"Buzz and Tommy" by Mantaraybryn

English singer-songwriter Mantaraybryn has released "Buzz and Tommy," a joyous, thrilling song celebrating authenticity in the name of those who came before us. Called "Buzz and Tommy," he says the song "started as a list of advice to my younger self, but soon became me trying to throw a lifeline to those stuck in a deep dark closet, and also an homage to the real Buzz and Tommy." The sense of the song and the powerful words make me quite emotional ... and that coupled with a powerful, anthem-sounding banger of a tune makes me soar up high and want to dance like a man possessed. Amazing work, Mantaraybryn!

And here are the real Buzz and Tommy. This photo first showed up on internet at least as early as May 25, 2016 on the IG account lgbt_history. It shows two lifeguards, presumably from 1949, Buzz and Tommy. The inscription on the reverse is heartbreaking not for what it says but for the avalanche of things it doesn't--can't--say, all the things they couldn't at the time. Of course we don't know the actual story of this photo and who these two young men were (or still are? they could be alive in their 80s-90s) but the intimacy of the insciption indicates the strong possibility that they were secret lovers.

Tell me now, what do you dread
Are there monsters under your bed
You’re in the closet and they can’t see you,
So why are you scared

Scrolling through topless men
Reminding yourself again and again
They are paid to look like that
We all age and that’s a fact

And yes some of them hate you
But they’re dying off
So go out dancing
Get with someone hot

Do it for those who wouldn’t
And those who couldn’t
For Buzz and Tommy
Writing letters when they shouldn’t

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Get yourself into a good book
Remember how those words took
All the pain that you felt away
Now it’s all the just the same

Are you a tired Atlas?
Are you holding up the world?
Stop, drop, and roll
And it’s a disco ball

And yes some of them like you
But that’ll wear off
Do you like who you are
Do you like what you’re not

Have you done the work?
Have you put in the time?
Broken the cycle
And the family line?

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Could be a lover boy and Casanova
An overflowing supernova
I want you to escape
Be a know-who Houdini
Got chains for days
Are you even breathing

All the nerve you lost before

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Here are what Mantaraybryn calls the main points of his list:

1. Do the things you did fearlessly as a child before you cared about external opinions.

2. Come out sooner.

3. Go out and dance like a man possessed.

4. Even though the future seems dark, you must keep dancing.

5. Feel lucky that you are hopefully in a better situation / timeline than these secret lover lifeguards [Buzz and Tommy] from 1949.

6. Remain kind despite the closet being painful.

7. Time and youth are fleeting. You must act now.

Thanks Big Buster! I've got the dance down now...

https://www.instagram.com/mantaraybryn

The Christmas Pudding

Follow these instructions from the 1861 book MRS. BEETON'S BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT, digitized at the University of Leeds Library, to make your own authentic English Christmas Pudding!

Animals Enjoying Winter by Beatrix Potter

Currently watching...

...and enjoying the hell out of the second season of the wonderful "Ted Lasso."

Season one of this truly charming series was something very special. And I am delighted to be able to visit these characters again and spend time with each of them. My husband and I initially resisted this show because it presents itself as a series about soccer, and we are not sports fans. In fact, I would rather chew broken glass than watch any film or series about sports. But after some cajoling from some English ex-pat friends who assured us that the show is resolutely not about soccer (football), but about personalities and a fun culture clash between English and American sensibilities, we decided to give it a try and we are so glad we did.

We were rewarded with a series not about soccer/football but a sweet comedy with a serious message at its heart: kindness. I know it may sound very Pollyanna-ish, but this is a show that holds up the value of kindness as something to strive for, something that will make us whole, something that has the power to change the world if only we let it. And it feels like there is so little kindness in the world right now, I find that my exposure to this show has acted as some kind of antidote. I find my mood actually uplifted after watching such vulnerable, caring people genuinely relating to each other and supporting each other despite apparent flaws and mistakes. There is no manufactured drama here, no irreversible trauma, just people looking out for one another...and if someone makes a mistake, they apologize and because the others know the essence of that person, they forgive.

And the attitude comes from Ted Lasso himself, masterfully played by Jason Sudeikis. Lasso is an American football coach hired by an English soccer club to move to London and lead the team. Unbeknownst to him, he is actually there at the behest of the ex-wife of the owner of the club in order to run it into the ground and destroy it in a plot of revenge. But Lasso has winning ways that are irresistible. And soon, everyone's life is the better for his presence, his wit, and his heart.

