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supercantaloupe · 1 year

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The Rent Post™

aka, a lengthy screed on how rent the musical goes about adapting la boheme, where it fails, and what can be done about it

so i’m admittedly a reformed Theater Kid™. and tbh i still very much am a Theater Person, even a Musical Theater Person, i’m just in my 20s now and my taste has shifted away from what’s mainstream on broadway right now and closer to the world of opera. but there absolutely was a time in my early teens when i was Really Into Rent, as many Theater Kids™ were…and there was also a time in my later teens when i thought about it and realized that rent was not only just not my thing, but that there were some significant Problems with it, as its own work and as an adaptation. now, having finally seen boheme for myself, i feel like i’m really in a place to piece together how the two works compare to one another, and why/how i think rent falls short of success (as a piece of theater anyway. obviously rent is not lacking in commercial and popular audience success, for better or worse).

i knew years ago that rent is a direct adaptation of la boheme, but wow, only after seeing the opera did i come to realize just how closely rent follows boheme: in plot beats, in character names, even borrowing a couple of lyrics and musical motifs here and there.

but it also changes things from the original opera -- namely, it adds things -- and i think this is the first place where rent runs into trouble. now i am by no means such a purist that i think no work should ever be adapted unchanged (more on this later...what’s the point of adaptation if not to change things to make the work resonate with a new audience anyway?). however, any and every change made to an existing work in adaptation should be thoughtfully made and motivated, because every single change has an effect on the whole product in some way, and many small changes can add up to create a rather different final product than a creator might realize.

(and this goes both ways, i think -- both in a work where a more flawed source material is adapted into something new and better, and when a superior original work is adapted into a worse new creation.)

definitely some of the changes made in rent while adapting la boheme are due to the change in medium. opera and musicals are both theater, sure, and more similar in many ways to each other than either is to straight play or film perhaps, but it’s still like a spanish speaker and an italian speaker trying to have a conversation with one another. the languages are similar and there might even be a bit of crossover in mutual intelligibility but they are still ultimately two different languages with different grammars and vocabulary. opera in general tends to have slower pacing than book musicals, fewer plot threads of equal importance. that rent is specifically a musical adaptation of la boheme, rather than a true rock opera, demonstrates this well. the mimi/rodolfo relationship is still front and center (americanized of course as mimi and roger), with marcello and musetta close behind (though expanded in rent as more of a love triangle among mark, maureen, and joanne, the latter being an invented character for the musical who i think embodies the original marcello as much as mark does). but rent adds a lot of stage time and focus to a new couple, collins and angel, who are directly lifted from colline and schaunard, who are essentially secondary comic relief characters, whereas collins/angel are arguably as important plot wise to mimi/roger and mark/maureen/joanne.

(and i’m not gonna get into the level of #problematic there is to the depiction of maureen as an overly promiscuous bisexual or discuss why colline and schaunard can’t have been a gay couple the whole time or whatever because. wow i do not care. there are more important things to complain about here c’mon)

first big addition to rent that wasn’t original to boheme is that increased stage presence/focus for collins and angel. it's not inherently a bad addition, and for its time the open depiction of multiple queer romances onstage was still kind of groundbreaking. and yes, rent having a longer runtime than boheme should give it the opportunity to flesh this relationship out more as well as the other two to make sure they all have an equal chance to develop and end in a satisfying way. hell, they don’t even all have to be equal in stage presence/focus/importance to be a positive addition to the show (and how can it be when angel dies halfway through act ii? then again, the character dying doesn’t exactly mean the relationship loses its importance in the plot…) but despite the extra runtime and faster storytelling pace, rent doesn’t actually develop angel and collins all that much, especially not before angel dies. this isn’t an issue with colline and schaunard, of course, cause it’s obvious they’re not important characters in boheme. but collins and angel are arguably more important in rent than even mark/maureen/joanne. and angel dies halfway through act ii…meanwhile, mimi survives the end of rent, when she very pointedly does not in boheme.

and…oh, mimi. she is probably the biggest and most problematic adaptational change in rent as compared to la boheme. on the surface she (and roger/rodolfo) seems the least changed of all the opera’s characters, her name not even undergoing the same americanization treatment as the others. but there are just so many small details that add up and up until she’s a fundamentally different character in rent. i don’t even begrudge the change in occupation: her becoming a stripper/exotic dancer/possible sex worker(?) rather than a seamstress does bring with it some cultural baggage, but i am not personally interested in reading any morality into her choice of occupation, and i choose not to read her line of work as having any implications for her “innocence” or moral value as a character. nor will i read her addiction or disease as being moral qualities either. however: there is a big difference between tuberculosis in the 1840s and both AIDS and drug addiction in the 1980s. neither boheme’s mimi nor rent’s are morally responsible for their illnesses. but there is absolutely nothing mimi could do about her tuberculosis in boheme except die, because it was france in the 1840s and nobody knew what an antibiotic was. in new york in 1989, there were rehab clinics and there were medications for HIV. these things were expensive and hard to access, yes, but rent really goes out of its way to show us that mimi had the resources to access these things -- she is able to afford AZT in act i on her own (and the fact that she’s on AZT is used as shorthand for her HIV+ status, as opposed to other characters about whom we are told outright)...

… and her relationship with benny (the much-expanded counterpart to boheme’s benoit the landlord character) in act ii, who verbally offers to pay for her admittance to a rehab program.

yet the next time we see or hear anything of her, her loving mother is calling to ask where she is as she’s presumably gone missing…

…and then discover she has been living on the street, dying from exposure/disease/addiction.

did she do this willingly? did benny refuse to continue supporting her? we don’t really get an answer to any of this; rent isn’t really concerned with why mimi is in the position she’s in, but is rather entirely preoccupied with staying true to boheme -- up until mimi’s death, anyway. because mimi doesn’t die in rent, she is saved, and says that angel told her to keep on living (as though it were a choice). why? we can only speculate. really, if any character embodies the same “dying tragically in a world too cruel for them to survive” theme as mimi in boheme does, it’s angel. and her death is honestly used as a tool throughout the rest of the show: a purpose for kindness, community, life.

is this a bad “bury your gays” kind of thing? i don’t really know, i’m inclined to believe not. but i do think angel’s death is more thematically akin to mimi’s death in boheme than the actual (near-)death of mimi in rent.

and this is the biggest difference between rent and boheme: boheme is not about hope. boheme is a tragic romance about how important relationships are among people in disadvantaged communities/situations, but it does not say that love will transcend or materially improve those conditions. rent, by contrast, does. rent suggests that the love of partners and community (even if filled with complications and tensions) is lifesaving.

(and i know rent’s stated thesis is “no day but today,” i.e. live and enjoy every day as though it could be your last, but i think thematically all the characters and their interactions overall suggest a theme of community just as if not more strongly, whereas “no day but today” is more limited to the HIV+ characters and has little to do with the mark/maureen/joanne subplot. mimi's outlook on "no day but today" changes when she chooses to stay alive on the urging of angel from the other side.)

now i don’t think this is altogether a bad moral to have in your theater piece. especially in one of the first major pieces of theater centered on marginalized queer characters. i will not deny how important and cathartic it can be, both now and especially thirty years ago when rent premiered, to end on a hopeful note rather than a tragic one. but i have a couple of issues with how rent goes about making this its central theme. for one thing, mimi has frankly too many Things affecting her health in the end for her survival to be realistic, and absolutely nothing up to this point in the show has suggested a setting of magical realism or pseudofantasy; everything has been as grounded in real life as possible, until finale b, when mimi suddenly and near-inexplicably survives. it feels like it comes out of nowhere tonally and thus isn’t very satisfying an ending when put to scrutiny. for another, angel has already died, and angel is, compared to mimi, a much more beloved and uncomplicatedly positive force in their community and relationships. angel’s entire stage presence (while she’s alive and when her character is invoked or referenced after her death) is a positive one: caring for collins when he’s injured, providing food and funds to the group, placating arguments, etc.

and the fact that angel has no concerned parents leaving her voicemails, unlike mark, roger, and mimi, underscores that she has no one else to lean on for support except her community of bohemians. and we’re not given a reason to believe one way or the other about her home life or financial stability outside of today 4 u when she got a sudden windfall for killing a dog (whatever; schaunard did the same thing to the parrot in boheme). in contrast to mimi, roger, and especially mark, who are clearly shown to have family who care about them and want to support them, yet they choose to live in romanticized poverty anyway. mark even gets a good job in filming and still finds a way to complain about it.

really, except for angel (and arguably collins, too), it’s difficult to totally sympathize with the characters in rent and care fully about their plight because they’re just…not depicted as particularly likable people. maureen is an unfaithful and kind of manipulative partner, and her approach to “protest” is really just bad self-absorbed performance art. roger just kind of sucks at songwriting (how is your eyes the song that he’s spent the whole show writing? it’s the worst number in the musical lol), and he’s quick to anger…his decision to leave mimi makes even less sense here than rodolfo’s decision to leave her in boheme, where at least he did so out of genuine concern for her health (also why does he leave mark? rodolfo embraces marcello as a friend still after mimi leaves in boheme...act iii of boheme is the least closely adapted in rent by far.). wheras in rent roger seems to be both genuinely jealous of mimi interacting with other men and upset by her continued drug use. although this last one i don’t begrudge him for, since it’s made clear he’s a recovering addict himself…although it does make mimi’s relationship with him all the worse, considering that mimi’s take on the whole “no day but today” theme is to throw caution to the wind with her actions and not worry about the future at all, and her interacting with roger is directly tempting him back into addiction which he clearly does not want. (and roger’s rejection of her in another day is framed as him being in the wrong with mimi being backed up by the life support chorus…)

while mimi as we’ve seen is reckless and throws her life away even when people try to help her (very very different from boheme’s mimi, who makes no particularly reckless choices, and accepts help when it's offered). and mark is entitled and uses his film as an excuse to disengage with the real world, even exploit it (see: the way he films the life support meeting without permission, or the homeless woman, which is never really confronted elsewhere in the show…)

the inclusion of a homelessness subplot in rent is particularly strange to me. it shows up a lot, especially in act i: the threat of homelessness for the main characters should they not pay their rent or come to some kind of agreement with their landlord; the vague future threat of benny’s “cyberarts studio” getting built which is implied would evict those living in tents on the lot; mimi being found living on the street in the finale; and the chorus/ensemble who show up periodically, as above. homelessness is an ever present element of set dressing/conflict in rent but it’s never really addressed, no points are ever made about it, which is in my opinion kind of wild and very unsatisfying. the above scene especially, considering how direct of a callout it is towards the show’s own characters and writing, yet it is never addressed afterwards, and this conflict is never really resolved.

one could take similar issue with the choice to swap tuberculosis in boheme with AIDS in rent. though in my opinion i think addiction is as much as if not more rent’s analogue to boheme’s TB, since that is a much more acutely seen disease for mimi and only mimi while there are multiple characters (main and chorus) living with HIV…then again, angel is the character who gets the real tragic death analogous to mimi’s in boheme, and angel dies of complications from AIDS, so i suppose it’s open to debate. regardless, there’s a significant contextual difference between TB in the 1840s and HIV and addiction in the 1980s: there was no system, political, social, or medical, that could truly heal someone of tuberculosis in boheme’s setting. but there very much was a medical and social system in place to help people with HIV and addiction in the 1980s; systems which were aggressively denied to those who were suffering by the political system. and for as much as the characters in rent like to sing about revolution, protest, and activism, not a single one actually challenges the powers that be or call out by name those responsible for the systematic denial of healthcare to the marginalized. activism and artistic revolution is hollow and meaningless in rent, they never name a real enemy, just a vague sense of “the man.” but it’s a story set in a real and still recent historical time period, the effects of which we still deal with today (and i’m sure even more acutely so back in 1996); it just feels disrespectful to me to use those crises as such important set dressing for your musical which positions itself as a “fuck the man” revolutionary kind of piece of theater and yet do or say absolutely nothing about the real world issues it is appropriating. for more information i highly recommend checking out lindsay ellis’ video on the topic.

so is all this to say i think rent is an irredeemable, fundamentally broken work? actually, no; i think it has a decent foundation and some solid music. i understand the reasoning behind and appeal of updating an old work to a new time period/setting for a new audience, and i think trading 1840s paris for 1980s nyc is an interesting and workable substitution. but when i look at rent as it is now, i just do not see a finished product.

and i think this is the most frustrating and disappointing thing about rent to me: rent is, quite literally, an unfinished show. its composer and librettist, jonathan larson, died suddenly the day of its first preview performance. and for so many developing (off-)broadway shows, previews are when the actual finished product is crafted, as the show is revised based on audience reactions. of course audience and critical reception to rent from the very beginning was positive, but i can’t help but speculate how much of that is influenced by the mere fact of its creator’s untimely death. and i wonder what changes larson would have made to his show if he had lived, and been able to hear the audience’s reactions, and revise the show accordingly. i wonder if he would have thought it worked. i wonder if he would have seen the same cracks that i see in it. i don’t think rent is inherently unsalvageable, but it is so far unsalvaged.

and frankly i don’t know that it ever will be salvaged; not for many years, at least. not until copyright and licensing in musical theater changes, and not until broadway audiences get more comfortable with the idea of altering beloved and familiar classics (the 2019 revival of oklahoma! was, in my opinion, a work of genius, but i’m well aware my opinion is not universal, and especially during its national tour the show’s entire concept has been extremely controversial). do to rent what bartlett sher and aaron sorkin are doing to camelot right now: keep the heart and soul of the piece intact, but rewrite what doesn’t work. or do something even more drastic, cut subplots and change character traits, i don’t know. maybe mimi should die; maybe it really is important that she survive! maybe rent shouldn’t have been based on boheme at all; hell, what would rent look like if it was based on la traviata instead? (well the answer to this one is “a different show entirely,” most likely, but if you want to write a poignant and tragic love story based on a romantic opera and set in 1980s nyc featuring queer and/or HIV+ characters, well…it could work and i’ll leave it there.) maybe that’s going too far, i don’t know, but the point is, i want to see directors and writers have the freedom to try that stuff out. because i don’t think rent is unsalvageable; i think it’s unfinished.

but rent is far too popular and beloved for anyone to dare touch its libretto with new ink. the memory of jonathan larson is held far too preciously for anyone to allow such debasement of his work. when searching online for libretti to reference when writing this essay, i found one transcribed script with this at its heading:

and i think that about sums it up for me. “may he be friggen worshiped!” him and all his creations, holy and untouchable. it’d be tantamount to theater sacrilege at this point to try and change it. how dare you sully larson’s good name by thinking you could “fix” his masterpiece…the masterpiece no one wants to admit he never got to actually finish. well, i don’t know, maybe it’s me being jewish and sentimental here, but if i have enough respect for a piece of work i want to be able to engage with it and question it and interpret it as i think it best ought to be. (jonathan larson was also jewish. would he agree with me? i don’t know. but i think he’d want to see the best of his work, just like i do.) live theater is inherently participatory and dialectical. and it ought to be alive, not carved into stone. neither immovable nor under threat of utter annihilation should someone come too close with a chisel. rent has potential. la boheme is still as affecting today as it was a hundred thirty years ago (did you know rent premiered almost exactly a hundred years after la boheme?). rent could be the same. and it does have emotionality behind it as it is now, credit where credit’s due. but it could be more than just that. if we could just let someone finish the thing already, even if larson himself couldn’t.

