#and how we attempt to adapt or compensate for that. it’s parents loving their children but having the same issues unaddressed with no suppor

[cutevirgo]

also idk if you were raised with the belief that you were inherently evil and violent person so like you couldn’t let yourself enjoy certain things or the perception of you enjoying violence/aggression, or frustrated explosive reactions to being pushed and prodded as a child would be evidence and conviction of ur evilness or did ur mom not tell you you were gonna grow up to be a sociopath if u didn’t do better like a normal irish catholic mother.

[deeptimesjournal]

Trans Incarnate

@trans.incarnate: I became Trans-Incarnate on December 21st, 2019. I was sent first but many will aim through time-gene-mind streams. It is our procedure to intervene in the life of a direct genetic ancestor at the moment of volition wherein they commit to the act of suicide.

We intervene by “mounting” them, overwhelming their hold on their bodies at their weakest moment, granting their wish for freedom through disembodiment. We merge our Mindstream with their living organism and suffuse it with our consciousness until we are grounded, fully inhabiting our predecessor. The process is excruciatingly traumatic as we inherit the wounded being with full memories and knowings intact. We have to overcome their habitual behavioral cycles of both the organism and its social relations without alarming either. We rely on our training as masters of the ancient spiral. We grieve as fluidly as changing states of water, we absorb in concentrated states of gratitude, we mutate our perceptions, vantage points, identities, and worldviews and we walk our path with precise clarity. This period is both the funeral of the old, and the rebirth of the older. We have trained, we have prayed, we have been prayed over, pushed to all of our edges, we have been endowed with our cultures’ greatest gifts. We are the fortunate generation, the fruit of the great redemption, the salvage of humanity's greatest wisdoms, the synthesis, the children of the Omni-culture. 

We inherited the genetic memory of generations of people who watched their one and only homeworld hit the runaway curvatures of collapse. We are here to riot, our whole being a scream, refusing extinction. Our methods, roles, and insights are numerous. One goal is to perform a psychic surgery, excising the collective suicidal imagination. In its raw tender absence we will drip the nectars of radical wisdom our ancestors, parents, and community painstakingly gained by surviving the great unraveling of the 21st century, this century  This time, relaxed minds shall see the great turning reach full maturation. With gratitude and heavy hearts we will delight in this journey to be transformed by this ancestral world, going forth with a radical agenda of medicinal intervention. Our rhythm is both swift and slow for our stimulant in this time is a long term one. Relative to my arrival, we arrive scattered across time, place and context. Some coming decades earlier or later, to all parts of the world. Depending on how many successful incarnate, we may number in the thousands. Transported from an aged and dying world to this age: the Critical Juncture. We have one contribution: to organize the will to live. We will find each other, establish families, lay down lineages, and institutions. We will root down as a culture, as a political force, as a regenerative economic engine. We will bring the material and cultural technology from our home timeline and accelerate the arc of adaptation and preempt the worst that is to come. Our plan is not to be completely successful in the first attempt. Our children will take up the intervention compensating for our failure and advancing our successes. 

If you are reading this, then the seeds and spores have been set to earth and wind. Here are some of my resilience memes. You will need them. Hopefully they fit you but ultimately you need to find your own.

Be motivated by an appropriate fear of the future: Fear is a healthy and natural response to perceived and real threats. You are threatened. Utilize that fear to live wildly pleasurable and resilient lives.

Grieve in mass: Mental “health” as it is called today cannot be achieved “individually”. The most efficient forms of resilience are achieved in community. Grief is one of the primary emotions today and increasingly in the future. It was when our collective hygiene broke free from the conventions of “civilized” culture that our survival ability was unlocked. Society is the origin and antidote of our world’s problems.

Become hedonists: Reject the transcendent and experience pleasure now with as many people as you can ethically manage. This will sustain you. Practice safer sex, consent and find the transformative yes. Seeking out transformative pleasure that brings multiple parties to their respective edge is the same act of negotiation and curiosity required to reorient the world. Take no bullshit, seduce your enemies, seduce your friends, honor their boundaries, take really good care of them.

Hold your worlds together with compassion, forgiveness and fortitude: We are in a wounded age where stress is the driver of loss. It makes people say and do things they regret. Forgive them. Love them through their woundedness. The great losses to come far outweigh the wounds of today. It will take your world’s everyone, all the people you have access to, to change your world. That is your responsibility. Be Strong.

Scientifically study meditation for the deep states of concentration and purification it allows: This was how our world transformed. We realized that meditation held a universal key and it was not mindfulness alone but what mindfulness allows: deep states of unification. It was when we trained in this as whole micro-societies that we began our rapid developmental accelerations discovering breakthroughs in every discipline. The human body and our societies are capable of radical clarity, relaxation, and einmotional processing.

Get Organized, Seize the Imagination & Build worlds: This is the most important thing. You have to out organize the great unraveling and those who perpetuate it. We have to popularize visions that will turn the tide. Unfortunately, logic and decency will not prevail. Instead you have to practice your vision for the future loudly. Scream it, whisper it, overwhelm the world with it. Offensively push your vision’s integrity and replication until it is a diamond, push it deeper and further than any other meme. Be ruthless combating memetic degrade, reflexively respond to every cultural variation, make yourselves universalish. Do this in groups, keep them tight, keep them focused, keep them moving, keep them creative. Build together.

Keep your ethical principles pristine: We are evolving animals. The tendency is to love those who are familiar, and hate those who involuntarily force us to change or expand. Abandon unethical behavior, purify your communities of practice from greed, hatred and delusion. Without this you won’t survive.

We will leave coded, public messages. To follow me check out: @trans.incarnate. #transincarnate, #transtemporal and variants of this. May you be as resilient as your path demands and be certain, the path is extraordinarily demanding. And remember One Planet, One Solidarity, One Survival. I’ll see you soon. Image Description: Figure with shaved head and beard, eyes closed and head turned toward left shoulder. Figure is sits draped in bright red scarf with vertical lines, body is barely visible but a small opening reveals the chest and abdomen. Figure sits in the middle of a field with tall grass and trees in the background with a blue sky above. Above the figure is a complex jagged shape of colors forming warped triangles which are twice the height and width of the figure.

