This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

You can see my point, in this article I will highlight a few major companies that act as toll booth operators who charge fees to access their networks and investigate their historical performance versus the benchmark of the S&P 500.

• The major operators of these booths have enjoyed decades of prosperity and outsized returns, I investigate a few identified companies.

It’s just there.”

Falcone talked about his life as a gay person — represented by the G in LGBTQIA+ — for Plain Dealer and cleveland.com’s “LGTBQIA+ Explained.” He also explained intersexuality, asexuality and plus, represented by I, A and the plus sign, respectively.

The series “LGTBQIA+ Explained” includes written and video interviews to explain the words represented by the acronym— lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer and other gender representations.

In 1851, a very sober John Stuart Mill, the philosopher, complained that the lack of a gender-neutral pronoun forced him to use generic he, which was “more than a defect” in English because it rendered half the human species invisible.

Going beyond He and She is a way to tell everyone that you are not going to assume their gender and it is an important move towards embracing real inclusivity, writes Tanisha Saxena

“Gender-neutral language isn’t about replacing an old norm with a new one.

This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

Title:

Content: Own The Toll Booths

Nov. 04, 2022 10:09 AM ETAMT, AMZN, CCOI, DTE, DTW, MSFT, PYPL, SPOT, UNP, V, WSO2 Comments

Summary

  • Many toll roads of different shapes and sizes exist in our world today, and each of them have a toll booth.
  • The major operators of these booths have enjoyed decades of prosperity and outsized returns, I investigate a few identified companies.
  • I believe it is highly likely that new toll booth operators in new industries will appear in the years to come, a few possible candidates come to mind.

Background

Many toll roads of different shapes and sizes exist in our world today, and each of them have a toll booth. Of course I am not referring to just turnpikes and highways, but to metaphorical toll roads that exist within our modern society as well. When you woke up this morning and checked your email and phone notifications, that data was transported along a complex path possibly all the way around the world. How about the electricity that was used to charge those devices? You can see my point, in this article I will highlight a few major companies that act as toll booth operators who charge fees to access their networks and investigate their historical performance versus the benchmark of the S&P 500. Additionally, I will think out loud and present some possible future candidates for new operators in new industries.

Toll Booth Companies

I have compiled a quick list of enterprises that could be identified as a toll booth, however there are many more than just those contained in this list. I find the following companies to be of importance due to their positions in industries that are important now and will continue to be so in the future.

  1. Cogent Communications (CCOI) as a toll booth for internet traffic. CCOI is an internet access provider and owner of a massive amount of fiber optic cable infrastructure. They are so large in fact, they actually own cables that direct 20% of the entire world's internet traffic. There is an excellent article written here by a fellow SA author that I recommend if you would like to have a greater understanding of the global internet architecture. In short, Cogent is collecting payments from telcos, end-user internet providers, and many more to manage the world's internet traffic.
  2. American Tower (AMT) for mobile data. AMT is the largest operator of cell towers in the world and has operations in nearly every region on the planet. On top of this, they have also begun a vertical integration strategy with cloud data management via ownership of data centers as detailed in a previous article I have written. With mobile data usage increasing exponentially, American Tower will be the beneficiary of higher revenues with little-to-no increase in cost.
  3. DTE Energy (DTE) for distribution of electricity. DTE recently spun-off its natural gas division to become a pure-play electric utility. Given that its headquartered in Detroit, there is a substantial dependence on this provider's network now and in the future as the Big 3 auto companies are rapidly transitioning to EVs. Many other electric utilities could also be used for this toll booth example but I find this one to be particularly compelling.
  4. Watsco (WSO) for distribution. WSO focuses heavily on the distribution of HVAC equipment and replacement parts, building the largest and most efficient network for supplying these crucial systems and parts. As global temperatures have steadily increased and improvement in the standard of living has been significant over the past few decades, demand for HVAC systems has exploded. On top of this, green legislation has mandated improved efficiency standards that require upgrades of existing systems. The toll road operated by Watsco in this industry is unparalleled and will continue to prosper.
  5. Union Pacific Railroad (UNP) for transportation. In the first and only example of an actual road, this railroad is an absolute giant with incredible leverage. The vast majority of goods being transported via rail do not have any options in terms of other modes of transportation. The consolidation of the industry along with the extremely high barriers to entry mean this regional railroad is the one and only rail line for many customers and you can imagine how UNP has reaped the rewards. With essentially non-negotiable rate increases and passing on costs to the customer, railroads have generated large profits for over a hundred years. The included tailwind of a focus on domestic manufacturing and mining of natural resources has only placed more importance on this toll booth.

Historical Performance

It should not come as a surprise that nearly all of these companies have generated outsized returns versus the S&P 500. To illustrate, I have compared the total return of the S&P 500 versus an equal weighted portfolio of the above companies. The comparison models the returns from 2000 to present, I chose this time period as it captures a several large events affecting the stock market such as the dot-com bubble, the great financial crisis, and the recent global pandemic. To truly know the strength of these companies it is important to understand how they perform in difficult situations as well as times of economic growth.

The outperformance of this portfolio is massive, generating a total return that is nearly 4.5x the return of the S&P 500 if you had simply invested an equal portion across the five companies and let it compound. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns, but the results are encouraging about the strength of these businesses either way.

Predicting New Toll Booths

Innovation and change are happening faster than ever as we continue to develop new technologies and make new discoveries. This naturally leads the way to new industries and new toll roads that need operators. Being able to identify and predict who these players may be could make a massive difference in your long-term returns. I will brainstorm and think out loud about a few ideas that I've quickly pondered but would like to perform more research.

  • Visa (V) and PayPal (PYPL) could possibly have the opportunity to solidify this status on the rapidly growing digital payments highway. They both exhibit dominant positions in the market and are continuously innovating to stay ahead. The global adoption of digital and cashless payments still has a huge runway, in fact it's still in its early stages. I personally believe the potential as leaders in this industry is massive and extremely profitable.

  • Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) could become toll booths for company data transportation brought about from the relatively new cloud industry that has been booming. Between the two of them, they own more than half of the entire market and are in the best position to scale. The high margins and the quickly growing addressable market led to an undeniably attractive position.

  • Spotify (SPOT) may have a unique opportunity as the number of options for audio/music listening are slowly consolidating. Just 15 years ago, it was normal to use 4+ devices or sources to listen to music or podcasts. A typical week for most people may have involved listening to the radio station directly at home or through a car, playing music on an mp3 player, purchasing CD's, and purchasing songs/albums on iTunes. Now all of that can be done from one device from one source, and with the added benefit of listening to any audio you want anytime you want. The far and away largest owner of the music/podcast freeway is Spotify. It seems as if the company is starting to figure out how to monetize its products and increase its capabilities and services, the potential to accelerate revenue per user and benefit from network effect can catapult the company to financial success. For most people, music is an important part of life that won't be sacrificed for a reasonable monthly fee.

Summary

The advantages of operating a toll booth on a busy and necessary highway are substantial as evidenced by historical performance. I believe the companies described above will continue to reap the benefits of collecting steady and growing fees paid by customers to access their networks. They won't be alone however, eventually some new players will start to emerge and hopefully you can guess one right.

