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manic-maniac-man · 9 days ago

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HUgE Aug 2013

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The Rolling Stones are a well-known British monster band. This time, it has been decided that a special box set will be released that compiles precious recordings from their legendary live performance, "The Brussels Affair." To commemorate this, Hysteric Glamour, who have collaborated with the band on various occasions, have produced an original T-shirt and 7-inch single featuring photos from the live performance. The single will be autographed by Mick Taylor. A "HYSTERIC GLAMOUR limited edition" will be released that includes this in the box set.

¥157,500(HYSTERIC GLAMOUR)

Special products exclusive to the new flagship store

Prada's flagship store will open in Shinsaibashi, Osaka in July. The store's design and interior will be handled by Italian architect Roberto Baciocchi, who has many fashion brands as his clients.

The 5-floor store, covering an area of approximately 1,100 m2, is the second largest in Japan after the Prada Aoyama Epicenter. From clothing to bags, shoes, and sunglasses, the store will offer a full range of men's and women's collections, embodying the brand's worldview. In addition, there will be a lineup of exclusive items to commemorate the opening of the Prada Osaka Shinsaibashi store. In addition to clothing such as jackets and blousons, the men's store will also release briefcases. The popular model, made of the classic embossed calfskin material "Saffiano," has been changed to a two-tone color of khaki and black. It has also been updated in terms of functionality, with leather lining and a pocket that can store a tablet. It is an extremely special product worthy of the birth of a new flagship store.

¥184,800 *prefixed price (Prada Japan Customer Relations)

[Prada Osaka Shinsaibashi Store]

2-8-18 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka Opening on Saturday, July 13th

Yohji Yamamoto has launched a new line (REGULATION MEN). With the theme of "STAY WILD," the line proposes a uniform for freedom-loving men. The lineup is diverse. In addition to this cotton long jacket, there are also suits and overalls. All are unified in solid colors such as beige and black, and the simple design and tight silhouette are attractive. This is a line worth paying attention to, as it was worn in the autumn/winter show themed on August Sander. ¥88,200 (Yohji Yamamoto AOYAMA)

British rock star David Bowie's new album "The Next Day," released in March, has been met with high praise. To commemorate the release, a special collaboration has been realised with his long-time friend, designer Paul Smith. Inspired by the worldview of the album, Paul selected red as the key colour. A limited edition analogue version using red vinyl and an original red T-shirt that can only be obtained in Japan are now on sale. Both are produced in limited quantities. T-shirt ¥8,400, vinyl ¥5,040 (Paul Smith Limited)

The latest in slip-ons with intrecciato

The famous Intrecciato is an icon of Bottega Veneta. It is a soft and durable material made by carefully weaving leather by skilled craftsmen in a workshop in the Veneto region of Italy. Introducing a noteworthy pair of shoes made from this luxurious material. The material is fine calf leather,

In addition to black, the shoes are also available in brown. Although they were originally designed to be worn indoors, they feature rubber on the toe and heel of the outsole and leather lining.

They are also perfect as slip-ons for wearing around town. Of course, they are also extremely comfortable to wear.

The insole cushioning is comfortable, and the soft upper provides a gentle fit.

The slip-on trend will remain strong this summer, and you'll be able to enjoy the brand's signature craftsmanship in a fun and stylish way.

¥75,600 (BOTTEGA VENETA JAPAN)

An elegant cutlery set that epitomizes the Maison's character

Hermes offers a wide range of lifestyle-based items, including home collections, textiles, and tableware.

A new addition has been made to the popular lineup, which is known for its elegant appearance and stylish design.

The cutlery set in the photo is such a set. The tasteful felt case engraved with the letter “H” contains three types of cutlery (a spoon and fruit pick, a wine opener and knife, and a fork and bottle opener) and a placemat.

The cutlery has cork handles that give it a classic feel, and its shape is sophisticated and characteristic of the Maison.

The placemats are decorated in the signature color orange, giving the collection a unique elegance.

The sizing and specifications that pursue functionality are also attractive. The theme of the 2013 Hermes collection is "Sports is wonderful!", and it expresses the joy of moving the body and the beauty of movement.

This cutlery set was created with the idea that it could be taken on a boat or yacht or on a picnic, and is sure to make your everyday leisure activities even more enjoyable.

¥158,550 (HERMÈS JAPAN)

On July 10th, Burberry's fourth flagship store in Japan will open in Roppongi. The two-floor store interior is an elegant and contemporary space, made with British building materials. In addition to this season's collection pieces, the lineup will also include items from the 2013-14 A/W Pre-Fall Collection, such as T-shirts with catchy designs featuring the British Royal Guards. In addition, many limited items will be available to commemorate the opening. ¥31,500

Givenchy presents its first watch series, "SEVENTEEN," designed by creative director Riccardo Tisci. The cool look is an impressive result, condensing elements of the brand's keywords of "modernism," "vintage," and "military." The details that accentuate its individuality, such as the eye-catching gold-colored case and crown, are also not to be missed. There are six colors in total. All come with a calf leather strap. From the left: ¥94,500, ¥105,000 (3rd CULTURE)

The David Bowie retrospective, which opened this spring at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, has been so popular that it has been extended until August. The Japanese translation of the official catalogue, "David Bowie Is", is now on sale. In addition to a wealth of visuals, including photos from live shows and record jackets, stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, and personal items that are being shown for the first time, there are contributions from a distinguished team of writers, including Camille Paglia and Jon Savage. It is a large B4 format with a total of 320 pages. The first edition was limited to 1,984 copies. 6,900 yen

[David Bowie Is]

EDITOR_Victoria Brooks, Geoffrey Marsh

PUBLISHER_Space Shower Network

URL_http://books.spaceshower.net

Andreas Gursky, Germany's leading photographer.

Capture the finest details with precision,

They are then accumulated in an overwhelmingly huge landscape.

It cannot be seen by the naked eye,

His panoramic, hyper-realistic works are eerily flat and breathtakingly vivid.

Since the 1990s, it has emerged as a legitimate "Becherschule" school.

Even now that he has achieved international fame, he is an artist who continues to evolve his techniques and concepts.

His first solo exhibition in Japan will tour Tokyo and Osaka.

The exhibition will feature approximately 65 pieces selected and arranged by the artist himself, ranging from his most famous works to his early and latest works.

[Andreas Gursky Exhibition]

TERM_7/3~9/16(Tokyo)、2014/2/1~5/11(Osaka)

PLACE_The National Art Center, Tokyo (Tokyo), The National Museum of Art, Osaka (Osaka)

URL_http://gursky.jp

#my scans #fashion #2010s fashion #avantgarde #japanese fashion #miuccia prada #hysteric glamour #the rolling stones #david bowie #paul smith #andreas gursky #burberry #givenchy #hermès #bottega veneta #yohji yamamoto

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cleverhottubmiracle · 2 months ago