#sasha reviews #rent #<- afraid of putting this in the tag. rent fans please be cool. just scroll past this if you don't wanna see me being critical ;;#la boheme #this took so long to write. please enjoy #tldr; rent isn't irredeemable or unworkable but it is unfinished #i think it ought to either just let itself be closer to boheme (the 'keep it simple stupid' approach)#or let itself stray from that source material more and give each of its subplots the full attention it deserves (and needs)#(and maybe cut one or two of them...)#and be more of its own thing already #i don't know. who knows what would work best? no one does. cause no one's tried it yet. that's the bottom line i guess

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hermionegranger56 · 4 years

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a v late recap of evermore

so i think Taylor Swift sensed that i was Going Through It and was like here you sad bitch, here’s another surprise album to help fix all that. cause good lord evermore is just what i (and i think we all) needed. i truly TRULY can’t believe we’re lucky enough to get a sister album to folklore, i love it so much. the first day it was out i drove myself 2 hours to the very end of the Cape and sat on an empty beach and cried to it and honestly??? magical. here are my thoughts on it that no one asked for:

first, as an overall here, this album complements folklore so well. it’s the spring to folklore’s autumn, it’s self-assured and warm and beautiful. each album shows off her lyrical genius so well and she only grows stronger here. when folklore came out, i was floored because the music was so different for her and so up my alley. each song’s production sucked me in and it was like she was confidently telling us “here is another genre i can work with” (masterfully at that). evermore feels different. it feels like Taylor is so comfortable in this creative space, she isn’t trying to fit into any new molds or expectations, she is just HERE, now, saying “this is who i am and this is my craft”. it’s really been a privilege to watch her grow as an artist. ok. here we go

willow:

god the video was so beautiful, a really good continuation of cardigan. the chorus is so so delicate and prettyyy, thats MY MAN ughhh its so good. it reminds me a lot of invisible string tbh, or if betty from cardigan grew up and found love. this is really one of my favorites, she starts so strong

fave lines: “the more that you say, the less i know/ wherever you stray I follow/ i’m begging for you to take my hand/ wreck my plans, that’s my man”; “life was a willow and it bent right to your wind”

champagne problems:

oh dear god, it’s if all too well and new years day had a baby and it is a MASTERPIECE. i can picture it all, college sweethearts, broken hearts, i feel like its new england at christmas, ivy league old money…its cinematic. and it gets at the feeling like you’ll never be good enough so you leave before that happens (basically before you get to the tolerate it stage??) and OOF. AND GODDAMN THE RANTING BRIDGE (illicit affairs came close on folklore but i think THIS might be the best bridge since All Too Well). I’ve screamed it a lot tbh

fave lines: BRIDGE BABYYYYYY EVERY SINGLE PERFECT WORD. WHAT A SHAME SHES FUCKED IN THE HEADDDD

gold rush:

this one is bright and lovely and catchy!! it reminds me a lot of mirrorball tbh, all like swirly and magical. i can’t even put it into words but i can see this one so clearly. its all rosy and golden

fave lines: “eyes like sinking ships on waters/ so inviting, i almost jump in”; “what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?/with your hair falling into place like dominoes/ I see me padding across your wooden floors/ with my Eagles t-shirt hanging from your door”; “the coastal town we wandered round/ had never seen a love as pure as it”; “my mind turns your life into folklore”

’tis the damn season:

UGH I FUCKING LOVE THIS ONE EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME WANNA TEXT MY EX. the melody is SOOOO satisfying, the progression to “write this down”, i’m obsessed. the idea of being home for the holidays and feeling a little lost and tired and nostalgic for what could have been is something superrrr relatable. this song reminds me of snowy drives around my hometown in the best/worst possible way hahah. one of my top 5 for sure.

fave lines: “we could call it even/ you could call me babe for the weekend/ tis the damn season, write this down/i’m staying at my parents house/ and the road not taken looks real good now”; “and wonder about the only soul/ who can tell which smiles i’m faking”

tolerate it:

oh honeyyyyy this track 5 packs a punch, i mean the lyrics are absolutely BRUTAL in the best way. it’s just so sad, and encompasses a lot of my own insecurity about always feeling like you’re more invested in a relationship and watching someone fall out of love or just stop caring. i LOVE the “my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it”, like bitch YES your love should be celebrated. also taylor sounds angelic on the “I” at the start of the chorus

fave lines: “i know my love should be celebrated/ but you tolerate it”; “i made you my temple, my mural, my sky/ now i’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life”; “what would you do if I/break free and leave us in ruins/ took this dagger in me and removed it”

no body, no crime:

YESSSSSSSSS I LOVE THE SUBGENRE OF COUNTRY ABOUT WOMEN KILLING SHITTY HUSBANDS AND THIS SONG IS SO FUCKING GOOD AHHHHH!! I LOVE the beat, i love country taylor, i love the addition of HAIM. UGH ITS SO CATCHYYYY, like i’m obsessed with the slide from “i think he did it but i just. can’t. prove itttttt NOOO no body no crime” UGHHH this is without a doubt in my top five

fave lines: “she thinks i did it but she just can’t prove it”

happiness:

I heard this one described as an emotional marathon and holy shit it is, each line is a sucker punch. i really like how it feels like a conversation and looks at the acceptance and pain that mingle together when a relationship just…ends. her lyrics are unmatched on this album but this is a particularly strong track

fave lines: “i haven’t met the new me yet”; “when did all our lessons start to look like weapons/ pointed at my deepest hurt”; “there is a glorious sunrise/ dappled with the flickers of light/ from the dress i wore at midnight”

dorothea:

this one feels like Betty 2.0 and its so sweet and bright and also kinda sad. it’s wistful!! that’s the word i want, wistful! the vibe is gives off reminds me of Red, like musically. it’s home-y. idk if that makes sense but i like it a lot

fave lines: and if you’re ever tired of being known for who you know/ you know, you’ll always know me”

coney island:

ugh this one is magical, i honestly really love the instrumental to this one, it’s so soothing. the lyrics to me feel like you’re in some dream state, going through every heartbreak you’ve ever been through. I love the addition of The National, the vocals fit together so well (and I like it better than both Bon Iver features i think??)

fave lines: do you miss the rogue/ who coaxed you into paradise and left you there/ will you forgive my soul/ who you’re too wise to trust me and too old to care?”

ivy:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (that’s how i feel about this absolute masterpiece oh my GOD) it makes me so incandescently happy, the folk feel, the lyrics that are so cinematic and poetic and paint such a clear picture (to me) of two Victorian lovers who are in unhappy marriages but don’t let that stop their love. the chorus just like….fills my whole chest, the OH GODDAMN hits so different. and i want “my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand” tattooed on me, that is one of her BEST lines and i will die on that hill. its all so pretty, i can’t deal. the vibe also strongly reminds me of a) invisible string and b) Little Women (2019). i think taylor should do folk and uhhhh only folk please

fave lines: EVERY WORD BUT ESPECIALLY: “i’d meet you where the spirit meets the bone/ in a faith forgotten land”; “oh goddamn/ my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand/ taking mine, but its been promised to another/ oh, i can’t/ stop you putting roots in my dreamland/ my house of stone, your ivy grows/ and now I’m covered in you”; “he wants what’s only yours”; “clover blooms in the field/ springs breaks loose, time is near“; ”so yeah, it’s a fire/ its a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it”

cowboy like me:

ALL RIGHT everyone sleeps on this song but oh my GOD its so good!! it’s smooth and dreamy and gives me that old fashioned, bonnie and clyde type love story and some of the lyrics are so poetic. I really love the addition of the Tim McGraw chords too???? BUT DEAR GOD COULD WE HAVE GIVEN MARCUS MUMFORD MORE OF A ROLE HERE??!! HE SOUNDS WONDERFUL, GIVE HIM A FEATURE, GIVE HIM A WHOLE VERSE. THIS IS A FOLK ALBUM TAYLOR, USE FUCKING MUMFORD AHHHH (i fucking love him omg)

fave lines: “dancin’ is a dangerous game”; “you’re a bandit like me/ eyes full of stars”; “now you hang from my lips/ like the Gardens of Babylon/ with your boots beneath my bed/ forever is the sweetest con”

long story short:

A BOP!! GIVE ME SOME HAPPINESS TAYLOR WOO! I really love how catchy this one is. it feels like her introducing the craziness of her life to joe and being like look all of that was tough but here i am now and I couldn’t be happier. It’s refreshing, self-deprecating and endearing. I couldn’t love it more and it is ALWAYS stuck in my head!

fave lines: “and he’s passing by/ rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky”; “long story short I survived”

marjorie:

ha hahah hah ha this one ENDS me, like dear LORD i need to call my grandma immediately. it is so so GOOD and SAD, like the you don’t know how good something or someone is until they’re gone, but even then, they’re still there with you. I love the grandma wisdom of “never be so clever you forget to be kind” etc. and holy SHIT the addition of Taylor’s grandmother’s opera singing as background vocals is GENIUS AND DEVASTATING, god the part where she goes “i’d think you were singing with me now” and then Marjorie comes in is honestly one of the most beautiful musical moments i’ve heard in a hot minute and it breaks me every time. wow.

fave lines: “never be so polite/ you forget your power/ never wield such power/ you forget to be polite”; “the autumn chill that wakes me up/ you loved the amber sky so much”; “and if i didn’t know better/ i’d think you were singing to me now”

closure:

ok i’m sorry, this is my only skip here. I really do love the lyrics and the idea of, yeah no you don’t deserve closure from me. i just can’t get past the pots and pans beginning, its too chaotic. but i’m sure it’ll grow on me! it does feel like finally moving on and i do love that about it

fave lines: “don’t treat me like/ some situation that needs to be handled”; “i know i’m just a/ wrinkle in your new life/ staying friends would/ iron it out so nice”

evermore:

god her voice is SO soothing in this one, it’s literally hypnotic. the song itself feels wandering and dark at first, like you’re stuck in this depression, and then bon iver comes in and it picks up and it feels like coming out of the trees, into the sunlight and finding your way again. finding that the pain WOULDNT be for evermore like she says. it feels like an ending and a beginning. beautiful

fave lines: “writing letters/ addressed to the fire”; “and when i was shipwrecked/ i thought of you/ in the cracks of light/ i dreamed of you”; “and i was catching my breath/ floors of the cabin creaking under my step/ and i couldn’t be sure/ i had a feeling so peculiar/ this pain wouldn’t be for evermore”

#taylor swift #evermore #tswift #evermore album #willow #champagne problems

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luvdsc · 3 years

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Hey Cat!! I hope you're doing well as always ! 💖 AHHHH huhu I closed the form last Sunday since I've collected enough responses dy! (NOOOOOOOO ToT) I got a total of 221 responses at the end of the week, which is 3x the amount I initially needed! :o I'm beyond grateful and appreciative ToT I've cleaned the data and have proceeded to run some data analysis, but I ran into an issue whereby the scores on the subscales are equal (it has never been reported in past studies! :O) so I'm waiting for my supervisor's feedback on how to proceed. Hopefully it's nothing too serious ToT

Hehe finance is interesting indeed! I just started reading a book on finance for young adults (Rich Dad Poor Dad) and I look forward to learning more from the author's tips! The Coursera introductory course has also made financial terms a lil more familiar, even though it's just the basics and it's really helped w my financial literacy 🥺 I can push myself to study but it's also the numbers and calculations I'm worried of cuz I am rly a nong (idiot) when it comes to numbers * - * it runs in the genes I guess AHAHAHAHA my mom and sister aren't good at numbers either keke

Aww I'm glad yr professor made financial accounting enjoyable and a fruitful experience for you! Some lecturers / professors rly just have that spark in them to inspire ppl and I'm blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of em in the psych department!🥺😭 it truly makes a difference and I'm sure we both are living proofs of that!

After debating for a while, I've decided not to take a minor mainly because I'm so tired HAHAHAHAHAHA and I'll just do my own self-studying and exploration whilst working! Go out and explore the world, live life! Whilst ironically still staying in my room because of the COVID-19 situation in our country (cases are abt 20+k every day :') ) My proposal has been finalized and it's been accepted! It's just that some elements of my proposal is also part of my actual report, so I have some guidance to refer to in terms of structure! :3 and yes don't worry! I got plenty (sometimes a lil too much) rest during the sem break whilst remaining productive! Plus, I got to catch up w some friends and had game nights (maybe too much of game nights hehe) and movie nights w my friends which was truly refreshing! Also cuz I might not see a lot of them again after we graduate so we gotta cherish every moment 🥺😭

I'm a freelance graphic designer for my uni's newsletter! Occasionally, they'd ask us to create both the content and design! I'll place the link to my recent work below if you wanna check it out! UwU I'm trying to incorporate the same practices during sem break in my last sem (current sem) too! cuz yes mental health is so so important and I'm just tired of being academically tired you get me? :(

What makes me most trilled abt learning abt psychology is how to apply it in daily life too! I find it so fascinating and awestruck at how relatable and within reach these things are like wow we can be influenced in such ways?? :o can be both good and bad but imma stick w seeing it as the development and evolution of us humans UwU

Also, the vaccine has fixed my sleep schedule HEHE (another perk of getting vaccination :3) I got some rly good rest and managed to reset my usual sleeping time, thank you science ToT oooo I see I see, we've had cases of nurses injecting empty syringes hence the recording :( but GHIOGHWEOGIOHW I could never do that, I can feel the liquid entering me as it is so that's good enough ToT (* plays Love Talk * I can feel it coming)

OMG YOUR ART PIECES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, ADORABLE AND ELEGANT! 💖🥺🥰 it must've required a lot of hard-work and effort AHHH thankiew for showing me yr work!! it's truly unique in its own manner despite it's simplicity UwU is there a reason or backstory to yr chosen theme and objects? :3

I just Googled Somi Somi and omg that's such an UwU ice cream AHHHH 💖🥺😭 ice cream is my fav food of all time and it looks like an ice cream haven omg imagine eating it after a loooong hard day's of work ToT and OMG THE SATISFACTION OF EATING THAI MILK TEA ICE CREAM ON A HOT DAY YASSS 😋🤤 hehe if you get the chance to try milk & biscoff, do try it! It's amazing !😍 and ooo i haven't tried alcoholic ice cream before but I will one day!! :3 my alcohol tolerance is rly low though, will I get tipsy over alcoholic ice cream? We shall see UwU (i can only drink half a bottle of apple cider before my face gets red and I start getting a lil tipsy + headache)

and lovie....knowing yr school schedule now...OURS IS DEFINTELY BRUTAL OMG a 3 month long sem break huhu that's only the total amount of sem breaks we get in a year ToT i thought uni was hard but not that hard ToT

