With spring underway and summer approaching, the home-buying season is kicking into gear. Most first-time homeowners grapple with a range of issues they may never have even contemplated, which is why they often turn to experts for advice. Here are some of the things they say you might not know as a first-time homeowner but […]

Movies & TV Inside Out 2 Let Inside Out 2 Mediate Your Anxiety The sequel weaves a tale of adolescent angst that will feel all too familiar to some. By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on June 17, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Nearly a decade ago, Inside Out took viewers on a tour of emotional development with the help of a little girl named Riley. The premise was bound to be an easy sell on the sequel front—after all, our emotions only gain complexity as we age. So we’re back now with Riley’s next big vault on the developmental hurdle course: puberty. The button gets pressed on the dashboard of Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) mind right before she’s set to head off to a special-invite three-day hockey camp with hopes of impressing the high school coach. While driving to the camp, she learns that her two best friends, Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) and Grace (Grace Lu), are both headed to a different high school—they won’t be on the same team anymore. It’s the perfect storm to set Riley up for a rough weekend, made worse by the appearance of four new emotions; now alongside Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale), we’ve got Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Anxiety (Maya Hawke). The film does an excellent job setting up the roots of Anxiety as an emotion, even as our new orange buddy muscles in to take the wheel from Joy—anxiety is in many ways a subset of fear, born when the brain supplies a constant stream of optional outcomes for all possible scenarios, in the hopes that “bad ones” can be avoided. Joy and crew later discover, in fact, that Anxiety is employing a large subset of Riley’s imagination to render and present these possibilities to her, so she can make more assessments. We’ve got a few recasts here as well as a ton of new characters thrown into the mix. The crew is vibrant as ever, led by Poehler’s shimmering optimism (and even sometimes despair on this round—Joy really goes through it). Though we shall never again see Bing Bong (sniff) we do get a few fantastic characters provided by the vault in Riley’s mind, including a Blue’s Clues-alike that had my entire theater in stitches. The changes to Riley’s mind follow the changes in development for your average human brain (a little late, if my memory serves, but you’ve gotta fudge the facts here and there) as it grows. Memories are now shown to inform beliefs, which in turn weave together to form a Sense of Self, integral to Riley’s being. And in place of the importance once reserved for family, friendship now has the majority share on the Islands of Personality, as is accurate: Peer group is paramount as you get older. Many new emotions were considered and discarded for the sequel—the director has already admitted that an earlier version of the film featuring Shame was scrapped because it made the film too dark to be rewatchable—but the centering of anxiety makes sense for Riley. She had already shown inclinations toward depression, which often goes hand-in-hand with anxiety, and young girls are more likely to report both in adolescence. What results is a peek into what certain types of emotional turmoil do to us at one of our most vulnerable developmental points in life. Riley quickly ditches her friends in order to get close to Val Ortiz (Lilimar), the star player at Riley’s new high school. In hopes of being immediately accepted onto the team, she tries to impress and hang out with the older kids, feigning distaste for beloved bands and trying to match teenage sarcasm and bluster. Riley eventually learns that Coach Roberts (Yvette Nicole Brown) writes down her opinions of all the players in her special notebook. Once Anxiety has managed to flush Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger to the back of Riley’s mind along with her Sense of Self, she prompts a midnight stealth mission to break into Roberts’ office and read the notebook. One of the things that’s most enjoyable about the Inside Out films is the ways in which conflicts play out differently: In your average movie plot, Riley would like get caught while breaking in to read the notebook, the tension resulting from breaking rules and being taken to task for it. But Riley’s actions aren’t being labeled for their morality here (honestly, if a coach keeps that kind of record and all the kids know about it, we’ve got much bigger issues), and learning what’s in the notebook is only serves to heighten her anxiety—the problems are internal, making the outward segments of narrative ultimately more interesting. Anxiety’s vice-like grip on Riley results in the creation of a new Sense of Self that stems entirely from a belief that she’s not good enough. (The mechanics around beliefs and the Sense of Self are incredibly well-done, but might read a bit confusingly for anyone without some basic psychology knowledge—the formulation of a sense of self isn’t exactly common knowledge.) This results in an escalation on the final day of camp that ends in Riley’s very first panic attack. It’s a difficult thing to experience, if you’ve ever had one, as the rendering is… pretty visceral. As with the last film, the only thing that solves these problems is connection: Joy has to reach out to Anxiety to help her out of a fugue, and Riley is finally able to talk to Bree and Grace, explain to them why she’s behaved the way she did, and apologize. Friendships are mended and a new Sense of Self is born—one that is ever-shifting and infinitely more complex. Nothing is perfect, but Riley is growing as she should. After all, puberty has never been particularly fun. It’s a reminder to everyone watching, no matter their age, to seek out community when problems arise, to strengthen bonds of support rather than shun them. It’s also a reminder that anxiety is a beast of an emotion that loves to take the wheel at every opportunity, so it behooves us to prevent it if we can. But those aren’t edicts, only helpful reminders. And it won’t solve any problems for many people living with anxiety, though it might help them feel a little less alone and a little more seen. And if it prompts a few frank discussions about it between families and friends, I call that an unqualified win. All in all, Inside Out 2 is a worthy addition to its predecessor and the Pixar lineup. Just be prepared to feel all your feelings on this one. You can’t really avoid it when they’re on the screen right in front of you.[end-mark] The post Let <i>Inside Out 2</i> Mediate Your Anxiety appeared first on Reactor.

