#Documentary: Perfect Disaster

[therogerclarkfanclub]

ROGER CLARK as Chuck Brewer in:

Perfect Disaster (2006) Season 1, Episode 3: "Super Typhoon"

GIF Set: 1/7

Watch this episode on YouTube

[simmerkate]

XTRA Interactions v2

If you have the older version of this mod please remove and replace with this one :) introducing the latest update to XTRA Interactions v2 for The Sims 4, now with positive and negative buffs for each interaction outcome, each with a 50/50 chance of occurring! Embrace the unpredictability of social dynamics as your Sims navigate through a diverse array of conversations, where every choice carries the potential for both positive and negative effects.

Foodies Talk (Pie Menu):  Your sim has to have the foodie trait

Engage in culinary discussions and experience the flavorful consequences. While sharing insights on "Discuss Food Documentaries" might leave your Sims feeling enlightened, debating on "Washing Chicken" could leave a lingering sense of uncertainty.

Discuss Food Documentaries:

Positive Buff: Food Cravings

Negative Buff: Food Guilt

Suggest the Perfect Wine:

Positive Buff: Wine Connoisseur

Negative Buff: Wine Snobbery

Swap Kitchen Disasters:

Positive Buff: Culinary Friends

Negative Buff: Cooking Frustration

Talk about Favorite Restaurants:

Positive Buff: Culinary Enthusiasm

Negative Buff: Dining Disappointment

Tell about Family Recipes:

Positive Buff: Heritage Connection

Negative Buff: Family Recipe Disrespect

Debate on Washing Chicken:

Positive Buff: Chicken Tips

Negative Buff: Wash Your Goddamn Chicken!!

Activism (Pie Menu):

Stand up for what you believe in and face the repercussions. Embracing "Female Empowerment" could empower your Sim with confidence, while discussions on "Social Justice" might stir up feelings of frustration.

Female Empowerment:

Positive Buff: Empowered Sisterhood

Negative Buff: Gender Bias Awareness

Stand Up Against Gender Inequality:

Positive Buff: Equality Advocate

Negative Buff: Gender Stereotype Pressure

Talk About the Living Crisis:

Positive Buff: Empathy Activist

Negative Buff: Crisis Fatigue

Talk about Social Justice:

Positive Buff: Social Justice Warrior

Negative Buff: Activist Burnout

Discuss Animal Rights:

Positive Buff: Animal Advocate

Negative Buff: More People Needed

Body Positivity Conversation:

Positive Buff: Self-Love Boost

Negative Buff: Struggling with Body Image

Health & Wellness (Pie Menu):

Nurture your Sims' well-being and explore the balance between mind, body, and soul. Engaging in "Mindfulness" might bring a sense of tranquility, but discussions about "Mental Health" could trigger feelings of vulnerability.

Discuss Fitness Classes:

Positive Buff: Fitness Community

Negative Buff: Fitness Comparison

Engage in Mindfulness:

Positive Buff: Mindful Serenity

Negative Buff: Mindless Distraction

Share Self-Care Tips:

Positive Buff: Self-Care Boost

Negative Buff: Self-Care Struggle

Share Skincare Routines:

Positive Buff: Glowing Complexion

Negative Buff: Skin Troubles

Talk About Mental Health:

Positive Buff: Feeling Supported

Negative Buff: Emotional Turmoil

There is a few Extra Interactions too : Indulge in the drama and mischief, but beware of the consequences. "Spill The Tea" could lead to a sense of camaraderie with friends, while "Throwing Shade" might result in strained relationships. There is all updated icons too.

Experience the ebb and flow of social interactions like never before with Xtra Interactions v2. Explore the nuanced dynamics of conversation, where every choice carries the potential for both positive and negative outcomes. Will your Sims rise above the challenges or succumb to the pitfalls of social interaction? It's time to find out in The Sims 4!

Patreon (xx) ad-free

[asksythe]

Hua Cheng’s Design

Source: 孤世中逢影 Gu Shi Zhong Feng Ying (weibo) on Hua Cheng’s design as based on Miao ethnic group culture - with snippets from a Chinese Documentary on Miao Ethnic People and an interview with Shi sifu, one of the last traditional Miao silversmiths - Sina TV.

 Translator: Sythe / NPD Khanh

Hua Cheng’s character design. As we all know, the image of Hua Cheng was established based on the Miao ethnic group, so let's see the specific origin of things on Hua Cheng’s person.

1. Red umbrella:

The red umbrella in Miao culture is one of the indispensable props at marriage and celebrations. The red umbrella symbolizes great auspiciousness as one’s desires, numerous children and grandchildren, sheltering from the wind and rain, exorcising evil spirits, and shielding people from disasters. All of these together are a perfect fit to represent the blessings of the heavens (Tian Guan Ci Fu, the name of the novel) with no taboos or misfortunes.

At the same time, in the opening episode of Tian Guan Ci Fu, Xie Lian mistook Hua Cheng for a bridegroom ghost. The situation fits perfectly like a miracle as a red umbrella is required for a wedding. 

2. Silver butterfly, maple leaves.

The Miao people have long had an ancient song, "Feng Mu Ge" (Song of the Maple Tree), to praise the beauty of life. The Miao people also consider butterflies as the ancestral mother, who can bless the village to be peaceful, the children to thrive, and the nation to flourish.

Maple leaves and butterflies represent rebirth, and reincarnation. These motifs can be seen in the culture of the Miao people everywhere, from clothes to jewelry to household decorations. The most famous is the Hong He area, located in an autonomous district of the Miao ethnic group in Yunnan. Whether it is nature or people, maple leaves and butterflies are popular, cherished symbols.

ps. The butterfly decoration that the author saw while traveling in Yunnan is also an inspiration.

"When I was traveling in Yunnan, there was a butterfly decoration in front of the hotel elevator,” Mo Xiang looked at it and thought. After a while, she said proudly, "He will raise a kaleidoscope of butterflies." (From MXTX Author’s Notes and Interview) 

3. Silver Jewelry

This goes without saying much, silverware is an important component of Miao culture, "the more beautiful, the better;” "Miao people’s iconic silver jewelry is used to pray for peace and as a token of love or a proposal of marriage.” Speaking of which, Hua Cheng’s character design is based on ethnic Miao people. Of course, the same jewelry is used. The inheritor of the art of Miao silversmithing, Shi sifu, also said, Hua Cheng is steeped in Miao Guang symbolism and aesthetics.

