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slouchyslouch · 4 years

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My 2010s in Records.

10. My Bloody Valentine — mbv

Wrote about mbv on a separate piece.

9. Earl Sweatshirt — Some Rap Songs

Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs is a record of mending and therapy. At the beginning of the decade, rap fans saw the 16 year old prodigy create the most technical and distinctive raps unheard of at that time. Yes, a lot of it was jarring and immature, but the potential was there. While debut mixtape EARL was a teaser and an introduction to his greatness, Doris was his reclamation to the rap game after a period of silence in Samoa. I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside in turn spoke for itself. Its morose disposition then made its way onto Some Rap Songs; not quite his masterpiece, but an accomplished period piece nonetheless. As one of the most highly acclaimed rappers in the world today, Earl spills his guts out on this diaristic tape about his relationship with his father and the emotional exhaustion coming from trying to amend it. On “Red Water,” he repeats the same 8 bars on loop as if caught in a recurring dream. “Papa called me chief / gotta keep it brief / locked and loaded I can see you lyin’ through your teeth” he raps in a fugue state, as if coming to the realization that his father was only there for those momentary times of convenience. It’s always difficult to write something that includes family and loved ones. There’s a sense of vulnerability you have to divulge in as well as a catharsis that fulfills one’s desire to let go of one’s agony. The beats on Some Rap Songs run on loose kaleidoscopic loops, production that Earl has mastered rapping over as his idiosyncrasies in his bars do best when complementing them. Thanks to the influence of his buddies Mike and Medhane, he’s learned to channel his eccentric flows onto those beats. “Riot” closes the record with the sentimental instrumental sampling jazz legend, and uncle, Hugh Masekela. It’s feels like a proper ending to Earl’s chronicle, but the events that have transpired will always be apart of his life. At the end of it all, Some Rap Songs will remain forever a tombstone of his anguish.

8. The Spirit of the Beehive — Hypnic Jerks

There’s no other dream pop record this decade that could top this almost-perfect album. The hushed vocalizations of Zach Schwartz and Rivka Ravede offer a quiet intimacy in the dreamscape that is Hypnic Jerks. The title in itself lends to the idea of being half asleep and half awake — to be in an altered state where the real and surreal are just two sides of the same coin. Tracks like “poly swim” and “it’s gonna find you” entrance you into that state of unconscious, while tracks like “can i receive the contact?” and “hypnic jerks” make an effort to wake you up from the sublime. Field recordings filter in and out between tracks, as if you were hallucinating the whole time. It’s when “nail i couldn’t bite” and “(without you) in my pocket” play out that you realize it doesn’t matter what state you lie in. Their lucid pop constructions reward repeated listens to the point of obsession in a somnambulant state. The record’s lack of acclaim only makes it feel like you’re in on a hidden secret. To this day, I am completely spellbound to its sorcery and have yet to unlock its mysteries.

7. Iceage — New Brigade

Back in elementary school, I listened to a lot of pop punk; the kind that was rapturously melodic yet cheesily done and overproduced (Think Blink 182 or All Time Low). Until I listened to New Brigade, I didn’t even realize what true punk music actually sounded like. Iceage was just fucking cool to me. Sure, they had the aesthetic, depicting bloody mosh pits and macabre rune art, but it was truly the music that broke into my spirit, shattering what I thought punk sounded like back in the day. I’d read pieces about their notorious live shows where they would play rapid 15-minute sets in the sunless recesses of Denmark, which only added to the band’s mystique. Upon listening to their debut, I felt musically fulfilled like never before. No more of the whiny, drawn out vocals from pop punk bands. Frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt had the kind of angsty drawl similar to Nick Cave’s when he played with The Birthday Party which offered a kind of obscene yet confident instability to his performance. Johan Surrballe Wieth and Jakob Tvilling Pless’s guitars have just the right amount of filth in them — an abrasive attack on your soul while Dan Kjær Nielsen’s drums are played propulsively in classic hardcore fashion — never meant decelerate. The record didn’t offer the tightest instrumental, but that was the point. Iceage have gone on to release tighter and more spectacular punk records consistently over the decade but their debut broke the ceiling of what to me punk could, and should, sound like. From the cathartic breakdown of “White Rune” to the triumphant “You’re Blessed,” New Brigade was the record that gave me that spark, the one that carried me to rotting heights.

6. Frank Ocean — Channel Orange

Channel Orange will always be a classic to my generation. From Grammy-nominated “Thinking’ Bout You” to the sweet and charming “Forrest Gump,” we surf through Frank’s psyche in smooth and effortless RnB. Frank Ocean’s vivid universe is one of vibrant summers and distant getaways. Its colourful motifs paint a pretty picture for us — pink skies, monks in moshpits, peaches and mangos, roofs of mansions, palm trees and pools, Majin Buu. Most people I know around my age know the lyrics to most of its tracks. They’re as infectious as any classic from the past decade. I still remember listening to “Sweet Life” by the beach with a friend before attending his concert on his first tour. Everything felt right in the world when he sang “so why see the world when you got the beach” as the waves crashed over the sand and the summer heat glistened over the ocean. During its release, he opened up to the world to reveal his love for another man in an affectionate Tumblr post. It gave us an appreciation into an artist’s vulnerable identity while breaking the door open for other artists to come out in their own way. Frank later released his masterpiece in Blonde/Endless and a plethora of brilliant singles from his radio show, but the stories and music from Channel Orange will remain forever timeless.

5. Solange — A Seat at the Table

“Fall in your ways / so you can crumble / fall in your ways / so you can wake up and rise” sings Solange, on the introduction to her restorative album A Seat at the Table. They’re words I try to tell myself in times of darkness. Solange just has that ability to let anybody express themselves through her music, to meditate on life’s injustices and pitfalls. It’s okay to be mad; it’s okay to rest and take care of yourself as much as you need to. We just have to rely on each other to get back into the fight. It feels like a lot of my favourite records from the past decade are imbued with themes of darkness and isolation. Fortunately, I still have Solange to let myself vent out those frustrations. Whether it’s the strings on the beginning of “Cranes in the Sky” that remind me to slow down or the horns projected behind Master P’s stoic orations that fuel my determination to keep afloat, A Seat at the Table plays like an instruction manual for self-care, black empowerment, and righteous activism. It’s consoling to know that I’m not alone in distracting myself from everything that’s wrong with the world today. 2016 was such an appropriate time for this record to be released. Solange gave us hope, grace, stoicism, and the ability to heal and recharge. A Seat at the Table may be a personal record to Solange, but as she sings on “F.U.B.U.,” this shit is for us.

4. Chance the Rapper — Acid Rap

It’s odd to say that my favourite rap record of the decade comes in the form of pop rap album Acid Rap. In making this list, I thought about the obvious greats in My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. In the end, Chance’s second mixtape brought me more joy than any of those records did. It gave me the cringiest but most pleasurable musical moments with the homies singing along to tracks like “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Pusha Man.” Releasing it independently and as a free download, Chance’s spoken-word idiosyncrasies reveal themselves as classic pop rap gems by the end of the decade. Chance’s whole thing was just about pure positivity and having fun. The era of albums I could compare to it was during the release of Kanye’s College Dropout and Late Registration, a time when Kanye (sort of) envisioned the anti-stereotype in rappers, countering the machismo and toxic masculinity found in a lot of hip-hop now and back then (RIP old Kanye). Chance didn’t care about getting bitches or getting money. He just wanted to do drugs with his friends — to trip out on acid and go on a spiritual journey with all of us. Hidden beneath the positivity, Chance still creeps in a dash of realism and humanity on tracks like “Paranoia,” illustrating the life of gang-banging in his hometown of Chicago. It’s the earnestness in his raps that always pulls me back, the flourishes of piano when he raps “I lean back then spark my shit / I turn up I talk my shit / hope you love all my shit / I hope you love all my shit / IGH.” It turns out, as he declares on the outro, Everything’s Good.

3. Alex G — DSU

On DSU, time stops. The cult of Alex G is now cemented in indie rock lore at the end of the decade with eight albums full of hooks, dreams, and shattered spirits. DSU was the first record I listened to by Alex G, and remains my favourite by his despite him going on to release better conceptual records in Rocket and House of Sugar. No track can be skipped or listened to passively. With most of them springing under the 2–3 minute mark, ideas flow in and out without direction but coalesce into an impressionistic and breathtaking work of art. Hints of Elliott Smith and Isaac Brock echo in the duality of harsh guitar distortion and melodious pop hooks. Guitar feedback never felt so comforting as it colours the magnificence of Alex G’s composition. There’s a kind of deep melancholy in each track despite the ambiguous surrealism lyrics, a perfect winter record to listen to alone in your room or walk through the piles of snow in the night. Its murky yet lush production somehow reaches out to you, helps you drown in its depths and remain there for its 37 minutes. Whether it’s “Skipper” fully attuning you to its hushed presence, or the entrancing opener of “After Ur Gone,” I just feel like I want to close my eyes and immerse myself in there for as long as it allows me to.

2. Frank Ocean — Blonde

Frank Ocean’s Blonde arrived as a gift from the heavens. For five years, my friends and I have joked and memed about when the new Frank was coming out — whether it was even ever going to come out. Years after its release, it has evolved into the masterpiece that I’ve always wanted him to create. When Endless came out, I felt somewhat disappointed at the material — although later served as the perfect complement to Blonde — because of its lack of sensual pieces similar to those on Channel Orange’s effortless RnB and the latter record’s penchant for easy sing-alongs. Blonde in turn revealed a similar mood: the spacious vapour that fogged up behind Ocean’s intimate croon, the volatility in his voice that permeated your soul — it felt like an emotional load that was difficult to bare, yet something necessary that had to be experienced. I was just getting into my first intimate relationship when Blonde came out, and it’s made me realize how much I wanted to make that person happy, and that I couldn’t take any relationship I had for granted. I felt heavy after listening to this record. The sadboi hours memes ring true to its emotional weight. I would flutter to the arpeggios of “Ivy” as Frank sings “I thought that I was dreamin’ when you said you love me,” bop to the duality of “Nights,” and shed a tear to the wistfulness of “Godspeed.” I wonder how much shit Frank had to go through to even get any of these songs on tape. It’s okay. I like to think think that by the end of it all, Blonde was the catharsis he needed to spill his heart out.

1. Tame Impala — Lonerism

At the end of the decade, seeing Kevin Parker as one of the most highly-touted producers and songwriters in pop music would be an observation if you had asked me a decade ago, when Tame Impala’s first record Innerspeaker — an expansive work of art that recalled 60’s guitar psychedelia — first came out. On Lonerism, Parker’s music evolved into something even more seismic and innovative in scope. As the name suggests, Lonerism is a product of disaffection, self-defeat, and isolation. I’d imagine it was as fulfilling to other music fans of a type to detach from the world and just get lost in another’s. There’s a part on “Keep on Lying” where an endless guitar solo is played in the midst of a dinner party being played out; that feeling of getting dragged to a party when you were just a kid but just wanted to pop your headphones on and refuse to interact with anybody. According to Parker, he put in the sample to make the listener feel even more alienated. It’s a powerful feeling that lets anyone listening to the record in on that vulnerable sensation. In spite of that, tracks like “Apocalypse Dreams” and “Elephant” still give us astonishing psych rock bangers while pop gems “Music to Walk Home By” and “Feels like We Only Go Backwards” demonstrate Parker’s guitar pedal gymnastics over vibrant hooks. Although Currents has skyrocketed him into the fame and acclaim that he undoubtedly deserves, this record will always be his opus in my heart. I’ve daydreamed enough times to the music where its world has settled into my subconscious. It’s a world that comes from genius, but it’s also a world that invites you in to escape from the idea of Lonerism itself, to have something shared with you in solitude.

#top 10 albums #tame impala #frank ocean #alex g #chance the rapper #solange #iceage #the spirit of the beehive #My Bloody Valentine #album review #lists #earl sweatshirt

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thisislizheather · 3 years

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April Activities 2021

The major news of the month? I can’t believe I get to be fully vaccinated. It’s hard to describe how incredible it feels but I’m so ready to really start this next phase and I can’t wait for everyone I love to feel this feeling soon. Here’s what went down last month.

Here are my favourite tweets from last month. Also, I’ve decided to compile the best tweets list every two weeks rather than only once a month mostly because I love re-reading them and want that sort of joy in my life twice a month, not just once.

I did Nathan’s podcast and we talked about Rogers, sex robots & god only knows what else.

Two new nail polishes that I bought and love: English Lavender by butter and Cold Brew Crew by essie. Beautiful colours.

I’ve made this lamb ragu from Alison Roman twice so far, it’s so luxurious but somehow easy to make. I’ve put it on tagliatelle as well as zucchini noodles and both have been wonderful. Small tip: it does get better after it sits in the fridge for a bit, for some reason. (Also, the recipe doesn’t call for it, but I added basil at the end. I tend to add basil anytime something calls for parsley because it’s just so much more flavourful and fun.)

Above Photo: Alison Roman’s lamb ragu

I want to buy new underwear and I’m looking for any suggestions that aren’t Victoria’s Secret, Aerie or The Gap. I might just bite the bullet and try the ones from Blush (love love love the models they use).

I tried the strawberry short cake soft serve from Milk Bar and it was heavenly. The soft serve is even better than the strawberry cake (although the cookie crumbles within the cake always make my knees weak). In fact, I’ve yet to try a Milk Bar soft serve that I didn’t love (their vegan apple pie soft serve was out of this world), should I have been buying their pints this whole time? Yes.

I gave a chance to Ouai’s Air Dry Foam and it didn’t impress me or anyone else for that matter, so I guess I’ll just stick with the Wave Spray instead.

The rain boots that I bought a few years ago from Winners have disintegrated and I’m in search of new ones, but please don’t recommend Hunter ones. I hate Hunter. Open to any other suggestions!

Influenced by a TikTok video, I bought Falscara and holy shit. I know I promise this a lot, but I’m going to do a video on it so you can see how good a product it is. So many videos are coming, I vow.

There milk chocolate coconut almonds from CVS are UNHOLY.

I tried a sample of Glamglow’s Glowstarter moisturizer and was pleasantly surprised at how it really does give you a pleasant glow. What’s that about.

It’s uncivil how expensive body suit/swimwear hangers are. Who is this benefiting? I just want to hang my delicate bodysuits and carry on with my day.

Trader Joe’s has started selling their own vodka and I’m hoping they’ll start to sell it in New York soon. Seems weird that they don’t already.

I tried a small sample of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Elixir and discovered that the true magic behind the elixir is how she got anyone to believe that it does anything at all. Makeup products truly enrage me at times.

Nathan and I went to a movie theatre and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. We saw Godzilla vs. Kong and I found myself beaming through every inane scene. Perfect movie to see after a year of no theatres. Would I ever watch it again? Good lord no.

I bought a lotion bar from Gift Box on Broadway in Astoria and I love it. I think I’d use it more if it were slightly smaller and more manageable, but I love it nonetheless.

I tried Rao’s spaghetti and it was incredible, so now I’m forced to seek out their other types of pasta. Such a quality pasta.

I ate at The Pineapple Club and the basil fried rice and frozen pina coladas were both outrageously good.

I bought this bag from Zara and I’m honestly nervous to even wear it out for some weird reason. Like, am I the person who would have a bag like this? Do I want to be that person? Am I feeling this way because of having nowhere to go for so long? Have I always been this fearful? Some of these questions I shouldn’t answer, I realize.

Just bought these shoes in tan and I think I have my life all figured out now. Now if I can just leave the house wearing said shoes and holding said bag.

Speaking of shoes, I truly can’t decide if I love or loathe these slippers.

Last shoe thing: head over HEELS (not sorry) in love with these feet hugging sandals. Should’ve bought four more pairs.

I made these chocolate banana muffins and they were great but the real standout is the recipe at the bottom for the salted honey butter. Christ, you should make that butter.

I perused Molly Baz’s new cookbook and it’s a big one. Some standout recipes: The Big Italian salad, a dilly horseradish cream sauce for shrimp, and of course her caesar salad recipe.

I never thought I’d be the type of person to buy fake plants, but this one is so lifelike and pretty that I had to get it. Plus it’s perfect for the top of a bookshelf.

Above Photo: Fake plant from Target

It’s ramp season and I couldn’t be happier about it, you’ll hear more about my ramp creations next month.

I watched This is a Robbery on Netflix and don’t waste your time. Yes, it’s an interesting story, but save yourself a few hours and go read this instead.

I’m watching The Nanny and loving it. I’ve only ever watched a few episodes growing up, and I thought I would hate it because of how much everyone makes fun of Fran’s voice but her voice is fine! It’s wild that anyone ever said it was annoying. Also, the theme song is catchy as hell.

I rewatched Speed and it’s, of course, still great. What can’t Keanu do.

I watched the 90s movie The Crush and it’s really weird that movies like that would never have a chance being made today.

I’m all caught up on Riverdale now and… it’s hard to remember when it was really good. Maybe it was all Skeet Ulrich? Was that the main draw in my mind? I can see that making sense. In any case, it’s taken a turn.

There’s something so inviting about having good washroom rugs, I just got these soft-as-hell Threshold ones and I’ll never buy another brand again.

I visited the midtown Ideal Cheese Shop (been meaning to forever) and it’s such a great spot for NYC delicacies as well as, obviously, cheese. They had pre-packed bacon from Peter Luger and salmon from Daniel Boulud.

Things are already changing fast with new restrictions loosing in NYC, but did you know you can rent out a bar for an hour?

