#expositional constancy

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Today in Christian History

Today is Friday, May 30th. It is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 215 days remain until the end of the year.

727: Death of Hubert, the “Apostle to the Ardennes” (a region now comprised of Northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg).

1416: Jerome of Prague is burned for heresy by the Council of Constance. He had been a follower of reformer Jan Hus.

1431: Joan of Arc executed in Rouen, Normandy.

1525: Last preserved letter of Conrad Grebel, written from Zurich, to his brother-in-law Vadian, is a vigorous plea against attempts to suppress Anabaptists by fines, confiscation of property, imprisonment, or death.

1527: Philip of Hesse opens the University of Marburg.

1574: Death of King Charles IX of France, haunted by superstitious terrors because of the Huguenots he had ordered to be massacred in the infamous St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

1639: Death of Metrophanes Kritopoulos, Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt. His discussions with Protestants prompted him to write an exposition of Eastern Orthodox doctrine, based on the early church fathers, in an attempt to achieve Christian unity.

1756: Death at Bulstrode of Elizabeth Elstob, who had broken sex barriers to learn Anglo-Saxon. Among her translations was An English-Saxon Homily on the Birthday of St. Gregory, anciently used in the English-Saxon church, giving an account of the conversion of the English from paganism to Christianity. She had been a fervent defender of the Church of England.

1792: William Carey preaches a famous sermon on Isaiah 54:2-3, before the Baptist Association meeting in Nottingham, England, at the Friar Lane Baptist Chapel, urging his listeners to "expect great things, attempt great things."

1819: At the request of his father-in-law, Anglican bishop Reginald Heber pens the words to his missionary hymn, “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains.”

1822: A slave betrays plans for a massive uprising planned by African Methodist preacher Denmark Vesey in Charleston, South Carolina. One hundred and thirty one African Americans are arrested and Vesey’s church is closed. Some of the plotters will be executed and others deported.

1858: Ordination in Maryland of Charles Grafton as a priest in the Episcopal Church. He will found the Sisters of the Holy Nativity and later, as a bishop, will stir controversy because of his fondness for ritual and vestments.

1892: Death in Lucknow, India, of Ram Chandra Bose. An ardent Christian evangelist and educator, he had written apologetics, served as a member of India’s Congress, and been a delegate to international religious conferences.

1933: Death in Boga, Congo, of African evangelist Apolo Kivebulaya.

1972: Death in prison of Watchman Nee, famed Chinese evangelist.

[egittae]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Dewa/Dewba

Pronouns: She/Her

Birthday (no year): October 2nd, same as Rua!

Where are you from? What is your time zone? France, CEST

How long is your roleplay experience? I always say 10+ because I sincerely have no idea anymore just A Long Time

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? My Little Pony OC roleplay with my DeviantArt friends in Join.me art streams

How were you introduced to TOA? An ex-member kept talking about it to me until one day I decided to give it a go!

Do you have any pets? Two cockatiels!

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Winter...I love winter. I love snow.

What is your IRL occupation? I'm a design + marketing master student with focus on the luxury industry! I'm also a freelance artist.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Sports, building scale models, drawing

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Pokemon, Metal Gear, Megaman

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Flying type. I love Cutiefly.

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! (Optional bonus challenge: if you filled this out last year, try not to repeat what you said back then!) My work was personally acknowledged by Hideo Kojima, and I was an advanced-level figure skater for 6 years doing public skating shows.

How did you get into Fire Emblem? Marth and Ike in Super Smash Bros Brawl was my first exposition to FE 😔 THO what got me into FE was 3H

What Fire Emblem games have you played? :) FE Warriors: Three Hopes and FEH EZGNFXGN

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: Just 3H for all options

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Dimitri, Constance, Dedue, Idunn, Lambert

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Ingrid, actually! She was the first character in 3H who actually caught my eye, both because I find her design very pretty and because I liked the serious knight girl + pegasus rider combo.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Mycen. I won't elaborate.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? Three Houses Hopes: Ingrid

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Pegasus Knight!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? After a bizarre chat with some friends I realized that my full IRL name's meaning literally translates to "cavalier messenger angel of the fortress" so I guess I'm your good ol' Pegasus Knight recruit who's a light magic user

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) What I want? Blue Lions. Realistically? Church of Seiros, considering my track record with being under religious learning institutions.

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boon: Flying, Authority Budding talent: Faith Banes: Gauntlets, Heavy Armor

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) What I want? Brodia. Realistically? I am brazilian. So I would be the brazilian equivalent of Elyos, aka Solm. Come to Solm.

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) Toe

Current TOA muses: Lambert and Sylvain!

Past TOA muses? Dimitri, Seteth, Hapi, Idunn, M!Byleth, Percy

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Dimitri! Honestly, right now nope! Not only he'd clash with the fact I'm already playing Lambert, but he's also receiving much well deserved love from another mun right now. I'm happy like this!

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) Anything that's from Fódlan, good people who have gone through hell and haven't even begun their road to recovery, lil weirdos.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Smart characters. Because I'm not smart. Also characters who are canonly very verbose and have very flowery language, I don't have the vocabulary to make it seem natural.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I have no idea honestly....whatever brings joy at the moment.

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? Lambert in his full kingly glory (softsmile), Sylvain showcasing his true, raw self to someone.

Favorite TOA-related memories? Byleth losing HP while fighting a fish with Arden's Frederick in order to impress fishermen, breaking his hand on a table, and then getting kicked in the nuts. All in the same event.

Present or past tense? I don't really keep track of this at all actually oops- past I suppose?

Normal size text, small text, no preference? I default to normal size.

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Mila. And every time I open 3Hopes I get Annette flashbangs. But mostly Mila.

