#a ‘desmond have peace’ challenge

[teecupangel]

‘What if desmond time travels and has to deal with such and such, or turns into an animal, or gets hurt, or-’

What if Desmond time travels and learns how to bake bread!! Huh!!? What about that!! What if he opens a super successful bakery, and solves all the worlds problems with the best fresh baked bread every!!

(This is /j but like. 👏🏻 anons let Desmond have peace challenge👏🏻 (but also don’t cause I love reading all of them I’m just like ‘how did you even come up with this? Sometimes lmao))

Anyway, since we already have a Desmond is a baker in Renaissance Italy idea, here’s Desmond is a baker during the Third Crusades instead:

So in this setup, Desmond would say fuck it and just open a bakery in Acre.

Jerusalem was too much of a hotspot at the moment and Acre had ports which meant there would be new customers that Desmond could lure in with the smell of freshly baked bread. 

And it worked.

Maybe a bit too well because…

Kadar visited while he was out looking for information for his brother’s current target. 

They both stared at one another for a moment and then Desmond just did his usual ‘Welcome! Are you looking for anything specific or would you like to hear today’s recommendations?’ spiel while Kadar just stares at him.

When Kadar went “Altaïr?”, Desmond just gave him his best bartender ‘I’m being respectful but also distant so you’ll still tip me’ smile as he goes, “I’m sorry, we don’t have a bread called ‘Altaïr’.”

Then he showed Kadar the star-shaped pull apart sweet bread he’s just perfected and go “But maybe I can interest you in this pull apart start bread? It’s sweet and fluffy and freshly baked.”

And sweet poor Kadar leaves the bakery with a basket of breads instead because Desmond was good at using both Ezio’s charms and his bartending social skills to get customers to buy more than they should.

Hey.

A man needed to profit to keep the roof over his head while trying to experiment for the upcoming debut of his sugar-free pastries.

The next day, Malik entered the bakery but Desmond was ready.

Desmond had planned for this!

“Welcome!” Desmond greeted, giving Malik his sweetest smile that he knew would completely unnerve Malik.

Desmond weaponized the similarity between him and Altaïr to unnerve Malik to the point that he cannot focus on observing Desmond, distracted by such a sweet smile that looked so disturbing in his eyes because he’s imagining Altaïr doing such an expression and it was horror beyond Malik’s wildest imagination. 

Okay.

Desmond was exaggerating but that got Malik to not ask too many invasive questions and leave the bakery after purchasing two baskets worth of bread so Desmond was going to consider that a mission successful.

And then…

His greatest adversary entered his little quaint bakery.

And Desmond was ready for him.

“Welcome!” Desmond greeted happily, “Are you looking for anything specific or would you like to see today’s recommendations?”

Altaïr simply stared at him.

But that didn’t matter.

Desmond held all the cards.

Because he knew one of Altaïr’s greatest weakness…

Altaïr secretly loved sweets.

“Today’s a special day!” Desmond clapped his hands in practiced joy that wasn’t over the top, “Today’s the debut of our dessert line! Here.”

Desmond took out a tray of sweet deserts, glistening in either honey or fruit jams. 

“Would you like a taste?” Desmond asked with the sweetness of the snake that tempted Eve to take a bite.

And Altaïr…

Altaïr left the bakery with a basket filled with desserts and pastries, quietly sinking into the shadows before anyone could see him and ask for one of the forbidden sweets he had acquired.

[misseverandever]

I CAN READ THIS, AND I WILL! LET’S GOOOOOOO!

omg was not on my 2024 bingo that I’m actually gonna read Melinda’s set for Anya

FRIST CARD: FOUR OF CUPS (the past)

that’s symbolizes Anya past implicating on her present, the cart indicates a need to experiences something new that brings joy and fills this empty space, something we see in our little girl eyes and i’m happy to see she’s doing good cuz in the past she certainly was a person that spends their days with their head down.

SECOND CARD: DEATH (the present)

The upright Death tarot card symbolizes transformation and the beginning of something new. It represents closing a chapter, leaving past experiences behind, we can think about Anya maturing and liberating from the trauma! Well in relationship (anya question) suggests the relationship may be stuck in a stagnant or unproductive dynamic, what we definitely can see, she tell his mother that he bullies her

THIRD CARD: THREE OF SWORDS (hidden influences)

The unseen problem huh? There’s a lot of them, well Donovan, Twilight, Operation Stixs… etc etc….

Whenever this card appears in a reading, it indicates conflict, disappointment, and misunderstanding (Well that’s definitely is the case), maybe Damian is definitely gonna be sad about why her approach to him, we know this is real cuz Damian already say before about people approaching him just because he is a Desmond and we know Anya have the same goal, but no worries is gonna be difficult but it can be resolved (they need to talk about this) !!!!

FORTH CARD: THE STAR (ANYA)

The Star in the upright position symbolizes hope, inspiration, and peace for the future. BUT is in the reversed position, so Anya reflects the feelings of hopelessness, confusion, and doubt as her navigate life's challenges and question circumstances. We see Melinda like that, and surprisingly Anya feel empty for her!

(So cute Anya being the star)

FIFTY CARD: TEN OF PENTACLES (the influence of others)

What kinds of external influences are dominating the situation? Well all of them! This card is important because it influences how others close to the Querent feel about the situation. AND GUESS ITS ALL RIGHT! This is a very positive card, and its positivity indicates that the path of challenges and difficulties has already been traveled, and now is the time to reap what is deserved. INNN THE RELATION WAAAAY (remember Anyas question not just because you know… i’m a shipper) is gonna be an harmony between them, whit a lot of happiness, cuties!

SIXTH CARD: ACE OF CUPS (what Anya have to do)

We see he is receiving, It’s often represents sadness, loss, and frustration, signaling difficulty in connecting. We know Damian is a difficult person, Anya have to deal with his feelings, is an important thing to do cuz if she don’t, they will not be together.

SEVENTH CARD: THREE OF WANDS (final results)

This last card is important because it takes into account all the six previous cards in its response. Here, we have an indicator of what the final resolution to the problem will be.

In this spread, the energy here is one of movement, so Anya cannot (and will not) stay still and she cannot try to handle everything alone.

The card indicates complicity, true love, and a strong connection. Sooo don't worry, as the frendship is real, and they will overcome it together.

SHE KNOWS!

