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sailorspazz · 3 years ago

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10 Dance - chapter 39, part 5 summary

During the final round of the Japan International Dance Competition, the crowd continues to be both riled up and adversely affected by Suzuki's performance. Gabriel and Norman each wonder about what could be missing from his life that would cause him to perform this way. Then, after the competition concludes, a long-awaited reunion occurs backstage.

Full summary and highlight images under the cut.

Chapter 39, part 5: Quién será (Who Will it Be?)

Published online on September 9th, 2022, available to purchase on Comic Days, or rent for 10 days on Yanmaga Web.

Max tells Norman he should rein Suzuki in since he’s good at that sort of thing, though Max wonders if he’s refraining because even though Norman seems like a sadist, maybe he actually enjoys pain. Norman is confused, and Max recounts a tale of when he was seventeen and Norman was five, when Norman somewhat forced Max to play his horse, and kicked hard against his stomach as he rode him around trying to “break” him. Norman can’t believe he still remembers that, and as Max goes on to talk about a similar incident from when he was twenty-seven and Norman was fifteen, Norman interrupts to say that that second time only happened because Max forced him to drink alcohol. Max thinks to himself that what actually happened was Norman had just had a big fight with his sister, and even though he was still a kid he took Max’s drink from him and downed it. Norman starts to wobble away with his hand on his head, and Max asks if he’s not going to watch the rest of the round. He notices the deafening roar from the crowd, and notes that this seems unusual as he puts his arm around an ailing Norman.

From his table, Gabriel watches as event officials try to get the crowd to calm down. In his experience, Japanese audiences are typically the most well-behaved in the world, yet at this event, they seem to have gone past fanaticism all the way into madness (he pictures imagery of the French Revolution and a Nazi rally). It’s on a completely different level than the Japan Open. Gabriel heads to the bathroom, unable to finish watching the competition.

The results are announced as all of the top pairs are shown standing in a line, and both Suzuki & Aki and Sugiki & Fusako take first place in their divisions. Gabriel returns to his seat (noting that both Nino and Fabio left at some point), and thinks about how at the Japan Open, he felt an outpouring of pure joy from Suzuki, and he and Al were both pleased to see his transformation. He knows there can only be one reason Suzuki would be showing such instability now, and concludes it must be because he let go of the anchor he had managed to find before, which Gabe finds very unfortunate.

Norman is shown sitting down, and he comments to Max that it seems Suzuki is missing something, like there’s one vital piece he needs. Meanwhile, Suzuki is looking around backstage. He and Sugiki encounter each other in a narrow curtained off area. The two of them look shocked for a moment before rushing into each other’s arms.

Previous chapter: #39 part 4

Next chapter: #39 part 6

#10 dance #10dance

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deepwolfprince · 3 years ago

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This Causes Induced Fission of 235U (2)

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nutty1005 · 5 years ago

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Xiao Zhan: Extraordinary Journey, Starting from This

Translator’s Note: This article comes from Harper’s Bazaar Oct 2019 Side Issue.

To Xiao Zhan, the Summer of 2019 was destined to belong to “The Untamed”. The drama’s popularity and high viewership garnered Xiao Zhan, who was the lead role in “The Untamed” as “Wei Wuxian”, the most attention of this summer. Our extraordinary journey shall stop its time in the summer. The Abu Dhabi Emirates Palace Hotel glistens under the brilliant sunlight. This grand palace, costing 3 billion USD, carries with it the lovely dreams of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with hopes that it will become a local landmark building. Whereas for us, this is where we will start our extraordinary journey.

This summer was very hot, and there was not a single shower that was memorable.

We strolled on the Sir Bani Yas Island, the “Noah’s Ark” of Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, measuring 5,963km away from Beijing, with ground temperatures at 45°C.

If there were really a “Noah’s Ark”, it probably looked like Sir Bani Yas Island. It carried the hopes of the founding father of UAE – in its history, the clan family of UAE used their enormous wealth on this desert island and created the biggest wild animal reserve; they grew more than 3.5m fruit trees on this arid land and carefully cultivated them everyday; they brought in more than 30 different endangered species onto this island for release.

Xiao Zhan was just 20 meters away from a 4 day old giraffe calf. The young calf stumbled ahead, learning its steps. This was the first time Xiao Zhan was up close to a wild giraffe. Everyone was bending low and looking down, moving carefully and silently, so that we would not provoke the alert mother giraffe. The guide informed us that these seemingly gentle animals actually have a irritable temper, and an angry giraffe could easily kill a grown lion with their kicks. As our jeep got closer to them, the hidden giraffes became clearer, and we saw 5 to 6 adult giraffes surrounding the trees, quietly eating the leaves. Under the sunlight, Xiao Zhan slowly moved closer, until he was standing next to them, quietly observing them, and enjoying the rare peace and serenity of this summer.

“Packing my bags for an unknown journey”

The Summer of 2019 was destined to belong to “The Untamed”. This web drama, adapted from “The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation”, became one of the hottest topic online after a few days of broadcast. Xiao Zhan, who starred as “Wei Wuxian” in the drama, also became one of the hottest names of this summer.

The first time Xiao Zhan performed on stage was on X-Fire, a talent search show, as an amateur contestant. Thereafter, the first real big performance was when he was part of the performance for Zhejiang New Year Eve broadcast. After multiple rehearsals, as he stood onstage and the spotlights came on with a “pa” sound. Instantly, his mind went blank, and he said that his movements were entirely based on survival instincts.

“I remembered I was especially nervous, and when I was backstage, I was so nervous that I was shaking nonstop, I could not say a word. When the spotlights came onto us, there was one or two seconds of memory loss, as in my mind went blank. After that I had no choice, I saw that my teammates got into their positions, so I quickly walked to mine.”

To the amateur Xiao Zhan then, the entertainment business was all glitz and glory – an interesting world filled with the unknown. Only after he really entered the business, he realized that everyone had to put in a lot of effort in order to gain a little bit of attention. After entering an idol group, Xiao Zhan spent a great deal of effort practicing singing and dancing, wanting to use hard work to catch up with the others’ professional training – once he practiced until his toe nail came off, but even then, he never stopped. His character is warm but tenacious, when he encounters difficulties he rarely speaks of them, instead he will learn to cope, he always says “it will be fine after a night’s rest”, and continue to fight the next day. In 2017, he joined the production of two dramas consecutively, “Battle Through the Heavens” 《斗破苍穹》 and “The Wolf” 《狼殿下》. These two dramas opened the doors to an actor’s world to him. From the first scene until the last, from the winters of Shangri-La to the hot summers of the Elephant Mountains, his exhausted body could not contain his itching desire to become an actor. He was deeply fascinated by the roles and lives of the people in the scripts.

