#6.auckland??

[ierotits]

singular meaning without stopping for any reason

feel free to add what the flight was!

[b14augrana]

Scrubber: Off-season

You go on vacation with all your teammates and the location is somewhere familiar to them

Barça Femení x teen!reader

Part of the Scrubber universe

pt. 2 masterlist

Warnings: none! just a long, cute fic 👼

A/N: scrubber content is back 💝 just a little filler / mini scrubber series while the next part to the actual series gets written slowly but surely. i’ll most likely write a part 2 if people want x

fridolinarolfo

→ Does anyone have vacation plans??!

ingrid_engen

→ no not yet 🫤

fridolinarolfo

→ Hellooooo where is everyone else

ingrid_engen

→ get active plz @/aitanabonmati @claudiaapina @/yourname @/alexiaputellas

Replied to fridolinarolfo

Does anyone have vacation plans??!

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ anyways why did you ask about plans for the holiday? do you have any?

yourname

→ i dont have plans frido. omg do you wanna hang out??? 😋

patri8guijarro

→ I’m not doing anything

fridolinarolfo

Replied to yourname

i dont have plans frido. omg do you wanna h…

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ I have an idea 🙂‍↕️ How about we all go on vacation together? We can all decide on a place

❤️ 8

ona.batlle

→ That sounds fun 😍 Nobody be boring and say no!!!!

yourname

→ ona’s right it does sound fun i wanna do it plz 🐒

alexiaputellas

→ Where will we go

ingrid_engen

→ hmm any ideas guys? 🥴

claudiaapina

→ Ibiza so we can party 🔥🔥

alexiaputellas

→ No not with bebita around

👎 1

yourname

→ guys my friend said we should go to new zealand. i think she is biased bc she is from there but it looks like a nice place 😄

fridolinarolfo

→ I really liked New Zealand actually

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ I wish we stayed longer 🫠

ingrid_engen

Replied to fridolinarolfo

I really liked New Zealand actually

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ same!! it was such a nice place and the people were really sweet

❤️ 6

patri8guijarro

→ We should go to New Zealand on vacation 🤩

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ Me María and Clau didn’t go with you guys for the world cup so its our first time

yourname

Replied to patri8guijarro

Me María and Clau didn’t go with you guys f…

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ i haven’t gone there either PLZZZZZ can we go guys pleaseeeeee 🙏🙏🤞

alexiaputellas

→ I liked it there so if everyone else wants to then yes I think we should go 🙌🏼

❤️ 9 🔥 4 🎉 2

patri8guijarro

→ Barça on tour already??? 🤣

❤️ 7 😂 5

“I’m so excited for our break!” you exclaimed, skipping over to Alexia. The team was warming down in the gym after a training session, and you had all spent the entire day talking about your plans to go on vacation in New Zealand.

“I’m excited too. It’ll be nice to actually enjoy New Zealand, because we didn’t get much time during the World Cup,” Alexia said, walking at a steady pace on the treadmill. You leaned on the handle, nodding at her words, “I can’t wait. It looks so awesome, and my friend said it is awesome.”

“Who’s your friend?” the woman asked, looking at you with a small smile as you responded. “I met her in the park a few weeks ago — her name’s Ludo. She told me that she was born in Italy but lives in New Zealand, and apparently she’s studying here, in Barcelona. How cool is that?”

Alexia raised her eyebrows, a surprised expression on her face, “Really cool, and she’s right, New Zealand is awesome. I liked Auckland a lot. There’s a tall skyscraper in the city that lights up at night. Se ve precioso.”

“Hey, maybe next time we can go to Australia for vacation. Laia must have some friends at Arsenal that can give us some advice on where to go,” she added. Australia was another place you thought was beautiful. The beaches looked so… beach-y. They looked like the type of beaches you imagine when you hear the word ‘beach’, but Barcelona beaches weren’t too far off either in your humble beach-lover opinion.

"Are you two talking about the holidays?" It was Ingrid asking now, and she emerged from the other side of Alexia. You nodded, a smile on your face. "Yeah. I can't wait, it's literally all I've been thinking about, I'm so excited! I want to go to the beach and the city– Patri! Clau!" you yelled, beckoning to the women across the room, "We should go bungee jumping!"

Patri's face lit up. "I'll do anything that gives Ale a heart attack," she jeered, nudging Alexia gently as she stepped off the treadmill and wiped her forehead with a towel. "Cállate, tonto," Alexia laughed.

“I’m excited to try their coffee. I hope they’ve got a good coffee culture,” Ingrid said, earning a hum of agreement from Fridolina, another café enthusiast.

There were so many things to do, you couldn't keep up. When you and Irene got home, you immediately dashed to your room and flopped onto your bed with your notebook and laptop open, searching up and scribbling down a list of activities for you guys to do during your time in New Zealand. It ranged from bowling at an arcade to dining in a restaurant situated at the top of a skyscraper, so the options were endless.

Honestly, you were just happy to be going on holiday with your teammates. The destination didn’t matter.

Mateo stumbled into your room with his stuffed moose, Bombón, and climbed onto your bed, sitting politely beside you with his moose in his lap.

“Teo, me and Mami are going on holiday, so you and Bombón will be with Madre for a little bit,” you explained, earning a little nod from Mateo who pointed at your laptop screen.

“Es aquí donde vas?” he questioned, motioning to the photos on the website you had open. “Sí. Bonita, verdad?” Mateo smiled and replied with a little ‘Sí.’

“Nenita,” Irene yelled from the living room. You peered out of your bedroom as she spoke, “Can you text Fridolina and ask her how we’re booking the flight tickets?”

You nodded and retreated into your bedroom again, picking up your phone and opening iMessage.

yourname

→ @/fridolinarolfo how are we booking the tickets frido??

fridolinarolfo

→ 😅😅

patri8guijarro

→ Let’s take the Barça plane 🤣🤣

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ It’s there for a reason lol

claudiaapina

→ Barça plane or I’m not going 💯

fridolinarolfo

→ 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ I’ll ask Jona then

“Irene, Frido’s gonna ask Jona if we can take the big plane!” you said. She didn’t respond for a minute, but then she appeared at your bedroom door. “The Barça plane? The one with our faces on the side?”

You nodded once more, and Irene let out a laugh as she shook her head. “Claudia’s idea, or Patri’s?” she asked. “Patri’s, but Claudia did say that she’s not going if we don’t take that plane,” you giggled, showing her the texts on your phone. Two tiny hands grabbed ahold of you as Mateo braced on your arm and took a peek at your phone screen.

