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aroundfortwayne · 2 years

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38th Annual Festival of Trees announced

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2022/09/22/38th-annual-festival-of-trees-announced/

38th Annual Festival of Trees announced

The Embassy Theatre is excited to formally announce that it will host the 38th annual Festival of Trees from Wednesday, November 23, 2022, through Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

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uniqueartisanconnoisseur · 2 years

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Art, Nature, Architecture and Family in Fort Wayne, IN

It had been a while since I traveled to beautiful Fort Wayne. My last trip was with my mom in 2017. Family is at the top of my list of importance. Recently I had the rare opportunity to travel with a family member, my cousin, Carrie Steinweg. Carrie is my Aunt Kathy’s daughter, one of her six children. Aunt Kathy was my mother’s sister. Carrie writes for several publications and is also a book…

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tellurian-in-aristasia · 5 months

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A little snippet from Children of the Void, because I must confess I'm a little bit obsessed with life in Aristasia-in-Telluria and particularly the names they use for food and drinks. It definitely makes the whole life theater seem like a peek into an alternate universe. In this little peek, a "Silver Fountain" seems to be a cream soda float. I find this a bit funny, because cream sodas tend to be a soft golden color!

#children of the void #miss regina snow #aristasia-in-telluria #aristasia #aristasian embassy #life theatre

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prompt-heaven · 2 months

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a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town

academy

adventurer's guild

alchemist

apiary

apothecary

aquarium

armory

art gallery

bakery

bank

barber

barracks

bathhouse

blacksmith

boathouse

book store

bookbinder

botanical garden

brothel

butcher

carpenter

cartographer

casino

castle

cobbler

coffee shop

council chamber

court house

crypt for the noble family

dentist

distillery

docks

dovecot

dyer

embassy

farmer's market

fighting pit

fishmonger

fortune teller

gallows

gatehouse

general store

graveyard

greenhouses

guard post

guildhall

gymnasium

haberdashery

haunted house

hedge maze

herbalist

hospice

hospital

house for sale

inn

jail

jeweller

leatherworker

library

locksmith

mail courier

manor house

market

mayor's house

monastery

morgue

museum

music shop

observatory

orchard

orphanage

outhouse

paper maker

pawn shop

pet shop

potion shop

potter

printmaker

quest board

residence

restricted zone

sawmill

school

scribe

sewer entrance

sheriff's office

shrine

silversmith

spa

speakeasy

spice merchant

sports stadium

stables

street market

tailor

tannery

tavern

tax collector

tea house

temple

textile shop

theatre

thieves guild

thrift store

tinker's workshop

town crier post

town square

townhall

toy store

trinket shop

warehouse

watchtower

water mill

weaver

well

wind mill

wishing well

wizard tower

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greensparty · 2 years

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RIP Landmark Embassy Theatre in Waltham, MA

Bummed to hear that today is the last day of the Landmark Embassy Theatre in Waltham, MA. The original Embassy Theatre was nearby on Moody Street in Waltham from 1928 to 1972. In 1998, the Landmark Theatres chain (known for indie and foreign films) opened the Landmark Embassy Theatre on Pine Street, right off Moody Street in Waltham. By this point the Landmark Kendall Square Cinema was already thriving and the indie film explosion of the 90s made this a great way for cinephiles who were in the suburbs to see independent films.

While I was in college in the late 90s and early 00s and in my hometown of Bedford, MA, I stopped by the Embassy frequently until I moved in 2002. While I was in NYC, I frequented Landmark Sunshine (which closed in 2017). When I moved back to MA in 2012, I was and still am in the next town over from Waltham and continued to go to Embassy.

Some of the notable films I saw at Embassy include: the 2nd time I saw Monument Ave when it opened, Southie, The Straight Story, Boys Don’t Cry, the re-release of Blood Simple, My Week with Marilyn, Before Midnight, The Way Way Back, The Wolf of Wall Street, Her, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Apollo 11. The best thing about the cinema was that they had some mainstream studio movies, but they also had some indie films in limited release and you didn’t have to drive to Boston or Cambridge to see it if you were in the suburbs.

The link above is the article from WBZ News.

#movie theaters #landmark embassy theatre #exhibition #landmark movie theatres #movie news #film geek

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templeofshame · 2 years

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lol what i got invited to a canada day breakfast at the canadian embassy...

with a curling rink? and live music? and pancakes

i mean i guess if i still don’t have a job i could go but like... i am pretty sure i would not know a single person there

#i did once go to a play reading at the canadian embassy #my phone battery ran out because the stage was in the basement and my phone was struggling to get data #i was worried about finding my way back to the metro #i actually did know a couple theatre donors who were there? so i guess it's possible they would go to the breakfast #but i don't remember their names

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brf-rumortrackinganon · 9 months

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Meghan’s Lies

by request of @britishroyalfamilyvideos

Not comprehensive - this is just what I’ve tracked and they are not in any order. If I’ve missed any, add to the comments.