I tried the breakfast Beyond Meat sausage patties and surprise, surprise, they’re great. There’s nothing this company can do wrong. I’m becoming suspicious.

I got drinks and some small bites at Bar Dalia in Astoria and what a sweet little place! Would go again.

I finally got my hands on the kitchen-scented mini candles from Trader Joe’s (the scents are lemongrass, tomato leaf, fresh mint). They fill me with joy, unfortunately. I also got their grapefruit scented body butter, which goes on very smoothly but I’ve noticed it has a scent that’s slightly off-putting over time. I will not dwell on that fact further.

Had no idea that Banza made a pizza crust but I tried it and it’s wonderful.

I love seeing what promotional giveaways are planned for the upcoming baseball season but since we’re technically still in a pandemic, the Mets are only releasing what the promotions are each month (makes sense). So I’ve bookmarked the page to go look at on the first of each month.

I don’t eat a ton of fast food, but I’m sorry, some of these are genius ideas.

I’ll regret it if I don’t buy a box of these, right?

I know that it’s common to read an article about something and feel “that’s me!” but this one really resonates with me: “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing.”

The best brand at Target: A New Day.

Love and fully agree with all of this woman’s questions about things that don’t make sense.

I was walking past a Home Depot in Queens and the smell of the sandwiches at Rocco’s was heavenly. I had just eaten, otherwise I would have leaped into line. Must remember to get a Philly cheese steak here next time. The Yelp reviews are calling me.

I bought this earring organizer from The Container Store and it’s perfect. Fully recommend. I also finally got a purse organizer and some shoe boxes that make me feel like I might be a successful woman in her prime.

Above Photo: Earring Stand from The Container Store

Above Photo: Left: purse storage holder, Right: shoe storage boxes, Not Shown: me, opening & closing my closet door ten times to bask in my new found organizational skills

I had no idea Zara had a home section. I wish I didn’t have this knowledge, but now that I do, you must too. Literally ALL of these glasses are gorgeous. Tempted to go smash each glass in my kitchen cupboard right this instant.

This Artist Faked Being a Billionaire to Photograph New York City's Best Views - such a great idea, such great photos. How was it not me who came up with this?

Some more spring recipes I’m dying to make:

Ramp & Ricotta Tart

Grilled Asparagus Caesar Salad

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

Scallop Risotto with Lemon & Sweet Peas

Grilled Caprese Skewers with Halloumi and Sourdough

Some things that I’m looking forward to this month: the new/final season of Shrill comes out this week (!), I might be going to a Mets game (!!), dying to eat at Under The Volcano, really want to visit the new Dippin' Dots store, I’ve been craving a good club sandwich for months so I might try to get brunch at Mark’s Off Madison, I know it might be early but I can’t wait to go tan on Governors Island soon, and at some point I’d really love to take one of these pasta cooking classes.

Above Photo: The club sandwich at Mark’s Off Madison, photo courtesy of Front of House

If you’ve got any interest in reading last month’s roundup, you can see what went down in March over here.

#monthly roundup #this is liz heather #Liz Heather #April 2021 #things to do 2021 #NYC #best of NYC 2021

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grimelords · 7 years

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My October playlist is finished, please enjoy it. From 14 minute 70s acoustic guitar instrumentals, Armand Van Helden bangers and Christian music I’ve had a lot of feelings about this playlist has it all in four hours.

Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats: Posting on the web about Mountain Goats songs you've had a moment with is about as universal as it gets, so here's mine for this month. I woke up one morning with the line about Sonny Liston in my head one day after not listening to this song in years. John Darnielle is perhaps the only person on earth I'd trust to write a song about Kurt Cobain's suicide and he does a very simple and beautiful job of it here. Ben's My Friend - Sun Kil Moon: I discovered Sun Kil Moon way after I probably should have via that guy who was doing parody songs of him last year. This song is fantastic because it takes so long to make its point, and like so much good art is just some middle aged guy recounting his every thought and movement for four minutes. You Were Meant For Me - Jewel: I was trying to remember how Dreams by Fleetwood Mac went and all I could think of was this song, and settled on singing it to myself instead. Sober - Lorde: Sorry to be a normie but listening to Lorde break down this song on an episode of Song Exploder was incredibly good and it definitely made me appreciate the way the brass sounds a lot more. Melodrama really does get better and better as a cohesive whole the more I listen to it. Night Moves - Bob Seger: We as a society need to bring back Power Voice I think. I've been obsessed with this song for months now and as far as I can tell Bob Seger has precisely zero other good songs, which is unfortunate because this one is so good. This also is another song about getting the Lamenting Night Hornies because you heard a thunderstorm that reminded you of the times in your youth that you Fucked and it's, in my opinion, very beautiful. Cairo - San Fermin: This is on the list not only because it's a good song but also unfortunately because of Podasts. San Fermin guested on an episode of Improv4humans and got absolutely roasted about this song so I highly recommend the ep. UFO - Sneaky Sound System: It's unfortunate that Sneaky Sound System's highest played song according to Spotify is the Nicolas Jaar remix of Big (an all time top ten piece of music) because it's really overshadowed the rest of their incredibly good singles. Do you remember 2006? What a time to be alive. UFO (Van She Tech Remix) - Sneaky Sound System: This is my absolute pick of the month and I have been raving to everyone who'll listen but nobody cares, I cannot get enough of it. Do you remember when Justice came from France to bless us all with the secret of bass and we betrayed them by inventing Skrillex not three years later? Van She remember. Charlie Chazz & Rappin Ralph - Duck Sauce: I believe there is a real argument to be made that any song that doesn't refer to the listeners collectively as Party People is absolutely worthless. Duck Sauce's album is a completely underrated classic in my opinion, it's a go-to mood elevator from beginning to end and for some reason has a subplot thoughout about aliens transmitting coded messages to influence human evolution, which is a big thumbs up from me. I Took Your Picture - Cults: Guess what Cults are still really really good. I haven't given this album enough time yet but this bassline has invaded my dreams so that's a good sign. Pavement - City Calm Down: The way this layers and builds into and through the chorus is so satisfying. I love this sort of thick synth production and the contrast between the different registers of his voice is so satisfying as the chorus comes back again. Pogo - Digitalism: Australian electronic music had a real moment around 2007 between Digitalism, Van She, The Presets, Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy and all them and I'm realising retrospectively that it was very, very good. Semicircle Song - The Go! Team: The world's best band are back and their new album isn't out until fucking January! This song features big horns and a bridge that's just a montage of children telling you their star sign so that's how you know it's good. The Garden's All Nighters - The Number Twelve Looks Like You: It's a real shame that #12 broke up after this album because it feels like they were really on the edge of something. Over 4 albums they morphed from a straight ahead grind band into some sort of math-prog thing approaching it from a whole different direction to everyone else. I love the idea of writing such an expansive, complex song seemingly just about living in New Jersey. The way it transitions into the groovy latin part is so nice and the solo is just beautiful; and unlike other bands in the same sort of sector they never make a joke of genre switches either, they just keep moving forward with a smile. Paris/Orly - Deux: I forget how I first came across this album but it’s easily the wankiest thing I absolutely love. An 80s French synthpop duo that only ever released a cassette and some singles that got reissued by a label called Minimal Wave a few years ago. It is absolutely the best. New wave mixed with Kraftwerk and synthpop except incredibly french and cool as well. I constantly have their song Game And Performance in my head but this one was my obsession this month. Walking Into Sunshine (Larry Levan 12" Mix) - Central Line: There’s something very authentic about disco songs that are lyrically all about working all week all day every day, and desperately needing a break to perhaps, dance your worries away in a new york discotheque. Cradle In The Crater - The Number Twelve Looks Like You: This is maybe my favourite #12 song because it appears to be about some kind of super child who came from space and perhaps wrought havoc on the citizens of earth, but told in a very real and emotional way like it’s a story about someone they really knew. It reminds me of Mother 3 and the good times I had as a teen playing that game with my best friend, so that’s an added bonus. Under The Ice (Extended Version) - Topo & Roby: Italo disco forever. This song is a duet between a woman and a robot where they relay the story of him coming from a distant planet in a spaceship and crashing on the north pole then getting trapped under the titular ice where he waits to I think murder me. Now that I think of it it’s world similar to Cradle In The Crater. It sounds so good, far better than a novelty song like this has any right to. There’s also a video with someone’s 80s mum dancing with an incredibly shit robot on youtube if you’re interested. Outta The Woodwork - Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett: I really love the covers they chose for this album because they both really make it their own. Outta The Woodwork really sounds like a Kurt song now and I love the strong piano giving the song the harder edge the lyrics deserve and Kurt just lazily soloing to hell any chance he gets Peepin' Tom - Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett: I think I almost like this version more than the original, making it just an acoustic thing but still keeping all the dynamics of the original is so nice. I love specifically the deep bass voice of ‘peepin’ to the high ‘tom’. It satisfies something weird in my brain. Mercury (12" Version) - Bloc Party: I can’t believe i’ve lived this long without ever knowing that there was a 12” version of Mercury out there. The song I always felt was way too short to contain the amount of energy it has has a 7 minute version that well and truly lays it out into a slow intense burn instead. Electric Feel (Justice Remix) - MGMT: Just to get my 2007 opinions straight Electric Feel is not a good song. Kids is a good song but Electric Feel isn’t. That said: this remix comes damn close to making it good. Justice figured out the secret sound and we’re all the better for it. Comin' Apart - Gary Wright: There’s no greater joy than tracking down a sample and finding out that the original song is also a banger. This pairs extremely well with My My My as a sort of extended intro. My My My - Armand Van Helden: I posted that playlist a couple weeks ago of songs mid-2000s bangers with extremely horny videos and this is a highlight from that. I'm always amazed with how much mileage great producers can get out of a relatively straightforward sample because this hums along for almost 7 minutes and only gets better. Laser Life - The Blood Brothers: The Blood Brothers are one of the few bands that scratch the brain itch I have for totally bonkers Mars Volta markov chain lyrics phrases like 'Oh dream machine I'm a pound of flesh inside a drum machine dream'. They're also the only band I think that can get away with having this sort of cabaret swing feel in a song with a lot of screaming and not have it be absolutely unbearable. Camouflage, Camouflage - The Blood Brothers: Where a lot of The Blood Brothers early songs were just chaotic bursts, they have a few songs that spread out into a long multi movement ideas culminating in very good final lines like 'I couldn't see the love and affection it was camouflaged as a jungle of erections, and I couldn't see the skeletal lightning it was camouflaged as a young machete' 16 Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford: The mistake people make in covering this song is trying to match the extremely grim lyrics to the music, but this version succeeds exactly because it's on some upbeat Frank Sinatra shit with the clarinet refrain sounding like a children's song while still being very much about dying face down in the dirt from arsenic poisoning. Take This Hammer - Leadbelly: On the other hand you have a song like Take This Hammer from a guy who really worked on a chain gang complete with involuntary WAH sounds to time your hammer strikes to, and it's still so much more upbeat and positive musically than it has any right to be looking at the lyrics. San Francisco - Foxygen: There's something about the chorus of this song, and they way the phrases of the two voices line up where if it gets stuck in your head it just goes around and around and around forever and it is absolutely maddening so I thought I'd share that with you all. El Manana (Metronomy Remix) - Gorillaz: This remix reminds me of Studio to a degree with the way it just moves forward with no regard for regular structure. It's gutsy to remix a song and somehow restructure it so the chorus doesn't even sound like it's the chorus anymore but just another small part in a slowly winding up machine. Monkey Gone To Heaven - The Pixies: The way he's screaming that GOD IS SEVEN in this song I feel like if Black Francis hadn't made it in music he'd be running a very successful incomprehensible conspiracy website. This is a song I can get very lyrically involved in when I'm in certain moods, nodding my head like the creature in the sky DID get sucked in a hole and now there's a hole in the sky, and we're all in trouble because of it. Cannonball - The Breeders: I like this song because it feels like everyone in the band is working on their own unique structure. The clean guitar especially just comes and goes at will through the whole song, the lyrics start whenever, the rhythm guitar just keeps strumming along. It all comes together for the chorus and then they just go their own separate ways until it's chorus time again. S.A.D. - Kirin J Callinan: The production on this song just amazes me, especially as it moves into the later choruses the sheer weight of the chords is just crazy. The barest suggestion of guitars chugging in the background but blending into the huge synths chords. Combined with the vocals it's the most threatening pop song I've ever heard. Wrapped up in plastic thrown down the stairs feeling fantastic. Water Coast Blues - Honeyboy Edwards: I feel like Honeyboy Edwards has gotten a raw deal from history. When he died most of his obitaries made a big point of how he was one of the last living people to know Robert Johnson personally. Which is an important detail but it overshadows Edwards contributions in his own right as a guitarist and songwriter who had a 70 year career. The album this recording's from is a really good compilation that gives an overview of his whole career, mixed with interviews with Edwards and Alan Lomax that are just amazing. Anyway just listen to the playing on this song because it is incredible. The bass figure he switches into when he says 'when I had money'? Phenomenal. Another Leather Lung - The Sound Of Animals Fighting: The Sound Of Animals Fighting was a supergroup of a bunch of guys from RX Bandits/Chiodos/Circa Survive and bands like that coming together in animal masks to make the most pretentious band possible at the time. There's a lyrics on one of their other songs where he sings 'the artist! the true manifestation of struggle!' which is quite good. But outside of that they did make some very good music and the second half of this song where it takesoff is really something. Bone Machine - The Pixies: It's amazing Black Francis hasn't been linked to a string of murders in the mid 80s honestly. This whole song feels like evidence. Also the way he says 'I was talking to peachy peach about kissy kiss.. [incredibly long, awkward silence] ... he bought me a soda. he bought me a soda and he tried to molest me in the parking lot hep hep hep hep' is perhaps the most amazing verse ever. Stomping Tonight On The Pennsylvania/Alabama Border - John Fahey: This is John Fahey's best song and I've listened to it probably 4 times a week for the last 4 years. It is quite honestly an eternal mood. Ares - Bloc Party: War! War! War! War! I love the guitar in this, because it's just textural noisemaking more than anything else and mixed with the vocal manipulations in the chorus it's just absolute chaos. It's such a shame that everyone in Bloc Party either left the band or had their brain removed after this album because between this, Mercury and Talons it was truly an incredible moment. Special Rider Blues - John Fahey: I can't believe I only found out this month about John Fahey covering Skip James, and even that it took me this long for me to listen to the full version of his America album. Mark 1:15 - John Fahey: I also learned that on account of cds only holding 80 minutes of music, this 14 minute reissue version of Mark 1:15 is 2 minutes shorter than the original vinyl version and I'm completely riled up about it and demanding a second, definitive reissue to restore them. Regardless, this song is an absolute masterpiece and when it switches into the portion of When The Springtime Comes again about three quarters of the way through it's just amazing. Swim - Nicolas Jaar: Here's another quite long and involved piece of music from the other side of the spectrum. It has a very similar feeling to Mark 1:15 really, so if you liked that persevere through this. It's taken me such a long time to get around to listening to Nymphs for some reason but I'm glad I finally gave it a shot because this song especially is a real masterwork. Crimes - The Blood Brothers: A third Blood Brothers song for you, If you didn't like the other two there's a chance you'll like this one because it's much more sedate. This song is also a good first Blood Brothers song because the way the second vocalist sounds when he finally turns up is really funny if you're not expecting it. This is another on the long list of songs I seem to just always have in my head and sing to myself when I'm walking around. NRG - Duck Sauce: Are you ready for the most powerful 12 minutes of your life? It's the entirety of the NRG single by Duck Sauce. I like to think of it as a purposeful multi-movement work rather than a song and two remixes because that's what it feels like. Starting out we have the original, incredible instant power of NRG. NRG (Skrillex, Kill The Noise, Milo & Otis Remix) - Duck Sauce: and next we have the absolute peak of the work, the fever pitch. See if you can guess which part Skrillex was responsible for. I love the addition of miscellaneous woos and yeahs among the already busy main riff, I absolutely love the bass which sounds like some kind of steel drum pulled down four octaves. I love the distortion on the vocals in the second half as it slowly gives you time to catch your breath. NRG (Hudson Mohawk Remix) - Duck Sauce: The we move into the comedown, the HudMo contribution where the drums somehow sound like they're coming from next door like the party has passed you by and moved on to enliven your neighbours. I love the snare building and then splitting into triplets like it's going to drop before the peace of the synth gives way to the rolling thunder drums hafway in. On The Other Hand Baby - Etta Baker: I don't know what to say about Etta Baker. She's incredible and it's an absolute shame that she didn't really get recorded until she was about 70. This album was recorded when she was about 92 and her playing is still amazing. Crucible - Sleigh Bells: You have to give Sleigh Bells credit for still going strong four albums in if nothing else. Somewhere along the line they adopted this sort of corny rock chick thing that wasn't really there in their first album and I think it works against them but I really can't get enough of the instrumental of this song. The distorted brass and string amongst everything else especially. I feel like there's a much better song buried in here somewhere but I'll take what I can get. Pirate Blues - As Cities Burn: As Cites Burn are another good example of a metalcore band absolutely mellowing out into a indie rock band over the course of three albums, and the result Hell Or High Water has turned out to be one if my favourites of all time. This song especially is an obsession, and I love a band having the sense to no longer make metalcore, but learning enough from it to take a song to a a huge crescendo when they need to like this one does. Timothy - As Cities Burn: Between As Cities Burn, mewithoutYou and a couple of other christian bands I was very nearly converted in highschool and it still informs a lot of my uh theistic thought in a strangely unembarrassing way. This song, from their second album where they were sort of caught between their metalcore origins and the full fleshed indie rock of Hell Or High Water is one of their best. Yelling at god about your dead friend is a massive thing to write a song about but it's done so well and it builds and builds before dissolving into a sparse, thoughtful solo for a good six minutes into a beautiful ending.

listen here

#playlists

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pywriting · 7 years

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Tide of Fate IX

The evening was thick with warning, and it was no more apparent than in the corner of the wood where the Hawk held court. The wagons were arrayed between the trees in manner most strange, a small village of wood and dyed cloth. In the heart of the space, was the trio of wagons of the Lady of the Hawk; they were more resplendent, more intense, and more grand than any other. A great bonfire roared there, unattended. Eerily so. There was a notable lack of people in the carts; in fact, it was silent, save a discordant humming that turned sweet by turns.

