#white blood cell icons

[whosname]

Today in "I should be working but I can't focus", Nothing But Respect for Our Leukocyte King

[whumpshaped]

Im pretty sure you're in a different part of the world then me. And you like vampires, too! So what's your local vampires lore like, assuming there is any. I'm white American, so I don't really... Have that. Native Americans didn't really have a vampire-equivalent, and even if they did, not my place to speak on it. I don't know my family heritage either, so I can't speak of any vampires from whatever culture my bloodline comes from.

bro u hit some sort of jackpot for sure. im from hungary. its in eastern europe and for a long long time transylvania belonged to hungary too. dracula, the real, historical dracula, was literally held captive here for a while. i just went to see his manor's cellar this summer w my brother. its awesome. so uh. ok. lets see what i can give u-

so hungary and hungarians used to be veeeery pagan and we did not leave that behind after converting. lots of our folklore has been lost but lots of it has remained! a significant part of it, of course, is vampires.

vampires were super popular in the medieval era, when people believed the standard stuff: vampires leave their graves at night and suck the blood of the living. they tried to avoid being preyed on by putting garlic in their windows and wearing amulets.

one of our most famous hungarian vampire figure is báthory erzsébet whom u might know as elizabeth báthory :) she was the wife (and later widow) of a hungarian nobleman, and she was rumoured to have killed hundreds of young women to then bathe in their blood and stay forever young! she became a very prominent figure in the hungarian vampire lore. of course her only sin was likely the fact that she was a girlboss ruling over the enormous land of her late husband alone, which people didnt like, so they started the rumours to be able to get that land from her. she was eventually arrested and died in her cell 4 years later without a trial.

then of course theres the dracula stuff and the fact that hungary is located in eastern europe. its honestly mostly the same as u would hear from slavic vampire myths. heavily intertwined and overlapping. hungary isnt technically slavic but its like...... u know how it is. if i go outside rn i will see a man in a wifebeater and another in an adidas tracksuit. we have pretty good vampire tourism i'd say. and obviously a shit ton of hungarians live in transylvania to this day sooo. basically we're at the heart of the vampire conspiracy.

speaking of dracula, lugosi béla was literally the most iconic dracula according to a bunch of ppl. hes hungarian!

basically.. listen im not saying i know a couple vampires and meet w them frequently to ask questions to better my story.. im just saying the likelihood of that isnt zero

[bullet-prooflove]

Covert Affairs: Vostanik Sabatino x Reader (feat: G. Callen)

Tagging: @kmc1989 @novamariestark @words-and-seeds @thiashazzywriting @whateversomethingbruh

You’ve been with Sabatino almost two years when your relationship gets thrust into the spotlight. It’s a litany of stolen moments whenever he arrives back in LA. Whirlwind dinner dates and nights spent ruining you in the sheets of his hotel room. You hit your favourite brunch spots, ranking them with detailed notes you keep on your phone for the next time he’s in town. He gives you a tour of Hollywood, the places he used to haunt back in the day when he was playing with his band. You catch a couple of shows over pitchers of beer in a dive bar or two.

“Do you ever think about doing it again?” You ask him as you watch the band from a spot near the bar. Your back comes to rest against his chest, his arm looped around your waist, holding you close.

“Maybe one day, when I finally put down some roots.” He murmurs into your ear as he nuzzles the curve of your throat. “I miss making music.”

He fucks you in the bathroom of the bar, the pulse of the music vibrating through the walls as he goes down on you to a God-awful rendition of ‘Killer Queen’. Whenever you hear that song in the aftermath, you think of that night. His mouth on you, tongue thrust deep inside when you come for him just as Freddy hits the high note.

Sam’s away in Somalia when Nell and Eric identify a problem. Someone has been downloading classified data from the NCIS server and selling it on the black market. An investigation is opened into everyone who was working at a computer terminal during the download, and you happen to be one of them. You’d stayed late to catch up on the after-action reports after losing a bet to Callen at the shooting rage.

It’s ridiculous that a tickle in your nose just as you’re about to pull the trigger is the reason your whole life blows up.

Part of the investigation includes cloning the personal phones of the people under suspicion so they can deep dive into their lives. You make it relatively easy, leaving yours in the top drawer of your desk when you hit the gym with Kensi. Nobody really believes it’s you, you’ve been with them six years. You’ve shed blood, cried tears, saved their lives, fought their battles. For Nell and Eric, it’s simply a process of elimination, that is until they find a wealth of incriminating data.

Calls from multiple international sources they can’t verify.

An encrypted message app, hidden under the calculator icon.

A secret cache of files that are password protected.

It’s all high-level security, something you don’t need on your personal device, almost NSA level shit. Even with their tech savvy it would take hours to break into the phone and they don’t have that kind of time because you’ve just received a text from a burner cell telling you to meet at The Majestic Hotel, Room 216, later this evening.

You must be meeting the buyer.

They can’t take the risk of that information falling into the wrong hands, so it becomes an op with you as the target. It’s hastily put together, there’s no time to run prior surveillance because it’s going down just as they pull up to the hotel. They catch a glimpse of you stepping into the room before the door closes quietly behind you.

Callen, Deeks and Kensi take up residence just outside the door, allowing a few minutes for the exchange to take place before they use the keycard to gain entry.

When they burst into the room guns drawn, it’s not what anyone expected.

The first thing they see is Sabatino. He’s in a state of undress. His white button up shirt hangs open, revealing his bare chest including that messy scar etched into his flesh. There’s lipstick marks trailing down the hollow of his throat, staining his skin. It’s fire engine red, the shade you were wearing. He holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender, his body shielding you from what he perceives to be a threat.

For Callen it's an echo back to that day in Afghanistan, the one when Sabatino put himself between you and the bullet that would have ended your life.

When you step out from behind him, you’re in a similar state of disarray. Your lipstick is smeared across your mouth, your hands tugging the fabric of the black wrap dress around your body covering up the lingerie that you’re wearing.

You’re both arrested and taken to separate interrogation rooms in the Boatshed. You’re silent in the face of the accusation but Sabatino, he will not stop talking. He’s pissed on your behalf, that your team won’t give you the benefit of the doubt, that you’re being treated like a criminal. Him, he’s used to this shit, but you deserve better.

You don’t blame them for suspecting you, you know how it looks. You’d be doing the same thing in their shoes; in fact, you have.

They sweat you for a while, leave you spinning your wheels. It’s standard procedure in a case like this, let the suspect get in their own head, make them eager to talk. You know what’ll happen in that time, they’ll find evidence of your relationship with Sabatino. It’s not that that bothers you, it’s the intimate items you’d brought with you to the hotel room sitting in your overnight bag. The one that someone is now going to have to search through. It’s humiliating.

It's Callen that comes to interrogate you, you didn’t expect anything different, he is your superior after all. You know that your conversation is about to get a lot more personal because Callen has to consider the possibility that Sabatino’s been using you for intel, he wouldn’t be doing his due diligence if he didn’t.

“Your relationship with Sabatino, take me through it.”