[miilkyrolls]

a finch rambleshit of id2's finale

now that id2 is fully released for vip and is on its way to being wide released. i have some thoughts in the form of a tag "rambleshit" noun: a long winded, strings of thought, typically about a choices book made by finch

minor spoilers, BUT JUST IN CASE

okay let's get my final feelings about the book/ last couple of chapters out the way. i've needed these last few days for 2 reasons: one, the last chapter came out on my birthday and i was literally sitting in the parking lot waiting for my reservation while watching the Himeme playthrough , and two, i needed to digest just how much exposition lore was dropped in the last 2-3 chapters that to a point I felt overwhelmed ! Anyways, overall score 8.5/10. it was a good book story wise, however, it had SO MUCH RETCON and plot holes to a point that i felt like id2 could've been it's own standalone, set apart from id1 (kinda like untamable vs unbridled). there's a few i could explain away, for example, the concept that was the entire point of book one about how vampires get sick from even the tiniest bit of fellow vampire blood, but we have an entire ceremony of vampires doing the exact opposite? or the scene where cas bites mc's lip and licks the blood away. now, imo this could be explained as A) the vampires are just biting for the symbolic purpose of the ritual OR they're injecting venom without drinking mc's blood (which kinda makes less sense then the former but anyways) and B) Cas just doing shit for the sexy thrill or whatever which i can accept

what I CAN'T explain away is things like..mc having powers that everyone just..accepts(?!) with no issue but with cas it's seen as some type of anomaly..? claims "the leylines can grant special abilities" but why only cas and mc? why not the oh idk leaders of the covens? or the elders or even just pull a warrior cats "Power of Three" situation and give gabe, cas and mc powers that's because they have a special destiny or are reincarnations or something freaky deaky about them being polyam or being from different covens IDK SOMETHING! and before someone mentions it, i know cas is a more direct witch descendant then the other vamps, but considering we know nothing about her family, if we go with the assumption that cas is last preforming witch since great grandmama constance, that still wouldn't explain why her powers get awoken now? like please for the love of god correct me if i'm forgetting something but the only connection we have is

cas gets cut from the business card, lennox's face morphs (again, odd ability cause cas's powers seem to be exclusively nature related and premonition doesn't seem to match that, unless she has mc's type of premonition from the leylines but that wouldn't make sense either cause mc's manifests in out of body, future seeing, while cas's manifestation is more like actual intention sensing *cough, they should technically switch their ability names cough*, the cut never heals unless cas let's the power out/or is happy and gets worse when she's upset. so when you think of it, there's really nothing that directly correlates with the leylines that connects it. maybe it's because the leylines come from creators and witches are split descendants of vampires so whenever the ley lines are getting fucked with it affects witches too?? idk

a few more unaddressed issues are but not limited too: what beef cas and gabe have in the branding room (i'll get back to that one later), libby having partial memory, (same thing as above), if vampires can actually sleep, how in the first book G+C can hear us murmuring their names from miles away but we can't hear cas screaming in the woods, having vampire sight but straining to see that pile of bones in back of the cave etc, WHY LEWYN IS STILL NEVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR KILLING HIS OWN COVEN MEMBERS??

that's my biggest issue with id2, there's so much guess-timating w/ info and lore that would be fun to theorize or hc in a standalone but in an ongoing series it creates more headaches and others are plain plotholes. i think id would've been more consistent if they spent more time explaining the lore of WHY things are instead of WHAT things are, you know?

now lastly, here are my id3 theories/ hopes:

libby is a witch. that's the only explanation we have for why she acts so odd all book + why her memories are the most intact despite her not doing anything to awaken them like mc's mom did

gas's beef with each other is explained. i saw someone hc that the reason gas hate each other beyond the typical Clement vs Venandi bs is because they're exes and while i would love the angst of exploring that + it would explain their sudden intrigue (if u choose the poly route end) to possibly get together + it would be so carnally delicious if we have some real slow burn enemies to frienemies to lovers out here but i doubt it. however their beef seems to stem from before mc came into the picture purely because of how gabe talks and treats cas in the first few chapters of book1 and from the branding room scene (my hc/ theory however: in the branding room premium scene, g+c talk briefly about a situation where gabe "was playing the hero", cas was "scaring humans" and as a result got punished likely by branding. my theory is that while as a human, gabe's grandmother was a fluked hunt by cas, with gabe protecting his nan, this sparks sarah to investigate into vampires more which leads to the covens trying to kill her. so gabe hates cas for nearly killing her and consequently getting him turned and cas hates gabe for ruining her hunt / giving her first brand)

gabe getting powers. we know gabe is kinda a literature nerd and can read specific vampire languages that seems like pretty rare ability for a newer turned vamp so maybe that could be his. idk it just feels odd that cas and mc have powers but gabe doesn't (even if reading super well is for NERDS 🙄/j maybe they can make it fun and unique to him)

witches are absolutely the villain of the next book, there's no doubt in my mind but since it seems like witches were playing both sides of the field of vamps v hunters, it's safe to assume we might befriend a teenage witch (possibly libby??) and we have to fight with against evil witches??? 🤷🏾‍♀️

more like point 4.2 but we could also possibly meet cas's family or even parents! while its safe to assume them being dead is what made cas an orphan, its pixelberry and there's a good chance they'd bring out that random of a plot twist, like with gabriel and lennox being cousins, out of the blue andddd the heirloom book cas has from her parents looks suspiciously like the grimoire astoria has🤔

multi pov: if id3 is assumingely the last id book, and they're going to keep teasing gas, i would love see that all exclusively from their pov's (ik it's unlikely pb would suddenly change the format of a book at the supposedly end of the series but these books need a new element or it's going to feel like a repeat of the last 2 books)

gas. self explanatory. they need to kiss regardless of which route you choose. idk how or why or when but it needs to happen

these mofo's will graduate human high school. yeah that very forgotten aspect of immortal desires is that it's a TEEN supernatural, so we need to pop in some extra credits or something and graduate since they're all seniors/ "18" (in my hc cas is a super senior and is like 19 when she was turned but anyways)

[seahere]

Just watched Haunted Mansion (2023) and yeah, they did good. In my opinion, at least. (SPOILERS as I ramble my thoughts. Obviously.)

