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dnpbeats · 5 days

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OKAY i need to speak on the interactive christmas adventure and how it's a full circle moment, but at the same time so indicative of what dan and phil have created together (retroactively saying, strap in because this got long)

so, to begin with, i can't imagine how it must have been for dan to be making that video with phil. six months prior dan was a fan among many, commenting on phil's videos and tweeting at him. and then this interactive space adventure drops on his birthday. and dan loves it so much he comments on every single path! and tweets phil about how much he loves it!! (okay not the point of this post but i also just need to sneak this in: i just know deep down part of dan felt so special that this was posted on his birthday. and the fact that phil used a song from ff7 and dan commented on it... anyway!) so, needless to say, dan was really into this interactive adventure thing.

so then we all know what happens after that, but fast forward to december. dan, who has been talking with phil for a few months now, who has known him in real life for barley over two, is not just with phil but is collaborating with him. and they're making something that, honestly, for the time was a pretty big production! it's obvious when you watch it that they've sunk so much time into it. there are parts when they talk in unison so you can just imagine them sitting there with a little script practicing it 😭 so think about what a full circle moment it is, that the first phil project that dan profusely expressed his enjoyment of was an interactive adventure, and here he is half a year later making that very same thing with phil!! and also, the fact that it was truly a joint project, even though it was going on phil's channel. in the last scene of the adventure, dan sacrifices himself.

dan: i have to sacrifice myself phil: no dan, please don't! there must be another way dan: but phil, this is not my channel, i'm not even meant to be here phil: don't say that, dan, think about what you're doing

and like, yes obviously this is scripted! but even in the script, when dan says "this isn't my channel," phil says "don't say that." because this was 100% a joint effort. a year and a half later dan stated it was the best thing he's contributed to the internet. idk i just love the fact that one of the things dan really appreciated about phil early on was his interactive adventure, and then six months later they got to make one together, and dan obviously has a very soft spot for it :,)

okay so that's how it came full circle for dan in 2009. but secondarily i want to talk about the fact that i truly think the interactive christmas adventure is the cornerstone of everything dan and phil have accomplished together. "but emma, what about pinof?!" okay yes. pinof my beloved... but also, at the end of the day, pinof was basically just dan and phil shooting the breeze. don't get me wrong, it is foundational as well! the fact that it got so popular really highlights that dan and phil's natural chemistry is a big part of them being a duo and their popularity. and i love a good video that's just dan and phil riffing off of each other.

however, dan and phil have done SO MUCH with their careers that is so much more than just their base level chemistry. SAP, the radio show, books, TWO WORLD TOURS, movies of said tours. because besides the fact that they have a dynamic that's enjoyable to watch, they also create so well together. even their solo things, we know they help each other behind the scenes. they just get each other creatively. but aside from that, all of the aforementioned things they've accomplished together really paved a way for other people in the industry!! other creators (vlog brothers iirc?) have talked about the fact that tatinof was the first Big Youtube Tour and the fact that it was so successful meant that other creators were able to do the same.

dan and phil as people aside, i don't think there will ever be another professional duo like dan and phil. like they ARE the blueprint. and i think that's because they care so much about putting out content that they're proud of, but also because they enjoy what they do. the reason why the interactive christmas adventure was so great was because they put in a lot of effort, but also bc you can tell that they were having so much fun making it. at the end of the day it was just two boys making something together because they could! and they wanted to! and i think their mentality for creating things today is still the same. so yeah, i think the interactive christmas adventure is so so important in terms of d&p as a creative duo. it's the first project in a long long list of amazing things dan and phil have created together, when no one else was doing what they were doing. and the fact that almost 15 years later they're still here, making content together, having a whole career together... oh yeah and also a whole life!! just absolutely wild, and i'm so grateful we're all here to see it

#dan and phil #phan #wordvom.txt #daniel howell #amazingphil #gotta get those tags boosted 🫡🫡🫡🫡#d&p

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the-monkey-ruler · 3 months

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Sha Seng Diary (2015) 沙僧日记

Director: Shangyi Screenwriter: Lin Changzhi Starring: Xiao Xu / Fei Long / Cao Ranran / Gong Geer / Guzheng Genre: Comedy Country/Region of Production: Mainland China Language: Mandarin Chinese Date: 2014-12-20 Number of seasons: 1 Number of episodes: 16 Single episode length: 15 minutes Type: Retelling

Summary:

Since the nonsensical comedy style of Stephen Chow's movie "Westward Journey" became popular, postmodern novels began to draw lessons from traditional culture. After "The Legend of Wukong" became popular on the Internet, another comedy literary work "Diary of Sha Seng" appeared and was praised by many Readers rated it as the most hilarious and nonsensical literary work in history! This book tells the story of a group of masters and apprentices on their journey to the West Meridian in the form of a diary. The text of this book is light and funny, and the illustrations are witty and interesting.

Starring Xiao Xu, Fei Long, and Cao Ranran, the leading comedians of the Laughter Conference Room, and Gong Geer, the creator of viral videos on the Internet. It is jointly produced by LeTV, Syndicate Film and Television, and Yihai Alliance. It is an online self-made drama of the same name adapted from the popular literary work "Sha Seng Diary" and will be available on LeTV weekend theaters every Saturday and Sunday starting from December 20. This is a new comedy that you never expected.

Sha Seng's Diary is a play that contains a magic spell. Please believe it and remember it! You must watch this drama within a month and recommend it to more than half of your friends who have lower IQs than you. Otherwise, you and your friends will encounter some slightly unpleasant things... Remember! Remember!

Source: https://tv-1.chinesemov.com/tv/2014/Sha-Seng-Diary

Link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIx8QniXH-rGljfEsu8IpRIwuqeNp3GB1

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storkmuffin · 6 months

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November 26.

I'm not good at being in my body or feeling my feelings. Trying to fix that, so when my sternum hurt & my chest tightened during my drive into work today I massaged that area. I burst into tears. Each time the hurt was acute, I patted and rubbed my sad broken heart, gently, and I sobbed.

This is grief.

The last time I did this, sobbing while driving, was when C died on November 26, 2018. Which is the day my friendship with B ended, in 2023. I have been marking the day every year since C's passing, but I think I need to mark it differently. The attempt to avoid taking a whole day to live in my devastating loss may have hastened the bringing on of a new one.

So now is my sad, grief-stricken review of events, in the hopefully not-futile prayer of not repeating this again.

I know when someone blocks you on tumblr you're supposed to stfu forever. But I just was in too much pain, so I reached out to say goodbye, and she was kind of enough to write me back with a patient explanation for why she couldn't have me in her life anymore. It was, in part validating - I hadn't imagined it, that the connection was real. But it's also a repeat of a pattern in my life, for which I may or may not finally have an explanation (Autism Spectrum).

I've had many a relationship end with, How Can You Say Something Like That In That Way? I Can't Forgive You Because You Should Have Known That Is The Line Not To Cross.

Except I don't and never have, until I blunder across it and get told like this in the post mortem, when it's too late.

I wasn't drawn to or intrigued by the new show my ex friend got into, but I wanted to follow her into it, so I read Treasure Island (which was like pulling teeth, because I didn't enjoy it) to get the context. I didn't enjoy the story and felt nothing for Long John Silver. But even so, I started to watch the show. I ploughed through S1 which was fun enough, and relieving to me because I didn't hate it. So I tried to please her, even though she never asked me to do this. I ploughed through S2. I tried to understand this character I find increasingly repellent and incomprehensible, because he behaves in S2 exactly like people I despise in real life, who have undermined and attacked me.

Meanwhile work got insanely busy, and I see now that with C's deathdate barrelling at me, I tried to outrun it by loading myself up still further with projects: signed up for nanowrimo (despite averaging 20K a month this year every month for my long fic), liveblogging the pirate show, working out more, setting up lots of dinners and outings (Nutcracker tix, Mom's birthday lunch, etc etc) for December, and so on. All this while trying to cope with the autism self discovery I've had going on since fall.

