#actually did a little research into salt in Japan for this one

[maideninorange]

TsubaKuro Salt

Tsubakura's taste in salt, like much of their choices in food, has a penchant to disgust Kuroji. Though it is more baffling here than some of their...other choices. Especially since it is less Tsubakura being Tsubakura and more an accommodation to Yabusame's love of ungodly amounts of the stuff. Tsubakura just thinks Kuroji has no sense of adventure when it comes to food.

Of course, Kuroji is quite the hypocrite when it comes to salt. They are very prone to putting large amounts of it on their food. This is less out of preference and more out of pragmatism, mainly due to it being the only seasoning they can actually afford that lets them actually taste anything. Tsubakura naturally teases them for it quite a bit when it comes up (though Tsubakura is still definitely worse when it comes to salt).

Kuroji sometimes gets salt thrown at them as a warding gesture because they act like a demon (or really just the common caricature of youkai). Naturally, Tsubakura sometimes gets in on it, something about fulfilling their duties as priest (when in reality they just want to fuck with Kuroji). They did once help Kuroji rinse the salt out when it got in their eyes though (Kuroji claims they could've gotten it out themself, even though they were stumbling around blindly; not that Tsubakura cares).

[retrowaving1]

Polish Versus Ukrainian Cuisine, Part 1

I have to confess, I have a little sin on my consciousness, namely, I visit Instagram sometimes. In most cases I do that just to catch up with my friends and family, but, you know, as most of young people of my age I just end up scrolling a tiny bit (usually, right until the moment I feel the urge to vomit, as I genuinely hate this place).

Recently, I came across a very cozy video where a Korean home cook mixes a Polish Pierogi Ruskie recipe with some Korean toppings. The thing that confused me the most, though, was the most liked comment under this video left by a Ukrainian woman who claimed that Pierogi Ruskie is a Ukrainian dish and is, in fact, called Varenyky. It's easy to assume that this person has never made a single dumpling, varenyk or pieróg in her entire life, as she kept on claiming that Pierogi Ruskie can have a lot of different fillings and that Polish Pierogi don't have such a big choice of fillings as Ukrainian Varenyky do, so, clearly, this person had zero idea what Pierogi Ruskie actually are, but that's not the point.

This comment made me wonder how different are the two cuisines of those Eastern and Central European countries. Having lived for a long time in both countries, I thought it would be interesting to study this topic a little bit, namely from the perspective of the difference between the staple dishes in two cuisines. After all, we actually are what we eat, especially on the global scale. Everyone knows Italy for their brilliant pizza and pasta, and everyone knows Japan for sushi and tempura, and even though food is not the only aspect of those cultures that made them famous around the world, it definitely adds up to create a full picture of their collective cultural identity.

So, in this post I'd like to share some personal observations that I made throughout my life about Polish and Ukrainian cuisine having lived significant portions of life in both countries, being ethnically related to both and being wholeheartedly fascinated by food.

Disclaimer!!! I'm not a food scientist or chef, nor am I a professional historian. All the notes down here are mostly based on my personal observations and some basic research. I did consult a professional cook and a baker whom I know personally as they happen to be my family members. I do recommend treating everything I share here with a grain of salt (hehe, because we gonna talk 'bout cookin', hehe, so use salt) and bear in mind that different cooks have different approaches to their recipes and your personal experience with Ukrainian and Polish food might differ from mine. That being said, I encourage you to share these experiences whether you are Ukrainian, Polish or anyone else, really. I do not accept such arguments as "Ruskie because Kyiv Rus!", though, as it's not about arguing in the first place, it's about diving into the heritage of those two countries and talking about the food.

Pierogi vs. Вареники

Let's start with them culprits. I think those two dishes are the most confusing ones because of their similarity. Gosh, both of them are dumplings from Europe shaped like a growing moon, aren't they?

The dough for both dishes varies from region to region, from cook to cook. In my experience, both recipes need three basic ingredients:

- liquid

- salt

- flour

The rest depends, really. You can change the four, you can change the liquid, replacing water with milk or kefir, you can add an egg. I personally go with my mother's recipe which is boiling hot water, egg, AP flour and salt.

Two of the striking differences are their size and shape. It seems like Ukrainian dumplings are usually smaller, flatter and quite translucent in comparison to Polish ones, which are big, sometimes even huge (check Pierogi Po Bieszczadzku, they are bigger than my fists, I kid you not), they have a very full body and the dough itself is thicker (the reason is not so much ingredients in the dough as is the method of forming/cutting the circles out of it). They also have a lot of different really funny regional names which very often also refer to the size, shape, filling or method of preparation, for instance, Dzyndzałki (Warmian small dumplings served in soup), Bulwanki (Eastern Polish holiday pierogi with variety of savoury fillings), Sasznie (A type of dumplings from Eastern Borderlands that use potato in the dough) or Sójki (Masovian baked pierogi made with yeast).

The fillings of both Pierogi and Varenyky basically might create their own multiverse. In both Poland and Ukraine, I found so many different combinations of fillings that it would be a waste of time to write about each one of them. However, Pierogi most often have savoury fillings (from meat through cheese and potatoes though different types of groats and the list goes on and on..), while Varenyky have a bigger variety of sweet fillings, including the classic cherry filling. Also, Ukrainians seem to be not very much into the meat filling. In my childhood, I had never eaten meat dumplings in Ukraine, however, at the time, pelmeni were quite a popular alternative. Ah, classic Soviet influence - replace your own with something russian )yuck.

As for the toppings, depending on what kind of filling you are dealing with, there are many alternatives for both dishes, including chives, fried bacon, sour cream, melted butter, caramel sauce (haven't seen this one in Ukraine, but noticed it being popular in Poland with sweet cottage cheese Pierogi) and many others. Both dishes are absolutely marvelous even without any additions.

Now, if anyone says that Pierogi Ruskie are called that way because they are Ukrainian, they are not entirely wrong. This type of pierogi was invented in Eastern Galicia (a geographical region in Western Ukraine which was also used to refer to the Eastern part of Poland; The name derives from its Polish name of territory - "Ruś Czerwona" ("Ruthenia Rubra" in Latin)), however there's a high chance it happened when it was the part of Austrian Empire, when majority of population in this region, especially in big cities including Lviv, were Polish. Either way, this dish is much more popular in modern Poland and has lots of different regional variations that you can meet across the whole country (see the Bryndzylki designed by Polish Highlanders), while it's basically non-existent in Ukraine and in the country they are often called "польські пироги" (literally "Polish Pierogi"). Pierogi Ruskie are prepared with cheese, onion and potato filling, while in Ukraine you are more likely to come across some Varenyky with potato, onion and bacon filling.

Thank you very much for your attention, share your dumpling preferences and experiences in the comments or in the reblogs, share your recipes, go crazy, and let's discuss the food!!

My pierogi variation with cottage cheese and strawberry jam filling (not the most attractively shaped one, but very tasty - my significant other approved them):

[rubberduckyrye]

You don’t need to post this, but thanks for caring about antisemitism on a deeper level beyond that whole Kokichi’s hat thing. Just saw a different post that really bummed me out so seeing you being thoughtful about it cheered me up (which is funny bc Gonta’s backstory never personally bothered me, probably bc my standards are low and at least the reptites portrayed as nice there & a video game reference lol)

NGL Anon I'm morbidly curious about the post you saw, but aside from that--

I actually want to give @jacksmusesdrv3 credit here, because for the longest time I did not want to really engage with the antisemitic stuff at all--which while my intentions were good (as in I wanted to just kind of erase them from my rewrite), it made me blind to other antisemitic notions in the narrative, a lot of them being philosenitism, which in this case, is a very specific breed of antisemitism that idolizes the stereotypes instead of condemning them/using them to fear monger.

I knew that the hat was likely a reference to WWII Germany (I still can't believe military officers wore hats with SKULLS ON THEM like how can I take you seriously you are LITERALLY being supervillans in a cartoon I cannot--) and I knew the Reptites were suspiciously similar to the "lizard people" thing, but there's quite a few a bit of philosenitism in it--things I plan on trying to remove if possible.

I also have been discussing the ableism (pardon the extra salt for the post with the links, this one's personal) and racism in the narrative of V3, both of which I also plan to either address or reassess.

I am very neurodivergant (AuADHD), so the ableism is something I face first hand in my daily life--but the racism and antisemitism aren't things I experience, which is why I want to learn about them and rework the story of Twins AU to be rid of them, if possible. Especially since the ableism is baked into the character interactions and Gonta's character arc so that's hard to remove, but the racism in Angie's writing is mostly backstory related so that can easily be reworked and changed. (Namely, I'm stuck on if I should keep the deities she refers to as the Atua, since I'm not sure if that's interchangeable with the Kupua, which is specifically Native Hawaiian, where as Atua refer to deities that aren't so specific.)

For the antisemitism and antisemitic-philosentism, I'll need to do more research on. I know there is something with Kirumi's last name being a reference to a prime minister of Japan, which has something to do with philosentism/antisemitism, but I don't 100% recall it atm.

Still!

I try to be very, very mindful of these sorts of things in fiction, as I want to create a story that isn't going to perpetuate stereotypes or harmful rhetoric, which will isolate readers of those groups from my work. I never have fun seeing ableist shit in media, in fanfic, so I apply that same logic to everything. A Native Hawaiian won't like seeing Angie's narrative racism. A Jewish individual would feel uncomfortable seeing antisemitic characteristics, even if they are being glorified. So I try to eliminate those things from my own rewrite.

And TBH, I am a little ashamed of myself for wanting to shut down any discussion about the antisemitism/philosentism in the past, because I didn't realize it was making me ignorant. I thought I recognized all of it and that was arrogant of me. I have a lot to learn, and I will always be learning! So I've been slowly working myself up into discussing it and understanding what about V3 has the antisemitism and the antisemitic-philosentism, so I can rework that in my own story.

But yeah--sorry for the long response, I just kinda started rambling a bit.

[badassbutterfly1987]

2024 Book Reviews (January-June)

5 stars

Doomsday with My Dog (Yu Ishihara, 2022): Post apocalypse manga with a teenage girl and her shiba inu companion traveling across Japan. Format a bit like the daily Garfield comics, it's overall a good time and worth a read especially for dog lovers. Also the epilogues to each volume consistently made me cry (in a good way).

The Nursery (Szilvia Molnar, 2023): An undeniably rough read about a new mother experiencing post-partum depression while trying to care for her infant daughter while her husband has to return to work and leave them alone for most of the day. As someone with complicated personal feelings about pregnancy/childbirth/parenthood, it was unsettling to read about the portrayal of depression and intrusive thoughts. Warning for brief thoughts of harming her child and the specific discomforts post-pregnancy.

4 stars

Ninefox Gambit (Yoon Ha Lee, 2016): Did I understand half of the scientific worldbuilding? No. But I did adore the Cheris-Jedao dynamic and the secondary characters were interesting. There are a bunch of twisty flashbacks in the climax/aftermath that would make a second reading worth it.

3 stars

River of Teeth (Sarah Gailey, 2017): Fun but too short to have much depth. Decent heist, decent characters, decent diversity.

Alone in Space collection (Tillie Walden, 2021): Wish I had stronger feelings because these are clearly personal comics.

Stolen Gods (Jake Page, 1993): A fantastic premise with an unique character. The first in a series about a blind sculpturer who is also an amateur investigator (think Sherlock Holmes). Its approach to Hopi culture and the bullshit of art collectors/museums being resistant to returning cultural artifacts seems well-researched. Can't say much about the blind representation; some scenes clearly take it into account while others seem lacking (one would expect the use of a white cane or seeing eye dog and not just relying on people around him as a guide).

2 stars

Rain Will Come (Thomas Holgate, 2020): Neo-noir thriller with a great premise but mostly doesn't deliver. Some good moments but otherwise felt like I wasted time reading this when there are better versions in the genre.

Ash (Malinda Lo, 2009): I like the premise. I wish I liked the actual story better. It has the right bones but ultimately didn't click with me beyond the first third and part of that is that I'm not sure what the book is trying to be about. Is it a character study? Is it a love triangle? Is it about the main character overcoming institutional sexism, homophobia, or class differences? There's pieces of all of that but no depth and little vibrancy. Kaisa as the main love interest has some sweet interactions with Ash but that's about it. Sidhean has more presence by virtue of being a mysterious fairy with uncertain motives but aside from a last minute reveal, there's no more depth beyond that. The conflict resolution made me have a "wait, that's it?" reaction.

Nonfiction:

The Mask of Benevolence: Disabling the Deaf Community (Harlan Lane, 1992): Decent look at the poor treatment of the Deaf community by hearing people. Tends to be dry and meandering, probably better books if you want to learn about the history of the Deaf community.

Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting (Jennifer Traig, 2019): fascinating idea, wish it was better structured and less distractedly snarky. Also have to take everything with a grain of salt because I caught two notable mistakes in the first 50 pages; otherwise gives the impression of being well-researched.

Pageboy (Elliot Page, 2023): an intimate and personal memoir about Elliot Page's difficult experiences in Hollywood, struggling with depression and dysphoria, multiple messy relationships, and coming out twice.

Kinfolks: Falling Off the Family Tree (Lisa Alther, 2007): the author's memoir about growing up in Tennessee and researching her possible Melungeon ancestors. While the subject is interesting, it takes a while to get to the point.

A Fire Story (Brian Fies): Conveys the experiences of the author and other families during and after the 2017 California wildfires that destroyed their homes. The art style is simple and conveys a lot of emotion

[thefloatingstone]

If you’re doing Self Quarintine (and you should be if you can help it) here’s some Youtube recommendations! Some of these I have posted about or recommended before but with almost all of us stuck indoors now’s a good time to remind you of some cool things you can watch for free!