So, you do, from that first kiss in the car to the last time he was in town. As you detail your relationship, things start to make sense to Callen, pieces he hasn’t put together until now. Sabatino’s reaction back in Afghanistan when you were taken, the fact he’d undertaken the prisoner walk instead of a member of your team. He had known that bullet was coming, that the Taliban couldn’t afford to let you go. He’d been prepared to die for you that day.

Callen thinks about earlier in the hotel room, Sabatino’s first instinct had been to get between you and whatever was coming through that door. He understands that urge, it’s reactive and primal, like a wolf protecting his mate.

There’s other things he’s noticed. Sabatino’s smile when you’re around, it brighter, more genuine. The look he gives you, there’s always a warmth in it despite the fact he’s being a smartass. The last time they’d arrested him, he’d been reserved but this time he’s irate and Callen knows that it comes from a place of love. That he’s infuriated on your behalf.

At the end of your story, you give him the passwords for your phone. Everything you need to prove the existence of your relationship resides on that device.

“See for yourself.” You tell him and he does.

Those files you’d encrypted?

Selfies.

The two of you eating ice cream on the boulevard, the sun setting in the background. Sabatino kissing your cheek as you smile into the camera at a bar in Hollywood. Him playing a guitar on the couch in your living room, a book of chords laid out in front of him. There’s more of them, documenting your relationship over the past two years. For anyone else these would be normal Instagram images but for someone who’s a covert agent they’re a death sentence.

The hidden chat app?

It’s full of voice notes filled with private, intimate things that no one else should ever be privy to.

When I look up at the sky tonight it reminds me of Afghanistan, the first night I spent with you.

You looked too beautiful to wake up this morning, I’m sorry I had to leave.

The sun’s just rising here, and all I can think about is how I wish I was waking up next to you.

The international calls?

Callen realises it’s Sabatino checking in, letting you know he’s still alive.

By all accounts he’s looking at a couple in love, one that’s been forced to keep their relationship a secret due the nature of Sabatino’s career. Callen’s worked for the CIA; he knows the risks. He also knows that this man would set the entire world on fire if anything happened to you.

“Come for a drink tonight.” Callen suggests when it’s all said and done. “I wanna get to know Sabatino a little better, you know, just in case he ends up joining the family.”

You roll your eyes as you stand in the main room of the Boatshed, gathering the few personal items that had been transported with you.

“Our very fucked up little family.” You retort.

“Neither less he’s important to you, so he’s important to us too.” Callen tells you.

You can hear the sincerity in voice. Callen doesn’t say things he doesn’t mean, not to you. You’ve been lied to too many times in the past before you’d transferred to LA. Your old partner back San Diego had been corrupt, it had been a severe blow to your psyche. You’d been transferred to LA because you were deemed a problem child. Callen got that, he’d understood it. He’d made you a deal.

“If you’re upfront with me, I’ll be upfront with you, it’s a two-way street.”  

That’s the way the two of you operated and it had worked consistently over the past six years.

“Even after all of this.” You say gesturing at the monitors that oversee the interrogation rooms.

You’re talking about the fact that you’ve spent two years hiding your life with a man, he has a kinda love/hate relationship with. Out of everyone you work with Callen has the most trust issues, this should be a problem for him, but the thing is, it’s not. He understands it on both levels. You’re protecting the man you love, and Sabatino, he’s protecting you too.

“Especially after all of this.” He says firmly before he places his palms on the surface of the wooden table and tilting his head up to meet your gaze. “Look I’m not going to pretend I understand what you see in the guy, but he cares about you, hell he almost died for you, and I can’t fault him for that. Trust me I want to, but I can’t.”

There’s an edge of humour to his voice because his interactions with Sabatino have always fluctuated between irritation and respect. The man is an excellent operative, and the problem is he knows it. You find yourself smiling despite yourself, your fingertips tapping lightly on the table.

“Alright.” You agree because this how you step into the light, how the two of you move forward into the future. “But the drinks are on you guys tonight.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[rennelelorren]

I wish there were more of Integra and Alucard back then, when they only met each other.

I wanna see and know so many things...

Like, how they slowly started to connect with each other; or when Alucard started wear his iconic red outfit +why the hell he loves gun's; or how long his hair was white after getting out of this cell; since when Integra changed her shirt to suits; or since when Integra started smoking; or when and she started to give her blood to Alucard; or does Alu ever talked with Integra about his past as a human; or many things else.

[gayleafpool]

Top playlist rn?

I GET TO TALK ABOUT MY FAVORITE SONGS????? YAYYYYY YOU WILL REGRET THIS

i have so many playlists…. playlists for every occasion… i will link a few because if there’s one thing i can’t do it’s pick one favorite of anything

this is my early 2000s warrior cats amv playlist which is basically just a bunch of songs from all the iconic early warrior cat amvs. heheh. i like to play this one when i shower for some reason

and then this is a playlist of songs that just make me feel some type o’ way. like i am being put through the tubby custard machine. they do something crazy to me i get emotional

and also i have one for when i get really energetic and need to pace around in circles or go on a walk or am just feeling like i can hear my blood

[smilingmxsk]

⚠ from ratwhsprs

My muse is being held in solitary confinement and hasn’t seen anyone for weeks. Send ⚠ to find them. | Accepting!

Sounds emanate from down the hall of the Solitary Wing. It's laughter—an unsettling sound in this setting. Whether it's joyous or lamenting, it's hard to tell. One moment, it sounds honest and full-bellied; the next... choked. Sobbing. Perhaps this deranged behavior would be less terrifying if it weren't for the fact that the voice it comes from is familiar.

The Fixer, Margaret, had been locked away in solitary confinement for recent erratic behavior. To the nurses, she looked like a mad woman, a rabid dog off the leash, swiping, snarling, and attempting to bite anyone who got near her. No one knew the actual cause behind the sudden flip; thus, when they finally did apprehend her (at the cost of some blood and fingers), they sentenced her here. It was only fitting to send a patient exhibiting such unacceptable behavior to the padded rooms, right?

Well, it did nothing for the Fixer's behavior. In fact, it made it all that much worse. She was alone dealing with her strangling thoughts, stranded with deafening, claustrophobic silence... it was maddening. Had this been during the time of her great isolation, it wouldn't have been so bad. She didn't have anyone to look forward to back then! Just she and herself and the jobs she was hired to do under contract. Now look at her: a complete and absolute mess falling apart at the seams because she craved human connection, interaction or intermission. A cough, a sniff, chatter in the background, ANYTHING that could ground her right now! She'd been met with silence for weeks. The only sounds approaching her door were the nurses delivering meals. Margaret only ever fully ate a few of them. Some went untouched, others remained unfinished.

Now... she lay on the ground. Curled in a fetal position, her arms cradling her head as if to shield herself from the outside world that refused to offer her any nurturing stimuli. The padded room around her had tears in it. The lights flickered, and certain areas smeared with remnants of dried blood. Given the torn-up mittens strewn across the corner of the room, she'd likely injured a staff member. The reasoning? It likely had to do with her current dazed state of being. They'd sedated her. The Fixer was calmer; that much was visible, though even still... she wasn't taking to the sedation very well. Neither was her 'roommate.'

