#anti sailor mars

[western-magical-girl-confessions]

“Tbh, thanks to a "certain site", I never understood the massive popularity and love for 90’s Rei/Sailor Mars. Not only she was a complete bully to Usagi/Serena up to StarS, but she was a complete bitch in her entire arc with Mamoru/Darien and always blamed others for everything, even when it was HER fault. I understand that Usagi wasn't the most mature or understanding growing up, and I know not everything has to be all sunshine and rainbows all the time in a team, but Rei just straight up always disrespected her FUTURE QUEEN, even when she had reasons for crying or being sad sometimes (especially with the whole Demande thing in the 90′s anime. Heck, Sailor Moon has even bung people (even HER) back to life countless of times!

People can say what they want about Manga/Crystal's Sailor Mars and about her not having a personality (which I do agree to a certain degree), but she BARELY was an ass to Usagi or just in general. Sure, she did had her nice moments throughout the series, but at her best, she was ok, but at her worst, she was THE ABSOULATE WORST. I personally was always an Ami/Sailor Mercury fan, but Sailor Mars is extremely overrated in my opinion.”

[celticcatgirl2]

“Let me guess…catching up with Zeb Wells’ Spider-Man run?”

[senshixshitennouweeks]

As interest is generating for this event, I wanted to not only reach out to ENCOURAGE artists to join us in our celebration of the Senshi/Shitennou pairings but set the correct expectations for the creators interested!

The usage of AI in any art included in this event is prohibited and will NOT be supported or promoted. As an artist myself, I am personally offended by the theft and laziness that this has brought forth, not just in our own fandom but in the art world overall. Using AI is not being an artist. It takes no skill and it spits in the face of those who have spent decades honing their craft by stealing aspects of their work. It has no place in this event. There are telltale signs easily found in such pieces and if it is suspected that AI was used in art offered for this event, proof may be required to authenticate its legitimacy.

I hope this does not discourage artists from joining our event, but perhaps will help others make the decision of whether or not to join. This is a FUN, super chill, laid-back event, and I want to keep it that way. :) Art theft isn't cool and it definitely does not have a seat at our table. Please keep all works authentic to YOUR skill, not someone else's.

Keep practicing and working on improving your own talents!

Stay kind!

~Vee

[sjbattleangel]

The Sailor Scouts are teaming up to stop JK Rowling and her toadies once and for all in the name of the moon!

劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーンR

[nanawritesit]

SM Entertainment Girl Group Idol AU (fem!reader insert)

feel free to use this for shifting or as a fanfiction backstory! (just tag me if it’s the second one hehe)

disclaimer: the extra info sections aren’t all original ideas, many were found on pinterest/tiktok :) images aren’t mine either

tw: none that i’m aware of

Group Profile:

Group Name: Etoile (meaning star/ point of a star in French)

Members: 5 (5 points on a star)

Fandom: Starlight

Concept: Ethereal, Cosmic, Elegant

Debut Year: 2017 (between Red Velvet and Aespa)

Debut Song: “Constellations”

Debut Album Title: “5 Makes 1”

B-Sides: “Aries,” “Nebula,” “Orbit,” “Stardust,” and “Pisces”

Fandom/ Lightstick Color: Indigo and White (stars in the night sky)

Group Chant: All: “Twinkle twinkle!” Nabi: “Hi Starlight! It’s…” All: “Etoile!”

Members Profile:

Y/N: Oldest, Center/ Face of the Group, Main Vocalist, Speaks Korean, English, and Chinese

Cho Nabi: Leader, Lead Vocalist, Korean, Speaks Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese

Marie Tang: Main Dancer, Chinese-American, Speaks Korean, English, and Chinese

Han Iseul: Visual, Lead Dancer, Korean, Speaks Korean

Ikeda Kaori: Maknae, Main Rapper, Japanese, Speaks Korean and Japanese

Extra Info about the Group:

Pre-debut, Etoile released a cover of Girls Generation’s “Genie,” and it blew up so fast that fans couldn’t wait for them to debut

Etoile is known as “the bridge between third and fourth generation” in the kpop community

The members are also known as “the princesses of SM”

Etoile does a lot of variety shows because everyone loves the members’ funny personalities and playful group dynamic

Etoile was featured in a popular kdrama as themselves, though they only had a few lines in a couple episodes, it became a fan favorite and made the ratings sky-rocket

Etoile’s second comeback, “Andromeda,” is said to have one of the most difficult girl group choreographies in kpop. It was also the song that got them their first win

When Etoile got their first win with “Andromeda,” all of the girls were crying hysterically, including Nabi who was supposed to give the speech. She ended up handing the mic to Y/N, who had just been smiling happily the whole time. Y/N pulled Nabi into her arms as she gave the speech, and then the other three girls assembled a group hug around them. It became such a tender moment for Starlights that everyone watching started crying too

Etoile did a collaboration music video with Sailor Moon where all the members got to dress up as the sailor guardians. Y/N was Sailor Moon, Nabi was Sailor Mars, Marie was Sailor Mercury, Iseul was Sailor Venus, and Kaori was Sailor Jupiter

Etoile has their own plushie characters that are put on headbands and other merchandise for Starlight, similar to BT21 and Skzoo. Y/N’s is a white swan, Nabi’s is a blue butterfly, Marie’s is a black cat, Iseul’s is a pink puppy, and Kaori’s is a yellow duck

Etoile did a collab with “rom&nd,” a korean makeup brand, where each member got to create their own shade of lipstick. The five shades the members created sold out in just three minutes.