The next day, Alexia picked you up to take you to training while Irene dropped Mateo off at preschool. It was one of the last training days before the season ended, so there were some bittersweet feelings surrounding the next few days.

"I love being at work and I'm a bit sad because this season has been so good, a holiday only means it's finished,” Aitana said while you two sat down and used the foam rollers beneath your legs, “But pequeñita, the last time I went to New Zealand, all I wanted to do was win the World Cup, so I didn't do anything around the city because we weren't there for a holiday. Now that we have won it, I want to do as much as we can!”

Fridolina burst through the doors of the gym with a big smile on her face, her gym bag slung over her shoulder. “I just asked Jona about taking the Barça plane and…”

Everyone looked at her eagerly, waiting for the verdict.

“It’s a yes... but we have to pay for our own tickets since it isn’t for work.”

Claudia was the first to jump up and celebrate, followed by Patri and then everyone else. The tickets part didn’t matter, because you all got to sit together anyways.

“We’re going to New Zealand!”

After your training session, you all sat in a circle to do some stretches. The stretches part happened for maybe a minute, before you pulled a folded piece of paper out of your pocket and laid it out flat on the grass in front of you all. "I wrote down a bunch of things we can do in New Zealand. There's something for everyone, so don't worry about missing out on any cafés, Ingrid," you jeered.

Patri grabbed the paper and scanned it, a smile quickly appearing on her face. She passed it down to Claudia, and the paper made its way around the circle before ending up in the middle again.

"I want to have dinner at the skyscraper restaurant," Alexia said, her eyes lighting up as she spoke about it. A few people hummed in agreement, including you.

Claudia scoffed and shook her head, "The first thing we're doing is going to the theme park. Look forward to dinner at dinnertime!"

"You look forward to dinner at breakfast time."

"Okay, shut up Mapi."

"What about the trampoline park? You guys are totally ignoring the trampoline park!" Patri exclaimed, flailing her hands in the air. Alexia laughed and leaned back on her arms, "Yeah, because a group of grown women are allowed to be in a trampoline park with little kids. We'll crush them!"

"Not if we rent the whole place out," Patri winked, making Alexia raise her eyebrow. "Imagine that! A trampoline park, all to ourselves."

Alexia shook her head, laughing once more, "That wouldn't be too bad. At least you three could be clowns and not hurt anyone's kid," she remarked, motioning to you, Patri, and Pina, all of which made faces at her.

"It would be way cooler to hire the theme park for the night. No lines, unlimited turns, and we wouldn't need to wait forever for food," Claudia responded.

"We should go to the beach!" Ingrid chimed, pointing at the sheet of paper. That was something everyone could agree on; a nice day at the beach, soaking up the sun. There was nothing quite like the Barcelona sun, but you could at least see if the New Zealand sun came close to comparing.

“(Y/N), come on!” Alexia yelled from the living room, rolling her suitcase along the floor. You groaned, currently in the middle of trying to zip your own luggage up. “I’m almost done!”

You sat on top of your suitcase, desperately trying to push it down, and eventually, you finally managed. With a sigh of relief, you quickly zipped it up with one hand while the other kept pushing it. Alexia appeared at your door, sticking her head through the gap, “Have you got it, Chiquita?” You nodded, heaving the suitcase off your bed and onto the floor with a thud as you smiled proudly. “All done!”

"I logged into Hay Day for you, because I knew you'd be busy and forget," Alexia added, a smile of her own now gracing her features as yours simply widened. "Graciés, Ale!" you exclaimed, wheeling your suitcase forward. You stopped at the door as Alexia pulled you into a hug and placed a quick kiss to your forehead.

"Are we forgetting anything?" she asked, walking with you to the living room, and you thought about it for a moment before shaking your head with an unsure expression, "I don't think so..."

“Wait!”

You ran back into your room quickly, skidding around the corner. Alexia could hear you rummaging around for something and mumbling, ‘Where is it’ and, ‘Mierda’ before you emerged from the room empty handed. She looked down at your feet and laughed when she saw the navy blue house slippers on your feet, paired with the Barça socks you were already wearing.

“Don’t laugh, you don’t understand how nice they are,” you grumbled, brushing her off as she laughed even harder.

The pair of you walked out of Alexia’s apartment with your suitcases in hand, and you took the elevator down to the car park. There was a brief silence in the elevator for a moment, but the urge got the best of you and you began making faces at Alexia in the mirror.

You returned to a normal expression when she suddenly looked at you with her eyebrow raised, and you glanced back at her like she was crazy for being suspicious of you. Once she turned back around, you continued making stupid faces in the mirror while she wasn't looking.

The antics didn't stop when she eventually caught you; instead, Alexia joined in, poking her tongue out at you in the mirror until you both were going back and forth making silly faces at each other for the rest of the elevator ride. Soon, the empty car park was filled with the sound of laughter as the pair of you exited the elevator, stumbling over your own two feet from laughing too hard while you walked to her car.

She unlocked the car and you both hauled your suitcases into the trunk with a grunt. "Dios mío, it wasn't this heavy before..." Alexia mumbled, pulling the trunk lid down before strolling to the driver's side.

You nodded in agreement, letting out a slightly exasperated sigh as you sunk into the passenger seat.

"I can't wait until I can drive," you remarked, buckling your seatbelt. "When that happens, you owe me about... 1,000 car rides," Alexia teased, buckling her own seatbelt as she glanced at you with a small smile. You rolled your eyes, seemingly annoyed at her words, but the smile on your own face told other tales.

You wound down the window a bit, filling the car with fresh air as you emerged out of the car park and traversed the streets of Barcelona. "Are we picking anyone else up?" you inquired, and she shook her head.

"We were going to pick up Irene, but Lucia said she'd drop her off at the airport," Alexia responded, and you acknowledged her words with a little 'oh'.

"Want anything to eat, Chiquita?" Alexia asked, glancing at you for a sliver of a second. You contemplated her question carefully, hesitating every time you thought you had an answer, until eventually you came up with a nod of your head. "I'm craving an almond croissant, you know the ones?"

The blonde nodded her head, knowing exactly what you meant. It only took a few turns before Alexia pulled over in front of your favourite pastry bakery. "Vale, I'll be 2 minutes," she notified, opening her car door and shutting it behind her as she headed for the entrance of the bakery.