On Friday Nov 10 and Nov 17, I had especially bad days at work, not because of the work but from run ins with people. I asked questions that I thought were neutral but they reacted with rage. (Again, the Autism Spectrum thing, and what the lingo seems to call Failure to Mask).

On Nov 23rd, US Thanksgiving, we had a work outing, which I went to out of obligation but it was a loud games-night-at-the-bar event. Nightmare. So I just let myself do what I wanted and ended up sitting numb in the corner with everyone's backs turned to me. They didn't push me out or anything. They all wanted to do that, gather in a rowdy circle shouting over a game, and I found it physically unbearable. I really must be autistic, was my conclusion, and that brought its own fear and sadness.

On the 24th, I went to see a production of Medea, whom they portrayed as a woman who desperately tried to please her husband only to be betrayed, and found herself completely depleted of any inner resources, including her sanity, to help her cope with the aftermath. I wish I hadn't seen that. It was so hopeless.

On the 25th, I had a run in with my father, who picked a fight with me. I know his methods, but I was feeling so tired that I couldn't effectively resist his trying to induce a fight, as I have successfully routinely done for the past couple years. We had a blow out fight.

Then came the 26th, where I made a series of shitposts about the pirate show, which was by then a welcome distraction from reality. Except the show gets very dark in S2, and I had a sense I was supposed to experience an about-face on John Silver during the leg loss plot line and I found I did not. My tumblr friend saw that post, which crossed an absolute boundary, and she was done with me.

I wanted to avoid feeling sad, and the one way I know how to do that is to be busy, but the resultant overload just brought me to a new, completely unanticipated heartbreak. Probably, if I hadn't done the overloading at the start of the month, I may have had more resources to cope with the work outing and the fight with my dad. If I had just spent the 26th in grief instead of trying to avoid that pain, none of this may have happened, or happened differently in a way that didn't hurt my former friend as much, or broke my heart so badly. If I wasn't autistic, I may have had an explicit clear understanding of what the line was I wasn't supposed to cross or possibly, never even had the feelings I had. Oh, if only.

#beloved #heartbreak #tumblr mutual

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pfannkuchen07 · 3 months

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The Changes from POTO Italy in Monaco- Monte Carlo

I've seen no one talk about it, so I'm gonna talk about it!! I was at the POTO Italy showing in Monaco on the 20th December 2023, and they made some interesting new changes for that show 👀 Beforehand I gotta say, I was also at the showing in Trieste in July 2023 and haven't watched ANY other of the productions, so I'm not too sure what may be new for people who only saw other versions :'D (well besides the anniversary version from 2011) But if you have any questions, just ask them! Also I'm gonna post my super secret complete audio recording of the show on another post, so look out for that hehe

In The Music of the Night Ramin's Phantom did that candle thing again, where he (in Trieste) would take one of his candles from the organ and blow it out, but this time he took the candle (somewhere at the start of the song) and placed it on the ground in front of Christine. She than sat in front of it and stared at it, like she was hypnotized by the light and by his singing promising her all these things she never even dreamt of, until finally he came to her, crouched in front of her and blew it out. "Close your eyes, let your spirit start to so~ar. And you live *candle blows out* as you never lived befo~re." From then on she was under his spell. For the rest of the song, anyway. Later she woke up in the Phantom's four-poster bed and proceeded to find him.. sitting thoughtfully on his piano bench. I guess inspiration for his music where to be found floating somewhere in the direction of the audience. They probably did that so that we could easier see when Christine snatched the mask from his face, but it was funny to see nonetheless. Just imagine this epic shadow man of gothic stories than can basically appear and disappear wherever he wants, truly a master in every craft, and he gets bested because a ballet girl sneaked up on him. :'D Anyways.

Later after the first chandelier got destroyed, Christine ran off to the rooftop and stood on the edge of the precipice. Just one jump and the Phantom might not kill again... but thankfully Raoul came before she could have acted on any of her wayward thoughts. Although Raoul only climbed up to the end of the roof ladder and Christine was scarily near to the edge. Why Have You Brought Me Here became a song to talk to Christine about what scared her and hopefully get her down from the roof. After one almost jump at the end of the song Raoul finally got off the ladder and scooted to her, to bodily keep her from any other near falls. He comforted her with All I Ask Of You and they end up kissing and engaged. Yay.

Now fast forward to The Point Of No Return. They do their intrigue thing where they try to find the Phantom somewhere IN the opera, because he must be somewhere to watch them present his masterwork. Unknowingly he changes positions with Piangi (which looked very smooth. With his hands on the curtain during the switcharoo and all that). Lots of cool outfits during this scene. It must have been very hot, especially when I first saw it in Italy during a heatwave when it was like 30°C outside. Luckily they had air conditioning. Also I love that Ramin went all out in his attempt to make the Phantom sound more like Piangi in this scene and have the accent full on. Makes the switch that much more surprising when you don't know that it is coming since he does a really good job of imitating him. And I kinda love how he sounds with it hehehe The interesting thing though is that the Phantom loses the accent as the song The Point of No Return really starts as if to show Christine who really is behind the costume. You can here it on the first "Our games of make believe are at an en~d." especially well. He drops the accent and goes from his chest voice back to his more typical register. Also he gets his signature "whine" back. He kind of goes in and out of it as the verses go on. Fighting his desire to be with Christine with his need to keep the ruse going. Maybe he needs to be with Christine, maybe he needs to finally come clean, whatever it is, it made him take the disguise off at the end of The Point Of No Return and look guiltily at her while she sadly looked on. Christine herself didn't even try to look under the costume during TPONR and unmask him. Even when clearly she must have know that he was under it. I mean yes, during the song she didn't touch him as much as I know she does in the anniversary version (which here sadly takes the sensuality out of the scene for me because most of the time they stood with a few meters in between them or walked around the table :c), but she knows his voice and clearly heard him change his accent. One could argue she might know his voice like this (without the visuals) even more intimately then with. So I'd be easier to pick out for her. Not sure what I think about this change. After the Phantom runs away with Christine, and the police and audience is in chaos, Firmin and André let some lanterns fall down and proceed to burn down the Opera house because well, insurance doesn't cover maniacs but hopefully it does fires? As long as no one from the audience tells on them, I guess. The funniest thing about this show was the end In The Lair when Raoul gets hung up on a rope (by the Phantom's bed ;))) 90% less wet than he was in Trieste but 80% louder with his yelps and moans of pain. After some minutes he even goes still and passes out. And the show ends with the Phantom magically disappearing under the blanket on his bed. I do wonder how they did that, since I could very clearly see under it to the wall. Hmm... All in all, very fun to see tho. c:

#me #personal #poto #poto italy #poto monte carlo #the phantom of the opera #phantom of the opera #music

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amaiguri · 5 months

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heyy, happy last STS of the year!! it's hard coming up with an original end-of-year ask, so I'm just gonna shoot off a bunch of questions, and you feel free to answer whichever you want/haven't already:D are you satisfied with where you're at right now in your writing journey? where do you hope to be at this time next year? do you have any Must-Accomplish 2024 writing goals? anything new you'd like to try in your writing (technique-wise, story-wise, scheduling-wise, structure-wise, etc.) next year? any stories you'd like to start? end?

My Yssaia writing is a hobby so I try not to put time-based pressure on myself long-term -- only short-term goals. If I'm not writing, it's probably because I'm doing something else "productive" -- whether that is other hobbies, hanging out with friends, or focusing on my health! Obviously, at my job, all my writing is dictated by the needs of the project -- so of course, I want to keep up with those.

