#5 billion in diamonds

[alllgator-blood]

I have ten billion WIP sketches I need to finish, but for some reason I stayed up from 9 PM to 4 AM conceptualizing, making patterns, sewing, painting and applying makeup on this stupid fucking felt squid......the detailing needs to be cleaned up cause there's only one coat of paint so far, but he's pretty much done

my neighbors probably think I'm insane because I was running around the yard clenching this toy kallamar in a death grip and flying him around like an airplane/putting him in the barbecue/poking him with a stick. I want to tie him to a string and recreate the opening of napoleon dynamite >:) ALSO I MADE HIM SMOKE OUT OF A STUPID CRYSTAL PIPE BUT PLEASE DON'T ACTUALLY USE THOSE, THEY ARE SUPER TOXIC LMAO MINE IS FOR DECORATION

I don't have any process pics because I had tunnel vision autism style and forgot the rest of the universe existed while I was working on him. BUT if you're curious I'll ramble below the cut

Okay I am not a seamstress by any means. I've sewn my entire life but very, very infrequently. I've done plushies, clothes, cosplays, fursuits, accessories, etc. but I only do one like once a year, so while I planned to make all 5 bishops, I'm not really sure I'll get them all done. The material cost was like 20 bucks tops so I'm not too upset if I don't finish them. I AT LEAST WANT TO GET SHAMURA OR HEKET DONE.

here is the concept sketch ft. heket's toes and shamura's fingers. I decided to do his pre-schism version so I could fit him with jewelry! I did him first because like I said I sew infrequently and don't know wtf I'm doing, everyone else seemed a lot more complicated.

So I basically just traced this drawing on a printer paper-sized canvas in SAI, and guesstimated how everything would look in a 3D space. His head is four pieces, one triangle identical to the one in the picture, two wide triangles that are sewn together in the back, and a circle for his chin. You can't really see it in any of the pics but he's literally like a black cylindrical stick with little tentacles sewn on where his mantle connects to his cloak. The leg tentacles are one piece of felt that look like tassels, where they're connected by a rectangle but branch off into individual pieces. He can't stand up very well, so his cape keeps him up (that's gonna be an issue for every other bishop too except heket cause she's gonna be ROUND). Mostly everything like the crown, cloak, head, etc. are cones so I just had to make a lot of wide triangles.

For the details, I just used acrylic paint that was watered down so he's not especially crunchy, and for the blush tone I used a makeup palette my mom bought me 10 years ago in hopes I'd get in touch with my "feminine side", but I grew up into a nonbinary butch lesbian so OOPS. Kallamar looks better with makeup than me anyway. I'm kinda sad I couldn't get his freckles as lopsided as I draw them but it probably looks better in plush form to have them even anyway....

I could just post the pattern so I don't have to explain this but 1. I am mentally ill about the thought of my kallamar being in someone else's house and 2. the original pattern had to be tweaked while I was working on him so the final pattern straight up doesn't exist, I winged it the whole time

OH and the jewelry is just scrap pieces I had laying around, I might repaint it all to be gold instead of silver + bronze. I used 20g aluminum wire for his armlet thing, jumper rings for his earrings + ring (+ a diamond dot from my mom's kits for the gem) and chain for the bracelet. I made him an amulet as well but it felt like overkill so I took it off. I'm probably gonna make him a plague doctor mask and medicine bag sometime because I think about nurse kallamar more than I probably should :') I've already sewn one as a prop for a toy raven before so it shouldn't be too hard

[itsmattchou]

we are diamonds shining today !

pairing: kim gyuvin x gn!reader warnings: reader implied to be shorter than gyuvin (and being cute and adorable), worrying about exams, mentions of food, scary place wah, gyuvin is s t u p i d, yujin is anti love!!!, implied suggestive something idk, english isn't my first language!!! genre: fluff, crack synopsis: 5 "first times" with kim gyuvin. notes: LATE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GYUVIN!! pls dont flop pls dont flop

the first time he kissed top of your head. it was a rainy wednesday, barely a month into your relationship with gyuvin. like always the two of you spent the lunch break together, just the two of you at your secret spot. while gyuvin was munching on carrots bugs bunny style, you confided in him about you being scared of the exam that was going to be written in a few- the bell rang- the exam that was going to be written now. you stood up and told gyuvin to please bury you once the exam was done, but he just shook his head and moved to stand in front of you, his hands placed on your shoulders rubbing soothing circles.

