#Martian to a Different Drum
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Welcome to The Martian Revolution (blog)
For those of you who may not be aware, Mike Duncan recently published some new audio files to his Revolutions podcast feed. This is big news because it's been quiet for the last 2 years!
Over the last 5 years I got deep into his work, listening to all of Revolutions during the COVID-19 lock down while it was on hiatus, then immediately going into his backlog and plowing through his History of Rome. His writing in fantastic and he does his homework.
And as he says in his intro to this new project, it's all been leading to this. He's going to take everything he's learned in the last 15+ years and do a speculative science-fiction piece about a future Martian revolution! The perfect intersection of my two favorite writing topics!!
aaaaannnnyyyy waaaaayyyyysssss
I'm starting this blog to try and drum up some interest and put any posts or art I come across in one place. I'm super hyped about this and anticipate some pretty amazing fan pieces to come out of this production!
Just as much to help me remember as anything, I'm probably going to use 3 different tags to help keep discussions about things straight:
The Martian Revolution: This is the core subject of the text. Fictional
Mike Duncan's Martian Revolution : This is the podcast. Real
Martian Revolution blog : This would be for meta discussion about this blog.
Yay postmodern meta-textualism! Hope you're as excited about all this as I am
--The Curator
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Now here's an idea I've had for an HBO Max (soon to be shortened to MAX) cartoon series: Judy Jetson, the galactastic teen queen of The Jetsons, and her best friends Cassie Lunares, Lizbeth Plutoni, and Ventura "Venty" Mooney are taking the 22nd century by starstorm with their hit variety TV show! Helping the Judy Jetson Band behind the scenes are Judy's boyfriend Bazi (a bisexual humanoid martian whose skin switches colors with every emotion he feels) and the unpopular yet lovable Curly Quasar. You'll love watching the Judy Jetson Band blast into activities such as traveling to different planets and time periods to screw things up, getting into things with their families, giving takes on the latest, and of course, playing the show out with a song. That's Judy on vocals, Venty on guitar, Lizbeth on drums, and Cassie on keyboard.
#judy jetson#the jetsons#hanna barbera#warnerbrothers#warner bros#hbo max#kids wb#wb animation#animated#scifi
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POISON IVY'S EVIL 13 Guitar Player September 2003 Riffs I Dig to Death “The Witch,” The Sonics Simple, angry, and scary use of two chords. “The Bat,” The Ventures Two chords again. Evil and tough. Similar, but strangely different from Link Wray’s “Rumble.” “Buzz Saw,” The Gee Cees A sparse riff that interacts intriguingly with the rockin’ drums. “Guitarville,” Roland Janes Dark, dangerous, and sexy. “Ramrod,” Duane Eddy The rhythm is the riff. “Smokestack Lightnin’,” Howlin’ Wolf A dizzy, hypnotic downward spiraling whirlpool. “Shakin’ All Over,” Johnny Kidd &the Pirates Hoodlum tension—haunted and lonely. “Out of Limits,” The Marketts Spooky turns to tough, and points out the connection between martians and hoodlums. “Stampede,” The Scarlets A rampaging descent into hell! “I’m a Man,” Bo Diddley Simple. Monumental. “Peter Gunn Theme,” any version Slinky, hypnotic, and criminally addictive. “Come See Me,” Pretty Things Aggressive and urgent. “You Really Got Me,” The Kinks A simple, brutal sex riff. Riff goddess Poison Ivy just co-produced and performed on The Cramps’ latest album, Fiends of Dope Island [Vengence]. Her gear includes a ’58 Gretsch 6120, a Fender Pro Reverb (live), a Valco 1x10 combo (studio), a Univox Super Fuzz, a Fulltone Tremolo, a Maxon AD-80 delay, and D’Addario XL115 strings (gauged .011-.049).
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Fever Moon has released a new studio album: “God’s Heart”
Six songs that offer a deep dive into the sound of classic alternative rock.
Fever Moon, has just released its highly anticipated mini-album titled “God’s Heart”, which features six songs. The tracks capture the raw edge of the 90s sound, while embracing the immediacy of the contemporary alternative rock scene.
The album was released on May 5th and has been receiving positive praise from fans of alternative rock and indie music alike. Fever Moon’s signature sound is reminiscent of bands like Husker Du, Sebadoh, Armchair Martian, Dead Rituals, Cloud Nothings and Dinosaur Jr., making it a must-listen for aficionados of these groups, and more.
Although many of the songs are adorned with blankets of heavily distorted guitars, the melody is still an essential aspect of this release. The contrast between the raw tone of the songs and the genuine twist of the vocals allows for more emotional depth and range to be conveyed through the music. The album is a perfect example of how catchy songs don't need to be overly slick and that making music sound more "human" still highlights the true weight of the feelings behind each track. This approach makes for a sense of unity between the music and the lyrics, allowing for a more cohesive listening experience.
The album opener, which happens to be the title track itself, is a perfect introduction. It features a fuzzy, huge soundscape, which swiftly sets the tone for the entire track. The second song, "Old Ghost Ruin," juxtaposes strummed acoustic guitars with distorted electric rhythms and dynamic drumming, adding to the overall energy and intensity of the track. The third track, "Parasitic Sympathy," happens to be a more introspective moment on the album. The vocals are raw and passionate, complementing the instrumental arrangement in a more personal way. The song "Foolin'" shows a different side, with a stronger focus on soothing yet upbeat acoustic melodies. The song's structure is well-crafted, with effective use of big acoustic guitar parts and sparse drums to build an engaging rhythm, while highlighting the personable and poetic lyricism. "The Lost Boys" is a return to the band's fuzzier format, and it immediately stands out with a heavy palm-muted riff that accompanies the vocal melody to perfection. Fuzz is the perfect type of distortion for a song like this because it enhances the complexity of the chords with some harmonic overtones that turn a relatively straight-forward strumming pattern into a more layered wall of sound.
Last but not least, the song "If I Lose" is a minimalistic outro to this mini-album.
This is an acoustic track that feels more intimate and personal, offering a deeper insight into Fever Moon's ability to combine gritty indie aesthetics with a more vulnerable and earnest approach to songwriting.
In addition, the artwork is really spot-on as well, as it is reminiscent of the work of greats like Raymond Pettibon, known for his visuals for bands such as Sonic Youth and Black Flag, among others. The use of a highly contrasting black-and-white palette creates a sense of urgency and immediacy that works with the dynamics of the music. The image conveys the emotions and themes behind the songs.
To conclude, this album serves as a great introduction to Fever Moon's blend of indie rock, punk, and alternative rock. It creates a very immersive and energetic musical experience with its back-to-basics yet meticulously well-crafted sound. Throughout the mini-album, the guitar work is particularly impressive with its well-orchestrated chaos, consisting of distorted and fuzz-heavy parts that still retain a lot of melody. In much the same way, the drums and bass provide a solid foundation for the guitar to shine, and the overall production gives the album a 90s throwback feel that adds to its charm. It is safe to say that people who enjoy listening to classic and contemporary alternative rock will appreciate the raw and unpolished sound of "God's Heart."
Find out more about Fever Moon and listen to this release on your favorite digital streaming services.
https://open.spotify.com/album/4uAH4hBuJ1EQeeniYQLeB0
https://www.youtube.com/@fevermoon1134/videos
https://www.instagram.com/mysterycuts/
https://twitter.com/mysterycuts
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Behold! My bountiful bath bomb harvest!
A few of my followers will be receiving care packages in the next few days! This batch included:
Night Sky Nihilist (Cyrus - Team Galactic)
Martian to a Different Drum (Mars - Team Galactic)
Aetherial (Lusamine - Aether Foundation)
Lillie’s Pretty Petals (Lillie)
Wrath in the Bath (Gladion)
Eau de Kalos (Lysandre - Team Flare)
Expensive & Pretentious (Xerosic - Team Flare)
One very special (and very belated) birthday girl ( @yunhuntress ) will also be receiving a Galactic Grunt bubble bar and three custom bath bombs modeled after the Three Beasts of Team Rocket from Pokemon Special - FireRed/LeafGreen.
#Skye makes bath bombs#Night Sky Nihilist#Martian to a Different Drum#Aetherial#Lillie's Pretty Petals#Wrath in the Bath#Eau de Kalos#Expensive & Pretentious#Pokemon bath bombs#bath bomb#diy#my stuff
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Entertainment Spotlight: Nyambi Nyambi, The Good Fight
Nyambi Nyambi currently stars as investigator Jay DiPersia in The Good Fight, which is now in its fourth season on CBS All Access. Most notably known for his rendition of sarcastic café owner Samuel in Mike & Molly, Nyambi’s other tv credits include PBS’ Mercy Street, NBC’s Blindspot, and ABC’s American Koko. In theater, Nyambi has performed both on and off-broadway. He will next be seen in the new Billy Crystal movie Here Today. A comic book aficionado and avid gamer, he lent his voice to the Martian Manhunter in the animated features The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen. Nyambi is a first-generation Nigerian-American and serves alongside Danai Gurira on the board for Almasi Collaborative Arts, an organization dedicated to developing emerging African artists. Check it out:
You have worked in both the theatre and on screens. How does your work/preparation differ? Do you prefer one over the other?
I love being on set. When I was a ballplayer, I was known as a “gym rat”. Always on a basketball court working on my game. Nowadays, the set is my gym. I’m on set even on my days off because I love seeing the work all come together. However, my roots are in the theater, so the thrill of being on stage in front of a live audience is almost impossible to beat.
Before every scene or play, I write down a list of reminders from advice I’ve received over the years, words that have inspired me:
BREATHE | LISTEN | IMAGINE with the five senses | GO GET WHAT YOU WANT| SURPRISE YOURSELF | TRUST your partner | the work, IT’S DEEPER | ALL THE PIECES MATTER | NOTHING IS SOMETHING | You know what…F@#% IT | LET GO & PLAY
Be prepared to let go and play. I do a lot of research in my prep to build enough confidence to let go and play. When preparing for a play, the story is all there for the actors to unpack. What isn’t on the page but needed to tell the story will be imagined to further deepen those discoveries.
When preparing for episodic television, you make strong choices that move you based on what is on the latest version of that script. Still, you have to be flexible with what you’ve imagined because what is on the page the next week can contradict that. I remember when I first got Mike & Molly, I had created this elaborate backstory the same way I would for a play. Every script after that, I’d either discover something new about the character or something that contradicted what I previously imagined for the character. It became a fun game of “who am I this week?” I had to let go and play. So, the immigration episode on The Good Fight was another example of turning my personal imagined backstory on its head. That made the shock of the episode all the more real for me.
