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yeonchi · 4 years ago

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Kisekae Insights #12: Sea Princesses Part 2 (New Series/Next Gen Series History feat. The Octonauts)

(Art by namicute, source here)

In 2018, when the uploads of Sea Princesses episodes on the Mr Bean and Friends channel were dying down, I decided to tell my contact, KingFireballXD, about the characters’ involvement in my personal project. This is me, two years later, telling their story to you in this instalment of Kisekae Insights.

To recap, the Sea Princesses series is set in 2004, therefore the princes and princesses would have been born in 1996-1998.

Prelude: The origin of Salacia

In the animated series, the creation of Salacia is only touched on in The Guardians, where it is merely stated that the goddess Salacia created the kingdoms to care for everything in the sea. In the preludes of the main series books, it is explained that Salacia divided her world and created the kingdoms because the Drylanders were exploring Salacia indiscriminately, causing it to become imbalanced. The fourth book, The Ballad of the Forgotten Princess, goes into detail about the subject.

The first lifeform on Earth was actually born in the sea, with the Salacians (salines) and marine animals being descended from it. At some point, a Salacian decided to leave the sea and he became the first Drylander, meaning that the Drylanders were descended from Salacians. As both civilisations developed, the two races got along until the Drylanders’ exploration of the sea nearly caused a war, so Salacia made the Drylanders forget about her peoples’ existence and split her world up into kingdoms, appointing royal families for each one.

In my personal project, the origin of Salacia is a bit simpler; Salacia was originally Atlantis before it sank into the ocean at the hands of the Master. The civilisation managed to survive thanks to the goddess Salacia, who moved Salacia to just off the coast of present-day Santos and created the kingdoms, assigning each surviving family to them as the kingdoms’ royal families. The First Law was created in order to keep the survival of Atlantis a myth, knowing that the Drylanders would explore it indiscriminately if they pieced everything together.

1998-2009: The Battles of Kawanakajima

Before the Sea Princesses came to the main universe in the Dimensional Merge of 2007, they were already crossing over with another show; the Salacians were in conflict with the Takeda Army of Mouseland, led by Maurice Mouseling. The battles took place in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2009. Because time was running faster in their world, it would be 2009 when the Dimensional Merge happened for them, so they showed up in our world in 2009.

2010: Salacia Rebellion

For some reason, the Salacians didn’t see the Mouselings as “Drylanders”, so they never had any qualms fighting them over the past eleven years. When it came to other Drylanders, though, it was serious business. Over the years, they saw and heard what the Drylanders did to the oceans and eventually, the kingdoms decided that they would break the First Law and invade Dryland. The princes and princesses were trained to fight and the Shark King liaised with the Master, Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl to prepare for an invasion of Dryland.

The Salacians utilised technology to emit a signal that would allow the animals to walk, float and breathe on Dryland as if they were in the water, while also allowing the Salacians to teleport between Dryland and Salacia. In November 2010, the Salacians began attacking cities around Hong Kong; their technology allowed them to invade and retreat quickly without the Drylanders discovering their bases. Toad and his mushroom comrades defected from the Oda Army (led by Mario) and led the Uesugi cavalry against the Drylanders. Bowser and his Koopa Troop fought with the Salacians as well, if only for the sake of fighting. The Salacians also gained support from organisations like Greenpeace and PETA, who held protests in support of their invasion. Naturally, there were counterprotests opposing them as well.

All was hopeless for the Drylanders until Parker received an email from a ‘Mr X’, telling him about the Salacians. Parker gathers officers and soldiers for an advance into Salacia while UNIT isolates the teleport signal, preventing the Salacians from teleporting onto Dryland. After advancing to Santos and making a base there, Parker leads his army into Salacia; the same signal that allowed the animals to breathe on Dryland would also allow the Drylanders to breathe underwater as well.

After the other kingdoms are raided, forcing the Salacians to retreat to Dryland, Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl isolate and decrease the signal’s power, causing the Drylanders to drown. However, they were rescued by UNIT forces and they fought the Salacians and their Dryland supporters for another two days, leading to their defeat. It is in the aftermath that the Master tells Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl to execute their backup plan…

2010-2012: The Battle in the Future

Following the Salacians’ defeat, Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl surrender to Parker’s primary school army. Zhuge Shu is interrogated by Parker, to which he confesses being the ‘Mr X’ who tipped him off about the Salacians. He is then imprisoned before being freed thanks to the Master’s shenanigans during the army’s graduation ceremony. Squid Girl is assigned to Minnie Xia of the JIMPS; she convinces her to rekindle her rivalry with Parker and help her take revenge on her father.

Eventually, Squid Girl manages to get Minnie to fight Parker again in Hachiōji under the guise of a final New Year’s Eve challenge. Unbeknownst to Parker, Squid Girl and Minnie had conspired with the Salacians and anyone not in Parker’s army to exterminate them once they launch their ambushes. Parker’s army is defeated and they are forced to scatter in the ensuing retreat. Squid Girl returns to the Lemon Beach House after this.

While Hiroki eventually manages to escape with some Date Army troops, Parker ends up near the Brecon Beacons and is forced to travel a long way to get back. He allies with Angelina Mouseling, a Takeda officer, along with the Whale Queen, who escaped with Naimo because unlike her husband and daughter, she didn’t want to contribute to the horrors of the war. On the way, Parker crosses five towns along the Brecon Beacons and defeats six Salacian officers in a similar manner to Guan Yu, namely Socita, Jaune, Goldina, Caramelo, Agostinha and Leia. Upon returning to Hong Kong, Parker is also joined by Marcello and Elektra, who defected because they were disillusioned with their families’ ideals of conquering Dryland, along with Zhuge Shu, who defected because he believed that his talents were of no further use to the Salacians.

As time went on, the Salacians established bases and conquered territories on Dryland as well, but Parker defeated them and captured their territories as part of his quest to conquer the land a second time.

Following Parker’s death, the Sanada Army prepared to attack his secondary school army and take over the territories he had conquered. Parker’s remaining allies appealed to the armies they defeated for help, with Marcello and Elektra heading to the Shark Palace to convince the Shark King to help them. After some debate, the Shark King accepts their request and helps them repel the Sanada Army before Marcello and Elektra return to Salacia with their friends.

In July 2012, a group of Salacian officers briefly returned to assist Hiroki when Akari and her cousins made his secondary school army turn against him. The group consisted of Polvina, Ester, Tubarina, Marcello, Hugo, Elektra, Tata, Bia, Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl.

The first part of this storyline, namely the fight between Minnie and Parker and the ensuing aftermath, was originally a part of the Salacian Rebellion storyline; the final battle would have been Parker, his allies and the Date Army against the Salacian Army.

The prominence of Marcello and Elektra in this storyline was inspired from The Return. In that episode, Marcello ends up being Elektra’s “friend” when the girls forget about her. Their relationship seemed to have potential for future development, but Marcello ends up getting dismissed at the end of the episode.

2012: The Salacian Time War

I wasn’t proud of this storyline at first, so I decided not to share this storyline with my contact. However, after going through and rewriting the story as part of my work during the lockdown, I’m confident enough to share it with everyone.

This storyline starts as a result of a vision from the future. The Salacians invaded Dryland once again and enslaved humanity, with the kings erecting giant statues of themselves in the sea as a sign of their power. There are transmitters inside the statues, which together with their weight, composition and distance to the Cardiff Space-Time Rift, cause the Earth’s gravity to change drastically and the Rift’s power to break into the Time Vortex and the Void. This allows Ultimate Madoka to see this and warn the Doctor and Parker, prompting them to stop it.

While most of the kingdoms of Salacia agreed to go through with the Shark King’s proposal of a second invasion, there were some who disagreed with it. Those individuals formed a separate faction known as the Dryland-Salacia Taskforce. Polvina, Elektra, Marcello, Isa and the Penguin King and Queen were the first to join this alliance. They had different reasons for doing so; the Penguin Kingdom rarely has any contact with Salacia, Polvina didn’t want to see her father going to war with the Drylanders (again) and Elektra and Marcello owed Parker their gratitude for fighting alongside him during the previous storyline.

Later, Tata and Hugo, who were part of the first wave to attack Dryland, defected to the Taskforce because they thought it would be sacrilege to fight the Drylanders given that turtles live on land and in water. Ester and the Starfish Kingdom defect as well because starfish can’t really attack and therefore, joining the battle would prove no use to them. As Ester asks Polvina what they should do with Tubarina, she decides to leave her be because she was having too much fun fighting the Drylanders.

If you’re wondering where Zhuge Shu and Squid Girl are during the battle, they are with Parker and the Doctor respectively.

As the battle went on, things got more chaotic. The Salacians flooded Dryland and people from the past, the future and other parallel universes were beginning to appear in this universe and gather in Santos. Even the Doctor’s past incarnations and companions were gathering as well. Parker decided to build a delta wave generator to destroy everything in the ocean before leaving Zhuge Shu in charge of detonating it because he got called away.

It is then that the kings rise from the sea with statues of themselves, causing time to be ripped apart as a result of the statues causing the Rift’s power to break into the Time Vortex and the Void. This causes the invasion to become a time war. The Doctor confronts the Shark King and tells him that the Salacians won’t survive given the situation. The Taskforce confronts the kings as well and it is at this point that Tubarina and the other princes and princesses defect to them.

Zhuge Shu threatens to activate the delta wave, but the Doctor tells him not to as there is no way it could have been calibrated to target the Salacians in the time it took to set it up – this situation is similar to one the Doctor got caught up in when he faced the Dalek Emperor. As the Doctor is restrained by the Shark King’s guards, Zhuge Shu struggles to activate the delta wave when the Shark King dares him to.

Just as Zhuge Shu gives up, Parker appears and reveals that the device he has isn’t a delta wave generator, but a trigger for the Harmony Signal, powered by the Guardians and the Elements of Harmony. Parker, the Guardians, Princess Celestia and the Mane Six work with Madoka to power up the signal, but it still isn’t enough. It takes a newly-regenerated prototype of Hiroki Ichigo to get the signal to full power. Zhuge Shu presses the trigger and the signal is transmitted all over the universe, into other parallel universes and through all of time. All non-native beings return to their own times and dimensions, the statues disintegrate and the flooding recedes.

Following the battle, the Salacians have surrendered and the kings agreed to work together to rebuild Salacia and never invade Dryland again, though Polvina doubts that they will keep that promise.

2014: Crossing Into the Next Generation

In the Next Gen Series, I introduced the Octonauts as an additional crossover for the Sea Princesses’ appearances. They would be part of a group of individuals who would know of Salacia’s existence.

Following the Salacian Time War, Salacia was divided into two factions, one loyal to the goddess Salacia and one loyal to the Church of Kongming, or the Kōmeikyō, who revered Parker not as a god, but as a hero. The kingdoms who followed the Kōmeikyō included those of the penguins, turtles, electric eels, crabs, lobsters and the Abysmal Kingdom. There were also some princes and princesses, such as Polvina and Marcello, who joined the Kōmeikyō while their families remained loyal to the goddess Salacia.

The Master uses an H2O scoop to transport Salacia from its original position just off the coast of Santos to the middle of the sea, in the path of the Espírito do Hainan, a ferry service from Hong Kong to Hainan Island.

Bia calls the Doctor to inform him that Salacia has gone missing. He, Hiroki and Angelina go to pick her and Slipper up just as they get a distress signal from the Octopod. The TARDIS materialises on the Octopod just as the Shark King’s army surrounds it. The Doctor manages to scare the Shark King’s army with a horn noise from the Octopod before the Kōmeikyō, who were lying in wait, counterattacks them.

After the Shark King’s army retreats, the Octonauts take some time to get to know the Doctor and the others. The Octonauts had an adventure with the Pony Doctor previously, so the Fifth Doctor isn’t in their records yet. The Shark King’s army attacks again and Hiroki, Kwazii and Marcello offer to hold them off so as to let them use up their strength before the others attack and clean them up.

Following the second battle, the Doctor receives a call from the Master, who reveals that he was the one who moved Salacia and that it will be destroyed when the Espírito do Hainan crashes into it in a few hours. The Shark King sends another wave to attack. On Polvina and Marcello’s suggestion, the Doctor calls the Shark King and threatens to reveal Salacia’s origins to the Drylanders if he doesn’t order the attacks to stop. The Shark King agrees and soon after, the Doctor confronts the Master on the Espírito do Hainan with Hiroki and Kwazii. They manage to reverse the H2O scoop and return Salacia to its original place.

Later on, in the Series 9 finale, the Salacians and the Octonauts join up with the Takeda Army as a part of Hiroki’s Eastern Army against Girl Power, the Western Army and the Kurayami Alliance. As the combined Takeda-Uesugi Army’s path towards Sekigahara was blocked by the Western Army, Hiroki offered to lead an army to Okehazama and Komaki-Nagakute in order to defeat the troops blocking them. The Eastern Army eventually emerged victorious at Sekigahara.

(At the time of posting, the stories in question have not been updated yet. This message will be removed once they have been updated, at which point there may be some changes to the above storyline.)

Now with all that out of the way, the real juicy stuff is coming up next. In the next instalment, I’ll be covering the Sea Princesses’ involvement in the Moushouden Series and addressing some theories from the series.

#kisekae insights #sea princesses #princesas do mar #octonauts #doctor who #princesas del mar #el reino de acuatica

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thebibliomancer · 5 years ago

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Essential Avengers: Avengers #204: Claws Across the Water!