This article was written by

I am an electromechanical engineer who has worked in the automotive, IT infrastructure, and medical device industries. My goal is to produce technical breakdowns on company products and share my industry experiences to provide insight on current engineering trends. Providing real world product knowledge on new trends or relatively unknown engineering developments gives readers a unique advantage when conducting research on a potential investment.I am a long term buy-and-hold investor who seeks investments with strong cash flows that produce a growing passive income stream or heavily invest into R&D.

Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of CCOI, AMT, DTE, WSO, UNP either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Title:

Content: LGBTQIA+ Explained: ‘Not just the sex that makes me gay’

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Tom Falcone (he/him), identifies as a gay man, but he emphasizes that being gay is more than a sexual attraction. It’s about being attracted to the entire person.

“You know that vision of who you think your partner is going to be?” asked Falcone, 67, of Wickcliffe. “We all grow up knowing that or feeling it — we don’t choose. It’s just there.”

Falcone talked about his life as a gay person — represented by the G in LGBTQIA+ — for Plain Dealer and cleveland.com’s “LGTBQIA+ Explained.” He also explained intersexuality, asexuality and plus, represented by I, A and the plus sign, respectively.

The series “LGTBQIA+ Explained” includes written and video interviews to explain the words represented by the acronym— lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer and other gender representations. Reporters worked with PFLAG Cleveland, a support organization that advocates for LGBTQIA+ people and their families, seeking to amplify LGTBQIA+ voices.

See video interviews, which took place at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Written interviews have been edited for length and clarity. Read the entire series here.

Here, Falcone discusses why he identifies as gay.

Q: What does the word gay mean to you?

Falcone: “Your emotional and physical attraction for that other person in your life is in the same gender. I see myself as male, and I am attracted to men who see themselves as male. I identify as being gay because my attraction is to men, not women.”

Q: What are some misconceptions about gay people?

Falcone: “I don’t think (people in the wider community) they get anything wrong. They just don’t understand that there’s more to it. It’s always pictures of physical sex that come to people’s minds, not the emotional part or the mental attraction of who you are drawn to. It’s not just the sex that makes me gay.”

Q: At what point in your life did you decide you were gay?

Falcone: “You know, it’s not really that I chose to be a gay man. That’s how I feel. You know, I struggled with it for years. But growing up in a society that said, you can’t be that, in my small town there was no one to talk to and no one that I could identify with. So you go along with what the norms are supposed to be. I was married at one time to a woman and fathered three sons. And now I’m married to my husband.”

Q: What does intersexuality mean?

Falcone: “The I for intersex is a difficult one. It’s actually a disorder of sexual development. It can also be chromosomal — people born with extra Y or extra X chromosomes. It can also be people who have more than just testes or just ovaries. It’s not what we would expect a typical birth to be, but it’s not that uncommon.

“The old way of doing things was to assign a gender at birth. They’re finding now that’s not the best thing to do for the child. Allow them to mature and understand their own identity. That way, they can assume the identity they feel they are.”

Q: What do asexuality and plus mean?

Falcone: “To me, asexuality implies that sex has nothing to do with it. It’s more like a platonic outlook on life. They tend not to look for sexual partners; romances tend to be about the person.

“The plus covers the wide range of what goes on in the community. You have your pansexuals; you have people who claim they fall in love with the person — the sex of their body has nothing to do with it.

“Then you have two-spirit people, which is an ancient recognition by the Native peoples, here in the States and a lot of places, of a separate gender. It was people who presented male, but would still do work that societies typically assigned to females, and visa versa. They viewed two-spirit as a separate gender.”

Q: Why is Pride month important?

Falcone: “People will say, why do you have to celebrate? Well, we have to celebrate because we have to force the acknowledgement that we are here. We have a right to exist and we’re like anybody else. My husband and I keep a house. We mow lawns, pay taxes and we do all that stuff. And all we want to do is have the right to exist and live our lives the way we choose to live. And that’s why Pride comes about.”

Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.

LGBTQIA+ Resources:

‘Every Body’: Eye-opening documentary sheds light on intersex people

LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

GLAAD

MetroHealth LGBTQI+ Pride Network

Re:searching for LGBTQ2S+ Health!

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Title:

Content: What’s your pronoun?

What’s your pronoun?

Going beyond He and She is a way to tell everyone that you are not going to assume their gender and it is an important move towards embracing real inclusivity, writes Tanisha Saxena

“Gender-neutral language isn’t about replacing an old norm with a new one. People have the right to self-determine their gender whether it be a man, woman, or a gender. The goal of gender-neutral language is to get rid of gender normativity, not everyone’s gender,” writes Alok Vaid-Menon in the book, Beyond the Gender Binary.

These days asking for pronouns has become a social standard, credit goes to the increasing cultural visibility of the transgender, genderqueer and gender nonconforming community. In the recent past, evidently, LGBTQ activists and linguists around the world have championed more inclusive language, both by creating entirely new non-binary terms and by retooling already existing words and grammar constructions. And it is not a new phenomenon. In 1851, a very sober John Stuart Mill, the philosopher, complained that the lack of a gender-neutral pronoun forced him to use generic he, which was “more than a defect” in English because it rendered half the human species invisible. And while Mill didn’t coin a pronoun to correct this defect. In the year 1864, a writer identified only as J. W. L. came up with gender-neutral ‘ze’ and recommended getting Noah Webster to endorse his coinage. Cut to 2022, people are using gender-neutral pronouns quite commonly.

It’s akin to verbal abuse

Grace Banu, an activist and India’s first trans engineer from Thoothukudi, says, “Misgendering is an issue in India and especially in the rural parts of the country. It is a kind of verbal abuse for us and we need to protect ourselves from that. That’s exactly where the role of gender-neutral language comes in.

We are a multicultural and multilingual nation and it is very sad that people who claim themselves “progressive” tend to misgender someone. A transperson will go through so much pain just for something as simple as he and she. Moreover, there is a lack of sensitivity and confusion that makes everything more complex and unattainable.

On social media or in the corporate world, it might seem that we are okay with the usage of pronouns but the thing is that there is a large population that lacks the knowledge. Hence, the reluctance to ask the preferred pronoun of the person. There’s still a long way to go!”

Pronouns and gender-inclusive language are important. Today, pretty much like gender-neutral bathrooms and changing rooms at shopping malls, gender-neutral pronouns are sparking a debate, prompting new policies in schools, workplaces and even in prisons, about what pronouns to use.

Misgendering can inflict stress

Vaibhav Kumar Modi, a Kathak dancer and curator of Dark Vibe Society and co-founder of Hyderabad Dance Festival, shares, “Pronouns, though difficult to adjust to initially, make us mindful of others’ sensitivities. They help us in educating people in a non-intrusive way about how misgendering can inflict stress. Now, imagine if you recognise yourself as a male and someone using female pronouns addresses you. Would you appreciate that? Hence, especially for trans and non-binary folks, it is essentially important that they be addressed with correct pronouns. Also, pronouns help to build a non-assuming environment as well. When a person specifies their pronoun, irrespective of them being straight or from the LGBTQIA+ community, they leave no room for the presumption of a person’s gender based on their visual appearance.”

Aparna Bhatt, an independent scholar, writer and feminist digs deeper into the nuances. She begins, “Let’s understand this at the most fundamental level. Pronouns, just like nouns, are an important part of a person’s identity. Language evolves over time and identity is not monolithic either, it’s fluid, multifaceted and complex.”