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545 Linda Evangelista Still Struggles With Looking In The Mirror Linda Evangelista is reclaiming her covergirl status this week! The supermodel fronts Harper’s Bazaar‘s radiant May 2025 issue, posing in sweeping ensembles from Loewe, Givenchy, Alexandre Vauthier Couture, Prada, Saint Laurent, Alaïa, Jacquemus, Calvin Klein Collection for Anthony Seklaoui’s lens. The magazine’s latest beauty-focused editorial, however, goes deeper than just makeup and skincare. In her revealing new feature interview with Linda Wells, Evangelista opens up about living through her liposuction and double mastectomy, her strong desire to live, self-love, work ethic, and the true meaning of beauty. On a reflective note, Evangelista also shares her thoughts and personal struggles following the viral CoolSculpting treatment that left permanent damage to her body, which she first shared with the world in 2022. “It’s hard to imagine,” Evangelista said of her experience. “I have to go through therapy to like what I see when I look in the mirror, and I still don’t look in the mirror. I didn’t want to see myself because I didn’t love myself or like myself.” All images: Anthony Seklaoui Tina Knowles’ New Book Reveals Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Destiny’s Child BTS, & More The mother of all memoirs is here! Tina Knowles has just released her new book, Matriarch, which chronicles her career as a designer and businesswoman—as well as mother to Beyoncé and Solange Knowles. The book notably includes Tina’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2024 from a missed mammogram—as well as her months of surgery to eventually become cancer-free, according to Us Weekly. In addition to her reflections on life, family, and her powerful health journey, Knowles’ book also shares memories and reflections on Beyoncé’s early days of dating Jay-Z, designing her wedding dress, styling Destiny’s Child, and more. You can pick up your own copy of Matriarch today, which has quickly become a bestseller—and an Oprah’s Book Club pick! Tina Knowles (Getty Images for Diane von Furstenberg, YouTube and JPMorganChase) Louis Vuitton Hits The High Seas For Pre-Fall 2025 Pharrell Williams‘ latest Louis Vuitton menswear collection is ready to set sail. The label’s breezy Pre-Fall 2025 line takes inspiration from dandy dressing and transatlantic travel from Paris to Miami Beach, featuring cruise-worthy three-piece suits, lightweight shirt and shorts sets, and nautical windbreakers and jackets. Shawl coats, swimwear, and more easygoing separates in crisp hues of blue, white, brown, and a splash of pastels round out the ready-to-wear range, which is bolstered with glistening crystals, oversized stripes, raffia embroidery, embossed “LV” monograms, and swirling graphics for a dynamic vacation flair. Rounding out the assortment is a wide variety of complementary canvas totes, trunks, and backpacks—including the label’s signature Steamer trunks and Speedy bags—plus berets and caps, rimmed and rimless sunglasses, and beach-ready mules, loafers, slippers, and boots. For a dash of seaside treasure, Williams also sprinkled in metal mariner chain necklaces, bracelets, and more, which you can shop now on LouisVuitton.com. Looks like summer’s heating up early! All images: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton Star-Studded Portrait Series “BORROWED SPOTLIGHT” Honors Holocaust Survivors On Wednesday night, figures across the fields of entertainment, art, fashion, and more gathered to launch the new portrait series “BORROWED SPOTLIGHT.” Shown at Detour Gallery in New York City, these photographs by Bryce Thompson feature Holocaust survivors alongside stars including Cindy Crawford, Jennifer Garner, Billy Porter, David Schwimmer, Dr. J, Kat Graham, Wolf Blitzer, Ashley Benson, Chelsea Handler, Scooter Braun, George Stephanopoulos, Martha Hunt, Daniela Braga, Sheryl Sandberg, Josh Peck, Jenna Dewan, Nicola Peltz Beckham, and Barbara Corcoran, in a move to honor survivors’ stories for the future. Imagery from the series could also be discovered in an accompanying coffee table book, which donates proceeds towards youth Holocaust education campaigns. Additional proceeds from a private auction of various prints will benefit Holocaust remembrance organizations Selfhelp and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, as well. Guests at the exhibit’s opening included Daniella Greenbaum, Kat Graham, Gregg Sulkin, Remi Bader, Eitan Bernath, Daniela Braga, Daphne Groeneveld, David Carmi, Moti Ankari, Arielle Nir, Justin Livingston, Margaret Josephs, Melissa Gorga, Lexi Barbuto, Ellie Zeiler, Anthony Urbano, Kate Li, Igee Okafor, Matthew Gasda, Freya Walton, Levi Lomey, Jonathan Cohen, Chaz Langley, Chané Husselmann, Arielle Schwartz, and more. The exhibit is on display to the public from 11am to 6pm EST on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and 1pm to 6pm EST on Fridays. All images: BFA for Borrowed Spotlight Thierry Lasry & AriZona’s Colorful Shades Are Popping Up In SoHo Shade for days! Thierry Lasry is kicking off summer on a breezy note for its new sunglasses collection with beverage brand Arizona. Together, the pair have created a capsule of nine dynamic, futuristic shades perfect for the sunny days ahead, which launch on May 5. Each set features frames made from molded nylon, painted in Italy with unique colors inspired by Arizona’s signature drinks. However, they’re making the release even more whimsical with a three-day pop-up that’s open to the public at 216 Lafayette Street in New York City—and even includes an underground speakeasy featuring Arizona’s new Arizona Hard drinks! Within their space, the pair will present their new collection from May 1 to 3 before the $99 styles go live on drinkarizona.com and thierrylasry.com, as well as Dover Street Market’s New York and Los Angeles locations. AriZona x Thierry Lasry AriZona x Thierry Lasry All images: Courtesy of AriZona Loeffler Randall Cooks Up A Sweet Collab With Jack’s Wife Freda Yes, chef! Loeffler Randall is hitting the kitchen with beloved NYC restaurant Jack’s Wife Freda for its latest collab. Crafted by Randall’s own Jessie Randall and Freda’s Maya Jankelowitz, the pair have cooked up an apron crafted from green gingham cotton. The soft, lightweight piece features an adjustable silhouette with a bow-tied waist and lacy trim, complete with practical large pockets—merging both brands’ value of putting care and thought into their businesses. Their newest launch stems from each founders’ versatility, as it’s made for tasks including cooking, entertaining, baking, crafts, and floral arranging. Sweet! You can pick up your own for $125 on LoefflerRandall.com, as well as all Jack’s Wife Freda locations and Loeffler Randall’s New York City and Charleston boiutiques. Loeffler Randall x Jack’s Wife Freda (Courtesy of Loeffler Randall) Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip. // Allow detecting when fb api is loaded. function Deferred() var self = this; this.promise = new Promise( function( resolve, reject ) self.reject = reject; self.resolve = resolve; ); window.fbLoaded = new Deferred(); window.fbAsyncInit = function() FB.init( appId : '374762726405868', autoLogAppEvents : true, xfbml : true, version : 'v3.0' ); window.fbLoaded.resolve(); ; (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = " fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); Source link

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norajworld · 2 months ago

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cosmicgoods · 10 months ago

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Antique Blob Top Blobtop PURITAS WATER MONTCLAIR New Jersey Bottle Los Angeles

Rare

Antique circa 1880s - 1890s

Embossed

Blobtop

Half Gallon

Nice bottle; no chips, no cracks, no ghosting. Bright, clean, shiny.

