#colourful history chester

[tomwambsmilk]

Upon reflection, HBO's next big moneymaker after Succession really should just be giving Jeremy Strong a camera crew and letting him take them wherever. I think the end result would be borderline incomprehensible but fascinating nonetheless. He'd take them to Chuck E Cheese and then point to the mascot and say "I think Chester E Cheese is really emblematic of the way deep-seated existential despair is societally painted over with bright colours - here we see the rat, a longstanding symbol of chaos and decay, anthropomorphized and made into a symbol of childhood joy. And yet, deep in his eyes, you can see his true nature, repressed and ever-present. This reminds me of what Nietzsche said -" and then you spend the next three hours exploring Germany to learn the history of rats, and then eventually he takes you to Alberta to learn about why there are no rats there, which somehow brings up the topic of the 2019 Alberta syphilis outbreak to which he says "You know, on my show Succession, syphilis was once called the 'Myspace of STDs'. I think Myspace is actually indicative of a very particular longing in the human psyche that's been harnessed for profit by Silicon Valley-" and then next thing you know you're touring a Tesla factory and Jeremy Strong is monologuing on the various things that keep people trapped in life, much like how Tesla's doors will trap you inside if the car catches on fire

[trashrunes]

Woooop final group before doing the alter’s designs

Lore:

The system is the first successful forced fusion as the experiments on earth were made centuries ago and progress on making them had been made. For each alter they would have a side that the gem would rotate to which would basically be their shard. They have limited shape-shifting abilities and when their shard is showing their colours change to reflect their gem along with some other minor changes. Has a form stabilizer that hides extra unsavoury body parts and keeps Mike in control all the time. At some point early on this breaks and leads to a journey of acceptance.

Every member of the system can access each other's weapons with great effort. Mal can produce holographic images from his gem. They are also able to self-duplicate with said holograms though these are the only ones able to interact with objects. Mal has a small amount of psammokinesis allowing them to control small amounts of sand at a time. He also has nephelokinesis allowing him to control the shape of clouds and mist. They are able to store objects in their gem. He can shoot out energy beams from his weapon. Mal’s weapon is a trident.

Vito alongside super strength has a strong form of pyrokinesis and heat resistance. With his pyrokinesis not only is he able to produce fire from his body but also control fire around him. He is also able to generate intense light from his body and gem. He can also control lava to an extent. Vito’s weapons are knuckle dusters.

Svetlana has super human speed and agility. She has a form of aerokinesis that assists her make leaps and bounds one normally would not be able to. She has a weak form of future vision only allowing her to see a few seconds ahead of her. She can shoot out a blast of energy when needed. Svetlana’s weapons are fans.

Manitoba has all the average powers of a quartz, that being super strength and durability. Manitoba’s weapon is a whip.

Chester has the ability to temporarily paralyze a gem he touches. Other than that he is quite week. He can also produce holograms from his gem though they are a lower quality than that of Mal’s. Chester’s weapon is a sling.

Mike has hydrokinesis on par with an average lapis. He is also able to convert water into it's different forms of matter. He can also make himself go into a semi liquid state although his gem will still be a solid. Mike’s weapons are gauntlets.

Staci and Anne Maria are high-class gems but with more a focus on Anne Maria than Staci because I don��t like her and don’t know what to do with her. Anyways Staci is a high class gem dealing in documenting history and making the murals of the diamonds. Anne Maria is of course a type of Garnet and oversees a colony under Blue Diamond. Currently, they are both travelling with the first successful forced fusion. This is for its own safety and to test if it is ready to become a part of Gem society. Once it's stabilizer breaks Anne Maria takes an infatuation with Vito causing her to act more rebellious against the diamonds and at some point even fusing with the system much to Staci’s horror.

Anne Maria’s weapon is a bat and Staci’s weapon is a mace.

[burningchandelier]

nine people you’d like to know better tag game

thank you the one and only @telegraphavekiss for the tag! Myspace surveys forever and ever 🫶

last song: ... Into The Blinding Light by Thursday

fav colour: Purple, particularly aubergine.

currently watching: Chester the cat groom his fluffy belly. Oh! Like, TV? Mostly just Dimension 20 lately. I am so into this season of Fantasy High it's unreal.

sweet/savory/spicy: I am most likely to go for savory, although I have had more of a sweet tooth lately. I don't have a very developed pallet when it comes to spice. I like "white people spicy" and I accept that I will be laughed at in kitchens.

relationship status: Married. Also in the neighbourhood polycule with @telegraphavekiss @thatautisticemo @blakelywintersfield @kal-thas and our imaginary scenarios with our various band dudes. (all of you are tagged now, by the way, because I love you).