Power of choice

As our understanding of gender identity is evolving from the binary of man-woman to a broader spectrum, our language must also evolve in tandem. It’s almost symbiotic in that sense. “We cannot endorse and honour various gender identities without accepting the semantic changes. Pronouns are deeply personal and enable us to be seen. We often have no choice over our names, our first marker of identity. However, today we are inching towards a comfortable space where we can choose our pronouns and that for me is extremely empowering. Using appropriate pronouns is the first step toward respecting a person’s gender identity. And at the end of the day, recognising and respecting people as individuals is what it’s all about,” concludes Aparna.

Jayant, one of the co-founders of Queer Nilayam, a support group for the LGBT community, opines: “A gender-inclusive language is a powerful tool for promoting gender equality and eliminating gender bias. In workplaces, it’s a fact that the spaces were traditionally designed for men. It’s important to use gender-inclusive language to make women and non-binary folks feel welcomed.”

Hasheel, a south Asian queer Hindustani classical musician who identifies as a cis queer male feels that it’s a privilege to be cis-gendered. The reason they state is less struggle as compared to the transgendered or gender non-conforming. But Hasheel expresses, “Throughout my life, there are times where I feel more feminine or more masculine. I believe that gender is always fluid to a certain degree. Hence, the need for gender-neutral language arises.” One of the members of Gay India People, an LGBT support group on social media comes up with a rather more curious case. They suggest that there should be an option “Prefer not to say” too. Then it caters to everyone. They share, “Yes, it is hard but much needed not only for just the LGBTQ community but also to remove the patriarchal stereotypes. Why should they always say women’s cricket and refer to just stating cricket team when it comes to the guys? There needs to be a balanced and unbiased terminology. As far as the LGBTQ community is concerned, we need more visibility now more than ever. Even if it feels too much to some, in order to get to normalcy, we need to uplift and promote ourselves now.”

On a similar note, Mumbai-based Gaurav Sinha who identifies as non-binary believes that a person’s pronouns convey their gender identity. Transgender, gender nonconforming, gender-fluid, non-binary, and other LGBTQ+ people use a wide variety of pronouns that affirm who they are. Using someone’s self-defined pronouns respects all identities on the spectrum.

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This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

It’s the idea that no matter who you are, you have a place, you have a story and you deserve great adventures in your life.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow fan Johanna, a trans Whovian who was drawn to the show by the Doctor’s versatility as a “lead character who transcends societal norms and rules and can even exist beyond simple ideas of gender, race or, indeed, sexuality.”

For Johanna, seeing active strides being made towards greater inclusivity is “particularly gratifying” considering its past, with stories such as 1977’s Tom Baker episode “The Talons of Weng Chiang”, having received criticism for its depiction of Chinese characters.

Doctor Who ‘represents marginalised communities in a positive light’

Meanwhile, trans masc fan Jacob says: “Growing up with very limited age-appropriate programmes with good representation of equality, diversity and inclusion, I realise how fortunate I was to have a show that represented marginalised communities in a positive light.”

Over the past two decades, there have been a number of LGBTQ+ characters, becoming increasingly more explicit, across Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall’s time as the show’s driving force.

For 30 years, since signing her record deal with RCA in 1991, she’s sung stories that chart the complexities and challenges of womanhood and humanity at large: tackling domestic violence and abuse in “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing” and “Concrete Angel”; the difficulties and gifts of motherhood on “Teenager Daughters”; and the inequities (and privileges) of just getting by on “Love’s the Only House.” The bulk of those songs, along with hits like “This One’s for the Girls,” appear on her new release Greatest Hits: The RCA Years Double LP, which celebrates a career built on longevity and honesty.

Martina McBride on Brandi Carlile, Women's Advocacy, New Music - Rolling Stone
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Home Music Country Music

Martina McBride on Becoming Country Music’s Truth-Teller: ‘T

This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

Title:

Content: Trans Doctor Who fans explain why diverse new season will mean so much to queer kids

When the BBC launched Doctor Who 60 years ago, few could have foretold the legacy it would create – especially with its LGBTQ+ fans, including a huge number of trans followers.

In recent decades, the iconic sci-fi show has been praised for its allegorical political commentary, which is quite the achievement considering its somewhat tricky start, with the earlier era of the show, which ran until 1989, containing a fair share of dated language and problematic portrayals.

You may like to watch

But all that changed in 2005. That’s when showrunner Russell T Davies rebooted Doctor Who, making its mark as a pioneering force for LGBTQ+ representation.

As Davies returns to the helm for the 60th anniversary specials and Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the 15th – if you count David Tennant twice – Doctor, the new episodes promise a flurry of LGBTQ+ talent, not least trans star Yasmin Finney, as former companion Donna Noble’s daughter Rose, and Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon, who will portray a mysterious villain, among a host of other queer talent.

And fans such as Aaron, who’s non-binary and the founder of LGBTQIA+ group “Friends of Ace” are ready and waiting to dive into the new episodes, which are set to be the most diverse yet.

“Doctor Who is fundamentally about outsiders, outcasts or people who are different, coming together and sharing something magical,” Aaron tells PinkNews.

It’s the idea that no matter who you are, you have a place, you have a story and you deserve great adventures in your life.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow fan Johanna, a trans Whovian who was drawn to the show by the Doctor’s versatility as a “lead character who transcends societal norms and rules and can even exist beyond simple ideas of gender, race or, indeed, sexuality.”

For Johanna, seeing active strides being made towards greater inclusivity is “particularly gratifying” considering its past, with stories such as 1977’s Tom Baker episode “The Talons of Weng Chiang”, having received criticism for its depiction of Chinese characters.

Doctor Who ‘represents marginalised communities in a positive light’

Meanwhile, trans masc fan Jacob says: “Growing up with very limited age-appropriate programmes with good representation of equality, diversity and inclusion, I realise how fortunate I was to have a show that represented marginalised communities in a positive light.”

Over the past two decades, there have been a number of LGBTQ+ characters, becoming increasingly more explicit, across Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall’s time as the show’s driving force.

And most LGBTQ+ fans can remember the character who most resonated with them.

For Aaron, it’s 1980s companion Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, who many people viewed as bisexual. It’s a love shared with Johanna who recalls one episode where the character “indulges in cross dressing” – a sign of the early stirrings of LGBTQ+ representation in the series.

Johanna also adores 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi’s lesbian companion, Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), who was one of the first core characters to have an explicitly LGBTQ+ romance.

Meanwhile, Jacob praised recurring character Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who entered a tender romance with Ianto Jones in the adult spin-off series, Torchwood, and the 13th Doctor’s companion Yaz (Mandip Gill) who slowly falls in love with the Time Lord (Jodie Whittaker) in more-recent episodes.

Although there is no shortage of LGBTQ+ storylines in the show today, there is still some way to go. When Whittaker regenerated into Tennant in “The Power of the Doctor” last year, her clothes changed as well – unlike all previous regenerations.

Davies addressed the ensuing criticism by saying he didn’t want Tennant wearing Whittaker’s costume to appear as a “mockery” of drag culture

However, fan Clara argues: “Jodie’s outfit was designed with gender neutrality in mind. It was supposed to be a ‘timeless and genderless’ outfit. I think this would have been received very well by queer fans.