I am perfectly happy with where I am -- and I have worked really hard to ensure I am generally content with myself and love the journey. So, I am proud of my mindset, even if that, too, has more to go. I have written more words this year than almost any other that I have tracked. I have ACTUALLY made new friends, just like I've wanted -- now I just gotten deepen my relationship with all of them! And I have reached by 1k subscribers on YouTube -- now I just gotta get those 4000 watch hours for the passive income. And eventually, convince all those subscribers to buy my games someday 🥺🥺🥺

I have started to frame my hobby goals as "accomplishments that I have pre-emptively listed". This makes it feel like there are no minuses if I don't make it -- I am Enough as I am. Everything more is extra. So, I have nothing I must accomplish because existing happily in this economy? That's the biggest and most important thing I can do.

In my dream world, I would finish the rough draft of Yssaia's whole 300k+ word plot but that's not gonna happen with my continued focus on YouTube and a full time job and my attempt to focus on my friends. So, I will just try to get to 150k words in this most recent act by July 2024.

(If you don't know, Currently Untitled Yssaia Game is about world of fated heroes and abyssal machines -- born both of Kings and Philosophy --, in which a burned assassin girl must find new purpose when the War ends. Right now, it's a writing project but it'll eventually be a narrative-focused, hand-drawn adventure where you navigate an assassin through her delicate, brutal world after the War annexed her homeland. You'll delve deep into political dealings, your past trauma, and the Abyss beneath the world!)

((How's the marketing pitch? I'm still workshopping it!))

I would like to try to write every day again, cuz in CalmWriMo November, that did, in fact, improve my productivity without spiking my stress. It didn't happen in December but as we leave the holiday season, I want to pick it up again. And journalling or daily posting, lol, I already slipped on that again 😭😭😭 It's so healthy for me. It helps me see time pass. I just need to do it.

Thanks so much for asking about my goals/pre-listed accomplishments! I look forward to a post about your goals floating across my feed 🥰

#writeblr #writing goals #game dev #indie dev #gamedev #game writing #am writing #amai answers

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inlocusmads · 2 years

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Remorse Is The Poison Of Life

Maura discovers an undelivered Christmas letter from a young girl to her mother, exactly twenty one years ago; before the misery, before the apocalypse.

Featuring: Maura Tauber, Maria (OC), Angel Savage from Wake the Dead

Word Count: 1.6k | Teen And Up Audiences

A/N : Written for @choicesficwriterscreations 's Holiday Challenge, prompt: "A Christmas card/letter arrives in the mail 20 years after it was sent."

Maura knew better than to rummage through the box they'd found on the now ruined Burns Street. A recovery team had once gone there to get some supplies after one of the Raiders risked their life to inform the Colony about a massive storage unit with tons of artillery and raw materials they could use. Among the scraps of metal they seemed useful was a box of papers, letters and whatnot.

Maura didn't have anything to do with the box, for it was utterly meaningless to go through electricity bills and rental agreement slips when the people who received them were far too gone a long time ago. She should've been cataloguing at this hour and keeping watch near the borders and yet, somehow she couldn't help it. Even though family gossip was far from her list of productive things to engage herself in, an otherworldly force begged her to go through them.

Bills.. bills.. bills. Twenty years ago, the cost of living practically skyrocketed. Maura remembered the horror stories her dads used to tell her. It wasn't of ghosts or ghouls or a Scarecrow that haunted children who wouldn't finish their vegetables. Rather it was the Big Giant Money Monster that was ready to eat everyone up regardless of whether they finished their vegetables. And then, the Apocalypse brought an even bigger concern - crashing everything and the whole of the world.

And then, among those scary bits of paperwork, was a letter. It was hard to miss, considering the author had covered every corner of it with glitter and shiny tape. Must be a child.

She gently picked it up and searched for a date to pin it to a correct timeline. After Shannon's Pre-Apocalyptic Recovery Project kicked off, everyone had been contributing to the pile of history and documentation with details about the Old World. Shannon's archive had grown since then; with tens of volumes of data being added by the day. Perhaps if the letter contained something valuable, say a tip about a place that contained something valuable or a broken-down house which could be used to extract bricks from, it was worth everything.

December 18th, 2021. The letter mentioned.

Maura decided to read on.

Dear Mama,

Today has been a very boring day, compared to the others because you weren't there. Aunt Ellie and I baked some raisin bread for Christmas and we went to the Church to do some carolling. They have this week-long program and anyone can chime in. I'll admit, I'm not entirely religious, but it feels nice to be a part of something. You know how hard school had been and how only the prettiest girls with the straightest hair and the clearest teeth could get into those clubs.

Then there was this other thing that happened. Hannah fell sick a day ago and today, one of her friends announced that she was moving away. I don't understand this, because she said nothing about withdrawing from the school or moving. There are some awful rumours - that she grew talons and started chewing her brother's neck. You know how it is with these people. Glad I don't like them very much.

Afterwards, Grandma Stephanie came to visit us and we made some jam to take it to our Christmas Carol group. We're having this party for Juniper Newbury who ended up getting this nasty case of throat polyps. It's mostly a "Get Well Soon" party because Juniper is our lead singer and without her, we'd have to go with Stacey Peterson or Polly Wu. They're fine, but they aren't as good as Juniper.

Then Mr Van Pelt sent us this form at school to fill up. It was this "Beyond The Classroom" program which helps kids train for college and find their footing pretty early on. Unfortunately there was no option to become a fossil scientist or an archaeologist like you are. When we shared answers, Valerie looked at me as if I threw up out of my nose or something and asked if I was preparing for an apocalypse. I didn't understand the joke. It was probably some TV reference.

Strange things have happened, but it feels like Christmas, right? You've got the strange weirdos lurking about on the street, screeching and chasing people. Santa Clauses kidnapping kids; though I have heard stories from Kinley and his friends who work at the mall and they're horrified. As if those Santas actually eat people. I really hope we can move out of this crazy little city. It isn't something I particularly enjoy.

And their laughs! God, they laugh like one of those annoying little grandpas who are most definitely a bunch of creepy pedos. That or maybe they're probably heartless zombies preying on kids. I bet my money on the pedo thing.

Anyway, here's me writing like an angsty teenage 2009 Tumblr girl or something. Not that I'm on Tumblr. I'm totally not, trust me. But it feels great to open up. Thank you for being there, Mom. I know you don't particularly enjoy receiving letters - the paperwork alone is enough to give you a massive headache, but it kind of helps me after everything that went down with Dad and the others.

Merry Christmas! And please come home. I couldn't care less for shirts or those imitation Ugg boots I saw somewhere. I just want you to come home so we can put on some movie, eat sugar until we pass out and cry our hearts out to emo music. Not to mention the presents! I've picked out something for you and I bet you'll love it! You won't know unless you get here on the 25th.

Love, Maria.

The letter was now twenty one years old, with crinkly yellowed edges. Maria and her mother were most likely dead. But their mail wasn't. It was in a forgotten box in an abandoned storage unit in a street that had nothing else, except broken-down buildings; the aura of a nuclear-esque apocalypse still fresh, prominent and equally haunting. The nostalgia was hard to miss. Twenty one years ago, the world was a rather delightful place. Letters were sparsely used, but when they were, they'd be decorated and dipped in scent; showered with a lot of love and dedication and so much joy.

Christmas used to be like that, as the letter seemed to describe it. It was a celebration of family, cakes and other great food, creepy mall Santas and overpriced presents, sick children, not-so-sick children who'd just wanted a couple of days off till the holidays and teachers who wouldn't stop with the awful homework. And then, of course, big dinners, Christmas trees, carolling, gossiping. Everything.

Twenty one years later, there was no more Maria. No more Valerie or Hannah or Kinley or any of those choir singers. No Aunt Ellie or Grandma Stephanie. Nobody who'd live in a house and feel safe. Nobody to make the dinners and set the tables. Nobody to adjust the pictures on the walls when they tip, just a little or dust off the vase to pass it over to their children.

There were no cheesy Christmas movies with the protagonists falling in love under the snow. There would be no more of them made, directed or produced. There were no more of those friendly neighbours who'd bring over hot pies and help shovel the snow off. No petty teenagers milking the neighbourhood for cash just so they could blow it on stupid crap. Nobody.

