Saturday Open Thread

Posted on March 3, 2018 by

Good Morning. Enjoy this weekend with family and friends.

I’m going to highlight a movie that will be out next Friday, A Wrinkle In Time. I am looking forward to seeing it with Peanut. Seeing Ms. DuVernay’s multicultural vision.

How Ava DuVernay Became a Creator of Worlds
Angela Watercutter

Late fall in the redwood forests of Northern California, it gets cold. Not wrap-yourself-in-furs cold—we’re still talking 51 degrees—but the kind of cold that demands layers, lest it sink into your bones. Nevertheless, in November 2016, when I visited her movie set near Eureka, director Ava DuVernay was coatless. Just a thermal with a cotton</ shirt over it, jeans, and a knit hat. The young stars of DuVernay’s film were in very lightweight shirts, pretending to be lost in unfamiliar (and, one assumes, warmer) woods, and she wasn’t about to let them be the only ones on her set enduring the chill.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but every time they have to have their jackets off, she takes her jacket off,” producer Jim Whitaker whispered to me as DuVernay called “action!” in the distance. “This is so typical.” Whitaker, of course, is supposed to say things like this. And DuVernay, a former Hollywood publicist skilled in sending a message, knows which notes to hit. From what I’ve seen here on set—her playful and encouraging interactions with her stars, the diversity of her crew, the summer-camp-with-Disney-money conviviality—this act of goose-bumped solidarity is an apt metaphor for the spirit DuVernay is bringing to her adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

If you don’t remember what you read in middle school, A Wrinkle in Time is the story of a young girl named Meg Murry on a mission to save her scientist father, who has been taken prisoner by a dark force in the universe intent on crushing free thought and free will. Along the way she’s assisted by her classmate Calvin O’Keefe, brother Charles Wallace, and three celestial beings—Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Whatsit—who help her jump, or tesser, through space-time. The story is the same in DuVernay’s version for Disney, but there are a couple of significant new wrinkles. Since her first feature film in 2008, DuVernay has used whatever success she’s attained to give other women and people of color opportunities on both sides of the camera. So in 2016, when Disney announced that she would direct A Wrinkle in Time, and DuVernay became the first African American woman to helm a $100 million-plus movie (but “not the first capable of doing so,” she later noted on Twitter, “not by a long shot”)—she promised a new vision of the original. “You kind of have to remix the book,” DuVernay told The Wall Street Journal. The casting made clear that she was making good on that promise: Meg is now biracial, played by 14-year-old Storm Reid, and Mindy Kaling and Oprah Winfrey play Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, respectively.

DuVernay isn’t known as a genre director particularly. Her movies and TV shows have been firmly grounded in race, power, politics, and family narratives. But her overall project, building a better world for people of color, doesn’t so much overlap as interleave with one of science fiction’s overall projects: world-building. Sci-fi has always been as much an exercise in thought experimentation as an arena for spectacle, for rocket ships and ray guns.

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55 Responses to Saturday Open Thread

  1. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Like

    Reply
  2. Liza says:
    March 3, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    She is beyond adorable…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    Like

    Reply
  4. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 7:08 pm

    Like

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  5. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 7:04 pm

    Like

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  6. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    This mofo isn’t joking. But like hell he’ll be president for life.

    Like

    Reply
  7. vitaminlover says:
    March 3, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    All I have to watch right now is Coming to America until Plack Panther runs its course which it can take its time. No rush. Get that billion. Make history.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    Like

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  9. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 2:06 pm

    Like

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  10. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    Chile is used to welcoming migrants. But Haitians don’t always get a warm reception
    BY JACQUELINE CHARLES

    March 01, 2018 07:00 AM

    Para leer esta historia en español, haga clic aquí.

    SANTIAGO, CHILE — The graying comic yells “Hola negrito” into the crowd gathered at the Plaza de Armas, delivers some one-liners and then spies a couple eating vanilla ice cream.