February, 1981

Welcome back, true believers! ... Eh, true believer?

I hope at least one person out there is still into this.

It has been nearly two years. I let this sort of series slip into forever hiatus. My at the time job was really eating all of my energy.

That plus the yellow peril villain two-parter that’s this and next made it hard to get motivation up to get back into it.

But in the time between then and now, I wrote a fixer-upper draft of a pretty okay novel for nanowrimo and started learning crochet. So the time not Avengersing wasn’t entirely wasted.

But now I don’t have a job!

Thus, the Avengers.

Our roster of Captain America, Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, Wasp, Vision, Beast and Wonder Man are going to fight an enormous Ming the Merciless and many fuchsia Laserbeaks from Transformers.

Its a weird but gutsy concept for a crossover.

(Three cooks in the kitchen, writing-wise. Not an auspicious start.)

The issue really starts with a woman named Shu Han sending a secret message for help because she is being held captive by THE YELLOW CLAW.

Yellow Claw has offered Shu Han “honor, unlimited power, a pivotal role in the new history of the world” in exchange for something. He gives her three days to make up her mind, leaving Shu Han unsure of how much longer she can continue to resist.

And a day later, in Avengers Mansion, the Avengers say goodbye to Hawkeye. He had been hanging out with them a couple issues through the Red Ronin thing, the shudder Avengers #200 thing, and yet another Ultron thing.

And then Jarvis comes in with the mail.

Despite the Avengers being the Avengers, all of their mail fits neatly on one tray. And one piece of mail dramatically marked LIFE AND DEATH gets Cap’s attention and he pauses their meeting to read it.

It seems that Shu Han’s secret distress message was picked up by a ham radio operator in Hong Kong.

Imagine. Two hundred and four issues in and ham radios are still a relevant plot point! And yet Rick Jones no longer is. Goes to show...

Anyway, the ham radio operator’s letter says that Shu Han says that she’s being held captive by the Yellow Claw. And since Jocasta doesn’t know who that is, it lets Cap exposit.

Captain America: “The Yellow Claw is a biochemical genius. Well over a hundred years old, he retains his youth through secret scientific methods of his own devising. Unfortunately, he’s also a tyrant intent on destroying every last vestige of western civilization -- at any price! The Claw and I have fought several times in the past. I’d hope we wouldn’t have to again.”

So as you might guess from this, Yellow Claw isn’t a new character. He first appeared in a self-titled book in 1956. And opposing the Yellow Claw in the Yellow Claw was FBI agent Jimmy Woo. Which is slightly better.

Anyway, Iron Man chimes in that he’s heard of Shu Han. She’s a gold medalist in track in the 1968 Olympics. And Beast has heard of her too! She won the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics!

Both of these things! Shu Han is quite the accomplished person.

And Cap isn’t sure why the Yellow Claw wants an Olympic gold medalist who is also a physicist but it can’t be for anything good!

Vision points out that the Yellow Claw’s island is in contested waters and that actions by the Avengers could cause an international incident. And also it might just be a trap.

I mean, ham radio operator? Really? In 1981?

Captain America: “That might be true, Vision, but the fact remains that someone in trouble has asked for our help. And as acting chairman, the only thing I can say in response to that is -- AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”

Good attitude, Cap. That’s a good attitude to have.

And the Avengers Assemble, which in this case means run out the door like they’re racing for shotgun in the Quinjet.

Running right past Jarvis who was bringing coffee and ginger cake in. Leaving him to eat the cake himself because heck, no sense letting it go to waste.

I tell ya, Jarvis is underappreciated. Do you know, I don’t think they even invited him to move into Dead Alien Mountain in the current book? Instead they got a man trapped in a gorilla to be their butler. I mean, valid, but you do Jarvis a disservice.

LATER ELSEWHERE

The Yellow Claw stands villainously on a balcony talking with a Dr. Liu and asking him about the status of a project.

Dr. Liu says that there’s almost enough “formula” to begin distribution.

Yellow Claw: “Your words please me, Liu, for I have waited long to grasp this moment. Others may have their kingdoms, their countries, even their continents. But soon, doctor, I... shall have a world!”

But the Avengers’ Quinjet appearing on radar takes some wind out of his sails and he orders the base locked down and defenses activated.

As the Quinjet circles the island, Cap decides to send Wasp and Vision to try to find a way to snoop around undetected.

Vision can just intangible through walls and Wasp can find small entrances.

Of course, when Yellow Claw says lock the base down he means lock it down because even the air vents have been covered up with plexiglass. But Wasp decides to just blow it open and fly inside.

Somehow, even with that, its Vision who makes the more conspicuous entrance, as he manages to intangible in right where some guards happen to be staring at a wall.

Good work, Vision.

For whatever reason, solid snaking through a dark air vent makes Wasp wistful for some time that she and Hank went in a tunnel of love. And he was so shy that she had to teach him SOMETHING.

I’m almost sorry that she stops her internal monologue anecdote when she spots the Yellow Claw.

And here our two sneakiest Avengers both prove that they need to intern with Black Panther for a weekend or something because they both make a goofus.

Vision beat up the two guards that spotted him and just left their bodies where they fell, causing alarum when they were found. See, Black Panther would have told Vision that you need to hide bodies in a locker.

And Wasp falls off the wall while trying to eavesdrop and is spotted by the Yellow Claw.

He doesn’t recognize her as a tiny woman, tiiiiiny woman, but the fact that a bug is in the base at all means that the base isn’t airtight which means one of the air vents has been compromised.

Meanwhile, the Quinjet has continued to circle because there’s no good place to land on the whole island. So Cap decides to land off the whole island and makes a water landing.

Apparently Quinjets are like seaplanes in that regard.

And then as they are trudging through the surf to come ashore, -battle transition music- A SLIME ATTACKS!

Wait, this isn’t a dragon quest. This is an Avengers. They’ve got a man in power armor and a robot woman. We’re sci-fi. Okay so its a cyborg slime.

Or a jellyfish. Or, you know what? It has a beak. Maybe its a kraken. A cykraken.

And it drags the Avengers underwater, which is just what a jellyslimefishkraken cyborg would do, if you think about it.

Beast and Scarlet Witch are SOL. Scarlet Witch’s arms are tentacled to her sides and all of her spells require a somatic component. And she hasn’t taken the feat yet to let her ignore that requirement.

And Beast doesn’t have any leverage underwater to apply his strength and agility.

Cap isn’t doing much better because he’s trying to hit the thing with his shield underwater and the water drag isn’t helping.

Jocasta is doing alright. Her eye beams work perfectly fine underwater at cutting the tentacles. Although the narration calls her a “robotrix” which... what?

And Wonder Man does fine too. Even underwater his super strength is enough to just tie the tentacles in knots.

But Iron Man goes completely limp and the jellyslimefishkraken cyborg grabs him up and sticks him right in its mouth.

But it was a ruse. He baited the thing into eating him so he can repulsor blast it from inside and destroy it, freeing the other Avengers.

Good job, Iron Man. You killed a unique, horrible lifeform.

I think we can see that the real monster is Man. Comma Iron.

Meanwhile, inside the evil villain base, Vision runs into the evil villain. Who asks sincerely what the fuck Vision is doing here.

And Vision responds by immediately firing a laser at Yellow Claw.

Which. Good hustle, Vision.

Buuuut. The guy has an energy field that rebounds the energy back at Vision and knocks him out. Its a proven fact that the villain will always have something to stop Vision from soloing the plot.

Kryptonite, so to speak, is everywhere.

Yellow Claw has Vision taken to his lab to be dissected. FOR SCIENCE!

Outside, Beast goes ahead of the other Avengers to scout.

In his Beasty way, he’s goofing a little, singing the Loch Lomond song. And then he’s attacked by just so many flying blades. A lot many.

And so are the rest of the Avengers.

Wonder Man: “No kidding! One just clipped a lock of Jocasta’s hair -- and that stuff can take a bazooka blast!”

I really like imagining the Avengers testing that.

More than that, I’m amused imagining Jocasta’s deadpan expression as they shoot bazookas at her head.

‘The things I do to socialize.’

Anyway, the Avengers scatter to make harder targets because the blades are clearing the jungle to deny any cover to the heroes. Cap spots the blade launcher and throws his shield at it. Because that’s what he do. And it works. Because that’s what he do.

And since the jellyslimefishkraken cyborg and the “death crescents” hadn’t given the Avengers the hint, Yellow Claw appears before them towering several stories high and tells the Avengers to GTFO his island! GEEZ!

Jocasta notices that giant Yellow Claw casts no shadow and announces that it must be a hologram of some sort.

AND THEN THE METAL DEATH BIRDS

They get very angry when you point out special effect failures.

And then the Avengers do their various Avengers things.

Its an action scene. Avengers fighting robot death birds.

Iron Man jumps upside down in front of Beast to protect him from a missile. And Cap does the same right side up with his shield to protect Wanda.

I do appreciate the teamwork with immediate protecting the squishy members of the team.

Wonder Man hits one metal death bird with another. Because hitting an enemy with an enemy is great. I love grievous harm with a body.

Only thing better? If some Jedi force pushed General Grievous to smash some droids. Grievous harm.

Anyway, Jocasta does her eye blasts again, to great effect again.

Captain America throws his mighty shield and even a metal death bird must yiiiiield.

And Scarlet Witch gets to do something this time because everybody is doing a thing this time. Its a real team showcase.

She. And this is totally what probability alteration is. She changes the probability that a launched missile will just turn around and blow up the robot death bird that launched it. That’s just math.

Iron Man says that since his armor powers were originally based on magnetism, he can just remotely magnetize two of the metal death birds and cause them to smash into each other.

BUT THE BEST ONE OF ALL? And the reason I bothered to synopsize the individual actions instead of just saying “and then an action scene happened”? The best one of all.

A robot death bird launches a missile at Beast and he catches it. He catches it between his toes and throws it back, blowing up the robot.

Spectacular.

So spectacular that we can assume that it instantly ended the battle just because of its sheer majesty. I can draw no other conclusions from the juxtaposition of panels.

The Avengers finally reach the base after spending most of the issue traipsing up from the beach. And the base being locked down is swiftly solved by Wonder Man and Iron Man punching the door down.

My only regret is that neither of them make a joke about knocking. C’mon guys, I can’t be writing your snappy dialogue for you decades after the fact. Publishing doesn’t work that way! I’m not writing a redub!

A bunch of Yellow Claw’s goofy guards all prepare to be ineffectual mooks in a mob brawl but Yellow Claw stops them over the intercom.

See, he’s got Vision prisoner. And while he had intended to dissect him FOR SCIENCE, hostage is equally good. So if the Avengers don’t surrender, Vision will be sliced to bits by dissection laser scalpels.

Anyway, Dr. Liu shows up through a secret door to show the Avengers in to talk to Yellow Claw.

And Yellow Claw says politely ‘why the fuck you on my island??’

Or:

Yellow Claw: “Welcome, Avengers. I am pleased to have such illustrious visitors in my humble home. In fact, there is one thing that could possibly make my bliss more complete -- the reason why you’ve invaded my island, and my privacy!”

Which in less polite terms is ‘why the fuck you on my island??’

At this point, Wasp secretly flies up to Cap and tells him she’s okay.

It’s good to reassure him that she’s not a second hostage but. There was no reason in the plot for her to have entered the base. She accomplishes no things. She arguably makes things worst but its only arguably because she didn’t alert the Yellow Claw any more than Vision already did.

I would have liked if she had tried to free Vision or sabotaged Yellow Claw’s security system or something but that’s not the direction the plot was going.

Anyway.

Yellow Claw asked a question so Cap answers. He tells Yellow Claw that the Avengers are here because they received a distress call from a woman named Shu Han who says she’s being held captive.

Yellow Claw is actually surprised. Possibly dismayed.

He recovers himself quickly and has Shu Han brought in so the Avengers can see she’s not under restraint.

She wasn’t brought to this island to be a prisoner! She was brought to be his bride!

Easy mistake to make, honestly!

Wonder Man points out the should-be-obvious that hey kidnapping is kidnapping even if its for nuptials but Yellow Claw is like ha ha kidnapping no no, Shu Han fill this dumbo in.

And it is. A story.

Shu Han: “I... I wasn’t exactly... kidnapped. You see, when I was very young, a man came to my father’s farm, and, as was custom in my country, an arrangement was made. To be less delicate... I was bought!

“Over the years, I all but forgot the arrangement, as I turned my thoughts and energies towards excelling in athletics, and in science.

“But then, some weeks ago, I was approached by agents of Master Claw, and was brought here. I was frightened, but didn’t know what to do. And so I secretly sent a message, hoping for you help.”

Shu Han has that mix of super good at science and sports you see in superheroes but she’s a normal genius person living her life. It’s going to be weird if she just never shows up again. But also: good for her.

Yellow Claw is just so disappointed that she dragged some randos into their interpersonal drama. And we can see now that the proposal he was proposing at her was “marry me.”

Yellow Claw: “Shu Han, I wished you no harm. I am old -- even my potions cannot stay the hand of death much longer -- and I fervently desired an heir to carry my name when that hand fell.

“Thus I offered you wealth, power, the prestige of sitting at my side. And now you repay me with treachery, with cowardice... with dishonor.

“You wish your freedom that much? Very well, then -- you shall have it!

“Go! For I’ve no desire to take an unwilling bride!”

Yellow Claw: May be a supervillain but is big into consent. I mean, except for the part where he bought a child.