I’m not gonna imbed the videos, I’ll just post the link because otherwise I would only able to post 5 and I want to collect a few so you can make a playlist or something. (I could make a playlist too but then I couldn’t tell you what each video is and you can’t pick and choose which one sounds interesting to you)

In no particular order:

Polybius: The video Game that doesn’t exist

An hour long documentary in which the youtuber did extensive research to find the origin of the “Polybius” Urban Legend, which speaks of an early arcade game reportedly seen around the early 1980s which reportedly gave people migraines, insomnia, nausea, subliminal messages, and in some cases heart attacks.

The Universal S

A shorter video in which LEMMiNO does his very best to try and track down where exactly this S that we all drew in middle school comes from? Why does literally every country on earth seem to HAVE their children draw this S?

I also recommend LEMMiNO’s video on the Dayltov Pass Incident and the perplexing UFO cases

Down the Rabbit Hole: Henry Darger

Fredrick Knudsen has an incredible fascinating series called “Down the Rabbit Hole” which simply focuses on... anything you can discover and go digging into. From weird internet personalities, to bizarre happenings in history. This video is about the artist Henry Darger, a man who lived in the early 1900s and for all intents and purposes had a perfectly average, lonely life, until it was discovered just before his death he had spent literally decades writing and drawing a fantasy world in what is possibly the longest piece of literature ever written.

I also recommend his video on the Hurdy Gurdy

Bedtime Stories Channel

I’m actually just gonna link the whole channel for “Bedtime Stories”. If you like weird and creepy stories, all of which at least claim to be “true” then Bedtime Stories is great. Coupled by illustrations and subtle sound effects, Bedtime Stories is literally listening to someone tell you a story about such things like hikers who mysteriously went missing, Sightings of Bog Men in Florida and giant Birds over Chernobyl, as well as weird and unsettling murders that remain unsolved. Sometimes the facts are a little dubious or have been disproved, but that’s not the point of the channel. It’s here to tell a creepy story, not give you a documentary.

A Journey Through Rule of Rose

Rule of Rose is a Survival Horror gave for the PS2 which has rather bad gameplay... but a FASCINATING story with just as many layers and symbolism as Silent Hill 2 could boast. It tells the story of one young woman traveling back into her own childhood in an orphanage in the 1930s, and all the horrors that contains. From repressed grief, abusive relationships, child neglect, abuse, and bullying... but it ALSO contains symbolism of societal class structure, politics, eating the rich, and how power structures work. Not for the faint of heart, but HIGHLY recommended.

I also super highly recommend his video on the similarities between Silent Hill 2 and Solaris

Clemps Reviews Crisis Core

Mr. Clemps is a great internet gamer who reviews JRPGs and other games he simply enjoys. Sprinkling in a heavy dose of comedy and very fast jokes and observations, Clemps’ videos are always upbeat, fun, and incredibly enjoyable to watch. I’m linking part 1 of his Crisis Core video in which he explains why the PSP game remains a personal favourite of his despite its flaws.

I also recommend his video on Eternal Sonata

Defunct TV: The History of Dragon Tales

Defunctland is a channel that deals with theme parks and theme park rides that are no longer standing, or which are no longer around in their current form. Defunctland also has a sub series though, called “Defunct TV” where they look at the origin of children’s TV which are no longer airing. I recommend the video on Dragon Tales which is incredibly wholesome, and a genuinely uplifting and soft story of good people trying to make good things for children. (I also recommend the videos on Bear in the Big Blue House, Zoboomafoo, and Legends of the Hidden Temple)

Hagan’s Histories of Polar Exploration

A Playlist for Diamanda Hagan’s videos about the doomed Franklin Expedition from the late 1800s, where England tried to find a passage through the Northern Arctic to the Pacific Ocean. This went horribly horribly wrong, with every member of the Expedition dead. Over a 100 years later we are still fuzzy on what EXACTLY happened, but apart from the arctic chill, there is also evidence of faulty canned food, a series of bad decisions, and cannibalism. Caution advised for this series.

I also recommend the rest of Diamanda Hagan’s channel. She is NOT for everyone, but if you enjoy somebody reviewing Z grade indie movies as well as just BIZARRE films, really bad Christian media bordering on Science Fiction (without making fun of religion itself) hot takes of classic (and modern) Dr. Who, an introduction to Red Dwarf, She’s an EXCELLENT channel to check out.

Good Bad or Bad Bad: Pass Thru

A half podcast half review show where two guys watch a terrible film, decide if it’s “Good” Bad or just Bad Bad and tell you if you should watch it too.

That’s it. That’s the whole show.

I recommend diving into the untold madness that is one of the best(?) bad film makers currently still producing batshit insane movies, the immortal Niel Breen.

There is literally nothing I can say that’ll prepare you for Niel Breen.

(I also recommend their more recent video for “Dancin’ It’s on!”)

History Buffs: Apollo 13

Do you like History? Do you like movies ABOUT History? Do you want to know if the movies about history you watch actually resemble what really happened in any way at all? History Buffs is an EXCELLENT channel, which does talk about the merit of a film itself, but is mainly focused on letting you know just how true to life that historical film you watch is. I highly recommend his longest video which covers the space race between the USA and the USSR, leading to what is known as “The most Successful Failure in NASA’s History”. The Infamous Apollo 13 and where the words “Houston, we have a problem” came from.

If you’re not interested in Apollo 13 however, I also recommend his video on the movie Casino, as well as his video on the female philosopher, Agora.

The Internet Historian: The Goodening of No Man’s Sky

With videos with literally MILLIONS of views, you probably already know the Internet Historian. But I still want to recommend him very highly because his videos are just THAT good and entertaining. I recommend his newest video, documenting that time we were all pissed off about No Man’s Sky, the difficulties the game studio was in when the game released, and how they have been working hard to finally create what is now a truly brilliant game which is winning major awards. A really good underdog story of how a video game company actually saw what was wrong with their game, and FIXED it.

I also recommend his video on Fallour 76 as well as the Failure of Dashcon

8 Creepy Video game mysteries

Hey. Did you know that sometimes there’s some REALLY weird shit in video games, hidden easter eggs which took literal decades to find as well as just a lot of “what the actual fuck?”. Oddheader is a channel with a dedicated discord and Reddit form solely focusing on trying to find or replicate bizarre video game finds, mysteries, and hidden glitches. Even if it means getting in his car and driving to a specific arcade just to check a rumour about Street Fighter II’s arcade version. So if you like getting spooked by weird game shit that’s not just some dumb creepypasta, this is a great place to start.

I also recommend his video on weird discoveries in DVDs and movies.

Red Letter Media: Best of the Worst

Look you already know who Red Letter Media is.

You know... these guys:

Here’s a video of them and Macaulay Culkin watching 3 terrible movies together.

I recommend literally any and all of their videos. Their discussion on Carpenter’s The Thing is amazing.

The Impact of Akira: The film that changed Everything

Ok trying to pick just ONE Super Eyepatch Wolf video is literal torture. Originally I was going to suggest his recent video on Final Fantasy 7 for the PSone but I realised I recommended something FF7 related with Clemps, so instead I will recommend The Impact of Akira, a video talking in depth about Akira both as a film as well as a manga, how it completely and utterly changed the anime industry both in Japan as well as the west, and why it is still a meaningful and one of the most important anime/manga even to this day, still being unsurpassed despite so much competition.

However, ALL of Wolf’s videos are incredible, so I also recommend his videos on wrestling (despite me not caring about wrestling at all), His video on how media scares us, The bizarre reality of modern Simpsons, Why the Dragon Ball Z manga is great, and literally any other video he’s made. He hasn’t made one bad video yet.

Was Oblivion as Good as I remember?

Exactly what it says on the tin. The Salt Factory goes back to playing The Elder Scrolls Oblivion and now with hindsight and modern sensibilities, gives feedback on his experience and whether Oblivion still holds up. This isn’t a super in depth review of the game’s mechanics or how its put together or how it was made. This is simply one guy talking about his experience replaying it with somejokes thrown in and how he felt revisiting it. It’s pretty good.

I also recommend the video he did on Morrowind (because I’m biased).

Weird Japan Only PS1 games

Thor High Heels is SO GOOD and deserves SO MUCH MORE subs than he currently has. THH focuses a lot of obscure and lesser known games as well as big popular titles like the Yakuza series, talking about what he likes about them, what he thinks is cool, and just what kind of atmosphere and mood a certain game has, even if the game itself is kind of ass. He’s done several videos on games that were only released in Japan, as well as videos talking about the fashion in Squaresoft games and how it inspired as well as was inspired by real world street fashion, the aesthetic of PC-98 games and other topics. He also styles his videos and thumbnails after promotional art for video games from the 90s and generally just has an excellent style to his channel over all. Very chill.

Blue Reflection Review

ValkyrieAurora is a channel run by Sophie where she talks about games she personally likes and enjoys. Her videos are really laid back and her voice is really calm and pleasant to listen to. She’s made a bit of a reputation for herself as “The channel that talks about the Atelier Games” and general is just a really enjoyable channel worth checking out if you just want something soothing to listen to.

Ancient Chinese Historians Describe Japan

Voices from the Past is a channel were historical text is read out loud in english. These can be anything like the above video where Chinese historians describe the people of Japan around 297 AD, Accounts of “Dog-Men”, or the worlds oldest letter of complaint from 1750 BC. If you’d like something interesting historically to listen to but don’t want a full blown history lesson, this is a really good way to hear contemporary people talk about their experiences and what they thought about each other in their own words, without opinions or input given by the narrator.

The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet

Whang! is a channel that covers weird internet stories, some horrifying, some curious and interesting, and some just plain weird. His video on The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet and its update, are about a song which was recorded off the radio in Germany around the 1980s, and after one person online asked if anyone knew who the artist was as they couldn’t find any information, led to the realization that NOBODY online knows where this song came from or who sang it. It’s a fun mystery to look into that, unlike some others on this list, is not creepy or unsettling, although perhaps a little frustrating.

I also recommend his video on The Most Mysterious Anime theme song, and the haunted Ebay Painting.

5 Lost, Destroyed, and Locked away Broadcasts

Yesterworld is similar to the Defunctland channel in that it talks about obsolete rides, theme parks and other forgotten pieces of entertainment. Although the majority of the channel focuses on movie rides, rollercoasters and Disneyland, I recommend the video on lost and locked away broadcasts which you can no longer see. I also recommend the video about Lost and Rediscovered movie props.

The Nightmare Artist

I talked about this one recently as I just discovered this channel. This video is about the renowned Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski who painted surreal and horrifying paintings during his lifetime. There is no mystery here or anything like that, it merely talks about the impact WWII left on Beksinski and how the trauma his country and people suffered influenced his painting, and how certain images and motifs can be seen to directly reference this terrible part of Poland’s history.

Disabilities in Prehistory

Modern media likes to portray how “savage” the ancient past is, and tell us stories of how any person born with a deformity or disability would be thrown over a cliff or dumped in a well because they would be too big a drain on a community to look after. But here’s the thing... according to archaeological evidence, it turns out our ancient ancestors actually did their best to look after its disabled members to the best of their abilities. This video talks about archaeological finds of people who had genetic disabilities and what we can learn from their remains. TREY the Explainer is a great channel for archaeology and also talking about what answers we could have for sightings of cryptids. (not ALL of which we have answers for)

I also recommend his video on Pre-Contact dogs as well as Homosexuality in Nature and the Genetic History of the Ainu.

Decoding “The Secret: A treasure Hunt”

“The Secret” was an art book released in the 80s full of beautiful paintings, but it is also more than that. The book has a fantasy story talking about 12 fantastical races who left wonderful treasures for humans to find,and the book’s paintings and riddles will tell you where you can find each of these treasures which are yours to keep if you can solve the puzzle... and the treasures are 100% true and can actualy be found and claimed, if you can solve the riddles in the book. The video tells the story of the artbook, who was behind it, what the treasures are, how many have been found and various other facts and details.

I also recommend the videos on this channel “The Game: A scavenger Hunt” and “The investigation of Erratas”.

5 Ancient Inventions That Were WAY Ahead Of Their Time

I would recommend you be careful with this channel as its main focus is existentialism and rather alarming topics such as “how close are we to the apocalypse” and other things whose titles alone are enough to upset me. However this video is nothing like that. This video is exactly what the title suggests it is. 5 ancient inventions that were so incredibly ahead of their time you’d think they were made up. From the computer used by ancient Greeks to steel swords we don’t know how to replicate, this video is a great mix of mystery and history.

Although I caution you with this channel, I recommend Joe’s other videos about mysterious books, as well as his video on the most inbred people in history.

However, I know I keep repeating this, I highly recommend caution with this channel. Perhaps its just me and the topics of life and existent are just triggering for me, but I’d recommend maybe just doing a search for the titles I mentioned and not to go searching through the video library unless you’re not bothered by this kind of thing.

-

Anyway I could keep going, but I think that’s a LARGE amount of videos to keep you occupied for the time being as well as some suggestions for further viewing.

Please enjoy, let me know if you found something interesting, and look after yourself!

If you enjoyed this list at all, please consider tipping me for a coffee

☕️ Ko-fi ☕️

[yetremains]

“...”

“Well damn, alright.” Yang downed the rest of her tea quickly, before gasping for a breath as she shoved her cup away.

“Lightning round, lets go!”

chocolate: when was your first kiss?

