#30th anniversary of Grace

[sweetdreamsjeff]

On IG GAMH posted:

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Jeff Buckley’s legendary Grace…🌹

Buckley performed on May 4th & 5th, 1995 at the Great American Music Hall.

This was the night the “The Man That Got Away” was recorded which was featured on the Mystery White Boy: Live ‘95-‘96 album!

[ask-icancraft-it]

Caught (Extended)

(( An extended version/different perspective of the ‘Little Moment’ I wrote titled ‘Caught’. It’s been a long time since I sort of dove in to how nasty and controlling I feel Gene can be, particularly towards Felix, who doesn’t know how to handle it. This has potential to be a multi-part fic, but we shall see! )) -----

“Has anyone seen Felix?” Gene raised his tiny arms in exasperation. The Nicelanders bustling around him shook their heads and shrugged.

“Oh I’m sure he’ll turn up soon! Don’t you worry,” Mary plastered on a smile, carrying a freshly baked pie.

“No, something is wrong. I can feel it,” the mayor wiggled his mustache after polishing off his morning martini. “I’m going to check on him.”

Gene had knocked a total of three times on the superintendent’s apartment door, which was uncharacteristically locked. Luckily for him, as the landlord, he had a copy of the keys. Flipping through his ring, he inserted the correct key into the knob and opened the door to a quiet living room.

“Felix?” Gene huffed as he searched the area. His eyes narrowed as he turned to the closed door into the handyman’s bedroom. Determined to get to the bottom of things, the tiny man burst in through the door, his anger growing when he spotted a sleeping lump in the bed.

“Felix!” he shouted. “What’s gotten into you? The arcade opens in five minutes!”

The handyman shot up, shirtless, slowly followed by a second figure; a tall, blonde woman with hardly anything on.

“What the—Who the?!” The mayor could barely string words together, his face turning red.

“Gene!” Felix squeaked, hopping off the mattress, just in his boxers as he attempted to usher the Nicelander out the door. “Please! Let Miss Calhoun and I get decent!”

“You?!” Gene remembered that name, having briefly met the sergeant at a party a week ago. He’d hardly recognized her without all that ghastly armor on.

“Nice of you to remember me,” Tamora smirked over her shoulder, pulling up her camo pants.

“Her?!” the mayor spat at Felix. The handyman’s face soured and he pushed Gene through the bedroom door, locking it.

Felix's face glowed bright red as he turned around to face his lady. Grabbing two fistfuls of his light brown hair, he let out a long, tapered whine as he suppressed a scream.

“I knew this would happen,” he berated himself. “I mean, I didn’t know. But I did.”

“Deep breaths, Fix-It.”

“How are you so calm?” the 8-bit was beside himself. “You were half naked in front of a strange man!”

“Being one of the very few women in the corps, you get desensitized to that pretty quickly,” Tamora explained. “Sorry to tell you, but you’re far from the only man I’ve ever undressed in front of. Besides, who cares what that little squeaker toy thinks?”

“I do!” the handyman lamented as he pulled up his jeans. “Tammy, I live with these people. I work with them and for them every single day. For thirty years I’ve been their perfect, dedicated and trustworthy hero. And now that pretty picture they’ve painted of me will forever be tarnished…”

“You sure know how to make a girl feel special,” the sergeant quipped.

“I’m serious, Tammy,” Felix whimpered. “You don’t know what they can be like, how Gene can be when he disapproves…”

Tamora’s wry smile withered, but before she could reach out a fevered knocking rapped at the handyman’s door.

“Three minutes!” Gene shouted from the other side.

“Save yourself, my lady,” Felix whispered, throwing open his window that led out to the fire escape. Handing the sergeant her cruiser as she ducked through the opening, he gave a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you at quittin’ time.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she smiled, grasping his white shirt collar to give the handyman a proper parting kiss. He couldn’t help the pang of uncertainty as she took off.

Turning around, Felix grabbed his work shirt, slipping it on before thrusting open his bedroom door.

“Uh-huh,” Gene huffed, zoning in on the open window behind the hero. “Sneaking off like a two-bit criminal. You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

“Do I?” Felix spoke impassively, brushing past the mayor and finishing buttoning up his uniform.

“Oh you sure do,” Gene insisted, shadowing the handyman as he walked to the entryway where his toolbelt hung on the wall. “First Pauline, and now…this woman!”

“Tamora,” Felix corrected, exiting the apartment with the mayor at his heels. “And as I recall, you all did the matchmaking when it came to Pauline and I…”

“Biggest mistake I ever made,” Gene huffed, bumping into the handyman when he turned around.

“Can I remind you that the major problem you had with Pauline is that she had an amicable relationship with Donkey Kong, and advocated the concept that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ went beyond our programming? And now we all know that she was right.”