When he first received the script for “The Untamed”, Xiao Zhan felt that he was totally different from “Wei Wuxian”. Xiao Zhan is not a talkative person, instead, he is a very quiet person. When they were script reading for the first time, the producer was there as well, and Xiao Zhan had to continuously remind himself that “I am Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian is me, I am WeiWuxian, I am now a very lively talkative person, I have to make everyone adore me”. After establishing this belief, he blended into his character, and allowed the character’s emotions and his merge into one. After the broadcast of the drama, he himself would read reviews online – “It seemed like his smiles are different every time, possibly even his cries are different as well, did he design it as such?”

However, it is precisely that Xiao Zhan does not know all these techniques, but instead he blended into the role, and allowed the story to direct the character’s emotions, and used that character’s status and feelings in his acting.

Xiao Zhan said “The role is really very big, and the span is really long. Because when we shoot dramas, it is according to scenes, for example, the final scenes were shot like 2 days into the start of the shoot, and I needed to quickly get into the situation. And then the next day could be another different scene, switching back and forth, I would get into a confused state. I remembered the most anxious period was in Heng Dian, I would be drowsily doing my make up in the morning, after which I got pushed onto the bus by my assistant, dragged to the studio, start shooting, after that was done my assistant would say ‘We are OK with this side, let’s go to B group’. At that moment made me feel like ‘Am I alright? Is it alright performing this way?’, it was a very concerning period for me.”

But when it was time to shoot, another actor told Xiao Zhan that no matter what happened behind the scenes, as long as the director shouted “Action”, you need to adjust yourself to your best status, you need to give your greatest passion, because the audience will only see what is done after “Action”. Even if you are in low spirits that day, you might be going through the darkest days of your life, but once you are at the studio, standing in front of a camera, the director yelled to start shooting, from that moment on you are no longer yourself.

Xiao Zhan smiled as he said, “That’s cruel, but that’s an actor’s job.”

“I am not a brave person, but I need to become a brave person”

In the winds, a herd of antelopes and deer ran past us, Xiao Zhan grasped the dagger that signified strength and bravery, as he stood on the red rocks on the side of the cliff. The scenery before us are a rarity – it took billions of years of tectonic movements to create this miraculous sight. On an island in the Gulf of Arab, there actually exists such an alien sight. In order to get to this cliff, you need professional guides and you need to climb up and down for half an hour or so. The usually quiet Xiao Zhan also exclaimed “So beautiful!” in spite of himself. We could use an unknown adventure to describe life – the more mysterious it is, the more you want to explore.

Xiao Zhan said that he is not a brave person, but it is life required him to become braver – only the brave can face all of the unknown and mysteries in an unknown adventure. Previously, he had to face the transition from an amateur to an artist, the adjustment from a commoner’s life to a life under the bright spotlights of the stage; now he faced the tight scrutiny of his life under the spotlight.

After the end of shooting of “The Untamed”, many felt that Xiao Zhan became more lively than before, and he spoke more often. In the past, he was always uncomfortable facing strangers, but now he will use a very active attitude to communicate with others, in hopes of receiving more information from that. The role not only gave him more attention, it also gave him strength and growth.

For his future planning, he laughed as he said that he had not decided. He was just passionate about acting and hoped that he could move ahead in the path of becoming a good actor, one problem at a time, and become braver and stronger. He felt that this is not just about himself, many of his friends and young people are the same – undaunted by the difficulties in life, and become stronger as a result. This is like the antelopes who are almost being baked under the intense heat of the desert, unafraid of the sun, sprinting ahead, never looking back.

“No one will like you for no reason”

Xiao Zhan’s father once said this “No one will like you for no reason, if someone likes you, you have to cherish that person’s feelings.” Xiao Zhan truly believes in this.

In his youth, Xiao Zhan liked Stefanie Sun, and went to her concerts and album sales events. He hoped that he could catch a glimpse of her from afar, watch her shine onstage, immerse himself in her voice, and learn from her, become a better person, become a star who could shine for another person. He said that that was how the youth of his era fan an idol. The idol is a truly an idol, the motivation to encourage himself forward. Now, he cherishes all of his fans’ love for him, and he does not reject the term “traffic” – this is a term that many would avoid. (TN: Traffic is a term that is used in China to describe idols with a lot of fan following.)

“You might feel that traffic is not good, right? Feel that traffic is another derogatory term? Actually I feel that traffic is quite fine, of course the term to me means that a lot of people know you, like you, I feel that’s a good thing. At least I feel that no one can be high traffic forever, what’s most important is how you handle it, how you face the traffic, and let this traffic become a motivation to move forward, I think this is very important.”

He hopes that he can translate the love from his fans to become his motivation to move forward. An actor could depend on a popular drama to quickly accumulate fame and attention, but the art of performance requires professional training and experience accumulation. Xiao Zhan’s favorite actress is Zhou Xun. When he spoke of her, his tone utterly reveals him as a fanboy, “I don’t know how she evolved to this.” Our answer was simple, time and talent, both of which you cannot do without. Talent will help your potential in the domain of acting, and if fate ordinates, help you grasp the opportunities that knock on your door. Whereas time is the sharpening stone, every minute and second spent on the acting career will show itself in the performances thereafter.

“There are no small roles, only small actors.” Staying true to his original intentions and initial thoughts, doing his best in his own profession, seriously working hard in the acting domain, he will eventually find his own place.

Xiao Zhan said, “In this era where traffic comes and goes, staying true to myself, staying real, I feel this is the eventual goal. But it is so difficult to do this.”

Wish him well.

Q&A

Q: Before you came to Abu Dhabi, what you did imagine it to be? A: The image I had was that, endless deserts and wilderness, soaring majestic buildings.

Q: When you knew that our journey is somewhat similar to an adventure, being with animals, what did you imagine it to be? A: I thought about it. Something like African savanna, sort of like animal migration, herds of animals moving past you, especially spectacular. However, the animals on the African savanna are wilder, over here, the wild animals are mostly the gentler antelopes, giraffes.

Q: In your personal life, are you a person who also likes adventures? A: Yes, I can be considered as such.

Q: When there are many things that the results are unknown, does that excite you? A: If there are many things in my life that I already know the results, my interest in the new and unknown will wane. I prefer not knowing the results, there are many paths to take, and the destinations could all be different, this makes me feel more excited.

Q: So in your imagination, Abu Dhabi suits your sense of unknown? A: Yes. It is just very mysterious, a feeling of an unknown land, to be explored, and full of endless treasures.

