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tellywoodtrash · 4 years

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shaadi mubarak 01+02.09.20 lb

01.09.20

oh ho kusummmm, don't be so rukhiii rukhiiiii. this is a delicate momentttttt.

the actual physical discomfort preeti is in while stepping into the house. my hearttttttt.

kusum is so hella mad and wants to smack the shit outta.... well, someone, that’s for sure.

the actress playing juhi has heavyyyyyyy dalljiet as anjali vibes no?

preeti is having TUMHARAAAAAA SASURAAAAL!!!! waala breakdown. sis chill for a sec.

kusum been knowing that this shit was coming. she looks so damn mad.

priyanka FORSHO has history with tarun. i get the feeling he might have rejected her coz she's not "refined" enough or some such thing.

"beta hi khota nikla toh bahu ko kaahe sunaana?" 100% nailed it.

i fully get how kusum can be perceived as callous but she's just someone with duniya ki samajh and doesn't bother sugarcoating her words for effect. she speaks the plain truth, not what anyone ~~wants to hear.

also she is totallll self confidence goals.

"ram ji ki laathi kaise maathe pe baaji!" lmaooooo

oh no preeti heardddddddddd.

sumedh running to do damage control, bless his heart.

kusum like BRO DON'T YOU TRY TO SHUT ME UP I'M STILL THE BOSS OF THIS HOUSE SO HELP ME GOD

the badly cgi'd exteriors are so blah. like, surely you can devote a day or two to taking some establishing shots and then use them over and over?

poor KT can't shake the visuals from his head.

KT really the rudra of this house huh. a spoilt, doted on lil BABY man.

lol mom and chaachi are instanttttt shippers.

cheesy man has secret center of angst.

ouff again with this sasuraal waala ratttt.

juhi is best beti.

GOD WHO MAKES THESE DUMBASSSSSS FUCKING RULES ABOUT WHO GETS TO LIVE WHERE ITS BLOODY 2020 FFS SOCIETY AS WE KNOW IT HAS COLLAPSED JUST DO WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

juhiiiiii asking ALL the rightttt questions.

yes juhi you establish that haq!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lmao kusum is so me.

great, piyu has a new reason to hate juhi's fam.

GOOD LORD SHE'S SUCH A FUCKING DRAMA QUEEEEEEN. she's second on the list of "ASSHOLES WHO NEED TO DIAL IT DOWN, WAY DOWNNNNNNNNN" after tarun.

kusum trying to find some peace of mind.

oh ho, piyu has a backstory, where she was shipped off to gaon by her parents for some reason. ok i feel a little bad for her (but not thaaaaat much also.)

juhi sambhaale toh kitne maaon ke draamey sambhaale aaj???!

BETI KE GHAR KA PAANI TAK BLAH BLAH BLAHHHHHHH

sumedh ko koi sach mein koi mantriii banao. he is best man for the job.

KT is always expected to perform the dialogues of his movies, like some kinda circus monkey?????

KT and his mom are veryyyyy wholesome.

ummmm, literally none of these people said any of these things, preeti. ainvaaayi khayaali khichidiiiiii of unpleasantness you're cooking in your head.

this fucking samaaaj is the jaddd of allllll problems. fucking burn it all down to the grounddddddddddddddddd.

02.09.20

KT wants to call chaabi waali to check on her. sweet.

great, preeti left her phone over at tarun/rati's.

OMG THIS BITCH. NAATAK?!!?!? MY GODDDDDDD, FUCK YOUUUUUUUUUU RATI.

KT didn't believe a worddddd of that bs.

bless this man's empathetic heart. he Soft.

RATI I SWEAR TO GODDDDDDDDDDDDDD I HOPE THIS GHAR OF YOURS FALLS ON YOUR DAMN HEAD.

and tarunnn, i wish you'd fall into a moat filled with hungry crocodiles.

sumedh is trying to find diplomatic solution while kusum eavesdrops lol.

oh i think sumedh and juhi handle some kinda family business together. sweet.

SUMEDH BE SETTING HUSBAND GOALSSSSSSSS. YOU RAISED A GOOD ONE, KUSUM.

lmaoooooo kusum and her ramji sayings are my fav.

my god, bohut hi besura bhajan chal raha hai subaah subaah.

i wish the walls of this house weren't so AGGRESSSIVELYYYYY BLUE. it makes the space look claustrophobic and dark.

(recently painted an accent wall in my living room, and this comment is a result of having read 30 thousand home decor blogs in a week.)

every time i see that wall hanging over preeti's face in that photo, i lol. kusum you're so deliciously petty.

khatarnaak music and ainvayiiii ka tevar for kusum.

LMAO THE MISLEAD WITH THE TWO MUGS OF TEA. KUSUM YOU PETTY ASS B I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

juhiiiiiiiiiiiii is literalllll sunshine.

and sumedh got them a special pass to go to some mandir in pushkar. god bless these twoooooo kidsssss.

preeti has enough self-flagellation and guilt to put the best of catholics to shame.

LMAOOOOOOOOO KUSUM RUNNING AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY TO HIDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AND DO NAATAKKKKK.

i guess to get some attention + to get preeti to stay home with her???

yupppppp, she fully wanted quality time with preeti.

hahahahaha raajeshwari sachdev is honestly a gifttttttt that i didn't expect from this show but i'm soooooo glad it gave me.

askjfhkdsjfshksjf kusum's comments on youngest daughter's (kajal?) dungarees.

kajalllllll fully knows how mummy works. i like her best of the sisters.

"purkhon ne aakhein di hai ya cctv? kuch bhi na chupe thaanedaarni se!" hee hee heee

kusum + kajal tying for best maa-beti jodi with preeti + juhi.

"door se dikhaana tha toh photu kheench ke bhej deti; nimbu kharchne ki kya zaroorat thi???" hahahahahaha

lmao kusum tum juhiiiii ki saas ho ya preeti ki.

GOOD LORD WHAT IS THIS NAAGIN MUSIC?!?!

kusummmm ainvayiiiii mein tang kar-ing preeti to see till what extent she'll bend over backwards to accommodate the nakhras.

i mean, i don't blame preeti for wanting to leave this place.

oh god KT's mom is gonna do some totally unnecessary matchmakingggg. LITERALLLLY WHO ASKED FOR THISSSSSSSSSS??!?!?!

stop calling a 40 year old man A LADKA, jesus. daaant haath mein aa jayenge phir bhi desi maaa ke liye apna raja beta LADKA hi hai.

kusum is totalllly miffed at preeti's over-formal, farmabardaaaar behaviorrrr.

OH HOOOOOO KUSUMMMMMMMM TAAAANA MAT MAAROOOOOOOO

I SHALL NOT BE FOOLED BY THE RED HERRING PRECAP I'M SOOOOOOOOO FUCKING HYPED FOR TOMM'S EPPPPPPPP IT'S GOING TO BE FUCKING GLORIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#shaadi mubarak #sm lbs #episode liveblogs

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thisweekingundamwing · 7 years

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This Week October 8-14

After a few edits and additions, here is the revised This Week. Sorry it’s out a bit after noon.

-mod Clara

Fanfiction:

@anaranesindanarie

Dose of Angst

This is gonna be a collection of angst. Yes you read that right. Angst.

angst

Annelda Michelle

The Hidden Pilot Asset

FORMALLY KNOWN AS DUO, I'M YOUR SISTER. Who really starts Operation Meteor? with the love she has for her family Annelda starts on a journey to find her brother Duo and be an asset to the other pilots who have already been sent to Earth. It has love and loss, adventure and mystery. I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I have writing it.