Always glad and honored to have you onboard! and AHAHAHAH the contractions about to start soon 👀 I enjoy talking to you huhu you're such a sweet and supportive person 💖🥺🥰😙 huhu for my period cramps, I've been having them since I was 12 ToT my doctor prescribed me some panadols but sometimes I can't even swallow them cuz I'd puke them out ToT I've settled w heatpacks to reduce my reliance on medicine, but I finally got some upgraded and safe to eat medicine from my gynae! She said it's fine to take it every month to keep my womb healthy and apparently my ms. lil uterus is suffering from inflammation, hence the super crazy bedridden cramps :( the upgraded medicine worked for a while, but after time it kinda didn't help either :/ but I realised that exercise rly does wonders to reduce the cramp too (gynae also recommended exercising) so i take walks and do my back stretches more frequently now! my period in the previous months (2 months ago) have been almost painless and bearable, it's so weird not seeing my bedridden ._. when I was in high school, there would always be a day in every month in which I don't attend classes, and that's solely because of my cramps. It just isn't worth suffering in school, plus we don't have a sick room :/ I hope the pain continues to subside! ToT

And ayy internship is also working experience, yr advice would be of great help to me regardless! 🥺 oh yes, I always remind myself that interviews are similar to the speaking test I took for my Cambridge English exams! That kinda help calm my nerves down a lil, but w nerves comes bigger smiles, so I guess it takes on a rather practical form of coping mechanism (sublimation) AHAHAHAHA

WAAAA WHAT A QUEEN you got an offer from every interview?? I aspire to be like you! 💖🥺🥰 huhu skill wise I believe I have lots to prepare esp in terms of case studies, and I perform rly poorly on certain assessments (*ehem * esp those concerning numbers) so I took the chance to study a lil during sem break too ToT but noted on that! I will work on that too and try to maintain that me element in interviews and overall just be myself keke

That's all from me for now! Imma wait for my supervisor's feedback and journey on w my last semester. Bon voyage! Link to my recent work: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTBqGzjr6sN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Other works: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPpv-IyM7Gi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link https://www.instagram.com/p/CL55EG-MbL2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

hi hello honey bee !!! 💓 omg i'm so sorry for the belated response, i finally got on my laptop 😭 i'm gonna put my response under the cut since it got a little long 🤧

omg 221 responses !!!!! that's so many 🙀 congratulations aaaaa it's amazing that you were able to get 3x the data you needed !!! was it difficult to run data analysis? were you able to solve the issue with the equal scores on the subscales? i hope it didn't create too much additional work for you ):

omg yes finance is really interesting! i enjoyed the classes i took for it :') how is rich dad poor dad? did you learn a lot from it? i know it was a book my prof recommended, but i never got around to reading it 😶 did you learn any helpful tips? and ooo i'll have to look into coursera! yeah, there's quite a lot of terms for finance, and it can be a little intimidating paired with all the math formulas and such, but it's pretty useful imo! how are your financial studies going so far? 💕 omg nong is such a cute word?? i would never think it meant idiot asdkfhlkajsdf omg my whole family is good at numbers and really like math, but i didn't like it 😭 my mom made me study it a lot everyday though rip are the financial calculations getting easier for you as you practice more hopefully?

yessss omg i absolutely agree with this!!!! like you can just feel when a professor loves to teach and is genuinely so excited to talk about their subject, and it just makes the most boring horrible subject into something you learn to enjoy and hate less :') and i'm really happy to hear you have tons of professors like that in the psych department 🥺💗

that's great to hear!!!! 🌷🌷 i'm glad that you're prioritizing yourself and your health, which is so much more important than taking on a minor. what fun subjects have you decided to explore and self study so far? 💞 oh my gosh, the rising cases are so high?? i hope it's gotten better there for you ): are you able to go outside yet?

big congratulations on your proposal being finalized and accepted, lovebug !!!! 🥳🥳 i'm very proud of you and hoping one day i can read your published studies in a scientific journal :') aaaa i'm so glad to hear that you got to rest and enjoy your time with your friends!! i definitely feel that omg i regret all the times i skipped out on movie nights or game nights with my friends because now we're all scattered across the country and the only way we can have them again is over zoom calls 🤧

I SAW YOUR DESIGNS AND THEY'RE GORGEOUS OMG I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!! 💖 I'M IN AWE AAAA IF PSYCH DOESN'T WORK OUT, I HOPE YOU BECOME A GRAPHIC DESIGNER 🤩🤩💖 and yes i totally get it ): i really felt the academic burn out when i was in college and it was really difficult at times 🤧 but i hope it's going better for you nowadays, sweetpea 💝💝

omg yeah i absolutely agree !!!! whenever i read about psychology, i keep it in the back of my mind and then when i see something irl that relates to it, i'm like :O amazing. it's so cool to learn about different psych tricks too and see how it works when you test them out yourself and whatnot. and it's really crazy to see how the human brain is so easily influenced at times ??? it truly is an amazing subject !!!

ah what a great side benefit of the vaccine - a better sleep schedule 🤩 i'm happy to hear that your schedule has been fixed 💘 and omg what ??? they're injecting empty syringes wth ????? 😭 that's absolutely horrible, are they getting sued?? lmaooooo that love talk reference askdfhlaksjd

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR KIND COMPLIMENTS 😭😭💗💗 there were many late hours spent in the art studio to finish them, but i'm really happy with the end products :') i thought light bulbs are an interesting subject to do, and my prof said that cutting out circular objects or sculpting them is the most difficult since they're made up curves and not straight lines and i was like ok bet i'm gonna do it aND I'M SO GLAD I DID BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THEM 🥺 and i love honey bees !!! that's why i decided to paint them and we were supposed to paint them in a combined style of two artists so i tried monet's impressionist style with the short brush strokes and pop art triptych style like marjorie strider 💕

somi somi is sooo good and i just had it again a couple weeks ago :') omg ice cream is your favorite food? :o and YES ice cream is so satisfying after a long day of hard work, like it's such a nice reward to look forward to at the end of day ✨ aaaaa i have to try thai milk tea ice cream one day now !!!!! it sounds amazing 🤩 and YES i must look for places that sell milk & biscoff ice cream !! i have milk ice cream from somi somi, but i need to try to combined flavors 💘 i don't think you'll get tipsy over it !!! it's a really faint taste of alcohol, like i didn't even notice it at first, and i don't think they put very much of it in there! aksljdfhals omg you're a lightweight :o at least that means you save money on alcohol LOL i need like nine shots to get drunk 🤧

your school is too hard 😭 you need more than just 3 months of break !!! 😡 we get a week off for thanksgiving in fall semester and a week off for spring break in spring semester too and then the month long winter break and three month summer break. and we have the one day holidays off too like labor day, memorial day, etc. i can't believe they give you so little time off after working so hard???

asdfhlkajshdlksja loool are the contractions over yet? has it been born? what's the current status, doctor? 👀 i really enjoy talking to you too !!! i'm very sorry for the late responses, work is really taking over all of my time, and i never have enough time to get on my laptop to reply to my asks 😭 and thank you for saying such kind things about me 🥺🥺💝 oh my gosh, i'm so sorry to hear that you have such terrible cramps 😭 i can't even imagine going through that - mine are nowhere near as horrible 😖 do the heatpads help a lot? i'm relieved to hear that you were prescribed better medication though! but yeah, your body does eventually get used to the medication and you have to continue taking stronger meds for it to work, but that's not a very healthy solution /: but i'm really glad to hear that exercise has been helping out a lot!! 💖 hurray for almost painless and bearable periods 🥳 i'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that in high school ): that sounds absolutely horrible 😭 periods are just awful, but it's like i'm grateful that i have my period because that means i'm not pregnant, but also please go away aslkhdfaklsj

omg what was the speaking test for the cambridge english exams like? :o it sounds so formal and a lil intimidating askdjfhalsd do you know of any psych tricks that can possibly help calm your nerves? :')

aaaa yes i did !! i was really surprised that i got an offer from them all because at the time, i was not in the right major and i think i was one of the most underqualified applicants 🤧 one person who interviewed me asked why i withdrew from my engr physics class and i explained it in a kinda funny way but in my head, i was like "oof i'm not gonna get this offer anymore" but then he laughed at my response and told me about how his prof told him he should drop a guitar class he was taking because he was doing very poorly and we bonded over that aklsjdhfkals omg how do interviews for psych jobs go? do you have to discuss a lot of case studies? do they give you a list of possible case studies they'll ask about? :o what sort of assessments do you have to do? good luck on all of your interviews, honey bee 💛 i'm rooting for you, you're gonna do amazing !!!! 💘

omg what did your supervisor say about your case study? and how is your last semester going? are you almost done now? 🌸 (also how have you been? what have you been up to? thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed messages for me, i'm really excited to see all the fun updates in your life, lovebug 🌷🌷)

#asks #jaeismytamtation

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overseer2020 · 3 years

Text

Hero Work 4

The first side story I'd like to show is this idea that would have to be put in another set entirely if I ever use it. In the vein of Platinum Angel and other creatures that present obstacles for the opponent and must be destroyed before victory can be achieved, I dreamt up Rubberbanding Angel.

I don't have fateful hour in my design for Heroes & Villains. I suppose at the end of the (major) story, I could see a case being made for including fateful hour. Heck, Ethra only has the one Angelic Caretaker, so I guess it wouldn't be unfeasible to see her eventually beaten down, exhausted and at her most desperate. Maybe this is a Heroes & Villains card after all!

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When I was coming up with the "Avengers Alliance" cycle of keywords (Blaster, Infiltrator, Tactician, Scrapper and Bruiser), I didn't stop there. After all there were a few common keywords left over.

On an unrelated note (because this keyword doesn't necessarily belong on this card), in addition to working on Part 2, I'm also revising Part 1 so it dovetails well with the rest of the block. While I have so far only hinted at there being a contingent of self-actualized, unofficially authorized crimefighters (aka private detectives and vigilantes), I don't think I hit that nail hard enough, so I intend to introduce the concept of The Man of Mystery.

I suppose you could say that a Man of Mystery should probably be wearing a mask. But maybe this person doesn't need one or hasn't thought of it yet. This isn't final art anyway.

As for the new keyword, I considered a bunch of keywords to go with double strike. Flanking, provoke, skulk, poisonous, wither, ward 2, bushido 2, and "{This} can’t be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less" (daunt) were all contenders for at least a moment. Flanking was closest to what I wanted. Provoke was almost the final keyword, but I backed away from using the actual keyword as I wanted the opponent to choose how to block. Also, gaining provoke after the attack trigger window is counter-productive.

Including Frenzy in the design file is actually a distinct possibility since I'm already bringing Absorb in (they debuted at the same time in Future Sight). Both abilities (as well as Provoke) play into the combative nature of the block. Introducing a new keyword in Crimeworld, however, at this stage would have largely negative effects on the balance of cards that have already been designed, requiring an extensive rethink on the entire set.

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While Men of Mystery don't need their own "lord", I had this name pop into my head, it made me chuckle, so I mocked up a card for it and tossed on another "Alliance"-style keyword. The name is an intentional mash-up of actual pulp heroes in the vein of some of the other creatures I've designed. The keyword almost had Absorb in the mix (but once you have indestructible as an option, what's the point?) Despite neither element being designed for the other, they work surprisingly well together.

At the last moment (literal moments ago as I type), I added the p/t bonus and Vigilance -- because the preeminent Vigilante should probably have Vigilance. I almost put in unblockable, but protection from creatures is a bit more useful in a world full of creatures with activated abilities.

For those who may not know, The Spirit, The Spider and The Shadow were all "mystery men" pulp heroes.

The image comes from the surprising number of eldritch horror-affiliated images I came across when looking for pictures of 1940s-type detectives. I suddenly really like this image. (And this card; I might just have to use it somewhere.) I considered using the following image for one of the above cards, but as that's a real cover for The Spider, I didn't think it was wise nor creative to use it for my original characters.

I love the way he's swinging into action while hanging from his own noose. I don't think that imagery would fly in a Wizard of the Coast product, though. The gun is also a Magic: the Gathering no-no. I left the text box blank because I couldn't think of anything interesting and this was about the art anyway. At the last moment, I gave it a name like it was the first issue of the comic/magazine. (Saga?)

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The final Alliance keyword bucks the trend by triggering when an opponent attacks you. As such, I mocked up a defender to show it off.

Suddenly gaining reach implies jumping up to stop incoming creatures and I had to give it some power because blockers with first strike are a pain to deal with.

Also, for symmetry, here's where Absorb slots in. I didn't put Absorb or Frenzy into the first five because I didn't want to force those keywords to only be useable on Ethra. It also feels wrong to "introduce" a new keyword and then incorporate that keyword inside the functionality of another new keyword. Perhaps the ancillary products or "Return to Ethra" will make use of these keywords.

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Wow! I didn't think I would have enough to say about these idle thought cards. Now I'm excited about testing them out in real games. (I really need a playtest group. I've seen some societies online, but I never quite got the hang of having virtual friends.)

Next Time: ????

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toast-the-unknowing · 5 years

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What are the #thots on CDTH?

This is begging for one of those “edgy/depressed/dumbass bitch/thot/bastard” memes, but sadly you sent it to someone with no patience for slapping together graphics, so you get a lot of words instead. Behind a cut, for length and SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this book, my reactions to most of the additions to canon were positive, it felt a wide range of emotions while reading it and upon finishing I found that it had knocked me sort of off center in that way where I don’t want to write anything ever again, or read anything, or really do much but stare out of windows. I know that feeling will pass, but I’m soaking in it for now. I haven’t yet discerned if there are going to be any substantial changes to the ways that I write these characters, when I write these characters again.

I loved Ronan in this book, which was a relief. I had been a bit worried that Maggie intended for him to end up as Lonely God Ronan, isolated and just too damn special for the rest of humanity, but it now appears that is very much not the plan. It hurt watching him be trapped at the Barns, wanting something different from life and not knowing how to get it, and it was amazing to watch him forge a connection with someone new and find the capability that he has to help other people, instead of just kind of thinking of himself as the fuck-up.

Holy Shit I felt emotions about Matthew, that was unexpected and unprecedented. Fuck did that boy make me sad. I am greatly looking forward to seeing where his story goes, now that he actually has one. I want some quality Matthew & Jordan dream duo bonding time.

I want, just, quality Jordan content in general, I love Jordan, I need more of her, she was wonderful.

Hennessy leaves me cold, but I had a very similar reaction to Ronan until most of the way through The Dream Thieves, so I am giving her the benefit of the doubt and waiting to see what happens in the future.

HOLY SHIT I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT DECLAN.

It did crack me up that it literally took one page for the book to start talking shit about him, but I also found the whole “Declan is deliberately, crushingly boring” idea interesting. It surprised me but still makes sense in retrospect, which is the best kind of surprise. I hadn’t pictured him as the kind of guy who would go to work and let people snap at him and call him by the wrong name, but I think my understanding might have been a little closer to the version of Declan that still thought he could have Senator or Congressman in front of his name. I think Declan might be the character I most have to reconsider, but I’m happy with how he was portrayed here and I’m looking forward to doing that reconsideration, and to seeing what happens to him next in canon.

God but he just continues to be the hardest working brother, and he still fucks it up, but he doesn’t want to fuck up, but he just shouldn’t have to deal with all of this shit, and ow, ow, my heart.