11.25" T

Arrowhead Water

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Arrowhead Water" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

ArrowheadCountryUnited StatesMarketWestern United StatesProduced byBlueTriton BrandsIntroduced1909; 115 years agoSourceSan Bernardino Mountains, CaliforniaTypestillpH6.33-8.2Calcium (Ca)20.4Chloride (Cl)13.2Bicarbonate (HCO3)81.1Fluoride (F)0.1Magnesium (Mg)3.6Potassium (K)1.5Sodium (Na)11.1Sulfate (SO4)3.8TDS129Websitewww.arrowheadwater.comAll concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units

Arrowhead Water, also known as Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, is a brand of drinking water that is sold in the western United States, particularly in Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Northwestern United States, the Northwest, and in California. It is bottled from 13 springs throughout the Western United States.[1]

Discovery

[edit]

Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water takes its name from a natural mark in the San Bernardino Mountains that is shaped like a giant arrowhead. The arrowhead is naturally barren; it is not manicured in any way. Nearby cold springs on Strawberry Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest are the original source and namesake of Arrowhead water.[2]

The first documented reference by Europeans to Arrowhead springs (Agua Caliente) was in records of priests stationed at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, around 1820. David Noble Smith was the founder of the first sanitarium facilities at Arrowhead Springs in 1863, which were used to treat patients with tuberculosis and numerous other ailments. By the 1880s, the Arrowhead waters were famous for their supposed curing powers. By the early 20th century, the hot springs were a popular resort for tourism and vacationing.

History

[edit]

In 1909, The Arrowhead Springs Company was formed and the company's water products were marketed in Southern California. The water was transported from Arrowhead Springs, north of San Bernardino, California, to Los Angeles in glass-lined railroad tank cars. In 1917, the bottling operations moved to a new plant in Los Angeles. In 1929, the Arrowhead Springs Company merged with the company that marketed Puritas water, and began co-marketing the Puritas products with Arrowhead water. Puritas water products were first introduced in Los Angeles in 1894.

The Arrowhead and Puritas brands were bottled in the same plants and co-marketed until the 1970s. Arrowhead Springs marketed the brands in separate containers that sometimes carried the Arrowhead or Puritas names alone, but containers were often labeled "Arrowhead and Puritas." The Arrowhead Beverage Company was the bottler for many different brands of water and soft drinks including seltzer, fruit-flavored soda, and ginger ale.

In 1932, another important development for the company happened in the Los Angeles area, as it was named the official water refreshment of that year's Olympic Games, held at the City of the Stars. Arrowhead water returned to the Olympic Games again in 1984, when the games were again held in Los Angeles. In 1993, Arrowhead water bought the naming rights for the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim.[3]

1.5 Liter Bottle of Arrowhead. The bottle is similar to fellow Nestlé brands Deer Park, Poland Spring, and Nestlé Pure Life.

The Nestlé era

[edit]

In 1987, Arrowhead waters was bought by Nestlé. Soon after, the presence of Arrowhead water bottles in supermarkets across the Western United States grew considerably.

In 1996, a 24-US-fluid-ounce (710 ml) bottle was introduced by the company. By the early 2000s, the company had introduced waters with different flavors to the market. It's Better Up Here! is a trademarked tagline for the Arrowhead Water brand. In 2006, the label released Aquapod under the same brand umbrella.

Southern Californian newspaper the Desert Sun investigated Nestlé's bottling activities in 2015 and published findings that the water company had been operating in the San Bernardino National Forest without a permit since its last one expired in 1988.[4] Local activists and retired forest personnel began to organize opposition to the Swiss company's continued withdrawal of water from a forest that is struggling from drought and bark beetles.[5]

In December, 2017, the California Water Resources Control Board notified Nestlé that an investigation had concluded that the company does not have proper rights to about three-quarters of the water it withdraws for bottling, including water from the San Bernardino National Forest.[6]

In April, 2021, California regulators moved to stop Nestlé from siphoning water from the forest.[7]

On September 19, 2023, California regulators ordered the company to stop using a majority of the springs they've been relying upon for the past century. Regulators stated that the company does not have the water rights and that they have drained the creek to the point where it can't sustain the wildlife that is dependent upon it.[8]

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brokehorrorfan · 2 years ago

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The Lighthouse is available on 4K Ultra HD for $47 and on Blu-ray for $45 exclusively from A24. The printed discpack is enclosed in an embossed wave-textured slipcase featuring artwork by Tobias Kaspar.

The 2019 psychological horror film is directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Northman) from a script he co-wrote with his brother, Max Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star.

The Lighthouse has received a new HDR master with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. A 64-page interior booklet is included. Special features are detailed below.

Special features:

Mini documentary on composer Mark Korven

Costume walkthrough and interview with costume designer Linda Muir

2019 making-of featurette

Deleted scenes

Booklet contents:

Storyboard excerpts by David Cullen

Production design drawings by Craig Lathrop

Behind-the-scenes photos by Eric Chakeen

Bib-front shirt pattern made by Marvin Schlichting to Linda Muir's design

From Robert Eggers comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. As an approaching storm threatens to sweep them from the rock and strange apparitions emerge from the fog, each man begins to suspect that the other has become dangerously unmoored.

#the lighthouse #willem dafoe #robert pattinson #robert eggers #a24 #horror #dvd #gift #mark korven #4k ultra hd #4k uhd #the witch #the northman #tobias kaspar #max eggers

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searchingwardrobes · 5 years ago

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Self Promo Sunday

I have honestly really enjoyed going back to my older fics and making picsets for them to post here on tumblr. This one is a cute little one shot that came to me because I did a brief stint in direct sales and was HORRIBLE at it! (I sold - or tried to sell - scrapbooking supplies). I know Killian is good at charming his way out of trouble and using his charm to steal things, but I imagined that being a salesman wouldn’t be as easy for him. You see, I was horrible at sales because I don’t like talking people into buying something when they clearly don’t want to. Killian Jones is very passionate about choice and free will, so I imagined the following story!

Words: 2k and some change

Rating: G for silly, sweet fluff

Also on Ao3

Tagging: @snowbellewells @whimsicallyenchantedrose @kmomof4 @let-it-raines @teamhook @bethacaciakay @xhookswenchx @tiganasummertree @shireness-says @stahlop @scientificapricot @welllpthisishappening @resident-of-storybrooke @thislassishooked @ilovemesomekillianjones @kday426 @ekr032-blog-blog @lfh1226-linda @ultraluckycatnd @nikkiemms @optomisticgirl @carpedzem @ohmakemeahercules @branlovestowrite @superchocovian @sherlockianwhovian @vvbooklady1256 @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @delirious-latenight-laughs @jennjenn615 @snidgetsafan

Emma Swan really hopes Killian Jones has a second job. Because she’s never seen a worse salesman. The first time he comes into the diner, the last thing she would have pegged him as is a salesman. All mussed hair and black leather with piercings and a tattoo. The heavy black vinyl bag leaning against the booth next to him that says Buy the Book: Direct Sales is out of place.

He’s so bad at it that it takes him forever that first day to give her his sales pitch. Until his second cup of coffee, to be exact. That’s when he hems and haws as he gives her his business card. She stares at it, wondering how she can politely decline as he scratches behind his ear and slides a glossy catalogue across the table. She normally wouldn’t have any qualms at turning down either a sales pitch or a pick up line with a gruff not interested, but he’s so adorably nervous. He starts pulling sample inventory out of his bag, and that’s when she’s in trouble because Henry sniffs out the books like a bloodhound. Her son hops from his stool at the counter where he’s been doing his homework, and eagerly starts looking through the books.

“Look at this one, mom!” Henry exclaims, holding up a pirate sticker and activity book. “It’s not for babies. It’s got cool facts about the history of real pirates.”

Yes. Emma Swan’s son is not your typical ten year old. He’s both a bookworm and a history nut. And she loves him for it. Which is why she buys it. Not because salesman Killian Jones has killer blue eyes.

She pulls a twenty from her apron pocket, hands it to him (because there’s no way she’s giving a guy she just met her credit card information), and tries not to swoon when he smiles. It’s killer, too. She’s his first customer, he tells her, and she can’t help smiling back. He frowns, though, when he realizes he doesn’t have change for a twenty, and then Emma rolls her eyes because, really? It’s just a nickel. He smiles again at that and, well, crap. That smile!