SORRY MY ENGLISH IS KINDA BAD SO CAN YOU GUYS PLEASE FORGIVE ANY ERRORS IN THE TEXT? I was so exited to reed this, if you need tarot read dm me 🫶

[yumeka-sxf]

As if the season 3 announcement several hours ago wasn't exciting enough, now we have one hell of a new chapter 😭

It's just one tragic event after another...Martha can't bring herself to confess to Henry (and regrets it later), her letter gets censored so she's left waiting in vain to see him, she's basically forced to join the front lines or be killed, meanwhile Henry is struggling to figure out his own feelings but then has a total breakdown when he thinks Martha's dead, gets beaten up and thrown in jail, then is coerced by his father into marrying someone else. Gosh, these two just can't catch a break 😓

But my favorite part of this chapter is young Donovan Desmond's speech. What he says here so perfectly conveys the overall conflict of Spy x Family and sets him up as the ideal antagonist.

The series has shown us over and over how people are indeed liars, but it's also shown us time and time again how amongst all the lies, mostly through the Forgers, that people can still come to understand each other. Donovan's view is one of hopelessness - that true understanding can never be attained and human beings will always wage war, and while the series doesn't downright portray this as false, it does show that there is hope...that, even though people will never stop committing atrocities, at the very least, a middle ground of peace can be found even amongst those who lie to survive.

Donovan believes that we can never know the true intentions of others because we ourselves are hiding our own true intentions...the Forgers are hiding their true intentions, but in spite of that, they've come to love and understand each other. Like Twilight said when he first met Donovan, he won't ever stop trying to understand others and will always try to meet them "in the middle" if he can. Again, this is why Donovan is shaping up to be a great "final boss" who challenges the hopeful message the series has advocated so far. Another example of how, even though this arc seemingly has nothing to do with the Forgers, Endo still ties it back to them and the story overall.

Now the question for the next chapter is...who saved Martha? Also, judging by Henry's reaction when he first sees Martha in the present time (pictured below, chapter 72 during the bus hijacking arc), it doesn't seem like he had thought she was dead at that point. So he must have found out somehow before this that she had survived.

We'll have to wait until next time to find out! Even as the series hits chapter 100, Endo isn't done with this tragic love story just yet 😅

[briefhottubcoffee]

30 Day SxF Challenge

Day 28:

Favorite theory for the end?

I have many expectations for the end of the story, for better or worse.

Mainly, I want the family’s secrets to be revealed waaaay before the end of the series. I want to see them work through those discoveries together and come to a place of acceptance and understanding. I also, obviously, want Twilight and Yor to develop a genuine romantic relationship with no life changing secrets in the way. I want Anya to be a happy, carefree kid no longer worrying about abandonment.

For the plot, I obviously want Strix to end successfully with Desmond defeated and peace restored. I do think there will be some major plot with the labs that made Anya a mind reader, I think she could be kidnapped. All this to say, I really want Twilight and Thorn Princess to work together, and I’d like to see them save their baby. They would be an amazing, unstoppable team. In the end, I want the family to live peacefully together, wherever that might be. I’d ideally like Twilight and Thorn Princess to retire. As long as they’re happy and free and safe, as a loving family, that’s enough for me.

[fromashesweriseuphiddenones]

Calling Out to Assassins Creed artists lacking a muse!

I am in a pickle as I have no motivation to draw yet I still have the mischievous art bunnies attacking. I have noticed that there is a severe lack of Desmond x such and such art. Sure there is Desmond with his three assassin ancestors, and Desmond with Shaun. Nevermind Protocreed. But what about some of the rarer pairings? So below the cut I present a challenge. If you are interested keep reading if not then keep on scrolling.

For the remainder of August (and if this is successful maybe continue next year) I challenge you to draw any one (or more if you are interested) of the following:

Desmond X Shay (18th century)

Desmond X Claudia (15th century)

Desmond X Malik (12th century)

Desmond X Kadar (12th century)

Desmond X Leonardo (15th century)

Desmond X Kassandra (431 BCE)

Desmond X Evior (9th century)

You are free to draw them however you like. Modern day offers you the most freedom however if you want a challenge I provided the century in which the principle game the character features takes place. You are free to draw them enjoying each other's company, Safe For Work sexual themes (such as holding hands, kissing, and hugging), or NSFW Content (please label as such as well as adhere to Tumblr's rules regarding it.) please use the tag #DesmondMiles'summeroflove and @fromashesweriseuphiddenones (me) to participate.

Lastly, want some bonus points? Include any the following:

Desmond and his lover will exchange pendants instead of engagement rings, and then lace the wedding band on the same chain. This is because Desmond works in the food service industry and they are very picky about rings and other jewelry.

Desmond's symbol is a Phoenix. Shay gives the Irish tree of life, Malik a sword charm, Leonardo found a pendant with simiprecious stone pieces inside.

Remember that Desmond is not full on white. The fandom agrees he is biracial. His mother is likely as pure Syrian as you are going to get (Altaïr is already biracial himself and then Darium and Sef were as well.)

Read any of my fics from AO3 if you want specific secen ideas or inspiration (like Desmond and Malik laying together in bed in their sleepwear)

Regardless of the era, Desmond is going to wear as close to Levant Robes as possible (if he is with Evior, Malik and Kadar he's going to have tailor made robes)

Lastly just have fun with this. By the way, just because I challenged you to this, doesn't mean that it's just for Tumblr. If it turns out you really like a piece you did go ahead and share it! I want people to find art when they go looking for it.

Safety and Peace upon you my siblings of the Creed, and May the Father of Understanding Guide Us.

[a-few-of-my-favorite-mangas]

Spy x Family

Story by Tatsuya Endo

Manga Volume 5

Shonen, School Setting, Action, Adventure, Found Family, Comedy

Story   ★★★★☆   ||   ★★★☆☆   Art

Summary

Anya Forger has been trying her best to befriend Damian Desmond, the son of the powerful Ostanian political leader Donovan Desmond, but her attempts have been constantly rebuffed. Despite the setbacks, Anya is determined to gain access to the Desmonds’ inner circle and even devises a new plan—acing her midterm exams to earn stella stars! Can the academically challenged Anya pull off this feat for the sake of world peace?

Review

Yor is trying to learn to cook from Camilla and it isn’t going well, until Camilla gets the idea to make something Yor’s parents might have made, and is able to help Yor cook her mom’s stew... and it actually tastes good!

Anya continues to try and make Plan B work, this time by trying to help Damian with an art project, but Anya being Anya - she just causes more trouble. Damian calls home and talk to Jeeves, the butler, and we learn more about how distant his relationship with his father is and why he is so motivated to do well.

Anya is struggling in school, her test scores are terrible. We learn that Anya has a weakness, her powers do not work when the moon is new (barely there). Yuri comes over to tutor Anya, and after a few antics he gets frustrated by Anya’s lack of progress. Anya does try, the mid-term exams are coming up and a failing grade equals a tonitrus bolt.