Shortly after, she returned with a brown paper bag in hand and a smile on her face. Opening the car door once again and sitting down in her seat, she handed you the bag. Immediately, the sweet aroma of a fresh-out-the-oven, icing sugar-dusted, almond-garnished croissant graced your nostrils. "Graciés, hermana," you thanked her, a smile akin to hers on your face.

"Want a bite?" you asked, offering the warm pastry to her as she merged back onto the main road. She took a little nibble, mumbling a thanks in between her bite. As soon as she straightened herself up, you brought your croissant back to your mouth and took a massive bite, savouring every moment spent with icing sugar on your face. ‘It adds to the experience,’ you thought.

The last bites were consumed at an agonisingly slow pace. You wanted to savour the almond-y goodness, but you also wanted to wolf it down and quit stalling — you were conflicted. Would New Zealand have such nice almond croissants? Probably not, but you’d never know unless you tried!

The prospect of more almond croissants in New Zealand got you through the last few bites without having to mourn the pastry, and before you knew it, the airport was coming into sight.

Travelling wasn’t a new concept for you; in fact, you had lived abroad in France before. You couldn’t say why, but you did for two years (give or take a few months), and some would call it a miracle that Lyon didn’t pick you up before Barcelona did.

You hated living in France anyways. It was pastry heaven, of course, but it was not Vidić lover heaven. They were all about Zidane and Henry, not a single word about Vidić. It was understandable, but still, not cool.

Also, the amount of pigeons freaked you out.

Your phone buzzed in your pocket, and you pulled it out, already knowing who it was. Alexia’s buzzed too, but as she rummaged around for it, you had already opened the message, so she just looked at your screen.

claudiaapina

→ Where are you all

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ Deja de ser perezosa hermanas 🙄

patri8guijarro

→ Don’t listen to her we just got here because someone @/claudiaapina wanted to stop and pet someone’s dog 🖕🏻🖕🏻

claudiaapina

Replied to patri8guijarro

Don’t listen to her we just got here because s…

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ Cállate cerdita

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 💩 1

fridolinarolfo

→ I’m here with Aitana we’re just getting a bite

yourname

→ me and ale just got here 😆

lucybronze

→ I’m with Ona in the lounge 🥴

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ I saw Marta dragging Caro to the duty free though 🤣🤣

graham95

→ Be quiet Lucy I saw you kicking a vending machine earlier 😒

ingrid_engen

→ im here with maría now

yourname

→ i see irene 🥳🥳🥳🥳

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ↳ bye guys me and ale will see you inside 🥸

You switched your phone off, shoving it back into your pocket as Alexia spoke with a smile. “This is going to be a fun trip.”

You nodded, your face contorting into a smile of your own as you unbuckled your seatbelt. “Let’s grab our stuff and go to Irene,” you said eagerly, jumping out of the car and rushing to the trunk, pushing up the lid so you could lift your suitcase out slowly.

You wheeled it around the side of Alexia’s car before abandoning it and breaking into a sprint towards Irene, but you were actually heading for Mateo who was toddling along behind her. You swooped him into your arms, and Irene bore an affectionate smile as she watched you carry him.

“Pequeño, I’m gonna miss you!” you said, placing the toddler back down. He latched onto your leg, hugging it tightly, and you ruffled his hair. “I’ll bring you back a friend for Bombón, I promise,” you added, giving Mateo one last hug before picking him up once more and handing him to Lucia. Irene gave the two one last hug goodbye, and then put an arm around your shoulder while her other one held the handle of her suitcase.

Alexia wheeled your luggage back over to you, and held her own in her other hand. “Ready to go?” she asked you and Irene, who both nodded.

“Let’s go!”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

[bentwolioo]

Ok so why did Gerard wear the same costume for 6 shows???

Like a lot of people, I noticed the Aotearoa (NZ) & Australia tour drum head messages seemed to be about 9/11. The costume also tells a very specific story that lines up with this--and there was more to Melbourne Night 2 than Gerard deciding it was casual Friday. I'm gonna go through my personal interpretation and explain why I think MCR did this at the end of their tour. 

TLDR: This Is Not The End.

I will include image credits in the reblog since there are a lot!

AUCKLAND, March 11 2023

Based on the skirt suit and drumhead ‘FIX FAX FUCK YOU’, Gerard is dressed as an office worker. For simplicity I will refer to the costume as the Secretary, I see it as both a character and a metaphor. Auckland establishes the monotony and repetition of daily life prior to 9/11, ‘FIX FAX FUCK YOU’ showing an attitude of boredom unaware of the events to come. 

BRISBANE 1, March 13 2023

The main difference between Auckland and Brisbane 1 is the briefcase. This indicates the point in time--Auckland is the days before 9/11 and Brisbane 1 is the morning before the attacks begin. The secretary travels to work, thinking ‘Everything under Control’.

BRISBANE 2, March 14 2023

The drumhead message ‘Here Comes the AIRPLANE’ marks this as minutes or even seconds before the towers are hit. Brisbane 2 is the first time Gerard wears the coat, representing everyone taking cover. 

MELBOURNE 1, March 16 2023

I unfortunately could not find a good photo of Gerard wearing the coat from this show but you can see it on the floor behind him!

The Melbourne shows are as the towers collapse. Pretty straightforward from the Melbourne 1 drumhead ‘TERROR’. This show also had the only appearance of the umbrella, which I interpret as representing the rubble and destruction raining down. The umbrella is closed, showing the secretary is unprotected and ultimately killed when the towers fall. 

MELBOURNE 2, March 17 2023

It seemed odd at first that Melb 2 was the only show that Gerard didn’t wear a costume for, but I actually believe he still did. This is the key to my interpretation: Gerard is dressed as himself witnessing the towers collapse, on his way to work at Cartoon Network. This the only show on the Oceania leg where they played Skylines and Turnstiles*, the song Gerard wrote immediately after 9/11. The drumhead ‘BARK BARK BARK’ makes you picture, a chained dog, representing the powerless horror of only being able to watch as the destruction unfolds--the deeply personal experience that drove Gerard to form MCR. 

SYDNEY 1, March 19 2023

Blood!!!! At Sydney 1, we see the continuing aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The secretary has died but keeps moving, picking up her briefcase and carrying on. This could be showing how a lot of people’s faith in the US government and in the world died, but life had to find a way to move on. 