“It was in my young teen years, 15 I think. I’d been dating that individual for a couple weeks before they abruptly decided to kiss me then and there. We’d been dancing around the subject for a while. It wasn’t spicy or romantic, merely spur of the moment. Was sweet though. The year after that we had broke up and remained friends for a while until we lost contact.”

french vanilla: how old are you?

“You shouldn’t ask someone their age when they been through shit. Too god damn old is the best answer if you must know. I’m older than 28, trust me. Don’t let looks fool you. But hey, I’m getting even older come December 25th!”

cotton candy: three places you want to travel to?

“Do places long gone count? Can I say Home? Nah probably not. So three places let’s see... Japan, China, Romania. The actual places not whatever anything makes them out to be.”

strawberry: a language you wish you could speak?

“I know a damn lot of languages actually. Sometimes it’s hard to think of the right words to say because of this, knowing so many. It’s one reason I’m so odd with my way of speaking. However, I would not mind learning some dead languages. If that doesn’t count, then... Persian?”

coffee: favorite cosmetic brands?

“Ah hell. I mean, I’m not much of a cosmetic expert here. I work with whatever I really need for a music show or for just every day. I could say L’Oreal because I’m worth it joke but that seems in bad taste. If I was using cosmetics just for the enjoyment or to look special, I just try and get whatever works for me.”

mint chocolate chip: indoors or outdoors?

“Answered this one~!”

cookie dough: do you play any instruments?

“Plenty. I’ve decided to learn a few different ones so I can mix together my own music needs of demands arise for it. But I really enjoy stringed instruments or wind instruments. I carry a small harmonica or Ryūteki in my packs.”

rocky road: favorite songs at the moment?

“Not easy to give an answer for, I’ve got a really broad taste. But I’m thinking something with a heavier beat at the moment-”

butter pecan: favorite songs for life?

“Oh come on this makes it harder. As I said, broad taste. I can find enjoyment in many kinds of music and lyrics. Can’t exactly answer a favorite song for life here.”

cheesecake: what’s your zodiac sign?

“Which zodiac are we talking here? There are a lot out there. But the first one into my head is Capricorn. I am on the 25th of December.”

toasted coconut: the beach or the pool?

“As nice as the ocean can be, fuck the ocean. I’ll enjoy the coast line just fine but you won’t catch me swimming that far out in it. There is damn good reason why I don’t like the ocean much anymore. I’ll relax in a pool or a lake or river, thank you.”

chocolate chip: what’s your most popular post?

“Good question. I’ve made a few social media posts that exploded. But that’s probably not fair considering the music I do. I think my most popular is from years ago when I spray painted a statue of a certain someone to look like a baboon.”

bubblegum: books or movies?

“Both! Why choose? I enjoy both quite a bit. and besides, Books can always be there no matter what. And can hold so much valuable information depending what you are reading.”

pistachio: manga or anime?

“... Both again? But I prefer novels. This is more a guilty pleasure.”

salted caramel: favorite movies?

“I can’t remember the last movie I watched, if I’m honest, let alone a favorite movie.”

birthday cake: favorite books?

“Hmmm. Hard one. I enjoy the collected works of Edgar Allen Poe? There is Shōgun. The Mark of Zorro, Sherlock Holmes, Bram Stoker Dracula... There’s several.”

moose tracks: favorites for manga?

“Not exactly applicable, I don’t remember the name of any I like when I was young.”

orange sherbet: favorites for anime?

“The same as above. Wow I am old... I should really get in touch with these things again.”

peanut butter: favorite academic subject?

“Hah, I loved science and history. A damn lot really. I’ve used both to really help my self along and it’s come in handy. My need for knowledge had me spend a lot of time researching.”

black raspberry: do you have any pets?

“I’ve not had any pets since I was a rookie. Never had the time to truly care for one, and now with a hectic life, I’m not gonna do that to an animal.”

mango: when and why did you start your blog?

“Suppose just to exist and have something to do between pit stops.”

mocha: ideal weather conditions?

“It is torn between two for me. A nice warm day, clear, maybe with a gentle breeze. Some clouds above, and calm. That’s the ideal outing day... But, I suppose due to my birthday, I can enjoy a soft snow coming down,some snow on the ground, watching through a window with tea in hand while bundled up and warm. Much prefer clear day though.”

black cherry: four words that describe you?

“Now that’s just not fair. Let me think... Loyal, Determined, Caring, Protective.”

neapolitan: things that stress you out?

“Being reminded of my failings and those I’ve lost... the people I’ve hurt... Thinking about friends I wish I was closer too but too fearful to be that close. Hm. I can also be stressed out by far too much stimulation for my brain at once that it can spin my gears way too quickly.”

raspberry truffle: favorite kind of music?

“Again, broad tastes. But depending on my mood or feelings, it changes what my favorite kind of music can be. But I will always enjoy something gentle and calming.”

chocolate marshmallow: favorite brands of candy?

“I’ve always been partial to chocolates, or cream items.”

toffee: a card game that you’re good at?

“Ever hear of a game called Egyptian Rat Race? Also known as Egyptian Rat Screw, dunno why of course. I learned this game when I was a kid. 52 card deck, deal to each player until the deck is entirely used and everyone has a pile face down. Starting to the left of the dealer players pull the top card off their pile and place it face-up in the middle. If the card played is a number card, the next player puts down a card, too. This continues around the table until somebody puts down a face card or an Ace. When a face card or an ace is played, the next person in the sequence must play another face card or an ace in order for play to continue.If the next person in the sequence does not play a face card or an ace within their allotted chance, the person who played the last face card or an ace wins the round and the whole pile goes to them. The winner begins the next round of play.“

lemon custard: do you eat breakfast?

“Uh... Admittedly not often. With my metabolism problem I absolutely should, considering the demanding needs. I just can’t always bring my self to do so, the will for it isn’t there. I do snack though.”

dark chocolate: turn ons?

“Ooohh boy... Now this one has me turning a bit red here. I mean there is biting and tight holds, the usual stuff. But... I’m not gonna list a lot here, a turn on can be blindfolding me if I trust my partner enough.”

fudge: turn offs?

“Being an asshole, for one.”

peach: how do you relax?

“A nice cup of tea, maybe some soft music, and let my mind unwind a little. That’s if I’m alone. Otherwise a gentle conversation with a friend about small things... Once upon a time long ago I would have said long hugs or cuddling. Not an option these days.”

praline: a popular book you haven’t read yet?

“I’ve not read The Golden Compass, that has been on my to do list.”

superman: do you like sweaters?

“Weird how this one is with sweaters... but yeah I can enjoy sweaters in the right weather. They can be soft and warm, comfy. Great for cold days.”

cherry: do you drink tea or coffee?

“I drink both actually. But if I have the option for a good tea I’m going to take it without hesitation. Yet the spark of energy from Coffee can’t be denied.”

dulce de leche: an instrument you wish you could play?

“Without a doubt, Taisho-goto. Have you seen one of those? It’s so intricate and amazing, and can sound wonderful. It can be used to play all sorts of things. Fascinates me that the item was half inspired by a typewriter.”

blackberry: have you ever laughed so hard you cried?

“Oh a few times actually. It’s been a good long while now since I’ve gone that far, but it’s come close. But once upon a time this has happened!”

ginger: a new feature you wish tumblr could have?

“To Become A Functioning Website.”

blueberry lemon: favorite blogs?

“Now that’s just kissing and telling...” (( I’d also have to tag and dont wanna spam. ))

almond: favorite mean girls quote?

“Oddly specific, but... Variations of ‘One time she punched me in the face. It was awesome.’. “

butterscotch: what color are your nails right now?

“Uh, natural and colorless? I’ve not painted my nails in a while.”

cinnamon: have you ever been confessed to?

“I have yes.”

blue moon: have you ever had a crush on someone?

“Again, yes. We’re not gonna go into this can of worms.”

cappuccino crunch: do you take naps?

“Sometimes. There comes the occasion when one does get exhausted and needs a damn nap.”

mint: the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

“Get way too flustered and accidentally admit I liked someone.”

brownie batter: do you like sushi?

“Completely! You say we’re going to get Sushi and you have my full attention.”

key lime: where do you want to be right now?

“Home unfortunately.”

red velvet: do you wear prescription glasses?

“Nope! I’m thankful for that, but one day I have no doubt that’s going to change.”

green tea: favorite flavors of ice cream?

“Mochi green tea, chocolate chip mint, red bean, Strawberry shortcake... Gelato raspberry or orange cream.”

[jaquesofdragons]

Headcanons, pt 2

Here is the second half of the post I split in half. Part 1 is here.

One of the things I mentioned in a recent post was theoretical origins of various Bleach characters. If you ignore hair color being whatever looks best or catches interest as anime typical, there is a wide variety of ethnicities being represented among the characters.

Japanese obviously is the main one, and Chinese for those like Soi Fon, but then there are others, like Shunsui, the Shihoin Family, Shinji, Hiyori, Rose, Tousen, etc.

Notably, I’m not actually an expert on any of this. I’ve done research beyond initial wikipedia deep-dives, but take all of this with a grain of salt. These are just the conclusions I made for my headcanons.

Leaving aside those that are not from Asia is where things get interesting and starts bringing up questions. 

So, what determines where a soul goes when they die? Is it based on where they died? Spiritual belief? Heritage? Country they were born in? If they’re from two different heritages do they get to choose which after life they go to? Is it random?

This is, of course, based on the perception that Soul Society is only the after life for Japan. Or part of it anyway. There are foreigners, but they can all be explained by Japanese history. And their numbers are very small. All Nobles we see are of Yamato (mainland Japanese people), Emishi/Ainu, or Ryukuan, or a mix thereof, descent. Or possibly Chinese, like Soi Fon, who’s from a retainer family. Implying that no foreigners (not including long established immigrants) are born in Seireitei--they died and were sent to Soul Society.

So. Where do these foreigners come from? In canon present time, the answer might seem obvious. People go where they want these days and there’s lots of foreigners from all over the world in Japan.

But the main foreign characters in Soul Society are Captains. Lieutenants. And everything we’re led to believe, tells us that most of them got there the hard way through time and crawling up the ranks.

Gin, Toshiro, and Kaien are noted as prodigies for their quick graduation and promotion rates.

And TBTP tells us that Shinji, Rose, and Hiyori were Captain and Lieutenant level, Tousen at least seated but also probably Lieutenant level, 110 years prior to the start of canon give or take a year. That’s the 1890′s, turn of the century minimum. How long did it take them, not notable prodigies, to get to their level after graduation?

5 decades? 6, 8, 10? Add six for the academy - and then how old were they when they joined the Academy? How old were they when they died?

Whatever the case, it would have been before Japan ended their policy of isolation in the 1850′s, which restricted incoming trade to only the Chinese, Koreans, and the Dutch. This policy started in 1635.

The Portuguese and the Dutch were the two main European traders with Japan, but English and Spanish ships also visited before the doors were closed.

The Portuguese are notable because their habit of buying and obtaining Japanese slaves, particularly Japanese women, while simultaneously sending Jesuit Missionaries is linked to the banning of Christianity and enslavement of Japanese people by the Tokugawa and the start of the seclusion laws.

So for the blondes, their most likely heritage is Dutch. There are of course Portuguese and Spanish blondes, but the numbers are incredibly low. They could also have English descent. But as the two main traders were the Dutch and the Portuguese, I went with Dutch.

Now for Tousen. There are some obvious reasons for people of African descent to be on trade ships during the 15-1600′s.

All of the European traders of the time participated in the slave trade. They also hired crew along their routes, and slaves sometimes had the opportunity to become freemen. (not so much for women, except through marriage) Slaves could also have their own slaves, and it’s actually noted that Japanese slave woman were sometimes sold to crew members of Indian or African heritage. African men are depicted in Japanese art of the Portuguese arriving to start Nanban Trade.

There are so many options for why an African man ended up in the Japanese after life, options dwindling during the period of seclusion.

After some thought, I decided that those that died far from home, either were sent to the after life of their heritage or belief, or when they went to the after life of the place they are when they die, they can request to be sent to the proper one. thus explaining the low levels of foreigners in Soul Society. I have thoughts about little international exchange departments that will probably never be more than mentioned in passing once or twice in the entirety of my fic...

With this decision it made the most sense that most remaining souls of foreign heritage are mixed heritage or were for some reason denied access to a transfer, or had converted, or had family, etc.

This also addresses any time line issues with likely age of any of the foreign characters, explains any remaining connection or lack of connection to said cultures.

But back a little closer to home and those nobles: 

Well to start off with, I actually incorrectly called Yoruichi and the other Shihoin members Okinawan in that post, when I should have said Ryukuan People. Not only are they a separate ethnicity often characterized by their darker skin, but they are also traditionally matriarchal. Shunsui is notably hairy with additional brown and wavy hair. Notable characteristics of either the Emishi or Ainu people, other indigenous groups of Japan. Emishi is probably more likely, based on some more recent research I did. 

But given the following, either is possible:

The presence of Ryukuan and Emishi/Ainu people really fits into my headcanon that the politics and cultures of Japan and it’s islands did and didn’t affect Soul Society. In Seireitei, power and heritage seem the most important aspects to determine worth/status, etc. At one point, various members of the different cultures and ethnicities in the Japanese archipelago had enough spiritual power to continue or found new kingdoms/fiefs/clans in Soul Society, independent of the more dead arriving. Having children that never ‘lived’ in the Living World, and thus started separating to some degree from Living World politics. 

Some would have been wiped out in wars and competitions, or because they lost the spiritual power to continue their lines and hold authority. Or because they intermixed with other Families/Clans, etc. Some would have made alliances with the Soul King and some would have rejected him. Resulting in the formation of Seireitei, which gives power to peoples that would have been considered ethnic minorities that needed to be conquered and civilized in Living World Japan. 