"you're going to do well, don't worry about it. i believe that you can nail it." he then placed a delicate kiss to the top of your head, succeeding in cheering you up.

the first time he tried sacrificing you. gyuvin was known for being a scaredy cat and hater of everything scary. he despised horror movies with a passion, whenever he sees someone playing a video game he exits as fast as possible, and he would hate halloween too if it weren't for the sweets making up for it. but you being his cute and adorable partner, managed to drag him into a horror house at the fair. it only took you half an hour of talking into him, a teddy bear and a months supply of cotton candy! but once you entered the building, the 6 foot man named gyuvin hid behind you as if he was a little child, only occasionally peeking over your shoulder.

suddenly, skeleton shot out from behind a corner, startling you and gyuvin. but your boyfriend wasted no time in screaming, "take them! take them instead! i'm too young to die!"

the first time he canceled a date. going on dates with gyuvin was one of your favorite activities. i mean, obviously, who wouldn't enjoy spending even more time with that boy? you two always took turns planning the dates, and the date you were supposed to go on tomorrow was planned by gyuvin. but in the evening your boyfriend called you and apologized to you a billion times before he confessed that he had to cancel it. of course you weren't pleased, asking him for the reason- but what he explained to you bummed you out. gyuvin liked to gift you flowers, mostly on dates, sometimes even for no occasion at all. turns out he never got those flowers from a flower shop, but his mothers garden instead. mrs kim, busy as ever, only that day had the time to finally take care of her garden again, only to find the mess gyuvin left behind when he straight up dug the flowers out of the flowerbeds to gift them to you.

"she grounded me! can you believe this?!" gyuvin complained on the one end of the line, while you were speechless on the other end trying to figure out how to slap gyuvin per telephone.

the first time he said "i love you". you going out with gyuvins friends wasn't unusual. matter of fact, spending time with his best friends was incredibly fun. sometimes, when you were having another playful fight with gyuvin, you'd just tell him that you liked spending time with ricky, gunwook and yujin more than spending time with gyuvin, resulting in gyuvin falling to the ground and rolling around dramatically, screeching something about you killing him in a ruthless way. it was another day of spending time with your boyfriend and your boyfriends boy friends and you five went to the arcade together. after hours of competing against gyuvin in multiple games (you won of course), you two went to buy some drinks as he asked you in a joking manner if you still preferred to spend time with his friends, and you told him the truth. of course you loved spending time with him more than anything and you'd choose him over ricky, yujin or gunwook any and every day.

gyuvin softly smiled at you before he blurted out an "i love you". it would've been a really emotional and romantic moment between the two of you if it weren't for yujin who suddenly popped out behind some corner, making gagging noises.

the first time he let you do his hair. it was another rainy day, a saturday this time though, and gyuvin was going to spend the night at your place tonight- leaving the door to your room open just a crack for the sake of your mothers sanity and wellbeing. you two were watching some silly romance movie gyuvin picked for you to watch, cuddled up on your bed with gyuvins head on your chest and his arms around your waist, and your hands in his hair, playing with it. you really liked gyuvins hair- he'd sometimes even accuse you of only dating him for it- and playing with it was a habit, even a must at this point. you weren't really paying attention to the movie, rather admiring your boyfriend, as suddenly a scene in the movie piqued your interest. the girl was styling her boyfriends hair in silly ways, while the boy was mumbling about not deserving that kind of punishment- only to be upset the second she offered to leave his hair in peace. with a grin on your face you called out your boyfriends name who only sighed dramatically loud in response, already knowing what you were gonna ask for. but of course you ended up convincing gyuvin to let you do it too, he just loved you too much to say no.

"please don't make me end up bald!" gyuvin whined while you were braiding his hair. you scoffed and told him to just keep on watching the movie without paying any mind to you, promising him to not cut his hair off (even with no scissors or razors in reach).

[dabiralovesfun]

In My Shadows. 1

ATEEZ FANFICTION.

To be honest, Tua wasn't really sure what the fuck was going on. One second, she was with her family running a small convenience store, next minute, she was being driven to some fancy school in the capital.

Aurora Academy - since 1876.

She had heard so much about Aurora, the fact that it was set up for only the elitest of the elite, the fact that it had huge chandeliers everywhere and that the floors were made of gold and the door knobs were just huge diamonds. (Maybe the last part was a lie, she didn't know. But she'll find out soon enough).

Whatever the case, Aurora was a myth for people like her. She didn't belong there, her father wasn't a big shot politician, her mum wasn't some ancient money heiress, she didn't have billions in her trust fund, she didn't even have a trust fund!

It was 3 weeks ago when she got the letter. 100% all expenses paid scholarship to Aurora. The paper was so fancy she almost believed the diamond door knob theory. The letter had said it was because of her outstanding performance in her state speech competition and artistic prowess. She called bullshit. She was sure there were other students with more credentials than her that were able to pay the exuberant fees.

Tua knew she was there to make Aurora look good, probably cover up for something. But what? She was the first scholarship student since the school opened its fancy doors, and she knew it wasn't kindness.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

4 months ago.