And the worst part? Maura wasn't there to see any of it happen. To her, the "magic of Christmas" was unbeknownst to her; only partially described as a "sugar high" feeling of love, melancholy and the steadfast moment of time. And she'd only heard of them - just the stories from the Elders from Sunflower Creek, a few journals and diaries she'd studied in detail. The Magic of Christmas was a feeling; a thing she was supposed to understand but that understanding could never transpire into a recreation of the same homely feeling.

Love, Maria - the letter had said; a salutation so simple, so easy to write down on a piece of paper but its meaning was so lost and frowned upon in a world where there was no oneness and everyday was an unfathomable battle to survive. Everyday started off the same and ended the same way and with each passing minute, they felt smaller and smaller - their meanings and hopes lost in a world where half of them slept with their eyes open and the other half preyed for flesh at night.

Twenty years.

That should've been enough for a piece of paper to go through rain, wind and storm and subsequently disintegrate. But it didn't. It frustrated Maura, but she couldn't bring herself to tear it into shreds or shoot it until the words bled out of the page; its memory dying slowly and steadily. She couldn't even bring herself to leave it abandoned in Burns Street - the same street that would've been filled with colour, joy, bits of red and green and white everywhere at once; the lights beaming up the narrow road and the kids walking around, boldly with their parents on the tow; cars with different number plates whizzing back and forth.

Burns Street was empty now; with bloated bodies of zombies and corpses alike, decaying as a heavy sheet of snow covered them up from head to toe. A painful reminder of how things were before.

This misery will never end, but the memories won't die until we tell them to.

Maura held onto the piece of paper. She carefully folded it across the edges and slipped it into her pocket.

"Isn't it Christmas?" she emerged from her cabin to a hardworking Angel, who was sharpening wood with a small knife she'd made on her own.

"What's Christmas?"

Tag List:

Perma: @tessa-liam @quixoticdreamer16 @peonierose

Wake the Dead Only: @aallotarenunelma @jerzwriter

A/N: I hope you enjoy this angsty little one shot! I don't exactly celebrate Christmas, so I'm very sorry if I've gotten some bits of it wrong - the culture and everything else. I wrote with TV knowledge in mind (The Middle Christmas specials are practically the reason why my mental health isn't absolutely chaotic yet), so if I do end up getting something wrong or incorrect, just let me know in the comments!

#wake the dead #maura tauber #cfwc holiday event #w:inlocusmads

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dalanmendonca · 1 year

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The real challenges of AI

The real challenge of AI is democratisation.

We are in middle of a boom in AI. While it may seem like a sudden explosion in the media; this moment has been building for 15+ years now. From the birth of the internet, to the huge explosion in online information, to algorithmic feeds, then voice assistants, and now at Generative AI/Large language feeds - every invention has grown on the bedrock of technologies before it.

Of course, the fervour we see now is from people experiencing a step change in technology. Till December 2022 you had to write eassy using your own brain and hands; come January 2023 you just provide a small prompt and voila! ChatGPT will write a whole essay for you. WOW.

But we've played this game many times before:

New technology is available

The technology gets hyped and people are promised a better future

Technology gets widely deployed

In the process of societal adoption, it gets co-opted by

Eventually, it gets completely owned by . The new boss is the same as the old boss. The average person is nowhere better.

One interesting aspect of computers is that they are comparatively much more accessible; order(s) of magnitude more accessible.

The steam engine was firmly on the capital side of the equation; it powered everything from trains to factories but it was a while before mechanisation entered the home and became accessible to the average person. Yet overtime we've given up on things like sewing machines and become strictly consumers.

Computing and the internet sit firmly in the middle. Almost by definition - every laptop & smartphone is the "means of production". The entire "internet" however is but a handful of companies; yet because of its inherently decentralised nature; everything from Mastodon to torrents and more can and do exist.

If it wasn't for that design; the internet would like the TV - with much less control in the hands of citizens.

The challenge with AI is to keep it's capabilities as democratically accessibly and user programable as possible; with the internet being the minimum bar. Thankfully with models being open sourced and even run on Raspberry Pi's, we are off to a good start! But we must remain watchful and make sure this happens.

People of my ilk (technologists) are gung ho about applying AI to anything and everything - but this question of democratisation is much fundamental and its effects more pervasive.

#technology #AI #democratisation #society

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sleepykittypaws · 2 years

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2022 Christmas Ads

What the Super Bowl is for U.S. commercials, Christmas is for most of the rest of the world, particularly Britain, where holiday ad campaigns are so highly anticipated they have teasers and drop date announcements.

These mini-movies provide the perfect bite-size dose of holiday joy, as much or more than so than selling a product. Clever, often tear-jerking sales pitches, sure, but also so much more.

It’s long been an annual part of our seasonal viewing to rewatch favorite ads from year’s past, as well as explore the new batch. To make that a little easier for my family, and yours, I’ll do my best to compile the best holiday adverts here, just as I did in 2020, and 2021, too.

Unlike my TV and theatrical listings, not trying to catalog every single Christmas commercial out there, just the ones I feel are worth a watch, for a little bonus dose of the festive feels.

In alphabetical order by company name

Updated: December 13, 2022

Aldi “Feast of Football” - Now-classic character Kevin the Carrot returns in this preview ad

Aldi “Kevin’s Home Alone” - Kevin’s main appearance for Aldi this season involves being left behind from a Paris vacation…sound familiar?

Aldi Australia “You Can’t Overcook Christmas” - A holiday politeness battle.

Amazon “Joy is Made” - A snow globe inspires a father in this musical Amazon ad.

Amazon Australia “The Playmakers Save the Holiday” - Stop-motion animated short, starring Charli Robinson and a staff of kid toy reviewers, promoting Amazon AU’s top 100 toys and helping to raise money for the Starlight Children's Foundation

An Post “Send from the Heart” - Sending love at Christmas in this Irish postal ad.

Apple “Share the Joy” - Stylish dance-filled holiday.

Argos “They’re Coming” - The joy and horror of holiday guests.

Asda “Have Your Elf a Merry Christmas” - People are going nuts for this Elf ad, but I found it super creepy. There’s also a “Making Of” for those interested.

Barbour “One of a Kind-ness” - Paddington Bear offers a grumpy neighbor a gift in this classic clothier brand’s annual animated ad.

Belvedere Vodka “Belvedere Presents Daniel Craig” - The former Bond channels director Taika Waititi for this not specifically holiday, but very fun, ad.

The Binge “Christmas with the Cat” - The pets celebrate the holidays.

BMW “Holidays are Here” - One of those ridiculous luxury-car-as-gift commercials, with a fun twist.

Boots “Joy for All” - Upbeat holiday happiness.

Burberry “The Night Before” - Shakira and Burns Boy rep the luxury line.

Cairngorm Coffee “For Those Who Care” - This one is sad in a way, I’m not the makers actually intended.

Celebrations “Bring Back Bounty” - The Lonely Bounty is back.

Chevrolet “Mrs. Hayes” - This extended ad is effective at stirring sentiment and how memories can be tied up in things.

Chick-Fil-a “The Snow Globe” - Long form animated ads set in the fictional “Evergreen Hills” have become a tradition for the fast food chain and this one is a much more serious, direct sequel to 2019′s “The Time Shop.”

Clogau “Christmas” - Simple holiday story of giving.

Coca-Cola Brazil “Christmas Always Finds a Way” - Sweet story of memory and holiday tradition

Coca-Cola France “Les Petits Mondes De Noel” - An estranged couple finds themselves reconnecting thanks to holiday cheer

Coca-Cola Mexico “Alma” - A worker at a holiday decor factory must rediscovery her own Christmas spirit

Coca-Cola U.S. “Christmas Bites” - Santa Claus squares off against a vampire with a grudge

Cole’s Christmas 2022 - Celebrating the return of gathering together again for an Australian Christmas

Debenhams “Christmas Starts Now” - Rhyming department store holiday ad.

