#looks like the focus is on victoria and her relationship with albert

[assortedflavours]

Jenna will be reading from Queen Victoria’s diaries on June 9th if anyone in or around London can make it. Tickets are £20, but also include entry to Kensington Palace, which I recommend visiting at least once.

Interestingly, this has now been updated to say that other cast members will be there (though no mention of who) and confirms Albert’s letters will be read. Hoping for Tom!

[poignantpulchritude]

Silly Pleasures-Chapter 6

*Thanks to everyone reading along so far! I’ll be back to posting more frequently, I got into a bit of a slump once work started up again. But we back BABY!!!!*

I was deep into an article detailing the life of executioners in 17th century France, when I felt eyes staring in my direction. I looked up from my laptop to see a boy, possibly around 18, quickly look towards the window of the library. It was all too quick for it to be a coincidence. 

Once my gaze drifted back down to my computer, I felt the eyes return to me. I tried to ignore the feeling, but eventually it became too much. I felt my neck heat up in a blush, my armpits started to sweat under my white sweatshirt, and I could no longer focus on the words I was reading. The letters blurred into a gray mass on the page. 

My phoned beeped next to my hand, making me jump out of my panicked state. I took a deep breath in to calm my nerves before looking down. Despite the immediate increase in heart rate as I glanced at the name, I felt a small smile creep onto my face. 

Harry had texted me periodically since our night out for drinks a week ago. He was not the best at texting and most of the messages consisted of random dad jokes sent impulsively. I also could not deny that each time I saw his contact, I blushed and tucked my phone away as if I was harboring a deep secret. 

In some ways, though, Harry was my deep secret. While our friendship was still in its early stages, I developed a sort of possessiveness over him. After hearing about our semi-date, I was brutally interrogated by Rosie, Amber, and Keith. They wanted to know whether or not some of his past relationships where publicity stunts, if Larry was real, and if he secretly hated all One Direction songs. Instead of obliging their twisted questioning, I simply told them that he smelled good and remembered my drink order. I did not share that there were whispers and the slight brush of hands. That was for me.

Instead of a knock-knock joke under his name, Harry sent me an invitation to a party that night. 

Technically, today was a day off for me. I gave myself an early weekend because of a steady string of private chats over the past few nights. My research for my dissertation was far ahead of half of the other students, too. I had no excuse to decline his offer. 

What time and where?

*

Hours later, I was sat in the living room of Alexa Chung. It all felt quite absurd.

When I informed Molly of my plans for the night, she gave me a knowing smirk. “Oh, my god, you are going to fuck him, this is incredible.”
 “Stop, you don’t know that at all. He’s giving me very friendly vibes, maybe he just wants another friend that has impulsive tattoos?” I offered up. This was far from a date in my eyes. Not only was Harry not picking me up, he was not meeting me anywhere before, instead choosing to let me show up outside a very swanky flat at 8 that night, alone.  

A man I did not know opened the door when I arrived. I did not really know what to do or say. Harry did not tell me who’s house this was, just the time and location. 

“Um, hi. I’m here for the party,” I said, with an odd grimace on my face that I attempted to make look like a confident smile.

He smiled back, similarly confused, but said, “Uh, certainly. Come in, come in, it’s a bit nippy out there.” I blushed deeply as he stuttered and coughed at the end of his sentence. “Well, it’s a bit cold I mean.” He walked ahead of me, further into the luxurious flat as I tried to discretely rub my boobs so my nipples could warm slightly and not be so obviously erect. That did not help much put instead encouraged them to raise further. I groaned and hugged my open jacket tightly across my body. I’m positive I looked ill.

When we finally arrived at the end of the long hallway to a large living area, I noticed the long table filled with bread, tomatoes, and pasta. My mouth watered at the sheer amount of Italian food and at the copious bottles of wine. In those moments, I decided I would just sit at the table for the entire evening, hiding behind the bruschetta and creating a barrier of wine so no one would see my face. Clearly, Harry had other ideas.

“Jeanne, you made it!” He yelled across the room, surrounded by a gaggle of beautiful women. I gave a shy wave as he left the group to give me a hug. I felt the glares from the other girls immediately. 

“Hi Harry. Nice of you to inform me of the dress code and the fact that it was a dinner party,” I complained through a tight smile. He rolled his eyes playfully at my words.

“There is no dress code, this is their casual attire, trust me. And besides, it’s mostly a drinking party with a bit of bread involved.” If I had known I would have been sitting around men and women decked out in brown leather, stilettos, and silk scarves I definitely would not have decided to go bra-less in a white shirt and jeans. My desire to have every event be casual got the best of me once again. “C’mon, lemme introduce you to some people,” he spoke as he led me around the room, hand on my low back like days before. 

So that was how we arrived at the absurdity of sitting in Alexa Chung’s living room. She was chatting animatedly on the light couch in front of me as I sat facing her on her wood floor, sitting on a pillow and leaning back on the coffee table. Harry was correct that much of the food was left at the way side, which meant that I would happily be able to sneak plates of it home. 

“Have you ever been to Paris, Jeanne?” Alexa asked. I downed the rest of the red wine in my glass before answering. 

“Nope, but I’ve been to Nice. That’s where my dad’s family is from.”

“Wait, you’re French?” A girl, who’s name the wine haze helped me forget, asked quickly.

“Yup, only half though.”

“Hmmm, interesting.” 

I was a bit confused by the way she responded. There was a tone to her words that seemed almost disappointed. 

“What?” I asked, “Is a rivalry between the British and French coming to a head right now?” I attempted to joke. 

“Oh no, sorry I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just…well…Harry’s last girlfriend was French.” Before I could ask her what she meant by that, I felt a body land heavily next to mine on the floor. 

“So, what’s the hot gos here ladies?” Harry slurred. 

“Just talking about your dating history dear Harry,” Alexa teased. 

If Harry was uncomfortable by the topic, he didn’t show it, especially with how drunk he was. By his behavior, tonight clearly was not meant to be a date. I spent most of it talking to people that happened to sit on the couch I was in front of, while I drank my wine. Harry popped in a bit now and then, but it seemed like he was deep in conversations with everyone except me at the party. It was fine. 

“Wouldn’t everyone fucking like to know all about that,” he responded, picking up the bottle of wine on the coffee table behind us and putting it up to his lips.

“Hey, that’s gross,” I grumbled at him, pulling the bottle away and clutching it to my chest. 

“You’re gross.”


“You have no idea.”

Harry laughed at my words and I saw some light go back into his eyes. He did not look very lively, but distracted or clouded. 

“So anyway Jeanne, you absolutely have to go to Paris and to this one shop…” Alexa continued on and I nodded and smiled when appropriate, but was focused mainly on Harry’s body heat beside me. He was almost oppressively warm, no doubt from his running around the party and his alcohol consumption. Each word Alexa spoke had Harry leaning closer and closer towards my left shoulder. He smelled uniquely floral, a departure from his husky cologne days before. 

Before I knew it, Alexa and her friend were no longer speaking to me. Instead, they were engaged in a heated conversation about politics with the self-proclaimed son of an Earl. I could feel Harry’s eyes burning a whole into the side of my face. I decided to blurt something out to diffuse any one-sided sexual tension I was feeling.

“You don’t seem happy.”

Harry pulled his head back in confusion and shook it back and forth, his hair not as mobile as years past. “What do you mean?” he asked, light and confused. It seemed put on for my benefit.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, you look a bit down. Maybe it’s because I’ve never seen you drunk,” I told him. Though I left out that his sad looks probably had nothing to do with his drinking, remembering stolen images of him on the internet drunk and smiley with friends. I could tell his behavior was odd. 

“Well no. I’ve been talking to everyone here tonight!”

“Talking to lots of people doesn’t mean you are incapable of being sad, Harry.”

“Why do we only interact when we are drunk?” 

“You are the one that has invited me to two events that were based solely on drinking. And don’t try to change the conversation on me, I’m a scholar, you need to do better than that.”

“Well here’s one, why don’t you invite me anywhere?”

I was too flustered at this question to attempt to sway him back to our conversational starting point. “Uh, I’ve invited you somewhere.”
 “Bullshit! I’m not blackout drunk, I still have my memory,” Harry said, humor thickly lacing his voice. 

