#engagingly humane

[drchucktingle]

thank you for these breathtakingly kind words john scalz i appreciate it so much. ENGAGINGLY HUMANE is now one of my favorite phrases i have ever heard. preorder camp damascus here

[straydog733]

Have you ever wanted to see Jenny from Call the Midwife and Jamie from Ted Lasso openly hate and berate their autistic son? Then boy, is The Devil's Hour the show for you!

(It plays lip-service to the kid not being autistic, and they're clearly setting up some paranormal nonsense, but he is SO autistically-coded that it honestly feels offensive.)

[uwmspeccoll]

Classic Lessons in Love

Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC-AD 17/18), more familiarly known as Ovid, was a Roman poet most famously known for his mythological history of the world, Metamorphoses. His satirical and sometimes dark take on all the intricacies of love and relationships is exhibited in Ars Amatoria. The Art of Love is a 1971 English translation edition of Ars Amatoria, translated by English classicist and scholar of Latin poetry B. P. Moore (1877-1955), with pen and ink illustrations by British artist Eric Fraser (1902-1983). The edition was designed by Robert L. Dothard and printed at the Press of A. Colish in Mount Vernon, NY, for members of the Limited Editions Club in an edition of 1500 copies on specially-made, oyster-white, mould-made paper crafted at the Arches mill in France.

In the first book of Ars Amatoria, Ovid guides men on how to successfully find a woman. In the second book, we see Ovid's advice shift towards maintaining a healthy relationship with one's partner. The third and final book, produced two years after the first two, focuses on advice for women on how to win and keep the love of a man. The work, however, was considered salacious and was banned by Emperor Augustus, with the charge of it being immoral, and is one of the few examples of the Roman government censoring a Roman author’s writing.

The topic's typical scenarios are presented engagingly, incorporating elements from Greek mythology, daily life in ancient Rome, and universal human experiences. Ovid offers hilarious advice, such as how women can keep their lovers from becoming neglectful by making them artificially jealous. He also advises men to never argue with their mistresses, as it could lead to expensive gift-giving in order to reconcile. When it comes to the sexes, it seems some things never change!

-Melissa, Special Collections Classics Intern

View other Classics posts.

View more posts from the Limited Editions Club.

[b0tster]

In your opinion, were there any games that utilized "choose your own story" (as in Telltale games, Life is Strange, Detroit Become Human) schtick successfully?

I feel like DBH had the most "choices impact the branching of the story", but also it was just Not Good plotwise, while Walking Dead and Life is Strange were somewhat engagingly good with their stories, but the implementation of the gimmick gave close to minimal results, so there might as well be no choice at all

what these kinds of games excel at is making you sit and think about a choice in the moment. the fact that the choices dont really amount to much after its all said and done isnt a big loss to me if the story itself leaves me feeling satisfied, because the concept in and of itself is a pipe dream and therefore shouldnt be seen as a standard to reach

[fisherrprince]

Oh hey! Welcome to stormblood :D! So, how are your overall opinions of Heavensward now that you're one the cusp of new expansion?

Hello hello! /bow

I liked it!! I liked it quite a lot I think, but I definitely think the best parts were about the dragons (the first half of base expansion with Ysayle and then 3.2-3 with Nidhogg and Hraesvelgr and Estinien) (I got sad when we left Ysayle :( ) — which, admittedly, is probably because I really love dragons. But it’s also I think structured more engagingly, I was really interested in what everyone had to say and react to. I think I stopped to talk to almost everyone anytime I could, and I really want to remember to look at item descriptions because they have TEXT in them and sometimes they’re FUNNY.. The dungeons got progressively cooler too :D

I wasn’t quite as interested in the allagans this time (or the pope I kept forgetting about him— to be honest the ishgardian half of the story was really interesting as it contributed to the whole of the story, I love how the writers are handling the complexity of human conflict and rage thus far, but I found that chasing down the pope at the end took quite a while because we also had the scions stuff in there too, which was more interesting, and I think the amount of interest just conflicted with the pacing. If I look at Heavensward without the post patch quests it has very odd pacing but with them it’s perfectly fine.) (but also the — what’sit the whale primal trial — I’ve heard is disliked but I found it really really fascinating when I did it for the first time! Maybe because it’s novel) (and also while I LOVE the hand that gives the rose, I cannot get behind unbending steel. I can’t tell if people are joking when they say it’s one of the best songs. I don’t… like it, it sounds goofy to me), but that’s also just because Azys Lla is, all offense to allag, butt ugly?? The Crystal Tower is so pretty how did you create this narsty place. Bring me back to G’raha. I also think the interjections with the Ul’dahn syndicate early on were hit or miss entirely, sometimes very satisfying and investing and sometimes I just… I don’t like the wizard lady or her wizard hat.

