#eastern exposure

[ryumatsuiblog]

90年代のスケートシーンを語る上では欠かせないビデオ作品「EASTERN EXPOSURE」。トリックからフッテージのアングルまで、洗練されたイーストコーストスタイルを確立させ、その後のスケートボード映像作品に多大な影響を与えた🛹

なんて、どっかで聞いたような前振りはさておき、ここ最近は90〜00年代の動画が頭の中に降ってくる🧠これは遂に脳みそが、最新式のテクニカルなスケートボードに拒否反応を起こしたか！？

まぁまた話が脱線したけど、たまに無性に観たくなるパートの一つ。とりあえずスラッピーロールアウトを覚えておきたいところ👀

[aestum]

(by Zongnan Bao)

[hollis-exe]

yeah man, i don't know where the fuck we are either. and we're running out of lemo fruit. and it's getting dark. stop looking at me like that, you're freaking me out

[kas-e]

Autumn Impressions

[the-hikers-eye-photography]

Milkyway Season is Upon Us

To be fair it's Milkyway season year-round as some part of it can always be seen, so it's more accurate to say that it's Milkyway Core season as the core is only visible in the northern hemisphere between mid April (ish) and mid September (ish) at various times of the night.

Regardless, I'm really rather excited to get out there and find some fun and interesting places to image the night sky this year. The itch to explore is rather strong right now I and I'm really looking forward to what the adventures this year have to offer.

This shot is one of my earlier efforts in capturing the Milkyway (from about 4 or so years ago), and was taken while my wife and I were exploring the magnificent Eastern Sierra along the eastern edge of California. I was very pleased with this composition when I captured it, and I feel it has really held up over the years.

Let's go exploring.

[stardial]

i should do a poll abt which language to learn first…

[carrickbender]

So last night I had to get out of my hotel room, so I took off and headed towards Roslyn, Washington. Now if this sounds familiar, this town was the set for the very wholesome TV show Northern Exposure. It's a gorgeous little town filled with turn of the century houses that were hastily put up to accommodate the coal miners. I took a drive a bit further up the valley to Ronald, Washington, but unlike Roslyn which sounds like Old Crow Medicine Show, Ronald sounds like straight up banjos. But I got a nice piece of coal, and enjoyed the drive.

Sometimes the little out of the way places are the best.

[foma-creature]

Something from the archive today! An Antares launch at Wallops Island, on the Yashica FX-1 and ML 50/1.7. This was on Kodak Gold I found in my dad’s desk, bought around 1997/98, and shot August 2023. He got me into aerospace, bringing me to airshows and launches since before I can remember, so I figured it was the perfect scene.

[calochortus]

Palouse Falls by Benjamin Noblitt Via Flickr: This photo was taken on the night before the Great American Solar Eclipse out in Eastern Washington. It was a little out of the way, but it was worth the extra driving time to see this waterfall that I have been meaning to see for a long time. It was even nicer since it was with my dad! The clouds made some nice colors, but only for a second. I was able to catch the last few rays of light on them. Overall, this is not an awesome photo, but it is one of a good memory and that makes it that much nicer for me to enjoy. Hopefully you all can enjoy it as well!

[reasonsforhope]

"A large clinical trial in South Africa and Uganda has shown that a twice-yearly injection of a new pre-exposure prophylaxis drug gives young women total protection from HIV infection.

The trial tested whether the six-month injection of lenacapavir would provide better protection against HIV infection than two other drugs, both daily pills. All three medications are pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) drugs.

Physician-scientist Linda-Gail Bekker, principal investigator for the South African part of the study, tells Nadine Dreyer what makes this breakthough so significant and what to expect next.

Tell us about the trial and what it set out to achieve

The Purpose 1 trial with 5,000 participants took place at three sites in Uganda and 25 sites in South Africa to test the efficacy of lenacapavir and two other drugs.

Lenacapavir (Len LA) is a fusion capside inhibitor. It interferes with the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects HIV’s genetic material and enzymes needed for replication. It is administered just under the skin, once every six months.

The randomised controlled trial, sponsored by the drug developers Gilead Sciences, tested several things.