Meghan grew up an only child, never had any kind of relationship with Sam or Tom while growing up.

Meghan grew up in near-poverty where the $5 Sizzler buffet was a splurge.

Meghan didn’t know who Diana or the Royal Family was.

Meghan didn’t know that Diana did the Panorama interview.

Meghan told a television production she was union when she actually wasn’t.

Meghan’s character was being written off Suits because she was marrying Harry. (She was actually written off because Patrick Adams wanted out and her character was tied to his storylines.)

Meghan doesn’t have any family except Doria.

Meghan paid for college herself with her own student loans. (Thomas did; has receipts.)

Meghan has degrees in international relations and theatre from Northwestern University. (It’s actually a degree in communications, according to the commencement booklet.)

Meghan hated Britain because they were racists.

The Sussexes were more popular in Australasia than the Cambridges were.

Meghan didn’t want to serve newborn Archie on a silver platter to the British media.

Meghan wasn’t allowed to do a photocall at the hospital after Archie was born.

Meghan never talked to Oprah before Megxit.

Meghan wasn’t working with UK Vogue on a special edition.

Meghan couldn’t wear the same color of clothing as anyone else.

Meghan could only wear neutral-colored clothing.

Meghan was never going to dress her children like Kate’s Victorian ghost dolls.

Meghan was going to get her UK citizenship.

Meghan gave up her Hollywood team.

Meghan didn’t want a big public wedding and was forced into the big public spectacle by the royal family.

Meghan and Harry eloped three days before the Windsor spectacle with the Archbishop of Canterbury in their garden at Kensington Palace.

Meghan loves her engagement ring.

Meghan and Harry received permission from The Queen to name their daughter Lilibet.

Meghan loves Africa.

Meghan is committed and passionate about charity work and philanthropy.

There are no tabloids in the U.S.

All Americans have a rude, demanding, and 5am work ethic.

Paparazzi car chases

(All the times Meghan plagiarized quotes from others in her speeches)

Meghan frequented Korean spas in L.A. as a child.

Meghan didn’t collaborate with Scobie on Finding Freedom.

Meghan didn’t expect Thomas to publish her private letter.

The royals were the family Meghan never had.

The royals never welcomed Meghan into the fold.

The royals never gave Meghan any kind of help or training.

Meghan gave up everything for Harry.

Meghan didn’t announce her pregnancy at Eugenie’s wedding.

Meghan loves kids and couldn’t wait to be a mom.

Meghan’s dog was too old to fly overseas.

Meghan wasn’t allowed to decorate their home with items from the Royal Collection.

Kate made Meghan cry.

Meghan had a warm, friendly relationship with The Queen.

Meghan is the best boss ever.

Meghan made her own banana bread in Australia. (It was the Governor’s House chef.)

Meghan had suicidal thoughts the night of the Cirque du Soleil event and couldn’t stop crying at the event.

The royal family never helped Meghan with her mental health.

Meghan is being advised by the Obamas post-Megxit.

The children were refused titles by the BRF because they were racist.

Meghan refused titles for the children.

Meghan had a fish tacos lunch with Michelle Obama.

Meghan was pen pals with Hillary Clinton. (We know now that Thomas intervened on this.)

Meghan witnessed the LA riots.

Meghan supports independent grassroots journalism.

Meghan was going to hit the ground running in Britain after the wedding.

Her height. (She claims to be 5′6...maybe in heels.)

Meghan worked at the US embassy in Argentina. (She did a summer study program and ended up dropping out.)

Meghan didn’t know she had to curtsy to The Queen.

The BRF took her passport and car keys after the wedding and never let her travel.

Meghan wasn’t allowed to leave Nottingham Cottage or Frogmore Cottage unless it was for a work engagement.

They were evicted from Frogmore Cottage. (Netflix docuseries shows they were moving out June 2022.)

Meghan was concerned for her privacy in London and wanted to move back to L.A. because there were no paparazzi.

Archie was denied 24/7 protection by the royal family because he didn’t have a HRH and wasn’t a prince.

The family gossiped about Archie’s skin color and made racist comments to her about him.

The palace forced Meghan to take her name off Archie’s birth certificate. (Archie’s first birth certificate had his mother as Rachel Meghan, HRH The Duchess of Sussex. This birth certificate was later amended to have his mother as HRH The Duchess of Sussex.)