@chronicwhimsy

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Sequel to 'Such Little Things' and 'Schoolyard Blues'. Liangyu is now fifteen, and has two years left of high school. The growing pains are not even close to over, though, but everyone tries very hard.

post-canon

Saudade

The summer following the Barton Uprising, Duo joins Trowa to tour with the circus around Europe. It's an attempt to run away from issues, instead of dealing with them, and Trowa finds that in helping Duo face up to his problems, he works through a few of his own. Things are muddling along nicely, until Duo decides to help with Trowa's love life.Saudade: a Portuguese word for a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves.PREQUEL TO SALVAGE.

post-canon, underage drinking, mentions of underage sex

@claraxbarton

Even If

It's Heero's birthday, and the former pilot is introduced to a Terran custom.(Okay. That summary is horribly misleading but I have no other idea what to say)

spanking, voyeurism

Diana_Lua

Ónoma Ὄνομα

Sometimes it's necessary to choose a new name to live freely. [AU; 'Where my demons hide' side story (can be read independently of it); Something about Duo's past with Solo; Angst; Shounen-ai; probably yaoi/lemon at ending (Angel incest); Pairing Duo & Solo]

incest

duointherain

A Dark Wolf

It's a long time after the wars. Heero's been missing for a very long time, more than a century, and Duo is still watching for clues, but has nowhere to search for his lover and friend. He's a small town sheriff in the Pacific north west.He thinks Heero's never coming back, nothing ever happens in his town, and he's fucking fine.He's so wrong.

werewolves

@gw-ficrecfriday

The Soul of Outer Space is Dead

Quatre Winner woke up dead one morning, only it was afternoon and technically speaking he was still alive. But they had cut it out of him. They’d sawed through his skull and they’d drilled into his brain and they’d spooned it out of him, scraped him clean.

angst

@helmistress

Mashed Potatoes

Duo didn’t know what it was about mashed potatoes but he always felt better after having some.

comfort food

A Puppy for Heero

Heero gets a new puppy he never knew he wanted.

Tattoo Shop AU

Zechs’ Teeth

WuFei and Zechs have a sword fight.

The Italian Job

Zechs and Noin have a hitman to take out in Siena but with all the beautiful scenery and unique places to eat, will they be able to focus?

Quitting the Circuit

Heero is a famous NASCAR driver and it makes his boyfriend worry. He's decided to put a stop to that.

Nicknames

Quatre is forever insulting Zechs, and Zechs wants to know why.

Excerpt from Noin’s Stationary 1

A small poem from Noin's stationary.

How to Love an Axe Murderer

Quatre gets revenge on Duo for planting the 'Axe Murderer' criteria in Heero's head before their first date.

Hair Extensions

Duo fulfills the want of Relena Bloom to braid his and his husbands' hair together for Pride Day. WuFei isn't exactly happy about it.

Dinner’s On You

Duo is tired when he is finally able to drag himself home after a long day at work. But his husband knows just how to wake him up.

Alliance Carwash

Zechs gets a summer job at Alliance, the local carwash, and falls for the manager's daughter.

Maxwell’s Water Refinery

Trowa blushed, there was no stopping it. "Sorry, I." DON'T F*ING SAY THAT! HE'LL THINK YOU'RE SOME KIND OF CREEP! His mind screamed at him making him pause. The delicate brow quirked at him had his only true answer spilling from his mouth anyway. "I wasn't expecting you to be so gorgeous." Violet eyes blinked at him, a stunned expression washing over the man's face

@invidiamalice

Skeptics and True Believers

Trowa is just your not-so-average college student that wants to make it big in the music industry with his band. Will his secret test his relationships and hurt his chances in music? Trans!Trowa

Language, explicit sexual content, trans male character

@kangofu-cb

Control

Heero is waiting at home with a much-appreciated surprise for Duo.Kinktober 2017 prompt from Ro, "Rimming"

Kinktober 2017

Practical Demonstration

Prompt response for Kinktober "Deepthroating"Shameless smut, mostly plotless.Duo and Trowa are at a karaoke bar with the others, and Duo convinces Trowa it's time to leave.

Kinktober 2017

Kariana Kusanagi

Gundam Wing: Gemini

A singer from the colonies arrives on Earth for a concert, but when she encounters the Gundams, the very foundation she knows just may be torn apart. Faced with what she knows, will she be able to survive the war?

Krysnel_nicavis

Episode 01-The Boy With The Green Eyes

Sometimes, fate sucks at her job. Other times, she seems to know what she’s doing. Heero and Trowa have just suffered a tragic loss. Harry is soon to experience a loss himself but, thanks to two former Gundam pilots, his loss won’t be anywhere near tragic. Maybe they'll all learn something in the process.

Mpreg, miscarriage, HP-GW Crossover

Episode 02: Small Matters

Mpreg, miscarriage, HP-GW Crossover

Episode 03: Propriety and Planning

Mpreg, miscarriage, HP-GW Crossover

@lifeaftermeteor

LAM

Duo Maxwell’s Apartment Brussels, Belgium 207 May 13

Luvsanime02

Some Things Are Ageless

Trowa loves to goad Zechs, especially when it results in times like this.

Kinktober 2017

A Performance to Remember

Trowa asks for a memorable performance, and Duo aims to deliver.

Kinktober 2017

Something Blue

Duo didn't know what he was expecting when Quatre said that he wanted to show off his latest attempt at a Halloween costume, but it wasn't this. Not that he's complaining.

Kinktober 2017

Turbulence

The story about what Agent Frank Parks has been up to between Evasion and now.This is the seventh story in Navigation, a fem!Heero series.

fem!Heero

Maldoror_Chant

The Arrangement

Wufei, struggling with his demons, agrees to a wartime fling with Heero, no affection needed or wanted. But the 'arrangement' lasts and grows as they join the preventers. It could become a source of strength for both. If they let it.

Non-consensual drug use

Nil by Mouth

Preventers get into lotsa fights, and sometimes we get a tooth knocked loose. I'm fine with going to the dentist, but Heero? That's another matter. Fortunately he's got me to drag him over there, because someone's gotta. And yes, I remembered to disarm him first; I rather like our dentist, and there aren't many like him who's willing to take care of us ex-Gundam Pilots for some reason.

dentist things

The Source of All Things

Center, a planet where magic and technology blend. Or more accurately, fight tooth and nail. A planet of Sources, holes in our boring dimension letting through arcane power, chaos and pseudo-deities. In this hot-house of myths and very real dangers, Trowa and Quatre find a mysterious man at the end of a shamanic voyage. Portents suggest this Heero Yuy is crucial to Center’s survival. He’s important enough to have some interesting enemies after him, at any rate: a devious killer and thief called ‘Shinigami’, and a very irate Dragon. Beyond them looms an even greater threat. Indeed, the greatest of them all.(Alternative Universe, far-flung future sci-fi/fantasy. There are elements from the anime that exist here, albeit in very different forms; Gundam mechas, Zero, and lovely G-boys for instance. They are perhaps a universal constant we are not yet aware of. This fic was original started over a decade ago. It has been heavily rewritten and should now be eventually finished)

sex, mild description of self-harm, weird science

Mistaken-Miracles

When The Tides Change

Preventers learn of a new underground rebellion group, along with the arrival of a new ally. Can Heero put his feelings aside to trust this ally or will new discoveries create tension between the Gundam Pilots? Can they work together to keep the peace? Or are there too many complications to control?

@noelleian

The Pact

After seducing Quatre, the other four ex-pilots brave the uncharted waters of their new abilities and learn to cope with the unintentional gifts they were given. But as always, power requires responsibility and the humbling acknowledgement of humanity's weaknesses. The struggle to stay true to themselves becomes a dangerous and terrifying endeavor as they skirt the boundary where conscience bleeds into chaos and the dark abyss of temptation.

Non-Graphic Violence, Alpha/Omega

orphan-account

Time

Duo resorts to drastic measures following heartbreak, and Wufei is the only there to pick up the pieces. Sometimes, healing just takes time.

suicide attempt, past abuse

Pokeyonekenobie

Bombshells

A misunderstanding drove them apart. Now an emergency will bring them back together. But will they ever manage to repair the rift in their friendship?

@renmaxwell, @shinigami-of-excellence

We Don’t Belong

Just as the war was coming to its climax, the Gundam pilots were about to take out White Fang in space, when an attack from Earth knocked both parties out of the sky. The Alliance had been in hiding and building a weapon to take out both of their enemies, a massive nuclear beam capable of knocking an entire colony out of space. The Gundam pilots are captured and put on trial for their crimes. Their punishments are as cruel as the new masters of this world, the foundation that had been manipulating world governments secretly for years and who now openly reign. What will become of the Gundam pilots in this reality?