It sounds simplistic but it's actually a nuanced show with equal parts heart and true wit. Mixed in with the message of kindness, each character gets a chance to play with some screamingly funny lines and dialogue, mostly done in an understated way. And the relationships and character studies are refreshing as well: men can talk with each other in a profound way and share intimate thoughts, women can be friends without resorting to clichéd catty behaviour, and angry athletes can express great love for children.

Recommend? Yes, if you want to feel like there is some goodness in the world, please do spend some time with Coach Lasso and the team.

https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy

"The Rabbit's Christmas Party" by Beatrix Potter

"The Rabbit's Christmas Party" by Beatrix Potter

The Rabbit's Christmas Party: The Arrival

The Rabbit's Christmas Party: Christmas Dinner

The Rabbit's Christmas Party: Roasting Apples

The Rabbit's Christmas Party: Dancing To A Piper

The Rabbit's Christmas Party: The Departure

STAY AT HOME!

https://www.restezalamaison.org/
https://www.facebook.com/mathieu.persan.1

A Bubbler? What's a Bubbler?

Author Josh Katz did a fascinating survey of regional terms and words that we use across the United States. The same object can have wildly different terms depending on the area of the country. He published his results in his book SPEAKING AMERICAN: HOW Y'ALL, YOUSE, AND YOU GUYS TALK: A VISUAL GUIDE.

https://www.amazon.com/Speaking-American-Youse-Visual-Guide/dp/0544703391

Just watched...

...the debut film from filmmaker Francis Lee, "God's Own Country."

This amazing tone poem of a film released last year (2017) stars Josh O'Connor as Johnny Saxby, a young man who lives on a farm in Yorkshire with his disabled father and grandmother. Life is hard for him as he is the only able bodied person on the property to do any of the immense, backbreaking, endless work. He is young and there is no outlet for himself, no time for friends, no time for a boyfriend, no time for a real social life. Instead, he has quick anonymous sex at a cattle auction, and goes to the local pub at night to get blind drunk. After he wakes up in his own vomit in the morning, the grind begins again. He hates his life and is filled with obvious rage and repressed emotions that he drowns in alcohol...

...Until his father hires a worker to help with the springtime lambing season. Handsome and sexy Romanian migrant worker Gheorghe played by Alec Secăreanu shows up for the job and Johnny is his usual sullen and unfriendly self. But when they must set out with sleeping bags and provisions to go to the far, far end of the property where they camp and repair dry-stacked stone fences, and care for lambs, their awkward relationship takes a turn and they become lovers.

Interestingly, the fact that Johnny is gay never makes it to the list of problems. Seems his family knows, his old school mates know, and Johnny himself never displays any kind of angst or guilt. Likewise, Gheorghe seems highly acclimated to his true self as well. The tensions come from the situation both of them find themselves in: one of them stuck on a farm in God's own country (aka the middle of nowhere) unable to leave, and the other a foreigner who must travel and scrounge for work. Johnny is not good at identifying and expressing his feelings which is also a hurdle. And Gheorghe seems the kind of person who not only can identify and express his inner self, but will not wait while someone else dithers about such matters.

The film was written and directed by Francis Lee who says the film is semi-autobiographical: he grew up on a farm just a stone's throw from where the film was made. Shot in the Silsden area of Keighley in West Yorkshire, the backdrop is sweeping, harsh, and empty. There is a beauty to the landscape but Lee chose to emphasize the harshness and brutality of the bare, windswept terrain. Between the bitter cold and wind and the amount of exhausting work coupled with Johnny's confinement amongst it all, the first half of the film weighs heavily. I found myself unable to breathe at certain points. But despite this, it is clear to see that shots were beautifully composed, almost like a Malick film. And also like a Malick film, Lee chose to let many scenes unfold wordlessly since Johnny is a man of few words. The silence between him and Ghoerghe has a physical presence. This is a wonderful way of letting film be the visual story teller that it is. To be able to show the story instead of tell it is a hallmark of cinema, one that more filmmakers should aspire to.

Josh O'Connor is simply spectacular as Johnny...not a misstep in his heartbreakingly real performance. And as Gheorghe, Alec Secăreanu is just as assured and strong in what he brings. Their struggle and romance is immediate and vital and we end up rooting for them, to overcome life's obstacles, and without telling you spoilers, I will say there is a satisfying ending.

Recommend? YES. Gorgeous on so many levels.

https://www.godsowncountry.film/

"Dancing On My Own" by Calum Scott

"Britain's Got Talent" finalist Calum Scott has released his lovely, wrenching ballad version of Robyn's club hit "Dancing On My Own" that catapulted him to fame on the first episode of the ninth series of the show.

https://www.facebook.com/calumscottmusic1

And for a side-by-side, here is Robyn's (previously here) original version:

http://robyn.com/