Can you take us through a typical day on the set of The Good Fight?
The moment I sit in the passenger seat of the van sent to pick me up is when my day on set begins. It’s my first opportunity to connect with another person, an opportunity to listen. That driver has usually been waiting thirty minutes to an hour before my pick-up time, so the least I could do is say, “thank you for waiting.” Then from there, the conversation goes where it wants to go. I’ve listened to amazing life stories, discovered new music, received invaluable advice on relationships, shared a mutual love for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and learned how to drum from a world-class drummer. All on my way to work.
When I arrive, I make a point to say hello to all I can as a PA ushers me to my dressing room. I write a couple of pages of continuous stream of consciousness on the day’s scenes before I head up to Hair & Make-up. This is where the most fun happens and where I will first see the actors I get to play with that day. The music and joy I experience in HMU, along with the physical transformation, make this an opportunity to let go of the outside world and drop into this blessing that we all get to share in together. We’re making great television. I love the men and women in that room. Once I’m camera ready, I’ll either say, “see you on the ice” or “see you on the court.”
I head back to my dressing room to get into wardrobe while warming up my voice and speech. Once dressed, I get approved by someone from the wardrobe department. Once approved, a PA will let me know when it’s time to go to set for rehearsal. When that time comes, I’ll greet the episode’s director and the other actors, and we’ll go through the scene for lines, then for blocking and then for the crew for marks. We then wait 10-15 minutes for cameras to get into position, which is more time for me to drop in through drawing or music. When they’re ready, we block it for cameras. Once it all looks good, they’ll say, “Last looks,” and hair, Make-up, and Wardrobe will make sure we look right. The actors then get into position before the director yells out, “ACTION!”
As actors, our energy sets the tone, and I think it’s important to be a joy on that set, not a concern.
If you could be any kind of superhero you wished, what would be your ideal superhero combination (title, power, public persona)?
Right now, my ideal superhero combination would be the ability to mutate on a cellular or molecular level. That would enable me to look like any person, but more importantly, to replicate the necessary physiology of an immune body to cure disease. Every-Man. When I’m not Every-Man, I’m a lab technician at Cedars Sinai Hospital.
What advice would you give to young Black actors looking to get their first break in the industry?
That’s why I say I have a thousand mentors. The men and women before you have lived it so they can tell it. Don’t be afraid to ask for their advice. The learning never stops. Keep going, keep growing, and ever-evolving. What’s for you will be yours, and what’s not for you, you celebrate the one it’s for and keep going, trusting your time will come. January 7, 2010, I was negative $300 in my bank account, but I was skipping down the street because a quote a mentor told me over and over again finally became my gospel truth: “This is but a season in my life, it’s not my life. And as the seasons change, so too will this.” The next day was my audition for Mike & Molly.
What’s your favorite comic/comic universe? Why?
My favorite comic depends on the mood I’m in. It can range from J Michael Straczynski’s Supreme Power, Frank Miller’s Batman Year One, or currently, Bitter Root by Chuck Brown, David F. Walker, & Sanford Greene. My favorite comic universe is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Why, because they’re green. Seriously, the current IDW run is so good. I grew up loving Donatello because he may not have the leadership of a Leonardo, nor the brute strength of Raphael or the Zen charisma of a Michelangelo, but he does have that brain. Plus, a broomstick was the only item in the house that resembled any of their weapons.
What would be your dream role to play? Why?
My dream role would be connected to basketball in some way because it informed such a huge part of my life, playing through college. Otherwise, I’m fascinated by comic book artists such as Denys Cowan, who was one of the founders of Milestone Comics, a phenomenal universe created and owned by African Americans.
Thanks for taking the time, Nyambi! Head on over to Action to check out the rest of our #BlackExcellence365 Spotlights.
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Have you heard much about unaspected planets (I tried checking the tags)? I have an unaspected Venus in the 12th (Libra), and I can't tell whether this further debilitates it or not. Like does it being more beneficial/malefic depend on the house? The planet?
Unaspected Planets in Astrology
Unaspacted planets happen from time to time in natal horoscopes. These are often referred to as Peregrine Plants. They are, by definition, planets in the natal chart that lack any Ptolemaic aspect [I.e squares, conjunctions, oppositions, trines, textiles, noviles, etc.] As a result, these planets lacking in action don’t connect with the rest of the cerebral processes. Think if it like being in a whole new country that you’ve never explored that speaks a completely different tongue than you. They have different customs, different sayings, and even write in different characters. Integrating into the every day can be a challenge because of the unfamiliar territory. In the natal chart, it can display itself through the native as a disconnection in whatever the planet affected represents. Now, disconnect does not always equate “bad”. It can just be different. By that, I mean Unaspected planets can go one of two ways: Either there may be very pronounced talents or overcompensatory ones. The talents may be dominant and all-encompassing or excessive to the point of discomfort. Another trademark of unaspected planets is that they often walk hand in hand with sentiments of of insecurity. This insecurity is in tandem with various things but the bottom line is natives with unaspected planets often deal with restlessness. There's just this "hunger," or "yearning," or "being unfulfilled" in the area of that planet. For more illustration:
Unaspected Sun
Can display itself as an unusual individual. They may have an intensified drive almost to the degree of a martian. Their ego is intensified as well. They sort of sing a different tune than everyone else. There is strong emphasis on self-expression and an even bigger desire for recognition as it satiates the ego.
Unaspected Moon
When no aspects are made to the moon this can indicate perhaps the native has emotional disconnection, especially with the mother. They may not show emotion easily or adversely, they may have a hyper-active need for care, nurturing, and security-oriented expressions [either giving or receiving]. Integration can be made easier by acknowledging emotional needs and satiating them in healthy ways.
Unaspected Mercury
Will often showcase a native with a mind that is overactive. They may be verbose, think too much, have high anxiety as well. This untamed mental energy can be molded into a strong asset if it’s harnessed and exercised through productive direction. Namely writing, communicating, etc. Often these people, though they may talk often have very impressive social and verbal skills.
Unaspected Venus
Can put a magnifying glass on emotional, creative, and social needs. Of course sign and house will give more context to how it will be expressed [i.e water will be emotional needs being exacerbated, earth will be material, etc]. However, in general, they’ll often be either hyper attractive, hyper flirtation, or have an insatiable need to be appreciated somehow. They are loved of course. In the 12th house, these needs can be idealized and their fantasies can be very vivid. There can be a matryistic attitude towards love or they may secretly want more than they have in love.
Unaspected Mars
A wild aspect. One may need special attention here because the direction of energy is often wily. They may be hyper-active, powerful, and/ or a tad too aggressive by nature. Their anger needs to be monitored. The right and healthy outlet for said energy will bring them the returns they seek. The wrong outlets could find them wound up in easily-avoidable trouble. Integration can be made easier by perhaps taking up a martial art or therapy [sexual, anger, emotional, etc].
Unaspected Jupiter
An unaspasceted Jupiter means that the mind will love in the realms of spirituality, teaching, higher education, travel, and philosophy. They have a dominant higher mind. They have thirsty minds and may find themselves constantly thinking or discussion these matters. They may also use humor to cope with life or even be some of the funniest. Big emphasis on that with this in the natal chart. Inegration can be made easier by learning something new- languages may be a forte.
Unaspected Saturn
Unaspected Saturn indicates intensified ambitions [Saturn =10th house] and even a disconnect with the dominant parental figure [often dad]. They may overcompensate by overworking themselves, being too strict or regimented, or even restrict themselves from things they deserve as they feel it showcases discipline. They may come off as cold or unfeeling or even feel often that they don’t deserve fun or to enjoy life. Integration can be made easier by balancing work and personal life. Give yourself a break.
Unaspected Uranus
Usually indicates amplified unconventionalism and individuality. They are extremely progressive and may have a mind for invention. They can seem quite quirky and they can be very oddball in their approach. They want to study artifacts and be out of the box characters who march to the beat of their own drum. Strong need for social action or to be a part of some social movement/revolution. Integration can be made easier by taking initiative in forming some non-profit organization,
Unaspected Neptune
Indicates strong idealism. Heightened sensitivity and big big dreams. Creativity can be high here but they may often escape into this world while forsaking reality. There may be difficulty integrating this into their life in a healthy way if not monitored. Like Uranus, integration of this planet can be formed by taking on new create projects often so there is a healthy outlet for all that Neptunian expression.
Unaspected Pluto
Can indicate excessive power, influence, sex appeal, or even excessive plutonic themes occurring in life. For example, JFK had an unasepcted Puto. His family is rumored to have some sort of veil of death/transformation and tragedy pervading their lives but the Kennedy family is also akin to American royalty. Almost all being involved in the political sphere and having considerable influence in that realm. Integration can be made easier by studying how to be tactical with power so it does not become fanatical or domineering/controlling. One can become a general when this unaspected planet is expressed well.
