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stenka-razin · 4 months

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in 2023 I watched some movies

I was gonna catch up on all those best picture nominees from the last 5 years, but watched crap like Caligula 2 instead

The 1989 World Tour - Live (2015, dir. Jonas Åkerlund) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022, dir. Rian Johnson) Flight 666 (2008, dir. Scot McFayden and Sam Dunn) Dracula (1931, dir. Todd Browning) Moonraker (1979, dir. Lewis Gilbert) The Pez Outlaw (2022, dir. Bryan Storkel and Amy Bandlien Storkel) Encino Man (1992, dir. Les Mayfield) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998, dir. Jonathan Frakes) Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (2019, dir. Quentin Tarantino) Cleopatra (1963, dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz) The Alligator People (1959, dir. Roy Del Ruth) The Silence of the Lambs (1991, dir. Thomas Demme) Godzilla vs. Megalon (“ゴジラ対メガロ” 1973, dir. Jun Fukuda) Invasion of Astro-Monster (“怪獣大戦争” 1965, dir. Ishirō Honda) Breaking a Monster (2015, dir. Luke Meyer) Terror at Orgy Castle (1971, dir. Zoltan G. Spencer) Wake in Fright ("Outback" 1971, dir. Ted Kotcheff) m.A.A.d. (2014, dir. Khalil Joseph) Reservoir Dogs (1992, dir. Quentin Tarantino) Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002, dir. Steve Oedekerk) House (1977, dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, dir. Steven Spielberg) Dunkirk (2017, dir. Christopher Nolan) Final Destination (2000, dir. James Wong) Glitch: The Rise & Fall of HQ Trivia (2023, dir. Salima Koroma) Basic Instinct (1992, dir. Paul Verhoeven) Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985, dir. Tim Burton) Caligula 2: The Untold Story (“Caligola: La storia mai raccontata” 1982, dir. Joe D’Amato) La noche del terror ciego (1972, dir. Amando de Ossorio) Rocky IV (1985, dir. Sylvester Stallone) Saw IV (2007, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman) House of Wax (1953, dir. Andre DeToth) Thir13en Ghosts (2001, dir. Steve Beck) Kashchey the Immortal (“Кащей Бессмертный” 1944, dir. Aleksandr Rou) Ghost Ship (2002, dir. Steve Beck) The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971, dir. Piers Haggard) The Face of Fu Manchu (1965, dir. Don Sharp) The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966, dir. Don Sharp) The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (1967, dir. Jeremy Summers) The Blood of Fu Manchu (1968, dir. Jesús Franco) April Fool's Day (1986, dir. Fred Walton) It's Pat 1994, dir. Adam Bernstein) The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969, dir. Jesús Franco) Adam and Eve Meet the Cannibals ("Adam ed Eve, la prima storia d'amore" 1983, dir. Enzo Doria & Luigi Rosso) The Mountain of the Cannibal God (“La montagna del dio cannibale” 1978, dir. Sergio Martino) When Harry Met Sally… (1989, dir. Rob Reiner) Beetlejuice (1988, dir. Tim Burton) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001, dir. Peter Jackson, Long as Shit Version) The Hobbit (1977, dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, dir. Robert Wiene) The Wicker Man (1973, dir. Robin Hardy) The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974, dir. Tobe Hooper) House of 1000 Corpses (2003, dir. Rob Zombie) Chopping Mall (1986, dir. Jim Wynorski) Basket Case (1982, dir. Frank Henenlotter) Cube (1997, dir. Vincenzo Natali) Cube 2: Hypercube (2002, dir. Andrzej Sekula) Practical Magic (1998, dir. Griffin Dunne) Tropic Thunder (2008, dir. Ben Stiller) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, dir. J.J. Abrams) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017, dir. Rian Johnson) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019, dir. J.J. Abrams) Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick) Superbad (2007, dir. Greg Mottola) Bruce Almighty (2003, dir. Tom Shadyac) House of Flying Daggers (“十面埋伏” 2004, dir. Zhang Yimou) Saltburn (2023, dir. Emerald Fennell) Grandma’s Boy (2006, dir. Nicholaus Goossen) Five Nights at Freddy's (2023, dir. Emma Tammi) Caligula and Messalina (“Caligula et Messaline” 1981, dir. Bruno Mattei) The Wizard of Oz (1939, dir. Victor Fleming, King Vidor, George Cukor, and Norman Taurog) A Christmas Prince (2017, dir. Alex Zamm) A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (2018, dir. John Schulz) The Knight Before Christmas (2019, dir. Monika Mitchell) Goldfinger (1964, dir. Guy Hamilton) Total Recall (1990, dir. Paul Verhoeven)

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deathmetalunicorn1 · 1 year

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If you had to create a roster for the Einherjar (without using those already on the list) who would you pick from history?

For a more fun one let’s play which Isekai characters would you pick to be an Einherjar?

This was quite fun to do!

1. Alexander the Great, educated, a strong warrior before he was king, responsible for sacking the Persian Empire, but even when the Persian King fled, he left the coward king’s family unharmed, showing that he was also compassionate. He died young and his heirs were assassinated shortly after and the empire promptly fell apart without his guidance.

2. Genghis Khan, one of history’s most infamous leaders, conquered the Mongol Empire plus most of Asia and Europe during his reign. A strong warrior and brilliant tactician who ruled his massive army, and had so many children with various women that his descendants could form their own army today. I love the mystery that nobody knows how he died or where his body is.

3. William Wallace, famous for leading Scotland to its freedom from the English, he may have not been the one to actually do it, but his actions as a warrior and a leader set in motion to the Scots rising up against King Edwards I following his death. His death was tragic, being betrayed and then executed in horrible ways and having his severed body parts displayed around England.

4. Miyamoto Musashi, a ronin samurai who killed his first person at age 13. He traveled alone with no affiliations to train his skills with a sword, which resulted in nito ichi-ryu, better known as kensai, battling with two swords. His most well-known fight was against Sasaki Kojiro, which he won, but then retired to train others with swords and retired with an undefeated record of 61 duels.

5. Spartacus, warrior turned slave turned gladiator turned rebellion leader, courageous but compassionate, a ruthless warrior who offered his enemies both mercy and respect, and led an army of rebels against their oppressors, the Roman Empire.

6. Achilles, who led the Greek army against Troy, killing Hector at the gates, a proud and strong warrior and leader, but he needs to make sure to wear iron boots that are impenetrable as everyone knows his weak spot.

7. Ching Shih, a female pirate who commanded 300 ships and was able to go toe-to-toe with the Chinese Imperial Navy. If you disobeyed you were immediately executed, but the same went for if her men raped captives, she had a no tolerance policy. She ended up getting to retire with all her wealth after the Imperial Government offered both her and her crew amnesty after they were defeated under the agreement that they would stop.

8. ‘Mad Jack’ Churchill, a British solider in WWII that charged into combat with weapons that were not common for the time, such as a sword and long bow. He was disappointed the war ended with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as he wanted to keep fighting. He once stormed a German held down in Italy with just one other man and captured a mortar position and 42 men with just his sword, long bow and his bagpipes.

9. Amanirenas, one eyed ancient queen of Kush, now modern day Sudan, who fought back against the Roman Empire, after the death of Cleopatra, when they decided to try to expand past Egypt, so viciously that Rome and Augustus were quick declare peace between the two empires after they couldn’t win due to the unbearable heat and the pissed off queen. A fierce tactician who used supposedly used war elephants, fed captors to her pet lion, and defaced Augustus’ statues and kept the head of one statue under the feet of the throne of Kush.

10. Lyudmila Pavlichenko, deadliest female sniper in the world; sniper for the Soviet Union in the Red Army during WWII; nicknamed Lady Death and claimed, during her time as a sniper, to have killed 309 soldiers. Became an advocate for peace and toured the world.

11. Jean-Eugene Robert-Houdin a French watchmaker, illusionist, magician and regarded as the father of the modern style of conjuring, having brought magic from something only seen at circuses or similar places like that for the poor, to something of grand entertainment for the wealthy.