Enough park canon material included to make me very happy! And best of all! We still don't know the origin of the Mansion! Ahhh! Perfect!

They have the WDW Mansion belong to Hattie (movie verse's Alistair Crump), but our classic mansion, while owned by Gracey who made a big mess with the help of Leota, still has an undefined origin.

There was an emphasis on the Captain. I do like that. He's a major hitchhiking ghost and one of the friendlier ones right away (technically). He's still left ambiguous, though. His haunts make him the Mariner, but he's anyone from Captain Gore, to Culpepper Clyne, to unnamed and forgotten captain.

I am actually a big fan of Gracey and I love his inclusion. He's the owner, or was the most notable one, at least. Not the originator of the place, but he was handed the role of "fucked up stupendously" and I love that for him. I'm speaking lightly but genuinely, this movie does show us grief in a lot of its forms and I can honestly say that I laughed and cried my way through the movie. They did very well.

So yeah, I enjoyed seeing the way they played out the cycle of grief, his desperation inviting the madness of a dark player. Hattie's origins are good by me. I only cared that he was NOT tied to Constance. The two can be diabolical ghosts but I didn't want him to be one of her victims. Big bad murderer in his own right is good with me. Love that journey for him. I do wish the cgi had been a little more...greenish and glowy. And I wish he'd been a little more playfully devious. But I was good with it. No surprise villain or unexpected twist—just ghosts we know, weaved into a tale, and real humans that worked.

I also loved the art style during Bruce's expositional talk about Alistair Crump. Like, damn, I want more of that. Deeply love it.

From cheesy to heartfelt to genuinely nice, this was a great ride. I laughed, I cried, I loved the story. I love that it was about the people. It was about genuinely difficult emotions that none of us can outrun. I love that there's a Mansion full of Happy Haunts in the end.

It didn't feel like they were rewriting or forcing a new canon. Hell, they had Bruce reference the endless crazy theories about the place. The ghost appearances came straight from existing, physical characters (love the Mummy of course). Stories like the dueling brothers and Constance already existed, and played right into the Tragic Souls after Gracey and Leota had already poisoned the Mansion through his grief.

Hatbox Ghost was the only one given an expanded backstory because the story needed an antagonist. I was good with that. Honestly the Crump Manor bit surprised and delighted me. But I also don't care if people view this as only one of many possible theories. I, personally, quite like it. I could probably ramble on this point further but I'll end it here.

Good movie. Well suited to the material. Playful, spooky, intense. I will definitely be watching it again.

[newagesurvivalist]

A meaningful life

We can't figure anything out. Life is a silly exposition. We don't succeed in our strivings. We have to think. We don't have to work as hard as possible. There are good jobs in which you don't have to work all that hard and yet think: that's great. Personally, I believe novel writer is a lovely occupation, but it ain't worth much. You need experience. Nevertheless, there is also a lot of work in which you simply have to coordinate vast amounts of data, manufacture. That's actually a blessing and a curse. You'll have to concentrate, but you also do more valuable work and so you can earn more and so take more substantial vacations. Science, theory, manufacturing will always yield positive results, but it is difficult. What do we have to do? Be a columnist, that's the simplest life. When you're a columnist, you never have to stay in one place. It all depends on occasion, of course, but you can always write a memoir. Napoleon said: show me a family of readers, and I'll show you where the power of the nation lies. Reading is writing. But it will not change the world. Theology will change the world. However, that requires a sacrifice. It takes more than reading. But you don't have to be a theologian your whole life. Are you a real reader? A man can play many parts in his short life. I figure I could be the Greta Thunberg of the spiritual crisis of the world. I like women. I once heard a foolish man remark that women, in Christian art, represented virtue. I think they rather represent purity. I don't think women are better than men (they are certainly a lot less reasonable!) but I do think they are a little like children in that there is something uncorruptable in them. A woman will never choose solely for money. She always lets her heart decide. And that reminds of a line from Alladin: princess, when did you last let your heart decide? Because, right so, women often don't have the opportunity to decide; more than men, women are unwillingly taken up in the currents of life. As people like to remark: she had no say! Some men find that gives them power of women, but that is truly a rare thing, by God.

Weird things happen all the time. We do what we can to know ourselves. This is not easy. We can be creepy, or sartorial, but there is unity in our reverberations. Simple life can be good life, if we have standards, but a man may act on principle, and in this wise, become aware of everything in his mind.

We have to face off against the terrific forces of authority and spirituality. So we see, that everything is in some ways the meaning of actuality. We do what we can to subsist in the ordinary sense of the word, but there is a lot of actuality in the consistency of real things; and we find what is going on: it is a sign of the times that we never really know what is going on - and yet, freedom happens in the ordinary things that happen. It is all shit, and yet we can escape from the ravages of slithering repercussions that go nowhere. In the actuality of silly acceptance, the visibility of ordinary time is automatically lost, and we can do something with our hearts, that are aimed at the Lord. But it is all a constant flow of insane madness, that we don't know, we know what is real in our hearts and we want to make something out of ourselves. Feelings are real; and our compassion grows for feelings of happiness, and this is our constant feeling, this is our curse. However, the reaction of feeling is insane, and we do not experience revelatory powers in the normal sense of the word: the things that we like are semblances of our real feeling of hope. All what we encounter is similar to the constancy of sheer time, and in this constancy we encounter real feelings of normality; and we want to be who we are. And it is all a constant of similarity that goes into the drain of compassionate revolution - that we really need. But the essences go on and it is a weird continuity of real time, hidden from the eye, but visible in the normal act of life, and yet our hope is corridored in the visibility of feeling and it is all ruminational soundness in time and space, but our feelings continue and repress us at every turn, even though the happiness of time is significant in the normality of spacious nonsense.