#Good q#unaspected planets#Sun#moon#mercury#venus#mars#Jupiter#saturn#uranus#Neptune#pluto#astro asks#astrology#astro tumblr#bruja tips#integration of unaspected planets#hope this helps
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New designs of the kaiju based on more realism, or popular conspiracy theories. --------------------- Gorgo Gorgo is a kaiju from England. A big, green, fire breathing aquatic monster who only comes on land to save her baby. So, what if Gorgo was real? Or if she showed up, then how would she make more realistic sense? How about a sea mammal that defies what mankind knows of nature? Like how bumble bees can fly, or some animals can hibernate for centuries. So this Gorgo is a huge mammal that just shows up, blowing the minds of scientists. Never discovered, never known, hidden away in the unexplored parts of the ocean, suddenly showing up and wreaking havoc. Backstory: Gorgo had fangs, ears, and breathed air - so with all those combined, it must be a mammal. And the biggest mammals to exist are the ones now existing, like the whales of today. So what if Gorgo is some kind of whale, or somewhere in the family? But took a totally different turn in evolution that it's cousins? Gorgo is a gigantic species of whale - but exactly where it belongs, nobody can figure. It is the biggest mammal known ever, but defies physics by being able to walk on land and belch up burning goop that can ignite at the slightest spark. It's thick hide and layers of fat make shooting it worthless. When a baby Gorgo is discovered by a whaling ship, still hiding inside a ball of fat, milk and ice, it is brought to England for study. A walking whale, as big as a orca. But the "walking whale" soon starts screaming in sounds man can not hear. When amplified by a microphone, the sounds are like a higher pitched version of the infamous "bloop". Days later, the British shores are thrust into chaos by a plodding creature much bigger than a blue whale with huge tusks, algae covering it's hide and trampling everything in sight - like a berserk seal. It also is very smart, equal to a German shepherd, and ripping through with animal cunning. Scientists are flabbergasted - what the fuck is it?! HOW is it walking around? What does it eat? WHY would it's vomit combust like gelled gasoline? Maybe it's different in the water? Why are it's ears shaped like that? Why has nobody ever seen one? Or caught one before? Was this pissed momma "the bloop?!" And if this is the mother...then what must daddy be like? Bloody 'ell.... --------------------- Jet Jaguar The face on the moon is said to be that of a Martian, carved by their now extinct species. Also, it's been said fossils of creatures very much like insects were found on Mars. That may not be true, but what if it is? Jet Jaguar is a machine who uses technology not found on Earth, so what if he isn't from Earth then? What if he's a ancient Martian invention created when man was in the stone age, and only rebooted into modern times? That is what this Jet Jaguar redesign is. Backstory: Jet Jaguar is a robot built in the image of his creators - Martians. Using what old pictures and ideas there are of a 'existing Martian race', then he would look like a kappa, except with a more insect-like body. Just like his creators. But the differences are that his "scaly hide" is artificial, his "shell" is metal, his foot claws are diamond, and his mind is a powerful AI. Jet was found deep in the Earth, in the eye of the Sahara, and covered in Mauritanian and Mali runes of what could only be the ancient Atlantians. Awakening to Dogon drums, he uses a odd mix of sounds, lights, and fake gusts of air to communicate. Once kaiju threat from another planet was found, Jet flew away from his keepers and went to neutralize the threat of Gigan...a bird of Earth overdeveloped with alien tech...
#remake#gorgo#jet jaguar#kaiju#can you imagine#scifi science#speculative#speculativedesign#speculative evolution#speculation#science fiction science#martian#mech#whale#mutant#redesign#digital art#digital painting#scifi#scifi art
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Behind The Album: OK Computer
The third studio album from Radiohead was released in May 1997 by Parlophone Records. This would mark the first album that Nigel Godrich worked on as their producer. The band would self produce the entire album themselves, which they have done on every record since. In 1995, Brian Eno asked the band to contribute a song to a charity compilation for War Child entitled Help. They were scheduled to do the recording in only a day, which led to the track, “Lucky.” Godrich would say of the recording. “Those things are the most inspiring, when you do stuff really fast and there's nothing to lose. We left feeling fairly euphoric. So after establishing a bit of a rapport work-wise, I was sort of hoping I would be involved with the next album." This track would form the foundation of what would become OK Computer. In early 1996, the group took a break from touring because they found it a bit too stressful. Thoughts now turned to a new record with the mindset of distancing themselves from anything similar to The Bends. Drummer Phillip Selway would say, “There was an awful lot of soul-searching [on The Bends]. To do that again on another album would be excruciatingly boring.” The label gave the band a rather good sized budget for recording equipment for the new release. A number of producers were considered for the album, but they kept coming back to Godrich as an advisor on equipment. Eventually, the band hired him as the producer. Ed O’Brien said of the album, “Everyone said, 'You'll sell six or seven million if you bring out The Bends Pt 2,' and we're like, 'We'll kick against that and do the opposite'."
In early 1996, Radiohead began proper recording of the LP at Canned Applause Studios in Oxfordshire, England. Issues immediately came up as the band had difficulty staying focused on one song all the way to completion. Selway would talk about this later, “We're jumping from song to song, and when we started to run out of ideas, we'd move on to a new song ... The stupid thing was that we were nearly finished when we'd move on, because so much work had gone into them." Although the members of the group were considered equals, the voice of Thom Yorke always represented the loudest one in terms of musical direction. Godrich would talk about his role within the group in an interview. They “need to have another person outside their unit, especially when they're all playing together, to say when the take goes well ... I take up slack when people aren't taking responsibility—the term producing a record means taking responsibility for the record ... It's my job to ensure that they get the ideas across." His permanent role on each Radiohead album would lead to the producer being called the sixth member of Radiohead. After only recording four songs, the band left the Canned Applause Studio for a variety of reasons Including the fact that the studio had no bathrooms or dining rooms. They decided to take a break from recording in order to support Alanis Morissette on tour, which gave them a chance to try some of their new tracks live. Around the same time, Director Baz Luhrmann asked the band to contribute a song to his film, Romeo and Juliet. “Exit Music for a Film” would be played as the credits rolled during the movie, but they did not give Luhrmann permission to place the track on the movie soundtrack. Yorke would later observe that this song became very important to the album. It “was the first performance we'd ever recorded where every note of it made my head spin—something I was proud of, something I could turn up really, really loud and not wince at any moment."
In September 1996, the band began recording again at a mansion in Bath, England owned by actress Jane Seymour. Jonny Greenwood would say the environment represented a much more pleasant change for the group. It “was less like a laboratory experiment, which is what being in a studio is usually like, and more about a group of people making their first record together." One quality that the band enjoyed during the sessions came in the fact that they took full advantage of the natural environment of the mansion. “Exit Music for a Film” utilized some natural reverb courtesy of a stone stairwell. They recorded Let Down” in an empty ballroom at 3 o’clock in the morning. The group worked at its own pace as Ed O’Brien observed later. “The biggest pressure was actually completing [the recording]. We weren't given any deadlines and we had complete freedom to do what we wanted. We were delaying it because we were a bit frightened of actually finishing stuff." A majority of the album would be recorded live with no overdubs because Yorke hated them. The band completed the rest of the album at the studio in Saint Catherine’s towards the end of 1996. In January 1997, the strings for the album were recorded, then they spent the next two months mastering and mixing the album. Actually, the mixing of the album only took a couple of days. Nigel Godrich would later comment, “I feel like I get too into it. I start fiddling with things and I fuck it up ... I generally take about half a day to do a mix. If it's any longer than that, you lose it. The hardest thing is trying to stay fresh, to stay objective."
Several artists would influence what would become the finished product of OK Computer. First and foremost came the 1970 album Bitches Brew by jazz great, Miles Davis. Thom Yorke would tell Q what he saw in that recording that made up his vision for this album. “It was building something up and watching it fall apart, that's the beauty of it. It was at the core of what we were trying to do with OK Computer." Other artists that helped to inspire the record included Elvis Costello, REM, PJ Harvey, the Beatles, Can, and composer Ennio Morricone. Jonny Greenwood would describe OK Computer as an attempt to recreate the sound on all these great records, but they missed the mark. The band would expand their instrumentation for this album to include electric piano, Mellotron, cello and other strings, glockenspiel and electronic effects. Spin would say this about the release, “A DIY electronica album made with guitars." The lyrics to the album focused on themes much more conceptual when contrasted with The Bends. Yorke would sing about a wide variety of topics including transportation, technology, insanity, death, globalism, capitalism, and more. The singer would say, “On this album, the outside world became all there was ... I'm just taking Polaroids of things around me moving too fast." He also took inspiration for some of the lyrics from a selection of books including Noam Chomsky, Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Extremes, Will Hutton's The State We're In, Jonathan Coe's What a Carve Up! and Philip K. Dick's VALIS. Despite the abstract nature of the lyrics on the record, many critics have looked upon OK Computer as a concept album. They argue that there exists a singular theme running throughout the record, but the band has consistently denied any attempt at making such a release. Jonny Greenwood commented, “I think one album title and one computer voice do not make a concept album. That's a bit of a red herring." They did pay particularly close attention to the order of the tracklist taking almost two weeks to complete it.
The album opens with “Airbag,” which highlights the drumming of Phillip Selway. The track had been inspired by the work of DJ Shadow. The band would later admit that they represented novices in this attempt to base a song on DJ Shadow due to their lack of time with programming. Yorke had actually read an article in a magazine entitled “An Airbag Saved My Life.” Another book that helped to create the basis for the song lyrics emerged in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Yorke had always been obsessed with the idea that any time you get into a car you could possibly die at any second. The second track “Paranoid Android” stands out as one of the longest tracks in the band's entire catalog. Two songs inspired it from classic rock, “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” by the Beatles and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. The lyrics are meant to reference the alien from Douglas Adams’s A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Yorke got the idea after watching a woman lose her mind after a drink spilled on her at a bar in Los Angeles. “Subterranean Homesick Alien” referenced “Subterranean Homesick Blues” by Bob Dylan. The lyrics are meant to refer a person who is abducted by aliens, then returns home to realize his life is in no way any different. The beginnings of the theme for this track actually began for the singer in private school when he had an assignment to recreate a British literary movement called Martian poetry. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare inspired the lyrics to “Exit Music for a Film.” This should come as no surprise as the band had specifically created the song for a remake film. Yorke would use it as a chance to simply recap the entire narrative in the song because Zeffirelli’s version of the film greatly affected him at the age of 13. “I cried my eyes out, because I couldn't understand why, the morning after they shagged, they didn't just run away. It's a song for two people who should run away before all the bad stuff starts.” The singer had tried to replicate Johnny Cash’s Live at Folsom Prison as he sang along to his acoustic guitar. “Let Down” represented an attempt by the band to recreate the sound made famous by Phil Spector and his wall of sound. Yorke would later comment that the lyrics are “about that feeling that you get when you're in transit but you're not in control of it—you just go past thousands of places and thousands of people and you're completely removed from it.” The singer would look upon such lyrics as perfect symbolism for Generation X, which had strongly influenced the direction of it. “Karma Police” contains two major sections that alternate between piano and guitar, which originally came from “Sexy Sadie” by the Beatles. The title of the song was an inside joke between the band during the previous tour. If something bad happened to someone, they would say that the karma police were going to get them. The short Interlude “Fitter, Happier” became something that the Radiohead frontman wrote in 10 minutes while on a break. The voice came from the Macintosh Simpletext software application. He would later describe the words as a “checklist for slogans from the 1990s.”