The spy Daylight makes his first appearence to mess with the Desmond test scores, Twilght also there to check on Anya’s results has to deal with his crazy antics and fix all of his mistakes.

Damian does well enough on an exam to earn his first Stella.  Anya manages to (barely) not fail any of her tests, a huge win in her book! (213 / 228) Is below 30 a failing grade? When I was in school, below 70 was a failing grade, so a 30 looks like failure to me, what are their standards? I mean shouldn’t it at least be over 50, at least your got half of the material! I don’t understand the grading rules here. lol

Glooman Pharmaceuticals is in financial trouble, and young George, a classmate of Anya and Damian, blames the Desmond group and wants to hurt Damian to get even. When the other kids learn about George’s misfortune, they try and help his last day be a good one. Ends up he got it all wrong.

Anya’s is given a project to learn about one of her parent’s jobs and write a report on it. Anya considers Yor, but Yor’s thoughts leave Anya to ask Loid instead, so she spends the day at Berlint General Hospital.

Fiona Frost (Nightfall) is introduced in this volume, she is a spy operative that works with Twilight, but was away on a mission so wasn’t available to play the role of ‘wife’ in the STRIX assignment. Fiona doesn’t like that Yor is part of the mission and wants to drive her away and take her place... but not for the good of the mission, but because she is in love with Twilight. Fiona’s appearence does indeed shake Yor’s confidence about their ‘fake’ relationship.

[foodpsychpod]

#313: Rethinking Wellness: Wellness Culture and Infertility, the Challenges of Baby Feeding, and Unpacking Food Sensitivities with Jenee Desmond-Harris

Jenée Desmond-Harris, Slate Magazine's Dear Prudence advice columnist, joins us to discuss her path toward making peace with food and realizing she didn’t have food sensitivities, how infertility can make people desperate enough to try dubious wellness-culture treatments, the harmful wellness messages she’s gotten while navigating her son’s sensitive stomach as a breastfeeding parent, how social media influences our relationships with food and body, and lots more.

Jenée Desmond-Harris is a Slate staff writer and editor. She writes the Dear Prudence advice column and previously worked at the New York Times, Vox.com and the Root. Find her work at slate.com.

If you like this conversation, you can hear lots more like it on the new Rethinking Wellness podcast! Just search for Rethinking Wellness with Christy Harrison wherever you get your podcasts, or sign up to get it in your inbox each week at rethinkingwellness.substack.com.

Pre-order Christy's second book, The Wellness Trap, for its April 25 release!

If you're ready to break free from diet culture and make peace with food, come check out Christy's Intuitive Eating Fundamentals online course.

Check out this episode!

[leonbloder]

Discovering Joy During Hard Times

One of my favorite movies is an off-beat comedy from 2006 entitled "Little Miss Sunshine."  The movie centers around a dysfunctional family rallying around Olive, the youngest daughter, as they try to get her to a beauty pageant despite many obstacles, squabbling, and even heartbreaking tragedy.  

Not to be a spoiler, but in the end, Olive's infectious joy eventually breaks down the seemingly impenetrable barriers between the family members, bringing them together for a memorable ending to the film.  

Each family member had lost their joy at some point, which had driven them apart and into either despair, desperation, or worse.  When they finally realized that joy had never left them and that they had only been pushing it away, they were transformed.  

Life is often filled with unexpected challenges and trials that can overshadow our sense of joy. From personal struggles to broader societal issues, it can sometimes feel as though joy is a fleeting visitor in our lives, one that easily slips away when we face turbulence. 

Yet, amidst the storms of life, it is essential to remember that joy is not merely the absence of difficulties but a deep-rooted strength that propels us forward even when circumstances seem daunting.

In his book The Joyful Christian, C.S. Lewis eloquently stated, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” 

This profound insight reminds us that joy is more than just a feeling; it is a fundamental aspect of our existence, sourced in a realm beyond our immediate challenges. 

When we allow external circumstances and difficult relationships to dictate our emotions, we inadvertently hand over our joy to forces beyond our control. This surrender can lead to despair and hopelessness, further complicating our ability to navigate tough times.

Similarly, in The Book of Joy, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu emphasize that “the true measure of our lives is what we contribute to the world.” By focusing on our contributions—no matter how small—we can cultivate a sense of purpose that fuels our joy. 

Even when faced with suffering, we can find purpose by uplifting others and understanding that joy blossoms in the fertile ground of compassion and shared experience. 

Furthermore, the Bible offers us timeless wisdom from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4-7, encouraging us to:

“4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

This passage inspires us to cultivate a spirit of joy that transcends our circumstances, reminding us that joy can be a choice, a practice we engage in, even when facing adversity.

So, how do we find joy amid struggle? It begins with a shift in perspective. Acknowledge your feelings but also recognize that joy exists alongside pain. 

Seek out moments of gratitude in everyday life, whether it be in the warmth of the sun, the laughter of a friend, or the quiet moments of reflection. These small joys can create a ripple effect, lighting the way through darker times.

Additionally, foster connections with those who inspire joy in you. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences can help cultivate resilience and remind us that we are not alone in our struggles. Engage in acts of kindness, as giving can reignite the joys we may have lost sight of.

Finally, while life may challenge us profoundly, remember that adversity does not diminish joy. Instead, it can be a guiding light—a steadfast companion that offers solace and strength. Embrace joy as a powerful force within you, and allow it to flourish, illuminating even the most difficult paths.

May it be so, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen.  

[prabhaelectronics01]

Inspiration For Hard Times

Inspiration for hard times is a fitting theme for our current world situation!

I love the word Autumn…it just sings to me of the richness of the season: the colours – golds, crimsons, the subtler ochres and soft russets; the sounds – the wild geese, the acorns and chestnuts cracking underfoot, the rustle of leaves. Oh, and the smells and the quality of the air! Autumn is definitely my favourite time of year!

For those interested in the way the earth turns, here’s EarthSky on the September Equinox. The EarthSky site offers lots of cool, starry stuff! Scroll down a bit to find signs of Equinox in Nature and some lovely Equinox images.

I offer the following piece by Howard Zinn, about hope in hard times, as inspiration for this time and season:

“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

This autumn, let us hold all those struggling and suffering with the devastating events and aftermath of war, terrorism, hunger, loss, uncertainty, as well as the disastrous effects of climate chaos, unprecedented storms, fires, floods, and more.  May we all experience healing, inner and outer, find courage to speak out for what matters, and is important to us, find the resources to live with peace, gratitude, generosity, and compassion in these challenging times.