12. Richard I of England, a bad king but a brilliant warrior, having spent most of his time in the Crusades, rather than running his own kingdom, or fighting against France

13. Ragnar Lothbrok, Swedish and Danish king, legendary Viking warrior leader who raid both the British Isles and the Holy Roman Empire in the 9th century

As for Isekai~

1. Ainz Ooal Gown- Overlord

2. Rimuru Tempest- That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime

3. Canya- In the Land of Leadale

4. Azusa Aizawa- I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed out my Level

5. Yuna- Kuma-Kuma-Kuma Bear

6. Albedo- Overlord

7. Diablo- That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime

8. Shiraori- So I’m a Spider, So What?

9. Seiya Ryuguin- Cautious Hero: The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious

10. Mamako Oosuki- Do You Love your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?

11. Diablo- How Not to Summon a Demon Lord

12. Hajime Nagumo- Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest

13. Teacher and Fran- Reincarnated as a Sword

#record of ragnarok

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aarontaylorsjohnson · 7 days

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Just out of interest do you have a problem with the Britney Spears circus album / tour

(It happened before the issues with her mental health / legal limitations I think)

I never engaged with it positively or negatively. She honestly wasn't as in-your-face omnipresent as TS (I was alive then and I didn't see ads about her every 2 min) and there wasn't as much of a meta culture of analyzing social justice implications in that era so it would have been surprising if it WAS something I thought much about then.

Now that I consider it, the nuances are different IMO even given that the conservatorship started the same year the "Circus" album came out. The effects of the conservatorship weren't felt immediately but would amount to exploitative forced labor so the circus reference is so retroactively fitting. Addressing this without that in mind as you asked, her period of highly publicized erratic behavior started before that (2006-2008 per the internet) and generated unprecedented public interest in her perceived behavioral dysfunctionality and public suffering. She and TS do share being papped relentlessly which I agree is a level of scrutiny most people can't take (look at Princess Di who was literally killed by it). But it's just a bit different when the source of the scrutiny is your public manifestation of what would be diagnosed as bipolar later vs it being about your work's intentional specific references to your personal life in a culture you created of easter eggs and puzzles. I am not stating it has inherent political consequences but the pattern of dissecting clues in an ongoing and consuming way is what QAnon is. I'm referring to the process, not the morals or the message. People like feeling like they have deep insider knowledge of an opaque situation based on their own intelligent analysis of a symbol system with hidden meaning. Even us antis do it because it's pretty irresistible in a culture based on meta, but we were kinda trained to do it by TS.

Please keep in mind as an old person I recall the music world as an industry where women like Britney had very little control over their image, marketing strategies, probably even wardrobe and styling. Britney grew up singing gospel music as a kid but commercial relevance required a Marilyn Monroe-eque image of a teen halfway between sensual womanhood and childlike innocence. She could sign huge contracts based on that image but I don't think her decision-making powers matched TS'. And I give TS credit for gaining control over her image, label, creative output and brand to a large extent as it IS a step forward for women. Like Liz Taylor signing a million dollar contract for Cleopatra and crafting her own contract stipulations.

But in Brit's case the public scrutiny circus about her progressive bipolar-influenced behavior is not one she created and ultimately it put her into slavery. If she were brand and brand manager at that time, designing and booking and adding dates to tours on her terms, speaking cogently about her marketing strategies, gaining control over every aspect of her business and seeming to do it with as much savvy influence as TS does, no, I doubt I'd love the circus imagery. I don't really care for it as a baseline narrative or metaphor for fame by itself. But if used I would like it to be in the hands of those who are marginalized. "The Greatest Showman" the film is a massive rewriting of history but there was something massively cathartic for me in seeing a pacific islander woman who is not just "Hollywood heavy" (like Renee Zelleweger as Bridget Jones playing 'fat' at a size 12) but actually plus size and also playing someone with genetic excess hair. PCOS gang (me!) found a bigger woman who falls under at least 3 categories of minority being the vocal backbone of the movie and the heart and soul of the diversity message undeniably compelling even when much of the historical rewriting was a hot mess and ick.

Taylor has been a victim of misogyny and I didn't mind when she spoke about it and it was truly the source of the criticism. But outside of that and in her billionaire era she is losing credibility with many when she goes for underdog status. Fame is a cage, I get that. Her parents are culpable for overly emphasizing her career and brand management from childhood. But when you set the tour dates, have unprecedented financial returns for them, etc it's hard to see the circus and public interest as not also being the source of much of your gain.

Britney's bipolar diagnosis apparently came at 2008 as well, same year as the Circus album. I am bipolar gang gang and I can't imagine having a sense of control of your life that would render the circus metaphor wholly offensive. She's beautiful and gained riches but everyone could see it cost her more than privacy and we were all worried. Taylor's control of her brand is the thing that separates them. In general, circus metaphors are a bit derivative tho.

#anti taylor swift #too many words from someone in their spring mania lmao

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missegyptiana · 9 months

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you guys don’t understand how grateful i am rn. i’ve been doing everything i can to get tickets and it happened. my family is helping me out and i’ve dreamed of going to more than one show for her tours for the longest time. i get to dress as cleopatra like i wanted with the “if cleopatra grew up in a small town” sign. i get to meet mutuals. which i’ve been dreaming of for so long cause i didn’t know when i’d have this chance again. cause at metlife i couldn’t cause my data sucked and i wasn’t receiving any messages. i’ve been dreaming of hearing no body no crime live cause haim means the world to me. i’ve never been able to hear long live in full in person (cause it was a mashup for rep tour) and i just get to see my favourite person @taylorswift again. things have been so shitty lately and this is all i needed. ty to everyone who has tried to help me and manifested with me. dw i see you and appreciate you. please comment or dm me of ur going to LA 8/9 so we can take pics and exchange bracelets

#isabella speaks #latstheerastour #the eras tour

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artstar1997 · 1 year

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Watching some videos from Austin Powers made me imagine Lownote Jones as a super spy with Rose as a high-ranking Interpol agent. They would partner up to save the world from evil and busted criminals and villains. Because Dr. Ravenhug, who I see as an undercover agent pretending to be an evil scientist for the villains, is based on Emilio Largo, Lownote is gonna be like a James Bond character while I’m a Bond girl and love interest (unlike the Bond Girls who vary in different movies, I am the very same sidekick who tags along in his escapades).

Because Lownote is a funk troll, his outfit is based on Austin Powers because it fits him. Rose’s outfit is inspired from Austin’s latest love interest, Foxxy Cleopatra and it matches his look since we are partners.

Me and Lownote Jones stopped each and every threat in the world but we also take down gangs and criminals as well. Lownote’s weapons are mostly funk troll tech like his lava lamp blaster while Rose’s weapons have different mods, from swords that become lightsabers to morph guns.

Trolls/Trolls World Tour/Trolls TrollsTopia (c) DreamWorks Animation Rose (c) Me!

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls fanart #lownote jones #rose #trolls oc #funk trolls

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angelfoodcake222 · 2 months

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Vampiric Dark Orchastral Trolls.

Do I have your attention yet? Yes? Good.

🧛🍷😈

~Think of the Classical/Orchestral trolls in Trolls: World Tour but darker, bat-like wings tipped with bony cloak clasps/appendages that clasp over their doubled/tripled-size bodys, & just as scary as you'd imagine them to be but with that vampiric/uncanny/otherworldly beauty about them.

~I'm thinking something like the Albanian variety of Trolls that bear strikingly Dhëmbpirë-like biology: pallid/pale skin, elongated/pointed/bat-like ears, discolored eyes, optionally present fangs, the whole kaboodle.

~Maybe their/her/his hair isn't like the Trolls we've come to love or hate throughout the three movies (as of writing this): where the usuals have an upright, bouncy, lively quality to them, theirs/hers/his has a flat, traditionally "human" aesthetic that looks to be weighed down from length or as a side effect of living in the cold rocky peaks deemed home via evolutionary survival needs.

