#mary oliver you will always be famous

[cosettegf]

the amount of time between 7am and 9am should be at least twice the length. for my sanity

[abnormalpsychology]

I’m just gonna read her Wild Geese by Mary Oliver. Bitches love Wild Geese by Mary Oliver.

FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK SO TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fairycosmos]

I don’t get how you can be so kind to people, I’m not like a mean bitch to people but I’m definitely a hateful jealous bitch and I don’t think I’ll ever know peace or heal, I’m probably gonna end up by killing myself and the thought always brings such peace to me anyway I admire you cause I would have exploded by now.

for me it's that i think i find it much easier to communicate clearly and with patience online/in writing, whereas in real life i can be snappy and defensive and extremely closed off, and i have a bunch of my own boundaries and baggage that i think are going to take forever to work through, if i ever do. i can be extremely bitter, negative and thoughtless. i think it's just a matter of social media flattening your perception of me, maybe. i do want to be kind and i try to be. but it is not effortless when you are a really hurt person, and that's just the nature of the cycle i think. it's a good sign that you're able to recognise your negative behaviour and that you want to make a change. i think that is always possible, it's just slow and difficult and non-linear. a lot of work, you know? i'm really sorry to hear you're in such a bad place. it's alright to struggle with the whole spectrum of human emotion. it doesn't mean you're evil or beyond help or any of the shit your brain is telling you, and i mean that. it sounds like bullshit until you survive long enough to see it from a new perspective, which can happen gradually, or all at once. i really hope you're able to talk to someone you love or a mental health professional about this if these thoughts of harming yourself are beginning to take over your mind to the point that you can't function. you do deserve better and self-forgiveness is the first step toward building a life where pockets of peace are consistent. tell me to fuck off for quoting mary oliver in this situation if you want, but it's exactly like her famous poem "...you do not have to be good. you do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. you only have to let the soft animal of your body loves what it loves." i think there is a lot of truth in that and i think it is worth at least trying to live by it if that's what is going to get you from one moment to the next. you really don't exist in one fixed state, doomed to be hateful or in pain. your life is fluid and malleable, the self is ever-changing whether or not we can see it. please, consider calling the authorities or a loved one if you are at risk of hurting yourself. learning how to cope with these thoughts in a healthier way, and processing them rather than internalising them, can make all the difference. it's not easy, and it is annoying as fuck. but the point is there are options, and i hope you never forget that. also, thank you for being sweet. i want to combust into flames, all the time. sending you a lot of love. please take care, and take it one day at a time. x

suicide hotlines

[transthadymacdermot]

WIP intro: This Happy Consitution

Genre: historical fiction, gothic fiction, political drama, with some vague fantasy elements

POV: third person limited, multiple povs

Status: third draft

Setting: 1807-1810, mostly in the UK but also there's various scenes in other places such as the Arctic and Switzerland

Themes: ambition / duty / morality / honour / corruption

Ernst Leitner is an ambitious and promising young doctor fresh from medical school who, while studying a mysterious new type of whale in the Arctic, discovers a new chemical compound which can be used to bring the dead back to life. After the death of his partner, which he was partially responsible for, he devotes himself in whole to figuring out how to use the compound, and heads to England, where he finds the famous and influential politician the Duke of Tateley willing to support his endeavour in return for personal medical care. Ernst accepts, and with the help of his partner, Deirdre, and her flatmates Colette and Oliver, eventually does achieve the monumental task of Raising The Dead.

Things almost immediately go sour, however, when Ernst's recklessness leads to Oliver's death, and Oliver turns out to be implicated in a political scandal that gets worse and worse the longer you look at it. Now Tateley's scheming friends are very interested in Ernst's life, as well, and when he ends up being accused of the crime, he begins to wonder if there's anyone in his life who he can truly trust.

Characters: (there’s A Lot More Than This, so just know I’m including only the Most Important ones)

Doctor Ernst Johann Leitner: ambitious young doctor, who is mainly motivated by how much he really does just want to stop all the horrors he sees around him. It’s him who discovers the death-defying chemical. he/him

Owen "Tuck" Graves: a transmasc American whaler and journalist hiding out from his parents in London. Ernst's best friend, and a good friend of Colette. he/him

Colette Pernet: French Jewish acrobat, who lives with her father and owns the flat Deirdre and Oliver also live in. She's looking out to protect those she cares about, and them only. she/her

Deirdre Weston: Ernst's (eventual) partner, and Colette's best friend. Finds herself frequently being something of a Cassandra. she/her

Oliver Harris, esq: the youngest son of a wealthy family, who has been thrown out by his mother to fend for himself. He wants to get elected to Parliament, and aids Ernst when Ernst promises to introduce him to Tateley to further his career. he/him

Edmund Arthur Joseph William Achreton, 6th Duke of Tateley: Whig Leader of the Opposition, who has an undefined (due to the time period) chronic illness. He's Ernst's aristocratic patron. he/him

Helene Marie-Anne Adrienne Achreton, 6th Duchess of Tateley: Tateley's wife, she's practically the queen of high society. She's also a naturalist, and very interested in Ernst's work. she/her

Timothy Seymour MP: a mysterious and absurdly private member of Tateley's party who may or may not be manipulating everyone for his own ends. he/him

Lavinia "Vinney" Moore: A society lady, Tateley's best friend since childhood. She's always up to date on all the gossip. she/her

Richard Jepson MP: an advanced radical member of Tateley's party, who is also his very good friend. He finds himself frequently and unwillingly at the centre of various scandals. he/him

[lavender-laney]

tag game, writing questions

Thank you @lexiklecksi for the tag! Their post :)

These writing questions were fun to answer!

What is your absolute all-time favourite ideas you’ve ever had?

Probably the concept of Acrylic Body? It's an issue because I love the idea but I'm having trouble executing it, so I think that's how I know it's a good idea lol.

Is there a question you’ve been asked in the past that really stands out to you, and you still think about sometimes?

Probably not exactly what this question was looking for, but! A few times I've mentioned to people that I'm a writer, and they'll say something like, "Oh, what have you written? Can I read some of your work?" and I have to say no because I've never actually finished anything! I don't have something I can hand over and be like "Oh, here's a short story I wrote," or "Here's a book I'm trying to get published!" This is one of my greatest motivators, and why I think about it often. I want to finish a project so I can have something to show for being a so-called writer.

What is your favourite part of being a writer? What parts could you take or leave?

I love the feeling that comes with being inspired. I love when I'm in the zone where I'm just writing restlessly, my fingers can barely keep up with my thoughts, and I'm feeling like the story is playing out in front of me. I could definitely do without perfectionism and writer's block, though.

What is your greatest motivation to write/create?

Kind of like what I said in the second question - having something to represent my hard work. Less shallow, however, I do just love writing. I always have. I love coming up with things, re-reading parts that I'm proud of and knowing I made that. I can't say feedback from other people isn't also a huge motivator, though. If I hadn't had a reputation as writing being my "thing" growing up, I'm honestly not sure if I would've stuck with it.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever read or been given as a writer?

I love this quote from Jodi Picoult: "You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page." It really helps me focus less on my work being perfect and more just having some sort of base to start with, even if it sucks.

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out writing?

When I first started writing in elementary school, I was very much innocent and starry-eyed and thought I was the most amazing writer, even when I was writing silly little Warriors fanfics. I wish I'd known to hold onto that optimistic and confident attitude a little tighter.

What is your favourite story you’ve written to completion? Link it if you’d like and can!

Still haven't written anything to completion, buuut I am very much planning to reach that goal with Choking on Sea Salt!

What is your favorite out-of-the-box quote?

Probably that same quote by Jodi Picoult! It's one of the only ones that has really stuck with me. Plus, just anything by Mary Oliver always stays with me.

Which of your characters would you say has the most controversial mindset? Why do you say so, and how do you personally feel about their ideals?

In terms of protagonists, I think Sadie's unending curiosity and hunger for knowledge can (and will 🤭) lead to some questionable ways of getting information. In terms of all characters, though, the main antagonist of Choking on Sea Salt (who will be revealed in chapter 2) is definitely unhinged and not in a fun way. Let's say there's a reason he's being haunted by malevolent forces.

If you, when you first started writing, met you now, what would younger you think?