Etoile performed a cover of EXO’s “Growl” during one of their concerts in male school uniforms, and Starlights were so impressed by how cool and masculine they were

Being sandwiched between the two girl groups, Red Velvet and Aespa are like the older and younger sisters of Etoile (respectively.) The Red Velvet members are always checking in on them and giving them advice, and Etoile does the same thing for Aespa.

Starlight is famous for being one of the most loyal and devoted fandoms. They buy the girls billboards and food trucks for their birthdays, protect them from antis, and offer so much love and support.

The members have their own youtube channel called “Etoile Clubhouse” that they have permission to use freely. They post lots of different content, including challenges, games, song/dance covers, mukbangs, get ready with me/us videos, and q&a’s

Extra Info about Y/N:

Y/N is known as the loving mother of the group, while Nabi is more like a strict dad

Kaori was still in high school when she debuted, and Y/N took care of her like a mother would her daughter. She would wash and iron her uniform, prepare her breakfast and lunch, and help her with her homework every night. Kaori’s mother was so thankful, as she couldn’t do all this for her daughter herself, still living in Japan

While all the girls are close, Nabi and Y/N are best friends, they even have friendship bracelets

While Iseul is the visual because she fits the KBS the best, Y/N is the center/FOTG because her visuals match the group concept the best. She’s known for her “white swan” visuals: ethereal, graceful, and elegant.

Y/N and Iseul were also chosen as members of GOT the Beat

Y/N was the first member to have a solo debut in 2021. Her debut song was fittingly titled “White Swan.” Nabi helped her compose the songs, Marie helped her with the choreography, and Kaori had a rap feature on one of the tracks. Y/N performed it at the MAMA awards, and everyone was singing/dancing along to it so hard they almost forgot about the actual awards show!

Y/N is an ambassador for Dior and Chanel. Many brands were offering her deals after Etoile became popular due to her unique visuals, so she got to choose the ones she liked best

Y/N is known as the “OST Queen” of the group, she has sang many drama OSTs

Y/N’s best friends at the company include Yeri (Red Velvet,) Taeyong (NCT/SuperM,) Karina (Aespa,) and Ten (NCT/SuperM/WayV)

Y/N has had cameos in many different artists’ music videos, including Stray Kids, Enhypen, and NCT Dream

SHINee’s Key dubbed Y/N “SM’s secret weapon”

Y/N was part of a one-time collaboration unit with Dreamcatcher’s Dami, Weki Meki’s Doyeon, IZ*ONE’s Yena, and fromis_9’s Chaeyoung. They released a single called “Wild Mind,” and it was so popular that fans were advocating to start a new group with just these idols!

Y/N once dyed her hair indigo to match the fandom color, and fans started to dye their hair the same color to match her. The shade became known as “Y/N hair” on social media

Y/N and Marie were mentors on a Chinese idol training show, all the girls loved them because they were super helpful without being too tough. It also gained Etoile a lot of Chinese fans

Y/N has very impressive high notes, Starlights have made several youtube compilations with titles like “Y/N obliterating the sound barrier with her high notes for 5 minutes”

Y/N’s nickname from Starlight is “Angel Voice” due to her clear, bright voice

Y/N sang a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” on Etoile Clubhouse, and Starlights tagged Taylor in it so much that she was shown the video in an interview. Taylor responded: “I’ve watched this video so many times! Her voice is so pretty. I met her once in Korea too, she’s so genuine and sweet! I’d love to collab with her, or Etoile as a whole. They seem so fun.”

Y/N was getting a lot of lip-synching rumors, until one day a staff member shared a video of her practicing before a concert with her mic on. It revealed her raw vocal talent and debunked all the rumors.

[heartkaji]

₊˚⊹ ᰔ SAILOR’S HANDBOOK !

ⓘ to become a sailor on the s.s. mars spaceship, you must first read the sailor’s handbook & abide by all rules.

── .✦ 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 ୨ৎ

୨୧ dni ! with me if you fall into basic dni criteria , pro-Israel, anti-christian, semitic, islamophobic or anti-religious in general. also if you’re one of those atheists constantly trying to disprove certain religions.

୨୧ dni ! with me if you interact with r⌗pe / pedophillic / incest & stepcest / pro-shipping content

୨୧ dni ! if you spread or promote discourse, send anon hate, etc

୨୧ byf ! outside my writing, i thirst & yap a lot and what i say may be explicit ! also i’m fond of dark humor & controversial jokes so if you’re easily offended or overly political this isn’t the blog for you

୨୧ byf ! i’m fond of using pet names or flirting, it’s all jokes so don’t take it too seriously !