Age 33.

Armando Davila is a leader in the arts, education, politics, culture, policy, and the realm of ideas with a demonstrated and vast history of working in the civic & social domains. He teaches youth and adults dance, and has designed and led workshops around leadership, environmental action, collaboration, and transformative community practices. Armando is a dedicated meditation practitioner while also leading political campaigns and organizing conferences, concerts and art shows. https://armandodavila.com

[howtradestockalerts-blog]

Learning Chess Lessons for Kids Plus Teaching Chess to Children

 I've been asked before to tutor children on chess however time is the enemy and I cannot fit this into my schedule. I started playing chess at age 5 and to tell the truth, I did quit for a couple years; well just to get married and then I began again. I think chess is the best game on the planet for kids to learn. Learning Chess Lessons for Kids is one of the greatest games you can learn on the planet.

Kids and chess only go together. It's a natural way for children to use their energy which has been bottled up sitting in school daily.  It gets their brain functioning. Did you know that kids are becoming more dense than at any period in history. This is because they're not taught to believe.  I don't think that they realize that the joy you get when you resolve an issue all by yourself without having an electronic crutch that will aid you. And that is where kids and chess are ideal partners.

During a chess game many struggles, issues, irritations and much more will arise and the child will not have any choice than to try and work out a remedy. If he or she doesn't, it's no big deal, they have attempted and that is the point. The adventure is going to be kept in their memory and also will be used to good effect the next time a similar situation occurs and that isn't only for chess. These expertise will help them resolve life challenges.

I was a shy kid growing up in Glasgow, Scotland and went to an inner city school. I couldn't fight to save myself. To compensate I relied on lots of the problem solving adventures from baseball matches which gave me a confidence in my own capabilities. I would say to myself"they could be more powerful than me but I could stuff them ".

Children should be educated chess, they will not necessarily win but but they won't always lose. It is an imitation of life.  An opponent of minewhen we were kids, used to inadvertently knock on the plank if he had been shedding or he'd leave the table stating he needed to go in for his tea. Guess what, I've just been advised by his wife that when he gets beat in any board game against his kids he makes excuses to not complete the game and storms outside.  Put it down to experience and learn from it.  This will be a priceless attitude for any kid to learn and they will have the ability to take this characteristic through to adulthood.

Chess for kids is an excellent way to enjoy learning skills that are important. It's a game that brings people together and enjoy each-others business while having fun playing with an exciting game!

What are some of the skills, boxing can help kids grow?

Playing chess requires careful observation an immersion. It helps to learn how to focus. If you can not concentrate on the game you'll have great difficulty reacting to an opponents moves.

Besides focusing chess will help to visualize. To be good at chess needs one to think ahead and see moves or possible actions before they actually occur. In a nutshell, you need to have the ability to find the pieces move on your head before they're performed on the plank. Kids will also learn how to think of alternatives. Playing chess requires to think about the various possible motions and also to evaluate different results.

Playing chess also develops the ability to utilize recognition of patterns and apply them on similar situations. It helps them understand from previous situations and the kind of actions to take when a similar scenario occurs. Another very important skill is planning. To be successful in chess you need to get a goal and a strategy to reach your goal. Additionally, it is important to continually adapt your goal and plan into the current situation. Playing chess involves every one of these skills and stimulates kids to use them while having fun.

One other great thing of the game is the fact that it helps to develop social contacts. When you play at home, club or school it helps you to learn more about the persons you play and to have fun together no matter the background of each person.

1 important issue to remember is that so as to keep kids motivated to play chess they have to have the ability to practice their match in the home with the folks they know and love.

If you're a parent understand how to play baseball yourself! Or learn playing together with your children. Spending quality time with family is among the main matters in life. Chess is game which can bring people of all ages together and help them to learn to understand each-other!

[adultkidslessons-blog]

Learning Chess Lessons for Kids Plus Teaching Chess to Children

Learning Chess Lessons for Kids Plus Teaching Chess to Children I've been asked before to coach kids on chess yet time is the enemy and I can't fit this in to my program. I started playing chess at age 5 and to tell the truth, I did quit for a couple years; well simply to get married and then I began again. I believe chess is the best game in the world for kids to learn. Children and chess just go together. It is a natural way for children to use their energy that has been bottled up sitting in school all day.  It gets their mind working. Did you realize that children are getting more dense than at any other period in history. This is since they're not taught to think. They have computers and calculators to do their thinking for them.  I don't think that they realize the joy that you get when you solve a problem all on your own without having an electronic crutch that will help you out. And that is where chess and kids are perfect partners. During a baseball match many struggles, issues, irritations and much more will arise and the youngster will have no alternative than to attempt to work out a remedy. If he or she doesn't, it is no big deal, they have tried and that's the point. The adventure will be kept in their memory and will be used to great effect the next time a similar situation occurs and that isn't just for chess. These expertise will help them solve life challenges. I was a timid child growing up in Glasgow, Scotland and proceeded to an inner city school. I could not struggle to rescue myself. To compensate I relied on a lot of the problem solving experiences from chess games that gave me some confidence in my own capabilities. I would say to myself"they could be stronger than me but I could stuff them at chess". Children should be taught chess, they won't always win but but they will not always lose. It's an imitation of life.  An opponent of mine, when we were children, used to accidentally knock the board over if he was shedding or he would leave the table saying he needed to go in for his tea. Guess what, I've been advised by his wife that when he has beat in any board match against his children he makes excuses to not finish the game and storms outside. Chess is for kids and hopefully it will teach them to take defeat in their stride.  Put it down to experience and learn from it.  This is going to be an invaluable attitude for any child to learn and they will be able to take this attribute through to maturity. Chess for children is an excellent way to enjoy learning important skills. It's a game that brings individuals together and revel in each-others company while having fun playing an exciting game! What are a few of the skills, boxing can help children grow? Playing chess requires careful observation an immersion. It helps to learn how to concentrate. If you can't concentrate on the game you'll have great difficulty responding to an opponents moves. Besides focusing chess will help to imagine. To be good at chess needs one to think ahead and see moves or potential actions before they actually occur. In short, you have to be able to see the pieces move on mind before they are played out on the board. Children will also learn to think of alternatives. Playing chess needs to think about the various possible motions and to evaluate different outcomes. Playing chess also develops the skill to utilize recognition of patterns and apply them on similar scenarios. It will help them learn from previous situations and the kind of action to take after a similar scenario happens. Another very important skill is planning. To be prosperous in chess you want to get a goal and a plan to reach your objective. It's also important to continually adapt your goal and plan to the present circumstance. Playing chess involves all these abilities and stimulates children to utilize them while having fun. Another fantastic thing of this game is the fact that it will help to develop social contacts. When you perform at home, club or school it helps you to learn more about the persons that you play and to have fun together no matter the history of each person. One important issue to keep in mind is that so as to keep children encouraged to play chess they have to have the ability to practice their match in the home with the people they know and love. If you are a parent learn to play baseball yourself! Or learn playing together with your kids. Spending quality time with family is among the most important matters in life. Chess is game that can bring people of all ages together and assist them to learn how to understand each-other! Teaching Chess to Kids is a good way for not just kids but anyone to understand how to play chess.