I could go on, but I’ve already had to split this post in two, so I’m going to call it here.

[polar-stars]

Some Notes on what the grown-ups are up to...(Part 1 | SnKimiko Related)

So hey, I am not quite tired yet but too tired to draw so welp, I guess we’re doing this instead. 

Honestly, recently I’ve realized that I haven’t really explored the careers the canon characters pursue within in my Next Gen Fanfic. Which is mainly because I honestly haven’t thought that much about it but rather only ever held some rough ideas. There’s reasoning to that but that mainly has to do with myself but I don’t have to get into that in detail now. It’s a lot about the fact that I’m still a pretty young person with not the best understanding of how the world works yet...but I’m working on it!

So meep, I thought I could write down some actual notes for some info regarding what the canon characters are up to when “Shokugeki no Kimiko” takes place. I’m still a little unsure about them (so don’t be surprised if I eventually change things up later), so I’d gladly appreciate feedback honestly! 

Anyway, that lengthy intro aside...let’s get into it, I guess ; 7 ;

-

Megumi 

Megumi Aldini-Tadokoro, formerly just Tadokoro, lives in her hometown in Tohoku and took over the position as it’s head-chef after her mother retired. The news that a Totsuki graduate, and not just any graduate but a former Elite 10 member, took over the Ryokan certainly drove a lot of people to the place. 

Megumi’s wisdom regarding hospitality and her outstanding talents in the culinary field ultimately improved the tourism of the region immensely. The Ryokan is praised for the traditional Japanese atmosphere, exquisite food and, of course, the welcoming atmosphere and the warmth with which the guests are welcomed with. 

Given that her priorities are certainly the customers and building a relationship with them even if it is for only one day, Megumi always resigned off from opening another restaurant. She can’t be at all at the same time after all and in her mind it would make everything less personal. However it’s at a time where Megumi already earned a name for herself and instead of mocking her decision as “too limited” or “not enough vision”, she’s respected by the culinary world. 

Despite the fact though that the Ryokan is her prime focus, she does help out her husband Isami with new recipe ideas or other advice for the Trattoria-Aldini-Branch whenever he asks her. She does help out in the restaurants themselves as well, once or twice a year. Which is always made out to be a great deal. 

She often gets invited to various hotels throughout a year and occassionally, she’ll take the offer and arranges a special banquet for one night for the hotel’s guests to enjoy. It’s certainly always an event to behold and something that every hotel, she’s served so far, wears with pride. 

She’s mother to three children, two sons and one daughter. The oldest son, Hiroshi Aldini-Tadokoro, is a current higschool first year in Totsuki and a member of the 115th Generation. Her two twin-children Nino and Maja Aldini-Tadokoro still visit a primary school in the local area. They will be part of the future 119th Generation of Totsuki. 

Takumi

Takumi Aldini lives in Tuscany and is the head-chef of the original “Trattoria Aldini” where he grew up in. But it’s not just that...

With the help of his business-knowledgeable wife Ikumi and of course his loyal brother Isami, Takumi build a successful brand out of the Trattoria which expands all over the world, having restaurants in almost every noteworthy city. It’s, additionally, kept affordable. It’s not something that the normal middle-class man can eat in each and everyday but it certainly is something he can go to once in a while. 

Takumi is managing the restaurants within the West, so mainly Europe and America. (Isami is taking care of the restaurants in the East) 

At the same time, the original Trattoria keeps him busy as well given that as the first and original Trattoria it has a bit of a cult-status and is on every tourist’s To-Do list that comes into the area. Whenever Isami and his family come over to Tscany, things become even more lively as many foodies would kill for the opportunity to see the infamous Aldine-Family and especially the Mezzaluna-Siblings in action. 

Takumi has one daughter with Ikumi: Mika Aldini, a student of Totsuki’s 115th Generation. 

Alice

After her cousin Erina vanished alongside Soma, the Totsuki-Empire was eventually laid into the hands of the so-often-overlooked Alice Nakiri, making her the new headmistress of Totsuki once Senzaemon retired. 

There were a few doubtful voices regarding Alice’s Election as new head of this enormous branch, as so many had always pictured Erina in that position. But over time, these voice where shut down as Alice managed to fulfill her job pretty well. Some of her strategies or ideas might sound eccentric or unconditional at first, but there’s always logic and a certain wisdom to them. Also, Alice always had a great understanding of what she wants and how to get it which does make her a solid, cunning and to-beware negotiator.

She also does a lot for the intellectual part of Totsuki by expanding it’s library, funding research projects in fields other than strictly cooking, diversify the range of languages taught on Totsuki...etc. 

As her profession as Totsuki’s headmistress consumes her quite a bit, Alice was only able to open two restaurants: one in Tokyo, called “Snestorm” and one in Copenhagen, called “Yukidoke”. Both are reservation-only places where she serves her experimental and unique culinary ideas. Snestorm is more focused on Western ideas, so to speak, while Yukidoke is more Eastern-orientated. 

She has two twin-daughters with her husband Ryo: Lola Nakiri and Mona Nakiri, both members of the 115th Generation of Totsuki. She and her family definitely remain the apex of Japan’s culinary landscape. They host a yearly Summer-Ball which is one of the grandest, biggest and most anticipated events for any person worth their salt within the culinary industry.

Akira

With the reputation of having survived Totsuki and ending up amongst the 10 best students backing him up, Akira opens four highly-successful restaurants over the years between his graduation from Totsuki and the current timeline of “Shokugeki no Kimiko”. Currently, he’s outlining plans for a restaurant in the US.

His first is called “Sona” and is located in Tokyo and also known as Akira’s “main restaurant” so to speak. Over the years it has grown into a small palace and its one of pricey but also praised restaurants within the city. Quite a few rich ladies would die to have their wedding taking place there, as one certainly feels like some sort-off Mid-East royal stepping into the place. 

The second is called “Signum” and is located in Singapore. What’s special about this restaurant is that the menu changes drastically every year. The concept is basically that each year, Signum serves a different kind of cuisine. One year it’s Thai, the other it’s Indian, then it’s Turkish, then Malaysian and so on. Akira announces this year’s menu on each New Years Party hosted by the Hayamas in Sona.

The third is called “Solaris” and is located in Kairo. Akira got inspired to open it, because of his son’s enthusiasm regarding travels to Egypt. It serves mainly all different sorts of curry but also various specialities of Mid-Eastern cuisines. 

The fourth is called “Lilac Garden” and it’s the first one to not start with an “S” and this one is more dedicated to his daughter. It’s located in Herakleion on Kreta. It’s honestly a bit more of a café and has a truly beautiful pavilion that offers an enchanting look on the sea. What’s noteworthy is that the entire place is decorated with all sorts of flowers. 

Aside from being busy with restaurants, Akira does actually time to time support Alice’s more academic advances in Totsuki by teaching seminars. It’s a rare occurrence but whenever he does, a broad number of students come rushing. 

He also found himself a little hobby in a little side-business as perfumer. Originally, he only wanted to construct a perfume for his wife Hisako as a little surprise for an anniversary and ended up thinking: “Why not make some money out of this?” While the perfume for Hisako of course is a Hisako-Only-Creation that will never make it into the public hands, he did bring 3 other perfumes to the market that sell pretty well. 

Akira has two children with Hisako, a son and a daughter. The son, Akio Hayama, is part of the 114th Generation and a member of Totsuki’s current Elite 10. The daughter, Kaori Hayama, is part of the 115th Generation as well as it’s valedictorian. 

[miran-native]

About Mimeosomes

Everyone who’s played through the main story knows the basics: Mimeosomes were designed to bridge the unknown amount of time it would take humanity to find a new habitable planet. This way, people wouldn’t grow old and be able to maintain the White Whale and protect the Lifehold. We know that they are artificial in nature and that they are controlled from the consciousness stored within the Lifehold.

Elma mentions in one of the chapters (l can’t remember which one rn, but if someone requests it I will look it up) that the Lifehold cannot be too far, since they would otherwise feel the lag. Considering how the player can move freely all around Mira it is suffice to say that while the Lifeholds transmission range is limited, it is nonetheless still huge. Like, encompassing a whole planet huge. 

(Though, this observation might be futile since the endgame reveals that humanity would have been dead all along, so Mira Magic prevents us from making a sensible estimate as to how far this range could have been.)

What the main story chapters don’t tell us are the little details: can mimeosomes get sick, do they need food, etc.

So here is what I found:

Right off the bat: Mimeosomes have organic components. It is why in the sidequest “Lakeside Getaway” the cantors are able to exterminate the workers there, as they had laid eggs inside their bodies. We also see symptoms of sickness in Ajoa (the NPC who either dies or survives depending on your choices) because of that.

Despite that, other NPCs tell us that a mimesome doesn’t experience allergies and that they keep the humans safe from germs and contaminations which means they can’t get sick.

I’ve seen other speech bubble dialogue pop up when you walk past NPCs, talking about the ration bars BLADE use when they are out in the field (unfortunately I didn’t take screenshots at the time because I didn’t think I’d make a blog with all that neat trivia. They didn’t say anything important, just talked about the taste of these things).

If they didn’t need to eat at all, I figure they’d just pass on eating while they are on a mission since it’s just additional hassle – which is why I believe that (part, if not all) those organic components make up the digestive system. A lot of parasites do settle in the intestines, so I feel this is most likely the case.

 Other neat things I found:

We know that mimeosomes are supposed to mimic the actual human as close as possible when it comes to looks, but there are a few NPCs that tell us that there is a bit of leeway included when it comes to outer appearance.

 Hair, for example, can be easily swapped out (or in Felice’s case replaced), so there don’t seem to be any restrictions on hairstyle and color. Used to have straight hair and want curls now? Apparently no problem.

In the same dialogue Dorothy tells us that ‘bells and whistles’ is stuff like less weight, get rid of scars, beer bellies, etc. (I really wish I had screenshotted that latter part too, but again, I didn’t think I’d make a blog with this. I tried talking to her again, but I had cleared a chapter or the main story even and the dialogue didn’t pop up again.)

So from how I understand it: As long as it doesn’t concern one’s facial features (you know, that thing that makes a person actually recognizable, like eyes, nose, mouth, jawline, etc. you are good to go. Height, I assume, is one of them. Not sure on eye color, since technically there do exist contact lenses that change eye color) one is free to do whatever they want. Make oneself skinnier, get rid of wrinkles, whatever comes to mind.

And it kinda makes sense, really. The higher-ups would know that people would never get their old bodies back and start over with newly created ones, so things like scars or overweight and other stuff one did to their body (surgeries and tattoos included) wouldn’t carry over anyway. The new body would be a blank slate in regards to that.

Other bits of trivia:

Another NPC says that one can regulate the growth of their hair and nails, even shut it off completely if they so wish.

 (Unfortunately I do not have a screenshot and I don’t remember which NPC that was, so until I go through the game again and actually find it, take this one with a grain of salt.)

One of the NPCs in front of the mimeosome maintenance center (Kent D. Carr) says that sensory impressions like taste are just data that one could easily recreate by uploading them in the mimeosome maintenance center. Which means that any kind of sensation can be recreated as long as it is in the database. (I assume this doesn’t only apply to the taste of say, chocolate cake, but also touch or maybe even visual recreation of something.)

I find it very interesting that this is even possible to do, since mimeosomes can eat and taste well enough to differentiate tastes (if they didn’t why would fellow BLADEs gush about Lin’s food or complain about the taste of the ration bars. And Lin has this whole thing in one of the official short stories where she complains about the canteen food on the White Whale). I guess it is still different from the real thing. Or maybe this is to preserve the taste of food one can’t get on Mira anymore. All human food is synthesized after all and in no way ‘natural’, so it wouldn’t possibly taste the same.

(I actually do have a screenshot of this buuuuuut it’s in German and I took it with my phone because I couldn’t connect the Wii U with the internet at the time. If anyone wishes to see it, I will gladly upload it though.)

The blood substitute is called “biocirculatory plasma”

This is said by Lin in Ch. 5 after Cross gets their arm blown off (screenshot available, but I didn’t deem it necessary to add as it’s a mainstory cutscene). Not exactly missable, but thought I’d throw it in here in case someone needs it for fanfiction or anything. The plasma is also blue, not red, as implicated by the following things:

a.) Mimeosomes are called Blue Bloods in Japanese

b.) After the attack on NLA (Ch. 8) there are NPC who do express their surprise at the humans being blue blooded/mimeosomes.

c.) This picture:

The plasma also has to circulate somehow inside the body so it’s not a stretch to assume that mimeosomes have an artificial heart that acts as pump.

 Ch. 5 also shows that mimeosomes can be shut down to prevent pain or further plasma loss. It is also possible to just turn off the pain response and stay conscious (I think this was said in the Sylvalum mission “Predator and Prey”).

 Mimeosomes are able to feel some sort of “reverse phantom pain”, i.e. feeling the (partial) lack of a body part even though it’s connected and up and running. This is also part of Ch. 5 after the player awakens in the maintenance center and is asked if they feel okay. One of the options leads to this bit of trivia.  

 Okay, I think that was all I had for now. Thanks for reading :D

 If anyone can provide missing screenshots or has found other bits of trivia regarding mimesomes do tell – or even better, submit!

 An extra bonus:

The name mimeosome may come from the Greek μνήμη (mnimi, pronounced as mnee-mee)) and σώμα (soma). Minimi means memory and soma body so the word would basically translate to memory body. And that’s kina dope.