Her face was a mess of wet streaks half-dried down her face and a bloodied nose, caught between a state of euphoria and agony. Sedations only really dulled the mind, so whatever was going on... likely had something to do with Shade and Margaret's inner thoughts going on a spiral. She didn't hear the footsteps approaching her cell, too caught up in her head to be aware of her surroundings. It was only when her wide, unfocused eyes caught onto movement did her breathing still, and her expression was wiped of emotion. A new splash of color made itself known in this monochromatic environment.

Margaret locked onto amorphous colors that formed into legs as she finally came down from whatever form of spiraling she was going through. From there, her crimson eyes crawled upward—slowly, allowing her mind to register the frame of a body; lean, dressed in a white jumper just as she... but she could barely recognize him. The face was familiar, though without his iconic ginger curls... the memory is lost. For a moment, her eyes lose any semblance of humanity; wild, alert, unbroken eye contact, like a predator locked onto prey. Then, something finally clicks amidst the tense air. While his head may have been shaved, altering his appearance from what she remembered deep down, she remembers those green, wary eyes. They only belonged to one person she knew. The very same one who refused to relax for a day in his life as if he was expecting impending doom to arrive at his doorstep any day now.

The memory blossoms fully, and Margaret's eyes soften as a pained smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. She chuckles; the sound is heavy with grief. Joyless.

"Guess you finally found me, huh?" The Fixer croaked. "Took ya long enough.

...We both knew dis was bound t' happen eventually. Dat I'd end up in 'ere. Shouldn't really be a surprise"

Her vision blurs and she can feel her eyes sting with a fresh wave of emotions. She does her best to breathe in deeply to keep herself calm, but even her throat hurts from the effort it takes not to break down in front of her friend completely.

"I tried. I tried real hard. I promise I did. Guess no mattah what I do... I jus' can't fuckin' keep it t'getha.

...After all, it's futile to fight what's in your nature, isn't it?"

Just as her face had softened into something familiar, her eyes betrayed another's presence, tugging that tired smile ever so eerily wider.

@ratwhsprs

[aamy2100982]

We all know that Eddie Brock has symbiote children. But I think I know how to recognize which are his biological children.

Anti-Venom is actually more of a clone than a child, but he still has Eddie's white blood cells which, I guess, makes them biologically related. And we don't need to explain Sleeper, they are the symbiote son product of the homosexual marriage between Eddie and the Symby

many count Carnage as Eddie's son, but actually they are not biologically related, just like Riot, Screem, Agony and all those. In fact, Carnage is closer to being Cletus's son (because of having mixed with his blood when they were a baby) than being Eddie's son.

But I digress, the point is that: All children of the Venom symbiote have the iconic slanted white eyes. While the sons that are related to Eddie have smaller eyes and warm colors from yellow to red.

(I just realized that in both images he has almost the same pose)

Also emphasize that both symbiotes have powers regarding being able to change things to their liking. I mean that Sleeper can detect and change the environment with toxins at will and Anti - Venom can detect and cure diseases at will.

if Eddie ever has another symbiote child and this one doesn't have beady warm colored eyes and doesn't have powers to sense and change things, then my theory goes to hell. But for now I leave my humble opinion here :]

Edit!

I wasn't going to add Dylan to the conversation because he's not 100% symbiote, but

i guess it works too

[homeostasister]

for the science ask game: 🌏 📚 and 🔭!

🌏—fun fact from my area of study: there’s a type of white blood cell—a neutrophil—which (among other cool, but perhaps less iconic defense strategies) can release its own DNA, mixed with antibacterial proteins, outside of the cell to trap and destroy pathogens. The traps are named neutrophil extracellular traps, which are appropriately abbreviated NETs. (Here’s a review I found on NETosis, if you’re interested to learn more: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7590568/)

📚—something I want to understand better: I wish I could get into cell signalling and gene regulation. Whenever I take the time to study a signalling pathway, it’s always super interesting to see how all the different components work together, but then I just forget everything almost immediately.

🔭—what sparked my interest in science/my field: as far as I can remember I’ve always been interested in science, and I would credit my mom for that. When I was little she encouraged my curiosity and directed it towards science; she taught me about the scientific method, and I got very into the idea of discovering new things through observation and experimentation, which I think created sort of a positive feedback loop of my interest and her support—we read books about nature and about the process of science, we learned about famous scientists and their discoveries, we went to museums and zoos and aquariums and lectures about whatever I was interested in at the time. I think “being a scientist” has been part of my identity for as long as I’ve had one. I went through phases of interest in many different fields—astronomy, paleontology (yeah, I was a “dinosaurs and space!!” kid), ecology, astrobiology, and chemistry are some that I remember—and ended up settling on immunology. I got really interested in molecular biology from my 9th grade biology class—I had learned vaguely about cells and genetics before then, but for the first time I felt like I was really glimpsing the fundamental mechanisms of life, the individual interactions between proteins and other molecules that build upon one another and connect to give rise to the immense complexity of a living organism—a complexity which, until then, I had just sort of taken for granted. I was kind of amazed by all this, and I still am. My specific interest in immunology came from reading the manga Cells at Work. I knew little to nothing about how the immune system worked at that point, and I was confused about a lot of things in the story—so I would literally just start googling things like “how do memory b cells remember antigens” to try and figure out what the real-life processes were that were being portrayed. A lot of what I found went over my head, but I kept just looking up questions about how different parts of the immune system worked and slowly slipping into the vast and tangled rabbit warren that is immunology. A big part of why I’m still interested in the immune system is because it’s so complicated. I don’t feel like I could ever learn everything I want to know about how it works, and everything I do learn just brings up new questions to scroll through chains of half-understood PubMed articles trying to figure out. There’s so much I don’t know, and there’s so much we still have to figure out, and I would love to be part of that research.

[sam-reid]

season finale! i have so many thoughts:

loved all the hallucinations/lasher visions of the mayfair designees and the creepy countdown to the witching hour. we got a crumb of on screen!julien which i did not expect!

they really went there with the reveal of cortland as rowan’s father. it’s glossed over in the book so i didn’t think they’d even explicitly address it.

annabeth gish my queen, i missed your face.

jojo and dolly jean are the real mvps of the mayfair ladies. actual icons.

i wish the house was featured more, particularly in the vital scene of lasher being reborn. it happened in the house in the book and it was way more memorable. i wanted ciprien to stumble up to the door and see blood everywhere and then fully grown lasher 2.0 is like “father!” and it didn’t happen. where was my hilarious fistfight in the garden??

i think alex’s acting was at its best in this last episode. she delivered (pun sadly intended LOL).

still not sold on the talamasca being so corrupt tbh.

the weird nightmare baby!lasher moment in the mausoleum was gross but not gross enough. he should be a fucked up newborn man right now lmao.

the only way i can rationalise the baby being white is because lasher basically contaminated the tiny foetus and took it over fully, changing and corrupting its cells to be reborn (he does that a lot to flowers and shit in the book and makes them look deranged and malformed). that literally has to be the reason. like its not a human child

[iviarellereads]

Nona the Ninth, Day Two, Chapter 7

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Second House icon) In which we learn many things, but few of them useful right now.