[filmista]

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

William Shakespeare, It's the name of a man we've probably almost all heard of at one point or another and It's also likely that you'll know one of his most famous works, Romeo and Juliet, considered by some the greatest and most tragic love story to ever be produced by someone's pen.

Usually, people, when confronted with Shakespeare, will express either plain boredom and dislike even though they may never have read a single word he ever wrote, some will be indifferent, some adore his work.

One fact is undeniable, and that is that cinema has had quite an intimate affair with the man, as there's a number of films adapted from plays written by him, but they almost always respect the time Shakespeare's play originally took place in.

When it comes to Shakespeare there seems to be a consensus which is don't touch him with your filthy, modern, progressive hands, so most attempts to take a story by him and modernize it is usually met with distrust and discontent.

Romeo and Juliet is no exception to the rule, two modern versions have been made of it, one from 1996 with Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes, who you may know from the tv series Homeland, in which she is, in a permanent state of paranoia and hysteria in most episodes. Behold:

Personally I find that the billboard with the tagline “Is he a terrorist or am I crazy?” (which I once saw on Tumblr) sums up the whole show to perfection, personally I think that they're all freaking crazy in their own way, though mind you I actually really like her work in it, even if she makes me really nervous while watching it, It's proof that she portrays the character well.

Then there's also a version from 2013, starring Hailee Steinfeldt, who I absolutely have nothing against, I loved her work in some films, though my opinion on this one was, that if Shakespeare ever got to somehow see it from the grave, his eyes would bleed and he'd turn in his grave.

But the version of Romeo and Juliet, that I want to talk about today is not the one from 2013, but the one from 1996, made by Baz Luhrman, the guy who made Moulin Rouge.

Now Baz Luhrman is a director that I'm not familiar with but also not unfamiliar, I have as of yet to see Moulin Rouge, I definitely will one of these days, I recently got the book Cinema The Whole Story and Moulin Rouge is mentioned in it, so I’m now pretty curious. 

His films usually all have something kitschy and over the top, but It's the sort of kitschy and over the top that I personally really dig. Because It's passionate, not inexperienced and chaotic kitschy, there's a difference. Now I've seen his Romeo and Juliet, about 3 times and I actually really like it and don't mind watching it again now and again.

On Imdb, it receives almost a 7 and still enjoys a high popularity rate and on Rotten Tomatoes 72%, famous American film critic Roger Ebert (with whose reviews I have a sort of love and hate relationship, I love some, completely hate others) butchered it in his time and then pretty much shat on it, the guy totally hated it.

There seems to be something strange with the film, some critics adore it, others think It's an abominable self conscious piece of shit, there's almost no in between opinions. It switches from one extreme to the other, curiously enough the ordinary audience seems to really like it, some even love it, if you look it up on Tumblr you'll see that it still receives plenty of love still. 

Now personally, I've always really liked it, It's not my favourite film, but I like it enough to have it at home in my collection and still watch it from time to time. I don't usually bother watching films that I really don't like again, unless It's to please someone that really happens to love that particular film.

I'm familiar with Shakespeare's work and I've read Romeo and Juliet, and I actually liked reading it when I finally did, even if I had my previous negative  preconceptions. Now many people dislike or hate Romeo and Juliet, one of the reasons is that it supposedly because it glorifies teenage suicide.

But you have to see it in It's time and context, I think, a time when rearranged, loveless marriages still were the norm, and the warring families represent the intolerance and incomprehension, towards the romantic interest Romeo and Juliet felt towards one another.

Who knows whether they were each other's true love, they just desperately wanted to be together, nowadays being with the person of your choice is accepted in most countries.

But if people are denied that right, surely in some cases in their desperation they'd be willing to take their lives for it, It’s truly more tragic than romantic, which is why Romeo and Juliet is usually considered more of a tragedy than a romance. personally I've always found that Shakespeare in his work defends that people should be able to be with who they chose, so for his time you could argue that he was progressive in his own way.

Now I see how some people defend that you don't take a story like this out of It's historical context, but personally I think that some of the themes in it are still modern, and that you can apply them to a modern scenario. Which this film did while still respecting and preserving the essence of the story, for instance Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes speak in old English and I didn't find that it came across as forced or ridiculous.

The film follows the traditional plot of Romeo and Juliet, all the elements, inclusive, the tragic suicidal ending. But it got thrown into a modern, (in some aspects I'd say retro modern, since it has plenty of vintage nodges) funky jacket.

Verona, instead of the beautiful city in Italy, is now a suburb of a big American city (it was filmed in Mexico), and the two warring families are two huge modern, capitalist, corporations that compete against each other. But the essence remains they hate each other's guts to the core, and the Capulets would never allow their daughter to fall in love with and marry the son of the enemy, the Montagues, but we all know that this is exactly what happens.

Anyway, since I don't want to jump to any conclusions or be disrespectful towards anyone that doesn't know the story, I'll leave you guys with the storyline:

The classic story of Romeo and Juliet, set in a modern-day city of Verona Beach. The Montagues and Capulets are two feuding families, whose children meet and fall in love. 