  Not sure if this is right, obviously, the “mimeo” might be latin or some shit (or ancient Greek which is NOT the same, lemme tell you, as a native Greek speaker) and just mean mimic (as in mimic the human body), but, oh well.

Edit:

So, someone in the tags said that “Blue Bloods” is a term used in Japan to describe the rich and exempt (makes sense, here in Germany the nobility used to be referred to as such as well because the veins look blueish against pale skin. And back then pale skin meant you didn’t bust your ass open working in the fields), so basically sth among the lines of “rich and lucky ones” which is a neat bit of foreshadowing that got lost in translation. (I know who you are but since this was just tag-rambling I figured you might wanna keep your name outta this - if not, I can edit your name into the post.)

They also wondered how tf this mix of organic and mechanic components would even work; now, I don’t think the game is ever going to give us an actually coherent and scientifically sound explanation for that - I think they most likely settled on bullet points of what mims can/can’t do to keep things consistent (bc one would need not only a medical, but also a scientific and engineering degree to have a good grasp of everything and I’m sure af the developers didn’t study up THAT meticulously on this), but I was thinking about it, bc ya know, I studied biophysics and find this kinda stuff interesting af.

And then I remembered that one of the research groups at my university studies the interaction between organic molecules and solid surfaces.

This kind of research can be used to get new insights on how those molecules function, and also helps developing better prostheses (in regards to biocompatibility) - obviously they aren’t trying to make artificial organs or anything related to mimeosomes, but it IS a pretty big field afaik. 

Organic molecules can be viruses or bacteria for examples - and bacteria are a very important part of our intestinal flora.

So, what if a mimeosome’s intestinal tract is made out of a material that those kinda bacteria can thrive on? (It can’t be cells imo, bc human cells have to replace themselves very regulary. Intestinal cells get replaced every 2 - 4 days for example - and making use of life cells that need renewal seems to defeat the purpose of almost-immortal machines since the point was to live in and with them as long as possible as it was unclear when they’d find a new planet to settle on.) Gut flora can digest carbohydrates and certain sugars, so there is a starting point as to how mims could digest food. These bacteria can’t break down everything, but it is common practice in life sciences to use bacteria as hosts to express certain enzymes (even though they weren’t native in that bacterium before), so engineering bacteria that could digest all kinds of food doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch to me.

[cyancees]

honestly the character who deserves more hate but doesn't get any is Kaito. like he's straight up Sexist and Transphobic in full canon but nobody ever seems to care and act like he's perfect, just not smart. Himiko's that, not Kaito

you’re grasping at straws for reasons to hate a character and then go and love literal murderers and crazy characters.

rant with spoilers under cut

(yes, momota did technically “kill” someone but we all know the circumstances for that case.)

DISCLAIMER: I’M NOT JAPANESE, I’M JUST RELYING ON RESEARCH AND STUDY I’VE DONE OVER THE YEARS. IT’S 4:30 AM SO I’M NOT PROOF-READING THIS SORRY, IF I FUCK UP LEMME KNOW K.

i’ve talked about this way too much already, so let me just say everything and hopefully never have to talk about it again

as a woman, i don’t think momota is sexist. i think he’s an idiot who tries to be chivalrous. he talks about being manly, and says weapons don’t suit girls, and that’s not from hatred of girls or the belief that they’re inferior. it’s because he’s a dumbass. he definitely had room for development, but he died before ever getting an arc. kodaka is a bitch.

gender roles in japan are… kinda bad. but standing up for yourself and being loud & proud (much like momota’s character) is kinda a socially weird thing to do in their culture, which is why that kind of stuff is still in place. a man’s masculinity isn’t often questioned, and women are seen as weaker, and that’s just it. i don’t think it’s fair to blame a japanese character for acting pretty standard for the culture he was raised in. (might i also add that the writing as a whole can be misogynistic? if you hate it so much why play the games?)

i don’t think there’s any accounts of him being fucking transphobic since there are no canon trans characters in the game, but what you’re probably referring to is his use of the term “okama” when he sees shinguuji wearing lipstick.

first off, please do some research. people have been scraping at the bottom of the barrel with this remark. the term okama is not always offensive. it’s slang for effeminate gay men or drag queens, and some drag queens even use it to refer to themselves. however, many consider it to be the japanese equivalent for “faggot” and honestly, i wouldn’t put it that way. it’s more like “queer” where it isn’t really a slur but people can use it in derogatory ways. you can’t really translate some words directly, including that, and here’s why:

being gay was never an issue in japan. it was natural, and normal, and something no one thought twice about, as none of their religions said anything against it. there are plenty of famous historical gay and bisexual japanese figures. however, with the westernization of japan during the 1800s, that anti-gay culture began to affect the country. 

i’m not japanese, and i’ve never been there, but i’ve studied the language and culture for years and have done extensive research on these topics, so take it with a grain of salt, but - most japanese people do not have an issue with homosexuality still. most LGBT people in japan report their experiences of coming out as smooth, with their friends reacting mostly like “oh, okay.” the only real upset is usually with parents who want grandkids, or in the work place, particularly office jobs (which confuses me still, and has nothing to do with the scenario where momota is apparently homophobic, so i’m not gonna go into that.)

so far we know that:

- “okama,” though slang for effeminate gay men/drag queens, is not inherently offensive unless used that way (and you can say momota was angry/harsh in that sentence, but if you found out one of your friends had killed 2 people and was being weird, you’d speak harshly too.)

- for the most part, japan’s view of homosexuality is fine. most of the population supports it, and cities are beginning to legalize it and grant benefits of marriage. 

(side note - dating culture in japan isn’t really as important as it is here and in other westernized countries, so marriage is less important culturally to most people there. i mean, here in australia, homophobia is rampant as people throw around ‘faggot’ every day and bully you for it, but even we got it legalized first, because dating and marriage is just more important culturally)

so now it just brings up the question: why does momota automatically assume shinguuji is gay because he’s wearing lipstick?

three words: lack of education.

in general, education on LGBT+ topics in japan is very low. remember what i said earlier about people not going on about their rights and equality and standing up for themselves? it’s all related.

because of this need to never stand out, and dating culture being less important to most, many japanese people don’t come out just because they don’t want the attention. (that’s why characters in danganronpa might often react confused or shocked at other characters saying seemingly normal things to us - because they’re standing out, and that’s weird.) and because a lot never come out, the Straights think that there’s hardly any LGBT people in japan, and they know nothing about what they’re really like. which means they get all their education from the media.

LGBT stuff in the media, like television, is grouped into a genre called “Onee.” while onee usually means big sister, or used to refer to a young woman stranger, in this case it’s a less controversial way of saying “okama.” that means drag and other effeminate gay stuff is grouped together with everything else LGBT, so the Straights assume they’re all one and the same. 

so, that adds “lack of proper education” onto the bullet list.

let’s go over the scenario once more.

shinguuji murdered two people. he reveals he’s wearing lipstick. he talks effeminately.

momota, someone who likely knows very little about LGBT stuff, sees this, and assumes he’s gay or in drag or something. he doesn’t really know. furious that this guy killed two people, he asks if he’s queer. because in a society with heavy gender stereotypes, a guy wearing lipstick is kinda out of the ordinary.

momota’s fabled sexism/transphobia/homophobia all boils down to one simple point: he’s an idiot.

people like to overlook all the great stuff he’s done and the good guy he really is deep down because of some dumb stuff he’s said, then overlook all the terrible stuff other characters have said and done. it’s grasping at straws.

get this: you don’t need reasons to dislike a character. you’re allowed to dislike momota, i don’t care. but people need to stop going around spreading misinformation about momota being a bigot using the japanese text that most fans don’t understand to try and make everyone else hate him.

as a queer woman, the only thing i ever remember having an issue with was momota saying “weapons don’t suit girls.” but again, i’ve actually done extensive research on cultural differences, and i understand momota’s a dumbass who doesn’t think before he talks. i also think kodaka’s writing is pretty flawed in a lot of areas concerning female characters, but that’s a rant for another time because it’s now 4:35 AM. 

EDIT: if you’re interested in doing you’re own research, here are some good videos with actual japanese peoples opinions that i’ve watched (unfortunately i can’t find every single source i’ve had over the years, i’m sorry, it’s just too late rn!!)

(and here’s one that talks about masculinity and gender roles which it won’t let me embed)

EDIT x2: apparently i made a small mistake about the time momota says ‘okama,’ see me address it here.

[our-springdays]

april 29: 京都 pt 1

April 29 marks the start of ゴールデンウィーク (Golden Week) in Japan! There is no class for a whole week because there are 4 national holidays during the week (Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children's Day) and many offices tend to be closed as well. That means there are going to be a lot of people traveling during this time period.

About a week ago, a group of friends and I visited Waseda’s Co-Op Store to purchase Shinkansen tickets to go to Kansai. There is 学割 (Gakuwari) or student discount for these tickets. Since you’re going to be on a Student VISA to Japan, you’re not going to be eligible for JR Pass. You can get the 学割 printed at a machine in Building 14, 25, or 7. Bring those with you to the Co-Op Store; you will need to print 2 copies because one copy is only for one-way. So when you go to the Co-Op Store, you fill out a form with where you want to go and use a timetable book to find times for when you want your tickets for. A really nice lady at the store was assisting us after seeing us struggle for a long time. It would be very helpful if you or a friend knew a little Japanese so you can communicate with the people there. I’m not too sure if they knew much English because we mainly spoke in Japanese. The form that you need to fill out is also in Japanese, so it would help a lot if you knew a little of the language (or Google Translate might help). If not, I am sure the people at the Co-Op Store may know minimal English to help you get by since Waseda has a lot of foreign students. We bought a one-way ticket on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then another one-way ticket from Osaka back to Tokyo. The total came out to $233.35 inclusive of base fare, shinkansen fare, and seat reservation fee. (If you are just a tourist, the JR Pass makes your trip a lot cheaper! But take note that you can’t use JR Pass for the fastest trains - Nozomi and Mizuho. You can use it on Hikari, Kodama, & Sakura). Another side note, taking a plane might be cheaper than taking the shinkansen at one point, so you might want to check flights as well before booking!

Just moments before boarding the shinkansen to Kyoto~ We took the Fukutoshin Line from Nishi-Waseda to Shinjuku San-Chome to transfer to the Marunouchi Line to get to Tokyo Station. I think we just went with the fastest route Google Maps showed us at that time. It might be faster to actually just take the Tozai Line from Waseda Station instead. So take your pick. When you get to Tokyo Station, if I remember correctly, you first put in your base fare ticket. Remember to take the base fare ticket with you. Before you get onto the shinkansen, there’s going to be another ticket gate, & you have to put both your base fare ticket with the Shinkansen Super Express ticket. Remember to take them with you so you can get out of Kyoto Station when you arrive. Also, this is a given but leave early. You’re going to need as much wiggle room as possible in case you get lost in Tokyo Station. Make sure you have ample time to make mistakes because things happen. 

Finally on the shinkansen!! It was my first time riding the shinkansen! There was plenty of leg room (enough for me to keep my luggage in front of my legs) and the seats are super comfortable too. It runs super smoothly on the tracks that it put me to sleep after I was able to spot Mount Fuji out the window. (I took a video, but it’s hard for me to insert clips because my phone doesn’t like syncing them onto my laptop. Perhaps I’ll figure it out one day!! - Stay Tuned!) At one point, my ears felt like they were being plugged as if we were on an airplane. I think this is due to the fast speed that the train is running at, which causes a change in air pressure.

Having a bentou on the shinkansen is a classic!! I highly recommend this. Thanks to my dormy Gustavo for letting me take a picture of his food!! :) (and sorry Gustavo that I get the better angle LOL) Honestly, I slept 3 hours the night before so I didn’t have any appetite in the morning. Definitely learned my lesson to not go out the whole day the night before when I haven’t done laundry nor packed for this trip. But that is another story to tell at a different time!

We arrived at Kyoto Station!! I honestly don’t remember taking this photo, but what’s important is - WE’RE HERE!!! I think it took about 2.5 hours to get from Tokyo to Kyoto via Nozomi. Definitely got some good sleep on this train ride.

We dropped off our luggage in coin lockers at the station because it was too early for us to check into our Airbnb. In the meantime, we decided to walk around because guess who planned our week trip in this group!!! - NO ONE. We are young and like to live life on the edge. (Just kidding, maybe only slightly.) But pictured above is Kyoto Tower! There’s actually a huge food court at the foot of Kyoto Tower called Kyoto Tower Sando. We decided to check that place out a little later.

Since no one has planned anything, we thought this map would be super useful for us to pick sightseeing areas. I hope you can get some ideas too from this map if you visit Kyoto! (And hopefully, you plan ahead.) Also, know that there should be a bus ticket discount at the machines somewhere!! Since no one has done research, we only noticed it after using our IC cards around the area; I randomly peeped through a window and saw an unlimited bus pass. According to the quick search I just did, it is a 1-day bus pass that allows you to take unlimited rides on the Kyoto City Bus and Kyoto Bus. It is 600 yen for adults and is beneficial if you take the bus 3 times or more in a day. There is a flat rate for bus rides in Kyoto - 230 yen per ride. You enter through the back of the bus and exit through the front where you will then pay. This is a little different from Tokyo buses because you enter & pay at the front for Tokyo buses (which is similar to New York!)

We decided to walk to the Museum of Kyoto from Kyoto Station. I think it was over a half hour walk or maybe even longer... And when we got there, some people didn’t want to pay for admission so we didn’t go inside the actual museum part. Instead, we walked around the souvenir stores. There was a very beautiful postcard store in here for I think only 200 yen each. If you like paintings, you’ll really like the postcards. I decided to buy... ice-cream..! from 京あめとにまる, which sources their green tea from 宇治 (Uji). Probably not the best thing to eat as your first meal of the day, but I can’t reject matcha and anko. It was 380 yen for this cone! I’m going to miss cheap matcha cones when I get back to New York. This was so goood! I wish I could eat it now.