“I…I uh, well I’ll invite you somewhere now.” Harry waited patiently. Ideas rattled around in my head of places to take Harry that would not absolutely bore him out of his mind. “I’m going to the Victoria and Albert Museum Monday afternoon.” 

He just stared at me. “And…” he responded in an exaggerated manner.

“And…I would like you to come with me. I haven’t been yet and they were your royals previously.”

“Why thank you Jeannie, I would love to.” He made a big show out of his response, bowing his head and picking up my hand to kiss delicately. I whipped my hand back, faux annoyed but secretly giddy. Harry’s laughter traveled across the room at him antics. “I haven’t been to a museum in ages.” 

I began to question him as to why, but realized that he was actually someone incredibly famous. I immediately felt terrible, realizing that Harry would be unable to enjoy the outing because of his recognizable face. “Oh jeez, never mind. I didn’t even think about people recognizing you.”

“No, no, I want to go. I’m not hounded as much as I was with the band. Besides, I’m not sure how many fans will be at a museum named for royals on a Monday unless they are with a school group. It will be fine.” The smile Harry had on his face was genuine and it made me feel happy inside, not because it was directed at me, but because it made him look better. The clouds behind his eyes were not as heavy.

“Are you really okay?” I asked him one last time. 

He looked me in the eye and remained silent for a good twenty seconds. I was not sure he was going to respond at all, but then he nodded slightly. “Yea, I’m feeling okay. We put the finishing touches on the album today and it just brought back some feelings, that’s all.” Suddenly, it made sense. Feelings of his ex-girlfriend. “Some of her friends are here,” he admitted. The heavy drinking finally made sense. 

“How long ago did you break up?”

“Oh, a long while ago to be honest. But, it’s a bit difficult to be reminded of it so frequently. I was pretty isolated for a while so it’s weird being around it all again.” 

I remained silent, letting his words sink in. I never had a long-term relationship. The longest was about four months, that ended in infidelity. I did not know what it was like to be emotionally and physically connected to someone for months or years and then to have that ripped away. “I don’t know what to say. I’m shit at relationships.”


Harry shook his head, “You don’t need to say anything, that’s all well and done. Just need to do a bit of growth again, don’t want this to set me back and put me in a funk.” After he said this, Harry’s eyes traveled to the wall in front of us, inspecting the colorful paintings on the wall. I could tell he was being introspective, thinking too deeply in his intoxicated state. 

The first bars of Just Like Heaven began to play through the speakers. My ears immediately perked up and I shook Harry’s shoulders. He looked over at me lethargically, a bit like a confused puppy dog. I jumped up on my feet, only wobbling slightly as I pulled Harry up too. I dragged him to the center of the room and started flailing around to the words. “I love this song!” I yelled at him, jolting a few of the bodies around us. 

Finally shaken from his reverie, Harry started bobbing his head and moving his limbs in an awkwardly hilarious fashion. Soon, we were dancing erratically to the beat, stomping on the floor and twirling around in circles. I felt like I was in kindergarten again, running around the playground playing tag with the boy I had a crush on. Those around us joined in and soon Alexa Chung’s flat was filled with moderately intoxicated people dancing to 80’s pop-punk. 

“Show me how you do it, and I’ll promise you, I’ll promise that I’ll run away with you,” Harry and I sang in unison, loud and smiling. I was not embarrassed or nervous at the lyrical implications of the song, I was just jamming out with a friend. It was at this point that I genuinely felt that Harry had become a friend. We danced the most aggressively in a crowded room without a care in the world. 

“Hey Jeanne!” Harry yelled over the music, “You’re just like a dream!” I laughed loudly at his repetition of the lyrics. I even gave a little bow. We giggled around the room and I felt the lightest I had in a while. I did not notice until later that night that Harry’s eyes looked the brightest I’ve ever seen right when he sang to me, “You’re just like heaven.”

[funkymbtifiction]

I'm maddening to understand what is my instinctual variant. I've read all the possible informations on the Internet,but I don't understand nothing because there are too little good texts about this matter and the majority of them are too nebulous. How to understand that I am sp, sx or so? Or to understand my blind spot? I hope that you can answer to these questions because I don't know where to ask them.

Simpler is better. Don’t over-complicate it. Just go with your gut instinct.

Sp

(having enough to eat, enough sleep, nice things in my home so it feels comfy to me, making sure I get down time to recharge, knowing my body’s limitations, saving money, ensuring that I have everything I need to live a comfortable life)

So

(adapting to what is appropriate, being socially aware and respectful, caring to include and not alienate others, spending a lot of time establishing relationships with a broad variety of people, knowing how to spread your energy around and treat others as equals)

Sx

(you need other people and/or intense, stimulating things to draw energy from, you seem to be passionately wildly devoted to that thing for awhile and then wake up one morning and the heat is gone, so you abandon it and find a new source of energy and ‘juice’; you feel incomplete without a significant other)

The order is which one you find relatively easy to do; the second one is something you pay attention to, but don’t do as well as the first; your blind spot is the one you’re aware of, but neglect in favor of the other two (and it seems awkward when you do, do it).

So, the blindspots would act like this if they tried:

sp-blind: suddenly takes an interest in self-care, goes way overboard, doesn’t know what’s reasonable to gather as resources, causing other sp’s to “lol” at them because no, you don’t need a year’s supply of Red Bull, that’s not an actual health food

so-blind: suddenly thinks maybe they should care what other people think, tries to appeal to them, figures out they seem to either have people love or hate them, there’s no in-between, is socially awkward when they try to spread their focus around and aren’t sure how to make friends without ‘crazy energy’ pulling at them to care

sx-blind: thinks they need heat and intensity in their romantic relationship, but has no idea what that’s like, so they try and pretend they have it by being all over their SO and just being super awkward with PDA instead

- ENFP Mod

ETA: Examples:

sp-blind: Dustin in Stranger Things, failing to realize that thing he’s feeding that is sooo cute is actually a monster that is gonna try and eat him and his friends. This is rather an extreme example, but sp-blinds fail to take into account how dangerous the external world is, since their personal health and safety often does not enter their minds. This is literally the person who agrees to let their first date with a person on tinder DRIVE THEM to their destination (cos it’s not like people get murdered or anything, right?).

so-blind: Queen Victoria on Victoria. She is so wrapped up in her own sense of self-care and independence and her intense sx-merging with Albert that every single time she tries to do something “nice” for the public, she majorly misjudges the situation and only makes the public angrier at her. Like her sp thinking it’s a great idea to throw a grand ball to spend money to help the fabric shops of London is a nice thought, just, you know, not really socially appropriate while people are starving outside her gate. ;)

sx-blind: Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl. Her entire on and off again thing with Chuck is an sx-blind nightmare, since he will tell her she doesn’t have any intense chemistry with whatever due she is with (and she doesn’t) ... and that will cause her to react and over-compensate by trying to be sexually aggressive -- which is what she thinks sx-intensity is (it’s not). But basically, all the romantic choices she make (except for Chuck) are for so/sp reasons (so - it looks good, everyone approves, and sp - but we get on so well together and he provides everything that I need... except sx bonding, oops).

[mermaidsirennikita]

thecatsaesthetics replied to your post: thecatsaesthetics replied to your post: ...

The entire show feels very OOC this season. I miss Wilhelmina, she was actually growing on me. Francatelli and Skerrett are just wanna be Mr. and Mrs. Bates from Downton Abbey. And it does seem they are going down the “fatal attraction” route with the sister but I can’t see anyone buying it. But since Daisy did say Victoria wants to slow down the sex life this season I’m starting to think we might be in for something…

I think we’ll have this great divide of Victoria relying overmuch on her sister, and it’s really like...  Fine, if you want there to be a gap in the babies that’s fine.  That makes sense.  But I find it frustrating that Victoria and Albert can’t have issues without Victoria relying on someone else?  Largely because it’s a repeat of last season--the actress playing Feodora even looks kind of like Lehzen, lol.

We’ve done Victoria and Albert being torn apart by Victoria being overly reliant on someone else.  Why not just have them have issues with each other, issues over Bertie, without some evil third party?  Have them deal with their own flaws.  Like, it’s funny to a point but it’s also tired.  And we know that Victoria will have #7 this season according to Jenna, soooo it’s just a matter of waiting until they reconcile/give in to each other.  Victoria and Albert were definitely prone to fighting, so imo that’s enough material to keep tension in their relationship without someone else.