Q: There are so many animals on the island of Sir Bani Yas, which do you want to contact or wish to take a picture with? A: The giraffes. To be able to take a picture with them, to get up close with them, I just feel this is very exciting. I have never had the opportunity, I used to only go to the zoo. Being able to contact animals in the wild is very rare.

Q: This time you were able to look into a giraffe in the eye, how did you felt? A: Just that I am able to look at it in the eye.

Q: Aren’t you afraid of giraffes? A: I am not afraid, I feel that giraffes are quite cute, why do I need to be afraid of it?

Q: They are quite strong. A: The giraffes?

Q: Did you know that in the culture of Abu Dhabi, daggers signify strength. In the ancient times, the Emirates used them as a self-defense accessory. Their founding father, Sheikh Zayed, almost wore one for half his lifetime, and daggers are found in many of his portraits. Even now, the young Emirates frequently wore them in public. A: The sign of bravery and strength. Actually, when I saw this dagger, I felt that it gave me bravery and strength, the start of an adventurous journey.

Q: Holding the dagger and walking along the cliffs, how did it feel like? A: Wow, every inch of this land is mine, I felt that I could jump down that cliff, there was nothing to fear. Especially when the wind came and blew open my windbreaker, it was especially refreshing.

Q: What did is the biggest feeling this journey gave you? A: Actually, not many people understood Abu Dhabi, after I came here, I was surprised to find that there were many beautiful scenery and interesting cultural traditions, and the underlying adventurous spirit within. It is like a pair of eyes, showing us new discoveries. Actually, the interesting discoveries that we don’t usually find in our daily lives, and this journey is tinted with the colors of adventure and mystery, makes me feel very excited. This city, it has its own cultural background, the collision with new things, is a very wondrous feeling.

Q: If your friend wants to go to Abu Dhabi for an adventure, what recommendations do you have? A: Actually there are plenty. I feel that if the friends around me were to come to Abu Dhabi, they have to experience the unique Arabic culture, the buildings here and their totems, I feel that these have special meanings. Those of my friends who loves art can go to Abu Dhabi Louvre. And there’s one more thing that cannot be missed, that is the adventurous journey to get in touch with nature, I feel this is especially great. Abu Dhabi’s deserts and islands, will really satisfy your adventurous desires to explore the world, you can look up and see the flying saker falcons, then look down to see the running antelopes and cheetahs, and turn around to see the giraffes standing behind you.

#xiao zhan #sean xiao #xiaozhan #肖战

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genshinresource · 2 years ago

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Genshin Impact Character & Missing Items Sprites From "Backstage Encounter" Web Event

#genshin impact #event artworks #web event artworks #character artworks #character sprites #Backstage Encounter Web Event #Lyney #Grin-Malkin Cat #Animals #PNGs

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genshin-impact-updates · 1 year ago

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Web Event "A Little Stroll Backstage" Now Online: Take Part to Obtain Primogems and Other In-Game Rewards

>> Click to Take Part in Event <<

Films are a medium for our very own, exclusive travel memories~

Come create some scenes of your own!

〓Event Duration〓

December 27, 2023 – January 2, 2024 23:59 (UTC+8)

*Rewards cannot be claimed after the event ends. Please claim them in time.

〓Eligibility〓

Travelers who have reached Adventure Rank 20 or above can participate in this event.

〓Event Description〓

During the event, you can log in to Genshin Impact daily, claim Commission Rewards, consume Original Resin, and complete other missions to obtain Film. Film can be used to unlock different filming stages, which can be accessed to set up themed scenes. Finish designing different scenes for filming to obtain Primogems and other rewards.

〓Obtain Film〓

1. You'll be able to unlock 1 filming stage for every 400 frames of Film you obtain. Unlocked stages can be set up as many times as you want.

2. You can obtain Film by completing the following actions in Genshin Impact, such as: log in to Genshin Impact daily, claim Commission Rewards two times daily, etc.

*Film needs to be collected manually in the event page. Film that has not been collected will also be reset when daily missions are refreshed the next day, so remember to collect it!

*Daily Missions will reset daily at 04:00 (Server Time). If Travelers try to visit the event around this time, they may encounter a brief network error. Please refresh the page if you encounter this error.

〓Setting Up Themed Scenes〓

1. After unlocking a stage, you can take props from the bar on the right and place them in the scene.

2. The props for each scene are divided into Performance Props and Decorative Props. Performance Props will trigger special performance effects when placed in specific spots.

3. While you're setting up the scene, you can preview it at any time by clicking the View Results button. Once you've placed all of the Performance Props in the scene, filming can begin.

*For more gameplay details, check the "Gameplay Details" pop-up from the homepage of the event.

〓Audience Reviews〓

1. After filming is complete, members of the audience will leave their reviews after watching your film.

2. Audience reviews may vary based on how you've placed the Performance Props.

〓Event Rewards〓

1. After the first time you clear each stage, you'll be able to claim the corresponding rewards.

2. Rewards include: Primogems ×120, Hero's Wit ×8, Sanctifying Unction ×5, Mystic Enhancement Ore ×8, and Mora ×60,000.

*The in-game rewards will be distributed via in-game mail. The mail will expire after 30 days, so don't forget to claim the rewards in time.

*This web event is provided purely for entertainment. It is not indicative of any related gameplay features in Genshin Impact.

#genshin impact #genshin impact updates #genshin impact news #official #web events

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bloodybells1 · 6 years ago

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On Specialization

I’ve never been comfortable with the term “bassist”. This may sound peculiar coming from a bassist, though not so peculiar if you consider that, as Whitman famously wrote, “I am large, I contain multitudes.”

First, a word about the pecking order of a typical rock band: often, the singer is understood, rightly or wrongly, as occupying the top rung, while the bassist will often come last. The zeitgeist supports this claim. For example, in one episode of Just Shoot Me, Wendy Malick’s character, Nina Van Horn, brags about having laid the singer of a band the previous night, but spits out her water when she’s informed by more sober members of the party that it was in fact the bassist she’d slept with.

In the broadest sense of the term, a rock band is kind of like a layer cake. The singer occupies the top layer, with the other instruments on down. Flashy guitar leads and sexy lyrics (“Come here, baby,” and so on and so forth) take center stage, followed by the drums, slamming and banging like an army coming from behind.

And at last, at the bottom of the cake, the bass guitar, which, to the untrained ear, most often presents a barbaric, low-frequency drawl. Often it’s made even more unintelligible by the music hall’s cavernous reverb. The end result is that the casual listener begins calling the bass player “the other guy”.

When I was active as a professional musician, as the band Interpol’s bassist, I obsessed over this totemic arrangement. It was difficult to ignore how recessive I could become with this instrument around my shoulder.