Abundant autumn blessings, encouragement and love, and active hope for positive outcomes in the important elections to come,

If you would like to delve further into how hope can help us in such times as these, here are some resources:

Active Hope. a book by Johanna Macy, about finding, and offering, our best response when facing concerns about our world situation.

Hope is a Verb. an inspiring podcast by Angus Harvey, of Fix the News

Hope is a Verb: Six Steps to Radical Optimist When the World Seems Broken, a book by Emily Ehlers

PSS As a bonus, September 21 is World Gratitude Day!  How perfect!

Some posts relevant for these times:

Do a Little Bit of Good  On an inspirational quote from Desmond Tutu about doing good…very fitting, even inspiring, for our current times.

What Are We Living: Fear or Hope?  An essay tackling this thorny question, offering perspectives and resources for your consideration.

Stonehenge at Autumn Equinox.

What wonders our precious world contains!

Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity. BECOMING invites self-reflection and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth. Check the website for a sample chapter or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume. Your feedback, forwards, tweets, and likes are most welcome.

[nhkamira]

🍓🌸MY SPRING 2022 WATCHLIST🌸🍓

Hehe did you guys miss my list? Spring is here and more beautiful than ever! 🤩 I got the chance to enjoy the sakura trees for the first time and I've been meeting really nice new people😊 Hopefully, this season will give a ton of good things to keep the perfect vibes. So who takes part in my selection this season? 👀

Tate no Yuusha 2nd Season: Finally season 2 is here! After a great first season and a really nice ending for it, I’m excited to see what’s the next adventure for our dear Naufumi. Kinema Citrus is working again for this season, with a total of 13 episodes! First episode came out on April 6th and if you haven’t seen the first season, go ahead it’s worth it.

Kaguya-sama Love is War 3rd Season: THE EXCITEMENT FOR THIS ONE😭 I’m so happy to see our precious student council members again, I know is going to be amazing, second season when beyond expectations and hopefully this one can bring us something like that too. A-1 Pictures is still working for this series, thankfully. First episode come out today (April 9th) and please do yourself a favor if you haven’t seen this great series.

Spy x Family: New one and the ads for this one have been all over Shibuya! Wit Studio and CloverWorks are working on this one so we can expect a great animation. Here’s a quick synopsis: For the agent known as "Twilight," no order is too tall if it is for the sake of peace. Operating as Westalis' master spy, Twilight works tirelessly to prevent extremists from sparking a war with neighboring country Ostania. For his latest mission, he must investigate Ostanian politician Donovan Desmond by infiltrating his son's school: the prestigious Eden Academy. Thus, the agent faces the most difficult task of his career: get married, have a child, and play family. First episode come out today (April 9th) so let’s see what this one will bring us.

Komi-san Can't Communicate 2nd Season: Komi and Tadano are back and sooner than what I thought but I’m so happy😭 first season was so wholesome and funny, I can’t wait to see Komi progress and all the amazing characters this anime has. OLM did a freaking amazing work with first season so let’s expect the same😂 First episode aired on April 7th

Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san: Doga Kobo has some amazing series like Gekkan Shoujo and one of my favorite comedies Himouto Umaru-chan. A brief synopsis: Shikimori seems like the perfect girlfriend: cute, fun to be around, sweet when she wants to be... but she has a cool dark side that comes out under the right circumstances. And her boyfriend Izumi loves to be around when that happens! Hopefully this will be a great comedy, first episode comes on April 10th!

Aharen-san wa Hakarenai: I can already feel how cute and funny this one is going to be. The story follows Reina Aharen and Raidou Matsuboshi as their odd friendship starts to blossom when Raidou picks up Aharen's eraser for her. She misinterprets his gesture and now believes them to be best friends, showing how the simplest of things can prove to be the most complicated of challenges for them. Brought by Felix Film a studio with only a few animes, let’s hope this story to be nice.

Kakkou no Iinazuke: Still not sure why I’ll be watching this but Shin-Ai Animation is working for this one alongside SynergySP for this. Brief synopsis: 16-year-old super-studier Nagi Umino, second-year student at the Meguro River Academy high school, was switched at birth. On his way to a dinner to meet his birth parents, he accidentally meets the brash, outspoken, Erika Amano, who is determined to make Nagi her fake boyfriend as she never wants to actually marry. But once Nagi makes it to dinner, he finds his parents have decided to resolve the hospital switch by conveniently having him marry the daughter his birth parents raised...who turns out to be none other than Erika herself! I have weird feeling about this but let’s give it a chance.

Tomodachi Game: I’m exciting because this one looks so dramatic😂 Haven’t seen first episode yet (it came on April 6th) and never seen the two other animes Okuruto Noboru Studio has but let’s see! Brief synopsis: Katagiri Yuichi believes that friends are more important than money. He works hard to save up in order to go on the high school trip, However, after the class's money is all collected, it is stolen! Soon afterward, the five of them are kidnapped, and wake up in a strange room with a character from a short-lived anime. Apparently, one of them has entered them into a "friendship game" in order to take care of their massive debt. But who was it, and why did they have such a debt? Katagiri and his best friends will have to succeed in psychological games that will test or destroy their faith in one another.

Honzuki no Gekokujou 3rd Season: Ajiado longest series, Myne and Lutz are back with a third season! after two nice seasons our pair as grown a lot after starting their new journey. I’m excited to see Myne and the things she’s going to achieve! If you like nice and not so rush stories you should check this one! Startin on April 12th.

Summertime Render: OLM is also working on this, with 25 episodes we got a mystery and supernatural case ahead! After his parents died, Shinpei Ajiro lived with the Kofune sisters, Mio and Ushio, but he has since moved to live on his own in Tokyo. But after Ushio drowns while trying to save the young Shiori Kobayakawa, he returns home to mourn her departure. However, bruises around Ushio's neck bring her cause of death into question. Taking a step back, Shinpei becomes convinced there must be another explanation. Dangerous entities roam among the islanders, and a vision of deceased Ushio asks him to "save Mio" as her final request. He is certain that something is afoot—and Ushio's death is only a piece of the puzzle. I’m excited for this one, starting on April 15th!