I kinda wish the show were less Downtown and more Grown Up, because I honestly feel like we’d have less of the bullshit about these vague supporting characters if we could focus on grittier political shit, darker scandals amongst the upper classes...  I mean tbh if the show was even more explicit about V and A’s issues we could have better “fight and make up” scenes lol.

[minetteskvareninova]

Minette watches Victoria season 3, part 1 (Uneasy Lies The Head that Wears the Crown)

- I have many thoughts and almost all of them revolve around Palmers. I honestly love Palmers, mostly because in this show, charisma died with Lord M and Palmers has just so much of it it’s insane.

- At first, I thought him being anti-reform and Albert pro-reform was just a pro-Vicky propaganda, but apparently that’s what it was like IRL? Of course, there are a few caveats to this story. I don’t know if Albert supported the chartist movement specifically (most of the British ruling class didn’t), even though he apparently did care about the conditions of the working class. They also present Palmers’ support of foreign revolutionary movements as being purely in order to destabilize Britain’s competitors, when that wasn’t the case at all? Palmers just thought current British system is really swell, nothing should change about it and everyone abroad should adopt it - which for the absolutist monarchies of Europe meant becoming more liberal. So he was more of a centrist-conservative than anything. Victoria the show is probably portraying him negatively, because Victoria the person hated the dude and this show is very biased towards her perspective.

- One thing I don’t appreciate about Palmers is his apparent romance with a very boring lady-in-waiting to Victoria. I dread the return of Harriet x Ernest. Christ, this is going to clog half of the fucking season, isn’t it?! It’s all the more annoying because just like Ernest in season 2, Palmers was already married - and the marriage was notoriously happy!

- They also show the chartists rioting at the gates of the royal palace, which, they didn’t (especially not when any of Victoria’s kids was about to be born, ffs)?! In fact, they were bullied by the government into severely reducing even the peaceful procession they planned! Chartists did riot in 1848 at some places, but not in London. O’Connor was, in the immortal words of Jack Rackham, a petulant little mischief maker, so that kind of checks out, although his portrayal is IMHO a bit one-dimensional and hamfisted.

- I did say that Albert was interested in bettering the lives of British working class, and I am glad they showed it, but did it have to be in such a clumsy way? I mean, he literally just went up to the slums, presumably incognito, took one look at an impoverished family, and was like “well, damn, something needs to be done”. Like, it was just such a short, abrupt scene, no buildup or anything.

- I am sure they wanted to portray little Vicky as the older, more responsible sister to Edward, but in practice, it just seems he’s a normal (if a bit lazy) kid and she a smug little twat.

- FUCKING FEODORA. How...? Why...? Feodora IRL actually had a very good relationship with her half-sister, and even though they didn’t meet that much after her marriage, they stayed in contact trough letters. And I mean, I could get behind the made-up storyline of her escaping to Great Britain in 1848, if they didn’t ruin her relationship with her sister. They could focus on Feodora’s relationship with their mum, whom Vicky didn’t like very much, or the court disliking queen’s poor German relative, or I don’t know, literally anything other than pointlessly villainizing Feodora??? It doesn’t help that even as a villain, I don’t like her vibes. I can tell she is going to be annoying as fuck already.

- Nancy Skerett and Francatelli are back! And engaged! Yay! (Although I’ve heard that, apparently, she is going to die??? Hope I am misremembering something, if they have them be happy at the start just to cheaply pull the rug from under us like that...)

- I actually kind of liked this episode. They are focusing on important historical event, and don’t misinterpret them that badly! Glory, glory, halleluiah! However, the ending was pretty dumb, and just like seasons 1 and 2, useless subplots are a perennial problem.

[ladyofglencairn]

VICTORIA 2x03 - VICBOURNE EDITION

In honour of Lord M’s final appearance on the show, I’ve decided to focus on him in 2x03 since there wasn’t too much else occupying my attention tbh.

Let the pain begin…

The first time we see Lord M, his physician informs him that he’s dying and that it would be wise to set his affairs to rights. Rufus Sewell is a phenomenal actor and he conveys so much emotion without saying a damn thing. At this point I knew the episode was going to be an emotional rollercoaster.

Victoria is worried about Lord M. He’s not been responding to her letters and she wants to know why. She sends Emma to Brocket Hall in the hopes of ferreting him out.

At this point it hits me that Daisy is using Dash and Victoria’s love for to parallel what’s happening with Lord M. The Queen’s beloved pet is old and showing signs of ill health. So too is her friend and former Prime Minister. It’s interesting that everyone who sees Dash and Lord M recognises that something is wrong with them – except Victoria. She remains somewhat oblivious – I call it denial. Both have been such pillars of support to her – Dash since she was a young girl and Lord M from the moment she became Queen. She needs them and she refuses to entertain the idea that they may be anything but perfect.

Emma does Victoria’s bidding and goes to see Lord M. He’s hiding away at Brocket Hall. He’s not well, but he refuses to share his secret with anyone. That’s the nature of the man, always wanting to spare those he cares the most for from any pain. But Emma knows him too well and she knows that all is not well. Similarly, he refuses to burden his Queen with his troubles. He knows Victoria’s life must move on, that she no longer needs him. I think as much as that fact must pain him, he also feels an immense amount of pride in how far she’s come and how much she’s managed to achieve. So instead of outright lying to her, he just stays away.

Later in the episode we see him sitting at his desk after receiving the invitation to the ball. He looks weary and while I’m sure he’d like nothing more than to hole himself up amongst his orchids, he knows he must go. Victoria wants him there and he will not disappoint her.

“I thought I might go as Dante, on his way to paradise…Not the other place.” “So you are going to come?” “Why shouldn’t I?”

THE PAIN IS TOO REAL.

It’s the night of the ball and Lord M surprises Victoria. She’s delighted to see him and as they talk I’m reminded, just like Victoria is, that their relationship has changed. She’s hurt by the realisation, but masks it well.

“Perhaps you are right, Lord *Melbourne. After all, we cannot be as we were.”

“No indeed,” he replies and my heart breaks a little more.

*Note the formal address. Victoria only ever called him by his full name when she means to place some distance between them.

Another noteworthy quote: “You don’t talk like you used to.”

“We’re out of practice, ma’am.”

And they are. She married and started a family. She’s also the ruling monarch. Her life is just beginning while his is almost over. He cannot be her crutch, but I also think that he’s afraid of letting her be his. DAMN. THE WAY HE LOOKS AT HER DURING THIS SCENE.

Bless Daisy Goodwin’s heart. We got another dance. And while Lord M is clearly reluctant, Victoria persuades him and he cannot resist.

“But it’s a waltz, Lord M.”

“In that case we must seize the moment.” 

And what a bittersweet moment it was. The last time they danced, they were also in costume – only he was telling her that he loved her, but that they could never be together. I promise I’m not crying.

Perhaps one of my favourite moments in the entire episode was the scene between Lord M and Albert. They’ve always been rivals. Both loving the same woman, both mildly suspicious of one another’s motives. I guess that’s why it’s ultimately ironic that the one person Lord Melbourne was never close to, is the one person he finally tells the truth to.

Are you quite well, sir?

No, I can’t say that I am.

Albert’s compassion is palpable and genuine. As was his appreciation of Lord M’s words of encouragement.

I wish I’d built something now. Left some kind of impression on this country.

Not ashamed to say that the tears flowed as Lord M pondered his legacy, lamenting the fact that he would leave nothing behind for later generations to remember him by when he was gone. This is a man facing his own mortality and he wonders whether he’s had anything to show for his life’s work. KNIFE. THROUGH. HEART.

And so it is that Albert is the one to tell Victoria that Lord M is not well. She’s visibly upset and although he tells her that Lord M does not want her to know, she goes to see him anyway. With her she brings a singing bird in a cage that can be wound up to play music. It’s a sentimental and thoughtful gift because Victoria knows of Lord M’s fondness for music and she knows that he can no longer venture outside should he wish to hear some. So she brings his favourite music to him. I sobbed. Like a baby. He knows that she knows that he’d dying, and she knows that he knows she knows. But they cannot bring themselves to give voice to it, as though saying it out loud, as if acknowledging it would make it too real. I think it is by far one of the most emotionally charged scenes that Rufus and Jenna have performed together. Lord, I cried. They spoke of everything and nothing. But they each understood the other in that moment. And it was beautiful. Even the way Victoria hesitates for a second before leaving. Neither of them can bear it. And it’s clear they’re holding it together by the tiniest thread. The acting was superb.