To be honest, Yeosang wasn't sure what the fuck was going on. The dorms were eerily quiet, and the BOY'S DORMITORY WAS NEVER QUIET. It was in the morning, and everyone should have been getting ready for the last day of school. There should have been loud and joyful with laughter and pranks in the air... But there was nothing. He slowly walked out of his room and went to knock on Wooyoung's door.

Aurora dorms did not lack luxury, each dorm had a tastefully furnished living space with a smart TV and two study desks, refrigerator, chandelier (of course), two standard sized ensuit bedrooms that the student could customise however as long as it fit the schools regulations, to top it off, each dorm had access to a small balcony overlooking the golf course.

5:00am

There was no way that Wooyoung was awake, he was the boy's personal alarm clock, and yet when he opened the door, the room was empty. What the hell. His bed was messy, clothes scattered, phone on the floor... It looked like he left in a hurry. OK, now, Yeosang was worried. He grabbed his phone and called Jongho. No answer. WTF. San. No answer. God! Hongjoong. No answer. No real surprise there tbh. Seonghwa. NO ANSWER. OK, maybe there was an alien invasion and everyone had been abducted.

Yeosang rushed out of his dorm to find empty halls. "GUYS!" The silence that greeted him was deafening. He dialed a number again. Mingi..... It rang and rang, and Yeosang was getting ready to hear the automated voice that told him the caller was on available.

"Yeo? Are you OK? Where are you!"

He thought he was dreaming, he almost couldn't talk.

"I-In the dormitory, where did everyone go?"

"How could you have slept past the noise, come out to the woods."

Yeosang walked to the woods at the back of the dorm, if he turned right and kept walking he would arrive at the golf course, but if he continued straight down, it would be nothing but forests. This part of the school was mainly avoided, it gave Yeosang the creeps. He found Wooyoung, San and Mingi at the entrance.

They both looked dishevelled.

Yeosang had so many questions, Wooyoung didn't let him ask. Yeosang didn't think he'd ever seen Wooyoung this serious before. No humor at all behind his eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine.

"Dojun, Sanhwa, Kenji and Mark were found dead in the woods, they had been stabbed repeatedly."

Yeosang felt his ears ring, he hadn't been close to any of the boys, but he knew Dojun was student body president and was pleasant enough, he was supposed to graduate today. What the hell?

"W-Who would do something like that?"

"Someone who really really hated them"

Yeosang looked at Seonghwa, Yunho, Jongho and Hongjoong approaching.

"What do we do?"

"Forget it ever happened and try to leave this freakshow alive." Everyone turned to Mingi.

"How the fuck are we supposed to forget something like this?" Wooyoung seethed.

Mingi shrugged, "It's not like this is the first time, the school is going to cover it up somehow and they'll say it was a drug induced fight or something."

He was right.

Aurora was not a stranger to violent murders. The last one had happened 20 years ago.

And somehow, somehow, their parents still insisted on Aurora.

Yeosang called Bullshit. There was something very wrong with this place.

Thank you for reading, I'm sorry if it was a bit rough.... I didn't really proofread. I promise it would get better tho. Love you all😍

[ninadove]

Kagami Appreciation Week 2023

Day 5: Masks ❤️🐉

Hello hello guys have I ever told you how insane I am over the Diamonds’ Dance and the symbolism of every attendee wearing a mask except for these two?

(Yes Nina, a billion times Nina)

@kagamiappreciationweek2020

[quacaserous]

6 tav/durge songs // tag game

thank you @aleksxo for tagging me!! will be doing this for my horrible little man cassius >:)

1. a song for an event that defines your character’s past.

I am unruly in the stands

I am a rock on top of the sand

I am a fist amidst the hands

And I break it just because I can

2. a song for how your character sees themseves.

I wanna be a white angel

The one with two billion of eyes

I wanna be like a fly on the wall

To watch you until you die

I'm gonna be where you are

Doesn't matter how far

Because we are meant to be

I could just be who you need

Darling please worship me

Unless you prefer to bleed

3. a song for how others view them.

You're like an empress

You've got fire running down your cheeks

You burn everything you see

Gold are your fingers

Leaving traces everywhere you go

Diamonds in your skin

My blood flows

4. a song for their closest relationship.

pre-tadpole (gortash):

And there will be no tenderness, no tenderness

There will be no tenderness, no tenderness

I will show no mercy for you

You had no mercy for me

The only thing that I ask, love me mercilessly

post-tadpole (minthara):

Let it all burn down around us

Let the cruel consume the just

Let the sin we swim in drown us

Let the world shatter

Into dust

Nothing else matters

Only us

5. a song for a major fight scene.