Pedophilia, sexual slavery, forced sex, forced prostitution, canon divergent

ShenLong

Bound, Bonded and Betrayed

Heero is the eldest son of the King of Colonia. His 21st birthday is approaching and as tradition dictates his betrothed is soon to arrive. However he is also bound by tradition to select his own personal slave. The events that unfold lead him down a path that not only tests his sanity but his humanity and love as well.

bondage, slavery, angst, sex, violence

Strawberrywaltz

The Forgotten

The entire universe thinks that Quatre Winner is dead, but when Heero starts having strange black outs he begins to realize the rumors of Quatre's death might not be true.

Implied non-con, non-consensual drug use, temporary character death

sylvieforaday

They Say It Was a Concussion

Duo takes a spill and Zechs is just what the doctor ordered.

@thehiddenbaroness

Resurrecting the Viper

Following a routine visit to Vingolf, Orga, Mikazuki and Merribit are surprised by the sudden appearance of a practically naked, injured woman. Although Artima seems to have full recollection of who she is, she does not seem to understand the outside world. Against Orga's better judgment, the Isaribi is soon entangled in Artima's quest to find and destroy her old mobile suit - and discover both she and it are relics from over three hundred years ago that could hold the key to Tekkadan's future.

Gundam Wing/Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans

The Manwell

May Demons Rest: Shinigami Sleeps 2017

A re-write of my 2004 fanfic "Shinigami Sleeps"To find and free Duo from his demons, Trowa leaves his uneventful life at the circus for the mean streets of an obscure colony in L2.

rewrite of Shinigami Sleeps

Fanart:

@alicia-makes-things

Relena

@bassrocks

Duo

@chronicwhimsy

OC-October- Chang Liangyu

Liangyu, Duo and Wufei

@gundamwing-ellesmith (This was tweaked with this week.)

http://gundamwing-ellesmith.tumblr.com/post/166258263409/gundamwing-ellesmith-the-indomitable-bhg-i

@lbro009

Sally Po and Wufei Chang

Minimony

OC Akane Yora (OC of @cosmostar, art by Minimony)

@sailoriceprincess

OC from Trials and Memories

@shinigami714

Duo

@space-husband

Gundam Wing gunpla

@ssj5toast

Wing Zero gunpla

@vegalume

OC characters from GW fanfiction

Quatre

Duo

Zechs

Trowa

Heero

Snippets:

@claraxbarton

6x2 Snippet involving how to properly eat chocolate

@gundamwing-ellesmith

OC Profile: The villain from Left Unsaid

@the-indomitable-bhg

Drabble: The Piano

Meta:

@claraxbarton

Math Homework: OT3 Metrics on AO3

Calendar Events:

Gundam Wing Eve War Event @gw-evewar

Open Science Fiction Themed Event

(Saturday) December 23, 2017 - (Sunday) December 24, 2017

*** event will be observing Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) ***

Submissions: Fanfiction, Meta essays, Personal Headcanon, Fan Art

Rules: All works must feature a science fiction theme. Alternate Universes, and cross-over fiction are welcome. There are no limits to characters, pairings, audience rating, time frame or universe.

OC October @gwoc-october

For the month of October, we can post everything and anything pertaining to fan OCs in Gundam Wing with weekly themes and perhaps a featured OC every other day or so. This includes fic, snippets, art, OC profiles, headcanons, ships, discussions, and anything you have as long as it’s about an OC. Even if this OC of yours is still in the mulling-stages, we want to hear about it! Let’s embrace OCs and celebrate our collective awesomeness.

Unnatural November @gwblockparty

The entire month of November.

Supernatural, Otherworldly, Spooky, Alien Techy, Unnatural things will all be taken! Join the fun!

Archives/Sites:

Gundam Wing Pod Fics on AO3

Come and take a listen!

Gundam Wing fanfiction Archive List by @vegalume

https://gundamwingarchive.wixsite.com/fanfiction

Talliya’s Domain by @helmistress

https://ayeeshadragon.wixsite.com/talliya/links

Gundam Wing Diaries Fanfiction Archive by ShenLong

http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.foreverfandom.net/gw/main_Updates.htm

#gundam wing fanfiction #gundam wing art #gundam wing meta #gundam wing #this week in gundam wing #thisweekingundamwing

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uterusclub · 6 years

Text

It seemed odd and slightly frustrating that every time I mentioned visiting New Mexico to someone, it was met with preposterousness. Surely one would be more open-minded and curious about the lesser known or explored locations of the world instead of continuously dabbling in the cliched overkills of touristy vacation spots. It wasn’t until I came across a venue situated in Santa Fe, New Mexico that I became absolutely obsessed with the idea of visiting: The Meow Wolf. Described as a psychedelic fun house and part art display and music venue, the videos and articles I read absolutely enthralled me. If my personality and spirit could be placed within the confines of a structured building, this would be its home. Naturally upon my discovery of this place, I immediately reported to Sharon which in turn, snowballed into the idea of a Halloween weekend vacation in New Mexico! But wait! What else would we do there? It took a few weeks and a lot of research but eventually we succeeded in what we do best – a well-executed itinerary! Restaurants were studied, hotels were researched and activities were scheduled in accordance to location, timing and ratings. We are professionals after all. And with that, we were on our way!

Thanks to my Southwest credit card, our round trip tickets to New Mexico were free – save for our blue line commute to Midway Airport which was slightly delayed after finding out there was some re-route work going on. My time paranoia mildly nagged until we were safely situated at the airport and flew through security. And being the professional travelers we are, we prepped our flight with some Halloween-themed movies for entertainment! Our journey started with Hocus Pocus and continued with The Others. Three hours later, we arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

After grabbing our checked bags, we waited in the ever growing shuttle line for car rentals to grab our transit. Shortly thereafter, I found myself easily talked into a vehicle upgrade. Mustang? Why yes, that sounds delightful! White, white, or red? I believe the correct answer is ‘red!’ And with that, I was tossed back into my car-rental driving anxiety which is absolutely terrifying. A Mustang and Volkswagen Beetle are two very different things. It didn’t help that the gas pedal was super touchy either! Thank goodness I had Sharon to GPS me around these strange lands so I could solely concentrate on not killing us.

Our first stop on the agenda was to the Turquoise Museum which I’d purchased a Groupon for ahead of time but since we were already starving and had a little bit of time to kill before our tour reservation, we headed to a joint I’d randomly come across on a list of the best grilled cheese sandwiches throughout the United States. Cinched for time, we ordered and grabbed a sandwich to go before heading out. Arriving a few minutes early for our tour, the museum was situated at a shopping center and looked well, nothing like a museum! Too hangry to concern ourselves just yet, we walked into the building and upon being greeting by the owner, scarfed down our food.

To say this museum sucked would be an understatement. To say the owner was a pretentious douche-bag would also be an understatement. We came to find out no one else was scheduled for a tour so McDouchebag just took us around the ‘museum’ at his leisure randomly quizzing and interrogating us with history and science and our personal life choices. I didn’t know there was going to be a test! I guess McDouchebag finally got tired of his own voice or perhaps finally accepted that we really didn’t give a shit about anything he was saying because he eventually left us to roam around and explore. Sharon and I immediately looked at each in what can only be described as annoyed horror. We didn’t want to stick around. We didn’t want to stay one more minute in the presence of this psychotic but that would be rude and even more uncomfortable than the already statically charged air we were suffocating from. So per our usual tactic, we feigned interest until we could progressively slink ourselves closer and closer to the entrance. Upon almost reaching freedom, McDouchebag bid us his final words of wisdom after relaying how much his shirt cost, of course, and unlocked the front door. Yes, you read that correct. We had been locked in that joint the entire time. Literal escape room from hell! We cringed and shuddered and spiritually cleansed ourselves of the evil on the way back to the car and as I like to re-imagine, sped off like a bat out of hell (except this bat drives extra safe in rentals so this is highly inaccurate).