In an episode that was designed to made the viewer wonder whether Victoria was talking about her beloved Dash or her beloved Lord M, it’s clear when Dash dies, in the very scene after she bids Lord M goodbye, that she’s referring to both, that she’s mourning both, that she loved both.

He was always there. I can’t bear it. I will miss him so much.

So will I, Victoria!

Daisy Goodwin’s historian friend *I forgrt his name) once said with regards to Lord Melbourne and Victoria: “He was her first love and she was his last.” The show certainly remained faithful to this for he was thinking of her right up to his final moments. SOMEONE HOLD ME WHILE I SOB FOR ALL ETERNITY.

All the awards to Rufus Sewell for his amazing performance. This man is pure class!

HONORARY MENTIONS:

No #skerrettelli this week? WHAT?! WHY?!

Oh Ernest x Harriet. You’re KILLING ME! 

#Almond is still making eyes at one another. I see you two.

[machinevisionineverydaylife]

Pre-histories and futures of Machine Vision

Part 2: Last Friday Linn Heidi Stokkedal went to the Pre-histories and the Futures of Machine Vision symposium as the Victoria and Albert Museum. The symposium explored early moment in the development of computer art and machine vision, from the mid-1960`s onwards. Artist, designers and curators discussed aesthetic and political impact that contemporary computer vision and machine vision technologies have today. The symposium was divided into two sessions. The morning session looked towards the past, and early computer vision and art. The afternoon session was with practicing artists and what they are currently working on and looking into.

The Afternoon session started with artist Anna Ridler: Automated Dreaming: Using AI in a Creative Practise.

Ridler talked about machine learning and what it is. She finds that most people are more fascinated with the algorithm behind it, but it should be more focus on the training sets that feeds the algorithm. Ridler works mainly with GAN`s (Generative Adversial Networks) and it is a form of unsupervised machine learning. We don`t really understand how it works, but we know it loves bright colors! The way it works is that one part of it is the Detective and the other is the Art Forger. Back and forward these two try to process imagery by confirming (The Detective) and producing another image (Art Forger) until it resembles the images its been fed.

Ridler is a big fan of how these images turn out. They have a meandering dream quality and many imperfections. She also thinks they inspire a different way of looking at photographs. We are no longer briefly glancing, like we normally do with images. With generative images we look closer, because we want to find the counterfeit, or study the deepfake.

Returning to the thoughts on why we should be more concerned about datasets, Ridler says they are the difficult part of making GAN`s. Algorithms are often open sourced and easy to get. Datasets are difficult to make, takes a long time and a lot of natural resources. To avoid bias in datasets, the best thing to do is to make your own. At least then you can be in fully control of the classifications of your data. “Classifying is human” she says, and we have always done it. Like this picture below where the world are divided into fourteen categories. Datasets are contemporary encyclopedias and they are linked to memory.

It is boring and time consuming to make your own set, but it is worth if it avoids bias. In her work Mosaic Virus every still is generated using GAN. When she worked on her Myriad project she entered in 10 000 photographs of tulips and it cost 800 euros. She said that when you are in the process of making your own datasets you become obsessed and sensitive. It seems like Ridler almost becomes a part of the algorithm. She states that the algorithm is often considered as the “art work” while the datasets are similar to crafts. She reminds people that information is PHYSICAL. It comes from a physical space, based on physical things and it is also hard physical labour. 

The next speaker was Alan Warburton: RBQFAQ. He is doing his PhD at Birbeck University and is an artist and animator. He talked about post-photographic practise and CGI history. He showed how depth map inside the new cameras works and how images are rendered from from models to looking like photographs.

Machine learning projects synthetic data into the wild and functions as a meditator between the human and machine perspective. Some of the processes he spoke about is similar to Adam Harvey`s V Frame where there is a reversed function of how we normally operate with machine learning. 3D-printing objects for it to be fed into an algoritm, instead of feeding real photos of objects.

The last speakers were Natalie Kane and Tobias Revell: What if Our World is Their Heaven. Kane works as a Curator of Digital Design at V&A and Tobias Revell is an Artist and Designer. Together they form the curatorial project Haunted Machines set up to explore the relationship between myth, magic and monsters in technology. A recent project is focusing on automated technological processes and how they shape notions of futurity and truth. Revell shared so many interesting projects and I will try and refer to many of them below.

An example they shared was a picture by Michael Hahn from 2009 called “Drone” which is not a real photograph but a rendered image based on popular imagination.

Another example is Crystal Bennes project: Development Aesthetics “chronicle the rise and rise of the inane language and visuals used to market new buildings and developments in London”. According to Revell this is foreclosing our arbitrary to imagine our future.

Another example is Liam Young`s Renderlands from 2015 where the artist collected unused 3D rendered landscape and made it into a movie.

A similar project is Hyperlinks or it Didn`t Happen by Cecil B. Evans. According to their website: It is narrated by the failed CGI rendering of a recently deceased actor, PHIL, and follows a group of digital beings—render ghosts, spam bots, holograms—as they search for meaning. Multiple storylines and materials collapse and converge to raise questions about what it means to be materially conscious today and the rights of the personal data we release.

Unreal Estate by Lawrence Lek is another project displaying an alternative world and future.

Revell is concerned about how to use subcultural tropes to change how the future looks. If not, everything imagining the future will look like Minority Report.

Kane talks about internet phenomena and rendered images representing real life. Lil Miquela who is a fictional rendered character on Instagram. Kane found it fascinating when Lil Miquela had an identity crisis when she became aware that she was a constructed person.

Shudu is another fictional character on Instagram, she is a dark skinned model that looks so great, that she actually ends up stealing jobs from real models.

Performance Artist Amalie Ullmann staged a five month perfomance online (Instagram and Facebook) called Excellences and Perfection. During this time she underwent a semi-fictional but quite extreme make-over.

Sondra Perry`s project Graft and Ash from 2016 demonstrates how technology was not good enough at the time to render the tone of her darker skin correctly.

At the last panel there were many good questions, but Joel McKim referred to Flusser answering a question I cannot quite remember but he said Flusser wrote that technical images are not windows, as one might like to think. It is overlaying the reality. Technical images are not revealing or seeing the world a new, but only seeing it through a digital layer.

Another tendency observed by one of the people in the crowd was that the first half of the symposium represented machine vision as playful and creative and a gesture of creation, while the afternoon-session had a more serious tone. McKim answered that it is probably because we are more exhausted by technical images now, because it is everywhere and patterning out everyday life. In the beginning it was more experimental and new. I imagine that in the start we had a different imagination and idea of how machine vision would develop, more akin to what we have read in science fiction novels. Now that we are here it is possibly a bit more dystopic then what we expected back then.

Written by Linn Heidi Stokkedal 04.03.2020

[olatokunbo]

Victoria

02

Did Queen Victoria really hate being pregnant – and what was she like as a mother?

When we meet Queen Victoria in series two, she has safely popped out her first kid and is protesting about being confined to the nursery – but it won’t be very long until the monarch is pregnant again.

Daisy Goodwin’s ITV drama is true to life. Despite her huge family, it seems the Queen was not all that keen on pregnancy or babies, and she did not take easily to motherhood. Babies were the unwelcome result of her active sex life with Albert, the “shadow side” of marriage – and a major distraction from the more important business of being queen.

How many children did Queen Victoria have?

Victoria and Albert’s firstborn Princess Victoria (Vicky) was followed less than a year later by Prince Albert Edward (Bertie), and then by little Alice, Alfred, Helena, Louise, Arthur, Leopold and Beatrice.

That makes a grand total of nine, born between 1840 and 1857.

Princess Beatrice with Queen Victoria in 1860 (Hulton Archive/Getty)

Unusually for the Victorian period, all of them survived into adulthood, although their youngest son Leopold suffered from haemophilia and died at the age of 30.

Did Queen Victoria resent her babies?