Koi wa Sekai Seifuku no Ato de: I added this one because I needed it for my Fantasy team😂 but it looks so dumb and cute I think is going to be enjoyable Project no.9 has some decent work so let’s see. Synopsis: In the eyes of the public, Fudou Aikawa and Desumi Magahara are sworn enemies who have nothing in common. Fudou, also known as "Red Gelato," is the leader of the hero squadron "Gelato 5," whose mission is to bring about world peace. On the other hand, Desumi is the minion leader of "Gecko," a villainous organization seeking world domination. However, despite these differences, their relationship is not quite what it seems. When they are not making a show of being at each other's throats, Desumi and Fudou continue to pursue a forbidden love. Going on dates, baking sweets for one another, and meeting up as often as they can despite their hectic schedules, the two inexperienced lovebirds pave the way for their unique relationship. Though their public lives are worlds apart, Fudou and Desumi will stop at nothing to make their seemingly impossible romance work. The first episode came out on April 8th

Dance Dance Danseur: Last but not least! I hope. This one turned out as amazing as Kageki Shoujo😭 and MAPPA is working on this so I’m expecting a breathtaking animation. Starting today (April 9th) the story follows Junpei who is happily snoozing away during his sister's ballet recital when a male ballet dancer steps onto the stage. Moved by the strength and skills the dancer displays, the boy discovers his love for this art. But after a certain tragedy happens, he vows to leave his past behind and turn into the epitome of manliness! What will he do when his love for ballet reignites?!

A lot to watch, also I’ll continue with my top series as always, One Piece and Detective Conan, and Shaman King is finishing in the upcoming weeks too! With nothing else to add. May this season bring us amazing experiences!

[superlinguo]

Conversation, cooperation and dementia

I have had more than one grandparent with dementia. This post is a series of personal reflections about the way conversation changes when someone you know well loses the ability to remember, and how linguistics has given me a framework for dealing with this. I don’t know anything about dementia other than these experiences, and there are whole sets of emotional and logistical challenges of living with dementia, or a loved one with dementia that I’m not going to address here.

Dementia presents a challenge when you’re having conversations, because the person with dementia loses the ability to track what’s been covered in a conversation - perhaps over the course of 15 minutes, perhaps sometimes in 15 seconds. This creates loops and eddies in conversational topics. It also breaks down one of the fundamental features we require in communication; the belief that our conversational partner is a cooperative one.

Cooperation is important because otherwise a well-flowing interaction is, on the surface, a series of non-sequiturs as the person speaking makes a leap and their conversational partner(s) makes the leap with them. Why are we talking about Uncle Desmond? It must be relevant to the conversation about Aunt Muriel we were just having. A person with dementia can feel from their perspective that they’re being cooperative but from your perspective they’re telling you the same story about Uncle Desmond’s first wife for the 3rd time in 15 minutes.

I’ve noticed that different family members deal with the destruction of the facade of cooperation in various ways; the helpful one tries to turn the conversation to other topics, the sanguine one lets the story play out a fourth time, the pragmatic one tells my grandmother every time that she’s already told this story and that, in fact, she has dementia. Each is trying to rebalance the illusion of cooperation, and each has varying degrees of success which I’m sure relates to my grandmother’s relationship to them, her personal condition, and everyone’s mood on any given day.

Another group we see constantly breaking the sense of cooperation is children. Kids are tiny randomness machines and keeping them on conversational tracks can be a lot of work (and work that extends beyond the years of just learning to speak grammatically). The thing with children is that we expect this from them to some extent. The challenge with conversing with a family member with dementia is that we have years, often a lifetime, of conversational rhythm with them.

The ways in which we expect conversational cooperation were broken into four main categories by Paul Grice. He called these maxims, which I always think of in the ‘guide’ sense rather than ‘rule’. They can help clarify the ways that it can feel difficult to maintain a conversation with someone who has dementia. The first that comes to mind for me is always the maxim of relation, because it does not seem relevant to return to the same story of Uncle Desmond again without new reason, and because this might lurch suddenly into a new conversational track about a cousin you haven’t talked about for 15 years. I’m sure that if I made transcripts of conversations my family have with my grandmother I’d find examples of various different ways that our conversational expectations are challenged in these small talk moments. Knowing about conversational cooperation has made me far more relaxed about approaching these conversations, in one of the more unusual ways my linguistics training has giving me a weird sense of peace about a process I have no control over.

This is where my thoughts on this topic had arrived at. I was talking to my colleague Tonya Stebbins about these experiences the other day and she introduced me to the concept of validation theory. Validation theory is an approach to interactions with people who have dementia that starts from the assumptions that you need to consider the emotive content of what they’re saying, rather than the informational content.  This allows you to engage with their emotional state. There’s an overview at this website, but I’m yet to dig into any literature on the efficacy of this approach.

To illustrate validation theory with an example I still remember from when I was very young and we were visiting my great grandmother: When a person with dementia is worried about her young grandson getting off the bus after school, even though she’s sharing these concerns with that grandson who is actually a middle-age man visiting with his own small children, the idea is to not simply point this out to her, but to attend to the underlying anxiety that has surfaced as this particular and temporally disjunct concern. Regardless of the fact that it’s been decades since her grandson stopped going to school on the bus, taking a conversational approach that spoke to her concern would be a way to address whatever anxiety she had. 

What I immediately like about validation theory is that it re-balances the onus of cooperation in the conversation. In this approach, the conversational partner without dementia is responsible for ensuring they are not failing at the maxim of relevance by attending to the implicit anxieties, worries or joys in the conversational eddies of the interaction. 

Chatting to my grandmother is both one of the most normal and most challenging things. It is as once unremarkably familiar and exhaustingly surreal. I’m grateful that a linguistic perspective on conversation has given me some coping mechanisms for navigating the more surreal moments.

See also:

Lingthusiasm episode 11: Layers of meaning - Cooperation, humour, and Gricean Maxims

Hamilton, Heidi E. (2019). Language, Dementia and Meaning Making. Navigating the Challenges of Cognition and Face in Everyday Life.  Palgrave Macmillan.

[teecupangel]

Tags from @allegedlyrainy

#assassin's creed #(loud cheering) YEAHHH! look at him go‚ gearing up to be an absolute menace. fuck yeah. #desmond just checking through the other timelines to see what the hell else he's managed to do #here's hoping he has a better grasp on this 'god' thing by now for the other timelines' sake skdjhdhsjs #blissfully unaware that altaïr is *not* going to let him get away without taking responsibility for his actions… #... even if he has to start smashing his way through other realities to draw desmond back to him‚ huh. #gonna take a stab and say exactly none of desmond's other accidental timelines are prepared to come face to face - #- with an immortal & even more intense altaïr following his possessive streak like it's a goddamn compass #the alternate ezio & altaïr certainly won't be ready for that skjdhdhsf #maybe ratonhnhaké:ton in 15th cen. italy will be lucky enough to suffer the least through crossing paths with him xD #feel like haytham and edward might be in danger though lol

Ezio always knew that his mentor would leave.

Altaïr had been alive for more than a millennia. Death itself could not even catch his shadow.

A gift from his patron, he once told Ezio.

It felt more like curse to Ezio, to be perfectly honest. Unable to die, watching the people he cared about grow old and die…

Altaïr had called him an idiot when Ezio said that.