There was egg in the wedding food.

Meghan wasn’t allowed to have scents in St. George’s Church. (She wasn’t allowed to spray perfumes, but could have candles.)

The palace has Archie’s birth certificate locked under file and won’t give it to Meghan, so she can’t register him for school.

Meghan wasn’t allowed to do hair trials with her wedding tiara by Angela Kelly.

Meghan was the new Bond Girl.

Fire in Archie’s nursery in South Africa.

Meghan said titles are not important - people should be linked, not ranked.

Archie was too young to fly to Balmoral after he was born. (And yet they took him on 4 international private flights with Elton John...)

Meghan lied about her age. (This was while she was a working actress in Hollywood. Her age has been corrected so it’s not really a lie anymore.)

Belly padding during the pregnancy with Archie.

Sussex Royal had organic innate popularity on social media. Absolutely no bots were involved at all!

Circumstances of the miscarriage. (There are four different stories out there.)

Zoom calls with the Cambridge children during COVID lockdowns.

Zoom calls with The Queen during COVID lockdowns.

Flowers on Philip’s casket were from the Sussexes.

The Sussexes were invited to the Beckham wedding.

Lili would have a royal christening with The Queen.

Lili was christened.

The Sussexes were invited to the diplomatic reception held before The Queen’s funeral.

Meghan is best friends with Jennifer Aniston and they walk their dogs together all the time.

The children’s appearances are often edited/Photoshopped in published photographs.

Edit: More from the comments - credit to the blogs

Meghan didn’t have friends in school. (@rosesandmoonstones)

Meghan was prom queen. (@rosesandmoonstones)

Circumstances of the “racist royal” remarks (@scorpiotwentythree)

Meghan received a standing ovation at the UN, led by Ban Ki Moon (@scorpiotwentythree!)

The type of ambassador role Meghan had for the UN pre-Harry.

Meghan met The Queen in Balmoral over tea just after starting to date Harry in mid-2016. (@scorpiotwentythree)

“No one asked me if I’m okay.” (@rosesandmoonstones)

Meghan didn’t know racism till she arrived in the UK. (@jillydillypickles)

South Africans danced in the streets for the Sussex wedding. (@jillydillypickles)

#time flies Meghan lies #anon #lies

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anonymoushouseplantfan · 1 year

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The Royal Family’s Apology for their treatment of Meghan Markle:

I’m sorry we spent £32 million on your heavily promoted wedding

I’m sorry The King stepped in to walk you down the aisle

I’m sorry we spent £1 million on your first-year wardrobe

I’m sorry you only undertook 72 days of royal work

I’m sorry we gifted you and your husband the titles of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Earl and Countess of Dumbarton and Baron and Baroness Kilkeel

I’m sorry we spent £4 million-a-year on your security

I’m sorry we hid your alarmingly shady past from the public

I’m sorry we covered up your rampant bullying of young professional women and then covered up the results of the bullying investigation in order to protect you

I’m sorry we gifted you an 11-room house on the Windsor estate, for free

I’m sorry we footed the £3.2 million bill to renovate your house to your liking

I’m sorry we granted you the honour of marrying in the historic Royal Chapel at Windsor Castle

I’m sorry we gave you your own independent team of staff

I’m sorry we appointed you your own adviser and assistant to make the transition to royal easier

I’m sorry you were the first girlfriend to be invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth II and family

I’m sorry The Queen invited you to a theatre charity less than four weeks after marrying H - the earliest ever joint engagement with The Queen

I’m sorry we invited you to the funeral of the longest-serving monarch in British history after you continued to slander everything she ever worked for in multiple interviews and podcasts

I’m sorry we granted you, an American, your own coat of arms from the 500-year-old College of Arms

I’m sorry we didn’t silence you by making you sign any NDAs, allowing you to sign multi-million-dollar deals for books, interviews and podcasts

I’m sorry we’re the reason George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey and Elton John pretended to like you

I’m sorry we gave you the opportunity to co-write a cookbook, guest edit British Vogue, and ‘curate’ your own fashion capsule.