His point made, Felix continued down the hall and to the stairwell, ignoring the tenants that peeked out of their apartments curiously as the arguing pair strolled by.

“She was a troublemaker, and a bad influence,” Gene huffed, trying to keep up with the handyman as they descended. “And clearly this Tamora is no different.”

“I’m starting to think that you just don’t want me to be happy,” Felix said in an eerily calm tone.

“That’s ridiculous. We just want the best for you. We’ve done nothing but love and support you all these years!”  

A pit formed in the handyman’s stomach, all too familiar with his turning point in their arguments. Face flushing and heart beat rising, Felix wished for an escape as he burst through the double doors to the outside. Tucking in his shirt and pulling the rest of himself together, he made for his starting position.

“It’s always like this with you,” Gene wagged a stubby finger, barking at the handyman’s ankles still. “One little thing doesn’t go your way, you act like a petulant child!

Felix stood on his mark, brows furrowed and heart crumbling.

“Arcade’s opening,” he murmured, hesitant to say more. He unconsciously held his breath until the mayor left his side to enter the building. Letting it out with a shaky exhale, the handyman steeled himself, eager to get through the day…

“Uh, hey–” a welcomed voice approached gently.

“Ralph,” Felix spun around, struggling to tamp down his agitation as he put on his gloves. “Do me a favor and please throw our dear mayor as hard and as far as you can today.” He took a moment to look up into his friend’s wide, unblinking eyes. “Just chuck him, please.”

[cetacian]

The Fall and Rise of Orca: House (warming) Crasher Cameo in Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 “Siren Soiree”.

The Gotham City Sirens (Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy) have moved in as roommates some time ago to a surprisingly nice apartment building. However, Harley was bored and believed the best way to relieve said boredom was by throwing a girl’s only housewarming party, something neither Selina nor Pamela were keen on. When Harley tried to sway them with lofty goals of getting other female rogues to turn their lives around and by only inviting those they know, they soon relented. Predictably however, the majority of Gotham’s female rogues came to the party (and few from elsewhere as well), much to Pam and Selina’s chagrin. As Selina thought to hide out in the apartment’s gym, she encountered another unexpected guest: Orca, who was making full use of the gym’s pool:

Not sure why Orca is so amazed by the pool. Are the harbor areas too polluted at the moment? Plus Orca imposing on the girls like this seems out of character for her. Interestingly,  Orca is considerably slimmed down here from most of her previous appearances.

They soon left to go find Jenna Duffy, The Carpenter, trying to get her to do a job for them:

I assume they mean filling it in as in pouring in concrete so Orca can’t use the pool? The phrasing is a little confusing.

Eventually, the party descended into chaos as old Joker henchman Gaggy emerged from a huge cake on the attack, wanting revenge on Harley years too late for seemingly replacing him. However, Harley was able to talk him down, pointing out how Joker had used them both and that it was time for Gaggy to find new meaning and happiness in his life. Serendipitously, Baby Doll arrived late from the bakery and was instantly smitten with Gaggy, leaving with him to go have a drink just as the party devolved into a brawl shortly after the arrival of Wonder Woman (Diana of Themyscira) and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), who the other rogues did not take kindly to despite them being invited guests. At that point, the Sirens decided to cut their losses and drown their sorrows at a diner until the whole fiasco blew over.

Even though Orca is once again used as a one note joke, this story is still cute. It’s funny and Harley’s heart to heart with Gaggy has some surprising pathos. Plus Mary Dahl deserves to have some happiness in her life after all the shit she’d been through. I was surprised to see Paul Dini was the writer on this story, but given the elements that stood out to me and the characters used, I really shouldn’t be. And oh what I wouldn’t give to see him do a serious take on Orca in a longer story or book. That’s the dream anyway.

Next post: Orca gets taken over by a bootleg symbiote and fights a bad pun spewing Harley! Context to be determined!

[noodlerooster]

Shpuld I put my tales stickers on redbubble for easier buying purposes?

I have sticker sheets but one person asked if I had any single stickers

Might even make some stickers if I get my supply by September.

Make on demand?

[abyssalchronicles]

Tales of Graces f Remastered has just been announced for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One/Series X and for PC via STEAM!

The game will be released for the West on January 17, 2025, a day after the Japanese release. Check more here! The remaster features enhanced visuals and gameplay, including the ability to switch enemy encounters on and off, a skip button, an auto-save feature, early unlocking of the Grade Shop, inclusion of the original DLCs from the original games, as well as the Lineage and Legacies after story. The official announcement also mentions "and newly localised scenes that will be available in English for the very first time". A Digital Deluxe Edition and pre-orders have been announced. According to the Japanese announcement, the game is but a part of the "various initiatives" planned for the Tales of Series 30th Anniversary. A message from Tales of Series General Producer Yusuke Tomizawa was also released. This hopefully means we're getting even more remasters, or possibly a new game, for this anniversary! We've yet to see anything on the previously allegedly leaked Tales of Xillia Remastered from online stores.