We see that we have to behave. However, there is no reminiscence in the system of hope. We do what is all right in the eyes of God. If we eat and drink and are merry, a time will come when there is no more feeling in the vastness of ordinary freedom. And yet, our hope is in no way set in stone. The temperament of hope is listless and yet we don't reverberate in the happiness of space and time, but I don't know what any of this really means, because there is liberty in the actuality of simple things that we do and experience, by God, the nonsense of appropriation and silliness. In fact, a stuck up fool may say a lot of things, but he will never know the true meaning of the gospel. Or of any holy book. I don't know. It is all madness. I know, that the existence of ordinary pillars of goodness and holiness are connected to the conduction of revelatory understanding that really happens, and this is what we all know: it is a Mexican stand-off of insignias connected to the be all end all of good appropriation, that we nevertheless encounter in happy accidents that we all want to see and that we want to do. You see, I never really thought I needed to embrace every single hero of the old world, because I don't love many things, I just love what is good and pleasant; and in this wise, the existence of ordinary gentleman becomes a thing: there is no such thing as a natural.

By the way, I have found country music.

[laminak]

Les femmes artistes oubliées de l'histoire. Linogravure A4

J’entame une série de linogravures inspirées d’autoportraits de peintres femmes oubliées de l’histoire de l’art. Pourtant nombre d’entres elles étaient connues de leur temps. Sur cette photo de mon exposition en cours vous voyez Sofonisba Anguissola,Romaine Brooks,Marie Laurencin, Catherine Duchemin ,Suzanne Valadon et Constance Mayer. Je vais poursuivre ce travail car nombreuses sont ces…

[takerfoxx]

So I saw the Haunted Mansion movie recently, and it was...okay, I guess?

Well, all right, it was pretty mid. Which I guess is what everyone expected. Like, it wasn't aggressively bad or anything, just consistently mediocre. Like, there were things that I liked, some neat ideas being used, and I certainly appreciated all the nods ans Easter eggs toward the ride's lore and stuff, but there were also too many characters, the pacing is way too fast in a genre that lives and dies on atmosphere and immersion, I do not know why they made the Hatbox Ghost the main villain when Constance is literally right there, and overall it was framed more like an action movie than a horror. Like, it's literally called the Haunted Mansion. Where's the scares? I know the ride is more camp than actually scary and they need to keep it family friendly, but come on. Coraline was also a kids' movie, and it was friggin' terrifying!

Actually, to be honest, I think I liked the Eddie Murphy movie better. That also wasn't good and LaKeith Stanfield's surprisingly nuanced performance as Ben blew Eddie Murphy's "Do it for the paycheck" acting out of the world, but that movie at least tried to convey a sense of ambience, mystery, and dread. Granted, I only saw it once like twenty years ago when it first came out and didn't think it was all that good even then, so there might be some rose-colored goggles at play, but it at least got that the mansion itself needs to feel like a character in its own right.

But even so, I did feel like we had the makings of a good Haunted Mansion movie in here. Personally, I would cut out most of the characters and keep it focused on Ben, Gabby, and Travis, with maybe one other character for exposition. Slow the beginning way the hell down, give us some actual buildup and suspense, throw out the whole end of the world threat (it's not a superhero movie!) and keep it restricted to peril toward the main characters only, and really focus on bringing the mansion to life (pun sort of intended). Or, hey, if you want a plotline with a villain, why not take it from the Phantom Manor in Euro-Disney? I know the Haunted Mansion has the most name value, but nothing says you can't pull from other iterations and still keep the name.

Man, the more I talk about it, the more disappointed I am that we never got to see Guillermo del Toro's vision for this movie. Like, that would really have been something.

But okay, not bad, not good, just sort of okay, felt like if they uncluttered the cast and slowed things down, then they could have had something there.

[scarletsbookthoughts]

The Trick of The Treasure

Format: Ebook (Advanced Copy) Rating: 2.75

Disclaimer: I was provided an advanced copy of this book through Dragonblade Publishing via Netgalley. Some of the things in the official published edition may end up changed. The opinion provided is entirely my own; I was simply provided advanced access in exchange for an honest review. I would also like to make it very clear that I have not read the other books in this series.

Short Review: The Trick of The Treasure reminds me a lot of Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys in that, while it definitely has an overarching plot and developments, I didn't have any trouble hopping in here instead of at the beginning. The book is succinct in a very well done way, providing just enough details for you to fully understand the character's opinions/perspective but nothing more, and the characters themselves are well done. Unfortunately, the bread and butter of the book, the mystery of the missing treasure, is executed in an incredibly boring manner. Our main character's primary and seemingly only method of gathering information is to go and interview somebody, who gives them a name, so they go interview that person, rinse repeat. I think that there's a lot of potential with the series, but the repetition of the interview process, and the almost complete lack of any other kind of investigative measures, makes it a dull read.

Related Song: I Know You Better Than That by Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards is the song I chose for this book. I think that it works very well for Constance and Solomon's relationship with each other, seeing the parts society wants to judge and limit but acknowledging that it makes the other person stronger. There are also parts of the song that fit the Lloyd family and their relationships with each other very well.

Longer review under the readmore! Will contain spoilers.

Constance Silver and Solomon Grey are very newly engaged, but that does not stop them from needing to go to work at Silver and Grey where they work as private investigators. They are approached by a new client, Barnabas Lloyd, an adventure who has recently returned from an overseas adventure with a large bounty of treasure in tow. Only, it has mysteriously vanished in the middle of the night from his secret locked strong hold in his own home, without any sign of a struggle.

Constance and Solomon take the case, promising to return the stolen treasure, all while dealing with the struggles their engagement will bring, and Solomon's own hunt for his missing twin brother.