~Cold af environments = narrowed (possibly bloodshot, dilated) eyes, bright eyes [Think of Riddic] straight, extra fur/hair for heat containment, comparably sizable claws, fangs/teeth & muscles (Upper body, legs???) for swift, even uncanny climbing speeds, heightened hunting skills for their predominantly carnivorous diet, all the predatory traits of a born, bred hunter.

~I have a lot of names to pick from, though they are mostly corny &/or basic. If you have any suggestions, reblog &/or comment them, please & thank you.

Boys/Unisex

Afrim - Albanian. "Sincere & honest".

Alban - Albanian. "white".

Altin - Turkish. "Gold". Popular among Albanian boy names.

Bujar - Albanian. "Generous/generosity".

Burim - Albanian. "Riverhead" or "fountain".

Dardan - Albania. "Pear".

Dren - Albanian. "Deer". Unisex.

Driton - Albanian. "Light". It is also spelled Dritan.

Erjon - Albanian. "Our wind". Used as a given name & a surname.

Esad - Arabic. It is the Albanian form of the Arabic name Asad. "Lion".

Fatmir - Albanian. "Lucky/good fortune".

Fisnik - Albanian. "Noble/gallant".

Gjon - English. The Albanian form of John.

Flamur - Albanian. "Flag/flag bearer".

Gezim - Albanian. "Happiness".

Kreshnik - Albanian. Comes from the Albanian word for "a knight".

Luan - Albanian. "Lion".

Roel - Germanic/Dutch. "Famous land".

Skender - Greek. Skender is an Albanian version of Alexander which means "defender of man".

Agron - The name of an Illyrian king. "so-called he who was born in the countryside" or "by the dry ground". More research is needed...

Arben - A name for citizens of Illyria. It means "brave" & is an alternative version of the name Arber.

Ardian - From the Aridaei Illyrian tribe.

Bardhyll - "White star". The name of an Illyrian king.

Barteo - "Hill" or "furrow". Son of the farmer (???).

Cestislav - "Honor/glory".

Gaso - "Guardian of the treasure". A derivative of Casper.

Ilir - "Freedom/free". A character from Albanian mythology.

Sersah - "Worthy of reverence".

Zaco - "God remembers".

Girls/Unisex:

Afordita - Greek. Albanian version of Aphrodite. It is also used in Slavic languages, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Agnesa - Greek. It is the Albanian form of the Greek name Agnes which means "pure/chaste".

Albana - A name inspired by Albania. It means "white/fair".

Amaris - Hebrew. "child of the moon".

Aria - Italian. "Solo melody".

Bora - Turkish. "Snow".

Diellza - Albanian. "Sun".

Drita - Albanian. "Light". From the Albanian word 'drite'.

Emina - Latin. "Eminent; Trustworthy". A much-beloved name, it is popular in many Slavic countries.

Flutura - Albanian. "Butterfly".

Klea - Greek. "Glory". A version of Cleopatra.

Lindita - Albanian. "The day is born".

Lule - Albanian. "Bloom".

Manjola - Latin/Old French. "Magnolia". The name comes from French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Reina - Spanish. "Queen".

Shpresa - Albanian. "Hope".

Sumejja - Arabic/Turkish. Sumejja is the

Albanian form of Sumeyya or Sumaiya, who was the first Islamic martyr. It means "high above" or "exalted".

Tirana - Greek/Latin. "Song/Anthem" or "A city formed of solid materials, a fortress". It is also the name of the largest city & capital of Albania.

Valbona - Albanian. "the Good-valley" The name of a river in Albania.

Vetone - Albanian. "Strong warrior".

Ajola - "Genius, Good, Good Judger". A version of the Illyrian name Aiola ("Loyal, Strength/strong, Beautiful").

Ardita - "Golden" day. The feminine form of the boy name Ardit.

Cecilya - "Blind, unseeing".

Elira - "Freedom loving and compassionate". A name derived from the Illyrian tribe.

Enkeleida - "Eel People" (Much more research needed) One from the Illyrian tribe of the same name.

Genofwica - "Fair one" or "white wave".

Gentiana - Latin. "Gentle soul", "Delicate spirit". A flower named after the last Illyrian king Gentius who discovered the plant’s healing properties.

Tadia - "Praising God, courageous".

Teuta - Greek. "Mistress of the people", "Queen". She was the Queen Regent of the Illyrian tribe from approximately 232- 227 BCE.

~I could think of a few more but my brain is fried on names for now.

~They/she/he probably has domestic hobbies like knitting, crochetting, doll making/repair, cobbling, singing (probably mainly vocalazations, clicks whistles, folk lullabys), dancing (be it on land or in the air), textile weaving, & cooking.

~Obviously, they/she/he plays classical instraments like the ever-popular & famous violin, piano & cello though there are other options such as the harp, viola & double bass.

~Probably proficiant at the organ, too.

That's all for now, dearies! Have a lovely day!

#trolls movie #dreamworks trolls #trolls #trolls 2 #trolls 3 #dark orchestral #prompts #writers on tumblr #just thinking #prompts needed #fanfiction writer #oc thoughts #I wrote this at that wierd limbo between late night & early morning so pardon any mistakes or grammer issues #vampire #vampire trolls #fanfic ideas

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aadagio · 10 months

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Speak Now TV First Impressions

I do this thing with every new Taylor release where I go through the album, track by track, listening to one song at a time via the YouTube lyric videos and then pausing for a few minutes to jot down my initial thoughts and first impressions. I started doing it with Lover back in 2019, and I've done it with every album since.

I usually just post these as a thread on Twitter, but since I'm back being active on Tumblr again, I thought I'd also share here. I did listen to Speak Now TV out of order, with the Vault tracks first, so I'm just going to list everything in the exact order I played it below:

Electric Touch: I got chills all over my arms. All I kept thinking was, "This would have been KILLER to listen to in high school!" I did feel that Patrick's voice felt subdued by the production here, which wasn't my favorite, but the way he and Taylor sing "to-o-ou-ouch" together and their alternating vocals on the bridge are fantastic. Also excited to have a new Taylor Time! I want to see this one performed live SO badly.

When Emma Falls In Love: Still not 100% sure how I feel about this one yet. Probably the least exciting one from the Vault, for me personally. I absolutely love the line “like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town” though.

I Can See You: So sultry and sexy. I loved it immediately. I got strong 60s spy movie vibes. I also really want to know who this is about? I know what it makes me think of (April/May 2013), but what about Taylor??

Castles Crumbling: Oh my GOD. Possibly one of my favorite TS collabs of all time??? The way Hayley and Taylor’s voices harmonize with one another is hypnotic. This felt so ghostly and morbid, like a sister to Haunted and even a forefather to Nothing New? Biggest stand out to me so far.

Foolish One: Everything about this, down to the title, feels like a direct attack. There was absolutely a point in my life (in 2010, no less) when I would have played this CONSTANTLY. Maybe I should still do that now 🙃

Timeless: I started sobbing as soon as the first chorus hit. I recognized Marjorie in the lyric video thumbnail and knew that this one would probably make me emotional, but I wasn't expecting just how quickly it would reduce me to tears. My boyfriend overheard me crying and came out to the living room to hug me. Completely devastated me, but I love it. An even bigger stand out than CC!

I had to take a break to collect myself, and iced some cookies I made to celebrate the album release. My biggest thought with the Vault tracks was just, "Damn, I wish these had been out in the world back in 2010 because I really could have used them in high school." At least they’re here now though.

Superman: Listened while icing cookies because I knew that it would be the last song in my listen-through otherwise, and I didn't want to end the session on a sour note, because I do NOT like Taylor's intended subject on this song, or the person I used to personally associate it with when I was younger. It’s a good song! Just not one I gravitate toward anymore.

Mine: I immediately noticed the lack of earnestness, youth and twang in her voice on this recording. I don’t know why, but it was hard to get past. I just know this song SO well after all these years, and this version felt almost jarringly different.