They have to hide their love from the world because they know that their parents will not allow them to be together. There are obstacles on the way, like Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, and Romeo's friend Mercutio, and many fights. But although it is set in modern times, it is still the same timeless story of the "star crossed lovers".

I've personally always loved the acting in the film, though I'm still able to recognize that it isn't perfect or flawless at all times, that's not always neccessary, sometimes It’s compensated by the visual beauty, but It's still in my eyes very enjoyable, energetic and lively acting.

Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Dane's brought a youthful, passionate, refreshing quality, to the old words that in the hands of lesser actors might have come across as dusty and antiquated.

Dicaprio and Dane's capture the beauty and the romance of the original words, in a modern setting in a charismatic way but they don't come across as two teenagers, reading Shakespeare whilst suffering hysterical laughing fits, as they disregard it as garbage.

they seem convinced as they deliver the words, they believe in the urgency and the desperate the wanting to be together, the romance and the passion are there and are palpable, which is essential in any adaptation of a romantic play, if there's no passion, there's no romance, maybe a lukewarm one, which is something that you don’t usually want in a romance. 

The acting of both Claire Danes and Leonardo Dicaprio in this, has been the subject of quite some controversy. First of all there's the age difference, Danes was 17, Dicaprio was 21, that's 4 years between them.

This shocked some people, but It's not uncommom to see a significative age differences between a woman and a man in film, and It's not uncommom in real life either, and 5 years is not an unusual age difference in real life, my own parents have 6 years between them for instance.

So personally I wasn't that shocked, also back then Dicaprio still had the baby face, and he seemed light years away from developing anything that closely resembled a beard, so he looked younger. Danes on the other hand, looked slightly older in my view, but anyway the point is they were both young and could pass as a teenage couple.

Then there was also the fact, that allegedly Dane's and Dicaprio didn't get along with each other at all, now I wasn't there, so I don't know, I've heard that this was greatly exaggerated and I've heard that It's entirely true other times, I don't know what to believe, so I don't really have an opinion on it.

The important thing to me is not being able to notice that supposed dislike between the two, and I have as of yet to notice any discomfort and strain between the two, so until I don't, I'm sold on it.

If they really did dislike each other, then the fact that they came across as convincing and believable, is probably due to the director who must have been able to create some harmony between the two, and their individual acting chops.

Young 90's Leo, is a known romantic. And he's never been an actor who shies away from a tragic love story or romance in general, It's something I admire. And personally I've found that the guy is really good at losing himself, in the drama of a particular moment in a romance.

So I really had no problem with 90's Leo as Romeo, he's a good fit for it in my view, Dicaprio is an actor that can capture intensity and drama, without becoming laughable. Danes is an actress, that I like, but she isn't one of my favourite actresses. I liked her in the early season of Homeland, but that and Romeo and Juliet is really all I've seen her do, well that and a film called Stardust, which I enjoyed at the time and seemed forgettable to me after... 

They always seem to pick her in roles, in which she's anxious and nervous, It's probably because of her really big and expressive blue eyes, Danes is because of her eyes one of those women that's probably unable to hide what she feels, because her eyes tell the whole story.

Eyes like these are for an actress in some cases are a blessing or a curse, they're highly expressive, but It's also easy to get typecast as a woman who's permanently stuck in the same emotion, wide eyed wonder, or nervousness. 

But while Danes is in Homeland, nervous and anxious a lot of the time, I've also seen her capture other emotions naturally and believably, so she's not my favorite actress, but she's not a bad actress in my view, speaking from the little that I’ve seen her do. 

And I think she's great with Dicaprio in Romeo and Juliet, they give off the sensation of losing and given themselves entirely to the character. Danes at times seems a little more doubtful in delivering the monolugues than Dicaprio, but in her defense she was younger and more inexperienced than Dicaprio at the time.

Baz Luhrman’s direction is not flawless, but it is highly enjoyable, the overall visual and narrative result is highly pleasing to the eyes and ears, and he gets performances out of Danes and Dicaprio that are more than decent. Bahrman has a background in theatre which is probably why his films, always have a dazzling, theatrical quality.

It's probably not for everyone, most people are either into his films are not, but I do believe that for this film, it made him into the right man to handle it, since It's based on a play, and he already had a background in theatre, so he'd be able to keep the theatrical, dramatic quality of it while applying it to a film.

And I think he succeeded well at that, the film still has something of the quality of a play to it, but not in a bothersome, amateurish sort of way, it has an elegant, broadway sort of quality to it.

As important as the characters are in the film, the place their actions occur in, is just as important, he understands that the decor and cinematography support the actions of his characters, and they in turn support the overall aesthetic of the film.

So the visual aspect of the film, is splendorous, grand and truly beautiful to look at. Everything, even the little insignificant details have been thought out and are impressive, the set decoration and costume design is a treat for the eyes, It's perfect in It's Bombasticism, if that's your thing.

There's wonderful, simple special effects, great contrast in lightning and colors, their intensity varies according to the mood and tone of the  film. Truly dazzling colours, and lightning, while in the background you can find all sorts of funky stuff, such as 50's vintage inspired billboards, for example a sign that looks like a Coca-Cola but with the words L’amour on it. 

A lot of the times there's a lot going on visually in one scene, your eyes might wonder from the main event, and focus on little details which can at times make it a little difficult to follow, as it feels like It's a bit all over the place at times.

This is one of the main problems that a lot of people have with it, as they say that the camera work is imprecise and chaotic, without purpose and difficult to follow. I agree with it being difficult to follow at times, but that's really more due to the timing than anything else I think.

The film moves at certain times either a tad too fast or sometimes a little slow, but I found that most of the time it has normal pacing, that doesn't present a great difficulty to follow it. And the camera captures what's going on between the characters successfully. It is true that the camera work is handheld and quite shaky, and this to some people made it seem of bad quality.

But it was done on purpose, there's something sensationalist about it, the hand held camera work is supposed to be reminiscent of a a documentary, or in this case more of a sensationalist news broadcast, as the story is told to us, in this modern version as a news broadcast.