[fontasticcrablettes]

Note this is a very vague suggestion of something he might be interested in working on in the future, not confirmation that an Abyss remaster is in the works.

Mostly I just wanted an excuse to use my Tales Breaking News template.

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

Harry’s having a milestone birthday in 5 weeks. A milestone birthday that William and Kate got a couples portrait for, Kate got three new photographed portraits, and they both got new honors and patronages for.

This is exactly while I think he’s just gone nearly nuclear with the threats over the last 3 plus weeks. the count down is on and he damn sure wants a piece of the pie he feels entitled too. he’s being dragged along on this Colombia trip because Meghan is likely tying it back to her coffee side business.

Ask from August 4th

Yep, Harry's definitely feeling some kind of pressure with his birthday coming up. It's not a surprise that Harry started a "I 💖GB" campaign within the last week:

Secret dash to Norfolk to see his family

All this PR about him and William being in the same place (I bet he was the one who leaked that they were at the funeral but William stayed away)

Stayed with Uncle Charles at Althorp Estate

The Spencers want Harry back/support him coming back

Friends have invited Harry to stay at their homes and visit

Asking former aides to help him get back in UK/royal good graces (even though he immediately denied it when criticism started)

Willing to come back and be a royal if Charles wants him

And now that I'm thinking about it, the funeral was August 30th and Harry was staying (allegedly) at Althorp. Meaning he would've been there on August 31st, which is the anniversary of Diana's death, and Althorp is where Diana is buried. I didn't see one single piece of PR about it.

Anyway. T-10 days till Harry's birthday.

[cartoonbudartz]

Happy 30th anniversary to one of the greatest cartoons of the 90s! Here’s hoping animanaics will one day grace our screens again.

[ufonaut]

Zero Hour 30th-Anniversary Special

On sale August 28th Written by DAN JURGENS and RON MARZ Art by DAN JURGENS, DARRYL BANKS, JERRY ORDWAY, PAUL PELLETIER, KELLEY JONES and more! Cover by DAN JURGENS and JERRY ORDWAY Variant covers by ALAN QUAH and KEN LASHLEY 1:25 variant cover by DAN HIPP RAISED UV cover by JON BOGDANOVE ($10.99 US) $9.99 US | 80 pages | Variant $9.99 US (card stock)

30 years ago, one of the DCU's brightest heroes fell from grace, driven over the edge by his failure to save Coast City and millions of people. In the famed EMERALD TWILIGHT storyline, Hal Jordan became PARALLAX in the wake of Coast City being annihilated. After that, he almost succeeded in refashioning the entire DC timeline and resetting reality to restore his home in the ZERO HOUR event. Luckily, the heroes prevailed and destroyed this villain and timeline for good…or so we thought. Green Lantern Kyle Rayner is about to discover Hal and his vision have survived, and they're willing to do whatever it takes to make sure their world prevails!

Writers Dan Jurgens and Ron Marz return to the world of Zero Hour with an art team comprised of all-star DC talent to celebrate this landmark anniversary. What repercussions will their story today have for those of tomorrow?

[black-arcana]

SPIRITBOX Reunites With MEGAN THEE STALLION For 'Tyg' Song

In an electrifying and unexpected new collaboration, Grammy-nominated heavy music trailblazers SPIRITBOX have joined forces once again with global hip-hop powerhouse Megan Thee Stallion for her latest project, "Megan: Act II". Produced by Bankroll Got It, Dan Braunstein, Mike Stringer (SPIRITBOX) and Shawn "Source" Jarrett, "TYG" showcases Megan's hard-hitting verses fused with SPIRITBOX's signature dynamic production and explosive riffs.

This marks the band's second team-up with the Houston icon, following the successful rock remix of Megan's hit single "Cobra", which made waves earlier this year. The collaboration was hailed as adding a "booming, reverb-drenched cascade of arena rock attitude" by Billboard, and "an extra layer of edge to the vulnerable track" by BET.

Joining Megan's highly anticipated project are other exciting features, including Flo Milli, RM of BTS and TWICE, further solidifying "Megan: Act II" as a groundbreaking moment in music. Fans of both SPIRITBOX and Megan can look forward to an unforgettable mix of heavy and hip-hop sounds on "TYG", which pushes boundaries and proves that the most unexpected partnerships can yield the most exhilarating results.

Most recently, SPIRITBOX released their newest single "Soft Spine", a standout track showcasing their evolving sound. The band is currently thrilling fans nationwide as part of KORN's 30th-anniversary tour, further cementing their reputation as one of metal's most dynamic and innovative forces.