The first was whether a six-monthly injection of lenacapavir was safe and would provide better protection against HIV infection as PrEP for women between the ages of 16 and 25 years than Truvada F/TDF, a daily PrEP pill in wide use that has been available for more than a decade.

Secondly, the trial also tested whether Descovy F/TAF, a newer daily pill, was as effective as F/TDF...

The trial had three arms. Young women were randomly assigned to one of the arms in a 2:2:1 ratio (Len LA: F/TAF oral: F/TDF oral) in a double blinded fashion. This means neither the participants nor the researchers knew which treatment participants were receiving until the clinical trial was over.

In eastern and southern Africa, young women are the population who bear the brunt of new HIV infections. They also find a daily PrEP regimen challenging to maintain, for a number of social and structural reasons.

During the randomised phase of the trial none of the 2,134 women who received lenacapavir contracted HIV. There was 100 percent efficiency.

By comparison, 16 of the 1,068 women (or 1.5%) who took Truvada (F/TDF) and 39 of 2,136 (1.8%) who received Descovy (F/TAF) contracted the HIV virus...

What is the significance of these trials?

This breakthrough gives great hope that we have a proven, highly effective prevention tool to protect people from HIV.

There were 1.3 million new HIV infections globally in the past year. Although that’s fewer than the 2 million infections seen in 2010, it is clear that at this rate we are not going to meet the HIV new infection target that UNAIDS set for 2025 (fewer than 500,000 globally) or potentially even the goal to end Aids by 2030...

For young people, the daily decision to take a pill or use a condom or take a pill at the time of sexual intercourse can be very challenging.

HIV scientists and activists hope that young people may find that having to make this “prevention decision” only twice a year may reduce unpredictability and barriers.

For a young woman who struggles to get to an appointment at a clinic in a town or who can’t keep pills without facing stigma or violence, an injection just twice a year is the option that could keep her free of HIV.

What happens now?

The plan is that the Purpose 1 trial will go on but now in an “open label” phase. This means that study participants will be “unblinded”: they will be told whether they have been in the “injectable” or oral TDF or oral TAF groups.

They will be offered the choice of PrEP they would prefer as the trial continues.

A sister trial is also under way: Purpose 2 is being conducted in a number of regions including some sites in Africa among cisgender men, and transgender and nonbinary people who have sex with men.

It’s important to conduct trials among different groups because we have seen differences in effectiveness. Whether the sex is anal or vaginal is important and may have an impact on effectiveness.

How long until the drug is rolled out?

We have read in a Gilead Sciences press statement that within the next couple of months [from July 2024] the company will submit the dossier with all the results to a number of country regulators, particularly the Ugandan and South African regulators.

The World Health Organization will also review the data and may issue recommendations.

We hope then that this new drug will be adopted into WHO and country guidelines.

We also hope we may begin to see the drug being tested in more studies to understand better how to incorporate it into real world settings.

Price is a critical factor to ensure access and distribution in the public sector where it is badly needed.

Gilead Sciences has said it will offer licences to companies that make generic drugs, which is another critical way to get prices down.

In an ideal world, governments will be able to purchase this affordably and it will be offered to all who want it and need protection against HIV."

-via The Conversation, July 3, 2024

[mexcraziness]

Something something every Eastern European should live in Western Europe for a few years just to get a taste of the privilege, ignorance and borderline contempt going on here to help them sort out their feelings about their Eastern European identity and reclaim the term

For an article that is largely an into and invitation for a photography exhibition, the last paragraph is a fucking punch:

“Often people in these regions don’t want to be from eastern Europe,” Rabikowska adds. “Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia prefer to be ‘Baltic’, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungry see themselves as ‘central Europe’ and Bulgaria and Romania highlight their Balkan identity. One of the participants shared with me that eastern Europe is not a geographical location but rather a period in time, or an ideology – which is at the crux of the Nothing But a Curtain project.”