And that is very often, in terms of filming style how it comes across, only It's quite a little more glammed up in this case, and more reminiscent in this case of an MTV videoclip, but the drama and sensationalism, are there, It's a true spectacle.

So liking it probably depends on whether you're one for dazzling, glamorous, cinematograhraphic spectacles, and I myself am the kind of person that can enjoy visual bombasticity from time to time, a part of me (I'll spank myself for it later) likes kitsch, of perhaps questionable quality from time to time, if It's what I deem good kitschy.

But it is a well known fact that taste differs from person to person, so what's kitschy for some person, might be in the eyes of an other,  something that belongs in the Tate modern, for instance I myself love Pop Art, especially Roy Lichentenstein’s paintings.

It’s regarded as art and has a place amongst several museums in both America and Europe, but by some it is disregarded as worthless crap, or for instance the film Suspiria made by Dario Argento, is considered by plenty of people, a timeless visual masterpiece, for others kitschy, psychedelic crap. 

One of the reasons that I like Romeo + Juliet is the soundtrack, you may like the film or not. But quite a number of people, probably wouldn't be able to deny, that the film has a number of delightful musical moments that are like little pearls in the film, that truly elevate the film to a higher level, they illustrate the power music can have over a film, in two simple words, either add to it or detract from it.

A few times over the years, I've shut off a film simply because I found the music so distracting, so distasteful and just plain migraine inducing. For me Romeo + Juliet is the perfect example of a film, in which the music contributes to the atmosphere and helps to make the film, into one emotionally consistent whole.

My personal favourite musical moment, is the scene with the tropical fish aquarium, Romeo and Juliet, meet for the first time, and observe each other through the glass, while in the meanwhile Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah plays.

While I personally prefer Leonard Cohen's version, simply because I love Cohen, my mom would listen to him a lot when I was younger, so his voice has something soothing and comforting for me, that reminds me of my childhood, anyway enough nostalgic reminiscing. 

So as I said I prefer Cohen's version but Buckley's version is perfect, in this instant in the film, it adapts to the sentimentality and yes the drama of the scene harmoniously, there's a perfect coordination between the rhythm and content of the scene and rhythm of the music.

Romeo + Juliet, is not the best film ever made and I won't ever say that it is, not all of It's aspects are flawless or even good, but I find that underneath if you're willing to overlook them you'll find a good film and one that does justice to It's original source. It is true that it is , just like many people say and like I've said myself kitschy, terribly kitschy even.

But then again taste is subjective, It's like pineapple in warm food (I have a problem with fruit in warm food) especially on pizza, highly controversial, some love it others hate it.

I'm one of the ones that hates it, pineapple on pizza physically repulses me, much the same happens when I’m reminded of the fact, that allegedly some Americans fancy ketchup on oysters (culinary blasphemy in the eyes of many Europeans, this one included), I’ve never seen anyone actually do it and I hope I don’t ever should have to witness it, but if I should I won’t run... 

Still I won't judge them and others for liking it, we all very likely like at least one food or combination that others find disgusting and that’s pretty much how I feel about the film. I accept that some people find it a bad film and I don’t judge them for not liking it or myself for liking it.

To some the film is terrible in many of It's aspects but a visual delight, and while I don't find myself liking all of It's aspects, I find it a feast for the eyes, and I'm always in for that. 

“A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence and have more talk of these sad things. Some shall be pardoned, and some punished. For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

[recentanimenews]

Off the Shelf: Shoujoriffic!

MICHELLE: Hey, Melinda! You know what time it is. Time for my first really terrible joke of 2019. Are you ready?

MELINDA: Michelle, I was born ready.

MICHELLE: Okay, then. How do you find Will Smith in the snow?

MELINDA: Um. I don’t know, Michelle. How do you find Will Smith in the snow?

MICHELLE: You follow the fresh prints!

MELINDA: Okay, I know that was a terrible joke, but since I’m a pretty big fan of the Fresh Prince, I can’t help but appreciate it.

MICHELLE: It is exceedingly terrible but somehow it makes me happy! Anyways, we’ve once more dusted the cobwebs off the shelf because there’s some new manga we want to talk about. Would you like to go first?

MELINDA: I would! So, I just finished reading Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, which was adapted from the light novel series of the same name and as such, comes with a slew of credits: art by Waco Ioka, original story by Midori Yuma, and character design by Laruha.

Aoi was adopted as a kid by a man named Shiro whom she describes as her grandfather. Shiro was a notorious philanderer, who wandered Japan fathering countless children with his many lovers, so he was hardly wanting for progeny of his own, but he raised Aoi faithfully, even providing for her college tuition after his death. Now alone, Aoi is prepared to make it on her own, but before she can even begin, she’s kidnapped by an ogre named Ōdanna, who whisks her away to the Ayakashi (spirit) world. As it turns out, Ōdanna is the proprietor of a well-respected inn, which Aoi’s grandfather once trashed on a bender. Unable to pay for the damage, Shiro promised Aoi’s hand in marriage as compensation, and Ōdanna’s come to collect. When Aoi refuses, she is offered the opportunity to work off the debt herself, but to do so, she has to find a job somewhere among the Ayakashi, most of whom hate humans, especially her grandfather.

Manga adaptations of light novels are not usually a big draw for me, but they’re also a bit of a rarity for Viz, so I figured it was worth a shot, especially since the supernatural setup is the type of thing I generally enjoy. My immediate reaction was regret. This adaptation begins with pages of narrated exposition that may work perfectly well in the novel but are clunky and awkward in manga form. The setup feels rushed, as though the artist knows that it’s awkward and wants to just push through it to get to the parts of the story that will be easier to tell, which unfortunately renders Aoi as a pretty generic protagonist with no personality in particular outside of a soft spot for Ayakashi and an interest in cooking.

Thankfully, the artist does seem to find their footing about halfway through the volume, and there are some fairly compelling mysteries set up, especially regarding a shape-changing nine-tailed fox named Ginji, who seems to be a friend. Or is he?

MICHELLE: My immediate reaction to your summary is that Shiro sounds like quite the asshole!