Traumatized by the underhanded shortcomings of our museum adventure, we found ourselves very pleased to be checking into our hotel early to explore the grounds. Sharon had researched and booked a place by the name of Hotel Parq Central which was a former hospital and psychiatric facility believe to be haunted. It also had a bar on the roof it was famous for on account of the view so win-win! After checking in, we headed to the roof-top bar called Apothecary Lounge for their happy hour as booze was much needed. We medicated with some Angry Orchards and decided to head out for an early dinner at a place I had discovered called Canvas Artistry. After driving and parking down the street from the restaurant, we noticed several cute shops and did a little, quick perusal. Nothing caught our fancy so we headed directly to the restaurant. The joint, while super artsy with tattoo-inspired wall pieces was super dead and our waitress was absolutely terrible. I’ve never seen someone so emotionally removed from human interaction (aside from myself at times but even I attempt to appear otherwise for the sake of formality). In any case, we ordered some chips with an accoutrements of salsa and cheese dips and awaited our entrees. Our food was, as I put things, ‘meh.’ Nothing spectacular. Actually, pretty disappointing. So we headed out and stopped at one final store where Sharon grabbed a mini, sequined sombrero for Bear the cat. After heading back to the hotel, we made another trip to the rooftop bar before the end of happy hour while we waited for a spectacular view of the sunset. Day one: completed!

The next morning we grabbed an early, complimentary breakfast in our hotel lobby and made our way out towads Sante Fe, New Mexico – about an hour north of Albuquerque. Sharon had researched a place called Tinkertown which was on the way to the rest of our Santa Fe festivities so we stopped there first. Aside from the bitter cold of this outdoor ‘exhibit’ which we later discovered was being closed down for the season the very next day (hence the lack of heat), this place was heart-warming! As you make your way through this very unique twists and turns of vintage characters and music, you’re instantly transformed into another dimension! From coin-slotted accordions and fortune-tellers to circus and after-life displays of animated figures to random, inspirational quotes, your mind is engorged on sensory overload! Naturally, the exhibit began and ended in the main entrance area of a gift shop where we met and spoke with a wonderful woman who’s husband, deceased now, hand-crafted every single figure on display! The entire experience was very awe-inspiring to say the least and probably in my top three of our trip endeavors.

Returning to the car for much desired warmth and cranking our Halloween tunes, we continued our way up the ‘Turquoise Trail‘ (as they call it) towards the aforementioned, Meow Wolf! This drive, I cannot stress enough, was the most amazing view of mountain and desert.

Sharon filmed a good portion of our drive on account of just how beautifully peaceful the entire ride was. Naturally we stopped on several occasions for video and photo opts. There truly are no words to do this justice so I wont try. Shortly thereafter, we finally arrived at the Meow Wolf.

–

In hindsight, we really should have scheduled Meow Wolf on a weekday since well, weekends are fairly chaotic for most places of entertainment but alas, this was unfortunately an after thought. Arriving at the entrance, we were met with a long line of families. Sharon, being the resourceful genius she is, immediately jumped on her phone and ordered tickets so we could bypass the chaos in front of us. Bam! Talk about efficiency. Upon grabbing tickets and being given the ‘spiel’ about the venue, we immediately headed to the restrooms which were situated down a long, black light corridor of wall art. I was already in love with this place. Bladders empty, we headed inside.

Nothing can truly prepare you for this experience. It’s confusing and nonsensical and bright and random but in the best possible way. We were told you could follow some sort of ‘story line’ throughout the exhibit but we were also told you could just wander about. We chose the latter which was the less obnoxious way to roam about as you could avoid constantly rubber-necking over other people to read the necessary information. And if I’m totally being honest, the already chaotic nature of the number of people in all areas at all times was super stunting. Ideally, being left alone in the Meow Wolf would truly be a mind trip. Or an awesome music video. Or both, really. But with massive amount of people involved, the magic becomes much less impactful. Still, it did not disappoint.

Departing the Meow Wolf, we made a quick stop at a nearby shopping area by the name of Jackalope. Roaming through aisles and aisles of crafts and arts, Sharon eventually settled on a home-made heart ornament for our Christmas tree. Prize in tow, we next headed to some much desired brunch. Every trip we take, I always research restaurants featured on television shows and this was one of them: Cowgirl Santa Fe. The name is very misleading in that it comes off sounding like a super cheesy, lame place but honestly, the indoor decor was impressively interesting and entailed famous, historic cowgirls. Talk about your girl power. But that wasn’t all. The food? Yes, the food was superb! Stomach’s uncomfortably full, our next activities were the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum.

Once again, I had used the awesome power of Groupon for obtaining tickets for the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens which, in actuality, ended up being one of the saddest thing I had ever seen. And perhaps this wasn’t fair – being from Chicago and all – and the fact that, well, can you really have that high of expectations for a botanical garden when you’re in desert country? Regardless, Sharon and I took a quick, disappointed stroll around (namely to digest our brunch) and questioned the ‘art’ randomly displayed throughout the garden before making our departure. Next on our roster was the vagina museum – I mean, the Georgia O’Keeffee Museum – same difference.

Now I personally don’t know much about Georgia O’Keeffee – other than your basic, vagina painting but Sharon was all about this lady so I walked into this whole thing completely blind. The thing was though, I didn’t see one vagina painting there and I was actually kind of disappointed. The entire museum was more based on other people’s photographs of Georgia O’Keeffee which we both thought was pretty lame. I did take one picture of a butt painting – just to salvage something from our visit. I can’t say I attempted to read or learn anything about Georgia O’Keeffee either but I’m just not a museum person. Bottom line: no vaginas = we’re out!

At this point in our day, we were completely exhausted! Our game-plan had been to hit up a cider house for dinner later but we opted to make a quick stop at a chocolate shop called Kakawa Chocolate House (was ‘meh’) before heading to our hotel, Drury Plaza Hotel. After checking in, we were given complimentary drink tickets for the hotel bar which we utilized shortly thereafter. Upon lounging around our hotel room for several hours – catching up on quality television, we eventually made ourselves decent for dinner at Eloisa situated upstairs. The only drawback to traveling in my opinion is how completely jacked my stomach becomes. Having said that, I wasn’t very hungry due to my stomach’s inability to process the already consumed food so we kept our meal pretty short and simple before heading back to our room.

Our final morning in Santa Fe, New Mexico, we shoved in as many last minute adventures as possible. Grabbing a quick, complimentary breakfast, we immediately headed out for some shopping we had forgone the day before. Following a swing and a miss on that, we headed out to the Santa Fe Brewing Company to try some cider. After arriving at the Santa Fe Brewing Company a tad too early, we walked around the parking lot and eventually noticed the door was open so we wandered inside and warmed ourselves up. Upon being greeting by an employee, we were informed that this was not the correct building and were rerouted across the parking lot to a fenced in building. We came to realize this fence was locked but were finally – after loitering for a moment – admitted to the tasting room area. With three ciders on draft, we requested a (shared) three cider flight and begrudgingly concluded these ciders were not our thing. But alcohol is alcohol! So we choked them down and awaited our reprisal drive down the Turquoise Trail.

After indulging ourselves once again with the amazing view that is the Land of Enchantment (ie New Mexico), we now made our way to our spare of the moment endeavor of visiting an Alpaca Farm! Yes, that’s right! Why an Alpaca? What’s an Alpaca? Who really knows? But they’re animals. Arriving at Hollywick Farms, we parked near a sign that requested we honk upon arrival which I was afraid would spook the animals so I declined. A small, lovely elderly woman emerged from a small shack at the beginning of the gated entrance and bid us to follow her inside. We perused the closeted gift-shop for a few minutes until the elderly woman’s husband, Bill appeared. After brief introductions, Bill took us over to the actual ‘farm’ area to meet and greet the Alpacas. Now this, friends, was one of my most favorite parts of our trip. Not only are these creatures cute and sweet but they’re also a bit strange and hilariously curious. Bill taught us how to exchange a nose kiss with certain Alpacas which was adorably easy. We then met the wonderfully fluffy guard dogs who I, obviously, fell in love with and obsessed over for the remainder of our tour. All in all, a wonderful highlight of our trip!