Yellow Claw: May be a supervillain but is big into consent when the alternative is superheroes hanging around.

Shu Han doesn’t look super burned by his speech so maybe that’s why he does what he does. He klaps to bring out a bunch of backup wives to prove that he’s not so hurt by rejection. And that he’s got ‘mad game.’

Yellow Claw: “As you can see, there are others more amenable to that lofty position! So, Avengers, you have what you came for. Please don’t let me delay your departure any longer.”

Or in less polite terms ‘GTFO!’

Cap points out that obviously they’re not going to just leave without Vision so Yellow Claw has some goons carry out Vision like a potato sack.

Iron Man and Wonder Man carry Vision with Iron Man warning that he’s not just going to forget Yellow Claw even though the guy claims he just wants to spend his final years in peace with his pile of wives.

And a good call to not take the guy strictly at his word.

As soon as the Avengers are gone Yellow Claw all about mwahahahahas and says that now his evil plan can commence.

Yellow Claw: “No, Dr. Liu, having one less wife should not effect the project appreciably. For the others, hand-picked like Shu Han for their superior genetic traits, will all give me sons, strong sons whom I will train in the arcane ways.

“Then, when they reach manhood, they shall fight each other, until only the most worthy, the strongest, survives! And it shall be he who shall inherit my destiny! The conquest and eradication of the western world!

“Yes, the plan is still sound, and there shall be no defense against it! For my children, doctor -- SHALL BE THE LAST CHILDREN ON EARTH!”

As far as evil plans go, having a bunch of babies so they can fight to the death is pretty evil even before the conquest thing. And the last children on Earth thing.

Follow @essential-avengers. Or don’t. Honestly, I can’t blame you if you don’t. Throw me a like if you read and liked so I can get a sense of how many people read and liked, if you like.

#Avengers #Yellow Claw #Vision #Wasp #Captain America #Wonder Man #Iron Man #Scarlet Witch #Jocasta #beast #essential avengers #essential marvel liveblogging #honestly one of the reasons i started this up again #is i've been reading slott's iron man and thinking 'wow jocasta is great'#'wasn't i right in the middle of the era she was on the avengers?'

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aion-rsa · 4 years ago

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Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

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Search ‘Martial Arts Movies’ on Amazon Prime and you’ll get over a thousand results ranging from the classics to the campy, to the critically acclaimed. It’s an overwhelming library for the uninitiated and the mother lode for stalwart fans of the genre. There are so many gems buried in Amazon Prime that digging out the favorites is dirty challenging work but extremely rewarding.

When it comes to martial arts, Amazon Prime has a killer Kung Fu collection. The ‘80s were the ‘Golden Era’ of Kung Fu films when Hong Kong film studios cranked out films faster than any grindhouse ever. Many Hong Kong filmmakers put out up to half a dozen films a year, and most have hundreds of credits on IMDb. This glut of Kung Fu films spread to every Chinatown ghetto theater on the planet. And like with horror, American networks broadcasted late night Kung Fu Theater shows because there was so much cheap content available.

Consequently, Amazon Prime’s Kung Fu film selection leans heavily that way, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t include some non-Chinese favorites too. Martial Arts movies cross over to all other genres and nations. There are comedies, romances, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and art house films. From countless cheesy low-budget exploitations, many so funky that they’re totally awesome, to the brilliant ground-breaking works that are staggeringly sensational, here’s some classic jewels and hidden treasures currently included with Amazon Prime membership.

Fist of Fury (1972)

Despite his fame, Bruce Lee only lived to see three of his martial arts movies premiere because Enter the Dragon and Game of Death were released posthumously. His impersonators are innumerable, so many that Bruceploitation is its own genre.

But Fist of Fury is the real Bruce in all his nunchuck spinning glory. It’s loosely based on the history of the Chin Woo Athletic Association, which remains one of the largest international martial arts organizations to this day. When Bruce shattered the ‘No Dogs and Chinese Allowed’ sign with a soaring flying kick, it became a battle cry for the racially oppressed worldwide, firmly cementing Bruce as the world’s first Asian global superstar.

Come Drink with Me (1966)

Long before Charlize Theron went Atomic Blonde, Cheng Pei Pei blazed a path as Golden Swallow, the mysterious invincible swordswoman, and all female action heroines are in her wake. Fiercely independent and savagely lethal, Cheng delivers several sophisticated long-take fight scenes, the hallmark of real Kung Fu skill, with the poise and precision built upon her foundation in ballet. Cheng is remembered in Hollywood as Jade Fox from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and played the matchmaker in Disney’s live-action Mulan. Note that Amazon Prime also has the sequel, Golden Swallow, but it’s not nearly as good.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991)

This tour de force from director Tsui Hark and Jet Li launched a six-film franchise and a TV series. Jet plays Wong Fei-hung, a real-life folk hero and Kung Fu master who has been depicted in well over a hundred films and TV shows. Set during the late 19th century, the film examines themes of Western colonization and Chinese cults, and while blatantly nationalistic, it captures Jet in his martial prime and contains some of his finest fights.

Movies

Wira Review: Meet the Next Martial Arts Movie Star

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The Forgotten Bruce Lee Video Game From the ’80s

By Craig Lines

Amazon Prime also has Once Upon a Time in China II, which is an excellent sequel, however the third installment (not on Amazon Prime) falls apart, allegedly due to disputes between Jet and Hark.

Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

This was internationally acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai’s first stab at the martial arts genre. It’s sumptuously artsy and laboriously dystopic, not one to see for the action but the art. Based on a classic wuxia (wuxia is Chinese for martial arts genre books and film) titled The Eagle Shooting Heroes, Wong simultaneously filmed a parody titled after the book with the same cast. Wong did the Redux after the original print was lost, salvaging what was left, reediting and re-scoring it.

(Prime US only)

The Assassin (2015)

Director Hou Hsiao-hsien won Best Director at Cannes for this magnificent epic, which was also submitted as Taiwan’s Foreign Language entry at the Academy Awards. Starring the ever-glamorous Shu Qi, who made an early Hollywood crossover attempt with The Transporter, The Assassin is based on another wuxia tale that’s parallel to The Manchurian Candidate but instead of Korean brainwashing, it’s 9th century Chinese sorcery.

Movies

Best Horror Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now

By Alec Bojalad and 2 others

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Ninjas All The Way Down: The Mysterious World of Godfrey Ho

By Craig Lines

The exquisite filmmaking makes this spectacular–panoramic landscapes, lavish costumes, intricately detailed sets, all gorgeous. Every shot is a stunning composition of light and shadow, and the camera lingers on each frame with ponderous and quiet respect, the kind that film students will gush over for years.

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in the UK)

Fearless Hyena (1979)

When people cite Rush Hour to reference Jackie Chan, it just goes to show they don’t know Jackie at all. Long before Jackie crossed over to Hollywood, he made dozens of films that truly captured his astounding Kung Fu skills, unrestricted by U.S. insurance liability. His late ‘70s period was particularly ripe because he was in peak physical shape and first creating his unique acrobatic comedies. Remember that chopstick dumpling training scene between Po and Shifu in Kung Fu Panda? In Fearless Hyena, Jackie and his shifu (James Tien) do it in live-action, no wires, no CGI, and the choreography is absolutely mind-blowing.

Wheels on Meals (1984)

Jackie Chan earned his Kung Fu prowess from being trained from childhood in traditional Chinese Opera. Many of his classmates also became stars in martial arts film. This is one of two collaborations between him and his two martial brothers, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao (the other is Dragons Forever).

Movies

Jackie Chan’s Project A Movies Are Spectacular

By Craig Lines

Movies

Jackie Chan’s Hard Road to Hollywood

By Craig Lines

A modern comedy shot in Barcelona, the chemistry between Jackie, Sammo and Yuen is magical as they bring the fastest three-person sparring scenes ever captured. On top of that, Jackie faces off against real-life kickboxing champion Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez in what is considered by many as the greatest fight scene ever filmed.

(US only)

Knockabout (1979)

Knockabout is Yuen Biao’s first lead role after dozens of supporting roles. His acrobatic skills are unparalleled, stronger than Jackie’s because his body frame is built like a gymnast. Sammo Hung’s girth has typecast him as villains and buffoons. Nevertheless, he’s a leading director and choreographer and serves as both in this film, on top of playing a comic beggar who trains Yuen in jump rope monkey Kung Fu (that’s right–jump rop –you have to see it to understand).

Movies

10 of the Weirdest Kung Fu Movies Ever

By Craig Lines

Cobra Kai and the Legacy of The Karate Kid

By Gene Ching

It’s a slow build past some goofy comic hijinks, because Yuen’s skills improve over the course of the film. In a fight against Hoi Sang Lee, Yuen pummels so many goose-egg bruises into his noggin that he looks like the coronavirus. But once the training begins through to the final fight, Yuen and Sammo show why they are legends in the industry.

(US only)

Dirty Ho (1979)

When this film came out, the title wasn’t as funny as it is now. But it still works in a way because this is one of the best Kung Fu slapstick comedies. Starring some of top talent from Shaw Brother studios, including Gordon Liu, Wang Yue, and Lo Lieh, it’s full of the stylish long-take choreography and blazing stunts using real fire long before CGI.

Movies

King Boxer: The Enduring Legacy of a Martial Arts Classic

By Craig Lines

Movies

The Man From Hong Kong: A Genuinely Dangerous Action Movie

By Craig Lines

It’s a classic tale of hidden master, a punk student, and notorious villains, including hilarious absurdities like sex change tea, and wheelchair and crutch fighting. The discreet Kung Fu challenge while sampling rare wines out of crazy cups is ludicrous fun; the sort that only master fight choreographer Lau Kar-leung can deliver.

The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Here is another classic from Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung, but serious and somber. Alexander Fu Sheng, a prominent leading man, died in a tragic car crash during production, making this his final film. His character suffers PTSD after losing his family in a horrific opening ambush, but his storyline dangles unfinished.

Movies

A Beginner’s Guide to Chinese Black Magic Movies

By Craig Lines

Culture

Ip Man: The Man, The Myth, The Movies

By Craig Lines

The film was rewritten to focus Gordon and Lau, as well as the always brilliant Kara Hui. The cast goes all out to honor their fallen comrade’s legacy, showcasing some of the finest weapon choreography ever shot. Based on the legend of the Yang family generals, the untimely death tugs hard on the heartstrings for anyone in the know.

Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)

Just one more Gordon Liu and Lau Kar-leung project, this is the sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which is also amazing and available on Amazon Prime. However, Return to the 36th Chamber has such an odd concept for a sequel that warrants special attention.

Movies

The 36th Chamber Trilogy‏ – Essential Kung Fu Movie Viewing

By Craig Lines

Liu plays a swindler impersonating the Shaolin monk San Te, the character he played in the first film. When his clan is oppressed by the Manchus gang, Liu sneaks into Shaolin, only to be deceptively trained by the real San Te, then returns for vengeance. His clan are cloth dyers, which makes for colorful pools for villains to plunge.

Liu’s uproarious rooftop Kung Fu and his battle with Wang Lung-Wei’s bench-fighter gang are outstanding. Kara Hui has the best retort after Gordon tries to play off his lack of Kung Fu, claiming it’s only for “universal peace,” and not revenge. She claps back “Huh! That’s a stupid Kung Fu.”

The Lady is the Boss (1983)

Kara Hui (aka Kara Wai) is one of the greatest Kung Fu divas of all, yet she’s only known by true devotees of the genre. If you’ve never heard of her, here is one of her finest comedy vehicles. Set in modern-day Hong Kong, Hui plays an American master returning to save her father’s Kung Fu school after his passing. Lau Kar-leung is the eldest student in charge (also the choreographer) and he resists her attempts to modernize.

Long take fights are staged in a topless club, a disco, and finally, a gymnastic gym replete with rings, parallel bars, and a beam, perfect for the choreographic shenanigans only Lau can bring. Gordon Liu appears with hair, which feels wrong because he built his reputation on playing bald monks.

Crippled Avengers (1978)

From director Chang Cheh, the “Godfather of Kung Fu Films,” Crippled Avengers stars four members of the Venoms crew, from Chang’s classic The Five Venoms (also available on Amazon Prime).

Movies

The Five Deadly Venoms: An Essential Martial Arts Movie

By Craig Lines

It was repackaged as The Return of the Five Venoms (and also Mortal Combat), however it is its own standalone masterpiece and has nothing to do with the original beyond the cast.

Lu Feng (Centipede from the Venoms crew) gets his arms chopped off and replaced by iron arms (a plot device that RZA echoed The Man with the Iron Fists). Lu and his father, played by the rough and tumble Chan Kuan Tai, cripple the heroes, who must then walk the road of vengeance while handicapped. The portrayal of the disabilities is dated (arm tied behind the back for the amputee, eyes closed for the blinded) but the choreography is ingenious.

Five Elements Ninjas (1982)

Another echo of The Five Venoms from the sanguineous Chang Cheh, Five Elements Ninjas showcases the director’s unique eye for fantasy. It’s an orgy of weird fantasy weapons and ultraviolence, bloody fight scene after bloody fight scene, a cult film of truly epic proportions. As the title says, the ninjas are based on the five elements.

The gold ninjas don gold lame suits and switchblade shield hats. The wood ninjas look like rejected apple trees in The Wizard of Oz. If you turn this film into a drinking game where you take a shot whenever blood is spilled, you won’t make it past the first half hour.

