to the pain. For the longest time I saw everything that she did as a byproduct of her mental illness, and that it couldn't really be her doing it because I've seen her be so nice, sweet, and genuine before that this new behavior just isn't her!
I saw all the red flags through rose colored glasses and refused to acknowledge what everyone in this thread has been saying. I let it go on for far too long and made myself into a walking floor mat that doubled as an ATM for her whenever needed.
This last month has been a Rollercoaster since I called for the marriage to end, I will start where the previous post left off.
She ended up moving in with her friend and the male roommate after she got back home, and told me she was going to be dating herself. She had a private conversation with me while she was picking up her stuff from my place. More on this comment to follow up.
After DDay she wanted to do couples therapy and we did for a month. We thought we didn't need it anymore so we quit. The day after she checked herself in the psych ward I started therapy for myself using the same app I used before. I thought it was individual, but it turned out her name was still on it, and for a whole month, she had access to messages I sent to my therapist.
About a month after D Day, she bought VIP tickets for us to see one of my favorite bands for what would have been an anniversary present for me, to show how much she appreciates me after everything we went through.
Fast forward to about a couple weeks after she comes home, she calls me to ask about the concert. I figured things have simmered down a bit since she got back home so I agreed to honor the tickets, but not the occasion. Her and I were in minimal contact during that time frame.
About a couple of weeks before our anniversary, she calls me to tell me that I might need to find an alternate partner to go to the concert with, because now roommate took a sudden interest in the band and wanted to go. I told her that the concert was only for you and i, and if you plan on taking him, then you two can go. She never responded to that part and diverted the subject to how her job didn't honor her PTO while she was hospitalized and she went through the last of her savings and now she's on E with $15 until payday.
I figured since it was mothers day a couple days ago, I was happy to help her out. So I show up to her job, and she gives me a big smile and compliments me on my weight loss (I've been consistently going to the gym and taking supplements)
Then she tells me that she wishes it didn't take a divorce for me to change, because she lost the love of her life, soulmate, etc
I caved in and told her I felt the same way and we both said we still love each other. The conversation lasts for about a couple of hours before i not only fill up her tank, but clean up her car and buy her lunch for work.
She asked me what my plans were for that night and then my manager suddenly calls me asking if I wanted to come in for a bonus shift. I accepted.
After i left she wanted go finish our conversation. I tried to have a phone call with her at work, but it got too busy so she asked to reschedule for the next day on her lunch break.
I show up the next day, and she does a complete 180. I ask her what she wanted to talk about and she tells me "I have a lot of mixed feelings and I'm just living day by day" when I told her i still love her, she told me "I don't know what to say to that"
So I left, and bought a motorcycle. When I was test driving it I lost control and fell on my left side. I called her and asked if she could come look at me to see if I need to go to the ER, and she went ghost on me all night.
I'm back to no contact with her until I serve her divorce papers on our anniversary. I keep the no contact momentum going until Sunday, two days ago, when her friend calls me that ex wife was brought into the hospital by EMS because she may have been drugged and SA'd, and that ex wife was specifically requesting to see her husband
It turns out that the second she got back from the psych ward, she started hooking up with the roommate (shocker) and they started dating. Apparently, the boyfriend was heartbroken that he had to break up with her because he wants kids, and she can't give him any. So ex wife gets wasted and goes on a date with another guy she used to work with and it was believed that she had something put in her drink and whatnot.
So I show up to the hospital at around 1030pm knowing I had a 16 hour shift the next day, and I comforted this woman all night. I held her, consoled her, nursed her, everything. I asked where the boyfriend was, and her friend told me that he was "too far away and couldn't help her" and he left it at that.
It turns out the boyfriend was 20 minutes away and was with his ex. I also find out that the whole reason that he was a roommate in the first place is because he was a friend of the original homeowners boyfriend she was living with at the time, and he was homeless so he was taken in under her care. 20 minutes was too far apparently because he doesn't have a car.
The friend is telling Christina that she needs to come back home to her husband, because she can Cleary tell the man still loves her if he's still showing up for her after all of this. Ex wife agrees initially. I didn't agree, I wasn't going to take her back.
I ended up staying up all night with her and took her back to my place an hour before I had to work so her friend could pick her up.
When her friend shows up, she tells ex wife "idk why I'm here, I left you two alone so you could work on things"
Ex wife says "I want to be with Tyler but I don't want to live with him"
Friend says "I understand that but it's not okay for you to live with someone you had a romantic history with while working on things with him."
She acknowledges that, and that's when the friend asks her who she wants to be with.
Ex wife says "do I have to choose now?" To which the friend replies "Yes"
I get up and say "she just made her choice by hesitating. If she really was all about me she would have said me in a heartbeat"
The friend asks her once again, and then Ex wife says she wants to be living with him, because "he cares about me and you don't"
I was flabbergasted because I literally just spent the night caring for her and that means I don't care about her? At one point during my time with her at the hospital after finding out she jumped in a new relationship, I asked her "I thought you were dating yoursellf?"