She rolls her eyes later when she sees the ten he left for a tip along with a note telling her she’s “bloody amazing.” The fool went and gave the majority of his profit right back to her. Yeah, he really sucks at this.

*********************************************************

The second time he comes into the diner, he wisely comes in the afternoon again, ensuring Henry is there doing his homework. But this time, he tries (and fails) to chat up fellow customers to get a few sales. They seem skeptical of a salesman who looks more like a biker/rock star than someone who peddles used cars. Emma almost laughs when the only single woman in the diner’s face instantly falls when Killian Jones produces his business card and a catalogue. Seems his blue eyes and his smile are powerless against a woman scorned. She huffs as she tosses her tip on the table and exits the diner post haste, leaving a clearly baffled Killian behind.

When Emma approaches his table, he smiles half-heartedly and she feels sorry for him. Once again, he doesn’t try to sell her anything until she fills his coffee mug a second time. That’s when he pulls out a book he thinks Henry might like, all about knights and castles of the Middle Ages. Henry eagerly peruses it, and Emma is a sucker once again. She buys it because Henry loves history so much he’s the only ten year old Emma has ever heard of who was pumped about a weekend trip to Gettysburg. It’s not because of the way Killian Jones swipes his tongue over his lower lip when he’s nervous.

*****************************************************

The next time Killian comes into the diner, Christmas music is playing and a garland of evergreen hangs in loops over the counter. It’s mid-morning, so Henry’s at school. After his second cup of coffee, Killian admits he came when he knew Henry would be at school because he was hoping . . . and then he’s hemming and hawing again, rubbing at his neck and scratching behind his ear. Emma thinks for a split second that he’s trying to ask her out until he pulls his company’s Christmas catalogue out of his bag. She tries to ignore her disappointment when he asks if she’s finished her Christmas shopping yet.

She ends up buying a “Daily Inspirations for Teachers” desk calendar for Mary Margaret and Nicholas Spark’s newest bestseller for David (a guilty pleasure she loves to tease him about). For Granny she gets a book of knitting patterns. Killian pulls out a book he thinks Henry would like: a leather bound book of fairy tales with the title Once Upon a Time embossed in elegant script across the front. Emma knows Henry would love it, but gasps at the price. A forty dollar book is way over her budget, and like the horrible salesman he is, Killian doesn’t push it. She orders two graphic novels for Henry instead, and when she places the order she slides her credit card across the table.

Killian tells her it’s his biggest order to date and smiles so wide Emma is able to confirm her suspicions. There are dimples underneath that scruff. She begins to second guess her assertion that he’s a bad salesman. Because she’s pretty sure he could sell beachfront property in Kansas with those dimples.

*************************************************

In January, Emma is alarmed when a dejected Killian Jones enters the diner and slumps in his usual booth, his head in his hands. Emma decides to stop the charade when she approaches his table.

“You don’t have to wait till your second cup of coffee.”

Killian lifts his face to hers and quirks an eyebrow in confusion, “I’m sorry, love?”

“You know,” Emma says, gesturing with her order pad, “selling me books. What do you have for Henry this time?”

Killian sighs and leans back in the booth, “Alas, Swan, I am no longer in the business. I’m pretty much the worst salesman in the world.”

Emma hates that she chuckles, but she can’t help it, “Yeah, you pretty much sucked.” Killian, thankfully, laughs as well. “I’m glad I was your best customer, then. While it lasted.”

Killian winces, “Actually, love, you were my only customer.”

Emma’s jaw drops at that and her sympathy grows exponentially. She never bought that much, really. She glances around for Granny as she slides into the booth across from him. Although, based on Granny’s reaction to the knitting book (Why don’t you kiss the man already instead of buying all his books?), she doesn’t think she’ll mind.

“Are you okay? I mean, you don’t seem like you’re starving and destitute, so I’m assuming you have another job.”

“Several, actually,” Killian says, drumming his fingers on the table. “My brother and I do seasonal work on the Cape with a boat charter we own.”

“Cape Cod?”

“Aye. The Cape is beautiful in the spring and summer, but in the winter it’s downright depressing. So I like to come here to Boston once we winter the boat. The hustle and bustle is a nice change of pace, and I love city life during the holidays. Plus, like your boy, I’m a bit of a history buff. I work seasonally at the bookstore down the street.”

“So why the direct sales?”

Killian sighs, “A foolish notion. The bookstore only hires me through the end of December. I thought with this second job I could stay in the city until spring,” he shrugs. “Turns out convincing a customer in a bookstore to buy J.M. Barrie’s original Peter Pan instead of the abridged illustrated version is a mite different from selling books all on your lonesome.”

Emma’s heart drops at the implication of what he’s saying. “So what will you do now?”

“Slink back to the Cape with my tail between my legs and help my sister in law at the ice cream shop, as usual.”

So he’s leaving Boston. He’s leaving, and Emma is surprised at how much it disappoints her. “An ice cream place on the cape can make it through the winter?” She almost face palms. Can she sound any more desperate to convince him to stay?

Killian doesn’t seem to pick up on any subtext, thank goodness. “Elsa inherited the place from her aunt. She and her sister helped out there since they were kids. They know how to make it through the lean months. Dull as tombs, though. Yet, as they say, spring will come again!”

Emma tries to smile, but she knows it’s half-hearted. Killian reaches into his bag and pulls out the leather bound book of fairy tales she couldn’t afford at Christmas. Emma arches an eyebrow, “Still trying to make a sale?”

“Oh no, Swan, this is a gift. To thank you.”

“Killian, I can’t accept that. You need to sell off your inventory, or you’ll lose everything you invested.”

Killian chuckles sardonically at that, “Too late for that, Swan. Besides, you’re the only one who ever bought anything, and you know it wasn’t for the books. You felt sorry for me.”

Emma’s face flushes, and she wishes she could tell him that wasn’t it. She’s always despised pity and vowed she’d never doll it out. But how can she explain that while still guarding her heart? Instead, she accepts the leather book and hugs it to her chest, mumbling a soft “thank you.” Killian smiles in return and exits the diner without ever ordering a thing. And she hates the finality of his departure and the possibility that there could have been a them, but now she’ll never know.

She looks down at the book in her hands and notices a little rectangle of cardstock poking out of its pages. She pulls it out, expecting it to be Killian’s Buy the Book business card. Instead, it says Jewel of the Realm Charters with the names Liam and Killian Jones and a phone number. Emma’s heart flips in her chest when she sees that Killian has jotted a note on the back.

I owe you and Henry a free day of sailing. – Killian

The fool still knows nothing about making a profit.

********************************************************

In February, Emma Swan walks into Any Given Sundae along the shores of Cape Cod. She convinced herself there was nothing stalker-ish about her showing up here, but now that the bell is jingling above the door and the blonde woman behind the counter is smiling at her, she’s having second thoughts. Killian had mentioned his sister-in-law’s name, so it’s not like she had to be a private detective or anything to find the place. Still, who drives all the way from Boston to Cape Cod just to visit an ice cream shop? In February?

“May I help you?” asks the blonde, and Emma fiddles with the end of her scarf. She was kind of hoping Killian would just be there when she walked through the door.