Nesrin Thori’thal was slow walking through these foreign woods, never once betraying his discomfort to the surrounding emptiness. The eerie feeling was thick to him, causing him to feel more as if he were wading through a deep pond than anything. The sweet song was only adding to this rather discomforting scene he'd found himself in. Yet where else had he to go? There was no solution for the trouble he faced, and so he would turn to these skeptical, alternative moves. Witchcraft of more shady business... Someone who could produce the results that he wanted... that he needed.

He stopped as he came to this central place. Looking over the great bonfire, it reflected off the fine gold hues that he'd traveled in. His stature was thin, yet intimidating, those intense eyes peeking over a cloth that held the bottom half of his face more a mystery.

He waited... he did not call, for that is what the man who directed him here said to do. Whomever this woman was that could work miracles, he was certain she would be arriving soon enough... Just given the time.... Time that he could wait still.

Abruptly, a figure came forth through the bright hues of the bonfire, as if it spit her out before him itself, the flames licking at her heels. The sweet song seemed to die away and quiet in anticipation for the honeyed voice that would soon follow her appearance.

“Welcome, traveller.” The soothing tones lilted on, “Do you come for a meal and rest from your vigors?”

Nesrin had no time for this play, cutting straight to the point with an even tone that set forth his business clearly, “You are the woman by the name of Dasia, are you not?”

There was a cant to the woman’s head, a slight tinkle of jewels knocking against others as she moved to emphasize the movement itself before she asked, “I am the woman you seek, if you seek…help.” She stepped forward, her form fully coming to focus.

She was a beautiful woman of a full figure, soft as a mother, yet her hips swayed like a maiden in her first bloom. The man, though, was not distracted as she continued on, “And what can I assist you with…my Lord?”

He adjusted his stance, facing her completely to let his attention set only on the woman now before him. He studied her, like a specimen in glass, judging and measuring to set forth any signs to what her game truly was, to discern any more knowledge before he fell too deep into a belief of a fraud.

“I hear you are a woman that can get me the results I need. A woman that can craft some change that will get me to my desired ends.” He spoke in a cool, even tone.

Quick as ever, she replied, “Anything can happen, if you know the ways and have the means. What do you want, My Lord? Tell me your heart’s desire.”

“My wife-to-be has a knack for disappearing, of losing focus on what matters the most. For such, I want to not only find her, but be assured that I will not lose her once again.” He stated, “To anyone.”

The words were hiding the venom in his veins, the frustration of a prize that kept slipping away that lead him to such extremes as to believe in some woman in the woods to give him what he wanted.

Dasia’s smile held the promises that he had known to expect. “Oh, a matter of the heart-- I do so love those.” Her eyes, a deep amethyst, seemed to glint like metal as she matched his harsh stare for one of her own.

“A binding, a finding…easy, easy, but harder to make her want it. Does she love but wander far, or should I find means to make her see only you?” The woman swayed herself forward, like the rock of sea waves coming around rocky shores, her hands opened and welcoming him to her ideas. The man did not move from his spot.

Nesrin found no need for lies, and he knew Taliorinth honestly. She did not love him…not completely. No matter what he would say or do, there was always a distance between them, where all he gave was complete devotion to her.

“Clarity…of who it is that is most devoted to her would be an added bonus,” he said simply.

“Delightful.” She laughed softly, a sweet sound that wrapped about the pair. “I can do this for you, easily. The heart is so easily won, and lost, and won forever. I will need a price fulfilled…but for a token of my kindness and a promise for better things to come, I can offer you something to prove my worth.”

Nesrin was a man of proof, of action. The offer was a pleasant idea, something to prove that this whispered lead would come to something worthwhile in the end. He asked, “And what is that?”

Dasia’s lashes lowered, and she spoke on. “A root for a rambling rose, but what else.” She hummed, “Rosehip root, soaked in moonlight, dried in autumn wind, sweetened with honey and liqueur…and sealed in a peach.”

Nesrin refrained from allowing himself a snort at her poetic words and how they matched to those sisters so sweetly. “So you can do research. You’ve eyes and ears. What is that to prove of your worth to me? That you know how to listen well?”

Dasia bowed her head demurely. “That I know what it is you want and can offer it.” From her skirts, she brought forth a peach, hard yet but on the cusp of ripeness.

The man focused on such, especially as it was tossed towards him with an easy throw.

She continued, “Give this to your girl, and find me again if you like what you see. You are a business man, my Lord, and I will not ask for payment, for what I cannot provide. I warn you though-- this peach may be used once, and upon the morning after you shall lose the taste of it-- and her the memory of the gift at all. You will see but a glimpse of what I can make for you with the right tools…and payment.”

Nesrin would hum, inspecting this mystical fruit he’d been given as an offering. “A single day of a gift. To prove your worth,” he summarized, looking back to the woman. “And how is it to work, then. Explain to me this gift. You say I may like what I see, but what is it that I shall expect in change?”

Dasia opened her hands. “A bite of a peach, and she will remember your smile when you look at her. A half-dozen, and she shall forget the smiles of others, for all will pale in comparison to the hue of your eyes. If she licks it down to that pebbled pit…” She licked her lips. “She will forget any name but yours, and crave for nothing more than the wholeness of your attentions.”

“This is but a night. I can offer more, and you shall see it. Do not attempt to tarry in her graces after dawn, however-- the spell is short. Purposefully, short.”

“Merely a taste, I understand such.” Nesrin let out a slow breath through his nose. “And must I be in her presence when this peach is first eaten? I fear questions may arise if I would simply offer such a thing to her in these current times.”

Dasia beamed. “Oh no, this was made without you, and only needs a hint of you to seal it’s magics.” She turned to face the fire then, tossing something into the flames. The flames roared, the hue of their fierceness changing to pink, like petals of a rose.

She continued on with her dramatics, speaking again, “Kiss but the skin of it, and it will be marked. And she will never know such love as she feels for you that night.”

Nesrin looked to the fruit once more. “And this will cost me nothing in return. This one gift.”

The woman lifted her hands to the flames. “Consider it a promise to be fulfilled-- one night is nothing, compared to a lifetime.”

“This is true.” He agreed, thinking of just the what-if’s of this small promise. All that it could potentially bring and the joy it would bring him.

“You will return when you see what I have to offer. After all, what good is a business woman, if she refuses to give a sample of her wares?” There was an almost teasing tone in her voice, one he’d think was more akin to that eldest rose than he’d like.

He looked back to Dasia, curling his fingers around the fruit protectively. “And if I do like what is offered, what is this price I may have to pay? Can you tell me that now?”

Dasia turned back to face him, all smiles. “I can. I shall need things to make the charm, and things to buy my skills. I need from you, a lump of gold, thick as your finger and half as long, rose quartz that has come from a thief's hands, three roses-- in red, and black, and white. I will need a thorn stabbed with her blood, and then left to sit in noontide for three days.”

She hummed again, going on, “In payment, I wish for a feather from a bird that has never touched the ground, silk spun by a holy woman, and--” She paused. “Well, the last of my requests will wait until you see the peach at work and return to me with a Deal. When you wish to see me, drop a coin marked with a drop of your blood into the loam and leaf litter; I will find you.”

Nesrin raised his brows as she spoke of her list of needs and her payments. He thought over it only for a moment, passing it over to memory soon after. He took in a breath, continuing on, “Then we shall see how things end and if I shall return. If what you say of this fruit is true, then you will surely see me soon again. If not…then I would not hold your breath for my arrival once more. No need to waste time for something unwanted, after all.”

He’d place the fruit to his pocket, assuring it would be safe before he stated, “There is nothing more you need from me, yes?”

“Not a thing. I do not give gifts idly, My Lord, but I think you will enjoy what you see.”

“We shall see.” He would not feed into the act of this too far, “With nothing more, I shall be on my way then. Ih ope for both of our sakes, that you will see me soon again.”

Dasia smiled, looking back to him from her fires, “I know I shall, Lord Thori’thal. May your rose bloom-- or not-- eternal, as you wish it.”

Nesrin’s eyes never left her, the words stabbing closer to the truth of matters unspoken and hidden then he would have liked. She was a woman who gathered her whispers well, it seemed, and he would make note of such to be wary in the future.

Without another word, he turned, leaving her presence at the same pace as he arrived, listening as that humming slowly started up again, the woman’s voice trailing him as he left.

Tide of Fate Story Index Here

@stormandozone

#Nesrin #Nesrin Thori'thal #Tide of Fate #Dasia

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because-its-important · 6 years

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what’s the most annoying question to ask a nun* in 1967?

tl;dr - In 1967, a very long survey was administered to nearly 140,000 American women in Catholic ministry. I wrote this script, which makes the survey data work-ready and satisfies a very silly initial inquiry: Which survey question did the sisters find most annoying?

* The study participants are never referred to as nuns, so I kind of suspect that not all sisters are nuns, but I couldn't find a definitive answer about this during a brief search. 'Nun' seemed like an efficient shorthand for purposes of an already long title, but if this is wrong please holler at me!

During my first week at Recurse I made a quick game using a new language and a new toolset. Making a game on my own had been a long-running item on my list of arbitrary-but-personally-meaningful goals, so being able to cross it off felt pretty good!

Another such goal I’ve had for a while goes something like this: “Develop the skills to be able to find a compelling data set, ask some questions, and share the results.” As such, I spent last week familiarizing myself with Python 🐍, selecting a fun dataset, prepping it for analysis, and indulging my curiosity.

the process

On recommendation from Robert Schuessler, another Recurser in my batch, I read through the first ten chapters in Python Crash Course and did the data analysis project. This section takes you through comparing time series data using weather reports for two different locations, then through plotting country populations on a world map.

During data analysis study group, Robert suggested that we find a few datasets and write scripts to get them ready to work with as a sample starter-pack for the group. Jeremy Singer-Vines’ collection of esoteric datasets, Data Is Plural, came to mind immediately. I was super excited to finally have an excuse to pour through it and eagerly set about picking a real mixed bag of 6 different data sets.

One of those datasets was The Sister Survey, a huge, one-of-its-kind collection of data on the opinions of American Catholic sisters about religious life. When I read the first question, I was hooked.

“It seems to me that all our concepts of God and His activity are to some degree historically and culturally conditioned, and therefore we must always be open to new ways of approaching Him.”

I decided I wanted to start with this survey and spend enough time with it to answer at least one easy question. A quick skim of the Questions and Responses file showed that of the multiple choice answer options, a recurring one was: “The statement is so annoying to me that I cannot answer.”

I thought this was a pretty funny option, especially given that participants were already tolerant enough to take such an enormous survey! How many questions can one answer before any question is too annoying to answer? 🤔 I decided it’d be fairly simple to find the most annoying question, so I started there.

I discovered pretty quickly that while the survey responses are in a large yet blessedly simple csv, the file with the question and answers key is just a big ole plain text. My solution was to regex through every line in the txt file and build out a survey_key dict that holds the question text and another dict of the set of possible answers for each question. This works pretty well, though I’ve spotted at least one instance where the txt file is inconsistently formatted and therefore breaks answer retrieval.

Next, I ran over each question in the survey, counted how many responses include the phrase “so annoying” and selected the question with the highest count of matching responses.

the most annoying question

Turns out it’s this one! The survey asks participants to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the following statement:

“Christian virginity goes all the way along a road on which marriage stops half way.”

3702 sisters (3%) responded that they found the statement too annoying to answer. The most popular answer was No at 56% of respondents.

I’m not really sure how to interpret this question! So far I have two running theories about the responses:

The survey participants were also confused and boy, being confused is annoying!

The sisters generally weren’t down for claiming superiority over other women on the basis of their marital-sexual status.

Both of these interpretations align suspiciously well with my own opinions on the matter, though, so, ymmv.

9x speed improvement in one lil refactor

The first time I ran a working version of the full script it took around 27 minutes.

I didn’t (still don’t) have the experience to know if this is fast or slow for the size of the dataset, but I did figure that it was worth making at least one attempt to speed up. Half an hour is a long time to wait for a punchline!

As you can see in this commit, I originally had a function called unify that rewrote the answers in the survey from the floats which they'd initially been stored as, to plain text returned from the survey_key. I figured that it made sense to build a dataframe with the complete info, then perform my queries against that dataframe alone.

However, the script was spending over 80% of its time in this function, which I knew from aggressively outputting the script’s progress and timing it. I also knew that I didn’t strictly need to be doing any answer rewriting at all. So, I spent a little while refactoring find_the_most_annoying_question to use a new function, get_answer_text, which returns the descriptive answer text when passed the answer key and its question. This shaved 9 lines (roughly 12%) off my entire script.

Upon running the script post-refactor, I knew right away that this approach was much, much faster - but I still wasn’t prepared when it finished after only 3 minutes! And since I knew between one and two of those minutes were spent downloading the initial csv alone, that meant I’d effectively neutralized the most egregious time hog in the script. 👍

I still don’t know exactly why this is so much more efficient. The best explanation I have right now is “welp, writing data must be much more expensive than comparing it!” Perhaps this Nand2Tetris course I’ll be starting this week will help me better articulate these sorts of things.

flourishes 💚💛💜

Working on a script that takes forever to run foments at least two desires:

to know what the script is doing Right Now

to spruce the place up a bit

I added an otherwise unnecessary index while running over all the questions in the survey so that I could use it to cycle through a small set of characters. Last week I wrote in my mini-RC blog, "Find out wtf modulo is good for." Well, well, well.

Here’s what my script looks like when it’s iterating over each question in the survey:

I justified my vanity with the (true!) fact that it is easier to work in a friendly-feeling environment.

Plus, this was good excuse to play with constructing emojis dynamically. I thought I’d find a rainbow of hearts with sequential unicode ids, but it turns out that ❤️ 💙 and 🖤 all have very different values. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

the data set

One of the central joys of working with this dataset has been having cause to learn some history that I’d otherwise never be exposed to. Here’s a rundown of some interesting things I learned:

This dataset was only made accessible in October this year. The effort to digitize and publicly release The Sister Survey was spearheaded by Helen Hockx-Yu, Notre Dame’s Program Manager for Digital Product Access and Dissemination, and Charles Lamb, a senior archivist at Notre Dame. After attending one of her forums on digital preservation, Lamb approached Hockx-Yu with a dataset he thought “would generate enormous scholarly interest but was not publicly accessible.”

Previously, the data had been stored on “21 magnetic tapes dating from 1966 to 1990” (Ibid) and an enormous amount of work went into making it usable. This included both transferring the raw data from the tapes, but also deciphering it once it’d been translated into a digital form.

The timing of the original survey in 1967 was not arbitrary: it was a response to the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II). Vatican II was a Big Deal! Half a century later, it remains the most recent Catholic council of its magnitude. For example, before Vatican II, mass was delivered in Latin by a priest who faced away from his congregation and Catholics were forbidden from attending Protestant services or reading from a Protestant Bible. Vatican II decreed that mass should be more participatory and conducted in the vernacular, that women should be allowed into roles as “readers, lectors, and Eucharistic ministers,” and that the Jewish people should be considered as “brothers and sisters under the same God” (Ibid).

The survey’s author, Marie Augusta Neal, SND, dedicated her life of scholarship towards studying the “sources of values and attitudes towards change” (Ibid) among religious figures. A primary criticism of the survey was that Neal’s questions were leading, and in particular, leading respondents towards greater political activation. ✊

As someone with next to zero conception of religious history, working with this dataset was a way to expand my knowledge in a few directons all at once. Pretty pumped to keep developing my working-with-data skills.

#recurse center #data analysis #religion #data #python #pydata #programming #silliness

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charlottebellblr-blog · 4 years

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Charlotte Bell Professional Portrait

A professional portrait headshot is essential for all businesses. Websites, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. all require a quality image. Charlotte will work with you to create a portrait that “looks like you”. Plus Charlotte’s sessions are fast and fun. You will get to see the images immediately and pick the one that you like best. Then she will add her magic: lightening wrinkles, eliminating blemishes or skin imperfection if necessary. Within 24 hours you will have a classy portrait of yourself that you can proudly display to the world. [email protected]

Whatever your service or product, think about how you are coming across to your customers. If you look cheap, expect people to start by letting out a sigh and asking, “How much?” If you communicate quality you will attract customers who value quality and will be willing to pay for it.

To illustrate my point, think of a business website you have seen where all the photos are different: difference background, different lighting, and different colors. Some are done with a cell phone others look like a mug shot. Your potential client notice details. They expect you to pay attention to details in your service or product. So you make the introduction to your business classy with professional consistent photographs.

Preparations

Before every job, we make a list of the following details: contact names & phone numbers. I’m detail-oriented and listen carefully to what my clients say so the finished photo portrays the taste and style desired. A Portrait Photography session can be held at our conveniently located studio or a client-suggested venue. Clients are provided with immediate feedback so they know what the finished product will look like.