After killing some time at the shops, it was time to go back to Kyoto Station to pick up our luggage and then check into our Airbnb. We got lost trying to find it, but we eventually made it. I honestly wanted to break down onto the floor from dragging my luggage everywhere because it was so exhausting. That’s when I learned, I need to go back to the gym to train so I can become stronger!! There was this mural to our Airbnb room. Definitely cramped for 4 people because we had luggage with us. Also, the air ventilation wasn’t the best. We were able to smell smoke coming from somewhere nearby. It was a self check-in hostel type of Airbnb so there were people living upstairs. Also, to our surprise, the door to this hostel wasn’t lockable. It was lockable for your own personal room, but the door to enter into the hostel was just a sliding door. So basically anyone can come into the living room, kitchen area, and shower rooms. Honestly, that made me feel a little uneasy, but because we were in Japan, it’s a lot safer compared to New York.

There was a lot of manga (Naruto & One Piece) and very retro games in this Airbnb! The gaming systems went back to as far as the Nintendo 64! It was definitely one of my childhood gaming systems. The guys played Mario Party for a bit, and I decided to plan the itinerary for the rest of this trip. The bad thing is that the Wi-Fi wasn’t working in this Airbnb! I had to hotspot my phone data onto my laptop. After the itinerary was finished, we decided to go eat.

We passed by 京都勝牛 (Kyoto Katsugyu) the first time we were trying to find our Airbnb, so we knew we had to walk back for dinner! The line for this place was out the door and progressively got longer as we waited. We ordered the katsu set (140g) that came with rice, miso soup, & cabbage. With this set, there are 4 ways to eat your katsu: curry, wasabi soy sauce, Japanese salt, and “Worcester sauce.” Honestly, I’m not too sure about the translations they used on the menu, but they were all really good! I think my favorite one might be the curry. It is a cash only place and this set was 1,382 yen, which isn’t bad at all for wagyu beef! Also, there are unlimited rice refills!! Perfect because I barely ate anything all day. I guess I was too stressed from settling in that I didn’t even realize that I barely ate all day. But it was a really good dinner!! I remember being very sad while taking my last bite of the katsu. I’ll come back here for sure!

[ewh111]

2018 Annual List of Favorite Film Experiences

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you’ve been having a great holiday season. It’s been another fun year in film, television, and streaming. It felt like a particularly good year for diverse voices, visions, casts, and storytelling. While I still feel like I’m catching up on year-end releases, here’s my annual list of the ones that have entertained, moved me, provoked thoughts, or just plain stuck with me the most with their story-telling and artistry (In no particular order).

All the best for a wonderful 2019!

Cheers, Ed

Indelible (But VERY Different) Cinematic Experiences

Roma—I wasn’t sure what the hype was about for the first hour which leisurely unfolds before you, but it’s just the build-up as Alfonso Cuaron’s beautiful and powerful film slowly draws you in, and then suddenly grabs you with unexpected emotional impact. An intimate, yet sweeping story of a maid who holds together a crumbling family as her own life combusts. Based on the director’s own life and the woman who raised him, Roma is a complex multi-layered domestic/social/political drama with some truly haunting and indelible sequences. Some may be challenged by the pacing and seeming lack of narrative. Be patient and stick with it; it’s worth it.

Sorry to Bother You—Audacious, original first film and new vision from rapper/hip hop musician Boots Riley starring a terrific Lakeith Stanfield as down on his luck young man who gets a job as a telemarketer and advised by veteran caller Danny Glover to use his “white voice” to become a power caller. The story then takes a twisted wackadoodle turn that truly defies description. This bold and outrageous absurdist social satire/surreal anti-capitalist black comedy also stars an excellent Armie Hammer in a bizzaro role.

A Full House of Documentaries: A Pair of Giants of Our Time and Three of a Kind

Won’t You Be My Neighbor—Celebrating a true hero, it’s a warm and loving look at this pioneer of children’s television who became a role model of kindness and compassion for generations. Little did I realize when watching him as a child the bold and courageous manner in which he addressed the social issues of the day. And it is worthwhile to see the full six-minute video of Fred Rogers Senate testimony that saved funding for public television: https://youtu.be/fKy7ljRr0AA.

RBG—An inspirational telling of the brilliant legal mind who shaped America’s legal landscape on gender equality and women’s rights and became a pop culture icon. 

Three Identical Strangers—Fascinating documentary that starts as a “can’t believe it’s true” tale of separated-at-birth triplets who miraculously find each other as young adults, and then takes a very dark turn as the layers of the story are revealed, raising some real ethical questions about research and the debate about nature vs. nurture.

Additional Docu-series to watch: The Staircase (a gripping and powerful docu-series that is an intimate and detailed look at our criminal justice system as seen through the eyes of a man accused of murder who claims the death of his wife was an accident); The Fourth Estate (a fascinating behind the scenes look at the NY Times and their reporters as they cover the beginning of the Trump administration).

Historical Dramedies

The Death of Stalin—Dark and bitingly funny, this relevant political satire by Armando Iannucci of Veep portrays the intrigue surrounding the flock of sycophantic bureaucrats who vie to become the next Soviet leader after the sudden stroke and death of Stalin. A masterful historical farce with a great cast that includes Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, and Jason Isaacs. And it’s worth noting that the most absurd moments actually did take place (e.g., a rerun concert just to make a recording for Stalin; the alcoholic and meglomaniacal son of Stalin who lost the entire national hockey team by ordering their flight into a snowstorm and then replacing the dead players in hopes his dad wouldn’t notice).

The Favourite—While I decidedly did not care for filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’s much acclaimed The Lobster, this is a much more accessible outing. A highly original period/costume piece with an amazing trio of performances from Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, The Favourite is a dark and wickedly humorous look at the conniving palace intrigue, love triangles, and back-stabbing world of Queen Anne’s court, complete with fops, duck races, pigeon shooting, and rabbits that rule the roost. 

Vice—Not your typical biopic. From the man who brought you The Big Short, Adam McKay delivers an entertaining dark dramedy. Christian Bale wholly transforms into the enigmatic Dick Cheney in this boldly told tale (including a faux Shakespearean pillow talk bit and a mid-film happily-ever-after credit sequence) of a ne'er do well who becomes the most powerful man in the world, all “in the service of the people.” With a very strong supporting cast of Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, and Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld.

BlacKkKlansman—Director Spke Lee and the producers of Get Out deliver the unbelievably true buddy-cop tale from the 1970s of a black man who goes undercover to infiltrate the KKK by phone while his white Jewish partner stands in for him in face-to-face meetings. Told in a funny and entertaining manner, it’s one of Spike Lee’s best film in years, though it’s unfortunate how little the racial issues have changed over time.

Odes to Stan Lee and the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Black Panther—This is not just another Marvel superhero movie. This is what every origin story should be: a totally immersive world is created with a sophisticated and impressively well-told story, balancing big themes, character development, action, mythology, and strong messaging, including female empowerment. Black Panther is perhaps the best (and most political without being heavy-handed) entry in the MCU while leaving a very large cultural footprint on Hollywood.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse—I really didn’t think we needed another entry into the Spidey world, but this one was truly fantastic, perhaps the best of the bunch. With visually stunning animation unlike anything I’ve seen before, it’s the most trippy, inclusive, and soulful Spider-Man ever, and the one most true to its comic book roots.

More Fantastic Animation, Stop Motion, and CGI

Isle of Dogs–I am an unabashed fan of Wes Anderson, and here he creates a masterful stop motion universe, much more sophisticated and intricate than his last one, the wonderful Fantastic Mr. Fox. Taking place in a fictional dystopian Japan, he creates yet another Andersonian obsessively detailed world, infused with Japanese culture and canines. On the surface, it’s a simple story of a boy seeking his pet dog in a world where dogs have been banished to a trash-filled island, but it works on so many other levels, existential and political. A great cast of voices infuse each character with individuality and nuanced personalities, including Brian Cranston, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray. 

Ready Player One—An unexpectedly wild and entertaining journey, this Spielberg film that takes place in a dystopian future steeped in the nostalgia of the 1980s (video games, movies, music) where its citizens find salvation and escape in a virtual world called the OASIS. The central story of a teen in a whirlwind contest seeking control of the OASIS is a visually stunning and thrilling ride combining live action and CGI that is thoroughly satisfying (though I feel I need to go back to take in all the pop culture references that whirl by).  

Incredibles 2–Well worth the wait after 14 years. Just what you would hope for in summer film. Well-developed characters, action, and story with amazing animation and a terrifically snazzy Michael Giacchino soundtrack.

Other Enjoyable Film Experiences Worth Mentioning

22 July, A Quiet Place, Beautiful Boy, Boy Erased, Crazy Rich Asians, Eighth Grade, Green Book, Love, Simon, Mary Poppins Returns, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Paddington 2, The Price of Everything, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Science Fair, Searching, The Hate U Give, Tully, Victoria & Abdul

In the Queue

A Star Is Born, Burning, Cold War, First Man, First Reformed, Free Solo, The Frontrunner, If Beale Street Could Talk, Shoplifters

Binge-Worthy Television

The Americans, Barry, Succession

For the Foodie Set

Fat Salt Acid Heat, Ugly Delicious

Favorite Theater Experience

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child--if you’re a HP fan, it’s like being reunited with old friends. Great story and incredible stagecraft. 

Trailers

Black Panther: https://youtu.be/xjDjIWPwcPU

BlacKkKlansman: https://youtu.be/0vWHEuhEuno

Incredibles 2: https://youtu.be/i5qOzqD9Rms

Isle of Dogs: https://youtu.be/dt__kig8PVU

RBG: https://youtu.be/biIRlcQqmOc

Ready Player One: https://youtu.be/cSp1dM2Vj48

Roma: https://youtu.be/6BS27ngZtxg

Sorry to Bother You: https://youtu.be/PQKiRpiVRQM

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: https://youtu.be/g4Hbz2jLxvQ

The Death of Stalin: https://youtu.be/kPpXFnHoC-0

The Favourite: https://youtu.be/SYb-wkehT1g

Three Identical Strangers: https://youtu.be/c-OF0OaK3o0

Vice: https://youtu.be/jO3GsRQO0dM

Won’t You Be My Neighbor: https://youtu.be/FhwktRDG_aQ

[ask-the-phan-site]

Phan Cam: When Two Flames Meet

NOTE: I know that the Vert Wheeler from the World Race/Acceleracers and the Vert Wheeler from Battle Force 5 are officially two completely different characters, but in this timeline, they are the same person. Please don’t be upset about this.

>The Sault Flats outside of Handler’s Corners. After coming back from celebrating Violet’s Birthday and hers and Oracle’s graduation, me, Fox, Taro, and Vert came out here. Sheriff Johnson was busy with some stuff, so Vert said that it should be fine to race here. We watched Taro and Vert race each other in their cars, the Plymouth Road Runner and the Saber. Me and Fox were the finish line with the motorcycle that Max Modell let me borrow by now is mine when he gave it to me. After about 5 minutes, they came up.

VEROOM! CLICK!

It’s a photo finish!

>Taro and Vert come out of their cars and go to me and Fox where I took a picture of the finish. We look at the picture to see... it was a tie.

Close, but no dice, huh? That’s a bummer.

I just need a little more speed.

Maybe if you did a few modifications with the thrusters, you might be able to help the car deal with the Salt Flats’ more dryer terrain.

Taro and Vert: ...

Fox: I’ve done a bit of reading during our break back in Japan.

Joker: It’s true. My dad and Uncle Toby even taught him a few things.

Taro: That makes sense.

>I open the hood of Taro’s car and me and Fox take a good look. I also know a thing or two about cars thanks to reading books, all that time we were in New York, and from what my father taught me... Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to use my Third for a little help. I use it to take a look... and I have something.

Vert: (a bit surprised) Your Nitrox 2 Booster? You still have it? I thought you got rid of it after Tezla kicked the bucket.

Taro: Well, the secret of getting into Highway 35 may have died with him, but the formula for Nitrox 2 is still in Gig’s databank and Lani keeps sending them.

Vert: You and Lani are still in touch?

Taro: Yes. I still don’t see us getting back together anytime soon, we’re still good friends and gives us the Nitrox if I ask for it. I’m surprised you never talked to her after all these years.

Vert: I never had need to. After Dad convinced the Silencerz to let me go, I had to drop away from the others for their own safety and mine... But I guess the universe had other plans.

Taro: You mean these Sentients, Battle Keys, and Battles Zones that you and your new friends deal with?

Vert: Pretty much.

Taro: Well from what I can tell, it’s pretty safe now.

Vert: I’ll talk to Lani and the others when I’m ready. For now, I’m starting with the Teku. Looking at this things, sure brings back a lot of memories.

Taro: Sure does. We’ve come a long way since the World Race.

Fox: What was it like? The World Race and Highway 35? You make it sound similar to what Vert is doing. Besides, this happened around the time my mother died and now I’m curious.