“Electioneering” turned out to be one of the band’s heaviest rock oriented songs probably ever with lyrics that were inspired by the Poll Tax Riots. Another source of inspiration came in the book Manufacturing Consent by Noah Chomsky. “Climbing Up the Walls” has been described by Melody Maker as “monumental chaos.” The track was arranged by Johnny Greenwood for 16 instruments based on composer Krzysztof Penderecki's “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima.” No Surprises” would be initially inspired by “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys, but they really wanted to replicate the mood of “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong or the soul music of Marvin Gaye. Yorke would say the song’s narrator is “someone who's trying hard to keep it together but can't.” The track that started it all “Lucky” was actually inspired by the Bosnian War. Yorke wanted to illustrate the actual terror of that conflict on the charity album, Help. Another theme that he drew upon emerged in his own anxiety about transportation. Critics have likened the guitar on the song to 1970’s Pink Floyd. The final track on the album “The Tourist” was specifically arranged by Jonny Greenwood to create a bit of space on the LP. The lyrics originated from Yorke witnessing tourists in France trying to see as many sites as possible. The title of the album came from the 1978 radio series based on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when character Zaphod Beeblebrox says, “Okay, computer, I want full manual control now." They had first heard the line while listening to the series on the bus for their tour in 1996. Yorke would say this about the title later. It “refers to embracing the future, it refers to being terrified of the future, of our future, of everyone else's. It's to do with standing in a room where all these appliances are going off and all these machines and computers and so on ... and the sound it makes." The artwork would be created by both Yorke and Stanley Donwood using a computer. The Radiohead singer would observe this about the art, “It's quite sad, and quite funny as well. All the artwork and so on ... It was all the things that I hadn't said in the songs."
Leading up to the release of the album, the band got very little support from Capitol Records because they did not have too much faith in the commercial potential of it. Much of the pessimism came in the fact that the record did not have any singles to put on the radio. Ed O’Brien would call it the “lack of a Van Halen factor.” The singles that were released from OK Computer included “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police,” and “Lucky.” All of the singles charted in the top 10 in the UK, while they also did very well making the top 20 on the US charts. Their official website was created in order to promote the record, as well as some non-traditional promotional techniques by the record label. One such idea came in their decision to take out full-page ads in popular British newspapers and magazines with only the lyrics to “Fitter, Happier.” Another promotion sent out floppy disks to people in the press, which included many Radiohead screensavers. Upon its official release, OK Computer would debut at number one on the UK charts, while in the US the record made it to number 21. Please note that this was the highest American debut for the band. By September 2000, the release had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide.
Critics loved the album across the board. Writer Tim Footman would comment, “Not since 1967, with the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, had so many major critics agreed immediately, not only on an album's merits, but on its long-term significance, and its ability to encapsulate a particular point in history." Many critics saw it as a very important album. Mojo wrote in their review, “Others may end up selling more, but in 20 years' time I'm betting OK Computer will be seen as the key record of 1997, the one to take rock forward instead of artfully revamping images and song-structures from an earlier era.” The New Yorker would congratulate the band on taking many more risks artistically then their contemporaries like Oasis. “Throughout the album, contrasts of mood and style are extreme ... This band has pulled off one of the great art-pop balancing acts in the history of rock." Most of the reviews that were slightly mixed seemed to focus on the fact that when compared with The Bends, this record did not contain as many catchy songs. The release would go on to win the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, but did not win Album of the Year. The praise for the album seemed to inundate the band a little too much. Also, Radiohead did not agree with the universal assessment that they had made the greatest progressive or art rock record since Dark Side of the Moon. Thom Yorke would say, “We write pop songs ... there was no intention of it being 'art'. It's a reflection of all the disparate things we were listening to when we recorded it."
The legacy of the album came to be represented in a variety of ways. First, the release of OK Computer coincided with the election of Tony Blair. Some writers have pointed to the pessimism on the record as a sign of things to come. Stephen Hayden would write, “Radiohead appeared to be ahead of the curve, forecasting the paranoia, media-driven insanity, and omnipresent sense of impending doom that's subsequently come to characterise everyday life in the 21st century." Second, the arrival of this album directly coincided with the decline of Britpop. The Oasis album Be Here Now did not attain the commercial or critical success that What’s the Story Morning Glory had received in 1995. Third, OK Computer directly influenced a new generation of artists including bands like Bloc Party and TV on the Radio. The album has landed on many lists over the subsequent years as one of the best releases of the decade and all time. Yet, not all retrospective reviews have been kind to OK Computer as it has also landed on some lists as one of the most overrated records of all time. A New Musical Express column criticized the release as the exact point when Radiohead stopped being good, but instead started to become important.
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baby, you’re like lightning in a bottle (chapter one)
Peter Nureyev has a new name, a fake identity, a fake life to step into to complete his very first off planet solo mission. Unfortunately, it involves going undercover as a high school student at Oldtown High. And the people he meets there mean his mission will go anything but smoothly.
This high school AU was the idea of my amazing girlfriend @spiky-lesbian
Please leave a comment over on ao3 or reblog if you like this!
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If he repeated his mission over and over again in his head, he couldn’t fail.
That’s what Peter Nureyev told himself as he sat on the hard plastic chair, gripping it’s edge with knuckles tighter than they needed to be, his jaw set hard like he was trying to chew something that wouldn’t go down. He would fix his face, smooth his posture, shift his face into the look of unshakable confidence he’d spent so long perfecting but he needed to look nervous right now. He needed to look like a cornered animal.
Which was convenient, at least. Less work for him.
Repeat the instructions. Remember the rules. Follow the plan. Don’t fuck up. It sounded so simple and, if Peter believed hard enough, it would be. First rule of thieving, belief in your own skills is half the battle.
There was a secretary at a desk across from him, taking up most of what little room there was in the anteroom to the office. She was mostly focused on her computer screen, typing or tiredly slapping the flat of her hand against it when it glitched out, but every so often she’d give him a sympathetic glance. The kind of glance you’d naturally give a clearly underfed, scrawny teenager, starting a brand new school in the dead centre of the roughest part of Oldtown, with his too big, second hand clothes, scuffing his worn trainers against the carpet. The kind of glance that said oh you poor thing, you have no idea what you’re in for.
If only she knew, Peter thought with a dry amusement. If only she knew just how far he’d travelled, how out of his element he was right now, how he’d simultaneously faced things so much worse than a high school and was so deeply terrified by it. If she saw everything in his cheap rucksack that weren’t school supplies; the long range signal device, the pen drive stuffed full of the galaxy’s most insidious malware, the plasma knife, all carefully concealed amongst the notebooks and pens and pencils. Peter wondered how her face would change then.
It was as if remembering it was there had reminded him what he was here to do and the nerves welled up fresh, like a wound had been prodded. His heart began to thud in his thin chest, his palms began to prickle with heat, the old tic he’d been trying so hard to suppress made his knee bounce. Peter tried to tell himself it would be fine, talking himself through the plan, repeating the mission again and again as if to prove to himself that he knew it by heart. As if simply remembering the words Mag had left him with would be the same as pulling off his very first solo, off planet job.
First rule of thieving, don’t go into a gig you aren’t ready for. Mag was a pragmatist, he’d always been the one sensibly pouring water on Peter’s fervour, after all, making their risks calculated and manageable. And so much was riding on this, the work Peter did here would open up whole new streams of income for them back on Brahma, so much more fuel for the fight. With everything invested in it, the ticket to Mars, the accomodation for a month, the effort to build Peter a fake life solid enough to get him enrolled in a government funded high school, there was no room to play it fast and loose. If Mag said his apprentice was ready for this, then it had to be true. When had he ever steered him wrong?
Peter allowed himself a sigh, one that the secretary wouldn’t hear or, if she did, she’d chalk it up to the understandable anxiousness of the new kid. He’d come a long way from the first time he’d stolen an apple from a stall under Mag’s careful eye.
To keep himself focused, he played a game. Peter did that a lot, he found himself uncomfortable with any time not consumed by some useful distraction. It was why he always listened to the radio as he fell asleep, no matter how many times Mag threatened to take the power brick out of it. He just couldn’t stand idle silence. So he pushed his glasses up his nose and took a quick study of the secretary’s desk to see what information he could glean about her.
His brain worked fast, plucking the bits of information out greedily. Family picture, wife, three children. Notes on her desk, the numbers of different homes for the elderly in Hyperion. Infirm parents and an upcoming heavy drain on her finances, then. Her nails were long but the polish was chipping, like she drummed them on her desk frequently. A short temper or just stressed? More likely the latter, she’d been kind to him so far. Or at least as kind as someone who worked in a place where she must see a hundred neglected, underweight kids with clear signs of poverty could afford to be without going insane. Her desk had no signs of organisation whatsoever, not so much as a sticky note to pin a flag in that riot of loose papers. So she was distracted, under pressure and clearly prone to losing track of information.
Peter thought he could drain the full contents of her bank account within a month.
Obviously, thinking that didn’t make him feel good and he’d never actually do it. But he could feel how proud Mag would be, if he brought him all of that from just a minute of observation, her whole life mapped out in a blueprint. How he’d smile at him and squeeze his shoulder and remind him of the first rule of thieving, know how to read your marks in a single glance, a glance might be all you get. Peter had mastered that one at age seven.
The secretary’s intercom buzzed suddenly and Peter didn’t need to fake his nervous jolt at the harsh, staticy sound. The voice on the other end was too muddy to make out but the secretary lifted her eyes and said, “You can go on through now. Mr Spoor is ready for you.”
Nureyev nodded, scrambling to his feet, patting himself down in a way that would look like he was trying to neaten himself up when in fact, he was deliberately ruffling his hair, yanking down his t-shirt so the frays on the hem would be visible, missing the smudge under his ear. First rule of thieving, you’re never in such a position of power as when the mark underestimates you.
The principal’s office was pretty meagre but at least had a slight edge on the rest of his run down, underfunded school. The chair Peter sat in was worn through so the stuffing poked out, the desk between them had deep gouges in it that hadn’t been sanded down, the computer to the side of them was an ancient model that Peter could have cracked with his eyes closed. That boded well for the rest of his mission.
“It’s customary to have these orientation meetings with your guardian present,” the principal's voice was cool and had no trace of a warm welcome in it, not even a greeting. It matched the expression on his craggy face, “I was expecting to meet them.”
“Um…” Peter swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably, shrinking himself down, “They, uh...my dad...he...he was sick this morning so he couldn’t come.”
There was a lot that could be read into that, half a hundred hidden explanations that, given the catchment area of Oldtown High, Mr Spoor would have seen again and again. So he didn’t press, just giving Peter an unimpressed glance like it was his fault that his non existent father was absent, turning to the screen.
“Very well then...Peter Ransom, correct?”
“That’s right…” Peter nodded.
“That’s right, sir.”
Peter gave a little start, cheeks reddening to come off as merely intimidated and unsure rather than outwardly defiant. As fun as that would be, it wouldn’t make his task any easier, “Sir. Sorry. Sir.”