anyways, Hilda is my new friend, I like her. I, um, don’t think I got as attached to haurchefant as many others did, but I appreciate how well-written a good death scene is, I do. And I really felt like we got to see way more (and deeper and better-articulated) character personality and interaction than we did in arr! I liked that!!! We had little flavor text jokes everywhere! I like my friends tataru and alphinaud and although I will have to decline Aymeric’s request for a date, I would love to hang out. I will be going on a date with Vidofnir. I want to see more of where dragons actually, like, live.

also both the “final battles” were very very cool. Like immensely cool I think I legit cackled to myself a couple times (hraesvelgr’s eye being one of them) thank u dragons everyone say thank you dragons. Also everyone say thank you to soken and uematsu. And the cinematic animators. And the fight designers. And

and — I’m not sure where post-heavensward stops and pre-stormblood begins, but I assume it ends with nidhogg and starts with the warriors of darkness? in that case I’ll hold my opinions of pre-stormblood since I’m not done. bless it for having alisaie leveilleur. goodnight

[flagellant]

You'd suggest an author who has been called out by Lakota people for not reaching out to them about their history. Why would you trust him to do the same with a whole continent?

Plus that citation is about treaties. He didn't go ask Lakota people about themselves or what they know. Look up Hamalainens name on the Lakota times. Tell me they approved of him

Idk dude I think maybe the fact that you don't know as much as you seem to think about Hamalainen's primary sources means that I don't really have any reason to trust anything else you've said. Like you criticized me by acting as though Deloria is a good source and now you're just backpedaling because it turns out Hamalainen does source Natives and you're just mad about the fact that I called you out on it.

Again, you seem to not actually know what you're sourcing here. The Lakota Times has a single columnist criticizing Hamalainen more about copying what has already been written, with a single paragraph at the end re: Native voices:

Since writing about Hamalainen’s flawed history book, I have heard from Yale University Press whom I wrote to. They insist that this book written by a man born in Finland, was reviewed by other scholars (to check the facts). If you take one look at who “scholars” are in the United States; any faculty anywhere. You will not see many, if any Native American scholars.

The same Lakota Times also lists this little informative article/review, several months after the former:

This first complete account of the Lakota Indians traces their rich and often surprising history from the early sixteenth to the early twenty first century. Pekka Hämäläinen explores the Lakota roots as marginal hunter gatherers and reveals how they reinvented themselves twice: first as a river people who dominated the Missouri Valley, America’s great commercial artery, and then—in what was America’s first sweeping westward expansion—as a horse people who ruled supreme on the vast high plains.

The Lakota are imprinted in American historical memory. Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull are iconic figures in the American imagination, but in this groundbreaking book they emerge as something different: the architects of Lakota America, an expansive and enduring Indigenous regime that commanded human fates in the North American interior for generations. Hämäläinen’s deeply researched and engagingly written history places the Lakota at the center of American history, and the results are revelatory.

So, Anon, again: Are you actually listening to Native voices here? Is there actual widespread Lakota criticism of Hamalainen? Are you actually doing any of the research you're claiming I need to do? Or are you more invested in appearing morally superior to me? Because right now what it looks like to me, and everyone else reading this, is that you're blindly parroting talking points you don't understand, didn't follow up on, and making grand, blind assumptions about the quality of someone's work which you have not read and have no idea how to even begin to criticize.

[fallowhearth]

David Graeber and David Wengrow, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, 2021

This is not a review. It will probably be a bit of a ramble about my approach to reading history and thinking through why I bounced off this so many times. This is also about letting myself off the hook - I'm going to let this one remain unfinished. I don't need to finish reading it.

After I dropped out of grad school (highly recommended), it took me a good few years to be able to stomach picking up a history book again. But, I do really enjoy the discipline. There's a reason I wanted to do it as a career. I eventually found a way back in - from YouTube video essays, to a few podcasts, to reading history from outside my field. I had the most success with ancient/pre-modern histories; obligatory Tides of History plug as I've loved all the deep dives into genetic history and archaeology (and gotten quite a few great book recommendations). I don't have any particular knowledge in these fields, I don't have the language skills or context to interpret sources myself, I've never even taken an ancient history course. So reading these I have no option but to basically rely on the expertise of the historian, to see what they say about various topics and about each other. It's the opportunity to read history like a layperson, and hey, it's pretty interesting!

On the one hand, Dawn is engagingly written - I'd call it kind of magazine style? - and tells a compelling story. But, the whole time I'm wondering, but is any of it true?

My impulse when reading something from within my area of academic expertise is to go and take a look at some of the sources myself. It's always a useful sense-check; it's due diligence. History is by its nature kind of subjective. Historians don't just deal in lonely facts (to paraphrase someone whose name escapes me), but in interpretation and argumentation. Everything has been passed through several human filters before a historian even looks at it. So, in a room full of historians you respect, you can have a lively, contentious discussion where no two people have quite the same reading of the source. There's a skill you pick up after a while - you get a sense for the range of defensible interpretations of a particular piece of evidence. You'll feel more affinity for part of that range, based on the things you believe about how the world works, your particular axe to grind, other things you've read, niche academic beef, etc.