In continuing our journey and after returning to Albuquerque, New Mexico, we now headed to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway. Sharon gets all the credit for researching this one. So basically, you tram up the mountains for about 15 minutes to the top of this absolutely gorgeous view and hang out for however long you desire before heading back either by return tram or hiking! While I, ironically, love roller coasters, there was something much more daunting about the longevity of this escalation. Still, aside from my unwarranted nervousness, the round trip view was astounding! My only request would be the accompaniment of mountain-theme songs during the ride. You know, a little ‘Aint No Mountain High Enough,’ ‘Climb Every Mountain,’ ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ – I could go on. Apparently at some point, Sharon caught wind of some famous guy on our tram after hearing someone’s over-excitement at his presence. We have no clue who this guy was. So clearly, he can’t be that awesome.

Our day was scheduled to conclude with some final, light shopping in the downtown area of Albuquerque, New Mexico where we had also planned our final dinner, The Church Street Cafe. After finally finding a wolf-orientated birthday gift for my mother, we grabbed dinner and drinks (which were delicious) and headed to our hotel, Hotel Cascada. Now this hotel was the least fancy of the three and I think it really hit home after feeling posh the previous two nights. Regardless, we were too exhausted to care much and ended our night with some brief television before passing out.

The conclusion of our New Mexico trip was strategically chill. After hitting up our traditional visits to two local Plato’s Closets, Sharon stopped off to grab some new headphones for the plane-ride back and we made one final stop-off for food: Frank’s Famous Chicken & Waffles. Dare I say, this was another Groupon purchase? Yes, I dare. And perhaps we should all learn a good lesson from this. Do not. Trust. The Groupon. At least not for your out of town trips. Having said that, I actually apologized to Sharon after our meal. The restaurant, itself was kinda cute and kitchy but all in all, the food was, once again, ‘meh.’ I do hate to end on a sour note.

In any case, with nothing left on our agenda and feeling already antsy to return home, we made our way to the car rental area early to relieve ourselves of the Mustang (which had sorta grown on me) and headed to the airport. Security lines at the airport were pretty non-existent which allotted us even more time to kill before our flight home. Once situated at our gate, we proceeded to finish watching The Others until being interrupted by a nearby, disabled man needing assistance with his motor-chair. Sharon very obligingly helped the elderly gentleman with his vehicle while I sat and filmed. Back on the plane, we continued our movie viewing and excitedly, arrived back to Chicago earlier than scheduled. After grabbing our baggage from the carousal at Midway, we awaited my parent’s car in the blistering cold of Chicago. And although this city lacks beautiful mountains and serene deserts and nose-kissing Alpacas, I’d trade it all for the the disenchanting traffic noise welcoming me back home.

The Girls Who Cried Meow Wolf It seemed odd and slightly frustrating that every time I mentioned visiting New Mexico to someone, it was met with preposterousness.

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pastelgayfairy-blog · 7 years

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What Are The Best Tv Shows On Netflix

Best TV Shows on Netflix Right Now Scattered one of the better TV shows on Netflix are more and more of the streaming platform’s own original series. Watching TV on Netflix has gotten better and better as the support continues to add to its amazing catalog of network and cable collection, not to mention the proliferation of flashy Netflix originals. In reality, the business that spent its formative years in an effort to to see films has since become in the world’s main enabler of binge-watching. Our listing of the greatest shows on Netflix is here to help you discover the next TV series to devour, and we’ve appeared through the enormous catalog (USA only, sorry) to find these suggestions.

Breaking Bad

Creator: Vince Gilligan Stars: Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, Aaron Paul Giancarlo Esposito Network: AMC One of the things that created Breaking Bad one of the alltime greats was the writers did a phenomenal job introducing plot lines, complicated themes and tips, and then weaving them all together for an excessively fulfilling conclusion. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially when the display asks the audience to hold on tight until the end to see where it’s all going. In that way it’s similar to The Wire, a show that didn’t hammer its audience within the the pinnacle constantly with flashy occasions, but requested for patience as all the plot threads gradually untangled. And with Breaking Bad’s narrower focus, the stakes and emotional ties we have using the story and figures can be significantly higher.

Sherlock

Creators: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat Stars: Rupert Graves, Benedict Cumberbatch Mark Gatiss Network: BBC One h-AS only to seem in the sterling monitor record of Steve Moffat to witness a showrunner godin the creating. The guiding hand behind such English hits as Press Gang and Coupling, Moffat has acquired the most attention for resuscitating Dr. Who into the Anglo Saxon ambassador of science fiction. But Moffat and frequent collaborator Mark Gatiss transcended their best work with Sherlock, the BBC drama that hi Jacks Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic sleuth into the present with awe-inspiring intelligence and type. Calling Sherlock a TV series is a tad misleading, although; the series h AS created two seasons consisting of three 90 -minute episodes each. In other words, a feature film has been averaged by the Sherlock group every 90 days since the Summer of 2010. The immaculate second period dug deeper into the psychological faultlines of Holmes, played with sterile arrogance by Benedict Cumberbatch (or as Seth Meyers mentioned on SNL, the only real man with a name mo Re preposterous than Sherlock Holmes). When the audience wasn’t trying to piece together the secret of the week, we were discovering fleeting clues to the guarded humanity of London’s best “Consulting Detective,”typically to the chagrin of longsuffering accomplice John Watson (Martin Freeman) and volatile love curiosity Irene Adler (Lara Pulver).

Dear White People

Creator: Justin Simien Stars:: Logan Browning, Brandon P. Giancarlo Esposito, Bell, DeRon Horton, Antoinette Robertson Ashley Blaine Featherson Network: Netflix Based on creator Justin Simien’s 2014 indie, Netflix’s unique series—narrated by Breaking Negative and Better Call Saul’s Giancarlo Esposito—replicates the pungent humor of the movie without ever see-ming stale, or static: Its knives are sharp, and they’re pointed in every path. Though its primary goal is white privilege, in forms both egregious (black-face events) and mundane (calls to finish “divisive”politics), Expensive White People, established on the campus of a fictional Ivyleague university, is even funnier when it turns to the information on the black students’ individual and ideological choices, transforming the the idea of the “problematic fave,”from the McRib to The Cosby Present into the engine of its own entertaining, incisive comedy.

The Fall

Creator: Allan Cubitt Stars: Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, Valene Kane, SÃ©alinÃn Brennan Bronagh Taggart Sarah Beattie Network: BBC Let it be known that before he was Christian Grey, Jamie Dornan proved his performing chops and charisma as a disturbingly undisturbable murderer in this superb psychological thriller. Dornan’s mild mannered husband, father and grief counselor (!) is on the list of most terrifying onscreen serial killers in recent memory. Paul Spector is a stalker, as exacting and methodical as his eventual pursuer. Enter Gillian Anderson’s Stella Gibson, a British detective superintendent called to Belfast to look into a spate of gruesome murders. As the cat-and-mouse sport intensifies, Anderson’s characterization is its own triumph: analytical, uncompromising, reserved, but brazenly sexual on her own terms, completely unfazed by the politicking and dick-swinging of her male colleagues. That we know the identification of the killer from the show’s first frames, but can’t t-AKE our eyes off the screen is a testament to the stealth creep with which The Fall operates.

Amy TV Show

The Office (U.K., U.S.)

Creators: Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant; U.S. edition developed by Greg Daniels Stars: U.K.: Ricky Gervais, Martin Freeman, Mackenzie Crook, Lucy Davis, Oliver Chris, Patrick Baladi, Stacey Roca, Ralph Ineson, Stirling Gallacher; U.S.: Steve Carell B, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer. J. Novak, Oscar Nunez, Brian Baumgartner, Angel A Kinsey, Ed Helms, Creed Bratton, Phyllis Smith, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling Networks: BBC, NBC Ricky Gervais’ immortal Brit-Com deserves full marks for establishing this comedy franchise that killed the laugh monitor and introduced us to a hilarious bunch of paper-pushing mopes. Defying expectations that it could pale in comparison, NBC’s Workplace became an institution unto it self. While displaying much more heart in relation to the gang could muster in old England at its best, the American model was just as awkward as its predecessor.