To which she says "idk it just kinda happened. We live together and I was kinda pushed into it"
The most I know after that is Ex wife had her friend drive her to the address the boyfriend was at that was too far away, so she could talk with him.
The friend came over later the next day by herself and dropped some bombshells on me.
The first one being that she was reading my messages I sent to my therapist out loud to everyone who lives at her new home. She was laughing at me, calling me pathetic, saying there's no reason for me to feel the way I felt.
The second one is that ex wife told the friend that she wishes the motorcycle accident would have killed me instead, because I am worth more to her dead than alive (life insurance)
As of yesterday, I went to her baby daddy's house to drop off the last of her things, and coincidentally she shows up with her friend.
I didn't even look at her, nor acknowledge her, I calmly walked away.
Not only have I filed for divorce, but I had her served and it was notarized and has been taken to a judge for approval. State law gives a 60 day minimum, 120 day maximum.
She is blocked on all forms of contact from now on, and I am having the locks changed since none of her property is no longer at my place and she has abandoned the home for over 30 days now.
Me ignoring her presence yesterday may or may not have been a shock to her, hell, she might not have even noticed. But that is the first time I have ever done that to her.
I lacked self respect for the longest time so it feels great finally sticking up for myself. I know I've been gobbling a triple footlong cuck sandwich for the past year and I am done.
submitted by Miserable_Elk_2474 to Infidelity [link] [comments]
I saw all the red flags through rose colored glasses and refused to acknowledge what everyone in this thread has been saying. I let it go on for far too long and made myself into a walking floor mat that doubled as an ATM for her whenever needed.
This last month has been a Rollercoaster since I called for the marriage to end, I will start where the previous post left off.
She ended up moving in with her friend and the male roommate after she got back home, and told me she was going to be dating herself. She had a private conversation with me while she was picking up her stuff from my place. More on this comment to follow up.
After DDay she wanted to do couples therapy and we did for a month. We thought we didn't need it anymore so we quit. The day after she checked herself in the psych ward I started therapy for myself using the same app I used before. I thought it was individual, but it turned out her name was still on it, and for a whole month, she had access to messages I sent to my therapist.
About a month after D Day, she bought VIP tickets for us to see one of my favorite bands for what would have been an anniversary present for me, to show how much she appreciates me after everything we went through.
Fast forward to about a couple weeks after she comes home, she calls me to ask about the concert. I figured things have simmered down a bit since she got back home so I agreed to honor the tickets, but not the occasion. Her and I were in minimal contact during that time frame.
About a couple of weeks before our anniversary, she calls me to tell me that I might need to find an alternate partner to go to the concert with, because now roommate took a sudden interest in the band and wanted to go. I told her that the concert was only for you and i, and if you plan on taking him, then you two can go. She never responded to that part and diverted the subject to how her job didn't honor her PTO while she was hospitalized and she went through the last of her savings and now she's on E with $15 until payday.
I figured since it was mothers day a couple days ago, I was happy to help her out. So I show up to her job, and she gives me a big smile and compliments me on my weight loss (I've been consistently going to the gym and taking supplements)
Then she tells me that she wishes it didn't take a divorce for me to change, because she lost the love of her life, soulmate, etc
I caved in and told her I felt the same way and we both said we still love each other. The conversation lasts for about a couple of hours before i not only fill up her tank, but clean up her car and buy her lunch for work.
She asked me what my plans were for that night and then my manager suddenly calls me asking if I wanted to come in for a bonus shift. I accepted.
After i left she wanted go finish our conversation. I tried to have a phone call with her at work, but it got too busy so she asked to reschedule for the next day on her lunch break.
I show up the next day, and she does a complete 180. I ask her what she wanted to talk about and she tells me "I have a lot of mixed feelings and I'm just living day by day" when I told her i still love her, she told me "I don't know what to say to that"
So I left, and bought a motorcycle. When I was test driving it I lost control and fell on my left side. I called her and asked if she could come look at me to see if I need to go to the ER, and she went ghost on me all night.
I'm back to no contact with her until I serve her divorce papers on our anniversary. I keep the no contact momentum going until Sunday, two days ago, when her friend calls me that ex wife was brought into the hospital by EMS because she may have been drugged and SA'd, and that ex wife was specifically requesting to see her husband
It turns out that the second she got back from the psych ward, she started hooking up with the roommate (shocker) and they started dating. Apparently, the boyfriend was heartbroken that he had to break up with her because he wants kids, and she can't give him any. So ex wife gets wasted and goes on a date with another guy she used to work with and it was believed that she had something put in her drink and whatnot.
So I show up to the hospital at around 1030pm knowing I had a 16 hour shift the next day, and I comforted this woman all night. I held her, consoled her, nursed her, everything. I asked where the boyfriend was, and her friend told me that he was "too far away and couldn't help her" and he left it at that.