I’m sorry we advised you twice not to wear those blood diamonds gifted by Jamal Khashoggi’s murderer

I’m sorry our support made you feel emboldened to behave appallingly towards staff and ticket-holders at Wimbledon

I’m sorry your behaviour on the Oceania tour angered your hosts and we covered it up by encouraging positive coverage from the press

I’m sorry we invited you to The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee after you’d called us all racist abusers on international television

I’m sorry we thought you’d like to be patron of the UK’s National Theatre, we didn’t realise you’re not interested in the theatre

I’m sorry nobody stopped you from wearing a maternity coat and announcing your 8-week pregnancy at the wedding of your husband’s cousin

I’m sorry you publicly announced your first pregnancy on Infant Loss Awareness Day

I’m sorry we lied to the press about the existence of the nude pictures you took of yourself, easily available on the internet

I’m sorry we let you live free-of-charge in a two-bedroom London property while the free five-bedroom country house we gave you was renovated

I’m sorry we introduced you to world leaders, high-ranking officials and A-list celebrities

I’m sorry we helped perpetuate your lie that your degree was in ‘international relations and theatre’ and not ‘communications’

I’m sorry for all the jewellery we gifted you, including a pair of expensive pearl earrings from Queen Elizabeth II

I’m sorry we helped perpetuate your lie that you worked at the US Embassy in Argentina for several months instead of attending classes at the Embassy school organised by the uncle you didn’t invite to the wedding

I’m sorry we loaned you the use of a historic diamond-encrusted tiara

I’m sorry we took an interest in what colour your future yet-to-be-conceived baby’s hair would be

I’m sorry we permitted you to only allow American press to the unveiling of your first child in Windsor Castle, as requested, instead of British press

I’m sorry we helped cover up that you worked with the authors of Finding Freedom

I’m sorry for allowing you to keep all those freebies you’re definitely not allowed to keep

I’m sorry your husband, a prince, didn’t explain how to courtesy to The Queen

I’m sorry we acquiesced to you inviting celebrities you’d never met before to your wedding

I’m sorry we didn’t clamp down on you monetising your official royal engagements

I’m sorry we respected your boundaries by not hugging on first meeting

I’m sorry we allowed you to mistakenly believe you were more popular than Catherine and William

I’m sorry for providing a team of highly-trained, expensive doctors at your disposal

I’m sorry we funded a household staff of cooks, cleaners and nannies for you

I’m sorry nobody asked if you’re okay.

So sorry about all that.

😂😂😂😂

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hjartasalt · 5 months

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Hey lauf they’re making me, the American who doesn’t speak Icelandic visit Reykjavik and Helsinki, I might be in town for a few days, what do I do in Iceland? Leave immediately?

If you want the proper Reykjavík experience you should go sit on a bench in the small park area between the National Theatre and the Danish embassy on Hverfisgata and set a timer for how much time passes before a stranger approaches you to ask you about drugs

#ask #anon

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esteemed-excellency · 2 months

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RE: Hiram's lodgings

Lore drop under the cut for everyone who's curious about the Townhouse, this is your chance to snoop around

Hiram coordinates all his affairs from his sanctum at the Brass Embassy and the Bazaar. He officially works for the Foreign Office, meeting diplomats in Wilmot's End, at the Palace, and overzee. He supervises his shady businesses from the Cabinet Noir in Balmoral, and he uses the Rooms above a Gambling Den as a secondary meeting location.

He keeps all his research notes and scientific papers at the university and at the Embassy sanctum, with backup texts in Parabola. There's backups of backups scattered around different lodgings like the Rooms above a Bookshop and a recently acquired Sanguine Château, in case of emergency. He keeps track of every single document and duplicate copy in his possession, never storing all his belongings in one place.

The Townhouse is the only lodging with an aesthetical purpose, other than functional: he needs a place to keep all the items he collected over the years, but almost everything is expendable in case of emergency. All the most important documents and personal items are in his rooms on the second floor, the only place he truly considers home.

The house staff is employed exclusively to look after the house and the guests, and even if the majority of them comes from a shady background they don't do any criminal work. Since Hiram is often out they can do whatever they want, as long as the house and the guests are looked after. The Second Floor is the only part of the house not accessible to guests, and if someone gets too curious the fingerkings can have everyone who gets too close to the mirrors.

Including foyers, bathrooms, facilities, balconies, corridors, store spaces, and other rooms I forgot to account for, the Townhouse consists of:

Basement: kitchen, pantry, scullery, store room, servants' dining room, cellar, vault. Other than the main stairwell, a servants staircase connects the basement to all the other floors. The vault holds some liqueurs, too expensive to be simply kept in the cellar, spirits (the alcoholic kind), spirits (the non-alcoholic kind), and whatever Hiram is smuggling around town on a daily basis. An old additional stairwell connects the basement to the attic but nobody knows about it, and if anyone discovers it they don't remember it for long. Hiram burned all the floor plans years ago (don't worry about it for now).

Ground Floor: porch, entrance hall, parlour, dining room, main library (literature, gothic novels, classics, poetry, theatre, art)

First Floor: drawing room, guest rooms + dressing rooms, budoir/fumoir (depending on the guests), second library (travelogues, naval tales, maps, globes, scientific treatises, penny dreadfuls).