Parks and Recreation

Creators: Greg Daniels Stars: Rashida Jones, Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott, Rob Low-E, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza Network: NBC Recreation and Parks began its run as a relatively common mirror of The Off Ice, but in its third-season, the student became the master. As it’s fleshed-out with oddballs and unusual metropolis quirks, Pawnee has become the greatest tv town since Springfield. Today, the present flourished this yr with a few of the most unique and interesting figures in comedy. With one of the one of the biggest creating staffs of any present, Re Creation and Parks is only got better with time.

30 Rock

Creator: Tina Fey Stars: Judah Friedlander, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit Network: NBC The religious successor to Arrested Development, 3 Rock succeeded where its competition failed by mainly ignoring the real process of making a television show and instead focusing on the life span of one one person responsible of the procedure, played by display creator Tina Fey. 30 Rock never loses track of its own focus and generates a remarkably deep character for the its circus to spin around. But Fey’s perhaps not the only one that makes the sequence. Consistently spot-on performances by Tracy Morgan—whether frequenting strip clubs or a werewolf bar mitzvah—and Alec Baldwin’s evil plans for microwave-tele-vision programming produce an ideal le Vel of chaos for the show’s writers to unravel every week. 30 Rock doesn’t have intricate themes or a deep concept, but that stuff would be in the way of its own goal: having probably one of the most of the most regularly funny shows on Television. Suffice to say, it succeeded.

Arrested Development

Creator: Mitch Hurwitz Stars: Ron Howard, Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, David Cross, Michael Cera, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Alia Shawkat Networks: Fox, Netflix Mitch Hurwitz’ sit-com about a “wealthy family who lost every thing and the one son who'd no choice except to keep them all together”packed an entire lot of awesome into three short seasons. How much awesome? Well, there was the chicken dance, for starters. And Franklin’s “It’s Maybe Not Simple Being White.”There was Ron Howard’s place-on narration, and Tobias Funke’s Blue Man ambitions. There was Mrs. Featherbottom and Charlize Theron as Rita, Michael Bluth’s mentally challenged love curiosity. Not with every loose thread tying s O flawlessly in to another act h AS a story line that is comic been therefore perfectly built, since Seinfeld. Arrested Development took self-referencing post modernism to an intense that was absurdist, jumping shark but that was the level. They even induced the initial shark-jumper—Henry Winkler—as the family lawyer. When he was changed, normally, it was by Scott Baio. All of the Bluth family members was one of the better characters on tele-vision, and Jason Bateman performed a man that is straight that is brilliant to all of them. And after years of rumors, the present came ultimately back to Netflix for a fourth season—different in both construction and tone, but nevertheless, a gift to enthusiasts who'd to say goodbye to the Bluths alltoo so-on.

Orange is the New Black

Creator: Jenji Kohan Stars: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon. Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew Network: Netflix Orange is the New Black is completely suited for the Netflix shipping program, if only as it might have been agonizing to wait a week for a new episode. But there’s more; the construct felt cinematic and compared to your average show, and I couldn’t help but feel that the all-at once release airplane freed the creators to make some thing less episodic and more free-flowing. Taylor Schilling stars as Piper Chapman, a woman living a content contemporary existence when her past rears up abruptly to tackle her from behind; 10 years earlier in the day, she was briefly a drug mule for her lover Alex Vause (the the wonderful Laura Prepon), and when Vause needed to plea her sentence down, she threw in the towel Piper. The story is based on the real-life events of Piper Kerman, whose e-book of the same title was the inspiration, but the truth is that the screen version is miles better. Schilling is the engine that drives the plot, and her odd blend of normal serenity combined with together with the growing rage and desperation in the late turn her life has taken strikes the perfect tone for a lifetime inside the women’s jail. Within the first few episodes, jail is treated like an almost-quirky novelty she’ll have to experience for 15 months, along with the wisest option director Jenji Kohan made (and there are many) was to heighten the stakes so that what starts as an off kilter journey quickly assumes the severe proportions prison lifestyle demands. And as fantastic as Prepon and Schilling are together, the cast is therefore universally outstanding that it almost beggars belief. You can find too many characters who make gold making use of their constrained display time to mention individually, but suffice it to say that there’s enough comedy, pathos and tragedy here for several exhibits. The reality that they fit therefore effectively into one makes OITNB a triumph .

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Creators: Tina Fey Stars: Sara Chase, Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Karkowski, Carol Kane, Lauren Adams Network: Netflix NBC has made any number of mistakes over the years, but few greater than shelving Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s 3-0 Rock follow up, before punting it over to Netflix. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wound-up becoming one of the highlights of a great year for TV comedy. The fast-paced and flip sit com showcased breakout performances by Office vet Ellie Kemper as the titular former “mole woman”attempting to make it on on her behalf own in New York, and Tituss Burgess as her flamboyant and put-upon room mate, Titus Andromedon. (NBC has recently tri Ed to make it up to Kemper for dropping the ball on this by planting her in the guest host chair at Today—too little, also late, peacock peddlers.) Throughout the first season’s run, some writers and critics seemed deadset on finding some kind of flaw to pounce on using the present, zeroing in on the way in which the minority characters are re-presented. This may be a wild generalization, but I feel this was an organic reaction to perhaps one of the most of the most feminist sitcoms ever produced. Kimmy Schmidt is definitely upsetting the natural purchase of your network sit com that is typical. The show’s titular character is defining her li Fe on her own conditions and by her own standards. For many reason that still freaks out some people so they dismiss it or find some way to poke holes in the automobile for that idea. That is what makes the prospect of a second time so exciting. As the show can go in a myriad of directions that are different, so too can Kimmy Schmidt. Now that she has put the awful time in the bunker to mattress, she is able to face a brand new day with enthusiastic embrace of life-experience mindset, and that smile. Sorry nit pickers and network executives; Kimmy Schmidt will make it after all.

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icarusproject2015-blog · 7 years

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I’ve been in this game long enough that I’m always shocked when someone comes to me with a story of animal exploitation that I’ve never heard of. And yet, it happens, far more often I’d like. There is, apparently, an inexhaustible number of people eagerly awaiting their chance to “teach” the public about the animals they’re exploiting. Which brings me to the Great American Frontier Show: Wolves of the World. I had never heard of the show, which was founded by a man named Michael Sandlofer, a number of years ago. Mr. Sandlofer passed away in 2016, so I will be as respectful as possible in the writing of this article. The article will, however, be honest, and forthright.

The Sandlofers have owned and trained captive wild animals for entertainment purposes for multiple decades. They even had performing bison at one point. From as early as 1979, they’ve had animal shows performing for audiences, at a price, while claiming the animals were all “rescues” and that they were “educating” people.

Finding articles about the Sandlofers and their shows was easy, but I quickly learned that none of those articles contained more information than that the show was “educational”. Those claims were accompanied by quotes from either Michael, or Sharon like “Wolves are the most misunderstood animals in the world.” and “If you look at wolves up close, you’ll see that their two center toes are longer than the others,” Sandlofer said. “That gives them better traction when they’re on the hunt.” and this gem “Many just don’t understand the pyramid of life cycle and the part these wolves play,”. That last one got a long snarly breath out of me, because by just a few articles into my research, the doublespeak and incorrect information provided made it clear that 1) the Sandlofers did not, and do not, actually know much about wolves, and wolf biology, and 2) the interviewers and authors of the articles either didn’t know, or didn’t care, enough to fact check the information provided by the Sandlofers.

For example, Michael and his wife are described as “having been involved with animal rescue and conservation for decades”. However, aside for Mr. Sandlofer’s participation in the saving of a beached whale back in 1981 (totally commendable) there are no references to the Sandlofers “rescuing” animals by anyone other than the Sandlofers themselves. And while the Sandlofers claim that their animals come from “an animal rescue organization” I have been unable to find any rescue group who works with them, nor have I been able to find where the Sandlofers have ever named the organization. At the time of the whale incident, Michael Sandlofer was a deep sea dive instructor and worked with the North Wind Museum, which he founded in 1979. The North Wind ran the “All-Star Animal Revue and Circus” for a number of years.