I adored Declan/Jordan and every moment where she delights in surprising an honest reaction out of him. “I see the real you when no one else does” is EXACTLY my kind of ship.

I had really wanted this trilogy to force Ronan to reexamine his understanding of his father, but getting to see Declan do some actual work on processing his pain is fantastic too. I love all of the moments where he admits that he hates Niall. It fucked me up so bad, because it’s like he doesn’t want to be thinking or saying it but he just cannot keep it in. It’s like his emotional nightwash, but he doesn’t get to dream it away.

@comicsohwhyohwhy and I once discussed the problem of Ashley, and we JOKINGLY suggested that maybe the Ashley from TRB and the Ashley mentioned in TRK are two different Ashleys, that maybe Declan has just dated a string of women named Ashley, and then we had a good laugh about how absurd that would be, and I cannot fucking believe that that has turned out to be canon. I am oddly delighted with this development.

I am happy with the Adam content that we got and with the size of his role. I felt like the book did a good job of honoring his importance in Ronan’s life, letting him be present and matter and affect Ronan (and disagree with him in productive ways where they didn’t just argue and where he wasn’t just Declan 2.0), while still keeping him in a support role, since that was apparently the goal. I’m unclear on what kind of role he’s going to have going forward, but it looks like he’s being set up to have some kind of character arc, with the “Adam is lying to everyone who knows him” situation, so I really do want that to pay out and go somewhere, even if he does continue to be a supporting rather than featured character.

That whole Harvard situation breaks my heart: Adam’s friends think that his family is wonderful and that his boyfriend is a violent drunk. I can’t imagine any interactions around that that aren’t fucked up. Adam having to defend Ronan to his friends any time he comes up, but not being able to tell the truth, so he just sounds like he’s making empty excuses for someone that’s bad for him…which is something that he has in fact had to do, but not about Ronan, about the parents that all of his friends are “jealous” of him for having. Fuck. FUCK.

I loved every mention of Gansey and Blue. I can understand why Maggie doesn’t want to include them as characters, but that could have easily ended in a situation where they’re just…noticeably absent, and instead we got this, confirmation that they still talk to their friends and love them and are involved in their lives, plus we got A+ Gansey-texts-like-an-old-man content.

I enjoyed Farooq-Lane a lot just from a standpoint of being an ordinary normal person who gets put into a weird as shit situation and then…continues to be an ordinary normal person who has ordinary normal reactions to things. I find that kind of shit fascinating – it’s the kind of thing that makes for great comedy and improv, but it can also be very effective in drama, and we really got to see a wide range here.

What. the actual. fuck. is up with the New Fenian and Mor O Corra. Like I mean okay the Lynches have to live through all their parent trauma again, yeah I get that, okay Niall apparently made a dream double of an actual woman he’d slept with which like, wow I didn’t think Aurora could be retroactively creepier but damn if Niall didn’t find a way, blah blah I get all that. But like. What is – what is that relationship, exactly? Between them? Niall’s ex made a dream copy of him, too, but like…as a kid? Or one that doesn’t age? Has Mor O Corra out-creepered Niall Lynch? What the actual fuck is up with those two. I almost don’t want to know. I kind of love being this weirded out.

Bryde is really goddamn tiresome. I am expecting he’s going to turn out to be a villain and honestly that can’t happen fast enough for me. Although I anticipate that we’ll see Ronan buying into his crap more before that happens, so, it looks like we get to look forward to a lot more overblown insufferable monologues about how “special” we are and how we’re better than those gross boring mundane people. Blah.

I’m kind of disappointed that this is apparently a series where the stakes are THE END OF THE WORLD and where the protagonists have to fight a SHADOWY INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION that can send ARMIES of WELL-ARMED HIGHLY TRAINED OPERATIVES to HUNT DOWN THE PEOPLE WITH SUPERPOWERS – this is 90% of all fantasy stories, and it’s boring, and I’m tired of it. I like that the stakes in The Raven Cycle are small but still immensely meaningful. What happens in The Raven Cycle if the characters don’t succeed? Gansey dies. Ronan dies and Matthew falls asleep. Adam doesn’t go to college. Blue doesn’t get to travel the world. The world doesn’t explode, but we still care so so much about seeing them succeed, because we care so much about those characters living and getting to build the future they want. That’s a thousand times more interesting to me than “we have to…[dramatic music, put on sunglasses] SAVE THE WORLD.” Spare me.

I’m still going to read the other two, obviously, and I’m not even really mad about this, mostly just rolling my eyes. But I expect that Maggie is going to use this plot device I don’t care about to do things emotionally and character-wise that I do care about, and that’s the important part.

There is one actual thing that pisses me off with this book, that I actively hate and wish was not a part of canon, that I will probably just ignore and pretend isn’t canon, at least once I have wrapped my head around the fact that it even happened in the first place: why the fuck does Ronan go to confession.

I was willing to accept in The Raven Cycle that Maggie had no interest in doing anything with the fact that she had made the Catholic character and the gay character the same character, because Ronan is actively figuring himself out in the course of that series, because there’s so much else going on in his head and his life that I can buy that religion isn’t his top priority, because hey, I kind of liked that the series wasn’t one more Sad Story About A Sad Gay Who Is Sad Because Homophobia. I can accept a Ronan who goes to mass every week because that’s family time, because that’s tradition, because that’s what Lynches do.

But going to confession – with some degree of regularity! – is not going through the motions. When I was a Catholic school girl and an ALTAR SERVER who went to mass twice a week, confession was still a “maybe once during Lent, if we get around to it” kind of deal. What the hell does Ronan say in confession, exactly? He’s not confessing to the shit that he actually feels guilty about, playing god and creating life, because that’s a secret. He’s not confessing to the thing that he’s getting told every week is going to send him to hell. So what is he doing there?

This ceases to be “skipping past homophobia so we can just have a nice happy gay story for once (or at least a story that’s unhappy for other reasons)”. This is firmly into “deliberately and cruelly ignoring the real pain and suffering that the Catholic Church inflicts on oppressed people every single day” and I think it was a grave, grave misstep.

So my super general #thots: loved it, largely positive, some things I’m iffy on but excited to see where they go, a couple of plot elements/characters I don’t care for but can put up with for the sake of all of the good, one big negative that will probably feature only very very sparingly in canon.

#cdth spoilers #call down the hawk #the raven cycle #catholicism I guess #Anonymous #the dreamer trilogy #trc meta

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jokerasylum91 · 5 years

Text

Aladdin (2019) thoughts *Minor spoilers*

Growing up Aladdin was one of my favourite disney movies behind Beauty and the Beast, I loved the action, the comedy and of course the music. Not to mention the iconic robin williams performance as the genie.

My earliest memories of going to the movies was actually the orginal, yes for shame i was one of those kids that wouldn't sit still, but my parents always said when genie was on screen my eyes were definitely fixed on the screen, i was captivated by this blue force spouting jokes i wouldn't get til i was older but was mesmerized all the same.

With the disney live action remake phase in full swing, the four i was most looking forward to was Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King (which is next) and the eventual little mermaid one, and of course aladdin, i thought it would look dazzling in live action as the costumes in the original and the set pieces are so iconic. I'll try not to go into major spoilery details too much but i do want to give thoughts on the new additions and the characters compared to their originals.

Aladdin - I thought Mena was great in the lead role, i loved his sincerity and charm, definitely lived up to the story arc of being a diamond in the rough, whose worth lies far beyond what is on the surface, I liked the slightly different direction they went with his character, as in the original he was still confident and cool being more 90's based (he was designed after tom cruise) i thought he was better written in the remake as he wasn't as confident and cool, at times being really awkward, he still has those cool moments and charm but the story of aladdin was being confident in yourself and being yourself rather than being an act which i thought they did better with the prince ali section here. Mena's singing was great too, he really emulated brad kane's voice and vocal performance. I loved his relationship/bond with abu who was also adorable.

Jasmine: Wow, just wow, thats all that i can say to describe how much i enjoyed Naomi Scott as Jasmine from her dazzling costumes, to her amazing singing performances. I always liked Jasmine because i felt she like belle wasn't after the traditional tropes of finding a handsome prince, Jasmine wanted to forge her own path and not have her life decided for her. She was confident and determined to marry for love and not just because of the established laws. In the remake they take a slightly different turn where she wants to live up to the standard set by her mother and do what is best for the people, she reaches a point where like the original where she is fed up with having her voice not be heard which leads into a powerful new song called "Speechless" that i cannot stop gushing over. A message that everyone can relate to, her performance was definitely a gamechanger and i look forward to seeing what she does next. I loved the addition of her handmaiden Dahlia aswell who provided genuine laughs. Nasim Pedrad had great chemistry with the other cast members.

Genie: The biggest question was how Will Smith would do in the shoes of Robin Williams, i think he did great, i mean its a different take so he doesn't do as many impressions as Robin did but in saying that, the original was written with robin's standup in mind, so genie in the original was as much robin as he was their genie. Will brings what makes him Will Smith he had the same heart that the role needed while also being fresh, i definitely saw a bit of the broadway version in his performance while also being will's own take. Like he has been a genie for 10000 years and served so many masters that he has his craft down to a T, I think the only thing i was expecting was more references to other disney movies, i like Will's comedic timing and playing the straight man to the awkward humor scenes. I thought his performance of "Friend Like Me" was great, it was one of the scenes i was looking forward to the most cause obviously his singing was a big part of my childhood with fresh prince, men in black and wild wild west. Will was cool, charming, sarcastic, but also charming, likeable with lots of heart.

Jafar and Iago: This is where i think it will devide alot of viewers because this is a different take on Jafar compared to his manic incarnation by Jonathan Freeman. In the remake he is more of a dark version of aladdin, brought up on the streets as a thief but corrupted by power. He wasn't the wise, manipulative man he was in the original, he was impulsive and arrogant overstepping his role and driven by this desire to not be second best. He is of course flanked by his sidekick parrot Iago (Not voiced by Gilbert this time but by voice actor and all around amazing Alan Tudyk) he doesn't speak full sentences like he does in the original but he does give off the impression he is highly intellegeant offering sarcasm, wit, one liners and piecing together plot elements by being Jafar's eyes and ears in the castle. While i was disappointed there was no giant snake (Seriously disney how could u miss that) showdown, i thought the final act was satisfying while still working with what had been established. Like i said a differnt take on Jafar but i think it worked for this movie as his motivations/ideals for leadership clash with Jasmine's which creates a powerful moment for Jasmine.

The Music: One section where the remake absolutely shines was the music, all the classics are here and they sounded amazing, i love how each of them have more arabic sound to them, Alan Menken really outdid himself with the instrumentals, it gives all the songs more weight, my favourites were "One Jump Ahead" and obviously "A Whole New World", Naomi was born to sing that. I loved Arabian Night's update as i never really liked the original lyrics, like i get it was a product of the time but still change is good. Speaking of which i did like the little tweaks to the lyrics, just subtle changes to them but still keeping what made them classic.

The Costumes: The costumes were fabulous, i loved the respect shown and the delicate nature of the costumes, Jasmine's in particular were amazing.

Final Verdict: I think people will be pleasantly surprised, i know through the marketing it was very ho hum but i do feel like this is a good update to a movie that is a classic to so many.

Even if you were cynical about seeing it give it a try, like the lamp itself it is more than what it seems on the outside.

#Aladdin #disney #Mena massoud #naomi scott #alan tudyk #marwan kenzari #will smith #genie #princess jasmine #iago #jafar #guy ritchie aladdin

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derangedhyena-zoids · 5 years

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Soooo

I'm going to talk about Zoids being edible and that apparently has the potential to be bothersome so I'm going to put it under a cut:

For modern day humans: Vegetarianism is more common on Zi than not. This is more due to the practical limitations of their climate, it's more productive and water-wise to grow x amount of plants than it is to raise x amount of animals. They do have animal products however (egg, milk, wool etc) because that's what early human colonists brought the (test-tube) animals with them for, and that mindset never really went away (especially given the severe scarcity issues that'd crop up now and again over human history on Zi.) But they also have plant-based equivalents and they're more common (read: cheaper)

Most meat is lab-grown, or comes from farmed animals that outlived their usefulness. Rich folks might raise their own meat-animals independently - it's probably a status thing (hi I'm having this gross thought of people relishing 'animals with bones' please shoot me thanks). Cities probably have big indoor hydroponics/aquaponics setups to support local population density and reduce reliance on imports.

Humans on present-day/NC0 Zi never ate Zoids or Zoid products because by that point in time they find it really weird (like eating your fucking car) and it's likely toxic (bc: human-built Zoids hyper-concentrate waste products and don't expel them regularly; it's very heavy-metals rich, you'd get poisoned.) It may have been a survival-situation thing in the past, but even then it'd probably be looked upon the same way as people deciding to eat their sled dogs.

So, that's humans, let's talk about Zoidians and Organoids

Since Zoid Cores are supposed to be all the viscera compressed into one unit, that must not just be edible, it's probably fucking amazing if you need food. Especially given the size of one Core versus a Zoidian. It could feed several families.

In a previous post I detailed that docile Zoids in Zoidian settlements had some of the cores they laid used as food because that was a HELL of a lot easier than hunting actual wild Zoids. Over time I'm guessing that some smarter wild Zoids perceived this tradeoff and more-or-less domesticated themselves for the chance to be fed, doted on, and protected from their bigger, nastier predators (and the wild Organoids.)

So with this I'm going to posit that "modern" Zoidians were technically VEGAN because of their plant-and-Zoid-based diet ... because is it really an issue when you can communicate with the creature providing you with the sustenance-object? The Zoids weren't being killed, exploited, confined, or anything of the sort. They were free to move about, they just tended to stay with their own family groups (territory) which worked out for everyone. (Wild Zoids existed but were largely left to their own devices.)

Even unfertilized Organoid eggs were probably eaten, because Organoids would need to consciously control their population. An Organoid acting as a female will produce _a lot_ of eggs in good circumstances. A LOT. A LOT A LOT. That's why they became so many so quickly and were such a problem in the first place.

And I mean, it seems really weird I guess to our sensibilities, but if you had a creature that's just like HERE'S SOME EGGS I MADE THEM 4 U like... of course you're going to be like wow thanks, this is great

Q: why are you making this shit up A: because

So anyways, yes. Substantially different diets and food-cultures h o o r a y I guess

(low-key I imagine that the lack of Something Dietary is what prompted Fiona to pour salt in coffee all the fucking time, I imagine Hiltz and Ryss were excessive consumers of salt too because really, Zoid-Cores were described as internally mimicking a pressurized-seawater environment, so.... salty.)

Organoids can both eat and metabolize energy directly through fusing with a Zoid (which became infinitely more common after Organoids were domesticated.) They obviously prefer Zoid Cores as a source of sustenance, because that's what they initially evolved hunting for/feeding on and then fusing overwhelmingly became how they lived. The ability to eat never went away, as they probably got table scraps constantly because they're big metal dogs

This means they can consume whatever, but the vast majority of non-Zoid food is incredibly nutrient-poor for them annnnd they won't have a good time.