Books V.E. Schwab V. E. Schwab Announces Next Novel: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil V.E. Schwab’s upcoming book will have a special surprise for fans… By Reactor | Published on June 17, 2024 Photo by Jenna Maurice Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Jenna Maurice #1 New York Times bestseller V. E. Schwab announced that her next book, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, will publish on June 10, 2025, and that in a special surprise for fans, she will sign the entire first print run.   “Signing this many copies is no small feat (what an understatement!) but the way I see it, this is the best gift I can give to my readers, far and wide, new and old, those who come to each and every one of my events and those who haven’t had the chance. Besides, the fact it will take me months to sign means I’ll get to catch up on tv shows guilt-free ;)” Schwab said.  This fierce new novel follows three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots. One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild. And all of them grow teeth. The book is available for preorder here. VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters. [end-mark] Buy the Book Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil V.E. Schwab Buy Book Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil V.E. Schwab Buy this book from: AmazonBarnes and NobleiBooksIndieBoundTarget The post V. E. Schwab Announces Next Novel: <i>Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil</i> appeared first on Reactor.

Movies & TV Doctor Who Doctor Who Is Getting to the Bottom of Several Mysteries in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” We finally know who the Doctor is up against for the finale, and we bet you didn’t guess who… By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on June 17, 2024 Credit: BBC / Disney+ Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: BBC / Disney+ The One Who Waits is waiting no more, and you might be surprised to learn who he is… Recap Credit: BBC / Disney+ The Doctor heads to UNIT—which contains Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Rose Noble (Yasmin Finney), Morris Gibbons (Lenny Rush), Colonel Christopher Ibrahim (Alexander Devrient), and Harriet Arbinger (Genesis Lynea) in HQ today—to ask them for help with the woman that keeps appearing in his travels. The group is generally unsurprised to see her pop up; they’ve been tracking a woman on Earth who looks the same, a Susan Triad (Susan Twist), who is the leader of Susan Triad Technology. They’d already flagged her because “S Triad” is an anagram for TARDIS, and they figured that meant something. Mel (Bonnie Langford) has been undercover working with her PR team, and has found her to be very… nice. The Doctor has a thought that perhaps Susan could be his granddaughter, owing to her having the same name, leading to a conversation with Ruby about regeneration. The Doctor then introduces Ruby to UNIT, explaining all the strange happenings that have occurred around her. The group thinks that they might be able to shed some light around Ruby’s parentage, so Ruby heads home to pick up the VHS tape of the CCTV footage from that night. Carla insists on coming with Ruby, and the Doctor gives her UNIT access to Kate’s dismay. They leave Cherry at home with Mrs. Flood, who proceeds to be very unconcerned with taking care of Cherry; Mrs. Flood claims that she’s always “hidden away” for whatever reason, but that now there’s a storm approaching and “He waits no more.” The Doctor asks if UNIT has a Time Window, even though he long ago made them promise never to mess with time technology. Of course they have one, though it’s very bare bones. They use the tape and Ruby’s memories to help the window along, producing a landscape of that night. Though Ruby’s mother is there, she has a hood up and no one can see her face regardless of the angle. When the Doctor arrives to stop the goblins in the past, Ruby’s mother seems to point at him, or possibly beyond him. Colonel Winston Chidozie (Techie Newali) goes to investigate and walks behind the TARDIS. The Doctor then leaves and the TARDIS disappears, with Ruby’s mother now gone—but directly behind where the TARDIS had been is a fiery swirling vortex using Chidozie’s voice. The Time Window overloads and shuts down, leaving behind only Chidozie’s body, which has practically turned to dust. The Doctor goes with Mel, who is preparing Susan Triad for the launch of a major free technology she’s offering to the world. When he has a little breakdown before meeting Susan, Mel helps him buck up and keep going. The Doctor meets Triad and knows she’s not his Susan, but when she mentions trouble sleeping, he asks if she’s been having dreams of the other places he’s seen her. It’s clear that she has, but she rushes away to begin her presentation. As UNIT analyzes the data from the window, they realize