MUSH FOR BREAKFAST—HONESTY’S JOB GOES TERRIBLY WRONG(1)—THE CITY HAS A WORSE DAY—CAMILLA-AND-PALAMEDES—“KEEP HER HOME TONIGHT”—FOUR DAYS UNTIL THE TOMB OPENS.

Nona is awakened abruptly(2) and screams when something wet and heavy hits her face and splashes drops around. Cam tells her to start, and Nona resentfully describes her dream.

“It’s the sitting part. My feet are in the nice water, the safe water. The water’s in my boots. My socks are full of it. I’m talking to her but I can’t see her face. I tried to, Cam, but it’s what always happens, I don’t manage to look at it, it just doesn’t work.”

She goes on to describe that they talk, but she can't really understand the words. They touch hands, and it's always her hands, both the ones she's touching and the ones she's using to touch them. There are red eyes in the darkness, and in the dream she's very hungry. And she might have remembered more, but then a wet cloth hit her face.(3)

Nona gets changed, though she doesn't like the t-shirt she laid out, which shows a hamburger with legs.(4) It feels too juvenile now that she's got it on.

Cam apologizes for the sponge, and Nona apologizes for not waking up. Cam still promises not to do the sponge again, as the experiment failed. Strangely, Cam asks about her hands in the dream, though she usually doesn't ask anything after dream talk time is over. She asks if Nona likes the hands, and Nona says no, not at all. The narration tells us Nona hates having hands.(5) Cam squints at her, but doesn't ask for a reason, just thanks Nona for the answer. Nona asks if that was another clue, do they know who she is yet? Cam says simply, "No."

Nona expresses her love for Cam and Pal, brushes her teeth, and goes out to breakfast. Pyrrha made cold mush, with fruit juice and dried sultanas.(6) Pyrrha describes yesterday at work, where two men got into a big fight. Nona says her friends don't want to kill each other, though they say it often. Hot Sauce is good at quieting them when they get too rowdy. Pyrrha says Hot Sauce could have a big future with a different name. Nona says Honesty told her Hot Sauce's name was very special, and she (Nona) should ask her (Hot Sauce) about it some time.

Nona remembers last night's discussion and asks Pyrrha why We Suffer hates her.

“Because I remind her that her God was just a human being who could get tired and fuck up,”(7) said Pyrrha instantly.

She continues that We Suffer probably doesn't hate her so much anymore, after seeing her famous charm. Nona says if Pyrrha's charming, why's she single? Pyrrha affects a dramatic pose and says her heart is broken and she'll never love again. Nona wonders if Pyrrha is being more honest than she'd admit. It would make sense: she lost the Pal to her Cam.

Cam emerges and complains about the baby food for breakfast, which means it's not Cam but Pal. Pyrrha says options were limited. Pal asks what happened to her pay. Pyrrha admits she had to pay a bribe to some Site C guys. Pal offers a swap for Site B, he and Cam have ways- but Pyrrha says she'd rather save them taking such risks.

“I greenlight it every time, I thoroughly scan her for—” “You should be draining and replacing her fucking brain fluid,” said Pyrrha. “When Gideon and I designed that trial, I used to crack his skull and sieve it myself, just as a control variable. It’s aggregative. I doubt you’re testing her white blood cell count either. The only other people I put through that damn trial were Mercy and Cris, because only Cris didn’t mind being trepanned(8) on the regular.(9) Fucking around with souls is the problem, Sextus … you can’t ever get the full data on souls.”

Nona interrupts their argument to ask if they're fighting because everyone else in the city is. They both look guilty, and Pyrrha says they're just under a lot of stress, and Nona should eat her mush, even if it's awful. Nona thinks it's not so bad, really. At least it's easy to eat more of it than she usually does.

The timer goes off for Pal, and Cam comes back, looks at breakfast, and asks what happened to Pyrrha's pay. Pyrrha says she isn't arguing it twice. So, they all get on with their morning stretches, and then head out. Nona gazes longingly at the merchant stalls as they go past, and when Pyrrha asks what she's looking at, Nona says she'd like a gift for her six-month birthday. Cam says she can get one at a year.

Nona was alarmed; if she didn’t get a present now there was a good chance she would not get to have one later.(10) But Pyrrha said, “God, you think she’s ever gotten presents? I visited her hometown back before Anastasia got settled, and it was grim as fuck then. Just spooky caves all the way down…” This interested Nona, except Cam said sharply, “Don’t lead,”(11) and Pyrrha said, “No leading, ma’am, I understand. What do you want for a gift, Nona?”

Nona asks for a pack of coloured rubber bands for her braids, so she can have different colours on them. Pyrrha says she said a present, something that costs money. Nona says she chose it because it's cheap, so Pyrrha can probably afford it even on half pay. Pyrrha calls domestic life depressing, and Cam says, "Sometimes".

They continue walking, until Pyrrha splits off, kisses the top of Nona's head, and says her see-you-laters. Cam escorts Nona to school, just in time, and leaves. Nona is puzzled that Cam didn't come up with her like usual, but her attention is distracted by the voices of her friends.

In the classroom, "the nice lady teacher" is applying a cloth to one side of Honesty's face. Honesty asks that Nona do it, for his dignity. The teacher is relieved to see Nona in the doorway, and hands off the cold cloth duty. Honesty has a nasty black eye, and Nona is flad to cover it back up with the "cold, tingly-smelling cloth". The teacher tells the others to leave Honesty some space and prepare the room for class.

Nona asks Honesty what happened, but he won't answer.

Hot Sauce doesn't show up until the Angel arrives, not late but looking even more tired than the day before. She examines Honesty, to the Teacher's further relief, and pronounces that nothing has ruptured, he'll just be in some pain from it, and asks what hit him. Honesty asks how she knows it wasn't a fist, and the teacher says she (the Angel) is a doctor. The Angel clarifies that she's adjacent to being a doctor and is "getting a good crash course in, er, triage."(12)

Hot Sauce had come in "a suitable and careless distance" behind the Angel, and takes a tiny child's seat next to the window instead of her usual. The teacher asks her to switch back at break, but Nona figures she won't.(13)

At break, Nona gives half her fruit to Honesty, even though it was promised to Born in the Morning, who doesn't argue. Hot Sauce asks Honesty who did it, and Honesty says he can't tell her, and she doesn't need to freak out. Hot Sauce does a funny thing with her face that makes everyone nervous. Honesty tells her to stop, but she persists. Eventually, Honesty admits that he ran into a streetlight, and blacked out.

After eating some of the fruit for comfort, soggy berries you have to suck off the stems,(14) Honesty admits he got scared on the job he got, and he says he won't be working with those guys anymore. He fidgets with the empty spray from the fruit, takes one of Born in the Morning's, who again doesn't complain, and describes the job. It was supposed to be easy, but they talked themselves into a third robbery after two easy ones, and the third went bad.

Nona finds the story mostly incoherent, as I do, but essentially someone on the crew got separated from the rest, but opened the cargo hold on the third trawler anyway. And, instead of valuable cargo, he saw people with whited-out eyes, who all moved in unison to look at him.(14) This scared him so badly, he was freaking out everyone else once they picked him up, then they were being followed by more militia trucks, and Honesty ran off and got his brain damage.