୨୧ byf ! i block blank, bot-looking blogs as well as spam likers (4+). spam liking can get me shadow banned so do reblog in between !

୨୧ don’t copy any of my works, themes, styles etc. if you’d like to take inspiration from any of my works, ask first. do not recreate any of my writings for another fandom. also don’t write any fics based on my character ramblings ( tagged as ・౨ৎ ─ 𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 𓏲˚˖ ᵎᵎ ) without asking & if i say yes, credit me appropriately at the beginning of the fic.

୨୧ don’t translate my works, use them to ai train or re-upload them anywhere

୨୧ don’t bring any form of discourse to my blog or inbox

୨୧ don’t ask me to be moots. i moot naturally through asks & frequent interaction in general

୨୧ i may break moots if we don’t interact ( like at all, whether via posts, asks or dms ). ofc everyone is busy so as long as i don’t hard block you don’t take it personal ! we can eventually become moots again as long as i don’t block you. i just prefer to reserve moots for people i often interact with.

୨୧ don’t trauma dump in my ask box. i appreciate all my readers very dearly but i can’t help you the way a professional will. you’re free to ask for advice on whatever whenever though !

୨୧ on that note you’re free to joke with me in my inbox as i’m very far from sensitive, but anything straight up rude will be ignored. let’s keep it silly n respectful here !

୨୧ if we haven’t interacted before & i block you, don’t take it seriously. i may block simply because i’ve seen you on my dash too often for my liking. it’s no hard feelings at all !

── .✦ 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 ୨ৎ

୨୧ i take suggestions for smaus & fics, not requests. but note that not every suggestion will get written as i write what interests me. do be patient however as i may simply be saving your suggestion for later.

୨୧ i do not write nsfw but my content is largely 16+. my works are at best heavily suggestive / sexually implicit but where i draw the line is fingering, oral sex or actual intercourse. that said, the worst you might see in my heavily suggestive works are groping or verbal kinks like degradation or daddy/mommy kink.

୨୧ even without explicitly stating i usually write my characters as adults (18+). this is because my content regularly contains themes such as drugs, alcohol, etc.

୨୧ i will write sensitive / deep topics such as anxiety, mental illnesses, depression & drug use but i will not write :

⌗ pedophilia / overly large age gaps. sugar daddy / baby relationship is fine provided both parties are written as legal adults

⌗ blasphemous themes

⌗ stepcest or any form of romance where the characters are related in some way, whether by blood or under law

୨୧ all my writings are fem reader. also i don’t bother myself with trying to make my works inclusive for everyone. if i write the reader with big boobs then you now have big boobs. let’s not complicate things y’all !

done reading ? congrats ! you may now board the s.s mars. here’s a map of the spaceship, enjoy your stay !

© — heartkaji ; do not steal, edit, translate or reupload.

[see-arcane]

sailor gang fighting monsters and crew of light fighting the undead. allies

Sailor Mercury wowing Mina and Jack with all her fancy tech. Mina is enthralled by her little hand computer. The ice powers are neat but…the gadgets, man. Gadgets.

Sailor Mars upping the anti-vampire artillery with her priestess dispelling power and Literal Magic Flamethrower. Garlic flowers and holy cracker crumbs need not apply.

Sailor Jupiter > Dracula in the impressive lightning show game and frying him like a mosquito in a bug zapper. Followed by just flat out martial arts curb-stomping. Quincey wants lessons on the latter.

Sailor Venus becoming BFF with Lucy over romantic gossip and being stealth jocks. Lucy is safely no longer being used as a juice box and discovering volleyball is a delight.

Sailor Moon has kept Jonathan ‘White-haired Supernatural Transformation Out of Righteous Anger and Love Cryptid’ Harker trapped in a semi-interrogation with herself, Luna and Artemis to determine whether or not he is in fact a fellow magical girl. He keeps telling them he’s a solicitor.

[tiredwitchplant]

Everything You Need to Know About Herbs: Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum)

*Kitchen Herb *Medical Herb *Feminine

Folks Names: Ajo, Poor Man’s Treacle, Stinkweed, Stinking Rose

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire, Earth

Deities: Hecate

Abilities: Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft, Aphrodisiac, Banishment, Purification, Clarity

Characteristics: A bulbous perennial plant that can grow to from 1- 3 ft tall. Has pale pink or green white flowers. Is part of the lily family and native from Central Asia. It is grown by dividing the bulbs and is harvested during the late summer.

History: It was first noted by Confucius in the Book of Odes. However, the lore refers garlic back to the beginning of time. It is said that when the devil’s left foot touched soil outside the Garden of Eden, garlic sprung up and his right foot produced onions. This caused it to be first associated with the Devil himself but the Greeks considered it a protector herb later on. Greek midwives would make sure that at the birth of a child, the whole room smelled of the cloves to protect the newborns from Lilith, the mother of all demons. If the cloves were not placed around the neck of the babies, it was believed that Lilith would strange the babies and frighten the mothers into madness. It was also a great remedy herb as every part of it was used in over 125 different treatments.