Q: STOP? A: no, actually

While I'm talking about Organoids, because I'm trash, a few additional points on unrelated topics

Organoids can freely switch their bio-gender just like Zoids, but if they have a bondmate they take on that bondmate's gender and reproductive role. you better believe sex is THE SHIT in a Zoidian household, bondmates' Organoids tend to like one another (and in fact, often like one-another before any attraction develops between the Zoidians themselves) so uh... yeah that's a thing

this gon get awkward in modern times, guys

I really really think One is an exception and doesn't have a technical gender, he's a "he" because of Vega but he cannot reproduce. (I honestly think between Vega's genetics and being bound to One, there is no way he's successfully fathering kids when he grows up either)

mmyhea, that's it I guess

#headcanon #if this doesn't make you reconsider your decision to follow this shitpost of a blog you're in the right place

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drumsreview · 4 years

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The best Drums ever

Today we look at a selection of what we feel are top contenders for the eight best drum kits of 2020. Seasoned drummers probably have a dream kit in their minds, and we would be willing to bet it results in a combination of brand names.

So with this in mind, we are taking a closer inspection to see what each kit comprises of and, really offers up. We have used a lot of criteria to judge this one, as a drum kit is ultimately a percussive array with individual parts and the quality of each piece needs comparing.

Most of the cymbals in these sets may not wow, but that is to be expected; usually, those who manufacture great sounding drums struggle with their crashing comrades in comparison.

First up is a fantastic 5-piece from Pearl, it is a full basic kit and available in 4 gig-ready setups with a selection of 4 different durable wrapped finishes. The bass drum, toms, and snare are all made from 9-ply poplar with triple flanged hoops. The drum dimensions are as follows 22 x 16” (bass), 1 x 8” & 12 x 9” toms, 16 x 16” floor tom and a 14 x 5.5” snare. The snare and rack toms are pre-tuned so you will only have to fiddle with the bass and floor tom.

All stands, bass pedal throne, and tom holders are included. Despite its affordable price tag, it features some professional upgraded parts. Such as a chain drive bass drum pedal and geared locking stands, which are reinforced, and double braced for longevity.

The 14" hybrid hi-hat cymbals are crisp; the 16" crash cymbal hasn't wowed some people. This kit is on the quieter side, which makes it ideal for those who have to be conscious of neighbors.

The throne is probably suited to pre-teens, if we have to poke holes in anything, it would be the initial upgrade. The whole kit, in general, has a slightly smaller footprint making it ideal for apartments and younger learners.

Gammon Full Size

Another option we took a look a look at was this fab full-size adult drum kit from Gammon. It is a very low-priced option, but once again comes with everything you need to set up quickly straight out of the box.

The drums are all made from real wood, the Lug bass drum is 22 x 14" and comes with a chain-driven pedal. It has a 5.5 x 14" snare, and the floor tom is 16 x 16". The rack toms are mounted with adjustable tilt memory locks and are 12 x 10" and 13 x 10".

The cymbals are once again where this kit fails to satisfy, but it does make for a valuable student model. The hi-hats are 12 inches and the crash/ride is 14" in diameter and as we said to leave a lot to be desired for a trained ear.

Next on our list is a new and improved full-size model of the EXX705/c which, if the budget allows makes for another top choice from Pearls Export series. It is unsurprising to see another entry with their name on given their standing within the drum manufacturing industry.

It is a step up in price; we lose the additional cymbals, so we would have to source our own. However, in terms of product quality and drum sound, the upgrade is significant.

The shells are a 6-ply poplar and mahogany mix, which provides a louder resonance as well as being stronger. The quality of the covered wrap is an improvement too. The hardware included is from their popular 830 series. It features an advanced Opti-Loc Tom suspension system.

In direct comparison to the starter Pearl reviewed above, it has a 2 inches bigger bass drum and floor tom size (22 x 18" and 16 x 16") and incorporates Pearls superior shell technology (S.S.T.). It also comes with an upgraded pedal, the highly popular P930 Demonator.

4. MAPEX Mars Series Crossover

This five-piece drum shell pack won't leave you disappointed. It comes with a 15-inch by 6.5-inch snare drum, a mounted tom, two floor toms, and a kick drum. The MAPEX Mars now has a new SONIClear bearing edge to increase contact between the drumhead and shell. This creates a more centered pitch. Tuning becomes effortless, which means this drum kit is especially good for beginners who find tuning intimidating.

A loss of energy can give the drums a choked sound, but this kit's suspension system increases resonance and preserves vibration in the shell, which makes for excellent sound quality. You can easily use the MAPEX for gigs.

Style-wise, you can pick the one that speaks to you, as the MAPEX Mars comes in four different colors: Smokewood, Bonewood, Zebrawood, and Bloodwood.

Why We Liked It - The MAPEX Mars Series Crossover is an excellent choice for both beginners and experenced players; whether you're just learning, or you've mastered the art of gigging, you can do so in style with this drum kit.

5. Gretsch New Renown

Hot off of the new Gretsch Renown series, is this fresh-faced three or four-piece kit, preserving the classic Gretsch vibe but with an updated aesthetic and sound-enhancing customization.

In true Gretsch perfection, they feature a maple mix, pairing Northern American Maple with a softer southern growing kind. Drum edges have a smooth 30-degree finish and are sealed with their exclusive silver sealer interior finish.

Just about everything on this kit is heavy-duty, from its die-cast hoops to the authentic lugs that adorn each drum. The 4-piece consists of a 22 x 18" bass drum, 16 x 14" floor tom, one 10 x 7" tom, and one 12 x 8" tom.

They are far more costly than a typical entry-level kit. You are going to need to add a snare and at least a pair of cymbals before you can crank out a few tunes, but they make for an impressive set of drums.

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shesawriter39049 · 5 years

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|BRAVADO|HOSEOK (M)| AU

EX IDOL ...TRANSITIONING TO SOLO K ARTIST (NOT BTS)

A/N: I had taken the sneak peek for part 1 down and swapped it out for the BACKSTORY ...but you guys asked for it..also it’s like completely reworked lol. This is 2.7K the full thing will prob be around around 10k…storyline heavy since it’s the first chapter but there will be a good amount of smut!

I’d suggest reading the backstory..at least after this so you have a better Idea..as this is a AU for multiple reasons….BUT you don’t HAVE to read it to get the gist.

PLEASE NOTE: THE WAY I’M WRITING HOSEOK’S FEELINGS ABOUT BEING A IDOL IS NOT HOW I THINK HE FEELS...IT’S REFERENCED HERE..AND WILL BE REFERENCED IN DETAIL DURING THE STORY. BUT THE GROUP HE WAS IN..THE CONTRACT AS EXTREMELY STRICT EVEN FOR KPOP. THE GROUP MUSICALLY OR CONCEPT WISE WAS NOTHING LIKE BTS SO PLEASE DON’T READ INTO THIS TOO DEEP !

Lol it’s just a story!! !

-The OC is tatted...but that’s as far as it get physically also her name in this is actually a nickname/business name sooo she’s still “Y/N”

Glancing up at all the lights throughout the city, just silently observing the way the sun was starting to set, taking in the different color waves that dusted the sky.There was this...array of calmness that had washed over Hoseok's body as of late, and he couldn’t even tell you where it came from. To be real, you'd think he’d be a total wreck considering he was in the final stages of finishing his debut album. A Week from today to be exact, in one week he’s due to sit in front of his label and play them the finished product. Once that album get’s the labels stamp of approval..that's when it all starts, picking the single, finding dancers and a choreographer..shooting the music video, and album cover art. Oh let’s not forget the endless traveling to promote the single as well as multiple live performances. While hopefully finding a couple hours a to eat and sleep. The funny thing is, no matter how utterly exhausting that all sounds, especially because for the first time in his career he’d have to do it alone. Hoseok still felt good, damn good,confident, happy, genuinely happy, the butterflies that roamed through his body as he anxiously awaited the start of his new journey felt more exhilarating than anything else. For the first time in years he was looking forward to the idea of stepping into the “Unknown” excited to grow and mature within in craft. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not sitting here saying the ride so fars been nothing but rainbows and butterflies. He did damn near have a mental breakdown last night while in the studio with Gray and Yoongi, over the production of a song. Let’s just say it was pushing 1AM, and Hoseok had a little too much coffee..mixed in with a little too less sleep...and for some reason the 808 just didn't sound right. But of course..after finally getting a good oh I don't know 10 hours of sleep, waking up to a voice memo from Gray... ultimately the 808 actually did sound right! To be fair it always did, he was just stressed and trippin’ a little ,but that was normal, that was expected this is his first solo project , his baby if you will.

“Our sunshine” that’s what his fans called him, no matter what mood you were in, if Hoseok smiled at you...your body responded on command. There was no way around it, and the energy and pure bliss that radiated from his body as of late reflected that nickname to the tee. I’m not implying he was completely miserable during his career as an Idol because he honestly wasn't. Hobi loved his members, fans, and will be forever grateful for the life and memories they’ve given him. But, Idol life at least under the contract he signed...wasn't meant for a free spirit like Jung Hoseok, and this mini hiatus he’s been on since the groups disbandment, has shown him that first hand.

As he continued gazing out the window of the tinted SUV that was currently sandwiched in LA traffic he didn't even realizing the permanent smile engraved on his cheeks the entire car ride. One earpod in, currently playing a couple rough cuts of the songs he'd just finished last night as he just people watched. Loving the different cultures and personalities that danced along the streets of LA, the city of dreamers...always feeling at home no matter what part of California he was in. Moments like these were still felt new to him, the freedom he now felt being able to not be paranoid if he went to events solo. Or if he wanted to go out to a bar and have a couple drinks with friends..no matter the gender. Finally able to run his own social media accounts and post whatever he wanted….if he felt like posting a picture of him in a towel after the gym then he could. If he wanted to post a picture of him and a girl out at dinner….he could, now if we're being real here..the majority of his fanbase is still women so he’s not in any rush to settle down and spam his socials with a girlfriend. Nor does he even have time to entertain someone full time, but it’s just the principle,if he wanted too he could...and that’s something he hasn't been able to do since he was shit,18. His new contract for the most part was solely business related, it held no stipulations on his personal life. Smiling fondly at the growing line of fans that started streaming down the sidewalk, the event itself didn't even start for damn near a hour and a half yet fans were already posted outside.

Tonight was Jay Park’s album release at “The Novo” in Downtown LA, the event itself was a showcase and a album release party all in one, this particular event wasn't for the fans though. They were just all outside patiently waiting to show their love and support while of course also hoping to get glimpses of some of their favorite artist, as well as Mr. Park himself. The idea behind the showcase was more so for industry reps to get a first listen at the album: Radio personalities, music critics ,bloggers and of course Jay’s friends and family. Hints why Hoseok was invited, even during his boyband days the two of them were close, bonding over there love for hip hop and dance.He often refers to him as his “Little big brother” since even though Park is almost 8 years older..Hoseok is almost 4 inches taller,and there's not a day that goes by that he doesn't remind him of that. The two of them were a lot closer than the public actually knew, Park starting out in a boyband himself later transitioning into becoming the founder of his own label. Partially because he wanted to give other Korean artist who didn't fit in that “Idol box” full reigns and creative freedom over there craft, Jay understood Hoseok’s concerns and struggles first hand.

Currently headed not even a mile up the road to “The Ritz-Carlton”, which is where Jay was staying while he got ready for his party.Feeling the car come to a complete stop,taking that as a hint that they had arrived, pulling down the mirror to give himself a one over, before stepping out of the car. His dark wavy locks messily pushed out of his face, skin holding a warm glow due to being in LA for the past 2 weeks. Minimum makeup on, let’s be real when your going to a papped event ...all celebrities no matter who you are have something vailing over there skin. The last thing you need is the full exposure on a camera zoning in on every pour on your face, it just wasn't a full blown smokey eye. Letting his eyes trace down his face, gazing over the small silver hoop that sat in his nose, all the way to the ink the laced along the side of his neck. He felt good, he felt like him...not even trying to hide the smirk that danced along his lips as he glanced back at this reflection “Sir is this entrance okay?” The sound of the drivers voice snapped Hoseok out of his moment of vanity “Oh yeah, well, actually let me make a quick phone call first just to double check.” Tilting his head up to smile at the driver through the partition before scrolling through his text messages quickly looking for the one labeled “Mariah-JP” . Clicking the call button, placing it on speaker as he could tell his pods were dying, and he swore it didn't even fully ring once before she picked up “ PLEASE, tell me your here!?” The level of frustration and desperation in her voice shouldn't have been as amusing as it was,impulsively snorting out the ugliest cackle , not even able to imagine what her days been like. “Shit, I’m sorry I didn't mean to laugh but...wow...ugh yeah, I’m getting dropped off at the main valet entrance is that cool?” Wanting to make sure she wasn't it by any other door as he’d rather get dropped off than make her chase him around “Yes that’s perfect just hurrrryy!!!” Even the driver couldn’t help but chuckle at how frazzled she seemed. Quickly apologizing for the break in character not wanting to seem unprofessional in which Hoseok waved off, not minding one bit, the call was on speaker and it was honestly hilarious. Almost reaching over to open the door himself before he heard the drivers side door open, still a task he felt unnecessary..I mean..come on...he could open his damn door. But not wanting to offend the driver or interfere with him doing his job...he waited patiently for him to open his door.

Hopping out of the car swiftly, turning around to grab the small black David Yurman bag off the seat, as well as to double check that nothing fell out of his pockets as he wouldn’t be riding to the party with the driver. Part of the reason he was meeting Jay here first is because he received a text in regards to a mandatory pre-game session before hand. In addition to the fact that Park wanted his entourage of friends to arrive with im to walk his “black carpet”

Gazing up at this beautiful 54 story glass structure that sat in front of him.. instantly bringing back memories of the boys last world tour, were they sold 2 nights at the Rose Bowl. It was crazy how his heart started fluttering all over again just at the thought of it..the biggest grin stretching across his cheeks. To anyone else just walking by, hell even the driver he probably looked fucking insane but he didn't care, that memory too vivid, too pure..to be held in regardless of the circumstances. Eyes starting to tear up at the pictures he was starting to paint in his head, he swore he could literally still here the fanchants clear as day ..damn near a year later..

Snapping himself out of that memory before it got too deep, and his makeup got ruined..because if he would’ve sat in that moment any longer he would have started balling his eyes out! He felt the driver simply just pat his shoulder... It was the sweetest thing ever the way he just stood there, not asking any questions, not exactly sure what just happened that caused the sudden shift in Hoseok's mood. But he just let him have his space, not in any rush to leave, and even if Hoseok didn't physically say anything about it, he picked up on the gesture immediately, something so small, meant so much.It wasn’t required for him to give a damn, all he was instructed to do was drive...yet he could tell this young man needed a little more than that right now...even it was subtle.

“Thanks man I appreciate it” There was this sense of warmth that laced through Hoseok's voice as he spoke, a slight tremble knocking at his usual collected tone because he meant that phrase in more ways than one. Extending his hand to the drivers for what he assumed was just a handshake instead Hoseok slid a tip in his hand before smiling up at the gentleman fondly.

“The pleasures all mine, I hope you enjoy your night!” The warmth was returned graciously before he made his way over to the drivers side to pull off. Of course the driver didn't actually open his hand and look at the amount until he got in the car but let’s just say he was pleasantly surprised.