Mr Spoor likely would have narrowed his lips if they weren’t already worn down to a permanent grimace of disapproval, turning back to the screen and whatever information was on there. Most of it counterfeit, of course.
“So you were born on the outer rim...passable scores in your previous assessments…”
Peter kept his face impassive, though something roiled inside him. The grades Mag had put together for him were fantastic, he knew that for a certainty, and he could match them with his ability. But he didn’t rise, he didn’t bite. He just looked suitably shy and intimidated, scuffing the toe of his sneaker against the floor, fidgeting with the large, second hand glasses Mag had given him to replace his usual sleek, cat eye ones.
“You’ll be starting with us as a senior, given your age and...supposed ability. I expect you to maintain an acceptable standard of work, given that you’re joining so late in the year. We cannot afford for you to fall behind,” Mr Spoor continued, looking more at the screen than the child in front of him, “What is it exactly that brings someone from a place like Brahma to a Martian high school?”
Peter swallowed, “My dad got a job on Mars, sir. He said things would be better for us here...that I’d be able to go to a good school and make friends…”
The principal didn’t even try to hide his snort of disdain, deepening Peter’s instantly formed dislike of the man. He must have thought this new student of his was blind, that he hadn’t seen the graffiti covering the front of the building, how the chairs didn’t match in the classrooms he’d passed, how the books were dog eared and the floors permanently scuffed. Did he enjoy seeing these children clearly born just after the war, with their tattered families and nightmares of a time they could only half remember, crossing the galaxy for something close to a life worth living, coming through his school and being ground down just like the rest of them? Did he find it amusing, seeing a boy who’d grown up scared of the sky itself daring to hope that things might be better here?
Again, Peter repeated his mission in his head.
“We might as well take you on,” Mr Spoor said, as if he didn’t particularly care one way or the other, “I’m sure you’ll fit right in with our other students.” The way he said it made it sound neither reassuring or like a positive.
“Thank you, sir,” Peter feigned a mix of relief, excitement and fear, “I promise I’ll work really hard and do really well.”
The look Mr Spoors gave him made him wonder how he’d like a plasma knife at his throat but, thankfully, it was brief, soon replaced by dismissal, “You’ll begin classes after lunch. Go wait outside again and my secretary will give you your timetable.”
With more breathless, slightly panicked enthusiasm, Peter retreated, looking forward to rewarding himself with a momentary, bitter scowl in between the door closing and approaching the secretary.
But, as it happened, he never got the chance. Because there was now another student was occupying the same chair he’d been sitting on. And Peter’s heart stopped dead for a moment, for a number of reasons.
One, their face was covered in blood. Splatters of it radiated out from a nose that was now swollen and tender, from a lip that was messily split, and Peter knew enough of basic field medicine to know their left eye would be black and purple and swollen nearly shut the next day. The fists angrily clenched in their lap had split knuckles too, just to complete the image.
Two, the face beneath the gore was beautiful.
Peter steadied himself, swallowing hard and taking the seat next to his new schoolmate. Almost immediately, the uninjured eye fixed a glare on him so sharp and vicious that Peter promptly shifted to the next chair along.
He knew the over eager, overcompensating new student he was supposed to be playing would immediately try to make friends, stick his hand out in the gap between them and introduce himself in a too loud, too sunny voice as Peter Ransom. Probably to be met with another glare and possibly a punch to the face, given how much they were twitching with what was clearly post-fight adrenaline. But for some reason, he couldn’t quite manage it so they sat in a frosty silence, punctuated only by the secretary's nails tapping on her computer keys and the steady drip of blood from their nose to the floor.
Still, Peter had a thief’s curiosity. He stole enough glances at the other kid to glean a little bit about them. They were his age, though shorter and stockier by nature, with an anger naturally set into their face that poor newbie Peter Ransom would never feel. Their hair was a mess of black curls, piled on top of their head and shaved underneath, their ear held numerous piercings they were clearly too young to have acquired legally or hygienically. That surely wouldn’t be permitted by the dress code Peter had studied avidly along with the schematics of the school, the faculty list and every other piece of information he’d been able to get about Oldtown High, determined to do a good and thorough job. The code would probably have had something to say about their combat boots that were a size too big, their fishnet tights and short skirt, their sleeveless shirt with, incongruously, a picture of a cartoon man on it and the bright, bubbly text reading ‘Turbo!’. There had probably been bigger misdemeanours to think about at the time than a dress code violation.
“What the hell are you staring at?”
Peter jumped at the rough, angry voice, realising the kid was scowling right at him. Their face was clearly made for that expression; Peter had faced down armed guards, lasers from the clouds, jobs that would have landed him in jail for ten times the years he’d been alive but he’d seldom felt so intimidated.
And people didn’t normally notice him looking. After all, first rule of thieving, your eyes are your greatest weapon, don’t be obvious when you use them.
“I...nothing, I’m not…” he searched for a response, glad it was in Ransom’s nature to be easily put off.
“Do I look like the kind of guy you want to mess with right now?” the scowl deepened, sending a fresh line of blood running down their chin from their broken lip.
“Um...no,” Peter decided it was better to give simple answers.
“Yeah,” they gave a dry snort with no humour in it, “So keep your eyes to yourself or lose them, pal.”
Blood, angry tones and threats didn’t scare Peter Nureyev but they weren’t the reason he looked away hastily and was glad of it. It had more to do with dark eyes, holding depths he knew he’d never open up with just a glance, a faded white scar across a flat nose that he thought he’d like to trace with the very tip of his finger, full lips that looked soft somehow even as they were curled in anger.
Peter gave himself a mental slap, repeating his mission again, louder and firmer. He could practically hear Mag laughing at him all the way from Brahma.
First rule of thieving, stop mooning after every pretty boy who so much as glances at you, Pete! How many times do I have to tell you?
He had to admit, he’d been hoping for a smoother start on his first off planet solo mission.
Fortunately, the secretary spoke up not long after, “Peter? Peter Ransom?”
He jumped to his feet, receiving a few papers from her. A class schedule, a map and an outline of expected behaviour. Peter had seen all of this and far, far more in his research but he made sure Ransom looked at it with apprehension, as if it was written in another language.
“And for you, Mr Steel, another detention slip,” her voice took on a kind of fond, bemused exhaustion, “Add it to the collection.”
The other student jumped up and swiped the pink piece of paper from her hands, stuffing it carelessly in the pocket of his skirt, “Thanks, Brenda.”
She rolled her eyes and turned to Peter, “It’s lunchtime at the moment, I’m sure Mr Steel here would be happy to show you to the cafeteria.”
Instantly, Mr Steel stiffened and shot her an exasperated look which she soundly ignored, turning back to her computer screen in a manner that suggested he could stand and look at her like that all day, for all she cared. Eventually, he gave a growl and stomped out of the office, down the corridor. Peter followed, pausing in the doorway to give him a chance to storm off and leave him behind.
There was no hiding his surprise when, after a few seconds, he snapped, “Are you coming or what?”
Peter did.
Nureyev knew every inch of the hallways but of course Ransom didn’t, so he fixed an expression of wary awe on his face. There were some things that didn’t take a lot of effort, like the swear word carved into one locker that he’d never even heard of or when the sound of a muffled explosion shook the floor above them where the science rooms were. They passed other students, who shot unsurprised looks at the state of Steel and appraised him like a piece of fresh meat in a butcher’s. Peter would have loved the chance to try his knife or his wits against one of them, he’d long ago learned to make up for the scrawny appearance that made them look at him so hungrily.
Stick to the mission. Follow the instructions. Do your job.
Abruptly, Steel stopped, without turning around, “Cafeteria’s down that way. See you.”
Peter blinked, glancing at the double doors he was indicating with a thumb, which were practically shaking out of their frames with the sound of what had to be a riot behind them, “Aren’t you eating too?”
“What’s it to you, pal?” Juno did turn then, just enough to fix him with an incredulous look.
Before Peter had to come up with an answer, they were interrupted by a loud shout of, “Juno!”
Peter thought his eyes were playing tricks on him for a moment, an exact copy of Steel was bounding down some stairs to their left. Except this one was smiling, a hundred kilowatt grin, and wearing leggings, an oversize sweatshirt and sneakers that flashed when they hit the floor.
“Oh god, Juno, your face is a mess,” he grimaced at the sight of his twin’s face, “Jones did a number on you, huh?”
“‘Bout half the number I did on them, they got carted off to the emergency room,” Steel, now Juno, grunted, still stiff and awkward, throwing glances in Peter’s direction.
“I’m sure they deserved it,” the other Steel shrugged, turning their grin on Peter, “Hey! I’m Benzaiten, you can call me Ben or Benten. You new?”
“Um, yes! I just started today actually, I...I’m from off planet and…”
“That’s cool! You can tell us more over lunch,” Ben’s tidal wave of positivity bowled over him, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder.
Both Juno and Peter froze.
“Over what now?”
“Uh, that’s kind of you but...um, I don’t know if I…”
“He’s new, Juno, of course he’s coming to sit with us!” Ben shrugged, like the matter was obvious.
Juno was staring daggers at his twin, looking ready to throttle him, “The guy says he’s fine, so he’s fine.”
“Come on, Juno, don’t be a bitch,” Ben laughed fondly, like he didn’t see that his twin was gritting his teeth hard enough to shatter, “We’d better get moving, Mick and Sasha will already be waiting…”
He turned on his neon flashing heel and bounced down the hall in the complete opposite direction to the cafeteria, not waiting for them. Juno groaned and pressed his fingertips to his temples like he was trying to ward off a migraine. After what was clearly him counting backwards from ten, he frowned and set off after his brother.
“Come or don’t come,” he growled over his shoulder at Peter, “I couldn’t care less.”
For a moment, neither Nureyev nor Ransom really knew what to do. He repeated his mission again in his head.
Blend in. Sneak in after dark. Find the evidence. Upload the malware. Send it to Mag. Run.
Nowhere in that list did it say follow a beautiful, angry stranger and his bubblegum brother god only knew where. In fact, Peter was pretty sure they fell squarely under the definition of a distraction, something he knew to avoid. He knew what the sensible choice was, the decision someone who could be trusted with missions like this, who would work tirelessly to be the best thief he could be, would make.
But...wouldn’t this count as blending in?
Armed with that flimsy excuse, Peter followed Juno Steel.