Born in the Morning calls out that Honesty just said so many swears, but Honesty tells him to shut up. Born in the Morning says it's not fair he gets in trouble with Nona for swears but Honesty doesn't, and Kevin tells him to shut up. The shock of that act's rarity does the job, shuts Born up, and breaks some of the tension.

Hot Sauce says she'll take care of Honesty. Then, the teacher suggests they clean up, and Nona should ring the school bell and leash up Noodle. Before she does, Nona says she'll take care of Honesty, too. Honesty asks who wants her taking care of him, dumb as she is.

Hot Sauce asks how many vehicles it was. Honesty says he's sure it was the Convoy his job-crew tried to rob.(15)

=====

(1) Oh no! I like Honesty, he's a cute kid. (2) Hmm… That's funny, Nona waking up abruptly as soon as John gets cut off mid-word talking to the person who may or may not be Harrow. (3) See, it's not even the same dream… but why, then, would those interruptions be back to back? (4) Note Nona's outfit on the cover art. This must be a big day. Or it's just rather a vivid picture to describe. (5) That's an odd detail to be so specific about. (6) Overnight oats! Also, this is such a tiny thing, but… do you remember how excited Nona was at the thought of cold breakfast but not cold eggs? Pyrrha noticed. She's a warrior but she's also such a mom. I love her so. (7) Huh. Why would that upset We Suffer? Is it easier to rally a cause against a truly omnipotent God? I should've thought quite the opposite. (8) Trepanation - the cutting of a hole in the skull. Documented in tens of thousands of years of skulls, many with healed edges proving it was done well before death, and in ages with no modern anesthetic. (9) Side note here… Hm. Pyrrha is the cavalier, and G1deon the necromancer. She says she checked his cerebrospinal fluid regularly, for whatever the marker is of this soul-overlap going wrong. But, Cristabel was Mercy's cavalier. So, which role requires the CSF checking? Or is she just not mentioning having herself and Mercy checked as well? (This is the sort of thing I'm curious about potentially being fixed in the paperback edition, or left in place…) (10) Why wouldn't Nona get a present in six months? (11) Presumably, "don't give hints as to who Nona might be, and lead her to behave like someone she's not just to please them". Ever the scientist, Cam. (12) That sounds way more suspicious than lying about being a doctor. (13) I believe this is done as a power play of some sort, though I'm not entirely sure how or why. It's also possible she's so angry about seeing Honesty hurt that she needs to calm down before she confronts him about it and she knows she won't if she's sitting near him. (14) I'm operating under the assumption these are very sad refugee city grapes. There are plenty of edible green berries out there, but since Pyrrha put sultanas in the mush, it makes sense they have access to grapes at some level to make raisins. (15) But why would the Convoy be driving around with creepy horror-movie human cargo?

[secretdestinypainter]

"Citrus Sensations: Recipes, Health Benefits, and Trends for 2024"

In the ever-evolving world of culinary delights, citrus remains a timeless favorite, offering a burst of flavor and a wealth of health benefits. In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey through the world of citrus, exploring its diverse culinary applications, its myriad health benefits, and the latest trends for 2024. From refreshing recipes to cutting-edge wellness insights, join us as we uncover the vibrant world of citrus sensations.

Talking about citrus, let's take an example of one of the most citrus, Lemon with its tangy and refreshing flavor, adds a delightful twist to traditional chicken dishes. In this blog post, we'll explore mouthwatering Zesty Lemon that will tantalize your taste buds and impress your dinner guests. From marinating the chicken in a citrus-infused sauce to grilling it to perfection, this recipe is sure to become a favorite in your culinary repertoire.

Exploring the Citrus Spectrum: A Dive into Varieties

Are you someone who loves the zesty tang of citrus fruits but finds yourself overwhelmed by the sheer variety available? Fear not, for today we embark on a journey through the colorful and flavorful world of citrus fruits. From the familiar oranges to the exotic limes, there's a citrus for every palate. So, let's peel back the layers and explore the citrus spectrum together.

Oranges: From Navel to Blood Oranges

Oranges are perhaps the most iconic of all citrus fruits, known for their vibrant color and sweet-tart flavor. Among the diverse range of oranges, the Navel stands out for its distinctive "navel" formation at the blossom end, making it easy to identify. These oranges are prized for their juicy, seedless flesh and are perfect for snacking or juicing.

Moving on to the Blood Orange, we encounter a striking variation with crimson-colored flesh. This unique hue is due to the presence of anthocyanins, antioxidants not typically found in citrus fruits. Blood oranges boast a slightly more complex flavor profile, with hints of raspberry and berry alongside the classic citrus notes.

Lemons add a burst of sunshine to both sweet and savory dishes, but did you know that there are different varieties to choose from? The Meyer lemon, believed to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, offers a sweeter, less acidic flavor compared to its counterpart, the Eureka lemon. Meyer lemons are prized for their thin, fragrant skin and are often favored in desserts and cocktails for their floral aroma.

On the other hand, Eureka lemons are your classic tart lemons, perfect for traditional lemonade or adding a tangy kick to savory dishes like grilled fish or salads. Their thick, textured skin makes them ideal for zesting, imparting a bold citrus flavor to any recipe.

Unveiling the Top Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits: A Trending Guide

In a world where wellness is paramount, it's no surprise that citrus fruits have taken center stage as nutritional powerhouses. Bursting with flavor and packed with essential vitamins and antioxidants, these vibrant fruits offer a plethora of health benefits that are making waves across the globe. Join us as we delve into the top trending health advantages of citrus fruits, backed by science and

 Skin Health: Vitamin C for Collagen Production

When it comes to strengthening the immune system, vitamin C reigns supreme, and citrus fruits are abundant sources of this essential nutrient. From oranges to lemons to grapefruits, these juicy delights are rich in vitamin C, which plays a crucial role in supporting immune function, aiding in the production of white blood cells, and fighting off infections. Incorporating citrus fruits into your daily diet can help fortify your body's natural defenses, keeping you feeling vibrant and resilient.

Beautiful skin starts from within, and citrus fruits offer a natural solution for achieving a radiant complexion. Thanks to their high vitamin C content, citrus fruits play a crucial role in collagen production, the protein responsible for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness. By consuming citrus fruits regularly, you can help prevent premature aging, reduce wrinkles, and promote a youthful glow from the inside out.

Heart Health: Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Protecting your heart is paramount, and citrus fruits provide heart-healthy benefits that can't be ignored. Studies have shown that the antioxidants and soluble fiber found in citrus fruits may help lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. By incorporating citrus fruits into a balanced diet, you can take proactive steps towards maintaining a healthy heart and enjoying a longer, happier life.

Satisfy Your Thirst with Citrus Beverages: Trending Recipes to Keep You Cool

When the sun is blazing and temperatures are soaring, there's nothing quite as refreshing as a citrus-infused beverage to quench your thirst and revitalize your senses. From classic lemonade to innovative cocktails, citrus fruits offer endless possibilities for creating delicious and invigorating drinks that are perfect for any occasion. Join us as we explore the top trending citrus beverage recipes that are sure to keep you cool and hydrated all summer long.