I'm confident I've read at least a few of the sources Dawn uses, and I've definitely read within adjacent bodies of sources. So, I have an incredibly strong need to go and take a look at the specific things they're basing their argument on. I trust my own judgement; I want to establish that range of defensible interpretations, I want to see what readings I'd pull out first, I want to see what the distance is between Dawn's point on that range and mine. The problem is that I can't. Even if I wanted to dive back into the archive, I literally don't have any of the institutional accesses that would allow me to. Also I really don't want to. So I'm constantly feeling this itch I can't scratch at the back of my mind while reading Graeber and Wengrow's work.

The broad version of Dawn's thesis is something like: 'humans have experimented with diverse ways to live and organise their societies across space and time, in ways that are not accommodated by the teleological models developed within the colonial context'. I'd say, yeah, I pretty much agree with that! (In fact it's a thesis I'd love to nail to the doors of many popular history writers.) But I get the same sense reading Dawn as I did reading various provocative works of global history (many of which I really like): the broad thesis is generally defensible, but it falls apart on the page-to-page level. Of course I can't actually confirm this since, well, I haven't done my due diligence!

[dustedmagazine]

Botanist — Paleobotany (Prophecy Productions)

Photo by Wyman Choy

For much of Botanist’s existence — as an artist, a project and now a band, with a line-up that has cohered over the last few full-length records — their association with black metal has been taken as a sort of given. And as recently as Photosynthesis (2020), Botanist was deploying the harsh tones and shrieked vocals typical of black metal in its many sub- and hybrid genre forms. Listeners familiar with Botanist since the project’s initial releases (this reviewer started listening with III: Doom in Bloom, still his favorite Botanist record) know that Otrebor, founding member and songwriter, has always had a delightfully idiosyncratic and high-concept notion of black metal. Otrebor’s principal axe is an amplified hammered dulcimer. And that band name? It’s serious: all of Botanist’s songs thematize plant life, as mythic protagonist, anti- (or at least counter-) human lifeforce or object of scientific study.

As the title Paleobotany suggests, plant life remains a primary concern, and the band takes a sort of para-scientific approach here, thinking and riffing on the phenomena (and experiences) of ancient vegetation during the long evolution of the earthball’s ecologies. That hammered dulcimer is still the most prominent element of Botanist’s sonic environment, but things are changing in Botanist’s sound. There are bursts of harsh, guttural vocals on some of the record’s tracks, but they operate in a sort of duet with the more prominent clean singing of Mar Stacey. And “clean” doesn’t really capture the heroic, dulcet quality of Stacey’s performance. The vocalist seems to have spent a fair amount of time listening to Jon Anderson’s more operatic turns on Tales from Topographic Oceans.

Yes is a loaded reference, but prog is relevant to Paleobotany in a few ways. Numerous songs on the record evoke a sound akin to Kayo Dot, c. Coffins on Io, for good (some) and for ill (mostly). The long middle of Paleobotany, from “The Impact That Build the Amazon” through “Strychnos Electri,” is Botanist at the band’s most bloodless. You might say, “That’s sort of the point. No blood. Only chlorophyll.” Fair enough. But stultifyingly self-important compositions are still stultifying. The playing and the production shimmer, and to be sure, a beautiful shimmer is an aesthetic property ideally suited to the dulcimer’s brightness. But on that stretch of tracks, you’d be hard pressed to dig up much drama or intensity under the shiny surfaces.

Perhaps Botanist wishes to leave black metal behind, and one can applaud the impulse to change. Even to evolve. The record’s themes loom significantly here. But there’s something to be said for rootedness, and dirt, and darkness. Is it significant that one of the most effective songs on Paleobotany is “When the Forests Turned to Coal”? It’s compositionally ambitious, full of strange noises and forceful playing. There are moments of triumphal grandness, especially in the song’s closing 50 seconds, but there is also a grittier passion. With a bit more cultivation, something more engagingly strange may emerge from Botanist’s less doomy bloom.

Jonathan Shaw

[buckera]

20 questions for fic writers

I was tagged by the lovely @jesuisici33 thank you mwuah 💛

I'm gonna put some of it under the cut bc it got kinda long uhh

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

15

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

188,136

3. What fandoms do you write for?

currently consumed by 911, but most of my fics either belong to The Witcher or Stranger Things

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

789 – Long and Lost /geraskier, 9.7k, explicit/

707 – It might walk like a duck /steddie, 10k, explicit/

656 – The Companion /geraskier, 6.9k, mature/

634 – A promise I could not make (But what if I was wrong?) /geraskier, 16.4k, mature/

451 – Of Banquets and Destinies /geraskier, 5.4k, gen/

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely!! I love everyone who takes the time to comment on my stuff, it makes me so happy and excited whenever I get the email 💛

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'm a firm believer of heavy angst + happy endings, but I gotta say But where they lay, they cannot stay is hands down the angstiest, because it can barely be classified as a happy ending oops

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I guess Spare me your dreams has a pretty sappy ending lol

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, but once I got a comment on the last chapter of a multi, saying that they 'liked it up until the smut' because I made them use spit as lube and apparently 'I was promoting unsafe sexual practices'........ love, this is fiction and not a sex ed class. The characters in question weren't even fully human, come on now.