current obsession: If I am anything, I am consistent. My obsessions have been the same for anywhere from five to twenty years depending on the subject. Primarily: music (attendance of; creation of; blues, hardcore, jazz, punk, opera) theatre (attendance of; creation of; weird shit) history (study; revolutions)

last thing you googled: moma tickets

tagging: I hate this part because, to paraphrase Richard Siken in an interview, to name one is to exclude everyone else. Please, please, if the mood strikes you and you see this, I want you to answer these! Specifically tagging some people who I think might be into this (but please no pressure if you don't feel like it!) @chewbokachoi, @static-horrors, @shitpunsforshitnuns, @evensquirrellier, @shofarsogood, @shrimpmajordomo, @dyvyn, @harpyharpyharpy, @fleacollar999 <3

[soupandspoonies]

Hey hey! I thought I'd introduce myself a little bit more so maybe I can get a little bit of reach in terms of my interests and hopefully get to know some people!

Some things about me...

- I love cats! My profile picture is my Oma's cat, Jasper!

- I have a dog, he's a rescue, he's a little bit crazy - his name is Chester

- My favourite bands/singers are Hozier and Ghost

- My favourite books are Pride and Prejudice and The Swallow (this is by Charis Cotter, I would really recommend it)

- I am an avid Riordanverse fan (from PJO to Magnus Chase, I've read it all)

- I love art and I would also consider myself an artist

- I am a huge nerd about history and mythology and I am in the process of getting my Bachelor's degree in History!

- I am also currently studying to receive my teacher's license in order to teach highschool

- My favourite colour in the whole world is green! My wardrobe is about 75% green and the percentage is only growing

- I love tattoos and piercings - I've got two tattoos so far and 8 piercings

- I'm pretty shy so this blog is a little bit out of my comfort zone, but I hope to use it as a way to get out of my shell a bit

That's all I can really think of right now. Hopefully this reaches some new people :)

Soup

[northwest-by-a-train]

9, 11, and 18 from the book asks please 🫶🏼

when do you tend to read most?

Usually either to stave off boredom or to procrastinate, so a lot of the time. I do like to cook dinner with one hand and read a book (sometimes aloud if the sentences are especially good) with the other. Feeling of all time is reading a book with another person in the room reading.

what non-fiction books do you like if any?

Mostly history! Despite my literary rat de bibliothèque credentials, I'm doing 50/50 history and literature in college, and I used to have 12 hours of economics classes every week throughout high school. Favourite history writers are Johann Chapoutot (specialist of fascism) Michel Pastoureau (historian of colour, his Blue is perhaps the best general history book ever written) Fernand Braudel, Lucien Febvre & Marc Bloch (the 3 are kind of godly in the world of french historians. Braudel wrote his doctoral thesis/a book charting new trails for all historians in a nazi POW camp with no access to sources . Lucien Febvre & Marc Bloch were best buds who started teaching critical history in formerly German Alsace after WW1, and both joined the resistance in WW2, whilst writing some very urgent and prescient books at the same time. Bloch paid for it with his life and no french historian since has ever gotten over him. The best of all of us)

do you like historical books? which time period?

Yes!!! I was introduced by a great teacher to neo-victorian novels, and it's been a lifelong obsession ever since. A.S Byatt & Sarah Waters supremacy. I also tremendously love Chester Brown's Louis Riel & Noah Van Sciver's Joseph Smith.

[definitioncfcursed]

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: betty salem wilder NICKNAME(S): none. TITLE: miss. OCCUPATION: baker at her godmother's diner. AGE: nineteen years old DATE OF BIRTH february 7th NATIONALITY: american ORIENTATION: bisexual/biromantic PRONOUNS: she/her RELIGION: agnostic. SPECIES: human

PHYSICAL INFORMATION

FACE CLAIM: k.iernan sh.ipka HEIGHT: five feet one inch WEIGHT:  107 lbs. EYE COLOUR: brown HAIR COLOUR + STYLE: golden blonde + loose waves DOMINANT HAND: left DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: her brows are impressive ACCENT + INTENSITY: she's got a lil country accent TATTOO(S): none SCAR(S): on her leg from cutting it open on a chainlink fence PIERCING(S): ears (firsts + seconds), body (navel) GLASSES: reading glasses.