For many artists, a meteoric rise can often mean a sudden plateau. However, for Grammy-nominated progressive heavy metal mainstays SPIRITBOX, there appears to be no end in sight on their near-constant ascent to the top. Formed in 2017 in the picturesque yet isolated region of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada by vocalist Courtney Laplante and guitarist Mike Stringer, SPIRITBOX would fully cement themselves as a household name in the summer of 2020 with the release of their blistering breakout single "Holy Roller", along with a host of other captivating singles shortly after, resulting in a media firestorm of hype.

With new and existing fans eagerly watching their next move, SPIRITBOX exceeded every expectation imaginable in 2021 with the release of their genre-defining debut studio album "Eternal Blue" via Pale Chord/Rise Records. "Eternal Blue", which debuted at #13 on the Billboard 200, kicked open the doors of the heavy metal scene and rewrote the genre's playbook with 12 stunning tracks that incorporated everything from djent and post-metal to infectious synth-laden pop sensibilities and cinematic arrangements, brought fully to life by the inimitable Laplante's ethereal and commanding vocal performances.

The album cycle for "Eternal Blue" saw SPIRITBOX not only grace the covers of esteemed music publications such as Revolver, Alternative Press, Rock Sound and Kerrang!, among many others but would also solidify the band as one of the most in-demand groups in live music today with their one-hundred percent sold out, first-ever headlining tour in support of the album which saw ticket sales over 40,000. The band would also share the stage with seasoned metal veterans such as LIMP BIZKIT and GHOST and win "Best International Breakthrough Band" at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards.

In 2022, SPIRITBOX secured highly-coveted spots at numerous major U.S. rock and metal festivals and were nominated for two JUNO Awards, respectively. SPIRITBOX would also round out their current lineup with the inclusion of drummer Zev Rose and bassist Josh Gilbert in addition to releasing their sonically experimental EP "Rotoscope" in June of that year as well as a cross-genre collaboration with dubstep artist Illenium for the track "Shivering".

During another whirlwind year for the band, including a U.S. tour with SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH, SPIRITBOX wrote and recorded their critically acclaimed EP, "The Fear Of Fear", released in November 2023. The EP features the single "Jaded", which was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. In the same month, the band would make another genre-bending splash with a high-profile collaboration with rapper Megan Thee Stallion for a remix of her song "Cobra".

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

[jamethinks]

Bored so heres a list of iconic thing Melinda has done (not this is a list for my fanfic so that I don’t forget lmao)

Marrying a man notorious for being ugly and anti social and creepy and proceeding to actually love him

Before she got married she did a photo shoot for a sewing pattern book and her eye makeup went viral and everyone wanted her long eyelashes

Her blue wedding was famous and reported on for the 30th anniversary of VOGUE Ostania where she graced the cover

Her wedding hairstyle was so popular it became a trend (yes it’s that deranged hairstyle Yor does but a bit bulkier)

For her 20th birthday, Donovan got her a blue hillside mansion that is like an architectural landmark that’s literally so iconic it’s under a preservation act

A movie was actually filmed there and it was one of the high grossing movies in Europe

Popularized the mini skirt in Ostania all the way back in the 50s

The first ever private jet to be owned by an Ostania was a gift she got for her 25th birthday. It was baby blue of course. Donovan got it for her because she loved to travel but found the usual methods to be a hassle. In 15 years he has bought her 3 private jets

After being harassed by the press for not having kids she told a reporter to “stay out of her vagina” and got cancelled for like 20 minutes

She was in an American movie shortly but it was successful

She owns a classic 1950 Cadillac that was custom made to blue. She got it for her 21st birthday after she got her license

Between 1954 to 1963 she was in a variety of ads for War and military recruitment. This coincided with the war between the east and west following the supposed assassination of the Prime minister and deputy prime minister of Ostania even roping poor Demetrius into it

There is series of fighter jets known as the MLD30 series when is obviously named after her. They dropped bombs that would release a blue smoke that would choke people give them terrible rashes

The tv show Berlint in Love is based on her with the original female lead being named Linda. It was based on the rumors that she was cheating on Donovan with a young attractive man who worked for the Desmonds (a young Jeeves who she was seen photographed with a lot)

Melinda love reptiles and has a bunch of exotic ones in her house most notably her massive 20+ year old 200 pound sulcata Tortoise and a yellow boa that she ended up giving away when Demetrius was born because she worried it would kill him. She also kept a Greek tortoise in Donovan’s office (the prime minister one where he had to meet with other government officials)

A video touring her house was filmed and to be released on tv after coloured tv was introduced in the US in 1954, it aired overseas and in Ostania (in black and white) but the official coloured version was re-aired in 1968 when coloured tv became available as one of the first official broadcasts which only reignited interest in her

That’s all that I’ve got baby

[my-spookybunnies]

With the X Files 30th Anniversary coming up I thought I'd just share this very long rambling thank you.