I have been moderating my comments ever since, because I'm just not willing to give the time of day to idiots like that.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Funnily enough I wasn't big on smut for a really long time and though I felt that some stories needed it, I always just wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible (I also used to skim sex scenes when I was reading) because I just didn't really find them interesting... that kinda changed when I found some truly exquisite fics and realised that smut can be written just engagingly as the rest of the story and now I include explicit smut in most of the stuff I write. I just really enjoy getting into that part of the characters' minds and finding different scenarios and new nasty things for them to do 😊

What kind? Hmm. Not sure, I like to sprinkle in some sub/dom undertones and a little bit of a praisekink or edging even for the most vanilla stuff. I wouldn't say my stuff is that kinky?? Though I did write watersports, public settings and some degradation too, but who even knows what's considered kinky nowadays...

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I don't write crossovers, I don't even read them... it's just not for me, I guess.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, so hopefully not

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, or at least I can't remember anyone asking

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

It was the way I used to RP in high school... I'd write a paragraph and then my roommate would write the next and we'd pass the notebook back and forth until we finished... it was mostly smut though and I have no idea if I could actually co-write something publishable 💔

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I have a few forever fandoms and forever ships... but I gotta say buddie is the most fun I ever had in fandom so far, so I think they deserve the title (hah)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

fuck, so many 😭 but I have a long steddie fic (26k already written and it's about halfway done) that I regret not finishing, because it was the ultimate angst and character study and I just... yeah, it would've been great, but maybe I get into the mood when season 5 comes out (or it'll just make me wanna never touch the fandom ever again, who knows)

16. What are your writing strengths?

Not sure what counts as strength, but I love learning the speech patterns of the characters I'm writing for and I guess I've gotten kind of alright at it??

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Writing fluff is definitely something that doesn't come easy for me

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Worth it if it makes sense in context and you can make sure that you translate correctly (or realistically incorrectly, if that's what you're going for). Overusing another language just to show that you can is not a good reading experience though, especially if you only put the translation in the end notes.

Also, making a character that rarely ever speaks that language speak it extensively without a good reason can take me out of the story real fucking quick... generally just use it when it makes sense and you can make sure that you're not butchering it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I think the first one I ever posted online was a RyoDa fic (jpop rpf, respectively) and the first fandom I posted for on ao3 was Stranger Things

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Hmmmm. It kinda changes as I move along. I always felt like Hunger at last was pretty under-appreciated compared to my other witcher fics, but It might walk like a duck was something I wrote in about 2 days because it came to me so smoothly and I really enjoyed writing it... The Companion is a big favourite for me because I think it was a pretty unique idea to work with... also it's not even posted yet but the mudslide fic already has such a special place in my heart, plus it has my favourite confession scene I've ever written so...

idk I'm not a very decisive person lmao sorry

✨no pressure tagging: @forthewolves @eddiediaztho @daffi-990 @callaplums @ladydorian05 and anyone who wants to do it 💛

[quidfree]

Hey, q. What are your favorites books, apart from TSH?

hey, you.

ive set out some favorite books of mine in my ‘recs’ tag before, so i’d recommend a look through the posts there. i think this one is a bit of a masterpost. but a few good reads from the past year or so:

canto yo y la montaña baila, by irene sola: about a mountain and the people who live there. just a stunning well-crafted energizing piece of literature. the setting, the people, and the symbiotic relationship of each individual thread of storytelling is so great.

invisible women, by caroline criado-perez: nonfiction, but deeply eye-opening and compellingly written. i never thought what is essentially a data-reviewing exercise could be laid out so engagingly. very interesting critical perspective.

another country, by james baldwin: i think i may have mentioned this one previously but idc it’s one of my more memorable recent rereads. so human and from the heart and yet bird’s eye-aware of all the societal trappings entombing our protagonists, and unshy about letting that weight linger.

also, because i feel like a fraud, i don’t even think tsh is one of my fav books??? goldfinch steals its slot in that exclusive category. it's more that the tsh cast lends itself to discussion and dissemination very easily. a lot of my all time greats are things i never talk about bc they're not very, hm,, fandom-y.

anw, if you have a craving for some specific type of book (or non-book) rec and / or want to talk ~high-brow literature~ my inbox is always open !

[ankitaacadereality]

Elevate Your Project with Cutting-Edge Animation Services 

Today, partnering with an animation services company is a staple for video advertising - and there are a lot of good reasons why. For many, it has become a crucial part of their story because its cost is less than other forms of video marketing and animation’s capability to spark emotions. 