SYDNEY 2, March 20 2023

At Sydney 2, the addition of Gerard’s white contacts shows the Secretary decaying--but she has not stopped. Frank changed the drumhead message from ‘UNKILLABLE’ to ‘UNKILLABLES’, expanding the meaning from the context of his accident in Sydney to include the band, the fans, and on a wider level everything MCR represents. 

I think all of this is a metaphor for the band’s career in multiple ways. Firstly, the Secretary being undead of course reflects MCR’s return, and her zombified appearance aligns with the imagery of their new era (decay, swarm, the destroyed buildings of the stage set). Secondly, it is very interesting to me that they did this sequence of costumes and drumheads at the end of their headlining tour, rather that at the start. The story they told seems to imply a rebirth--MCR was ‘born’ out of the trauma, pain and confusion of 9/11, so the fact that they represented the start of the band on stage signifies a second beginning. 

(Thank you for reading to the end and if I got anything wrong please let me know!)

*EDIT 1 (23/03/23): They actually also played Skylines at Brisbane 2. I do think the position of Skylines in the Melb 2 set is still significant. They played it as the first encore song which mirrors it being the first MCR song and written shortly after 9/11.

EDIT 2 (30/03/23): So actually 8 shows of Secretary Gerard when you include Japan! Tokyo and Osaka analysis here

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

⚡ - Charging Towards a More Electrifying Future

1. The Kissimmee River has been brought back to life—and wildlife is thriving

The Kissimmee River in Florida was straightened in the 1960s, causing a sharp decline in wildlife and ecological problems. But in the 1990s, a $1 billion restoration project was initiated to restore the river's natural state.

Today, nearly half of the river has been restored, wetlands have been reestablished and rehydrated, and wildlife has returned, including rare and threatened species. Already the biological impact of the project has become clear. As the wetlands have come back, so have the birds.

2. Plastic wrap made from seaweed withstands heat and is compostable

A cling film made from an invasive seaweed can withstand high temperatures yet is still easily compostable. The material could eventually become a sustainable choice for food packaging.

Scientists started with a brown seaweed called sargassum. Sargassum contains long, chain-like molecules similar to those that make up conventional plastic, which made it a good raw material. The researchers mixed it with some acids and salts to get a solution full of these molecules, then blended in chemicals that thickened it and made it more flexible and pliable.

3. An Eagle Who Adopted a Rock Becomes a Real Dad to Orphaned Eaglet

Murphy, a bald eagle that had been showing fatherly instincts, has been sharing an enclosure with an eaglet that survived a fall from a tree during a storm in Ste. Genevieve. Murphy, his rock gone by then, took his role as foster parent seriously. He soon began responding to the chick’s peeps, and protecting it.

And when, as a test, the keepers placed two plates of food in front of the birds — one containing food cut into pieces that the chick could eat by itself, and another with a whole fish that only Murphy could handle — the older bird tore up the fish and fed it to the eaglet.

4. World's largest battery maker announces major breakthrough in energy density

In one of the most significant battery breakthroughs in recent years, the world’s largest battery manufacturer CATL has announced a new “condensed” battery with 500 Wh/kg which it says will go into mass production this year.

“The launch of condensed batteries will usher in an era of universal electrification of sea, land and air transportation, open up more possibilities of the development of the industry, and promote the achieving of the global carbon neutrality goals at an earlier date,” the company said in a presentation at Auto Shanghai on Thursday.

This could be huge. Electric jets and cargo ships become very possible at this point.

5. Cat with '100% fatal' feline coronavirus saved by human Covid-19 medicine

A beloved household cat has made an “astonishing” recovery from a usually fatal illness, thanks to a drug made to treat Covid-19 in humans – and a quick-thinking vet.

Anya​, the 7-year-old birman cat, was suffering from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a “100% fatal” viral infection caused by feline coronavirus. That was, until Auckland vet Dr Habin Choi​ intervened, giving Anya an antiviral used to treat Covid-19 called molnupiravir.

6. Kelp forests capture nearly 5 million tonnes of CO2 annually

Kelp forests provide an estimated value of $500 billion to the world and capture 4.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from seawater each year. Most of kelp’s economic benefits come from creating habitat for fish and by sequestering nitrogen and phosphorus.

7. Medical Marijuana Improved Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms in 87% of Patients

Medical cannabis (MC) has recently garnered interest as a potential treatment for neurologic diseases, including Parkinson's disease (PD). 87% of patients were noted to exhibit an improvement in any PD symptom after starting medical cannabis. Symptoms with the highest incidence of improvement included cramping/dystonia, pain, spasticity, lack of appetite, dyskinesia, and tremor.

----

That's it for this week :)

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Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog

[caroletheperfumeaddict]

Harry Styles Love on Tour 2023

Here are all the concerts for LOT 2023 that I could find, plus the Brits performance of As It Was. There was a bit of a black hole for Australia. I made a YT playlist for Tokyo N1, as only individual songs were available. All links were working at the time of posting.

2023

Forum N13 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5JB1iJotaw&list=PL3R918fe46Kgm3zpllfUK8Yn3XLGHC7FQ

Forum N2 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YhdQQ413-Y&list=PL3R918fe46KhY7IjSwEyWKSqFNHnD2Vqu

Forum N15 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCvHsyKZLmw&list=PL3R918fe46Kg1I1U1SU8SFIcTJH44Ev5p

Forum N15 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL6DCDuRV7A&list=PL3c8U8gRJ3gr6wYj_XinxsKhYNQG92ibz&index=1

Thousand Palms N1 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeSMX4h3ivo&list=PL3R918fe46KiHKYFcKxHanNx4D8JgC0lR

Thousand Palms N2 (birthday concert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGQHjy5W3cY

Brits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgDCPDpgiSo

Perth (highlights, 14 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn96F_sb7lQ

Melbourne N1: (highlights, 12 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWXsiDret2U

Melbourne N2: can’t find anything

Gold Coast (highlights, 9 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKu8GDVRWF8

Sydney N1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkmAE0exng

Sydney N2 (37 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg-BQeIqHD8

Auckland (highlights 58 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw0OjiJze2U

Bangkok (highlights, 32 mins, part of a playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Exw1HkuKpA&list=RD0Exw1HkuKpA&start_radio=1

Bangkok (highlights 21 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSKIDqd4UW4