Modern writers have speculated that the queen may have suffered from postnatal depression after many of her pregnancies. She certainly struggled to bond with her children as newborns, and kept her distance from the babies in their early years.

Little Vicky was born nine months after the royal wedding. Queen Victoria saw her baby only twice a day, and certainly did not breastfeed. Within another year she had given birth to her male heir, Bertie, who would go on to become King Edward VII. After that she slowed down a little, but she still managed to have nine within 17 years.

Victoria and Albert with their son Prince Arthur (Rischgitz/Getty)

Despite her many pregnancies, Victoria seems not to have liked babies very much. “Abstractedly, I have no tender for them till they have become a little human” she once wrote. “An ugly baby is a very nasty object – and the prettiest is frightful when undressed.” Later she wrote to her eldest daughter that she was “no admirer of babies generally” and had been repulsed by her sons Bertie and Leopold (“frightful”).

Aside from her feelings on babies, and the dangerous nature of giving birth in 19th century Britain, Victoria had other reasons to resent becoming pregnant.

Each pregnancy took her away from her duties as queen. While Albert was happy to step in and take over, Victoria did not like to be sidelined and this led to a power struggle within the marriage. As a female monarch she did not want pregnancy and motherhood to dominate her reign.

What were Victoria and Albert like as mother and father?

While Albert went for a hands-on approach as a father and took responsibility for the kids’ upbringing, Victoria preferred to keep her distance and instead focus on her duties as a monarch – especially in the early years.

Albert’s enthusiasm (and a lack of family planning) seems to have been the driving force behind creating this massive brood. But both Victoria and Albert wanted to create a model happy family to set a moral example across Europe, and they wanted their children to be intelligent and educated.

Victoria hands over the baby (ITV)

Albert devised a plan to create the perfect princes and princesses. In practice, this translated into a very strict, intense education with lots of harsh punishment and pressure. Life was all about Latin, Shakespeare, French, piano, German, maths, geography, science, obedience and discipline.

Eldest son Bertie did not take to this regime at all, and instead of the intelligent, erudite little replica of Prince Albert that everyone had hoped for, he was labelled a dunce and diagnosed with a feeble brain by a quack doctor who measured the size of his head. His parents despaired. He was obstinate, stubborn and threw tantrums; as a young man he was reported to have been found with the actress Nellie Clifton in his bed. And when Albert died at the age of 42 after visiting Bertie to give him a good telling off, Victoria blamed her eldest son. She never forgave him.

While she was distant from her offspring when they were babies, she seems to have become more involved in their lives as they became adults. With Albert’s untimely death, she was now a single mother to nine children – the oldest an adult, the youngest just four years old.

For the rest of her time on the throne, Victoria was a central presence in the lives of her children and grandchildren, as they married into royal families across Europe.

Did Victoria hate her children?

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with Five of Their Children by Frederick Winterhalter (Historical Picture Archive/Corbis)

A picture emerges of a mother who was often disappointed in her children, and who was at times controlling and frustrated. She monitored the menstrual cycle of her son’s wife, she tried to keep sickly son Leopold wrapped in cotton wool, she was furious when her youngest daughter decided to get married instead of devoting her life to looking after mum.

But despite all this, it is clear that she did love her children very much.

When Vicky married, mother and daughter wrote each other great piles of letters  (8,000 survive), sharing their advice and confessions and observations. And while she had a tempestuous relationship with Bertie, she maintained good relations with most of her children (and grandchildren) for much of her life. In lesser-known correspondence she wrote of her love for her children, and she shared her fear of losing them to an early death.

Perhaps we only remember her as unloving because she wrote so honestly in her diaries and private letters, or because her correspondence was edited by men to leave all the icky feminine womanly stuff out.

How many stars would you give Victoria series 2?

[cainburbank-blog]

elsie

Basic Information

Full Name: Héloïse Regina Holland

Nickname(s): Elsie

Age: Twenty Five 

Date of Birth: April 17th, 1957 

Hometown: New York City, NY

Current Location: Eden, South Carolina

Ethnicity: 1/2 White, 1/2 Puerto Rican

Nationality: American

Gender: Demigirl

Pronouns: She/They

Orientation: pansexual

Religion: Agnostic

Political Affiliation: Fuck em all

Occupation: sales clerk at the attic, formerly corps de ballet at nycb

Living Arrangements: potential open plot

Language(s) Spoken: English, Spanish, French

Accent: Manhattan

Physical Appearance

Face Claim: Victoria Justice

Hair Colour: Brown

Eye Colour: Brown

Height: 5′5.7″

Weight: 107 lbs

Build: She has maintained a lithe build since quitting ballet, but muscle lurks beneath slenderness enough to throw a mean right hook.

Tattoos: none currently

Piercings: lobes double pierced

Clothing Style: An eclectic mix of designer and vintage pieces

Usual Expression: Elsie has resting bitch face, but her active bitch face is even worse

Distinguishing Characteristics: Elsie has a large surgical scar on the back of the left ankle & lower calf from a ruptured achilles, and a delicate smattering of freckles across the shoulder blades.

Health

Physical Ailments: Elsie had a snapped achilles tendon that ended their ballet career, but nothing currently nor significant since.

Neurological Conditions: none currently

Allergies: mold, lack of attention

Sleeping Habits: Elsie hates to admit that a little structure helps rather than totally hinders an epicurean lifestyle, but not enough to commit to anything proper. she can sleep the day away after a night of debauchery, and the only consistent sleep habit she has is stealing all of the covers and pillows.

Eating Habits: describe if they have a special diet, healthiness, frequency, amount

Exercise Habits: describe the type, frequency, exertion

Emotional Stability: rate from 1-10 or describe/give reasons

Sociability: do they prefer to be alone or with other people, do they require alone time, how do they feel when alone/being social?

Body Temperature: hot-natured, cold-natured, or average

Addictions:

Drug Use:

Alcohol Use:

Personality

Label: look here

Positive Traits: ambitious, intrepid, charming, && curious.  

Negative Traits: domineering, competitive, enigmatic, && mercurial.

Goals/Desires: Héloïse will bend heaven and hell to confirm to her will, and her entire life has been spent working towards perfection -- perfect technique, the perfect wedding -- emotional stability and a perfect marriage be damned. When those goals were stripped away, Elsie has become rather aimless and seems bent on self destruction.

Fears: look here

Hobbies: look here

Habits: look here

Favourites

Weather:

Colour:

Music: genre, artist, style, etc.

Movies: genre, director, style, actors, etc.

Sport:

Beverage:

Food:

Animal:

Family

Father: Charles Albert Holland, 56

Mother: Elena Barcas-Holland, 49 

Sibling(s): potentially open plot point

Children: none.

Pet(s): Elsie does not have any in Eden, SC but if the family’s golden retriever (that is the object of all displaced affection) would have fit in her coupe, that would be a different story.

Family’s Financial Status: Wealthy

Brief Background: Héloïse was the product of a then-affair, and conceived off of the French Coast. Her mother was more enamored with Elsie’s namesake than the pursuit of her father, but he eventually wore Elena down and the pair coupled up.

Extra

Zodiac Sign: Aries

MBTI: Born entertainers, ESFPs love the spotlight, but all the world’s a stage. They love putting on a show for their friends too, chatting with a unique and earthy wit, soaking up attention and making every outing feel a bit like a party. It’s not just talk either – ESFPs have the strongest aesthetic sense of any personality type. From grooming and outfits to a well-appointed home, ESFP personalities have an eye for fashion. ESFPs are naturally curious, exploring new designs and styles with ease. ESFPs usually love a little drama and passion, but not so much when they are the focus of the criticisms it can bring.

Enneagram: Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. At their Best: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied. Basic Fear: Of being deprived and in pain. Basic Desire: To be satisfied and content—to have their needs fulfilled.

Temperament: People with sanguine personality type tend to be lively, optimistic, buoyant, and carefree. They love adventure and have a high risk tolerance. Typically, Sanguine people are very poor at tolerating boredom and will seek variety and entertainment. Needless to say, this trait may sometimes negatively affect their romantic relationships. Because this temperament is prone to pleasure-seeking behaviors, many people with sanguine personality are likely to struggle with addictions. Their constant cravings may lead to overeating and weight problems.These people are very creative and may become great artists. 