“I will grieve their passing but, more importantly, I will forever remember their lives and our time together.” Altaïr told him and Ezio had been impressed by how strong his will was.

Many would have been driven to their knees in despair for having to say so many goodbyes.

Then he learned of the ‘theatre’.

It was the greatest secret of the Brotherhood.

More important than the fact that the Grand Mentor himself had never changed for so many years.

Only the closest to Altaïr knew of its existence and, even then, none of them knew what it even was.

Ezio had learned of it only because Altaïr explained it to him.

He didn’t understand why Altaïr would pick him of all people to share such a secret with.

But now…

He realized that Altaïr shared all of his knowledge to Ezio because he was preparing to leave.

“Do you know what you’re going to do when you find your patron?” Ezio asked as he looked at the theatre.

It looked like a mirror back then.

Now…

It looked like a door with no handles or lock.

“Not really.” Altaïr admitted as he slung the strap of the bag he was bringing with him over his shoulder, “I’ll let him react and go from there.”

Ezio sighed.

He never understood Altaïr’s obsession with reuniting with his patron considering how that patron god, the same god their religion worshiped, left him for another person in another worldline.

Or was it timeline?

He swore he heard Altaïr use both words before.

“I’ll do my best as your replacement then so… good luck?” Ezio was unable to hide the awkwardness of his words.

He was saying goodbye to his mentor. To a parental figure that helped him grow to the man he was today.

To everybody else, Altaïr had stepped away from his title as Grand Mentor because he wanted to retire and to find a place to die in peace.

Ezio was the only one who actually knew that Altaïr was simply… traveling.

To find a god that left him behind.

There was no hatred or anger in Altaïr’s actions. If anything, he seemed to be looking forward to making himself his god’s problem… again.

Ezio was unsure if that was a good thing or not.

“You are not my replacement, Ezio Auditore.” Altaïr stated as he tugged the strap to check that it would hold, “You are my successor. Lead the Brotherhood the way you wish. I am sure you will do well as the grand mentor.”

Ezio would probably spend the entire time being compared to him but he didn’t mind.

If anything, he was looking forward to the challenge.

And…

“I’ll be better than you could have ever been.” Ezio grinned at Altaïr.

He wanted their goodbye to be a happy one.

“Safety and peace, mentor.” Ezio said.

Altaïr stepped towards the door and it slid open, revealing a room Ezio has never seen before. It looked so much bigger on the other side.

An other side that should never exist in the first place.

“Upon you as well, Ezio Auditore.”

Ezio watched as Altaïr stepped to the other side of the door.

The door slid close.

He heard a sound he had never heard before.

The door shattered before his eyes, turning to golden dust that disappeared before touching the ground.

Ezio turned around and walked out of the room.

It was time to start his day as the grand mentor of the Brotherhood.

Normally, Desmond is sent back in time to mess with things.

But what if it wasn't him?

Like, maybe Desmond couldn't go back in time himself but he could, in the split second he touched the apple, send someone else.

What if one of his ancestors went back in time? (Upon their deaths or something.)

I imagine a young Altair (who might be using a fake name) running around Italy with a tired Ezio following like a worried mother hen. (No, Claudia, he is not hovering he is just concerned) He ends up taking Altair under his wing (No, Claudia, it is not adoption.)

Or maybe Altair ends up in Bayek's time, Oh! Or Connor in Ezio's time. (Edward and Ezio would either get along badly or be too powerful if they were together in the same time period.)

These boys ruin the timeline and somehow save the world/future by simply stumbling through everything with no clue what's going on. and of course the power of friendship and really sharp blades.

Desmond and Clay are laughing their asses off in the afterlife as their ancestors destroy centuries worth of carefully calculated plans. (They might also manipulate things a little to help.)

And the time traveling ancestors for the most part, are doing the best they can in their current situation.

They are freaking the fuck out the whole time but are excellent at hiding it.

Poor Ezio.

(No, Altair, you can't kill that person because that have information we need, yes, I'm sure, Claudia don't encourage him.)

Well… How about we add some… ‘order’ to the chaos?

Desmond only had a fraction of a second to send his ancestor back in time.

And he hesitated.

He didn’t know which one to send.

Should it be Altaïr? Altaïr always felt like he would find out what to do even if he was given only minimal clues.

But Ezio was his prophet, the one he had been with the longest…

Ratonhnhaké:ton though… he deserves answers. He deserves the truth.

And when he woke up…

In that endless sea of gray…

The first word he heard were…

“’Morning. Which fucked up timeline do you want to hear first?”

Desmond sat and blinked as Clay stood before him, arms crossed with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Uuuhh…”

“Do you want to hear about how Edward Kenway managed to save his grandson and his grandson’s mother from the fires that should have killed her?” Clay asked before adding, “Oh… and he’s learned that his son’s a Templar by the way. At least, one of his old friends believe he’s actually Edward Kenway. If you think the Kenway Family Drama is bad when you were reliving Connor’s memories, then you gotta see the top tier drama that’s happening with Edward and Haytham right now.”

“Or maybe you want to hear about how Connor got kicked into Ezio’s time? He has no idea what’s happening but he got appointed as Federico’s combat instructor. He knows jackshit, by the way, about the tragedy that’s about to happen but, hey, at least Giovanni believes he’s an Assassin from another country or something. Oh.” Clay rubbed his chin as he added, “Connor doesn’t like how close Giovanni is with the Medici by the way. Lorenzo reminds him a bit of Washington or maybe he’s projecting, who knows?”

“Maybe you’ll like to know how your dear prophet is doing? Well, he’s doing badly in preserving the damn timeline that’s for sure. Let’s see… he got in touch with Alamut and managed to bluff his way into making them believe he’s the mentor of a destroyed Assassin branch from the crusader lands, he got the mentor’s permission to make his own branch in Levant, made a deal with said mentor to become a thorn in Al Mualim’s side and find out what he’s hiding, adopted Altaïr and even went as far as adopt Abbas because he believed he could ‘change’ things.” Clay was quiet for a moment before he added, “Oh and his branch is in the underground temple in Jerusalem so he has the Apple with him already.”

“Then there’s Altaïr.” Clay said with such… annoyance Desmond was actually afraid of what Altaïr had done. Clay rubbed the side of his forehead as he started, “See, they can only be transported into what counts as their past so we can’t have something like Altaïr being pushed into his future in Ezio’s time or something. And, since your only instruction to the Moraes was to ‘change the past’, they had to improvise with Altaïr considering he’s more or less the starting point. They had to pick another one of your ancestors who was important to your past and this world’s future so…”

“Altaïr’s been sent to the time of the Isu-Human war and his knowledge of the POEs and getting unconstrained access to the POEs at their full power… well… let’s just say…” Clay’s tone was drier than the desert as he said, “The Isus didn’t know what hit them.”