“Um . . . I . . .” and she almost laughs thinking of the way Killian would hem and haw when selling her books. She glances around the store. It’s one of those tiny places that beach goers walk in and out of on hot summer days. There are no tables or chairs anywhere in the place. But in the corner a display table has been set up. A display table of books. Emma walks towards it. “You sell books?”

“Oh,” says the blonde – Elsa, she assumes – with a dismissive wave of her hand, “that’s a failed business venture of my brother-in-law’s. Please buy one. I need to get those out of here before tourist season.”

Emma reaches out and runs her fingers along the edges of the books.

“Swan?”

Emma turns to see Killian standing behind the counter with a large tub of ice cream in each arm. He deposits them quickly into their slots behind the glass then comes around to face her. They stand there staring at each other for a few moments, grinning like a couple of idiots.

“Wh-what are you doing here, Swan?” he stutters, and she swears he sounds more nervous than he did when he was trying to sell books.

“Guess it’s too early for that day of sailing, huh?” she teases with a shrug.

“Yeah, I’d say so,” he teases back, “there’s a foot of snow on the ground, Swan.”

Emma bites her lip and fiddles with her scarf again, “Actually, I came to tell you thank you. For Henry’s book. He loves it.”

Killian raises his eyebrows, “You drove all the way out to Cape Cod to tell me that?”

There’s a twinkle in his eyes that makes Emma blush, and they just stare at each other again like goofballs. She sees Elsa laugh and shake her head out of the corner of her eye, and she thinks that she couldn’t possibly embarrass herself any more than she already has. So with a roll of her eyes and a screw this, she grabs him by the shirt collar and kisses the living daylights out of him.

He dives back in for more when she finally pulls away, and when Elsa tells them, “Easy there, tigers, you’re gonna melt all the ice cream,” they laugh against each others’ lips.

************************************************************

Two months later, Henry brings his book along when Killian takes them sailing. He reads parts of it out loud to them when Killian lays anchor, and Emma finds that it’s modern versions of classic fairy tales. Snow White is a bandit with a bow and arrows, Red Riding Hood is a werewolf, and Captain Hook is a hero who falls in love with a princess. And Emma thinks that she really likes this story. A pirate and a princess.

But she likes theirs better.

A salesman and a waitress.

Make that a horrible salesman and a waitress.

#cs ff #self promo sunday #cs modern au #fluff #killian as a salesman #a horrible salesman #emma as a waitress #emma and henry

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collectorscorner · 4 years ago

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howaminotinthestrokesyet · 4 years ago

Text

Behind The Album: Metallica (The Black Album)

Metallica's fifth studio album was released in August 1991. They recorded it at One On One Studios in Los Angeles and Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver with new producer Bob Rock. Once again, the majority of the record was composed by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich as Hetfield wrote all of the lyrics. Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted also contributed significantly by providing riffs including “Enter Sandman” and “My Friend of Misery.” Metallica decided to go with Bob Rock based on his production work with Motley Crue for their 1989 record, Dr. Feelgood. During the recording sessions, the band did something differently from previous efforts as they played as a group in the studio, not separately. James Hetfield talked about this change. "What we really wanted was a live feel. In the past, Lars and I constructed the rhythm parts without Kirk and Jason. This time I wanted to try playing as a band unit in the studio. It lightens things up and you get more of a vibe." The record took a much longer time to make when compared with their previous efforts beginning with the first demos in August 1990 and concluding in June 1991.

Producer Rock thought recording would be relatively easy, but due to arguments between him and other band members about the direction and quality of the music it became a bit of a disaster. He was highly critical of James Hetfield’s lyrics begging him to write better ones. The band would record as many takes as possible until the sound was right making for a very perfectionist environment in the studio. Kirk Hammett, Jason Newsted, and Lars Ulrich would end up divorcing their wives during the recording of this album creating even more tension between them. Hammett talked about what effect this had on them in the studio. We were “trying to take those feeling of guilt and failure and channel them into the music, to get something positive out of it.” Rock very briefly promised to never work with the band again because the studio was so stressful, but he quickly took that back to work with the band for the next decade. The documentary A Year and a Half in the Life shows quite accurately with real footage of what the making of this album was really like.

This record saw Metallica change its sound from their typical thrash metal to a slower heavy metal vibe that could almost be seen as hard rock. One of the reasons the band did this emerged in the fact that heavy metal as opposed to thrash metal represented a more commercial sound. That is not to say they completely abandoned any element of thrash metal, but instead there was much less of it. Unlike And Justice For All, Bob Rock raised the sound of the base considerably, so that the instrument could be heard. All the band members had the intention of making this album much simpler as opposed to the previous ones with so many riffs and long tracks. James Hetfield would say this, “We had pretty much done the longer song format to death." Lars Ulrich also talked about this change as well. “We felt inadequate as musicians and as songwriters, That made us go too far, around Master of Puppets and Justice, in the direction of trying to prove ourselves. 'We'll do all this weird-ass shit sideways to prove that we are capable musicians and songwriters'" Hetfield did emphasize in interviews that the intention of getting their songs played more on the radio was never foremost in the band’s mind. Another change with this album came in the fact that Hetfield now wrote lyrics based on personal experiences instead of the backdrop of ideas from film, literature, and music. Chris True of AllMusic talked about specifically some tracks on the album as examples. "Enter Sandman'' is about "nightmares and all that come with them". "The God That Failed" dealt with the death of Hetfield's mother from cancer and her Christian science beliefs, which kept her from seeking medical treatment. "Nothing Else Matters" was a love song Hetfield wrote about missing his girlfriend while on tour.``

The title of the album became an extensive discussion as well for the group. They considered naming it after a song on the album or five because this would be their fifth studio album. Yet, they ultimately chose to go the self- titled route in keeping with the theme of simplicity running throughout the entire album. The album's cover was completely black except for the logo and the Gadsden flag in each corner. The two images we’re very difficult to see, so people began calling it The Black Album. The initial printing of the album had those logos embossed in the same color, but on later printings of the album they were changed to a gray color. The Gadsden flag first created during the American Revolution had a motto attached to it, Don’t Tread On Me, which represented a track on the album as well. During the documentary A Year and a Half in the Life, Lars Ulrich joked that Their album looked just like Spinal Tap’s Smell The Glove in Rob Reiner‘s mockumentary. They even included a scene where the band members meet up with Michael Mckean, who actually asked about the similarities. Ulrich would later say that the actual inspiration for the album cover came from the seventies group, Status Quo.

Upon the release of The Black Album, the band subsequently released six singles, which represented a stark contrast to their previous releases. The lead single “Enter Sandman” made it all the way to number 16 on the hot 100 Billboard chart, while other singles did fairly well either in the US or internationally. The music video for “Enter Sandman” went on to win Best Rock Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards. The only single not to do much on the charts was “Sad But True,” but it must be noted that the single had a much later release date of 1993. The record itself represented Metallica’s best selling album ever. The Black Album stayed number one in the United States for four consecutive weeks, while it topped the charts in 10 different countries at the same time. By the year 2012, the record had sold 16 million copies becoming the first one in the Nelson SoundScan era to do so. As of 2019, this record was still charting on the billboard 200 making it an exclusive member of the 550 Week Club. Critics emerged as fairly unanimous in their praise of the Black Album. One of the biggest changes for the band came in the fact that not only heavy metal journalists saw the great qualities of it, but now mainstream magazines like New Musical Express were discussing Metallica. Entertainment Weekly’s David Brown said that the group had invented a new genre called progressive thrash. Alec Foege of Spin noted a newfound versatility for the group and songs like the unforgiven and holier than thou. Mark Cooper of Q Magazine mentioned the fact that the record avoided several heavy metal clichés that had come to dominate the genre. Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone said that the album was filled with many hard rock classics. Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune in a retrospective piece said that if you are a novice to the music, then this album is the perfect place to start. Kerrang! in a retrospective article as well pointed out that this album catapulted the band from thrash metal underground pioneers to worldwide rock stars. There was bound to be repercussions over such a major change to the group and how they are viewed. Sid Smith of BBC Music took this observation to the next step by noting that many of Metallica‘s diehard fans did not necessarily love this record because they saw it as the band selling out. This view will become even more prevalent in the years to come as they move their sound much closer to hard rock for the rest of the decade. Allmusic’s Steve Huey observed that this record helped to inspire other speed metal bands to simplify their sound. The album also foreshadowed the decline of Metallica’s creative period. The self-titled Metallica went on to win a Grammy in 1992 for Best Rock Album. The record would make several best of lists, but surprisingly their best selling album for the most part never competed with some of their earlier works on these lists.