I only joined the fandom two years ago, when I was flicking through Prime and saw a show called 'The X Files' in the category labeled 'TV CLASSICS. Good ol' Mulder and Scully where on the thumbnail and while I had no idea who they were, by a stroke of fate I had seen a gif set earlier that day on tumblr of the two of them that had caught my eye. Maybe this is what made me click on that thumbnail or maybe the stars had simply aligned BUT whatever it was I was hooked. From the moment Scully drops her robe in that motel room with Mulder standing there like a confused lemon, I knew I was in deep.

As any sensible person does I then immediately binged the series while simultaneously routing through tumblr, looking for more X Files content. And boy did I find it.

I was so happy to find not only people where still making new content about the show, but there are amazing stories out there nearly 30 years old that can still be enjoyed and shared due to the efforts of The X File librarian's out there who have made sure that no ones hard work has been lost. It still baffles me sometimes that people had written 50+ thouasnd word fics (that are better than some books I've read) for free! Just because they love The X Files so much.

I've met some amazing online friends due to TXF and even started writing fanfic, something that I used to be ashamed of, but now I tell people with pride.

It's amazing to be part of a fandom that has such longevity, passion and genuine warmth. I want to say thank you to every single person who writes fanfic that makes me laugh and cry till my heart hurts, everyone who creates amazing fanart for our dynamic duo, every gif maker, gif reblogger, prompt maker and episode analysis sharer.

The fact that we are all here now 30 years on from when Mulder and Scully first graced our screens- whether you are an OG fan or a newbie like me, proves that there is something infinite about The X Files, it represents something bigger that the TV screens it was shown on. What was supposed to be an edgy sci-fi cop show, accidently turned into one of the best love stories of all time. Mulder and Scully took us along on their hair-brained adventures and even though their story is no longer televised, they now live on through us.

So once again a big thank you to everyone past and present in The X Files fandom for making me feel right at home and not alone when I worry I'm a little too obsessed with a red headed medical doctor and her spooky partner.

Here's to another 30 spooky years 👽🥳

[simshousewindsor]

By Cameron Dorly | Published by SNN

EASTON, Windenburg (SNN) - - The Queen Worked Through the Heatwave - But Now She’s Going to Beaverdam.

For the last few days, Queen Katherine has been valiantly surviving the historic heat wave overtaking Easton at Buckingsim Palace. On Friday morning, Windenburg’s hottest day on record, the royal family was spotted in a police convoy leaving the palace for the slightly more temperate climate at her Beaverdam Estate in Brindleton Bay. (Yes, Rainier wore a full suit.)

The queen has left for her summer estate during the last few weeks of July since ascending the throne, and plans to stay through August. An insider told the tabloid that she plans to spend more time there. “For years we thought it would be the perfect place for the Queen to spend more time away from duty, with her family and beloved horses,” the source said. “It’s one of her favorite places in the summer.”

Beaverdam was well-known for hosting the royals' annual walk to Christmas Day services at Mt. Table church from 1882 to 1994; a tradition the palace announced Queen Katherine would resume this Christmas. In addition to Beaverdam Castle, the queen has Sumpterson Estate, in Henford.

A beloved home of the late King, Sumpterson began being used in 1994 for entertaining during the Christmas holidays, breaking the tradition started by Edward I in 1882. His late Majesty did not care for Beaverdam and chose to spend both summer and Christmas at Sumpterson, only spending Spring at Beaverdam.

Though the queen was keeping cool as she led the family, Princess Grace, and Prince Phillip looked even cooler as the unprecedented temperatures hit the country.

It won’t be long before Prince Phillip can no longer travel with the rest of his family - A Firm Rule to Avoid the Collapse of the Monarchy. The late King Edward II established a convention that meant the first in the Windenburg line of succession (so, Phillip) should travel separately from his other family members. A rule George I maintained with, then heir, Princess Katherine. When Phillip turns 12 in less than four years’ time (13 September, 2028, to be exact), he will be required to travel separately from other members of the royal family—with no exemptions.

Missing from today's departure were the Queens 8 month old twins, Prince Michael, and Prince Samuel. Palace officials only said the "royal twins arrived safely at Beaverdam, along with their family."

While the Queen is away, other senior royals will continue their busy dowry. On Monday, Prince Louis and Margot, Duchess of Kent embark on a three-day tour of Levon and Kent, where they will visit Mousefield Harbor, for the 30th anniversary of the Gilmlands War. Princess Lara, who is five months pregnant, will visit a memorial service for the anniversary of the Griffin Park bombing on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she visits SecureLane Global, an organization that mitigates explosive risks. Wednesday's engagement will also mark the first of Her Royal Highness' final public appearances before the birth of baby number one.