But you might be asking yourself, if 2D Animation Service Providers are that crucial, why do I need an agency? Why can I do it myself?

What are the benefits of partnering with an animation services company?

Business can focus on creative imagination

Reduce prices for video-editing software

Capture the core of your brand

I. Cost and budget 

When you partner with professional 2D animation solutions, you can be assured of top-quality solutions at affordable prices. 

Ii. Personalize The Brand

If there’s something that 2D animation services provide that standard school video marketing doesn’t, it’s humanizing your brand. Whether it’s a 3D or 2D animation, everything about your video can be made to fit your business persona. 

Another advantage of using animation solutions is that you can encrypt your brand.  

A personalized brand can also lead to:

Brand Engagement 

An animation services company can also help you soft-sell your services or products. Video animation allows us to digest content on visual and audio levels all at once, so it gives us an enhanced idea of the core message. 

So whether you use 2D animation services for a company timeline or product launch, they can give life to concepts that viewers may struggle to engage with. 

More visual prompts and less text can keep the audience engaged for a long period. Also, video animation especially appeals to every age. This is as it elicits a sense of reminiscence in every one of us. Ensure your animations are branded in your business colors

Why should your company use an animation services company?

Well, we’ve already drawn why animation solutions themselves are so beneficial for:

Brand awareness

Brand engagement

Embodying and personalizing your brand

As to why you should partner with an animation agency, there are a lot of reasons: 1. Kit and Software 

If you don’t already own the best and most advanced animation software, then you might be shocked - animation software isn’t low-cost! 

The good news is, an animation services company will have all of this organized, and they can hit the ground running, for instance, with whiteboard animation production. 2. Time

At the very least, it takes months to learn basic 2D animation services, whereas an animation agency will have a devoted professional with years of experience. And your time has just as much of a financial value as kit and software. 3. Investing In Assets

Video animation can also be an immortal video marketing asset.

This is because your animation can be used across different media. You could utilize an agency’s animation services to create an explainer video that could equally be used as a brand launch.

Plus, you can boost engagement by hosting it on your social channels, and video content is easily shareable. 

Last but not least, 2D animation services can fit anywhere in your sales cone- whether that means entertaining existing ones or enticing new consumers. 

4. Good Quality

An animation services company is going to be versed in styles ranging from whiteboard animation production and 2D through to 3D animated videos.

Making sure your data is mobile-friendly is key 5. Creativity

Like we said, once you’ve stopped trying to learn Maya and Blender, you can focus on what really matters - your meaning.

For best video animation to work, you need to translate your brand’s mission statement engagingly and concisely. And by outsourcing the complex elements to an animation agency, you can emphasize this part of the project.

Wrapping up

An animation services company can save you money and time, all while boosting your brand’s engagement. By outsourcing to an animation agency that can ensure the animation style you select reflects your brand vision, you can confirm that your brand’s story gets told right.

You can cut down on the up-front costs related to trying to learn animation yourself or hiring an animator. Plus, animation solutions can even be more affordable than live filming!

Animated video can flawlessly capture your business’s ideals with engaging and fun characters and content. With the rise in the status of animation for video advertising purposes, you’d be crazy to miss the boat. 

[denimbex1986]

'GamesRadar+ Verdict *****

Andrew Haigh stuns with a hard-to-categorise drama that’s both fantastical and engagingly grounded. Ace performances all round.

One of the reasons Back to the Future has endured - besides being an expertly calibrated adventure with a charismatic lead, iconic imagery, and clockwork-perfect script - is the endlessly fascinating concept of meeting your own parents at the same age as you. Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers also explores that idea, though there are no flux capacitors or Enchantment Under the Sea dances here.

Loosely based on Japanese novelist Taichi Yamada’s Strangers (1987), Haigh’s adaptation is initially set in present-day London. But the high-concept hook sees the protagonist travelling back to his childhood home, only to interact with his parents, who - if you’ve got a torch to hold under your chin, now’s the time - died decades earlier when he was just a kid. That may sound like the start of a tale told at a sleepover, but this isn’t a ghost story in that sense. Though haunting and tense in places, this is not a chiller. The ghosts are of the past, the demons personal.

Writer/director Haigh works in the same naturalistic register that made his 2011 breakout Weekend so refreshingly disarming. He also brings several layers of specificity that really add depth. Screenwriter Adam (Andrew Scott) is living in a new-build London high-rise. It’s barely occupied, save for mysterious younger guy Harry (Paul Mescal), who’s also in one of the new apartments. A chance meeting ignites a spark between the two gay men, but Adam is hesitant to rush in.

As their relationship slowly takes shape, Adam, researching his latest project, heads to the suburban commuter town he grew up in and finds his parents' home. Played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, they’re relics of their time, but not caricatures. Given they both died before Adam came out, there’s a lot to unpack. All of Us Strangers is extremely sharp on changing attitudes and generational differences - not just between Adam and his parents, but also between Adam and the younger Harry (Adam can’t quite embrace the term ‘queer’, given how it was used in his formative years).