So, when the band stumbled onto the good fortune of fame and success, when cameras and journalists trained their gaze on us, I compensated for this “imbalance” with sheer braggadocio. Onstage I impersonated Nikki Sixx, while backstage, in interviews, I dropped outlandish statements, the better to have my words show up as pull-quotes. Sealing my public relations push, I scheduled extracurricular activities, such as DJ’ing and, well, coitus, because, hello, it was rock music.

It seemed I’d pulled a switch, that ropes were cranking open an underwater gate, and, before I could finish saying “Cocaine”, an inner Poseidon was releasing the Kraken. It felt as though I couldn’t possibly sate my appetite.

This was a survival strategy, of sorts. I had to find some way to course correct for the imbalance, to prevent my ego from disappearing under the bass guitarist’s fate, the opaque destiny of the bottom rung. I was (and still am) too much a narcissist to endure the role of “filling in the blanks”. I needed more, much more.

Many a fine bassist is perfectly happy to fulfill the humble dispensation of their craft. The best of them are masters of understatement, achieving great notoriety among aficionados (John Paul Jones, for example). But, for better or for worse, I was too much of a diva for that. I’m not exactly proud per se that I’m a diva, but this shouldn’t stop me from being honest.

I suppose this is why I now bristle when someone calls me a “bassist”. The word registers to me as a reminder, not only of lowly status, but also of an embarrassing rebellion against that status, which time has demonstrated as the sign of narcissism, not to mention immaturity.

But the word also implies a degree of specialization with which I have never been comfortable. Jaco Pastorius was a bassist. Bernard Edwards, of Chic, was a bassist. Cliff Burton, of early Metallica, was a bassist. Among the living, Billy Sheehan, of David Lee Roth’s band and Mr. Big, is a bassist. I will even concede that the chief influencers of my bass playing, Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order and John Taylor of Duran Duran, are bassists, in the truest sense of that word.

But I? I was a gifted musician and composer who came across the bass guitar by way of a college band that happened to take off. Afterwards, I simply used that talent for the less than sincere objectives noted above.*

I don’t disparage the life of specialization, nor those who’ve chosen it. If anything, I envy their attention span. Encountering satisfaction, and even success, following a single career track strikes me as patently wise, to say nothing of the karma of furthering the conversation in a certain field.

But I would hate to detract from the more esteemed practitioners of this instrument, those who clearly set out to make it their life’s work, by welcoming this appellation without the caveat I am writing here.

In anything, one can’t start from a weak place. Otherwise, the foundation is shabby, having begun from an inauthentic proposition. “This is what I should do” is deplorable. “This feels truthful to me” is the better course, no matter the cost, nor the risk. Playing the bass guitar, over and over again to the exclusion of other pursuits, just didn’t feel truthful to me.

At every step on the One Path of Specialization, my gaze would inevitably fall on the alleys and byways fanning out on either side. I’d feel a piece of my heart break every time. At the end of each day, having successively stranded one part of me, then another, I’d go to sleep feeling much less complete than in the morning.

This is no way to end the day. So, in order to preserve my sleep, I decided my curiosity was too important to ignore, that the greatest failure I could envision, for which there seemed to be no justification in permitting, was lying on my death bed wondering what lay under the stones I’d passed my whole life.

Naturally, taking action was an agony. Procrastination was the order of the day. It took years to make headway, years of worrying what would happen to me if I quit, of the deep regret I might encounter. My therapist at the time, listening to the 124th hour of my pretzel-twisting, finally said, “Carlos, you have the right to fuck up your life.” That was the narrative game changer I needed to hear, and I made my decision right then and there to leave Interpol and pursue training in other fields of interest, mainly acting, but also writing.

This isn’t to say I don’t experience regret, agonizing distress even. How often have I stopped for a latte at the local café, overheard myself playing bass guitar through the speakers, and rued the impetuous decision to leave behind such glorious specialization! It’s the height of confusion to taste blessed freedom and bitter mediocrity in the same quaff.

But then I think of two of my heroes, who support their rejection of specialization with an ironic philosophical outlook.

Stephen Fry, on a recent airing of Sam Harris’ podcast Making Sense, explained to his host how he was able to produce the astonishing breadth of his oeuvre – novels, TV appearances, comedy specials, productions of Shakespeare, documentary films, influential tweets – with a humble confession: “Without sounding over paradoxical, it may be a result of having no particular talent.”

Henry Rollins, the punk rocker emeritus, admitted to as much on the multimedia web portal, Big Think, when he said, “I don’t have talent, I have tenacity . . . I have discipline, I have focus.” TV show host, lead singer, travel documentarian, actor, spoken word artist, writer, publisher, Rollins is not so much a great artist as a great “artwork of himself”. He exemplifies the truth that the sum total of mediocre talents equals a net gain of life excellence.

I always like to say: “There’s nothing wrong with being a jack of all trades, for the adage is incorrect: yes, you’d be master of none except that of being a jack of all trades.”

Thomas Jefferson’s epitaph reads: “Author of the Declaration of Independence [and] of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom & Father of the University of Virginia." Notice the absence of his eight years as our third president. “Author of the Declaration” is certainly no secret, but the other two are generally not well known. Clearly, he was making a statement, despite what historians might prefer to emphasize, of what was truly deserving of remembrance.

Hedy Lamarr, a talented and beautiful mid-century Hollywood star, also co-invented a radio guidance system for Allied powers in World War II that Bluetooth technology incorporates today. August Strindberg, the dean of Swedish drama, was also an influential painter whose subjective landscapes, like the astonishing Wonderland from 1894, were ahead of their time.

Don’t get me started on Al Franken.

Rejecting specialization, because it affords multiple avenues and narratives, is a roundabout way to attain control, and therefore, if he’s feeling constrained, a control freak’s preferred modus operandi. What you lose in the area of expertise, you gain in control over the conversation, for at no point do you involve yourself so much as to permit outside narratives to latch (or leech) on to your pursuits.

At a certain point, I realized that my rockstar posturing in Interpol had an expiration date, past which it would be cute no longer, not to mention hazardous to my health and the emotional wellbeing of my colleagues. The history of rock music presents copious examples of this sequence of events.

But I still needed control. Therefore, I chose to reject the specialization of a successful career as a bassist.

Differences in career objectives meant that I would eventually have to leave the band. Of course there were other factors, more personal than I’m choosing to write here. I will cover that part in other entries. But the need to retain control of my own conversation, along with the desire to achieve that control through a kind of diaspora of artistic pursuits, is salient nonetheless.

I’ll close with a bit of a Marxist riff. Specialization is a capitalist construct (and I mean that with all the opprobrium that statement must sound like it’s making). Its origins lie in the Agricultural Revolution, the first time human labor was ever divided on a large scale, and the Industrial Revolution, which automated that division, created incredibly precise specialization, and amplified the labor force beyond anything previously imaginable.