It turns out the boyfriend was 20 minutes away and was with his ex. I also find out that the whole reason that he was a roommate in the first place is because he was a friend of the original homeowners boyfriend she was living with at the time, and he was homeless so he was taken in under her care. 20 minutes was too far apparently because he doesn't have a car.
The friend is telling Christina that she needs to come back home to her husband, because she can Cleary tell the man still loves her if he's still showing up for her after all of this. Ex wife agrees initially. I didn't agree, I wasn't going to take her back.
I ended up staying up all night with her and took her back to my place an hour before I had to work so her friend could pick her up.
When her friend shows up, she tells ex wife "idk why I'm here, I left you two alone so you could work on things"
Ex wife says "I want to be with Tyler but I don't want to live with him"
Friend says "I understand that but it's not okay for you to live with someone you had a romantic history with while working on things with him."
She acknowledges that, and that's when the friend asks her who she wants to be with.
Ex wife says "do I have to choose now?" To which the friend replies "Yes"
I get up and say "she just made her choice by hesitating. If she really was all about me she would have said me in a heartbeat"
The friend asks her once again, and then Ex wife says she wants to be living with him, because "he cares about me and you don't"
I was flabbergasted because I literally just spent the night caring for her and that means I don't care about her? At one point during my time with her at the hospital after finding out she jumped in a new relationship, I asked her "I thought you were dating yoursellf?"
To which she says "idk it just kinda happened. We live together and I was kinda pushed into it"
The most I know after that is Ex wife had her friend drive her to the address the boyfriend was at that was too far away, so she could talk with him.
The friend came over later the next day by herself and dropped some bombshells on me.
The first one being that she was reading my messages I sent to my therapist out loud to everyone who lives at her new home. She was laughing at me, calling me pathetic, saying there's no reason for me to feel the way I felt.
The second one is that ex wife told the friend that she wishes the motorcycle accident would have killed me instead, because I am worth more to her dead than alive (life insurance)
As of yesterday, I went to her baby daddy's house to drop off the last of her things, and coincidentally she shows up with her friend.
I didn't even look at her, nor acknowledge her, I calmly walked away.
Not only have I filed for divorce, but I had her served and it was notarized and has been taken to a judge for approval. State law gives a 60 day minimum, 120 day maximum.
She is blocked on all forms of contact from now on, and I am having the locks changed since none of her property is no longer at my place and she has abandoned the home for over 30 days now.
Me ignoring her presence yesterday may or may not have been a shock to her, hell, she might not have even noticed. But that is the first time I have ever done that to her.
I lacked self respect for the longest time so it feels great finally sticking up for myself. I know I've been gobbling a triple footlong cuck sandwich for the past year and I am done.
2024.05.25 19:14 YH_Queen_Clement Request for a Meeting to Discuss the Admissions Act Proposal by Rev. Dr. Christina Clement
Dear Members of the Black Caucus,
I hope this email finds you well.
My name is Ashley, and I am writing on behalf of Rev. Dr. Christina Clement, who is actively running for President of the United States in the 2024 election. Rev. Dr. Clement is widely recognized within our community as a modern Shirley Chisholm, known for her unwavering dedication to social justice and equality.
Rev. Dr. Clement has recently submitted an Admissions Act that aims to address several critical issues facing our nation, including educational equity, healthcare access, and economic empowerment for marginalized communities. We believe that this Act will have a transformative impact on the lives of many Afro Americans and aligns closely with the values and mission of the Black Caucus.
We are eager to discuss this important proposal in greater detail and explore opportunities for collaboration to ensure its successful passage. We kindly request a meeting with the esteemed members of the Black Caucus at your earliest convenience to present the details of the SOLN Admissions Act and engage in a meaningful dialogue on how we can work together to advance this critical legislation.
Please let us know a suitable date and time for this meeting. We are flexible and willing to accommodate your schedule to ensure that we can have a productive and engaging discussion.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you and further the cause of justice and equality for all.
Regards,
Team@clementforpresident2024.com
submitted by YH_Queen_Clement to locnation [link] [comments]
I hope this email finds you well.
My name is Ashley, and I am writing on behalf of Rev. Dr. Christina Clement, who is actively running for President of the United States in the 2024 election. Rev. Dr. Clement is widely recognized within our community as a modern Shirley Chisholm, known for her unwavering dedication to social justice and equality.
Rev. Dr. Clement has recently submitted an Admissions Act that aims to address several critical issues facing our nation, including educational equity, healthcare access, and economic empowerment for marginalized communities. We believe that this Act will have a transformative impact on the lives of many Afro Americans and aligns closely with the values and mission of the Black Caucus.