Manila: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HGq9k9W-8c

Manila: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMqQKgST_CU

Manila: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol5Lp4_-sO0

Singapore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ixuudroOUo&t=4s

Seoul (58 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwOyyVsaiDI

Tokyo N1: (my playlist): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOuTN46aTVcBgstwrBLV4UxPENhUFVTzt

Tokyo N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmFwsRl4g1w

 (highlights, 22 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljSayFzuWaQ

Horsens N2:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2eMJ4Fli-k

Munich N1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsW4Av9oM5k/

Munich N2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsZcXGhI3mM/

Munich N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stkxhnqbqYY

Munich N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNSX45Z1MxY

Coventry N1 (10 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ftO6Nzrxvc

Coventry N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYuvKzbfdlo

Edinburgh N1 (10 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf04Mrs5XXM&list=RDKf04Mrs5XXM&start_radio=1

Edinburgh N1 (8 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg2jj5MO1aQ

Edinburgh N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te8d-k3US_s

Paris Saint-Denis N1: (highlights 35 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPc6-PLIdQ

Paris Saint-Denis N1: (Full concert, 6 parts):

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lukVNHySj_o

2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGRk6Jodzqw

3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0HhQLgeRoQ

4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cY-K-blJ6I

5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyEvYcFMpU4

6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5MKpzqvprw

Paris Saint-Denis N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwQS2VwUpaU

Amsterdam N1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPutGS1eCUc

Amsterdam N1 again: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtFT-MhIxQE/

Amsterdam N2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CtH17bhoqt7/

Amsterdam N3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYUSN8nsK70

Amsterdam N3 (Eni): https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKcDBOIpe4/

Slane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQnxKNEMc2M

Wembley N1 (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L42-ZVOzSp4&list=PL3R918fe46KhvYQCKAgSHGxpbo4OJ8AaA

Wembley N1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXm2cva1TUc

Wembley N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTh9mWcQGc

Wembley N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kndeCu18pc

Wembley N3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTNUJ9NOW5U

Wembley N3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPLmLG63fcI

Wembley N4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75XWg03UtnY

Wembley N4 part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvrVTSFxfEg

Wembley N4 part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYPAWQvOfsA&t=6s

Cardiff N1 part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-i2ivaGH1A&t=2s

Cardiff N1 part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyUACGQ9Fe4&t=1s

Cardiff N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQEBGcGW7YI

Werchter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkTmfo0R0rM

Dusseldorf N1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuAgFpeITIB/

Dusseldorf N1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUm-krB1nRw

Dusseldorf N2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuDFu5MoumJ/

Dusseldorf N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3jTWJmhlpg&t=13s

Warsaw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GGXxfdvQbU

Frankfurt N1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuVHLf3IiPM/

Frankfurt N1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbKu0HZcjj0

Frankfurt N1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gjd8_GJjOjI

Frankfurt N2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn_Qj3u3Cg0

Vienna (54 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bhQWfml3I4

Barcelona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reieQkZJV5Y

Madrid (48 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueCJ-WfeeOc&t=1355s

Madrid part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UlohiB_iX4&t=1s

Madrid part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4vsHsFEaC4&t=9s

Lisbon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXG64Pfu5JM

Reggio Emilia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Nall0VpKY

Reggio Emilia: https://www.instagram.com/p/CvA85WoIdXS/

Reggio Emilia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fulf3ZWnE4Q

[lordoftheringsmusical]

Character spotlight:

Justin Albinder as Legolas in The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale in Chicago and Auckland, July-December 2024 ✨️

feat. Ian Maryfield (Gimli), Spencer Davis Milford (Frodo), Matthew C. Yee (Boromir), Will James Jr. (Aragorn), Rick Hall (Steward), Lauren Zakrin (Galadriel)

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 7

[jockoppressor]

Population data source.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Short And Sweet (3) Masterlist

part one, part two

a bit ridiculous (ao3) - manchesterau

Summary: And it would all feel a bit ridiculous if Dan wasn’t so madly in love.

a bite, a bruise (ao3) - phansong

Summary: Warning for TIT Spoilers!

at first blush this is fate (ao3) - alittlestarsick

Summary: 2009 Dan and Phil have a cute winter moment in the snow before Dan has to go back home from his visit to Phil

Bear Mask (ao3) - VendettaWound

Summary: While Dan does think Phil's Freddy Fazbear costume is ridiculous, he also finds it very endearing.

Blonde hair and broken lamps. (ao3) - TheWolfWithinMe

Summary: If you've watched the mukbang, you'll know where this is going.

Falling for you (ao3) - dnpangels

Summary: Dan and Phil are cuddling in Phil's tour bus bunk. When Dan slips and falls out of the bunk, he wakes up the entire tour crew. Fluff and teasing from the crew ensues.

First Day Jitters (ao3) - dprkives

Summary: Dan comforts a nervous Phil about meeting his audience again after 6 years.

Flying home to you (ao3) - harrysbabyboo

Summary: I just found out Dan flew back from the Australian leg of his ‘we’re all doomed’ tour for Phil’s birthday and I am DEVASTATED.

french toast, again (ao3) - buskingalbatross

Summary: Dan's ice cream shop dream, sort of. Not really.

guardians of a rare thing (ao3) - Mildredo

Summary: the morning after the antwerp show.

Hoodie Weather (ao3) - dat_carovieh

Summary: Dan loves wearing Phil's clothes

“I’ll take that bet.” (ao3) - yikesola

Summary: “You tweeted the kids?” Dan laughs, entering the lounge and holding his phone.

“I couldn’t help it!” Phil rolls his eyes. “You found a new Phil.”

A ficlet about hands and jealousies.

If we were two sunflowers, I would have faced you instead of the sun (ao3) - twinphantasy

Summary: It didn’t really matter where they were or what they were looking at because Dan would always be looking at Phil.

Last Week on the Sims (ao3) - antiadvil

Summary: In which Dan and Phil get married, post vague wedding photos on Instagram, disappear for a week, and only address it in the first two minutes of a Sims video.

Like Dreaming of Angels (ao3) - steddieornot

Summary: While he firmly believed everyone deserved love, in some shape or form, this was something else. The love he and Phil shared was otherworldly, impossible to contain. It was more than romantic in every feasible way. And somehow, fate had bestowed it upon him, just a guy from a small town in Reading. And deep down, he knew that even if fate rewrote his path, he would still have found Phil every time.