This has given birth to a fetishization of “expertise” that has pervaded almost every industry. Today, we often ask someone we just met “What do you do?” One of the chief faults I could lay on modernity’s doorstep would be that this question, among all others, does indeed, sadly, provide the fastest track to a person’s core identity. “Trust the experts” sounds eminently advisable. People distrust non-experts the way they distrust when someone’s thoughts evolve, branding them as inconsistent, therefore untrustworthy.

But this is all optics. We are inculcated to believe in the unhindered progress of Capital and this presumes labor, specifically specialized labor, to fulfill its mandate. This makes us suspicious of those who do not specialize. We want someone to stand still, and “be someone”, meaning “be a specialist” in this, that, or some other thing. But this suspicion holds only if you truly believe that the end all of human civilization is the progress of Capital, a belief I am sure most readers, hopefully, at the least, of this blog, reject.

*There is an interplay between sincerity and artifice that permeates rock music, but I don’t wish to get into that here. Suffice it to say for the time being, that there are instances when a rock band suffers extraordinary reputational costs when pursuing a “sincere” style, and this happens, in my opinion, because rock music, in amplifying lifestyle, spectacle, and fashion, is inherently a post-modern art form akin to Pop Art and Dadaism, and therefore more ironic than sincere. This explains why it is so easy to make fun of Coldplay. But I’ll spare the reader the musicology lesson for another time. Yet, I write this to mitigate, perhaps only slightly, the disingenuousness of my “insincerity” as a bassist.

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mikumanogi-blog · 4 years ago

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2017-10-07 “I wonder if it’s now. It is the present.” Kubo Shiori Blog #25

I wonder if it’s now. It is the present.

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your continuous hard work. I’m Nogizaka46’s 3rd generation member, 1st year high school student, 16-year-old Kubo Shiori. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

You worked hard again today (´･_･`) Reading Kubo’s blog the day before a break means that you can enjoy yourself tomorrow. At any rate, today is Kubo’s blog day!

That means to start off is…

September 29th, Seven Eleven live concert in Nagoya, thank you very much!! It was the first live concert in a while and as I thought it was fun wasn’t it. Even though I was watching on the screen backstage, I was watching it and dancing. Dancing is fun. Singing is fun. I could see everyone’s penlight, hand fans and towels. Thank you very much!! I’m so glad that I could see them (´･_･`)

I noticed the penlights as I stared far off in the distance, I then noticed that penlight shake back and forth, they must have thought “Ahh she noticed me♡” seeing the penlight also made me happy(´･_･`) It means that you’re watching me too!

September 30th, thank you for coming to the handshake event! Ahhh it was fun wasn’t it! The casual clothes I wore this time was… To tell you the truth in the 3rd and 4th slot I borrowed Hazuki’s western clothes! (In the 4th slot I lent her my clothes! Exchange!)

Hazuki is still so beautiful. I’ve always thought this ever since seeing her during the auditions. Honestly, so beautiful…(´･_･`)

This green shirt is that legendary green shirt, but there weren’t many people that noticed… Everyone, haven’t you seen this shirt before?

Topics of conversation were

*Stage play

*My duet song with Iku-san

*Girls Award

*Tokyo Dome

I feel like these were the topics that came up the most! It was fun to talk about various things. However, everyone says “if you look at the other lanes they’re really cute!!!” They’re probably just trying to make me feel jealous although every time Shiori is told this she says “my heart sinks” I think it would be great if I could be more beautiful…(´･_･`) That’s why I will become more beautiful〜 Please enjoy the handshake event next time!! Thank you for the flowers, they were gorgeous!

On the day of the handshake event, it was hard to speak and so I panicked into thinking, “Did I maybe catch a cold!?” However, afterwards I remember that the day before at the Seven Eleven live concert I screamed too much (´･_･`) however that’s what having fun is all about isn’t it (´･_･`)

Oh yeah, for the October handshake events what would you think about me wearing a costume? Well, I’ve kind of already decided on what I’m going to wear. I’m practicing being a tsundere right now.

The other day, we finished work early and while I was going home around dusk, I could smell something good from one of the houses that reminded me of my hometown. Speaking of which, when I was living back in Miyagi, after coming home from club activities and smelling something good the moment I walked through the door was absolute bliss.

By the way beef stew day had the best smell even though my mom’s specialty dish is something else.

This winter, I really want to eat wintery foods such as beef stew really badly.

Next, the stage play “Migoroshi Hime” finally had it’s first performance yesterday. Up until today arrived there were many people supporting us on this stage play. On top of that I also caused a lot of trouble for many people. Therefore, I’m really glad and thankful for the fact that we were able to complete the first day without issues.

Matsumura-san, Kato-san, Fujiki-san, the three members of the ensemble and to all the staff, thank you very much. Until the very last performance I’m going to rush and fight with all of my strength. I’ll work hard to move the hearts of everyone that comes to watch. That’s the kind of performance I want to give.

Since the first day is over there are probably many people that thought that I would talk about the first day, what kind of story it is, how practice was, in this blog. I’m sorry, I’ll summarize all of my thoughts and feelings once the final performance has finished. Therefore, all I’m going to say is I’ll show you an absolutely wonderful stage performance, I promise.

Through this stage play I want to become stronger. During practice I encountered my weaknesses, and I couldn’t help but feel extremely annoyed and ashamed of how spineless I am.

I constantly say repeatedly that I’ll become stronger while also saying Ahh, my weak self. Particularly this time, I was in that constant cycle of thought. (I think that my blog on the stage play will be another long one so I’ll be happy if you read it when it comes out)

I’ll be in the care of everyone that will come to watch!

It’s fall isn’t it. I said I would restrain from the appetite of fall but after all fall has pumpkins doesn’t it. I’ve eaten too much recently〜　I must be careful not to eat too much (´･_･`)

I’ve probably said this earlier but, I’ve been recently enjoying looking into things related to beauty culture. I don’t go into a lot of detail but looking for things that occasionally make me go “whaaaat” is fun.

I’m not very knowledgeable about fashion and make-up but… I enjoy searching up topics like things that are good for the body, finding foods that are good for the skin, and stretching and training methods. However, whether I do them or not is a different matter. I think I do want to try implementing some of them though!

By the way, recently not only the members but the fans have also said “You’ve become more fashionable!” that’s why I have the strong desire to master fashion even more. Of course, I can’t forget about make-up! I’ll work hard!

Please let me make some announcements!

· OVERTURE-sama

With a more mature attitude, Minamin, Den-chan and I got our pictures taken! I really love the atmosphere of this magazine. I’m so glad I was able to feature in it!!!!!