Pricing

For Portrait Photography economical pricing is essential. For an individual portrait, the basic cost is $125. However is you have a company where you need many headshots the price can be as low as $75 per person depending on the total number. We also honor that price when new people are added to your staff even though they will get their photos done at our studio. Of course, everything will match. We think we have the best pricing in the Austin area.

Editing

Every Professional Portrait needs some editing. Perhaps something as simple as a scar, shiny nose or blemish needs to be removed. However, we can do more than that. Perhaps you have a large company and you want all the headshots to have the same background. You provide the background and we will make everyone match. Or we have backgrounds that you can choose from. Perhaps you want to look 10 pounds thinner? No problem. Or you have darkness or lines under your eyes. We can also fix that. However, you will never look plastic. All editing is done with a light touch. Basic editing is included in the price of your head shot.

Below is a sample. We added an optional vignette. We also could have been less dramatic in eye editing. However, when you meet this man you would not think you were some whose photo was edited. He still looks his age. He just looks rested.

Model Actor Musician photography

For a Model Actor Musician, photography is an essential tool for getting the job. The following are just a few examples of photography for performers.

Actor

An actor’s first foot in the door isn’t the play they did in high school; it’s the professional head shot that accompanies their portfolio. We’ve worked with hundreds of aspiring and successful actors and actresses to help them land their dream gigs. When you need a photography team that knows the difference between Theater acting and Hollywood pictures, our portraits can give you the modern, creative, or old-school head-shot you need. To do that, we can work directly with acting schools and teachers for guidance to create the best acting portfolio. Even if you already have one, together we will find a way to update and improve it to meet your specific professional goals; all so you can achieve them in the shortest period. We always work until your satisfaction.

Model

Certainly, models and photography go hand and hand. This is the essence of what models need and want. They need a portrait to get the job. I work with models of all ages and gender to give them this essential tool for getting jobs. Plus it's fun. Try this link for tips for models

Musician

Frequently musicians never think of getting a professional head shot taken but these are just as important for them as for an actor. When you are selling yourself to a promoter your look is only second to your music. Frequently on-site photography works the best but a staged set up is equally powerful. So, in essence, it is a model/actor/musician that all need good head shots.

But they usually do not have big budgets. Charlotte provides great images and fun photo sessions at very reasonable costs. She can also do on-site performance photos. With models, she can even do a trade. So if you are a model/actor/musician give me a call and get a quote for your photography. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Family Photography

Family Photography for children, babies, and families.

We believe that great family photography has the power to take your breath away, make you laugh with delight, and/or move you to tears. Our style is capturing real moments that tell a story while showcasing the wonder, joy, and excitement of childhood. We love to get creative with beautiful light, artistic perspectives, and funky angles. Most of all, we love to present those precious memories as stunning works of art that you will appreciate forever. Children change every day.

We suggest you schedule a family photograph every year. If not the entire family certainly you want to capture the children. Look at the precious children in these photos. These children are showing their true personality. This is what you want to remember forever and we can make it happen.

Investing in a Charlotte Bell portrait, you get far more than a photograph. Charlotte’s approach to portraiture begins with the design and planning of the location, style, and fashion of the family photography session. She will meet with you to discuss clothing, setting and the best time to take the photograph to best suit your individual needs.

When it comes to choosing the best family photography you’re going to want to choose someone who knows how to capture your uniqueness. The best family photos are the ones that can show people who you are at a glance.

Over the years, Charlotte has developed a relaxed style that will make the shoot enjoyable. Your family photography can be made at a destination of your choice, or in the comfortable atmosphere of your home or at her studio.

It can be a lot of fun modeling for the camera even when you’re bursting at the seams during your pregnancy, but not only are maternity photos proof of the amazing things your body is going through, they’ll also serve as precious keepsakes for your child one day. Where you would like some elegant of fun we can record this special time in your life. Portraits are a family history.

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Call today to discuss your portrait needs. 512 447 2150

Senior Portrait

A senior portrait is a record of one of the most important times in a young person's life. The following are some examples but first see what I can so with those photographs as something you can send to family, put on Facebook or other social media.

For a senior portrait, graduates are looking for photos that reflect their interests and show their personalities. Working with me is relaxed and fun. You can come to my studio or we can meet at one of Austin’s unique locations: UT, SOCO, 6th street or one of many local parks. Bring your dog if you like. The idea is to enjoy yourself so we can capture how you are. This can be high energy, romantic, casual or whatever you want. It’s up to you. Combining state-of-the-art equipment with experience and innovation, I can produce portraits that can be edgy or beautiful. So call me today to talk about this “all-important” portrait to remember your graduation. 512 447 2150

Senior Portraits run from $350 – $500.

Consult me ahead of time and find out what to wear. I suggest colors that will complement your hair and eyes. Try to stay away from clothing with “designs”. You want your face to command attention, not the design of the clothing. Remember little things like wrinkles in clothing, clean shoes, and clean/groomed nails, etc. You could also bring a shirt with your high school logo, a letter jacket or a college shirt to show where you will be going and anything else important to you.

I’d love to hear any other favorites you may have too! Do you have a vision of what you want to see? Maybe with the skyline of the city or on a motorcycle, diving in the water or kicking a soccer ball. We can do whatever you want. This is your senior portrait so dream big and we can do it.

This list may be helpful in your planning.

1. What makes a good portrait in your opinion?

2. Are there things that you would like to have in your photo? Like some sports objects, soccer, tennis, baseball or theater props.

3. Is there something you hate about having your photograph taken?

4. What are your plans for the future?

5. Do you have some idea of what would be fun to do when we take your photo?

6. Think about the clothes you would like to wear: something casual and something dressy.

7. Do you have a creative idea on how we should do the photo? A location for instance.

#Professional Photographer in Texas #Portrait Photography #Best Wedding Photographers in Austin #Austin Photography Studio

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shannrussell-blog1 · 5 years

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When the words ‘Perth’ and ‘hiking’ are uttered in the same sentence there are good odds the conversation is about the Perth Hills, where the flat Swan Coastal Plain ends and the Darling Scarp emerges.

The bushland and undulating hills make for some great bushwalking (there’s one track that’s 1000km long!) among wildflowers, waterfalls, and the odd abandoned quarry.

But it’s not all grass trees and red-tailed black cockatoo flocks, don’t forget Perth also has some great coastline walks along the Indian Ocean, and the mighty Swan River.

Don’t have a car? Neither do I. So the five areas listed below are all accessible by public transport. Okay, I might be pushing it with Ellis Brook Valley, but I have to include it anyway.

So, grab your SmartRider card and let’s get hiking!

1. Kalamunda National Park

Distance from Perth: 28km

Walking 1000km along the Bibbulmun Track from Kalamunda, in the Perth Hills, to Albany is not everyone’s cup of tea. But, with the Kalamunda bus station at the doorstep of the Bibbulmun Track’s northern terminus, almost anyone can experience at least a small section of this famous trail.

Rocky Pools in flow in Kalamunda National Park

Apart from adding a feather to your hiking cap, there is also plenty to see, especially wildflowers, bushland panoramas, and birdlife. A popular spot is the scenic Rocky Pools, which was a popular swimming hole pre-1930s. Not sure how the kids back then coped with the freezing water. I’ll just enjoy the sound of running water and hopping amongst the rocks, thanks.

The Kalamunda local government provides a number of marked trails which traverse the area and are well worth exploring. The best time to visit is in the cooler months, especially after winter rains have filled the streams, and in late winter and spring when the wildflowers are erupting.

2. Mundy Regional Park and Lesmurdie Falls National Park

Distance from Perth: 24km

Located to the west of Kalamunda and Lesmurdie, the parks are accessible from all sides via public transport. Once again the Kalamunda local government has provided some fantastic marked trails.

My favourite would have to be the Whistlepipe Gully Walk – a 3km trail which loops around the banks of a winding creek with numerous small waterfalls. When the vegetation is lush from winter rains you could swear you are traipsing through a tropical jungle.

Attempting to not get wet at the foot of Lesmurdie Falls

Whistlepipe Gully is a great one for the kids, but if you are looking for a hike a bit more strenuous try a couple of the longer walks which loop around the hillier sections of the park. The reward for your effort will be panoramic views across the Swan Coastal Plain and an abundance of wildflowers and birdlife.

The jewel in the crown, however, would have to be Lesmurdie Falls, probably the most spectacular waterfall in the Perth metropolitan area. For a close-up view, take the Foot of the Falls Trail along Lesmurdie Brook but be careful hopping along those slippery rocks.

For a more panoramic view, take the high road along the southern shoulder of the valley and enjoy aerial views from the observation platforms.

3. Ellis Brook Valley

Distance from Perth: 25km

Okay, so Ellis Brook Valley isn’t that easy to access via public transport (about a 40 min walk from the closest bus stop), but it is doable without a car. And the effort is worth it. The area has probably the best display of wildflowers I have ever seen in the Perth metropolitan area.

There are a number of different trails to explore for different fitness levels. For those that like to take an easier walk try the Echidna, Eagle View Trail, or the Blue Wren Ramble Trail. These three trails have mind-blowing amounts of wildflowers if you come at the right time of year.

If you are more adventurous try the Sixty Foot Falls Trail which climbs to the top of the waterfall, providing brilliant views over the valley and to the city beyond. The trail also passes by the well-known Old Barrington Quarry, which for a hole in the ground is very photogenic.

A walk amongst the wildflowers on the Eagle View Trail

Ellis Brook Valley is a personal favourite of mine. I felt like a kid walking around here for the first time. Not sure what it was about this place.

Wildflowers I have never seen before? Pushing my way through tunnels of chickweed to find a babbling brook surrounded by colour? Hunting down my first ever sighting of a splendid blue fairywren? Or crawling through a hole in a fence to tip-toe my way to the edge of an abandoned quarry? Whatever it was, I had a blast and will forever be memorable.

4. Perth’s Indian Ocean Coastal Walks

Distance from Perth: 49km

That’s enough of the Perth Hills, time to give hikes along Perth’s stunning coastline some credit. There are plenty of walks all the way from Burns Beach in the north, to Mandurah in the south, but my favourite would have to be what I term the Unofficial Rockingham Coastal Hike.

Atop a sand dune enjoying the calm blue waters of Warnbro Sound

Stretching from the Rockingham City foreshore on Cockburn Sound, around Point Peron, along with the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park coastline, and then finishing in Port Kennedy after enjoying the expansive ocean views of Warnbro Sound, the Rockingham Coastal Hike is a big task at 25km.

Luckily the majority of the trail is a flat concrete path but you do get some adventure along the rocky shores of Point Peron. As the majority of the trail is easily accessed by public transport the hike can be broken up into much smaller sections.

So what can you experience on the walk? Plenty. Indian Ocean views, long sandy beaches, jagged limestone cliffs and outcrops, dolphins, bird life, rolling sand dunes, flocks of colourful kiteboarders, exploring WWII bunkers and gun emplacements, nude beaches (if you are so inclined), maritime history, and best of all absolutely stunning sunsets. A great summertime hike, so bring your swimmers.

5. Walking the Banks of the Swan River

Distance from Perth: 2.5km (to Narrows Bridge)

I’m not sure the exact length of the Swan River’s perimeter, but whatever it is it’s huge. This means plenty of walking opportunities. But where to start? Why not the Three Bridges Loop which joins the Narrows Bridge, the Canning Bridge and the Queen Victoria Street Bridge.

At a touch over 40km, you may want to break the walk into sections and spread the joy. Along the way there are obviously three bridges but also dolphin sightings, spectacular river views, Point Walter Spit (a sandbar that extends over 1km into the river at low tide), parklands, cafes to sample, black swans, sunsets from Como jetty and a glimpse into the lives of Perth’s wealthy (including one of Australia’s most expensive houses at $57.9 million).

Perth city lights reflecting on the Swan River

Want something a little closer to the Perth CBD? Try the loop from the newly developed Elizabeth Quay, over the Narrows Bridge, along the South Perth Foreshore, across Heirisson Island (don’t forget to say hello to the urban mob of Western Grey kangaroos) and then back along Riverside Drive. A great walk to take on a warm summer night while watching the city lights sparkle.

Heading interstate or maybe you live further east? Here are the best hikes near Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne.

What’s your favourite bushwalk near Perth? Comment below.

The post Top 5 Hikes near Perth appeared first on Snowys Blog.

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onthegoinmco · 6 years

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DISCLOSURE: I was invited by Walt Disney World to experience a Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but all opinions are my own.

There is a festive holiday spirit in the air at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a Flurry of Fun has been added this holiday season that includes new decorations, shows, treats, and more that can be experienced every day from now until December 31st!

The fun goes from day to night, so let’s take a look some of the highlights of holiday fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Nine Ways To Have A Flurry Of Fun At Disney’s Hollywood Studios

1. Take a stroll around Echo Lake

Echo Lake, just off of Hollywood Boulevard, has received a retro and merry makeover that includes extra-large ornaments on the water, colorful garlands and medallions on every light pole, a few woodland friends, decorated umbrellas, and the centerpiece of the decorations is a giant Christmas tree centered on the water that is a perfect backdrop for photos. Dinosaur Gertie is also excited for the fun, and is festively dressed for the holidays.

Don’t forget to visit Echo Lake at night, as the area comes alive with lights. A stroll around Echo Lake is a great way to end your day in the park.

2. See a new holiday tag For the First Time in Forever

Disney

The ever popular For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration fills the Hyperion Theater with holiday fun and songs as the royal historians, Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff welcome Olaf to the show for the holiday season to share all-new songs from Disney’s new animated short “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”.

The holiday addition fits seamlessly into the existing show, and having Olaf in the show is a holiday present for the audience.

3. Make sure you are on the right list with Santa

You can’t celebrate the holidays without a visit to see Santa, but during the Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios there are TWO ways to meet the big guy!

The Once Upon a Time store, located among the star-studded stores all along Sunset Boulevard, you can get in those holiday requests and photos in person with Kris Kringle from November 9 to December 24, 2017.

Jolly Old Saint Nick will be greeting good girls and good boys in an area decorated just for the occasion with Christmas trees, ornate garlands, and even a lovely red and gold rug.

But remember! Santa will only be available to meet until Christmas Eve. Be sure to visit him during his limited appearance dates, taking place from November 9 to December 24, 2017!

After Christmas, “Yule” laugh your way right into the New Year when Goofy takes over for the big guy from December 25 to 31, 2017.

Once Christmas morning arrives, Santa Claus will be well on his way back to the North Pole… but don’t you worry it’s Santa Goofy to the rescue! Don’t miss your chance to ring in 2018 with a hearty laugh and even a picture too as you spend time with the goofiest holiday Character in history.

Please keep in mind that all entertainment and appearances are subject to change without notice, and if you are looking for information on meeting Santa or Santa Goofy check with a Cast Member when you arrive at the park, Guest Relations is located to the far left of the entrance as you are facing the park.

4. Grab a sweet treat

Disney

The holidays aren’t the holidays without sweet treats, and The Disney Parks Blog shared a look at the fun for foodies!

My favorite treat was the over-the-top red velvet whoopie pies that are piled hight with icing garland, ornament pearls, and holiday sprinkles that are tree-shaped and available at Sweet Spells and Fairfax Fare.

Fans of Olaf will be overjoyed, because he stars on several desserts around the park! Olaf can be found dancing on cupcakes at ABC Commissary, Rosie’s All-American Café, Catalina Eddie’s, Fairfax Fare and Sweet Spells. There’s an Olaf Pop at Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction along Echo Lake, an Olaf Sundae at Hollywood Scoops on Sunset Boulevard, and Sugar Frosted Fruit Bites at Pretzel Palooza on Sunset Boulevard. For even more fun, there is even an Olaf-themed sipper that comes filled with a fun “Frozen” beverage that can be found in several locations around the park.

5. Festive beverages for adults

Disney

For the holiday season, guests over the age of 21 can look forward to a selection of specialty beverages themed to the celebrations.

It isn’t always hot in Florida, and you may find that you want to warm up with a spiked hot chocolate that can be found at both Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner along Echo Lake and Fairfax Fare on Sunset Boulevard. The selection of hot chocolates includes a hot chocolate martini, Bailey’s Salted Caramel hot chocolate, black cherry bourbon hot chocolate, and there is even a hot chocolate flight where you can sample all three if you can’t choose just one to try.

Other adult beverages available this year include a Peppermint White Russian, a Winterberry Cooler and a Let It Glow drink consisting of vodka and blue-raspberry frozen carbonated beverage with your very own glow cube at various locations around Echo Lake and Sunset Boulevard.

6. Watch as the streets of Hollywood come alive during Sunset Seasons Greetings

On Sunset Boulevard, just off of the main entrance’s Hollywood Boulevard, as night falls a ‘snowy’ holiday celebration takes place as billboards above the street move into motion with appearances from some beloved characters who are sharing their love of the holidays.

The billboards above direct you to look at the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, as it is magically transformed, courtesy of some cutting edge projections, bringing to characters’ stories to life and into motion.

The Disney character moments during Sunset Seasons include:

Mickey and Minnie reminiscing about a hometown Christmas as the scene shifts into a romanticized, Norman Rockwell-inspired town—starting in black and white before slowly changing into color.

The Toy Story characters guessing which new toys are coming this Christmas as the scene becomes covered in holiday wrapping paper.

The Swedish Chef from The Muppets babbling as only he can while the scene turns into giant gingerbread houses.

And finally, Olaf pining over his holiday wish as iconic music plays and the scene freezes over into a Frozen winter wonderland—complete with dancing Aurora Borealis lights and projected falling snow.