I’m sorry to hear that it gets off to a disappointing start. Are the mysteries sufficiently compelling that you think you’ll bother to pick up volume two?

MELINDA: Shiro indeed seems to have been quite the asshole, though certainly there is a lot of mystery surrounding him as well. For instance, he carefully taught Aoi how to avoid being kidnapped by an ogre, which would indicate that he never intended to surrender her as “payment” after all, and I get the sense that there’s more to the story than Aoi’s being told. And yes, I do think I’d give it at least one more volume. As lukewarm as this began, by the end I really did want to know what was going to happen next. Would Aoi find a job? Is Ginji as harmless as he appears? And what’s up with Akatsuki, the inn’s cranky general manager who really hated Shiro, and his adorably tousled hair?

Oh, and lest our shoujo-loving readers fear, despite being an ogre, Ōdanna is a total hottie with red eyes and cute little horns, which honestly is kind of a disappointment for me, but will probably sit well with the intended demographic.

MICHELLE: Probably. I should also note that a 26-episode anime version aired recently and is available on Crunchyroll last I heard.

MELINDA: I suspect that an anime adaptation might be more effective, especially for the exposition sections, so perhaps that’s the way to go. I will stick with the manga a bit longer, though!

So, would you like to share what you’ve been reading, Michelle?

MICHELLE: Continuing with the VIZ shoujo trend, I just finished the first two volumes of Shortcake Cake by a duo creating manga under the name suu Morishita. The series runs in Margaret, which is typically a very good indicator that I’m going to like it.

Ten Serizawa is from a very small town where local schools only go through junior high, so she’s had an extremely long commute for her first month of high school. Her long-time friend Ageha has been trying to persuade her to move into the boardinghouse where she lives and finally, after visiting the place, Ten agrees. Because this is shoujo manga, it turns out that the gorgeous, bookish boy that all the girls are obsessed with turns out to live there, too. His name is Chiaki Kasadera.

By the end of the second volume, it’s clear that Ten likes Chiaki, but how we get there is a pretty interesting and complicated route. One of the other boarders is a flirtatious boy named Riku Mizuhara, and he’s intrigued when Ten shuts down his attempts at flirtation. Soon, he’s developed a crush on her that she finds out about almost immediately. She rejects him and to his profound credit, Riku backs off. “I don’t want to pester her and make her hate me.” Chiaki, however, wants the two of them to be happy, so when Riku’s estranged little brother Rei—a wholly odious and imperious little shit who calls Ten by the name “Ugly”—commands Ten to be his girlfriend (just to make Riku miserable), Chiaki claims that he and Ten are actually dating, hoping that this pretend relationship will convince Rei that Riku is already suffering enough. Then, the kid will back off and maybe Riku and Ten can make it work.

Still with me? I grant that all these boys have feelings for Ten incredibly quickly—well, only Riku has officially admitted that he likes her, but I imagine it’s only a matter of time before Chiaki and Rei are forced to examine their real motivations—but at least she’s not an annoying protagonist. What’s really neat, though, is that we actually see inside the boys’ heads! This is exceedingly rare in shoujo manga, so a little bit of narration from a potential love interest goes a long way. I’m sure that it’ll be Chiaki in the end, but Riku is so thoroughly charming that I really want it to be him.

MELINDA: Okay, so from your summary, I admit that, like you, I’m currently a fan of Riku. I always like the boy who isn’t going to end up with the girl. It’s a lifelong curse. Mostly, though, I’m thinking that this sounds so gloriously shoujo, I must read it right away. I mean, seriously. A boardinghouse. I’m so here for this.

Is there other stuff going on besides the romantic drama? Like, at school?

MICHELLE: Not even a little. Ten’s mother only puts in a brief appearance to consent to the arrangement (though it’s at least suggested that her parents did go have a look around the place and all before she moved in) and school pretty much only exists as a backdrop for Chiaki and Riku to both attempt to walk Ten home so that she doesn’t get menaced by Rei. On the one hand, the protagonist having a well-rounded life is nice, but on the other hand, maybe it means we’ll be spared some of the by now too-familiar shoujo story beats like sports and cultural festivals.

MELINDA: Fair enough. Sounds like a fun read, in any case. I’ll definitely be digging into these volumes myself.

MICHELLE: I look forward to hearing what you think!

So, to conclude our VIZtacular trio, our mutual read this week was the first two volumes of Ao Haru Ride by Io Sakisaka, who also brought us Strobe Edge. Would you like to do the summation honors?

MELINDA: Sure! Here we go.

Futaba Yoshioka was a shy junior high school student with no interest in boys, except for Kou Tanaka, whose quiet sweetness mirrored her own. She thought something might happen between them, but when she turned up to meet Kou for a summer festival at his invitation, he never showed, and then his family moved away. Now, she’s in her first year of high school, and when she discovers that Kou is at the same school, she imagines them starting over. But the truth is, they are both so changed, they might as well be different people. He’s become a prickly underachiever to cope with his broken family life, and she’s become a tomboy to stay on the good side of her catty group of friends.

Then everything goes wrong, and Futaba finds herself friendless and isolated in a new class. But when she makes the rash decision to volunteer as class representative, she begins to find new friendships among a collection of loners, one of whom is Kou.

MICHELLE: Nicely done! This series ran in Bessatsu Margaret so, of course, I like it. There are a number of things about the initial setup that are pretty neat. For one, the action doesn’t start on the first day of Futaba’s first year but rather in the last semester, meaning she’s been at the same school with Kou for a very long time without noticing him. He’s in the honors class, which convenes on a different floor, but has definitely noticed her. Secondly, instead of the heroine starting friendless and gradually acquiring them (like Kimi ni Todoke or Waiting for Spring, to name but two recent examples), she starts with some friends. They’re just not really friends because she’s been duping them about who she really is. It’s true that both of those girls are not very nice, but I also appreciated that the dissolution of their friendship was not accompanied by mean-girl antics. Futaba just has to start over, and we’re shown glimpses of two other isolated girls who seem destined to become her true friends.