“Instead it appears he has enforced the idea that a male Doctor cannot possibly wear women’s clothes.”

Despite this disappointment, Clara maintains her faith in the show as a “safe space” for trans fans, especially in response to campaigns against trans people by prominent figures such as writer Graham Linehan and Harry Potter author JK Rowling

“If even one trans kid sees a trans character in the show, and this helps them accept who they are, that’s a good thing,” Clara says.

Aaron in particular speaks of his joy at Doctor Who casting rising trans talent. “The fact that Yasmin and Jinkx have been [among] the first bunch of castings makes me scream,” he said.

“These are people who aren’t just hired because they’re trans or non-binary, but because they’re at the top of their game in the field, they’re breaking through and Russell just wants a piece of that. Why wouldn’t he?”

Jacob hopes these characters will be a much-needed antidote to the years of harmful tropes pedalled about the trans community in the mainstream media.

“Turning on the TV to watch yourself represented, [the characters often had] the intent of fear-mongering or doom-and-gloom storylines,” he continues.

“We don’t want constant reminders of our struggles, we want to see ourselves represented through a variety of characters and storylines that aren’t the same narratives told over and over.”

Johanna, meanwhile, thinks it is “progressive filmmakers and showrunners’ responsibility [to] ensure diversity both in front of and behind the camera”.

She adds: “I hope young trans people who are unsure about their identity and how they fit into gender, see people like Yasmin Finney and realise that it’s OK to be trans.

“I hope it helps them understand themselves and gives them a vision of how people flourish before, during and after transition.”

Doctor Who returns with “The Star Beast” on Saturday, 25 November on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It will stream on Disney+ globally.

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Content: Martina McBride on Brandi Carlile, Women's Advocacy, New Music - Rolling Stone
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Home Music Country Music

Martina McBride on Becoming Country Music’s Truth-Teller: ‘The Right Thing Isn’t Always Easy’

The “Independence Day” vocalist marks three decades with a hits album and Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit — as well as candid words about our responsibility to fight racism and sexism

About two years ago, a feral cat started showing up on Martina McBride’s back porch in Nashville — it would come by here and there, plopping down and rubbing its black fur on the patio. But then McBride noticed it kept returning, again and again.

“I tamed her,” McBride says, before instantly correcting herself. “Rather, she allowed herself to be tamed.”

Understanding that nuance is true to exactly who McBride is as an artist. For 30 years, since signing her record deal with RCA in 1991, she’s sung stories that chart the complexities and challenges of womanhood and humanity at large: tackling domestic violence and abuse in “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing” and “Concrete Angel”; the difficulties and gifts of motherhood on “Teenager Daughters”; and the inequities (and privileges) of just getting by on “Love’s the Only House.” The bulk of those songs, along with hits like “This One’s for the Girls,” appear on her new release Greatest Hits: The RCA Years Double LP, which celebrates a career built on longevity and honesty. Even the Country Music Hall of Fame has taken note, opening a new exhibit called “Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice.”

McBride started performing at eight with her family band, the Schiffters, in rural Kansas. After moving to Nashville in 1990, she went from selling Garth Brooks T-shirts at the merch counter to performing as his opening act in arenas across the country. It was with songs like Gretchen Peters’ “Independence Day” that she found her lane as a power vocalist and truth-teller, as well as a committed advocate for domestic violence survivors. And her first Number One hit “Wild Angels,” which includes the sound of her baby daughter laughing, showed her to be a woman who never tried to hide motherhood in favor of bigger success. She’s also been repeatedly vocal about country music’s gender disparity, infamously selling a shirt that read “Tomato” in response to a country radio executive’s remark about women in the genre.

“It’s important to have songs that have a wide range of subjects,” McBride says, “because music is one of the ways we can change the consciousness.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame recently launched your dedicated exhibit, which looks at your career from the very beginnings. Like your songs, it’s both about the power of your voice as well as the power of the female voice and female storytelling in general.
That’s what I loved about it. I spent my whole career singing songs that lift women up and portray them with a lot of strength and power, so I thought that was a really cool approach. It’s really fleshed out and comprehensive, and they did a cool job with it.

How does it feel to reflect on that journey — from fighting for songs that tackle difficult subjects like “Independence Day,” to lobbying for gender parity on the airwaves, to your work with victims of domestic violence? Do you feel like you have become an advocate, of sorts?
I never really thought about it in those specific terms. But I always thought it was really important to be hands-on with my career, and certainly song selection – I just wanted to be authentic and real and I also felt like it was important to use my music to give back. I didn’t set out to find “Independence Day,” but it came to me and really brought up all these feelings and a passion that I wanted to make a difference. And it’s nice to look back to a simpler time. I was talking with a friend last night about how the music industry is so different now, and I am so grateful to have come up in a time when it was so robust and healthy. I can’t imagine starting out now as an indie artist.

The genre has been in a pretty strange place lately, especially as it’s become quite difficult to find songs of true substance on country radio. Add that to such a polarized climate, and are you worried that future songs like “Independence Day” might not be able to find their place in the ecosystem?
I hope not, because one of the things I love about country music is that it’s very direct and about real-life experiences. And as I have said in the past, when it’s a male-dominated format, we are only hearing one side of the story — it’s so important for young girls to not only hear that on the radio but also just to be represented, like somebody is singing something that is important to them. I never thought of it like it’s our responsibility to change the culture, but it is, and songs can awaken feelings and points of view and thoughts in people.

Not unlike the Nineties, when women ruled the country charts, it feels like so many of the people making music who push the genre forward from a storytelling perspective are women, like Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Mickey Guyton, Margo Price, Miranda Lambert…
Yeah, that’s interesting, isn’t it? I don’t know what that means exactly and I don’t want to generalize, but I think it comes back to having a point of view that is unique and a life experience that is different. We all benefit when that is represented. I’m all about having a good time and using music as an escape, and not everything has to be heavy, but it’s just nice to have a bit of balance, some other sonic landscapes.

“Do you really want to spend your whole career not speaking out about things that are important to you just because you don’t want somebody to be upset?”

You haven’t shied away from being direct with your fans on social media, either. After George Floyd’s murder and Blackout Tuesday, some country artists just posted a black square on social media or resisted any sort of discomfort that might come with thinking deeply about their own white privilege. But your Instagram post directed your fans to action.
Well, my kids have taught me a lot. We have had some great discussions, and at the end of the day you have to speak your truth. Do you really want to spend your whole career not speaking out about things that are important to you just because you don’t want somebody to be upset? They’re going to be upset either way, and I would rather have people in my circle who are likeminded or at least open enough to be in a discussion. It’s not always easy, but the right thing isn’t always easy.

October was Domestic Violence Awareness month, a cause and mission to which you have made a full-bodied commitment over the course of your career. How does the climate feel now, versus when you started doing this work?
Nobody wanted to talk about it back then, because a lot of stations wouldn’t even play [“Independence Day”]. It’s hard to quantify, but I feel like people are more comfortable talking about it. There are some good things that social media has brought and one is an awareness of things that were taboo to talk about, like mental health, as Simone Biles did at the Olympics. The climate is more open and there is more support and awareness.