I hope she would think I'm cool! She might be a little disappointed I haven't written a book yet or been published or become a world famous author (11 year old me was very ambitious), but I think she'd like what I'm working on. She'd probably be very confused that I'm a reporter of all writing-related careers, though. I'm confused about that too, though, to be honest lol.

[noforkingclue]

In " dead but not forgotten" how many ghosts are in the house ? and if its just tommy ...what was his reaction to ger coming to the house the first time and what was his routine when he didnt reveal himself towards her ?

Sorry if its stupid i just love your writting to dark au , its .....obsessive like its not downright murderous but its not to light to where you pass this as a love story and its very refreshing ❤

Another question is about "your life" what happen in those "holidays" that you and tommy took after oliver is dead what would he try to do with you ( in terms of affection ) like would he try to kiss you , parade you ?

By the way your dolls are the prittiest i have seen !

In that fic the only ghost in the house is Tommy. At first he doesn't quite believe it. He's never been overly religious and doesn't believe in reincarnation. However, it's slightly unnerving seeing you after so many years. He spends most of his time watching you and trying to make himself seen. It comes as a surprise, even to him, when you actually respond to him.

I have written some more murderous dark fics but not necessarily for Peaky Blinders. Of course with the Shelby's murder is always a threat and a very real possibility

In 'Your Life' you're very resistant to go on holiday with Tommy. You never really went away before and was happy so why should you suddenly have the need to go on holiday now? Of course, when your children a born Tommy wants to take them on holiday to different countries and you reluctantly agree. Tommy never forces you o do anything but occasionally he's wrap an arm around your waist or press a kiss against your cheek and you don't push him away. It's just a show for the children and you both know it.

Thank you! The company where I get the patterns from is called Toft. They do a dolls club, where once every four months you get a pattern and wool to make a famous woman from history. Here are all the dolls I've made so far:

Emmeline Pankhurst, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, Wangari Maathai, Junko Tabei, Marie Curie

And for International Woman's Day this year they released another two patterns for Queen Nefertiti and Queen Elizabeth II

[ear-worthy]

“Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson” Season Four Premiere

Yes, I know. This is another celebrity podcast. The two factors that limit the number of celebrity podcasts is that podcasting is a lot harder than it sounds, and sadly some celebrities don't have much to say after their ten minutes in the chair on late-night TV with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, or Stephen Colbert.

That doesn't mean that all celebrity podcasts are terrible. Sure, the ratio is high, but some have found a niche and use it well. The Smartless Media guys -- Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes -- are an example of celebrity podcasting done well. Then we have Goop, Snooki & Joey, any Kardashian show, and any show where the host is only semi-famous for hawking stuff on Instagram or TikTok.

Last week, iHeartPodcasts announced the return of actors Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson in season four of Sibling Revelry, which started on January 8th.

iHeart says: "The hilarious duo of sibling hosts is ready to take listeners on an even more amusing and engaging journey through the joys and challenges of family ties. Listen to the season four trailer here." In fairness to iHeart, I went and listened to eight episodes over three seasons and thoroughly enjoyed the show. 

Here's why. I've always enjoyed both Hudsons as actors. They're versatile -- comedy, drama, movies, TV -- and they don't take themselves too seriously. Kate Hudson has recently become a spokesperson for the MyFitnessPal App -- Big Changes start with Small Steps fitness plan.

And, the Hudson siblings seem to know Kurt Russell, or better known as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York and Escape From L.A. In addition, the Hudson's have a nice gimmick for their show -- siblings interviewing other siblings. Again, I'll let iHeart take over: "Over their first three seasons, Kate and Oliver have captivated listeners with a collection of entertaining and inspirational stories, featuring a diverse group of guests, ranging from the Kardashian-Jenners, the Hiltons, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, Stella and Mary McCartney and the Haim sisters to brothers Chad and Rob Lowe, Ron and Clint Howard and Matthew and Mike “Rooster” McConaughey, and other cultural icons including Tony Hawk, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Schumer, Rob Gronkowski and many others, along with their siblings." My favorite episodes included the McCartneys, the Howard brothers, and the Lowe bros. In the new season of Sibling Revelry, Kate and Oliver Hudson (who also produce the podcast; iHeart wants you to know that) - will be joined by celebrity friends and real-life and fictional family members including the “Brady Bunch” brothers Barry Williams, Chris Knight and Mike Lookinland; Joel and Benji Madden; Jonathan and Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block; Matthew, Joey and Andrew Lawrence; identical twins Brittany and Briana Deane Salyers and their husbands, identical twins Josh and Jeremy Salyers; among many others. According to iHeart, Sibling Revelry will also include bonus “Revel In It” episodes focusing on one-on-one interviews with thought leaders, authors, motivational speakers, and groundbreakers who inspire Kate and Oliver Hudson, such as Gabby Bernstein, Jenna Jameson and Roberto Canessa, to name a few. “Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson” does have value for listeners because it explores the sibling bond, family dynamics, and universal tales of what it’s like to grow up with brothers and sisters. 

Check out Sibling Revelry, not so much for the celebrity factor but for the compelling discussion of sibling dynamics. After all, celebrity feuds among siblings are among the most bitter and the saddest -- Joan Fontaine and Olivia DeHavilland, The Jonas Brothers, Noel and Liam Gallagher, and, of course, Thor and Loki.

It's possible that the Hudson siblings can help with resolving family conflict, which is a life problem we all deal with, whether we want to admit it or deny it.

[kingjamesroystonpub]

Saturday Brunch at The King James Royston Pub 

A warm welcome to the beating core of Royston's Saturday brunch scene! Every Saturday from 12 to 4 pm, the King James Royston Pub encourages you to try something new in the kitchen. We have something on our brunch menu for everyone, whether they prefer traditional comfort cuisine or are trying to eat healthier. Please join us for Saturday Brunch at The King James Royston Pub for  a wonderful evening of delicious food and friendly conversation .

What makes Brunch distinctive in the UK?

The word "brunch" is a combination of the words "breakfast" and "lunch," and it is used to describe a meal that is traditionally eaten between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 pm. Elements of a leisurely breakfast and a leisurely lunch combine to make a leisurely lunch. Traditional breakfast foods like eggs, pancakes, and bacon sit alongside heartier lunch alternatives like salads, sandwiches, and even some lighter evening fare on most restaurants' brunch menus.

Several factors have contributed to Brunch's meteoric rise in popularity in the United Kingdom:

Weekend Recreation: 

People frequently link Brunch with the weekend since it is a time to unwind and enjoy a meal away from the hectic pace of the workweek. It's a chance to relax, mingle, and chow down with friends and family.

Flexible Time: 

The time between breakfast and lunch that Brunch occupies makes for a more leisurely start to the day. Those who prefer a heartier breakfast or who may have a late night may appreciate this service.

Various Food Selections: 

Brunch menus are famous for their variety since they can accommodate diners with varying interests and needs. Diverse groups of people have diverse tastes and interests.

Several Drink Options: 

Coffee, tea, and alcoholic brunch cocktails like mimosas and Bloody Marys are common beverage options. The meal will feel more festive with this addition.

Combination Foods: 

There are several ways to start the day off right and give your body the fuel it needs to perform at its peak. Because of its adaptability, it is frequently chosen for a wide range of events.

Festivities and Other Joyous Occasions: 

In recent years, Brunch has replaced dinner as the preferred social event for commemorating milestones like birthdays and baby showers. Its casual environment and numerous food options make it a perfect setting for groups.

Culture's Impact: 

The rising popularity of Brunch in the United Kingdom is partially attributable to the introduction of new cuisines there. Avocado toast, shakshuka, and pastries are increasingly standard fare, giving Brunch a more international feel.

Overall, Brunch has become an important element of the dining culture in the UK, providing an opportunity to unwind with loved ones over a wide variety of tasty treats. It's a supper that honours both traditional and modern preferences, making it suitable for guests of various ages and cultural backgrounds.

King James Royston Pub Saturday Brunch Menu:

Classic Pancakes:

Enjoy golden, fluffy pancakes with your choice of syrup, fruit, whipped topping, and even chocolate chips for dessert. It's always been a fan favourite and never fails to deliver.

American Pancakes:

Our stack of American-style pancakes will make you feel like you've teleported over the Atlantic—a taste of America in Royston with bacon, eggs, and rich maple syrup.