Citrus Mint Cooler: A Refreshing Summer Drink

For a twist on traditional lemonade, try adding a hint of mint for a cool, invigorating flavor profile. Simply muddle fresh mint leaves with lemon juice and sugar, then mix with cold water and ice for a revitalizing citrus mint cooler that's perfect for sipping poolside or lounging on the patio. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lemon wedge for a touch of elegance.

Limeade Spritzer: A Fizzy Delight

For a bubbly treat that's both tart and tangy, whip up a batch of Limeade Spritzers. Begin by mixing fresh lime juice with sugar or simple syrup until dissolved, then combine with sparkling water or club soda for a fizzy burst of flavor. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime wheel for a sparkling sensation

Elevate Your Culinary Experience with Citrus: Trending Recipes to Delight Your Palate

In the world of culinary delights, few ingredients are as versatile and vibrant as citrus fruits. From adding a zesty kick to savory dishes to bringing a refreshing burst of flavor to desserts and breakfasts, citrus fruits can elevate any meal to new heights. Join us as we explore some of the top trending citrus-infused recipes that are sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.

Citrus Glazed Salmon

For a dish that's both elegant and easy to prepare, try this citrus-glazed salmon recipe. Fresh salmon fillets are brushed with a sweet and tangy citrus glaze made from orange juice, honey, and soy sauce, then baked until golden and flaky. The combination of citrus and seafood creates a harmony of flavors that's simply irresistible.

Orange and Fennel Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

For a refreshing and vibrant salad that's bursting with flavor, whip up this orange and fennel salad with citrus vinaigrette. Sweet orange segments are paired with crisp, thinly sliced fennel and peppery arugula, then dressed with a tangy citrus vinaigrette made from fresh orange juice, lemon zest, and olive oil. The result is a refreshing salad that's perfect for any occasion.

Grapefruit and Avocado Toast: A Refreshing Breakfast Option

Start your day off right with this refreshing grapefruit and avocado toast. Creamy avocado is spread onto toasted whole grain bread, then topped with slices of juicy grapefruit, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. It's a simple yet satisfying breakfast option that's sure to fuel your day.

Citrus: A Brief History

Dating back centuries, citrus has been cherished by ancient civilizations for its medicinal properties, culinary versatility, and symbolic significance. From the sacred citrus groves of ancient China to the citrus-scented gardens of the Mediterranean, these fruits have left an indelible mark on human history. Today, citrus continues to be revered for its vibrant flavors, vibrant colors, and abundant health benefits.

The Citrus Renaissance: A Modern Resurgence

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in citrus, fueled by a growing appreciation for fresh, natural ingredients and innovative culinary techniques. From the rise of craft cocktails featuring zesty citrus infusions to the popularity of citrus-inspired skincare products, the allure of citrus has transcended the kitchen and permeated every aspect of modern life. With its invigorating scents and vibrant flavors, citrus has become a symbol of vitality, freshness, and rejuvenation.

Embracing Citrus in Everyday Life: From Cooking to Self-Care

From zesty lemon tarts to tangy orange-glazed salmon, citrus adds a burst of flavor to a wide range of dishes, both sweet and savory. Beyond the kitchen, citrus-infused skincare products offer a luxurious way to pamper and rejuvenate the skin, while citrus-scented candles and diffusers create a bright and uplifting atmosphere at home. Whether cooking up a storm in the kitchen or indulging in a moment of self-care, citrus has a way of brightening the senses and elevating the everyday.

Overall if we make this long story short and reach the conclusion, citrus fruits are a culinary powerhouse that can transform any dish into a flavor-packed masterpiece.  Whether you're grilling chicken, baking salmon, tossing a salad, baking a pie, or making breakfast, citrus fruits add a bright and refreshing twist that's sure to impress. So why not bring a burst of citrusy goodness to your kitchen today and elevate your culinary experience to new heights?

[nancyreviewtalk]

Puravive Review - Puravive Weight Loss - Puravive Reviews - PURAVIVE ⚠️( I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT! )⚠️

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Puravive Review - Puravive Weight Loss - Puravive Reviews - PURAVIVE ⚠️( I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT! )⚠️

Its Puravive?

PuraVive boasts a 100% natural formula, free from harmful chemicals and additives. Its plant-based, non-GMO composition appeals to health-conscious consumers.

- The FDA-approved manufacturing facility adheres to GMP certification standards, ensuring strict compliance and safety.

- Delivered in easy-to-swallow capsules suitable for a diverse user base, PuraVive is non-habit-forming and assures no negative side effects. Overwhelmingly positive customer feedback attests to its effectiveness.

Not only does PuraVive facilitate a healthy lifestyle, but it also does so at an affordable price range, offering savings, promotions, and deals to enhance its allure for customers seeking added value. How Does This Product Aid in Losing Weight?

- PuraVive offers a cutting-edge approach rooted in scientific research. A German study revealed a significant factor in excess abdominal fat: a deficiency in brown fatty tissue (BAT).

PuraVive aims to elevate the body's BAT levels, addressing this deficiency.- BAT is highly efficient in burning calories, enhancing metabolism for consistent and effective calorie burn throughout the day and night. The supplement's natural ingredients also benefit vitality, brain rejuvenation, and cardiovascular health, enhancing blood flow, regulating blood sugar, cholesterol, and overall well-being.

Ingredients List for PuraVive

- Holy Basil: An adaptogen reducing stress, improving mental health, and impacting weight management by raising BAT levels. - Luteolin: Increases BAT levels, promoting brain health, aiding weight loss, and controlling cholesterol. - Korean White Ginseng: Boosts immunity, reduces oxidative stress, promoting energy and general health. - Propolis: Potent antioxidant maintaining blood sugar balance and cell protection. - Kudzu Root: Strong antioxidant properties, promoting cardiovascular health and weight control by increasing BAT levels. - Amour Cork Bark: Improves gut health, digestion, supports metabolic and cardiovascular health. - Quercetin: Aids in aging, blood pressure maintenance, and weight loss by altering metabolic pathways.

PURAVIVE REVIEWS  - ⚠️WARNING ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT WITH PURAVIVE⚠️ -  Puravive Review - Pura Vive

BEST MOMENTS IN THE VIDEO:

00:01 Introduction 00:24 Puravive Reviews 00:50 Puravive Supplement 01:10 Does it Work for Weight Loss? 01:29 Ingredients and benefits 02:10 How to use Puravive 02:55 How does Puravive Work 03:00 Conclusion

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[denimbex1986]

'By 2014 Christopher Nolan had established himself as one of the most exciting and important filmmakers of our generation. In addition to the genre-defining Dark Knight trilogy, Nolan made his name with complex, intellectually challenging thrillers such as Memento and Inception. His 2014 release Interstellar seemed primed to expand that reputation. That one’s the story of a mid-21st century astronaut (Matthew McConaughey) who leads an expedition into a wormhole which carries their vessel to another galaxy. It also used its sci-fi context to further dabble into shifting timelines, one of the English-American director’s favorite conceits, via the theory of relativity. The film was a hit, earning more than four times its budget in box office sales. But amidst the praise, a single, recurring complaint could be heard, loud and clear: “I can’t understand what anyone was saying.”