Dior “The Atelier of Dreams” - Anna Taylor-Joy takes you on a luxe holiday journey.

Disney “The Gift” - It’s Disney, they know what they’re doing, and you’re bound to cry. (Or, at least I am.)

Erste Group “Believe in Christmas” - This insurance group’s animated ads have become an annual must-see.

FOX Soccer “’Tis the World Cup” - Jon Hamm, Mariah Carey, Ellie Kemper and Tom Brady headline this star-studded ad series.

FOX Soccer “’Tis the World Cup” - Another Jon Hamm as Santa trying to compete with the World Cup.

Frito-Lay “Soccer or Football” - Another World Cup ad, starring Peyton Manning and David Beckham, directed by Michael Bay.

Fussy “Deck the Halls” - The deodorant brand gets, umm, creative for Christmas

Gucci “Gift” - Stylish holiday journey.

Heathrow “The Gift” - Heathrow has put together many memorable ads and this one is simpler but just as sweet.

Hobby Lobby “Christmas is What You Make It” - Sweet, wordless story of cooperation

J&B “El Ruso de Rocky” - Touching Spanish story about a grandfather giving his granddaughter the ultimate gift—acceptance and understanding.

JD Sports “King of the Game” - Holiday fantasy fun

John Lewis “The Beginner” - The John Lewis Christmas ads are a holiday tradition in the UK, and while this one is more simple than most, its touching, unexpected ending hits you in the feels.

Kroger “The Magical Cookbook” - An Up style tear-fest that accurately embodies the connection between meals and memories.

LEGO “Build a Playful Holiday” - Imagination runs wild with Katy Perry

Louis Vuitton “The Holiday Season” - A bear and a Beatles cover from the luxury brand

Lidl “The Story of Lidl Bear” - A furry star is born in this very charming ad.

Manscaped “Season’s Groomings” - Pete Davidson is very…Pete Davidson in this ad with his mom.

Meta Quest 2 “Wish for the Extraordinary” - The VR headset has a clever Christmas ad touting its immersive abilities.

M&S “Fairy is Back” - Jennifer Saunders returns and is joined by Dawn French in this big-budget extravaganza.

M&S “Gifts That Give” - Musical ad promoting M&S’s charitable giving

Manor “Cosmic Christmas” - Bouncy, musical holiday one-up-manship from the Swiss retailer.

Matalan “The Christmas Cupboard” - Be prepared for the holidays

McDonald’s “The List” - Sweet, simple story of a little boy’s holiday wish list. One of the best of the season so far.

Morrisons “Farmer Christmas” - Exploring where your holiday treats come from.

The National Lottery “Just Imagine” - Extremely sweet mini-movie about strangers falling love and trying to find each other

O2 “The Snowgran” - Animated ad that somehow makes cell phone data charming.

Old Navy “Matchy Matchy” - Jennifer Coolidge stars in a fun series of ads for the retailer.

Old Navy “Gifting” - Jennifer Coolidge stars in a fun series of ads for the retailer.

Paddy Power “Gareth Southgate Christmas Jumper” - Inside baseball ad—or more accurately football—but still sports-fan-relatable worldwide.

Paddy Power “Where Were You in ‘22″ - World Cup meets Christmas

Paddy Power “Crouchy Conducts the Classics” - Another funny, very English football (a.k.a. soccer) ad.

Penny “The Rift” - Very emotional and powerful mini-movie. Follow-up to last year’s equally moving, “The Wish.”

Pepsi “That is One Dirty Soda, Santa” - Lindsay Lohan channels her inner Laverne.

PETA “Toby the Turkey” - Effective animated ad.

Phil Beastall “A Little Help” - “alternate” John Lewis ads have become a thing in recent years with filmmakers offering short holiday films to tug hearts and make a name for themselves.

Planters “Whittle Nut Bowl” - Brief, but cute.

Posten “Father Christmas and Mother Earth” - The Norwegian Postal Service is back with an ad that looks at the impact of Christmas on the environment after their ground-breaking Santa romance last season.

RSPCA “Join the Christmas Rescue” - Bring all the tissues.

Sam Teale “The GoKart” - another of the “alternate John Lewis” offerings.

Sainsbury’s “Once Upon a Pud” - The grocer puts a medievally royal spin on the classic British Christmas dessert.

Shelter “Brave Face” - Touching charity appeal.

Smyths “We Really Want to go to Smyths” - An original, catchy jingle that feels very retro.

Spam “We Wish You a Figgy Christmas” - The Hawaii-favorite canned meat offers up a very cute stop-motion ad for its own limited edition holiday offering.

Spar “Finding Christmas” - Folksy, lovely holiday feel that shows Christmas is all a matter of perspective.

Sports Direct “Football Starts Here” - Celebrate the holidays with soccer stars

Teleflora “Leave No One Out This Holiday” - Does anyone ever think about how Mrs. Claus spends all her Christmases alone.

TK Maxx “Christmas Nailed” - The British version of TJ Maxx dances through the holidays.

Tesco “The Christmas Party” - The British grocery chain tackles the “happiness shortage” in this campaign that’s a literal political campaign spoof.

Waitrose “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” - Celebrates the all-year work that goes into Christmas

The Warehouse “Nigel’s Christmas Wish” - Charming story of holiday triumph.

White Stores “Norbet the Nutcracker” - A signature design

Woolworths "Get Your Woolies Worth” - A down-home Australian Christmas

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amaranth-devi1 · 2 years

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A little memory refresher.

There's nothing wrong with that, I understand Teemu's feelings in August -21. Yes, it was marketed to us from the beginning, that you take all this and two doses, because it prevents infections, you get herd protection and so on. They got pizza and gas if you took vaccine & +. And the thought of getting on the trip was perhaps the strongest influence of all. Even when at the end of the year it was forbidden to go to the theater, night club and restaurant without this, the rest of the sheep started to bend and some of the group were even ordered this to earn a living. Fortunately, not all of them fell for it either, since health is the number one priority for these guys.

👇🏻 Yes. That's how it was marketed to us, let's not forget that. A return to normal was just an arm's length away. And then there were "us idiots" who asked, for example, that:

👇🏻

How can it be guaranteed that the new mRNA technology is safe when the vaccine entered the market with a super-accelerated schedule?

How can a vaccine that produces herd protection be developed for a respiratory virus that typically mutates quickly, when it has not been successful before (cf. influenza vaccine, previous attempts to develop an mRNA vaccine)?

How can an experimental (the results of clinical trials must be delivered by the end of -23 and the product is still on the market with a conditional marketing authorization) medical procedure be a condition for things that are part of basic rights in people's lives?

Why should you protect yourself from a virus from which more than 99% of those who get it recover?

Isn't it important to have a healthy lifestyle and support your own immunity?

👇🏻 Well, in any case, already in December 2021 it became clear that the vaccine does not provide herd protection and does not prevent infections. The coronavirus is not going to disappear anywhere, which must have been completely clear to the experts (and to the rest of us) from the very beginning. That's when the story started to change on the fly: The vaccine is never intended to prevent infections, it only protects against a serious form of the disease (which is not a problem for healthy working-age and younger people in the first place, nor for many elderly people in good health, and especially not after the virus had already mutated for many viral generations) .

👇🏻 The next thing that happened was that those who took 2-4 vaccines started to rejoice that they didn't get the serious form of the disease, even though they got infected. After all, the purpose of the vaccine was specifically to prevent a serious form of the disease, like Teemu in his tweet. Only three weeks in the corona!!!

👇🏻 At the moment, we are in a situation where vaccinated people repeatedly get corona (or something) and suffer from long-lasting symptoms even in the middle of summer, while still enjoying the good effects of several vaccines.