6. an end credits song.

that’s all! tagging (with no pressure): @sankttealeaf, @infernaldaydreams & @kawareo (and you 🫵 you reading this. do it)

[ragecndybars]

Keeping the sees train rolling; what kind of video games is each member's favorite you think?

ohohoho >:3 thank you for asking because i have Opinions on this matter

minato: hm once again a slight cop out answer because of the hermit social link, but i do think he's an MMO player. despite having fully convinced himself that he's antisocial, he in fact loves playing with other people, but like, for long periods of time not just in short online matches yknow? though he would run his party like he runs his team in tartarus and would probably scare off some players who are a little less intense than he is ahsflkjhsdf, but once he found his People they would love this funky little guy who treats the game like its a real life fight to the death

kotone: open world adventure games!! particularly the ones that have lots going on in their worlds, rather than just, yknow. large maps without much going on. i think she'd love running around just collecting sidequests and weird items and getting super attached to various unimportant side characters who have like 5 lines of dialogue total and 3 of them are just "howdy there", "what's up?" and "until next time."

yukari: i don't see her as one to sit down and play for a really long period of time or play religiously every day, so i think more ""casual"" games that she can play with friends are her faves. not just party games but games like minecraft that she can just hang out and mess around in with her buddies (disclaimer i havent played minecraft for more than like an hour sorry if its actually super hard and i just dont know)

junpei: i think he plays pretty widely but has a particular fondness for RPGs. he definitely likes a game that's not too hard or demanding, but makes him feel super cool and gives him a big dopamine hit. probably not a huge fan of most multiplayer games because he's a bit of a sore loser? but he likes super casual party-type games like mario kart and stuff bc its hard to get mad playing them.

akihiko: soulsborne-like games. i know many many games get compared to soulsborne games but what i mean here is: games with a very high skill ceiling that reward your practice and composure by making you feel like the bossest bitch alive when you finally succeed. i think he'd get really sucked into them. but i think he would prefer singleplayer games like dark souls over, say, fighting games

mitsuru: the game needs to have some kind of tangible measure of success because she is going to fucking Succeed in it. she is going to get One Million Billion points. she is going to rack up All The Gold. she is going to get Every Item. i actually think she likes "casual" style games like yukari does, but she does not play them in a casual manner At Fucking All. if she's playing minecraft she has fifty chests full of diamonds while everyone else is still building dirt houses

fuuka: rhythm game fan spotted. someone walks in while she's about to full combo a hard song on sadistic difficulty and she makes the absolute most angry sound anyone has ever heard her make (an insistent "SHHHH!") and then ten seconds later after she's won the song she doesn't even apologize, she was so in the zone she didn't even realize she was acting in a way that would usually mortify her. its the autism btw

aigis: i wanna say she likes visual novels and strategy games. i think she would be absolutely enraptured by a good enough visual novel (although she would be a bit perplexed by them at first), and a strategy game i think would tickle her brain in the right way to make her feel satisfied without becoming monotonous or a slog (which i think would be her experience with action games--they would be very rote and unfun to her because fighting is like Baked Into Her Code so they don't really feel like recreation).

ken: call of duty player. KIDDING i see him as a fan of older arcade style games. he probably unironically says he was born in the wrong generation bc he prefers galaga to cod or whatever. he likes games where you can rack up a big high score. kind of similar to mitsuru in that regard.

shinjiro: probably not a huge player but kotone introduces him to simulation games (farming sims and animal crossing in particular) and he gets obsessed with them. but he absolutely refuses to admit it to most people because he has a reputation to uphold dammit. the only people who get to know are the protags (they're nosy af), akihiko (also nosy and also they're kind of attached at the hip so it was inevitable), ken (shinji can't lie to him), and aigis (koromaru is a snitch)

[thelensofyashunews]

NEW HALSEY ALBUM, THE GREAT IMPERSONATOR, OUT NOW

Today, GRAMMY® nominated, genre-blending artist Halsey released her highly anticipated 5th studio album, The Great Impersonator.

Earlier this year, Halsey previewed the album through her releases, “I Never Loved You”, “Ego”, Lonely is the Muse”, “Lucky” and "The End".

Of the album, Rolling Stone gave it 4 stars and claims it as Halsey’s “rawest, darkest incarnation yet”, The New York Times listed it as a Critic’s Pick, while NME rated it with a perfect score of 5/5 and labeled it as “brilliant” and the CLASH heralded it as “extraordinary, a complex work of towering ambition”. 

To visually interpret her new album, Halsey and Vevo partnered for a Vevo Official Live Performance to create four meticulously designed videos that each encapsulate a different musical decade. The series kicks off today in the 70’s for “Panic Attack,” with Halsey clad in a Stevie Nicks-inspired dress sourced from one of LA’s most iconic wardrobe rental houses.

In celebration for the release, Halsey will have a special performance tonight, Friday, October 25, at Brooklyn Paramount in Brooklyn, NY and Sunday, October 27, at Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in Austin, TX where she will perform the album in its entirety. On October 31, Halsey will take the stage for a special Halloween episode for the third season of Amazon Music Live. See more info HERE.