Interstellar was hardly the first time people charged the director with mishandling sound design. Tom Hardy’s Bane original vocal recordings in the first footage of The Dark Knight Rises screened half a year before that film’s release became a joke that no film bro could defend. Some audiences assumed the studio had made a mistake with how the footage was released (and the studio did subsequently ask Nolan and Hardy to redub Bane’s lines via ADR).

The original audio wasn’t a mistake at all, however. And as his influence grew, Nolan has remained committed to massive soundscapes with deafening music, immersive effects, and murky dialogue. But as understandable as it may be for audiences to want to hear what characters say to one another, Nolan’s sound design cannot be dismissed as a quirk or even a mistake by an otherwise precise filmmaker. Rather muffled dialogue must be understood as a tool to advance his movie’s themes.

The Unspoken Rules of Christopher Nolan’s Games

Few directors seem to invite as much heated discourse as Christopher Nolan. He tells stories about shifting dreamscapes, magical illusions, or scientific theory. Even movies based in historical fact use overlapping timelines. To guide viewers through these narratives, Nolan usually includes expository scenes, in which characters explain the rules of the film.

Nolan’s breakout film Memento starred Guy Pearce as a man who could not make new memories. The studios marketed Memento as a film that moves backward narratively, beginning with a scene of Pearce’s Leonard Shelby looking at a polaroid of the man he killed, and each subsequent scene taking place earlier in the story. But in between each of these moments are intercut black-and-white sequences that move in a traditionally linear fashion, in which Shelby talks to an unseen interlocutor about a person called Sammy Jankis (Stephen Tobolowsky), who suffered a similar condition as him.

Nolan has used similar moments in nearly all of his films, whether it be Michael Caine outlining the three steps of a magic trick in The Prestige, or Robert Pattinson calling for a temporal pincher movement in Tenet.

Few Nolan movies better demonstrate this tendency than Inception, a mind-bending caper that devotes nearly half of its runtime to establishing dream world mechanics. Only after characters have lectured viewers about totems and kicks does the film settle into a heist across multiple layers of reality.

But if you were to ask someone to describe any of the rules scenes, few would recount the dialogue. Instead they’ll probably talk about what has become the movie’s most iconic aspect. As Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) teaches Ariadne (Elliot Page) about constructing dreamscapes, the city folds in on itself and windows explode harmlessly. None of Cobb’s warnings about the subconscious acting like white blood cells resonates like those remarkable images.

While it might be tempting to say that no exposition dump can match the massive visuals of Inception, Nolan buried his talkier moments in earlier movies, even when he didn’t have access to big-budget effects. In Batman Begins, when Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) tells Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) about his journey, Nolan restricts the dialogue to voiceover, melding it with the score from Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, sweeping the camera across mountains or circling around people performing the actions described.

Time and again, Nolan has shown that the words in his movies don’t matter. Nothing a character says is as important as what they do or how they respond to the world around them. There’s nothing the dialogue communicates that isn’t better related by music, lighting, and composition.

Nolan demonstrated this way back in Memento with the resolution to the Sammy Jankis story. After getting to the end of his narrative, Leonard realizes that he’s forgotten who he’s talking to. Eventually, we learn that Leonard misremembers the Jankis story; that he’s combined it with his own life to give himself a sense of justice. But the tragedy of Leonard’s self-deception is better relayed in the panic Pearce plays, tightening his body and jerking toward the phone. It’s better relayed by the black-and-white photography, which uses lighting to highlight shades of gray, suggesting that the truth isn’t as simple as it seems.

The Human Heart of Nolan’s Cinema

Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer is full of memorable moments, but none as striking as the speech the title character (Cillian Murphy) gives after the bomb he and the scientists of Los Alamos created was then dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The camera trails behind Oppenheimer as he walks through a stomping and cheering crowd, searching for his composure before he reaches the podium. Each jingoistic remark he manages to spit out earns more screaming applause until the sound suddenly drops out leaving only Murphy’s unvarnished audio.

One might think that this decision would only intensify the importance of Oppenheimer’s words, but it actually has the opposite effect. The specific things he’s saying don’t matter. They are empty boasts, war-crazed rabble-rousing that fail to match the importance of the bomb. Instead the sound design draws attention to the real concern of the scene: the weight of humanity. As Oppenheimer speaks, the background shakes and blurs, highlighting Murphy’s crumbling and frail frame. An explosion of white illuminates the room, engulfing Murphy’s gaunt face in light and shadow, drowning his heretofore striking blue eyes. Even before Oppenheimer’s POV sees skin melting off the face of celebrants in the audience or charred bodies at his feet, we understand the extreme human cost of the moment.

The Oppenheimer speech is a surprisingly humane scene from a director who can sometimes seem chilly and intellectual. Movies such as Interstellar, Inception, and Tenet have established Nolan’s reputation as a filmmaker in the Stanley Kubrick vein, more interested in technical bombast and puzzle-box plots than in human connections. But Nolan’s muddled dialogue suggests otherwise. Take Dunkirk, the most small-scale film of his blockbuster era. Detractors might argue that Nolan’s insistence on layered timelines distracts from what is a fairly simple plot about rescuing British soldiers from the titular beach.

However, the movie isn’t terribly interested in the plot mechanics. Instead it focuses on the human experiences of the people involved. By interlacing the three timelines, we get the full weight of Tommy’s (Fionn Whitehead) attempts to escape the beach, of Dawson (Mark Rylance) crossing the channel to rescue the soldiers, and of the pilot with the callsign Fortis 1 (Tom Hardy) providing air support. Each one of these characters have significance, no matter how insignificant to the actual mechanics of the evacuation, simply because they are people.

Dunkirk succeeds by minimizing the dialogue, making most of Hardy’s lines incomprehensible over the sound of his Spitfire engine. Even the most important words in the film, Winston Churchill’s “We will fight them on the beaches” speech get recited by a mumbling Tommy, who is nearly drowned out by Zimmer’s soaring score. However, it works because we don’t need those words barked with bombast, as Gary Oldman did playing Churchill in The Darkest Hour that same year. Instead we need to see the sadness in Hardy’s eyes as his pilot lands his plane behind enemy lines, the relief on Alex’s (Harry Styles) face when a civilian passes him a beer, the sad recognition shared between Dawson and his son (Tom Glynn-Carney).

By diminishing the words, Nolan forces the audience to pay more attention to the face, the emotions, and the struggles embodied by the actors. It frees the characters from being exposition machines, allowing them to be human beings instead.

Christopher Nolan’s Wordless Humanism

While on the press tour for Interstellar, Nolan offered a rare defense of his sound design. “There are particular moments in this film where I decided to use dialogue as a sound effect,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “So sometimes it’s mixed slightly underneath the other sound effects or in the other sound effects to emphasize how loud the surrounding noise is. It’s not that nobody has ever done these things before, but it’s a little unconventional for a Hollywood movie.”