Avocado Toast:

Our famous avocado toast will take your Brunch to the next level. Served atop a bed of crusty artisanal bread, seasoned avocado slices are finished with a pinch of chilli flakes and a splash of olive oil.

Breakfast Salad:

Our breakfast salad is a healthy and delicious mix of fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and your choice of protein, perfect for individuals who are watching their weight. It's a healthy and filling option because of the spicy vinaigrette that tops it.

Scrambled Eggs:

Our light and airy scrambled eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper, are always done to perfection. It's a traditional breakfast dish that will never go out of style, especially when paired with a side of toasted bread.

Full Breakfast:

Brunch is the ultimate celebration, and this is the best way to celebrate it! Start your day off right with a hearty breakfast of sausage, eggs, bacon, sautéed mushrooms, ripe tomatoes and baked beans served with toast.

Veg Breakfast:

Delicious Halloumi, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and baked beans, plus toast, make up our vegetarian take on the full breakfast. This alternative is filling and bursting with flavour.

Burgers with cheese:

Tuck into our juicy beef patties, melting cheese, and an assortment of fresh toppings for a burger that will leave you wanting more—the perfect burger with a side of hot, crispy fries.

Plant-Based Burger:

If you're looking for a free animal products meal, try our vegan burger! Proof that plant-based dining may be just as fulfilling can be found in the restaurant's delicious preparations.

Fish and Chips:

Our battered cod is fried to a golden crisp and served with fries for a true taste of the sea. It's a seafood feast that will leave you coming back for more.

The King James Royston not only serves Saturday Brunch but also serves some of the finest Drinks and also organises a variety of events throughout the week, such as live music evenings, karaoke nights, open mic nights, and quiz nights.

When October rolls around, everyone gets into the Halloween spirit by donning their scariest costumes. So, we've decided to have a Halloween costume contest from 8:30 pm until midnight on October 27th, 2023. We've thrown in a twist: if you dress up your pet, they might just help you win the prize for a scariest costume!

Apart from Saturday brunch, Halloween fancy dress competition we are also taking Christmas pre bookings for those who want to throw a party for their friends, colleagues and family. You can book now and reserve the date when you want to have your Christmas party and we are here to serve you the best food, drinks and off course entertainment.

[likeatlas]

Chen James Caan's death was announced last month, the movie legend's favorite table was cordoned off at the Polo Lounge, the Beverly Hills Hotel's famed bar and restaurant. In the hidden Table One, which was also the favorite place of Charlie Chaplin, a candle and a photo of the star were placed, as well as Caan's favorite food; the house special, a chopped “McCarthy” salad, with chicken, bacon, beets and avocado, and an extremely dirty martini with extra olive brine. "When one of our great and well-known regulars passes away, we always pull away their favorite table and leave it all day and all night," says Steven Boggs, the hotel's director of global guest relations and a real source on Hollywood history. . "We call it 'putting an end place.'" Carrie Fisher, James Garner and Burt Reynolds are just a few of the other deceased regulars who have received this same honor. As you may have noticed, the regulars at the Beverly Hills Hotel are not like other regulars. They are Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, Paul McCartney and, according to last week's posts from the celebrity gossip Instagram account Deux Moi, Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly. While other places fall out of favor with the cream of the crop of celebrities, no other place in Los Angeles boasts the same ongoing level of star power as the Beverly Hills Hotel. "We also sit where Al Pacino likes to sit," notes Boggs, who has cordoned off Caan and Chaplin's table for our conversation, a cozy corner seat with sage-green velvet seats. "I can show you where Frank Sinatra sat, where Marilyn Monroe sat, where Elizabeth Taylor sat, et cetera," he adds, pointing to the table where Sinatra celebrated Dean Martin's 49th birthday, with the ensuing bar fight, which ended with the skull fracture of a well-known art collector. “But I can also show you the table where Steven Spielberg likes to write, and the table that Leonardo DiCaprio likes to have. Dinner is also interesting. Jimmy Fallon comes over and sits at the piano and plays some tunes. People still come here, deals are made all the time. It's still the nerve center." Los Angeles is a city that likes to play without much thought with its history. Although it has been the world famous center of the film industry for just over a century, many of its architectural treasures and buildings steeped in pop cultural folklore have been destroyed. Despite its legendary status, the Garden of Allah Hotel (adored by Greta Garbo, Clara Bow, and Errol Flynn), the majestic Ambassador Hotel, along with the Coconut Grove nightclub where the Rat Pack met, and the seedy paradise of the rock and roll The Tropicana Motel, all have fallen victim to the wrecking ball. Recently, Netflix bought the majestic Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard, causing many to worry about the future of the 100-year-old movie palace, which was built during a period of Egyptomania. However, the Beverly Hills Hotel still stands. Built in 1912 on 12 acres in the pristine foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains west of Los Angeles, the hotel was originally intended to encourage others to purchase adjacent land. Almost as soon as it opened, it attracted the first wave of Hollywood, with stars like Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, WC Fields and Harold Lloyd. The golden couple of the silent screen, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, followed in the hotel's wake and bought a cottage next door, which they refurbished in faux Tudor and turned it into the luxurious "Pickfair", one of the most famous private residences from the United States. Marilyn Monroe was a regular customer of the hotel (Beverly Hills Hotel) In the 1930s, with the birth of sound films, a new wave of actors made the hotel their playground. Among them was Marlene Dietrich, who defied the rules of the Polo Lounge bar (no solo women or women in pants) by showing up alone in a stylish pair of pants. A 1940s addition by renowned black architect Paul Revere Williams made the hotel even more appealing to Hollywood's growing celebrity community.

The exterior was painted its signature pink color (check out its peach-colored turrets featured on the cover of The Eagles' seminal 1976 album, Hotel California) and the property's famous pale pink and green color scheme was adopted. However, it is not the main building of the hotel that has the most famous force: that claim belongs to the bungalows that are located just behind. These 23 self-contained shelters, the first five of which were built in 1915, had direct access from the street and were perfect for residents who wanted more privacy. One such guest was Elizabeth Taylor, who stayed in various bungalows after six of her eight weddings. The British-born icon's preferred bungalow was Number 5, and after her death in 2011, her family arranged a private ceremony inside it. The bungalows also hosted one of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's long stays (on a divan commissioned by Dietrich for the suite), while Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman spent a week in isolation on another, shortly after they met. Marilyn Monroe was also a big fan of bungalows, she often stayed at numbers 1 and 7, where she spent Christmas with her second husband, baseball star Joe DiMaggio, and had an affair with her co-star. by Let's Make Love, Yves Montand, in adjoining rooms, 20 and 21. Reclusive director and businessman Howard Hughes often stayed at Number 4, reserving several rooms at once so no one would know exactly where he was staying. "The only person in the hotel who knew exactly where it was was the executive chef," explains Boggs. "Because Howard Hughes loved his roast beef sandwiches." Even then, the chef didn't deliver the food directly to Hughes, but instead left it in a tree hollow outside his bungalow for the insomniac headmaster to grab in the middle of the night. Then there is bungalow 1, where the socialistGore Vidal's mother, Nina, had an affair with Clark Gable. "It got to the point where I'm not saying anything is definitely true unless I've seen it with my own eyes, or someone who saw it was drunk enough to tell me," Boggs assures me. So who told you about the adventure, I ask. “Gore Vidal!” he says laughing. The American writer and intellectual was a long-time lover of the hotel, spending its last days in 2012 in the lobby by a fireplace, singing to himself after their martini-filled lunches. "Gore, God bless him, toward the end of his life he spent every day at the Polo Lounge," explains Boggs. “He would bring his own sheet music and have the pianist play. He had a tremendous ear for music but a horrible voice. People who didn't know who he was were very upset!” Marlene Dietrich in 1940: defied the Polo Lounge bar's rule of not allowing unaccompanied women (Beverly Hills Hotel) It is not only the tradition of entertainment that lies deep in the bungalows, but also the political history. Bungalow 3 is where the young children of Robert Kennedy tragically discovered that his father, a presidential hopeful, had been assassinated, after seeing it on the news. The pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel, once surrounded by golden sand specially shipped from Arizona, has also seen its fair share of sensational activity. British actor Rex Harrison was fond of sunbathing nude, with nothing but a scarf covering his 'Doctor Doolittle', in private cabins, which is where composer Leonard Bernstein got the idea for West Side Story. When the Beatles stayed at the hotel, they had to sneak in through the pool exit to avoid the hordes of excited fans. Their manager, Brian Epstein, even met with Colonel Tom Parker at the Polo Lounge to set up a meeting between the band and Elvis, which sadly fell through on that occasion. The pool is also the site of one of the most iconic Oscar photos of all time: that of Faye Dunaway dramatically reclining the morning after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1977. Newspapers are strewn about the pool. ground, one announcing Peter Finch's posthumous award for Best Actor for the same film.