[astoryofsiren]

new world | chapter 5

Pairing: Ot8 Ateez x reader AU: fantasy AU | stranger -> mates Summary: A tragic accident left you unable to use your wings and, with that, claimed your father's life, leaving you in the care of your noble uncle. In Hala, a house of eight kingdoms, each boasting its own wonders, you never imagined that amidst the pain, you would also fall—this time, in love. Word Count: 2.9k | 13 minutes A/n: YAYY ANOTHER CHAPTER! I've kept this in the draft for way too long! i lowkey want to just release all the chapters i've written. BUT i want you to wait a little..just a little longer HIHI. BTW GUYS WHY CAN'T I REPLY TO ANY OF YOUR COMMENT? PLEASE HELP ME OUT! Warning: mentions of hospitals, bad weather, AND YUNHO JEALOUS. KIND OF?

The days after Yunho’s visit felt unusually quiet. A few letters had arrived by an owl with soft, silver-tipped wings—you had affectionately named her Snow after the gentle way she flew, gliding through the cold air like a wisp of moonlight. The letters were brief but warm: updates on Reed, musings on the cold weather, and simple questions that made you smile.

But then, two days passed without a letter.

and you found yourself standing in the field, hands brushing over fresh thyme, as you tried to shake the restless feeling gnawing at your chest. You’re obsessed, you thought, scolding yourself, though the words felt hollow. It wasn’t as though you could help it; Yunho lingered in your thoughts like the scent of summer rain, impossible to forget. He was everywhere in your mind, in the quiet moments when you worked or the still hours before dawn. You could still hear his voice sometimes, soft and steady, and picture the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when he smiled.

The wind was brisk today, the chill seeping in from Reed’s borders. The weather in Caius had turned slightly colder, a quiet herald of the upcoming winter, its edge sharpening the air as it rolled in from the north. You were near the eastern edge of Caius, where the terrain dipped and rolled toward the sea. Beyond the safe, fertile fields of your home lay treacherous waters, made colder and darker by the proximity to Reed.

Today, you were gathering herbs to bring to a border hospital where soldiers often fell ill from exposure.

It’ll be a long ride, you thought. I should leave soon.

You bundled the thyme carefully, your fingers working the stems with a practiced rhythm. Around you, the fields were alive with subtle sounds—the rustling of grass, the distant caw of gulls carried on the wind. Normally, the peace would soothe you, but today, something felt different. Off. It was as though the very air carried a charge, an invisible hum that raised the hairs on your arms.

Straightening, you shielded your eyes with your hand and turned toward the horizon. The sun hung low and bright, casting long shadows across the earth, but there—just for a moment—you saw it. A shadow passed over you, swift and silent, darkening the patch of earth where you knelt.

You froze.

Slowly, you looked up, squinting into the sunlight, and your breath caught.

Yunho stood at the edge of the field, cloaked in muted gray, his tall form striking against the pale sky. The wind tugged at his cloak and dark hair, but his face was calm, almost serene, as though he had been walking through the fields for hours. A faint smile pulled at his lips, so familiar and yet so unexpected that you could only stare. In his hand, he held a small bundle of herbs—rare ones, with deep green stems and silvery flowers that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

“Hard to find this time of year,” he said lightly, his voice carrying over the wind as he held them out to you.

You rose to your feet slowly, the earth firm beneath your boots as you closed the distance between you. Your fingers brushed his as you took the herbs, and you startled at how cold his skin felt, chilled from Reed’s borders.

“Where—how did you get these?”

“Reed’s borders are colder, but you’d be surprised what grows there when you know where to look.”

You turned the small bundle over in your hands, marveling at it. The flowers were delicate, yet they held a vitality that belied the harshness of the environment they came from. Yunho’s quiet attentiveness never ceased to surprise you; how did he always seem to know exactly what you needed before you did?

“I didn’t expect you,” you admitted, your voice softer than you intended.

“Should I apologize for the surprise?” he asked, a teasing lilt in his tone.

“No.” You shook your head quickly, warmth curling through you like a hearth fire against the cold. “I was… going to the hospital near the border. There are soldiers there who need these.”

At the mention of the outskirts, Yunho’s expression shifted slightly, his brow furrowing faintly in concern. “The border?” He paused, his gaze holding yours. “Then I’ll join you.”

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he said simply, his voice leaving no room for argument.