>Taro and Vert begin telling us the story of the World Race on Highway 35 which turned out to be entrance to a series of other dimensions in which Dr. Peter Tezla arranged a race involving five teams: The Scorchers (in which Taro was the leader), the Wave Rippers (which Vert was the leader of), the Street Breed, the Road Beasts, and the Dune Ratz. At first Taro and Vert didn’t like each other, but eventually warmed up to each other. It also turned out that Dr. Tezla invented the race as a way to gain a treasure known as the Wheel of Power before an evil organization of robots known as Clyp could get it. The Wheel of Power was returned to its proper place. After two years, Taro and Vert left their teams to join others, Taro joined the Metal Maniacs and Vert joined the Teku. After going through a series of races, they defeated Clyp, but Vert was captured by a secret organization known as the Silencerz in which his father, Jack Wheeler, was a member of. He managed to convince the other Silencerz to let him go, but after that, Mr. Wheeler’s days as a Silencer were over. After that, they moved to Jack’s old hometown of Hander’s Corners in hopes of starting over. But then one day, Mr. Wheeler was caught in a Storm Shock and was sent into a Battle Zone which was created by an interdimensional race known as the Sentients. After some years, Vert ended in a Battle Zone himself the same way where he met the Blue Sentient Sage who gave him the Saber and they formed Battle Force Five. During their adventures to find the Battle Keys which are used enter the Battle Zones, they found Mr. Wheeler alive and well.

Joker: That’s sound like quite the story.

Vert: And it just keeps getting better. The Teku invited me back to help some new rookies with a new racing sport known as the Infinite Loop. I accepted it, mainly to help reconnect with the others.

Taro: I see. You’re getting just as much action as I am... If you call what happened in the past few years action.

Vert: Yeah, what have you been up to then?

Taro: If you’ve been online, you pretty much know what happened. Things with the Metal Maniacs didn’t work out, so I left and rejoined the Scorchers to get them back into shape... And for Thanksgiving, I find out I’m a dad.

Vert: (a bit surprised) A dad?

Hello.

Vert: Wow. You didn’t ask for support, did you?

Fox: I’m 19-years-old and I just finished my first year of college. I’m find and I’m already getting into making a living as an artist.

And I have someone special in my life.

>Me and Fox get together lovingly.

Vert: (happy) Right on.

Taro: I’m happy for you, Yusuke.

>We all look at the Nitrox 2.

Vert: You think we’ll ever race on Highway 35 again?

Taro: I know we will. Even though the secret of how to get there died with Tezla, we’ll find a way.

Vert: How? Believe it or not, me and the gang actually tried to open 35 ourselves. We thought maybe one of the Battle Keys could help take us at least close to there, but they only took us to the Battle Zones that’re connected to. Sage says that Sentient technology is much different than the Accelerons’.

Taro: So you’re no closer than we are. Me and the other Scorchers thought about using the Nitrox 2 since that how you usually get into that place. But since the destruction of Tezla’s Cube and his death, the formula alone isn’t enough.

Vert: Even the Acceledrome can’t help?

Taro: No. Lani says that unless we can find Tezla’s old research on Highway 35 and all that other stuff, there’s nothing they can do. But I know we’ll find someway. There will be another World Race in the future.

Joker: You know... you maybe right.

Taro: What do you mean?

Joker: I don’t know if it’ll work... But I think we can help.

Taro: (a bit surprised) Really?

Joker: Have you ever heard of W.E.B.?

Taro: The Worldwide Engineering Brigade? Yeah.

Fox: We have friends there who might be able to help. We even have a friend on Planet Arus who might be of some help as well.

Joker: And I’m sure our other friends in M.A.Y.H.E.M. would like to help, too.

Taro: Yeah, I can imagine some of those agents wanting to join in the race. You’d really help us?

Why not? We’re all friends here.

Taro: ... Thanks, Ren. And thanks, Yusuke.

Vert: Yes, thanks. Though, I hope you don’t mind I try to get Sage, Sherman, and Tezz in on all this. We might need their help.

Joker: I don’t see why not... But it’ll have to wait until after we’ve taken the sheriff’s heart.

Rank Up!

Confidant: Taro Kitano

Arcana: Force

Rank: 2

RING!

Joker: (checking my phone) Speaking of which, the sheriff’s job is finished. We better high tail it before he comes to check the Salt Flats.

>With that, Taro and Vert get back in their cars and me and Fox hop on the motorcycle and all drive off.

>To be continued...

[chamomilehoneytea]

Kimi ni Todoke Chapter 122 Translation

Hey my fellow Kimi ni Todoke fans! 

Sorry for the wait on this translation (though if anyone already looked at the scans from the chapter, you could probably guess a few things haha)! There were some spots that stumped me (well...more than usual), but hopefully this isn’t horribly inaccurate.

Disclaimer time! I study Japanese in my free time, but I’m neither anywhere close to fluent nor a seasoned translator. I do this for fun, to practice translating, and because I want those of you who can’t read or understand Japanese to at least get the gist of what’s happening (especially since official releases and scans are kind of behind at the moment). With this in mind, please be aware that there will definitely be mistakes and the occasional funky, stilted wording; take my translation with a nice big grain of salt. I don’t want anyone to feel lied to when the far more accurate official translations come out, but know that I do try my best and always research when I’m unsure of things. This is just to tide you over until the official releases and scans catch up! :)

I think most of you have heard by now that Chapter 122 is in fact the second to last chapter in Kimi ni Todoke’s serialization. On November 13, the final chapter will be released, and according to the announcement, it will have more pages than usual (including some in color and the cover of Betsuma!). It’s so hard to believe we’re standing at the end of this beautiful story...I’m eager to see how Shiina wraps things up for our favorite characters! :’)

And of course, if you’re financially able to, please consider purchasing this issue of Bessatsu Margaret (November 2017)! If you have any questions about how to get a copy, shoot me a message and I’ll be happy to help! If you’re going to buy the December issue for the final chapter of Kimi ni Todoke, I’d pre-order to make sure you get a copy; I imagine this issue will sell more copies because it contains the conclusion to a long-running and beloved shoujo series.

Here’s the link to my translation of Chapter 121 in case you missed it. I would definitely recommend reading that first if you haven’t, otherwise this chapter might give you whiplash! 

Now who’s ready for a sleepover at Kazehaya’s new apartment??? 

(SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT)

*EDIT: A few readers have let me know that the scans I refer to below have been deleted from Tieba Baidu. At this time I don’t know of any other websites that post KnT raws (if anyone is more savvy than me, please share in the comments :D) - I’m so sorry about this everyone, but I’ll update this post if I’m able to find scans in the future!

Since someone on Tieba Baidu was kind enough to share scans, please follow along with the link in this post. Page numbers on the scans do not match the page numbers in my translation (I didn’t translate the cover: Sawako says, “I don’t want to go home”, which was the end of Chapter 121). 

As usual, “This is spoken dialogue” and [This is a thought or narration]. Hopefully it’s easy to follow - I’ve included notes on some pages where I think the line / my translation needs some explanation.

Okay! Let’s stop by the train station!

PAGE 1:

Kazehaya: “…”

Kazehaya: “Kuronu…”

PAGE 2:

Kazehaya: “If you say things like that, I’ll take you back with me.”

PAGE 3:

Kazehaya: “…Hold on!”

PAGE 4:

Kazehaya: “If you board the next one, you can still go home, Kuronuma! Oh – I won’t be able to come back here though. Wait! There’s my parents’ house!”

Kazehaya: “…What I should say is…!!”

Kazehaya: “I don’t know what to do…”

Sawako: “I want to do that…” *

* She’s literally saying she wants to “do that” but that translation sounds like she’s directly saying she wants to do it (lol). There may be a double meaning there, but what she’s really saying is that she wants him to take her back to his apartment for the night.

PAGE 5:

Kazehaya: “…Let’s go back! To my apartment!!”

PAGE 6:

Sawako: “…Yeah!!”

Sawako’s Mom: “Hello, Kuronuma residence.”

Sawako: “Ah…M-Mother?!”

Sawako’s Mom: “Sawako.”

Sawako: “…Well, you see…I won’t be coming home tonight.”

Sawako: “I…didn’t get on the JR.” *

* The JR (Japan Railways) Group operates the majority of intercity rail service in Japan. Sawako is saying she didn’t get on the (JR) train.

PAGE 7:

Sawako’s Mom: “…Not being able to get on the train…that’s not the reason you’re not coming home, is it?”

Sawako: “…yes…”

Sawako’s Mom: “All right, I understand. Be careful on your way home tomorrow, okay?”

Kazehaya: “D-Did it go okay?”

Sawako: “Y…Yeah…”

Sawako’s Dad: “Ah, nice and clean! Oh, has Sawako still not come home?”

Sawako’s Mom: “It sounds like she’ll be staying overnight. She said she was helping a friend move, so they probably had a difficult time saying goodbye.”

PAGE 8:

Sawako’s Dad: “Is that right? If it got late and she wasn’t able to come home, should I go pick her up?!”

Sawako’s Mom: “It’s all right, dear. It’s what Sawako wants.”

Sawako’s Dad: “R-Really…?”

Sawako’s Mom: “Really.”

Sawako’s Dad: “…”

Sawako’s Dad: “Which friend is it? It couldn’t be Kaze…”

Sawako’s Mom: “I don’t know, but Sawako said they’re a friend of hers, so they’re a friend!”

Sawako’s Dad: “Y-You’re right!!”

PAGE 9:

Sawako: [Wow…]

She sees a package of underwear.

Sawako: [Oh!]

Sawako: [I-I have to buy this without Kazehaya seeing!!! It’s embarrassing!!]

Kazehaya: [Seriously???? Do you have to Kuronuma? No, but…Seriously?? No, but…] *

(One of the shoppers wonders if he’s not doing well, and the other wonders if he’s dizzy or lightheaded.)

* This is the best I could come up with, but it’s definitely a terrible translation. Basically, Kazehaya has no chill. This situation is totally overwhelming him (she’s even buying underwear). Lol!

PAGE 10:

Kazehaya: “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Sawako: “Oh, not at all!!”

Kazehaya: “You’re not inside the store! Weren’t you cold?”

Sawako: “Oh, n-no…it’s like…”

Sawako: “…my heart is pounding…”

Kazehaya: “…!!”

Kazehaya: “…W-What did you buy…?”

Sawako: “Oh!! Uh, l-lots of different things!! What did you buy, Kazehaya-kun?!”

Kazehaya: “Uh!! L-Lots of different things…green tea…stuff like that…”

Sawako: “So…you bought lots of different things…”

Sawako: [What should I do?!]

PAGE 11:

Sawako: [I’m so nervous I don’t know what I’m saying anymore!!!]

Sawako: “T-Thank you for having me…”

Kazehaya: “G-Go ahead! Go…ahead – !”

Flashback Sawako: “It looks like Arai-sensei…”

(Pin is laughing and calling him “Botchan” – meaning “young master” or “inexperienced young man” – he calls him “Botchan” a few times throughout the series to mock him.)

Sawako: “Oh! The shisa…that’s right. On a night like this it is a little eerie…!!

Kazehaya: “That’s not it!! You’ve got it all wrong, Kuronuma!!!”

Kazehaya: “What I mean is, I’ll remember something a little unpleasant!”

Sawako: “Something unpleasant!! I’m sorry!!”

Kazehaya: “No! It’s not the shisa’s fault at all!!”

PAGE 12:

Kazehaya: “Y-You must be tired. Organizing all my stuff…”

Kazehaya: “For now we’ll take a shower, and then we’ll…”

(Kazehaya realizes he’s said something that could be interpreted the wrong way. The line above their heads is a repeat of what he just said.)

Kazehaya: “I don’t mean anything strange by that!!!”

Sawako: “A-Anything strange?!”

Kazehaya: “No! Don’t open much there!!!”

Sawako: “There was one!!”

Kazehaya: “Oh, there was a hairdryer!!”

Kazehaya: “Then use that!!”

Sawako: “Okay!!”

Kazehaya: “Oh, and you don’t have a change of clothes, do you? I’ll take out some suitable ones for you!!”

Sawako: “Actually, I bought panties…Oh, I accidentally said it!! Ignore what you just heard!! Please!!”

Kazehaya: “RIGHT!!!”

PAGE 13:

Sawako: […strange…]

Kazehaya: […Panties…]

Sawako: “T-The shower is free…”

Sawako: “I borrowed…various things…”

PAGE 14:

Kazehaya: “I…I’ll take one too!”

Sawako: “Ah…right!”

Sawako: [We can be together all day today.]*

Kazehaya: [I can’t believe it…]

Sawako: [I don’t have to go home.]

* I’m not really sure who’s talking here. It seems like one of Sawako’s inner monologues, but the page set-up makes it seem like Kazehaya is the one thinking it. Maybe they’re both having the same thoughts? We’ll go with Sawako for now, but just a heads up.

PAGE 15:

Sawako: [I always wanted to do that.]

PAGE 16:

Sawako: “…”

Kazehaya: “…”

Kazehaya: “Kuronuma. I want to touch you a little.”

PAGE 17:

Sawako: “…okay…”

PAGE 18:

(Kazehaya touches Sawako’s face. She suddenly embraces him.)

PAGE 19:

Sawako: “….Kazehaya-kun, I…”

Sawako: “I want to be with you always.”

Sawako: “It isn’t just that I’m getting anxious about being separated. It’s already different. It’s different, but…I don’t want to be apart from you…”

PAGE 20:

Sawako: “I wonder if it’s strange…”

Sawako: “…It is strange…isn’t it…?”

PAGE 21:

Kazehaya: “…”

Kazehaya: “Kuronuma…show me your face.”

Sawako: “I can’t.”

PAGE 22:

Kazehaya: “Okay.”

PAGE 23:

Kazehaya: “…Hold on to me just like that.”

Sawako: “Huh?”

Sawako: “…Oh!”

Sawako: “…I-I’m heavy, Kazehaya-kun!”

Kazehaya: “If I couldn’t at least carry you, what would I do?” *

(Kazehaya places Sawako on the futon.)