Finch was also indelibly linked to the hotel, having died of a heart attack in the lobby just two months earlier. Celebrating 110 years since its opening, the Beverly Hills Hotel remains as popular as ever, and on Oscar and Grammy weekends it is filled with the world's biggest celebrities. "It's still relevant," says Boggs proudly. "We are literally the last of our kind." Rarely seen photos of Elizabeth Taylor taken by Bert Stern will be on display in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel from August 1 to September 30.

[heymrspatel]

another macy tag game!!! 🥳 i was tagged by the queen nosey bee herself @celestialmickey as well as by@you-are-so-much-better-than-that @squidyyy23 and @arrowflier thank you my loves!!

your name with no vowels: jlss

your favorite movie: almost famous!

a food you couldn’t live without: cheese! pizza! mac and cheese! empanadas!

the last thing you googled: "coffee shops near me" cause ya girl is still trying to find a new cafe to regular at lol

your sun, moon, and rising signs (if you don’t know them, click here to find out): taurus sun, pisces moon, capricorn rising (beecy! i'm waiting!)

an unpopular opinion you have: pineapple sucks! i'm not even sorry about it.. and the audacity to put it on pizza??? 😒

last fanfic or book you read: ah i've got the best answer! golden hour by @iansfreckles for like the 20th time last night!

how many alarms do you set before you go to bed? this is EMBARRASSING! i have 7 alarms set and i snooze every single one of them. my mom has always said that someone could walk in and steal me and i wouldn't wake up.......

you’ve been given a round-trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world — where are you going? iceland, please!

open your music app of choice and go to your favorite playlist. hit shuffle. what’s the first song that comes up? "moon river" by frank ocean 😌

a quote or lyric you love: "it is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world" - mary oliver

share some words of positivity for your followers and friends: i sincerely and with all my heart love you all so much! i hope you had a wonderful day and i hope tomorrow is even better! i hope the sun shines on your face and you breathe in and feel at peace. 💙

i'm not sure who's done this already, but i'll tag: @iansfreckles @gardenerian @gallawitchxx @greggster @buffymilkovich @lethargicmick @catgrassplantdad @whatwouldmickeydo @sleepyfacetoughguy @sleepymickey @mrsinistertype @7x10mickey if you want to play, if not this is a big cuddle from me to you! 💙💙💙

[teddybasmanov]

Hi there, Redacted ASMR Tumblr. No, wrong. Hi there, three and a half people, who actually read my gibberish. Yeah, that seems about right.

So, I’ve already mentioned it somewhere but I misunderstood an answer about characters’ names from the first Q&A and found out the meanings of names of all characters. I know for sure now, that most of those meanings are well... meaningless because I directly asked and got my answer in the second Q&A, but I still have this list and I thought that maybe there are more people out there willing to look for deeper meaning, where there’s none. 

So, I present to you:

List of meanings of names of Redacted ASMR characters (with my silly commentaries)

(Most of the meanings are from Wikipedia and has actual sources and explanations, but some are just from websites for future parents and have no factual support. If a demonic name is a star I also give the name of the constellation. In no particular order.)

Vincent - conquering, winning.

Adam - the ground or earth.

Ivan - God is gracious. (ironic, huh)

Oliver - olive tree planter, all true.

David - Beloved. (he sure is)

Marcus - dedicated to Mars.

Brachium - the upper arm (also measure of length); σ Librae - scales or balance. (this actually has a meaning and I don’t mean the arm)

Caelum - chisel; sky, heaven. (but Elliot has already told us)

Elliott - with Strength and Right, Bravely and Truly.

Gavin - God send or white hawk. (GOD SEND)

Vindemiator/trix - grape-harvester/ress; ε Virginis - virgin. (this is Gavin’s dead name and it’s also kind of ironic)

Asher - happy or blessed. (self-explainatory)

Lasko - nickname for a work-weary person. (yes, I’m aware of the fan)

Damien - to conquer, master, overcome, tame. (this one makes so much sense!)

Kody - helpful, prosperous. (helpful, my ass)

Huxley - Hugh's meadow. (sweet, but has the least sources)

Milo - soldier or merciful.

Avior - my father is light; ε Carinae - the hull or keel of a ship.

Vega - the falling (eagle). (more like “fallen” now)

Camelopardalis - giraffe.

Sam - God has heard.

Frederick - peaceful ruler.

William - vehement protector.

Aaron - warrior lion, mountain of strength.

Blake - black/dark, pale or "Son of lake".

Brian - high or noble. (when I said “all characters”, I meant all characters)

Crux - (Southern) Cross, also means the decisive or most important point at issue. 

James - supplanter (someone or something taking the place of another, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like), one who follows. (holly hell)

Gabe (Gabriel) - God is my strength.

Christian - follower of Christ.

Arden - great forest or enthusiastic.

Kelsey - ship's island or victory ship.

Amanda - beautiful, deserving to be loved or the loved one. (very true)

Alexis - helper or defender.

Quinn - wise or counsel. (almost no evidence)

Saul - ask, question.

Morgan - sea chief or famous magic. (sounds so cool, honestly)

Tyler - maker or layer of tiles, house builder or doorkeeper of inn or tavern. (this seems specific).

Xavier - new house or castle. (He’s just messing with us at this point, isn’t he? The dude who’s only characteristic at the time was having a cool big new house has a name that means new house)

Ezekiel - God's Strength.

Josh(ua) - the lord is salvation.

Guy - Ravine or forest, guide.

Hudson - son of Hugh.

Marie - bitter or beloved or rebelliousness or wished-for child or drop of the sea. (yeah, there’s a lot)

Colm - dove.

Regulus - prince, little king.

All possible additions, corrections and smarter commentaries are very welcome as always.

[lemon-boy-stan]

"HARRY POTTER MASTERLIST"

MARAUDER’S ERA

REMUS LUPIN (andrew garfield)

expelliarmus - snape tries to harm y/n and remus looses his temper

SIRIUS BLACK (ben barnes)

dating sirius black includes (headcanon)

JAMES POTTER (aaron taylor johnson)

requited love (angst, fluff) - jealous of sirius asking out yn to the ball, james asks lily, but not everything is as it seems.

REGULUS BLACK (timothée chalamet)

the battle of lions and snakes - your brother james and his best friend sirius aren't happy with your relationship with Regulus. (angst, fluff)

us (fluff, request) - yn and regulus have a date in the astronomy tower

the battle of hogwarts (angst, request) - yn and her children reveal herself to the dark lord and his followers admist battle.

our secret (angst, fluff, bit of smut, request) - yn and regulus have been trying to hide their relationship from yn's friends, the marauders. sirius, who is yn's best friend, is outraged when he learns his little brother is dating her.

our scars (angst, fluff) - neither yn nor regulus can survive without the other. (tw, mentions of self harm and depression)

acceptance (angst, fluff) - you’d always felt guilty about dating regulus black, but after he calms you down from an anxiety attack, both you and your friends are able to accept it.

dating regulus black includes (headcanon)

LILY EVANS (sophie skelton)

none yet.

MARY MACDONALD (sofia bryant)

none yet.

MARLENE MCKINNON (my fancast; kiernan shipka)

none yet.

MARAUDERS PREFERENCES

dates with the marauders (fluff)

dating a legilimens!marauder (fluff)

MARAUDERS CAST

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET (open)

betty (angst, fluff) -  you dated timothee in highschool, but broke up with him after you found out he cheated on you at a house party. now, in 2022, you’re a famous influencer on instagram, and timothee hosts a party where you need an invitation, as a way to get your attention. the guards let you in.