    “Where are you from?” Cristián Matias asks the man and woman, who proudly respond: Haiti.

    “It’s a good thing you’re not eating chocolito, otherwise you would eat your fingers,” the street performer quips.

    The mostly Chilean crowd laughs. The couple look offended.

    Moments later, the comedian drops another insult, this time shouting “Masisi” — a Creole pejorative for gay men — as two young Haitian men cut through the masses.

    Matias insisted later to a reporter that he’s not a racist and that the jokes are all in good fun. But Haitians, and experts on racism and discrimination in Chile, say such crude remarks are the kind of subtle — and not so subtle — acts of humiliation and racism the black migrants are routinely subjected to in the South American nation.

    “Racism is really strong in Chile right now,” said Yvenet Dorsainvil, a Haitian immigrant and author who moved to Chile nine years ago to attend college. “It’s so strong that sometimes you think people are from another century.”

    Like

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  11. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 1:42 pm

    Trump pushes Republicans to oppose crucial New York-New Jersey tunnel project

    By Mike DeBonis and Josh Dawsey
    March 2 at 8:53 PM

    President Trump is pushing congressional Republicans not to fund a crucial infrastructure project — a long-delayed plan to build a new rail tunnel between Manhattan and New Jersey — setting up a confrontation that could complicate passage of a massive government spending bill this month.

    Trump personally appealed to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) this week to target federal funding for the $30 billion Gateway project, which would construct a tunnel into New York’s Penn Station to supplement two aging tubes that are at risk of failing in the coming years.

    The project is widely considered to be among the most pressing and most expensive infrastructure needs in the country, and state and local leaders have long sought federal funding to jump-start work on it. But the Trump administration threw the project into doubt late last year by casting aside an agreement reached during the Obama administration that would have the federal government pick up half the project’s cost.

    And now, according to four officials familiar with the discussions, Trump has taken a personal interest in making sure no federal dollars flow to a project that is considered critical to his hometown’s long-term economic prosperity.

    Like

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  12. Ametia says:
    March 3, 2018 at 1:37 pm

    THAT BAR, YA’LL, THAT GOALPOST..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    I am wondering about WH Counsel Don McGahn.

    McGahn better wonder about keeping HIMSELF out of jail.

    But, yeah, HOW COME the WHITE HOUSE COUNSEL can’t get a PERMANENT SECURITY CLEARANCE?

    Like

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  14. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 12:11 pm

    From the kids…who have NFTG

    “They’re trying to say we don’t know what we’re talking about. Well, until you’ve been on the receiving end of an AR-15 — Look, Wayne LaPierre, Dana Loesch, I don’t know if you’ve ever had to deal with that. But as far as I know, that’s not the case. We’ve been locked in a classroom. We’ve seen our friends text their parents goodbye. We are the experts! We know exactly what we’re talking about! How dare you tell us we don’t know what we’re talking about!”

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  15. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    Breaking News: Secret Service: Man shoots himself in front of the White House

    Like

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  16. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 11:51 am

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 11:50 am

    Like

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  19. Liza says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Ha. Simply stated…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:35 am

    I asked @Disney if the first public screening of #WrinkleinTime could be in my hometown of Compton. They created a theater experience with fab sound + picture quality out of a community center since there are no movie theaters in Compton. I thank them. And these kids do too. pic.twitter.com/grzHoRJAHX

    — Ava DuVernay (@ava) March 2, 2018

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  21. Liza says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Look at these guys…

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Lawmaker Changes Party Before Being Expelled
    March 2, 2018 at 9:09 pm EST

    Colorado state Rep. Steve Lebsock “was expelled from the House in a 52 – 9 vote Friday, following allegations of sexual misconduct by five women,” KDVR reports.

    The effort, led by Democrats, was successful in barring Lebsock from his position.