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eretzyisrael · 5 years ago

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A virulently anti-American and antisemitic cartoon tweeted by the Chinese Embassy in Paris on Monday previously appeared on several websites linked to white supremacists and Holocaust deniers.

Accompanied by the text “Qui est le prochain?” (“Who’s next?”), the cartoon showed the figure of death draped in a US flag while holding a scythe embossed with the Star of David. The death figure stood alongside a row of doorways marked with the names of countries such as Syria, Venezuela and Hong Kong — all supposedly the targets of American and “Zionist” destabilization plots.

According to the French monitoring organization Conspiracy Watch, the cartoon had previously been featured on several extremist websites. In 2014, it was published on the website of Alain Soral, a French far-right agitator and vocal Holocaust denier.

The same image appeared again on a Sept. 2016 article by David Icke — a notorious British Holocaust denier, white supremacist and peddler of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

In Feb. 2017, the cartoon ran on AlterInfo, a French Holocaust denial site.

More recent online sightings of the cartoon have included Les Crises, a French left-wing website focused on international politics, and Global Research, a Canada-based website that aggressively supports the Cuban and Venezuelan regimes.

The publication of the cartoon by the Chinese Embassy in France conforms to a pattern established in recent months of using its online assets for visceral attacks on the US and its allies as the coronavirus pandemic has worsened.

#cartoon #antisemitic cartoon #chinese embassy #paris

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greatdrams · 5 years ago

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Bowmore® and Aston Martin unveil first collaboration

let’s begin

1964 provides inspiration to showcase craftsmanship and innovation to unite Black Bowmore and the Aston Martin DB5

6 August 2020, Islay, UK – Bowmore® Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Aston Martin have unveiled their first collaborative creation; Black Bowmore DB5 1964. A striking concept which brings together an iconic whisky and a legendary car in a bottle of equal parts, featuring exceptional single malt and a genuine Aston Martin DB5 piston.

With only 25 bottles for sale, this exceptionally rare Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is a celebration of time; a definitive moment in history for both Bowmore and Aston Martin. It is also a celebration of shared values and passions; showcasing great innovation and invention.

A beautifully inspiring masterpiece; this unique, handcrafted vessel houses an equally exceptional single malt, Black Bowmore. Inspired by the past, but truly breath-taking in today’s world. The significance of 1964 is paramount. This represents a truly defining era of evolution for both Bowmore and Aston Martin.

For Bowmore, 1964 is arguably one of the most significant points in the distillery’s 240-year history. The arrival of a new boiler saw the distillery enter the modern age of distilling as coal fires made way for steam in heating the stills. It was the first distillation from this new boiler that produced the spirit which was to become the iconic Black Bowmore; a sublimely rich and decadent single malt, reflected in awe-inspiring deep darkness.

First distilled on 5 November 1964, over the years Black Bowmore has become one of the rarest and most sought-after single malt whiskies ever created. This latest release represents only the sixth bottling of this exquisite single malt. Since 1993, only around six thousand bottles of Black Bowmore have been made available, thus adding to the desirability of this iconic whisky.

David Turner, Distillery Manager at Bowmore commented “1964 represents a significant date in the modern history of the distillery. Not only a key moment in how we distilled our spirit, but perhaps even more significant as this very spirit went onto create Black Bowmore. These defining moments are fundamental to the history of Bowmore. This collaboration with Aston Martin has allowed us to once again showcase this iconic single malt in the most incredible way.”

For Aston Martin, this was the era of their most iconic car. Launched in 1963 to considerable acclaim, the Aston Martin DB5 is now widely regarded as ‘the most famous car in the world’, not least by virtue of its links to the world’s most celebrated secret agent in 1964.

On its debut the DB5 represented a subtle but important evolution over its immediate predecessor, the DB4 Series 5, not least by virtue of an increase in engine capacity to 4.0-litres. This of course made the DB5 that much more of a sporting saloon which, combined with its exceptional styling, helped it to become one of the most desirable and admired sports cars of its generation. Sir David Brown, the then owner of Aston Martin Lagonda and the man who gave his initials to the ‘DB’ lineage, said of the car: “I believe it is the essential character of the DB5, and its ability to perform perfectly in all conditions, that makes this car so intensely satisfying to own.” It is this relentless pursuit of power with purpose that still helps to define the appeal of Aston Martin today.

Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda, said: “This exciting new association with Bowmore gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate a vital part of our star-studded history by combining the unrivalled appeal of the iconic DB5 with the cultured flavours of this world-renowned single malt.”

In keeping with a commitment to true craftsmanship, the Black Bowmore DB5 bottle itself is handcrafted by Glasstorm, a bespoke contemporary glass studio, based in North East Scotland. With over 50 years of glass design, sculpting and creative expertise, each bottle took up to one week to be complete, reflecting the continued thread of attention to detail and skill which defines this collaboration.

Black Bowmore DB5 1964 is presented in a handmade presentation box; itself a work of art. Inspired by the distillery’s coastal home, the deep blue colour and wave embossing evoke a true sense of place. Created from the finest string-grain calfskin, featuring a custom solid brass latch and hinges, plated with nickel, reflective of the DB5.

The partners are set to unveil a series of collaborative projects and products over the coming months and years, ranging from exceptional experiences to design-led product initiatives with the goal of offering fans of the brands, across a broad spectrum, the opportunities to connect with the partnership.

As world class luxury brands Bowmore and Aston Martin urge consumers never to drink and drive. Drink Smart® messaging will be integrated into all brand activations around the partnership; while the dedicated Drink Smart® platform ensures communication with legal-purchase age adults about making informed, responsible choices.

https://www.drinksmart.com/reducing-drunk-driving-or-drink-driving

Black Bowmore DB5 1964 will be available from late Autumn 2020 with an RSP of GBP£50,000.

Black Bowmore 1964 tasting notes

On the eye:

Deep obsidian black

Breathe in:

Layers of ripe exotic fruits and creme caramel. As time moves on soft tobacco smoke,

aromatic orange peel and rich black cherry come to the fore.

Taste:

Intense flavours of mango, passion fruit and acacia honey interwoven with a powerful combination of coffee and tobacco smoke

Savour:

A wonderfully long and decadent finish with tropical fruits and spice, defining over 240 years of craftsmanship

Cask type: Williams & Humbert Walnut Brown Oloroso Sherry Butt

Age: 31-years-old

Vintage: 1964

ABV: 49.6%

Edition: 27 bottles

The post Bowmore® and Aston Martin unveil first collaboration appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams https://ift.tt/3fM1Saw Greg

#whisky #GreatDrams

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jewishmuseummd · 5 years ago

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

From the JMM Collections: Belleek porcelain scent bottle embossed with flowers, shamrocks, and Stars of David, c. 186301890. The center image shows an Irish wolfhound, harp, tower, and clover poised over a banner reading “Belleek.” Gift of Florence H. Trupp, JMM 1984.167.1.