4. Other

If you read the novel, it’s not difficult to figure out:

Huacheng used a red umbrella because when he was young and weak and had nothing. Xie Lian gave him a red umbrella to shield him from the wind and rain.

Hua Cheng uses corral beads because this is one of Xie Lien's lost earrings. In Taoism, coral represents the heart. Taking this into account, Xie Lian in the book had two corral earrings. The implication of this symbolism then becomes quite enticing. 

Hua Cheng strung the red string of fated love because, during the Gentle Fragrance part of the book, Xie Lian gently cut a hair strand and gifted it to him. In our country's traditional culture, tying your hair together represents binding marriage. The red line represents your destined intertwined path.

From the beginning to the end, the author demonstrated the changes in Hua Cheng. "Become a better, stronger person because of him, for him". All of Hua Cheng’s character progressions developed according to the plot, gradually revealing layers of meaning, and not built by forced intention. Therefore, in successfully portraying such a character, the author moved the reader’s heart and created a miracle. 

A Love that is unchanged even in the face of death. 

[justforbooks]

A lot of adjectives come to mind when one mentions Fred Astaire: debonair, poised, elegant, captivating. And nouns too, especially grace, sophistication and talent. Fred Astaire is regarded by many as the greatest popular music dancer of all time. Astaire is usually remembered for his pairings with Ginger Rogers, who starred in several films with him, including Swing Time (1936).

Light on his feet, Fred Astaire revolutionized the movie musical with his elegant and seemingly effortless dance style. He may have made dancing look easy, but he was a well-known perfectionist, and his work was the product of endless hours of practice.

Astaire started performing as a child, partnering up with his older sister Adele. The two toured the vaudeville circuit before making it to Broadway in 1917. Among their many productions the brother-sister team starred in the 1927 George and Ira Gershwin musical Funny Face. For all his early success, though, career in the movies eluded Astaire. He had done a screen test, but he failed to attract any interest. A studio executive wrote at the time, "Can't sing. Can't act. Slightly balding. Can dance a little."

In 1932, Astaire suffered a career setback. His sister Adele retired from the act to marry a British aristocrat. He floundered a bit professionally without his usual partner, but then decided to go to Hollywood to try once more to break into film.

Finally, Astaire landed a small role in 1933's Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford. The role opened the door to new opportunities, and Astaire signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures. He was matched up with another Broadway talent, Ginger Rogers, for Flying Down to Rio, also in 1933. Cast as supporting players, their dance number stole the movie. Astaire and Rogers appeared in several more films together, including The Gay Divorcee (1934) and Top Hat (1935). The duo became film's most beloved dance team. Their routines featured a hybrid of styles—borrowing elements from tap, ballroom and even ballet. Katharine Hepburn once described what each of them brought their successful partnership: "Fred gave Ginger class, and Ginger gave Fred sex."

Off-screen, Astaire was known for his relentless pursuit of perfection. He thought nothing of rehearsing a scene for days, and Rogers eventually tired of the grueling schedule. The pair went their separate ways after 1939's The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. Years later, they reunited once more for 1949's The Barkleys of Broadway.

After the split with Rogers in 1939, Astaire performed with such leading ladies as Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, Leslie Caron and Audrey Hepburn. Some of his most famous musicals from his later career include Easter Parade with Garland and Funny Face with Hepburn.

As his movie roles tapered off, Astaire worked more in television. He often appeared as himself for special tribute shows. Astaire had a growing interest in dramatic parts, working on such series as Dr. Kildare. He also worked with another legendary dancer, Gene Kelly, on the documentary That's Entertainment, which explored the golden era of the movie musical.

Around this time, Astaire received his only Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno. He also won an Emmy Award for his work on the television special A Family Upside Down in 1978. More accolades soon followed. Astaire received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute in 1981.

A few years later, Astaire was hospitalized for pneumonia. He died on June 22, 1987, in Los Angeles, California. With his passing, Hollywood had lost one of its greatest talents. Former actor and president Ronald Reagan, upon learning the news, called Astaire "an American legend" and "the ultimate dancer." Rogers said Astaire "was the best partner anyone could ever have."

I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[ladykinrannoch]

Reading - Real fear in Montecito?

I did a 10 card reading using the Cosmic Tarot which is the one which taps into TW's energy very easily. This reading is about the book, her role, her view of what was to be achieved and how she views it now. On either side of the signifier for the book project, I laid four cards leading to the book and on the other side four cards about reactions and what is happening now. The final card is the outcome card.

The Signifier for the Book?

Five pentacles - It has been a disaster, is is going to be a huge financial loss for them and lead to their/her exclusion. This card signals the fear of poverty. The card in cosmic tarot depicts a night scene of smoky ruins and the figures on the card are leaving with what belongings they can carry. The reaction to the book has created great sadness for TW, it is an emotional loss, grief on the level of bereavement. It can also signal the end of a relationship or losing a job. There is real fear in this card.

Underlying energy?

Two pentacles - She is experiencing very real problems with cash flow. The book was really intended to balance their cash flow. This card also represents two people in a business arrangement, which suggests that rather than this book being a project of H, it is telling me the book was a joint effort as part of a business arrangement.

What was Meghan hoping to achieve from the book?

Seven cups - She really saw this book as the beginning of new possibilities and opportunities, she sought to create opportunities for new projects, maybe spin off documentaries or a biographical movie. The nature of the anecdotes shared so far from the book suggests that it is written as a series of vignettes, possible scenes for a movie. I think she saw the opportunity to adapt the book for a screenplay.

Was JR Moehringer involved in the book?

Ten swords RX - I am reading this a strong no. What I am feeling is that he left this project early on and this book is far removed from what he wrote. Upright the card is endings, not in the literal sense of death, but more like the destruction of career or reputation. The card is saying to me that JR saw early on that the project would be damaging to his reputation. The alternative question I had for this position was did TW fire him from the project? I am again feeling a strong no, he resigned, walked away, threw in the towel. I would not be surprised if he comes out and confirms that he was not involved in the final book. Reports suggest that early drafts of the book, perhaps written by him, were rejected for being too boring, but perhaps that is because what H told him was boring. As this card is Rx I think the book under his authorship stalled early on.