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Moral Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Primary Vice: Pride

Primary Virtue: Diligence

Element: Fire people are impassioned, they are "on fire," whether with ideas, goals, or causes. They are natural leaders, as they convey their passions with an intensity that compels others to pay attention. They go by their gut and once he is sure of something, but they don’t waver. They commit fully to whatever their passion is. Of the four elemental characters, Fire is the most interesting and exciting to be around. Arguably, they are also the most dynamic sexually, as their nature is to be lustful and desirous. They are an impassioned and devoted lover, and may tend toward flamboyant romantic gestures.

[zillowcondo]

This & That: January 12, 2018

Books

—When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

Released this past Tuesday, Daniel H. Pink shares the science behind the best times of day to be your most successful at work, losing weight, making decisions, and many more daily tasks. Have a look at this article to discover more than a few specific examples.

—Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food by Rachel Herz PhD

Released this past December, neuroscientist Rachel Herz shares the sensory, psychological, neuroscientific, and physiological factors that influence how we eat. With the new year offering an opportunity to reassess and let go of what is not working and embrace what will, knowing why we are drawn to certain foods may be very helpful on our road toward success.

Cookbooks

—Canal House Cooks Everyday by Christopher and Melissa Hirsheimer

Recently, a TSLL reader recommended Christopher and Melissa’s Canal House Cookbook, and upon further investigation, I discovered their videos and their website. With experience working for Martha Stewart, Saveur and Cook’s Illustrated magazine, the two women are talented, and their food is seasonal, practical, smart and looks quite delicious.

Francophile Find

—Wines of France: A Guide to 500 Leading Vineyards (2015) by Benjamin Lewin MW

Upon rewatching Paris Can Wait over the holidays, I came across an article about Eleanor Coppola’s well-known husband who has his own wines in California. Francis Ford Coppola recommended this wine guide, and so I wanted to take a look. Full of illustrations as well as maps, discover where to find the “classics of Burgundy and Bordeaux, to the sparkling wines of Champagne, and the challenging climates of Alsace and the Loire, from the Rhône to the Languedoc and Provence”. As well, at the end of each chapter, details about the variety of vintages are shared.

Shopping

—Alice + Olivia Arie pussy-bow striped silk blouse

A modern touch to a classic style, the pussy bow. With bold stripes and statement cuffs, wear with denim or tuck into a lovely monochromatic pencil skirt and make an entrance without saying a word.

Technology

—Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones

If you travel often for work, or play, work in a noisy, open work environment or simply want a device to give you absolute silence dependably, look to Bose. The quality sound machine makers also know how to block out the sound when you want some peace and quiet. Made for both Apple and Android devices, their Noise Cancelling headphones were recently reviewed in the WSJ and came recommended highly. While there is a much more expensive option available, these headphones (shown above) run about $170 and are available in white or black. Learn about the science, read reviews and see the FAQ about the headphones here.

Television

—Victoria, season 2 premiere

Tune in Sunday to PBS’s Masterpiece series as Victoria returns for its second season. Set to begin six weeks after the birth of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s first child, the first episode is a two-hour event, so settle in and enjoy. Have a look at the trailer for the new season below.

~recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato Carbonara~

The first week back to the regular routine, but this time, the regular routine was going to be tweaked, for the better. I have a feeling I am not alone in having set this goal Sunday evening, and while, like any given week, there were unexpected bits of news and events, for the most part, with focus, the week went rather well, setting the right tone for a lovely new year.

Here in the states we have a three day weekend upon us, and I am looking forward to perhaps taking in a few ski rounds, going to the theater to view The Post, reading, relaxing and then just doing whatever tickles my curiosity. Hopefully, you as well can play, relax and enjoy yourself and time with those you love this weekend. Below are a few articles from around the web you may enjoy, as well as one video. Be sure to stay tuned for a new recipe to be shared this coming weekend, and until then, bonne journée!

~With Oprah on our minds this week . . . Oprah Winfrey’s 9 Best Pieces of Career Advice

~Knowledge is power . . . Sugar Highs (and lows): A History of the “White Gold”

~Beautiful words to remind us of what we can accomplish and the beautiful life we can live each day . . . 12 Daily Reminders We Need to Reach Every Morning for the Rest of the Year

~A worthwhile article to remind us all that we are worth the positive shift in society, not just for the generation that comes behind us . . .  Change the World for Your Own Sake, Not Just Your Daughter’s

~One of the few YouTube channels I subscribe to, and I am always inspired by her energy . . . Marie Forleo talks about How to Be Ambitious without Stressing Out All of the Time

~Barefoot Contessa shares a scrumptious winter soup you might want to try this weekend

This & That: January 12, 2018 published first on http://ift.tt/2pewpEF

[sherristockman]