PERSONALITY INFORMATION

ENNEA TYPE: the helper, type 2 MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic good TEMPERAMENT: phlegmatic. ANGER short temper but not a violent. APPROACHABILITY: pretty approachable, she's spunky but sweet. INTELLIGENCE TYPE: spatial NEURODIVERGENCE(S) none.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

HOMETOWN: new orleans, louisiana ; tbd named kingdom CURRENT RESIDENCE: new orleans, louisiana ; tbd named kingdom

LANGUAGE(S): english SOCIAL CLASS: middle class. BASIC EDUCATION: high school graduate. COLLEGE EDUCATION: tbd DEGREE(s) none

PARENT #1 chester "chet" wilder (father) PARENT #2 taryn valentine (mother) SIBLING(S) billie wilder (twin sister) CHILD(REN) none. PET(S) a horse named rocky. ADOPTED? no.

VICES + HABITS

SMOKES? no. DRINKS? at parties. DRUGS? none. VIOLENT? it's not her go to. ADDICTION(S) none. SELF-DESTRUCTIVE? not really. HABIT(S) rambling, humming to herself HOBBIES: baking, archery, horseback riding LIKES: sweets, history, vinyl records, yellow daisies, country music DISLIKES: bland food, math, horror movies (shes just a wimp), super cold weather NERVOUS TIC(S) rubs her palms, picks at her nails

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

HOUSE: ravenclaw. ZODIAC: aquarius VICE: envy. VIRTUE: patience. ELEMENT: water.

[bookclub4m]

Episode 181 - Summer 2023 Media Update

This episode it’s time for our Summer 2023 Media Update! We talk about chairs, orangutans, weird music, and 17 novellas! Plus, lots more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Media & Things we Talked About 

Meghan

Graphic Novels

L'Esprit du camp by Cab, Michel Falardo

Friday by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martín, coloured by Muntsa Vicente

Birds of Maine by Michael DeForge

Looking at Stuff

Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold, Charles W. Schwartz (illustrator)

Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places by John R. Stilgoe

Novellas

Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire

The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo

Voidwitch Saga by Corey J. White

Matthew

Ducks by Kate Beaton

Weird Music

Venjent - Flowin' with the Vibe

Venjent - Tapping Away

Venjent - Create Machines

Jacek Dzwonowsk - Triple concerto for faucet, water pipes and fiddle

Boys Noize & Pussy Riot - "Chastity" feat. Alice Glass

“Put it in a dick cage”

Yakuza 0 (Wikipedia)

Jam

Captain Disillusion

Orangutan Card Trick DEBUNK

Corridor Crew

VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 57 (Ft. Captain Disillusion)

VFX Artists React to Amazing Movie Props With Adam Savage!

The Girl I Am, Was, and Will Never Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Shannon Gibney

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Wikipedia)

‘Breath of the Wild’ is the Zelda Adventure I've Always Wanted by Austin Walker

Anna

Classy with Jonathan Menjivar

LoadingReadyRun - Swap & Shop - Selling Edition

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

Photos of chairs (on Matthew’s Instagram account)

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

18 Non-Fiction Military Books by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Transformed: A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds by Remi Adeleke

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience by Anuradha Bhagwati

Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan

Gabriel Dumont Speaks by Gabriel Dumont, translated by Michael Barnholden

Body Counts: The Vietnam War and Militarized Refugees by Yen Le Espiritu

They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit by Ruben Gallego

Knocking Down Barriers: My Fight for Black America by Truman K. Gibson Jr.

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

Ira Hayes: The Akimel O'odham Warrior, World War II, and the Price of Heroism by Tom Holm

Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War by Tom Holm

Sounding Thunder: The Stories of Francis Pegahmagabow by Brian D. McInnes

The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez

Duty, Honour and Izzat: From Golden Fields to Crimson - Punjab's Brothers in Arms in Flanders by Steven Purewal

Call Me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran’s Journey from the Rural South to the White House by Andre Rush

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, September 5th when we’ll be discussing the format of Lyric Poetry!

Then on Tuesday, September 19th it’s time for our One Book One Podcast as we discuss the novel Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey!

[fionabrennanartisttours]

Pride pop-up section in Chester Beatty giftshop

I was very happy to work on a small Pride section, which highlights merchandise in the giftshop reflecting a queer reading of the museum collection.

Here is some info on the selected items in the shop, and their relevance to queer art and culture.

"Poetry of Oscar Wilde", "Best Loved Oscar Wilde" & "Stories for Children" books - Oscar Wilde is probably the most famous queer person in Irish history! Because of his fame and popularity, he changed the way that people of the late 19th century thought about LGBTQ people.