Each of these scenes lasts for almost 3 minutes, and play on a loop. So you are invited to slow down your pace and enjoy the show as you make your way to the attractions and restaurants or grab a spot to watch them all. If you do decide to grab a spot for a bit, please make sure you are considerate to other guests who might be making their way down the Boulevard.

7. Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!

Disney

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! is back this year with even more BAM!

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! is a nighttime spectacular full of fun and hijinks that features traditional holiday tunes, state-of-the-art projections from Disney Animation classics, special effects, fireworks, a little snow, and unexpected surprises.

It’s “Kringle Level 9” for the stars of ABC’s Prep & Landing Wayne and Lanny as they search for Santa who has gone missing. You will get caught up in the adventure as the Chinese Theater, as well as the surrounding buildings and rooftops, come alive to immerse you into scenes from Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more. The festive finale is a snowy, visual wonderland that is a must-see for the holiday season.

For the best viewing spot, make sure you arrive early and have a sight line that includes as much of the Chinese Theater and surrounding buildings as you can. Most of the firework bursts happen on the right side of the Theater, but even more effects and fireworks are launched from the surrounding areas.

8. Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Dessert Party

Disney

If you want to really amp up your Flurry of Fun, I suggest booking the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Dessert Party.

During the party you can enjoy specialty sweets and sips from around the park before you move to a special reserved viewing area to enjoy Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! The viewing area, weather and condition permitting, is located in the Chinese Theater courtyard.

Among the desserts offered are candy cane brownies, holiday Mickey and Minnie sugar cookies, warm pumpkin pie spiced bread pudding, and sweet Yule Log.

And at the end of the party you get to take home a special ornament as a gift to remember your evening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

The Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Dessert Party is a premium event that is not included with admission that takes place nightly through December 31. Pricing does change based on date, and from now to December 15, pricing is $79 for adults and $45 for children ages 3-9; and December 17-31, adults are $89 and children are $49 (gratuity and tax included).

Reservations must be made in advance either online or by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

9. Minnie’s Holiday Dine-In

Disney

You can deck the halls at a dazzling dinner party filled with holiday cheer and amazing food at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Minnie’s Holiday Dine-In.

Minnie Mouse is the hostess-with-the-mostest, and she is throwing a fantastic feast that features a mix of fun music and décor with a seasonal menu that is full of the joy of the season.

Minnie greets you at the door for a special photo opportunity, and while you are dining you can meet Mickey Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy as they stop by your table to pose for pictures and holiday hugs.

And before you leave, make sure you pick up your gift from your thoughtful hostess!

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining events cost $50 per adult and $30 per child, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made online or using the My Disney Experience App. Some dining plans accepted, so check before you go.

If you are not planning on attending at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, this is a great time to get photos with some of your favorite characters in their holiday finest while enjoying a great meal. I have had the chance to go to several of Minnie’s holiday get togethers, and I look forward to them every time!

And while this is a buffet, don’t feel like you can’t dine here if you have allergies because they go above and beyond accommodating guests with allergies and dietary concerns!

Spending the holidays at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been a great way to kick off our holiday celebrations in November, but this year it is even better with all of these new additions! It truly is a Flurry of Fun!

The post Nine Ways To Have A Flurry Of Fun At Disney’s Hollywood Studios appeared first on On the Go in MCO.

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twilightpony4 · 6 years

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Ola Americano... Turtle?: 4. Two Truths and a Lie

It was not long the family began to bore. Almost an hour ago, they saluted their friends and family before boarding the plane and twenty passed since they’ve taken off. The aircraft was just as big as the one they’ve taken to China. Instead of having someone as incompetent like Vern, Chief Vincent really hooked them up with a fully qualified officer as their pilot. She’s been a seasoned officer now a pilot for overseas and cross country trips and had worked with the turtles before.

Meanwhile she was contented flying the plane, the mutants were not so. Silent, but bored. They anticipated it, but not this quickly into the trip. For sure they haven’t even crossed a few states. Amongst the silence, Michelangelo groaned with a pitch sure to match Tarzan.His decibels surpassed the few with headphones on, causing them to remove them for the sake of alarm. The rest, however, fell victim to the murder of their eardrums and jumped out of their skin.

“AHH WHAT!?” Raphael was one without headphones. Michelangelo was sitting in front of him and found it fitting to use all his might to push the shell out of his seat. Venus, who was sitting in the aisle across from Michelangelo’s seat, brought her knees up to her chest after the quick scare. The orange colored terrapin turned from his seat to allow his eyes to peer over it.

“I’m bored!” he bellowed forcefully. There was a collective sigh and slump.

“And we aren’t?” Venus added, stretching out her legs to their original position.

“I got Suicide Squad on Amazon,” His head popped out very quickly to see Donnie’s content expression present the title of the movie on his tablet. “but we got to wait for it to buffer before we watch it.” He groaned, throwing his arms up in the air while his seat caught his shell when he fell back into it. There was little sympathy after what he'd done earlier as the tips of his fingers drug down his tear ducts from his eyeballs.

“Wanna play a game?”

“What kind?” Venus straightened up more against the wall of the plane. A game would be nice about now. The turtle looked off to the side and shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know… ya’ll got any?” He asked. Collectively, the group pondered on the thought. Then, there was a gasp from Donatello.

“Oh! Two Truths and a Lie?” He proposed.

“I’m down.” Leo chimed in, bringing himself closer in the aisle.

“Let’s go.” Michelangelo rubbed his dry hands in approval, ready to go.

“Me first!” The suggester raised his hand. All six mutants scooted closer in the aisles to participate and speculate the game. Donnie took a moment to think it over. When he came up with his statement, he shook his head and made eye contact with everyone. “At the junkyard, I have a homeless friend who is a former college professor. I don't need my glasses. I made a serum secretly to make me tall.” A brow and the side of his glasses rose cockily for he'd given them a good run. From their expressions he could tell they were all sampling each scenario.

“He was in-between Leo and I.” Raphael mumbled; chin lying between his fingers.

“I don't know, I want to guess glasses but…” Mona paused, continuing to think it over before she gave her final verdict. “I don't know.”

“I'm gonna go with the homeless professor.” Leo answered.

“I gotta say the growth serum.” Mikey said; Venus and Raphael agreed with him. There was a smile overtaking his face.

“I never made a growth serum. I just grew.” The purple banded turtle revealed. Although he knew it was a good set, he still couldn't believe most of them believed in the lie.

“So, your friend?” Mona asked.

“The professor? He'd rather not give his real name, but he's always talking about theories. Most of them make sense.”

“My turn!” Michelangelo raised his hand. Once all eyes were on him, he began. “I secretly watch Shameless. I’m a Changeling in my PC game ‘Super Quest’. Splinter once told me I had the most potential.”

“Is is wrong to say he has ‘no potential’?” Very unamused and looks of “What’s wrong with you? Don't say that to his face” were all implemented on him. Instead of putting his hands up in surrender, Raphael stood his ground and leaned in closer. “I’m just saying, I think that’s the lie.” He replied truthfully.

“What's Shameless?” Venus asked. Leonardo met her face by turning his head to the right.

“An adult-oriented tv show that he,” Then, his head stared straight on at the turtle across from him. Quickly, his calm, explaining demeanor changed to a mother disciplining her child “shouldn't be watching.” Venus, trying to catch on, looked to why he was looking at his brother so hard and had to ask:

“How do you know that?” His demeanor changed again. He appeared choked up and slightly embarrassed. Leonardo’s frame stiffened and straightened up while crossing his arms over his chest. The turtle girl raised a brow but smiled all the same.

“I’ve stumbled upon Shameless once while flipping the channels.” He stated matter-of-factly. Michelangelo leaned in more to the point that his arm supported him on the seat Leonardo’s legs were occupying.

“And-?” He asked with a knowing smile. Leo tried to find a nice way to put it without embarrassing himself.

“I was scarred.” Was the way he put it.

“Shameless is the lie.” Venus guessed; Mona and Donatello did as well.

“Vote me in for ‘No potential’.” Raphael stood alone on this one. Leonardo refused to answer, most likely because he had his suspicions.

“Ha!” The youngest turtle pointed a hearty finger at his team. “I got ya’ll good! I’m a White Knight in ‘Super Quest’!” Oh, wow. You're really a knight in that online game you play. Wicked, bro.

“Lame lie.” The largest turtle sank back into his seat; the corner of his lip twitched.

“You watch Shameless?!” We all know who exploded on this one. Now resting his elbows on his knees, his clear blue eyes stared into his younger brother in shock. “You’re way too underaged!” Michelangelo leaned back in horror. His fingers gripped in the seat with his legs partially in the air in case Leo wanted to pounce of him.

“I’m into the plotline, not the vulgar stuff!” He tried to explain to keep a full blown smackdown occur on the plane. “Besides, I like Noel Fisher. Bro’s cool!” He added. Truthful, but he also hoped it would calm their leader down and rethink about telling on him.

“Uh, huh.” There was a stiff silence. Although barely lasting seconds, it felt like forever due to Michelangelo’s anxiety and sweat reflex coming from his brow. Suddenly, he jumped out of his seat and pointed to the turtle sitting behind him.

“Raph watches Blue Mountain State!” Like a true tattletale. Immediately, the red clad turtle sat up straight to retaliate.

“Why you putting my business out like that? What's wrong with you?”

“It's a cool show too!” He formed a circle with his thumb and pointer finger, leaving the remaining digit up. You have got to make amends with Raphael quickly; that's the trick of the trade. “Thad Castle, dude. Freaking hilarious! Have you watched Rise of Thadland yet?” True, he was just mentioning his favorite actor to keep him from pummeling him, but it was also true that his character is definitely on the top of his list.

“Nope, been waiting for a time when everybody was out.” His anger turned to joy that somebody else liked Thad just like him. The fanboy within him whispered this notion to his youngest brother, who nodded understandably.

“Excuse me!” Leonardo interrupted explosively. “Are we going to ignore the fact that you're both under aged for watching those programs?!”

“Relax momma turtle.” As of Michelangelo wasn't the one freaking out earlier. Now with Raph on his side, he felt not-alone and untouchable. “You'd like Shameless. Pete Ploszek shows up in a couple episodes.” Another reminder of one’s favorite actor to get on his good side only this time the young turtle wasn't as fond of him. Then, the most slyest smile curled up on Raphael’s lips. Internally, those who noticed began to worry.

“Besides,” he began so humbly. “we know you watched Jackass .” It just got real. The leader’s face face went red so quickly in a blush.

“What?!” He screamed incredulously. A weight settled on the leader’s chest. They all knew very well they weren't allowed to watch adult content (by law) and that Splinter would definitely disapprove. His brother’s knew about it too.

“Didn't think we saw that, hm?” Donnie sang with a cocked eyebrow and leisurely lean on his seat. “Thought we were all somewhere else… Talk about tasteless.” Surely he had to hide when watching that. First, Splinter’s disapproval. Second, for sure they would look at him as less of a serious being if he were to watch Knoxville (a favorite of his) and his crew performing ugly and insane stunts such as teeter tottering with a bull and taking a limo ride with a beehive. That's so unprofessional.

“We won't tell if you don't tell. Up to you, bro.” Michelangelo matched his tallest brother’s stance.

“Blackmail’s a b*****, isn't it?”

“You watched a donkey?” Venus nearly whispered. When she leaned towards the leader’s direction, who was sitting behind her, the leader leaned back into the seat by the window. Michelangelo wanted to feel sympathy and laugh when he saw his brother’s shot up eyes and tense posture completely amped by her curiosity. With no answers coming from the leader, Mona asked the turtle next to her.

“Doing what?” Her tone was deep and inquisitive. The purple clad terrapin raised up his hands and faced forward. When she tried to get answers from Raphael, his grinned while shaking his head and turned away from her.

“Mona's turn!” Mikey exclaimed. Oh, right! They're playing a game.

“I suck at stuff like this.” The lizard lady sighed.

“Try.” Mikey pleaded. Don't you hate it when people try not to participate in a game? Only just to speculate.

“Um…” Attentions were focused on her, much to Leonardo’s relief. “I once had an imaginary therapist that was a running gag amongst my friends…” It felt as if the ending sound of her words were dawned on until she thought of the next idea. “I made my teacher cry because he couldn’t comprehend the complex and thorough physics experiment I conducted. I need just one more. Something outrageous...” They waited on her. Already, they were weighing out their answers. “I don't know!” She exclaimed. “I’ve found someone?” Her ill-sincere tone and the possibilities between all three statements induced a collective:

“Lie.” From all the rest.

“You really do suck at this game. That's way too easy.” Mikey teased.

“Told ya.” She half-laughed, defeated easily but still smiling because it truly was an ill-attempt to fool them.

“And you guys thought my lie sucked.” He sighed from the short fit of laughter. Leaning back on his shell, he wiped his forehead with his forearm. The plane began to quiet again. “You know what I just realized? We’re old.”

“Mikey.” Raph groaned.

“No, think about it.” he sat up. Scrunched up eyebrows, searching eyes on the ground and an outstretched arm pretended to grab some type of ghost-like object, this turtle was getting to the bottom of something. “Humans our age will be expected to move out and pay bills on their own! Sheesh! Mona should be doing that right now!”

“Is this your special way of getting me out of the house?”

“Don’t take it like that.” He waved her off. “Just think about it. What are we going to do when we hit that patch?”

“He’s got a point.” The female turtle crossed her legs. “Are any of you planning on leaving the lair? Leaving sensei and each other to conduct our own separate lives? Or, are we going to stick together for years to come?”

“Never really thought about it. For me,” Donatello began. “ it's been more thinking in the heat of the moment. Never did I think about hitting forty or so.”

“You still thinking about leaving, Raph?” Leo quizzed in a deep tone, eyes kept on his knees.

“What made you think I'd wanna leave?” He replied rather surprised he would say such a thing.

“Because you said and I quote” The youngest terrapin put a finger up and cleared his throat. “‘I'm moving out on my own, first chance that I get.’” He impersonated his brother using his own “batman voice”. The impersonated turtle scoffed.

“That was two years ago.”

“And…?”

“And I said I wasn't.” The terrapin reacted aggressively in voice.

“No, “ Mikey folded his arms up to his chest and put his nose into the air. “you said it was because you thought you weren't enough to stand by us.” He expressed haughtily. With old emotions and insecurities re-emerging, the largest turtle shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Although he knew all eyes were on him, only two caught his attention due to them both being right in front of him. Leonardo looked just as uncomfortable as he is. Collected in but with eyes obviously trying to glance at him, you could tell he wanted to comfort him in some way: find a way to tell him “it’s ok” and that there was no reason to regret saying so. The other had her brown eyes looking sympathetically, hugging her seat and feeling sorry for his discomfort.

“Leave me alone.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. A response towards Michelangelo, it was also directed to keep the lizard and blue banded turtle from being sorry for him. Both cut off their feelings; his brother dropping his gaze and Mona sinking back into her chair.

“You'll stay Venus, right?” Donnie redirected their attentions for his own personal inquiry.

“I always thought I was going to be in my village when I thought about it. Surely, I won't go back.” She smiled. “I just got you guys” a warm smile to Mikey then to Leo. “but if any of you choose to go solo or some other combo, I'm not going to get in the way of that.” In her heart, her loyalties and love would never change if they decided to leave her for their own personal reasons. Venus respected that.

“I can't leave you, V.” Her sister poked her head through the aisle. Donatello moved his outstretched legs some to allow her to. “Can't get rid of this girl.” Mona winked, smiling. The turtle girl returned the same, warm affections with her head poking out.

“I can see you guys up in the mountains by April’s family estate.” The purple clad turtle beamed, imagining their futures. “You could stay with your horses up there.”

“Hmm… didn't come to think about that.” That would indeed be nice. Living the rest of their lives in a place much like how they grew up: isolated in the forest, being together everyday and with their beloved pets. Surely, it would be splendid if they did. “I'd say for all of us, if we were to part, it wouldn't be far.” Mikey followed up Venus’ assertion.

“Nobody said this was a permanent I'm-never-going-to-see-you-again type of deal. Might as well be neighbors or at least an hour drive away.” He paused. “But ‘where’?”

“Leo, would you ever leave?” Mona Lisa questioned. Now, if there weren’t any more of a strict attention span throughout this ride, this one topped them all. The leader jumped some n his seat with the sudden silence on the plane. As he gathered his thought, the drone of the plane nerved him. He cleared his throat.

“My job is to protect all of you. Splinter never mentioned when we'd get older. I won't stay where I'm not needed. It's all up to you guys.” That’s Leonardo for you. Always putting the team before himself (or most of the time). The team would expect that kind of answer coming from him.

“We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.” The red clad turtle added; his response was like a comfortable yawn because he was stretching his arms when he commented.

“It's ‘cross’, Raph. ‘Cross that bridge’.” Donatello corrected with patience.

“That just takes all the fun out of that now, doesn't it?”

“Ey!” The youngest turtle yelled again, causing another yet slightly less jumpy response from the team. “Whose turn is it?”

“Mona…” Venus’ tongue lingered on the thought. “Leo, you're up.” She sang with her finger flicking up to him.

“Fine.” It didn't sound so fine with him, but whatever (he was one of those spectators we didn’t like earlier). “I reenact Star Wars when I'm alone. Kitchen appliances hate me. When I was a kid, I thought there were leprechauns in every box of Lucky Charms.”

“Reenact Star Wars when you’re alone.” Another collective answer. Leo’s head twitched as they all laughed.