Sparks Fly: This was better. Still not the same as the original, but a better mix of old and new, in my opinion. Also loved the inclusion of the Speak Now World Tour footage in the lyric video.

Back To December: Another one where I just know it so well that I can notice every single difference. Some of the vocal inflections were not my fave, but overall it’s another good mix of old and new. (Also I hope Taylor Lautner is having an incredible day, as he deserves.)

Speak Now: Right out of the gate, I hated her vocals on this one, which crushed me. This song was one I had been looking forward to hearing the most. As I kept listening, I was trying to reserve my judgement, but by the end I had to accept that I just do not like this version. The lack of youthful exuberance in her voice was extremely noticeable, and I felt that was to the detriment of the song. I'm so upset to say I don't like this one.

Dear John: Who else up wanting back their girlhood? Vocally, this was beautiful. This one transcends time, and actually hurts more to hear sung at 32. You can feel how her voice has changed from utter sadness to bitter anger. I loved how she completely capitalized, "OVER YOUR SAD EMPTY TOWN" in the lyric video.

Mean: THANK GOD THE TWANG IS BACK!!!!! If ever there was a song we needed it on, it was this one!! (Please can we keep this energy for Debut TV????? 🙏🏼)

The Story of Us: The whole time I was just thinking, "Okay!!!! Yes!!!!!" Vocally, this is exactly what I was hoping for. Killed it.

Never Grow Up: Had me sobbing again. I remember listening to this for the first time at 17 and thinking, “Is this going to be life one day?” and now I’m 30 and my friends have kids and I’m in my grown up apartment and it IS all so much colder than I thought it would be. This is another one that hurts more to hear sung at 32 than at 19. I feel like I can remember my whole life when I listen to it, which just makes the tears come harder. I had to stop and grab tissues from my room and hug my boyfriend for a bit before coming back to finish the album.

Enchanted: PERFECTION. So good. I adored the lyric video transition from her Speak Now World Tour performance of the song into her singing it at The Eras Tour.

Better Than Revenge: NO. Nope. I could write a dissertation at this point about why I think the lyric change was a massive, massive mistake, but y’all already know. This was NOT the move at all and it will never hit as well as the original. I'm so disappointed.

Innocent: So good. Again, another one that hits different with age, especially hearing her sing, “Thirty-two and still growing up now.” I was remembering watching her perform it live at the VMAs for the first time as I was listening. Such a special moment that KW then came out and absolutely ruined with Runaway. I still firmly believe that this song is way, way too good for the person it’s about.

Haunted: Right off the bat all I could think was, "Uhhhhh what the FUCK happened to the production here????" That new echo-y layering effect is NOT IT and ruined the song for me.

Last Kiss: Immediately noticed different, sharper instrumentation with the harp, and I did not like it. Vocally it just didn't hit the same either. Instead of deeply sad, it just feels sort of lifeless. I probably put too much stock into this one because it means so much to me, but even still. I fully gave up on expecting the shaky breath to get a repeat feature because I just don’t think you can recreate something like that, but damn. This version just does not feel right to me and I’m sad about it.

Long Live: Tears AGAIN, this song always always gets me. This version is perfection, another timeless one. I think they made the right move by having the lyric video be comprised completely of footage of Taylor performing it on the Speak Now World Tour.

Ours: This was my absolute favorite song on the album back in the day. I always loved how you could hear the smile in her voice as she sang, and unfortunately I didn’t really feel that at all on this version. At least we still had the giggle toward the end! Overall I think it’s still solid, just not the same, and that was disappointing.

My final thoughts after just one listen-through feel so up and down, which I was not expecting at all! I feel so conflicted and disappointed.

With Fearless TV, it took me a little bit to come around fully to the vocal changes. You just can't recapture that same youthful earnestness that she was singing with as a teenager. But when I got the vinyl in the mail and put it on, I don't know, something just finally clicked for me, and now I love it.

With Red TV, I was fully on board from the jump, and I consider the TV to be the definitive version of the album. But with Speak Now, it's nowhere close. I feel like half the original songs I really loved the new versions of, and half were huge let downs. That makes me so sad to say.

I know it's only been one listen, and if there's anything I've learned from tracking my first impressions over the past 5 years, it's that my opinions will absolutely morph and change as time goes on and I listen more and more. I just never expected to feel disappointment like this.

#LONG POST #Taylor Swift #Speak Now TV #personal

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dobaara · 2 years

Note

cast your mutuals as your fav perfumes uwu

ok this got too long...might make a part 2 with the rest of my mutuals if I've missed any <3

@crippling-anxiety as baccarat rouge 540 by maison françis kurkdijan (would marry her anyway because she's so sweet and kind but with this 😵😵💘💖💓💗)

@redundantly-in-love as whispers in the library by maison margiela's replica (calm, comforting and such a warm presence and we're a perfect match because i love to talk and he loves to listen, i love u bubba haven't told you much of that nowadays <33)

@perssepeony as good girl supreme by carolina herrera (literally the opposite of what the name & perfume is. she's like a warm weighted blanket after a harsh and cold day. such a sweetheart who don't need no man, nandos babe hii <33)

@coquette-amor as lost cherry by tom ford (rara is exciting, fresh, dizzying and full of warmth and always always laughs during all the wrong times. also she's really really pretty btw i love her she's my mafia darling <33)

@wtfrroch as rolling in love by killian (chellie knows this is the perfume which defines her, she's a smart and really beautiful hoe (unlike me) who everyone loves, also explains why i have heart eyes for her all the time <3)

@neurogliadudette as midnight fleur by NEST (best person to go on museum tours, stargaze and geek out with about YA and all that too, shails us meeting when? :( also she's gonna be an amazing lawyer btw)

@kabiragf as coco noir by chanel (shat gives femme fatale vibes, she's already so very pretty and now she's giving all those exams to become a badass lawyer, she's also a good listener btw <33)

@wedefyauguryy as miss dior by dior (lizzy is the soft looking talkative mutual who loves her theatre teacher btw/s. she's one of the coolest and the cutest people i know and she reminds me of the moon!!)

@knivesgf as an air of despair by imaginary authors (listen anya is literally one of my favorite horror mutuals you know i had to give her this horror movie protagonist perfume. and as the movie goes, she may end up becoming the house or....who knows?)

@belovedbi as bitter peach by tom ford (literally my favorite, she's the moment she's my url namesake she's another smart mutual of mine she's the coolest mutual i have <3)

@themangopdf as angel eau crossière by mugler (ok so because ela reminds me of mangoes and every time i bite into one i think "hmm i should share this with ela" also you remind me of a warm spanish afternoon while you're watching cheesy telenovelas with your beloved <33)

@jongens2014 as poets of berlin by vilhelm parfumerie (me and merle's dynamics are always the one mutual who has good takes everytime and i just reply to it with #yeah #realness...also merle is one of the sweetest and the coolest mutuals ever and my mum loves her!!)

@icemaiden as amyris femme by maison françis kurkdijan (kaaju di is the well read, theory and alyosha karamazov posting, beautiful looking mutual of mine btw and this perfume immediately reminds me of her. also she has an excellent taste in jewellery btw.)