The Palace has yet to provide a due date for the newest royal addition, though the baby is expected to arrive in November.

[racequeenparadise]

Jun and Yurie Seno, "Jun & Etty with AISIN" with Haruka Natsumi and Urara, Eneos Girls

Korean Male Model Jun Appears As a Race Ambassador For the First Race of the New Season's Super GT in Okayama On Sunday

The first round of Super GT was held at the Okayama International Circuit in Okayama Prefecture from April 13th to 14th. Various regulations have changed for Super GT, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, but this season, the gender designation of the race queen that has graced the circuit has been abolished, and the name has been changed. Already in the first race, a male "Race Ambassador" has appeared as part of the TGR Team Eneos Rookie team, which will be participating in the GT500 class.

While many Race Ambassadors appeared this season, one person stood out in particular. He is Korean model Park Min-Joon, who goes by the name of Jun. He is the ambassador of AISIN, which sponsors TGR Team Eneos Rookie. According to the team, the appointment of this male Race Ambassador was made by team owner Akio Toyoda of TGR Team Eneos Rookie and AISIN president Moritaka Yoshida.

Due to changes in Super GT regulations in 2024, they decided to give a male Race Ambassador a try. Jun started working at the circuit from April 13th. "I've been nervous since the day of the preliminaries, but I heard that this is the first time there has been a male ambassador, so there's no precedent. I'm trying to figure out what kind of poses I should do as a male model". Jun is actually a huge race car fan. "I love cars that run on gasoline engines more than EVs. I really like the sound of an engine, so coming to the circuit and hearing the sounds of the engines and smell of fuel, I was really excited".

However, the challenge for Jun who works in the world of Super GT both a man and a foreigner, can be said to be an expression of the era of diversity. "I want to continue to do my best in Super GT, and I want to show off my cool side. I want to be able to make the fans smile, and with the feeling of 'I Love Cars!'. I want to do my best to make people who have never been interested in motorsports fall in love with it" Jun said emphatically. Jun has been partnered with female Race Ambassador Yurie Seno, who has previously been a Race Queen for several years. Their unit name is Jun & Etty with AISIN (Etty is Seno's nickname).

Blog Editorial; Please note I will not be posting any images of male Race Attendants besides the rare occasional news item such as this one. However, I do find it interesting that Japanese motorsport has decided to take this path rather than Formula 1's motor racing body, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), outright discontinuation Grid Girls at all F1 Grands Prix worldwide in 2018 because they were “at odds with modern day societal norms”. Super GT's solution seems far more fair and reasonable for everyone involved, especially the female models. Original news item below;

[sweetdreamsjeff]

The ‘Eternal Life’ of Jeff Buckley’s Album ‘Grace’

Wildcat staff writer Alexis Cradduck highlights five songs from the late singer-songwriter’s album, Grace.

Alexis Cradduck, Staff Writer

October 15, 2023

Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of Jeff Buckley’s album, Grace, and 27 years since the singer-songwriter, just 30-years old at the time, passed away from an accidental drowning in the Mississippi River.

At the time of his death, Buckley had been working on a follow-up to Grace, a debut that was well-received by critics (Entertainment Weekly named it one of its ten best albums of 1994), but sold poorly.

However, in the years since, the album — featuring soulful lyrics, rumbling vocals, and simmering guitar licks — has sold millions of copies (2,560,000 units to date); been added to the Library of Congress’s National Registry (for the song “Hallelujah,” in 2013); and is frequently named one of the best albums of all time. 

-5-

“Forget Her” (track 11)

Slow drums begin with the clean sound of short strums on the guitar and Buckley begins with the lyrics, “While this town is busy sleeping, / All the noise has died away.”

In “Forget Her,” Buckley laments about a toxic relationship that he feels he cannot leave. A woman coerced him into love, but he struggles to find a way out of the relationship. Acknowledging that “she was heartache from the day that I first met her,” Buckley continues to love this woman even though he knows she will eventually hurt him (“Her love is a rose petal, pale and dying,” he sings). As the guitar riffs slowly ascend and then increase in tempo, they parallel the anxiety Buckley feels as he falls deeper into the relationship. 

Touching on many aspects of “push and pull” relationships, “Forget Her” conveys Buckley’s first-hand experience of how agonizing being manipulated is. His masterful singing and guitar-playing are captivating on this track. 

-4-

“Grace” (track 2)

“Grace” starts with an upbeat pop-like lick, a contradiction to the song’s opening lines:

There’s the moon asking to stay Long enough for the clouds to fly me away Well it’s my time coming, I’m not afraid, afraid to die My fading voice sings of love But she cries to the clicking of time, oh, time

Midway through the song, Buckley sings, “it reminds me of the pain, the pain I might leave behind,” showing that even if he is at peace with death, he is still afraid of the mourning that others will endure.