The Good: Like I said before, The Trick of the Treasure reads very similarly to Nancy Drew books I remember reading as a child, and I had absolutely no trouble jumping into the books at this point in the story. All of the returning characters are reintroduced with just enough information that I knew who they were and why they were relevant, but not so much that I would imagine a return reader would be frustrated by exposition of things they already know. The events and overarching plot points are given the same luxury, being introduced with just enough detail that a new reader wouldn't be confused, but not enough that it would be anything but a refreshing reminder for a returning fan.

I think that succinctness is carried throughout the entire book in the writing style. We aren't given a lot of superfluous detail, and everything seems to serve a point. That isn't to say that we don't spend time in characters thoughts; we frequently dip into the minds and perspectives of characters, and I always felt like I had a good grasp on not just their perspective in the moment, but their perspective overall. Lancaster also has a good understanding of when the scene calls for actions or emotions, and this comes through very clearly during the romance scenes.

When the story is focusing on Solomon and Constance's romance and interactions, we are given lots of room to explore how they feel about one another, how their love has grown and changed, the anxieties that their upcoming marriage is going to bring, and it doesn't feel rushed or stilted. We dwell there just long enough to get the point across, and then move on. Even though I missed the majority of the slow burn between these characters, I did find myself caring about them as a couple, and I think that striking a balance between the emotions required to make me care, and the ability to make sure that it never dragged the rest of the story down is something that this book did very well.

The Bad: Unfortunately, pretty much everything about the mystery, which is the main reason I was interested in the book in the first place, fell flat. On paper, its incredibly interesting. A locked door mystery with nobody even in the room? It sounds like it would be a really fun puzzle to solve. But when almost every bit of solving that puzzle is talking to someone, or traveling to talk to someone, or talking to someone so you can figure out where the someone you need to talk to is... well, it got boring very, very quickly. I'd hoped that maybe it would pick up somewhere along the way, but the only bit of other investigative work that I'd say was done in this book was relatively early on, and it was looking at pictures. Maybe the interview method is the most realistic, but its just not fun to read.

Another problem with the mystery comes from the provided summary of the book. The final line of the official summary goes:

And then their chief suspect is murdered, and everything becomes much more dangerous…

This adds a bit of intrigue, and I'm not mad at its presence in the summary per se, but the aforementioned murder doesn't take place until past the halfway point, and I am a hard believer that a summary shouldn't spoil anything past that point. An even more egregious issue I have is that at the time the "suspect" is murdered, he is not, in, in fact, the prime suspect! We read a section from said suspect's perspective, of him getting murdered, and then we get our protagonists realizing that the dead man was who they were looking for all along. It ruins a lot of the suspense that it could have built, especially since it was already spoiled by the summary.

I do feel like I should mention that there were a number of grammatical and spelling mistakes throughout the book. All of them were incredibly minor (then instead of they, cone instead of come, etc.), and they were spread out, but they were frequent enough that it was noticeable. Hopefully that's something that will be fixed in the final edition of the book, and is a problem unique to the advanced digital copy I read.

The In Between: The main thing I would like to discuss here is Rachel, the youngest child of the Lloyd family. I quite liked Rachel towards the beginning of the book; she was characterized as being a very observant, somewhat odd, energetic almost to the point of erratic child. I think that she was a very compelling source of information for the investigators, especially since she was just slightly too young to be as invested in the secrecy and decency of the household as the rest of the family.

As the story progressed, Rachel felt less and less like the child she was at the start; in fact, she felt less and less like a child at all. She started talking a lot more formally, lost the energetic charm I had really liked about her, and became a lot more of just a source of information than a character, and I was very disappointed in that.

I still think it was a good idea to make her the most responsible of the Lloyd family; I think it provides an interesting comparison to the rest of the family, when the youngest and most rambunctious child is of more value to the investigators than the people who should know more, but the way it was executed ended up making an otherwise interesting character fall flat.

The Trick of the Treasure, and I assume Silver and Grey as a series, has some very good bones in it, and I believe that Lancaster has the ability as an author to turn it into a great series as a whole, but the mystery in this one just wasn't it. The book felt like a way to pass the time, and I don't think I could recommend it any stronger than that.

[braineyboxd]

The Double Feature: Salon Scandals

Our theme for tonight’s double feature is the 1930s beauty salon. The salon was oft-used cinematic setting for feminine feuds to fester, infidelities to be revealed, and close friendships to grow or falter. The pseudo-privacy afforded to patrons by the flapping ears of their beauticians provide ample opportunity for the proliferation of exposition, gossip, and rumors. Films set in the salon also serve as real life insight into what gender politics and social roles were promoted by the studios and censors of the era, and we will briefly visit that subject after we enjoy tonight’s offerings.

Tonight’s Bill

Hair-Raising Hare (Merrie Melodies, 1946, Warner Bros)

Mel Blanc, dir. Chuck Jones (as. Charles M. Jones)

Beguiled by a curvaceous mechanical rabbit, Bugs is lured into a mad scientist’s castle. The mad scientist—a Lorre caricature—intends to turn Bugs into dinner for his hairy monster, Gossamer. Bugs attempts escape in typical Bugs fashion, most famously impersonating a manicurist who’s INTereSTed in INTereSTin’ people. 💅

This short is a bonafide classic that I’m sure many of you have seen before. The beautician bit (similarly portrayed in 1952’s Water, Water Every Hare) is one of Bug’s funniest and a familiar sight to movie-goers at the time. The chatty, heavily accented manicurist or hairdresser is a common motif in comedies of the era and gave many a character actress and wannabe starlet her 15 seconds of fame. (My Letterboxd rating)

Soup and Fish (Todd and Kelly, 1934, Hal Roach/MGM)

Thelma Todd, Patsy Kelly, Billy Gilbert, Gladys Gale, dir. Gus Meins

Thelma and Patsy are hairdressers in a fancy salon. When a wealthy client mistakenly invites them to her evening soirée, the women are tasked with entertaining guest-of-honor Count Gustav. Thelma sets out to romance the count, while Patsy tries out some of her “tricks” on him. Thankfully, the count appears better humored than the party’s staff…

This is the fifth entry in the Thelma Todd-Patsy Kelly partnership that would end far too soon with Thelma’s untimely passing in late 1935. What a shame to conclude in such tragedy, doubly so now that Todd and Kelly aren’t well remembered as a comedy duo—neither are the preceding Pitts and Todd, nor the succeeding Kelly and Kelton, Kelly and Roberti, or Pitts and Kelly. Regardless of being denied their proper place in our cultural memory, Patsy and Thelma had chops and chemistry that made even predictable gags funny. (My Letterboxd rating)

Daily Beauty Rituals (1937, Brown-Nagle/Educational Films Corp. of Am.)