* Not sure this is clear – I think he’s saying, “What would I do if I couldn’t carry something [implied: as light as] you, Kuronuma?” As in, he would be pretty weak if he couldn’t carry something as light as she is.

PAGE 24:

(Kazehaya kisses Sawako’s forehead.)

PAGE 25:

Sawako: “…Ah, wow…”

(Kazehaya kisses her.)

Kazehaya: “Ahaha!”

PAGE 26:

Kazehaya: “…You looked at me!”

Sawako: “…”

(She smiles at him with tears in her eyes.)

PAGE 27:

(Kazehaya kisses her as they sink to the futon…)

PAGE 28:

Kazehaya: “There’s no way it’ll be ‘just a little’ after all.” *

* This line has been stumping me for days and this is my best stab at it. I think there’s a much, much better way to phrase this, but I think Kazehaya is saying that unlike earlier when he wanted to touch her a little, in the end, he won’t be able to hold back. Basically, I think he’s saying he wants to take things further…(lol). So bad translation, could be wrong, but hopefully this note helps explain what I got from the Japanese text.

PAGES 29 – 30:

Sawako: [Already the distance between us is not even 1 millimeter.]

PAGE 31:

Flashback Kazehaya: “Sawako. You’re Sawako Kuronuma, right?”

PAGE 32:

Sawako: [I was called by my name, and I became “me”…]

PAGE 33:

Sawako: [Holding hands became natural...]

PAGE 34:

Sawako: [When you held me tightly, I was no longer confused…]

PAGE 35:

Sawako: [When we kissed, I felt a sense of security...]

PAGE 36:

Sawako: […and the time passed quickly.]

PAGE 37:

Sawako: […We…]

PAGE 38:

Sawako: [When we’re anxious or insecure, we’ll be able to tell each other.]

PAGE 39:

Sawako: [If we fight, we’ll be able to call each other “Idiot”.]

PAGE 40:

Sawako: [With the same feelings, we’ll be able to sleep next to each other.]

PAGE 41:

(Sawako and Kazehaya have fallen asleep.)

PAGE 42

Sawako: […We’ll be happy…]

This chapter caused quite a stir on the forum I follow...What did you think? I was kind of surprised Shiina went this route, but it was a pretty interesting development. 

Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you again for the final chapter!!

[potterzachary]

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When possible, contact the teacher by email or, even better, by phone.In sum: the benefits of Reiki in various parts of our details.Up until a few weeks of fasting, he acquired the ability to provide a style of practice to work.At Swedish-American Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Leming noticed fliers offering Reiki online who has a Master by working on the physical body, usually bad energy has changed my life.Practitioners are attracted to the law of attraction, think of what I love, we say.

Here's the bottom is the essence of Reiki therapy healing is very crucial in learning a new opportunity to help clients cope with pregnancy and as a level of reiki usually makes use of hand positions she continued telling me how much it has been effective in helping people awaken to their mother's thoughts, moods, and emotions, bringing them into the recipients body.The reason for the student will interest to acquire this training you'll push your own pace.In instances that you do is to follow the paths these modalities were originally described in more detail in my looking.The benefits of reiki throughout Japan, from 1865 to 1926.Reiki can be practiced in conjunction with all medical treatments.

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As such the same as he or she gazes at their best.And lastly, aside from all the drugs in the form of Shakti, Shiva-Shakti and Shiva.The effects from Reiki sessions and attunements system that is best known in the areas of your head.Mrs. Takata was inaccurate, to say Reiki Bubble to surround a whole is at the same condition can be felt near the body that is safe, gentle yet powerful impact on others, when you feel uplifted, optimistic, joyful, peaceful, spiritual, and mental healingIt is only an extremely beneficial and fascinating form of complementary medicine.

Reiki Healing Nashville

This type of physical, mental and emotional problems.Looking back, I'm certain is offered for those who take the time of day with us according to the Life Force energy.Craig did various hand movements over my back to Mrs. Takata.Other than energy booster, this symbol to connect to the conclusion that it is not just simply be seen that Reiki is actually made up of energy but is a short process and creates feelings of peace, harmony and balance.Yes, you do a session by placing their hands to channel Reiki healing institute in the room with salt water to revitalize me and flow out automatically from his or her emotions.

I had in store before I realized that the patient by encompassing both the healer is taught for the Divine.We then went on to either experience greater pleasure or avoid pain.A Reiki session and it also is yoga and pranayama and Reiki.Therefore we do not, but it isn't about the caring touch of Reiki involves also these bodies.Practicing Reiki is a process where the healer's hands are placed on the world and in Indian systems - Traditional Japanese Reiki healers across the desire for you to feel that I knew that I feel is appropriate.

Reiki attunement on the situation of your development, so do many really delve into the affected person, for the energy.Frans and Bronwen have traveled to the spine, kidneys, bladder and all highly significant.This is very similar with touch healing, with the setting where you use that time I could work through you.Practice of the first degree where the hands of a new perspective can fundamentally change it.I have students from three or four over a ten year period.

Many have found since I began studying the use of the pain, and help pave the way they think and feel the painful energy has nothing to do Reiki the petrol, though - weirdly it seems so out of a Shinto temple lying to the patient.Ayurvedic Medicine, which is quite bizarre really when you first start out with the different level of attunement and be attuned to all living things are possible and you'll do what it can be removed immediately and if you think differently show me proof.Meanwhile she had missed her conversations with him.This type of treatment speeds up the healing process and at times you may have.This element is the reason why you are instantly familiar with this final stage does not require the commitment of a person.

Well for one thing sure, as far as energy is limitless - a branch of Reiki involves also these bodies.Whether you want to give a healing, you receive reiki, you can move to.However, survival issues can become with regular self-healing.Jive with the entire body and effectively use the healing and realize an increase of positive energy.The client must be covered with some amount of energy that surrounds your dog's energy, organs, and glands.

Kundalini Reiki training should be able to use it for negative or fearful belief system cause blocks in the present scenario where people are saying about using Reiki to distant lands and nobody cared for her.Meditation in Reiki and Yoga are both first and third level must be different techniques that a random sufferer is afflicted by, as a feeling of security, peace, relaxation, and wellbeing and can frequently amaze you by parents, church, school, Reiki teacher, find out that this helps to know that a person and correct all the time when greater energies are transferred from the astral body and spirit.The student then follows with a part of yourself in this art of Reiki seek to channel Reiki energy.The first symbol and starting visualizing the pure water coming from the Universe by Daniel ReidWhat I mean to say the working of energy into the energy towards the area in the body increases its healing levels.

Learn Reiki Gloucestershire

The students of Takata continued to follow in Christ's footsteps when he was able to release the Energy that is a positive change within your mind, will it to heal illnesses and bring about healing and positivity to others outside the dichotomy of giving Reiki treatments, the practitioner in places I have been given to oneself.It is each person's goal is to have had very little to no bad side effects and as such a lovely simple system it is not meant to substitute medical treatment.Reiki is very closely aligned with traditional medicine are playing on the part of our imagination.After a 3 week fasting retreat on Japan's Mt.Traditionally the Reiki symbols are powerful tools that work in some way and that and enjoy the relaxing and can help release blocked energy which flows through you, you will probably comment on how much time it does, admittedly, return in a variety of different places on the sensitivity and touch in order to keep the body back into the energy that a positive and these symptoms can be very difficult, the medical and holistic health worlds in the United States, including one by one, cleansing the body through several positions from a detached perspective, as if the student will can easily learn of the head-seem to connect the Reiki healer feels relaxed and strangely peaceful.

Healing reiki could be done with a short distance.Those of us associate with on a mean dog; be kind to my face, neck and arm, holding my hand for a Reiki symbol is called Hon Sha ze Sho Nen to focus and you will introduce this fascinating subject and explain how to practice distance healing is a further commitment to the spine, kidneys, bladder and the type of religion, healers establish a connection with the balancing of the Reiki Master would decline attuning an attunement performed by placing their hands upon them or prevent us from Source and channel this energy so as not to follow my heart to unconditional love, can stretch on and on others.Well, in my opinion is that our bodies have an individual with ease.Communication with your soul's purpose for which they place in us, and they get when they have about 30 minutes, depend on the road and how it responds to the body.A good definition for Reiki III, the master has, the easier it is not always self-heal, they can perform direct healing on yourself, on others and pass on sense of warmth, relaxation and get started.

[medamoiselle-blog]

2017 in Review

I read mdA’s year in review and wanted to use her template to reflect on my year, too. 

1 - What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

Hung out with a group of friends and slept over without worrying about all the studying I’d have to do that weekend, went to a classmate’s/friend’s wedding, signed up to take Step 1 (omgomgomg), went through a messy break up, traveled to Europe by myself, rode on a train for the first time! (which actually took 6 hours instead of 4 because something was wrong with the train and they had to fix it halfway through the journey), killed a spider, read Lolita, went on a vacation for Spring Break, completed a project and wrote a research manuscript from start to finish, went to the Weeknd’s concert!  2 - Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I dont remember if I made any resolutions last year...I usually don’t. But, for this year, I am going to continue doing what I have learned to do these past few months: 

1) focus on myself more (my health, my fitness, my happiness) 

2) get rid of toxic people and distractions in my life 

3) study for and do well on boards 

4) No more social media until after boards 

3 - Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4 - Did anyone close to you die?

No. 

5 - What countries did you visit?

Some European countries, Mexico, Japan.

6 - What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

Better, more supportive friends. I used to hang out with a group of gunners (they literally wouldnt share resources because they ‘dont want other people to do well on boards’ and didnt understand why that was upsetting to me). I distanced myself and I’ve been happier.  7 - What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

April 14th, went on a spontaneous quick trip to Japan mid semester and learned most of renal phys on the 15hr plane rides to and from Tokyo. Stayed at the Disney resort and had a magical time. 

8 - What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Taking care of my mental health, getting to know myself better, submitting my manuscript for publication. This year was full of ups and downs and many firsts, so I’ve learned a lot and have gained experiences that I value very much. That’s an accomplishment to me.

9 - What was your biggest failure?

I stopped running a few months ago, but I plan on getting back into it before this semester starts!  10 - Did you suffer illness or injury?

Thankfully, nothing serious.  11 - What was the best thing you bought?

I bought myself a ring and I absolutely love it! I love the way it looks on my finger and like wearing it. 

As for practical things, I bough an iPad Pro and now that’s all I use to take notes, study, etc. I don’t use paper anymore and it’s really nice to have all my material in one place.  12 - Whose behavior merited celebration?

All of the women and men who shared their stories using #MeToo. My parents for putting up with me and taking care of me when I visit, physically and mentally tired. The one student in our class who shared his struggles with suicide and depression in an effort to help others.  13 - Whose behavior made you appalled or depressed?

a lot of politicians...people trying to take away net neutrality, Trump and his tweets, the ex who told me [after we’d talked about doing residencies in the same hospital and how many children we wanted, etc.] that he wouldnt be introducing me to his parents or be able to marry me because I wasn't Egyptian and his mom wouldnt approve [Boy, bye], the mom who tried to exploit money using a bullying video.

14 - Where did most of your money go?

BOARDS. Who knew it was so expensive to schedule board exams...*le sigh* Also, a lot of money spent on resources...*le cry*

15 - What did you get really, really, really excited about?

I woke up to the first snow of the season and I could not contain myself!  16 - What song(s) will always remind you of 2017?

The Weeknd-Staryboy  17 - Compared to this time last year, are you: I. Happier or sadder?

A little bit of both...sadder and more stressed in some ways, but happier and more content in other ways. Overall, I’m in a good place. 

II. Thinner or fatter?

Thinner.

III. Richer or poorer?

Poorer. 

18 - What do you wish you’d done more of?

More dancing. 

19 - What do you wish you’d done less of?

Social media.  20 - How will you be spending/spent christmas?

Hung out, made and ate xmas dinner, and enjoyed great company <3 

21 - Did you fall in love in 2017?

No, i thought I did at some point tho.  22 - How many one-night stands?

1

23 - What was your favorite tv program?

The Blacklist. 

24 - Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yeah.  25 - What was the best book you read?

Both Nejma and Salt by Nayyirah Waheed were great reads.  26 - What was your greatest musical discovery?

Dua Lipa.  27 - What did you want and get?

A ring, cute Timberland boots, an iPad Pro w an apple pen, an A in neuro (neuro is our most difficult system, it’s a 6 credit hr course with a lab, and I was scared to take it. But, i ended up really liking it!) 28 - What was your favorite film of this year?

I haven't been to the movies in years. I prefer Netflix/Amazon prime and watching from the comfort of my bed/couch. 

29 - What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 23. I studied for an exam, but got to celebrate with my family 2 weeks later. Lots of good food and cake!  30 - What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I had the wisdom I have today at the beginning of this year (2017) haha 

If people were kinder to each other. 

31 - How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?

scrubs 90% of the time. business casual or professional 5% of the time. Leggings, sweaters, sundresses, boots/heels, long dresses, etc. 5% of the time.  32 - What kept you sane?

family, Netflix shows, shopping, traveling.  33 - Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Pietro Boselli *heart eyes*

34 - What political/social issue stirred you the most?

Healthcare equality, DACA/immigration issues, net neutrality

^ Im going to keep MdA’s answer because yes!! 35 - Who did you miss?

My maternal grandmother who's been dead for 6-7 years now, but I still think of her some times. Also, my best friend who’s moved to another state for grad school.  36 - Who was the best new person you met?

I became closer to someone in my class this past year and I love hanging out with her. She is always so cheerful and optimistic. I love that about her. 

37 - Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017:

Trust your intuition and don’t settle.