How to Grow Garlic

Easy to Grow: Yes

Rating : Beginner Friendly

Seeds Accessible: Yes but growing from bulbs is easier

How to Grow Garlic

Video Guide

Seeds

Magical Properties:

Was worn to guard against the plague

Sailors carried some on board to protect from wreckage

Soldiers wore garlic as a defense and ate it for courage

Worm to guard off foul weather and monsters

Bite into garlic to send away evil spirits or sprinkle garlic powder on the floor

Garlic was eaten on festival days to Hecate and was left at crossroads as a sacrifice to her

Brides carried garlic in their pockets for good luck

Rubbed onto pots and cooking pans, can remove negative vibrations

Can induce lust and attract lovers

Burned in an incense can be used to exorcise evil spirits from one’s home

Can strengthen energy fields and break curses

Medical Usage:

Can combat high cholesterol and hypertension

Was believed to ward off cancer and hepatitis

Can boost your immune system and is a powerful antibiotic for any sickness

Helps to keep blood thin and protect against blood clots and raised blood-sugar levels

Was used to dress wounds in WW1

A remedy for chest infections, digestive infections, and prevent circulatory problems

Sources

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 02/11/2024 (Lady Gaga, Tyler the Creator's CHROMAKOPIA)

Gigi Perez, with her first ever chart hit, has already landed at #1 as “Sailor Song” finally usurps Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” for the top spot on the UK Singles Chart, though mostly thanks to silly UK-specific chart rules that took a dent out of Sabrina’s points than a massive gain for the sailors, though her follow-up release may have given this a boost. Whether it can land more weeks on top before the year devolves into yuletide madness may be the more interesting question, but it’s a busy and intriguing week over all so welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: references to sex, death and anti-religious sentiment

Rundown

As always, we start the episode with our notable dropouts, those being songs exiting from the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid adieu to “Mr. Brightside” which dips below the top 75 alongside “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls, “Careless Whisper” by George Michael, “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC and “I’m Gonna Miss You” by Milli Vanilli – all those old songs have a brief escape before crawling their way back another week, I’m sure. Otherwise, we say farewell to Surf Curse’s “Disco” and the impressively long-lasting “KEHLANI” by Jordan Adetunji, assisted by a remix with the song’s namesake but still having legs on its own that I did not expect for a second on its initial debut.

As for what fills up the gaps, we have a decent list of new songs, but of course, some gains and returns show up too, primarily because of Halloween, and whilst a split Halloweekend so to speak is not doing them any favours, we do see re-entries for songs, all of which I’ve covered before, that have been adopted as the annual spooky anthems, those being the “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers at #71, “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr. at #68, “Thriller” by Michael Jackson at #51 and perhaps fittingly, for a tracking week that technically included the day itself, “This is Halloween” by Danny Elfman at #41. As for our gains, once again, it’s mostly new songs of note but I will point out that we see boosts for “Noid” by Tyler, the Creator off of the album release midweek to #16, and then Addison Rae getting her first top 10 hit as residue gains from the new song help it reach #10. More on both of those acts will come later.

As for our top five, thanks to ACR – look it up – and some shuffling around, it actually looks quite different. “Somedays” by Sonny Fodera, Jazzy and D.O.D finds itself re-peaking at #5, and then it’s a great week for Gracie Abrams who lands “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and “That’s So True” up to #4 and #3, as ROSÉ and Bruno Mars shimmy up from the debut of “APT.” last week to #2, with Ms. Perez taking the throne of course this week. Now to see where our new stories of the week landed, and we do have a lot to comb through.

New Entries

#57 – “Over Each Other” – Linkin Park

Produced by Mike Shinoda

I’ve said all I need to say about the exhausting, disappointing reunion of Linkin Park which, as far as quality of the released songs thus far, has actually mirrored how up-and-down it could be with Chester. I’ll refrain from now on in discussing the controversy which still feels like it paints the singles in a certain light, but I digress; this is a relationship drama song about a relationship crashing down and the love being lost after so many arguments, struggling to accept that there is nothing there anymore. This does not sound like a Linkin Park song at all – there are some elements you’ll recognise like cinematic, electronic influences, the subtle Shinoda backing vocals that never get a chance to shine, but this softer song, not that LP couldn’t go softer as those were often their best moments, ends up in a painfully unimpactful pop-rock slog that has more in common with what Tom Grennan could have put out than even late-era Linkin Park. The bridge definitely maintains the LP feel with the stuttering, echoed vocals over a milder breakdown, but it never retains much of a personality, and Emily Armstrong herself feels incongruous to the mix by the end, with those vocal melodies retaining a softer edge when she should allow herself to break free of those awful ending moments of a relationship. Instead, it just peters out into near nothingness having never grasped much of a character in the first place. With putting this much focus on, and giving this middling material to, the new lead vocalist, they may have just lost their voice.