Constance Bennett, dir. unknown

Glamorous star Constance Bennett shares her daily skincare and makeup routine with the women of the audience, for “to be beautiful and natural is the birthright of every woman.”

An interesting routine that I’d be curious to see someone follow to the letter as a test… and don’t you dare be one of those lazy cream rouge antis. In case you need something other than beautiful Constance in color to pay attention to, RiffTrax provides great commentary here.

Visit a 1930’s Beauty Salon (c. 1938, posted 2020, glamourdaze)

NEWSREEL: AI colorized and enhanced footage of Pattons and beauticians inside Caroll’s Beauty Shop in Hamtramck, MI, circa 1938.

Peek those torture devices! They’re kinda calling to me, though…

Beauty for Sale (1933, MGM)

Madge Evans, Una Merkel, Otto Kruger, Alice Brady, dir. Richard Boleslawski

An innocent but game woman obtains a job at a beauty salon for wealthy patrons, alongside hardboiled and streetwise beauticians seeking love and security in an unforgiving world.

Beauty for Sale is a severely underrated Pre-Code with bite! The salon herein sets the stage for complicated—often illicit—romantic entanglements. Positions at Madame Sonia’s (well-cast Hedda Hopper) salon provide opportunities for love and a change in economic status at the risk of losing one’s sense of self, as played out in the lives of three women:

Letty Lawson, the small-town woman trying to make it in the big city, playing the game while preserving as much of her moral compass as she can. The game gets complicated, however, when she falls for lawyer Mr. Sherwood (Otto Kruger), who is eager to progress their relationship despite being unhappily married to one of Madame Sonia’s top clients (Alice Brady). Meanwhile, circumstances pressure Letty to leave the lurid salon life to settle down with Bill Merrick (Edward J. Nugent), brother of her best friend. Portrayed by confident—and yes, adorable—Madge Evans.

Carol Merrick, Letty’s wised-up best friend and confidante. Carol is involved with an older sugar daddy (Charley Grapewin), knowing better than to fall prey to feelings again after having been abandoned by her only love, a married man who went back to his wife. Una Merkel is in top form.

Jane, a kind and meek beautician secretly in a relationship with Madame Sonia’s son, Burt (Phillips Holmes). Madame Sonia would never allow her precious boy to date an employee, but Jane and Burt don’t let that deter them—as long as it’s in private. As their relationship develops, they must decide how to proceed in public. Is this real love, or is Jane being strung along? Florine McKinney didn’t have many opportunities as a leading woman or secondary lead beyond 1935 or so, but she makes the most of her truncated screentime here thanks to her light touch and sensitivity. (My Letterboxd rating)

The Women (1939, MGM)

Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, Joan Fontaine, dir. George Cukor

After news of her husband’s ongoing affair spreads like wildfire through the patrons of a salon, a woman decides to go to Reno for a divorce, finding camaraderie with a group of soon-to-be former wives involved in thorny relationships.

MGM’s latest foray into beauty salon drama was a smashing success. The Women, based on a stage play of the same name and concept, garnered resounding praise in 1939 and is one of studio’s best remembered treasures, no doubt due to the behemoth star-power of its all-women cast. Besides the leads noted above, you will recognize a slew of other notables in minor roles or cameo appearances, including Virginia Wiedler, Ruth Hussey, Virginia Grey, and Hedda Hopper. Marjorie Main, Phyllis Povah, and Mary Cecil recreate their roles from the original play.

Mary Haines (Norma Shearer) is happily married to Stephen. During a manicure, however, Mary’s cousin Sylvia Fowler (Rosalind Russell) finds out that Stephen is engaged in an affair with Crystal Allen (Joan Crawford), a known homewrecker. Instead of letting her down easy, Sylvia arranges for Mary to see the manicurist so the juicy gossip is revealed via salon (thanks, cuz 😒). Mary intends to work it out with her philanderer until she meets Crystal and everyone in her social circle finds out, thanks to Sylvia and Edith (Phyllis Povah). This prompts Mary to finally put her foot down and divorce Stephen.

She sets out for a ranch in Reno, where she will stay the required 6 weeks until her quickie divorce is finalized. There she meets a countess (Mary Boland) divorcing her umpteenth husband to marry her nextteenth husband (a cowboy, this time!), chorus girl Miriam (Paulette Goddard) whose intentions have been set on Sylvia’s husband, and sensitive Peggy (Joan Fontaine) being pressured to divorce her new husband by the gossip mill.

Although Mary has second thoughts about the divorce, she discovers that he has already married Crystal before she can return to him (what a charmer that Stephen is). The story picks up a couple years later with things going about as well as you’d expect for all involved parties, but I’ll spare you more spoilers and let you see for yourself how the intrigue resolves.