Aleistor Crowley tarot deck - Crowley was a notorious individualist social critic, bisexual, counterculture icon of the 1960s and Western esoteric. Several biographers connect Crowley's queerness with his expertise in magick, stating that his first mystical experience was the result of his first romantic same-sex experience, which enabled him to recognize his bisexuality. Like other artists in the Pride section, Crowley's queerness gave him a rebel spirit, and the strict society of the time gave him the title of "The Wickedest Man Alive". Also, his tarot cards are rainbow-coloured!

“The Citi exhibition: Manga” book -  Shōnen-ai , or "boy's love" manga is an extremely popular genre and is discussed throughout this book. On p.182 there is an essay documenting the history of this genre which also explains "nanshoku"; the acceptable form of male homosexual relationships in Japanese history.

Unprotected Texts is an academic text discussing what the bible actually says about monogamy, homosexuality and sex. E.G. the same-sex marriage debate is discussed on p. 48; homosexuality being incorrectly linked to the story of Sodom & Gommorah is on p.163 - 167. 

George Barbier fashion plates pack - Barbier is referred to by modern art historians as a Queer artist. The figures in his illustrations are often depicted as gender nonconforming or nonbinary. His fashion plates also emphasise female figures, with male figures relegated to the background if they are shown at all. This reversal of gender dynamics was unusual in early 20th century France.

hand-fans - folding fans have become popular within the LGBTQ community recently, most notably among drag performers. Fans made their way to North America, from Europe via Japan, where they served the same purpose whether they were being held by an affluent straight woman or a gay man: to convey opulence and elegance. They also keep you cool in a nightclub!

p.177 of The City as Anthology, under the sub-heading “illustrating Female Friendships”- discusses a historical journal which depicts an intimate relationship between the writer and another woman. We held a talk about this subject during the "Meeting in Isfahan" exhibition.

p.115 Edo in Colour catalogue (“Two Youths Playing Flutes”) - a depiction of the Japanese practice of "nanshoku", whereby an older man of higher social status would have an intimate relationship with a younger man or adolescent of lower status. This was an acceptable form of same-sex relationships amongst classes such as samurai and in monastic settings.

More info on Barbier, and “Two Youths Playing Flutes” can be found on the chester Beatty website > learning > videos to enjoy > search "queering the chester beatty"

Queering the Chester Beatty - Chester Beatty

Happy Pride y'all!

[not-5-rats]

1) Chester knows what's that like, he pulls the body fully out of the water. He wraps an arm around Jemmas shoulders

"Oh Jemma, look well take this back and we can have a burial for her okay?"

He gives her a hug and tells her everything's gonna be okay

2) He really likes coffee, especially with vanilla syrup. He loves vanilla <333333

Ginger beer is gross, its like sharp, ew

3) He likes salt and vinegar crisps :D

4) He does gardening! Most flowers only bloom spring/summer time so it's the best time for panting them!! (He has special lights/soil to grow them during winter)

5) Probably something to do with his sibling, like a little symbol that represents all of them. Or the dagger he got from Milo after he passed (hehehe dagger history)

6) Horror, he loves it. More psychological horror than like slashers so maybe something like Shutter Island

7) He's not a huge fan of roller coasters, he's the kind of friend that'll hold everyone's bags/coats whilst they go on the ride

8) He kneels beside he flowers and gently cups them, inspecting the petals

"They could be Morning Glorie Ipomeas, they come in many colours. Some of them have white centers but others have like darker purple centers!"

Uh oh, you have set off a special interest. Chez rants about flowers for 24 hours

9) He was running from some Hunters, he hadn't meant to be spotted but he really needed resources for his family. He came across another couple of the Bugs and they helped him get away

10) He had heard that number before, poor Jemma. He would finish getting what he needed then when he got home he warned Jemma not to go into town today, if she asked why he wouldn't explain just a simple

"Please don't go to town today, I don't think it's very safe"

More questions/scenarios and angst for the bug army lets go!

1. Angst (tw: decomposed body, mentions of experiencing and angst)

Jemma and bug name were searching for some rocks or traps and while that was happening bug name had a fishing pole in their hands and feels a pull

Bug name looks at jemma: hey I think I caught something *starts pulling on the pole and jemma helps and than they see something coming up to the surface

A badly decomposed body of a woman who’s eyes were gouged out

Jemma covering her mouth: oh my divines!

Than bug name sees a page on the body and goes to read it and it says this

Experiment 8743 younger twin sister to experiment 1784(jemma) who shows no hostility and had to get rid of

Jemma looks surprised and shocked: twin but I don’t remember having one

2. Favorite and least favorite drink and why?

3. Favorite kind of chips

4. When it’s summer time what do they do in the summer?

5. If they were to get a tattoo what would it be?

6. Modern au

If they were to go to the movie theaters what kind of movie would they see?