Who really wrote the book? Was TW involved?

Judgement - this is the second coming or second chance card. It is associated with Pluto and the 10th house of death and transformation. I feel like TW saw the departure of the writer as her chance, an opportunity to right the past, to show what she could do. I feel like she convinced H that she could be his ghost writer to get the project back on track and finished. I am getting a strong confirmation that the final version of the book was written by her. This can also be the blow your own trumpet card. She wanted to be able to come out and claim honours on the back of its success and declare herself an award-winning writer. I think she saw this as the perfect set up to initiate her transformation into screen-writer/movie producer. She really wanted to make this into a movie and win honours. I think she thought this will be her Oscar winning, up yours moment in Hollywood. Her rebirth into great success.

Who leaked the book to the Guardian?

Nine cups Rx - as I have said in previous readings this card in Rx is one of ego, smugness and narcisism. It has come to signal a narcissist and specifically TW in many of these readings. The card is saying, she leaked the book herself. She might even have been the one who tipped off the UK papers about the sale of the books in Spain ahead of the UK release date. I wouldn't put it past her, she was aiming for maximum exposure.

Why leak the book?

Ace wands - She had a flash of inspiration that this could create positive PR. Wands are often PR, aces are beginnings in this case a book launch. I think she went behind the publishers' back to launch the book before the launch. Perhaps she disagreed with the two pre-recorded interview pre-publicity strategy? The Ace wands is about the conception of ideas, so I feel like this was her own idea. I had an alternative question here about whether the book leak was intended to squash the negative publicity around the failure of the Live to Lead project and the accusations from Mandela's family, and this card is a strong confirmation that the idea to leak the book was indeed a means to end the focus on the failure, and stop the negative press. She really seems to think she is a PR genius?

----

AN ASIDE:

As a PR doyenne in my own country, I can tell you that leaking stories is not a strategy that should be used as a rule, it is very very risky, and while maverick spin doctors may use this strategy, professionals as a rule do not. Professionals also do not pay publications for stories to be run (it is against the Code of Ethics). There may be an occasion once in a blue moon when leaking might be useful, but in a 35 year career I have leaked one story (which was intended to expose corruption/so I was a whistleblower). Planting is a different strategy altogether and relies on building strong relationships with a journalist over time, around one specific issue, educating them about nuances, but allowing the journalist to come to their own conclusions. This is often used in political/regulatory affairs to steer conversations and debates. In my career, which spans working with PR people in the UK, USA, Africa, EMEA and Asia for global brands, the only people who think leaking and spin doctoring is a good strategy are our US colleagues. It always backfires in markets outside the USA. We have always had to caution US colleagues on attempting these strategies in other markets. It is usually a tussle of ideology.

---

Does H blame TW for the disastrous press arising out of the leak?

The Lovers - This card represents relationships and decisions, not just intimate relationships, but also business relationships. I don't feel like he outright blames her, but it has impacted the relationship. I feel he is questioning whether she is the right partner in enterprise. I feel like he worries that she has been giving him bad advice and that he is realising he needs to make a decision about their long-term prospects. Does he go all in and continue with her strategies or does he make a decision to pull back, or even stop working together all together? This could relate to what she suggested go into the book as well as the now failed PR strategy around leaking the advance copy to Pengelly. She clearly made a case to include some of the anecdotes that are now being criticised publicly. He may be questioning the wisdom of those stories now, and her advice to include them. The lovers card is a Gemini card. As we know Gemini's have two-faces, so from her perspective, she could have had ulterior motives for everything around the book. So I guess I am saying here, she could have deliberately given him bad advice because she wanted him to look bad.

What is going on at Montecito right now, what is she doing?

Queen pentacles - This is a mothering and supportive card. So my guess is that she is trying to smooth the situation, showering him with affection (lovebombing?). I am hearing that she is trying to fix things for him. Narcs often move from devaluation to a kind of rescuing, they love how that makes them feel. Its not really about you or your hurt, but about positioning themselves as powerful, your saviour and is intended to increase your dependence on them.

What is her response to the disastrous press?

The Fool Rx - she is irrational, acting impulsively, not thinking things through, this is rash energy, foolishness in the extreme. This card is also about sabotage. Self-sabotage especially, but I think she would want to salvage herself, but may sabotage H in the process. Upright the card is about new paths, new beginnings, in the Rx in relation to this question, I am feeling like she might see this as a devious way to jettison H, don't expect her to admit to writing the book or running her own PR campaign, she will leap away from any association as fast as she can. And probably launch new initiatives to address the bad press. There are no legal cards in this spread, so don't expect her to sue anyone. She hasn't got a strong case and there is too much that could implicate her, she would be too afraid more would come out.

Outcome?

Strength Rx - This is her card in the Rx. It is telling me one of two scenarios, either she is defeated or this whole book debacle brings out all the worst of her nature and personality. She has been extremely weakened by the book. It is telling me that she ignored her own instincts about the book, threw caution to the wind and that she hasn't learnt from past experience from the last few years. I think she stubbornly believes in herself to her own detriment. We can expect that she will likely come out firing even more potshots and vitriol, whether publicly or via her mouthpieces and squaddies. All in all expect more bad news.

There are four major arcana and three pentacles. Pentacles being the dominant suit. Expect the book to fail spectacularly when it is released.

[valeriefauxnom]

Behold, the very first meme (and post) I have ever made, because me and a friend (that never played Dragalia that I've nonetheless spammed her about) made a meme of the royal fam sorted into "which 'spider on drugs' are they?" chart and I was. Inspired.

Please watch that video, "Spiders on Drugs", it's a famous short summary of a documentary. But for now I'll stick to the traditional character sort memes.

Is this perfect? Absolutely not.

Satisfactory? Possibly. ...Apparently.

So, uh, yeah. Ignore the fact the word 'children' got erased. 100% intentional in my Microsoft Paint artistry. Let's also pretend I remembered Nedrick in time to shove him way off in the 'black coffee' distance with most of the fam.