More on Belleek Pottery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belleek_Pottery

#belleek pottery #museums on tumblr #St. Patrick's Day #msueum collections

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chiseler · 5 years ago

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Obituary Mambo

I don't know much about José Mojica Marins, but from the little of his work I've seen I gather he was insane. Most of his films celebrate, then condemn, then celebrate-while-condemning an itinerant diabolist, Zé do Caixã AKA Coffin Joe, played by the director himself. The IMDb synopsis for Joe's first outing, At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul (1964), reads "A gravedigger prowls the city in search of a female to bear him a son."

This Brazilian auteur (writer/director/star) specialised in such yarns, though they rapidly became more demented and incapable of summary altogether, with the filmmaker appearing as himself alongside his creation. Standard morality was denounced and subverted, then re-established, but with incoherence prevailing, was the overall effect not subversive? Marins' more respected countrymen, like Caetano Veloso, actually thought his films did express something valuable, if I recall this correctly. It's all a bit of a blur.

I have seen a whole TV documentary about Marins and a couple of his films, but it all kind of merges together. I recall an extravagant Technicolor vision of hell with body parts including an arse embedded in papier mache cave walls. I recall Marin's crazy long fingernails. And I recollect, as if through a thick fog filter, Marins setting up a drama school for scream queens, surely some kind of disreputable scam, possibly sexual in nature. And of course I remember that when Marins' brand of crazy went out of style, he turned to dog porn. With what one might call indecent haste. He shot one film, and when the dog's owner found out what it had been used for, he shot it.

(recent conversation with a friend whose famous father had died and The Telegraph wrote a snide obituary. "I can't even imagine the impulse that would make someone write a snide obituary," I said.)

This isn't the kind of thing Marins should be remembered for, but the trouble is, one can't forget it. But the filmmaker did have a unique and troubling sensibility, and his ultra-cheap Halloween pageants of depravity served up startling imagery in abundance. I shall carry that arse in the wall with me to my own mausoleum. Now I will plunge into his oeuvre and transmit my experiences to you from its grainy darkness....

Time-lapse clouds, unbelievably dupey and damaged. Double-exposed image of Coffin Joe, glowering from under his monobrow. "Never trust a man whose eyebrows meet." Strange churchy music, and Marins intoning weird nonsense. Repetitive, thinks-he's-clever philosophising interspersed with abuse: Marins is a truly Sadeian filmmaker, perhaps the only one worthy of the name. He's certainly sadistic, will that do?

The fact that the yellow subtitles on my DVD aren't very well translated adds another, welcome layer of incoherence to the whole affair. The irritating way Joe is rambling on makes me itch. Then a song comes in. Ah, that's better. But not much. The feeling is even more religious now, a depressing Sunday School feeling (Imagine the horror, school on a Sunday!). Contrasty still photographs flash by under the main titles, too quick to make sense of, if sense is a thing that can ever be made hereabouts. Are these glimpses of scenes to come? "Man without God, doesn't fear anybody," sing the chorus. Marins' co-producing credit appears over, in quick succession, a scab, a bra, an alarmed face, and the man himself carrying a woman in a nightie in what looks like a dungeon.

Alright, I'm already prepared to call him a genius and the film hasn't begun yet. If I call him a genius, do I still have to watch it?

Muffled nightlub scene with live band. Closeup of girl's ass squeezed by hands. More under-the-table groping. The set looks to be about ten foot across and zero foot deep. Then this scene ends, having established nothing. This is an anthology film, and its first story deals with a maker of dolls. The soundtrack appears to have been lost, then rediscovered in such a parlous state you wish it had stayed lost.

At home with the dollmaker. A raging antarctic wind resounds in his living room as his four daughters fondle the dolls they're supposed to be making. Solo flute. The dollmaker speaks, and his voice is shockingly clear. I had thought the whole film had been recorded on a dictaphone at the bottom of a well. By ghosts.

"A certain cheap poetry," is what Orson Welles ascribed to the best stage magic. You find it in Z-movies too, where the budget didn't run to anything but the filmmakers had some imagination but insufficient experience, technical knowledge or good sense. Well, if they had good sense they'd never have started. The Z-movies of Zé amplify the poetry, yelling it in your face through mismatched angles and clamorous, hysterical sound mixes.

A gang rape begins. I'm not convinced that Marins' drama school has imparted the essentials. As the blizzard gramophone is amped up to eleven, Marins' camera ducks under the bedsheets, the better to see the action. Closeups of eyeless dolls. The victims get all sexy, to the delight of their open-minded assailants. Then the dollmaker shows up with a shotgun, thanks his daughters, and blasts the rapists. ECUs of their surprised faces.

Now all the dolls have bright shining eyes, lovingly prepared by the dollmaker in a vat of dry ice. The daughters look on with expressions of, reading from left to right, frenzy, glee, rictus and revulsions. The dead men, reduced to severed heads lying amid telltale hay, sport vacant, empty sockets. Loom in handheld until all goes blurry.

That's the first episode of the compendium The Strange World of Coffin Joe (O Estranho Mundo de Zé do Caixão), made a million years ago in 1968. Its images feel like they've been embossed in clammy clay and fired in the furnace of a madman's soul, then dropped by an idiot and glued together from smashed fragments by a blind man who was upset about something. Such a film cannot be imagined today, nor could it be then. It could only be brought about by the unpredictable collision of frenzied ambition, low-grade but fervid imagination, and miserable resources.

Coffin Joe is dead. Long live Coffin Joe!

by David Cairns

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dustedmagazine · 6 years ago

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Flying Lotus — Flamagra (Warp)

Photo by Renata Raksha

youtube

In the decade-plus since Flying Lotus’ breakthrough 2008 album, Los Angeles, it’s been a true pleasure to watch the artist otherwise known as Steven Ellison evolve from a darling of the L.A. underground beat scene to a globe-trotting, Grammy-nominated super-producer. Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that success hasn’t dulled Ellison’s casual brilliance and restless, questing weirdness. In the five years since his last Flying Lotus record, Ellison has been creatively prolific in other forms. He directed Kuso, a truly bizarre horror film; scored “Blade Runner Blackout 2022,” a short by acclaimed anime director Shinichiro Watanabe; and shepherded more than a few great records into existence as head of the Brainfeeder label, including Thundercat’s acclaimed 2017 album Drunk and Georgia Anne Muldrow’s excellent 2018 album Overload. It’s satisfying to report, then, that the new Flying Lotus record, Flamagra, finds Ellison still burning bright--both a savvy collaborator and curator, and a sharp creative mind in his own right.

Flying Lotus is a Millennial artist in the fullest, most complimentary sense of the term. The product of a steady diet of Adult Swim absurdist humor, J Dilla records and Afrofuturism, FlyLo’s genre-agnostic approach to electronic music has one foot in the warm, booty-mobilizing groove of hip hop and classic funk and the other in the ice cold, intellectual visions of techno shamans like Drexciya and Aphex Twin. In a way, it’s oddly fitting that a capital-L, capital-A Los Angelino like Ellison found a home for his music on Warp Records, home of groundbreaking UK IDM acts like the aforementioned Aphex Twin, Squarepusher and Boards of Canada. As Flying Lotus, Ellison has established himself as a key figure in bridging the divide between hip hop and techno, reintroducing electronic dance music to its quintessentially Black, American roots.