ANDREW GARFIELD

none yet

FANTASTIC BEASTS ERA

THESEUS SCAMANDER

toffee - you're trying to make sweets, but your very touchy boyfriend keeps getting in the way. (fluff)

NEWT SCAMANDER

none yet.

LIGHTNING ERA (closed)

FRED WEASLEY

passwords (angst) - learn what password fred attacked his girlfriend with in the deathly hallows.

crush (fluff) - y/n can't seem to stay focused at all and her friends fred and angelina aren't making it any easier for her.

bruises, boys, chasers and detention (request) - adrian pucey breaks y/n’s arm in a quidditch match. fred breaks his nose.

shit in your cereal? (fluff) - the reader is really grumpy. fred cheers her up with tickles and neck kisses (not smut!)

being a prefect in ravenclaw and dating fred weasley includes (headcanon)

dating fred weasley includes (headcanon)

OLIVER WOOD

by the fire (fluff) - oliver is upset about always loosing a quidditch match.

>> navigation <<

[lightsonparkave]

HAPPY TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO LIGHTS ON PARK AVE! 🎂🎉 In celebration of LoPA’s birthday (August 22, to be exact), all of the prompts from the previous year are up for grabs.

Round 24 will end on August 31, 11:59 PM ET (what time is that for me?).

As always, you’re free to jump in whenever you’d like during the round, a wide variety of work types is accepted, and there are no minimum work requirements. Unfinished works and works for other fandom events are allowed. You can find more information about Lights on Park Ave and the participation guidelines here.

Here are all 149 prompts. Go crazy and have fun! 🎈

ROUND 13: TIME

A quote about being infinite in the present moment from The Perks of Being a Wallflower

“Vellichor,” the the strange wistfulness of used bookstores

“How long is forever?” dialogue from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

“Time” - Hans Zimmer (Inception OST)

A quote and gifset from Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016) about the nonlinear structure of time

Agnès Varda’s portraits when she was 20, 36, and 80 years old

A John Irving quote about what time does to the people who matter to us

Ten traveling back to see Rose on New Year’s Day in 2005 before he dies and reincarnates in Doctor Who

Future inventions in 2015 as seen in Robert Zemeckis’s Back to the Future Part II (1989)

A quote about what time does for wounds

ROUND 14: LIMINALITY

A photoset of various liminal spaces

Illustration of a black cat in front of a red-lit house with the caption, “They say no one is living here—but the lights come on, once every year”

A photoset of Victorian-era spirit photography, an art form that attempted to capture the ghost of a deceased loved one

Information on the famous Mojave phone booth, a lone telephone booth in the middle of the desert that received calls from all over the world

Rosemary Ellen Guiley’s The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits Third Edition’s definition of “witching hour”

Illustration of a ghost train on an abandoned trestle bridge in the Pacific Northwest

A quote by Isabel Allende about spirits coming out at night in the library

Gifset of the spirit world in Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (2001)

Illustration of a neon roadside sign of a motel that only appears at night by a long-forgotten highway

“Pacific Coast Highway” - Kavinsky

A gifset quote from The Twilight Zone (1959)

Scenery from Twin Peaks season 1 (1990)

A quote about something shifting into a strange, new place inside of a person from Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

ROUND 15: LOSS

A quote about being lost and found by someone special by Sue Zhao

A photo of the Mildred, wrecked off Gurnard’s Head, Cornwall in 1912

A quote about ephemerality and the beauty of it from Troy (2004)

Two paintings of people visiting ruins by Caspar David Friedrich

A quote about desire and loss by Lara Mimosa Montes

A photo of an overgrown, abandoned conservatory

A passage about what disappears and what remains in ruins from Suicide by Édouard Levé

Dialogue about gratitude for people who aren’t meant to stay in your life but shape who you are from BoJack Horseman

A scene from Fleabag where the Priest chooses God over Fleabag and gently tells Fleabag that her love for him will pass before they part ways

A prayer to St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things, people, and souls

Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, covered in lipstick kisses from admirers

Photos of a cemetery statue in Austria, wrapped in branches and dead leaves, holding a single flower

ROUND 16: DEVOTION/SERVICE

A gifset of Kevin on the phone, telling Chiron he’ll cook food for him from Barry Jenkin’s Moonlight (2016)

Buttercup’s monologue to Westley about how she would do anything for him from The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Gifs of Merlin saying that he was born to serve Arthur from BBC’s Merlin

An excerpt about giving all of oneself to someone despite what it costs from House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

A gifset of various times Jaime and Brienne demonstrate their loyalty to and love for each other in Game of Thrones

A gifset of all the different ways Cliff is there for Rick in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

A gifset of Nadia deciding to be by Alan’s side no matter what in Russian Doll

“Devotion” - Ocean Vuong

A gifset of Bond comforting a traumatized Vesper in the shower in Casino Royale (2006)

A gifset of Sookhee refusing to leave Hideko, saying her job is to look after her in Park Chanwook’s The Handmaiden (2016)

ROUND 17: DREAMS

A dreamscape gifset and quote about repressed thoughts in dreams and the Internet from Satoshi Kon’s Paprika (2006)

A gifset of Mitsuha and Taki finally meeting in their own bodies in a dream from Shinkai Makoto’s Kimi no Na wa (Your Name) (2016)

A quote by Tinker Bell telling Peter Pan where he can find her and where she’ll always love him in Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991)

The scene where Keating tells his students that poetry, beauty, romance, and love give life meaning in Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989)

An animated illustration of a storefront called “Hauntings” with a flickering “99¢ dreams” neon sign

Various dreamscape scenes and a quote about ideas being the most resilient parasite from Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)

A quote about how all living beings must dream to survive reality from The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

A comic about people we love taking turns to visit us in dreams every night

Lovers and Sleeping Couple, two drawings by Egon Schiele

A quote about belief in a better world by Robert Frobisher to his lover, Rufus Sixsmith, in Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A quote about the feeling of falling in love lingering when you wake up from a dream in Alexis Dos Santos’s Unmade Beds (2009)

A photo of subway graffiti by an unknown author insisting that they’ll never give up making the world a better place to live in

ROUND 18: PHYSICAL TOUCH

A scene about how to return a stolen kiss from Daniel Ribeiro’s The Way He Looks (2014)

A line about kissing someone the way a flower opens from “I Know Someone” by Mary Oliver

A gifset focusing on showing affection and care through hands from Park Chanwook’s The Handmaiden (2016)

A passage about two people leaving invisible marks on each other through the accumulation of touches over the years from A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

Two conversations about never being touched before and only being touched by one person from Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight (2016)

Going from yearning to touch someone but stopping oneself to being allowed to touch them from Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy

Moving art of two bodies made of stars and the cosmos embracing

A quote about maintaining sanity by touching someone but being separated despite proximity from The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

A line about proving that one still exists and is real through touch from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Different touches between Villanelle and Eve expressing violence, threat, sexual tension, comfort, and companionship in Killing Eve

A juxtaposition of two scenes from Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000) of Su Li-zhen rejecting and accepting Chow Mo-wan’s hand

A compilation of marble sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Syd (Chris Evans) trailing kisses down London’s back in London (2005)

ROUND 19: IMMORTALITY

James Baldwin talking about how art helps you discover that people before you have experienced the same thing as you and you are not alone

Dr. Brand saying that love transcends time and space in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar (2014)

Nadia and Alan meeting for the first time as they’re about to die and relive the same day again in Russian Doll

The loneliness of losing everyone by having a long life as expressed by Ten in Doctor Who

The doomed eternal time loop romance of Simon and Alisha from Misfits

A quote by Edvard Munch about becoming eternal through the flowers that grow from his body after death

Nagai Kei recalling the traffic accident that killed him and triggered his immortality, making him one of the rare persecuted humans to possess the power, in Ajin

A collection of moments from Jay Russell’s Tuck Everlasting (2002)

A quote by Mary Wollstonecraft hoping for something that lasts inside the heart

Various scenes with Jack Harkness from Doctor Who

Aya telling Asou-kun to live on and live forever as she nears the end of her life in 1 Litre of Tears

An excerpt about the immortalization of the self through love from “Love of the Wolf” in Hélène Cixous’s Stigmata

A collection of scenes from the Black Mirror episode “San Junipero”