You opened your mouth to protest again, but the words faltered on your tongue. There was a calm determination in Yunho’s eyes that you recognized all too well. Once he made up his mind, there was no changing it. Instead, you let out a quiet sigh and looked away, back toward the sea where the faint mist gathered on the horizon. “It’s not an easy ride. The terrain gets rough the closer we get to the border.”

“I’ve made harder rides,” Yunho replied, the faintest smile tugging at his lips again.

You couldn’t help but smile back, despite yourself. “Suit yourself.”

He fell into step beside you as you walked back toward where your horses waited, tethered near the edge of the fields. The silence between you was comfortable, broken only by the crunch of grass beneath your boots and the distant call of the sea. You felt Yunho’s presence like a steady warmth at your side, grounding you in a way you hadn’t realized you needed.

Surprisingly, you had always brought two horses during your journeys to the outskirts—one for yourself and the other to carry more herbs and supplies for the soldiers in the hospital. The second horse, a sturdy gelding with a speckled coat, had been borrowed from a friend of your uncle’s back in Caius. He stood quietly nearby, his dark eyes calm and steady as the cold wind ruffled his mane.

Yunho glanced at the gelding, his brow lifting faintly. “Prepared as always, I see.”

You smiled lightly, brushing your hand over the horse’s neck. “He’s reliable. And strong enough to carry more than I need.”

He let out a soft hum of approval, stepping closer to check the saddlebags. “It’s a good habit to be over-prepared.”

“It’s not over-preparedness,” you replied with mock indignation, adjusting the straps. “It’s practical kindness.”

Yunho’s lips curved slightly, the expression softening his otherwise stoic features. The way he looked at you—steady and thoughtful—made something in your chest tighten unexpectedly. “Kindness suits you,” he said quietly.

You looked away quickly, cheeks warming as you busied yourself with the straps of your saddle. “Come on, We’ll make better time if we leave now.”

With the horse ready, you moved to mount, but before you could, Yunho stepped forward, his hands suddenly—yet gently—grasping your waist.

“Let me,” he murmured, his voice low.

Before you had a chance to protest, he lifted you with effortless strength, plopping you onto the saddle as though you weighed nothing. The brief contact was enough to steal your breath, the warmth of his touch lingering long after his hands dropped away.

Your heart hammered in your chest as you stared down at him, wide-eyed. Yunho only offered a faint, knowing smile before turning to his own horse.

“Ready?” he asked casually, as if nothing had happened.

You swallowed, cheeks warm, and managed a shaky, “Y-Yes.”

With that, he swung up onto the gelding, settling beside you like he belonged there, leaving you with your pulse still fluttering wildly. The sight of him on the gelding was a little surreal—A diplomat of Reed, so at ease on a borrowed Caius horse—but you supposed there was little that could rattle him.

As you untied your horse and began preparing for the journey, Yunho took a step closer, his golden gaze scanning the sky. “The wind’s picked up,” he murmured. “We should leave soon if we want to avoid the worst of it.”

You glanced at him, surprise flickering in your chest. “You’re familiar with Caius’s winds now?”

“Not as familiar as you,” he admitted with a slight shrug. “But I’m learning.”

The quiet sincerity in his tone caught you off guard, sending a small ripple through your chest. You looked away quickly, pretending to adjust your reins, though the faint heat on your cheeks betrayed you.

“Ready?” you asked over your shoulder.

“Lead the way.”

And so you did, guiding the horse down the familiar trails that led to the outskirts. The road to the border hospital was long and winding, cutting through Caius’s fertile fields before giving way to the rugged, colder outskirts. The sea grew louder the further you traveled, its dark waters visible now through breaks in the terrain. The ride was long and cold, but Yunho’s presence—steady and unspoken—made the journey feel far less lonely, his quiet companionship both comforting and maddening.

“You don’t need to follow me, you know,” you said, breaking the companionable silence as the wind tugged at your cloak.

“I already told you,” Yunho replied smoothly. “I’m not following you—I’m protecting you.”

You rolled your eyes. “From what, Yunho? Overgrown roots?”

He smirked faintly. “If they try to trip you, I’ll deal with them swiftly.”