Loving His Ear (ao3) - Kim_Aurora_135

Summary: Appreciation literature.

(not) sponsored by funyuns (ao3) - Mildredo

Summary: “Go to bed,” Dan says. “We can have midnight snacks tomorrow.”

“You’re a midnight snack,” Phil mumbles, then turns his head a little and presses his teeth against Dan’s pyjama bottoms to illustrate his point.

pizza & packing (ao3) - blossomsphan

Summary: dan and phil eat pizza and pack for their trip. they might love each other a little bit

Pounce (ao3) - Kim_Aurora_135

Summary: Dan and Phil met online. This is a fiction of the first in-person meeting.

remote crisis manager (ao3) - danhoweiis

Summary: it's 4am in auckland the day before dan's show and dan is having a crisis

remote crisis manager (part 2) (ao3) - danhoweiis

Summary: it's 4am in england and phil gets a call from dan who is having a crisis whilst in auckland before his show

Stinky Baby (ao3) - easybubbyy

Summary: Phil can be a bit bossy sometimes... (especially in the mornings). Dan doesn't mind one bit.

True Blue (ao3) - OnePoundJasmines

Summary: An ode to love and understanding (and also iced lattes)

you rocked my world and never left it (ao3) - jonsaremembers

Summary: some sights, smells and sounds in Turkey, and the feelings that follow

[fritzes]

so now that the 2024 tennis season is officially 100% over… after a whole year of compiling, here is my personal matches of the year list! my criteria for this was very vague, just matches that I think deserve to be on the list that I watched what I believe to be a sufficient amount of. so if you read this and you're like "but maya, what about [insert match here]" that means I either don't agree with you about the quality of the match or I just didn't watch it. alas I do have a life outside of watching tennis and a decent amount of tennis happens while I'm asleep, so there's plenty of matches I missed that were probably really great. anyways here is the list:

Gauff/Svitolina Auckland

Jarry/Arnaldi Adelaide

Medvedev/Ruusuvuori Australian Open

Fritz/Tsitsipas Australian Open

Sinner/Medvedev Australian Open

Swiatek/Rybakina Doha

Sinner/de Minaur Rotterdam

Paolini/Kalinskaya Dubai

Shelton/Arnaldi Acapulco

Ruud/Shelton Acapulco

Sabalenka/Stearns Indian Wells

Alcaraz/Sinner Indian Wells

Swiatek/Noskova Miami

Rybakina/Sakkari Miami

Collins/Rybakina Miami

Sinner/Rune Monte Carlo

Rybakina/Swiatek Stuttgart

Sabalenka/Rybakina Madrid

Swiatek/Sabalenka Madrid

Cobolli/Shelton Geneva

Swiatek/Osaka Roland Garros

Rune/Cobolli Roland Garros

Paolini/Rybakina Roland Garros

Alcaraz/Sinner Roland Garros

Murray/Popyrin Queen’s Club

Zhang/Medvedev Halle

Pegula/Kalinskaya Berlin

Raducanu/Pegula Eastbourne

Fernandez/Muchova Olympics 

Zheng/Kerber Olympics

Cobolli/Shelton DC

Djokovic/Alcaraz Olympics

Arnaldi/Nishikori Montreal

Swiatek/Andreeva Cincinnati 

Tiafoe/Rune Cincinnati

Michelsen/Eubanks Winston-Salem

Zheng/Anisimova US Open

Tiafoe/Shelton US Open

Pegula/Muchova US Open

Fritz/Tiafoe US Open

Sabalenka/Pegula US Open

Cobolli/Bublik Beijing

Fils/Shelton Tokyo

Alcaraz/Sinner Beijing

Djokovic/Fritz Shanghai

Machac/Dimitrov Vienna

Shelton/Fils Basel

Paolini/Rybakina WTA Finals

Gauff/Swiatek WTA Finals

Rybakina/Sabalenka WTA Finals

Gauff/Zheng WTA Finals

Fritz/de Minaur ATP Finals

some stats:

the most featured player is elena rybakina with 8 appearances, followed by iga swiatek and ben shelton with 7 appearances, and then jannik sinner with 6 appearances (and honorable mention to taylor fritz who only has 4 appearances but really should have 6, I just don’t want a certain player on this list)

the player with the most wins is iga swiatek with 5, while elena rybakina and ben shelton are tied for most losses with 5

the most featured tournament is the us open with 5, followed by roland garros and the wta finals with 4

[mucking-faori]

A 5/6 year old CHILD got attacked with a shovel at yesterday's pro-palestine rally in Auckland. The attacker was in the crowd the whole time and the police did nothing about them before the attack despite repeated pleas to do so.

[emeraldskulblaka]

Tolkien Stage Adaptations - Performance Calendar

~ December 2024 ~

The Lord of the Rings (musical; Auckland, New Zealand)

1 (two shows)

Сказание о Берене и Лютиэн ([equestrian] NOTmusical; Plaskinino, Russia)

1

broadcast only

performed without horses

Fellowship! (musical parody; Philadelphia, PA, USA)

1-22

Fridays and Sundays

The Hobbit (play; Vancouver, BC, Canada)

4-21

except Mondays and Tuesdays, 15

additional matinees: 7, 12, 14, 21

8: Relaxed Performance

adaptation by Kim Selody

The Lord of the Rims (panto; London, UK)

5-28

Thursdays through Saturdays

except 26 (Boxing Day)

The Hobbit (play; El Paso, TX, USA)

6-22

Fridays through Sundays

adaptation by Patricia Gray

Der Hobbit (puppetry play; Leipzig, Germany)

12-16

13 (morning), 16: school performances

Лэ о Лэйтиан (rock opera; Moscow, Russia)

15

live broadcast available

Taru sormusten herrasta (play; Tampere, Finland)

17-21, 28, 30, 31

Honourable mentions:

1: online stream of a recording of Pád Doriathu (musical) by @a-mountain-hobbit

15: concert "Сказочный... концерт" in Moscow, Russia featuring songs from Лэ о Лэйтиан (rock opera), among others

18: work presentation of Taru sormusten herrasta in Tampere, Finland

Performance dates and times are subject to change; please check the original post for up-to-date information.

For a general overview of Tolkien stage adaptations, see this post.

Image sources: 1 2 3

[aspocko]

ok not only did ofmd film on the same beach that xena filmed in

not only did they recreate some pretty similar shots on that same beach

hell, not only did they both turn their blonde hero into a golden mermaid

but on top of all that, xena season 6 filmed an episode not just on that same beach, but they also got madeleine sami!

like yes i know its a small country yes i know thats the main auckland beach they all film at, but i just think thats neat!