Who is making you most hopeful about the future of country music these days?
I don’t keep up with current stuff as much as I should, but Maggie Rose, Shelly Fairchild, Maren and Kacey and Brandi Carlie — I’m just so over the top about her and what she has done. I love that she is so unapologetic, and I really respect and revere what she is doing. It’s not a gimmick, it’s just “here I am,” and it’s a great example for women who are coming up to just do it and do it joyfully.

So are you thinking about making new music at the moment?
I’m always thinking about new music. I’ll be honest, I have enjoyed the break. I don’t want to say that insensitively, as it was a terrible time for a lot of people, but mentally it was so hard being in the grind all the time. So I am still trying to figure out how it all impacted me creatively. Some days I feel so inspired and some days I just want to have a glass of wine and chill and listen to the birds. But I’d love to make some new music, and I am in a place where I am not chasing commercial radio so I have the freedom to be really prolific and make all kinds of music.

In This Article: Martina McBride

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This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

It’s the idea that no matter who you are, you have a place, you have a story and you deserve great adventures in your life.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow fan Johanna, a trans Whovian who was drawn to the show by the Doctor’s versatility as a “lead character who transcends societal norms and rules and can even exist beyond simple ideas of gender, race or, indeed, sexuality.”

For Johanna, seeing active strides being made towards greater inclusivity is “particularly gratifying” considering its past, with stories such as 1977’s Tom Baker episode “The Talons of Weng Chiang”, having received criticism for its depiction of Chinese characters.

Doctor Who ‘represents marginalised communities in a positive light’

Meanwhile, trans masc fan Jacob says: “Growing up with very limited age-appropriate programmes with good representation of equality, diversity and inclusion, I realise how fortunate I was to have a show that represented marginalised communities in a positive light.”

Over the past two decades, there have been a number of LGBTQ+ characters, becoming increasingly more explicit, across Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall’s time as the show’s driving force.

For 30 years, since signing her record deal with RCA in 1991, she’s sung stories that chart the complexities and challenges of womanhood and humanity at large: tackling domestic violence and abuse in “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing” and “Concrete Angel”; the difficulties and gifts of motherhood on “Teenager Daughters”; and the inequities (and privileges) of just getting by on “Love’s the Only House.” The bulk of those songs, along with hits like “This One’s for the Girls,” appear on her new release Greatest Hits: The RCA Years Double LP, which celebrates a career built on longevity and honesty.

Martina McBride on Brandi Carlile, Women's Advocacy, New Music - Rolling Stone
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Home Music Country Music

Martina McBride on Becoming Country Music’s Truth-Teller: ‘The Right Thing Isn’t Always Easy’

The “Independence Day” vocalist marks three decades with a hits album and Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit — as well as candid words about our responsibility to fight racism and sexism

About two years ago, a feral cat started showing up on Martina McBride’s back porch in Nashville — it would come by here and there, plopping down and rubbing its black fur on the patio.

While many families celebrate Father’s Day by honoring the biological father, whether present or deceased, the writer wishes to delve into the significance of discussing the role of a father that transcends gender or biological ties, considering the possibility that this trend of redefining fatherhood may persist in the coming decades.

However, the writer’s focus lies in a particular issue where the role of a father is not necessarily confined to the male gender.

This report addresses: Female Crane Operators

Title:

Content: Trans Doctor Who fans explain why diverse new season will mean so much to queer kids

When the BBC launched Doctor Who 60 years ago, few could have foretold the legacy it would create – especially with its LGBTQ+ fans, including a huge number of trans followers.

In recent decades, the iconic sci-fi show has been praised for its allegorical political commentary, which is quite the achievement considering its somewhat tricky start, with the earlier era of the show, which ran until 1989, containing a fair share of dated language and problematic portrayals.

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But all that changed in 2005. That’s when showrunner Russell T Davies rebooted Doctor Who, making its mark as a pioneering force for LGBTQ+ representation.

As Davies returns to the helm for the 60th anniversary specials and Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the 15th – if you count David Tennant twice – Doctor, the new episodes promise a flurry of LGBTQ+ talent, not least trans star Yasmin Finney, as former companion Donna Noble’s daughter Rose, and Drag Race legend Jinkx Monsoon, who will portray a mysterious villain, among a host of other queer talent.

And fans such as Aaron, who’s non-binary and the founder of LGBTQIA+ group “Friends of Ace” are ready and waiting to dive into the new episodes, which are set to be the most diverse yet.

“Doctor Who is fundamentally about outsiders, outcasts or people who are different, coming together and sharing something magical,” Aaron tells PinkNews.

It’s the idea that no matter who you are, you have a place, you have a story and you deserve great adventures in your life.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by fellow fan Johanna, a trans Whovian who was drawn to the show by the Doctor’s versatility as a “lead character who transcends societal norms and rules and can even exist beyond simple ideas of gender, race or, indeed, sexuality.”

For Johanna, seeing active strides being made towards greater inclusivity is “particularly gratifying” considering its past, with stories such as 1977’s Tom Baker episode “The Talons of Weng Chiang”, having received criticism for its depiction of Chinese characters.

Doctor Who ‘represents marginalised communities in a positive light’

Meanwhile, trans masc fan Jacob says: “Growing up with very limited age-appropriate programmes with good representation of equality, diversity and inclusion, I realise how fortunate I was to have a show that represented marginalised communities in a positive light.”

Over the past two decades, there have been a number of LGBTQ+ characters, becoming increasingly more explicit, across Davies, Steven Moffat and Chris Chibnall’s time as the show’s driving force.

And most LGBTQ+ fans can remember the character who most resonated with them.

For Aaron, it’s 1980s companion Ace, played by Sophie Aldred, who many people viewed as bisexual. It’s a love shared with Johanna who recalls one episode where the character “indulges in cross dressing” – a sign of the early stirrings of LGBTQ+ representation in the series.

Johanna also adores 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi’s lesbian companion, Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), who was one of the first core characters to have an explicitly LGBTQ+ romance.

Meanwhile, Jacob praised recurring character Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), who entered a tender romance with Ianto Jones in the adult spin-off series, Torchwood, and the 13th Doctor’s companion Yaz (Mandip Gill) who slowly falls in love with the Time Lord (Jodie Whittaker) in more-recent episodes.

Although there is no shortage of LGBTQ+ storylines in the show today, there is still some way to go. When Whittaker regenerated into Tennant in “The Power of the Doctor” last year, her clothes changed as well – unlike all previous regenerations.

Davies addressed the ensuing criticism by saying he didn’t want Tennant wearing Whittaker’s costume to appear as a “mockery” of drag culture

However, fan Clara argues: “Jodie’s outfit was designed with gender neutrality in mind. It was supposed to be a ‘timeless and genderless’ outfit. I think this would have been received very well by queer fans.

“Instead it appears he has enforced the idea that a male Doctor cannot possibly wear women’s clothes.”

Despite this disappointment, Clara maintains her faith in the show as a “safe space” for trans fans, especially in response to campaigns against trans people by prominent figures such as writer Graham Linehan and Harry Potter author JK Rowling

“If even one trans kid sees a trans character in the show, and this helps them accept who they are, that’s a good thing,” Clara says.

Aaron in particular speaks of his joy at Doctor Who casting rising trans talent. “The fact that Yasmin and Jinkx have been [among] the first bunch of castings makes me scream,” he said.