Both narrative strands are equally compelling. Scott - best known to date for Sherlock and Fleabag - fully delivers on his role’s promise. It’s all the more impressive a showcase given that he’s so restrained, his vulnerability nuanced. Even in the more heightened emotional moments, there’s never a shred of look-at-me self-consciousness. It’s hard not to imagine that supporting roles might become rarer for Mescal, given his current ascent, but (as in The Lost Daughter) he proves to be an extremely valuable secondary player. Charming, mysterious, and tender as the story demands, he’s magnetic, and his chemistry with Scott resonates.

Foy and Bell also do great work as Adam’s out-of-time parents. Some of their attitudes are dated, to an upsetting degree, but they remain human, warm. Despite the incongruous age difference (or lack thereof) between them and their son, their interactions feel natural and believable. Their meetings also lead to some extremely charged moments, when Adam gets to do what so many never get the chance to, and rake over unresolved parent-child issues with the benefit of hindsight.

The central conceit has an air of magic realism. It’s all presented rather matter-of-factly - at least at first, until Adam’s grasp on reality begins to feel somewhat tenuous, and his life starts to look like a waking nightmare. Haigh handles these tonal shifts deftly. From the gobsmacking opening shot of a London sunset, you feel like you’re in extremely safe hands. It’s easy to get lost in this world, and like Adam, you never want the visits back home to end. There’s also a superb use of '80s pop throughout, serving as a time capsule in itself.

It’s impressive how this puzzle box wraps up. It’s satisfying, emotional, and bold, without undercutting what has come before. Even if you sense where it might be heading early on, it’s no less rewarding for that. Told with economy, and evading any easy genre classification - it’s part romance, part fantasy, part thriller, and more besides - it’s a very moving piece of work, and a testament to the power of love.'

[true-blue-sonic]

Top 5 books you would to recommend

I don't read much, so this is a tough one... I came up with four books or series that I really like or used to like!

4. I bought The Martian at a King's Day book sale, and I finished it in one go. It's written very engagingly, and the general plot of a dude being stranded on Mars and, against all odds, being rescued while writing about it all sassily in a log book was a fun angle to read such a story!

3. When I was a child, I adored a trilogy called Lion Boy. It's about a boy who can speak to cats, and he has to go rescue his scientist parents after they are kidnapped because they managed to create an antidote against the rampant, human-created allergies the populace is plagued with. The boy joins a circus that travels on a boat to do so, and manages to escape with the group of abused circus lions who further help him reunite with his parents. It's been years since I read it, but I found it highly engaging!

2. I used to be a big fan of the Warrior Cat series, until eventually they reached a point so many arbitrary things going wrong to the various cat Clans that even my suspension of disbelief could not deal with it anymore. Still, especially the first two series and the standalone books in the greater universe are well written, in my opinion.

1. This is a Dutch, specifically Flemish, book: Allemaal willen we de hemel (We all want heaven), about a family with three children living through the Second World War and its aftermath of a family friend allegedly betraying them by joining the Nazis and killing someone from the Resistance. There is a lot of twists and turns happening, but also much familial support and affection. As a child, I read many such books about WWII, and this one definitely caught my attention!

[rockislandadultreads]

Book Recommendations: National Bird Day 

The Secret Perfume of Birds by Danielle J. Whittaker 

The puzzling lack of evidence for the peculiar but widespread belief that birds have no sense of smell irked evolutionary biologist Danielle Whittaker. Exploring the science behind the myth led her on an unexpected quest investigating mysteries from how juncos win a fight to why cowbirds smell like cookies. In The Secret Perfume of Birds - part science, part intellectual history, and part memoir - Whittaker blends humor, clear writing, and a compelling narrative to describe how scent is important not just for birds but for all animals, including humans.

Whittaker engagingly describes how emerging research has uncovered birds' ability to produce complex chemical signals that influence their behavior, including where they build nests, when they pick a fight, and why they fly away. Mate choice, or sexual selection - a still enigmatic aspect of many animals' lives - appears to be particularly influenced by smell. Whittaker's pioneering studies suggest that birds' sexy (and scary) signals are produced by symbiotic bacteria that manufacture scents in the oil that birds stroke on their feathers when preening. From tangerine-scented auklets to her beloved juncos, redolent of moss, birds from across the world feature in Whittaker's stories, but she also examines the smelly chemicals of all kinds of creatures, from iguanas and bees to monkeys and humans. 

Readers will enjoy a rare opportunity to witness the twisting roads scientific research can take, especially the challenging, hilarious, and occasionally dangerous realities of ornithology in the wild.