Starting earlier this month in anticipation for the album, Halsey revealed her impersonations of a different icon each day and teased a snippet of the song they inspired. You can find her impersonations of Dolly Parton, PJ Harvey, Kate Bush and more HERE.

Halsey has amassed more than 50 billion global streams, over 75 million RIAA-Certified adjusted singles, with all 4 of her previous albums RIAA-Certified. She is one of the only artists ever to have five different songs hit 1 Billion streams on Spotify, as well as have 2 RIAA-Certified-Diamond records. 

[charlotte-of-wales]

“King Charles gives Princess Anne prestigious role as thank you for unwavering loyalty”

The King has handed Princess Anne a key role in his first State Opening of Parliament speech as monarch.

In honour of her years of unwavering loyalty the Princess Royal will feature in the procession as the prestigious "Gold-Stick-in-Waiting", a position historically handed to a person entrusted with the personal safety of the monarch. Anne acted out the role for the King's coronation back in May, riding on horseback as the monarch's personal bodyguard. She will travel in a carriage behind the King and Queen, as the procession on Tuesday makes its way to the Houses of Parliament for the historic delivery.

Despite accompanying the late Queen to several State Openings in her youth, Anne will enter the chamber alongside the monarch for the first time since 1985. The State Opening of Parliament marks the formal start of the parliamentary year while the Monarch's Speech sets out the government's agenda for the coming session.

The King has no role in setting the legislative agenda but reads out the list on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government. A royal source said: "This is a fantastic addition by the King and further cements the Princess Royal's role as his most trusted lieutenant."

After Charles ascended the throne, he handed both Princess Anne, 73, and his brother Prince Edward, 59, new responsibilities by making. The Princess Royal and Duke of Edinburgh officially became Counsellors of State, allowing them to carry out constitutional duties for the King if he was abroad or unwell. The Mirror can further reveal that Charles and Camilla will travel to Westminster in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, the same stunning vehicle that carried the couple to the King's coronation at Westminster Abbey.

The King will for the first time since the historic event in May, wear the Imperial State Crown and dress in the Robe of State, as is tradition for the monarch. Charles exchanged the St Edward's Crown for the Imperial State Crown at the end of the Coronation service, seen by thousands who lined the streets of London and millions watching around the world as the procession made its way back to Buckingham Palace.

Weighing a hefty 2.3lbs (1.06kg), the staggering piece sparkles with nearly 3,000 stones, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and five rubies. Made for the Coronation of King George Vl in 1937, jewellery experts have estimated it to be worth between £3 billion and £5 billion. The stunning

317-carat Cullinan I - the diamond at the centre of the piece - is alone estimated to be worth £400 million. It was worn by the late Queen Elizabeth Il at her coronation in 1953, and on many official occasions over the course of her historic reign.

However, it became too heavy for the ageing monarch, who died aged 96 in September 2022, and for every State Opening of Parliament thereafter, it was placed on a velvet pillow next to Her Majesty. In a nod to the late Queen, Camilla will wear Elizabeth Il's diamond diadem for the first time at Parliament State Opening.

The late Queen wore the £6million crown for her coronation in 1953 and all State Openings. It was made in 1821 and is set with 1,333 diamonds in silver and gold. The Queen was seen wearing it on coins, notes and stamps.

[mahou-furbies]

Do you have some kind of ranking of Sakura's outfits? (From CardCaptor Sakura)

Do you have a favorite and one you dislike?

I don't think I've ever tried to pick a favourite but let's see what I can do! However I'll only include what's on the costume list on the Wiki, because they are easily accessible and if we count everything she's worn once in a chapter cover or some kind of advertisement the amount would be in the hundreds. Also I'm only looking at the fantasy outfits, while she does have a lot of cute casual clothes, they are kind of in their own category.

Top 5 liked outfits

#5 Catch You Catch Me costume (OP 1) - Sakura having a billion different costumes is of course a plus, but the downside is that she doesn't really have an iconic appearance. The OP1 costume is probably the closest to that so I have to appreciate it for that, even if otherwise it's not particularly amazing.

#4 Pink Ribbon Dress Costume (episode 2) - this is pretty similar to the previous one, but the ribbons and poncho make it a lot more interesting.

#3 Pink and Black Star Final costume (chapter 43) - I'm always happy to see black in magical girl costumes (and not just for dark magical girls) and the tassels are a nice detail. Also I like that the skirt material isn't the typical poofy cloth this time.

#2 Crystal feather dress (Clear Card OP1) - I'm a fan of feather dresses and apparently feathers go well with crystals. I like the crystals on her tights and overall this makes her look really powerful.