In any case, hi Dragalia fandom! Technically not new to it completely but might as well be, as I go by ValerieFauxNom (wow, what a shock!) on AO3, though with exactly one (1) dragalia fic I'm writing right now, so if you ever wanna ask questions or anything about that or anything dragalia (or tales of the abyss, or radiant historia, or-) feel free to send a message! Always up for dragalia stuff, especially regarding the royal fam because they are disasters and I loved it.

Other than that, sorry for any mistakes in this post! Probably made like 5 of them somewhere.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Watching a documentary on Edward II while I work and in this doc:

1. They repeatedly call Piers Gaveston Edward's "best mate" and "close friend", then have one seven-second acknowledgement that they were probably lovers before immediately returning to calling them pals, buds, just mates being dudes, my guys, just bros like bros will be, totally normal friendship here

2. Piers is not depicted as half so pretty as he likely was. He is handsome, yes, but very... dirty compared to everyone else? And also, dude, brush your hair. Come on. Piers Gaveston was famously not only arrogant but vain!

3. The actor playing Edward is playing this documentary dramatization like he is going for the motherfucking Oscar, he is amazing. I love him, my God someone give this man jobs and money!

4. They speak French! Just like everyone actually did!

5. Hugh Despenser has perfect hair, which seems in character

6. The documentary definitely doesn't admit the simple truth that Hugh Despenser the Younger was almost certainly Pretty Man Bait to get Edward II to give the Despensers power.

7. The doc DOES do a great job of showing what an absolute disaster Edward II was at basically everything forever

8. It does contain the most excellent line, "To the people of the time, Edward could have been bedding his priest, his page boy, and his horse, so long as he was governing the kingdom properly."

9. Isabella's actress is also incredible. That woman does some impeccable face-acting.

10. Man. The moral of this documentary - and of his life - should be "This man did not deserve the wild glory inherent in his amazing wife."

11. Now Hugh Despenser needs to brush his hair! Maybe Edward just likes 'em grungy.

12. Edward is the epitome of being shown exactly what he needs to do and then doing the opposite.

13. I am genuinely impressed at how carefully they dance around admitting that Edward was definitely up in Hugh Despenser's business, too. His manly business.

14. Wait, I take it back. The real moral of this story is "take a woman's children from her arms and she will burn you to the ground and spit on your ashes."

15. Honestly, I don't blame her.

16. THEY CALLED HER THE SHE-WOLF FOR A REASON, MOTHERFUCKERS.

17. Also, hell yeah for Isabella's brother the King of France working with her on this. He absolutely knew Isabella was being underestimated and he made sure he never did.

18. Oh, so we can admit Isabella and Roger Mortimer were sleeping together, huh? We can admit that? I mean as long as it's decently hetero, sure, let's have a whole sex scene. But God forbid we admit Edward and Piers might have held hands under a tree even once.

19. THEY PUT A SEX NOISE IN EVEN

20. Honestly now I'm mad.

21. "She has a number of men closer to a moderate house party than an invading force." Okay, that line redeems you somewhat.

22. Awwwww puppies hunting the disgraced king, sweet. I love when dogs are clearly checking for cues from their trainers just off screen.

23. A FIFTY FOOT GALLOWS SEEMS EXCESSIVE. Oh holy shit they hung him without quite killing him, then de-genitaled and- god damn, Isabella. This seems like a bit much.

24. SHE MADE A POINT OF EATING WHEN THEY CUT HIS DICK OFF.

25. Isabella is terrifying. I am in wild irrational love.

26. I'm sorry they put WHAT up Edward's ass. A red hot WHAT

27. I feel like that probably didn't actually happen but honestly, I don't doubt Isabella is capable of it. And also, um, these deaths seem... To send a message.

28. "Edward's wife and her lover-" oh, are you sure they're not just best mates? Buddies? Pals? Like Edward and Gaveston?

29. Oh he probably just like... was smothered. That makes way more sense. He could be "found dead" then and it could be claimed to be natural causes.

30. Underestimate pissed off French women at your peril, English kings.

[motherhenna]

am I the only one who's starting to feel like self care culture and therapist speak has lowkey done some serious damage to a lot of mentally ill young people over the last 8 or so years? It's literally the perfect vehicle for justifying insanely unhealthy coping mechanisms and addictions but I haven't heard anybody talking about it on here. Instead, I keep seeing posts that are like "be gentle with yourself: go at whatever pace is comfortable for you" and "it's okay to say no to things you don't want to do" but like...what if that thing you don't want to do is taking a shower or leaving the house or cooking your own meal at home? What if moving at a pace that is "comfortable" for you means you still haven't stopped smoking for the last decade because nicotine withdrawal and anxiety are not "comfortable"? And hey--at least you're only smoking ONE pack a day instead of two now, so that's almost as good as quitting entirely!

I'm saying all this as someone who is only just now coming out the other side and realizing how much of my late teens and twenties I've wasted because of my lack of accountability and aversion to the hard work that's necessary for recovery from addiction, eating disorders, and depression...and the whole time, I thought I was just practicing self care. But a lot of us should probably take a closer look at our behavior and ask ourselves, "is this really self care? Or is this just complacency, fear of failure, and denial?"

There's a word in addiction treatment that's used to describe family members, friends, or partners who give into their deeply disordered loved one's every demand--even when they know it's hurting them: enablers. I've seen a documentary of a 700 lb immobile man who was still managing to pile on weight because his wife went out every day and brought him every kind of junk food he asked for, all while claiming to love him more than anything else. But genuine, healthy love isn't watching your partner literally waste away before your eyes because you'd rather make him happy in the short-term: it's being fucking honest, and helping them get the assistance they need to get better even if you have to drag them kicking and screaming into rehab. And I'm of the belief that a lot of you out there end up confusing self-love / self-acceptance with self-enabling. One is easy while the other requires you to wake up and do the work every single day, even when it's ugly and messy and painful.

And listen--if your therapist has given you the full go-ahead to take the whole "gentle" route, or it's clearly working out really well for you, then by all means: keep at it. But more often than not, I think we need to stop wrapping ourselves in cotton. The way we treat ourselves should be how we'd ideally parent a child: obviously the overly harsh, critical, strict route rife with threats and punishment is a recipe for disaster, but the other extreme can be extremely damaging too. An overly compliant, indulgent parent who gives into their kid's every whim is likely going to produce selfish, entitled brats who have no concept that their actions have consequences. Neither approach is going to do their children many favors in the long run.