#55 – “Fable” – Gigi Perez

Produced by Gigi Perez

Considering that she has the #1 song in the country, the debut for this follow-up and its lack of promotion may strike some as strange, but Perez does not seem like the type to go for the easy hit, and that’s exemplified pretty strongly by the newly-famous indie folk singer’s new track, that rejects a chorus, instead going for biting verses that attack religion. Yes, we’re going there on the second single, with it all framed in the context of her sister having passed in 2020, and that praying simply did not work, it could not fill the tangible void of her loved ones. She criticises bitterly the weaponisation of religion for political purposes, and details her struggle with faith taking a physical impact as she lifts her sister’s urn and is overwhelmed with the guilt of questioning God, when the belief in inevitable destiny – not shared by all denominations of course – has led to her sister passing so young, with clips of the family talking played during the bridge. I love the warbling electric guitar that wells up behind the quieter moments to signify that stress and resentment coming to boil, and whilst the overall delivery is of a slower drawl that can be a bit tedious especially with less than subtlee lyricism, the added depth of the instrumental, adding brass and harmonicas alongside the admittedly flatter acoustics to fill out the mix in a way that is ultimately purposeless: it reflects her opening her eyes further, only for that desperate seeking for her sister to lead Perez right back to begging God for guidance and the promise of eternal life. It’s a devastatingly personal song lyrically that I find difficult to address as a full track, for who am I to tell someone how to grieve? I find it doesn’t hit as effectively as it does because of its performance, but those raw imperfections give it some level of strength. It’s hard to make peace with overall, and I don’t see it being a hit in any sense of the imagination, but it is worth at least a curious listen for the questions it raises and the raw honesty of it all.

#45 – “Aquamarine” – Addison Rae

Produced by Luka Kloser and ELVIRA

So this “Addison Rae” figure is now one of actual mainstream pop importance, at least temporarily, and I suppose I’ll restrain my confusion to who, why, how and when, she has a top 10 hit under her belt now and this new single at least reflects a consistent sound that’s able to morph to fit other genres and structures. You can hear the hazy alt-pop synths from “Diet Pepsi” here, and a limited, breathy multi-tracked vocal as well, but this is now in the context of a subtle deep house groove that can make sense of her sly, half-spoken approach and robotically filtered vocals. The content is more unapologetic seduction, but with that really great low-end bass, particularly on the chorus, she really sounds in control and commanding of the fun being had: despite how twinkly it is, she remains the focus of the song, the point of attention for her partner, through saying very few words at all thanks to fantastic vocal layering. Hell, I might like this song more than I had ever expected given just how strong the groove is and how the sparkling production adds and adds until that final, nonchalant delivery of the line “I’m free”. It may not be the most unique instrumental or vocal approach – she sounds a lot like Ariana Grande mixed with Tove Lo at times, particularly the pre-chorus – but it’s signature, it’s well-executed, it might actually be worth following up on. Huh.

#44 – “I’ll be There” – Jin

Produced by Pdogg, EVAN and GHSTLOOP

Jin has been one of the quieter BTS members when they parted their separate ways, at least in terms of the western music sphere, having not fully gone into trying to sell Billboard pop music as a solo act like some of his contemporaries, or find lanes in hip hop and R&B like the others. The last we heard from him in the UK was 2022’s “The Astronaut”, a song that didn’t make much of an impression on me, and I’m afraid that “I’ll be There” fails to also. A piano rollick with inappropriately Auto-Tuned vocals, it fully delves into a western pop rock sound for an unconditionally lovestruck song perhaps most fitted to a dance scene at the end of a DreamWorks movie, or the intro to the English dub of an anime. This is not inherently bad – in fact, there’s some unbridled joy in this song’s energy, but an energy that feels staggered by its tendency to just chug along regardless, so there are very few shocks to the system to keep it exciting. The attempt at a build in the bridge is unfortunately awkward and whilst I admire the commitment to this kind of song, the vocal mixing is way too inorganic and the song overall falls just as flat as it sounds. It’s completely fine, and could easily grow on me just from being irresistibly chipper, but cute can get you so far and there is barely anything else to this single to pick it out.

#24 – “Darling, I” – Tyler, the Creator featuring Teezo Touchdown

Produced by Tyler, the Creator

I could probably talk for days about CHROMAKOPIA, and that’s by design. Though my initial ideas about the narrative focus happened to not be as correct and prevalent as I had assumed when discussing “Noid”, it is still a present factor in an album that is conceptually messy but the better for it, acting as an incohesive spilling of guts regarding Tyler growing up and seeing everyone around him change, progress their lives in a way that Tyler just can’t see him doing for himself, especially in regards to having a family. He doesn’t adopt as distinct a character or sound for an album that’s all about being open and makes several pleas for not just T himself or those he comments on in his more external verses but the listener themselves to find themselves, find their route in life and where they feel at home, with much disdain for inauthenticity, though he completely understands that insecurities, including those that he experiences, are from where that breeds. With less than a full week of tracking, his mother narrated a relatively inaccessible and off-putting record that still landed at the top of the album charts in the UK, his first ever to do so.