· Platinum FLASH-sama

Solo shoot! I went to the zoo! I was happily smiling the entire time!! The goats liked me. There were a lot of guinea pigs! I want to go again (´･_･`) I’m going to work hard to try and get a call for another solo photoshoot! Here’s a behind the scenes picture!

Ferrets. This my impression of a ferret face.

· BUBKA-sama

Another solo shoot. Ahh, it was a lot of fun, I want to return to that day, is how I feel about the shoot. To tell you the truth, I was able to make a dream come true through this photoshoot. It was a very fun time, please make sure to check it out!

· BOMB-sama

Yoda, Momo, Mizuki and me! It was a really fun shoot!! It was a very euphoric mood. I think that atmosphere will appear on the pages!!! All four of us were in very high spirits, it’s been a while since I’ve had trouble breathing from laughing so hard (´･_･`)

☆Seventeen November issue.

· October 10th, CM now-sama

It’s been announced that Miona-san and I will be on the front cover. Thank you very much. I’m can’t tell you how happy I am… The yellow dress I wore was really cute and sexy. I’m happy that I was able to do a photoshoot with Mion-san. Please check it out

· October 11th, 19th single “Itsuka Dekiru Kara Kyou Dekiru”

This means that there is a new 3rd generation song. The MV for “Boku No Shoudou” has been released! Have you seen it yet??? The tone of this song is completely different from the other 3rd generation songs, and it has a cool feeling to it. Dancing the choreography is also a lot of fun.

For this single, in the place I was given I wanted to do something only I could do. The position I am in I could see everyone. I could see the changes in everyone, and I wanted to be someone who could get close to the others. We’re not friends, but colleagues. I want to become someone that can support their colleagues.

Personally, I want to be someone that doesn’t make you want to be a fan of anyone else. I will do my hardest on my reckless dancing. I’ll sing my favorite songs in the loudest voice I can. I’ll make use of the facial expressions I learned for the stage play. I’ll continue to watch everyone. I’ll be happy if you keep that in mind. In order to make Kubo Shiori a person you can become a little more interested in I’ll put my all into the activities for the 19th single. Please continue to look after me!

Starting from today I feel like a lot of things will begin (´･_･`) What that is I can’t yet say but I will promise that I’m doing it every day. I declare that I’ll continue until I can show you how I’ve changed! You’ll change starting from today Shiori! Please continue to watch me everyone!!!!!! (I can’t say what I’m doing right now, but I will tell you one day)

Next! Yoda, Momo, Mizuki and me did a web commercial for Mouse Computers! The senior members did a CM for Mouse Computers and I never thought that we would be able to do one, so I was shocked (´･_･`) I’m overjoyed! I had a stuffed teddy bear with me, it was a very fluffy character. It’s a different Kubo than usual so please make sure to check it out!

I never thought that they would use the part where I was looking at the script…how embarrassing (´･_･`) Is the Web Cm available? It is (´･_･`)。。

This is kind of sudden but.

I’m currently looking at the sky. Are you looking at the sky? It weird that everyone in the world is looking up at the same sky. I wonder what the sky will look like tomorrow. Let’s look at the sky tomorrow. I’ll be looking too.

Midsummer National Tour in Niigata!!! I’m looking forward to it! It’s finally tomorrow!!! That means that the sky I’ll be seeing tomorrow will be Niigata’s! It’s been a while since I’ve done an outdoor live! I want to help you forget all your troubles! To everyone that’s coming tomorrow, let’s get fired up!

Winter is coming. I don’t usually speak about any big objectives, and I tend to keep them a secret, but this is something I really want to come true!

This winter I want to do a photoshoot in the snow (´･_･`) I really do like snow don’t I! Being surrounded by pure white snow, surrounded by fluffy snow, that’s the kind of photoshoot I want to do! Even though I come from Tohoku I’ve never done winter sports so if there’s any possibility I want to try and ski and ride the lift (´･_･`) that’s my objective. I’m going to work hard to make it come true!

It’s rare for me to smile like this. (This is a behind the scenes shot from BUBKA)

I was wondering if anyone’s been patiently waiting for me to update my blog today? I can’t help but be happy. There are people waiting for me. Is there anything happier than that? That’s why I think I want to do something for those people.

I love the word ‘return/repay’ I wonder if that why I like ‘The Cat Returns’. I don’t know though.

Isn’t repaying a favor a wonderful thing? Even though they’re not expecting anything in return you’re thankful for the gesture, and so next time you want to do something for them. I think that human connection is wonderful isn’t it. Beautiful. Amazing.

Well then. Workers, students, exam takers, everyone let’s do out best. I’ll do my best too!

Good night. Please take a long rest〜

I’ll write again soon.

Kubo Shiori

Recently I’ve felt that for some reason I’m either doing things at 0 or 100%, but it’s not as clear cut as an on and off switch. I want to constantly be at 100% but sometimes something happens, and I crumble and during that time I’m at 0%. I wonder if this is a good thing, or a bad thing. There’s definitely people who are reading this that are exactly the same way. I want to do things at 50%, 80% but for some reason I’m constantly at 100%. I wonder why humans are this greedy.

However, that’s alright. You just need to work hard to be that way. If you feel greedy it just means that you’re not content with who you are and it’s proof that you want to change. You just need to make good use of those feelings.

If you’re going to change, now is the time.

https://blog.nogizaka46.com/third/2017/10/041348.php

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acsversace-news · 7 years ago

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Ryan Murphy’s latest installment in his award-winning “American Crime Story” franchise has everyone talking. According to Show Buzz Daily, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” had 2.22 million viewers glued to their screen on the night of its premiere; by the following morning, Versace’s name was the most searched-for topic on the internet.

While it will only have nine episodes in total, “American Crime Story” has already proven itself to be Emmy-nominated material. The costume and set designs are absolutely phenomenal, and the resemblance between the actors and the people they are portraying is uncanny. From the heartbreaking emotions of Versace’s widowed lover Antonio D’Amico played by Ricky Martin to the tour de force that is Versace’s sister Donatella played by Penélope Cruz, “Versace” has all of the glamor, sex and scandals that make for quality television.

Undoubtedly, the most unforgettable element of this season’s hottest show is its antagonist, Andrew Cunanan. Portrayed by the charismatic Darren Criss, best remembered as Blaine Anderson from “Glee,” also created by Ryan Murphy, Andrew Cunanan is the true subject of the series. The first ten minutes of episode one are a chilling performance of the one thing Cunanan would be best known for doing: murdering acclaimed fashion designer Gianni Versace played by Édgar Ramírez. From there, viewers are taken back in time — and inside Cunanan’s mind — to explore the events that led to this shocking crime.