[goldduststevie]

Stevie on stage at Western Springs Stadium in Auckland, NZ - Nov. 6, 1977.

[starstruckbyacomet]

There Is No Safe Word (Part 1 of 10)

How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades.

By Lila Shapiro, a features writer for New York Magazine. Jan. 13, 2025

(Source) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Prewarning)

Photo: Guerin Blask/August

This article was featured in One Great Story, New York’s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly.

Editor’s note: This story contains content that readers may find disturbing, including graphic allegations of sexual assault & child abuse.

Scarlett Pavlovich was a 22-year-old drama student when she met the performer Amanda Palmer by chance on the streets of Auckland. It was a gray, drizzly afternoon in June 2020, and Palmer, then 44, was walking down the street with the actress Lucy Lawless, one of the most famous people in New Zealand owing to her six-season stint portraying Xena the warrior princess. But Pavlovich noticed only Palmer. She’d watched her TED talk, “The Art of Asking,” and was fascinated by the cult-famous feminist writer and musician — by her unabashed self-assurance.

On the surface, Pavlovich appeared to be self-assured as well. A local girl, she had dropped out of high school at 15 to travel to Europe, Morocco, and the Middle East on the cheap, pausing in Scotland — where Tilda Swinton gave her a scholarship to attend her Steiner school, Drumduan — and London to work in the cabaret scene. Eventually, her visa expired and she ran out of money and so, in 2019, she returned to Auckland, where she enrolled in an acting school and took a job at a perfumery. Pale and dark-haired and waifish, she favored bold colors and outrageous outfits. On the day she met Palmer — on most days then — she’d painted a triangle of translucent silver beneath her lower lashes so it looked as though she’d been crying tears of glitter. It was Pavlovich who approached Palmer on the sidewalk outside the perfumery. She was surprised when Palmer texted her a few days later. “It’s amanda d palmer,” she wrote. “Your new friend.”

Cover of Amanda Palmer's book, The Art of Asking (2014).

Palmer, an obsessive chronicler of her own life in songs, poems, blog posts, and a memoir, got her start as half of the punk cabaret band the Dresden Dolls, but she is perhaps more famous for her ability to attract a tight-knit and devoted following wherever she goes. In 2012, she became the first musician to raise more than $1 million on Kickstarter and later became one of Patreon’s most successful artists. As Palmer explained in her book The Art of Asking — part memoir, part manifesto on the virtues of asking for assistance of various kinds — she had built her entire career on “messy exchanges of goodwill and the swapping of favors.” Out of this mess, she argues, a utopian sort of community formed: “There was no distinction between fans and friends.”

Amanda Palmer on Waiheke Island, New Zealand. Photo: Duncan Innes.

Over the following year and a half, Palmer and Pavlovich occasionally met for a drink or a meal. Palmer offered Pavlovich tickets to her shows and invited her to parties for the Patreon community at her house on nearby Waiheke Island, a lush bohemian retreat with vineyards, golden beaches, and more than 60 helipads to accommodate the billionaires who vacationed there. Sometimes Palmer asked Pavlovich for favors — help running errands or organizing files or looking after her child. Pavlovich was happy to assist. She had a crush on Palmer. She didn’t mind that Palmer only occasionally discussed paying her, even though Pavlovich was always strapped for cash. For Pavlovich, who was estranged from her family and without a safety net, Palmer filled a deeper need. In November 2020, Palmer invited her to hang out at her place for a weekend with a group of local artists. At the gathering, Palmer asked Pavlovich to babysit while she got a massage. Early the next morning, Pavlovich wrote a diary entry about the easy intimacy she’d felt in Palmer’s sun-drenched home, where she’d read to Palmer’s son, who was 5 at the time, their limbs entwined. “The years absent of touch build up like a gray inheritance,” she wrote. “I’m hungry. I am so fucking famished.”

Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer. Photo: Dave Benett/WireImage.

On February 1, 2022, Palmer texted Pavlovich and asked if she wanted to spend the weekend babysitting, which would mean bouncing back and forth between her house and her husband’s. Pavlovich had never met Palmer’s husband, from whom she was separated, though of course she knew who he was: Neil Gaiman, the acclaimed British fantasist and author of nearly 50 books, including American Gods and Coraline, and the comic-book series The Sandman, whose work has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Gaiman and Palmer had arrived in New Zealand in March 2020, but just weeks later, their nine-year marriage collapsed and Gaiman skipped town, breaking COVID protocols to fly to his home on the Isle of Skye. Now, he’d returned and was living in a house near Palmer’s on Waiheke. Their previous nanny had recently left, and they needed help. Pavlovich agreed and was pleased when Palmer offered to pay her for the weekend’s work.

Waiheke Island, Auckland, where Amanda Palmer and her husband Neil Gaiman have settled with their son. Photo: AucklandNZ

Around four in the afternoon on February 4, Pavlovich took the ferry from Auckland to Waiheke, then sat on a bus and walked through the woods until she arrived at Gaiman’s house, an asymmetrical A-frame of dark burnished wood with picture windows overlooking the sea. Palmer had arranged a playdate for the child, so not long after Pavlovich arrived, she found herself alone in the house with the author. For a little while, Gaiman worked in his office while she read on the couch. Then he emerged and offered her a tour of the grounds. A striking figure at 61, his wild black curls threaded with strands of silver, the author picked a fig — her favorite fruit — and handed it to her. Around 8 p.m., they sat down for pizza. Gaiman poured Pavlovich a glass of rosé and then another. He drank only water. They made awkward conversation about New Zealand, about COVID. Pavlovich had never read any of his work, but she was anxious to make a good impression. After she’d cleaned up their plates, Gaiman noted that there was still time before they would have to pick up his son from the playdate. “‘I’ve had a thought,’” she recalls him saying. “‘Why don’t you have a bath in the beautiful claw bathtub in the garden? It’s absolutely enchanting.’” Pavlovich told Gaiman that she was fine as she was but ultimately agreed. He needed to make a work call, he said, and didn’t want Pavlovich to be bored.

February 2022: The bathtub in Gaiman’s garden where Scarlett Pavlovich alleges he raped her, which Gaiman denies. Photo: Courtesy of Scarlett Pavlovich.