that the swirling vortex had the TARDIS at the center of it. It occurs to them that the entity they saw is now in their time and around the TARDIS itself. They analyze the ship and find the entity is there and invisible. Harriet starts speaking strangely and it becomes clear that she’s the harbinger (H. Arbinger) of The One Who Waits, who appears to UNIT and reveals himself to be Sutekh, the god of death. The god has Susan possessed as well and she kills her assistant mid-broadcast, then reaches for the Doctor… Commentary Credit: BBC / Disney+ I missed finale lead-ups like this. No one does mounting tension quite like Davies, and he’s really good at one thing that always works on me: Keeping the viewer looking so many directions at once that you don’t really have enough time to figure out what’s going on until it’s right on top of you. Of course, if you’re familiar with the serial that Sutekh heralds from—Pyramids of Mars—you know this is gonna get gnarly. The Fourth Doctor failed to prevent the escape of Sutekh from a prison created by brother Horus, but he solved the initial problem by messing with the time tunnel that would release him by essentially making it so long that he would die of old age by the time he emerged. Sounded good at the time, but now he’s free of it and unsurprisingly pissed and ready to wreak vengeance on the one who did this to him. As a general side note, the Pyramids of Mars serial is casually racist in a way that many earlier Who stories unfortunately were—yes, they did that thing where they posit that the ancient Egyptian gods (and their tech) were obviously aliens. (They did it before Stargate, too, which is always funny to me.) Sutekh and Horus are Osirans (which, that’s also cringey), a race which is largely gone from the universe… but Sutekh is still kicking and trying to get free to conquer all with death. So far I’m appreciating the revival because Davies is very clearly showing us in no uncertain terms that alien or not, Sutekh is, in fact, a god, on par with any other god. To that end, the reveal of Sutekh has a great deal in common with the way that they released the Devil on the show in season two’s “The Satan Pit,” particularly with Harriet’s litany proceeding it. But even with that coming for the season finale, there’s so much else going on that needs unpacking, starting with Ruby’s mother and possibility that maybe Susan could somehow be related to all of this? Or to Ruby herself? The choice to make Ruby’s mother within in the Time Window like something directly out of a horror movie was an excellent ploy, and so effective as a red herring during the entire sequence. Also, the introduction with the Doctor knowing that UNIT has been experimenting with time tech despite his mandate, and then coming in to laugh at their shoddy work was beautiful. Fifteen is just so good. (Also, this week’s outfit? The costume changes have been brilliant, but to have him go full modern rockabilly right now was a thing I was not prepared for, you gotta warn me next time.) I also need to give a moment to the fact that Kate seems to have finally internalized the fact that she’s going to be spending her entire career working with and around her childhood hero, and that means she’s allowed to hug him, and will now do it whenever she thinks either of them need it? I sniffled. Gibson turned in a stellar performance here, but the one place in the episode where I actually cried was when Carla started talking about Ruby’s mother weeping at leaving her child behind, and trying to call across time to a woman she doesn’t know to tell her that she took care of her daughter and that she was safe and loved. We still have no idea who Ruby’s mother is, but Carla Sunday instantly feels this need to bond with her, to empathize with her, to assure her that her child has this wonderful future ahead of her. Carla is incredible. Also, the Doctor just fully granting her access to UNIT when he used to be such a grump about any companion’s mother hanging around, this is growth, yet again. We love it. I do need to take a moment and acknowledge what a big deal it is that we now know for sure that (1) Susan is a Time Lord, which wasn’t a given, and (2) the Doctor hasn’t actually had kids yet. That’s… so good? It gives the story an entirely new weight and makes so much sense out of the Doctor’s relationship with Susan back when he show started—there were many questions about how they wound up traveling together that needed answers, and now we’ve got new but far more interesting ones. For example… when the Doctor has kids eventually, will it be a version of them who has recovered all their memories? Because if so, that makes the Doctor’s choice to run away with his grandkid that much more heartbreaking; he’s just started in on a forced regeneration cycle with his memory erased and is subconsciously reaching for a part of himself that knows who he is. Moreover, did Susan know