Flamagra advertises some of FlyLo’s biggest-name collaborations to date, from elder statesmen of the avant-garde like David Lynch and George Clinton to contemporary heavy hitters like Solange and Anderson.Paak. But, despite the boldface names, the total package is boldly embossed with Flying Lotus’ unmistakable stamp. Cinematic but not grandiose, varied but not scattershot, Flamagra feels like diving into a web of intricately interconnected ideas and synapses firing a little too fast for the casual observer to track.

Flying Lotus’ penchant for high concepts doesn’t always connect. His last record, 2014’s You’re Dead, was a pleasant but unfocused psychedelic ramble to...somewhere. Flamagra, on the other hand, is deeply rooted in and evocative of a sense of place. Like Los Angeles, Flamagra is a love letter to a city and a creative community, albeit one transformed by political upheaval and looming environmental disaster. The tense funk of tracks like “Burning Down the House” and “Fire is Coming” channels the psychic tension of life in a city threatened both by literal uncontrolled wildfires and other forms of manmade disaster: pollution, gentrification, socioeconomic inequality. But, as Flamagra’s guiding metaphor, fire can also be a force for balance, cleansing and renewal. This tenacious, up-from-the-ashes survivor’s optimism is embodied by mellower highlights like “Spontaneous,” “9 Carrots” and “Land of Honey.”

L.A. is a strange, singular place: a sprawling network of immigrants, stars, ramblers and seekers, a Hollywood-pop-industrial dream factory on a geological fault line perpetually on the brink of rupture, a smog-and-ash- choked testament to human ingenuity and human hubris. In 27 short tracks, Flamagra creates a vivid, memorable collage of L.A. life circa 2019, speaking to both the complicated present and the imaginative future of the city Flying Lotus calls home.

Rachel Smith

#flying lotus #flamagra #warp #rachel smith #albumreview #dusted magazine #Steven Ellison #hip hop #Funk #techo #anderson paak #solange #george clinton

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kovkou · 6 years ago

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VANS x DAVID BOWIE – WE’RE ALL STARDUST

_en Vans has perhaps decided to serve us with collabs of music icons because after the collection with Led Zeppelin, the brand commemorates another legend, namely David Bowie, a British singer. As per usual, Vans has used the graphics from the singer’s successful discography and combined them with its silhouettes.

David Bowie was a legendary artist from Brixton who had a long-lasting influence not only on pop music. He is a Hall of Fame member and sold 140 million albums during his lifetime. One of Bowie’s most significant eras was the first half of the 70s, when he gained his global recognition, created the Ziggy Stardust alter ego and released various albums such as The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Aladdin Sane or Diamond Dogs with the Rebel Rebel hit song. He also collaborated with The Stooges and later in the 70s while living in Berlin, he worked on Iggy Pop’s solos. In the 80s when his career peaked, he focused on dance music more and released hits as Let’s Dance, Modern Love, China Girl or Blue Jeans. He remained an active artist constantly bringing something new to the table until he died in the age of 69 three years ago.

The Vans collection is dominated by six pairs of shoes accompanied by a small line of apparel and accessories. I would start with the all-black Slip-Ons with a large shiny star on the toe referring to Bowie’s last album, Black Star. Another Slip-On model in the collection is the V 47, which was brought back in the collaboration with Fear of God two years ago. Unlike the classic model, the V in the name refers to velcro, a velcro strap reminiscent of the Honky Dory album from 1971. The first Sk8-Hi from the collection is all-red, leather-made and on a platform. The Bowie sign it has embossed in the leather refers to Ziggy Stardust. The same reference is on the second Sk8-Hi in the collection, which is standard and features checkerboard on side panels with a lightning and Bowie sign.

The last two silhouettes are Era and Old Skool, those are the most interesting ones to me. The Era model refers with its print to the space signals from the Space Oddity album. The best piece from the collection is the Old Skool model in leather execution, which is dominated by a bolt of lightning from the Aladdin Sane album under the sidestripe and a David Bowie sign on the heel. If there is a must-have in this collection, it has to be this pair of Old Skools.

The collection dropped on April 5 at the best Vans dealers in limited quantities and distribution. You can find it at Footshop.

//text by Tomsh //pics by Kovkou

_cz Vans se letos asi rozhodl servírovat spolupráce s hudebníma ikonama, protože po spolupráci s Led Zeppelin vzdává hold další legendě, kterou není nikdo jiný než britský zpěvák David Bowie. Jak už bývá dobrým zvykem, tak si Vans vypůjčuje grafiky z úspěšné zpěvákovi diskografie a kombinuje je s jejich siluetami.

David Bowie byl legendární interpret původem z Brixtonu, který dlouhodobě ovlivňoval nejen populární hudbu, je členem síně slávy a během jeho života prodal 140 milionů desek. Mezi Bowieho nejzásadnější období patří první polovina 70. let, kdy získal globální věhlas, vytvořil alter ego Ziggy Stardust a vydal desky The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, Aladdin Sane nebo Diamond Dogs s hitem Rebel Rebel. Spolupracoval také s The Stooges a později v 70‘s během jeho života v Berlíně i na sólovkách Iggyho Popa. V 80. letech, kdy byl na vrcholu, se věnoval více taneční hudbě a vydal hity jako Let’s Dance, Modern Love, China Girl nebo Blue Jeans. Aktivním umělcem, který pracoval stále na něčem novém, zůstal až do jeho skonání před třemi lety ve věku 69 let.

Středobodem kolekce od Vans je šest párů doplněných o malou kolekci apparelu a doplňků. Začal bych celočernými Slip-Ons, které mají na špičce velkou hvězdu v černém lesku a odkazují na poslední Bowieho album Black Star. Dalšími Slip-Ons v kolekci jsou V 47, které Vans znovu uvedl ve spolupráci s Fear of God dva roky zpět. Na rozdíl od klasiky, V v názvu odkazuje na „velcro“, tedy strap na sucháč, a barevně znázorňují album Honky Dory z roku 1971. První Sk8-Hi z kolekce jsou celočervené, kožené a na platformě. V kůži je embosovaný nápis Bowie a odkazuje na Ziggyho Stardusta. Stejný odkaz nesou i druhé Sk8-Hi v kolekci, které jsou už klasické a na bočních panelech mají checkerboard. Přes ten je blesk a nápis Bowie.

Poslední dvě siluety jsou Era a Old Skool a z kolekce mi přijdou asi nejzajímavější. Model Era odkazuje printem na vesmírné signály z alba Space Oddity. Tím nejlepším v celé kolekci je model Old Skool v koženém provedení, jehož hlavním motivem je blesk z alba Aladdin Sane pod sidestripem a nápis David Bowie na patě. Pokud je něco z kolekce „must have“, tak rozhodně tyhle Old Skooly.

Kolekce dropovala 5. dubna jen u těch nejlepších Vans prodejců, takže v relativně omezené distribuci a množství. Seženete ji třeba ještě ve Footshopu.

//text by Tomsh //pics by Kovkou

#vans #offthewall #davidbowie #vans x bowie #underthepalms #footshop #1000sneakers #sneakers #kicks #kotd #womft #sadp #sneakersaddict #sneakerfreakerfam

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