It didn't take long for Mariah to spot him...not that he was hard to miss in his leather embellished Gucci jacket. Damn near pushing past the doormen to hold the door open for Hoseok, who previously started walking towards the door extremely slow, with a shit eating grin on his face. “Don’t make me hurt you! Get your ass over here!!!” flailing her arms in the air as egged him closer, pulling her in for a quick hug because she damn sure looked like she needed one, in addition to a whole lotta liquor! Standing there in her cute pink little bodycon dress and Louboutins, hair pin straight, parted down the middle draping down her back.“Thank God...this man has been asking about you all damn day!” Sighing into Hoseok's chest as she spoke , her tone shifting immediately, soothing out while in his embrace. Hoseok’s known Jay for almost 5 years and Mariah's been Park’s assistant since he started his label in 2013, so naturally the two of them had become friends as well! A snort left Hoseok's lips as he shook his head not even surprised. Again that was his “Little big brother” after all….

“Offff course he has..” a slight air of sarcasm cracked along his lips as he tried to fight back the smile tugging at his cheeks. Secretly loving the fact that one of his closest friends genuinely just wanted him around, as friendship was something Hoseok held dear to his heart! Following Mariah’s lead through the lobby, grand wasn't even the right word to describe this hotel, the sound of Mariah’s heels clicking along the marble, as she lead them towards the elevator.”So on a scale of 1-10 how ready are you to quit today?” Brow arched at the implied question, as the door opened and she damn near slumped against the glass upon entering. But before she even had time to respond a ringtone comparable to the grim reaper cut through the air causing a loud cackle to erupt from Hosokes chest.

“Oh my God, please tell me that’s not Jay’s ringtone!?” Mariah couldn't even help the exasperated sigh that left her lips as she put the phone call on speaker. Not even waiting for her to say “Hello” before he spoke into the phone

“Have you-”

“Dude stop whining like a little bitch!” playfully sliding his tongue through his teeth as he teased Jay through the speaker. Waiting for him to recognize Hoseok's voice through the phone...

“Well it’s about time your punk ass got here! And who are you calling a bitch! It’s Jay hyung to you motherfucker” This was their relationship 24/7 they gave each other shit on a consistent basis, if you actually didn't know how close they were you'd probably think the hated each other. Park brought out a different side to Hoseok and he loved it, growing up in Korea, and growing up in the states is a complete 360! Even if your parents were extremely strict and “traditional” if you will. Naturally growing up in a integrated area...your character traits adapt to the people your around. So with the two of them technically being Korean -American there wasn’t a barrier within there “vulgar, or “crude” sense of humor. There were things he could do or say around him that Hoseok wouldn't dare say around most of his Idol friends just due to the culture difference. Dramatically rolling his eyes at the sound of Jay asking for him to be called “Hyung” as he already knew he only said it to be a smart ass .

Hoseok could hear another voice in the background that he didn't recognize but it was clear it was a woman and from the sound of things she busting his balls which made Hoseok happy to no end. “Alright, man will be up there in a minute, were literally in the elevator just stop your crying for 2 seconds little big brouthers coming!” Not even waiting for him to respond before he clicked end on Mariah's phone already well aware he’d have some smartass comeback.The sound of the bell dining rang through the small space, as the glass doors slowly parted...exposing the cherry stained wood walls.

Hoseok’s curiousity getting the best of him “Who's in the room with him right now?” Glancing over his shoulder as they swiftly moved through the sea of people..walking through the halls, a amused smirked moved up her face at the question “That would be Rain….” there was a certain twang to her voice as she said your name only making Hoseok even more curious as the approached the room.

Peeping her head through the door after swiping the keycard to make sure he wasn't walking around balls to the wind, and the minute the door cracked open, exposing the extremely spacious executive suite the two of them could hear the the endless banter that was currently taking place. “Yeah, I’m sure they are comfortable you look like your about to take your kid to soccer practice Janice. Where the fuck’s you minivan!?” Brow arched, tone slightly elevated at the implied question, after a good oh I don't know 10 minute discussion as to why Jay was NOT wearing those particular pair of jeans with his custom jack for his performance tonight. More importantly..he hadn't even started getting ready for the night at all, as he had a rack to his left with four options to walk the carpet in because he couldn't narrow it down prior too.

“Fuck off it’s a durango not a minivan! Anddddd you could always like, I don't know sew some leather patches here ...and oh here..” Eyes almost bugging out of your sockets not even believing he was legitimately standing in the bathroom trying to get you to alter a random ass pair of jeans that looked like they’d be rejected from Goodwill...a hour before his party.

“Are you- did you- Park!” The growl accompanied in the way you said his name made his entire face crumble into it self as he laughed which let you know he was just busting your balls at this point. “Okay you know what..I’m gonna kick your ass, and take those before I burn them, I swear to god!” Huffing out in frustration as you ran your fingers rough your scalp, taking a firm grip on your roots as you held your hair in place. Eyes fluttering over to your left following the footsteps that entered the room only for you to meet the gentleman who standing parallel to you. A smirk glossed over your lips as you acknowledged the way his eyes shameless took you in from head to toe. Your gaze almost somewhat encouraging him to continue as to be fair….you were doing the same thing to him. I guess you could lie and say it was the inner stylist in you that made you give everyone you meet a one over which is the honest truth. But if were being real, that didn't have a damn thing to with my your eyes were flicking from his lips over to his disgustingly chiseled jawline. More importantly, why did this man look so familiar..you knew him from somewhere you just..couldn't quite put your finger on it...

You watched the way his eyes admired the sinful manner in which your black leather Moschino mini dress clung to every curve on your body..more importantly the way the entire piece was held together by one single zipper than ran down the center of the dress.Letting his eyes drift over to the extremely sexy contrast of the full black and white sleeve that started at your shoulder and draped all the way down to your wrist, extending slightly onto the curve of your hand. Or maybe it was the fact that your entire presence didin’t crumble the minute he locked eyes with you. Even at first glance the aura radiating off your body had him intrigued you just looked like you could actually keep up with him, the real him. It was insane the way a good oh I don't know, 30 seconds of eye contact between the two of you said so damn much. I guess the night will tell if he was on to something or if you were just being a little tease..which to be fair you definitely were regardless, but that’s part of the fun right?

That’s all she wrote for the sneak peek...lemme know what ya think and if your excited for the full thing which is halfway done actually thank the lordt! lol

Love you guys as always,

Rocki

#hoseok #hoseok smut #hoseok au #jhope smut #jhope #jhope au #bts #bts au #bts smut #hoseok one shot #jhope one shot #bts one shot #kpop smut #kpop au #kpop one shot #kpop #jung hoseok #hoseok fanfic #jhope fanfic

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whatshouldieatforbreakfasttoday · 6 years

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Iceland Winter Road Trip with a Little Roamer

The heating worked like a poetry through our stay. We did not freeze, we only once got almost blown away from the road and experienced way more that we could have experienced during the warmer periods. Just to be sure, we will come back to Iceland in summer.

TIPS FOR WINTER VAN ADVENTURE IN ICELAND

1. Choose your camper wisely. And by this I mean pay attention to the heating system. Some companies specialise in the winter rent and you will get a car that will keep you warm by 8h straight at night. Our did even longer, but our neighbours at some point were not so lucky. Their heating died after 4h and they kept turning on the engine each hour. From what they said - it was a nightmare night. We got our camper from Camp easy - not an ad at all, we paid it all.

2. Take layers of clothing. You may end up with a beautiful sun like we did, so you want to walk around in a T-shirt, but when it’s cloudy or rainy, it gets super cold. I also suggest a very warm jacket that is good for wind and rain as well and good gloves. Aurora lights are amazing, but when you feel how your fingers are freezing, you stop being enthusiastic. In this situation you need to spend quite some time outside, unless you have a cooperative partner, who calls you when the lights appear (thank you Tomasz).

3. Take a forehead light - discovery of a genius. It is super helpful when you run toilet at night and not only.

4. Remember about having coins with you if you like to take a hot shower. For all the rest you can pay with a card. This one only coins.

5. Do not worry about places where you can camp. There is a list of campsites and spots available in winter. These are not expensive and are your only choice, as wild camping is illegal. I guess it’s because it is not safe. The weather changes a lot in Iceland and you can end up being blown away from the place you stopped for a night together with your car. In case of a strong wind, your car can get seriously damaged by stones or ice pushed by the wind. A few times the wind was so strong that it was impossible for us to open the door or to walk against it. A few times, if it wasn’t for a heavy vehicle and 4wd, we would be pushed away from the road. Here is a list of winter campsites. Do not worry that it will take all the fun away. These stops are located, for example 10 meters from a giant waterfall, so you can hear it while you fell asleep and see it first thing when you open your eyes in the morning.

6. Check the weather on every day basis (here is a website where you can do it). You will most probably get a GPS with wifi and all the info you can check on the road. But if not, check it online. In winter some roads may be closed (happened a lot) or there may be a very strong wind. It will be way better to wait or even turn back. Checking on the weather may save you many troubles like destroying your car, so definitely remember to do it.

7. Choose camper with 4wd. Winter in Iceland is magical and may be difficult. This is why it helps a lot. We managed to go places unavailable with a regular car. Also when the wind is strong, it helps a lot. The price does not vary that much and many companies offer 4wd. I guess maybe even most.

8. When you pick up your van, check out if they have a shelf, where previous travellers left some products. Most of the companies have it. You can grab salt, pepper, tea, coffee, sometimes gas, oil, flour and so on. It saves a lot of money and time spend in a store. Remember to leave some of your unused goods as well on return of your vehicle.

9. Remember that you will visit Iceland once, maybe twice in your lifetime, so take advantage of this trip. Try local cuisine, more in a moment.

10. You can take an additional quilt for your camper and I suggest to use this privilege. It helped a lot.

11. Talk with other travellers. They can share some special tips with you, like this tine hidden hot spring or the place where they saw aurora lights the previous night.

12. Be ready to change your plans. In Poland we have this saying that only cows do not change their mind. Sometimes a road will be closed, sometimes the wind will be too strong. It happens, but it’s not the end of the world if you wait a day.

13. Stop to talk to the Icelandic horses and maybe pet them a bit. These creatures come from the Viking times and are amazing.

14. Take a bath in hot springs as often as possible. You don’t need to go to The Blue Lagoon, as it’s very pricy (unless you are sure that you need this one particular picture). There are other, local pools, with beautiful surroundings and way less people inside.

WHAT TO EAT IN ICELAND

Iceland has a lot to offer and food is delicious as well. We’ve tried quite a few restaurants and it was all delicious. I did not try a whale or fermented shark, I did not go for a lamb head or puffin either, but I did have a bite of other delicateses, like:

- Geyser bread - you have to try it. It’s baked for a long time next to a geyser and is delicious.

- Skyr - thick yogurt served with a bit of milk and sugar.

Porridge, which is the most popular breakfast. Especially during the cold period, it will give you the energy you need.

- Salmon!

WHAT TO SEE:

We saw some beautiful things in Iceland and some of them we did not, as we were travelling with Mia and she was simply not interested or it was too cold and too far away. We will do it the next time, when she’s older than 4.

Geysir - very touristy and super incredible. Totally a must (like everything in Iceland). You stand next to a geyser which explodes quite often. It blows water and hot air and it looks incredible. Kids love it, adults scream out of excitement.

Gullfoss - one of the biggest waterfalls I saw, I must say it was very impressive and stunningly beautiful. I guess each person who visits Iceland goes there, but it’s only because there is a serious reason - beauty x 100000000.

Secret Lagoon Hot Spring - our first hot springs. It was sooo good to walk into this hot water after a day of walking in cold. It is a lovely place, but even this did not make it easier to walk 4 meters from a changing room to the water only in a swimming suit through a total cold. Yet, worth it.

Skogafoss - we stopped there for a night and we saw the most beautiful Aurora lights there are. You wake up to a massive waterfall just behind a window.

Dyrholaey lighthouse- the building itself is interesting, but the view from the spot is unforgettable. Long black beach,rocks… go there! To drive all the way up you need a4WD.

Vik - very pretty town.

Diamond beach - one of the highlights of our trip. We got there for the sunrise and experienced an explosion of colors which changed with each minute and the pieces of ice lying around reflected the light creating a visual masterpiece. Mia licked the biggest ice cube in her and my life and each one presented itself as a different animal in her eyes. A lot of fun for her and very inspiring for me.

Jokulsarlon glacier - on the other side of the road from the Diamond Beach, there are icebergs in a lake and it’s beautiful. Very touristy as well, so get there super early to avoid a serious crowd.

Reynishverfi - black beach with basalt stones. Wow!

Hofn - charming town with a beautiful houses, port and delicious food.

Stokksness - if you asked me to choose only one place in Iceland - this is it. It’s not only breathtaking, you can ride Icelandic horses over here as well. Behind a rock there is a Viking village, which is totally fake and built for a TV series that was never made. But, it is interesting and kids like it a lot. Nobody but us went there, so we had a whole village for ourselves, to imagine and play. It was fun.

Myvatn Natural Baths - our favorite hot springs! There were almost no people and it was so beautiful.

BEAUTIFUL PLACES THAT WE DID NOT MANAGE TO GET TO:

Grotta Island lighthouse - we did not make it there, but if you spend some time in Reykjavik, check it out. You can see aurora lights from there.

Solheimasandur plane wreck - I guess you saw a picture of this one somewhere on the internet. You need to walk about 1-2h one way, depends on how you walk. We could not do it, as it was too windy for Mia, but we will go back.

Road 939 - one lovely girl told me that this is the most beautiful road in Iceland and apparently locals think so as well. It was closed when we were there, but maybe you will be more lucky.

Kirkjuffel - something you should see and hopefully I’ll see in the future.

Wild hot pools - there are many and worth visiting. It was too cold to take a 4 year old to them, but maybe when you’re there it will be warmer or your kid will be older. Or you are a happy kid free traveller, then totally find as many as possible.

Ice caves - only for kids over 12 years old. Oops.

#what-for-weekend #whatforweekend #travel #Iceland Winter Road Trip with a Little Roamer #iceland #iceland roadtrip #winter iceland roadtrip #iceland in winter #a little roamer #TIPS FOR WINTER VAN ADVENTURE IN ICELAND #travel guide #guide #iceland guide #iceland travel guide #WHAT TO EAT IN ICELAND #what to see in iceland #what for weekend

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yasirwickens-blog · 5 years

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Easy Methods To Find The Highest quality and Inexpensive Online Printing Assistance

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fearsmagazine · 2 years

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JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures

SYNOPSIS: Dominion takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed. Dinosaurs now live—and hunt—alongside humans all over the world. The raptor “Blue” has had a baby (nature finds a way!). Owen Grady and Claire Dearing and living in the mountains trying to keep Maisie Lockwood, and the raptors, safe from poachers. Lewis Dodgson is the CEO of bio-sync. He needs the baby raptor and Maisie to complete his nefarious plans that have to do with genetically engineered locus, yes, using dinosaur DNA. If human beings are to remain on the planet they must figure out how to share it with history’s most fearsome creatures.