The Web of Death (1976)

What is the ultimate Kung Fu WMD? It’s a tarantula that roars like an elephant and shoots acidic webs, sparks, and death rays, and it decimates the wuxia world. The Web of Death has everything a cult film requires: crazy weapons, cross dressing, romance, complex set-pieces, halls of traps, including acid pits, spiked poles and dragon-headed sparkler cannons, silly superheroes and villains in costumes that would make MCU heroes blush. Filled with jaw dropping WTF moments, it’s a real treat for anyone into cheesy over-the-top Kung Fu cinema.

The Bride with White Hair (1993)

Based on a wuxia novel, The Bride with White Hair is a surreal plunge into the Kung Fu subgenre of Fant-Asia which blossomed in the ‘90s. It’s a doomed romance between rival cult members set in a world of swords and sorcery that stars Brigette Lin in the spurned titular role and the dreamy heartthrob Leslie Cheung.

What makes this stand out was the visionary direction of Ronny Yu. His pre-CGI special effects hold up surprisingly well. Lin’s characterization of the bride was so compelling that it spawned an homage in The Forbidden Kingdom and a remake in The White Haired Witch. The Bride with White Hair II is also available on Amazon Prime which reunites Lin and Cheung, but without Yu’s direction it’s not nearly as special.

(US only)

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)

Fant-Asia has been revitalized with the advent of CGI. Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame marked a triumphant return to form for director Tsui Hark. Armed with quixotic special effects, Hark casts Andy Lau as the legendary detective Di Renjie, who is like a Tang Dynasty Sherlock Holmes. Wuxia films are akin to comic book movies, filled with glaringly overdone heroes and villains, super saturated color schemes, and a lot of flying about.

It’s high fantasy wirework in front of CG backgrounds with physics-defying fight choreography by Sammo Hung (Kung Fu physics are not subject to the laws of gravity). Most of all, it takes unexpected turns like the old Fant-Asia story arcs have always done.

(US only)

Tai Chi Zero (2012)

Director Stephen Fung took Fant-Asia another step into an emergent subgenre of Shanghai Steampunk (Legend of Korra is another example). It’s an action comedy about the legendary forefather of Tai Chi, Yang Luchan, in what was meant to be the launch of a trilogy. However, it was filmed back-to-back with the second installment, Tai Chi Hero (not free on Amazon Prime), which was released only a month later and that proximity depleted their box office returns.

Nevertheless, Tai Chi Zero was an Official Selection at several notable international film festivals because it was so stylish and funny. Both films end on cliffhangers in anticipation of the next chapter, but Tai Chi Hero loses the momentum of its predecessor, except for the final cliffhanging tease. There’s been no further development on the final chapter Tai Chi Summit since Tai Chi Hero flopped.

(US only)

JCVD (2012)

Jean-Claude Van Damme opens this French film with a remarkable long take fight, showing he still had it on the brink of turning 50, but it’s not really a martial arts film. He plays a self-deprecating caricature of himself, although not as comedic as his lampooning self-portrayal in the Amazon Original Series Jean-Claude Van Johnson.

There’s some top-notch cinematography including more complex long takes, remarkable displays of technical skill, and directorial timing. But it’s all about Van Damme’s confession scene when he breaks the fourth wall and discusses his filmmaking process in that weird recursive, artsy French film way. It’s a long-take monologue, and Van Damme nails it emotionally with a heartfelt confession that’s not so much amazing acting as it is brutally honest. He lays it out, bares his soul, and surprisingly, it’s a sympathetic soul. It’s a truly captivating scene, a dramatic triumph that no one ever saw coming, completely redefining Van Damme as an actor.

(US only)

The Man from Nowhere (2010)

This was Korea’s highest grossing film that year. It’s a gritty and brutally bloody tale of a pawnshop owner, played by Won Bin, who unwittingly receives a camera bag filled with stolen heroin, attracting the attention of the drug ring gangsters.

However, he’s a retired special agent with fierce combat skills, tossed into a ghetto tale with exotic dancers, organ harvesting, an innocent child who needs protection, and gang wars. Won Bin won many dramatic accolades with the five films he made, including Taegukgi and Mother. This was his final one to date and he sells the ultraviolence with remarkable panache.

(Prime Video in the US, rent only in UK)

Kundo: Age of the Rampant (2014)

This is another outstanding Korean martial arts film, set in the Joseon period. It echoes Robin Hood, complete with a fighting monk like Friar Tuck, a Maid Marian type, only she’s a keen archer, and a Little John character wielding a shot-put ball on a rope for brutal ultra violence. Ha Jung-woo stars as the lead, a butcher who wields butcher knives, which just adds to the bloodiness. The fight choreography is fun and sanguineous, and the characters were well fleshed out, even the villain. Like a lot of Korean cinema, it takes some surprising turns in the details, little scenes that feel fresh in their presentation. And the panoramic shots are visually epic.

(US only)

Redeemer (2015)

Marko Zaror brings an exotic Chilean actioner full of fight choreography that’s merciless, witty, and precise. Zaror is cut and yoked like a beast. He can catch great flying kicks air, roll well for nods to MMA, and handle complex continuous fights. Redeemer includes several long take scenes with the camera aggressively circling around battle, showcasing a masterful command of action and cinematography.

Set in Chile’s cool seascapes and weather worn graffiti-covered ghettos, Redeemer has a strong Catholic theme, lots of crucifixes and pondering about divine justice, which totally works as atmosphere for this fascinating fight flick.

The Octagon (1980)

Before Chuck Norris became an invincible meme, he churned out a handful of Hollywood martial arts feature films. His third effort, The Octagon, co-starring Lee Van Cleef, is one of his best. It’s a ninja tale, pitting Chuck against noted masters like Richard Norton, Tadashi Yamashita, and his brother Aaron Norris, fighting his way into a ninja terrorist camp where the central ring is “the Octagon.” It was this film that inspired Jason Cusson to design the trademarked Octagon used in the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

In the ‘80s, there was a proliferation of cheesy Ninja films and Sho Kosugi dominated the trend. This is one of those movies that is so horrible, it’s awesome. And it’s Sho’s masterpiece. Lucinda Dickey was a Solid Gold Dancer, who starred in the breakdancing films Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, which bookended Ninja III. While she wasn’t a martial artist in real life, she has the moves, adding to the huge stable of martial actors who started as dancers (even Bruce Lee was a cha cha champion).

It’s incredibly dated with references to video games, aerobics, and the most gawdawful soundtrack ever. The choreography is horrible; Sho overacts whenever it comes to selling a punch; it’s all about Lucinda who tries–really tries–to act her way through a ridiculously dumb story about being possessed by a ninja. But the final sword fight has a ninja zombie and it’s the funniest example of what we had to endure during the ‘80s ninja craze.

(US only)

Shaolin Dolemite (1999)

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There was Oscar buzz about Eddie Murphy’s depiction of Rudy Ray Moore in the biopic Dolemite Is My Name, but if you haven’t seen a Dolemite film, you really don’t know. Moore played Dolemite half a dozen times, but ironically in this film, he plays Monk Ru-Dee instead, and this is the only one with any real martial arts in it.

Moore took the cuttings from a 1986 Taiwanese film titled Ninja: The Final Duel, and spliced himself in to create his own story, and it’s just so cray. Beyond Moore, there are bizarre characters like the drunken Sam the Spliff, the topless Ninja Ho, and the coonskin cap wearing Davy Crockett. The story barely makes a lick of sense, but who cares? It’s mother-effin Dolemite.

The post Best Martial Arts Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now appeared first on Den of Geek.

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edgewoodrp · 5 years ago

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A recap of character experiences from March 1st through September 30th, 2019.

Enjoy!

Audrey Mitchell

Went door to door searching for leads on the matter of Emilia Zimmerman’s mysterious disappearance.

Teased with an incomplete tale of misadventures featuring drink vouchers and drag queens.

Became a roadside savior to a car broken down on the back roads between Ashland and Edgewood.

Drank more caffeine than any one person reasonably should, no doubt

Met up with Russell Hemlock to freshen up his trivia skills before another game night at their usual haunt.

Had the worst Friday ever and, after letting some thoughts about her empty house get under her skin, talked herself into adopting a puppy.

Beatrice Larson

Beatrice had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. After a horrible morning, she got knocked into and spilt her coffee all over herself. David was nice enough to give her a spare shirt and a place to decompress

Beatrice was shocked by a bench after Claudia bumped into her on the street on Friday the 13th. She has no idea how or why the bench shocked her, it shouldn’t have happened like that.

Watched Audrey get shocked by a street lamp pole before the other woman knocked into her, spilling coffee.

Caterina Singh

After finally being awarded her promotion as a journalist (to write the gossip column under a penname), Cat went out celebrating and reconnected with some townies.

During a break at the summer festival, she explored the twisty fun-house with Tristan Kong and strange, unexplainable things happened.

For Valerie Bianchi’s birthday, Caterina hosted a small slumber party.

On an off day, she was reminded of some unfortunate events and had a small break down in front of Ronan North.

During Ashland Street Days, she helped some people find eclectic items after touring the booths several times and finding many oddities (seriously, who proudly displays a bedazzled cattle skull?!)

Charlotte Kingsley

Reconnected with her sister Bridgette, Preston Hawthorne, Rosie Arceneaux, Maxine Beauchamp, Monty McAllister, and other old friends upon her arrival back in Edgewood.

Got into a car accident with Mateo Garcia during the freak whiteout.

Took pictures of the local college campuses for Karen Pierce and the PTA for a collegiate project they’re working on.

Had a tense re-introduction to Trevor during the HAGS Carnival.

Wandered into the North Star Lounge purely by chance on the night of Logan Cree’s surprise birthday party.

David Elmasri

David rescued Preston Hawthorn from public humiliation and struck up a close friendship with him.

He found Juliet Hawthorn after she let out a significant amount of blood and became suspicious of whatever was behind this.

He saw himself destroying Brewed Awakenings in anger during a vision and brought a gun into reality. He buried the gun at Pleasant Rest Cemetery before anyone else could see, although he was caught in the woods with a shovel by Simon Romero-Martin.

He has been suffering with the internal conflict of his new found ability, unsure how to keep it under control or whether it has any benefit at all that is work the risk of getting caught.

Frankie Holloway

Frankie has been watching out for other patrons at bars.

Xe ran into Monty McAllister at the grocery store and caught up with him.

On September 13th, which fell on a Friday in 2019, Frankie was plagued by visions all day and had little control over xir other powers. Xir sense of sight also faded as the day went on.

Heather Payne

Heather has been growing increasingly frustrated with her job at Hope Wellness Pharmacy and is hoping for a chance to leave.

She is taking Wu Shu Kung Fu lessons from Tristan Kong, and she meets up with her friend Claudia Rinaldi after their kickboxing lessons together. She continues to also train in potion making and magic.

She met Raiden Dryad when she attacked him outside of his club. Their next few encounters weren’t quite as hostile and they even saved a man’s life together, but there is still some tension.

Friday the 13th in September of 2019 came with some strong side effects, including Heather losing control of her powers and almost exposing magic and her experiencing some intense visions.

Maggie See

Caught up with Maxine while spending the night out and a guy wouldn’t mind his own business.

Met Tristan when he rescued her from a creeper at a bar and then helped her deal with a potential panic attack.

Baked Trevor a rather lopsided cake for his birthday.

Maggie worked at the PTA carnival at the bake sale booth and taking tickets for the fun house, which gave her a funny feeling.

Reconnected with Monty at the carnival

Worked the bake sale booth with Trevor, made fun of Karen.Simon came and gave Maggie a break from the fun house

Logan came and tried to sell her raffle tickets

Mateo came and talked to her at the fun house

Valerie tried to get her to buy things from the bake sale table

Waited on Heather when she came into the diner, misunderstood her questions about another patron as finding him attractive

Ran into Valerie while out candle shopping, the two ended up browsing for candles together

Ran into Preston at the library, they chatted for a while and he asked her about baking advice, Maggie was surprised because she’s not had the best track record in the past.

Maggie saw a ghost and could not get away from it in time, resulting in her having a panic attack and freaking out on those who tried to help her.

Met Juliet, who was asking her all sorts of questions about ghosts. It seemed like she had a loved one that she wanted to talk to again. Maggie was not here for that, she just wanted to have a panic attack in peace, thanks.

Maxine helped her back to The Underworld

Heather tried her best to fight the ghosts for Maggie

Monty, being somewhat of a pro, helped Maggie get to somewhere farther away from the ghosts and helped her through her panic attack

Tristan wanted to get Maggie to a doctor, which she refused. He stilled helped her get to somewhere safer

She totally freaked out on Logan when he doubted the existence of ghosts

Maggie went to pick up some items that she had ordered from Miss Rosie and Simon was working the counter. They noticed what she was buying and tried to offer Maggie a protection charm, but Maggie didn’t realize that it was probably a gift and refused because she didn’t have enough money to buy anything else but what she had come in for.

Maggie went to the Underworld to celebrate Maxine’s birthday. She decided to let loose and get drunk, since it’s a space that she feels safe, and she knew that Maxine wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her in the club. She also made her a somewhat lopsided birthday cake.

Maggie found an ugly cat in the dumpster at work and brought it home, much to the annoyance of Trevor.

Ran into Monty on their terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. She could tell that he wasn’t doing so hot but was refusing her help. But she also wasn’t feeling too hot so decided to take advantage of the fact that he wouldn’t turn her away when in need to keep an eye on him as well.