You huffed a laugh despite yourself, though you didn’t miss the way Yunho’s gaze stayed sharp and ever-watching. He took everything in—the frost-kissed trees, the distant hills, and even the quiet, shadowed patches of the path—as if he were on guard for something you couldn’t see.

As you neared the hospital, the winds turned colder, the air sharper. From this far east, you could see the faint mist rising from the distant seas—the treacherous waters near Reed’s border.

“I didn’t realize how often you made this trip,” Yunho murmured, his voice carrying over the wind.

“Someone has to,” you replied softly. “Soldiers give up a lot to protect the borders. It’s only right they’re cared for when they’re wounded.”

Yunho didn’t respond right away. His gaze lingered on you for a moment longer than necessary before he turned back to the path ahead.

When you arrived at the hospital, the smell of herbs and wood smoke greeted you. The building wasn’t grand—just a few interconnected rooms with thick stone walls and sturdy beams—but it was warm and alive with movement. Healers bustled from bed to bed, soft murmurs and quiet groans filling the air.

Mistress Calla, the head healer, spotted you as soon as you entered. Her face brightened, and she strode toward you with open arms, pulling you into a quick, firm hug.

“Y/N, there you are!” she said warmly, releasing you to examine the basket slung over your arm. “You’ve come at just the right time. The fevers have been worse this week, and we’re nearly out of thyme and elderleaf.”

You handed her a bundle of the fresh herbs Yunho had helped you gather. “These should last you a little while. I’ll check on the soldiers in a moment.”

But Mistress Calla’s gaze flickered past you, and her lips curled into a knowing smile. “And who’s this?”

You turned, realizing Yunho was standing just behind you, his expression carefully neutral as Mistress Calla appraised him.

“This is Yunho,” you said quickly. “A friend.”

“A friend?” Calla’s voice lilting with mischief, her brow arching in a way that made your cheeks heat. “Well, I don’t remember your friends looking quite like that. Tall, dark, and handsome, is he?”

You shot her a look. “Calla…”

“I’m just saying,” she continued unabashedly, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper as Yunho busied himself glancing around the room. “You’ve got half the soldiers in here sighing after you like love-sick pups, and now you bring a knight through my doors? What’s the story, Y/N?”

“There’s no story,” you said firmly, though your face betrayed you with a rising flush. “Stop it. I need to get to work.”

Mistress Calla chuckled, giving your arm a pat. “Fine, fine. Go tend to your wounded boys. Just don’t forget the tall one standing right there.”

You shot her a glare that only made her grin more widely before turning toward the soldier’s recovery room, shaking your head. Yunho glanced at you curiously, his golden gaze searching your expression.

“What was that about?” he asked quietly.

“Nothing.” You brushed him off quickly. “Come on. Let’s check on the soldiers.”

As you stepped into the soldiers’ recovery room, quiet conversations died away, replaced by soft murmurs and shifting glances. You were a familiar sight here—someone who brought care, kindness, and a bit of light into their weary days.

“Ah, it’s her,” one whispered, nudging his companion. “She’s back again,” another murmured, his voice holding the edge of awe. It wasn’t uncommon—your visits often stirred soft whispers, your presence like a fleeting light among them. You moved between beds, greeting patients and checking wounds. Yunho followed at a measured distance, his presence drawing lingering glances from both soldiers and nurses alike.

“Is that her escort?” you heard one whisper.

“Lucky man,” another murmured, their tone tinged with something you couldn’t quite place.

At the word escort, you noticed—just barely—that Yunho’s chest puffed up a little, his posture shifting with an unconscious pride. It was subtle, yet unmistakable, as though being called your escort had released a feeling inside him he couldn’t quite place.

At one cot, you stopped to tend to Eli. He sat up straighter when he saw you, his youthful face flushing red. Barely older than nineteen, he was all sharp features and nervous hands, his usual bravado faltering whenever you were around.

“Eli,” you said softly, kneeling by his side. “How’s your side today?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly, his voice cracking just slightly. “Be-Better now. It’s always better when you’re here.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “You say that every time.”

“It’s true every time,” Eli mumbled, glancing away as you carefully checked the healing wound beneath his bandage.

You smiled softly, noting how well the wound was healing. “You’re recovering nicely. You’ll be back on your feet soon.”