#jupeter#juno steel#peter nureyev#high school au#benzaiten steel#mick mercury#ben/mick#sasha wire#slow burn#enemies to friends to lovers#please reblog!#or comment!#or both!#make my whole damn day!
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Ohemaah - Beautiful Day [Official Video]
Hey Fanily! (that's what I call my fans. My fans = family. Fanily!)
Beautiful Day [Official Video]: This was my very first music video! Oh, the memories. This song is a celebration of life and what it feels like when hope is realized. It is about people who were once in chains and are now free, it's about the feeling of being forgiven, it's about what a beautiful day it will be when Jesus returns. I tried to imagine that feeling and capture it in 3 different stories - a soldier returning home from war to his family, a depressed teenager who catches a glimmer of sunshine and innocence when a couple kids invite him into their soccer game, and a paralyzed man in a wheelchair who (SPOILER ALERT), against all hope, dares to try standing up again at the end. This song is close to my heart because the chorus is just literally the words "la la la - oh" but it's the FEELING embedded in those nonsense words that makes you want to get up and dance! (Please do get up and dance).
There is such a thing as hope, and I believe one day everything will actually be ok. And that - that will be a BEAUTIFUL DAY.
Fun fact - my mom is in the video! There are a couple shots of the live audience dancing at my album release concert, and my mom is as happy as can be with her gold earrings just swingin'! See if you can spot her :) Let me know in the comments.
Filmed in Phoenix, AZ. Special thanks to all involved, and to Martin Flores, my director.
Listen to Ohemaah’s album ‘Beautiful Day’ now: https://msha.ke/ohemaah/
Follow Ohemaah: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ohemaahmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohemaahmusic/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohemaahmusic Website: https://www.ohemaah.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ae6K7M3lRcfZrpDzUHDYF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Ohemaah
Written by Ohemaah Ntiamoah Produced by Ohemaah Ntiamoah Engineered by Benjamin Correa Directed and edited by Martin Flores (Martian Media) Starring Ohemaah Ntiamoah, Timmy Manson Jr. (depressed teenager / Ohemaah's drummer), Lynee and Chris Whiten (military couple), Elijah Noriega (the little boy with a soccer ball), Franklin Montgomery (man in a wheelchair)
Also with: Erika Moore, Amanda Reeves, Ravon Patton, Barbara Caldwell, Alyssa Noriega, Latasha NewburnBand: Llew Berry (bass), Timmy Manson Jr. (drums), Joseph Manson (Saxophone), Corbin Rivers (electric guitar), Ohemaah Ntiamoah (piano, vocals), Angela Young and Lynee Whiten (background vocals)
Album release hosted by SoZo Coffeehouse, Chandler, AZ.
Lyrics
Sing we / sing we now a new song Sing we / sing we now a new song Because - we have our freedom Because - our chains are broken Because - we who were meant to die have been given life to now live and live again Because - we are forgiven Because - today we begin (Because) - So we will go dancing in the streets / Can’t control this feeling!
La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo
Sing we / Sing we now a new song Sing we / Sing we now a new song Because - we have our freedom Because - our chains are broken Because - we who were meant to die have been given life to now live and live again Because - we see a new day Because - we’re livin’ a new way (Because) - So we will go dancing in the streets / Can’t control this feeling!
La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo
The day is coming / The day is coming The day is coming when we shall behold you We shall see you for who you are And it will be beautiful A beautiful day (repeat)
La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo La la la la la la la la (repeat 3X) / ooooooo
Music in this video Learn more: Listen ad-free with YouTube Premium Song: Beautiful Day Artist: Ohemaah Licensed to YouTube by Ohemaah Ntiamoah (on behalf of NTI Records, LLC.); BMI - Broadcast Music Inc. Copyright © 2013 by Ohemaah Ntiamoah. All rights reserved.
#Ohemaah - Beautiful Day#beautiful day official video#beautiful day official music video#beautiful day by Ohemaah#beautiful day music#music#music videos 2020#hemaah#Ohemaahmusic#pop#music artist#music concert#Vevo Music#live stream#live music concert#official music video#real love song#singer#artist#covers#songwriter#guitar acapella#alternative music#christian music#worship music#gospel#african artist#calming music#beautiful day#beautiful day lyrics
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tag games✨
(stealing emmie’s idea *cough*)
so putting some tag games under the cut here <3 thank you for tagging me !! and please, if you want to, please continue doing it because i enjoy doing these quite a lot :3
the order is messed up though lmao sorry
get to know me tag 💕
tagged by ;; @flirtyhyuck
rules ;; tag 10 blogs you want to get to know better
name: zamantha
gender: female
height: somewhere around 5′1″? don’t think i grew much since we last measured lmao
sexuality: good question
jk idrk just yet but here’s something that i feel describes me best rn ?
favorite animal: dogs? foxes? idrk but otherwise, it’d be a dragon
current time:
cats or dogs: dogs
dream job: astronaut like anything that has something to do with music (like performing or production) or science (probably more on chemistry though cause i’m a nerd)
when i made this blog: april [something] 2019
why i made this blog: because i had ideas i wanted to share and make other people happy with these ideas as well
reason for url: my handwriting is crap so my u’s & v’s and g’s & q’s look the same + blog is about jisung so yeah
(and also to kathy, hyuck doing that tongue thing, yes)
5 random facts 💞
tagged by ;; @heart-bleeding-autism-angel, @pinkhyunie (different kind of tag, but same content hhh)
rules ;; write 5 random facts about yourself and tag some mutuals/people you’d like to get to know better !!
i recently just learnt blackpink’s stay on the guitar
i really really wanna learn misfit on the drums but we only have electric drums and my father won’t teach me how to set it up 🤧
i think wayyyy too much
i can somehow destroy anything i can get my hands on (both on purpose sabotage but more often than not, on accident 🤡)
i’m horrible at responses and replying :/
a bunch of tags 💓
just emmie’s hugeass tag that i’ll be answering cause why not
tagged by ;; @honeydh (the whole thing <3), @heart-bleeding-autism-angel (keeping up with mutuals tag)
。☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆。
keeping up with mutuals tag 💗
favorite color(s): green
last song: DINOSAUR - AKMU
last movie: Your Name (haven’t actually watched anything else since then 💀💀)
last show completed: Crash Landing on You (this is the only show i managed to “finish” 💀💀💀)
currently reading: The Martian - Andy Weir
currently watching: i don’t really watch any shows
sweet, savory, or spicy: savory (i can’t take too much of any flavor, really)
craving: kwek kwek :(( also boba and maybe like pizza
tea or coffee: coffee
。☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆。
5 things tag 💖
5 things you can find in my room:
19472 plushies
fuzzy blankets & fluffy pillows
a bed
a desktop computer
and a mess
(the room is literally just a bed and a computer + i share it with my siblings skhf)
5 random things about me:
i love studying about different languages and cultures of different places
i don’t really like cake 😬 (too-sweet things in general too, like candies)
but i really like those sour gummies though, they pass
i google so much random shit that i know too many things i won’t be able to use in school
i like learning, but i hate school with a burning passion
5 favorite bands:
i saw “bands” and the first thing that popped into my head was fall out boy skjd
day6
tøp
kamikazee
parokya ni edgar lol
5 favorite girl groups/soloists:
blackpink
taylor swift
bol4
hailee steinfeld
moira dela torre
5 favorite boy groups/soloists:
nct
stray kids
ed sheeran
treasure
bruno mars
。☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆。
15 questions tag 💝
nicknames: zam (irl and here), z (just here), zennie, zatan (help ?!?!?), zsung
zodiac: libra
height: ^^ pocket-sized
last thing i googled: “why do ants carry dead ants” 💀
song stuck in my head: DINOSAUR - AKMU (it just sounds so good 🥺)
number of followers: 1,275 :o
amount of sleep i got: i’m hibernating (like 12 hours? idk when i slept but i just woke up)
lucky number: 18 (lucky & favorite number)
favorite song: yes
favorite instrument: by sound, violin & piano, but to play, it’s got to be the drums skjdfh
dream job: like i said, astronaut something related to either music or science
aesthetic: i’m bad at like art stuff and design help me pls hm idk maybe like rn i’m feeling stuff like stupid poses in polaroid photos, remembering something that happened like years ago with a friend and laughing about it together, playing at a playground at night, sleepovers where no one actually sleeps, late-night roadtrips, camping with friends and stargazing, just like everything nostalgic yk
favorite author: i pick up whatever book and just read tbh so i don’t really have a favorite, per se
favorite animal noise: crickets chirping (idk i just have some good memories tied to this sound it’s weird skfs)
random: as suggested by one of my timestamps, i don’t really like pizza crusts
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Since I’m probably not gonna see another show until 2021, here’s what I believe is a complete list of every musical artist I’ve ever seen. Done from a spotty memory.