@girlbi-deactivated20220618 (lau????) as mojave ghost by byerdo (lau is the cute and smart mutual who loves cows and i love that about her, i love everything about her btw, she's one of my favorites <33)

@persimmonbaby as cleopatra by tocca (literally why i call her kanave because she feels like a dream to me. sweetest and justifiably the most popular one because she deserves that anyways, also her writings are out of this world! <3)

@hillhousegf as mad madame by juliette has a gun (my other favorite horror mutual, oh to feel the descent into madness after entering a house which looks completely fine but isn't. and in the end, she gets out but not before burning the house down and watching it burn while sitting by the road and holding an unlit cigarette)

@breadmp3 as rose of no man's land by byredo (amira is my pink mutual and this so reminds me of her, she's kind and sweet and literally the cutest mutual of mine btw and when she tags me in posts *heart eyes* <33)

@lovejar as her by burberry (literally a goddess among people she reminds me of the colour pink & a summer dream and she's the prettiest/coolest/smartest girl I've ever seen. also minnie's name is the cutest i'm jealous)

@ruesgf as neroli portrofino by tom ford (yeah she's a goddess and yeah she's a literal heartthrob and yeah she looks so good I'm in love with her and yeah she's pretty smart and beautiful at the same time and yeah-)

#helloooo #i'm not that active nowadays but i promise I'll be more active now <3 #i hope y'all like this! <3 #— parfumeries

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peepnidsthoughts · 7 months

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Cleopatra 💛

I have never heard someone who sounds this angelic man. Her music seriously makes feel ALL the damn feelings. Listening to her provides a different sense of comfort. It’s like as if she’s giving me a hug telling me, “Let those tears flow, it’s going to be alright girl.” Ugh, I need her to go on a world tour and perform in the United States ASAP! I need everyone to just give her a listen.

"Butterfly, lost in the night,

Running out of faith but your wings are still bright.

Hold on, don't you cave in yet.

Your spirit's much stronger, don't you forget."

#Cleo Sol #Soul Music #Healing Era #UK

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fashionbooksmilano · 1 year

Photo

Jewels That Made Hstory

100 Stones, Myths & Legends

by Stellens Volandes

Rizzoli, New York 2020, 224 pages, 23 x 17 cm, Hardback, ISBN 9780847868544

euro 70,00

email if you want to buy :[email protected]

The history of the world--triumphs and tragedies, breakthroughs and breakups--through the iconic jewels that have inspired and influenced since the dawn of time. From ancient treasures to royal weddings, great heists to the red carpet, this book is a stunning, surprising, and glittering tour of historic turning points and gem-driven drama, delving into the passions and predilections of some of the world's most interesting and extraordinary people. Starting in the era of Cleopatra and continuing through to contemporary jewelry statements by Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Meghan Markle, Stellene Volandes tells the stories of how shiny stones and precious metals have determined empires, inspired expeditions and great crime, and been the communicator of status and ruin since ancient times. Each moment is placed in historic and relevant context, with Volandes drawing engaging parallels between Napoleon's gift to Marie Louise at the birth of their son and the modern push present or the insouciant story behind the brooch Jackie Kennedy famously wore to a 1962 State Dinner with the Shah of Iran. Illustrated with a mix of archival images and gorgeous photography of the jewels, this book is a beautiful, informative, and essential read for history lovers, fashion, celebrity, and pop-culture followers, as well as passionate jewel hounds.

05/11/22

orders to: [email protected]

ordini a: [email protected]

twitter: @fashionbooksmi

instagram: fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano tumblr: fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano

#Jewels #Stellens Volandes #gioielli #archival images #jewels photography #jewelry books #fashion books #fashionbooksmilano

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kyndaris · 1 year

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Holy Sanctimony!

The sea is a wild thing. It can be calm one moment and violent the next. While the Aegean seemed an almost docile creature in Kusadasi, by the time we arrived at Canakkale, it was whipping at us with gale-force winds with white-tipped waves crashing against the shore. It was as if we had angered the God of the Sea, Poseidon, himself.

Our adventures in Turkiye, on the seventh of March, ranged from a quiet respectful introspection to the loud and boisterous. The first stop for the day was the House of the Virgin Mary, where it was believed she retreated to after the death of her son, Jesus. Though there sin’t any conclusive proof that the hideaway in the Turkish mountains is anything beyond a humble dwelling, it is still treated with much reverence by the staff there. Pastors, too, are even allowed to preach just beside it as well.

From there, we headed to the ancient of Ephesus. Initially built during the Hellenistic period, the site had also been adapted by the Romans when they took control of the region. Of particular note, again, were the baths, the tabernae that lined the main street, the gymnasium, the bouleuterion (which housed the meetings of the council and also doubled as a place for musical performances) as well as a temple dedicated to Domitian, the last emperor of the Flavian dynasty that followed after Nero’s disastrous reign.

Reading through the information boards, mostly after the fact (because I took pictures of them), I was tickled pink to learn that after the city was bequeathed to the Romans in 131BC, Marc Antony and Cleopatra spent a winter in the city to prepare for their campaign against Rome’s very first Emperor, Octavian (better known as Augustus). And as we students of history all know, the Battle of Actium didn’t quite go in the favour of our beloved star-crossed lovers.

During this period of Greek and Roman rule, Ephesus served as a major port on the Aegean Sea. Although the sea has apparently receded in more recent millennia, it was still fun to watch our tour guide re-enact how an old-timey merchant might have spent his time onshore after pulling into the harbour. I certainly ought to keep such city-building and planning in mind when creating my fantasy cities.

Ephesus also played host to possible pleasure houses opposite the impressive remains of the Library of Celsus. According to the information board, which I did not take a photo of (silly me), the ‘pleasure houses’ were terraced houses that contained certain objects that made archaeologists suspect that it was being used for more than just a roof over a resident’s head.

Since, of course, no time machine exists, we simply must make our best educated guess about the civilisations of the past. But for all we know, the ruins that we saw at Ephesus might just have been innocent terrace houses and we ought to stop suspecting the people of the past of committing such salacious deeds. Prostitution might be the oldest profession but well, it’s still up in the air whether this was the case at Ephesus.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that near the surrounds of Ephesus, there was a Temple dedicated to Artemis that was considered one of the Ancient Wonders of the World. As we drove to Ephesus, proper, there were columns along the side of the road that would have indicated the temple’s approximate location. Unfortunately, as explained in a previous post, a lot of the original material that was moved to Constantinople and used in the construction of the Hagia Sophia.

Talk about recycling!

Even with the advent of Christianity in the region, the city of Ephesus stood strong though there were a few changes, including the construction of churches and dedications to Jesus and his mother, Mary.

And while we did see a significant portion of the old city, around 80% of the city is still buried underground. Some can be seen poking through the surface but other remains are buried 8 metres under!

From Ephesus, we headed to a questionable cafeteria that employed a lot of oil in their food before we arrived in the small village of Sirence. Now, the significance of this little town was that it used to harbour a lot of Greeks in the area. As such, it was known for its wine and olive oil. As I walked down the streets, I cooed at crocheted dolls and was very tempted to purchase a number of cute adorable animal creations. In the end, however, I settled for getting a new leather wallet to replace my old Mickey Mouse one that I bought in America back in 2004.

From Sirence, we drove to Canakkale and checked into the Halic Park Hotel. Tomorrow is Troy and my body is ready to regale you all with the cliff notes version of the Iliad. And, of course, tell you about the most infamous horse of all time!

#travel blog #turkiye #aegean sea #ephesus #sirence #kusadasi

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thebleedingwoodland · 2 years

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⚠️ Long post as usual. ⚠️

I repeat again, I’m senior 3D designer who used to work in video game company, now in field similar to video game (I don’t want to reveal my current real life work due to privacy), it’s my job to analyze game content. Gamer for many video game titles and customer for EA (Electronic Arts) since The Sims 1. English is not my first language.

Continuation from post:

EA Misinterpretation About China And Chinese Culture About Shang Simla World

Reply About Somebody Asked About Chinese Clothing And Accuracy About Shang Simla Clothing

EA Maxis Studio Is In San Francisco That Is Heavy Chinese Population And Has Shanghai Headquarters But Didn’t Know What Chinese Gate Looks Like And More Information About Manchu Queue Hair, Dragon Cave, Obscure “Chopsticks” Holder Clutter

Yes, I’m planning to write formal letter to EA. Not just about Shang Simla inaccuracies, but ALL. How low quality The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 despite the developer has already earned massive profits from The Sims franchise titles 1,2,3,4. So far, EA has been developing The Sims 5.

@murfeelee

No, actually EA Maxis Studio made the content based on stereotypes 😜All countries: Al Simhara, Champ Les Sims, Shang Simla are modern times at village. Sims in their hometown (present time) travel to the three countries immediately (logically by plane). No time machine portal to ancient times. Logically, the three countries are in modern times, right?