Naoko telling Toru to always remember her and remember that she existed in Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Dom explaining to Ariadne that he uses the PASIV to dream as it’s the only way that he can be with his wife and children in Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010)

ROUND 20: POETRY

“I’m Going Back to Minnesota Where Sadness Makes Sense” - Danez Smith

A line about wanting to forget how much you loved someone and then actually forgetting from Bluets by Maggie Nelson

“Perhaps the World Ends Here” - Joy Harjo

“In Time” - W. S. Merwin

“By Small and Small: Midnight to Four A.M.” - Jack Gilbert

“Magdalene: The Addict” - Marie Howe

“Wild Geese” - Mary Oliver

“Morphology 2″ - CJ Scruton

“20″ from Moscow in the Plague Year by Marina Tsvetaeva

“To Hold” - Li-Young Lee

ROUND 21: LONGING

“I Loved You Before I Was Born” - Li-Young Lee

A poem about longing for someone through worlds by Izumi Shikibu

A gifset of Marianne and Héloïse falling in love from Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

“Make Me Feel” - Janelle Monáe

A quote about living in longing being better than realizing that longing from 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

“I Want You” - Mitski

Orpheus and Eurydice in Hades - Friedrich Heinrich Füger

Long definition of the word “saudade”

Definition of the word “hiraeth”

“Something About Us” - Daft Punk

Two lines about burning quietly from the poem “The Pillowcase” by Annelyse Gelman

A conversation about wanting each other after decades of separation from Pedro Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory (2019)

A Hanahaki disease mood board

“Shrike” - Hozier

Two lines about wanting someone to return from Herakles by Euripides

“Love of My Life” - Queen

“Eyes, Nose, Lips” - Taeyang

A screenshot of Kathy and Tommy holding onto each other desperately from Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go (2010) and a quote from Kazuo Ishiguro’s eponymous novel

ROUND 22: YOUTH

“Perfect Places” - Lorde

A piece about realizing you’ll never be this young again, but it’s the first time you’re this old by Kalyn Roseanne Livernois

A conversation between Neil and Mr. Keating about Neil feeling trapped and unable to live the life he wants because of his father from Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989)

An excerpt about being too young to know how to love properly from Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” - Arctic Monkeys

Elio’s father telling Elio not to try to rid himself of his sorrow and pain—and with that joy—which he feels so strongly because he’s so young from Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

A quote about how everything feels final to young people because they’re experiencing it for the first time from Middlemarch by George Eliot

Lara Jean telling Peter that she had to make it seem like she liked him to deal with her love letter fiasco in Susan Johnson’s To All the Boys I Loved Before (2018)

Rue and Jules dancing together and partying it up in Euphoria

“Le Plongeoir” by Laurent Roch

A quote about being pushed into adulthood and not being ready from Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

A photo of a roller rink illuminated by pink and purple lights

Pastel photo series of Coney Island by Mijoo Kim and Minjin Kang

“Hips Don’t Lie” - Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean

“Young Dumb & Broke” - Khalid

Different moments accompanied by the letter to Mr. Vernon at the end of detention from John Hughes’s The Breakfast Club (1985)

Various scenes and a quote about growing up and realizing life isn’t like a fairy tale from Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Stills of the young lesbian couple in love from the music video of “You Know” - Jaurim

Lines by Effy about her emotional and mental struggles from Skins

Nathan chiding the group for not taking advantage of their superpowers as young offenders from Misfits

ROUND 23: HEDONISM

A passage about giving into passion and losing control from The Secret History by Donna Tartt

“Thot Shit” - Megan Thee Stallion

An aesthetic photoset of the Greek god Dionysus

A quote about living for ecstasy rather than balance from From a Journal of Love by Anaïs Nin

A photo of an anonymous person in nothing but a silk robe and lingerie

A photo of Donatella Versace lounging in a chair, surrounded by shirtless, muscular men sunbathing around her in Capri, Italy in 1994

An aesthetic photoset based on The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The music video for “Heartless” by The Weeknd

A plea for summer to never end from Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman

“Plastic Love” - Mariya Takeuchi

A gifset from the music video of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, a continuation of the “Heartless” music video

“XS” - Rina Sawayama

A gifset from the music video of “Body” by Mino

Photos of people dancing at the legendary Studio 54

Photos and a description of the party scene at Studio 54

Chris Evans and Evan Rachel Wood hooking up in a car in the “Gucci Guilty Black” commercial

[rangamberi]

My Top 25 Zimbabwean songs of all time

One day, driving with my son, I sang along to songs on the radio.

He turned, gave me his trademark ‘look at this old mad’ side-eye, and asked: “Just how many songs do you know, dude. How many songs are in your head?”

Yes, he sometimes calls me dude.

I don’t know, I told him.

“Well,” he continued, “give me a number; 1000? 1 million? 1 billion? How many?”

Dude, I said, I don’t know.

And yet, here I am, sifting through these ‘1 billion’ songs to try and do the impossible; pick my Top 20 songs from Zimbabwe.

Like most urban youths growing up in the 90s, I didn't listen to a lot of local stuff. Now, much older, I've had to play catch up, and so most of my top tunes are from the early years.

How do I even start? Where? There are far too many good songs, songs from across too many genres, from too many generations. Each of these 20 songs that I picked carries a special memory for me, some sad, but mostly simply warm from my decidedly happy childhood (thanks Mom and Dad).

Except for Number 1, the rest of the songs are in no particular order.

Here goes.

Simukai – Pied Pipers

The Pied Pipers, a legendary Zimbabwe band from back in the day, gave me my favourite song. It’s not just my fave Zim song. It’s simply my fave song, overall. From that opening, rising keyboard note, Fungai Neganje’s lead guitar…and the lyrics.

When it plays, I travel back home, to my childhood, sitting outside on the lawn, in those ridiculously short adidas ‘Playtime’ shorts and North Stars, Simukai playing out of the Tempest radio speakers, eating a sherbet.

If I’m in a bad mood – which is not often – I slid on the headphones and this song, without fail, always makes me happy again. Play this at my funeral. Just make sure I don’t get up to swing to it.

Spirit – Andy Brown

This was not one of his biggest commercial successes, but, for me, this was Andy at the top of his game. The intro alone is a work of genius, the lyrics were Andy reaching into the depths of his talent, the backing vocals were on point. Two-minutes into the song, Andy delivers one of the best guitar solos of all time, by any guitarist, anywhere.

Wandirasa - Chiwoniso

She was 21 when she wrote this song. 21, guys, and yet such depth. Ancient Voices is, without a doubt, one of the best albums ever put out by a Zimbabwean musician. Years later, Wandirasa still makes you stop, listen, and fall in love with the song all over again.

Kutambura – Bhundu Boys

In terms of Zimbabwean bands, Bhundu Boys are my favourite ever. So it was hard to pick one. I had to play ‘pinky pinky ponky’ to pick this one. Kutambura, definitely, is one of the most beautifully written songs to ever to come out of Zimbabwe.

Kudendere – Harare Mambos

“Amainini mune matyira / kana iri purezha kumusha kune mabira / Kana iri mari tobike ndari / Toudza baba kuti kuno kune kakari…”

They. Don’t. Write. Like. This. Anymore.

They just don’t. The bassline. Virginia Silla’s vocals. That guitar.

Sarura Wako – Leonard Dembo

My number 1 song, from my number 1 artiste. The best Sungura intro ever, Shepherd Akim was imperious on bass, and Leonard’s vocals were that extra-smooth topping that made this song ever so perfect.

Ndakakubereka – Oliver Mtukudzi

My favourite from one of my favourites. Not one of his most famous tunes, but a personal favourite. It holds a special memory for me; It takes me to a hot day, sitting in the back seat of the car, driving down a long straight in the sugar plantations in Triangle, the song playing over the radio.

Ndibvumbamireiwo – Four Brothers

The lyrics cut deep, matched perfectly by the defiant tone Marshall picked for his vocals. Nothing was average here. Never Mutare’s bass, Frank Sibanda’s lead, and that constant rhythm from Alex Chipaika holding all down. There’s a 2-minute sequence in this song that simply defies gravity as these four guys just lay down their genius, for future generations to learn how to play. As a friend once said, “Marshall Munhumumwe achieved perfection” on this one (side note, at the end of the sequence, if you have good headphones, you can hear Marshall breath in to sing)

Thomas Mapfumo – Tinodanana

Never has a brass section been in finer form. Never.  Everson Chibamu and Temba Ncube on brass, Charles Mayana on bass, Sebastian Ferado on drums, the legendary due of Jonah Sithole and Leonard ‘Pickett’ Chiyangwa on guitar. My fave Mukanya tune.