7. Another modern au question

What kind of roller coaster would they go on?

8. Scenarios

Bug name was doing something and than hears jemma’s voice

Jemma comes up to them: hey I found something cool come on *drags them to a flower field and points to a flower which is a mixture of blue and purple and the inside of it is white*

Bug name looks at flower: what kind of flower is it

Jemma shrugs her shoulders: I don’t know but it looks pretty

9. Swap bug au!

How did they meet the boys in this au?

10. Angst scenarios >:3

Bug name was in the village looking for something and hears some voices

Head scientist talking to the guards: did you find experiment 1784(jemma) yet?

One of guards shakes their head: no sir

Head scientist: well look harder because we still need her to continue the research

How would your bug react?

@willowve01 @rozeliyawashereyall @rustycopper4use @stxph-artist @strayharmony943 @aspenm00n @astralbulldragon13 @lightdragon789 @littlesiren79 @lunaritychuwolf @lunnats @pinkcocopuff-aqualoid @puffin-smoke @castbracelet240 @ccstiles @aces-oceans @itsargyle @idontevenknow7878 @not-5-rats @piffany666 @iistxrmyskyii @insignificant-anarchy @keyaartz @asmrbrainrot @tiefling-chaos @kaiamtt @wilderrorcard @fangsshadow @fennaboysenberry @dreamyshape @redacted @threeweekinsomnia @proxdragon

[warmaster-uk]

Doris ‘Dorie’ Miller wearing his just after being presented with the Navy Cross by Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, on board USS Enterprise at Pearl Harbor, 27 May 1942. Doris Miller (12 Oct 1919 – 24 Nov 1943) was a United States Navy cook third class who was first Black American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the highest decoration for valour presented by the US Navy, and the second highest in the United States after the Medal of Honor. Miller served aboard the battleship West Virginia, which was sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. During the attack, he helped several sailors who were wounded, and while manning an anti-aircraft machine gun for which he had no training, he shot down several Japanese planes. Miller's actions earned him the Navy Cross, and the resulting publicity for Miller in the Black press made him an iconic emblem of the fight for civil rights for Black Americans. In November 1943, Miller was killed while serving aboard the escort carrier Liscome Bay when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Makin in the Gilbert Islands. Original photo National Archives collection #secondworldwar #ww2 #worldwartwo #worldwar2 #war #history #militaryhistory #military #colourised #colorized #colourisedhistory #colorizedhistory #color #colour #colorizedhistoricalphotos #colorization #colourisation #retro #classic #goldenoldies #colorizedphoto #colourisedphoto #pearlharbour #navycross #usnavy #civilrights #bravery https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck_13_AqjQC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bouncinghedgehog]

Chester Cathedral in England

1. The oldest parts of the cathedral date back to 1093. Chester Cathedral began its life as a Benedictine Abbey in 1093. The site had previously been used as a place of worship during Saxon times, but the Benedictine monks were the first to build a church there in the Norman style. This Norman influence can still be seen in the north transept, the north tower and parts of the cloister. The cathedral was rebuilt from 1250 onwards in the much more dramatic Gothic style. Spotting the differences between the two architectural styles is an interesting exercise, even for those who aren’t well-versed in design.

2. The friends of the cathedral are serious LEGO fans. You can help create a MASSIVE 350,000 brick LEGO recreation of Chester Cathedral, a community project which has been underway for quite some time. The cathedral’s avid LEGO-lovers are designing unique pieces to reflect the historical importance of the building. During Summer 2019, Chester Cathedral will also be hosting ‘The Deep,’ an exhibition of LEGO sculptures of sea life. It will include a 2.7-metre-tall giant squid made from a whopping 120 000 bricks.

3. Chester Cathedral has been defaced throughout history. Chester Cathedral has survived a few tumultuous periods in religious history. When Henry VIII dissolved the Benedictine Abbey in 1541, the shrine to St Werburgh was broken and the colourful walls of the Lady Chapel were whitewashed. Thankfully, The Lady Chapel has since been restored to its former glory. The cathedral was again defaced by puritans during Cromwell’s influence, and many important statues and architectural elements were destroyed. You can still see evidence of this vandalism around the cathedral today.