“These are people who aren’t just hired because they’re trans or non-binary, but because they’re at the top of their game in the field, they’re breaking through and Russell just wants a piece of that. Why wouldn’t he?”

Jacob hopes these characters will be a much-needed antidote to the years of harmful tropes pedalled about the trans community in the mainstream media.

“Turning on the TV to watch yourself represented, [the characters often had] the intent of fear-mongering or doom-and-gloom storylines,” he continues.

“We don’t want constant reminders of our struggles, we want to see ourselves represented through a variety of characters and storylines that aren’t the same narratives told over and over.”

Johanna, meanwhile, thinks it is “progressive filmmakers and showrunners’ responsibility [to] ensure diversity both in front of and behind the camera”.

She adds: “I hope young trans people who are unsure about their identity and how they fit into gender, see people like Yasmin Finney and realise that it’s OK to be trans.

“I hope it helps them understand themselves and gives them a vision of how people flourish before, during and after transition.”

Doctor Who returns with “The Star Beast” on Saturday, 25 November on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It will stream on Disney+ globally.

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Content: Martina McBride on Brandi Carlile, Women's Advocacy, New Music - Rolling Stone
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Home Music Country Music

Martina McBride on Becoming Country Music’s Truth-Teller: ‘The Right Thing Isn’t Always Easy’

The “Independence Day” vocalist marks three decades with a hits album and Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit — as well as candid words about our responsibility to fight racism and sexism

About two years ago, a feral cat started showing up on Martina McBride’s back porch in Nashville — it would come by here and there, plopping down and rubbing its black fur on the patio. But then McBride noticed it kept returning, again and again.

“I tamed her,” McBride says, before instantly correcting herself. “Rather, she allowed herself to be tamed.”

Understanding that nuance is true to exactly who McBride is as an artist. For 30 years, since signing her record deal with RCA in 1991, she’s sung stories that chart the complexities and challenges of womanhood and humanity at large: tackling domestic violence and abuse in “Independence Day,” “A Broken Wing” and “Concrete Angel”; the difficulties and gifts of motherhood on “Teenager Daughters”; and the inequities (and privileges) of just getting by on “Love’s the Only House.” The bulk of those songs, along with hits like “This One’s for the Girls,” appear on her new release Greatest Hits: The RCA Years Double LP, which celebrates a career built on longevity and honesty. Even the Country Music Hall of Fame has taken note, opening a new exhibit called “Martina McBride: The Power of Her Voice.”

McBride started performing at eight with her family band, the Schiffters, in rural Kansas. After moving to Nashville in 1990, she went from selling Garth Brooks T-shirts at the merch counter to performing as his opening act in arenas across the country. It was with songs like Gretchen Peters’ “Independence Day” that she found her lane as a power vocalist and truth-teller, as well as a committed advocate for domestic violence survivors. And her first Number One hit “Wild Angels,” which includes the sound of her baby daughter laughing, showed her to be a woman who never tried to hide motherhood in favor of bigger success. She’s also been repeatedly vocal about country music’s gender disparity, infamously selling a shirt that read “Tomato” in response to a country radio executive’s remark about women in the genre.

“It’s important to have songs that have a wide range of subjects,” McBride says, “because music is one of the ways we can change the consciousness.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame recently launched your dedicated exhibit, which looks at your career from the very beginnings. Like your songs, it’s both about the power of your voice as well as the power of the female voice and female storytelling in general.
That’s what I loved about it. I spent my whole career singing songs that lift women up and portray them with a lot of strength and power, so I thought that was a really cool approach. It’s really fleshed out and comprehensive, and they did a cool job with it.

How does it feel to reflect on that journey — from fighting for songs that tackle difficult subjects like “Independence Day,” to lobbying for gender parity on the airwaves, to your work with victims of domestic violence? Do you feel like you have become an advocate, of sorts?
I never really thought about it in those specific terms. But I always thought it was really important to be hands-on with my career, and certainly song selection – I just wanted to be authentic and real and I also felt like it was important to use my music to give back. I didn’t set out to find “Independence Day,” but it came to me and really brought up all these feelings and a passion that I wanted to make a difference. And it’s nice to look back to a simpler time. I was talking with a friend last night about how the music industry is so different now, and I am so grateful to have come up in a time when it was so robust and healthy. I can’t imagine starting out now as an indie artist.

The genre has been in a pretty strange place lately, especially as it’s become quite difficult to find songs of true substance on country radio. Add that to such a polarized climate, and are you worried that future songs like “Independence Day” might not be able to find their place in the ecosystem?
I hope not, because one of the things I love about country music is that it’s very direct and about real-life experiences. And as I have said in the past, when it’s a male-dominated format, we are only hearing one side of the story — it’s so important for young girls to not only hear that on the radio but also just to be represented, like somebody is singing something that is important to them. I never thought of it like it’s our responsibility to change the culture, but it is, and songs can awaken feelings and points of view and thoughts in people.

Not unlike the Nineties, when women ruled the country charts, it feels like so many of the people making music who push the genre forward from a storytelling perspective are women, like Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Mickey Guyton, Margo Price, Miranda Lambert…
Yeah, that’s interesting, isn’t it? I don’t know what that means exactly and I don’t want to generalize, but I think it comes back to having a point of view that is unique and a life experience that is different. We all benefit when that is represented. I’m all about having a good time and using music as an escape, and not everything has to be heavy, but it’s just nice to have a bit of balance, some other sonic landscapes.

“Do you really want to spend your whole career not speaking out about things that are important to you just because you don’t want somebody to be upset?”

You haven’t shied away from being direct with your fans on social media, either. After George Floyd’s murder and Blackout Tuesday, some country artists just posted a black square on social media or resisted any sort of discomfort that might come with thinking deeply about their own white privilege. But your Instagram post directed your fans to action.
Well, my kids have taught me a lot. We have had some great discussions, and at the end of the day you have to speak your truth. Do you really want to spend your whole career not speaking out about things that are important to you just because you don’t want somebody to be upset? They’re going to be upset either way, and I would rather have people in my circle who are likeminded or at least open enough to be in a discussion. It’s not always easy, but the right thing isn’t always easy.

October was Domestic Violence Awareness month, a cause and mission to which you have made a full-bodied commitment over the course of your career. How does the climate feel now, versus when you started doing this work?
Nobody wanted to talk about it back then, because a lot of stations wouldn’t even play [“Independence Day”]. It’s hard to quantify, but I feel like people are more comfortable talking about it. There are some good things that social media has brought and one is an awareness of things that were taboo to talk about, like mental health, as Simone Biles did at the Olympics. The climate is more open and there is more support and awareness.

Who is making you most hopeful about the future of country music these days?
I don’t keep up with current stuff as much as I should, but Maggie Rose, Shelly Fairchild, Maren and Kacey and Brandi Carlie — I’m just so over the top about her and what she has done. I love that she is so unapologetic, and I really respect and revere what she is doing. It’s not a gimmick, it’s just “here I am,” and it’s a great example for women who are coming up to just do it and do it joyfully.