“What? No!” He tried to calm himself down enough so that when he placed his hand on Leo’s knee, Michelangelo could make a clear delivery.

“Dude, you think you're alone, but you're not.” The turtle being made fun of hid his closest cheek in the palm of his hand to hide his blush. He could feel the warm blood in his palm, which nerved him even more.

“Busted!” Mona replied sassily with a head roll. Donatello snapped with a swinging arm, winked, and spoke with a cartoony demeanor.

“Foiled again!” The reverie slowly brought a smile to the leader’s face.

“I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!” That came out of nowhere, but the family was sure glad to see him come out of his shell. Suddenly, he stood up from his seat. His stance was ready to pounce, hands up with glances in Michelangelo and Donatello’s direction (they were the ringleaders of the laughter).

“Raggy!” Donnie jumped up. He made it careful to keep his head from hitting the roof of the plane, but when he came down from his jump he was able to stand up straight.

“Zoinks, Scoob!” Michelangelo spoke comically, also rising. “Like, run!” That was the set off to get Leonardo running. Both parties were laughing their shells off as they ran and tackled one another on either sides of the plane. When they came close to a sitting team member, said sitter would shield themselves from their play fight until they went away and wrestled in a different spot. As the playful fighting made its way away from the three, Venus uncurled and leaned in Raphael’s direction.

“What did he watch the donkey do?”

#tmntfanfiction #tmnt2014 #tmnt2016 #olaamericanoturtle

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swimintothesound · 6 years

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Holiday Traditions, Metalcore Nostalgia, and Worshiping Our Own Past

Now that the holidays are upon us, it’s officially my power season. As much as I am a militant proponent of Having a Summah, Winter is a close second favorite for one reason, and that’s tradition.

Tradition is the all-encompassing, all-important, and infinitely-renewable source of holiday cheer. A celebration of our own past, and the past of our loved ones. It’s the one thing that makes this time of year truly precious and different from any other. Perhaps best of all, “tradition” is entirely unique from person to person; a double helix of reverence for our own history and memories.

Obviously, most people have traditions that they share with loved ones; picking out a Christmas tree, overeating at family dinners, watching specific seasonal movies, etc. Even the most atheistic household in the world probably has something unique that they do around this time of the year, even if it’s just going to the movie theater to avoid crowds. As great as those communal institutions are, I’ve been a staunch believer that the small, self-made traditions are as just as important as the big shared ones.

Tradition as a concept is so important to me that it was one of the first five posts I ever wrote on this site. Since I’ve already got multiple Christmas/year-end posts cooking up (and because I recognize my excitement for the holiday is offputting to some), I’ll instead use this specific write-up to focus on November.

Fueled by nothing but the endorphin rush of nostalgia and slavish devotion to the Christmas spirit, hyper-esoteric rituals begin to leak into nearly every aspect of my life by the time that Halloween is over. I watch specific episodes of TV shows, replay old video games, change the wallpapers on all of my devices, listen to old podcasts, and of course break out the winter music. In fact, one of the primary reasons for my seasonal exuberance is because I’m allowed to revisit music that’s only “acceptable” to listen to during these months.

As much as I love the gigabytes worth of Christmas music in my library, my “Winter music” playlist consists of much more than just on-brand holiday tunes. Over the years I’ve come to fully-embrace being the guy who gets into Christmas as soon as Halloween is over only because it marks the time of year that I get to break these songs out. Like I said, I’m not going to dip into holiday music on here yet. I don’t want to subject you guys to that much Christmas spirit, I’m merely trying to contain myself.

The point is that it would be a disservice to listen to these songs any time besides now, if only because it would make them less special. Obviously “Jingle Bells” would feel weird to listen to in July (and it does sound like a quirky character trait from a Noah Baumbach movie), but there’s just as much, if not more “regular” music that I relegate to the holiday season.

Case in point: the topic of this post. I tend to dip back into my high school-era metalcore around this time of year. Psychoanalyze that all you want, but I’ve now got a fiercely-cultivated playlist culling hundreds of songs from various years of angsty Christmases past. It’s a weird combination, but maybe this music provided me with some counter-programming that combatted both the warm holiday music and cold weather.

You can consider this write-up a bit of a pseudo-sequel to this post from earlier in the year about springtime metalcore. It’s weird because these two seasons are really the only time that I dip back into the genre, but man do I still have a soft spot for it. It’s mainly weird because these songs and albums now fill me with as much joy and holiday happiness as the tonally-inverse Christmas tunes.

At any rate, the same disclaimer on that earlier post applies here: I’m not necessarily proud of any of the music on this list, but it’s a concoction of albums that I find particularly potent. Records that have brought me years worth of happiness, and still have the power to collectively inspire me.

Artifex Pereo - Am I Invisible (2009)

Much like Julien Baker’s 2017 album, Am I Invisible begins with a single, eerie wooden creak. Perhaps belonging to an old floorboard or the frame of a handmade door, this haunted timbered gasp immediately gives the listener a sense of place, as if the entirety of Am I Invisible is settling into your headphones then and there. There’s a brief pause, and then the group’s vocalist Evan Redmon makes his presence known as he belts out the album’s title over a seemingly infinitely-layered vocal take. The remainder of the EP is a 25-minute sample platter that combines the best moments of Kurt Travis and Tilian Pearson-eras of Dance Gavin Dance. The album’s closing track “Neighbors” showcases the band’s already-sharp ear for songwriting, melody, and awe-inspiring emotionally-impactful build-ups. While the group only put out one more release with this early line-up, they still managed to capture something incredibly special on this early EP.

Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season (2008)

Back in high school, Bring Me The Horizon’s debut album, Count Your Blessings was the hardest thing I’d ever heard in my life. Filled with bangers like “Braille (For Stevie Wonder's Eyes Only)” and “(I Used To Make Out With) Medusa” multiple tracks from this album would go on to become genre-defining anthems for this era of the hardcore scene. As you could imagine, the record was an absolute revelation in 2007 and served as the first real brush with deathcore that I’d found palatable at the time. When stacked against the genre-wide impact of their debut, most fans went into the band’s sophomore album with near-impossible expectations.

Softening every aspect from vocals to instrumentation, Suicide Season represents the band’s fully-fledged pivot into a more accessible metalcore sound. While it initially fell flat for me, something kept calling me back to Suicide Season, and in 2017 it’s now my favorite album of the entire genre. Filled with immaculately-produced songs of bile and aggression, tracks like “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” have come to represent the absolute best that this scene has to offer. While the band has continued on a path toward an increasingly-accessible sound, Suicide Season is an achievement that remains an untouched peak of 2000’s metalcore.

A Bullet for Pretty Boy - Revision:Revise (2010)

Hailing from East Texas, A Bullet for Pretty Boy’s debut album is a near-perfect Woe, Is Me doppelganger. Featuring punchy driving instrumentation, tight glitchy drumming, and absolutely crushing breakdowns, every track on Revision:Revise is a pointed showcase of each band member. Guitarist Derrick Sechrist belts out catchy clean choruses, alternating vocal duties with Danon Saylor whose throat-shredding screams impress their weight upon the listener’s consciousness.

While each track is thoughtfully put-together, the album’s definitive performance comes in its final six minutes on “I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise.” The track, which initially made its debut on the band’s 2008 demo, finds new life here thanks to two years of instrumental honing, and a newly-added Tyler Carter feature. It’s quite hard to oversell exactly how much I love this track, but up until last year the song had the unique distinction of my most-played song of all time, and if 200 listens isn’t a commendation then I don’t know what is.

“I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise” is my single favorite song of the entire metalcore genre, my wonderful discovery, and lone takeaway after years of embedding myself in the scene. Every element of the song is immaculate, a marvel to have been captured and recorded in such a flawless state, forever encased in unchanging code. Every word is considered, the drumming is ferocious, every moment is well-placed, and the Tyler Carter feature is the vocal cherry on top of an already delicious sundae. A triumph of the genre.

Chiodos - Illuminaudio (2010)

Fronted by the inimitable Craig Owens, Chiodos was a trailblazing post-hardcore band whose 2005 sophomore album All's Well That Ends Well served as an entry point to the post-hardcore genre for millions of listeners. In late 2009 Chiodos announced their intention to carry forward as a band without Owens, publicly ousting one of the genre’s most seminal figureheads. Skeptical, cautious, and apprehensive, most fans went into the band’s following album with their guard up; how could the next guy possibly stack up? Like many other fans, I assumed I’d be over the band given the major pivot the comes with the changing of vocalists. In late October of 2010, a friend gave me an impassioned plea to give Illuminaudio a listen, and man am I glad he did. The record is a sprawling, conceptual, and voracious release that aimed high and still managed to surpass every possible expectation.

Much like his predecessor, Brandon Bolmer finds himself handling both clean and screamed vocals throughout the project, managing to reach both high-pitched Owens-esque croons and deep, soul-puncturing screams. The guitar and bass both sound full and rich, providing the perfect counterpoint to Tanner Wayne’s tightly-wound drum patterns. To put it simply, everything is on-point because the band wanted to prove their mettle now that the main star had left. Not only did Chiodos succeed, but they also created the best album in the band’s history and another one of my favorites in the metalcore genre. Owens’ eventual return in 2012 turned Illuminaudio into the unwanted black sheep of the Chiodos family, but in a way that makes this record all the more one-of-a-kind. Truly lighting in a bottle.

Crimson Armada - Guardians (2009)

With unrelenting vocals, and brutal machine gun-like instrumentation Crimson Armada’s debut album is a little rough around the edges but worth revisiting. The album’s title track “Guardian” alternates from fierce rapidly-spit screams to deep skull-crushing breakdowns. Similarly, “The Sound, The Flood, The Hour” is an absolutely punishing and ruthless track with a surprising amount of melody and musicality (once you adjust to the band’s vocals).

Dance Gavin Dance - Acceptance Speech (2013)

Far and away the most recent album on this list, Acceptance Speech released in the fall of my third year of college. While I’d largely grown out of the post-hardcore scene by 2013, Dance Gavin Dance remains the one group from the genre that I still listen to regularly. After numerous lineup changes, Acceptance Speech marked the band’s first release of its current incarnation featuring Tides of Man’s Tilian Pearson on vocals.

The album kicks off aggressively with “Jesus H. Macy,” luring long-time fans into a sense of familiarity with Jon Mess’ screamed vocals. The album is home to some of the band’s most experimental tracks like a crushing riff on “Carve,” chopped-up vocals on “Demo Team,” and the remix-ready “The Jiggler.” The album also hosts one of the strongest closers that the band has ever had on an album, making for a nice bookend of screamed Mess vocals.

While I didn’t think much of it at first, Acceptance Speech grew to be my favorite from the band. The entire record has a beautiful feeling uniformity and wholeness to it, making for one of the most pointed albums in the band’s discography. The whole thing has a wonderful haze to it, like it’s been filtered through a cold December night in the city. There are warm glowing lights, and you can practically see the steam rising off the band as they play. It was proof that Dance Gavin Dance wasn’t going to let one member stop them. I’m glad that they’ve continued with this lineup for so many fantastic releases now because this album only represented a new creative peak that the group set for themselves.

A Day To Remember - And Their Name Was Treason (2005)

A Day To Remember made a name for themselves in 2005 by embracing a unique mixture of metalcore leanings and bouncy pop-punk influences. While later albums are far more polished, fleshed-out, and nuanced, there’s something undeniably charming about the group’s debut. Every band member is still so young and green here, it’s endearing and inspiring to hear such a massively-successful and influential band in such a rough state.

Starting off aggressively with “Heartless,” the band eventually winds its way to the light with “You Should Have Killed Me When You Had the Chance” and “1958,” songs that offered glimmers of the group’s later brilliance. Even in this underdeveloped, underproduced, and underwritten state, there’s an undeniable appeal and magic at play on And Their Name Was Treason, and it’s easy to see how the band made a career out of jumping from pop-punk choruses to metalcore breakdowns. The first of many successful outings in an incredibly-fruitful career.

Dead and Divine - What Really Happened at Lover's Lane (2005)

Much like A Day To Remember’s debut album, Dead and Divine’s 2005 EP captures a band in its charming infancy. While their later full-lengths would go on to favor (and hone) a much more aggressive post-hardcore sound, What Really Happened at Lover's Lane features a softer, more careful approach to the genre. With crisp cleans and deeply-growled screams, each song explodes into brutal crescendos of original storytelling. The band’s masterful approach to the build-up is best exemplified by the album’s closing track “Goodnight, Quiet City,” an acoustic ballad that suddenly erupts into a fierce wall of grief before finishing in an orchestral swell accompanied by piercing anguished growls.

Emarosa - Emarosa (2010)

Things seemed to be trending upward for Jonny Craig in 2010, he’d rejoined Dance Gavin Dance after a two-album absence and mended fences with Emarosa in order to helm the group’s killer sophomore album. While things came off the rails quickly after its release, Emarosa’s self-titled record took every sound developed from the band’s earlier works and improved on them markedly.

This is the first time the band congealed into a fully-formed, standalone entity. While many of his other projects see Craig’s vocals taking the lion’s share of the spotlight, on this release the band figured out how to fit his singing into the instrumentation in a way that everything folds together into one presentable package. It’s a record of constant forward momentum, and one of the best uses of Craig’s incredibly-distinct vocals.

Issues - Black Diamonds (2012)

Formed after the spiteful dissolution of the groundbreaking Woe, Is Me, Issues features a nearly-identical lineup of musicians with a few welcome additions. The group’s 23-minute Black Diamonds EP officially announced the members reuniting, addressed the previous group’s turbulence, and outlined their resolution to move forward with positivity.

After addressing the extra-musical drama, the remainder of the EP is simply overflowing with unique ideas, bringing dozens of fresh elements to a genre that had become stale within the space of a few years. By infusing metalcore with electronic elements, R&B, pop, hip-hop, and much more, the group managed to create something far greater than the sum of its parts: something wholly original and different in a scene where such concepts are often rejected and deemed unmarketable.

Featuring poppy cleans by Tyler Carter and deep fight-inducing screams from Michael Bohn, Issues added some much-needed excitement to the metalcore scene, and Issues’ originality helped differentiate them not only from their previous group but also from the rest of the genre. Two years later the band had released their first full-length, and an accompanying EP that reworked 8 of the band’s songs into newly-formed acoustic tracks. These acoustic versions managed to breathe new life into these already-great songs while also serving as further proof of the band’s musical versatility. These releases represented a positive turning point in my view of the genre and definitive evidence that there’s room for growth in this industry and in life.

Secret and Whisper - Teenage Fantasy (2010)

As with any other popular music scene, bands are born, break up, and then disappear forever. Throughout the early 2000’s literally hundreds of post-hardcore groups got together, created a Myspace, released some music, and then vanished as quickly as they’d appeared. Of all the bands from this era that released music and died out, the one that I miss the most is Secret and Whisper. If anything, I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that they worked together long enough to leave us something as heartbreakingly beautiful as Teenage Fantasy.

Probably the least “hardcore” of all the bands on this list, this would be my one recommendation to anyone reading this list who is not interested in the scene. It’s one of the most out-there and original approaches to the post-hardcore genre, and an entry I hesitated to include with the other entries on this list.

For 44 minutes Teenage Fantasy shines, glimmers, and brims over the top with fresh ideas. Simultaneously otherworldly and down-to-earth, the album is a glossy and emotional journey into the depths of frontman Charles Furney’s psyche. “Youth Cats” opens the album with a snarling guitar riff and a mythical lyric about the ‘lady of miracles’ who commands the river. Straight out of the gates Furney’s voice is volcanic, straining and stretching, brushing his upper register as the bass bounces back and forth beneath it. “Youth Cats” kicks the entire record off with an unrelenting forward momentum that gives the whole album a sense of immediacy and spectacle.

From there literally every. single. track. hits. Throughout the 44-minute running time the vocals soar, the drums hit hard, and the guitar rumbles, all of which swirl together like paint on a well-worn wooden palette, resulting in one singularly flawless record. Even the slower songs like “Upset Seventeen” have a Daniel Johnston-esque charm to them that make them more personable than nearly every other post-hardcore song you’ve ever heard. There are weird electronic diversions like “Pretty Snarl,” and even typically-boring song topics like love and death are addressed in surprisingly eloquent and thoughtful ways. Sometimes the group ventures out even further than expected, addressing topics like animal testing on “Star Blankets” and drawing parallels between serial killers and stardom on “Famous For a Century.” Everything is handled with a surprising level of tact, but also in a way that nothing sticks out as a poor fit. The entire record is unreal, cavernous, and dream-like. It impacts you once and then slowly envelops your body like warm sand. Truly unlike anything I’ve ever heard before or since. A wonderful and underappreciated masterpiece.

We’re Not Friends Anymore - You Are Television (2010)

Clocking in at a blazing 13 minutes, We’re Not Friends Anymore’s second (and final) EP finds a band that is hungry for success. The vocals explode and smolder, and the instrumentation brings a distinct groove and movement, making for surprisingly danceable tracks that spring to life. It is a breakup album, but one that seems as ready to move on as it is willing to dwell in the past. I’ve never heard anything like it, and the EP’s punctuality makes for a breezy listen that will quickly embed itself in your brain and worm its way to your heart.

This is only an abridged list of my favorites, you can listen to these albums and many others through this Spotify Playlist.