#1 Red Heart dress (Clear Card OP2) - I think this one is really cute and it goes well with Sakura's overall cute image. It also has plenty of memorable details but doesn't feel overdesigned, like the heart shapes, frill, black lines and scalloped edges repeat through the outfit.

Top 5 disliked outfits

#5 Waterproof Wing Coat Costume (Clear Card episode 12) - If the idea is that this is just a raincoat she threw over her gym clothes I guess that's kind of cute, but as a full costume this is a little boring.

#4 Pink Bunny Costume (episode 6) - I just don't like the colours on this one.

#3 Harlequin Bat Costume (episode 7) - not having every costume have a huge billowy dress or cape is fine, she has so many outfits that there's room for variety, but this is a little too basic. Also very much not a fan of the colour palette, the green is ok but the blue diamonds are barely noticeable. The manga version looks way better.

#2 Alice costume (episode 24) - Inoffensive but a super generic take on the Alice dress.

#1 Daisy costume (chapter 2) - I think mostly Sakura's outfits range from passable to great with very few total duds, but this is one of them. The overall design is pretty uninspired and the only detail that stands out, the generic flowers, just make it look like a costume elementary schoolers sewed for a school play on their own. You can do so much better Tomoyo!

[tiphares]

obsessed!!! y did it take me so long to findout a buncha alpha members made an alternate supergroup 😵‍💫🤯 they only made 2 albums but they r full of bangers ✨

[penny-hartzs]

music is the food of love so what are your favorite music videos of all time?

I love this question so much and I love you more for sending it to me

1. Blank Space - Taylor Swift

This was the first time I thought "oh, Taylor Swift is...really good?" and I have never looked back since. If you weren't there you simply wouldn't understand the grip this had on society in 2015 but there's a reason it has over a billion views, it truly was a cultural reset. The sarcasm? The outfits? The satirical playfulness as she portrays The Serial Dater Who Destroys Her Suitors? Everything about this is unhinged and iconic and no other TS music video will ever dethrone it.

2. New Rules - Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa had 50 dollars and a dream for this music video and the way she made it work is truly a work of art. No matter how much of a mega pop star she becomes, New Rules will always be a Moment in pop culture history and undoubtedly the song that skyrocketed her career.

3. Formation - Beyoncé

The world stopped turning when this dropped. The entire Lemonade visual album deserves praise of course, but Formation was the first thing we watched before we even knew Lemonade existed and it's still one of the best things I've watched. Nobody does it like Beyoncé, why even try to argue.

4. 7 Rings - Ariana Grande

We can say a lot about our girl Ariana, but we cannot deny her ability to release bop after bop after bop. While God Is A Woman is a stunning music video as well, 7 Rings is definitely my favorite because the song is superior as well I'm sorry I have to speak my truth.

5. Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

Oh to be frolicking on the beach wearing cute swimwear while Harry Styles sings about going down on you...The dream. Also this video came out during the first lockdown in 2020 and that made it extra special because we were all watching it stuck at home during the winter. And I love how sexual it is WITHOUT objectifying the women in it.

6. Primadonna - Marina and the Diamonds

If you didn't draw a black heart on your cheek and contemplated dying your hair platinum blonde with black roots when this came out, do not talk to me. You don't understand.

7. Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars

This song must have some kind of crack in it because the way I'm still unable to stay still whenever I listen to it has no other logical explanation. Bruno Mars always has great presence in all his music videos but this one is extra special for me.

8. Lady Marmelade

Throwing it all the way back to this absolute anthem and all the birthday parties I danced my heart out to this song having no idea what it was about. Also Christina Aguilera's hair and the purple corset was my Roman Empire for years. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say this is pop music history right here.

9. Deja Vu - Olivia Rodrigo

Have to include my daughter here, of course. Out of all her music videos I love this one the best, it's so nostalgic and melancholic and I love the little dose of magical realism it has, I think it compliments the song so well.

10. Antexa - Sakis Rouvas

Nobody will understand this except @artsimpourtzi but this was a greek cultural reset and we haven't gotten over it yet. The director of this music video is Yorgos Lanthimos, before he became as famous as he is today and Sakis Rouvas was a sexual awakening for most millennials in our country. Ρουβιτσα φορ εβερ.