Maxine Beauchamp

Got some outsider opinions on what event Underworld Night Club should host next.

Due to an odd encounter in the woods, Maxine has now, semi-reluctantly, become a mentor to Phoenix Castillo.

Made a pact with Bridgette to go sober, because they both caught each other in compromising positions, but it didn’t last that long.

Conspired with Simon to change the terrible music at the carnival to something less abrasive.

Thanks to the input of others, Underworld hosted a amateur drag show for Edgewood’s Pride Week.

Her suspicions were raised after running into another potential vampire at her night club, so she is updating Ronan on their shared list of suspects.

And now she has celebrated her 33rd trip around the sun with some close (and not so close) friends.

Monty McAllister

Got turned around looking for a grocery store and ended up running into his childhood best friend, Trevor Wells.

At the HAGS Carnival, he split a funnel cake with a friend, then visited several others at the food booths. Later, he was spotted by his older sister, and consequentially made his return to Edgewood known to his family.

After a big falling out with his family, Monty had a little heart-to-heart with Ronan North in the park, and later struggled to deal with the aftermath of the disastrous familial encounter.

Met Karen Pierce while they were both fleeing his older sister in a crowded shopping mall.

During the events of Friday the 13th, he struggled to deal with an onslaught of visions throughout the day, the most notable of which featured Simon and a Change.

Phoenix Castillo

Phoenix has surprised many people on her adventures through the woods. She has made a new friend in Valerie Bianchi this way, but only thoroughly confused Tristan Kong.

She has started training her telepathy with Maxine.

She met Juliet Hawthorne at the Mystery Shack and found out that she is a vampire turned by Phoenix’s Great Uncle Leon. Phoenix is still hesitant around vampires though after some intense encounters with Logan Cree.

She has became friends with Preston Hawthorne after discovering a shared love of dance at the local library.

Raiden Dryad

Raiden and Juliet shared whiskey and exchanged taunts.

Met Caterina at Ashland Street Days and briefly discussed odd finds at the stalls.

Potentially insulted psychic werewolf Ronan North at Ashland Street Days about his father’s flannel shirts, and continued attempting to rile the wolf up.

Ran into Tristan outside the Crossroads Club, who was involved in an argument on his phone.

Had a suspicious meeting with Claudia after she barged into his club and admitted she had unestablished business with one of Raiden’s employees.

Almost beheaded Valerie with a mobile phone and had an odd conversation with them with supernatural-related jibing. Is currently attempting to suss out who and what they are at the Grille.

Was jumped by a blade-wielding Heather and came to a reluctant truce with the witch.

Tried to help Juliet hunt down Hawthorne birth records whilst acquiring his own sustainable blood supply at the hospital.

Introduced himself to Logan at the other vampire’s birthday party.

Offered Monty some guidance in choosing a dinner wine for his family dinner.

With some assistance, Raiden helped save a stranger’s life from a car accident.

Ronan North

Tracked down Wesley Callaghan with the help of his bartender, Evangeline Priestly, after Wes skipped out on another tab.

Bit the bullet and put some of his father’s old clothes up for sale during Ashland Street Days. Parting with those flannels was sweet sorrow.

Ran with Harley Chapman on a full moon.

Experienced some unusual bad luck on Friday the 13th. He lost control of his Change and turned in broad daylight while responding to his pack beta’s SOS. His other senses diminished as he found the beta and broke up an altercation between them and Simon Romero-Martin.

Russell Hemlock

At Ashland Street Day’s car show, Russell accidentally spilled ice cream on one of the cars and recruited help from others, only to find out it was Ronan’s late father’s car. Whoops.

Simon Romero-Martín

Upset a townsperson or two -and their balance- chasing after a “lucky” snail.

Volunteered as a face painter at the Have A Great Summer Carnival and made a number of the patrons’ day something truly magical.

Assisted Preston Hawthorne in ridding himself of a spell-generated doppelgänger that overstayed its welcome.

Spent every full moon diligently keeping their transformations behind lock, key, and spell…

Was interviewed by the watcher.

Bribed Monty McAllister with coffee and breakfast to hike out into the woods and help her take care of her cats.

Was rescued from having to walk their flat-tired bike home by Raiden Dryad.

Ran out of luck with their usual transformation preparations on Friday the 13th and stirred up some trouble with members of the Ashland pack.

Xavier Bennett

Talked classic cars and what their favorite decades were with Juliet Hawthorne at Ashland Street Days.

Gave Phoenix Castillo the shirt off of his back to wrap her bleeding hand after witnessing her trip in the rain, had an uncomfortable conversation about his psychic abilities.

Had dinner with Harley Chapman, but this is a weekly occurrence as she is his neighbor and one of his closest friends in Edgewood.

Served drinks to patrons such as Mateo Garcia and Bridgette Kingsley at Logan’s birthday party at the North Star Lounge.

Lamented about todays youth with David Elmasri at Brewed Awakenings when he went in for his morning coffee.

#edgewoodrecap #xavier bennett #simon romero martin #russell hemlock #ronan north #raiden dryad #phoenix castillo #monty mcallister #maxine beauchamp #maggie see #heather payne #frankie holloway #david elmasri #charlotte kingsley #caterina singh #beatrice larson #audrey mitchell #car accident mention #gun mention

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salsa-and-light · 4 years ago

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I have a special collection of my favorite songs in every language that I’ve been exposed to.

Hmong(primarily spoken in Northern Laos & Thailand

Bosnian(Serb-Croat)

Esperanto

I definitely have preferences but it’s best to see the different things you can like and it’s also great to have a connecting point for more people.

I have an Albanian friend and I got to be all “I know this really cool Albanian song wanna listen to it”

being able to connect and chat over a song that he understood and I liked is just really special.

Alternatively they might just make fun of your musical taste.

But you hear some really cool stuff

me listening to foreign music and not understanding a single word of it

#hmong #esperanto #bosnian #serb-croat #albanian #music #from me

181K notes · View notes

illusoryjh · 3 years ago

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The Foreign Ministry has a list of the NED crimes 7

VI.Funding activities and academic projects, engaging in ideological infiltration

**i.The NED created the so-called "democracy" award to encourage national dissidents to help "export democracy" to the United States.**Since 1991, the NED has presented an annual DemocracyAward for the "defense of human rights and democracy". Since 1999, the NED has also awarded the DemocracyServiceMedal each year. 2002, the DemocracyServiceMedal was awarded to Wu Shu-jen, the spouse of then Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian. The 2010 medal was awarded to the 14th Dalai Lama, the so-called "spiritual leader in exile" of Tibet. In addition, the NED has used the Global Congress of the World Movement for Democracy to present the Courage to Democracy Award, which has been presented to China-related faces since the eighth edition (2015), and has since been awarded to the "Tibetan independence" and "Hong Kong independence" leaders. "Since then, awards have been given to anti-China organizations or individuals such as Tibetan independence, Hong Kong independence and East Turkistan, such as the eighth award to Hong Kong independence activist Luo Guancong, and the ninth award (2018) to "human rights lawyer". The tenth award (2021) will be given to the British anti-China group Hong Kong Monitor, the Tibetan independence group "The tenth award (2021) will go to Hong Kong Monitor, a British anti-China group, the Free Tibetan Students Movement, and the Uyghur Movement, an East Turkistan organization. Among them, Law Kwun Chung, the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Independent Party, was wanted by the Hong Kong Police Force for his unlawful and disruptive behavior; Jiang Tianyong, through deliberate planning of rumors such as "Xie Yang was tortured," was involved in speculating on sensitive issues. Hong Kong Monitor received a warning letter from the Hong Kong Police Force, stating that the organization is suspected of violating Article 29 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, which states that "collusion with foreign countries or forces outside Hong Kong endangers national security. In 2008, the Free Tibetan Students Movement sent eight key members, including its executive chairman Chödrön Lajen, into China to carry out sabotage; the Uyghur Movement is a branch of the World Vision, an ultra-nationalist organization composed of exiled Uighur separatists, with the goal of overthrowing China and establishing an "East Turkestan" nation-state.

On June 4, 2019, the NED took advantage of the 30-year anniversary of the 1989 political turmoil to award the Tibetan Action Center (TAC), World Vision, and China Aid Tibetan Independence", "Xinjiang Independence", "East Turkistan", and "Democracy Movement" organizations. Democracy Award of the Year.

**ii.Since 2004, NED has held the annual Lipset Lecture Series.**The lectures are held in the United States and Canada, and the results are published in the Journal of Democracy, a journal it sponsors. Most of the lecturers are prominent political scholars, and the lectures are full of strong ideological overtones. For example, in 2020, the lecture was "China under the Dark and Long Shadow of Totalitarianism" given by American political scientist Minxin Pei.

**iii.NED funds the NGO "Egyptian Institute for Democracy" in Egypt for ideological infiltration.**In June 2011, the new U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, admitted that the United States had spent at least $40 million since February 2011 to "advance democracy" in Egypt.

**iv.In October 2013, the American Association for Democracy in International Affairs, a core NED grantee, received a grant of more than $300,000 from NED to "improve the communication skills of Venezuelan political activists.**Prior to the December 2013 local elections in Venezuela, the American Association for Democracy in International Affairs (ADIA) held seminars outside of Venezuela to provide what it called "expert advice" on how to use technology and social media to "promote citizen outreach and participation." expert advice." In addition, NED created a "virtual toolbox" that provides "online customized capacity building courses on a range of issues related to political innovation," which is still in use today. These measures worked in the 2015 legislative elections, when the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable, won a historic majority of seats in Venezuela's National Assembly.

**v.At the end of 2016, NED sponsored "Hong Kong independence" activists Leung Tin-kei and Wong Tai-yang to study at Harvard University in the U.S. and Oxford University in the U.K., respectively.**Yang Zhengxian, the former convener of the Civil Human Rights Front, participated in a study tour program with the foundation in 2017 to "exchange with civil society leaders and protesters from South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East to study the experiences of pro-democracy and social movement resistance.

**vi.NED sponsors the Young Ethnic Leaders Workshop year-round, and the participants are mostly representatives of Tibet independence, Xinjiang independence, Mongolia independence, Hong Kong independence, Taiwan independence and Falun Gong. By November 2020, it has held 15 sessions.**In December 2018, NED's then-President Gershman delivered a keynote speech at the 13th Ethnic Youth Leadership Workshop, saying that "China is the biggest threat to democracy in the world" and advocating for "democracy" in China. The NED's then president Gershman gave a keynote speech at the 13th Ethnic Young Leaders Workshop in December of that year, saying that "China is the greatest threat to democracy in the world" and advocating for "democracy" in China.

**vii.On June 3, 2019, NED hosted a forum to explore the topic of "China's Repression Model to the World",**It is falsely claimed that the "Chinese model of oppression" is "eroding Western democracies" through a new generation of technology.

**viii.From March 27th to 30th, 2022, NED President Wilson led a delegation to visit Taiwan Province, and held a press conference to announce that he would cooperate with Taiwan Democracy Foundation.**In October 2022, the World Movement for Democracy will hold a global conference in Taipei to support the "Taiwan independence" forces under the guise of so-called "democracy".

**ix.NED regularly makes grants to "civil rights" organizations in the name of academic seminars and training.**The details of NED's allocation to Tibet and Xinjiang in 2020 show that the Foundation provides funds to Tibet-independent and Xinjiang-independent organizations such as Tibet Youth Association and World Uyghur Congress, and holds seminars to provide forums for exiled Tibetans and Tibetan-independent elements in China; Organize the ability training of Uyghur youth and publicize the "Uyghur crisis" in the local community.

**x.NED has been funding political youth participation training in the Sudan region for years.**In 2020, the Regional Center for Civil Society Development and Training in Sudan (RCDCS) received the Democracy Award from NED. The organization has trained hundreds of youth throughout Sudan in the areas of "democracy" and radicalism.

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loaddiscount22 · 3 years ago

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resham-stuff · 3 years ago

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Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market 2021: Rising Impressive Business Opportunities

Liquid capsule filling machines market will reach an estimated valuation of USD 214.11 billion by 2027, while registering this growth at a rate of 2.80% for the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Liquid capsule filling machines market report analyses the growth, which is currently being growing due to the rising adoption of liquid capsules by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies.

To be aware of the market in depth, market research report is the perfect solution. Report such as Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market, helps to know that how the market is going to perform in the forecast years by giving information about market definition, classifications, applications, and engagements. Market segmentation is also covered in detail by considering several aspects that is sure to help businesses out there. A team of multi-lingual analysts and project managers is skilled to serve clients on every strategic aspect including product development, key areas of development, application modelling, use of technologies, the acquisition strategies, exploring niche growth opportunities and new markets.

Latest Research on Liquid Capsule Filling Machines market | Get Sample report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-liquid-capsule-filling-machines-market

Top Key Player: Qualicaps, Inc., ACG Group, Dott. Bonapace & C. Srl, Capsugel, Furis Group Co.,Ltd, UPMACH.com, Shandong SMA Pharmatech Co.,Ltd, Harro Höfliger Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH, Sinopharm Co.,Ltd, Schaefer Technologies, Inc., IMA, Bosch Packaging Technology, Joysun Pharma, Shanghai Far-East Pharmaceutical Machinery Co.,Ltd., SaintyCo, CapPlus Technologies, Inc., Tianmin Shu, CapsCanada Corporation, and Lonza among other domestic and global players.