The Stories Behind Our Christmas Traditions Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Christmas, just as every other day of the year, is an occasion for celebration simply because you are alive. If you are in good health, enjoy healthy relationships and have a positive outlook on life, you very likely have cause for celebration, not only on Christmas Day, but also every day throughout the year. While TV commercials and print advertisements seek to influence your attitude and mindset about Christmas (and any number of other holidays), I believe it’s more personal than that. It stands to reason that you can make the day worth savoring simply by choosing meaningful activities and surrounding yourself with people you love. When approached that way, Christmas becomes less about the food, gifts, tree and the like. Instead, Christmas emanates as a deeper, more personal experience within your heart. That said, wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you might be interested in taking a closer look at the history behind five common Christmas traditions: Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gift giving, candy canes and eggnog. Merry Christmas to you and yours from all of us at Mercola.com! Interesting Facts About Christmas No matter how many Christmases you’ve celebrated, you may not know how five of the most common Christmas traditions came about. Let’s begin with a few interesting facts about Christmas from History.com:1 Christmas was declared a U.S. federal holiday on June 26, 1870 Every year, 30 to 35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S., most of them cultivated by one of the nation’s 21,000 Christmas tree growers Poinsettias are named after Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister to Mexico, who brought the plant to America from Mexico in 1828 The Salvation Army has been collecting Christmas donations on the streets across the U.S. since the 1890s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was written in 1939 by copywriter Robert L. May as a marketing piece to attract customers to the Montgomery Ward department store2 Construction workers initiated the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree tradition in New York City in 1931 The first eggnog made in the U.S. was consumed at the Jamestown settlement in 1607 The Legend of Santa Claus The modern-day Santa Claus3,4 originated as St. Nicholas of Myra, a real-life, fourth century Byzantine monk known for handing out bags of money to the poor. Introduced to the U.S. in the early 1800s, American views of St. Nicholas began to morph based on the 1823 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas," which became more commonly known as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” By the late 1800s, St. Nicholas was renamed “Santa Claus,” a name based off the Dutch nickname for St. Nicholas, “Sinterklaas.” Appearing in Harper’s Weekly, images of our modern Santa were presented by political cartoonist Thomas Nast in the 1880s. According to History.com, it was Clement Clark Moore who “depicted Santa as a rotund, cheerful man with a full, white beard, holding a sack laden with toys for lucky children.”5 Furthermore, Nast is credited with giving Santa a wife, a bright red, fur-trimmed suit and a workshop at the North Pole replete with elves. By 1890, children could visit with a live Santa at department stores. Beginning in the 1930s, Coca-Cola propelled “the right jolly old elf” further into the spotlight through its many Santa-focused advertisements, his red-and-white suit harmonizing perfectly with their brand colors. The effects of Coke’s advertising with respect to Christmas were so profound that some mistakenly came to believe the company actually created Santa Claus.6 Today, Santa endures as a full-bellied grandpa-like icon with a twinkling eye and flowing white beard. About the common characteristics between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus, the St. Nicholas Foundation says:7 “It's been a long journey from … St. Nicholas, who showed his devotion to God in extraordinary kindness and generosity to those in need, to America's jolly Santa Claus, whose largesse often supplies luxuries to the affluent. However, if you peel back the accretions, he is still Nicholas, bishop of Myra, whose caring surprises continue to model true giving and faithfulness. There is growing interest in reclaiming the original saint … to help restore a spiritual dimension to this festive time. For indeed, St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint of children, is a model of how Christians are meant to live … ... Families, churches and schools are embracing true St. Nicholas traditions as one way to claim the true center of Christmas — the birth of Jesus. Such a focus helps restore balance to [the] increasingly materialistic and stress-filled Advent and Christmas seasons.” The Story Behind Christmas Trees While stories behind the origin of the modern-day Christmas tree abound, most sources agree that decorated evergreen trees became customary in the mid-19th century. Prior to that time, according to CNN, similar trees were used by:8 Pagans in winter festivals for thousands of years, with evergreens signifying the coming of spring Christians as a symbol for Christmas during the time Christianity was spreading throughout Europe Playwrights as props in German mystery plays, where they were garnished with apples in depictions of the Garden of Eden One of the more notable legends, especially given the marking of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, suggests Protestant reformer Martin Luther may have been responsible for bringing Christmas trees into homes. Legend has it Luther was inspired by a walk through the forest on Christmas Eve in 1510, when he saw stars shining through overhead tree branches. He apparently told his children the dazzling sight reminded him of Jesus, so much so that he brought an evergreen into their home for Christmas. In the mid-19th century, England's Queen Victoria is credited with influencing the modern tradition of erecting Christmas trees in homes. She reportedly encouraged her husband Prince Albert to decorate a tree as a way to carry forward holiday tradition from his childhood in Bavaria. After a drawing of the royal family and their decorated Christmas tree appeared in the Illustrated London News in 1846, the desire to copy their tradition rapidly spread throughout the U.K. and U.S.9 In the late 1800s, artificial Christmas trees originated in Germany, at which time metal wire trees were covered with goose, turkey, ostrich or swan feathers that had been dyed green to imitate pine needles. In the 1930s, the Addis Brush Company used the same machinery that made their toilet brushes to manufacture artificial trees.10,11 The Addis “silver pine” tree, which had a revolving light source under it, was patented in 1950. Why Do We Give Gifts on Christmas? Prior to the establishment of Christmas, pagans in Europe and the Middle East had already adopted the custom of giving presents12 on the occasion of various winter festivals. One such lengthy Roman festival called Saturnalia, thrown in honor of the agriculture god Saturn, began on December 17. During the cold, dark days of winter, pagans lightened the mood by eating, drinking, merry making and exchanging gifts. Candles, fruit, nuts and pottery figurines were some of the gifts given. With the spread of Christianity, early church leaders looked for ways to phase out pagan holidays without creating too much of a backlash. In the fourth century, Christian leaders created a rival festival centered on the celebration of Jesus' birth called Christmas. While the actual date of his birth is unknown, but thought to be in the spring, church leaders set it as December 25 in hopes of overshadowing pagan holidays enjoyed around the same time. Due to its placement near Saturnalia and other well-established pagan holidays, many of the pagan rituals of revelry naturally attached themselves to Christmas. As such, Christmas Day was initially characterized by church attendance followed by a raucous, drunken, carnival-like atmosphere similar to today’s Mardi Gras. Although Christmas traditions took root in England in the sixth century and Scandinavia by the eighth century, it wasn’t until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace the holiday with vigor. According to History.com, in time, Americans reinvented Christmas, transforming it from a wild, carnival-like holiday into a nostalgic day focused on the peaceful gathering of family and friends:13 “As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards and gift giving. Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.” The Candy Cane: A Popular Christmas Icon Given its role as an iconic symbol of Christmas for nearly 350 years, you may be surprised the original candy cane was a straight white stick flavored only with sugar. According to Candy History:14 “Legend has it that in 1670, the cane-shaped candy became historical when a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany bent the sugar-sticks into canes to appear as shepherd's hooks. The all-white candy canes were given out to children who attended the ceremonies. This became a popular tradition, and eventually the practice … spread all over Europe and America.” The first documented use of candy canes with respect to celebrating Christmas is believed to have occurred in the U.S. in 1847, when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant living in Wooster, Ohio, placed candy canes and paper ornaments on a Christmas tree. Red-and-white striped candy canes made their debut at the turn of the 19th century, and the peppermint flavor followed shortly thereafter, quickly becoming a traditional flavor. In 1919, Bob McCormack launched a candy business in Albany, Georgia, that eventually became Bobs Candy Company.15 Making candy canes by hand was quite labor intensive, until the 1950s when Gregory Keller, McCormack’s brother-in-law, invented a machine designed to automate production. Bobs was the first company to mass-produce and distribute candy canes worldwide, as well as the first to wrap candy in cellophane.16 Although Bobs is no longer a family business, having been sold in 2005, you can learn more about how Bobs candy canes were made by viewing a Georgia Public Broadcasting video “The Candy Cane Factory.”17 While candy canes are now available in many colors, flavors and sizes, the classic red-and-white peppermint cane remains the perennial favorite. Below are some interesting facts about candy canes:18 About 1.76 billion candy canes are produced worldwide annually Ninety percent of all candy canes are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas Candy canes are No. 1 in sales among non-chocolate candies in the month of December The second week of December accounts for the highest candy cane sales U.S. Candy Cane Day is December 26 Eggnog: A Traditional Holiday Drink You Either Love or Hate Eggnog — whether you love it or hate it — is firmly embedded in American winter holiday traditions, including Christmas. It is believed to have gotten its start in Europe, where medieval monks in Britain were known to drink posset, a warm ale punch made with eggs and figs as early as the 13th century.19,20 When the beverage was brought to the New World, colonists began pairing Caribbean rum with their ready supply of eggs and milk, creating a drink that became popular with people of all classes. At the time, thick drinks were known as “grogs.” As such, eggnog was known as “egg and grog.” By 1775, the term eggnog was coined. Over the generations, this rich, spicy alcoholic drink has become a fixture during the holiday season in the U.S. and beyond. Eggnog recipes are frequently adapted to accommodate personal tastes. For instance, in the South, whiskey is often preferred over rum. In Mexico, cinnamon, milk and vanilla are added to rum or grain alcohol to make rompope. Puerto Ricans add coconut juice or milk and omit the eggs to make a drink called coquito. Peruvians make an eggnog-like cocktail using a local brandy called pisco. If you’ve tried eggnog and did not find it to your taste, you may want to make your own. The quality of this beverage very much depends on the quality of its ingredients, especially since the basic recipe has not changed much over the years. If you can tolerate raw eggs, milk and spices, you may enjoy eggnog. Due to the alcohol and high calorie content, I would caution you from overindulging on conventional eggnog. When consumed in excessive amounts, alcohol, even when blended into eggnog, can wreak havoc on your liver and your overall health. For the healthiest eggnog, I recommend you omit the alcohol and use organic pastured eggs, raw organic grass fed milk and a healthy sweetener such as honey or stevia. Check out this Healthy Holiday Eggnog Recipe.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Victoria 2x01 Review

In many ways, I feel like this episode set a really good feeling for what the central conflicts of the season will (probably) be, and in some ways it was accurate.  But there were moments in which the writing seemed a bit tone deaf.

I loved the conflict between Albert and Victoria--because as much as some might dismiss it as petty, as much as they might call Albert an ass (and he was at points) it’s a pretty human conflict.  He’s a guy in an era in which men were raised to be the head of the household; he knows he’s never really going to be that, but he at least wants a role.  She’s insecure about her own role because she has PPD and really doesn’t *want* the role that’s being thrust upon her (that of mother).  Their fight scene, as I mentioned in another post, was great because both had good points and both acted the way they often did in real life, which is part of the reasons why their fights got so nasty.  It wasn’t so much what they were fighting about, but that their anger was expressed so differently.  Victoria’s passionate and has always had the privilege, really, of being able to fly off the handle and interprets silence as coldness.  Albert was raised in an intensely messed up household, was encouraged not to show emotion, has had the “lower hand” for most of his life so he disguises his emotion as stoicism.  He interprets Victoria’s emotion as over the top drama because he’s rarely been around people who express emotion that way, and feels the best way to diffuse it is to walk away.

(Which I kind of relate to because I do the same, shoutout to Ice Queen Albert.)

I hope we also see more of how their respective adjustments to parenthood also would feed, however unintentionally, into Victoria’s insecurities.  She’s worried about bonding with the baby; Albert is not only doing her job for her but is bonding with the baby very well.  And it’s not like he shouldn’t or should be chastised for that, Albert just is on the show and was in real life a more natural parent and loved babies, this first baby most of all. Victoria holds the baby awkwardly, he coos over her blue eyes and pushes the pram.  She can’t yell at him for that, but she probably feels undermined as a parent as well.