Gaiman led Pavlovich down a stone path into the garden to an old-fashioned tub with a roll top and walked away. She got undressed and sank into the bath, looking up at the furry magenta blossoms of the pohutukawa tree overhead. A few minutes later, she was surprised to hear Gaiman’s footsteps on the stones in the dark. She tried to cover her breasts with her arms. When he arrived at the bath, she saw that he was naked. Gaiman put out a couple of citronella candles, lit them, and got into the bath. He stretched out, facing her, and, for a few minutes, made small talk. He bitched about Palmer’s schedule. He talked about his kid’s school. Then he told her to stretch her legs out and “get comfortable.”

“I said ‘no.’ I said, ‘I’m not confident with my body,’” Pavlovich recalls. “He said, ‘It’s okay — it’s only me. Just relax. Just have a chat.’” She didn’t move. He looked at her again and said, “Don’t ruin the moment.” She did as instructed, and he began to stroke her feet. At that point, she recalls, she felt “a subtle terror.”

February 5, 2022: Pavlovich the morning after the bathtub incident. Photo: Courtesy of Scarlett Pavlovich.

Gaiman asked her to sit on his lap. Pavlovich stammered out a few sentences: She was gay, she’d never had sex, she had been sexually abused by a 45-year-old man when she was 15. Gaiman continued to press. “The next part is really amorphous,” Pavlovich tells me. “But I can tell you that he put his fingers straight into my ass and tried to put his penis in my ass. And I said, ‘No, no.’ Then he tried to rub his penis between my breasts, and I said ‘no’ as well. Then he asked if he could come on my face, and I said ‘no’ but he did anyway. He said, ‘Call me ‘master,’ and I’ll come.’ He said, ‘Be a good girl. You’re a good little girl.’”

Afterward, Pavlovich crouched down in the water and tried to clean herself off. Gaiman looked at her and smiled. “‘Amanda told me I couldn’t have you,’” Pavlovich recalls him saying. As soon as he’d heard this, he “knew he had to have” her. “‘God,’” he continued, “‘I wish it were the good old days where we could both fuck you.’”

Next: Part 2

[mysticstronomy]

IN THE EARLY UNIVERSE TIME WAS SLOWER??

Blog#312

Saturday, July 8th, 2023

Welcome back,

Time has been observed passing more slowly in quasars in the early universe.

The observed time dilation comes as a consequence of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity combined with the expansion of space. "At its heart, this is another 'Einstein is right again' story," Geraint Lewis, a cosmologist at the University of Sydney, told Space.com.

Lewis and Brendon Brewer of the University of Auckland are co-authors on a new paper describing the long-sought after confirmation of time dilation effects in the variability of quasars. A quasar is powered by an accreting supermassive black hole at the heart of an extremely active galaxy. Because the accretion disk around the black hole is relatively small, fluctuations in the light emitted by the quasar can take place in just days. This makes them easier to track.

However, in the time since the light, and its fluctuations, was emitted from the 12 billion-year-old quasars, the universe has expanded greatly. This means that we are seeing the quasars as they existed over 12 billion years ago.

"We expected quasars to also exhibit this behavior, but previous searches had failed to find it," said Lewis.

A new sample of 190 high-redshift quasars observed over 20 years by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Pan-STARRS and the Dark Energy Survey, has provided Lewis and Brewer with the tools to finally detect time dilation in the variability of quasar light. The long period of observations coupled with telescopic sensitivity to the quasar fluctuations reveals the time dilation effect.

Based on how slowly the fluctuations seem to be occurring, time in these quasars appears to run five times slower than it does for us in our frame of reference on Earth.

"We can pin-down the characteristics of their variability and show that quasars truly play ball with the cosmos," said Lewis.

To be clear, time didn't really run slow in those quasars relative to everything around them — in their frame of reference, time ran normally. Einstein's theory of relativity and how he described the passage of time is based on the concept of frames of reference, and that these frames can be distinguished by their velocity relative to each other.

"The motion of distant galaxies is due to expanding space," said Lewis. Consider that the Hubble constant describes how fast a volume of space 3.26 million light-years across is expanding per second. This is an incremental effect, where the expanding volumes of space add up. The farther a galaxy is from us, the more space has expanded between the galaxy and us, and the faster that galaxy seems to be moving away from us.

"Some of these quasars were moving faster than the speed of light, relative to us, when the photons were emitted," said Lewis.

As Einstein showed, strange things happen when you approach the speed of light. One of these strange things is time dilation. A stationary observer on Earth would observe a clock traveling faster than them, whether on a spacecraft or in a quasar, appear to slow down. The faster the clock is moving, the greater the effect. At velocities approaching the speed of light, the effect is dramatically pronounced, resulting in peculiarities such as the twin paradox.

Time dilation is not just theoretical. It has been observed, albeit in tiny amounts, in satellites orbiting the Earth — the Global Positioning System has to take this into account. Cosmologically, time dilation has been observed in supernovae that exploded 6 to 7 billion years ago, but never in objects more distant than that until now.

Besides being another successful test of Einstein's theory of relativity, the time dilation observed in the quasars is also further evidence that we do indeed live in a universe that is expanding as a result of the Big Bang.

If the universe were not expanding, the quasars would not appear to be moving at relativistic speeds relative to us. Lewis described the findings as "putting to bed some of the more extreme ideas that had been proposed, including that cosmologists have it all wrong, due to the previous failure to see quasar time dilation."

Originally published on space.com

COMING UP!!

(Wednesday, July 12th, 2023)

"WHAT IS A QUANTUM COMPUTER ??"

[lordoftheringsmusical]

Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale at The Civic, Auckland

6 November 2024 to 1 December 2024

Kicking off its world tour, The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale officially opened at The Civic in Auckland, Aotearoa on 12 November 2024. The production featured the same creative team and almost the same cast as the Chicago production earlier that year; you can find those reviews here.

Newspapers / news outlets:

Radio New Zealand (13 November 2024)

The Spinoff (13 November 2024)

Bloggers / theatre guides:

13th Floor (13 November 2024)

Andrew Whiteside (13 November 2024)

Art Murmurs (15 November 2024)

Stage Whispers (17 November 2024)

Vloggers / video reviews:

LotROnStage's audience reaction compilation (8 November 2024)

True Magic (14 November 2024)

The date indicated refers to the date the review was published.

Image sources: 1, 2&4, 3