When Buckley repeatedly sings “wait in the fire” he implies that waiting in the metaphorical fire can burn us — if we allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity and sadness, those are the places we will be in forever. 

Four minutes into the song, the tempo increases, reflecting his desire to find the meaning in his life, culminating in the reveal that in the end, all will be well. By the conclusion of the song, Buckley makes his message of “waiting in the fire” clear: get out of the “fire” of self pity.  

-3-

“Eternal Life” (track 9)

Fading in, a distorted guitar. Drums are layered and quick. “Eternal Life” is chaos compared to the album’s other songs. 

“Eternal Life” focuses on the struggles of being human. It starts off with a heavier rock style, an aggressive guitar. By asking “as your fantasies are broken in two, did you really think this bloody road would pave the way for you?” Buckley claims that finding a purpose in life is more difficult than people realize as some have their life “carved out” for them. In contrast, Buckley emphasizes that in reality, people have to work to go to the top, and describes the brutal competitiveness of making their way up. “Racist angry men, what have you done…you’ve made a killer of your unborn son” conveys that surrounding oneself with hatred can lead to their birth into the same hateful lifestyle. 

The most telling lyrics are in the bridge,

There’s no time for hatred, only questions What is love, where is happiness What is life, where is peace? When will I find the strength to bring me release?

All familiar and relatable questions we ask ourselves. 

-2-

“So Real” (track 5)

In “So Real,”  Buckley reminisces about his lover with the repeated guitar riffs. When he repeats the lyrics “Oh, that was so real,” he describes the real and pure love he experienced. Through the lyrics, “And I couldn’t awake from the nightmare that sucked me in and pulled me under,” Buckley realizes that losing a lover would be a nightmare he would never escape.

The guitar that starts the intro evokes raw emotion with random-sounding licks that seem unedited. Then, the guitar fades to a resemblance of grief, coming down from the heavy distortion into a quieter melody that begins with the bang of a drum. This instrumental embodies the theme of the song, that heartbreak seems like the worst thing in the world at first, but then over time, we come to accept that what we have lost will not come back.

Shortly after the guitar, Buckley whispers, “I love you, but I’m afraid to love you, I’m afraid,” then repeats “that was so real.” His past lover is gone and he feels guilty about continuing loving them since they no longer love him mutually.

His lyrics explain how he felt infinite every time that he was with them, that time would never stop and that he would always be with them even though it was temporary.

“So Real” is a memorable song that due to the repetition of the meaningful, perspective-changing lyrics.

-1-

“Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” (track 7)

Fading in with the ethereal sound of an organ and distorted crackling, Buckley’s first lyrics, “I see the rain fall upon the funeral mourners parading in a wake of sad relations as their shoes fill up with water,” reminisce on the feeling of pouring rain adding to the weight of grief. The imagery of rain is meant to be the all-consuming feeling of sorrow that overwhelms them and their emotions. 

Buckley feels as though his love isn’t mature enough to keep it going as he says through his lyrics. He sings “Broken down and hungry for your love with no way to feed it,” yearning for his lover, but unable to connect with her for unknown reasons. Repeating the lyric, “too young to hold on, but too old to just break free and run,” he feels as though at his age he has so many more options and that one love should not simply hold him back, although at the same time, he also feels that it would be immature to just leave them.

Echoing “Grace,” Buckley sings, “So I’ll wait for you, love, And I’ll burn, Will I ever see your sweet return? Oh, will I ever learn,” expressing how waiting for his previous lover still feels like a waste of time.

Circling back to the burning motif, Buckley writes, “Burning in the corner is the only one who dreams he had you with him,” emphasizing that he is the only man willing to wait for her. Continuing, he sings “Lover, you should’ve come over.” 

The song is touching and relatable and sure to bring out many emotions within the listener. 

[alicepao13]

Happy 30th Anniversary Inspector Rex!

Kommissar Rex was always "the little show that could". It could easily find its way into your heart with a cute dog, it could have silly and heavy plotlines, it could (even back then) handle societal issues with a certain grace and sensitivity. Imagine my surprise when I went back to watching it after (admittedly) quite a bit of time to realize that it still mostly held up (I'm only talking about the German/Austrian production). And damn, how funny it could be sometimes. It would also spend a substantial amount of time focused on the bad guy of the week in the episode, which I believe served two purposes: it made us understand them better and it was a less heavy load on the main actors.