Second Floor: Hiram's rooms + dressing room, private study, private library (law books, trade almanacs, hyper specific scientific treatises, proscribed material of various kinds). The main corridor is full of mirrors, and it's the only floor with mirrors big enough to allow entrance to Parabola. They're always covered when Hiram is at home. The curtains are almost always drawn in every room and the light is dimmer than in the rest of the house. A secret compartment in a bureau desk holds Hiram's infernal contract and an old stash of letters.

??? Room: (ok you can worry about it now) accessible only via mirror. It should be connected to the secret staircase but the door is always locked from the inside, and the outside is walled up and covered by another wall section, the staircase is just beside it. There's no windows. The room holds the Shrine to St Joshua, a weapon rack, a small vault with the Leasehold on all of London, some fragments of the Tragedy Procedures, a bottle of Brandy, and a few other items. The mirror is always covered. A pickaxe guarantees an emergency exit.

Third floor: servants' quarters and offices. Few of them can stand Hiram playing music at ungodly hours and they take turns sleeping at the townhouse. They all have their own lodgings and accomodations.

Attic: the main stairwell ends at the third floor, and the attic is only accessible via the servants staircase. The butler and some urchins are aware of the additional secret staircase, but the butler can't be bothered with it, and the urchins don't like to forget what they were doing every time they go down the stairs. There's no fun in sending someone to steal biscuits from the basement if they forget to bring them back upstairs.

Other than the house staff, the polycule, some urchins, and Hiram himself, the (semi)permanent residents include:

A Hungover Terrier, often out and about with the bohemians.

The Midnight Matriarch: you can pet her in your dreams if you fall asleep in the guest rooms.

A Lamp-Cat: the best bioluminescent bedlight. You can pet it but it will sit on your lap. If you try to sleep it will sit on the bed. Or on you. Pros: very cute. Cons: very humid.

A Bat with Attitude, permanet resident in the attic.

Two Raven Advisors. One white, one black. One always tells the truth, one always lies. Or so they say.

Sugarplum (Hiram's)

Sugarplum (Captain Dargor's)

Sugarplum (Giorgione's)

#i can't draw architecture and perspective so you get a big description #very important additional information: there's a grand piano in the parlour + hiram has a gramophone in his library #hiram hargrave #hiram lore #handsome townhouse

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aroundfortwayne · 2 years

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Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne Indiana

New Post has been published on https://aroundfortwayne.com/news/2022/09/20/fright-night-returns-to-downtown-fort-wayne-indiana/

Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne Indiana

The 13th annual Fright Night returns to downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Saturday, October 15, 2022.

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childoftimeandmagic · 13 days

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Big brain point idea here but. . . .

You can acknowledge that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a horrifically oppressive regime that is neither supported by the majority of their own people in Iran or by most Iranians outside of Iran, and is a nation state that backs and supports multiple terrorist fundamentalist cells across the MENA region.

and

Also acknowledge that Israel is a horrifically oppressive and genocidal regime who in an effort to pull their warmonger sugar daddies (US, UK, EU) into an on the ground conflict; illegally and without cause violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 by bombing the consulate of the Iranian Embassy in a third separate sovereign nation which has been entirely ignored and treated as normal by the western countries.

Iran's attack on Israel is not unprompted but Israel's was.

FURTHER THIS IS ALL MOSTLY POLITICAL THEATRE BY WESTERN POLITICIANS AND ISRAEL TO DISTRACT THE GENERAL GLOBAL POPULATION FROM THE GENOCIDE TAKING PLACE IN GAZA OR THE STATE SPONSORED TERRORIST MOBS BURNING OUT VILLAGES IN THE OCCUPIED WEST BANK.

A free Palestine is the goal and has to always be the goal, focus, and driving premise forward.

#neither nation is good #shockingly both Iran and Israel are huge problems #i have never seen so many weird takes about nation states in my life #like two things can be simultaneously bad there is no mutually exclusive good guy token in this conflict #free palestine #end the occupation #end apartheid #anti apartheid club

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gotankgo · 9 months

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«Sixty years ago today, in the midst of taking the world of cinema by storm, Federico Fellini's seminal 8½ had its Midwest premiere on swinging Rush Street at the upscale Carnegie Theatre. Joseph E. Levine's Embassy Pictures, looking for a crossover hit, initially released the film in the USA.»

#8½ #federico fellini #chicago

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dreamofstarlight · 7 months

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One my favorite underrated WW2 stories about JFK and Joe Jr is the one where the brothers were circumventing the rules about getting visas for refugees while in Europe in the fall of 1939.