Only two episodes have aired so far, but that’s more than enough to prove that this is the role of Criss’ career. The actor does a first-rate job as Cunanan, capturing his desire for attention and the outrageous lengths he took to be noticed.

Not much was known about Andrew Cunanan back in 1997 when he shot Versace on the front step of his Miami mansion; as a matter of fact, not much is known about him to this very day. This is not surprising, as Cunanan himself was a pathological liar who made himself impossible to find. One can imagine how much trouble this caused the FBI as they embarked on what would be dubbed “the largest failed manhunt in U.S. history.”

What little is known about Cunanan lies within the pages of Maureen Orth’s “Vulgar Favors: The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” is derived from. Orth writes of a man-child obsessed with his image whose reckless behavior ultimately led to his own self-destruction.

Family

Andrew Phillip Cunanan was born on August 31, 1969. He was the youngest child of Pete and Mary Ann Cunanan and clearly the favorite of their four children. Pete and Mary Anne wanted the best for Andrew, at any cost. Mrs. Cunanan would frequently dress up her son and make sure he always looked his best, a routine that Andrew would obsess upon later in life. Pete would frequently remind Andrew that in order to succeed in this world, you had to appear successful.

The key word here is “appear”. The Cunanan’s had a modest income at best, as Pete was barely able to hold down his position as a stockbroker. The family could hardly afford their $189,000 townhouse in Rancho Bernardo, California, but that didn’t prevent Andrew from getting the biggest bedroom in the house.

Pete eventually left his family and returned to his homeland in the Philippines, leaving behind an emotionally unstable Mary Ann and a spoiled rotten son who no longer had a father to buy him the finer things in life (which were completely out of Pete’s price range to begin with).

But that didn’t stop Andrew from wanting to create the perfect image of himself.

Education

From an early age, Andrew was a big reader. He was known to spend most of his time indoors, studying the pages of an encyclopedia. When he was in the seventh grade, Andrew’s IQ stood at 147 and was inducted into his school’s gifted program.

Andrew was well-liked by his teachers because of his manners and intelligence. The other students knew him for his flashy fashion choices and tall tales. He desperately wanted acceptance from people who held a greater social status than he did; Cunanan spoke of a father who owned the Coca-Cola and Wrigley Chewing Gum factories.

When Andrew attended The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California, he showed a strong interest in history, particularly the twenties and thirties in France and England. He thought of them as the “gay eras”, a comment that underlined his sexuality. While Cunanan had a beautiful mind, he never applied himself. Instead, he chose to hang out with “the druggies” and expressed no interest in going to college.

Regardless, Andrew was voted “Most Likely to Be Remembered” when he graduated from Bishop in 1987.

Personal Life

After he graduated from Bishop, Cunanan settled in the Castro district of San Francisco—one of the most liberated gay communities in the U.S. Here Andrew was able to make a name for himself, as only he could. He continued to lie about himself everywhere he went, making sure his stories would resonate with whatever social circle he happened to be dancing through.

Cunanan would collect his income by hustling; his preference was older and wealthier men who were “in the closet”. He considered these particular clients to be his ticket to the high life.

During this time, Cunanan met former naval officer Jeffrey Trail. While their relationship is slightly unclear, it is certain that Cunanan had an unhealthy idolization for Trail. Whatever Trail did, Andrew would have to do too.

Trail, who was struggling with his sexuality, eventually broke things off with Andrew to pursue a career in propane selling.

Heartbroken, Andrew knew he’d have to move on. He found the love of his life in architect David Madson. They pursued a long-distance relationship: Andrew remained in San Francisco and Madson lived in Minneapolis. They shared good chemistry, but Andrew’s lack of honesty was something David could not tolerate. Thus, Madson ended the relationship abruptly.

But the most unforgettable gentleman Andrew came into contact with was a kindly fashion designer from Italy.

Relationship with Versace

Gianni Versace was best known for linking the fashion world to the music world, as he was good friends with celebrities such as Madonna and Sting. He and his partner Antonio D’Amico were well-respected icons in the gay community.

Versace honored his roots in all of his creations: the icon of his company, Medusa’s head, reflects his Graeco-Roman art influence. Versace was the first fashion designer to employ celebrities in his marketing campaigns and gave them front-row seats in his shows.

Versace was a generous man; he spoiled his nieces and nephews and always said hello to his neighbors on his morning walks in Miami Beach.

Versace also designed costumes for musicals; he crafted the outfits for the San Francisco premiere of “Capriccio.” On opening night, Versace and D’Amico were among the guests of honor. Also in attendance was Andrew Cunanan.

Versace actually mistook Andrew for someone else, a move Andrew was quick to take advantage. When the two met backstage, Versace thought he recognized Andrew from his Lake Como house near the Swiss Border (Andrew had never been to Italy). Regardless, Versace wanted to speak to Cunanan to see if he was familiar with the area. Cunanan spun another of his tales and claimed he was from Italy himself.

While this was his only known encounter with Versace, Andrew would add excessive details to the story as time went on.

Murders and Suicide

Eventually, there came a point in Andrew’s life when he lost his grip on reality; he was tangled in a web of lies he spun himself and was about to snap.

Cunanan began his infamous killing spree on April 27, 1997. His first victim was his old acquaintance Jeffrey Trail. Cunanan traveled to Minneapolis, where Trail was staying at the time. The two had an argument which ended with Andrew using a claw hammer to beat Trail to death. Cunanan proceeded to roll Trail’s body up into a rug and stuck it into the closet of his next victim, his ex David Madson.

Madson was found shot and killed on the banks of Rush Lake on May 3rd, 1997.

The next day, Cunanan traveled to Chicago and murdered prominent real estate developer Lee Miglin. Miglin was found taped up and killed with hardware tools in the basement of his home. As Cunanan made off with Miglin’s car, the FBI added Cunanan to their Top Ten Most Wanted list.

Andrew’s fourth victim was William Reese, a caretaker from New Jersey. Andrew shot Reese and stole his red pick-up truck after he heard on the radio that the FBI was tracking Miglin’s stolen car. Then, he headed to Miami and remained in hiding for two months.

Cunanan shot Gianni Versace twice in front of his Miami mansion on the morning of July 15, 1997. Police officers found Reese’s stolen car, Cunanan’s clothes, an alternative passport, and old newspaper clippings in a nearby parking garage but were never able to capture him.

Cunanan’s final victim was himself: a little over a week after killing Versace, Andrew shot himself in the head with the gun he had used to kill Madson, Reese, and Versace. He had stolen this gun from his first victim Jeffrey Trail. His body was found in the second-story bedroom of a Miami Beach houseboat.