I'm probably forgetting a lot, especially from the 2000s where music videos were thriving but these ones popped up in my mind immediately after reading your question.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Get me to the Jio World Convention Centre on time by u/Mickleborough

Get me to the Jio World Convention Centre on time What do (allegedly) David and Victoria Beckham; Priyanka Chopra; Kim Kardashian; (maybe) Katy Perry; and Ivanka Trump have in common?They’re 1 degree of separation from Meghan. They were also invited to this year’s most extravagant wedding celebrations, namely the union of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant.There were around 9 events over 7 months, some with international guests. Like the Sussex nuptials, the guest list seemed to be based on celebrity.The point of this post is: if indiscriminate celebrity’s the key - why not the Sussexes? Harry and Meghan would’ve been perfect. Closely connected to the British monarchy, yet free agents; so well-known that they’re recognised only by their first names - their presence would’ve guaranteed headlines.Instead, Hollywood was represented by Jean-Claude van Damme and John Cena. Rihanna and Katy Perry were present, but as paid performers.Even Kim and Khloe were invited, filming for their series on Hulu as were comparatively low profile Nicky Rothschild (née Hilton) and her husband James.Or maybe the Sussexes were invited but declined to attend. There were restrictions, and Meghan marches to nobody’s drum (you go, girl). For example, the pre-wedding party had a strict 9-page dress code; required 5 changes for 3 days; provided mandatory traditional Indian attire for 1-2 of the events. This stops her from using her sartorial voice (not necessarily a bad thing).Not to mention the fact that they’d be competing with VERY rich people - Meghan’s Shiffon pinky rings won’t cut it, never mind the Cartier ‘Love’ bracelet. Diana’s gold Tank Française wouldn’t be noticed. Even Meghan’s blood diamond earrings would be like cheap bazaar trinkets in that environment.However, if the Sussexes had been invited, I bet they’d have jumped.Ambani’s father’s fortune looks like a long-distance telephone number (Asia’s richest man, worth £97.4 billion / $123.7 billion / € 113.272 billion in 2024) whilst Merchant’s a comparative pauper (family fortune of £70 million / $89 million / €81.4 million).They could easily blow £427.4 million / $600 million / €549.5 million on a wedding.Maybe Radhika was afraid that Meghan might make eyes at Anant (personal fortune estimated at £31 billion / $40 billion / €36.7 billion). Or maybe the Ambanis value family. post link: https://ift.tt/4qNjF1d author: Mickleborough submitted: July 14, 2024 at 10:37PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[kath-trashh]

awesome compilation of how atsv characters play league

miguel

rank: hardstuck diamond

role: jungler / igl (in-game leader)

champions: hecarim, udyr, elise, sylas

gameplay style: on a good day, is literally everywhere on the map. harasses the enemy team w violent precision.

he malds super hard when he loses. he has violent gamer baby rage and tilts really easily. gets super toxic in all chat.

gwen

rank: low gold

role: adc (attack damage carry) / mid

champions: caitlyn, samira, lux

gameplay style: really bad at CSing. can get kills if she gets ganks. somewhat understands fundamentals, but struggles to keep up in late game.

doesn’t really mald. she gets frustrated, sure, but never really malding. duos with miles most of the time.

miles

rank: hardstuck high silver / low gold

role: autofill (support)

champions: braum, milio, nautilus

gameplay style: he has ok mechanics, but struggles a lot with making decisions during team fights. often goes for high-risk / improbable plays and then fucks it up afterward only to get pinged eight billion times.

is basically just happy to play w friends. gets easily anxious abt impressing them which leads to those risky plays.

hobie

rank: high plat

role: autofill

champions: doesn’t believe in maining a champion. has m6 on most of them.

gameplay style: he does not care. he runs off-meta stuff frequently and loves limit testing. he tailor crafts builds for each game and then forgets them afterward.

pure ‘for fun’ type of player. if he can’t have fun, he ensures that the enemy will have less fun playing against him.

pavitr

he just doesn’t play league. he plays its sister game, TFT (teamfight tactics)

rank: masters

he could be grandmaster in TFT, but refuses to grind. doesn’t get league of legends and mostly thinks it’s kind of ridiculous. he does think the little legend mascots in TFT are cute though.

peter b.

rank: grandmaster (smurf is in high plat)

role: autofill (top) / the real igl

champions: fiora, jayce, viktor

gameplay: literally cracked out of his fucking mind. is insanely good at league. the only thing is that he throws games just to see miguel get mad.

everyone listens to him and respects him. hard not to be the real IGL. plays exclusively for fun and only plays league when the rest of the kids want to 5 stack and don’t want to be left alone with miguel.

[dollarbin]

Dollar Bin #5:

Linda Ronstadt's Heart Like a Wheel

Let's jump straight to one of the best dollar bin records of all time. If you haven't experienced joy and peace regularly through a $1 copy of Heart Like a Wheel for the last 20 years you... are not me. And if you don't yet own a copy, have no fear. I guarantee that one eagerly awaits you in your local Dollar Bin.

I suppose we should clearly define the term "Dollar Bin" before this blog's swelling legion of 17 fans begins to toss the phrase around in an effort to win friends and influence their uncle.