So are you thinking about making new music at the moment?
I’m always thinking about new music. I’ll be honest, I have enjoyed the break. I don’t want to say that insensitively, as it was a terrible time for a lot of people, but mentally it was so hard being in the grind all the time. So I am still trying to figure out how it all impacted me creatively. Some days I feel so inspired and some days I just want to have a glass of wine and chill and listen to the birds. But I’d love to make some new music, and I am in a place where I am not chasing commercial radio so I have the freedom to be really prolific and make all kinds of music.

In This Article: Martina McBride

Newswire

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Title:

Content: Fatherless Legacy

Father absence or neglect is not uncommon in the Sikh community, especially among families experiencing socio-economic challenges. In "Fatherless Legacy", Charanjit Kaur portrays the long-lasting effects of growing up without a father figure, which profoundly impacts both the individual's life and the dynamics within their family.

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By Charanjit Kaur | Opinion |

In an era that increasingly emphasizes individual autonomy and decision-making, we encounter instances where choices made can have an impact on humanity or the lives of others. Within the realm of familial relationships, the growing trend of separation from a partner is becoming more prevalent. However, the writer’s focus lies in a particular issue where the role of a father is not necessarily confined to the male gender.

While many families celebrate Father’s Day by honoring the biological father, whether present or deceased, the writer wishes to delve into the significance of discussing the role of a father that transcends gender or biological ties, considering the possibility that this trend of redefining fatherhood may persist in the coming decades.

Despite the Guru Granth Sahib drawing upon contemporary cultural references in its composition as a spiritual book, it does not advocate for the rigid confinement of the role of fatherhood to a specific gender. Instead, the Guru Granth Sahib emphasizes the importance of gender equality and denounces cultural norms that undermine any gender, particularly women. Numerous scholarly works have discussed the equal rights of women within gurdwaras and family structures. However, it is now crucial to acknowledge the significant contributions of single mothers who courageously strive to support and sustain their families.

The status of being a single mother can arise from three different situations: the death of a husband, divorce, or having children without being married. This piece specifically focuses on the aspect of divorce. By exclusively engaging in social interactions within the gurdwara institution, the writer readily encounters numerous single mothers. Remarkably, these single mothers exhibit strong determination and excel in fulfilling the role of both mother and father.

Although society often associates mothers with nurturing responsibilities, single mothers adeptly take on additional roles traditionally attributed to fathers, such as providing for the family financially, making important decisions, and upholding their independence. In fact, many of these divorced women display a heightened dedication to the well-being of their families and efficiently manage all household matters. Equipped with a solid education, a significant portion of these single mothers choose to remain single and wholeheartedly devote themselves to the welfare of their beloved children.

Interestingly, there are instances where a married woman assumes the role of a ‘single mother’ despite her husband being alive and present. This unique situation highlights the complexity of the family institution, where an individual takes on dual roles simultaneously. The term ‘single mother’ is used in this context because the father fails to fulfill his responsibilities, lacks commitment, and falls short of the expected role of a father as dictated by religious or cultural norms.

The absence or neglect of fathers is not a new phenomenon within the Sikh community, particularly in families facing socio-economic pressures. Issues such as alcoholism, gambling, and infidelity are the primary reasons why wives find themselves having to assume the responsibilities traditionally attributed to fathers within their households. ‘Fatherless Legacy’ depicts the aftermath of growing up without a father figure or a substantial paternal influence, which significantly shapes the individual’s life and family dynamics. This scenario places a significant burden on the wife, who not only has to take on the role of a mother but also supports her husband, who may lack proper knowledge about the ethical aspects of maintaining a harmonious marital relationship.

These scenarios exemplify how women are capable of fulfilling roles and duties traditionally associated with men. It goes beyond the concept of gender equality and delves into the dedication and sense of responsibility exhibited by mothers and wives towards their families. The inherent value of sacrifice commonly attributed to the female gender allows them to navigate the complexities of assuming multiple roles rather than pursuing legal avenues for justice. By applying this notion of responsibility and commitment to their sons as well, it is likely to mold them into future fathers who prioritize their families over personal gain, ensuring their steadfast presence and support.

As societal norms continue to evolve, so should our perspectives on Father’s Day and the recognition of parental roles. In today’s changing times, it is important to broaden the meaning of Father’s Day beyond solely celebrating biological fathers. The modern age has seen various individuals stepping into the role and responsibility traditionally associated with fathers, such as single mothers, elder siblings, uncles, and other individuals within the family structure.

Rather than confining our appreciation to a single day in June each year, it is worth considering the idea of expressing gratitude through daily simple gestures that acknowledge and value their unwavering commitment to our well-being. In doing so, we can adapt our traditions to reflect the diverse array of individuals who contribute to our lives as father figures, regardless of their biological relationship. This expanded perspective allows us to embrace the changing dynamics of family and honor those who play significant roles in nurturing and guiding us throughout our lives.

Dr Charanjit Kaur is an Assistant Professor at Malaysia-based Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Her area of specialisation is cultural anthropology with a special focus on the Sikh minority community in Malaysia which touches on themes such as religious-cultural conflicts, gender identity and social behavior.

RELATED STORY:

Begging for Naam or Food? A Man-Made Dilemma (Asia Samachar, 4 July 2021)

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at FacebookTwitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here


This report addresses: Science Fiction Evolution

Reynolds made the comment during an interview with Variety for The Adam Project, his upcoming science fiction movie on Netflix.

When asked about the status of Deadpool 3, he simply answered: “It’s coming along.” This isn’t surprising given the hush-hush atmosphere around Deadpool’s foray into the MCU.

We're currently in the midst of a period of original stories thanks to great films like Soul and Luca.

The first trailer for Pixar's Lightyear is here, and it looks like an absolutely epic science fiction adventure.

Haruki Murakami is the bestselling contemporary Japanese author and translator of over a dozen popular fiction novels, which are well-known for their magical realism and surrealistic take on modern culture.

His novels, essays, and short stories have been translated into 50 languages and sold millions of copies internationally.

This report addresses: Science Fiction Evolution

Title:

Content: Deadpool 3 is “coming together”, says Ryan Reynolds

We don’t know much about Deadpool 3, but Ryan Reynolds, who plays Wade Wilson on the big screen, has provided a brief update. The MCU action movie is still moving forward, and right now, that’s all there is to say.

Reynolds made the comment during an interview with Variety for The Adam Project, his upcoming science fiction movie on Netflix. When asked about the status of Deadpool 3, he simply answered: “It’s coming along.” This isn’t surprising given the hush-hush atmosphere around Deadpool’s foray into the MCU. We know it’s happening, but exactly when it will happen is up in the air. Still, Reynolds’s comment is optimistic.

In January 2021, Marvel head Kevin Feige stated a script was in the works, but when they’d shoot is another question, since Reynolds is in heavy demand these days. “It will be rated R and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan’s overseeing a script,” Feige told Collider. “It will not be [filming] this year. Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We’ve got a number of things we’ve already announced that we now have to make, but it’s exciting for it to have begun.”

In other words, everyone wants it, and it’s in progress – we just have to wait and see when the stars align for cameras to roll. The first two Deadpool movies were immensely successful, channelling fourth-wall-shattering humour for an effective satire on superheroes.

What that looks like in the slightly more sincere Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly one overhanging question. Now that the multiverse is in disarray from Spider-Man: No Way Home, Loki, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the door is open for Deadpool to appear, and be as wild as usual.