    At the last minute, Lebsock changed his party affiliation to Republican… Colorado law says a vacancy will be filled by a person in the same political party. That means Lebsock’s party change gives his seat to Republicans, despite the fact he was a Democrat until Friday.

    http://kdvr.com/2018/03/02/expelled-house-rep-lebsock-changed-party-affiliation-prior-to-vote/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. Ametia says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:24 am

    Dear Fellow White People: Go See “Black Panther”

    Here are six reasons. Do it this weekend. Seriously, just go.
    In case you’ve been living under a rock, Marvel has finally picked up on the rumblings-turned-shouts-in-the-streets for better representation in their tentpole movies, and releases Black Panther this weekend.

    View story at Medium.com

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  24. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 10:17 am

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  25. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:55 am

    I completely disagree with him. I remember the Qatar example when it was happening in real time, and totally connected it to Kushner. But, it was the ‘fringe’ folks in the media connecting the dots back when it actually happened. Folks brought up our soldiers and the base when it happened.

    Same thing after we read the story of Jared going over and having a ‘slumber party’ with the new Prince of Saudi Arabia.
    ………………………………………………………….

    I’m not sure we’re quite absorbing that major and in some cases quite dangerous foreign policy decisions were likely made in the interests of securing loans to save the Kushner family fortune.

    — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 3, 2018

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:50 am

    Republicans have announced that they will keep limits in place on funding for research on gun violence.

    Strange. The same people who love to say calls for new regs are driven by emotion also oppose investing in empirical research into whether they work:https://t.co/wWFMsJyZVO pic.twitter.com/fqWFE7zPgg

    — Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 3, 2018

    Like

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  27. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:48 am

    Cat 🐱 watching a horror movie

    BWA HA HA HA HA HA 😄😄

    https://mobile.twitter.com/METALTEARSOLID/status/969315863236001792

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  28. Liza says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:43 am

    I just finished this two part 3 hr Frontline program. This is what real reporting looks like.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  29. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:24 am

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:20 am

    I’ll say it again..

    there is no honor among thieves.
    And, no nobility.
    The thought…the mere thought…that they think that they can throw Jared to the wolves and it will all go away is ridiculous.
    Jared’s not ever…
    ‘taking one for the team’.

    He’ll take all those muthaphuckas down with him.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:18 am

    uh huh

    DonaldTrump suddenly turned US foreign policy against our (counter-ISIS partner) Quatar just weeks after its govt refused to bail Jared out of $1.5B in debt on 666 Fifth Ave. This stinks to high heaven. We have a crime family running our country and risking our nation’s security.

    — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) March 3, 2018

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:18 am

    Trumplandia makes Watergate pale by comparison: the Trump/Kushner racketeering outfit is STILL hijacking presidential power in PLAIN SIGHT & in REAL TIME every day — even as Mueller searches for the skeletons Trump has tried to bury as he betrays our security for his corrupt gain

    — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) March 3, 2018

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:17 am

    consequences, Boo.

    Swedish appliance manufacturer Electrolux—Europe’s largest home appliance maker—says it will delay a planned $250,000,000 investment to expand and modernize a plant in Tennessee after Trump’s tariffs announcement. https://t.co/rJHCWHkQdr

    — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 3, 2018

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:16 am

    uh uh uh

    Wilbur Ross snuck industry execs into White House to manipulate ‘unglued’ Trump into tariff decision: report https://t.co/D5hw0ei92X

    — Raw Story (@RawStory) March 2, 2018

    Like

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  35. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:16 am

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  36. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:16 am

    It’s getting really sad… pic.twitter.com/Jwg01DuRJU

    — Allen Marshall (@AllenCMarshall) March 1, 2018

    Like

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  37. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:15 am

    I did get in my feelings when I first saw the picture.
    New from me: People Are Crying Over This Photo Of A Little Girl Staring At Michelle Obama’s Portrait https://t.co/RMvAGdb1Qj

    — David Mack (@davidmackau) March 2, 2018

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  38. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 9:08 am

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  39. SouthernGirl2 says:
    March 3, 2018 at 8:59 am

    Awe So adorable. 😍😍😍

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      March 3, 2018 at 9:11 am

      Precious.