👇🏻 At the same time, it is a completely clear phenomenon that unvaccinated people remain healthy, or after contracting the corona virus at some point with very mild symptoms, do not suffer from any other health problems afterwards. There is more and more research evidence on how the vaccinated are more likely to get sick and carry the virus longer with them, the more boosters are taken.

👇🏻 How will the story continue in the fall? It's interesting and quite sad to watch. Due to all the corona measures, several frequent vaccinations and constant illness, people's immunity is so weak that it can hardly withstand several new corona vaccines, especially if no attention is paid to strengthening immunity, e.g. in the form of sufficient vitamin D intake and lifestyle.

👇🏻 Let's hope that the scenarios of some experts will not come true any more, but that the epidemic will remain calm and people will start to heal by taking the reins into their own hands and really starting to act for their own good 🙏🏻 Fortunately, almost every one of us has this opportunity. You too can be! It's nice and safe 😁

#how it started #how its going

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emmy024 · 2 years

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December 22nd, climate about five degrees and the sun high in the sky. Light rays poured in through the window that was patiently cleaned by the brown-haired young woman; although the photo on the table was an indicator that she had her hair long, it was now an almost masculine cut and with a visible scar on the upper left half of her head.

The whole house smelled of cleaning products and lemon thanks to the spray diffuser. Julian Casablancas’s furious voice was heard even on the sidewalk. She hummed the melody while moving her body to the music’s beat. She still remembered how and when she first heard them: on the radio she turned on solely to place one of the records she inherited from her late father.

There she met one of her greatest pleasures. And all thanks to the birthday man who was not available to celebrate today. "Surely his friends throw him a huge party wherever he is. It’s a pity my invitation was revoked just a few months ago." Almost by miracle and quick medical attention, if she could add.

Rub a little more until you placed her hands on her waist. It looked perfect, in a much better state than she found it when she started. "Well, now I can see my reflection. Cool" she thought with a satisfied smile. “Now I dare Emily to tell me something because my house "looks like a garbage dump."

Her mother (she hated being called “mother”) was an overly obsessive person about cleanliness. Not even because she opened her head like a coconut Emily was able to leave it alone. Eh: at least she gave her daughter a few months of pure peace until her life was in order.

But at least cleaning was entertaining. Away from sad thoughts that could put her life at risk. Also, it was a good activity for a Sunday afternoon. "Until I start cooking Christmas dinner. Then everything will go back to the mess it all was."

Since her mother hated the idea of anything related to cooking, it was her duty to make good use of grannie Constance's recipe book and prepare a delicious Italian dish. That year the Vickers-Luciani would celebrate with the Redfields as an addition to the five-person dinner (including Jake Müller). It was her duty to do things right.

The recipes written by nonna Vickers had to be interpreted perfectly, or three generations of angry Italians would fall on her head. And no one would want that...

She though about it a lot. What could be prepared? Something easy or going to charge? Pasta? Parker's favorite lasagna? "No, we eat that almost every Sunday. I must do something different for once..."

What would Mr. Brad Vickers tell her if he were there? "He would probably be as pragmatic as any man can be, saying 'I don't really mind” and get me frustrated. Just as what he did to Emily."

She decided when cleaning the oven’s door to go for dishes that he once liked. They were relatively simple. And the bonus point was that they would work with her mother. Minestrone soup with the addition of a delicious starter of grisinis along with a spicy sauce. Also, some carbonara for her and her stepfather who both loved the taste of cheese in their throats.

He finished scraping a dirt stain that seemed permanent and finished cleaning the kitchen. At last, she could relax.

"And now?" She made a very thick coffee and added whipped cream from the supermarket. A thawed croissant and two sachets of sweetener. She took a seat at the kitchen table, caressing the head of her tabby-haired Boxer who watched her eat.

The music stopped once it reached the end of The Strokes' second album, leaving her in silence only interrupted by the incessant whimpering of her three pets. "Aaaand… what now?" A sense of dissatisfaction accompanied the emptiness felt inside.

She lit a cigarette and reached out her cell phone. She checked some notifications received during a well-deserved moment of peace and noticed something. In one of the recognized functions to return one (or not) to a happy past: exactly four years ago she shared her favorite photo. Chelsea and her dad.

"What a handsome guy he was! I got the best of him: nose and chin. And a little bit of personality too." She smiled feeling sadness. How much she would like to call him to make a father-and-daughter day. "How old he would be? About fifty-four? Damn, old man!”

"Key word of the day: would be" she lamented, giving the last drink of the delicious and hot coffee. “See, Polly-Sue? If it weren't for this man and his fascination with dogs, you'd be with another family that wouldn't give you this little bit of a delicious croissant.

"Dog’s madman", he whom left mom the most unbearable Cocker Spaniel and therefore my absolute favorite."

She handed the tip to the dog, her four-legged best friend wagging her short tail excitedly. She got up to clean utensils to go decisively to look for a precious object... That for some reason her guts demanded to have it on hand. Sometimes those things happened to her: a sudden desire to go for something related to her past. As a faithful anti-everything of things with a mystical side, she attributed it solely to longing.

True to their style, the three dogs followed her devoutly into her room. Chelsea scrambled her drawer of her wardrobe; she ran documents and other artifacts. She took the most important one: a huge photo album, copied by a melancholic Emily so that she would have something to hold on to. Chris confessed that it all was by pure regret for multiple mistakes Emily let run in the past. Things not said and actions not taken. Well-hidden lies and drawn truths.

In her opinion it was time to remove that painful thorn. "But that's the way she is. You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

She went back to the kitchen. It was her pleasure to see familiar faces of unknown people. She picked up the nicotinic cylinder again and gave it a long puff at the time she opened the album. The title was "Copy number four. Take great care of it and don't do anything I wouldn't do. “As if I were going to use it for a Fourth of July barbecue!”

A succession of photographs from her parents' wedding to her first steps was made available to her. She always found it enjoyable to watch two adults in love enjoy their stellar night surrounded by friends, family and office mates; it was embarrassing to see her sit on a toilet, learning both to stop using diapers and learn not to urinate on herself. “I’ll never understand why this was worth photographing. Like what the actual fuck is wrong with parents!”

Mr. Vickers appeared smiling with a drink in his hand, wrapping around Barry and a man named Marvin. From what she heard about Marvin, he was a good colleague, an admirable father and an exemplary policeman. Constantly thinking about the well-being of others. Barry, on the other hand, was the typical red-haired father who made terrible jokes in order to embarrass his daughters and entertain others; but the heart of that muscled man could house planet Earth.

“I missed him so much! I should send at least one message to ask how things are going, it feels like I’m an ungrateful bitch”. The poor man always cared about her well-being, even if he was covered with work.

Emily exuded her classic strong, confident woman's attitude, surrounded by tall, handsome guys. Something that always made her laugh was the fact that her uncle Josh of just thirteen appeared among adults, much more handsome than him. What a spoiled child's face! Acne, an embarrassed expression next to an awkward smile as he was kissed with affection by his sister and brother-in-law.

She recalled that such a photograph was on his personal desk, inside the lavish office of an aristocratic family full of books and dark aura.

A blonde man with messy hair dancing and making her mother spin like a princess was Uncle Joseph; in another a man with brown hair was none other than the older brother of his neighbor Tyler Speyer. They seemed to dance like there was not tomorrow, or that was her interpretation; Forest's affable smile next to his long hair brought a smile to Chelsea’s face.

If he had remained alive, she was certain that she would be fond of him, never mind the fact that he never liked children.

Magic continued with sporadic parties or gatherings to eat a barbecue between the STARS members. It was no secret among the survivors that all (or at least most) of them were on excellent terms. Except for some setbacks between Emmy/Brad may have had with Chris, the rest were good friends.

It was time to look at photographs of a long-awaited pregnancy. Rumors had it that there was once a photo of her mother crying while holding a pregnancy test. Sherry was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them; if she claimed it existed then it was one thousand percent legit. Also, how would a dude who loved documenting his life not go about portraying every happy moment of the long-awaited baby?