The growing expenditure on the healthcare facilities, rising population, innovation and customization, easy maintenance of the machines, increasing disposable income of the people are some of the factors expected to boost the growth of the liquid capsule filling machines market in the forecast period of 2020-2027. On the other hand, the rising adoption of plant-based and vegan diets will further create several opportunities that will lead to the growth of the liquid capsule filling machines market in the above mentioned forecast period.

Performs Competitive Analysis: The Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market report incorporates the detailed analysis of the leading organizations and their thought process and what are the methodologies they are adopting to maintain their brand image in this market. The report aides the new bees to understand the level of competition that they need to fight for to strengthen their roots in this competitive market.

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

This report provides an extensive analysis of the current and emerging trends and dynamics in the Liquid Capsule Filling Machines market.

In-depth analysis is done by constructing market estimations for the key market segments to identify the prevailing market opportunities.

This study evaluates the competitive landscape and value chain to understand the competitive environment across the geographies.

A comprehensive analysis of the factors that drive and restrict the market growth is provided.

A comprehensive analysis of the region is provided to determine the prevailing opportunities in these geographies

Thinking One Step Ahead

In today’s competitive world you need to think one step ahead to pursue your competitors, our research offers reviews about key players, major collaborations, union & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies to present a better understanding to drive the business in the correct direction.

In conclusion, the Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market report is a genuine source for accessing the research data which is projected to exponentially grow your business. The report provides information such as economic scenarios, benefits, limits, trends, market growth rates, and figures. SWOT analysis and Porters Five analysis is also incorporated in the report.

Want to Know COVID-19 Impact on this Market? https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/covid-19-impact/global-liquid-capsule-filling-machines-market

Conducts Overall LIQUID CAPSULE FILLING MACHINES Market Segmentation: This knowledgeable market research report offers lucrative opportunities by breaking down complex market data into segments on the basis of –

By Machine Type (Semi-Automatic, Automatic),

Output Capacity (Up to 6,000 C/hr, 6,001-12,000 C/hr, 12,001-25,000 C/hr, 25,001-70,000 C/hr, 70,001-90,000 C/hr, Above 90,000 C/hr),

Capsule Type (Hardgel, Softgel),

End User (R&D Labs, Drug Manufacturing)

The countries covered in the liquid capsule filling machines market report are the U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

For More Enquiry Please Ask Our Expert At: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-liquid-capsule-filling-machines-market

Some Points from Table of Content

COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2021

Chapter 1 Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Introduction and Market Overview

1.1 Objectives of the Study

1.2 Overview of Liquid Capsule Filling Machines

1.3 Scope of The Study

1.3.1 Key Market Segments

1.3.2 Players Covered

1.3.3 COVID-19’s impact on the Liquid Capsule Filling Machines industry

1.4 Methodology of The Study

1.5 Research Data Source

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Industry Chain Analysis

Chapter 4 Global Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market, by Type

Chapter 5 Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market, by Application

Chapter 6 Global Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Regions

Chapter 7 North America Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter 8 Europe Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter 9 Asia Pacific Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter 10 Middle East and Africa Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter 11 South America Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Analysis by Countries

Chapter 12 Competitive Landscape

Chapter 13 Industry Outlook

Chapter 14 Global Liquid Capsule Filling Machines Market Forecast

Chapter 15 New Project Feasibility Analysis

Read Complete Details with TOC @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-liquid-capsule-filling-machines-market

About Data Bridge Market Research:

Data Bridge Market Research Pvt Ltd is a multinational management consulting firm with offices in India and Canada. As an innovative and neoteric market analysis and advisory company with unmatched durability level and advanced approaches. We are committed to uncover the best consumer prospects and to foster useful knowledge for your company to succeed in the market.

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hong-kong-art-man · 3 years ago

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Enjoyable Talk On My New Book Wasted Youth 枉少年 With The Best Actor Winner Lam Ka Tung : “Don’t Take Time For Granted As Life Has No Refund Policy”

Wasting time is a feeling which hurts us terribly. Over the past years, I framed justifications in different terms that made my decisions and actions in life more palatable. Self-serving reasons are in fact situational. Sadly for us, coming to recognise your real needs and desires is the luxury of regret when age is in your debt and you can unburden yourself by turning back on your bad old days.

My new book, a collection of short articles, Wasted Youth枉少年 was released in the Hong Kong Book Fair in July 2021. I set up my law firm when I was only 27 and tried hard to make the ‘best’ of my career by working too much: spending my weekends doing business, eating too much at business dinners, meeting troublesome business contacts whom I actually prefer to distance from, business trips for no business return and forcing my appearance to become the kind of business look that I dislike…

I wanted to look back in a talk in the Book Fair with my old friend Lam Ka Tung(林家棟). Most days of our years begin and end fast with good or bad memory in between. Nevertheless, they do make impact on the course of a life.

Ka Tung started working with a local TV station HKTVB in a very low position in the late 1980s and he worked diligently. Given his great talent, especially acting as an unsung hero or brave underdog, he was able to go up through many ranks to become one of the top TV actors in Hong Kong in the 1990s. In 2001, being an embodiment of determination, Ka Tung left HKTVB and got into the uncertain film industry, first as an actor and later as a scriptwriter and producer. At some time in the future, I am sure we will have one more film director in Hong Kong. He won many awards including the best actor trophy in Hong Kong Film Awards.

Ka Tung joked, “There are many ‘Wasted Youth’ ideas and mine was closing my books. I disliked studying and enjoyed playing when I was a kid. Play is simple. It does not require money or toys. What it truly requires is TIME and so I lost my time.” I echoed, “Work is difficult, particularly working as a lawyer. So, I lost more time than you did!” Ka Tung was amused, “Am I silly? Now, I am trying to compensate my loss of time by working hard too!” I laughed, “Working hard is blood loss and being lazy is soul loss! It is all up to you!”

I asked Ka Tung, “What are you looking for?” He became serious, “For myself, I want to be a better actor, not in terms of more awards but with respect to my exposure. The awards that I got are changing my life: better salary, working with better people, and greater projects. I do feel that I am still not good enough. I want more audience to see more human beauty or ugliness through my different roles in film.”

Ka Tung continued, “For the film industry of Hong Kong, I wish to help in the process of resuscitation of this once ‘Hollywood of The Far East’. Hong Kong’s film industries have enjoyed little subsidies from government and through our crowd-pleasing genres like comedy and action, we made it in the past. At the moment, where are we and what shall we do? I cannot answer. The best I can say is that any movie produced by us must be good. Forget how many audiences that it will attract but we just make sure that the quality of the film will be respected.”

I said, “What is your final wish?” He played with words, “World peace!” His self-deprecating smile showed that Lam Ka Tung could be a wonderful comedian.

This summer, Ka Tung must be busy with the harvest: his Hand Rolled Cigarette手捲煙 (as an actor) and Time 殺出個黃昏 (as a producer). There is always something that you can learn from watching a movie. Please go into the house, sit down and enjoy Hong Kong movies! This is how you can keep Hollywood of the Far East alive!

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/xiang-gang-shu-54776140?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare

Lam Ka Tung Movie “Trivisa” Classic Scenes Acknowledgement - 日常與經典 https://youtu.be/Rc1DmMfQB-A

Lam Ka Tung TV Drama Theme Song Acknowledgement 忘了!忘不了 https://youtu.be/m0-2LwIFytg

Lam Ka Tung, the Best Actor at the Academy Awards Hong Kong 2017 Acknowledgement – TVB USA Official https://youtu.be/7ygLZEh4_d0

Lam Ka Tung’s Movie Hand Rolled Cigarette Official Trailer Acknowledgement – Movie Trailer https://youtu.be/ZoDsP6khPqE

Lam Ka Tung’s Movie “Time” Theme Song Acknowledgement – 睇預告 https://youtu.be/y2ElLJS4In0

Book Fair Seminar 2021 – Guest: Lam Ka Tung Acknowledgement – HKTDC https://youtu.be/HXV69XYr1xk

#Lam Ka Tung林家棟 #Hand Rolled Cigarette手捲煙 #Time殺出個黃昏 #Wasted Youth 枉少年 #Hong Kong Book Fair #HKTVB #Hong Kong Film Awards #Hollywood of The Far East

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architectnews · 4 years ago

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Vector Architects creates network of terraces around Pingshan Art Museum

Vector Architects has completed the Pingshan Art Museum near Shenzhen, featuring a network of balconies and bridges that allow artworks to be displayed both inside and out.

The 47,000-square-metre museum gives the Chinese city its first major destination for contemporary art. It is located within the Pingshan Cultural Cluster, a hub of buildings that includes a new theatre and an exhibition centre.

Galleries open out to the terraces of Pingshan Art Museum

Despite its size, Vector Architects designed the six-storey building to be as permeable as possible, linking the park and lake to the east with the neighbourhood to the west.

At ground level, the volume is broken down into a series of small blocks, with pathways in between. They gradually join together on the upper levels, connected by the various terraces and bridges.

Plants and trees dot the terraces

This layout brings more people through the building, encouraging them to venture inside. It also creates opportunities for outdoor installations on the upper levels.

It is a similar strategy to the one employed by the studio when designing the Changjiang Art Museum in Taiyuan, which incorporates a raised public square.

Openings create through routes at ground level

"We fragmented the architectural volume to distribute the various functional spaces of the museum at different levels," said Vector Architects, which is led by founder Dong Gong.

"The spaces are stacked vertically, allowing us to set up a multilevel public platform system that renders the architecture penetrable and porous."

The first-floor terrace is accessible from the street. Photo is by Zhang Chao

Pingshan Art Museum is primarily constructed from concrete, which gives a weightiness to both the main structure and the protruding volumes.

Exhibition galleries are located on all six storeys, organised so that they can open out to the bamboo-covered terraces wherever possible.

When the museum is shut, the intention is that visitors will still be able to walk over some of these terraces and encounter artworks.

Plants and trees are also dotted through these spaces.

Galleries are located over all six storeys

"We hope that, outside of the operational hours of the museum, the building complex and its public functions could also be open to the whole city for longer periods of time," said the studio.

"The spaces under the overhangs provide ventilation as well as sheltering from the sun and rain, specifically for the sub-tropical climate of Shenzhen."

Glazed curtain walls create light-filled spaces

As well as exhibition galleries, the building also contains a large education centre, a library and a multi-purpose hall.

Spaces inside the building have a utilitarian feel, thanks to the large use of glass, metal and concrete. Glazed curtain walls are fronted by steel mullions, which help to moderate the amount of light that enters.

Concrete and metal give a utilitarian feel to the interiors

Pingshan Art Museum is located on the opposite side of the lake from the original art museum, a small building that remains in use.

Its neighbour is the Pingshan Performing Arts Center, designed by Beijing studio Open Architecture.

The museum forms part of the Pingshan Cultural Cluster

Vector Architects hopes that the building will become a busy, active space in the neighbourhood.

"In our imagination, the art museum would fully absorb the crowds along either side, as an interface that undertakes the daily life in the neighbourhood," it added.

Photography is by Su Shengliang unless otherwise stated.

Project credits

Client: People's Government of Pingshan District, Shenzhen Developer: China Merchants Real Estate Competition supervisor, academic planner and tender service provider: Urban Planning, Land Resources Commission of Shenzhen Municipality Architectural/interior/landscape design: Vector Architects Project team: Gong Dong, Yue Han, Peng Zhang, Jinteng Li, Jinteng Li, Guangli Yu, Xiaokai Ma, Dongping Sun, Liangliang Zhao, Xiangdong Kong, Yihsuan Lin , Jiadai Wu, Yun Liu, Nana Zhang, Yunhan Liu LDI: Shenzhen AUBE Architectural & Engineering Design Consultants LDI team: Rong Ding, Zhenfeng Liu, Zhigang Wu, Baojie Ding Structural design: Guoqiang Zou, Zhijiang Yi Mechanical and electrical design: Yu Huang, Xiaohua Liao, Shaoliang Xu, Tingwan Lu, Canrong Luo, Hong Zhang, Xiaowei Qi Landscape design: Jie Zhu, Changrong Zhang, Long Shu, Ming Feng Lighting consultant: Dongning Wang, Xiaolei Sun Facade consultant: Wangming Zhang, Chao Cheng, Jiabin Sang

The post Vector Architects creates network of terraces around Pingshan Art Museum appeared first on Dezeen.

#Architecture – Dezeen

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ma5ey · 15 years ago

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My China Experience: A Preview

// April 29, 2010

Yes, my friends at Cathay Pacific are sending me to the Orient for a fast and furious 9 day tour (2 days travel) of a number of attractions and experiences now on offer as part of their new China Experience tour packages.

I suppose you could say I've been keeping this one under the radar until now, as this plan has been in the works for a good few weeks and I leave the weekend after next – so close! The primary objective for the trip is to snap away madly in an attempt to build a library of images that I'll be able to use for the continuing development and marketing of Cathay's China Experience website which I designed and developed for them a year or so ago.