REVIEW: JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION feels like someone, somewhere, said, “Let’s get the Jurassic Park band back together,” either that or, like Sony and Spiderman, they need to make the movie or lose the franchise. Either way, what’s not to like about this cast, dinosaurs, and action!

The screenplay feels like there was a checklist and they clearly check all the boxes. There are moments where it feels like a dino sequence take on an Indiana Jones film or a Bond movie. Yes, there is a Bond like villain, in fact two. The character of Lewis Dodgson, like the dinosaurs, is a literary hybrid of a bond villain, mixed with a little bit of Steve Jobs, Mark Zukerburg, Elan Musk… you get it. The premise, for a large part of the plot, is more about the genetically modified locus, Blue’s baby, and Maisie. The dinosaurs feel like a subtext, but of course there have to be some epic dino battles to compete with the Kong and Godzilla films. Having all the characters together is nice as they secure some loose ends. I enjoyed the new character editions and how they fit into the narrative. There is a moment in the film, with a visual element, that harkens back to the first film. It was a nice touch, but it goes a bit too far as it almost recreates a similar moment in that film. At its core, the plot is dealing with a disrupted ecosystem, so it becomes a bit preachy. The closing moments put a pin in it and like good science fiction gives the viewer something to mull over. Personally, I felt them approaching a line that would have alienated me, but thankfully they never crossed it.

The film looks great, but what film in the franchise didn’t. I didn’t quite agree with Ellie Sattler when she said, “It never gets old.” I think, it’s been four years since the last film, technology advances, there has to be some “wow” moments. It seems that some of that thought went into new dinosaur designs. Since then, I know there have been some new theories and discoveries, but a few of the new additions looked more like something from a Ray Harryhausen sketch book than an issue of Science Digest Scientific America. I’m still a nerd at heart so what’s not to like but it just feels like it is a bit more removed from scientific fact. I did love the giant locus, which feels like a nod to the classic giant creature movies of the 50’s and 60’s. The production designs are phenomenal and overall there is plenty of visual eye-candy for your entertainment dollar.

The cast is marvelous. Everyone seamlessly slides back into character and picks up from when we last saw them. I have to say the writers did a nice job of giving them all enough satisfying screen time. Pratt and Goldblum have some excellent screen time together, it’s nice to see how Dern and Neill come together, and Pratt and Howard are delightful as adventuring, concerned parents. DeWanda Wise is excellent as this moxy pilot, a role that often goes to men. She does an outstanding job of putting this fresh spin on it. It’s an excellent ensemble cast that makes the film worth a second view.

When I was younger, my father would take me to the drive-in during the summer to take in films my grandmother and mother wouldn’t sit through. Thanks to him, we went “Ape For a Night” and saw all five “Planet of the Ape” movies at the drive-in. One of the last movies we saw together before he passed was “Jurassic Park.” I had already seen it at an early critics screening, but I didn’t tell him that. He had read the novel and had high expectations for the film. When they opened up the doors to let us into the theater I tried to repress my smile, which turned into a smirk. He asked me what I was smirking out, to which I replied, “Nothing.” Deep down I knew this would be one of those rare moments where the movies would provide my dad and I a special bonding moment. Now some 29 years later I had the pleasure to enjoy the film in the company of my daughter. That is the cornerstone of this franchise, it transcends generations that allows families to come together and have a thrilling adventure. Hopefully there will be another film in the next ten years that embodies those elements of these films and provides families a memorable movie experience that creates lasting memories.

CAST: Mamoudou Athie, Chris Pratt, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Haze, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dichen Lachman, Sam Neill, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, Omar Sy, DeWanda Wise, and Bd Wong. CREW: Director/Screenplay - Colin Trevorrow; Screenplay - Emily Carmichael; Based on Characters Created by Michael Crichton; Producer - Patrick Crowley; Cinematographer - John Schwartzman; Score - Michael Giacchino; Editor - Mark Sanger; Production Designer - Kevin Jenkins; Visual Effects Companies - ILM, Lidar Lounge, Hybride, & Lola VFX; Special Effects Supervisors & Artists - Too many to name her. OFFICIAL: www.jurassicworld.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/JurassicWorld TWITTER: twitter.com/JurassicWorld TRAILER: https://youtu.be/k-RY-1UPFgQ RELEASE DATE: In Theaters June 10th, 2022

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

#film review #movie review #jurassic world dominion #universal pictures #colin trevorrow #chris pratt #jeff goldblum #bryce dallas howard #dewanda wise #horror #dinasours #science fiction #joseph mauceri #joseph b mauceri

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drakorn · 6 years

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Musical Review - Matterhorn

I haven’t really made a post in ages here because I simply didn’t have that much to talk about. But this has changed now, for I finally got to see Matterhorn, the newest addition in the Michael Kunze musical world. It has currently wrapped its first season at the Theater St. Gallen and will return for the next one. I really wanted to see this piece for a long time but didn’t have the means to do so. Now, through an unexpected twist of fate, I had a chance to watch the performance. So, here’s my review and there might be a few spoilers in it!

I didn’t know much about the source material before this musical was announced. When I did look at the historical case of Edward Whymper and the ambitious England vs Italy race to the top of the mountain and the tragedy that ensued from that, I was a bit sceptical. Obviously, I was excited because Michael Kunze was involved but...was this story really enough material for a 2-act musical? After watching it, eeehhh...kind of. Let’s take a more detailed look.

The Story

The historical case provides quite a fitting basis for a dramatic musical: Edward Whymper, artist and mountain climber, wants to be the first person ever to climb the Matterhorn, one of the fiercest and highest mountains in the Alpine region. This becomes increasingly more difficult for him because: 1. He is broke and has to scrape by to get all the equipment, 2. He is looked down upon by his comrades in the Alpine Club, 3. One of his friends betrayed him for money and now leads a team of Italians to the mountain, ensuring the start of a race, 4. The mountain itself is extremely hard to climb and due to the Italians being involved, they have to take a route never used before. These are enough dramatic problems to push the protagonist forward. However, two of these problems are overcome pretty quickly and don’t really give us enough reason to root for Whymper. He is broke? Oh, that’s fine, that one guy will clear him of his debts if he paints something for him (something that happens off-stage). Oh, his comrades laugh at him? That’s fine because they just happen to embark on the same journey on the same day and everything is forgiven. To the musical’s defense: All of these are Act 1 obstacles. The real obstacle comes in Act 2, when four of Whymper’s comrades fall to their deaths and a criminal investigation is launched. But even that gets a bit sidelined.

My biggest gripe with the story is that all of the potentially interesting obstacles get resolved too quickly. Even the criminal investigation, which leads the second half of Act 2 is overcome quite quickly. But also, it kinda had to because of the time limit a musical has.

I was actually surprised where Act 1 ended. In my opinion, there was a bit too much build-up to the actual climbing. All of Act 1 is them planning the expedition, Act 2 has the expedition at the very beginning and the rest is focussed on the criminal investigation and the trauma. My point is: The actual expedition was a bit too short in my opinion. I think it would have served the musical better if we had less build up in Act 1. This way, the tragedy itself could have been the Act 1 finale, a literal cliffhanger intriguing us about what happens next (Seriously, what a missed opportunity, they could have claimed to be a mountain climbing musical with a literal cliffhanger in the Act 1 finale!). Tanz der Vampire has a great Act 1 finale: They are already in the castle by the time the curtain falls, so we know that Act 2 is going to kick off in this interesting location already.

There is romance in this musical, of course. Michael Kunze has done great musical romances before: Elisabeth and Death was a walking metaphor, Alfred and Sarah was a great deconstruction of the classic love story, and this piece features a clever trick as well. Olivia Buckingham is clearly interested in Edward. The musical effectively fools us in the beginning by making us believe that there will be just a casual love story, but it’s not because Edward Whymper’s true romance lies with the mountain itself. And these are the parts where the musical is at its best. Once again, Michael Kunze makes good use of one of his best tropes, which is to personify an aspect of humanity or nature in a character. We had Death in Elisabeth, Krolock in Tanz der Vampire and even Young Mozart in Mozart! fulfilling these roles. In Matterhorn, we have the character of Orka, the spirit of the mountain, a manifestation of Nature itself. Edward’s greed for success and Orka’s protective stance on nature make for a great contrasting chemistry. This is the true love story of the musical. Olivia Buckingham is the human love interest, someone who is grounded and preserves purely human values. Orka is untamed and dangerous, just like the mountain. It even got to the point where I found myself more interested in Edward and Orka’s relationship than the expedition itself.

The last thing I would like to talk about story-wise is the ending. I was actually a bit disappointed in it, purely due to the tone. In fact, this musical has a few moments where the tone suddenly switches. An example: In one scene we just witnessed the gruesome death of four people falling 1000 meters into a snowy abyss, which is followed by an emotional monologue by Nature itself. But then the tone switches just like that and we find ourselves in a hotel where the preparations for a jolly and upbeat celebration are being made. This kind of sudden switch happens in the ending as well. In fact, it seems like there are two endings there. There is an amazing scene in the end that really tugs at your heartstrings, the stage is almost entirely dark and the curtain begins to fall. I thought to myself “Wow, what an amazing ending, it really left me thinking.” But then the curtain rises again, the lights go on and a very upbeat song starts playing and THAT is the true ending. Why would you trick me like that, musical? The penultimate scene already was the perfect ending, we don’t need another one. It’s not a nice extra like the final song in Tanz der Vampire. Hmm...how can I visualise what I meant: Ah, right! Okay, so imagine this: You are watching Elisabeth and the final song, “Der Schleier fällt”, ends. You think to yourself: “Wow, THAT is a great ending.” And then suddenly, we get a reprise of “Kitsch” and that is the true ending. That’s pretty much how the ending of Matterhorn made me feel. The last scene was just not really necessary. If it would have ended in the scene before, the impact would have been much more powerful.

Overall, the story is good. It has some clever twists and turns regarding characters. It was just the structure I didn’t always agree with. But overall, I like it. You can definitely see that it was written by Michael Kunze.

The Music

But what would a good musical be without some kickass songs? This time, the songs were composed by Albert Hammond and, I think, this is his first time doing a musical.

I have to say, for a first time, the songs are amazing. I wish I could produce such a result as a first-timer. The opening number, “Matterhorn!” is a good opening for it sets the stage for all the goals and characters in a very efficient manner.

Orka’s two big solos, “Warum sind sie so blind?” and “Das Ganze ist mehr” are amazing. One is very energetic and mirrors the untamed nature of the mountain and Nature’s reflection on humanity. The other one is calm and even melancholic, perfectly reflecting the times when Nature claims human lives.

My favourite song by far is “Weit oben”, Edward’s big triumphant song when he stands on top of the mountain. If I were to pick one song to represent the entire musical, this would be it. It has a catchy tune and some great atmosphere is accompanying it. I loved it.

Another very touching song is Edward’s “Unheilbar verliebt” and its reprise, where he reflects on his love for the mountain (and Orka in that regard) and his great ambitions.

But other than that there weren’t really that many other songs that stuck with me. It’s not one of these musicals where every single song is good, but rarely any musical is. When the music is good, it is REALLY good.

Overall, the music is decent, even great at times. It just doesn’t have that special spark that would make me fall in love with it.

Set and Costumes

That is one of the musical’s strongest aspects. It looks absolutely gorgeous. I think this is the best-looking St. Gallen production I have ever seen. The costumes are all historically accurate and all of the characters look like they belong there.

The set design is amazing. When you are in London, you feel like you are in London, when you are on the top of the mountain, you feel that. Light and sound are incorporated beautifully. I don’t think I have seen any production where set and computer projections work so beautifully together. Even in Tanz der Vampire, I can easily tell those two apart. But in Matterhorn, you actually feel that everything is THERE. Even when you know that something is a projection, it feels present on stage. There is one scene where you only see stars and then the entire planet Earth is visible. It truly looks like you could just jump into space. When the mountain is shown in the distance, you feel like you could enter the stage and just walk all the way there.

Truly, I only now realise how technically advanced the Theater St. Gallen is. That was simply beautiful.

The Cast

Ok, this is St. Gallen. We know that no matter what musical, the cast is always going to be great. Again, in total St. Gallen fashion, they managed to get a lot of well-known faces on stage.

Edward Whymper - Oedo Kuipers. I have only seen him in Mozart! so far and liked him there. But I think, I like him more as Edward Whymper. His performance is convincing, full of energy and I could really see all of Edward’s passion, ambitions and arrogance. This was a great casting decision.

Orka - Sabrina Weckerlin. I saw her in Artus - Excalibur before and loved her there. She completely steals every scene she’s in. They could not have chosen anyone better to portray essentially Nature itself. When she needs to be calm, she is calm, when she needs to be ruthless and dangerous, she sells that completely. I think this is also the first time where I saw Sabrina properly dancing on stage. She’s got some moves, I must say. As with Morgana, it feels like the role was just written for her in this piece.

Olivia Buckingham - Lisa Antoni. I saw her in Rudolf and Artus and loved her performance in both. But I think she was quite heavily underused here. She had some good songs and stage presence but I wish they would have given her more to do with the role. She is just the love interest here. That is a shame because Lisa is a fantastic actress and has a phenomenal voice if you just give her enough to do. Great casting indeed but unfortunately too small of a role.

Jean-Antoine Carrel - Benjamin Oeser. Again, great actor but severely underused. I would have loved to see the complicated relationship between Antoine and Edward evolve a little more. It starts off great but we don’t see much of it in Act 2, which is a shame because I would like to see more of this actor.

Luc Meynet - Luigi Schifano. WHAT. A. VOICE. Seriously, how did I not hear of this guy before? He is amazing! He is such a great actor and singer and perfectly embodies the hunchbacked outcast. He reminded me of Quasimodo in a few scenes. But again, great actor, very underused character. In fact, arguably the most important thing this character does happens off-stage and gets resolved with one line of dialogue. I would have loved to see the actual scene happening on stage. So much potential was wasted here. But Luigi made great use of every scene he was in. I would love to see more of him in the future.

There are many other great actors involved in this production, such as André Bauer and Jon Geoffrey Goldsworthy. But none of them really have enough scenes to make me fully appreciate them. I didn’t even know André Bauer was in this until the last line his character said. There were so many great actors and characters who, in my opinion, were criminally underused.

Overall, the casting is absolutely fantastic. But I would have loved to see more characters getting larger parts. I’m pretty sure it could have been done. Just one or two more scenes, pretty please?

Overall

Overall, I like this musical. It’s not groundbreakingly amazing, but it’s also not disappointing. It’s good. The cast is fantastic, Michael Kunze’s lyrics are fantastic, Shekhar Kapur’s directions are fantastic. The set design is mindblowing. The costumes and music are good but not overly amazing. But overall, yeah, I liked it. I have no trouble accepting it into the Michael Kunze musical collection, alongside pieces like Elisabeth and Tanz der Vampire.

Matterhorn returns on the 9th of September and closes on the 16th of February. I would really recommend you all to check it out if you can. Everyone will find some good enjoyment in it.