In fact, Reynolds actively denied that Deadpool would appear in Doctor Strange 2 during the same interview. Is he telling the truth? You can muse on that for yourself.

The Adam Project arrives on streaming service Netflix March 11, 2022. For more on the MCU, check out our guide to Phase 4.

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Content: Skip to main content

Lightyear Teaser Sets Up Chris Evan’s Toy Story Spinoff

There was a period a couple years ago when Pixar was flooding the market with sequels. We're currently in the midst of a period of original stories thanks to great films like Soul and Luca. However, very soon we'll be seeing that doesn't quite fit perfectly into either category. It's a character we know, seen in a very different way. The first trailer for Pixar's Lightyear is here, and it looks like an absolutely epic science fiction adventure.

As previously described, Lightyear is not an origin story for the Toy Story toy that we know, but rather, the story that inspired the action figure line in the first place.  Tim Allen has made way for Chris Evans as the titular character, but don't expect to hear much from him. His voice is almost entirely missing from this trailer, and instead we get David Bowie's "Starman." Give the teaser a look.

What is there to even say? Lightyear looks about as far from a Toy Story movie as one could possibly get. It looks like a serious and straight science fiction movie or even just a film about the early days of the space program. This could be a trailer for The Right Stuff and the images and tone would be entirely consistent.

And that's maybe what's brilliant about the whole thing? While we get some brief moments in the trailer that offer the fun that we tend to see in Pixar movies, Lightyear isn't being presented as a movie that's going to make us laugh, or even one that's going to make us cry. The primary feelings one gets watching this teaser are wonder and excitement and that's something a little different from Pixar.

And the audience isn't the only one potentially in awe of what they're seeing here. Chris Evans took to Twitter to say that he gets Goosebumps every time he even thinks about this movie, and I'm not sure we can blame him. Evans said...

The premise of Lightyear is certainly meta, making a movie that is more or less supposed to be "in-universe" with Toy Story. This is the movie that maybe young Andy and his mom went to see that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy in the first place, but the idea certainly does open up a world of possibilities.

More to come...

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian. Armchair Imagineer. Epcot Stan. Future Club 33 Member.

Title:

Content: Haruki Murakami is a bestselling author famous for his surreal and satirical writing. These are 12 of his best books, according to Goodreads.

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  • Haruki Murakami is a bestselling Japanese author whose works have been translated into 50 languages.
  • Below are his most popular books, according to Goodreads reviews.
  • "Norwegian Wood" and "Kafka on the Shore" are favorites among Goodreads members.

Haruki Murakami is the bestselling contemporary Japanese author and translator of over a dozen popular fiction novels, which are well-known for their magical realism and surrealistic take on modern culture. His novels, essays, and short stories have been translated into 50 languages and sold millions of copies internationally.

To rank Haruki Murakami's most popular books, we turned to ratings from Goodreads members. On Goodreads, over 125 million readers rate, review, and share their favorite book recommendations with the community.

Whether you're looking to dive into the widely known "1Q84" or searching for a new tale like "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage," here are the most popular Haruki Murakami books, according to Goodreads reviewers.

Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches books.

The 12 most popular Haruki Murakami books, according to Goodreads reviewers:

Descriptions are provided by Amazon and lightly edited for clarity.

12. "The Elephant Vanishes"

"The Elephant Vanishes," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $10.39

In these stories, a man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night,  and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard. By turns haunting and hilarious, in "The Elephant Vanishes" Murakami crosses the border between separate realities — and comes back bearing remarkable treasures.

11. "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage"

"Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.95

"Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage" is the remarkable story of a young man haunted by a great loss; of dreams and nightmares that have unintended consequences for the world around us; and of a journey into the past that is necessary to mend the present.

10. "South of the Border, West of the Sun"

"South of the Border, West of the Sun," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.49

Hajime has arrived at middle age with a loving family and an enviable career, yet he feels incomplete. When a childhood friend, now a beautiful woman, shows up with a secret from which she is unable to escape, the fault lines of doubt in Hajime's quotidian existence begin to give way. Rich, mysterious, and quietly dazzling, in South of the Border, West of the Sun the simple arc of one man's life becomes the exquisite literary terrain of Murakami's remarkable genius.

9. "Dance Dance Dance"

"Dance Dance Dance," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $11.52

As Murakami's nameless protagonist searches for a mysteriously vanished girlfriend, he is plunged into a wind tunnel of sexual violence and metaphysical dread. In this propulsive novel, featuring a shabby but oracular Sheep Man, one of the most idiosyncratically brilliant writers at work today fuses together science fiction, the hardboiled thriller, and white-hot satire.

8. "A Wild Sheep Chase"

"A Wild Sheep Chase," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $13.89

An advertising executive receives a postcard from a friend and casually appropriates the image for an advertisement. What he doesn't realize is that included in the scene is a mutant sheep with a star on its back, and in using this photo he has unwittingly captured the attention of a man who offers a menacing ultimatum: find the sheep or face dire consequences. Thus begins a surreal and elaborate quest that takes readers from Tokyo to the remote mountains of northern Japan, where the unnamed protagonist has a surprising confrontation with his demons.

7. "After Dark"

"After Dark," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $15.49

19-year-old Mari is waiting out the night in an anonymous Denny's when she meets a young man who insists he knows her older sister, thus setting her on an odyssey through the sleeping city. In the space of a single night, the lives of a diverse cast of Tokyo residents collide in a world suspended between fantasy and reality. Utterly enchanting and infused with surrealism, "After Dark" is a thrilling account of the magical hours separating midnight from dawn.

6. "Sputnik Sweetheart"

"Sputnik Sweetheart," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.49

K is madly in love with his best friend, Sumire, but her devotion to a writerly life precludes her from any personal commitments. At least, that is, until she meets an older woman to whom she finds herself irresistibly drawn. When Sumire disappears from an island off the coast of Greece, K is solicited to join the search party — and finds himself drawn back into her world and beset by ominous visions. Subtle and haunting, "Sputnik Sweetheart" is a profound meditation on human longing.

5. "Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World"

"Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.49

Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is a novel that is at once hilariously funny and a deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind.

4. "1Q84"

"1Q84," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $15.99

The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver's enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —"Q is for 'question mark.' A world that bears a question." Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell's — "1Q84" is Haruki Murakami's most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant bestseller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.

3. "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle"

"The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $14.89

In a Tokyo suburb, a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife's missing cat — and then for his wife as well — in a netherworld beneath the city's placid surface. As these searches intersect, he encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists. Gripping, prophetic, and suffused with comedy and menace, this is an astonishingly imaginative detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets from Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria during World War II.

2. "Norwegian Wood"

"Norwegian Wood," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $11.67

Toru, a quiet and serious college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. As Naoko retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

A magnificent blending of the music, the mood, and the ethos of 1960s culture with the story of one college student's romantic coming of age, "Norwegian Wood" brilliantly recaptures a young man's first, hopeless, and heroic love.

1. "Kafka on the Shore"

"Kafka on the Shore," available at Amazon and Bookshop, from $13.69

Here we meet a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who is on the run, and Nakata, an aging simpleton who is drawn to Kafka for reasons that he cannot fathom. As their paths converge, acclaimed author Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder, in what is a truly remarkable journey.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.


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