That approach can be seen and heard in several notable moments in the movie, from the heightening of small sounds inside Coop’s cockpit to the muffled conversation between Coop’s adult daughter Murph (Jessica Chastain) and her dying mentor Professor Brand (Caine). In contrast to his films, Nolan offers a simple, straightforward explanation. “That’s the way I like to work,” he admitted. “I don’t like to hang everything on one particular line. I like to follow the experience of the character.”

That defense may be irritating to those who want to hear the scientists pontificate on time and space travel, but it’s clear that the film isn’t truly interested in those expository details. Instead it’s interested in Coop’s visceral experiences, something made clear by the movie’s most defining image. When we think of Interstellar, we recall not the various planets Coop visits or even the dusty cornfield of Earth in the 2060s.

Instead we think of Coop crying as he watches a message from Murph. McConaughey’s face captures everything, the reddening on his cheeks and forehead, the elongated look as the hand over his mouth stretches his skin, the tremor accompanying his tears.

That image sticks because it is the heart of the movie. Nothing any character does say, or could say, matches the intensity of that simple human moment. Coop’s crying represents the pinnacle of Nolan’s cinematic project, the level of connection he strives for in each of his films. No matter how convoluted his movies become, they fundamentally try to communicate human experiences, something that can rarely be put into words.'

[grandhotelabyss]

Not having read much of the fashionable translated fiction of the last several decades (Lispector and Bolaño being exceptions, both of whom seem in their own ways too weird to have contributed) I’ve always suspected that culpability lay as well in the more solipsistic moments of the midcentury- Adler as a novelist, Confessions of a Mask (masterpiece though it is) the entire bibliography of Philip Roth* etc. I am so very tired of relitigating these arguments from 2015, but yes wokeness enters into it too I’m sure, the idea that it’s almost an imperialist act to imagine a mind other than your own makes a certain kind of fiction inevitable I think.

*I find it curious that both the wokes who’ve (in theory at least, in practice there’s no male author of that generation whose books I see more in the wild, not even Baldwin or Pynchon) run him out of the canon and the based dissidents who seek to appropriate Roth as an icon of swaggering, he-man masculinity miss that the archetypal Roth protagonist isn’t a healthy all-American patriarch or even swinger, but a pathetic, almost kafka-esque insectoid figure torn simultaneously native of two cultures with wildly differing visions of masculinity, and whose compromise is a hypersexuality that the novelist’s art clearly portrays as disordered (even if his own life tells a different story.)

Yes, good call on Adler. As far as translated writers go, I think Sebald has to carry most of the blame for making world-weary old-world anhedonic lassitude, moralized as the proper "after Auschwitz" tone, into the style of the age. The contrarian wing of the literati isn't off the hook either, though, because the Houellebecq vogue didn't help.

The smartest literary left-liberals who are philosophically "woke" but disdainful of vulgar "wokeness" know Roth is with them in the end. I'm thinking of Becca Rothfeld or Garth Greenwell, for example. Such a ruthless philosophical materialist or monist hardly leaves actual metaphysical right-wingers a leg to stand on; as a matter of practical politics, he was only ever playing the gadfly within the greater Democratic Party coalition. By the same token, I suspect the real "based dissidents," not your Red Scare larpers, know their old enemy Entartete Kunst when they see it. I certainly didn't have any trouble placing Roth in my Multicultural Literature class right alongside people like Nella Larsen and Louise Erdrich, though The Ghost Writer is admittedly an easier case to make than something like Sabbath's Theater would be. There's a bigger question here about where Jewishness belongs on the progressive stack, if it does at all, but that is, as academics say in their footnotes, beyond the scope of this discussion.

Aesthetically, Roth's mid-to-late style, those furiously unspooling sentences, their sophisticated lexis and cadence almost (but not totally) unruffled by the fury, like a man in an immaculate suit having a public breakdown, with just a strand of pomaded silver-black hair dislodged on the forehead—

As the audience filed back in, I began, cartoonishly, to envisage the fatal malady that, without anyone's recognizing it, was working away inside us, within each and every one of us: to visualize the blood vessels occluding under the baseball caps, the malignancies growing beneath the permed white hair, the organs misfiring, atrophying, shutting down, the hundreds of billions of murderous cells surreptitiously marching this entire audience toward the improbable disaster ahead. I couldn't stop myself. The stupendous decimation that is death sweeping us all away. Orchestra, audience, conductor, technicians, swallows, wrens—think of the numbers for Tanglewood alone just between now and the year 4000. Then multiply that times everything. The ceaseless perishing. What an idea! What maniac conceived it? 

—is so distinct and forceful, such a brilliant adaptation of the Jamesian to accommodate rage and of the Faulknerian to elaborate the metropole, that we have to admire him on that level if not the thematic or structural. I'm startled to hear how much Roth is in my own "voice" as I record the Major Arcana chapters, though I don't think of him consciously as an influence despite my admiration and appreciation.

[ourlittledinosaur]

Happy New Year, 2018!

New Post has been published on http://ourlittledinosaur.com/happy-new-year-2018/

Happy New Year, 2018!

I Think I Say This Every Year…

“WOW! I can’t believe another year has passed already.” 2017 seemed to go by double quick with our little one around. Our son has changed and grown before our very eyes these 14 months. I wonder what this fresh, new year will hold for the 3 of us! I’m excited to find out!

New Year Resolutions

It’s traditional when entering into a new year to think of some goals you would like to accomplish. I have been thinking about mine a lot, so I thought I’d share them with you all.

My Top Three Goals for 2018!

Here they are folks!

Be healthier and lose weight! I know, I know, typical. But seriously this is important to me, especially as my son is becoming more and more mobile. I want to be more than be able to keep up. Truly the goal is to be healthier, by eating a good diet and staying active. One of the best ways to be healthier is simply to cut out sugar, so I’m saying, “No sugar in 2018!”

Foods that spike your blood sugar cause your body to store excess sugars in fat cells. I have been reading Trim Healthy Mama and it is an incredible guide to live by to be healthy. It’s wonderful because it’s something you can ease into just by tweaking your own recipes, and your family will barely notice and will be eating healthy as well!

I’ve also been learning more about the immune system. (A journey that began as Lil’ Dino Daddy and I decided we would not be vaccinating our son. This begs the question, what will protect us all from illness?) Coupled with adding immunity boosting supplements to our diet such as Vitamin C, Elderberry Syrup, and Colloidial Silver, we are both very serious about removing sugar from our diet, for one very simple reason that sugar FEEDS bacteria. Gross! So essentially, when you are sick and eat sugar, you are making it more difficult for your body to heal. Our family will be switching permanently to a stevia blend. Does this mean we won’t touch sugar at all this next year? Realistically no, when we are out and about. However, I will not be purchasing sugar, white flour or white rice this year, (and that includes reading labels). so all my cooking and baking will be done without these two items.

Continue to find areas to be more frugal in so that we can save as much money as possible and make our dream of farm living a reality. one way I’d like to do this is by getting really serious about meal planning with the items already in our pantry and freezer, and significantly limit eating out.

Read through the Bible in chronological order. What better way to stay focused on the right things than to be in the Word consistently? This was actually a project I started back in November, but the app I use only starts at the beginning of the Bible in January, so it has now morphed into a New Year’s Resolution.

What about you?

What goals are you setting this year for you and your family?

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