      Her mother is giving her a strong foundation of self esteem and pride! She is also learning how to memorize, learning her alphabet and I bet so much more!!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  40. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 3, 2018 at 7:19 am

    Excerpt from article at this link: http://www.blackpast.org/aah/murray-daniel-p-1852-1925

    Daniel A. P. Murray was born on March 3, 1852 in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of nine he left Baltimore to live in Washington, D.C., where his brother managed the U.S. Senate restaurant. In 1871 Murray acquired a job as a personal assistant to the librarian of Congress, Ainsworth R. Spofford. Under Spofford’s tutelage Murray gathered invaluable research skills and learned several languages. In 1879 he married Anna Evans, an Oberlin College graduate whose uncle and cousin had taken part in John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Two years later, in 1881, he advanced to assistant librarian of the Library of Congress, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1923.

    Murray’s first major project as assistant librarian was a special display on “Negro Literature” for the American Exhibit at the 1900 Paris Exposition. For this exhibit, and for future preservation at the Library of Congress, Murray searched for the title of every book or pamphlet known to be written by a person of African ancestry. After securing a list of 270 titles Murray appealed to others for help in the search. The response yielded 1,100 titles, 500 of which became the “Negro Literature” display at the Paris Exposition. Murray continued his pursuit for the works of black authors long after the end of this exposition. By 1907 he had accumulated a list of more than 12,000 books and pamphlets by black authors. He had also collected a personal library of 1,488 volumes, which he eventually donated to the Library of Congress to become the “Colored Author Collection.”

    More about the pamphlets from the Daniel A.P. Murray collection:
    http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aaphome.html

    Liked by 1 person

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  41. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    March 3, 2018 at 7:00 am

    Soloist, composer and pianist Ms. Margaret Bonds was born on this day, March 3, in 1913.

    Excerpt from Wikipedia:

    Among Bonds’ works from the 1950s is The Ballad of the Brown King, a large-scale work originally for voice and piano, but later revised for chorus, soloists, and orchestra. To a text by Hughes, the work tells the story of the Three Wise Men, focusing primarily on Balthazar, the so-called “brown king”. A large work in nine movements, the piece combines elements of various black musical traditions, such as jazz, blues, calypso, and spirituals. The piece was first performed in December 1954 in New York. Bonds was writing other works during this period of her career, as well; her Three Dream Portraits for voice and piano, again setting Hughes’ poetry, were published in 1959; her D Minor Mass for chorus and organ was first performed in the same year.

    Another work based on a text by Langston Hughes was first performed in February 2018 in Washington, DC by the Georgetown University Concert Choir. Entitled “Simon Bore the Cross”, it is a cantata for piano and voice, and is based on the spiritual He Never Said a Mumblin’ Word.[6][7]

    As an outgrowth of her compositions for voice, Bonds later became active in the theater, serving as music director for numerous productions and writing two ballets. She also wrote several music-theater works, including Shakespeare in Harlem to a libretto by Hughes; this premiered in 1959. In 1965, at the time of the Freedom March on Montgomery, Alabama, Bonds wrote Montgomery Variations for orchestra, dedicating it to Martin Luther King, Jr.. Two years later, she moved to Los Angeles, teaching music at the Los Angeles Inner City Institute and at the Inner City Cultural Center. Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic premiered her Credo for chorus and orchestra in 1972; Bonds died unexpectedly a few months later, shortly after her 59th birthday.

    Video: “(16) Troubled Water (Spiritual Suite for Piano) – Margaret Bonds”

    Liked by 1 person

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  42. rikyrah says:
    March 3, 2018 at 4:20 am

    Good Morning,Everyone 😄😄😄

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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