Related Books Related Videos

Related People Style: Liuhebafaquan; http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liuhebafaquan Martial Artist: Wang Xiangzhai; http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Wang-Xiangzhai Style: Yao's Modern Yiquan; http://www.malineage.com/styles/Yaos-Modern-Yiquan Links; http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liu-He-Ba-Fa-Chuan-nid26156 Teacher; http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Wu-Yi-Hui http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Li-Dao-Li http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Liang-Qi-Zhong http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Liang-Zipeng http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Moy-Lin-Shin http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Li-Chung http://www.malineage.com/martial-artists/Huang-Wei-Lun > https://www.google.co.th/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Huang+Wei+Lun > http://slantedflying.com/master-wei-lun-huang-passes-away/

http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liuhebafaquan?section=schools http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liuhebafaquan?section=videos http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liuhebafaquan?section=photos http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liuhebafaquan?section=history http://www.malineage.com/styles/Liu-He-Ba-Fa-Chuan

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aaronsminyard · 7 years ago

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so school’s about to start and im about to die, and i’m going on a short two-three week hiatus whilst i get settled in as everything will be new for me! i’ll have me queue running (hopefully) most of the time, but i thought to celebrate?? or to distract me from school work, i’ll do blog rates for you all to say thanks for such an amazing summer

must be following me

reblog this post (likes wont count)

send me an ask with ✨ and tell me about your summer! or your day, or your latest project; honestly anything

please specify which blograte you would like (seen below the cut)

NORMAL (x)

url: i dont understand / i dont like it / i like it / i love it / tempted to steal icon: not my style / nice / beautiful / brilliant / tempted to steal theme: not my style / messy / nice / beautiful / amazing / tempted to steal mobile theme: not my style / alright / nice / amazing / tempted to steal posts: not my style / nice / great / amazing following: no / i am now / yes / ur blog is a fave comment:

HARRY POTTER (x)

era: founders / tom riddle / marauders / golden trio / next gen blood status: muggle born / half-blood / pure-blood hogwarts house: gryffindor / ravenclaw / slytherin / hufflepuff quidditch position: chaser / beater / keeper / seeker / commentator / fan student position: student / prankster / prefect / head student

SIX OF CROWS (x)

location: crow club / ice court / the wraith country: kerch / ravka / fjerda / shu han / novyi zem book: six of crows / crooked kingdom organisation: dregs / dime lions / razorgulls / drüskelle / grisha role: demo / spider / leader / sharpshooter / soldier character: kaz / inej / matthias / nina / jesper / wylan / kuwei

ALL FOR THE GAME (x)

position: striker / backliner / goalie / dealer / cheerleader place: the dorms / edens / sweeties / columbia / court / whymacks team colours: black and red / orange and white / red and gold friend group: upperclassmen / monsters / new foxes / vixens fox: aaron / allison / andrew / dan / kevin / matt / neil / nicky / renee / seth

AESTHETIC (x)

planet: mercury / venus / earth / mars / jupiter / saturn / uranus / neptune / pluto scent: rose / cedar wood / sage / jasmine / lavender / sea salt / lime / honeysuckle season: spring / summer / autumn / winter city: london / paris / hong kong / seattle / nyc / tokyo / sydney / dubai / milan / amsterdam

MYTHOLOGY (x)

greek god: zeus / poseidon / hades / hermes / apollo / dionysus / hephaestus greek goddess: hera / demeter / athena / artemis / aphrodite / persephone creature: centaur / pegasus / nymph / siren / chimaera / dryad / pheonix / griffin