We are eager to discuss this important proposal in greater detail and explore opportunities for collaboration to ensure its successful passage. We kindly request a meeting with the esteemed members of the Black Caucus at your earliest convenience to present the details of the SOLN Admissions Act and engage in a meaningful dialogue on how we can work together to advance this critical legislation.
Please let us know a suitable date and time for this meeting. We are flexible and willing to accommodate your schedule to ensure that we can have a productive and engaging discussion.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with you and further the cause of justice and equality for all.
Regards,
Team@clementforpresident2024.com
2024.05.25 13:14 christina_murray_ I fucking adore my male partner.
Woman here, and I just wanted to take a moment to gush about my incredible male partner because, honestly, he deserves all the praise in the world. We're always quick to vent about our frustrations, but today, I want to flip the script and share the pure joy my partner brings into my life.
First off, he's my rock. No matter what life throws at us, he's always there, steadfast and supportive. Whether I'm having a rough day, or dealing with personal stuff, he knows just how to make everything better. It's like he has this magical ability to calm my storms with just a hug or a few kind words.
But it's not just his support that makes me adore him. It's the little things too- I’m a blogger for a living and he’ll leave the sweetest Post-It notes on my computer. Or how he remembers my favorite snacks and surprises me with them just because. His thoughtfulness never ceases to amaze me.
He's also incredibly smart and passionate about his interests. I love hearing him talk about his latest project or hobby. His enthusiasm is infectious, and it inspires me to pursue my own passions with the same vigor.
One of the things I love most about him is his sensitivity. He's not afraid to show his emotions and be vulnerable. It's incredibly refreshing to be with someone who embraces his feelings and isn't constrained by outdated notions of what a “real man” should be. His empathy and compassion make him an amazing partner and an even better human being. Both of us are autistic, and sometimes he can get overwhelmed easily. I always respect his needs and make sure he's as comfortable and safe as possible. Our mutual understanding helps to strengthen our bond- I hate seeing him hurt. Seeing him hurt by something hurts me. He’s truly my soulmate. He's been through a lot of trauma from his past; his whole life he's been scrutinized, ever since he was in school; he was seen as his school's punching bag and laughing stock just because he was different. Despite all this, he has remained incredibly kind and loving. His resilience and strength are truly inspiring, and I feel so lucky to be with him.
We've been best friends since childhood, long before we started dating. Growing up together, we shared so many experiences and built a foundation of trust and understanding that makes our relationship so strong. It's amazing to see how our bond has evolved from a deep friendship into something even more beautiful and profound.
And let's not forget the fun we have together! From the deep conversations where we’re each other’s shoulder to cry on to watching our favorite shows together, every moment with him is filled with laughter and love. He makes the mundane feel magical.
Our relationship is a partnership in the truest sense. We share responsibilities equally and support each other's goals and dreams. It's refreshing to be with someone who truly values equality and mutual respect. We're a team, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
So yeah, I just wanted to put it out there: I fucking adore my partner. He makes my life infinitely better, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
And, partner, if you’re reading this, I love you- you’re a beautiful young man inside and out, and I don’t know how I’d manage without you, honestly. You mean the world to me.
To any men on here who feel unloved, just know that there are women out there who empathise with you, support you, are with you every step of the way. I’m Christina, and I fucking love men… my partner is still my favourite though ;)
submitted by christina_murray_ to malementalhealth [link] [comments]
First off, he's my rock. No matter what life throws at us, he's always there, steadfast and supportive. Whether I'm having a rough day, or dealing with personal stuff, he knows just how to make everything better. It's like he has this magical ability to calm my storms with just a hug or a few kind words.
But it's not just his support that makes me adore him. It's the little things too- I’m a blogger for a living and he’ll leave the sweetest Post-It notes on my computer. Or how he remembers my favorite snacks and surprises me with them just because. His thoughtfulness never ceases to amaze me.
He's also incredibly smart and passionate about his interests. I love hearing him talk about his latest project or hobby. His enthusiasm is infectious, and it inspires me to pursue my own passions with the same vigor.
One of the things I love most about him is his sensitivity. He's not afraid to show his emotions and be vulnerable. It's incredibly refreshing to be with someone who embraces his feelings and isn't constrained by outdated notions of what a “real man” should be. His empathy and compassion make him an amazing partner and an even better human being. Both of us are autistic, and sometimes he can get overwhelmed easily. I always respect his needs and make sure he's as comfortable and safe as possible. Our mutual understanding helps to strengthen our bond- I hate seeing him hurt. Seeing him hurt by something hurts me. He’s truly my soulmate. He's been through a lot of trauma from his past; his whole life he's been scrutinized, ever since he was in school; he was seen as his school's punching bag and laughing stock just because he was different. Despite all this, he has remained incredibly kind and loving. His resilience and strength are truly inspiring, and I feel so lucky to be with him.
We've been best friends since childhood, long before we started dating. Growing up together, we shared so many experiences and built a foundation of trust and understanding that makes our relationship so strong. It's amazing to see how our bond has evolved from a deep friendship into something even more beautiful and profound.