While I'm not fond of the boomer bootstrapping rhetoric, as I think a lot of it comes from an extremely skewed perspective of reality and the expectation that "if I can do it, everybody else should be able to do it just as easily", I also can no longer stand by the victimhood mentality so many fellow young millennials / gen z'ers seem to be living by. Because I spent the last ten years wallowing in it and all it gave me was lowered standards, a million excuses, self pity, and obesity. And it fucking sucks to confront the fact that you are ultimately the one who's responsible for your own behavior as an adult: it means you can't just blame it on society or your parents or your illness or whatever 'ism or 'phobia applies. Are all those things contributing factors that should be taken into account? Absolutely. Should you compare your progress to more privileged people's and feel shame that it's taking longer? No. But that doesn't mean you have no control of your life and choices--that you're powerless to do anything but wait for someone else to save you. Unless you're literally being held hostage at gunpoint, there are always things you can do to `improve your life and yourself. So next time you want to give up on a dream of yours, or justify not changing out of your pajamas for a fortnight in the name of self care, maybe ask yourself what an enabler would do vs. what a true friend would do

[nuclear-breakdown]

Favorite Videos, Movies, TV Shows About Nuclear/ Radioactive Topics

If reading isn’t your style, visual media is always an engaging way to absorb information. I have spent a fair amount of time scouring On Demand and YouTube for information on these subjects. Most focus on the dire consequences of nuclear power, as that is a lot more interesting to watch than explaining how a light water graphite-moderated reactor works. But, still, if you want to engage in more content around this topic, here are my top 5.

5. “Nuclear Explosions Compilation High Quality” by Dom Productions on YouTube- Just a small sampling of atomic bomb tests that were filmed over the years. All sources come from atomcentral.com, where a restoration expert named Peter Kuran fixes up the tapes and showcases them on the website. Witnessing the absolute power that these weapons have is both mesmerizing and horrifying. Well worth a watch if you can handle the repeated booms.

4. “The Babushkas of Chernobyl” by Holly Morris on Prime Video- The Exclusion Zone from the Chernobyl disaster is 30 kilometers from the reactor itself. Many people living in towns and villages were forced to flee their homes due to the unending threat of radiation. But there are some people who have defied the official government ruling and have returned to their homes located in the Exclusion Zone. Some have been named ‘babushkas,’ grandmothers who wish to be where they have always been, despite the potential dangers. A story of resilience and bravery, it is a fascinating watch to learn more about the real people who were affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

3. “A Brief History of: The Demon Core (Short Documentary)” by Plainly Difficult on YouTube- Plainly Difficult (John) has uploaded many videos regarding nuclear accidents. An underrated channel, I think this is the perfect video to begin exploring his stuff. This one hunk of plutonium is responsible for two deaths, hence its name. The circumstance behind both incidents is a harrowing tale, and John summarized it succinctly and with grace.

2. “I Got Access to Chernobyl’s Deadliest Area” by Kyle Hill on YouTube- Not many people get access to inside the New Safe Containment. The largest moving structure, this giant arch covers Reactor No. 4 at Chernobyl and the old Sarcophagus. He goes to places most people will never be able to see, coming along with a team of scientists. Accompanied by the constant screams of Geiger counters, Hill still promotes the positives that nuclear power can do for the world, if only we learn from our mistakes.

1. “Chernobyl” by Craig Mazin on HBO- To the surprise of no one, this award-winning production is a must-watch. While not completely accurate to the 1986 disaster, it still captures and shows the reality of the disaster. Incredible acting, enthralling soundtrack, beautiful scenery, and despite its faults on some factual points, the cultural impact this mini-series has had speaks for itself.

[hoghtastic]

Alex's Philanthropy/Photography - I love that his is combining his love for charity and photography but I feel he should have chose a better way to combine them both. Not many people are going to be interested in a calender of tragedy and emergency services in Lebanon. Not to be rude but those kind of things can be triggering for PTSD sufferers, it can invoke negativity, its very exclusive to certain groups or those interested in those issues: lebanon, emergency services, red cross work etc. He would have been better making a documentary or taking photos for an exhibition and if he wanted to do a calender to help raise money for them then make a calender of the country itself or other photography work, that would sell better and raise more money for the charity. Most of the sold calenders will sit in a wardrobe or be binned as I feel most people will only buy it cos they are his fan and/or it has his autograph. He really should have just sold his autograph on a piece of paper, would have saved the environment a little too. Not to bash red cross or their work in Lebanon as I am actually fascinated by that kind of work, emergency work, missionary work, natural disasters and humanitarian disasters etc and those kind of people deserve the praise and adulation that celebs get rather than celebs who are, in my opinion, overpaid. But although their work is invaluable and heroic, its not really what people look for in a calender to place on their wall in their home. I just feel he could have done things better in regards to highlighting the work they do and raising money for them.

Johanne's podcast - I follow many podcaster's in a range of topics & interests and I can honestly say I have never come across any that are filmed or created in the way hers is created, and while sometimes being different can be a good thing, that is NOT the case in this instance. While most podcasts are named and focus on the main person doing the podcast or their relevant work/interests etc they usually ask questions and allow the guest to be the MAIN FOCUS. In Unisort the main focus always seems to be Johanne and not the guest as it should be. The singing always focuses on her, and always seems to be a perfect song choice to showcase HER singing rather than the guest being the one to shine. I do not feel Alex is very good at filming it either as it goes in and out of focus on the singers. On that 1 clip johannes posted a lot it was mainly in and out focus of her even when the guy was singing when it should have been focused on him seen as he was the one signing at that time. And for someone who wanted privacy why film a podcast in his home- it could have been verbal only and not have them shown on camera like other podcasts or they could have hired a room somewhere else to film the podcast or used someone elses place. I really do believe this is him AND her using the podcast to show off their own talents and lifestyle and to become famous in any way in Denmark as a couple even if it means being like influencers who just post for the sake of posting and to remain in the public eye.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, anon! 😊 Which are very interesting and accurate, in my opinion.