#Artifex Pereo #bring me the horizon #A Bullet for pretty Boy #Chiodos #crimson armada #dance gavin dance #a day to remember #Dead and Divine #Emarosa #issues #Secret and whisper #We're not friends anymore #metalcore #post-hardcore #music

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chayahgrace · 7 years

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In an effort to magnify thankfulness this year, my husband & I gave everyone in our family a blank notebook on October 31st. They were our thankfulness notebooks. Each day of November, we were going to dedicate a page or more to something we were thankful for. Kind of like a tactile version of the Facebook thankfulness challenge.

Every night this month, my husband has shared a different thankfulness verse for our family devotions, and then we all showed our thankfulness notebook page for that day. It has been a lot of fun! But, there have been days this month, when it’s been hard to find the time to sit down and take the time to make our page for the day. A few days, we have gotten behind and had to catch up. But we’ve done it. And, you know what? When we all sat down and shared what we were thankful for in the evenings, It was sooo worth the time we took the time to put the effort into our notebooks that day. It has been a very special time!

Here are a few samples from the pages of our notebooks:

Last night at church, we had our Thanksgiving service. The preacher said something that is said over and over, but is so very true. We should be thankful every day of the year. Not just the month of November, when we’re doing the Facebook Thanksgiving challenge, or like us, your own family version. It’s not always easy to stop and be thankful or to praise God for his wonderful works, but it should be high on our priority list as believers! God wants us to be thankful people. Hebrews 13:15 calls praise and thankfulness a sacrifice.

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

One other thing the preacher talked about last night was the importance of teaching our children to be thankful! They don’t come that way! And it’s our job to teach them, by lesson and example! And to do that, we must be thankful ourselves! A quick look through the scriptures gives a clear picture of some super important things to be thankful for. It’s so easy to forget how blessed we are. It is good to be reminded of God’s goodness, and the importance of thankfulness!

Since we’ve been really focusing on thankfulness this whole month, and my husband has been posting a verse about thankfulness every day on Facebook, I got the idea to put together a list of Bible reasons to be thankful. I also included the verses where I found them, along with other accompanying verses as they came to my mind. I hope this list is a blessing to you. I also typed up a worksheet that can be used as a Sunday School, or home activity for older kids/readers. I’ll include the link at the bottom of this post.

21 Bible Reasons to Be Thankful (with verses).

1. I am thankful for the Peace of God.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

2. I am thankful for the ability to pray to God, and that he answers prayer.

Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

3.I am thankful that the Lord’s mercies are new each day!

1 Chronicles 23:30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

Lamentations 3:22-23 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

4. I am thankful for the material blessings of God.

1 Chronicles 29:12-13 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

5. I am thankful for God giving wisdom to his people.

Daniel 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

Colossians 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

6. I am thankful that God is not a respector of persons. He loves me, even though I am not important in the world’s eyes!

Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

7. I am thankful for the Grace of God.

1 Corinthians 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

8. I am thankful for salvation.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

9. I am thankful for the Church: brothers and sisters in Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:3-7 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

10. I am thankful that I can serve God.

1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

11. I am thankful that God avenges his people.

2 Samuel 22:48-50 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

12. I am thankful for the mercy and goodness of God.

1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

13. I am thankful for the deliverance and protection of God.

1 Chronicles 16:35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

Psalms 18:47-48 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee.

14. I am thankful that God is Holy, and that, because of his Holiness, he was able to redeem man from his sin!

Psalms 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psalms 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

15. I am thankful for joy and gladness!

Psalms 30:11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

16. I am thankful that God’s mercy endures forever!

Psalms 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17. I am thankful that God is a righteous judge.

Psalms 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

18. I am thankful for the unspeakable Gift of God: Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Matthew 26:27-28 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

19. I am thankful that we have victory through Jesus Christ!

1 Corinthians 15:55-58 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

20. I am thankful for the inheritance that we have through Jesus Christ!

Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

1 Peter 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

21. I am thankful that God is on his throne, and that he reigns in his great power!

Revelation 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Psalms 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Here’s the link for the worksheet download!

21 Bible Reasons to Be Thankful Work Sheet

AGAIN THE ROUNDED YEAR

Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness. Psalm 65:11

Music William F. Sherwin, 1881

Words Hezekiah Butterworth,

Again the rounded year has brought

Its bloom and harvest glory, And every smiling Sabbath taught To us the Gospel story. Again our voices join in song, And bring their glad thanksgiving, To Thee, to whom all years belong, To Thee, the Ever-Living.

We meet with gladness on each lip, And kindly warmth of greeting, And, in Thy boundless fellowship, Each heart to heart is beating. And for this day, and for this hour, We bring our glad thanksgiving, To Thee, the ever gracious Power, To Thee, the Ever-Living.

How oft has lighted every brow To see Thy love upspringing! And some who joined our songs, are now Amid the angels singing. But friends below and friends above Unite in glad thanksgiving To Thee, whom all the children love, To Thee, the Ever-Living.

Thy power in prayer we oft have felt, Thy sympathy most tender, And seemed to see, as we have knelt, Thy face in veilèd splendor. For all these joys of Paradise, We bring our glad thanksgiving, To Thee, who every good supplies, To Thee, the Ever-Living.

So may we join from year to year, Thy goodness ever singing, And, after faithful service, hear The bells of glory ringing. Then, safe with Thee, again we’ll raise Our voices in thanksgiving To Thee, in more exalted praise To Thee, the Ever-Living.

Thanks for reading Family Thankfulness Challenge; Plus: 21 Bible Reasons to be Thankful & A Free Worksheet Download. If you enjoyed this article, and you think someone else might too, please feel free to share. You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest. May the Lord Bless You!

Family Thankfulness Challenge; Plus: 21 Bible Reasons to be Thankful & A Free Work Sheet Download In an effort to magnify thankfulness this year, my husband & I gave everyone in our family a blank notebook on October 31st.

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ultranorthsouth-blog · 7 years

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The Awakening

The AWAKENING…

As I write this, I had hoped I would be in an enlightened state, but alas, I am here, just regular old Rachel, not Zaeta. Maybe that is how I am supposed to be, I am not sure. I vacillate you see, between being a connected being, and being a normal being, but even as I write, I feel the connection grow. I read once that viewing yourself through the Christian, paternal love model fixes you in a permanently adolescent place. Sometimes I am an adolescent, and sometimes I am Zaeta, but being an adolescent can feel really warm and safe. Who knows what is better.

God is real. Whatever you call him, or her, the Way, the All that is, the Light, or the collective conscious, it is real. I recommend reading Seth Speaks. The chapters about Jesus and God and Jesus’s love were eye opening for me, and helped me find peace in a Christian climate here in the South. And the sooner you can find your plug, and however you stick it in, the better off you will be. Fortunately or unfortunately there is a path leading all of us there, for what we are seeking is also seeking us. All things do lead to a greater good. There will still be battles, and growth, but I promise you, there is something bigger than love, agape, that is available at all times, to all beings. I would like to tell you about how it found me. There is a little more darkness before the light.

My children had both been put into the Montessori school, first Silas, and finally Aris. I thought I would be relieved. But I realized I had become very codependant on Aris’s smile to keep me from my own lack of being. I quit going to the gym, smoked more cigarettes and sat around trying to figure out how I could manage a job with all of my drug court requirements. I thought I had something in the works a couple times, but nothing was working. I was miserable. I had a good relationship with my doctor by this time, and she had hesitantly added a little prozac back in my mix. My cocktail was right, but still I was not happy. She told me it was probably my alcoholism that was flaring up. I tried to get involved, and I had/have a wonderful sponsor that is very religious. She couldn’t stand my lack of spiritual program, but was gentle in her delivery. My mom told me, Rachel, it is your thinking! I got angry with her. I told her I did not want to be alone, but I loathed her presence. I screamed I want to take responsibility for my children, when she tried to lighten my load even more. Quit enabling me I yelled. I asked my sponsor for help. She recommended I call a woman that ran a sober living house to see if I could volunteer. I texted her, and she said she didn’t need anything. I sat, seething in my chair outside. Smoking a cigarette, realizing that even though I had gotten my children back, I had a beautiful home, a loving husband, I was sober, properly medicated, I was still miserable, and I only had myself to blame. I didn’t deserve all of this. How could I? I didn’t appreciate anything. A gratitude list made me want to spit. I started thinking, like I had before, how I could possibly end it. I thought of crashing my car, but that reminded me too much of my friend Mike. And what if I didn’t die, I’d sap all of the family’s money and it would be awful keeping me alive. I didn’t want to drink myself to death although I thought about it. I had been sober for about six months and hadn’t messed up at all in drug court, save giving a couple of dilute samples that would later get me 24 hours in Lee County Jail. I would die before I used again, but I could not continue on in the misery that I felt. I’d never made it through this kind of pain without using, what made me think I could this time. I would die, and at least in the autopsy, my family would be proud I had died sober. I was swimming around in this self pity, hating Rachel more than a herpes sore. Suddenly, all in one moment, I leaned back and realized, Max had once again trusted me with the password to the gun safe, after I had made him change the code when I had feared I would do something terrible earlier on. I could kill myself with the revolver with no safety, and I would do it off the Trace at the Chickasaw Village site so no Max wouldn’t have to have that be at the house with the kids. At the same moment I heard the kindest voice I have ever heard say the words, YOU CAN GO… and the most beautiful peace came over me. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I was relaxed, yet awake, and I cherished the moment. I planned when I would go, and how it might feel, but since the peace was so great, I thought, perhaps I can wait, for I want, and I heard the words TO WRITE… and I thought about my children, especially Aris, with his easy smile. I thought how I would want them to know how I didn’t want to leave them alone, but that I didn’t think I could bring them anything but disfunction. I knew the letter was more than I could write in an afternoon, so I just sat with the feeling. I thanked God for his mercy. For he understood my pain, and he did not want me to suffer. The next day things began to change, I was invited to the Talbot House, and asked to join in morning meditation. I made friends, and felt the presence of God. I began to attend Thrive, a recovery church, and began meditating. During meditation I was able to find that place again, that connection, and it was the only place I wanted to be. Books found me, people found me, I heard snippets of songs on the radio, everything lead me to God. But there was some darkness too. I found, or the universe provided me with a counselor who I talked to about me darkness. She was the first person to tell me I wasn’t just crazy, that I was experiencing the three worlds that Jung had written about. She asked me to speak at her recovery group. I wanted to stay in this place forever. I remember brushing my hair, but it was as though Rachel the grandmother was brushing Rachel the granddaughter's hair, and it showed me how gentle and loving I needed to be towards myself. I remember getting a few words that led me to explore a family in the past. I channelled this family and I felt the love of being a son, being petted by a mother. The mother’s name was Rebecca. As she petted my head I felt so proud, so proud of making my mother feel her greatest love, and I knew that was what was felt for me, that I was responsible for my mother’s joy. It was the most beautiful shared love experience I have ever witnessed. Silas later told me, when I asked, that he was Rebecca, and that the circle was complete. So many things happened. I was asked if I was recording them at the time, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. It was too special. I felt I would break the spell if I was to try to exploit the experiences or corrupt them by using words. Only now, because I am a little bit more on Earth am I able to tell you about them. I was lead to practice Tai Chi Chih, a loving way to reground myself with gratitude. It has been a tremendous journey, but I have still gotten in the way, and have fought ego round after round. I try to just let it say its piece and be swept away by the wind, for I am still human, and I have work to do. I am meant to be here. Silas told me, I NEED YOU MAMA. I need you. He told me to say Thank you my son, thank you my heart, and I did. So here I will remain. I’d like to make some big herculean difference, but I know to make the difference in my son’s life is all I need to really do. So, for all those that wonder if magic is real, if they should feel silly for wishing God was real. It is real, it is all real. Call me schizophrenic, call me a mystic, neither word seems to fit. Call me a mother. For I have been blessed with the greatest gift of all. The love of my children. I do not know what will happen next, but I know I will be lead there.To anyone who has any questions, or would like to share their experiences, please let me know. I have been contacted by some of my deceased loved ones, and everyone, everything, it is all love. That is all that is real and true. All of the ridiculous dramas we play out on Earth, they are just a script we have written and are acting out in order to try to learn and grow. Our higher selves, they see us struggle and experience pain, but they know it is for a higher good. May we elevate our thinking for the sake of our human experience and see beyond the trials and tribulations of our experiences. The angels I saw, they were the higher and the lower Rachel’s. While the lower Rachel is not gone, she is safe as long as I take my medication and stay sober. The higher Rachel can not wait to carry me through my journey revealing the joys being a sober alcoholic can bring. I know I chose to have the disease of addiction this life because it calls me to have a life immersed in the spirit. I know there is nothing else on this Earth besides the love of family that interests me. I am filled with excitement at the journey my life will take, for the uncharted waters of the spiritual realm make life worth living. When I focus on the future or the past, I am swept away, but when I am in present, that is when I can truly be in the presence of God, of higher Rachel, Zaeta, collective consciousness. This life is just one big practice of staying in that present moment, without thoughts or perceptions that will deter me. Bad, or often sadly, good, are just shadows of perception, and when we live in the peace of what is, we are free. This free place is filled with love, and beautiful indigo blue sky with stars, just beginning to show after the sun has gone down. Cherish your moments, accept your gifts. Hug your babies, and blessings on your journeys.

#awakening enlightenment thirdrealm transcendant journey spiritual nondualism nondoing being mindfulness

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ruleandruinrpg · 7 years

Photo

CONGRATULATIONS, ALYX!

You have been accepted for the role of LEI YUL-KEUNG with a faceclaim change to Godfrey Gao. Admin Rosey: Bless you, bless you, bless you. You have brought me the absolute joy of saying that we will be opening our roleplay with my sunshine LEI. Your para sample was what stole the show. It captured the moment so perfectly, so well, that it would’ve be a travesty if I had kept him from your capable hands. You laid out the application so carefully, so methodically, what with the elaborations on the different connections and plot points that I was almost disappointed because I wanted more. Thank you so much for this beautiful application! I am so thrilled to welcome you to Rule & Ruin! You have 24 HOURS to send in your account. Also, remember to look at the CHECKLIST. Welcome to Ravka!

OUT OF CHARACTER

ALIAS: Alyx

PREFERRED PRONOUNS: She/Her

AGE: 19

TIMEZONE & ACTIVITY LEVEL: CST and 8; I’m currently not in school right now (though I will be starting college in the fall after a gap year) so right now I’m honestly on 24/7 or at the very least lurking on mobile, and if I am gone I always let the main know about it.

TRIGGERS: OMITTED.

CURRENT/PAST ACCOUNTS: OPTIONAL.

http://lilyeldridge.tumblr.com/

http://gracesinclair.tumblr.com/

http://theosgreco.tumblr.com/

http://diemhynson.tumblr.com/

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER:

Lei: “Flower bud”

→ Lei’s home was always a child too cramped. The revelation that another child would be added to the mix was daunting, but the farther along the pregnancy became the more excitement filled the air. Lei’s mother would sing the unborn fetus to rest when she felt the kicks coming on. She would sing him tunes of the flowers that bud open in spring. “Rest, my little flower bud” she would whisper to it, knowing weeks in advance that it would possess the name that meant what it already knew so well: flowers. It was just meant to be that the boy possessed the ability of the thing the flowers needed most: water. It was a sign, a way of telling the family that the boy was a needed addition that would brighten up their lives. He was meant to bloom and grow big and strong. He was meant to bring beauty into their lives. Of course, after the death of his parents, Lei began to resent his name. He was no flower. He was not beautiful and pleasing to those around him. No, he was a weed. He was something that most look at in annoyance and disgust. Something that would be better off dead yet somehow always survives. No, Lei didn’t think he deserved the title of flower bud. Maybe at one point in his life but not anymore.

Shuang: “bright, clear”

→ That was what Lei always was to his family— a brightness, a clarity in the midst of their mundane lives. He was the sunshine child— the only who lit everyone around him up with his genuine happiness and carefree nature. His vision was clear and innocent. His vision was filled with childhood ignorance and a family who fought tooth and nail to preserve that. He was happy, the human embodiment of a rainbow that appeared across the sky after a violent storm passed through the area, but rainbows don’t last forever. Where a rainbow appears, there’s another storm waiting in the wings, and it engulfed him. The sight of his parents’ dead and bloody bodies. The grip of the Shu Han court as they dragged him away from the parents he didn’t get to mourn properly. The look of pure horror on his siblings’ faces when his water released a flood. The sight of the men who took away his innocence all dead eyed and silent. The realization that he took away their voices, their lives. It all gathered together to form clouds that covered the brightness that once engulfed him. His vision became blurred with images of the monster he was and the shame he felt as he turned away from his family. He could no longer recognize his reflection in the mirror. The boy who shined so bright and clearly felt his light diminish and blur to form something of a shadow.

Yul-Keung: No known name meaning

→ A mismatched pair of people all thrown together. Laughs around the dinner table. Rushing out to go play while the parents and one child goes to clean up. Squeezing too many kids into too few beds. Games of hide and seek that became progressively more crucial as more village children were taken away. Days spent outside watching the water being moved from the crook in the leaves by a force they could hardly comprehend. Ancient stories getting told as the kids all raced over to their respected beds. Kisses on the forehead before the parents also disappeared to sleep. Nights huddle around the fireplace as bad weather terrorizes their garden and other outdoor areas. Fond memories Lei had of the people he cared for the most. Painful memories that Lei now held of the people that were either dead or looked at him like he was a monster who killed their sunshine boy. Arms that once embraced him held onto each other as he stood in the middle of a pile of bodies. Eyes that were once so filled with adoration and love viewed him as a stranger. Bodies he once fell asleep next to shrunk in size as he ran away from them towards a place that would be his reluctant home.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS CHARACTER?