Most articles note that Sandlofer was “awarded the prestigious Rolex Award” for his conservation efforts. However, when I went to the Rolex site, and checked their records, Mr. Sandlofer is not listed as a Laureate (winner) of any Rolex award, in any year. I did, however, find this write up, which clearly states that he received an honorable mention from the award in 1984. Still noteworthy, and respectful, but it’s not the same as actually being named a Laureate.

I finally decided it was probably best to just check out actual videos of the Sandlofers’ show. So I spent about three hours, cumulatively, watching Sharon put on the Wolves of the World show. I also watched a great many commercial-style video spots of Michael Sandlofer hocking his show, encouraging fair grounds and entertainment facilities to book them because of the “huge crowds” they draw. The performances I watched ranged from the years 2012 to 2016 and took place all across the country, captured by attendees. At least one was put on by the Sandlofer’s daughter, Brenna. Here are some fast bullet points I got from all my screen time, which I’ll then explore further.

The shows run about 20-30 minutes, but on average, 15+ minutes of that time is spent simply introducing the animals one at a time, or in sets. Many shows state specifically that all of the animals are Eastern Timber wolves.

Sharon is the primary handler. Her husband refers to her as the “Wolf Whisperer” *cough* *Lion Whisperer influence* *cough*

Both Sandlofers repeatedly use the term “positive reinforcement” to describe what they call their “training method” while also repeatedly stating that “you don’t train wolves”.

They call the actions that the animals perform “behaviors” rather than “tricks” insisting that they are all “natural behaviors” while also stating that they “train” the animals “to perform the behaviors for their enrichment.” But each time they say this, they add “but you don’t really train wolves.”

About half the meager wolf biology and scientific information provided by Sharon is either wrong, or extremely simplified and misleading.

The shows always ends with Sharon offering the audience chance to (for more money) take photos with “a wolf pup” and “tour their “den” trailer”.

Despite that the Sandlofers repeatedly refer to their animals as wolves, and as “the pack” I found no evidence that the animals are ever housed together in a functional pack, even off the road.

From 2012-2016 the script of the show remains virtually unchanged, with Sharon reciting the same lines over and over again, almost verbatim, despite that over those years, science’s understanding of wolves has increased and changed. The only real alterations are in the backstories of some of the animals. But the new information provided often directly conflicts with the biographies and information given in previous shows, indicating that the Sandlofers change facts to suit situations.

The main shtick of the Wolves of the World show (aside from being the “Only traveling wolf pack in America”) is that wolves are “the most misunderstood animal in the world”. In addition to being a painfully hackneyed phrasing, it simply isn’t true. There are thousands of completely misunderstood animals in our world. The wolf is just one of them. To describe the wolves and their importance to the environment as being “misunderstood” by Americans is like saying Jews and their importance to humanity was “misunderstood” by Hitler. The hatred and savagery directed at wolves in American history has little to do with them being misunderstood, and everything to do with them being blamed for things they had nothing to do with, and thusly sanctioned for annihilation. And just as with the Holocaust, wolves were systematically exterminated for their perceived worthlessness. Sandlofer, when she does touch on the subject,–something that doesn’t even happen in every show–states that wolves were targeted for hunting because “man saw them as competition”. That is, to put it mildly, an extremely narrow and simplistic perception of the matter, and a largely modern interpretation of modern wolf conservation issues, not historical ones.

In the 1700s, explorers were not concerned with the idea that wolves were going to eat all of their deer or other food staples. In the 1800s settlers were not concerned with sharing food with wolves, so much as saving their livestock from the perceived danger of wolf attack. During hard winters, this ended up being a literal danger. In the 1900s, professional wolf hunters were not concerned with how many deer a wolf pack ate, so much as how many dollars they could get for each wolf killed.

The mass extermination of wolves was driven, not by their “competition” with human hunters, but by the desire for cold hard money, as well as old world fears and hatred, which early settlers brought with them from Europe, where wolves had already been effectively exterminated by 1680 in Scotland, 1786 in Ireland 1707 in Switzerland, and so on. By the late 1800s, wolves were all but extinct in most European countries, and those still alive had been driven into Russia.

True wolf extermination efforts in America did not even begin until the 1870s, and that period of violence lasted up into the 1950s.

To present the idea that wolves were killed by “settlers” because they were viewed as “competition” for a food source, or perceived as dangerous to humans, implants visions such as this into the minds of listeners:

When in reality, the intentional butchering of wolves is a much more recent event, and one that was driven by outright hatred, monetary gain, and sport. (both historical and modern wolf extermination shown here)

Sandlofer’s noble intonement that “Native Americans were really the only people who truly understood wolves. They thought of the wolf as their brother.” is also an idealistic fabrication of “white thinking” (usually presented while mood-setting Native American pipe soundtracks are played for the audience) The relationship between American Indian Nations and the wolf was, and remains, complex and deep, and not always friendly. Some Nations admire the wolf and respect it, but rather than see wolves as “brothers” they see them as warrior spirits which can be invoked by wearing wolf hides, or tails tied to themselves as they go into battle. The Cheyenne Wolf Warrior society are an example of this.

Other Nations, most notably the Navajo, feared, and continue to fear, wolves, believing them to be human witches in disguise. They believed that a Navajo witch became a wolf by donning the skin of a hunted wolf. Navajo werewolves are, even today, often blamed for murders, mutilated bodies, and raiding graveyards.

Unlike Sandlofer’s presentation of American Indians taming wolves and turning them into todays breeds (it should be noted that there are many dog breeds older than the recorded history of North American Natives) the reality is that bringing wolves into camp rarely worked out, as the camp dogs (which Sandlofer’s timeline insinuates wouldn’t have existed yet) killed the pups, or superstitious tribe members stole them away and cast them out. It was far more common, particularly amongst the Cree, for children to find a wolf den, and approach it, at which time the adults would move away–with no recorded attacks on the children–and then the children would dig the pups out and play with them before returning them to their den, and retreating so that the adults to return.

To get back to the “educational” value of Wolves of the World, Sandlofer repeatedly says that you “don’t train wolves, you ask them to do something and hope they do it”, while at the same time openly giving the wolves verbal instructions, and rewarding them with food when they obey, which is the literal process for training through positive reinforcement. The conflict of her statements is obvious. She is, in fact, training the wolves. Or, to be more correct, the wolfdogs.

Czechoslovakian wolfdog.

Image of the Sandlofer’s animals taken from this undated article, where they’re described as Timber wolves.

It’s obvious to anyone with some expertise that virtually every animal in the Wolves of the World show, is actually a captive bred wolfdog, not a full-blooded wolf. Despite that the show describes the pack as “all Eastern Timber wolves” in this 2012 video, none of the animals are full-blooded wolves.

In contrast wolfdogs (as I suspected most, if not all of the Sandlofers animals were when I first saw them) are the product of multiple generations of selective breeding between other wolfdogs in a manner which sustains a high percentage of wolf genetics, but provides a more doglike personality, and tractability. Because domestic dogs were taxonomically recategorized in 1993 as a subspecies of Canus lupus, wolfdog proponents say that they’re no different from other domestic dogs, and wolfdog are now recognized by the UCA. If you follow I.C.A.R.U.S. you’ll know our position on this matter. I have included informational links on wolfdogs to show the definitive differences between them, and captive wolves for the purpose of this article. And this article is not about wolfdogs, it’s about the misrepresentation of wolves by the Sandlofers in their show.

In order to confirm my hunch about the wolfdogs, I sought out and subsequently secured the expertise of an established professional within the wolfdog community. They were, understandably, dubious about speaking with me, considering I.C.A.R.U.S.’s position. However, when I explained my situation, they were willing to help me, as the misrepresentation of wolves, and wolfdogs, is bad business for anyone devoted to genuine conservation.

My contact was able not only to confirm that at least four of the Sandlofer’s main animals (Cody, the “hero wolf” Phoenix, Cheyenne, and another unnamed animal) are, in fact, wolfdogs, but also that those four animals were not “rescued” by the Sandlofers. They were, in reality, bought by Sharon and her husband a number of years ago. Furthermore, my source was given to understand that sometime shortly after the Sandlofers purchased the animals and began describing them as “rescues” they were approached by the former owner, and asked to refrain from calling the animals “rescues” since they had been purchased.