[therogerclarkfanclub]

ROGER CLARK as Chuck Brewer in:

Perfect Disaster (2006) Season 1, Episode 03: "Super Typhoon"

GIF Set: 2/7

Watch this episode on YouTube

[thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai]

Chapter 6 of "A Song of Fiery Birds and Endless Winter" is live!

As the men's individual event commences, Yuuri's hopes to prevent another disaster rest on Viktor's advice alone. Meanwhile, the story of Viktor's short programme develops a life on its own…

There's a bit more figure skating in this chapter than in the previous ones. I hope it's neither too boring nor too hard to read!

Excerpt:

The door to the changing room banged open.

“Yuuri!” Phichit yelled. “Ciao Ciao’s frantic because he can’t find you! Are you okay?”

“Um.” In front of the mirror, Yuuri turned. “I’m almost done here!”

His friend eyed him up and down. “Yuuri! You look amazing!”

“Thanks, Phichit-kun,” Yuuri replied, covering his nervousness with a smile.

Phichit pulled out his phone. “One photo before your big performance! For my online documentary!”

“Okay,” Yuuri said. “But no mentioning of Viktor when you post it.” As if the photo of Yuuri falling in front of Viktor had not been embarrassing enough, Phichit had posted a video of his own and Yuuri’s respective practice—and more of Viktor watching Yuuri’s practice. With each new post, his Insta documentary was gaining more popularity while Yuuri died a little more on the inside.

“Of course, Yuuri!” Phichit exclaimed. “Cross my heart and hope to die!”

Knowing the odds for Phichit to keep his word, Yuuri forced a smile into the camera.

“Perfect!” Phichit was already typing. “Yuuri is ready to breeze through the men’s short programme and show off what his idol taught him!”

[jungle-angel]

Hi! I have a request! (Possible TW) Reader and Rooster (or Bob) go on holiday with there son and the plane is going down but reader and Rooster are pilots so they help and it’s fluff at the end. Thank you for reading this and have a good day/night!

Aw yiiiiiiisss!!!!!! Babes, I just watched the Air Disasters Documentary a while back so this is PERFECT!!!

Miami, Florida

Memorial Day Weekend, 2022

You and Rooster were eager to get home, more than you had ever been. Sure Miami was great, but you, Rooster and Nicky were completely exhausted.

"God, I'm hoping it's not much longer," Rooster said as Nicky buried his face into Rooster's neck. "Feels like we've been waiting here forever."

"Well, it comes with travel Roo," you told him. "Remember when you and the rest of the guys went to Bethesda for two weeks?"

Rooster made a face. "Don't even fucking remind me."

"Hey," you scolded. "Little ears, remember? He's at an age where he repeats everything."

Rooster laughed a little when at last, the call for boarding was issued. All they'd have to do was board the next flight in Jacksonville and then it was home free.

"C'mon buddy," Rooster said as he hoisted Nicky a little higher onto his hip and pulling his suitcase behind him. "We're gonna get home so you can go to sleep."

Nicky lifted his head just a little and lowered it back down onto Rooster's shoulder. Families with small children were called to board first along with active duty military, which you and Rooster were both. One of the female flight attendants couldn't help but tell you how adorable Nicky was and how much he looked like Rooster.

You two stowed away the luggage in the overhead and took your seats, placing Nicky between you both and buckling each other in. Everyone else boarded soon after and once seated, the plane sped down the runway and lifted off into the air.

It hadn't been long, only about forty five minutes into the flight, when you suddenly began to get the sense that something was wrong. You couldn't put your finger on it, but you knew something was terribly wrong. The whole plane seemed quiet with everyone either asleep, reading or watching a quick in flight movie. So what was the big deal then?

You smelled something seeping in through the windows, something acrid, almost as though it was burning.......smoke.

"Rooster?" you hissed, shaking your sleeping husband's shoulder. "Bradley!"

"Huh? Wassup?"

"Something's wrong," you told him. "I can smell it."

Rooster sniffed the air a little, going wide eyed as soon as he smelled it. "What the hell is that?"

"I don't know but......"

The alarms on the plane started to go off, the concerned whispers buzzing about like crickets.

"Hang on one second," Rooster told you as he unbuckled and headed up to the cockpit.

You stayed with Nicky as Rooster made his way up to the front to the cockpit where the pilots were trying to figure out what was going on. "Talk to me guys, what's going on?"

"Why should we talk to you?" questioned a much younger pilot.

"Because I'm a fucking pilot like you," Rooster told him sharply.

"You think you can help us?" the older pilot asked.

"Yeah just give me one second," Rooster told him.

He went back to your row and immediately asked you to come to the front, trying to conceal the panic he felt. An older woman had offered to watch Nicky, assuring you that it was ok......and that everyone would be ok.

"Alright, what's the sitch?" you asked.

"Engine's blown out and we're not near any major airports," the older pilot said, rather shakily.

"How are we on fuel?" Rooster asked.

"We're burning fast," the pilot answered.

The plane lurched forward, prompting a few startled screams from the passengers. You and Rooster tried to still your nerves and racing minds, but the thought of panicking was still there. Rooster gave you a determined nod before the two of you asked to take the pilots' places.

"You guys had better buckle in," you told them. "Just in case things get hairy."

The two buckled into the small alcove seats away from the controls while you and Rooster began to plan the course of action. "Talk to me (y/n), what've we got?"

"Fuel's burning fast and like he said, we're not near any major airports," you told him nervously.

"Any idea where we are?"

"We're right above The Everglades," you answered.

"Oh shit," Rooster groaned.

Another alarm suddenly went off, sending you both spiraling into a full fledged panic. You knew what that alarm had meant.....you'd seen it in training with Phoenix and Bob.

"We're losing hydraulic power!"

"Turning on emergency power."

"Left engine out."

"Electrical power in left engine down!"

Rooster felt his skin going clammy and his heart leaping right into his throat. "Shit! Steering is almost out!"

You two didn't have a choice. If you kept trying to fly the plane it wouldn't end well at all, not for you and certainly not for the passengers.

"We're gonna have to ditch," you told Rooster.

"What?!"

"We need to ditch in the water, it's the only way to land safely."

Rooster gripped your hand tight in his. He didn't want to do it either.....but it was the only way.