Zambezi to Limpopo – Midnite Magic

A song well ahead of its time, from a band well ahead of its time; Prince Tendai and Minite Magic created this absolute gem. Oh, the bassline.

Umoya Wami - Majaivana

Where does one start with this one? The deep lyrics, telling the story of displacement and pain? Or just the musical arrangement alone, which we speak far too little about. Sometimes I just slide on the headphones to soak in the instrumentation.

The River - Talking Drum

Michael Lannas had many great songs. But this one, oh man, how did they even do this? It’s a pure work of art. For some reason, it evokes memories of the aroma of toast, on sunny, chilled Saturday mornings at home.

Waiting for a New Day – Edwin Hama

Struggled to pick one from my two fave Ediwn Hama songs. The other is ‘Dreams of a Home’ (ku Gokwe tinoinda toseee). But this one has a special place in my heart for me. Had an uncle that loved Edwin Hama so much, and spent his temporary teacher’s pay on his records. He loved this one and we used to sing it. RIP Sekuru Adie!

Mwenza – Leonard Zhakata

Of course, the legend had many, many bigger hits than this one. But this right here is my jam. The language are so deep, I had to ask my friend Leonard Makombe to translate for me.

Pamuchato waTobias - Admire Kasenga

Once met Admire when he walked into our newsroom at The Standard to promote an album. One of the most down to earth chaps ever. Pure Sungura, the kind that’s missing right now. Danced all night to this, the night before my wedding. Woke up late. The thing almost went ahead without the groom and his biys.

Tobias Areketa – Vanondivenga

What more can you ask for from a song? Smooth vocals? Done. Brass? There you go. Bassline? You can’t play a bassline any better than that.

Kudakwashe – James Chimombe

One of my fave artistes. It’s a toss-up between this one, and another one called Rudo, which isn’t even one of his biggest hits. But this one really cuts deep. Remember watching it on Ezomgido and being totally absorbed by his genuine emotion.

Makatukura – Zig Zag Band

A band that holds special memories for me, being from my hometown and all. This one is my number one from them. A cutting social commentary on the 'haves' and the 'have nots'.

Shumaira – Dr Footswitch

A song played well before I was born, some time in the 70s, but one that I feel right in the chest. Loved it so much, named my daughter after it (kind of).

Tshisalanga – Ilanga

When they give out lessons on how to arrange a song, they should put this one in Tutorial 101. A band so full of talent, and they displayed it best here for me. Andy’s guitar, Don’s ‘mangled’ bass and his mournful vocals. This is what good music sounds like.

Ndinokudai – Family Singers

Takes me back to an interesting time in my youth. What a time. Using that bassline and percussion, these guys simply broke the walls; church music didn’t need to be boring. Zim Gospel music changed forever after this.

Zuva Rekufa Kwangu – John Chibadura

Once, an equally idle comrade of mine and I argued well into the night about which of John’s two big reggae hits was best. He went for ‘Mudiwa Janet’. I was having none of that. This one, for me, is absolute magic.

Nerudo/Zvikomborero – Cde Chinx

I will have to make a tie here. I’ve never been able to pick which ones between these two hit the hardest.

King Pinn – I salute you

Greatest Zim hip hop track ever. No contest. Tonderai Makoni was one special talent.

Carry The Message - Transit Crew

Growing up, we didn't have a lot of local reggae/dancehall. Transit Crew were our icons. When we visited mbuya in Mbare, all I wanted to do was run over to Stodart Hall, thinking I'd find Culture Tee there, chilling, toasting. Loved this song to bits.

[kvothes]

hey! as somebody that's trapped inside and trying to get into poetry, got any recs?

hello! i absolutely do! first, can i interest you in a quick guide by npr on getting into poetry? might help as an entry point!

here are a few poems i think are pretty accessible! 

first of all, my sweet new england lesbian mary oliver. wild geese is probably the most famous of hers

ada limòn is a new favorite of mine, i really like the leash

i think having a coke with you by frank o’hara is really excellent

also very partial to the more loving one by w.h. auden

the current us poet laureate is joy harjo, i like both once the world was perfect and don’t bother the earth spirit by her

the longest poem i have memorized is the cremation of sam mcgee by robert w. service

i love maundy thursday by notorious gay war poet wilfred owen 

only recently started reading billy collins but i like him and the dead is quite good

while we’re talking about the dead i might as well give you diameter by michelle y. burke

and also myth by natasha trethewey. i got to hear her read last semester and it ruined me

why are your poems so dark? by linda pastan

next year i’m going to get to work with rita dove and i’m Very excited. here’s fox by her

this is just a mixed bag! i have pages and pages of poems written down that i like, so if you ever want more, you know where to find me. you can also always go through my poetry recs tag! if you really love any of these please let me know!

[caffeinetheory]

So what if they had met at a gala Roy with Queen and Marinette with Jagged and like they each of this bad impression of each other such as "Oh, he's the spoiled rich kid"or that"she's a total diva who would do anything to do famous" or something like that. But then when both the to like ditch the party or go somewhere not as bad as the main room and end up meeting and talking and becoming friends and then later dating. Then Lila goes on and on that she's dating Roy but that fails as he shows up.

Okay so this is my first ask/prompt thing but I loved it and I hope it’s good

Thanks to the people in the group chat for the encouragement, I really appreciate it <3

Here goes nothing, hope you like what I ended up writting

(pacing maybe a little fast, oops)

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She didn’t want to be here, Mari only came because she ran out of excuses to not go to a gala with Jagged. Don’t get her wrong, she loves her honorary uncle but being in the spotlight was not something Marinette enjoyed, Ladybug was more than enough for her thank you very much.

So here she was sipping champagne, which she shouldn’t be but that’s for another time, hugging the wall trying to not stand out with all of her will power. Despite her best efforts Jagged could be heard loudly boating about his favorite designer and talking about how she made his and Penny’s outfits as well as her own. Knowing he was about to drag people around to show her off she decided to bite the bullet and pushed herself off the wall and walked over to him and what looked like a rich blonde businessman and another person around her ae that clearly didn’t want to be here.

The floor length rose pink dress shined in the light as she made her way over to Jagged. The intricate flowers becoming seen as she moved, and her hair flowing behind her as she walked. She commanded the room with confidence as she walked, a perk of being Ladybug for so long, long gone was the overly shy pre-teen and now stood tall legal adult. The shear back of her dress exposed small scars from years of fighting but no one would notice as her over all beauty distracted from the clear battle scars dancing across her skin.

She came to a stop next to Jagged placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, “I know you want to tell everyone about me, but I could hear you from across the ballroom,” rubbing his neck in slight embarrassment Jagged shared a smile with her then to the gentleman he was talking with. “Mari, how nice of you to finally join us, I’ve been trying to get her to come to one of these for years, this is Oliver Queen and his ward Roy Harper,” anyone could tell how proud of the person she had become with his enthusiasm.

Shaking Oliver’s hand politely Mari turned to shake Roy’s only yo be met with a badly hidden scoff and rough handshake in return. ‘Spoiled rich kid with everything handed to him, lovely. Exactly why i tried to avoid these things’ was all that went through her head as she watched the red-head look anywhere but at her or the conversation he was begrudgingly in. ‘Great another person I’m going to have to pretend to tolerate because of the bs that is plesanties’

“So did you really make all three of your outfits?” Oliver was trying to make conversation, someone Roy’s age could possibly do him some good. Given that her deminr became less forced and Marinette seemed to light up the room even more he figures he picked the right thing to ask. “Yes! I’ve been designing for as long as I can remember. It is one of the few constants in my life, and Jagged here,” she gestures in his direction her enthusiasm clear to anyone, “Has insisted that I keep making him things. At first I thought he was just being nice but finding out he was the one that got Clara to look into my stuff is something I can't thank him enough for.”