Andrew Cunanan, the man “most likely to be remembered”, finally got the fame he wanted all his life.

#acs versace #the suffolk journal #review #article #acs spoilers #february 2018

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annashipper · 8 years ago

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Oddball Anon

Hi Anna,

I’m submitting this because I have some real legit questions on the many twitter and Facebook sightings over the last 2-3 years. I’m someone who thinks the kids are real (we can agree to disagree), but there always tends to be some odd ball anecdote included with the sighting. I personally find it odd that there’s been 4-5 times where only one of the children were along. It’s understandable if one of the kids was back at home being watched by a nanny, a time or two, but how many times does this happen? Who goes out to eat with their family and leaves one of their kids at home multiple times especially when they are very young?

These oddities of some of the sightings will tend to make people believe these are made up. People have the right to make their own conclusions on things. But, here is where my questions come into play. There have been many(maybe over a hundred??) of different social media pictures and sightings of Ben with Soph and the kids over the last couple of years, are they ALL false and made up? I am not naive and I know that PR does push things on social media, there are fake accounts, and that there always are fake celebrity encounters or stories on the web. I do agree that the nanny fans can make up crap as well (some are very obvious). But, there are twitter accounts that have no sign of being a Cumberbatch fan or no relation to media/journalism/PR, how are they a lying nan? And IF all these occurrences are truly set-up/false, is it a couple of nans making multiple accounts? A big spiderweb of a conspiracy? PR paying a boat load of money to multiple people? Is this all possible? A mixture of true events and made up stories?

This submission is not to be mean to you or to squash the reasoning why you and other skeptics are suspicious over these sightings. I too believe some of the sightings have some weirdness to them and have my own suspicions. But, as you question things, I think it’s okay to have honest questions to how it’s possible all these sightings have been all fake over a couple of years. My questioning was spurred with the latest vegan dinner story on Facebook, the person was serving Ben at a restaurant. The mention of, “my husband is vegan” was laughable, but then I thought, is this server a nanny fan or just a random Joe?

If you post/answer this submit, thank you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hi Oddball Anon and welcome in our midst! I took the liberty of naming you, but if you don’t like your Anon name, let me know and I’ll alter it for your next submission.

Yours is a very pertinent question and one that I keep asking myself whenever I feel my tinfoil hat has grown a bit too tight for my sanity.

Fortunately, it’s also a question that keeps getting answered for us (with a bit of time delay involved), and the answer is always the same: we’re being baited through and through.

Let’s take a look at the social media family sightings from this summer for instance (I don’t have my USB with the timeline and pictorial evidence with me today, so I might miss some sightings)

Back at the start of June, Ben was spotted in Spain along with Weirdo and one of the pillows (we still don’t know which one of the two) on a (family?) holiday. The sighting came complete with a picture of Ben sitting alone at the table of a restaurant perusing the menu. No sign of Weirdo or either pillow or any baby paraphernalia surrounding him. Fair enough, I can understand why someone would focus on Ben taking a picture... Now, I didn’t follow all of the fanfiction surrounding that sighting cause I was on holiday at the time, but what I do know is the person who spotted him and took the picture turned out to be the sister of a Nan and there were some details they were both fuzzy on regarding Weirdo and the pillow. The local press seemed to pick up the sighting and started reporting on Ben taking a family vacation in Spain and eventually we even got papped pics of Ben and... Adam strolling along a pier. The pictures from that pap walk weren’t nearly as cropped as the restaurant pic was of course, and funnily enough, there was no sign of a brunette or a baby anywhere near Ben and Adam. What’s more, it is speculated that Ben and Adam were looking into filming locations they could use for the Melrose series. Make of that what you will...

In July, Ben was filming his parts for Avengers in Atlanta. Interestingly, we got a whole lot of pictures of Ben from his time there. Going to a baseball game (alone), celebrating the 4th of July (with RDJ and friends), going to the aquarium and taking selfies with pengwings, filming, taking selfies with fans, etc. We even got quite a few mentions of family sightings on social media. From seemingly random accounts. Just the type of thing that would seem believable if the sightings at the aquarium weren’t debunked (Ben reportedly took a “backstage” tour of the aquarium, and some people mentioned he was joined by Weirdo pushing a pram, but it turns out prams are not allowed on this particular “backstage” tour) or didn’t sound outright ridiculous (bicycle riding in the sweltering heat to go to brunch with one *why is it always one??* of the pillows in tow that was mentioned as an afterthought after we started questioning whether either of the pillows was present and debunking the sighting / mocking the lack of pictorial evidence). It later turned out that Weirdo was in London at the time, attending a Letters Live reading. I’d just like to take this opportunity to ask the Intern reading these blogs to thank Byng for that lovely (blurry) shot of Weirdo in the audience.

In August, Ben read at the Wilderness Festival. He was photographed looking very casual with colleagues prior to his going on stage on the first night, he reportedly went to a party in the meadow later on, he read again the following day, we got a plethora of pictures as well as video footage of a brunette that may or may not have been Weirdo at the Festival on the second day, we had a radio host ask Ben if Wanda was babysitting (to which he replied in the affirmative), but we never got a clear pic of the brunette that may or may not have been Weirdo’s face. Interestingly enough, the festival seemed to be (literally) crawling with babies and it turns out that quite a few people took their babies and toddlers to the LL performance, but no one mentioned seeing Pilo or Pilo 2.0 anywhere near the venue. Probably because there were no Nans there...

In mid August, we finally got to see Pilo 2.0′s face in high resolution, spread all over the pages of German tabloids. In what turned out to be a pap op extravaganza, we first got baited through the Fail with a pic of Ben properly enjoying an ice cream cone, then the pic was pulled from the Fail to be replaced by a stock photo of Ben in costume for Sherlock (quite interesting, considering the Fail had already paid for the rights to the pics and presumably had first pick over the baby photos, which would have generated the most clicks for them. Pictures they paid for but never ran either in print or digitally on their site). Anyway, that was quite obviously a set up pap op that turned out as ridiculous as one would expect from the people who also gave us the christening pap walk at the IOW in 2015.

And the list goes on and on and on.

The point I’m trying to make, in a very jumbled up way, is that social media sightings can not be trusted. Not when they come from Nans who have an agenda to push, and certainly not when they’ve been debunked more often than not by pictorial evidence turning up after the fact.

That’s why I keep asking for pictures in order to trust a sighting and that’s why I dismiss so many of the sightings without even considering them plausible.

Obviously set up (and proved paid-for) pap walks don't count as far as I’m concerned. Precisely because both of the pillows involved in this showmance only seem to appear to true believers and paparazzi; and even that only seems to happen when DaddyBatch needs to promote the Family Of the Year image.

#oddball anon

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