Analysis

While both films have their own merits and are well worth any moviegoer’s time, I’d like to briefly discuss how the films frame sociopolitical attitudes about the "women's picture" and modern relationships broadly. Turn your attention to the respective taglines of Beauty for Sale and The Women: “Which Type of Girl Do Men Marry?” and “It’s All About Men.” These taglines, by nature of their principal positions on the advertisement posters, represent what the studios thought made these films appealing and sellable, namely that women’s lives can and should be portrayed as revolving around men—not at all unlike Old Hollywood’s real-life patriarchal and predatory attitude toward its actresses (TW: descriptions of rape, abuse). Tonight’s double feature, however, reflects two clashing factions acting within a system of onscreen female exploitation: One confirming stereotypes and promoting their acceptance and one managing to assert a spoonful of autonomy by working around them.

Despite the powerful group of screen goddesses blinding audiences with their talent and wit and glitz, The Women remains precisely what the poster says it is: a movie about men, starring women. The conflicts are about men. Most of the conversations are about men. The women get into rows and backstab one another over men. Their thoughts and actions are guided and defined by men who, in Mary’s case at the very least, don’t deserve a second thought, let alone a second chance. But that second chance is exactly what they get, and the women learn to like it—even fight for it, tooth and Jungle Red nail. In 1939, the message is clear: The object of a woman’s desire, the ruler of her heart, and the light of her life is Man… so says the studio mogul, the producer, the ad man, the censors, et al.

On the face of it, Beauty for Sale is hardly different. It’s a story about women being used and abused by men individually, or by a male-centric system. But this B picture wrests back some control over the prevailing stereotypes and narratives—you were allowed to do that in 1933, Joseph Breen be damned. Letty decides to make her own way instead of marrying the first man that comes along, wrestling with the potential consequences and harm she causes all the while. Carol finagles men for monetary gain, which for her is regrettable but preferable to falling for another man destined to jilt her. Jane, sweet Jane, has the hardest time of any, but is a girl’s girl through it all and to the last. Beauty for Sale’s leading trio forge their own paths in a system designed to keep them from doing so successfully—sometimes with wisdom and other times by using and abusing in kind. In this way, the aforementioned tagline doesn’t even make much sense; this film isn’t really about marriage. That’s why I prefer the alt tagline: “The Drama of Three Footloose Daughters of a Modern Skin Game.” This one recognizes that the game is set up for these women to fail, and that they’re free to do as they please anyway. 1939 would be appalled.

Exit

One can little argue that the salon setting in the movie, with its obsessive focus on gossip, cattiness, and florid sex, is socially progressive or flattering to the perception of a modern woman. But for all its trappings and stereotypes, it does provide us with one of the few classic film spaces reserved almost exclusively for women—and what a wonderful avenue it opened to allow the glamor days’ finest talent to share the screen together and sneak in a few feminist sensibilities here and there.

Thanks for attending our first double feature! Make it a triple feature with 1939’s Beauty for the Asking, starring Lucille Ball as a boss babe face cream inventor and entrepreneur whose investor is the wife of her gold-digging ex fiancé. Then read some fan magazine articles featuring Florine McKinney here. You can learn more about the salon treatments given at Sydney's in The Women here. After all that taxing research, treat yourself to a day at Madame Brainey’s Cinema Salon on Letterboxd, where the only gossip allowed is about those INTereSTin’ movie stars from before our grandparents were born.

[tdihaiku]

turbulence often precedes transition

to change of state resolving in stasis.

chaos stops, reforms in staid condition.

this works as a science definition.

does it apply on a human basis?

turbulence often precedes transition

in a case of personal volition

when troubles ease, become less tenacious

chaos stops, reforms in staid condition

but if problems return in repetition

order's strict shape is less efficacious

turbulence again precedes transition

endless rondos in superposition

a consuming process quite voracious

chaos reigns, never in staid condition

constancy's pipe dream a false rendition

a deception in life's exposition

turbulence precedes a short transition

chaos never stops, mankind's condition

[imageculte]

La toile de Gustave Courbet « L’origine du monde » revisitée par Dominique François... et censurée par la Mairie de Saint-Raphaël (Var) pour « vulgarité absolue »

« La réinterprétation effectuée par cette peintre amatrice se décline en deux propositions distinctes. La première voit le sexe de la modèle Constance Quéniaux revêtue d’une culotte peinte quand la seconde est simplement recouverte d’un vrai sous-vêtement féminin directement collé sur la toile » (article du Huffpost).

A noter que d’autres œuvres revisitées, comme la « Venus » de Botticelli, auraient aussi été retirées (par le personnel municipal) au même titre de cette exposition.

Voir l’article du Huffpost via un post de @Khrys (ici)

[bernardo1969]

Psalm 119 is a hymn written in the first person where a man devoted to God declares the excellence and perfection of the law of the Lord and his intention to fulfill it faithfully, but at the same time, the author begs the creator for his protection and blessing. The Psalm 119 is both a sapiential song and a supplication towards God with the intention of being blessed. It is interesting to note that the author of the Psalm identified the worship of God with the fulfillment of the law. Because the law is not only the fulfillment of orders or imperatives, the law of Moses starts from the gift of fear of God: "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man" Ecclesiastes 12:13. The spiritual gift of fear of the Lord is defined as constancy, firmness, devotion, equanimity, and stability. In more practical terms, the fear of God is the heart of flesh and the gift that allows man to see the reality of the world with the eyes of the creator of all things. Without the gift of fear of God, the law of Moses is reduced to a game of masks and appearances, to an empty law incapable of defending life. And so the Psalmist, after a long exposition on the law and the importance of a heart directed towards the spiritual realities; the author of the hymn ended the song with the plea to be heard by God and thus receive his blessings: "May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, LORD, and your law gives me delight. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands" Psalm 119:171-176.

[albumstrackbytrack]

Jungkook album Golden song meanings

1. "3D" (featuring Jack Harlow)

On the song, Jung Kook expresses his strong feelings for someone he can’t reach with a witty touch. Since he can’t be there with his significant other, he chooses to watch in “3D.”