The Coburgs seem to maybe have a bigger role this season, as Leopold is sticking around to help with the royal marriage, and I can’t be happier.  First of all, I love their Dramatic Evil German Intros, and I frankly feel like Leopold is one of the greatest characters on the show.  He was doing needlework while talking politics in this episode, I love him.  It’s funny because I feel that this show favors the English monarchy soooo much but the Coburg family comes off as more of an actual family for all their flaws, and you get a better sense of who they are as characters.  There are hints of Ernst’s dissolution--he’s drinking more, that silly little niece of Diana Riggs is probably going to be seduced and despoiled by him this season--but David Oakes plays the role with such sympathy and he comes off as a bit tragic.  I know that he and Harriet can’t end well, but I’m really feeling their chemistry this season and wish they would.  They also act as great foils for Albert and Victoria.  Their passion is quieter because it has to be, they can’t be together, they can’t have petty squabbles.

In all honesty, the show falls flat in terms of how it handles Afghanistan.  Not only because I feel this is an issue they haven’t explained well (it’s not as famous in terms of global history, imo, as Elizabeth I’s conflict with the Spanish armada for example) but because it’s really too heavy for this show.  Like... great.  More white people fucking with Afghanistan when they shouldn’t be.  Albert and Peel pay lip service to this fact, but it’s also mentioned that Melbourne got them into Afghanistan (I’m not sure how accurate this is but I’m assuming that in the grand scheme, he did have a lot to do with it) and Melbourne is alwaaaaays right, mm?  We see a British soldier weeping about his fallen comrades, and it’s hard not to think about the fact that we’re still in Afghanistan and Afghans have been suffering in the long term while white imperialists are doing much better.  Left a bad taste in my mouth.

And there’s the other thing: Victoria wasn’t a great queen.  She was a great symbol, sure.  But ruling wasn’t her thing.  And I don’t just say that because Albert took over--he did in many ways, but Albert didn’t rule either.  He kept himself informed about foreign policy, but he didn’t control it and most of his contributions towards it had to do with the alliances he made through his children’s marriages.  He largely handled things like great PR moments for England, like exhibitions.  Or he handled everyday nitty gritty things, like “plumbing” as Victoria put it.  (It kind of irritated me that they brushed that away, because Albert was concerned with making cities cleaner for the average person and that was a big deal back then???  Like people were dying because England was filthy???  And Albert really did a good thing by cleaning it up???)  Monarchs were transitioning from ruling to reigning, and Victoria also just wasn’t that interested in things like sanitation and the poor.  She did try to stay involved in the government, but to be frank, I think a lot of that was less about trying to take care of the practical things Albert took care of and more about pride.  What she did in the show was what she did in real life: showing up and looking pretty and symbolic and saying pretty pro-England things.  But that’s not ruling.  That’s drumming up PR.

Again, things like plumbing aren’t interesting but they are important.  The helmet thing was a joke and it was funny, but he also had a good point--something pretty was actually keeping soldiers from having complete vision, and that... is important for soldiers.  So the show adds some music and some words about how Victoria needs to be supported, but what is she really DOING?  What is she accomplishing?  Albert is still doing the work that matters, while Victoria is doing the same sort of thing the Windsors do today, and they don’t get sweeping music and proclamations of their greatness because they aren’t... doing much.  They’re not doing bad things, but they aren’t ruling the country.

It just made Victoria’s sweeping moments a bit silly and “grrrl” power-y.  And it was ultimately about giving the audience things that they wanted even if it made no sense.  Let’s talk about Lord Melbourne understanding~ Victoria, while acknowledging that his shitty work as PM has led to a really bad situation.  It’s kind of like Daisy Goodwin wants to have her cake and eat it too.  She wants to promote Victoria and Albert’s relationship as the crux of the show, and ITV has done a lot for that--they’ve had Daisy’s quote comparing V&A to Burton and Taylor all over the place, they’ve talked up Jenna and Tom’s chemistry (and relationship) and so on.  There’s support for the ship all over Tumblr, viewership remained good after Lord M. left and they became the focus; but Twitter loves Melbourne so you promote his (brief) return all over the place, remind people about his existence by namedropping him in the first episode.  They want to give people these grrrrl power moments as well, despite the fact that the plot itself isn’t giving Victoria *real* political power.  There’s such an effort to prop her up that suddenly, Wellington is on her side despite being a major villain of last season and rooting for Victoria to keel over and die.  You’d think that he’d get a line in about how Victoria’s child is only a girl, and she needs a son to *really* cement her reign.  Are we suddenly supposed to like this guy because he’s smiling at her?  If they’d had a couple episodes of easing him into a more paternal role, I’d get it.  But they haven’t.

Victoria was a fascinating woman for who she was: a symbol of the nation who had to maintain an appearance of purity while loving sex; a mother who loved her children and resented them; a wife who adored her husband and fought with him quite frequently.  Just because Albert did a lot of the administrative work for her doesn’t mean she isn’t worthy of a TV show.  She doesn’t have to be proto-feminist to be worthy of our interest.

Basically: the show needs to stay in its line.  I don’t mind fanservice-y bits like Lord Melbourne’s reappearance, and I’m fairly sure that I know where that’s going.  I don’t mind the tension between Albert and Victoria; I love it.  But the show needs to remember that faux feminism is easily seen through, and the monarchy--and Victoria’s time in particular--has a history that it should either gloss over entirely or confront.

[mairoland16670-blog]

✅ Food & Consume alcohol Write-up Type.

Yap, setelah saya membahas tentang bagaimana cara agar tidak leave saat keluar dota 2 sekarang saya akan berbagi cara incorporate pals di dota 2, sebagaimana kita tau dota 2 merupakan bagian/bergabung dengan heavy steam, maka agar bisa include close friends di dota ini cukup berhubungan dengan vapor, karena akhir-akhir ini vapor mengeluarkan kebijakan baru, maka i.d. baru terkena dampaknya yaitu kena limitation, hal ini di dasarkan karena banyaknya penipuan yang terjadi. That is not required for you to become the next-of-kin so as to do this. It could be made for a family participant, close friend or even colleague. This two-color theme also functions properly for wayward marital relationship stationery, including adorable penguins, or for bold visuals images, like present day dark dots on a sharp white colored newspaper. Think of contacting someone off Nyc and also talking with a good friend in Tokyo as if they were standing up best beside you on Facebook as you browse through your profile and consider your wall surface. If your target is actually to obtain tremendously hero standing as the unnoticeable guy or lady, unacknowledged for being that you truly are as well as just what you need to offer, hold this close friend shut as well as dear. In 2004, Zimmerman partnered along with an African-American good friend and opened up an Allstate insurance satellite office, Donnelly stated. Help your good friend when he remains in demand as well as quick guide them in a great way when he is in incorrect road.

Regardless of your budget or even if you are strict on funds, there are actually a lot of price cut containers on call to you that are lovely as well as something you may feel proud to give your pal when they are actually gone. But or even, it's still ruled out bad, due to the fact that it could be your close friend eventually.

Depending on FFO, we tape-recorded fourth-quarter 2015 FFO from $537,000 available to typical investors and also unitholders or one dime every portion, which means $0.03 per portion on an annualized manner. The Youthful Victoria starring Emily Blunt and also Rupert Good friend will definitely focus on the connection in between Queen Victoria and also Prince Albert. Take a look around in your area as well as contrast whether you are paying the correct amount from rental fee for the residential or commercial property or even paying out a lot of for this. In some cases you rent out a property with extra bedroom so that you can easily suit your pal when they explore. When black individuals find white colored individuals out at the public walk or at the park walking along with their youngsters on chains, blacks are utterly appalled. Twenty-seven per-cent claimed they would scan websites dedicated to including Dark Friday offers, while 24 percent claimed they will take a look at merchants' internet sites. The value from a best buddy moves yet devotion of help and the need to perform things for the various other person. Having actually passed her 29th birthday, my good friend right now calls this brand-new young man her sweetheart. Effectively, just before you choose the huge dark publication of passion incantations why certainly strength-vitality-blog.de not uncover the magic trick to winning the center of your individual.