That militaristic aesthetic on the cover art and videos reflective of the album’s soul-searching is also found in its aggressive, chaotic bangers, but makes a bit less sense for its smooth jams, with us getting both sides of the story here, though perhaps through the least lyrically dense examples, primarily since these are, besides the album’s first dud “Rah Tah Tah”, the first few tracks, with “Darling, I” in particular sounding like it could be a radio-friendly jam both within and without the context of the album… Hell, it doesn’t really fit its place in the album too much aside from Tyler’s mother giving stern advice in the beginning and it establishing a relationship from wherein “Hey Jane”, a dense set of bars about abortion and raising a child with an older woman, can exist. The main appeal, of course, of this track in particular is the oozing of vocal layering over sweet-as-sin acoustic guitars and keys that coat how limited Tyler can be as a vocalist with Teezo Touchdown on initially uncredited backing – I honestly prefer him not being credited, thematically, for the album’s personal content. Not that Tyler needs to be sugarcoated, exactly, as even when he’s crassly comparing his polyamorous relationships to cars, it’s with the same comic self-deprecation as the album maintains throughout. His barer vocals are also charmingly reinforcing the imperfection and insecurity that are behind Tyler’s refusal to settle down, and his sole, Ye-esque rap verse ultimately neglects loving relationships for musical success, and not really clarifying how exactly he feels about that fate. You can also hear elements of both Neptunes-esque drums and a direct sample from A Tribe Called Quest leader Q-Tip’s solo single “Vivrant Thing”, which debuted and peaked at just #39 in 2000, and it definitely has the ragged feel percussively that I’d expect from him. What I’m here for on a pure sonic level are the harmonies, the childlike wonder Teezo brings to his bridge beating himself up about how he keeps on falling in love with the girls he hooks up with, but can’t bring himself to commitment. It’s the most sugary a lament could get, and it prefaces “Hey Jane” with a snippet from Tyler’s mother about how transparency is key.

#15 – “St. Chroma” – Tyler, the Creator featuring Daniel Caesar

Produced by Tyler, the Creator

That’s an interesting platitude to hear from an album that starts off so heavily in a braggadocious façade that it replicates military chanting and marching through the “CHROMAKOPIA” mantra, barking and vocals resembling horse neighing filling in the blanks for all the distorted stomping and breathing. Much like “IGOR’S THEME” before it, Tyler introduces the main conceit and character of the album through a cinematic pulse gradually including clearer melodic layers, starting in a whispering register unbefitting for the flex but more revealing about whether that glee is authentic, if he feels he deserves it… and despite that tone, in spite of how introspective and self-questioning the record can be, there is a genuinely intense hunger for taking the reigns and benefitting from what you’ve built up that feels warranted. I love Tyler’s disregard for tradition on the grounds of Pharrell’s advice to “stop impressing the dead”, before Daniel Caesar’s chorus emerges with such a swell to emit a superhuman light, but one from inside. The song’s all about drive – no pun intended, it’s Tyler after all – and acknowledges the potentially lethal end goal of looking yourself in the mirror and thinking about what you could and couldn’t be, in the full-throated second verse, which also outlines that there is a gratitude there, it just sits under all the hubris that’s easier and frankly, a lot more fun, to display in comparison. It’s more of an opening piece than a song that feels all that complete, and it’s far from my favourite – “Like Him” is, and out of the bangers, “Balloon” takes that – but it’s still a damn good song worth singing the praises of. Part of me is surprised that “Sticky” didn’t debut this week, but considering just how unique this album is in the current climate, and how many great tracks there are, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a switcheroo eventually like with many big albums affected by the UK’s three-song rule. If you haven’t heard the album yet, which I can’t imagine you haven’t at this point, I heavily recommend it… and while you’re at it, check out the alarmingly thematically similar Halsey album that critics have taken an unhealthy dislike of thanks to plain ignorance that for whatever reason, isn’t going to be applied by those men in any way to a similarly clunky, heavy and derivative personal effort. Both albums are great because and not in spite of it, but unfortunately, I have to hammer this in here because Halsey made no impact on the chart itself. Realistically, we should look at these albums in very similar approaches that critics really don’t want to do for a couple of obvious, and less so, reasons. Either way, Lady Gaga next, I guess.

#7 – “Disease” – Lady Gaga

Produced by Cirkut, watt and Lady Gaga

If Lady Gaga wasn’t back with her smash hit Bruno Mars duet, and if she wasn’t back when she starred in a blockbuster movie that produced two albums from her, she’s definitely back now with an unequivocal lead single that… doesn’t do much at all. Sure, it’s debuted in the top 10, and it’s got an unapologetically electronic Gaga sound to it, allowing her to belt in the back amidst more suffocating synth bass and glitchy percussion reminiscent of ARTPOP, an album I love pretty dearly. Yet there’s something missing here, and it might be in the lyrics, which hint towards something deeper in the verses but do little than to build up to the chorus where Gaga uses medical terminology to play with how she can make this person forget all about their problems through sex. It's tried and true, and that’s the problem: she’s stuck selling something that’s been written so basically about a familiar and uninspired conceit, with no amount of melodrama really letting that bloom into something actually worth caring for, especially with the abrupt outro undermining whatever catharsis could have been built up. Much like “Stupid Love”, which towed a similar line, this is just all too safe to truly work in the way that Gaga will do with pop songs at her best. The same idea that she can build grand swell for the perverse and private is here, but it’s not ravenous, exciting or even really hinting towards much of a taboo. Instead, and it pains me to say, it goes in one ear and out the other.