"Dad was the first hipster that existed. Had Instagram existed in his time, he would’ve been the king of daily posts." Not to mention that after four attempts that ended in miscarriages the mere idea of finally having a kid would probably be glorious to them.

They were very cautious: they didn’t announce it until after four months had passed. That's when the real party started.

A string of photographs announcing it to their work colleagues, receiving gifts in the form of stuffed animals and unisex clothes (they hadn’t yet bet what gender the baby had) and baby-related furniture. One of those gifts was ironically the best: Uncle Joseph had the brilliant idea of gifting them a skeleton-shaped bear. He found it funny and appropriate for a baby.

"Too bad I was afraid of that thing until I was five” she laughed at the time after she gave a puff to her cigarette “He never saw that coming.”

All those snaps were an absolute delight. Those smiles and excitement cheered her soul, much needed for a recovering addict.

One caught her eye: a rather handsome guy, straight nose and blond hair with a good guy face named Richard hugged his mother and handed over a bag of children's utensils next to a stuffed giraffe. The animal was sitting, smiling as he held a heart on his paws. Reggie the giraffe!

Rumors said that each one of the STARS members found that plushie so adorable and soft that they proceeded to hug it one by one. Twelve adults, with adult lives and work, worshipping a stupid giraffe. "And then I’m the crazy and childish one."

Maybe that's why she always felt accompanied and safe to have that giraffe in her arms. Perhaps they gave her a little bit of safety and love by hugging that thing.

A true pity was that it all ended months later. The rest of the pictures looked somewhat lacking in charisma along with color. They only showed their parents, rarely appearing in the same photograph. Either it was her dad sitting in the rocking chair surrounded by stuffed animals, or Emily with a belly almost twice as big as her body. Chelsea did not want to imagine the pain that they must have gone through as a couple to have lived through such a setback.

Time went by and arrived at the first photos where she was already born. The very first contact with her mother's skin was captured, Emily cried and caressed her dirty head barely covered by hair. Why on earth babies come into the world like that? Next, she was held in her dad's arms, resting both on the couch in the hospital room.

No one to congratulate them, they lived in fear that a handful of mercenaries would kill them; there was no newborn party or introduction to friends. The Vickers family (at least the third’s son’s branch) took refuge in the two-room house waiting for the storm moderate.

They needed nothing more than themselves in those ten days stolen from the clutches of fateful fate. It was a follow-up until she found her favorite. Despite not remembering anything, Chelsea was glad to have lived them. It gave her the possibility of having that beautiful image on her hands.

She finished the cigarette and lit another one, although that time she went to the fridge for a bottle of water. She carefully stole it off the album, observing it carefully to delight her eyes and soul.

Her dad was sitting on a purple rocking chair, probably cross-legged. It was a beautiful day out, late summer and approaching autumn; the sun was still shining strong enough to leave a beautiful yellowish glow as it filtered in. This luminous effect radiated perfectly against the strong profile of a man mesmerized by his first and only daughter.

He held her carefully and his heart filled with love. He smiled at the little figure who slept with the pacifier still on her mouth. This baby girl of mere days old wrapped in her pink blanket and wearing a ridiculous pink hat. Behind, room full of toys, stuffed animals and even a rocker horse. Stacked diaper packs, ready-to-use bottles along with the mysterious toy raccoon she still had at home. Why did that thing always appear in photos?

Seeing that snapshot filled her soul with an inexplicable peace, almost as if she were once again hugged by her dad. To be surrounded by the muscular arms of a 5ft 9in, Christian heart and science-loving mind. "How much do I need you! These days more than ever, and that's the worst thing it can happen to anyone."

She kissed it fondly. She saved it again delicately and then closed the album. She already knew how the story ended regarding her life and her father’s. Why contaminate it with spoilers?

“Ti amo, papà. Grazie di tutto e buon compleanno.”

She gave a kiss to the sky as hers nonna Constance used to do when referring to her deceased son. She smiled heavily and went to storing it and then put some music on. That time she chose something to give a little nod to the birthday boy with his favorite band. She selected with her phone The Joshua Tree and the music was played at full volume.

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the-mediaeval-monk · 2 years

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The Tragedy of Theobald: Chapter 1

Rating:Teen And Up Audiences

Fandoms: Original Work Viktor Athelstan's Tales From The Monastery Universe

Additional Tags: Medieval Historical Fantasy Period Typical Attitudes Angst Catholicism Catholic Guilt Demons Elves Canon Gay Character Dark Comedy Vikings Abuse Chronic Illness Headaches & Migraines kennings Religion Queer History Catholic Character Christianity Family Drama LGBTQ Themes No Beta We Die Like Christ In the sense that now we're dying but I'm going to come back and edit it later

Language: English

Words:18303 (as of 8/6/2022)

Chapters:15/? (as of 8/6/2022)

Chapter Summary: We meet our hero, Theobald of Pocklington at a Christmas feast.

Chapter 1: Thursday, December 25, 872 AD.

There’s always been some kind of disconnect between me and the rest of the world. The rest of Pocklington. A thin linen veil behind which I can just see the shapes of people, yet every time I reach out in an attempt to touch–to join–the others, the fabric prevents me. I’ve never felt it so prominently then I do now, as I grip my wooden cup of sweet spiced mead, lean against the wattle and daub wall and watch everyone else at Edward the Wine Merchant’s house have fun.

Tonight, I watch as half of Pocklington celebrates the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They do so by eating to the extreme, drinking until there won’t be a drop of alcohol left in the town, and lusting after the opposite sex like David salaciously preyed upon Bathsheba in a way inappropriate in a man.

I sip my mead. At least I can enjoy the smooth honeyed taste if I cannot enjoy myself otherwise…Edward the Wine Merchant rarely gives product away for free. His generosity must have an ulterior motive. I take another sip.

I didn’t want to come to the feast. I wanted to stay at church and pray for the lecherous town until Christmas passed and Saint Stephen’s Day broke with the dawn. Pray for the poor drunken souls that demons, elves, and other sinister beings will surely harm once they stumble out into the night. Demons are common enough in Northumbria. About as common as Danes. There are too many Danes in Britain.

Read the rest of the chapter on AO3

#the tragedy of theobald #ao3 #medieval #gay #fiction #fic

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homedecor-shop-online · 4 months

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5 Things to Avoid When Buying Corporate Gifts Online

Giving gifts to coworkers is a great way to show gratitude and foster relationships in the workplace. Because internet shopping is so convenient, companies frequently use digital platforms to find the ideal corporate gifts.

There are, nevertheless, hazards that could jeopardise the well-meaning motives driving these actions. In this blog, we'll go over five typical blunders to steer clear of when buying corporate gifts online. At the end of this blog, we will also talk about a few gift ideas that you can give during corporate events.

1. Ignoring the Recipient's Preference

Ignoring the recipient's tastes and preferences is one of the main mistakes made while giving corporate gifts. Even though certain presents could seem tempting to everyone, it's important to take the recipient's uniqueness into account. Steer clear of generic options that might not be relevant to the recipient. Rather, spend time learning about their preferences, dislikes, and any other personal or cultural factors. For example, a marble ganesh murti is a good gift option for a Hindu and a Jesus frame can be a good option for a catholic.

2. Ignoring Corporate Culture and Policies

Every business has its own corporate culture and a set of policies. It's crucial to follow these recommendations while choosing presents. Steer clear of anything that can be seen as disrespectful or improper in the recipient's place of employment. A well-considered present should demonstrate knowledge of the company's standards and values, making sure it strengthens rather than strains the working relationship.

3. Neglecting Quality in Favour of Price

Online retailers provide a large selection of business presents at various price points. Although it can be alluring to choose inexpensive solutions, sacrificing quality can be a grave error. Cheap, shoddy presents might harm the reputation of your business. Achieving a balance between financial constraints and the calibre of the selected gift is crucial. Online testimonies and reviews can be quite helpful in determining a product's quality.