#Matterhorn #Musical #St. Gallen #Review #Oedo Kuipers #Lisa Antoni #Sabrina Weckerlin #Michael Kunze #Albert Hammond #Shekhar Kapur

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Belinda Benn's Sinfully Healthy Food :: Belinda Benn - Your Australian Transformation Coach

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Belinda Benn's Sinfully Healthy Food :: Belinda Benn - Your Australian Transformation Coach

Product Name: Belinda Benn’s Sinfully Healthy Food :: Belinda Benn – Your Australian Transformation Coach

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Description:

You already know it takes good nutrition to reveal your best body and have a great quality of life but I think you’ll agree that’s one of the biggest challenges.

However, you can master this very easily, just like I did. The most critical key is to have an arsenal of easy, healthy and sinfully scrumptious recipes at your disposal – that you can eat, love and savor day in and day out – never feeling bored or tempted by the nutritionally empty calories of “fake health foods”.

And that’s where most people are NOT prepared…

Sometimes you DO want to indulge. You love the way healthy eating makes you feel but at the same time you want to be able to:

Makes your mouth water just thinking about it, doesn’t it?

So, you have a treat meal here and there. And maybe you’ve even gone in search of healthy recipes. But you very quickly realize the following problems with these so-called “healthy” cookbooks:

And that’s because I’ve created and compiled some of my favorite healthy recipes. Every single recipe is nutritious. Each one is easy to make. And all of them taste so delicious you won’t even believe they’re good for your body and your health.

My name is Belinda Benn. I’m the Founder of Aussie Transformation Coach. Every day I help thousands of people around the world change their bodies and lives through good nutrition and exercise. But just a few short years ago I was an office bound executive living on coffee and junk food who never worked out in her life! I was riddled with cellulite and overweight.

I had a blind faith that the “regular” foods I was eating were safe, all the while not knowing that these mass produced products with chemical additives and artificial ingredients were compounding my horrible body composition, erratic digestion and premature aging of my body.

My mid life transformation led me to eat better (as most people who want to lose weight generally know and sometimes do) – but as I dug deeper I found there’s a whole world of foods and “alternative” ingredients that enable our bodies to function at it’s best.

Most people would consider these “super foods” because they liberate you and work to your advantage. You see, it’s not just about weight loss, it’s about optimizing your body’s circulatory, digestive, endocrine, lymphatic, muscular, nervous, respiratory and skeletal systems – giving you the fuel and the building blocks to function at a top level.

Today, coming up on 50 years old, I still feel compelled to learn as much as I can to give myself the best leverage and maintain youth as long as possible through wise and unique nutrition habits. Living like this on a daily basis and seeing the results, I feel an obligation to share my secrets with you today – so you can experience these benefits in the exact same way.

It wasn’t too long ago that most people didn’t know these types of foods and ingredients even existed. Today we have so many of these available but nobody really knows how to use them on a regular basis. They are still very new to all of us. Yes its great to know all the good things that you could be putting into your body but it’s a whole new level when you know exactly what to use, how to cook it and make these meals a regular part of your program.

Think about how you feel after you’ve eaten a big piece of heavy chocolate cake or oily carb rich meal. You know you’ve messed up and a few hours later you feel yucky physically and emotionally. And the vicious cycle of emotional eating begins.

When it comes to your foods….

Imagine indulging in some of your favorite treats and sweets that actually taste more delicious than their refined chemical versions AND are good for you in a very powerful way. You’ll feel better because these foods benefit you physically, emotionally, and mentally, knowing you just put something super healthy into your body.

By eating this way you can experience true optimal and vibrant health. Your mirror won’t lie, the proof will be there after you’ve given your body a chance to absorb these potent nutrients and see the visible effect they have on your body.

You’re here because you’re smart and you’re already making changes to improve your health and wellbeing. But it’s tough trying to work out what to eat and how to cook it. So I’m going to make it easy for you…

Go ahead, indulge your taste buds! Make your chocolate fantasies come true. Let yourself enjoy everything from indulgent holiday treats to mouthwatering appetizers to sinfully delicious cupcakes.

I’ve even included special recipes that help you burn the fat, cleanse your body, give you an energy boost and much more! Looking after your body never tasted so good!

But don’t take my word for it. Just look at what Shannon says about these recipes…

I began incorporating Belinda’s recipes into my life a little while back and I’ve had amazing results. Not only have I lost weight, but my skin is clearer, I feel better for it, my energy levels are sky-high, and I really think my moods have improved or so my family say. As I did notice when I ate sugar dense foods I got cranky. As a chef, I love to cook and I love my food to be tasty, hence I put on so much weight.

Belinda’s recipes do that, her meals are not boring or bland, they are easy to prepare, the ingredients are easily available and what’s a bonus is that I was able to feed the same meals to my family so I didn’t have to cook separate meals for them.

With these recipes you don’t actually feel like you’re on a “diet” and the clean desserts, well you won’t even feel like you’re depriving yourself. My body loves me for the healthy clean food I am feeding it and it is rewarding me by changing shape and form.

Cooking extra special treats for yourself and your family, or for special occasions like parties, birthdays, casual get-togethers, BBQ’s and random social events is no longer a chore.

ALL the stress is gone because you have these unique and amazing recipes. Your friends and family will be shocked and blown away when you tell them these meals are all nutritious. You cook these and everyone’s happy – you, your family and your body!

Just look at what you get when you order now:

Here’s a tiny sampling of the mouthwatering main courses, side dishes, appetizers, soups and desserts you get when you order now:

…plus more than 80 mouthwatering recipes that are sure to impress both you and your guests!

There’s nothing more satisfying than sinking your teeth into a moist, delicious cupcake with creamy frosting. And what’s even better is finding out the cupcakes are both delicious and nutritious – you’ll never have to turn down a cupcake or feel guilty about eating them again!

Order now and you’ll get two dozen surprisingly divine cupcake recipes, including:

“So so yummy! I didn’t realise there was such a thing as delicious tasting cupcakes that are actually healthy!”

“That is the most amazing tasting yummy cupcakes I have ever eaten. I can’t believe they are healthy. I could eat them every day!!! And to think what I have just eaten is healthy”

“Too Good!! I am amazed they taste that good to be honest & healthy too!”

“As a non-dieter these cupcakes are divine, you honestly wouldn’t think you were eating healthy!! Scrum-delicious”

“These are the best cupcakes I have ever tasted, amazing flavour, hard to imagine this is all healthy ingredients. So yummy”

“Can’t believe healthy food could be soooo yummy – there’s hope for me yet, to become healthy. Thanks”

“WOW! These cupcakes are amazing! Having Type 2 Diabetes means that regular cupcakes are off limits, however, these Sinfully Healthy ones taste amazing & won’t affect my blood sugar levels. I love being able to pop one in my bag when I head to the shops so I have a tasty treat to go with my coffee that is great for my health. Thank you for coming up with such wonderful tasty treats!”

– Susan, Sydney, Australia.

“My hat goes off to Belinda and her dedication to the development of her remarkable and deliciously healthy recipe books. As a nutritionist and fitness trainer and someone who has a thirst for good food and optimal health I can honestly say Belinda has a gift, she knows how to present her years of research and knowledge into effective and easy recipes.

When started following Belinda’s program and using her recipes I lost 10 kilograms and 8% body fat. A huge achievement, considering I was only 62 kilograms to begin with. Almost two years later I still live by her eating principles and my weight has not changed. It’s how we should eat, forever.

Food should be pleasurable, we should be able to indulge in yummy (but clean) treats without feeling guilty. I was so excited to review and test out her Sinfully Healthy Cookbooks and the cupcake creations are my favourite ;)…oh and my pooch loves them too lol!”

“As many of you already know, we are BIG time foodies! As both authors and fellow food lovers, we know the value of finding great recipes that we can keep in our diets year round that still taste great and keeps us on track. The Sinfully Healthy Cookbooks are an absolute HIT in our kitchen 🙂 Besides the fact that it has recipes in it no one else has ever dared to try and make “healthy” it also provides tons of alternative options to popular “hard to substitute” ingredients like flours, sweeteners and baking ingredients. Best part was they were all really, really healthy. Forget about a ton of sugar or processed flour! Belinda provides you with ingredients that are safe and won’t mess around with your waistline.

We were also impressed at the way the book gives you a complete outline for holiday meals like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, social gatherings, birthdays and MANY other events! Great idea 🙂 Can’t wait to show people all these recipes at our next gathering and always be set for when the holidays hit. Thanks so much Belinda”

You know what it’s like – suddenly you have an event coming up, and you need the extra fat gone NOW. Like yesterday.

Whatever the reason, you need to shed the fat and fit into your bikini, your skinny jeans or that little black number that turns heads.

The solution? You need the 21 Day Fat Burning Accelerator. This plan can help you shed the fat fast or just get back on track with your overall diet and fitness goals. Here’s a sneak peek inside this surefire fat-burning plan:

Until Christmas every order will also receive absolutely FREE this special edition Sinfully Healthy Christmas Bonus:

A collectors edition cookbook of healthy and easy to make Christmas treats from around the world, jam packed with all the deliciousness you’d expect and want – without the calories or guilt!

I know you’ll be so pleased with the delicious recipes in these cookbooks that I’m letting you try these cookbooks risk-free for a full 60 days.

Go ahead and get the cookbooks right now and taste the deliciousness in every guilt-free mouthful. Show off to your friends. Serve them to your family.

Do all of this and more for a full 60 days. If you’re not thrilled with these recipes – if you’re unsatisfied for ANY reason – simply contact me for a full and prompt refund. I simply can’t be any more fair than that.

So what are you waiting for? Try out these unique cookbooks and start enjoying these delicious recipes today…

Order now anywhere in the world and you’ll get instant access to everything you see on this page, including:

Note: The Sinfully Healthy Package includes eBooks in PDF format. Everything is viewable on any computer (no special software required). Since no physical products will be shipped, there’s no wait and no shipping charges. You get the whole package instantly! This program is NOT available in stores, so you can only access it through this website.

Sinfully Healthy was created by the work of 4 people with the combined effort of 369 working hours (in and out of the kitchen) – to create these unique, delicious and nutritious recipes you won’t find anywhere else.

You won’t find a better collection of amazingly delicious yet guilt-free appetizers, side dishes, main courses, soups, salads and satisfying desserts anywhere, so order now.

Please don’t confuse Sinfully Healthy with other cookbooks or recipe programs. This is a leading-edge proprietary recipe system not available anywhere else.

To Your Optimum Health, Best Quality of Life and Ultimate Body,

P.S. These are delicious restaurant-quality meals and desserts that you can make at home any time you’d like – and no one will believe you when you say they’re HEALTHY. Yes, they taste that good – but don’t take my word for it, order now and try them risk-free for yourself!

PPS. Look at what others are saying about these sinfully and deliciously healthy meals and desserts:

Thank you so much for taking the time and putting together your cookbooks! Your recipes are amazing!! I am married to a man with a terrible sweet tooth and it is nice to find recipes to satisfy him and keep him healthy. He has dropped 25 lbs. since we got married and it is because I only make healthy meals and we exercise. He is doing so great!

I use Belinda’s recipes for every meal and my family & I have been really enjoying them. Everything is written clearly with ingredients and instructions that are very easy to follow! Who would have ever thought I could cook these very amazing meals & very healthy ones. I cannot thank Belinda enough

It is really hard for a housewife that respects the healthy choices of her family to keep up with fresh but healthy ideas. Belinda’s recipe collection is the best way to get inspired and stay on track with your cooking choices. Just browsing through the recipes you get even more motivated to keep eating the right foods and your family will never want to get back to the old, unhealthy routine.

Thank you, Belinda. Christina C.

Alicia agrees (and I’m sure you will too)…

Just a quick note to let you know how fabulous I am finding your recipes! I love to cook and I am so pleased that you love to use so many natural ingredients, herbs and spices to make a variety of delicious meals. I have been following the program for a number of months and love how easy it is to plan out my food for the week so that I always look forward to my meals.

I love the added bonus of being able to bake my own healthy snacks and treats, as I have really missed the process of home baking with other plans.

I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us all next!

It’s simple, really – I’ve started with some of the tastiest meals and desserts on the planet and used ingredient substitutions and healthier cooking methods to ensure you’re eating nutritious yet startlingly delicious foods. You’ll fool your friends with these recipes. You’ll even fool your own taste buds, because you never knew eating healthy could taste so good!

Not at all. I didn’t create these recipes for gourmet chefs. I created these recipes for ordinary people just like you and me – the kind of people who want to create attractive, delicious and nutritious meals the easy way.

Short on time? No problem! Most of the cupcakes take about 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven. If you’re cooking a meal, then you’ll need to allow about 30 minutes of prep time (cooking time varies). That’s probably below the average you typically spend to create holiday or special-occasion meals. And in some cases, you can even do the prep work ahead of time!

No worries – you’ll find ALL the ingredients locally. You may even find that you have most of the ingredients already in your cupboard! I have people all over the globe making these recipes, and no one has ever had any problems getting the ingredients locally.

Absolutely! In fact, I even offer you substitution guidelines to make it easy on you. For example, if you have a gluten sensitivity, then you can use gluten-free flour and a bit of guar gum in place of regular whole wheat flour. It’s easy, and you won’t sacrifice any of the taste!

YES! That’s because all my recipes include healthy sources of one or more of the following:

And since these are all non-processed foods, every time you eat them your body needs to “work” – which means the mere act of enjoying these treats gives your body a little metabolic boost!

Absolutely. And that’s because these foods are so delicious that it won’t even feel like you’re on a “diet.” So many people have told me that these cookbooks were the starting point for them – they were the reason these people started eating healthier. I’m sure you’ll find the same is true for you too!

If these recipes aren’t everything I say they are, if you’re unsatisfied for ANY reason, all you have to do is contact me within 60 days to get a full and prompt refund. It’s as easy as that.

My name is Belinda Benn, and I’m a 48-year-old fitness expert and international fitness model. But I didn’t always hold these jobs. In fact, right up until my mid 30s I was a sedentary, overweight executive. I lived on a diet of sugar, coffee and fast food. I didn’t exercise at all. Just a walk up a flight of steps left me out of breath.

All that changed in my late 30s when a few life changes led me to undergo a radical body transformation. Check it out:

Since that time, I’ve helped countless men and women around the globe meet their weight loss and fitness goals. And the one thing I’ve heard repeatedly is that these people feel deprived if they’re not eating flavorful, rich meals and desserts.

You know what? I agree. I don’t think you should have to sacrifice good food in order to get healthy. And that’s when I started experimenting to create delicious yet nutritious meals and desserts that are good for your budget, good for your health and great for your taste buds.

That’s what these Sinfully Healthy cookbooks are all about – and I strongly urge you to download your cookbooks right now. Because the sooner you do, the sooner you’ll find out just how awesome eating healthy can be!

Your Privacy is very important to us. By using this site, you are confirming that you have read and agree to our Terms & Conditions. Please also take time to read the Disclaimers. Visit our Home page. If you are interested in promoting Belinda Benn’s products, take a look at our Affiliates page. Alternately, you may Contact us.

Click here to get Belinda Benn’s Sinfully Healthy Food :: Belinda Benn – Your Australian Transformation Coach at discounted price while it’s still available…

#australian #belinda #coach #healthy #sinfully #transformation

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