I was introduced to it when I was about 10 years old and possibly too young for some cases that they showed (although the networks here had cut any and all sexual content). Tobias Moretti had already left the show but in my country we still had the episodes with him airing and it was the 90s so it was the no-spoiler age (we didn't even have internet until the mid-2000s in my house). I recall having a bit of a crush on Moser. I remember how gutted I was when he was replaced and I didn't even get to watch the episode he was killed on until way later (maybe they didn't even air it). Anyway, one day I saw Brandtner on my tv and was not impressed lol. I was young enough to not be able to tell that they were in the process of switching the dog.

(Sorry about the images. I have a shitton of them but as I mostly got them all when dial-up connection was a thing, they're pretty damn small in dimensions, so any image I have to get now about his show, I'm just googling as I write this.)

When they changed to Gedeon Burkhard, kid me didn't really like the change but that changed when I revisited it as a teenager (a new network here picked it up and showed all the episodes again, funnily enough this show was picked up by 3 different networks, without counting the networks that picked up Hudson and Rex, and each one would add the next "generation" with the next actor that replaced the previous one lol). And it so helped that I got closure on Moser and watched his final episodes. I cried. I dare you to watch these episodes and not cry when you see Rex over Moser's dead body. And on the next episode where they introduce Brandtner and show how he bonds with Rex. I totally get how the show got more popular with Brandtner's episodes internationally but not domestically. He was a new age cop back then, he could run and fight and box and be somewhat sensitive, and he had abs lol. Now, as an adult I don't need guys to have abs on my crime shows but back then it was impressive (not to mention my watching experiences in Greek shows back then in that genre were classified as... meh).

At some point, they changed the lead again. And the dog. I suspect these changes had to do with the chemistry between human and canine actor as well.

This was the first time they had a woman in the team too. I admit that Alexander Pschill never hit the right tone for me, not that I didn't like him. I think it didn't help that the change was pretty much "we will pretend that Moser and Brandtner never existed and Hoffmann always had Rex". It bothered me. But I understand why they couldn't kill one of Rex's partners again. The romance with Nikki was a bit nice. I don't remember a lot from these as I watched them while in college (the show had already ended 4 years ago) and I'd just hit my golden crime show age, so I was looking for something more impressive. There were notable episodes, though, that I still remember.

The last Greek network that aired Kommissar Rex also aired a couple of seasons from this. I'm surprised that they presented it as a continuation instead of an adaptation and actually set up the story to start from Vienna. They kept the story up to Moser's death and then had Fabbri adopt him and bring him to Rome. The tone of the show was already lighter, and the sexism heavier. That was probably due to the Italian culture too (don't hate me if you're Italian, we're the same in a lot of things about that and I actually have Italian roots). Anyway, if I were to purely focus on Fabbri and Rex's partnership, it wasn't bad. I didn't like the actor much but that's a personal preference kind of thing. The episodes did have some action which was good. And then, surprise surprise, he was killed lol

Rivera was a better character for me and it's interesting that they had him be like, no I don't want a dog. That went on for a couple of episodes, if I recall (I haven't watched the Italian episodes a lot, I couldn't find subtitles until way later for these). As I've said before, he was quieter than the loud Fabbri and I liked that. There was also no cringe romance with the forensics lady which I'd hated with Fabbri (imagine how badly it was set up for me to hate that kind of ship lmao).

Terzani was promising but I unfortunately found only one season of his episodes. I'm hoping to properly meet this guy sometime in the future. There are a few episodes the plot of which I've read and I want to see those tropes play out. He was more of a Brandtner type and... lived in a boathouse? Something like that. He was interesting.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that there are other adaptations out there that for various reasons (mostly availability and language) in Europe I couldn't watch. I remember that when I was in my teen years, I used to hope that one day Rex would be picked up for an English speaking adaptation. I was thinking the US but Canada was definitely as good an option. It just took me about a season to find it and I'll explain why. I'd never thought that we'd go from a show called "Inspector Rex" to Rex being second in the title so I'd noticed the "Hudson and Rex" title but didn't think it could possibly refer to this franchise lol

I'm using this promotional photo on purpose because it pretty much reflects the change that came with this show. Hudson and Rex is not what I'd call a true ensemble but it's closer to it than Inspector Rex ever was. Hudson and Rex is a modern crime show that is trying to keep the identity of the original while adding new elements like true team work, and chose to build on these characters and on Hudson and Rex's partnership instead of replacing actors and characters. I respect them for that and it gave the show an advantage over its predecessors. They now have years of history together, and with the rest of the characters too. On top of that, they developed an adequate non-toxic ship that I could get behind, which they had the guts to make canon (something that to this day crime shows are often wary about). No matter where the show ends up (as it's still ongoing but it's probably on its last legs which is okay), I'd say it's worth the time I spent on it. Maybe some of it was due to nostalgia but I still enjoy it.

Happy 30th Anniversary to the Rex franchise! Thank you for the countless hours of enjoyment!