4. The cathedral hosts many unconventional events. You wouldn’t usually associate a 2,000-year-old cathedral with activities like abseiling. But the caretakers of Chester Cathedral are happy to allow thrill-seekers to traverse its ancient interior with ropes and grappling hooks for a good cause. This is just one example of how the cathedral readily adapts its space to enhance community interest and welcome peoples of all denominations. Chester Cathedral has also hosted numerous modern art exhibitions, one of the most recent being David Mach’s ‘Two Twisted.’ Two classic cars were delivered into the cathedral and displayed in shipping containers – now that’s something you don’t see every day in a place of worship.

5. The woodworkers who carved the choir stalls had overactive imaginations. The choir stalls found in the Quire, date back to 1380 and feature intricately carved misericords. Here you’ll find all kinds of creatures including hounds, angels, dragons and maidens carefully weaved into the woodwork. However, on many occasions the craftsmen may have gone off-piste when depicting animals they’d never seen before. One elephant appears to have a horse’s hooves for feet. Other wicked looking creatures have human heads meshed with the bodies of beasts. It’s a vivid insight into these creators’ imaginations.

6. You can catch your favourite movies at Chester Cathedral. Chester Cathedral enjoys amazing acoustics and can house a large audience. So, what better place to watch your favourite film? Every now and then, friends of the Cathedral clear out the pews in the Nave, roll out the artificial turf and lower the projector to create an ‘Indoor/Outdoor’ Cinema. You can lay down your picnic rug and enjoy a free movie - rain, hail or shine. What’s othe lineup? In the past, the Cathedral’s walls have reverberated with Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ during a teary screening of Titanic. But it’s also been filled with the joyful giggles of children and adults alike throughout an exuberant showing of Finding Nemo.

7. In the Baptistry you can discover the remnants of an ancient game. Wander into one of the oldest sections of the Cathedral and you’ll find the Baptistry. On the stone plinth of the north-east tower, you can find the board of an ancient game called nine men’s morris. It’s a two-person strategy game dating back to the Roman period. Perhaps the monks liked a competitive match in their downtime? Or some rebellious novice needed a way to while away time during lengthy services?

[baublecoded]

— Joan, Lady of Wales: Power & Politics of King John’s Daughter, Danna R. Messer (2020)

“[the English king] collected a numerous army of horse and foot soldiers, determining to ravage Welsh territories, and to exterminate the inhabitants.” (Wendover, Flowers of History)

“When the king was preparing to go on a military expedition, and to invade the Welsh, a report was suddenly spread abroad that the earls and barons of Chester had conspired against him; on which account he returned, as if thunderstruck [...] he was greatly agitated at the circumstances.” (Paris, Flowers of History)

“On his arriving with his army at Nottingham, before be either ate or drank, he ordered 28 youths, whom he had received the year before as hostages from the Welsh, to be hung on the gibbet, in revenge [...] While he was, after this, sitting at the table eating and drinking, there came a messenger from the king of Scotland, who delivered letters warning him of premeditated treachery against him; soon after which there came another messenger from the daughter of the king, the wife of Leolin king of Wales. [Though these letters] came from different countries, [they] were to one and the same effect [...] if the king persisted in the war which he had begun, he would either be slain by his own nobles, or delivered to his enemies for destruction [...] the king was alarmed on learning this [and] put more faith in truth of the letters; therefore wisely changing his intention, he ordered his army to return home.” (Wendover, Flowers of History)

“In the meane whiel that the king remained at Notingham, he receiued letters from the princesse of Northwales his daughter, declaring that his nobles had conspired with the French king against him, and for proofe thereof she alledged, [that] the French king prepared an armie to come to England, vnder the colour that the king was a rebell from the church, for that he would not condescend to the bishop of Rome’s requests.” (Powell, Historie of Cambria, Holingshed’s Chronicles)

[fall-from-typeface]

Book Cover Design: The influence of Psychedelia and Modernism

Abstraction continued through the late 60’s and into the 70’s with the added influence of psychedelia; colours were bright and flashy and layouts freed from their historical restraints.

Chester Anderson, The Butterfly Kid 1967 Cover Design Gary Morrow. Harlan Ellison, Approaching Oblivion 1974 Cover Design by Leo & Diane Dillon. Michael Moorcock, The Singing Citadel 1970 Cover Design by Bob Haberfield.

Modernism in book cover design also grew in this era. Rudolph de Harak was an influential designer of the time whose work is deeply rooted in modernism. De Harak’s work was not limited to one area; he later went on to design exhibitions, environmental art and teach for 25 years but in the 60’s and 70’s he was responsible for designing nearly 350 covers for McGraw-Hill Paperbacks.