Attempting to help Europe's primarily Jewish refugees jump the various hurdles that stood in the way of securing travel visas to America, (attorney Fanny) Holtzmann was taken aback one day when she entered the London embassy's visa department to find both Joe junior and Jack “helping a crowd of bewildered East European refugees fill out applications.” When she asked Jack what he was doing there, he responded, “What else can a fellow do, Miss Holtzmann?” Later, at the Warsaw embassy, she met them again, and realized the two young men had been up all night, working to process applications during the regular staff's off-hours. In London, Jack gave Holtzmann an idea that would save hundreds of lives. As they both were filling out paperwork, Fanny complained out loud about the challenge of getting around all the technicalities of obtaining long-term visas. With a wink Jack suggested, “Why not give them all temporary visas to attend the World's Fair in New York? It's running out of customers.” With Hitler's invasion of Poland only weeks away, Fanny used that ruse at several American Embassies and secured hundreds of three-month tourist visas that were processed without question or delay.

Fanny also said that Jack went to Poland on the eve of the war to help refugees to get to safety.

Another one for the lols

Not that he and Joe junior didn't have other qualities to recommend them: Fanny later told friends, “I have seen good-looking men in my time—on Hollywood sets, in the theatre and elsewhere—but those brothers!”

I honestly didn't know about them doing that but that's so great! I found the article you got this from if people are interested: xxxx

#anon #ask #answered #joe kennedy jr #john f kennedy #jfk #kennedy family #the kennedys

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mariacallous · 1 month

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Despite attempts by President Vladimir Putin and Russia's state-controlled media to pin the blame for Friday's deadly Moscow theatre attack on Ukraine, more details are emerging about the jihadist group IS-K that has claimed it was behind it.

Who or what is IS-K?

IS-K is an abbreviation of Islamic State-Khorasan - a regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, which has been proscribed as a terror organisation by governments across the world.

It is focused on Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan and into Central Asia.

The group has given itself the name Khorasan as that was part of an historic Islamic caliphate spanning that region.

IS-K has been around for nine years but in recent months it has emerged as the most dangerous branch of the Islamic State group, with a long reach and a reputation for extreme brutality and cruelty.

Along with what is left of the group's wider leadership in Syria and Iraq, IS-K aspires to a pan-national Islamic caliphate ruled through an ultra-strict interpretation of Sharia, Islamic law.

In Afghanistan it is waging a sporadic but still deadly insurgency against the country's rulers, the Taliban, who it opposes on ideological grounds.

Has IS-K carried out attacks before?

It targeted the chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport in 2021 with a suicide bomb, killing 170 Afghans and 13 US servicemen.

The following year it targeted the Russian embassy in Kabul, killing at least six people and injuring others.

The group has carried out indiscriminate attacks on a maternity ward, bus stations and policemen.

In January this year, IS-K carried out a double bombing of a shrine in Kerman, Iran, killing nearly 100 Iranians.

In Russia it has carried out numerous small-scale attacks, the most recent being in 2020 - and already this year the FSB, Russia's internal security service, says it has stopped several terror plots.

Who were the Moscow attackers?

According to Russian state media the four men captured and charged are all Tajiks from the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan, which used to be part of the Soviet Union.

It is obvious from their battered and bruised appearance in court that they have been especially harshly interrogated to the point of torture.

The problem with that is according to international norms, their confessions will be worthless - people will say anything to make the pain stop, including confessing to a narrative that is simply untrue.

Reports have emerged that one of the men was seen carrying out surveillance of the venue in early March, around the time the US warned Russia there was an imminent threat of a terrorist attack on a public space - a warning the Kremlin dismissed at the time as "propaganda".

Another report says at least two of the attackers arrived in Russia recently, implying that this was a "hit team" sent by IS-K, rather than a sleeper cell of residents.

Why did they target Russia?

There are several reasons.

IS-K consider most of the world to be their enemies. Russia is high up on their list, along with the US, Europe, Israel, Jews, Christians, Shia Muslims, the Taliban and all rulers of Muslim-majority states, who they consider to be "apostates".

Islamic State's hostility to Russia goes back to the Chechen wars in the 1990s and early 2000s, when Moscow's forces devastated the Chechen capital Grozny.

More recently, Russia entered the Syrian civil war on the side of its ally, President Bashar al-Assad, and the Russian air force has carried out countless bombings of rebel and civilian positions, killing large numbers of Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda-linked fighters.

In Afghanistan, IS-K view Russia as being an ally of the Taliban, which is why they attacked the Russian embassy in Kabul in 2022.

They also bear a grudge for the 10 years of brutal Soviet occupation of that country from 1979-89.