A World on the Wing by Scott Weidensaul 

In the past two decades, our understanding of the navigational and physiological feats that enable birds to cross immense oceans, fly above the highest mountains, or remain in unbroken flight for months at a stretch has exploded. What we’ve learned of these key migrations - how billions of birds circumnavigate the globe, flying tens of thousands of miles between hemispheres on an annual basis - is nothing short of extraordinary.

Bird migration entails almost unfathomable endurance, like a sparrow-sized sandpiper that will fly nonstop from Canada to Venezuela - the equivalent of running 126 consecutive marathons without food, water, or rest - avoiding dehydration by "drinking" moisture from its own muscles and organs, while orienting itself using the earth’s magnetic field through a form of quantum entanglement that made Einstein queasy. Crossing the Pacific Ocean in nine days of nonstop flight, as some birds do, leaves little time for sleep, but migrants can put half their brains to sleep for a few seconds at a time, alternating sides - and their reaction time actually improves.

These and other revelations convey both the wonder of bird migration and its global sweep, from the mudflats of the Yellow Sea in China to the remote mountains of northeastern India to the dusty hills of southern Cyprus. This breathtaking work of nature writing from Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Weidensaul also introduces readers to those scientists, researchers, and bird lovers trying to preserve global migratory patterns in the face of climate change and other environmental challenges.

Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead

Since the dawn of human history, birds have stirred our imagination, inspiring and challenging our ideas about science, faith, art and philosophy. Looking to the skies above, we have variously worshipped them as gods, hunted them for sustenance, adorned ourselves in their feathers, studied their wings to engineer flight and, more recently, attempted to protect them.

In Birds and Us, award-winning writer and ornithologist Tim Birkhead takes us on an epic and dazzling journey through this mutual history with birds, from the ibises mummified and deified by Ancient Egyptians to Renaissance experiments on woodpecker anatomy, from Victorian obsessions with egg collecting to the present fight to save endangered species and restore their habitats.

Weaving in stories from his own life as a scientist, including far-flung expeditions to wondrous Neolithic caves in Spain and the bustling guillemot colonies of the Faroe Islands, this rich and fascinating book is the culmination of a lifetime's research and unforgettably shows how birds shaped us, and how we have shaped them.

The Hawk’s Way by Sy Montgomery 

When Sy Montgomery went to spend a day at falconer Nancy Cowan’s farm, home to a dozen magnificent birds of prey, it was the start of a deep love affair. Nancy allowed her to work with Jazz, a feisty, four-year-old, female Harris’s hawk with a wingspan of more than four feet. Not a pet, Jazz was a fierce predator with talons that could pierce skin and bone and yet, she was willing to work with a human to hunt. From the first moment Jazz swept down from a tree and landed on Sy’s leather gloved fist, Sy fell under the hawk’s magnetic spell.

Over the next few years, Sy spent more time with these magnificent creatures, getting to know their extraordinary abilities and instincts. They are deeply emotional animals, quick to show anger and frustration, and can hold a grudge for years. But they are also loyal and intensely aware of their surroundings. In this mesmerizing account, featuring sixteen pages of gorgeous color photographs, Sy passionately and vividly reveals the wonderous world of hawks and what they can teach us about nature, life, and love.

[samrieimg]

would love to hear anything you’re willing to say about the fnc concubine au :)

(also hope you’re recovering well man ♥️)

So, the Concubine AU is going to be a hard one to finish and to pace in a way that makes it "redeemable" but also engagingly dark/worth its AU.

That makes me sound like I'm killing puppies, but really when you add non-consent and want something to end happy and also want characters to both be seen as ultimately morally good, you have to lay foundation to get readers to buy that.

to sum up plot summary: events occur pre-canon, Ch!p has a no good very bad day and ends up a prisoner of the human-hating Undersea who don't disguise how little they wish ill will, and he's assigned to the reluctant champion who looks like he'd rather skewer Ch!p. Ch!p finds either he plays into his role or he's going to end up dead.

When I first went into it, I thought "okay, well obviously canon Undersea isn't super dark so I can't go super harsh" and tritons according to DND lore usually spare people based on how good of heart they are.

Then, JR/WI lore said otherwise. Ok. Re-write. Fish people gonna be assholes.

As usual, I love my Ch!p POV, and so that helps balance the dark tone, because you have room for comedy with him.

So from the get go it's going to emphasize Ch!p does not matter to the Undersea. His life is literally seen as less than the life of a fish. He is nothing, and if they spare him, it's not out of regard for him. They can and will revoke and kill him if need be. Ch!p very much faces the "You don't matter :)" severe trauma.

The challenge becomes how to present Gil. It took a few reworks, but with a lot of canon filtering in about his backstory, I settled on selling the narrative he's just as much a prisoner as Ch!p. But still, can't give him too much sympathy right out the gate and Ch!p isn't about to be treated to Gil devolving his entire life story to a human, so it's about non-subtly emphasizing how much of Gil's life is decided for him and how little freedom he has.

And how his human pet he's given is basically the only companionship he gets and how even if he loathes humans, Gil can't pretend forever he's not lonely.