Desmond could only stare at Clay as he said.

“Soooo… which one do you want to contact first as their ‘patron’?”

[somegirlsnerdywords2]

Anime i’m Interested In: Spring 2022

1. Spy x Family: Airing April 9th, 2022

Synopsis: For the agent known as "Twilight," no order is too tall if it is for the sake of peace. Operating as Westalis' master spy, Twilight works tirelessly to prevent extremists from sparking a war with neighboring country Ostania. For his latest mission, he must investigate Ostanian politician Donovan Desmond by infiltrating his son's school: the prestigious Eden Academy. Thus, the agent faces the most difficult task of his career: get married, have a child, and play family. Twilight, or "Loid Forger," quickly adopts the unassuming orphan Anya to play the role of a six-year-old daughter and prospective Eden Academy student. For a wife, he comes across Yor Briar, an absent-minded office worker who needs a pretend partner of her own to impress her friends. However, Loid is not the only one with a hidden nature. Yor moonlights as the lethal assassin "Thorn Princess." For her, marrying Loid creates the perfect cover. Meanwhile, Anya is not the ordinary girl she appears to be; she is an esper, the product of secret experiments that allow her to read minds. Although she uncovers their true identities, Anya is thrilled that her new parents are cool secret agents! She would never tell them, of course. That would ruin the fun. Under the guise of "The Forgers," the spy, the assassin, and the esper must act as a family while carrying out their own agendas. Although these liars and misfits are only playing parts, they soon find that family is about far more than blood relations. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

2. Aharen-san wa Hakarenai: Airing April 2nd, 2022

Synopsis: Reina Aharen, a small and cute student with a quiet voice, is quite bad at determining distance and personal space. Sometimes she's inches away from your face, and at other times, miles too far! The only one who tries to understand her antics is Raidou Matsuboshi, who is seated beside her in class. He has a menacing face, but in reality, he is a kind boy with an imagination that can run wild at times. Aharen-san wa Hakarenai follows the peculiar pair as their odd friendship starts to blossom when Raidou picks up Aharen's eraser for her. She misinterprets his gesture and now believes them to be best friends, showing how the simplest of things can prove to be the most complicated of challenges for them. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

3. Dance Dance Danseur: Airing April 9th, 2022

Synopsis: Junpei is happily snoozing away during his sister's ballet recital when a male ballet dancer steps onto the stage. Moved by the strength and skills the dancer displays, the boy discovers his love for this art. But after a certain tragedy happens, he vows to leave his past behind and turn into the epitome of manliness! What will he do when his love for ballet reignites?! (Source: MU)

[ocxees-blog]

The 50 Most Influential Books of All Time

You are what you read. This saying seems an undeniable truth when we picture the impact some books have created on the world. From cracking social boundaries to challenging centuries-old notions, books have played an inimitable role in different segments of human lives. So, which are the books that, along with being a good read, have influenced the way we think? Let’s have a look.

Science

These are the books that pioneered the fundamentals of science taught in schools today. These works left a great and probably a controversial impact on society at the time they were created.

On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin

The Interpretation of Dreams, Sigmund Freud

Physica, Aristotle

Elements, Euclid

The Meaning of Relativity, Albert Einstein

A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking

Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

The Naked Ape, Desmond Morris

Against Method, Paul Feyerabend

The Gene, Siddhartha Mukherjee

What Evolution is, Ernst Mayr

For years, these books are inspiring science enthusiasts to learn newer elements of the universe. That makes it intelligible how millions of students travel abroad to acquire education and stand on the shoulder of giants like Einstein.

Society

Intriguing fiction or rattling real-life stories, many texts have left an unraveling effect on peoples’ views. These books have captured some climactic moments of history and transformed social practices.

The Analects, Confucius

The Republic, Plato

Orientalism, Edward Said

The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank

The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir

The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft

The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli

Native Son, Richard Wright

The Rights of Man, Thomas Paine

Philosophy

Nothing is absolute in philosophy. While pondering over never-ending questions and theories of the universe, dig into the minds of great philosophers of all time through these books.

The Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle

On Liberty, John Stuart Mill

A Treatise of Human Nature, David Hume

The Discourses, Epictetus

Naming and Necessity, Saul Kripke

The Art of Happiness, Dalai Lama

Letters from a Stoic, Seneca

Beyond Good & Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche

Meditation of First Philosophy, René Descartes

Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant

Reasons and Persons, Derek Parfit

Being and Nothingness, Jean-Paul Sartre

Confessions, St. Augustine

Apology, Plato

Literature

With insightful lines and epic characters, these books in literature offer us undeniable elements to remember for a lifetime.

The Complete Works, William Shakespeare

1984, George Orwell

In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust

War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

Beloved, Toni Morrison

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

In a Free State, V. S. Naipaul

I, Claudius, Robert Graves

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis

All these books have stood the test of time while telling the stories that needed to be told. Authors’ backgrounds and personal experiences influenced many of these works. And did we mention many authors on the list were actually the celebrated alumni from Oxford University? So, if you are aspiring to change the world through words, Oxford maybe your ideal study abroad destination, where you can learn what influenced these writers to create such timeless compilations of human intellects.

Source

[ndtcjamaica]

Part 1: In Tribute to Reggae Month

The use of reggae music by choreographers of the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) is as old as the music itself. The NDTC, which was founded in 1962 before the flowering of reggae, grew up with the music in its progress from ska to rock steady through to its present manifestation.

Back in 1972, Tommy Pinnock created Desperate Silences, a work which drew on the music of Burning Spear, largely to provide ambiance for the piece, which caught the anguish and dread reality of Kingston inner-city.

Original Dancers (Desperate Silences): Madge Broderick, Monica McGowan, Audley Butler, Tony Wilson, Thomas Pinnock

Three years prior Pinnock’s experimentations, Rex Nettleford explored the riddim in his All God’s Children (1969) using it for the downtown characters.

Original Dancers (All God’s Children): Yvonne daCosta/Noelle Chutkan (Hostess), Dorothy Fraser, Bridget Casserley, Mavis Stoppi, Andrea Anderson, Barbara Requa, Barry Moncrieffe, Bert Rose, Audley Butler (Uptowners); Dorothy Sanguinetti, Jean Binns, Fredericka Byfield, Tommy Pinnock, Noel Hall, Jackie Guy (Downtowners); Beverly Kitson, Gertrude Sherwood Joyce Campbell Cheryl Ryman, Dennis Scott (Spirits of the Weed)

By 1973, reggae was in full swing, and the NDTC adopted to the challenge. Rex Nettleford’s Street People (1973) mixed Desmond Dekker’s “Poor Me, Israelites” with Ernie Smith’s “Ben Dung”. The work portrays scenes from the life in the streets of urban Kingston.