Then there is the situation inside Russia itself.

Russia is viewed by IS-K as very much a Christian country and their video posted after the Moscow attack talks about killing Christians.

Tajik and other Central Asian migrant workers are sometimes subject to a degree of harassment and suspicion by the FSB as it seeks to head off terrorist attacks.

Finally, Russia - a nation currently distracted by its full-scale war with its neighbour Ukraine - may simply have been a convenient target of opportunity for IS-K, a place where weapons were available and their enemy's guard was down.

What do we still not know about the Moscow attack?

There remain a number of unanswered questions about this whole episode.

For example, why were the attackers able to wander at will for nearly an hour around the Crocus Hall with absolutely no apparent sense of urgency?

In a country where the police and special services, notably the FSB, are omnipresent, these gunmen behaved as if they knew they were not going to be interrupted by a police SWAT team.

Then there are the weapons - not just handguns but powerful, modern automatic assault rifles. How were they able to acquire these and smuggle them undetected into the venue?

Their swift capture is also surprising.

Unlike many jihadist gunmen on a raid like this, these men were not wearing suicide vests or belts, in the manner of those who prefer death to capture.

And yet, it did not take long for the Russian authorities - the same Russian authorities who failed to stop the worst terror plot in 20 years unfolding beneath their noses - to round up the suspects and put them on trial.

All this is prompting some analysts to speculate about some sort of so-called "inside job" by the Kremlin, or a "false flag operation" to garner popular support for the war on Ukraine.

However, there is no hard evidence to support that theory and US intelligence has confirmed that in their view, it was Islamic State behind this hideous attack.

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yuzukahibiscus · 1 year

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【Performance Review】Flower Troupe “MAYERLING” “ENCHANTEMENT －A Luxurious Perfume－”

A royal love romance that Takarazuka Revue is proud of, Yuzuka Rei creates an ultimate aesthetic for the tragic Crown Prince

(This article was taken from Ronza, which you can find the original article here. This is the free coverage of the whole review.)

Flower Troupe performance Musical Romance “MAYERLING” “ENCHANTEMENT – A Luxurious Perfume –” opens its first day (Shonichi) in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre on January 1st.

The stage performance “MAYERLING” is set in 19th century Austria, describing the poignant love story between Crown Prince Rudolf and Baroness Mary. It has been performed several times since its premiere in 1983 and is now proudly a representative performance in Takarazuka Revue. This is both the 40th anniversary since the premiere and performed again in the stage of Takarazuka Grand Theatre after 30 years, adding in new direction that follows current modernity.

The one playing the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf is of course Flower Troupe Top Star Yuzuka Rei-san. Beyond the solemn image of the pure white military outfit, she creates an aesthetic world with her expressions full of despair. Together with Hoshikaze Madoka-san who plays as Mary, you have the beautiful and compatible Top Combi. This ephemeral, beautiful, ultimate love romance opens 2023 for Takarazuka Revue glamorously. (Spoilers below.)

Yuzuka’s beauty in the tragic prince

When we talk about “MAYERLING”, the first we remember is the opening scene, right. Symmetrical to the crimson red grand staircase are Rudolf and Mary standing and just from that alone, Takarazuka fans can’t hold their enthusiasm anymore. Then comes the dramatic introduction of Rudolf and Mary’s lines, which is definitely the signature of this production. That moved feeling when the curtain opens up as the beautiful melody plays, is unchanging in any era.

–– January 26 1889, the German embassy in Vienna. In the ball where the royal family attended, happily dancing are Crown Prince Rudolf (Yuzuka) and baroness Mary Vestera (Hoshikaze). But both of them already secretly made decisions in their heart. Going back in time 9 months ago. Heralded as the next emperor, Rudolf was burdened with affairs and conventions, having a cold relationship with his wife Stephanie (Haruhi Urara) and living the stifling days. On the other hand, (Rudolf) praises the lives his cousin Johann (Minami Maito) and his lover Millie (Hoshizora Misaki) lead, despite (Johann) being a member of the Habsburgs. One day, Rudolf met Mary in the celebration of Burgtheatre. Since he also wants to live a life like Johann... He couldn’t stop thinking about it and he was strongly interested by the girl ––

The prologue continues with a Vienna Waltz, a graceful one. The beautiful musumeyaku and the princes, whom look like they came out from mangas, danced ballet and right from there, the atmosphere is dreamy.

In that kind of world view, Rudolf who appears in that Viennese ball is especially beautiful. Her sadness concealed in her gaze and her flawless and smart actions made me realise again that this is the charm of Takarazuka otokoyaku which cannot be found elsewhere.