And let's not forget the fun we have together! From the deep conversations where we’re each other’s shoulder to cry on to watching our favorite shows together, every moment with him is filled with laughter and love. He makes the mundane feel magical.
Our relationship is a partnership in the truest sense. We share responsibilities equally and support each other's goals and dreams. It's refreshing to be with someone who truly values equality and mutual respect. We're a team, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
So yeah, I just wanted to put it out there: I fucking adore my partner. He makes my life infinitely better, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
And, partner, if you’re reading this, I love you- you’re a beautiful young man inside and out, and I don’t know how I’d manage without you, honestly. You mean the world to me.
To any men on here who feel unloved, just know that there are women out there who empathise with you, support you, are with you every step of the way. I’m Christina, and I fucking love men… my partner is still my favourite though ;)
2024.05.23 17:54 remington2118 Is this valid
I’m about to send this to my recent ex. It’s more for me to let go of everything. Our relationship turned so messy. I just want him to be able to see my pov. I know we’re done and nothing is gonna come out of it but would like to hear thoughts on what I can say to an emotionally abusive pos that I couldn’t escape for the longest time. Little back story: We were dating for 2 years. The last year we have been doing LD and it has been very off and on. He had made several mistakes throughout our relationship and has always had a serious temper. This time I flew down to see him and I told him I kissed another boy while we were on a break. Long story short he gets really aggressive calling me awful things and saying stuff like “I’m gonna call your parents and tell them how much of a skank you are” he said all of this in the room with his mother in there. He got so crazy that his dad had to drag him out of the room and that was the last time we spoke. I flew out the next morning and wasn’t even there for 12 hours. I want to write this out and mail it to him in letter. I want him to realize everything that he lost.
Ex bf, I am so sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to break your heart. Im not sure if I’ll send this to you or not. You asked me why I did what I did and at the time I couldn’t give you an answer but I’ve had enough time to think about it now. I didn’t do it to hurt you or stab you in the back. I was missing something in our relationship. I stopped feeling the excitement and passion and love from you. I also held so much resentment towards you for the past. No matter how many times I came and talked to you about it, nothing changed. no matter what the circumstances were, what I did was wrong. Bottom line. I was confused, lonely, and weak. From the beginning of our relationship there was always something about you that I wanted but you showed me time after time how we would end up. Everybody else told me too. Nothing will excuse what I did and I know how wrong it is. But I hope you realize just because you didn’t go as far in your actions doesn’t mean they didn’t cut as deep. The double standards of what you did through our relationship on multiple occasions then me making one mistake is crazy. I hope you remember how it shattered you when Emilyn did what she did before you guys were dating and I hope you realize that’s how you made me feel with what you did with her and lize. I chose to forgive you time after time putting my own heart after yours. No matter what you did to me or how bad it hurt, I never spoke to you in such an evil way. I never used things against you that I knew made you vulnerable. I can’t believe you brought up how kj (my ex) hit me. I never degraded you or your looks. I never told my parents what you did to me until now. You made me genuinely scared to be in that room with you. Your ability to be able to say what you said to me in front of your own mother says so much about you and who you are. She offered to stay with me that night. She told me I deserved better. She told us she wasn’t comfortable with you in a room with me. I realize now that even though I made a mistake, god showed me signs to leave a long time ago. I think he knew that if it was the other way around I would choose to stay. I realize now I don’t need to beg for love. I will go out there and find someone else. Someone that wouldn’t give up on us. Someone that wouldn’t walk away because things got hard. Someone who would talk to me instead of ignore me. A mistake was made and I can’t change that but I hope you know how much I regret it. I lost sight of who I was and I ruined everything. I stuck around when you were destroyed and you couldn’t do the same for me. You cheated on your last girlfriend with me, you disrespected me with lize right before our relationship, and you cheated during by hiding your late night conversations with Christina for months. No matter how much you deny that, it’s what you are. You hurt me countless times and I always took you back and continued to put yourself before my own feelings. I know that it’s really over between us and I’m not bitter about it anymore If you want to leave that’s okay. Thank you for being my first love. Remi (my dog) misses her dad. I’m sorry in the end I gave you the worst version of myself. I hope that hotel room isn’t our last memory of each other. Until then I will hold my own hand until somebody else does. Nothing can justify what I did but that goes the same to you. Your actions through our relationship and the way you got in my face yelling, degrading, and threatening me shows I dodged a bullet. I hope you find a way to control your emotions and words. I wish you the best in life. You no longer have any control over what I feel, say, or do. You no longer have any part of me and Remis lives. I hope giving up and running away helped you. I know I would’ve stayed and tried every option first. I hope you’re happy with your words, I hope you know despite my mistake I would’ve tried everything and one day you’re going to realize giving out second chances isn’t the worst thing in the world. I hope you’re able to find peace with yourself one day. I’ll forever remember everything you said to me and used against me. I hope you remember how scared you made me feel and how concerned your mother was with your reaction. I hope you get help.