#cas' br

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marketinghero · 5 years ago

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Amazon invests in Deliveroo Amazon has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into food delivery service Deliveroo. According to reports, Amazon has provided a substantial proportion of the $575m (£450m) Deliveroo has raised in its latest round of funding, alongside several existing US investors. Deliveroo’s founder and chief executive, Will Shu, says he is looking forward to working with “such a customer-obsessed organisation” like Amazon, while Amazon says it was attracted to Deliveroo’s “innovative technology service”. “This is great news for the tech and restaurant sectors, and it will help to create jobs in all of the countries in which we operate,” Shu adds. Amazon canned its own UK delivery service, Amazon Restaurants UK, at the end of 2018 after two years, having been unable to successfully compete with the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats. UK-based Deliveroo operates in 100 cities across the UK as well as a number of countries all over the world including the US, Australia, Germany and Hong Kong. READ MORE: Amazon invests in Deliveroo Pret set to buy Eat in veggie push Pret a Manger is in talks to buy high street rival Eat as part of its plans to expand its vegetarian offering. According to the London Evening Standard, the coffee shop chain is keen to purchase either all or the majority of Eat’s 94 stores with the aim of turning them into vegetarian Pret outlets. Pret has neither confirmed or denied the move, saying: “We never comment on rumour or speculation.” The news comes as both businesses grapple with their own challenges. While the majority of Eat’s woes are rooted in finance, having posted a loss of £17.3m in 2018, Pret has suffered reputational damage following the death of a schoolgirl in 2016 after an allergic reaction to one of its baguettes. Eat’s current chief executive, Andrew Walker, previously spent 12 years at Pret – five as its UK boss – before leaving in 2012. READ MORE: Pret a Manger set to buy Eat in trend for veggie food BT reveals new logo BT has got a new logo. The telecoms giant, which has undergone a number of rebrands since being privatised in the 1980s, has been working on the new design for a number of years and on Wednesday filed a trademark application. The new logo is expected to be rolled out in August and will likely be used across BT’s entire portfolio, from sports channels to broadband services. “We’ve shared our new logo with our colleagues today and will consult them on the detail as we gradually roll it out towards the end of the summer,” a spokesperson said. “Our CEO has been very clear that the new mark symbolises real change. Making every BT employee a shareholder in the company is the first step towards transforming BT into a national champion that exceeds our customers’ expectations.” Earlier this week BT announced plans to give its 100,000 staff £500 of BT shares a year in an attempt to boost morale. READ MORE: BT unveils new logo after years of work – its name in a circle Airbnb hires former Apple retail boss Angela Ahrendts, the former retail boss of Apple and ex-CEO of Burberry, has joined the Airbnb board. Ahrendts, who left Apple earlier this year after five years, joins former American Express CEO Ken Chenault and former Pixar CFO Ann Mather to become Airbnb’s third independent, non-affiliated board member. “Angela has a reputation for pushing brands to dream big, and she told me that’s exactly what she hopes to bring to Airbnb’s board,” says Airbnb chief executive and co-founder Brian Chesky. “She has led global brands through transformation, completely redefined the retail experience, and has done it all while putting customers and communities first. I’m so excited for her to join our board and know her innovative thinking will make us a better company.” The announcement comes as Airbnb prepares for its IPO, which the company says could be as early as the end of the year. Ahrendts was one of Apple’s highest-paid executives, earning $26.5m (£23.1m) in 2018. READ MORE: Former Apple retail head Angela Ahrendts appointed to Airbnb’s board Lucozade launches ‘Spark Something’ campaign Lucozade has launched a new £10m campaign in an effort to broaden its appeal and position itself as the “ideal solution for those looking for positive energy”. Using a vinyl record, the campaign showcases how positive energy can be passed across generations and from person-to-person, inviting viewers to ‘Spark Something’. It will be brought to life across TV, outdoor, social, digital and in-store marketing. “The campaign will position the market-leading energy brand as one that sparks positive energy, broadening our appeal,” says Amie Farrell, senior brand manager for Lucozade Energy. “We know Lucozade Energy holds a unique position in the market. The campaign enhances the positive aspects of the Lucozade Energy brand and emphasises our belief that the best things in life come from positive actions and a positive outlook”. ‘Spark Something’ will run through to September and target the brand’s core audience of 18-24 year-old adults. It will also partner with Mobsta to launch a mobile display campaign in proximity to stores selling Lucozade Energy in a bid to boost memorability, drive them in store and ultimately drive sales. The ‘Spark Something’ mobile campaign will deliver 5.6m impressions. Thursday, 16 May Burberry turnaround ‘on track’ as brand rebuilds energy Burberry claims its plans to transform the company under new CEO Marco Gobbetti and creative director Riccardo Tisci are “on track” despite flat revenue growth. Preliminary results for the year to 30 March show revenue was flat at £2.72bn, although reported operating profit increase 7% year on year to £410m. The company says the launch of its “new creative vision”, including a new logo and Burberry monogram, has been successful, while it has seen strong double-digit percentage growth of Tisci’s first collections. It also says it is “building brand heat” and shifting consumer perceptions through improved social media reach, wider press coverage and organic endorsement from influencers. “We made excellent progress in the first year of our plan to transform Burberry, while at the same time delivering financial performance in line with expectations. Riccardo Tisci’s first collections arrived in stores at the end of February and the initial reaction from customers is very encouraging. The implementation of our plan is on track, we are energised by the early results and we confirm our outlook for FY 2020,” says Gobbetti. Commercial radio hits audience high as overall audience grows Commercial radio saw its audience hits a record high in the first quarter of 2019, with 36.1 million people tuning in, according to figures from RAJAR. That figure means 1.7 million more people are listening to commercial radio stations than BBC stations, the widest ever gap between the two. Overall, 66% of the population listen to commercial radio stations every week, while 89% listen to some form of radio. Total listening hours for commercial radio were also up, increasing 1.6% year on year. Radiocentre CEO Siobhan Kenny says: “We are constantly reminded of the challenges that radio faces in a digital age, whether it is from new forms of listening or shifts in advertising. But it’s clear from these figures that the investment from stations in talent, brands and great content is helping radio to continue to resonate with audiences in a big way.” Global was the biggest radio network, attracting 25.1 million listeners to its stations, which include Capital, Heart and LBC. Bauer Media attracted 17.7 million listeners and saw a “step up” in digital listeners – rising 14.3% to 13.7 million. Dee Ford, group managing director of radio at Bauer Media, says: “This is a great set of results for commercial radio, digital product innovation is underpinning commercial radio’s highest ever reach. The significant step up in Bauer’s lead in digital listening reflects our continued commitment to bringing listeners fresh, new, unique radio services complementing our powerful big brand portfolio – listeners love them, and so do our advertisers.” Waitrose invests £1m in organisations tackling plastic pollution Waitrose & Partners is investing a £1m grand fund in five organisations tackling plastic pollution, including marine scientists and charities. The grant winners include Blue Marine Foundation’s Safegear, which attaches beacons to buoys to stop fishermen losing their gear, Onion Collective and Biohm’s plastic biorecyling facility and the Women’s Environmental Network’s environmentally-friendly menstrual products. The Plymouth Marine Laboratory, which is tackling microplastic pollution using rafts of mussels, and the Youth Hostel Association’s project to install water bottle refilling stations in its hostels will also receive funds. The £1m fund has been raised from the sale of 5p carrier bags in Waitrose stores. Each winner will receive funding of between £150,000 and £300,000 Tor Harris, head of CSR, health and agriculture at Waitrose & Partners, says: “It’s important for us to tackle unnecessary plastic both in our shops but also in the wider world. All these inspirational projects have the ability to create real impact in tackling environmental issues and encouraging behaviour change so we can collectively achieve our goal of reducing plastic pollution.” Google brings more ads to mobile Google is offering brands more chances to reach consumers as it introduces a slew of news ads that will be served across its mobile services. The personalised Discover feed that appears in the Google app will get ads for the first time, while more ads will appear in Google Images search results, YouTube feeds and Gmail inbox tabs. The new ads are mostly two formats: ‘gallery’ ads that feature images users can swipe through, and ‘discovery’ ads, which appear where people are browsing more tailored content. Google claims such formats produce 25% more interactions than static ads. “In a world where we have less time and more options, it’s crucial for brands to anticipate what consumers need in order to stand out,” says Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice-president of Google Ads & Commerce. “But just because the customer journey is complex doesn’t mean delivering useful experiences has to be. Whether you’re a scrappy entrepreneur or a large company, your marketing goals remains the same: reaching people at the right moments with the right offer.” Google is also revamping its Shopping service, allowing users to choose to purchase online, in a nearby store or directly on Google. It will also introduce a personalised Shopping homepage where users can filter features, read reviews and watch videos about a product. Thomas Cook reports £1.5bn loss as Brexit hits holiday bookings Thomas Cook has reported a £1.5bn loss for the first half of the year and warned of “further headwinds” in 2019 as ongoing uncertainty over the UK leaving the EU hit holiday bookings. The holiday company says there is “now little doubt” that Brexit has caused customers to delay their summer holiday plans this year. Last summer’s heatwave also reduced customer demand for winter sun holidays, contributing to a “weak trading environment”. Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook CEO, says: “The first six months of this year have been characterised by an uncertain consumer environment across all our markets. “Our current trading position reflects a slower pace of bookings, against a strong first half in 2018, and our decision to reduce capacity in order to mitigate risk in the tour operator and allow our airline to consolidate the strong growth it achieved last year.” Part of the loss (around £1.1bn) was due to the decision to writedown the value of its My Travel business. The company also says it has received “multiple bids” for its airline, which it put up for sale earlier this year. Wednesday, 15 May William Hill ad banned for linking gambling to sexual success A William Hill advert which appeared on Tinder has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for linking gambling to sexual success. The ad, which was sent as a message to Tinder users, read: “Stuck in the friend zone? You won’t be for much longer if you use this Cheltenham free bet offer.” The message was accompanied by a link to download the William Hill app. According to the CAP Code, marketing communications for gambling must be socially responsible and must not link gambling to seduction, sexual success or enhanced attractiveness. The ASA acknowledged William Hill had removed the ad but declared the slogan suggested those who gamble would be more likely to progress a friendship into a sexual relationship “and therefore linked gambling with sexual success”. William Hill initially defended the promotion saying it intended to associate the offer to the nature of the business it was advertising on (Tinder) but agrees it had the potential to be interpreted differently. The company added that it was not its intention to link gambling to sexual success. The gambling giant has since removed the ad and is conducting a full review of the existing content platform while Tinder said it originally reviewed the ad to make sure its content was not socially irresponsible, offensive or targeting minors. Vegan sausage roll helps accelerate Greggs sales Sales at British baking giant Greggs have skyrocketed likely thanks to the introduction of its vegan sausage roll. During the first 19 weeks of 2019 to 11 May, total sales jumped 15.1% year on year. Additionally, shares climbed more than 13%, marking a record high after the bakery chain reported an “exceptional” 11% rise in like-for-like sales. “Sales since then have continued to grow very strongly, helped by the roll-out of vegan-friendly sausage rolls to all shops following limited availability in the early part of the year when demand outstripped supply,” Greggs said in a trading update. Meanwhile, Roger Whiteside, chief executive of Greggs, says awareness of the brand has never been higher and the vegan sausage roll helped with publicity and encouraging people to “come and have a look at what we’re doing”. Greggs launched the vegan sausage roll in January to capitalise on the ‘Veganuary’ movement – where Brits pledge to cut out meat and dairy products for the month – but struggled to keep up with demand. Other categories that have seen growth are in breakfast items such as coffee and hot drinks, as well its ‘post-4pm pizza deal’, offering a pizza slice and a drink for just £2, according to the company. READ MORE: Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls fuel profit boom Amazon introduces pick-up points at Next Amazon has partnered with Next to launch a click and collect service for UK customers, meaning shoppers will be given the option to have their items delivered to a nearby Next store. The option will be made available for tens of millions of items on the Amazon website and kicked off yesterday (14 May). It builds on Amazon’s existing parcel pick-up and locker options with the likes of Morrisons, the Co-op and Shell petrol stations. “We see it as a great way to create more convenience for our customers and create a win-win situation for the retailers who partner with us,” Amazon’s director of lockers and pick-up, Patrick Supanc, says. When a customer’s package arrives in store they will be sent a unique barcode to present when picking up the item. Amazon adds that feedback from earlier trials suggest the move can aid retailers’ customer footfall. READ MORE: Amazon partners UK’s Next for click and collect services Tesco reveals latest food waste data More than two thirds (63%) of food waste at Tesco was redistributed to charities, community groups, colleagues and animal feed, the company says. According to the supermarket giant, the amount of food going to waste across its UK operations fell by 17% year on year to 44,297 tonnes. This was likely helped along by the fact the supermarket giant also halved (51%) the amount of food safe for human consumption going to energy recovery compared to last year. It is now 81% of the way toward its target that no food safe for human consumption goes to waste. Additionally, during the last 12 months Tesco sold around 10 million tonnes of food in the UK. A small fraction (77,184 tonnes, 0.78%) remained unsold. Of this figure, 32,887 tonnes was redistributed and stopped from going to waste. Now, Britain’s latest supermarket is urging other businesses to publish food waste data. Tesco’s CEO Dave Lewis acknowledges that reducing food waste is a global challenge: “One in nine people are going hungry whilst a third of the world’s food is wasted. This food waste has a huge environmental impact, creating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. “We call on other businesses to also report their food waste data; this is the only way that we’ll know whether the UK and the world is on course to reach SDG Target 12.3.” Tesco has not sent any food to landfill since 2009. Keith Weed invests in influencer marketplace Keith Weed has unveiled his first project since stepping down as CMO of consumer goods giant Unilever. The marketing veteran is investing in influencer marketer place Tribe less than a year after he called for “urgent action” to restore trust in influencer marketing. Weed has given his financial backing to the platform which links brands to appropriate micro influencers who then distribute creative content on relevant platforms. In a tweet about Tribe, Weed says: “Quality, low cost, speedy content is now possible no matter how big or small you brand or brand budget is.” Tribe offers brands access to more than 53,000 influencers with followings of 3,000 or more and allows marketers, from the likes of P&G, Mars and Marvel, to see branded content executions from creators before they pay for the work so they can choose not to run it if they don’t like it. Last year Weed said the industry needed to clean up the influencer ecosystem by removing misleading engagement and making brands and influencers aware of dishonest practices. “We need to take urgent action now to rebuild trust before it’s gone forever,” he said. Tuesday, 14 May Warburtons enlists Robert De Niro for bagel launch The newest campaign from bakery brand Warburtons’ has a slightly darker edge than its all-singing, all-dancing predecessors starring The Muppets. This time round the brand faces Robert De Niro and his gang, who are looking to take over its newly launched bagel business, renaming the product GoodBagels in homage to gangster movie Goodfellas. The TV ad, which has been created by Engine and Freuds, and launches today on social before its TV debut on 17 May, shows De Niro and his family of goons confronting Jonathan Warburton in his Bolton office. De Niro and his men are seen taping up a security guard and taking over the business, before filling supermarket shelves with the renamed GoodBagels. Believing the Hollywood star is telling him the story line for a movie, Warburton asks how it ends, to which De Niro responds “not well”. This is the latest in a string of star-studded campaigns from the bakery brand, which in recent years has worked with Sylvester Stallone, Peter Kay and The Muppets. Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons, says: “As an iconic New Yorker, Robert De Niro knows his way around a bagel so it’s great to have his seal of approval. We’ve spent months perfecting the recipe and process to ensure we delight families up and down the country with the best thing since sliced bread.” Ikea urges consumers to rethink buying new products in first sustainability campaign Ikea has launched its first sustainability-led marketing campaign, which focuses on the Swedish philosophy of ‘lagom’, which means using not too much and not too little. The three main focus points of the campaign, devised by Proximity London, are grow your own, waste reduction and home efficiency, with Ikea looking to personalise the messaging to appeal to people will all levels of interest in sustainability. As part of the campaign, Ikea has launched the Lagom Collection, a content series shared via social and email, which promotes ideas and inspiration, both for new products and tips to give existing products a new lease of life. The retailer is keen to encourage people to think about what they already have before looking to buy something new. Ikea will be running a three-day event in-stores as well to educate and inspire sustainability in shoppers. Iain Neal, CRM leader, Ikea UK & Ireland says: “While most people recognise that climate change is happening, many don’t connect with it personally or emotionally and we wanted to address that head-on. Through initiatives we have run for years, such as our Live Lagom ambassador programme, we know that when engaged, people see how easy living more sustainably can be. “At Ikea, sustainability is a key part of our design process for all products. We have loads of products and solutions to help save energy and water, reduce waste, live more healthily and save money. They may seem like small things, but that’s the beauty of small actions – they all add up. By bringing this message to our marketing, we hope that we can engage even more people to think about the small changes they can do to make their life at home just a bit more sustainable.” Metro Bank responds to ‘false rumours’ which sparked panic Metro Bank has been forced to respond to “false rumours” on social media that it is running out of money, which resulted in hundreds of customers queuing in London outlets to withdraw their cash from accounts and safety deposit boxes. The rumours circulated on community WhatsApp groups in London over the weekend, and panic began to spread as photos of customers queuing were shared on Twitter. Metro Bank repeatedly responded to concerns on social media, with the message, “Metro bank remains a safe and secure haven for customers’ money”. But when this failed to calm customers’ nerves it followed it up with a statement, saying: “We’re aware there were increased queries in some stores about safe deposit boxes following false rumours about Metro Bank on social media and messaging apps. “There is no truth to these rumours and we want to reassure our customers that there is no reason to be concerned.” Despite these assurances, Metro Bank’s share price dropped by as much as 9% on Monday, before recovering slightly to trade at 5% down. READ MORE: Metro Bank says customers’ money safe after WhatsApp rumour sparks panic Apple could face law suit over app prices Apple could be sued by a group of consumers who argue they are being overcharged by the iPhone maker for apps as Apple takes a 30% commission on every sale, which they claim puts the tech giant in breach of anti-trust laws. The group of US consumers has been given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court to sue Apple over app prices for this reason. Apple says it is an agent for app developers and doesn’t own or sell the apps itself, but while app developers set their own prices, Apple does collect the payments. One of the judges who ruled against Apple is Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. “Leaving consumers at the mercy of monopolistic retailers, simply because upstream suppliers could also sue the retailers, would directly contradict the long-standing goal of effective private enforcement in anti-trust cases,” he said. READ MORE: Apple faces customer lawsuit over app store Uber’s shares fall further in second day of trading Uber’s shares fell another 11%, dropping further below the $45 price they began trading at on Friday when the ride-sharing app made its stock market debut. The firm, which is trading on the New York Stock Exchange has been impacted by the trade war between the US and China. Wall Street suffered its worst day in months as a result of the escalating trade war, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling more than 2% yesterday. Since its IPO on Friday, Uber has seen $20.2bn wiped off its market valuation, which now stands at $62.2bn. Its share price stood at $37.10 when markets closed yesterday. Apple (-6%), Boeing (-4.8%) and Caterpillar (-4.5%) also saw shares fall yesterday, marking the Dow’s worst start to May in 50 years. READ MORE: Uber shares drop further as markets slide Monday, 13 May Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Nestlé pledge to halve food waste by 2030 Nestlé, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose will pledge to help halve food waste by 2030, ministers have announced today (Monday 13 May). Retailers, hospitality and food companies are expected to agree a number of initiatives, including big discounts on food sold after its “best before” dates and smaller size portions at reduced prices. Around 300 individuals and businesses have been invited to the Step Up To The Plate symposium in central London and are expected to adopt a package of commitments as part of the major drive to tackle food surplus. Businesses are expected to set their own targets to help contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving per capita global food waste by 2030.The government also wants attendees to adopt the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to help companies measure and report on efforts to cut back waste. Tesco CEO Dave Lewis says a commitment from all UK food companies to publish their food waste data within the next 12 months should also be part of the deal. “We welcome the UK Government’s focus in this area and see an opportunity to press even further to continue to lead the world in our efforts to tackle food waste”, he says. Tesco will publish its latest food waste data in its annual report on Tuesday. Britain currently wastes 10.2m tonnes of food every year, with 1.8m coming from food manufacturers, 1m tonnes from the hospitality sector, 260,000 tonnes from retail and the rest from households, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. READ MORE: Smaller portions and discounts on out-of-date food to be offered in food waste revolution Sainsbury’s launches community-inspired campaign to celebrate 150th birthday Sainsbury’s has launched its 150th campaign with a TV advert celebrating its heritage and community values. The ad, created by Wieden+Kennedy London, follows the creation of a cake as a narrator tells the grocer’s history from its inception to the present day. Each tier represents community contributions from Sainsbury’s employees – from the opening of the very first store on Drury Lane in 1869, to more recent initiatives such as the retailer’s 20-year partnership with Comic Relief. “Community has been at the heart of our business since 1869 and we are delighted to bring to life the achievements and dedication of our colleagues in our 150th campaign,” says Laura Boothby, head of broadcast marketing at Sainsbury’s. “Sainsbury’s has always had a focus on contributing to the communities we serve and we’re proud that this is a legacy that still stands today.” Other key milestones and events from the supermarket’s history are also included in the ads, such as promising to keep jobs for World War I soldiers and fundraising for Christmas parties for disabled children sin the 1960s. The ad kicks off Sainsbury’s 150 Days of Community initiative, which sees its 180,000 employees volunteer in their community. One in 10 high street shops are empty One in 10 high street shops are empty, according to new figures, while the decline in high street footfall is beginning to slow. The latest BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor shows town centre vacancies climbed to 10.2% – an increase from 9.9% on the previous quarter and the highest level since April 2015. Collapsed retailers such as Toys R Us, Poundworld and Maplin were responsible for hundreds of shop closures last year as more retailers continue to struggle with high rents and online shopping. Despite the alarming figures, footfall decline is slowing at 0.5% compared to the same period last year, when it declined by 3.3%. High street footfall fell by 1%, while shopping centre footfall fell by 2.1%. Bucking the wider trend, footfall on retail parks increased by 2.2% in April. However, retail experts say it is disappointing that the Easter boost has not led to a rise in footfall for the month. READ MORE: UK high streets ‘in downward spiral’ with one in 10 shops empty British Gas warns of ‘challenging’ conditions British Gas owner, Centrica, has warned that trading conditions have been “challenging” due to the cap placed on tariffs, warmer weather than usual and the falling price of UK natural gas. The company says those factors are expected to impact its financial performance in the first-half of the year and will affect the full-year performance. However, it won’t have the full picture until interim results are released on 30 July. It cites the government’s new energy price cap as a major reason for a dent in its figures, including a one-off £70m impact in the first quarter. However, the company says a cost programme would still help it reach adjusted operating cash flow targets of £1.8bn to £2bn in the full year of 2019. READ MORE: Energy price cap hits British Gas owner Centrica in ‘challenging’ start to the year Dairylea dares consumers to “reconnect to their inner child” Dairylea is encouraging people to “reconnect to their inner child” in a new campaign that sees it rename special packs. ‘We Dareylea You!’, created by agency ELVIS, has renamed the cheese snacks ‘Dareylea’, with over eight million packs rebranded to encourage families to get outside and get out of their comfort zone. Patrick Bochet, marketing director of meals at parent company Mondelēz, says: “This bold campaign encourages people to reconnect to their inner child in a fun and original way which feels perfectly in keeping with the Dairylea brand. We can’t wait to see how people respond to our dares.” The campaign will run across out-of-home, social and radio, as well as in-store. The post Amazon, Deliveroo, Pret: Everything that matters this morning appeared first on Marketing Week.

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