“Anything for my rock and roll niece,” Jagged playfully ruffles her hair and she swats at his hands, this was a normal thing and Mari was clearly more at ease now that she was able to talk about her interests. She went on for a bit longer, Roy had left under the guise of getting something to drink and snuck off to one of the side rooms to get out of the stuff “party”. Mari left the pair of influential men saying she needed to get off her feet, they let her go and she ended up ducking into the very room that Roy was settled in.

Marinette’s huff of relief after closing the door and leaning against it made Roy snap his attention to the door. “I can’t wait for this to be over,” she looked at her phone to check the time, her heels already in her hand, “Still two more hours till I can ditch.” rolling her eyes, she looked up finally noticing the red-head and a startled sound involuntarily left her, ‘lovely rich boy is here’ she tuned to leave the room when his cough made her look in Roy’s direction. “You trying to escape too?” a sheepish smile played on his lips, his shaggy red hair hung loosely as he tilted his head toward her. Hesitantly she walked to the table across from the one he is sitting on to sit on herself.

“You could say that. Not really a fan of the spotlight,” she replies hesitantly, though his small laugh in return helps loosen her up. “That makes two of us, had to force me” his posture is loose, no longer as stiff. The two ended up spend the next few hours just ranting about how stuffy galas are and how they’d rather be anywhere else. They got to know each other so when both left the room with smiles and a small paper the guardians they came with, had knowing smiles, their plan had worked.

The rest of the month while Marinette was in Star City she was with Roy. Rumors of the two dating where everywhere by the end of the first week. Everywhere the two visited seemed to radiate happiness as the pair enjoyed the other’s company. No one had seen either so happy in a few years. Late night coffee ‘dates’ and soft laughter had become the norm so quickly that when Mari had to go back to Paris everything felt a little too quiet and dull.

‘I made it back, guess I got to accept the chaos again’

‘Miss me that much already ;)’

‘Oh shut it you dork’

Collapsing on her bed Mari’s smile since the gala still hadn’t falutlered. She still had two weeks before she had to go back to class but she didn’t want to think about that yet. Savor the moment of happiness she had while she could...that couldn’t last long could it? It never did, an Akuma alert went off and Ladybug was swiftly on the scene.

“I’m glad to see you’re back M’Lady”

“Good to see you too Kitty, but I just got back, any idea what’s going on”

“Seems like a tourist who missed their reservations”

“Ok sweet, this should be a piece of cake,” and it was they were done in less than 10 minutes. “Come on M’Lady we have a few more that need to be taken care of,” leading Ladybug the partners went to the Effilé Tower so she could purify the other Akumas that had happened while she was gone.

“Thank you Kitty, I appreciate the break.” There were maybe 20 glass jars and only 16 or so butterflies. They had made a system just in case Ladybug wasn’t in Paris and didn’t require to come back all the time. “It’s what a purr-ncess deserves isn’t it, everyone should get a break even you Mari.” “What better sibling could I ask for? Hang out tomorrow? It’s been awhile since I destroyed you in Mécha Strike.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

By the time Marinette woke up it was close to 11 and it was to light tapping on her trap door, what sounded like a ‘come in’ left her lips as she went around her room to look presentable. Adrian came into her room, some food on a plate and a Cheshire like smile, “Sooo, how was the states? Make any new ‘friends’ while there?” His testing tone made it clear she couldn’t get out of it.

The next two days were spent together catching up on what they had done and Adrian getting all the details about a certain red-head. “Ok so maybe I like him but we both know how bad my track record is?” Mari’s exasperation was clear, she had confessed to Adrian before they knew who was behind the mask and he came out as gay to her. She ended up being what got him and Luka together, then Kagami and Cholé, we don’t mention that confession. “I don’t know princess, you might actually have a chance,” he had a knowing smile, too knowing, something was up. Pushing away the thought, “You’re just a helpless romantic,” they playfully shoved each other as they were heading back to the bakery after a day just walking around.

Texting Roy and hanging out with her small team was all she had done when she had done when she got back so walking into the classroom to cold stares had thrown her for a moment. Her reality hit her like a ton of bricks but it didn’t hurt as much as it used to, she had people who cared about her and people she cared about. Marinette took her seat in the back of the class with Cholé and Adrian. The trio had been forced to the back but enjoyed the freedom it let them have.

The door slammed open and one Lila Rossi had walked in laughing loudly to Alya, no doubt talking about ‘what an amazing summer’ she had, the trio just rolled their eyes and went back to their phones.

“You texting him again, I swear you are always texting him,” Adrian joked seeing Mari ignore the world, the only thing she cared about being her screen.

“I mean you know me so well,” rolling her eyes at his antics, “what else am I supposed to do? Listen to ‘something that totally happened guys I don’t know why you don’t believe me’,” her sarcasm was palpable.

“I mean this time you might care, it’s about some boy toy, a Queen I think,” Cholé supplied to the conversation muffling a laugh as Mari immediately snapped her attention to the girl in the front of the class.

“You have got to be kidding me, she can’t be that dumb can she.”

“Oh you know she can and will be”

The rest of the week was spent with Lila telling the class about how amazing and put together Robert was, she couldn’t even get his name right!!! Mari was a little pissed but it wasn’t worth it, she knew the real Roy and he may be a disaster incarnée but he was hers. Did she really just think that? Damn Adrian was really rubbing off on her.

Two weeks later when Adrian told her to wear red and black, and to make sure her hair was in a ponytail, she chose not to question it. What ever crazy plan he had plan would probably be fine, they usually were. Texting Roy in the way to her class she almost missed the foot out to rip her, but being so focused she just sidestepped and jumped over the other 2 that were outstretched as she made her way to class. She wore a bright smile, Roy was talking about how pretty Paris was. ‘He must have seen the pictures I sent’.

Practically falling into her practical sibling’s lap she hummed a happy tune forgetting where she was. The red shirt she wore was one that she may have narrowed from Roy and it still smelled like him. The two blondes who sat with her started to tease and run their hands through her hair, happy to see their girl so happy again.

“So, Kitty, why was I to wear this today? What’s the occasion?”

“Oh you’ll see,” his knowing smile should have worried her but the text from Roy distracted her.

A picture of her parents' bakery and a text that said ‘this is your parents right?’ Lit up her screen.

‘Yeah why’

‘No reason, shouldn’t you be in class?’

‘Hasn’t stopped me before ;)’

Lila’s loud boasting about her ‘boyfriend’ Mr. Harper, at least she got the last name right, broke the bliss Mari had been feeling, though Adrian’s poorly concealed laugh did bring some of her smile back.

It was at lunch when Mari found out why Adrian was so giddy and why Roy was talking about the beauty of Paris. In the middle of another one of Lila’s stories about her ‘boyfriend’ a cough stopped her mid sentence, “Um actually, who are you? I’m pretty sure I’ve never met you before. I think I’d remember someone as loud as you.” There he stood at the bottom of the stairs, in all his glory, one Roy Harper.

“Adrian I love you but I’ll kill you later,” Mari whispered to him and then launched herself at red-head. “What are you doing here?” He caught her with ease spinning her slightly, “Happy to see you again Pixie,” their laughter could be heard throughout the school. “But Roy, seriously what are you doing here?”

Rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “Adrian may or may not have gotten me here… and I wanted to see you again” Mari half hearted flared at the blonde who jut give her a grin. This was sister and Roy made her happy, so of course he was going to do what he could so she could be happy. “Told you it would work out,” Chloe’s retuned fistbup told him she was happy for their friend too. After all she had done for them it was only fair they helped her.

“I may have also wanted to ask you something,” Roy looked down at the shorter girl, “would you be down to be my girl…” he trailed off at the end but their was clear admiration in his eyes as he squeezed her hands.

“Of course you dork,” she gently pulled him down into a soft kiss.

They left the school after that, somehow the school already knew to excuse her for the est of the day. The pair had a lovely date ending up with them both falling asleep in the couch as a movie played.

The next day Mari didn’t come to class, neither did Adrian or Cholé, but there were cease and desist letters on both Alya’s and Lila’s desks and a firm warning from the Queen lawyers about falsely using their name.

Mari was happy and she really had to thank Jagged for finally convincing her to go the dumb gala, and maybe Adrian for getting them together.

They were an odd pair, the human disaster and the embodiment of an angel but they were happy and they fit, they wouldn’t change it for the world.

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So that was that, hope it was good :>