Original Dancers (Street People): Jackie Guy (Sufferer); Yvonne Ffrench/Marylin Sanguinetti (Madam Bag-and Pan); Fitzroy Hunt (Bredda Man); Audley Butler (Mr, S-90); Bridget Spaulding, Pansy Hassan (Ladies of the Night); Jean Binns (The Unsaved Girl); Joyce Campbell (Madam Saviour)

In 1974, Nettleford created Tribute to Cliff, a work dedicated to Jamaican composer and singer, Jimmy Cliff. The music which inspired the work were “Price of Peace”, “On My Life”, “Sitting in Limbo”, and “Many Rivers To Cross”.

Original Dancers (Tribute to Cliff): Bridget Spaulding, Pansy Hassan, Monica McGowan, Andrea Nash, Melanie Graham, Patsy Ricketts, Judith Pennant, Neil Summers, Noelle Chutkan, Bert Rose, Barry Moncrieffe, Jackie Guy, Tony Wilson

Reggae artists who have provided much musical inspiration in the mid 1970′s included Bob Marley for the critically acclaimed Court of Jah (1975) choreographed by Rex Nettleford and Toots Hibbert‘s compositions for Backlash (1975) also created by Nettleford.

Marley’s “Rebel Music”, “No Woman No Cry” and “Suh Jah Seh” provided the score for Court of Jah. The work won critical acclaim when the NDTC appeared at City Center in New York and later when Clive Thompson Dance Company, based in Staten Island, performed the work at Lincoln Center, NY.

Backlash utilised “What A Bam Bam” and Toots’ “Christmas Song”. The programme note read: 

The gaolers and the gaoled are really all prisoners together. So out of agony of repression and brutality come protest, violence even madness but also individual compassion and hope for redemption...

Original Dancers (Backlash): Rex Nettleford/Michael Richardson, Barry Moncrieffe, Bert Rose, Jackie Guy, Neil Summers, Fitzroy Hunte, Michael Binns, Calvin McDonald, Tony Wilson (as boy with the knife), Noelle Chutkan (Chief Visitor), Joyce Campbell, Barbara Requa, Pansy Hassan, Madge Broderick, Cheryl Ryman, Dorothy Sanguinetti, Gertrude Sherwood, Judy Cunningham, Yvonne Ffrench, Patsy Ricketts, Bridget Spaulding, Monica McGowan, Jean Binns, Melanie Graham, Sandra McLeod, Judith Pennant, Denise Francis, Alison Symes, Pauline Khan

In 1981, Rex Nettleford turned to Marley’s music “Work” and “Redemption Song” for the dance-satire Rockstone Debate. The work appeared in four movements:

(i) Parliament

(ii) The Stonebreakers

(iii) Redemption

(iv) Hope

Original Dancers (Rockstone Debate): Joyce Campbell, Melanie Graham, Pansy Hassan, Monica McGowan, Sandra Minott, Arlene Richards, Alison Symes, Alaine Grant, Gabrielle Harban, Judith Pennant, Cheryl Ryman, Barry Moncrieffe, Jackie Guy, Samuel Bailey, Duran Hylton, Fitzroy Hunt, Oswald Blackwood, Carson Cumberbatch, Christopher Morrison, Glen Dhyll

By 1984, Rex Nettleford’s Vibrations had gone full throttle in the rhythms, sounds, and sensibility of the reggae universe. The work drew on the music from Ya Ya — “Hold Fast”, R. Bromfield and Franklyn — “Namibia”, Gregory Isaac's — “Cool Down The Dub” and Papa Levi “Mi God Mi King”.

Original Dancers (Vibrations): Joyce Campbell, Melanie Graham, Judith Pennant, Monica McGowan, Alaine Grant, Sandra Minott, Jacquie Smith, Gabrielle Harban, Arlene Richards, Alison Symes, Denise Robinson, Judy Wedderburn, Carole Murdoch, Paula Monroe, Monica Potts-Lawrence, Sita Dixon, Tony Wilson, Adrian Fletcher, Fitroy Hunt, Christopher Morrison, Delroy Rose, Glenford Brown, Dwight Lee Eisenhower Williams, Monty Williams

The next major dance-work by the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) that utilised reggae music was Children of Mosiah (1987). The work of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff dominated the piece, but the choreographer saw others like Burning Spear, Peter Tosh and Mutabaruka. Nettleford’s Children of Mosiah paid tribute to the Rt. Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey, and was presented on the Hundredth Anniversary of his birth.

Original Dancers (Children of Mosiah): Joyce Campbell, Monica McGowan, Melanie Graham, Judith Pennant, Alison Symes, Denise Robinson, Sandra Minott, Arlene Richards, Jacquie Smith, Judith Wedderburn, Alaine Grant, Carol Murdock, MoniKa Lawrence, Paula Monroe, Sita Littlewood, Barry Moncrieffe (Narrator), Tony Wilson, Adrian Fletcher, Christopher Morrison, Deroi Rose, Mark Ramsay, Eisenhower Williams, Glen Brown

[xaz-fr]

30 Day Dragon Share Challenge!

Day 9: Share your favorite Wind dragons

WIND! My home! My flight. My fave! I have SO many wind dragons. I kept it to 7 even tho all my Wind dragons are my faves lols.

Desmond! My boy. My sweet G1 primal born the day after Christmas and given to me by my sweet billy boy @deadpool-scar-bro. He’s the son (tho neither of them will admit it bc they’re stupid) of Altair and Malik and Altair’s paladin.

Nadalin is the daughter of the Greenhouse Mistress and wife to the high cleric of Tso Ke. She really wants to live somewhere with trees. She’s also the recreation of my first progen.

Nari is my birthday G1 and I love her so much ;o; She’s also the wife and priest of the god Alshain. Always tells Malik off about making Altair talk to his twin sister.

Spayar, the high cleric of Tarazed. He always goes out into the Cloud Banks to fight monsters and comes back all fucked up to have his husband yell at him about being more careful even as he tends to his wounds. He might do that on purpose.

Newt is my very special girl of my @golden-lionsnake

Layali is my best girl! My custom progen who when I first made her was RUINED by thistle tert. And then like a week later capsule came out and I knew peace in life. She’s the high cleric of Bezek.

Najair is a cleric of Bezek and Layali’s husband. He helps her run the temple and wrangles their children.