2. "Closer to You" (featuring Major Lazer)

is an enchanting track that beautifully encapsulates the yearning to be closer to someone special. The lyrics, woven into a tapestry of emotive melodies, convey the profound emotions the protagonist harbors for their beloved., In the lyrics brought to life by Jungkook’s powerful vocals, there is a continuous theme of a person who will always fight for their partner; someone who doesn’t care about what anyone else says and will stand strong in their love and desire. Through this theme, it can be seen that this song is a part of the exposition of the story told throughout the album, “Golden.” It is a story about a person’s journey through a relationship from falling in love to breaking up., describes the stage of falling in love through lyrics that depict the desire a person has for their prospective partner. The lyrics make sure that the protagonist’s desire is built on a strong foundation of a vow to love and support their partner through every adversity. Additionally, they attempt to remove the fear usually associated with relationship problems by stating that those issues will only bring them closer., is a song about the hearts of two lovers who are irresistibly attracted to each other

3."Seven" (explicit version; featuring Latto)

Lyrically, "Seven" is a romantic serenade about wanting to spend every moment of every day with one's lover. The explicit version's lyrics express a more sexual desire, Throughout this bubbly track, Jung Kook serenades his listeners with his vocals, while painting a scenario where he would comfort his lover with both physical and emotional love throughout all seven days of the week.

-> https://youtu.be/QU9c0053UAU?si=x7m-2H6FbdlBgDPn

4. "Standing Next to You"

The song’s lyrics express the strong feelings the narrator feels for a loved one from simply standing side-by-side with each other. There are also small easter eggs in the lyrics that seem to reference Jung Kook’s past solo songs and some past BTS projects., It is a song that promises, ‘Because our love is deeper than anything else, I will be with you no matter what adversity comes.’

5. "Yes or No"

The song beautifully reflects the emotions of someone deeply in love as he expresses his overwhelming feelings and seeks confirmation from his significant other through the pivotal question: “Do you feel the same way as me?”

6. "Please Don't Change" (featuring DJ Snake)

It contains the wish, ‘No matter how far the distance between us is, my love for you will not change, so please do not change for me either.’, expresses a plea for someone to remain true to themselves. The lyrics convey deep affection and love for another person, emphasizing the desire for them to stay as they are, without any alterations or transformations., is a song that explores the challenges and pressures of fame and the desire for an enduring and unchanging love. It expresses a deep affection for someone and a fear of losing their unique qualities. The themes in the song touch on the tension between public and private life, as well as the yearning for constancy in a world of constant change. The emotions conveyed include love, longing, and a desire for stability in the face of the ever-changing nature of the entertainment industry.

7. "Hate You"

could be a metaphor for how Jungkook feels about someone who made him go through a painful experience. In the lyrics, Jungkook sings about how he wants to forget this person and not remember their memories, but he also expresses feelings of anger, frustration, and heartbreak that he can’t seem to shake. The song shows the complicated, difficult emotions that Jungkook is feeling, despite his desire to move on from the past and live in the present., delves into a complex emotional state where the narrator expresses their intention to hate someone. The lyrics suggest a desire to paint the person as a villain, even though they may not inherently possess those qualities. The narrator admits to blaming the person for things they haven't actually done. Ultimately, the act of hating becomes a coping mechanism to shield themselves from emotional pain.

8. "Somebody"

I feel that my relationship with my lover has changed and it is time to admit that I am not the one to be with that person in the future., the lyrics convey a sense of longing and a desire for connection with another person. The repeated line "Somebody to die" suggests a deep yearning to find a meaningful relationship, someone with whom Jung Kook can share his life and experiences.

9. "Too Sad to Dance"

It is a song about a confession that after breaking up with a lover, he danced and pretended to be okay, but instead of being forgotten, he was just waiting for a call from her, revolves around the emotions of heartbreak and regret. The lyrics suggest that the narrator is waiting by the telephone, hoping for a significant person to return. However, they come to the realization that the person they were waiting for is not coming back, and they blame themselves for not realizing it sooner. This realization and the subsequent heartache have left the narrator feeling too sad to even enjoy dancing.

10. "Shot Glass of Tears"

It is a pop ballad song that starts with a monotonous piano and adds a chorus to the playing of instruments such as guitar and bass to express rushing emotions. It is a song about a heart that has healed after experiencing the pain of a breakup and fears whether it will one day be able to feel new feelings of love again

Sources ;

https://www.songtell.com/jung-kook/too-sad-to-dance

[kbookblurbs]

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng - Preston & Child

3.5/5 - Another classic Pendergast romp! Too much fantasy, not enough murder for me

Constance finds a way to the 1890s, trying to prevent her siblings' deaths, but serial killer Dr Leng is lurking around every corner. Pendergast is stressed about her and this. Coldmoon & D'Agosta have to investigate a murder within the Lakota community.

So, all in all, very solid writing from this duo. They're usually pretty reliable for a fun murder mystery.

Admittedly, I have never been the most entranced by Constance's storyline, but this duo's occasional forays into the fantastical usually pay off over the course of their mini-arcs. This book in particular is a well-done exploration of grief and the ramifications of time travel. I could have done with a bit less exposition and fewer "science" explanations, but it's narratively well-paced. KILLER cliffhanger too!

Enoch Leng is creepy, but no more creepy than anything you might see in the first season of Supernatural. It's very standard evil doctor territory,

Frankly though, I found myself much more interested in the Agent Coldmoon/D'Agosta plotline than Constance. Their plotline, following the murder of a Lakota artist and the forgery/theft of their work, was super engaging and it eventually wrapped back around to meeting Pendergast/Constance. Seeing Coldmoon get more screen time (page time?) and some character development is always a pleasure, while D'Agosta always seems to be running into problem after problem.

Overall, if you like the Cabinet of Curiosities or Relic, two of Preston & Child's earlier books, you'll like this one. Warning that the next book won't be released until next August!

[constancefulda]

art contemporain Exposition Arbres Peintures Empreintes Constance Fulda