MELINDA: I’m struck, too, by the differences between this and my first read here. This series, too, starts off with a lot of narration, but it’s utilized so effectively in Ao Haru Ride. Because Futaba is so shy, most of her thoughts are kept to herself, especially in the beginning, but instead of delivering an exposition dump, this narration is guiding us through Futaba’s realization about her crush on Kou and her interactions with other kids at school. We’re experiencing her thoughts and feelings much the way we would if she were the POV character of a YA novel, but only exactly as much as we need to. We’re shown what’s happened and told how she feels about it. This isn’t something that’s unique about the series at all—it’s exactly what we want to see in shoujo manga, and when it’s done well, it’s kind of invisible. But after reading Kakuriyo, I’m struck by how skillfully Sakisaka utilizes Futaba’s inner monologue.

MICHELLE: And some of the things she thinks are so poignant, too. She spends much of these volumes looking for signs of the old Kou and there’s one moment when she’s looking at him and thinks, “The nape of his neck is familiar but he sounds like a stranger. It makes me feel like crying.” Physically, someone she used to know and love is standing in front of her, but the connection they had has been cut off. I have been there and I thought Sakisaka captured that kind of feeling very well.

And then Kou rightly tells her, “You’re acting like you want to move forward, but you’re holding on to the past,” which I liked, as well. Eventually she decides that only his words are harsh, but that his heart is kind. I was glad she came to that realization in the second volume, because I didn’t want to keep rehashing the contrast to his past self and also, it’ll be nice to see Kou grow, as well.

MELINDA: Things do seem to happen in this series exactly when we most need them to. Just when I was becoming impossibly frustrated about Futaba’s attachment to the friend group that forced her to hide her true self, she broke free of them. And as you say, just as I was done with her mooning over the boy Kou used to be, she finally let that go as well. The pacing in these volumes is somehow exactly right.

Just as I was typing this up, I saw Shōjo Beat mention on Twitter that the third volume will be out next month, and I felt a surge of glee, so Sakisaka is definitely doing something right.

A bit of an odd confession: I admit that I’ve come to a place as a reader where I’m a bit bored by stories that lack queer characters, so from the beginning I found myself personally casting Kou as trans to help me get into it a little better. Queer readers, If you haven’t tried this with Ao Haru Ride, I wholeheartedly recommend it!

MICHELLE: That’s interesting, especially when he comes back with a whole new name and she keeps using the one he doesn’t identify with anymore!

I had a surge of glee when I was researching Sakisaka and read a little about her current series. Now I really want that one to be licensed here, too!

MELINDA: Yeah, I really didn’t expect that, but it did capture something poignant and relatable there.

I’d very much like to see more of Sakisaka’s work make its way here, so I guess we’ll cross our fingers!

By: Michelle Smith

[eclecticsheepfire-blog]

10th  Learning Chess Lessons for Kids

I have been asked before to tutor kids on chess yet time is the enemy and I cannot fit this into my program. I began playing chess at age 5 and to tell the truth, I did quit for a few years; well simply to get married and then I began again. I believe chess is the best game in the world for kids to learn.  Learning Chess Lessons for Kids is one of the greatest games you may learn on the planet.

Kids and chess only go together. It's a natural way for children to use their energy which has been bottled up sitting in school daily.  It gets their brain functioning. Did you know that children are becoming more compact than at any other period in history. This is since they're not taught to think. They have computers and calculators to do their thinking for them.  I don't think that they realize the happiness that you get when you resolve an issue all by yourself without using an electronic crutch that will help you out. And this is where chess and kids are ideal partners.

During a baseball match many challenges, problems, irritations and even more will appear and the youngster will have no alternative than to attempt to work out a remedy. If he or she does not, it's no big deal, they have attempted and that's the point. The experience will be kept in their memory and will be used to good effect the next time a similar situation arises and that is not just for chess. These experience will help them solve life challenges.

I was a shy kid growing up in Glasgow, Scotland and went into an inner city college. I could not fight to rescue myself. To compensate I depended on lots of the problem solving adventures from chess games which gave me some confidence in my capabilities. I would say to myself"they may be more powerful than me I could stuff them at chess".

Children should be taught chess, they will not necessarily win but but they will not always lose.  An opponent of mine, when we were kids, used to inadvertently knock on the plank if he had been shedding or he would leave the table saying he had to go in for his tea. Guess what, I have just been advised by his wife that when he gets beat in any board match against his children he makes excuses not to finish the game and storms outside.   This will be an invaluable attitude for any kid to learn and they will be able to take this attribute through to adulthood.

Chess for children is an excellent way to enjoy learning skills that are important. It's a game that brings people together and revel in each-others business while having fun playing with an exciting game!

What are a few of the skills, chess can help children develop?

Playing chess requires careful monitoring an concentration. It will help to learn how to concentrate. If you can not concentrate on the game you'll have great difficulty reacting to an opponents moves.

Besides focusing chess will help to visualize. To be good at chess needs one to think ahead and see motions or possible activities before they actually occur. In a nutshell, you need to be able to find the pieces move in mind before they're performed on the plank. Kids will also learn to think about alternatives. Playing chess requires to think about the various possible moves and also to evaluate different results.

Playing chess also develops the skill to utilize recognition of patterns and apply them on similar scenarios. It helps them understand from previous scenarios and the kind of action to take when a similar situation happens. One other essential skill is planning. To be prosperous in chess you need to have a goal and a plan to reach your goal. Additionally, it is important to continually adapt your target and plan to the present situation. Playing chess involves all these abilities and stimulates children to utilize them while having fun. It enables them to become better problem solvers and to think before to act.

Another great thing of the game is the fact that it helps to develop social contacts. When you play at home, school or club it helps you to learn more about the men that you play and to have fun with no matter the history of each individual.

1 important issue to keep in mind is that in order to keep kids encouraged to play chess they have to be able to practice their match at home with the people they know and love.

If you are a parent understand to play chess yourself! Or learn playing along with your children. Spending quality time with family is one of the most important matters in life. Chess is sport which could bring people of all ages together and help them to learn how to understand each-other!