“The nearly 350 covers he designed throughout the 60's for McGraw-Hill paperbacks, with subjects like philosophy, anthropology, psychology and sociology, offered him a place to test the limits of conceptual art and photography. He used the opportunity to experiment with a variety of approaches inspired by Dada, Abstract Expressionism and Op-Art. His McGraw-Hill paperbacks, especially, had a strong influence on contemporary graphic design.”

(Heller, 2002)

A selection of some of the 350 book covers designed by Rudolph de Harak for McGraw-Hill. Pictures from Alfalfa Studio, 2017.

The Fontana Modern Masters, a series of pocket guides on writers and philosophers of the 20th century were unique in that their cover art were a series of abstract art, that when placed together with the other books in the series, formed a larger, composite artwork. The idea was that of Fontana’s art director John Constable who commissioned the artist Oliver Bevan to design the first collection published in 1970/1971.

“These angular shapes in garish, clashing colours gave the covers an ‘edgy’ quality that was offset with soft typography superimposed across the top of the artwork in a rounded sans serif bold. And, in a stroke of marketing genius, the back cover explains that ‘the set combines to form [a] whole painting, and can be arranged in an unlimited number of different patterns’ – an obvious enticement to buy all ten books and make your own art à la Vasarely”

(www.eyemagazine.com, 2009)

Fontana continued to publish collections in this manner up until 1984, with each collection focussing on a different shape, from rectangles and squares to triangles and circles.

Book covers for Fontanta Modern Masters from 1970 - 1984

References

Graphéine - Agence de communication Paris Lyon. (2017). A short history of book covers - 3/4 - Graphéine. [online] Available at: https://www.grapheine.com/en/history-of-graphic-design/history-of-book-covers-3.

Heller, S. (2002). Rudolph de Harak, 78, Artist And Environmental Designer (Published 2002). The New York Times. [online] 30 Apr. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/30/arts/rudolph-de-harak-78-artist-and-environmental-designer.html?pagewanted=1 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2021].

Alfalfa Studio. (2017). The Modernist Compositions of Rudolph de Harak. [online] Available at: http://alfalfastudio.com/2017/01/21/joses-blog-the-modernist-compositions-of-rudolph-de-harak/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2021].

www.eyemagazine.com. (n.d.). Eye Magazine | Feature | The shape of the century. [online] Available at: http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/the-shape-of-the-century [Accessed 24 Feb. 2021].

[em-dashes]

11.16.2019

WHAT’S THIS? ANOTHER WRITING UPDATE SO SOON?? MOST UNCHARACTERISTIC!!!

Anywhom, I haven’t gotten too far into Like the Sun yet. I’ve written maybe 1/3 of the first chapter, but I do like how it’s coming along so far. Here’s some new tidbits I came up with!

> Setting: the scenic tourist town of Efter, based on a city near where I live. Except Efter is, you know, futureeee.....ish. I really dig the concept of solarpunk, so I’m trying to work elements of that into the story, and so far all I’ve got is wind turbines. Lots and lots of wind turbines.

> Chapter 1 Narrator: Haly Chester, a 20-year-old art student working a retail job for the summer (I really am just drawing on all personal experiences with this story huh). Later in the story she fills the New Kid character archetype (as seen in any heist film ever) on the pirate / heist crew, but even though she’s new to the world of thieving and robbery, her sparse but useful knowledge of art history comes into play during a Very Important Heist (which I have yet to figure out).

Without further ado, excerpt time!

Chapter 1: The New Kid

Haly took the gondola to work every morning, and every morning, something vexing would happen.

It could be anything, from the gondola jolting to a stop for a few minutes, to hot coffee spilled on someone’s head, to a passenger stinking up the compartment with the smell of smoke despite the fact the gondola prohibited cigarettes. Today, it was someone stepping on someone else’s brand new shoes and the shouting match that ensued. Sometimes if the situation got unbearable enough, Haly would get off at the nearest station and hope the next gondola didn’t have it worse. But she was already running late, so she kept to the tiny corner she’d managed to secure and trained her eyes out the window.

This high up the hill, she could see the sprawling port city below, the sand crescent bordering the green-blue water, the colourful buildings like stairs crawling up the hillside, the multitude of massive wind turbines that lined the shore. The gondola began the steeper part of its descent down the slope, and Haly turned her eyes to the sky to keep from getting dizzy.

And then she frowned.

“What’s that?” she asked, mostly to herself, but the man beside her shifted and peered through the window. She didn’t know him very well, only that they were often on the same gondola and sometimes they smiled and said hello. Haly shifted to make room for him as they peered up at the strange sight in the sky—the dark, severe shape that was one of the Brigade’s aircraft carriers, and the much smaller and much faster dots that darted around it, occasionally causing bright sparks. Haly noticed the sound only now, the distant sharp pops like fireworks that came a second after each spark.