Theres also the fun thing of an impending stack of cards falling as Ch!p does what he does best, and thinks he can lie and bluff and cheat his way out of this situation.

As we know, Gil hates liars :).

Ultimately, story gets to end very happy.

And depending on how much I want to push the bill on the E material, I may go "lets go poetic" or "lets go raunchy." Def E material, but also I don't want to cheapshot out and have forced-concubine AU that's "oh, but the captor is nice so its okay!" trope. My co-writer and I do disagree a little I've noticed. My tastes always lean a little darker.

I think honestly unless I plan for shorter stories I'm never getting any of my ideas done X_x. I always want to take 100k words, but the commit 10k only.

[devoqdesign]

Unlocking the Secrets of Effective UI/UX Landing Pages: How to Capture and Convert Your Audience

In the digital age, your landing page is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. A well-designed landing page can be the difference between a bounce and a conversion. But what makes a landing page truly effective? Let's dive into the secrets of creating UI/UX landing pages that not only capture your audience's attention but also convert them into loyal customers.

1. Understand Your Audience

Before you even begin designing, it's crucial to understand who your target audience is. What are their pain points? What solutions are they seeking? What motivates them? This knowledge will inform every aspect of your landing page design, from the copy to the color scheme.

Conduct thorough market research, analyze your competitors, and create detailed user personas. This groundwork will help you craft a landing page that speaks directly to your audience's needs and desires.

2. Craft a Compelling Value Proposition

Your value proposition is the heart of your landing page. It should clearly and concisely communicate what makes your product or service unique and why visitors should choose you over competitors. Place this front and center on your landing page, typically in the hero section.

Remember, you have mere seconds to grab a visitor's attention. Make your value proposition punchy, benefit-focused, and easy to understand at a glance.

3. Keep It Simple and Focused

When it comes to landing pages, less is often more. A cluttered page with too many elements can overwhelm visitors and dilute your message. Instead, focus on a single goal for your landing page and remove anything that doesn't directly contribute to that goal.

Use plenty of white space to give your content room to breathe. This not only makes your page more visually appealing but also helps guide the user's attention to the most important elements.

4. Create a Clear and Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA is the gateway to conversion. Make it stand out with contrasting colors, bold text, and strategic placement. Use action-oriented language that creates a sense of urgency or excitement.

Don't be afraid to use multiple CTAs throughout the page, especially for longer landing pages. However, ensure they all lead to the same action to maintain focus and avoid confusion.

5. Optimize for Mobile

With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, your landing page must be mobile-friendly. Use responsive design techniques to ensure your page looks great and functions well on screens of all sizes.

Pay special attention to load times on mobile. Compress images, minimize code, and leverage browser caching to keep your page loading quickly, even on slower mobile connections.

6. Use High-Quality, Relevant Visuals

Humans are visual creatures, and the right images can significantly enhance your landing page's effectiveness. Use high-quality, relevant images or videos that support your message and appeal to your target audience.

Consider using hero shots of your product, lifestyle images that resonate with your audience, or even custom illustrations that explain complex concepts simply and engagingly.

7. Leverage Social Proof

Nothing builds trust quite like social proof. Incorporate testimonials, customer reviews, case studies, or trust badges into your landing page design. If you have impressive numbers (like the number of satisfied customers or amount of money saved), don't be shy about showcasing them.

Make sure your social proof is authentic and specific. A detailed testimonial from a named customer with their photo is far more powerful than a generic quote from "John D."

8. Implement Effective Form Design

If your landing page includes a form, its design can make or break your conversion rate. Keep forms as short as possible, asking only for essential information. Use inline form validation to provide immediate feedback and reduce errors.

Consider using multi-step forms for longer forms, as they can feel less overwhelming to users. Always make it clear what will happen after the form is submitted to set proper expectations.

9. Optimize Your Page Speed

Page speed is crucial for both user experience and SEO. A slow-loading page can significantly increase bounce rates and decrease conversions. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix performance issues.

Optimize your images, minify your CSS and JavaScript, and consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to serve your content faster to users around the world.

10. Use Persuasive Copy

Your copy should be clear, concise, and compelling. Focus on the benefits of your product or service rather than just listing features. Use active voice and power words to create emotional resonance with your readers.

Break up long blocks of text with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability. Remember, most users will skim your content, so make it easy for them to grasp the key points quickly.

Conclusion

Creating an effective UI/UX landing page is both an art and a science. It requires a deep understanding of your audience, a clear focus on your goals, and a willingness to continually test and refine your approach. By implementing these secrets, you'll be well on your way to crafting landing pages that not only capture your audience's attention but also drive meaningful conversions.

Remember, the most successful landing pages are those that evolve. Stay curious, keep learning, and never stop optimizing. Your perfect landing page is out there – it's up to you to discover it.

My Fiver link for :  Figma Landing Page Design Service