her grandfather before meeting this version? Because she either came with him to get to know him better, or she came with him because she knows about this time in his life, and is actively choosing to safeguard him at a point when he’s vulnerable and relearning who he is. Like… do you see? The possibilities here are endless and so good. Also we have to talk about Mel! Mel being such an absolute star, who can wriggle her way in anywhere because she’s peppy and sunny and generally wonderful. But she still gets that moment when the Doctor is drowning in his feelings to stand there and tell him that the universe doesn’t have time for it, he can go down that well after the work is done. From anyone else that would feel unnecessarily callous, but from her it’s just a reminder of all the things she’s already been through with him—she knows how he gets, and that he needs the reminder sometimes. (Six could be so dramatic; she’s dealt with far worse.) It’s a moment borne of their specific history, which is something the show has been so great at tackling of late. You can see it when she turns away and continues on, and he just… grins. He adores her and she’s right and he would never let her down. That was how they worked. But who is Mrs. Flood? Because I don’t buy that she’s just an agent of Sutekh, something else is going on here. And we’ve only got one more episode, so I’m guessing not all the mysteries will be solved. Time and Space and Sundry Credit: BBC / Disney+ Okay, but if Ruby turned out to be Susan’s daughter, and the Doctor was accidentally now tooling around with his great-granddaughter, I would love it? That’s a genuinely beautiful loop around for the show to take, a great way of rebuilding the original (OG 1963) dynamic of the series in an entirely new way. It’s fine either way, but I’m excited at the prospect. The Doctor asks about Rose’s mom and her “uncle” and I desperately wanted her to say “Mum’s on holiday with uncle because if he’d gotten wind of the stuff with Susan Triad, he’d be living under a desk here driving everyone mad, so her job is to distract him until you figure this out.” Because you know that’s exactly what’s happening. (Also, Rose and Ruby bonding is my other favorite thing, yes, more.) Sorry, but the Doctor and Colonel Ibrahim clearly have a thing going on the same way Ten did with Ross. The Doctor loves very specific UNIT boys… Apparently Lenny Rush was going to be one of the voices in “Space Babies,” but the producers were so impressed with him that they wanted to give him a bigger role. Which then further plays into UNIT employing various brilliant and disabled folks, which is continuing to make me so very pleased. Davies does love his wordplay/anagram stuff (there was the Yana thing and the “Bad Wolf” prevalence, and so on), and I genuinely never want him to stop doing it? Especially because the twist in this is down to the Doctor being so grandiose in his own legend-ness that he effectively mutes his best asset: UNIT also comes to the same anagram conclusion with S. Triad, because to them, he is the greatest thing in universe. It never occurs to them that it could be something else, and it also never occurs to him because of course it doesn’t. The person doing the voice of Sutekh is in fact Gabriel Woolf, the man who played the part way back in 1975, so this return was literally a half-century in the making—the man is now 91 years old. I am… so happy about this? I might explode. Finale’s coming. How do you stop a god of death?[end-mark] The post <i>Doctor Who</i> Is Getting to the Bottom of Several Mysteries in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” appeared first on Reactor.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a part of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), all of a sudden wants to have deepfakes (which have existed for decades in entertainment. etc. industries) tightly regulated. Tech companies (Google, Meta, TikTok, Open IA) “voluntarily identifying and labeling” such content on their social platforms and elsewhere won’t cut it now. This is all presented as a segment in the larger AI “conversation” – such as AI is, at this point – while the conversation is around how to make sure the authorities control it strictly. The value agencies and groups now thoroughly exposed as multi-year drivers of online censorship see in zeroing in on deepfakes (and AI) is, on one hand, the ability to interpret the meaning of this content (even if it’s parody or satire) as political “disinformation.” And if the election doesn’t go their way, they can always contest it claiming it was substantially influenced by such “disinformation.” That’s why – rather than believing that any regulation “with real teeth” will make it through the legislative process any time soon – it’s important for entities like CISA to keep the topic alive in the media. At the same time, although this pressure on social platforms and