submitted by remington2118 to heartbreak [link] [comments]
Ex bf, I am so sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to break your heart. Im not sure if I’ll send this to you or not. You asked me why I did what I did and at the time I couldn’t give you an answer but I’ve had enough time to think about it now. I didn’t do it to hurt you or stab you in the back. I was missing something in our relationship. I stopped feeling the excitement and passion and love from you. I also held so much resentment towards you for the past. No matter how many times I came and talked to you about it, nothing changed. no matter what the circumstances were, what I did was wrong. Bottom line. I was confused, lonely, and weak. From the beginning of our relationship there was always something about you that I wanted but you showed me time after time how we would end up. Everybody else told me too. Nothing will excuse what I did and I know how wrong it is. But I hope you realize just because you didn’t go as far in your actions doesn’t mean they didn’t cut as deep. The double standards of what you did through our relationship on multiple occasions then me making one mistake is crazy. I hope you remember how it shattered you when Emilyn did what she did before you guys were dating and I hope you realize that’s how you made me feel with what you did with her and lize. I chose to forgive you time after time putting my own heart after yours. No matter what you did to me or how bad it hurt, I never spoke to you in such an evil way. I never used things against you that I knew made you vulnerable. I can’t believe you brought up how kj (my ex) hit me. I never degraded you or your looks. I never told my parents what you did to me until now. You made me genuinely scared to be in that room with you. Your ability to be able to say what you said to me in front of your own mother says so much about you and who you are. She offered to stay with me that night. She told me I deserved better. She told us she wasn’t comfortable with you in a room with me. I realize now that even though I made a mistake, god showed me signs to leave a long time ago. I think he knew that if it was the other way around I would choose to stay. I realize now I don’t need to beg for love. I will go out there and find someone else. Someone that wouldn’t give up on us. Someone that wouldn’t walk away because things got hard. Someone who would talk to me instead of ignore me. A mistake was made and I can’t change that but I hope you know how much I regret it. I lost sight of who I was and I ruined everything. I stuck around when you were destroyed and you couldn’t do the same for me. You cheated on your last girlfriend with me, you disrespected me with lize right before our relationship, and you cheated during by hiding your late night conversations with Christina for months. No matter how much you deny that, it’s what you are. You hurt me countless times and I always took you back and continued to put yourself before my own feelings. I know that it’s really over between us and I’m not bitter about it anymore If you want to leave that’s okay. Thank you for being my first love. Remi (my dog) misses her dad. I’m sorry in the end I gave you the worst version of myself. I hope that hotel room isn’t our last memory of each other. Until then I will hold my own hand until somebody else does. Nothing can justify what I did but that goes the same to you. Your actions through our relationship and the way you got in my face yelling, degrading, and threatening me shows I dodged a bullet. I hope you find a way to control your emotions and words. I wish you the best in life. You no longer have any control over what I feel, say, or do. You no longer have any part of me and Remis lives. I hope giving up and running away helped you. I know I would’ve stayed and tried every option first. I hope you’re happy with your words, I hope you know despite my mistake I would’ve tried everything and one day you’re going to realize giving out second chances isn’t the worst thing in the world. I hope you’re able to find peace with yourself one day. I’ll forever remember everything you said to me and used against me. I hope you remember how scared you made me feel and how concerned your mother was with your reaction. I hope you get help.
2024.05.23 17:43 mcm8279 [SNW Updates] Christina Chong & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Cast Collaborate On New Song ‘Space Girlz’ "This time, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Melissa Navia are joining Chong in the recording studio." (ScreenRant)
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Christina Chong, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Melissa Navia step off the bridge of the Starship Enterprise to collaborate on a new song, "Space Girlz", with a release date pending. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 has been filming in Toronto since December and is about to wrap production. While playing Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh, Chong continues her career as a recording artist. Christina released her EP "Twin Flames" in 2023, and she followed it up with a naughty Christmas song, "Fck U 4 Xmas". But this time, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Melissa Navia are joining Chong in the recording studio.
[...]
Chrisina Chong, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Melissa Navia are working with award-winning music producer Jim Anderson (@its_an_easy_life) on "Space Girlz," and there's a glimpse of their collaboration (which also includes Ethan Peck) on Anderson's Instagram reel [...]
A Star Trek musical episode was a fanciful dream of Christina Chong and other members of Strange New Worlds' cast - and then it came true. With director Dermot Downs and composers Kay Hanley and Tom Polce from Letters to Cleo, the cast of Strange New Worlds proved their musical theater chops and delivered a first-ever Star Trek classic. "Subspace Rhapsody's" soundtrack even topped the Apple Music streaming charts. And it was clear that Strange New Worlds' cast still wanted to perform music together, even musing about taking Star Trek's musical to Broadway.
With Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 wrapping production, the cast and crew will go on hiatus before reuniting to promote season 3 and begin production on Strange New Worlds season 4 at some point in the near future. For Christina Chong, downtime from filming Star Trek means continuing her burgeoning music career. But "Space Girlz" seems like a fun redux for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast mates Christina Chonhg, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Jess Bush, who get to sing out of character as themselves . [...]"
Link (ScreenRant):
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-cast-song-space-girlz/
submitted by mcm8279 to trektalk [link] [comments]
[...]
Chrisina Chong, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Melissa Navia are working with award-winning music producer Jim Anderson (@its_an_easy_life) on "Space Girlz," and there's a glimpse of their collaboration (which also includes Ethan Peck) on Anderson's Instagram reel [...]
A Star Trek musical episode was a fanciful dream of Christina Chong and other members of Strange New Worlds' cast - and then it came true. With director Dermot Downs and composers Kay Hanley and Tom Polce from Letters to Cleo, the cast of Strange New Worlds proved their musical theater chops and delivered a first-ever Star Trek classic. "Subspace Rhapsody's" soundtrack even topped the Apple Music streaming charts. And it was clear that Strange New Worlds' cast still wanted to perform music together, even musing about taking Star Trek's musical to Broadway.
With Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 wrapping production, the cast and crew will go on hiatus before reuniting to promote season 3 and begin production on Strange New Worlds season 4 at some point in the near future. For Christina Chong, downtime from filming Star Trek means continuing her burgeoning music career. But "Space Girlz" seems like a fun redux for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast mates Christina Chonhg, Celia Rose Gooding, Melissa Navia, and Jess Bush, who get to sing out of character as themselves . [...]"
Link (ScreenRant):
https://screenrant.com/star-trek-strange-new-worlds-cast-song-space-girlz/
2024.05.22 08:31 YH_Queen_Clement State of Loc Nation Celebrates Milestones and Declared Independence June 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State of Loc Nation Celebrates Milestones and Declared Independence June 2023
Worldwide; 05/12/2024 – The State of Loc Nation proudly announces several significant achievements and milestones in 2023 that demonstrate our commitment to international solidarity, health, education, justice, and self-governance. We are excited to share these developments and acknowledge our growing role on the global stage.
Referendum and Declaration of Independence
In a historic referendum held in 2023, the people of the State of Loc Nation overwhelmingly voted for independence, marking a new chapter in our journey towards self-determination. We have declared ourselves a self-governing entity, inspired by the successful paths of other nations that have achieved independence and self-governance. Our declaration is a testament to the resilience and unity of our community.
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International Trade and Health Initiatives
We are proud to announce the successful facilitation of international trade, which has allowed us to secure over 500 medical cards for children in Ghana. This initiative underscores our dedication to improving healthcare access for vulnerable populations and highlights the strength of our international partnerships.
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Educational Outreach in India
Our commitment to education and support for orphans has led us to host Sunday school sessions for children in India. These efforts aim to provide educational opportunities and emotional support, fostering a brighter future for these young minds.
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Advocacy for Justice in America
The State of Loc Nation continues to advocate for justice and equality in America. We remain steadfast in our efforts to address systemic injustices and promote a fair and just society for all individuals, regardless of their background.
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To share your story of injustices: Visit www.christinalorenclement.com/ memorials or click the provided link Memorials – Christina Loren Clement
Clement vs. Garland Case: Fight for Justice Outlook-azgxbhpw.png Outlook-olpzp00f.png
The State of Loc Nation stands firmly against the injustices exemplified in the ongoing Clement vs. Garland case. Rev. Dr. Christina Clement has filed a motion for default judgment due to the prolonged delay in the District of Columbia court’s decision, as the six-month wait time elapsed in April 2024 without resolution delaying fair and impartial judgment. This motion seeks to appoint Rev. Dr. Christina Clement as President of the United States of America, calling for the decertification of the House and Senate due to the unbalanced treatment of independent parties compared to Republicans and Democrats. We demand that all documents be reviewed, and the default Judgement is honored promptly to ensure a just and reasonable outcome.
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Recognition of Independence Movements
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We draw inspiration from the successful independence movements of our Rastafarian brothers and sisters, as well as our African brothers and sisters. We recognize the following key dates in the history of independence and self-governance:
(For a complete list, refer to resources on African independence dates from Think Africa and Wikipedia.)
A Call for Unity and Self-Determination:
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As we commemorate our independence, we stand in solidarity with all communities striving for self-determination and justice. The State of Loc Nation is committed to fostering a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive in a society that respects their rights and heritage.
We invite our "Afro..., black, indigenous, African American and all 175+ afro descendant names" Brothers and sisters to join us in this pursuit of autonomy and self-governance, inspired by the historical examples of resilience and empowerment.