Front Line Assembly (2X) The Secret Machines Common Some House guy The Creepy Magicians (2X) Xanthos Polygon Fighting Team Some random band that showed up to the show we hosted The Mars Volta Machinehead Megadeth Heaven & Hell Lauren Harris Iron Maiden (2X) Ghost Some grindcore band that didn’t look at the crowd, opening for Wet Nurse (did not see Wet Nurse) Drugs of Faith Lord Mantis Secret Chiefs 3 Saul Williams Les Claypool (Fungi Band) Electric Six (14X) Living Things The Gay Blades Millions of Brazilians Kitten Some punk band that opened for E6 and covered Whole Lotta Love (4/20/12) Little Hurricane My Jerusalem That E6 opener on the Human Zoo tour Yip Deceiver In the Whale Dingleberry Dynasty (1.5X) Groves F City Jeremy and the Harlequins Buckethead That 1 Guy (3X) Between the Buried and Me Baroness Mastodon (2X) Dick Valentine Suburban Commandos or something Aquabats Reel Big Fish (1.1X) Pearl and the Beard The Future (no not him) Some highschool post punk band Tiger Scout Carbon Leaf Das Racist Despot Lakutis Danny Brown Gene Ween Old Guy With a Uke that opened for Gene Ween Dean Ween (4X) Ween (3X) Primus (3X) Clutch Sick Martian Architect Mike Dillon Keith Kenny AWOL Nation The AWOL opener that sounded like the Killers with a good bassist Redlight King Reid + Drummer Reid + Drummer + Guitarist Reid + Another Dummer Austra Cold Cave (2X) Drab Majesty Mindless Self Indulgence Morningwood Wolff and Tuba Iron Man (3X) Spirit Caravan Pilgrim Zekiah Some random Hardcore band opening for Iron Man and Zekiah Yob (2X) Ruins of Beverast Tombs Taake (2X) Agalloch (2X) Inquisition Vattnet Viskar Young and in the Way Bastard Sapling Jex Thoth (2X) Vektor Ufomammut Bongripper Earth (3X) Goblin Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin (2X) Zombi Anaal Nathrakh Demilich Goatsnake Amorphis (2X) Iris Divine Eyes of the Nile Mongrel Dopecopper The Pilgrim (2X, different band from the aforementioned “Pilgrim”) Wounded Giant (2X) Ashencult (2X) Dweller in the Valley Oak Pissgrave Cemetery Piss Dead Congregation Mantar Lamb of God Anthrax Deafheaven Power Trip North Conan (2X) Electric Wizard Satan’s Satyrs Sleep Windhand Mannequin Pussy Wing Dam Genevieve Snakefeast (2X) Mother Moon Youth Code (3X) Clipping. Curse Bongzilla Psychic TV Corpse Light (2X) Chelsea Wolfe KMFDM OhGr Screaming Females Pathogenesis Purrer Outer Spaces Street Eaters Code Orange Some other hardcore band opening for Code Orange The dream pop person opening for Code Orange Eric Arn & Margaret Unknown Super Flower Alex and an old guy with a drum Flock of Dimes The Mountain Goats Plow Chris Forsyth & the Solar Motel Band Arbouretum Jucifer They Might Be Giants Destroyer of Man Order of the Owl guy w/ acoustic n’ looper who opened for the Mountain Goats Buzzov*en Weedeater (2X) ⅔ Goat Muskethawk Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats Ruby the Hatchet Wildhoney Pizza Underground Dude who opened for Pizza Underground Patti Smith (2X) TV on the Radio Okkervil River James Murphy Teddy Bears Alexandria Kleztet The Wailers Matisyahu B.B. King Some white blues band opening for the King The Black Keys Circulatory System Neutral Milk Hotel Holy Ghost New Order Another random Ska band, opening for TLA Thee Lexington Arrows Holy Fuck Death Domain Other random Hardcore band at this Iceage show (did not see Iceage) Ilsa (2X) Old Man Gloom Neurosis Winter Skepticism Primordial Masacre Mgła Cancer At the Gates SubRosa Phobodeimos Susan Alcorn, CK Barlow, Orlando Johnson, and M.C. Schmidt Carrie Fucile, Jamal Moore, Ada Pinkston, & Peter Redgrave Patrick Crossland, Owen Gardner, Sarah Hughes, Bonnie Jones, and Paul Neidhardt Die Krupps Alcest Acid Witch Blue Öyster Cult Gut Fauna Teton Heavy Temple (2X) Unearthly Trance Foehammer Worms of the Earth Statiqbloom Mortiis White Ford Bronco Summoner’s Circle Wolfheart Swallow the Sun Children of Bodom Book of Wyrms Mountainwolf Yatra Horseburner Haze Mage Tombtoker I’m With Her Helms Alee Caroline Rose Zenizen The Natvral PLRLS Raindeer Surfer Blood ORB Stonefield King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
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Super Shirts
Fluff/Humour. Inspired by 5x04 - Kara gets upset when she finds out what Lena has been doing behind her back, but Lena thinks it’s for the greater good.
“How could you betray me like this?!”
Kara stood in Lena’s lab, her chest heaving and eyes wide open in panic. Lena knew this moment was coming, and there was no way she would give Kara the satisfaction of apologising. Everything Lena had done was calculated. Planned. And most importantly, it had worked. She wasn’t going to let Kara make her feel guilty about it.
“What are you talking about?” Lena asked, feigning ignorance.
Kara gave her a righteous don’t fuck with me glare. “I walked past a clothes store on my lunch break, and this was on one of the mannequins.” Kara’s right hand rose in front of her face, presenting a T-Shirt to Lena like it was an academy award. The cut was plain and simple, just like most pop culture tops. On the front in large print read ‘Superfriends’, accompanied by the image of Supergirl, Guardian, Dreamer, and Martian Manhunter.
“I think the mannequin had good taste.”
Kara’s death glare only grew darker. “L-Corp is on the label.”
“Which is why it is good taste.”
“What I said about the shirts was meant to be an inside joke.”
Lena smiled wryly, resting her cheek in her hand. “No one but the superfriends are going to get it.” She could see Kara’s ears turn red in response to her teasing tone.
“And this one?” Her arms swapped positions like a see-saw, a different shirt on display. On the front was a silhouette of Supergirl with the caption ‘I flew here’. Kara then spun the shirt around revealing the words ‘on a bus’ just underneath an appropriate vehicle illustration. Lena couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her and had to cover her mouth just so Kara wouldn’t get any more worked up.
“That one is my favourite.”
Kara’s arm dropped to her side with a slap, the shirts falling to the ground unceremoniously. Lena imagined that it took everything in Kara’s being to not stomp all over them.
The blonde crossed her arms, her biceps practically pulsing with rage. “You’re making fun of me.”
Lena gave Kara the best shit-eating grin she could muster. “No one else is going to know that either.”
“But they might start asking why Lena Luthor is suddenly selling merchandise of Supergirl.”
Kara marched up to the bench to stand directly across from Lena, her arms spread wide as she leaned against it. Lena could have sworn that miniature cracks were appearing where Kara was gripping the edge.
“Kara...I had a statue built for you. Any questions people have about my relationship with Supergirl were asked years ago.” Kara wanted to interrupt, but Lena put up a hand to stop her. “Besides, I ran a media empire, remember? Supergirl isn’t exactly off limits to merchandising. I’d say she’s kind of public property. Need I remind you why you have a secret identity?”
Kara huffed, fingers now drumming on the benchtop. “How many other shirts have you made?”
“One or...six.” Kara pressed a hand to her temple, but Lena ignored her. “Brainy already bought the one that just says ‘pants’, with like, five exclamation points after it.”
“That traitor.”
Lena stood from her stool and walked around the bench. She placed her hand over Kara’s, trying to open that palm and soothe those tense little muscles with her fingertips. As angry as Kara seemed, there was a certain side of Lena that enjoyed seeing her girlfriend so riled up, especially when Kara was at a loss for words. She had a habit of becoming so flustered that the Kryptonian would make facial expressions that Lena considered impossible for a human (if only for the level of adorableness).
Sometimes Kara would have a fire in her eyes which made Lena think she was about to use her heat vision to burn the room down. That, combined with the way all her muscles tensed at once, made an angry Kara pretty damn sexy.
Lena sighed. “Look, darling. These shirts are making a ridiculous amount of revenue already. Think of all the people we can help with that money. If you’d like I can send a percentage to a charity of Supergirl’s choice, and the rest I promise to use to help you and the DEO.”
For good measure, Kara released a few more huffs and groans. Lena gave her a minute to consider her words. The crinkle did not vanish from Kara’s forehead, but Lena could see from her darting gaze that she did not have a rebuttal.
“Fine.” Kara snapped. “But you can forget about learning the handshake.” Having given the last word, the superhero disappeared.
Jess called not five minutes later, obviously concerned about the state of their relationship.
“Shall I send some flowers, Miss Luthor??”
“No, Jess. Don’t worry. I’ve always got a plan.”
When Kara came home that night, Lena was waiting for her wearing a single shirt. And nothing else.
Kara’s eyebrows almost flew up, up, and away.
“Super-girlfriend?”
Leaning against the bedroom door frame, Lena smirked at her girlfriend. “I promise, there is only one of these shirts. And the buyer paid an extremely generous amount for it.”
Suffice to say...Kara forgave her.
Thoroughly.
/Hope you enjoyed it! I love my angst but I know this fandom wants fluff right now. I will be trying to write a Supercorp one-shot every week inspired by each episode. So far so good.
#supercorp#supergirl#kara danvers#lena luthor#my fanfic#supercorp fanfic#supergirl fanfic#legit could not think of a title#posting some humour while I work on some angst
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Commander Mars (Martian to a Different Drum)
Commander Mars has a rather playful (but hard to read) personality in Pokémon Special (Adventures), an impulsive (and occasionally explosive) personality in Diamond Pearl Adventure, and a sassy, snarky mannerism in the anime (until the rushed ending, but the less we talk about that the better).
Fandom-wise, my favorite interpretation of Mars is in @galacticenergyco ’s ongoing story at FanFiction.net: Redshift. In Redshift, Mars is a diehard, eternally loyal subordinate who just can’t get over the man who meant so much to her five years ago. She’s willing to break Charon out of jail, rush into the Distortion World, and even break into the old HQ to help poor Cyrus make a full recovery. It’s ongoing and well worth a read.
I kept all of those iterations (and Mars’s game iteration) in mind when I designed her scent, but Redshift!Mars is where most of the inspiration came from. I wanted to create a fragrance that matched that personality most of all.
Mars has a temper when she’s pushed into a corner, so I wanted to pick a set of oils with a warming effect and a “warm” smell. Hers is the only scent in the entire set that has this quality. I also knew from the get-go I’d want the bomb (or at least the water) to be red, so that made it a bit easier to determine what my main scent would be.
I decided that the main scent in this synergy would be Cinnamon. There are various types of Cinnamon Essential Oil on the market. Cinnamon Bark, Cinnamon Leaf, Cassia Cinnamon, etc. Each have a slightly different smell and slightly different therapeutic properties.
I ended up selecting Cassia Cinnamon because Mars has it in her to occasionally be sweet (especially if your name is Cyrus) and that particular cinnamon oil smells like cinnamon sugar. I always keep a big bottle of it in my ridiculously large collection of oils. I collect these things like Pokémon. The 92-oil case I got for Christmas is already 80% full.
By this point, I had a few options: make this thing smell like an Atomic Fireball candy (been there), Big Red chewing gum (done that), or something more complex. I opted for more complex, since Mars is far from a one-dimensional Commander.
The next two oils I added to her synergy (Allspice and Nutmeg) are, like cinnamon, traditional spices for mulled autumn treats. You can find them together in pumpkin pie, pumpkin ale, spice cake, molasses spice cookies, and so on.
But I didn’t want Mars to simply smell like a glorified spice rack, either. I added a good amount of Sweet Orange to give the spices a fruity note, and some Balsam of Peru for a vanilla-like end note.
The end product brings to mind cozy sweaters, changing leaves, crisp autumn air, spiced fall treats, and the warmth of your home after rushing out into the cold. It’s like wrapping yourself up in your favorite blanket, but as a scent. Very comforting…and the Cassia Cinnamon really does make your skin tingle!