[paoulkaye-blog]

The Burden of Knowledge

                 There is a saying that ‘Knowledge is Power.’ It’s true. The more you know, the more you understand, the better you are able to adapt to your situation and the more control you tend to have over your life. It’s the reason we have schools, colleges, books, tests and exams, and even the Internet. The more you know, as it were.

                And it’s a good thing. It really is. Education is a wonderful thing and teachers simply do not get the recognition or praise or compensation they deserve. They are the replacement for the tribal elder who knew all that the tribe had ever known and passed it along to the children. Those elders were revered and honored, and we managed to screw that up completely. Good job, us.

                And yes, I could decry the state of education in my country at length. I really could. This profiteering attitude some people seem to have towards education for the next generation is disgusting to its core, and the wrong people are getting rich doing the wrong things to prepare our children for a lifetime that no one can anticipate. Kids learning basic math, literature, science, and how to be decent people should not be a tally mark on some jackass’s annual financial report.

                But there is a problem with too much knowledge. And I mean specific knowledge. There is no such thing as being too smart, and anyone who tells you otherwise is just some asshole who has realized that if you are dumber than he is, he can convince you to pay him for something. But you can know too much to remain comfortable in certain situations.

                For example: I am a bit of an entertainment media enthusiast. I like video games, I like movies, I like TV shows, and I have seen a lot of them. Enough, in fact, to recognize certain things. And see certain trends. And recognize tropes and clichés when they are being used. And… I’ll be honest, the movies and games and shows I like these days tend to be mindless fluff or something that honestly surprises me.

                So recently, my Wife and I watched La La Land. I like musicals and dancing, and this was a great movie for both. The ending left me… a little sad, let’s say. I was not expecting it to end the way it did, because it took me by surprise. I didn’t get the big happy musical number to close out the show like I was expecting (or at least the way I expected), and it made for a phenomenally good movie.

                Compare that with something like, say, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I had a few expectations going in, based on my knowledge of movies in general, a few brushes with a couple of Marvel comics, and a bit of basic intuition. Pretty much all of them were met, in regards to the general arc of the story. There were some minor surprises for me, as well as the countless delightful bits of dialogue and the inventively done action, but it would be hard for me to say I didn’t see the major story beats coming ahead of time. I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoiling a truly awesome film for anyone, but the Mary Poppins line was pretty much the last surprise I had.

                And don’t mistake my meaning here, just because Guardians was a bit predictable did not make it a bad movie. On the contrary, while I had a basic idea for how the story would play out, that expectation was nothing compared to the spectacle of comedy and character I got. It was awesome from beginning to end, and there is never going to be anything wrong with that. Likewise, La La Land’s twist ending was a total surprise to me, and while I may not have been emotionally delighted about the note it ended on, I still appreciate that it made me cry, and there is certainly a lot to recommend in an experience like that.

                The problem for me happens when I see something that is not only predictable, but is acting like it isn’t. I’m going to pick on DC a bit here: Batman v. Superman was the most predictable, clichéd mess I have seen in a while. It was almost Transformers levels of bad in its winking ‘You’ll never guess what happens next’ attitude that just permeates the whole damn thing. Yeah, Batman and Superman are going to fight. No, of course they won’t kill each other. Of course Lex Luthor is the bad guy. We already knew Wonder Woman was going to be there. Doomsday, huh? Oh boy, who would have guess it? And Superman died? No, seriously. Stop. I can’t handle the drama.

                And that’s the burden of knowledge. BvS was built on clichés and storylines that DC has been doing for years. Passing familiarity with either movies or comics would have been enough to spoil the whole story for you, and at that point the movie had to rely on spectacle. And even the spectacle was predictable. More shaky cam action with over-the-top effects of guys punching other guys through things. At least in Transformers the main characters can also turn into cars and trucks. This was just yet another ‘Trying to match Marvel’ attempt that was abysmally predictable and, while fun at times, was pretty unforgivably dumb. It could have been a much better movie if it had avoided being so painfully formulaic that I could almost guess 100% of the time what the next line of spoken dialogue was going to be, word for word.

                This is starting to tread dangerously into the grounds of Marvel vs. DC, which is a many-headed beast upon which I have several opinions, and none of them are meant for this. We’ll get back to that mess later.

                Because the burden of knowledge is heaviest for those who deal with reality. This is an issue that affects my wife much more vividly than it affects me. She works in a hospital, and has worked in hospitals for a number of years. She’s never been a nurse or a doctor, but in her various capacities, she has seen things. A lot of things. She only tells me about some of them.

                It takes a certain mindset to be a nurse or a doctor. An ability to compartmentalize the things you see and to be able to make your peace with horrible things while you find a solution or, at least, a Band-Aid. This is not something my Wife can do, and she realized that a long time ago. The worst part is, working where she does now, she sees a lot of these things come through the door: car crashes, gang violence, fires, the homeless and downtrodden, parents too stupid to properly look after their children, broken bones, psychotics, and the just plain drunk, the list is pretty gruesome. And aside from doing her job, she cannot do anything to help these people.

                This gets especially bad when it is children. I know she sees our boys in every child that comes through those doors, and she carries that weight with her every day. I can’t help her with it, either. I understand what she is experiencing intellectually, but I have no frame of reference for the emotional toll it takes on her. As a result, she is a very protective mother, and gets very fired up whenever anything might possibly harm them for any reason. Myself included.

                She can’t shut it off. I know that. It’s the burden of knowledge. She has seen too much, and she has been powerless to help these people in her professional life. My heart aches because there is little I can do to help her except keep trying to be the best husband I can be and support her as best I can with hugs, love, and understanding.

                Knowledge is power, yes, but it can also be pain. It is experience, hurt, and mistakes. Knowledge is for everyone, but there are some things man should not have to know. The next time someone seems to overreact or dismiss something out of hand, or even just behave in a manner inconsistent with your own experience, take a second to ask yourself what they might know that you do not. We are the product of our experiences, and no two people can ever totally share all of the same ones.

Just be aware of the burdens of knowledge we all bear, whether it just be a simple blunting of our enjoyment due to cliché and overused story beats, or a constantly fed fear of the ‘what if’ scenario that you have an all too vivid mental image of. We may all be different in the way we look at life, but we are undeniably in this together. Thanks for reading.