“I—I wouldn’t mind staying a little longer if it means I get to see you.” His voice was quiet, shy, and you could feel Yunho’s gaze sharpen from across the room. You laughed lightly, brushing it off.

“You’ll get yourself back on patrol soon enough, Eli.”

“Only if you promise to visit,” he blurted, the words rushing out before he could stop them.

You opened your mouth to respond when you felt it—Yunho’s gaze. Glancing back, you found him near the door, his expression unreadable, though something sharp flickered in the way his eyes lingered on Eli. The soft sound of Yunho’s boots echoed through the quiet room as he stepped forward, his tall figure looming nearby. Eli glanced up sharply, his flush deepening as Yunho’s tall figure loomed nearby.

“Are you finished?” Yunho’s voice was calm, but there was something deliberate about the way he said it. You blinked, surprised. “Almost—” “I’ll wait outside,” he said shortly, turning on his heel and disappearing through the door without another word.

You frowned after him, his abrupt exit leaving you slightly unsettled. Turning back to Eli, you forced a gentle smile. “Rest up,” you said softly as you adjusted his blanket. “You’re healing well, but don’t overdo it, alright?”

Eli gave you a small nod, though his gaze flickered briefly to the door where Yunho had disappeared. “Is… he always like that?”

You let out a soft laugh, brushing off the question. “Don’t worry about him. Just focus on getting better.”

As you finished tending to the other soldiers, Yunho lingered in the back of your mind. You moved through the motions with practiced ease, but every quiet corner and every whispered conversation seemed to amplify his absence. When you finally stepped outside into the crisp evening air, you found him saddling the horses.

He worked in silence, hands moving efficiently as he tightened the straps and adjusted the reins. His face was calm—neutral, even—but the faint tension in his jaw gave him away.

“You didn’t have to leave so abruptly,” you said, stepping closer.

Yunho glanced up, his golden-brown gaze catching the fading light. “I thought you’d prefer to work without distractions.”

“You weren’t distracting me.”

He didn’t reply, only finishing with the saddle before offering you a hand up. You took it, his grip firm and warm, but the silence that followed felt heavier than before.

The sun dipped lower as you rode home, the sky streaked in amber and violet. Shadows stretched across the rolling hills, and the sharp, crisp air carried whispers of Reed’s colder winds. Yunho rode beside you, quiet and watchful, his gaze fixed on the road ahead.

It was an easy silence, one you had grown accustomed to with him—but tonight, something lingered underneath, a weight you couldn’t quite place. Finally, you turned toward him, breaking the quiet.

“Alright. What is it?”

“What is what?” Yunho replied, his voice calm, but too carefully measured.

“You’ve been brooding since we left the hospital,” you pressed, watching his profile closely. “Did Eli say something that got under your skin?”

His fingers flexed around the reins, the only sign that he was considering his words. “No,” he said finally, the cadence of his voice steady as always. “Not exactly.”

You tilted your head, waiting, the rhythm of the horses' hooves filled the silence until Yunho finally spoke, his voice steady but softer than usual. “It’s not jealousy, if that’s what you’re thinking. They admire you. I understand why.”

You glanced toward him, his expression calm but his eyes telling a deeper story. “Then what’s bothering you?”

He looked ahead, the golden light catching on the edges of his face, softening the sharp lines. For a long moment, he said nothing, as if the answer were something he’d only just allowed himself to put into words.

Finally, he turned his head slightly, his gaze holding yours, warm and steady.

“Because I’d rather be the only man you look at like that.”

Masterlist

4 | 6

Taglist (CLOSED):

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[libraford]

Misty Copeland, my beloved.

I can't even say that 'appreciation' is the word, at least in the case of bellydance. It's just what happens when a culture touches another. Because 'bellydance' itself is a very broad term that encompasses a variety of dance styles that may have no verifiable country of origin.

Correct me of I'm wrong, of course!

Under a cut because apparently I'm infodumping on dance history.