"Talk to me Dad," he prayed. "Guide us down."

The captain made an announcement, telling everybody to buckle in immediately. You and Rooster prayed not just for yourselves, but for Nicky and everybody else.

The swamps hovered further towards the plane.........

*CRASH!!!!!*

The plane skidded into the swamp water, kicking it up into a dirty, white spray before it halted. You and Rooster opened your clenched eyes, amazed that you and every passenger aboard was alive. You two were practically sobbing with relief, throwing your arms around each other before making your way to find Nicky.

The rubber slides had already rolled out and the emergency exits opened, the engine in the left wing of the plane still burning. You grabbed Nicky and made your way out with Rooster, sliding right onto the squidgy, marshy ground. You and Rooster were still at a loss for words, overwhelmed with relief that you were alive. Nicky cried, but you and Rooster did your best to try and calm him down.

The loud rev of an airboat caught your attention when it zipped around the corner, kicking up another wave of white water before it pulled to a stop. "Hey you guys lookin for a lift?!"

You and Rooster squinted a little in the moonlight, barely making out the figures in the dark. "Holy shit!!" Rooster exclaimed. "Joe?!"

Joe, Bob, Phoenix and her husband Cole and Cole's grandfather, Billy, all hopped off the airboat and began helping with whatever they could. "Saw you guys coming down from a mile away," Joe remarked.

"How'd you know?" you asked him.

"We went out on a snake hunt earlier," Bob answered. "Dad and us must've bagged at least four hundred dollars worth of those invasive pythons people are always hunting."

"Anything we can do to help?" Phoenix asked.

"Maybe give us all a lift?" Rooster asked.

"Done deal."

Word got back from them to Billy quicker than they could imagine before he had managed to round up most of the neighbors to give people a lift back into town so they could call their families. As you, Nicky and Rooster rode on the airboat back to Billy's cabin, you huddled close together, unimaginably grateful not just for having survived......but for each other.

[day-dreammmm]

"The Hidden Gem"

-day-dreammmm

“If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hotdogs!” – a line from a kid’s show that goes by the title, Steven Universe. I spent the whole month of august watching every episode and all the content it could provide me.

This Emmy-awarded animated show took place in a fictional town called Beach City, where ageless alien warriors known as the Crystal Gems live in an ancient beachside temple. They project female humanoid forms from the magical gemstones at the core of their being. The Crystal Gems protect the Earth from the disasters the Homeworld Gems caused centuries ago. They are then joined by Steven Universe. He is a hybrid son of a fellow Crystal gem known as Rose Quartz and a human named Greg Universe.

After they wrapped the show in January 2019, “Steven Universe: The Movie” follows in September. Telling a story of 16-year-old Steven all grown up and the Crystal gems making peace on earth, then suddenly gets interrupted by a gem stuck in the past, known as Spinel, that wanted to take revenge on Steven’s mother who left her alone. A twenty-episode epilogue series then began airing in December of 2019 titled “Steven Universe: Future”. It shows Steven facing the future ahead of him and the other characters. He deals with all the trauma he gained from his childhood but then receives help from the characters he all helped in the past.

When Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, executed a number of complex topics we face in our everyday life for the young audiences to easily understand from a different perspective with such care amazed me. This makes her creation well appreciated by both adults and kids. The storytelling makes it distinct from the usual kid’s show norm and even common adult shows. The characters were made to deal with stress in a clear-eyed way and then properly recover from different obstacles are seen in it. We get to see inclusive and mature queer representation as well when we found out one of the main characters, Garnet, was part of the LGBTQIA+ community. It had to be the boldest move for Sugar to make since we rarely get to see these themes in television before. A revolutionary show that plenty of audiences loved was made owing to this.

Everyone in the making of the show was called the “Crewniverse”, and as I watched the documentary of the movie I realized that it needed so much work and absolute love to put into it to be a whole. From writing and creating the storyboard, compositions of the songs, the new character designs, animation making, and reuniting the voice actors, to the finalization—their work began to mean even more to me.

For it to be an ongoing cartoon on the channel, Cartoon Network, their visuals needed to fit the standard that they had for recognizable characters, color combinations and details easy on the eyes, and more kid-friendly ideas for a plot. This contradicts the pilot episode they made that had a lot of detail in the background and the character designs, a darker color palette, and a much more terrifying monster to defeat. This ground-breaking style Rebecca preferred required changes. In the end, some elements still made it, and the pastel color palette worked beautifully with the story’s feel. I appreciated the countless little details they added to the backgrounds or their personalities in episodes that added context to what the life of the characters looked like. Every character felt real in the show and each had their own story.

The musical numbers and songs are one of the big parts the fans loved about the show. It added so much emphasis to the storyline. They couldn't stop getting stuck in my head since they were made to be catchy. It’s interesting how a different instrument was associated with the theme of each main character. In Garnet’s theme, we hear more bass and synth, Amethyst gets the drums, we hear the piano in Pearl’s songs and background, and chiptune if often paired with Steven.

Steven Universe may have its flaws too, such as the filler episodes that don’t gain anything from the plot, the shallow writing of some characters, the inadequate animation some might say, and the bad twists. These are well-known mistakes of the show that the producers had the potential to improve. Though this is what they have given us and if every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hotdogs! Meaning, that if everything was perfect we won’t enjoy it that much and that’s how life is. When you watch the first few episodes, it may just seem like continuous nonsense entertainment, but once you get interested in what they are up to and start even predicting what’s going to happen, it will be worth the watch.

It was said that Rebecca as the creator, held this show personally and partially based it on her experiences in real life. Teaching kids how love, both for others and ourselves, can help us persevere through life's hardest challenges is the show’s most lesson to the audience. With the complex storyline they have created, the lessons and the sense of reality still hits you. Having seen their adventures, and how they faced a variety of challenges, and experienced growth together made me feel too connected to its story. It’s a show that I will treasure as I get through life. As I end this, I will finally get to say farewell to this Steven Universe phase I got into. After all my research I have consumed enough, and I will recommend my friends to try and give it a watch too. This shall be my act of gratitude for showing me another perspective on being human.

[thegreenfaery]

For the Ask Meme!: Kira: 🌱 - Do they have a green thumb or are they a plant killer? Hinamori: 🐒 - What’s their favorite animal? - Hisagi: 🍪 - How well can they bake?