Ideally, a Dollar Bin record actually cost $1. My beloved copy of Heart Like a Wheel meets that exacting standard. A secondary definition would refer to any record priced at a store's baseline rate. That was 25 cents when I started filling my own collection in 1988. Sadly, it's more like $5 in 2023.

But the term more generally means an album that is currently unappreciated to the point where it gets flipped past at thrift stores and yard sales. You're not going to find your coveted copy Ascension or What's Going On in the Dollar Bin, so, great as they are, they don't qualify.

Good old Gordon Lightfoot is lord of the Dollar bin. Snatch him up, and we'll talk about him at length in future posts. Neil Diamond, John Denver and Barbara Streisand provide the Bin's permanent bulk. You already know not to mess with that stuff. Stephen Stills records do not belong in the Dollar Bin. They belong in the garbage, or, better yet, they should be gathered up and hurled into the sun.

But Linda Ronstadt, I shall now argue, is the Dollar Bin's greatest living artist. Let's take a listen:

The arrangement, the pacing, the aching, yet powerful vocals: it's a perfect cover of a song I hope to never hear by anyone else.

Heart Like a Wheel opens with a song you'll probably hear on AM radio while seeking out this record in your thrift store's dollar bin. You're No Good is one of Ronstadt's problem songs in that it was borrowed from a Black artist so as to make her a billion bucks. Ronstadt began this trend a few years earlier with Rescue Me and carried it to a peak on Prisoner in Disguise a year later, where she covers everyone from Jimmy Cliff to Smokey Robinson. The simple truth is that the people privileged enough to buy records and see popular live music back then (and, I'm sure, still today) were predominantly white, and they felt far more comfortable with the seemingly white Ronstadt than with any of the equally talented black artists of the day. And so Linda's in the Dollar Bin and Aretha Franklin is not. It's supply and demand, people.

Happily, Ronstadt doesn't just karaoke You're No Good; she transforms the song into something swirling and smooth. If You're No Good sounds overly familiar today that's because it's good enough to have spent over 50 years on the radio.

Whenever the reverse happens and a Black artist fabulously transforms a song originally by white artist, that cover's greatness is often lost. Take Merry Clayton's version of Southern Man. Better than Neil himself? Maybe!

The fun twist on all this is that Ronstadt isn't actually white. She's Latina, a fact her white audience willfully ignored throughout the seventies, then embraced in the late 80's when Ronstadt powerfully forced her identify on them through her earnest and authentic Mexican records.

Ronstadt has always been a front line feminist and champion of progressive and independent ideas in music and popular culture. She dumped Governor Moonbeam in the 70's, proudly embraced being a single mom, cursed out George Bush on stage at the height of the second Iraq war's popularity and took in Linda Thompson when Richard did his own backstreet slide.

Anyone else in Ronstadt's shoes would have been content to sit back and be famous for her incredible looks and incomparable voice. But she hopped genres at a Neil Young pace and consistently promoted marginalized and overlooked voices (Heart Like a Wheel's title track introduced the world to the writing of Anna McGarrigle; a decade and a half later Aaron Neville became a household name thank to Linda).

The popular knock on Ronstadt, of course, is that she was never a songwriter. The familiar and accurate comeback is that she is a masterful song re-writer instead. That skill finds no better manifestation than on her version of Paul Anka's It Doesn't Matter Anymore. Anka's sings the song like he's serving up deviled eggs covered in his own chest hair; Ronstadt serves us ambrosia she smuggled off Olympus.

Heart Like a Wheel is chock full of bragging points. Ronstadt opens side two by showing that she can rock the mic on When Will I Be Loved. Unfortunately, the insufferable lead guitar work on the track will make you think Stephen Stills himself snuck out your dumpster and into her studio; happily, it's not him, it's multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gold demonstrating why he'd never become a household name. Stills himself was off sucking on an egg somewhere and the track fades quickly into a gorgeous and soulful renegade trucker epic, Willin'. The song gives us the joyfully silly image of Ronstadt smuggling weed, whites and wine across the border in a semi. But it rocks and Linda owns it.

As Willin' fades, we dive right into a truly vital track in the Dollar Bin. I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love with You marks the first collaboration between Ronstadt and our very own Emmylou Harris. Both women would go on to talk about their relationship, which was born on that track, as critical to their lives. The terribly titled, but otherwise excellent, biopic on Ronstadt, The Sound of My Voice, climaxes with a modern day Emmylou breaking down while talking about Linda's Parkinson's diagnosis. All their future success and art both together and apart is simply and fully presented on I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You. They carry Hank Williams' lyrics with perfect, sisterly grace. Mortals quake before them; beasts kneel. If Emmylou is God, Linda makes us polytheists.

So go get in the Dollar Bin. There's simply no better use of a buck than this nearly flawless record.

[wutheringdyke]

top 5 fav songs!

i have a billion fav songs but these particular five have been cemented in my soul since childhood