There's ancient Egyptian hair for Al Simhara. Very far B.C years. Must be because the famous “Cleopatra” stereotype. Obviously not recent historical period before modern times.

And there are modern hairstyles and clothing for Champs Les Sims. France is stereotypically associated with “high fashion” & “romantic”. Definitely not year 1900-1920.

Despite the place Champs Les Sims taking place at village, far away from Paris city.

Conclusion?

The designers must be picking what stereotypes of the countries came in their mind first. They obviously didn’t consult or research about the history what dynasty or time period about the item they created for the game.

Where is Napoleon reference?

I demand Napoleon hat, costume, French Revolution Era, Medieval clothing, mime clothing, but there are none in Champs Les Sims.

France is Western country located in Europe, the closest thing U.S.A. and Western people in general can relate, so I can understand why the portrayal of France is modern. No weird controversial historical content or major inaccuracies/wrong portrayal.

I watched Youtube virtual tour about France village. Champs Les Sims resident houses look like real resident houses in real life.

Champs Les Sims has correct icon symbol, it’s Eiffel Tower. It has hidden Eiffel Tower that player can access in Buy Debug mode.

Champs Les Sims has four local dishes. (Cheese Plate, Bouillabaisse, Frog Legs, Crepes, indeed correct French Cuisine). Shang Simla and Al Simhara only has 2 local dishes, both are not correct and not authentic.

“World Adventures” There is obvious dangerous & action element in Al Simhara (Tomb, torch, mummy), Shang Simla (Martial Arts), then what is so dangerous & action in Champs Les Sims?

Making wine?

Collecting fruits to create wine (EA censor it as Nectar) is adventure? 🤣

There are so many countries which better candidates for adventures setting. I prefer Russia (Yeah, because everything associated with Russia is “Strong & Dangerous“ such as cold climate, espionage, military, vodka, missile, tank, ever launched astronaut to space, Chernobyl). But because it’s EA who wants European country that is more famous internationally, fit for casual gamers and has selling points, I can understand why they prefer France instead of others.

Back to your argument again

If you said Manchu queue hairstyle is chosen because it’s recent time period before modern times, why EA designers included “all time period” to Shang Simla? There is Hanfu, there is traditional Tang, there is modernised Qipao. Hanfu is from many many Dynasties way back before Qing Dynasty.

Years 1912 onwards, Chinese men have short hair.

Double braids were popular for Chinese women at that time.

Manchu queue/braid hairstyle is chosen because of stereotypes about Chinese men in USA country. Historically because first immigrants of Chinese men came to work in USA having queue hairstyle. They retained the queue/braid hairstyles because of under Qing Dynasty’s Manchurian rule. History of Chinese American.

I doubt the designers in EA Maxis studio ever know what dynasty or what period queue hairstyle belongs to. If only they did research and consult to actual Chinese people (at least did effort ask to Ayi & Shushu who are Chinese elder women and men who are shop owners in San Francisco’s Chinatown nearby their EA’s Maxis Studio for 51 minutes by car or asking their own employees in Shanghai Headquarters), the Chinese people will strongly suggest popular hairstyles by celebrities and long haired with bun for ancient times. They would tell the EA designers why Qing’s queue/braid was very painful historically.

Why are many Chinese people disgusted with the Qing Dynasty? (Quora answer)

Western equivalent must be Adolf Hitler/Nazi/Holocaust-related something. If EA Maxis released Nazi-related moustache/costume, I bet somebody complained to EA on Sims forum for being “insensitive’.

The designers would say sorry and chose to not include Queue/braid hair in-game, but instead, ancient long hair with bun.

Jay Chou, Andy Lau, F4. They are idol superstars known by Chinese people, were very popular in year 2000′s.

Must be argument again, “But Shang Simla is supposed to take place at village! The “emo” hairstyles are too modern Western & Japanese! Not Chinese enough! Blah blah blah”

Relax alright...have some entertainment. Because in reality, I bet actual Chinese people in year 2009 would answer like that. (When I was in college year 2009, I had emo haircut similar to Jay Chou! 🤣 ) The fact that China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the people are modern not too different than France, U.S.A or any Western countries. Not stuck in the past having ancient hair.

I already answered in my previous post. The usual Chinese men hair either: 1) Short hair for modern times 2) Long hair with bun for ancient times (for traditional style, usable for storytelling purpose taking in ancient times especially for Chinese Simmers）

Ordinary farmers in China with very short hairstyles.

That’s it. Perfect for in-game local Shang Simla Sims, alright. The Sims game needs a lot of varieties for short haircut for Male Sim, because it’s very lacking real ordinary men hair, others are too fancy/girly/weird male haircut and female hairstyles. Hats and weird hairstyles are not really usable in-game. Who the hell uses “Queue/braid hairstyle” anyway?

I’m not talking about painful history, but technically, this kind of “weird” and “ugly” hairstyle will not be used by general Sims players worldwide.

Too many hats...

”Straw Hats“ must be stereotype about Asian people by Western people. Asian in general, not just China. Wearing Straw Hats while planting rice plant at paddy field looks very “exotic” and “very Asian” in Western people’s eyes.

In real life at Chinese village, there are farmers wearing straw hats. But technically in-game, they are taking too much space in catalog and not reusable. Who else creating Sims with straw hats? Probably almost none. Very rare occasion such as my Sim wearing straw hat only to commemorate World’s Food Day just for once and using EA’s content that never been used. After that, never been used at all.

Except you want to make your Sim cosplaying as Raiden from Mortal Kombat. I doubt majority Sims players worldwide big fan of Raiden and will make use of straw hats in-game.

It’s supposed CC creators for creating specific hats for specific use, not game developer.

There are Inaccuracies in Al Simhara, Egypt world. Not just Shang Simla.

Snake charming with the shape of flute and basket is obviously from India.

I know because I read a lot of encyclopedias when I was kid way before internet. When I first seeing trailer for “Al Simhara” in year 2009, I was confused. Why EA added snake charming for Egypt world? That is from India.

Al Simhara local foods are Shawarma & Falafel, which are Middle Eastern cuisine.

Egypt is different country in North Africa with separate culture, then do not mix them with India, Arab and other Middle Eastern countries. Yes actually Shawarma & Falafel are exist in Egypt (spread from Arab) but there are more dishes that are more authentic in Egypt.

Egypt’s national dish is Koshary.

List of Egyptian dishes:

Foul Mudammas/Medames and Taameya (Fava Beans Stew and Falafel)

Koshary (Mixture of Rice, Macaroni, and Lentils)

Hamam Mahshi (Stuffed Pigeons)

Tarb (Grilled Kofta Wrapped in Lamb Fat)

Molokhiya (Jute Soup)

Halabesa (Chickpea Soup / Drink)

Mahshy (Stuffed Veggies)

Kawaree (Cow Feet)

Hawawshi (Meat Sandwich)

Macarona Bechamel (Egyptian Baked Pasta)

Feseekh (Fermented, Salted, and Dried Fish)

Feteer (Egyptian Pie)

Akawi (Ox Tail)

Keshk (Savory Pudding)

Katayef (Mini Pancakes)

Egyptian Sobia Drink

Om Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding)

Konafa

Medalaa (The Spoiled Girl Dessert)

Meshabek (Egyptian Funnel Cake)

Must be too foreign/never heard before for general Westerners & USA people, so I can understand EA chose Shawarma & Falafel that are more famous and sold in Western country while they are actually Middle Eastern dishes.

Yeah, how disappointing. I bet EA’s Maxis employees must have ever eaten Chinese food in Chinatown, probably the cheap ones 🤣 all-you-can-eat buffet style, westernized, not authentic, and be served Fortune Cookies. No wonder the food portrayal in Shang Simla looks like that. There must be a lot of Chinese people that they can ask for interview and they can see actual big Chinese gate. Very very different shape from Japanese Torii Gate, that elementary school kid can tell the difference. *facepalm*

I understand you like Wuxia/ancient fictional settings, but please be logical & rational. The worlds (Shang Simla, Champs Les Sims, Al Simhara) are in modern times but at village. If you say “ancient fictional” then it should be separate game, not together in the same timeline as The Sims. Example: The Sims Medieval is standalone game, not Expansion Pack. The game takes place in European Medieval ancient times.