Responsible for the next era of Europe is successor Rudolf, who doesn’t have a day of rest in heart. The feud with his father, the relationship with his mother, his childhood education... You could see that invisible heavy pressure, and that loneliness clouded on Yuzuka-san’s Rudolf and by seeing that alone makes me heart wrenched. It is eerily fascinating to see how fitting it is for this prince chained in this decadent and aesthetic world, to have a horrifying skull and pistol on his table. Above all, when he couldn’t meet Mary, his sexy aura is exquisite as he rumages his military outfit in the bar. This process enhances persuasion as we see how Rudolf is forced into where he was.

Yuzuka-san has already played Rudolf in 2014 Flower Troupe performance “ELISABETH”. Even though she was also amazing then, this depth accumulated over the year adds onto a new layer of charm. I can experience yet a different depth of emotions.

【公演評】花組「梅耶林」「ENCHANTEMENT －華麗的香水－」

寶塚歌劇團引以為豪的皇室愛情羅曼史，柚香光為悲情的皇太子打造極致審美

（本文摘自論座，您可以在此處找到原文章。這是整個評論的免料部分。）

1月1日，花組公演浪漫音樂劇「梅耶林」「ENCHANTEMENT – 華麗的香水 –」初日在寶塚大劇場開幕。

舞台劇「梅耶林」以19世紀的奧地利為背景，描述了魯道夫皇太子與瑪麗男爵夫人之間淒美的愛情故事。自1983年首演以來已多次公演，現已成為寶塚歌劇團的代表公演。這既是首演40週年，也是時隔30年再次登上寶塚大劇場的舞台，增添了符合現代性的新執導方向。

扮演悲慘的皇太子魯道夫的，當然是花組的TOP STAR柚香光了。在純白軍裝的莊嚴形象之外，她充滿絕望的表情營造了一個唯美的世界。與扮演瑪麗的星風まどか一起，就是美麗且兼容的TOP控比。 2023 年，寶塚歌劇團以這種短暫、美麗、終極的愛情羅曼史開場。（以下劇透。）

悲劇的王子，柚香的美

說起「梅耶林」，我們最先想到的應該是開場吧。站在赤紅色大階段與之對稱的是魯道夫和瑪麗。光看這一點，寶塚的粉絲們就再也按捺不住了。然後是戲劇性的序幕，魯道夫和瑪麗說出台詞，絕對是這部作品的標誌。伴隨著優美的旋律拉開帷幕的那種感動，在任何時代都不會改變。

——1889年1月26日，德國駐維也納大使館。在王室一家都出席的舞會上，皇太子魯道夫（柚香）和男爵夫人瑪麗維斯特拉（星風）歡快地跳舞。但兩人心裡都已經暗自做了決定。在9個月前，被譽為下任皇帝的魯道夫身負繁重的事務和慣例，與妻子斯蒂芬妮（春妃うらら）關係冷淡，過著令人窒息的日子。另一方面，儘管（約翰）是哈布斯堡王朝的成員，（魯道夫）讚揚他的堂兄約翰（水美舞斗）和他的情人米莉（星空美咲）的生活。一天，魯道夫在城堡劇院的慶典上與瑪麗相遇。因為他也想過著約翰那樣的生活⋯他不禁想到這裡，對這個女孩產生了濃厚的興趣——

序幕以優美的維也納華爾茲繼續。美麗的娘役們和彷彿從漫畫中走出來的王子們跳著芭蕾舞，一開始就營造出夢幻般的氛圍。

在那樣的世界觀裡，在那個維也納舞會上出現的魯道夫格外美麗。她那眼神中隱藏的憂傷，那完美無瑕的動作，讓我再次體會到，這就是寶塚男役的魅力，在別處是找不到的。

本身應承擔下一個歐洲時代的是繼任者魯道夫，他心中沒有一天可以休息。與父親的不和，與母親的關係，從小的��育⋯可以看到籠罩在柚香桑魯道夫身上那無形的沉重壓力和孤獨感，光是看到這些就讓人心痛。看到這位被困在這個頹廢又淒美世界中的王子，桌子上放著可怕的頭骨和手槍竟然是多麼合適，是不可思議的感覺。最重要的是，在無法見到瑪麗艾的情況下，他在酒場弄亂了軍裝，散發著性感的氣質是極致的。當我們看到魯道夫是如何被逼迫時，這種過程增強了說服力。

柚香桑已經在2014年花組公演「ELISABETH」中飾演魯道夫。儘管她當時也很了不起，但多年積累的這種深度，又增添了一層新的魅力，體驗到不同深度的情感。

#flower troupe #yuzuka rei #takarazuka #takarazuka revue #hibiscustranslation

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