In the tub, Mars’s bomb (Martian to a Different Drum) ends up looking like those colored pictures of the surface of Jupiter, complete with the Great Red Eye. See for yourself! The water’s a dazzling vermilion once the suds dissipate and the smell lingers on your silky-soft skin well into the following morning.
And if your cat has no sense of self preservation (like mine), he may try to lick your legs before you make it into your bathrobe.
Now it’s time to talk about the pros and cons of these oils from a safety perspective...
Aromatherapy isn’t just about pretty smells and scented bath water. Essential oils are in such a high concentration that even absorbing them through your skin can leave you with the therapeutic (and potentially toxic) benefits.
If you are allergic to a plant, you are 100% without question going to be super allergic to the essential oil.
There’s also such a thing as contraindications: where some oils may affect you in weird ways if you have a certain medical condition or take certain medications.
The information below is for your safety if you want to attempt to make this blend at home (as a bath bomb, a body spray, or even scented bath salts). And do be sure to wear gloves. Some of these oils (especially the Balsam of Peru) have recommended dilution rates as small as 0.4%. You don’t want that to slide on bare skin!
Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil
Everyone knows the soothing, savory, spicy scent of cinnamon. It’s used in Asian cuisines to add flavor to meats and savory dishes. In the Western world, cinnamon can also be used in candies and sweets. It’s one of the most recognized, universal scents in the world.
The type of essential oil I used came from Cassia (Chinese) Cinnamon. This type of cinnamon is the most commonly purchased type of cinnamon (as opposed to Ceylon Cinnamon) within the United States.
Pros:
Cassia Cinnamon can be used to assist with issues pertaining to diabetes, intestinal gas, muscle and stomach spasms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, loss of appetite, chest pain, hernias, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, and the common cold.
Some people use it to treat bed-wetting in small children.
In part of a multi-ingredient treatment, Cassia Cinnamon can be used to treat erectile dysfunction. This is probably due to the numbing properties of eugenol (a chemical found in Cassia Cinnamon).
For female health, Cassia Cinnamon can also be your friend and assist you through menopausal symptoms, menstrual problems, cramps, and heavy menstrual flow.
Cassia Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone and similar chemicals. These chemicals seem to improve insulin sensitivity. Cassia Cinnamon also contains chemicals that may activate blood proteins that increase blood sugar uptake. These effects may improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes.
Cassia Cinnamon also contains cinnamaldehyde. This chemical might fight against some strains of bacteria and fungi. It also seems to stop the growth of some types of solid tumor cells.
Cons:
Due to the high eugenol content of this essential oil, Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil is toxic (and potentially fatal) to cats and dogs. If you plan to diffuse this, don’t trap your poor pet in the room with you!
In some countries, Cassia Cinnamon is used as an intentional abortifacent, since it can bring forward your menstrual flow and cause a miscarriage. If you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant, avoid this essential oil.
Cassia Cinnamon can be overused and abused. Too much of it over a long period of time may cause side effects in some people. One of its chemicals (coumarin) may cause or worsen existing liver disease.
If you’re diabetic, Cassia Cinnamon may lower your blood sugar levels. Watch for signs of hypoglycemia and monitor your blood sugar carefully.
Cassia Cinnamon may lower your blood sugar and interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. If you’re scheduled for surgery in 2 weeks, don’t use this essential oil.
Nutmeg Essential Oil
Nutmeg is the shelled, dried seed of the Myristica fragrans plant and is used to make traditional medicine. It has an effect on the central nervous system and the spice is used in a lot of autumnal blends. Think of pumpkin ale, carrot cake, and so on.
Pros:
Nutmeg is an effective treatment for several gastrointestinal issues (diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and intestinal gas). I’ve also seen improvement with my kidneys on days I diffuse Nutmeg or use this bath bomb, but this may not be true for you. You know your body better than I do.
Since Nutmeg affects the nervous system, it can also be applied (with a carrier oil) to the skin to reduce pain caused by mouth sores, toothaches, or rheumatism.
Although some people claim that Nutmeg can help fight cancer, there’s not enough evidence available to validate that claim.
Some of the chemicals within this essential oil make Nutmeg a great sleep-aid with the added benefit of more vivid, interesting dreams. I diffused this oil a few months ago had a super weird, vivid dream about a society where all children were brought into the world by surrogate mothers (Dames) and all valid sperm came from a group of men listed in a Universal Catalog (Sires). Childless couples were rewarded because the world was overpopulated, Sires and Dames could only bring a total of 4 children apiece into the world to avoid the risk of inbreeding, and those who made kids the old-fashioned way were heavily fined. Then things got even weirder when somebody’s teenage daughter at a Catholic school got pregnant and claimed that immaculate conception transpired. In short, Nutmeg turns your dreams into a private REM cinema and there’s no telling what your brain will come up with!
Cons:
Since Nutmeg is an emmenagogue (it can increase menstrual flow), this essential oil is best not used by pregnant persons or those attempting to become pregnant. This oil may cause a miscarriage due to its abortifacent nature.
If you are experiencing issues with constipation, hold off on using Nutmeg, as this essential oil can harden your stool. It’s good for diarrhea; but not so good for the opposite issue!
Since Nutmeg has an effect on the nervous system, overexposure to the oil may result in hallucinogenic episodes.
People who use and abuse Nutmeg (120 mg or more daily) have experienced nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, palpitations, agitation, and hallucinations. It’s also possible to overdose and die by Nutmeg.
If you are taking any of the below medication, exercise caution with Nutmeg, as they may interact:
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) substrates) such as Chlorzoxazone, Theophylline, Bufuralol, etc.
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) substrates) such as Clozapine (Clozaril), Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Haloperidol (Haldol), Imipramine (Tofranil), Mexiletine (Mexitil), Olanzapine (Zyprexa), Pentazocine (Talwin), Propranolol (Inderal), Tacrine (Cognex), Theophylline, Zileuton (Zyflo), Zolmitriptan (Zomig), etc.
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2B1 (CYP2B1) substrates)
Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 2B2 (CYP2B2) substrates)
Phenobarbital (Luminal)
Allspice (Pimento) Essential Oil
Allspice is one of my favorite smells in the world. The essential oil version of it is strong enough to fill an entire house with its relaxing, flavorful scent. The unripe berries and leaves of this plant are used to make medicine.
Pros:
Like Clove and Cinnamon, Allspice has a high eugenol content, which means this oil can be used effectively for antibacterial purposes. Some dentists even use eugenol to calm down toothaches.
Allspice can also alleviate a lot of gastrointestinal issues (intestinal gas, indigestion, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation).
Fevers, colds, and flu can also be treated by diffusing Allspice.
Some studies indicate Allspice can be used to help with diabetes and obesity problems.
I mostly use Allspice on account of what it can do for my unwelcome time of the month. It’s one of the best essential oils to use if you have heavy, painful menstrual periods or endometriosis. It regulates the flow and melts away your aches and pains.
Cons:
Due to the high eugenol content of this essential oil, Allspice Essential Oil is toxic (and potentially fatal) to cats and dogs. If you plan to diffuse this, don’t trap your poor pet in the room with you!
Allspice can slow blood-clotting. If you are going in for surgery in the next 2 weeks, don’t use this essential oil.
Balsam of Peru
Here we go: the controversial ingredient!
Balsam of Peru is a resinous substance that comes from the Myroxylon balsamum plant. It smell is reminiscent of vanilla with a touch of clove and cinnamon. As a result, it pairs beautifully with those oils--as well as orange oils!
It’s one of the most versatile oils not only with its scent, but with its therapeutic benefits...so long as it’s done in moderation.
Note: Balsam of Peru only makes up about 5% of the Martian to a Different Drum blend, but you can certainly smell it. Please read.
Pros:
Balsam of Peru has been used for centuries to treat tumors, expel intestinal worms, and flush out your kidneys by overstimulating them. It’s a powerful diuretic.
Some people occasionally put Balsam of Peru directly on the skin for infected and slow-healing wounds, burns, scrapes, ulcers, rashes, and itchy areas...though I’d caution against this. Plant Therapy, the company I bought my oil from, recommends 0.4% dilution for Balsam of Peru, so definitely do NOT apply that stuff directly on your skin. Diffusing it in your tub should be OK. Just make sure the bath is full before you go in!
Some dentists use this essential oil to treat dry sockets: a painful condition that occurs when a tooth is extracted and a clot forms in the gums too soon.
It’s an immunity booster! Not only have some studies shown that Balsam of Peru can stimulate the immune system and eliminate free radicals in the body, but it’s also got strong astringent and antimicrobial properties. People can even use it to treat mites and bedbugs!
It fights your anxiety! Balsam of Peru’s calming scent contains a slew of chemicals that promote a peaceful, calm mind. It makes it easier to breathe and brings about a comforting scent.
Breathe more easily! Balsam of Peru has natural expectorant properties, making it easier for you to blow out whatever’s left of your stuffy nose or clogged-up throat. Just be sure to inhale. Don’t swallow!
Pamper your hair and scalp! Balsam of Peru can help you combat dandruff and a dry, itchy scalp.
Cons:
Despite its many benefits, Balsam of Peru is one of the most allergenic substances known to man. If you get headaches over artificial vanilla, strong perfumes, or scented things in general, chances are you’re allergic.
Although Balsam of Peru can be used over short periods of time (never more than 1 week), people can build up a tolerance to it and suffer allergic skin reactions if the substance is abused.
If you use this essential oil, use plenty of sunblock when you go outside: especially if you have light skin. Balsam of Peru increases your sensitivity to the sun.
Do not use this essential oil if you are nursing or pregnant, as not enough is known about Balsam of Peru to say it’s safe. Ere on the side of caution.
Since Balsam of Peru is a powerful diuretic, prolonged usage of the oil may result in kidney damage (even failure). Do not use this oil if you have kidney problems. Period.
#Galactic Bombs#Martian to a Different Drum#Mars#Commander Mars#Team Galactic#Professor Palmarosa#professorpalmarosa#Skye makes bath bombs
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My Project Management - Partial Martians
Hi, Here is my first entry for my project management for my up and coming project called ‘Partial Martians’ who includes myself Kenny, Stevie Whiteway and Sam Taylor. We are mainly an experimental group that consists mainly of Psychedelic hip hop, heavily sampled based and using hardware such as Roland synths and drum machines and DAWs such as Cubase and Ableton but not necessarily limited to as we all have different musical backgrounds.
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