The better idea is, made by other game developer, not EA.

Game developer from the country origin itself, from China (Everstone Games) You must be heard When Winds Meet which trailer was out late August. The settings are Wuxia during the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty. Looks very Assassin’s Creed-like. I used to wishing there’s Assassin’s Creed taking place in ancient China but can’t expect Ubisoft or any Western game developer to make it.

EA’s idea of “World Adventures” taking place in real life actually great idea, original for The Sims game, but bad at execution. The only EA’s fault that they did not do research and consult to the person who is expertise and definitely lacking real life resources. China is actually suitable country for “Adventure” because of rich culture and fortune, which are very blended well with the game.

Argue again that “The Sims 3 World Adventure was released in 2009, there’s not enough Chinese exposure in USA/West/etc at that time...?”

There’s no way “not enough exposure” while you can see Chinese ethnic are everywhere and migrated to almost all countries. Biggest human population is in China country. Biggest population Chinese ethnic outside China/Taiwan/Hongkong is in Southeast Asia region (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand). Visit websites that show counts how many population of Chinese ethnic in USA, Canada, Australia, that’s quite high too. If anyone with this question, don’t forget that The Sims 3 game is sold in Taiwan, Hongkong, China too.

I’m talking about corporate/professional level, not amateur free custom content creator. If big corporate wanted to do portrayal about other countries, then do some serious research and ask the experts, as they clearly have the budget and resources.

Many video game titles taking place in real life countries, able to portray them well due to effort they did on research and consultation to the person originated from real life countries.

Take an example from Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. Developer: Naughty Dog. The game was released in 1998 (when I was kid). Game levels taking place in several countries and obvious ancient time machine portal.

I can tell you whoever taking charge in designing Crash Bandicoot did research very well. Even thought the game theme is cartoon and fictional. The dragon, colour, Great Wall, Chinese writing 《萬里長城》 on banner, music, sound effects, everything are very good. NPCs wearing hanfu, long hair with bun, no Manchu queue braid hairstyle, no straw hats.

Crash Bandicoot 3: Orient Express (1998)

The dragon colour is yellow and blue. That is correct. Good portrayal for old game released in 1998.

Crash Bandicoot 3: Orient Express (Remastered version)

The dragon was updated with actual Chinese dragon design. The colour is right: Orange, yellow, blue, green.

The colour of Great Wall floor is jade green colour, which the colour meaning is prosperity and good luck in Chinese culture.

Compared to EA’s Maxis Shang Simla:

Had EA’s Maxis employees ever seen actual Chinese dragon statue？？

Red is not suitable for statue at all, especially the statue for fountain! Really hot in the eyes (I speak this as designer). 🔥🔥

Red is lucky colour in Chinese culture, but not for the dragon. Chinese dragon brings luck and prosperous. The sculpture is usually colorful: Yellow (symbolizing gold for fortune), green, orange, sometimes blue.

Chinese dragon fountain （Google search in English language）

“Dragon cave” statue does exist in China and other Southeast Asian countries that have big Chinese population. Definitely not like EA’s Shang Simla.

Yellow Dragon Cave, Zhejiang, China.

Cave entrance at Guilin, Guangxi, China.

Dragon tunnel at Yong Peng, Johor, Malaysia.

Kwan Sing Bio Temple, Tuban, East Java, Indonesia.

Dragon Tiger Pagoda, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The dragons are colourful.

Disney’s Mulan animated movie (1998). Portraying men’s hairstyles with bun. No random Manchu queue braid hairstyles.

EA’s other version of The Sims actually can portray authentic Chinese culture: The Sims Freeplay

Because it’s made by Firemonkeys Studio, mobile game developer based in Australia. Not Maxis from San Francisco, USA.

// Youtube Link 1 // Youtube Link 2 //

Don’t forget Sims Freeplay has Chinese New Year Update. I can say the portrayal is accurate. The clothing (modernized Qipao, Tang, have pattern, good design), Lantern has details, there’s Lion Dance with loud attraction music, Hong Bao (Red Envelope), Hong Bao tree, Chinese candies, decorations related to Chinese New Year (oranges), Sims can sit and pray in front of table with food offerings.

I can relate to this, very true to real life in modern times, no matter live in big city or at village. Definitely cannot feel the same for TS3 World Adventures Shang Simla.

Eating animation is much better. Sims use both hands knife and fork, not too stiff unlike The Sims 2,3,4 for PC.

Back to Maxis again.

The Sims 4 “Chinese” food from City Living Expansion Pack (I can smell Maxis employees eating cheap, westernized, not authentic “Chinese” food. Typical American Chinese food.) There’s Fortune Cookies aka American cookies on food stall logo.

Chinese food is far more variable not just sour-and-sweet something. No Peking Roast Duck? Chicken Feet? Stinky Tofu? Char Siu? Crispy Pork Belly? Wonton soup? Noodles? Then not authentic.

Those are Spring Rolls (春捲）, not Egg Rolls.

Furthermore, Spring Rolls are more popular in Southeast Asian countries rather than China itself.

Genshin Impact, game developer from China.

Egg Rolls are these. Literally EGG ROLLS.

Simplified Chinese characters used in China:

蛋 = dàn (egg) 卷 = juǎn (rolls) Egg rolls can be thin biscuit and omelette.

Furthermore, the same Egg Rolls in Japanese: Tamagoyaki. Since Genshin is more into Japanese culture. The food recipes are mostly Japanese.

Genshin has anime cartoon stylized aesthetic. The texture and details (especially the food) are much better than TS4.

More Additional Information (Read More):

Chinese New Year Greetings made by China people themselves. The boy and girl illustrations are stereotyped as well. Both wears modernized Qipao and Tang inherited from Qing Dynasty. The girl usually has double buns. The boy wears hat. Notice the boy usually has short haircut. No Manchu queue/braid hairstyle.

Now you can understand why no Chinese CC creators create Manchu Queue/Braid hair, many of them created long hair with bun as original ancient Han Chinese men’s hairstyles before Qing Dynasty.

Shawarma is delicious, but it is Middle Eastern dish.

Watch Youtube documentaries to see what Egyptian food looks like:

10 EGYPTIAN FOODS You Must Try Forbidden Food Tour in Cairo!! Egypt’s EXOTIC Food!!

Egyptian Street Food - Seafood HEAVEN + Traditional Egyptian Food Adventure in Alexandria, Egypt!

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rumblebumble22 · 2 years

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Live fast, die young: Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse had a turbulent and tragic life, full of fame and an active love life. She had a remarkable voice, unique style and crowds of fans, but also erratic behaviour and substance-abuse problems. Dramatic events which accompanied her throughout her life, had a significant impact on her career and life choices. In spite of her gifted talent, her destiny wasn't kind to her at all.

Amy was born September 14, 1983 in the family of a pharmacist and taxi driver. Her parents divorced when she was 9 years old. Early in her childhood she appeared with an unusual sense of style and was even expelled from school because of the nose ring. Nothing captivated her attention for long, except music. When Amy sang, she became liveable and cheerful. She dreamed about fame and a career as a musician, and early in life attempted to make it happen.

During her youth, she was exposed to many different musical styles and for a while even wad a part of a rap band. On one audition the producer noticed her deep and specific vocal, a powerful contralto, and after that she got her first record deal. At that point she was only 18 years old.

The album which brought her success was 'Back to Black', which she released in 2006. This work made her a world famous star and the icon of young people who suffer from addiction, love and mental problems. 'Back to Black' became one of the best-selling albums in UK history and brought her a large following.