demands for better “labeling” (i.e., censorship) clearly comes from inside the US, those behind the narrative never miss the chance to claim that stricter rules, all the way up to new laws, are needed to “keep the tech from being used by other countries to try to influence the US election.” Most of this came up directly or indirectly as CISA Director Jen Easterly spoke at a Washington Post-organized event, insisting that platforms essentially “self-censoring” with the current way they label AI-generated content, is not enough. “There needs to be a set of rules in place, ultimately legislation,” she said. These comments come as the Washington Post remarks that although there have been initiatives to regulate the use of AI in the US, none of them have so far panned out. Proponents of such policies have big hope in the EU and its controversial AI Act which was passed this year – but even that will not be fully implemented as law for the next two years. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post CISA Chief Calls For AI Image-Labeling Legislation appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Chinese Embassy in Australia Makes a Mess of China's Goodwill Tour

No Emmy Award for Hillary Clinton but the Elitists Still Applaud Her Whining About 2016 Loss

Murphy, a tender and loving dog, found an unexpected companion in Chippy, a curious red squirrel. They quickly formed a bond from the little meetings they had, and eventually became best friends. This unique friendship blossomed under the watchful eyes of Murphy’s humans, who marveled at the unusual connection that unfolded before them. The daily... The post Grandpa and golden retriever work together to make ‘cutest’ gift for his squirrel best buddy appeared first on Animal Channel.

There’s something magical about the bond between animals, and nowhere is this more evident than in the heartwarming relationship between Steve, the Border Collie, and Treacle, a baby foal. From the moment Treacle arrived, Steve has been completely captivated by his new friend. The video capturing their interactions is nothing short of delightful, showcasing a... The post Border collie and horse appeared first on Animal Channel.

Mitch Landrieu, cochair for President Joe Biden's campaign, told CNN he is puzzled as to why Americans are concerned about Biden's mental acuity amid public appearances being consistently riddled with manifestations of his advanced age, 81."Trump challenged Joe Biden on, which was, he wants him to take a cognitive test. And we have a very short bit of time, but he did, he tried to remember the name of his own doctor — Donald Trump — and he messed that up while he’s challenging Mr. Biden. What do you make of that?" host Sara Sidner asked.“I think Donald Trump is a joke. I mean, when this guy — when his lips are moving, he’s lying," Landrieu replied, going on to say it is actually Trump who has mental acuity problems."When he tries to go to accuse somebody else of speaking improperly, he can’t keep two thoughts in his mind. I want to encourage Americans to go listen to Donald Trump’s full speeches and try to put that word spaghetti together," he said.Videos of these moments, which garner a lot of attention, are often dismissed by Biden supporters as being deceptively edited or lacking context."And I wonder why anybody is questioning Joe Biden’s mental acuity. Donald Trump can’t string two sentences together. I mean, this is the biggest joke in the world. My president is going to show up on time, on task, and he is going to give it to Donald Trump next week. He shows up, he’s doing his job," Landrieu added. "The proof is in the pudding. We have the receipts: 15.5 million jobs, 56,000 projects going on, and economy that’s stronger than any other economy in the world, and taking it to big corporate America to reduce their prices because inflation has come down from 9% to 3%.” Biden campaign co-chair: I don't understand why people are questioning Biden's mental health www.youtube.com Concerns about Biden's mental health continue to rise as event after event is marred with odd moments where he appears to be lost or frozen in place. The latest example of this occurred during his celebrity-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles over the weekend.Former President Barack Obama had to help usher Biden off stage after Biden meandered aimlessly when it was the moment for them to go offstage. Videos of these moments, which garner a lot of attention, are often dismissed by Biden supporters as being deceptively edited or lacking context, despite many of the videos being live or posted in full.Voters have long expressed their belief Biden is simply too old to lead the country for another four years. An ABC News/Ipsos poll from February showed over 80% of those asked said they thought Biden's advanced age means he should not serve another term.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!