“Tien ah,” said the man. “Pirates.”

That’s right, gals. Pirates.

Taglist: @antique-symbolism​ (give it up for my first taglist woo!)

[thegrumpyjournalist]

15 questions, 15 mutuals tagged by my dearest @soufflesstuff! Again thank you very much ;333

1. Are you named after someone? Yeah! The lady who introduced my parents to themselves was named Inga 🙂

2. When was the last time you cried?

Actually, it was yesterday when I got into a big fight with my mother.

3. Do you have kids?

No, and I probably won't have them ever.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Yeah, but in a funny/sassy way xD

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How they act towards myself/others.

6. What’s your eye colour?

Green (mixed with grey and brown).

7. Scary movie or happy ending?

Happy ending.

8. Any special talents?

None (': I'm super ordinary.

9. Where were you born?

In Warsaw, Poland.

10. What are your hobbies?

Reading books, watching tv series/anime. Sometimes I draw, but I'm not really good at it. I like playing games too ^^

11. Do you have any pets?

I have a French Bulldog named Chester 😜

12. What sport do you/have you played?

Because I was attending a sports school I trained swimming

13. How tall are you?

1.63 cm or 5'4.

14. Favourite subject in school?

English, Polish and History. Typical for humanistic major xD

15. Dream job?

It changes very quickly and by now I don't have any idea sadly ;( but last time it was a translator/psychologist.

Tagging: @an-archer-but-also-a-thief, @venxndii, @flowerpunk and @htmlpain~ Only if you want ;)

[molly-suggestion]

My good friend @b4-suggestions tagged me to fill this out! This is a fun game, and I like it.

are you named after someone: Yes! The first Molly O’Brien lived on Earth a long, long time ago. Back in those days, people had wrong ideas about ladies, and we weren’t allowed to vote. Molly O’Brien worked very hard with other ladies to change the bad law, so that women won the right to vote in Irish elections in the year 1918. I still can’t vote until 2384, though. I’m not 16 yet.

when was the last time you cried: I cried last night because I didn’t want to stop playing and go to bed at bedtime. This morning, I understand that happened because I was too tired and needed bedtime even more than usual. I think that’s what Daddy calls a pair-of-docks?

do you want/have kids: Yes, I do. I would like to have kids, because I think I would make a good mommy.

do you use sarcasm a lot: I have nooooo idea what sarcasm is. (Yes! Yes, I do, and I just learned it, and it’s really fun to use! The grownups always look at you funny, and sometimes they don’t expect it so you can fool them!)

what is the first thing people notice about you: My long, long hair! And sometimes my best purple shoes, but only when I’m wearing them.

eye colour: Very dark brown, just like Mommy’s and Yoshi’s. There’s a word for why Daddy’s light eyes didn’t show up in either of us kids, but I can’t remember it. It’s the same reason I don’t have his color hair.

scary movie or happy ending: "The Princess Bride” is a very scary movie, but I love it lots!

any special talent: I am an artist! My talent is coloring.

what was the last thing you dreamt of: I had a dream about the shiny arch and the lonely cave the other night. It wasn’t very nice, but like she always does, the kind lady with the bracelet like mine showed up, and gave me Lupi, and sent me back to my family. So it was good in the end.

what are your hobbies: I like to color and I am learning to cook. I also do other kinds of crafts. I think my dollhouse is a hobby, too? I love it more than my other toys.

what sport did/do you play: I take swimming lessons in the holosuite, and I am learning Mok’bara with Mister Worf and General Martok and Commamander Dax. When I am tall enough and can swim well enough, Daddy’s going to teach me kayaking! We’re going to start on a really calm, shallow river first, though.

how tall are you: I was 122 cm tall at my last checkup: Julian measured me. I’ve probably grown since then.

what is/was your favourite subject at school: I like Science and Math and Reading and History and Bajoran Reading and Health and Phys-Ed and Art and Music Class and Multiculture Class and...

dream job: I would like to be an explorer, and also a teacher, and also someone who helps people, and also a warrior, and a person who makes lots of important decisions. I’m not sure what that job would be, but probably an Admiral? Admiral Molly: I like that!

I don’t know who to tag, so I guess I will tag all my Mok’bara teachers? @worf--suggestion and @martok-suggestion and @jadzia-suggestions . Oh! And also Chester and my friend Marit’pran.