Conclusion

This was mostly a week of interest for Tyler and Gaga but there can be both intrigue and quality found in the rest here, even if being less impactful than first envisioned may be the striking theme of this episode in particular. As for the titles, it should be obvious that Tyler runs away with Best of the Week for “Darling, I” featuring Teezo Touchdown, and whilst I’d like to give the Creator the Honourable Mention too, instead I’ll give that shout to… Addison Rae of all people for “Aquamarine” – it really works for me. After that, it’s a sea of meh but I’ll pass Worst of the Week to “Over Each Other” by Linkin Park and leave it there. As for what’s on the horizon, The Weeknd is teaming up with Anitta, whilst we have new albums from Lil Uzi and The Cure. In other words, stay tuned for Mariah Carey being thawed out and not much else. For now, thank you for reading, long live Cola Boyy, and I’ll see you next week!

[grandhotelabyss]

Thoughts on Auden’s Herman Melville?

I always forget that early Auden is cryptic. Nevertheless, I think I understand that poem. To give it a vulgar paraphrase, it's about how Billy Budd is better than Moby-Dick because Melville, washed up in his obscure old age, had been forced by his lapse from fame to learn the Simone Weil lesson that the reality of goodness is more interesting than the fantasy of evil. I'm not sure about the last two stanzas. I don't care for the part about his father, which seems—in its implication that the God you fear is just your projection of your father or the father you fear just your rejection of God—either too Freudian or too Christian or both to be in Melville's spirit. And the otherwise memorable line about "Nathaniel" is marred by the unclear antecedent of "his." Whose love had been selfish—Hawthorne's or Melville's? Is Auden condemning Hawthorne for not returning Melville's love or condemning Melville for coming on too strong with his imputation of shared divinity? (I suspect the latter. Isn't Auden finally more a Hawthornean writer than a Melvillean one, an ironist of moral moderation who renounced his radical youth more thoroughly than Melville ever did?) This is less a productive ambiguity than a frustrating one. If you'll excuse my recourse to a critical commonplace about writers writing on writers, I think this is more a poem about Auden's anti-Romantic preoccupations than about Melville's Romantic ones—yes, Romantic even in Billy Budd with its exaltation of the sailor's beauty rather than just his goodness. I hope none of this (except for the part about "his") comes across as dispraise, though; "Herman Melville" shares the voice of urbane wisdom that always marks Auden at his best.

[rabbitcruiser]

Bay of Biscay, Castro Urdiales (No. 2)

Parts of the continental shelf extend far into the bay, resulting in fairly shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. Large storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the Atlantic Ocean's fiercest weather; abnormally high waves occur there. Up until recent years it was a regular occurrence for merchant vessels to founder in Biscay storms. The Gulf Stream enters the bay following the continental shelf's border anti-clockwise (the Rennell Current), keeping temperatures moderate all year long.

The southernmost portion is the Cantabrian Sea.

The southern end of the gulf is also called in Spanish "Mar Cantábrico" (Cantabrian Sea), from the Estaca de Bares, as far as the mouth of Adour river, but this name is not generally used in English. It was named by Romans in the 1st century BC as Sinus Cantabrorum (Bay of the Cantabri) and also, Mare Gallaecum (the Sea of the Galicians). On some medieval maps, the Bay of Biscay is marked as El Mar del los Vascos (the Basque Sea).

The Bay of Biscay has been the site of many famous naval engagements over the centuries. In 1592 the Spanish defeated an English fleet during the Battle of the Bay of Biscay. The Biscay campaign of June 1795 consisted of a series of manoeuvres and two battles fought between the British Channel Fleet and the French Atlantic Fleet off the southern coast of Brittany during the second year of the French Revolutionary Wars. USS Californian sank here after striking a naval mine on 22 June 1918. In 1920 SS Afrique sank after losing power and drifting into a reef in a storm with the loss of 575 lives. On 28 December 1943, the Battle of the Bay of Biscay was fought between HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise, and a group of German destroyers as part of Operation Stonewall during World War II. U-667 sank on 25 August 1944 in position 46°00′N 01°30′W, when she struck a mine. All hands were lost.

On 12 April 1970, Soviet submarine K-8 sank in the Bay of Biscay due to a fire that crippled the submarine's nuclear reactors. An attempt to save the sub failed, resulting in the death of forty sailors and the loss of four nuclear torpedoes. Due to the great depth (15,000 ft or 4,600 m), no salvage operation was attempted.

Source: WIkipedia  

[sailorspica]

writing

canon x canon fanfiction

This House (2/6, hiatus): In the company of ghosts and their survivors, Hitch keeps doing her job. A nonlinear Hitch Dreyse character study through regime change and yearning, eventual HitchAnnie.