I’m not going to lie, when the teasers were coming out the first thing I read was the quotes on the graphics. Quotes are always one of the things I use to really get a feel for a character, so it made it see if this were a type of character I would potentially feel connected to or one I know I wouldn’t do justice so I shouldn’t waste my time filling out an app when there’s someone else that could do this character well. With Lei, I immediately got heart eyes for his quote. I always say that my type of character to play would be cinnamon roll girls and broken boys (and my nonbinary babies bc can’t forget them) and Lei definitely fit my type.

I was definitely brought in by his quote, but I stayed for his bio. I loved the fact that he didn’t grow up tragic. There’s a saying that goes some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, and I associate that with tragedy as well. For Lei, he definitely had tragedy thrust upon him. He was the heart of his family. He may have been one too many mouths to feed, but he completed their household and he was loved. They didn’t see his grisha abilities as unnatural or weird; they saw it as a gift just like they saw he was a gift. They would bottle his laughter up and save it for a rainy day if it were possible. No, he was not born a tragedy, but he definitely was made into one. Maybe if he had lived in a place that took better care of grisha. Maybe if he had done a better job of hiding his abilities. There were a million possibilities that could’ve changed his story, but I feel like it was fate that he was forced to lose his rose tinted glasses and realize that not everyone saw rain as a good thing. Though some days it could be a light rain fall that allows for the plants to grow and be harvested for food, others days it could be a storm that ravages the town and only leaves destruction in its wake. Lei had only known the former. He didn’t know true struggle until he saw his parents dead and really tapped into his powers and unleashed a side of it no one in his family really expected him to be capable of.

I also adored Lei’s connections and everything else about him. I love that he’s asexual. When I saw him on the list of LGBT+ characters in the rp I couldn’t help but smile a bit. I love his connection with Vera and the fact that it was hinted at to ship them without actually writing down that there’s something there. I love that he remembers Oyun’s face and has this complete loathing of her and she probably doesn’t even know who he is. I love that he and Katya have this similar vengeance and fierceness to them that they just click. Finally, I love the brotp with Aarvas and how they can both see the darkness lurking in the other and how they stick together despite Aarvas being super into religion and Lei not caring that much.

Overall, I feel like Lei is a complex character who I would love to explore. I would love to really be able to get into his mindset and flesh out the connections he has as well as make new ones with people you’d expect him to be drawn to as well as people that no one would expect the two of them to meet and get along. He’s a broken, beautiful boy and I hope I would get to call him mine.

WHAT FUTURE PLOT IDEAS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?

Self: I don’t see myself in the mirror anymore

→I want to see Lei’s mask breaking. I know there’s only so long you can wear a facade before it becomes too much, and I want Lei to get to that point where the mask becomes more of a burden than a safety net. I want to do all of the self paras where you just see how worn out and exhausted he really is when he strips off the mask of this happy, sunshine boy he once was and reveals this sad, angry man that hid underneath it all. I want days when he forgets to flash a smile where he would normally and his eyes failed to show that same brightness he managed all the other days. I just want to see how much putting on his mask takes out of him and make him wonder if it’s really worth it to continue being someone that died back in Shu Han.

→I want him dealing with the fact that he has no contact with his family anymore. Growing up, Lei absolutely adored his family and they adored him, so I would like to see him occasionally daydreaming of long ago memories of before the Shu Han came for him. I want the flashbacks of him first leaving his family and maybe just breaking down at one point because he could see in their eyes that they viewed him as a completely different person. I want him wondering how they were doing and what they were up to because it’s been years since he last saw them and they all talked about dreams that would be nice to have aspired to. Yeah, Lei’s all hardened and broken but I still feel like there’s a piece of his heart that his siblings have buried themselves too far in.

→ I want to see Lei interact with more people. I feel like he leaves himself closed off except for the select few connections he has, but I feel like he could expand his inner circle a bit. Maybe he strikes up a relationship of some sort (definitely more preferred if it was platonic) with a pyro just because who doesn’t like the idea of fire and ice together. I want to see how he interacts with the humans because on one hand his family is human and he deeply cared for them but on the other hand the people who killed his parents and tried to cut him open were also humans so his view on them could go either way. I want to see if he’s a bit nicer to those humans who kind of are more intrigued by his abilities more than anything or if he doesn’t bother with humans in general after that bad experience.

Vera: She was his sunset

→ I love this relationship! I want to explore Lei’s emotions and figure out what exactly he feels for Vera. She’s different than everyone else because he doesn’t have to hide behind his mask because she sees right through it. With her he can get back some of the joy that he’s kind of been missing for a long time. I like the fact that it was left vague in both of their connections that they know there’s something there, but neither one of them know exactly what it is, and I’d love to get at least one of them to actually figure out what it is that they’re feeling.

→ I want those deep conversations between Vera and Lei. I feel like Vera’s the only person Lei opens up to so I would love to explore him talking with Vera about some serious matters and her kind of healing his mental wounds along the way. I feel like Vera tends to bring out the memories that Lei tends to keep tucked away behind lock and key, and I would love to see Lei dealing with those and Vera healing his inner wounds. I want to see Lei genuinely excited to see someone, and I feel like he’d get that way mostly towards Vera.

→ I want to flashback to their first meeting. Did they get along right away? Did it take a while for Lei to warm up to Vera? When did they meet? All question that I would like to answer. I know it mentioned that there were other kids in his village that were grisha, but I want to know if they were only ones that could control elements or if Vera’s kind were also around, and that could be done through exploring that with the Vera rper.

→ This is a short one, but I want a small conversation of Vera and Lei kind of making fun of Oyun? Like I know neither one of them likes her, so I would love to have an interaction where they kind of bond over that and mimic her or something to entertain themselves a bit.

Oyun: He was a tide, but with her he was a hurricane

→ I want a showdown with Oyun and Lei. I know Lei has all of this built up rage in him for anyone associated with the Shu Han court after all of the stuff they put him through, and I want to see it all come out one day. I feel slightly bad for Oyun just because she didn’t necessarily order Lei to be taken and experimented on, but Lei’s targeting her anyways because she was the first name on the list he memorized to appear. I just feel like when Lei finally does release his powers on her that she won’t take it lying down and will have a few tricks up her sleeve, so I’m definitely looking forward to plotting out how that would go down.

→I want to see Lei just doing little things to inconvenience Oyun. While building up to his showdown with her, I would love to just see him maybe send a small wave of water towards her when she’s having a good hair day or pulling the water out of her cup when she’s about to drink from it. I just want Lei to do some little things like that because it would bring him a moment of joy before it was lost again in his sea of sorrow.

Katya: They were woven from the same cloth

→ She was probably the one who understood him best. Where Vera could see the broken bits left over by the storm, Katya was able to see the next big storm that brewed on his horizon. They were both built from the same ruination. They both had this vengeance in their hearts, and it’s evident when they train. She pushes him to be better, and he pushes her to be better as well. It’s nice being with Katya. He doesn’t have to worry about appearances. He doesn’t have to play a part. He can peel off the mask and show the anger that’s tucked behind his eyes. I want all the threads of these two training together. I want to see their powers working together and creating something menacing. I want to flashback to their first session and how his power was and compare it to now to really see how much he’s grown. I feel like his power was fairly weak when he first started out because he didn’t grow up training his ability that it would need to see how well Katya’s training has helped him.

→ I want to see Lei contemplating whether or not to tell her the true reason behind wanting to train her. It’s nice that she doesn’t bother to ask why he wants to turn his gentle waves into a hurricane, but it would also be something he could get off his chest and be able to tell someone who wouldn’t judge him or anything. She’s someone who understands his anger and grief so having a cute interaction of them bonding over their sob stories would be interesting considering the personalities of the two characters.

Aarvas: Darkness blankets them both

→ I want these two bonding over their abilities. I definitely feel like their friendship began on the basis that they’re both tidemakers and the big theme with their connection is that like draws to like, so I would like to explore that aspect of their friendship. I want them kind of being carefree a little bit like maybe they splash each other as a joke or something that takes away from their anger or faith for a little bit. I also want to see them training with each other because I feel like there’s no one better to help you with your powers than someone who also has those powers.

→ I want to see them talking about faith. Everyone is aware of how much into religious Aarvas is, but I want to explore the stark contrast between Aarvas’ big belief in faith and Lei’s lack of belief. I feel when Lei was little he believed in that stuff, but after all of the stuff he’s being through there’s definitely that attitude of if there were someone looking out for me he’s not doing a very good job at it. I just want to see their conversations about stuff like that and have them grow stronger despite the difference in opinion. I like the fact that Lei’s kind of become Aarvas’ apostle despite really wanting the job, so that’s another aspect of it to look into.

→ I want to explore the darkness between them. Again, like draws to like, and they both are aware of their own darkness. I wanted to get them, mainly Lei, to become aware of the darkness they both have haunting them. Maybe Lei shares a bit about his life that he didn’t intend on talking about and Aarvas and him get into a conversation about one another that really extends the already strong bond between them. Honestly, I just want Lei to not be alone in his emotions and to realize dark and light lives in everyone.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HAVE YOUR CHARACTER DIE?: Absolutely!

IN DEPTH

IN CHARACTER PARA SAMPLE(S):

It had been 1 month since they last came. They had managed to take a little girl a few houses over that liked to watch as the fire danced on her fingertips before Lei had the sense to put it out. They always managed to take someone. Lei thought he was the exception. Lei thought his family was clever enough to be safe from that fate. No, there were no exceptions for the Shu Han.

Dirt and soot rained down as Lei raced out from under his hiding space. It wasn’t that extravagant of a hiding space really— just in a nook of a tree that was conveniently hidden by some shrubbery they planted to spruce the lawn up a bit. No, nothing in Lei’s life was extravagant, but it always seemed to work. He didn’t get buffets of food, but he still found himself going about the day with a satisfied stomach. He didn’t get a room all to himself, but he still slept soundly. His hiding space wasn’t some underground shelter, but he never got found.

Well, not yet.

When days like these rolled around, his family had a schedule: play hide and go seek until the sun disappeared, then go straight home. It seemed easy enough and it always worked. The kids would race out and play their games, completely unaware of the threat that awaited them back near the houses, and then they would come back and settle down for whatever their father would gather for dinner. Yes, it was a bit strange, but the light never left Lei’s eyes for the silly games he was told to play. No, he knew the ending to the story, and he knew this one would end like the last one did.

But it didn’t.

Lei wandered around the back of his home in search of the door that would allow him to quickly slip back into the warm, heated house. He found it rather quickly, but as he turned the door knob he could sense that something was off. It wasn’t the same inviting feeling he usually got during that time. No, it was a much colder feeling that shook him to the bone. He didn’t hear his parents talking around the stove. He didn’t see his siblings around the sink taking turns cleaning up for dinner. He didn’t see anything except two silhouettes near the front door.

Run, run little lamb

He was always a curious young boy, so of course he went over to investigate what was laying at his door step. He stepped over the loose edges of the carpets, and stopped short at the feet of what appeared to be his parents. He could almost make himself believe they were only sleeping, but the scarlet drops that were leaking out of their throats made it so the dream was only that. No, they were not sleeping.

Run away from the slaughter

Tears fell from his eyes as he looked at his parents before his attention became more focused on the two other figures that were now coming into view. He scanned their features, and he didn’t know it then, but those emotionless eyes would haunt him much later on. No, it didn’t immediately click that those were the same features of the men his parents warned him about. He had only seen their backs as he peaked out to see if it was time to come back in. Even then he never noticed the crying child in their arms. He never put the pieces together as they shot out fire or water as a sign for help— a sign Lei never picked up on.

A sign Lei himself would be shooting

After death, the proper thing to do would be to mourn. It showed that someone felt shaken up and upset about the loss. Lei got no time to mourn. He didn’t get to tell his parents goodbye, or to kiss their cheeks one last time. All he could do was let the tears pour out of his eyes, and even then it wasn’t long before the two guards took that away from him too.

They took everything away

“Your powers will be put to good use.”

“You’re going to serve our nation well.”

All veiled attempts to get him to cooperate. No, Lei was often a quiet kid, an obedient kid, but even he couldn’t have prevented the scream that erupted from his mouth as they started dragging him away. He could barely see his parents’ bodies when it happened.

When the flood came to meet his call

Sweet little Lei. My sunshine boy. The missing piece of the puzzle. All former words to describe him.

Monster. A hidden storm. Murderer. All current words to describe him.

They say water was meant for rejuvenation. Water cleanses, water heals. In some religions water means rebirth, but there was no rebirth as Lei’s waves struck the men down. There was no healing when their laughter was smothered by water, when the air was replaced in their lungs by the liquid. The only thing clean was the water far enough away when it ended to not have been tainted that the blood that came out of the men so freely. Water may have been cleansing and loving in the past, but it was also a weapon that could be used for destruction.

A destruction Lei didn’t even know he was capable of. A destruction no one knew he was capable of. Yet, it didn’t compare to the destruction in Lei’s eyes as he noticed his siblings standing near the house. He was a stranger in their eyes. He stepped towards them, and they took two steps backwards. He had tried to speak, to apologize, to explain himself, but he was at a loss for words. Lei haven’t thought himself the monster until he saw the fear in Xiu’s eyes and the look of utter betrayal on everyone else’s.

And so he ran.

And ran.

But he could never escape the life he left behind, the lives he took.

CHARACTER HEADCANONS:

Family: Blood is thicker than water

→ Lei is the youngest of five kids— 3 boys, 2 girls. The oldest was a boy named Hui. They named him that because, like the name meant, they knew he would be clever. He would often lift Lei up on his shoulders and prance around with him during the summer time. He and Lei had a considerable age difference, but that only made their brotherly bond stronger because Hui treated him like his own child. Hui wanted to enlist in the army, but he held off on it because he wanted to help his parents take care of the others. The second child was a girl named Mei. She would often tease Lei by saying that he wanted to be her so much he practically took her name. She was the most attentive one when it came to his powers. She would encourage him to practice it when the Shu Han court was not around because he had a gift and needed to nurture it. She was the most practical sibling. She longed to travel and make a difference in the world, though she knew more than likely she would just be a mother— something she was content with. The middle child was a boy named Shi. He was named that because they wanted him to grow up completely truthful with them. He was the one often lovingly teasing Lei and resulting in Lei calling his face ugly amongst other things brothers do to show their love. He was often the wildcard of the family and changed his mind greatly on what he wanted to do. When Lei last saw him he said he wanted to be a small farmer. The fourth child in the Yul-Keung family was a girl named Xiu. She grew up to be as charming as her name suggested. She was a ditzy, dreamer sort of child who spent more time running around in fields of flowers than inside helping out. Lei and she were known as the sunshine siblings because their smiles could light up even the darkest sky. He knew it was right to turn his back on his family when he saw the terror in her eyes.

2. Letters: When words remain unspoken

→ Lei has been writing letters to his siblings and parents. He would never send them, but he uses it as a way to get out all of the words he was too shaken up to say when he left that day. The letters are in a stack in the corner of his room.

3. Zodiac: Day of birth, day of death

→ Lei was born on June 12th, which makes him a Gemini. Gemini seems to fit him seeing as he could be described as two faced as the face he puts on for the public is not the one he wears in private. His parents found it ironic that he held the ability to control water when he was born an air sign. Back in his youth it was a joke that he was meant to be a pisces since he was able to control water and pisces are known to be more pure hearted and kind than some of the other signs, but people who met him now wouldn’t think of that at all.

4. Kvas: Raise a glass to freedom

→ Lei knows how to hold his own when it comes to kvas. He never used to drink it back in Shu Han, but after all the events he went through he picked up the habit of having a glass or two after a long day of training his power with Katya or by himself. He wished it was stronger, but he deals with the drink as best as he can.

5. Diet: Food of the soul

→ Lei eats everything but fish. Seeing as fish live in water and Lei controls water, he feels a connection to them and avoids consuming them. He most prefers fruits such as apples and oranges as well as the redder meats such as lamb and beef. He didn’t have a lot to eat growing up because there were so many people in his house and they weren’t the richest of families, so Lei usually only eats a small plate full and makes sure to clean his plate every time because he was always told to do that when he was younger. Lei also doesn’t really talk to people at lunch. He’ll nod and make small talk to seem polite, but overall he likes to focus on his meal then get back to whatever he was doing beforehand.

6. Language: Lost in translation

→ Lei still finds himself talking in Shu a lot just because he did grow up speaking the language and he didn’t move to Ravka until he was older. He’s gotten good at conversational speak in the Ravka language, but he still mainly writes in Shu and there’s always some words that don’t translate over to Ravkan so he’ll try his best to explain the meaning or just stick to the Shu word.

7. Pets: Who let the dogs out?

→ Lei doesn’t have any pets nowadays, but he did have a pet growing up. His dog almost exactly resembles a Chow Chow, but in Shu Han they’re called Songshi Quan, which means fluffy lion dog. His dog was named Little Dragon because His older brother Shi kept begging for a dragon for his birthday so his parents bought them the dog instead and merely named it that so technically they got him what he wanted. Lei liked the dog, but it became attached to Xiu more than anyone. Sadly, the day that the Shu Han court finally came for Lei, the dog was killed. It often stood guard outside of the house to alert them when unwanted visitors were coming, and that was an inconvenience to the guards who were hoping to kind of come in by surprise. It was another reason why Lei let his powers take control and killed the guards.

EXTRAS: I have an inspiration tag on my blog of quotes and graphics that I think fit Lei pretty well:

http://octaviablakewrites.tumblr.com/tagged/insp%3A-lei

ANYTHING ELSE? OMITTED.

#raraccepted #accepted: lei

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