I'm not going to lie: two of these answers came to me so quickly, it was brutal. I'll let you guess which ones.

Kira:

Firstly, let me explain that I am a firm believer in plants feeding off of the energy of their surroundings. There are studies that suggest they respond better to certain types of music (much like cows and chickens).

Now, I fully accept that my adoption of these 'studies' is probably wholly down to my personal confirmation bias (I am a pagan hedge witch, after all), and that Mr GF (The Scientist) would strongly dispute the 'evidence' and The Science behind them.

The point is that Kira Izuru, bless him, tries so hard to be a good plant parent, but any live flora unfortunate enough to end up in his care will inevitably die a slow, withering death, growing pale and sickly, until its straggly, weedy limbs give up the ghost for good.

The first time this happened to his kitchen herbs, Kira was frantic. Just what had he done wrong? He tried again, this time keeping the plants beside the window for full sunlight and following a strict watering regimen.

The mint's leaves curled, turned brown and crispy and fell off. The coriander turned pale yellow and droopy. They died.

Someone bought him an orchid. It flowered for a single season before the blooms fell off. The leaves turned yellow, and it developed these weird, squishy, brown tendrils. He cut them off*. It also died.

He does, however, have a cast iron window box of marigolds just below his office window, and they positively thrive. Whether this is because his work schedule leaves him little time to drown them like his houseplants, or because they enjoy their mascot status remains unknown.

Or maybe it's simply because marigolds symbolise despair and grief and Kira's aura of depression gives them the perfect spiritual sustenance.

I know what I'm putting my money on.

VERDICT: Do not employ Kira Izuru to babysit your plants when you go on holiday. They will never recover.

Hinamori:

Make no mistake, Hinamori Momo loves all small, cute things, but the day she discovered tamarins and marmosets whilst perusing the many dark recesses of the academy library was almost certainly a highlight of her school career.

There's the Emperor Tamarin.

Just look at his majestic moustache! And those tiny, little ears! And his little snub nose! He's adorable and magnificent.

There's the Golden Lion Tamarin:

I mean, if Renji was the size of a squirrel, this is what he'd look like. Glorious and just so shiny. Undoubtedly better at Kidō than the Sixth's Lieutenant, however.

And the Common Marmoset (Other Marmosets are available):

Just look at those tufts! Fabulous, darling, fabulous.

She also has a newly developing soft spot for kangaroos. They kind of remind her of Shinji: dorky looking, but also liable to fuck shit up.

Anyway, hopefully one day she'll be able to live out her dream and start a piece documenting her travels to far flung places in the Living World and the animals she finds there for The Seireitei Communication. Will Shinji want in on this? Absolutely. Will he attempt a David Attenborough-style voice-over? Yes. Will he don a cork slouch hat? Do I really need to answer that?

VERDICT: Let Squad Five start a nature documentary. Hisagi:

I'd just like to iterate that Hisagi Shūhei is a complete disaster in almost every respect. This man should not be allowed near a kitchen in any capacity.

He's the kind of person who would confuse salt for sugar; plain flour for self-raising; he'd use margarine instead of butter because it's cheaper. Everything would also carry a hint of engine oil.

Look, if he could cook, he wouldn't ever feel the need to demean himself by scrounging scraps from Ōmaeda's table.

VERDICT: No. For the love of all things sacred, do NOT let Hisagi loose in the kitchen.

Photos found on Wikipedia.Emperor Tamarin: By Brocken Inaglory, edited by Fir0002, edited by Brocken Inaglory - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3075886 Golden Tamarin: By Daderot - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20274492Common Marmoset: By Carmem A. Busko - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Marmoset_copy.jpg, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2211044

[halfusednotebook]

At the beginning, again | Writeblr intro

Hello, writeblr! I'm dipping my toes in the community again, after one abandoned sideblog and an attempt to include my writing on my main blog that left me unsatisfied. So I'm doing this again. A fresh start, on a new account, on a clean slate.

My name is Ioana (she/her). 28 years old. Born, raised and still living in Romania. Mathematician. I've been telling stories since I've learned how to speak and wrote them down since I've learned how to hold a pen. Sending my things into the open sea of the internet to be looked at by millions of eyes is something I've always struggled with. Fortunately, tumblr lives in a sort of Goldilocks zone of the writing community. Unserious enough to ease the pressure of perfection, popular enough to allow some eyes to find their way towards my words. I write both in English and Romanian.

I tend not to finish things. Stories, exam papers, personal projects, notebooks. Especially notebooks. Hence, the URL of this blog: halfusednotebook, because they all are.

Literary interests

Science fiction and literary fiction. Beautiful writing. Strong women. People doing their best. Space opera. The end of the world. Grief. Time travel. Cosmic devastation. Found family. Platonic love. Strong friendships.

Writing projects

Writing is going slowly these days. I'm a phd student with teach assignments which takes a lot of time, but I'm always writing stories, even if sometimes I do it only in my head. Here are the most concrete things I'm working on right now:

— great circles, connecting dots (working title)

For ten years, best friends Clara, Christopher and Nathan have been running a Youtube channel that specializes in history documentaries. It's 2030 and they are reaping the rewards of their most ambitious project to date, when global disaster hits. Clara is stranded in the USA, Nathan and Christopher in Switzerland, and their native country of England is no more. The novel centers around Clara's journey back to her friends and switches timelines between 2030 and the Before Times.

I've been working on this thing since 2020 and I've hit a bit of a wall. I'm not happy with my initial choice of Global Disaster, and am currently slowly researching a better one. These three characters and the relationships between them have become very dear to my heart and I would love to be able to complete this project. It would be a perfect definition for what I think the trope "found family" illustrates.

— the creature in the sky (working title)

Thousands of years into the future, Earth lies poisoned and abandoned in the original solar system, the humans having moved and established themselves somewhere else. An anomaly shows up through the sensors they keep orbiting the defunct planet, so they send a team to investigate. The situation turn out to be, in a word, indescribable.

This is supposed to be a short story, based entirely one a sentence that popped into my head, when a particular word stood out to me. I'm not going to write the sentence here, but I will let it be known that the word was Schiphol (airport).