For more information and updates on our initiatives, please visit our official website www.stateoflocnation.com or contact our office directly on info@stateoflocation.com.
In addition to these, we honor all declarations of independence by African nations, Indian states, and original inhabitants worldwide. Their successful self-governance serves as a guiding light for our own journey.
As we celebrate these achievements and milestones, we reaffirm our commitment to building a just, equitable, and thriving society for all 1.4 trillion+ worldwide members of the State of Loc Nation and our global partners.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Team@clementforpresident2024.com
About State of Loc Nation
The State of Loc Nation is a self-governing entity dedicated to promoting international and national solidarity, health, education, justice, and self-determination. We are inspired by the successful independence movements worldwide and strive to build a society that reflects these values.
End of Release
submitted by YH_Queen_Clement to locnation [link] [comments]
State of Loc Nation Celebrates Milestones and Declared Independence June 2023
Worldwide; 05/12/2024 – The State of Loc Nation proudly announces several significant achievements and milestones in 2023 that demonstrate our commitment to international solidarity, health, education, justice, and self-governance. We are excited to share these developments and acknowledge our growing role on the global stage.
Referendum and Declaration of Independence
In a historic referendum held in 2023, the people of the State of Loc Nation overwhelmingly voted for independence, marking a new chapter in our journey towards self-determination. We have declared ourselves a self-governing entity, inspired by the successful paths of other nations that have achieved independence and self-governance. Our declaration is a testament to the resilience and unity of our community.
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International Trade and Health Initiatives
We are proud to announce the successful facilitation of international trade, which has allowed us to secure over 500 medical cards for children in Ghana. This initiative underscores our dedication to improving healthcare access for vulnerable populations and highlights the strength of our international partnerships.
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Educational Outreach in India
Our commitment to education and support for orphans has led us to host Sunday school sessions for children in India. These efforts aim to provide educational opportunities and emotional support, fostering a brighter future for these young minds.
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Advocacy for Justice in America
The State of Loc Nation continues to advocate for justice and equality in America. We remain steadfast in our efforts to address systemic injustices and promote a fair and just society for all individuals, regardless of their background.
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To share your story of injustices: Visit www.christinalorenclement.com/ memorials or click the provided link Memorials – Christina Loren Clement
Clement vs. Garland Case: Fight for Justice Outlook-azgxbhpw.png Outlook-olpzp00f.png
The State of Loc Nation stands firmly against the injustices exemplified in the ongoing Clement vs. Garland case. Rev. Dr. Christina Clement has filed a motion for default judgment due to the prolonged delay in the District of Columbia court’s decision, as the six-month wait time elapsed in April 2024 without resolution delaying fair and impartial judgment. This motion seeks to appoint Rev. Dr. Christina Clement as President of the United States of America, calling for the decertification of the House and Senate due to the unbalanced treatment of independent parties compared to Republicans and Democrats. We demand that all documents be reviewed, and the default Judgement is honored promptly to ensure a just and reasonable outcome.
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Recognition of Independence Movements
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We draw inspiration from the successful independence movements of our Rastafarian brothers and sisters, as well as our African brothers and sisters. We recognize the following key dates in the history of independence and self-governance:
- Haiti: January 1, 1804
- Liberia: July 26, 1847
- Ghana: March 6, 1957 (from Great Britain)
- Nigeria: October 1, 1960 (from Great Britain)
- Kenya: December 12, 1963 (from Great Britain)
- Angola: November 11, 1975 (from Portugal)
- Zimbabwe: April 18, 1980 (from Great Britain)
- Namibia: March 21, 1990 (from South Africa)
- South Africa: May 31, 1910 (from Great Britain)
(For a complete list, refer to resources on African independence dates from Think Africa and Wikipedia.)
A Call for Unity and Self-Determination:
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As we commemorate our independence, we stand in solidarity with all communities striving for self-determination and justice. The State of Loc Nation is committed to fostering a future where every individual has the opportunity to thrive in a society that respects their rights and heritage.
We invite our "Afro..., black, indigenous, African American and all 175+ afro descendant names" Brothers and sisters to join us in this pursuit of autonomy and self-governance, inspired by the historical examples of resilience and empowerment.
For more information and updates on our initiatives, please visit our official website www.stateoflocnation.com or contact our office directly on info@stateoflocation.com.
In addition to these, we honor all declarations of independence by African nations, Indian states, and original inhabitants worldwide. Their successful self-governance serves as a guiding light for our own journey.
As we celebrate these achievements and milestones, we reaffirm our commitment to building a just, equitable, and thriving society for all 1.4 trillion+ worldwide members of the State of Loc Nation and our global partners.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Team@clementforpresident2024.com
About State of Loc Nation
The State of Loc Nation is a self-governing entity dedicated to promoting international and national solidarity, health, education, justice, and self-determination. We are inspired by the successful independence movements worldwide and strive to build a society that reflects these values.