Over the years she created her own unique appearance, which was recognisable to anyone who saw her at least once. She was inspired by soul girl groups and mixed this image with her own additions, which had an impressive effect. Thin and fragile, with jet-black hair, tatttos and bold make-up, she captivated the attention of anyone. On stage, Amy always had a beehive hairdo and Cleopatra-style make up: bold red lipstick, thick brows and heavy eyeliner. These details created her trademark look, to which she stayed true throughout her life. Her image became recognisable, as was her voice.

From 2001 to 2011 she built a successful career as a singer and songwriter. However, her life and fame was overshadowed by her dramatic private life, substance abuse, and alcoholism. She was haunted by a wast of personal demons: fear of performing and staying on stage in front of the public, alcohol and drug issues, anorexia and bulimia.

Moreover, the complicated relationship with ón-again, off-again' boyfriend worsened the situation. She met Blake Fielder-Civil in one of the pubs, which she visited quite often in an attempt to de-stress after concerts. Even though he was a heroin addict and had problems with the police, she fell in love with him immediately. Their relationship was full of chaos and drama. Amy's friend said later that 'ít was a total mutual wreck, spiced with blood and fights'. They abused drugs together and it was Blake who introduced Amy to heroin, crack cocaine and self-harming.

After a while Blake broke up with her, but then came back and they got married. They stayed together only for two years and then divorced, whereupon Amy began to abuse drugs and lost weight due to anorexia. Shortly thereafter, her grandmum, with whom Amy had a deep and intimate relationship, passed away. After that Amy finally lost control of her life. She had drunken performances, cancelled concerts and even tours, for which the people booed her. Once she was arrested for the use of marijuana, another time she was jailed for a bar fight.

Amy's mental illnesses and drug addictions became so severe that her manager sent her to rehab, but it was too late. She was psychologically destroyed by tragic events in her life, drugs, alcohol, and love failures. Amy died at the age 27 from alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011. Her bodyguard found her in her London house.

#amy winehouse #music #non fiction #biography #reading #books #history #culture

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sinceileftyoublog · 2 years

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Nova Twins Album Review: Supernova

(Marshall)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Who Are The Girls?, the debut LP from English rockers Nova Twins, got a wide array of fans for the duo of vocalist/guitarist Amy Love and bassist Georgia South, ranging from Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes to Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello. Supernova, their anticipated follow-up, doesn’t just double down on the energy of the debut. It’s a multi-faceted look at who Nova Twins are: women in rock, Black women in rock, and, like the rest of us, humans trying to survive a crumbling world.

On the surface, Supernova is a record of empowerment anthems. Love chanting “Supernova your own power” on “Power (Intro)” atop explosive live drums and guitar riffs certainly sets the scene. From there, Nova Twins chide those who have failed to believe in them (“Antagonist”), take pride in their sexuality (“Fire & Ice”, “Puzzles”), and straight up psych themselves up (“Choose Your Fighter”, purportedly inspired by Britney Spears’ eternal “Work Bitch”.) Whether the songs contain outward grievances or internal reflection, the instrumentation always reflects the spirt, from the swinging metal riffs and harmonic, rubbery distortion on “Antagonist” to the stop-starts of “A Dark Place For Somewhere Beautiful” mirroring its complex look on grief. Love mostly forcefully raps and sometimes screams, ever urgent.

The best tracks on Supernova, however, are the ones that contrast the “boss bitch”-isms you might expect from more cliché uplift. “K.M.B”, which stands for “kill my boyfriend”, is a delightfully sinister revenge tale whose sonic inspirations span from R&B to the heavy music that Nova Twins are more associated with. “Get my fucking crowbar / Take you to the graveyard,” Love raps menacingly. “Toolbox”, a chugging, loud-quiet-loud statement of dominance, has a little twisted retribution baked in, too: “Did you think I’ll just forget / That you left me here for dead?” sings Love. Even “Cleopatra”, the most straightforward track on the album, sports important solidarity. “Blacker than the leather that’s holding our boots together / If you rock a different shade, we come under the same umbrella,” Love sings. Much of Supernova was written during not just COVID but the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, and Nova Twins’ conflicted feelings of togetherness and hopelessness pervade the album.

Album closer “Sleep Paralysis” is perhaps the record’s outlier, both its darkest track and its best. Beginning with clanging ambient techno and exploding into a raucous chorus, the song’s structure was made as a metaphor to the way we were all rocked awake by very real anxieties during lockdown. “Everyone around you disappears / No ones here to dry away your tears,” sings Love. On an album shrouded by more pedals than Kevin Shields’ tour bus, Nova Twins’ clear realization of mortality rings the loudest.

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#album review #nova twins #supernova #marshall #marshall records #who are the girls?#amy love #georgia south #bring me the horizon #oli sykes #rage against the machine #tom morello #britney spears #kevin shields

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bhushita · 1 year

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Letters to Nobody

Dearest,

It is your birth month. I went back to read some of your letters today. I miss you. I am reading some of your letters again. Now, I am sad how I took it for granted that you might live forever. I never thought there will be time when you will not be. I am finally ready to read Shakespeare. I never read him, although you wanted to teach me or at least initiate me into some of his works, including Cleopatra. This summer, I will start reading Shakespeare. I will read it alone. I never saw this coming - reading your favorite plays alone.

“I reread our SMS exchanges last evng. Ur intellectual tour de force is breath - taking. How do u manage to read and remember so much? From Shams to Lacan, not to mention others. Suddenly the reported erudition and felicity of Cleopetra came to my mind. The way she had amazed the matchless savant that Julius Caesar was, with her intellectual prowess. Antony and others were just playthings in her hands. Antony seems to have kindled tender love as the tragic epilogue of her life is another story.

But I wanted to remember something else . Do u know the words Shakespeare describes her charms with? They apply to u.

After I finished the SMS texts I started reading our mail exchanges. I was aghast at the numbers I have texted u! It doesn't mean however that I want to write to u less. I wish to write more. But the content and quality of our correspondence has to undergo some change.Our words feel like coming as a matter of habit dwelling on our past experiences,stock- words and phrases. We don't seem to take cognisance of our respective individuated beings.

Last evng u talked of Mandodari and Draupadi ! I liked that hugely.

Or the mail referring Hidimba, Madri and Damyanti ! Do u remember the one ? U had some factual error there. I refrained from reminding the fact for fear of ur annoyance. Fears get greater when love is great, again the Bard!

Hidimba was sent by her brother to kill the Pandavas. Not Father as u said. The poet has even left behind some hints about the exact nature of their relationship. The Mahabharata time was one of great transitions. The family rules and rituals were getting redefined drastically. Hidimba's desertion of the ' brother' reminds the of the Arabian tales of 'thousand nights'!

Vayas has given to this story space incongruous with the plot and purpose of the Epic, now only does come to my mind! Of Damayanti borrowing words from contemporary love letters! But for Damayanti the Mahabharata does not seem to take note of Love as an emotion apart and independent of erotic gratification. Marriage is also chiefly for Eros as the example of Draupadi shows. But then lending words to Damayanti would be no less problematic today. D must have gone thru something akin to Sufi experience of love. But our world has only heard of the word. The routine comfort of marriage is also named love! Infatuation is ever impossible to distinguish. Flirting goes a long way to delude the lonelier one. So Damayanti would fool herself to seek to borrow from contemporary love-letters.

But all this is not what I meant to write today. I want to exchange with u on more seriously at intellectual plane. It was my misfortune not to have met ur caliber before. I want to do some creative pieces while I m still around. Email would be enough to collaborate. U ll be a great help as well inspiration. I Appreciate ur mind most. I know ur heart is ever-liquid and volatile. But that shouldn't be a deterrent for our working together in a project. As I told u u ll get paid well for that. Mind it this is not for me to pay. B P Koirala Foundation ll do it. Earning ur own good money should feel nice. I have been saying this to u for so many days. But u don't seem to take anything seriously from me. And I know I am myself to blame for this with my juvenile and comic ways often. I do regret and feel sad to think of it. But let's collaborate yet. What is ur take, pls let me know.

Love,

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