Yet, in virtually every video, or interview I found about the Sandlofers they steadfastly, though the years, have continued to describe their animals as “all rescues”. Likely, this is because “rescues” are far more sympathetic to the audience than purchased animals. The Sandlofer’s daughter, Brenna, goes even a step further in this 2014 video, not only repeatedly calling all of the animals “wolves” but also stating that a number of them are “wolves” people got a pets, and then became afraid of an couldn’t handle. As none of the Sandlofer animals are even full wolves, this is, apparently, another fabrication of fact, possibly to then allow the Sandlofer’s to “encourage” conservation by suggesting that wolves don’t make good pets. Which is true, but irrelevant, since the Sandlofers don’t have full blooded wolves.

The only bit of truth, it seems, to Sandlofer’s backstories of their animals, is the rescue story wherein Cody saved a child from drowning. That, my source stated, they knew to be a true story. My contact went on to say that as far as they know, Sharon still keeps her ear out within the wolfdog community for any animals that might be available to secure and add to the show. It is not, my source explained, uncommon for many of the “sanctuaries” which offer “wolf” interactions, to shop around for wolfdogs and wolfdog puppies to purchase for their programs, as wolfdogs are more outgoing, where wolves are incredibly shy, and wolfdogs are much more inclined to follow an established routine, when properly socialized and trained.

This is not surprising for those of us who are aware of the duplicity of pseudo-sanctuaries, but it was enlightening to hear it from the “opposite side of the fence” as it were, and I’m grateful to my contact for all the help they provided to me.

In the 2012 video, the animals Sandlofer refers to as “the boys” are all wolfdogs, bred in captivity and derived from several generations of wolfdogs at minimum. While Sandlofer offers lengthy histories for the other animals, she states that she “doesn’t really know the story” of these animals (there are about five) but that they “came from West Virginia” and that they “desperately needed help and we were there to give it.”

The owner of the show doesn’t know how she ended up with a batch of wolfdog puppies–which she’s introduced to her audience as full-blooded Eastern Timber wolves? How is that even possible? She goes on to say that they’ve had “the boys” since they were babies, and that she raised them herself, which makes them easier to handle and work with.

Fast forward to this video of the 2016 show, and Sandlofer is now telling the audience that “the boys” are all brothers, about five years old, and all came from the same (undisclosed) place in West Virginia, and she points out that they “look different” because “they’re wolf-hybrids”. Confusingly, however, some articles from around the same still have the Sandlofers stating that “the animals in their show all are eastern timber wolves.” While other articles quote the Sandlofers as stating that they are wolf-hybrids.

After showing off “the boys” Sharon then introduces three young pups, two boys and one girl, whom she states “have been really interesting” because they’re only a year old, and they’re the first young animals she’s gotten to work with because normally they only get older rescues. So now we have two separate shows performed four years apart both containing young animals that Sandlofer states are the “first” young wolves or wolf-hybrids she’s ever worked with.

On top of that, Wolves of the World seems to have offered photo opportunities throughout the years, each with a puppy or set of puppies, which, of course provokes the questions where are the puppies coming from? What sort of pups are they? (the Sandlofers refer to a pup named Lobo as half Arctic wolf and half Timber wolf, at one point, then call him a full Arctic wolf in a different instance) And where are they going?

As far as the scientific information that Sandlofer recites for her audience, much of it is misinformation, or fragmented facts.

According to Sandlofer a wolf’s “golden yellow eyes see extremely well”. But the reality is that wolves see, on average, as well as a human during the day (they see more tones of gray, and can detect motion faster than we can, but don’t actually see “better”) and some researchers actually believe that wolves might be nearsighted due to the fact that there eyes do not possess a foveal pit. They have more rods than we do, though, and thus see much better than humans in the dark. In addition, the color of a wolf’s eyes range from gold to amber, brown, gray, yellow and even green. Only blue is explicitly excluded from a true wolf’s eye color range, yet Sandlofer repeatedly describes all wolves as having “golden” eyes, citing it as one of their defining features.

Similarly, Sandlofer describes a wolf pack as being “five to as many as twenty wolves” when in reality, a pack can consist of as few as two wolves, and in some cases, under certain circumstances as many as 40. In fact, at one point, the Druid pack of Yellowstone (and Sandlofer is quick to liken her own wolves to those of Yellowstone) swelled to 37 animals. During the winter of 2010-2011 there was even an unprecedented occurrence in the small town of Verkhoyansk, Russia wherein an exceedingly hard winter forced multiple wolf packs to merge, resulting in an amalgamation of hundreds of animals working together. Even conservative estimates put the number of wolves at over 200 animals, and in their bid to survive the winter, they wrecked havoc on the agriculture of the small town. A far cry from Sandlofer’s 5-20 wolf packs.

Sandlofer states that wolves are unique in the formation of their foot, wherein the two center toes are slightly longer, which “gives them superior traction while on the hunt”. In reality, this type of foot conformation is known as being “hare-footed” and all domestic sighthounds, as well as many other domestic breeds possess the feature. It provides more speed to the animal, but also take more energy within the execution of their gait. Domestic dogs with an evenly rounded feet (the result of short third digital bones) are described as being “cat footed”.

When Sandlofer discusses her wolves which were “rescued” from a Minnesota fur farm, she states that “fur farms are illegal”. Fur farms are not, in fact, illegal. They should be, but that’s another topic for another article. Fur farms in the US are not only legal, but they’re not even regulated at the federal level. Some states may, or may not have specific protections, but that’s no guarantee. The only possible protection for wolves would be the Endangered Species Act, but wolves do not currently have full protection under the ESA, and the ESA does not protect hybridized animals at all. So just as the Sandlofers are presenting their wolfdogs as full wolves, anyone owning full wolves could simply crossbreed their animals, and thus avoid the issue while still harvesting pelts. And since the Sandlofer’s other animals actually are wolfdogs, it seems plausible that the “wolves” they “rescued” from the supposed fur farm are also wolfdogs. Even if someone is accused of breaching the ESA, prosecuting them is an arduous and slow process, which multiple steps. And it’s not always completely successful.

The Wolves of the World show has, according to articles, and reviews, long been seen as an exciting and educational experience designed for family fun despite that the “education” they offer is comprised of falsehoods, exaggerations, and outright bullshit. With the increasing popularity of “education through interaction” programs and facilities, it’s likely the Sandlofers will only continue to expand their show, misrepresenting wolves in the process. By foregoing honest facts in favor of showy–and untrue–stories and histories the Sandlofers do no service to current wild wolf populations, nor to conservation itself. In truth, the only suggestions for “aiding wolf conservation” that I ever heard the Sandlofers mention was that audience members should “contact their congressman” and either demand an end to wolf culling, or ask that they not be removed from the endangered species list. Genuine issues and information regarding sustainable wolf conservation within wild populations were never mentioned.

The history of wolves in America is a complicated, often sordid affair that swings from utter vilification and near complete eradication, to glorification, and contrived reverence to the point of absurdity. It’s a subject that far outstrips the inane descriptives of “misunderstood” and “competition” used by the Sandlofers to describe the American conflict between wolves and humans. Likewise, the ongoing biology, and science of wolves, and wolf conservation is an ever-expanding realm of study. And it’s one that faces a constant and ongoing war against the misinformation, lies, and exploitation of groups like the Sandlofers. Those of us fighting to reach the public without the aid of flashy shows and routines will readily meet the challenge, each and every time we face it.

If you would like to know more about the true history of wolves in America, the three books listed below are a great place to start.

War Against The Wolf, America’s Campaign to Exterminate the Wolf, Rick McIntyre, Editor

Of Wolves and Men, Barry Lopez

Vicious: Wolves and Men in America, Pro. Jon T. Coleman

For a plethora of scientific articles about wolves, and their conservation spanning decades check out this link.

Selling Utopia: Rewriting The History Of Wolves In America For Public Consumption I’ve been in this game long enough that I’m always shocked when someone comes to me with a story of animal exploitation that I’ve never heard of.

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