4. Ignoring Customisation Opportunities

A lot of online gift shops include customisation choices, so you can give the things you've selected a unique touch. Ignoring these chances is a lost opportunity to add significance to the gift. Utilise personalisation options to steer clear of generic, one-size-fits-all gifts. A simple gift can be elevated to a special and unforgettable expression of gratitude by including the recipient's name, the company logo, or a personalised message.

5. Neglecting to Verify Shipping and Delivery Information

In the realm of corporate gifts, promptness is essential. Unchecked shipping and delivery information can cause goods to arrive partially or not at all. For example, if you buy gifts for Diwali, they shouldn’t arrive after December 25th. Select trustworthy internet sellers with dependable delivery services to avoid disappointment and even embarrassment. To guarantee a seamless gifting experience, always confirm the platform's return policy, shipping charges, and projected delivery periods.

Conclusion

Effective corporate gifting can improve connections and create a favourable impression that lasts a lifetime. When purchasing corporate presents online, you can make sure that your gestures are well-received and meaningful and strengthen your professional relationships by avoiding these blunders. Remember that understanding the beneficiaries, adhering to company regulations, emphasising quality, welcoming customisation, and being watchful of delivery details are all crucial to successful corporate gifts.

If you are looking to buy corporate gifts online for your employees or clients, you must check out Satguru’s. You can check out their corporate gifts section, where you can buy gifts appropriate for corporate events. You can also check out their home decor and modern sculpture sections to find other corporate gifting options. Visit their website to learn more about our products.

#giftshopsonline

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ashitomarisu · 6 months

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K-On! (Final Thoughts, 8 Years Later...)

(Don't lie. You cried like a baby when you heard Tenshi ni Fureta yo!)

Let's wrap up the year with a heartwarming rewatch of one of my favorite KyoAni titles. Of course, music, along with the arts, is my escape from the dull, depressing reality I must endure each and every day. Case in point, this anime.

After almost a decade, I finally took time to look back at this title and see if it still had charm. Despite already reviewing this in 2015, I do want to touch on a new observation since then:

I noticed how the production order seemed a bit messy near the end (getting close to the movie). In fact, watching the extra episodes post-ep. 25 makes the conclusion awkward. The movie was able to resolve this issue afterwards. Still, it took my brain 8 years to notice that. (My brain is dying...)

Regardless of the production order these episodes were in, I really enjoyed revisiting this title for still having this down-to-earth vibe of four high-school girls just trying to make the most of high school memories in the form of LIGHT MUSIC CLUB.

Final verdict: STILL GOT THE GOODS FOR A 15 YEAR OLD ANIME; RECOMMENDED IF YOU ARE SICK OF THAT IDOL ANIME BOOM

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With that, this concludes all the anime watches for 2023. The wheel has been decommissioned for I really don't give two shits for that method anyway...

As for the 2024 schedule, it is not 100% complete yet. However, I do want to say want one thing: THERE WAS ONE ANIME TITLE ON THAT WHEEL I FORGOT ABOUT. Thus, I have decided to automatically make this forgotten contender the first rewatch to the new year.

Oh, and I'm sure you don't have a landline phone in your house; otherwise, she might appear. Stay tuned in January...

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Until then, I will be wrapping up the rest of December with some Love Live related stuff and holiday related content. Here's hoping your holidays will be full of snow...I NEED SNOW.

#2023 anime rewatch #final thoughts #my opinion #k-on!#yep it's still good the second time around

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dru-reblogs-stuff · 6 months

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Get to know you tags

@nostalgicyorkshiregirl & @blind-the-winds tagged me in two different 'Get to know you' style tag games, so I combined the two.

Last Song I Listened To:

So the absolute last one was Epsilon Indi by Curtis Schweitzer from Starbound OST because I was writing, but that's boring. So the last one I 'discovered' is Skippin' Down the Sidewalk by Amelia Day, because I was listening to CharminglyAntiquated's Birthday Playlist 2023.

Favourite colour:

Currently orange: the soft orange of autumn oak leaves and caramel, the vibrant orange of candle flames and my Bird of Paradise flowers, the ginger hair of my nephew flashing as he asks to be spun and thrown on the sofa.

Current Book I'm Reading:

Count Zero by William Gibson. It's good, but it is the product of it's time - I keep having to google the unfamiliar phrases he uses. Also it's been a while since I read Neuromancer and I've forgotten a lot of world-details.

Current Fic I'm Reading:

Counterparts by Nebulad. I'm also slowly making my way through The Nature of Fire by buttsmcginty, but that I'm saving to read on the plane to and from Denmark; I quite like joining the white-haired traveler as we make our different journeys.

The last one I read was The Forlorn Watchman by nostalgic_breton_girl (it's still open in my tabs because I keep forgetting to add a comment).

Last film/show:

Last film was The Mummy (1999) because I wanted something fun and campy to watch.

Last show is Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - I'm still making my way through that for a rewatch.

Next On My Watch List:

I haven't finished Ahsoka yet, but the new season of Loki is out and I'm being encouraged to watch that. I also want to watch the last few seasons of Staged.

Relationship status:

Things are still steady with the Danish Gent 😊️ I'm going over there for Xmas again, and hopefully this year we can go to Tivoli for the lights and 'real' glōgg (mulled wine with raisins). (When I went over in 2021 everything was shut down for Covid. One of his friends brought some from the supermarket in a carton, and the two spent most of the visit bitching about the quality and how they must try and get 'proper' glōgg next Xmas I was over.)

Last thing Googled:

'Goodbye Deponia walkthrough', because although I like the Deponia games, and point-n-clicks in general, sometimes the leaps of logic have me scratching my head.

Current obsessions:

Xmas, I guess? Thought it's less 'obsesion' and more 'mild panic'. Inasmuch I have to get presents and and decorations and the house and, and, and every other thing sorted before I vanish to DK mid-december, consequently ignoring all else because I'll be too busy making moon-eyes at my Gent.

#tag games #get to know you tag

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govindhtech · 8 months

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Investigating Google Cloud Labs at AI

New no-cost laboratories in Google Cloud for generative AI for developers

Want to improve your generative AI skills? The Arcade, a free, gamified learning experience that introduces new games each month, now allows you to develop your technical general AI skills for the Google Cloud environment. You will engage in games based on Google Cloud Skills Boost labs each month to practise using the company’s robust AI tools, Vertex AI and Generative AI Studio.

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Gen AI this month in The Arcade: prompt engineering

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any moment throughout the specified month to begin the games.

Complete the games before they expire, which is usually at the end of the month.

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For a chance to win points while putting your knowledge to the test, you may also take part in our weekly trivia challenge. Here’s an example of how your points will be calculated:

Play as often as you can since more plays equals more prizes. Hats, mugs, pens, and other items have previously been given away.

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Additional free methods to learn about general AI via the #LearnGenerativeAI video series

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Introduction to the course on generative AI

This 45-minute, free fundamental lesson delves into the specifics of generation AI. You will gain knowledge about general artificial intelligence (gen AI), its applications, how it differs from machine learning, and the Google Cloud tools you may use to create your own apps. Start over here.

GENERATIVE AI LEARNING PATH INTRODUCTION

Four courses make up this free learning path, and when you finish them, you’ll receive a skill badge for your Google Developer Profile and resume that verifies your understanding. You’ll learn about general artificial intelligence, extensive language models, responsible AI, and how to use Google Cloud to implement AI principles. Start here.

Awaiting you in The Arcade

You can build on the aforementioned training options to get ready for the technical labs in The Arcade. Together, this course can help you deepen your understanding in order to get ready and position yourself as a candidate to assist fill in-demand gen AI roles with the necessary abilities. Go to The Arcade when you’re prepared to begin developing those technical skills!

#govindhtech #technology #technews #news #ai #googlecloud #genAI

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