Husbandry (one-shot): Three years after the Rumbling, Paradis Island's cattle-rearing goddess sends two of the Survey Corps' finest to deal with a population of feral sheep. Literal fluff for ReiJean Week 2024.

one (1) x reader snippet

ilu kenny anon

meta

topics: #aot politics, #aot theology

hitch is jean in a different font

kenny ackerman apologism

zeke jaeger messiah claimant

wallist ecclesiology

the founder ymir eve-mary replacement theology run

krista/christa and mariology

titan biology and ableism

quo vadis iseyama and anti-judaism

mar- etymology

headcanons

queen historia

food allergies

aot characters favorite fruits

kenuri in school castes

kenny raising mikasa -> MP mikasa

tito leonhart one, two

GIFs

attack on titan: hitchannie, reijean

dungeon meshi

k-on!

sailor moon

sakamichi no apollon

shitposts

reinerplasty

hitch jean sibling chronicles

hange zoe's no good very bad days

kenuri zevi oral

[nysophically-azuna]

🌴 , 🦜 and 🔫 for Idia if possible :0

WOAH IDIA ?? THIS IS RARE :00 /POS

( anti selfshippers dni )

🌴 - What was the last gift you and your f/o exchanged, and what was the occasion?

-> OOH so like, i got him a sailor mercury cosplay and he got me a sailor mars cosplay :DD he looked rlly pretty . i just aaahagshewjve anyways !! we js wanted to cosplay and i told him to cosplay them both with me for our childhood memories :33 ( did i tell u guys my hair is short and me n idia have the oppposite of the hair length of the characters were cosplaying as )

🦜 - What is something you look forward to in you and your f/o's relationship, whether big or small?

-> wipes tears dramatically. i am waiting for the day we get to roleplay legos getting married together. but idk how to ask him like "hey lets roleplay legos getting married" it would be so awkward akdbwkdb

🔫 - If you could say anything to your f/o right now, what would it be?

-> ' hi idia can we play multiplayer horror games again i rlly enjoy playing . multiplayer games with u '

[rachelscataloniablog]

Question 4: Find the cultural relation and symbolism of these five places cited below to catalan culture. Take on account the different historical periods in each case. a) Santa María del Mar b) El Mercat del Born c) El Fossà de les Moreres d) La ciutadella Park (The Fortress of Philip V by 1714)

a) Santa María del Mar was built to celebrate the Catalan conquest of Sardinia and is a great example of the Catalan-Gothic architectural style. Its construction started in 1324 and finished in 1383. It was built not only by the nobility but also largely funded by the common people. Rich merchants funded the majority of the money for the construction while sailors and porters supplied the necessary stone. It was damaged shortly after construction in the 1428 earthquake and also experienced damage during the Spanish Civil War when anti-clerical rioters attacked it. It has a beautiful interior and exterior architecture which makes sense for why it is one of the most sought-after places to get married in Barcelona.

The picture on the left is a picture of the outside that I took during our field trip, and the right picture is from a mass held later that night. There are 8 sides to the towers of the Church which is similar to the 8 sides of the Baptismal font that we could see in the MUHBA.

b) El Mercat del Born was first opened in 1876 and was the first large-scale cast-iron building in Barcelona. It was the first of many in a series of cast-iron Barcelona markets. It was a market for 95 years, the first period being a local market for the Ribera neighborhood, and the second period being Barcelona's main fruit and vegetable market from 1921 until it closed in 1971. During the 30 years after its closing, its future was largely debated and discussed before being opened as a cultural center.

c) El Fossà de les Moreres was the site of a graveyard for the fallen during the 1714 Seige of Barcelona. The large red monument is used to mark this historical significance. The Siege lasted over a year and ended with a loss to Philip the V and his troops. September 11th is the National Day of Catalonia which is the day in 1714 that they surrendered and entered into a period of Catalonian repression. In 1989, an architect uncovered the old burial grounds and tore down the buildings standing over them. He covered the ground with red brick to symbolize the blood that had been split. The red monument was placed there in 2001 with an eternal flame at the top which symbolized eternal tribute.

d) King Philip the V citadel of Barcelona in 1715 to keep control and prevent the Catalans from rebelling as they had in the past century. It was the largest fortress built in Europe at the time. Over 1200 houses in the Ribera neighborhood were destroyed in order to make room for this fortress. Many Catalans were forced to help in its construction for over three years while others were required to provide funding. The city of Barcelona hated the citadel because to them it symbolized the Spanish Central government and, in 1872, it was converted into a park (La Ciutadella Park). This marked the end of the old unprogressive Barcelona and the establishment of a new more modern cosmopolitan city.

The above picture is some more interesting street art I saw while on the field trip.

[lunaneko14]

I NEEEEED someone to make an edit of the sailor moon meme where sakura says my work here is done and naruto and sasuke say but you didn't do anything 😂

Your wish is my command!

Sorry its a crappy edit, my skills are rusty.

[your-fave-hates-art-thieves]

the Inner Sailor Scouts hate art theft!!!!

for @ladylolalilly