The best we have as an origin people are the Ghawazee, and today's style looks very little like their practice (which is still taught by it's sole remaining member). But the people traveled before settling in Egypt, so a clear origin is difficult to pinpoint. And you do hear claims that bellydance is Egyptian, and while it's not untrue, it's not the entire story- Ghawazee spent some time in Egypt and the style stuck around to have a stylistic exchange. And a lot of the old Hollywood depictions of bellydance are something between this cultural fusion and awalim. All of these styles, and so many more of that region, informed each other and inspired each other as trade routes between countries became more common, and the Ottoman Empire brought it northward as far as modern day Austria.

And the dance style has been criticized pretty much everywhere it goes. Like our earliest footage of the dance was as a Victorian sideshow that was considered by the primarily white male audience to be vulgar. But as Egyptian film made this style more easily accessed, fondness for it grew, and we enter Golden Age of Bellydance- which was not always not the most culturally sensitive depiction, but it gave a lot of dancers a chance to show their skills to a wider audience- and now women want to learn it too! Teachers pop up everywhere, even though it's still considered a little risque in many cultures.

Bellydance was being seen all over the world because of cinema, even if inaccurate so. And there was a fascination with Egypt that made it the center of attention for a lot of film. There were tons of middle eastern dance clubs, though they were, again, kind of a fantasy version of it.

And then it got hairy.

Iranian Revolution in 1979 put a lot of restrictions on dance. If you were a dance teacher affected by this, your choices were either stop dancing or immigrate to a country where you'd be allowed to teach. So you see a huge boom in the 80s of Egyptian Cabaret styles taking root in the US because the interest in Egyptian culture made it easy to set up shop.

So most of what you're seeing today in modern stage styles is either second or third generation of Egyptian Cabaret style through several layers of translation, which in itself is deep in layers of translation, applied to the melting pot of America and then to the exposure of film, TV, music video, YouTube, Instagram, and then finally TikTok.

And that's fucking fascinating! The cultural exchange that had to happen for us to get that half-beat Turkish drop is high key cool af, just to think about all of the steps we had to go through to get here. It is an ever-evolving discipline of dance, and the fact that Shining Protector is still teaching the old ways of her people to keep traditions alive is AMAZING!

We should want this. And I don't know how to explain to people that sometimes the watered-down white people spicy version is the gateway drug to taking an active interest in a different culture.

When one culture comes in contact with another and the peoples share the things that enrich their lives, that is cultural exchange. But I think it's hard for some people to see any interaction with a white culture as neutral-positive. And it's somewhat difficult to explain the difference.

[knuppitalism-with-ue]

how much of the fossil record do you think has been lost because of oil drilling / production?

How much? Hmmm, this is basically impossible to quantify, we would first need to know how large the fossil record was in the first place.

Human activity has certainly lead to the loss of many fossils, on the other hand such human activities also made paleontology only possible in the first place. It is no accident that this field established itself during the Industrial revolution, when quarrying and mining intensified. Human had known and wondered about fossils for a long time, but only a constant stream of new discoveries enabled Victorian scientists to reveal the first pages of the fossil record.

So although an incredible amount of fossils is lost each year thanks to mining, only these fresh exposures of deeper layers often times enable us to peak into these lost worlds.

On the other hand human activity seems insignificant compared to the fossils we lost to natural causes. The eastern US has for example far less dinosaur fossils because the glaciers of the last ice age scraped of all the Mesozoic rocks, grinding them into sand and gravel.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hello, I was wondering if you had anything writing notes related to winter such as vocabulary, phrases, etc.

Word List: Winter

Winter—the season between autumn and spring comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of December, January, and February or as reckoned astronomically extending from the December solstice to the March equinox; the colder half of the year; a period of inactivity or decay

Dead of winter - the middle of the winter

Midwinter - the winter solstice; the middle of winter

Nuclear winter - the chilling of climate that is hypothesized to be a consequence of nuclear war and to result from the prolonged blockage of sunlight by high-altitude dust clouds produced by nuclear explosions

Outwinter - to stay outdoors in winter

Winterberry - an eastern North American shrub (Ilex verticillata) of the holly family with axillary flowers, usually bright red berries, and deciduous leaves that turn black in the fall; called also black alder

Winterbloom - witch hazel; azalea

Winterbound - restrained (as from a favored sport or other outdoor activity) by winter

Winterbourne - a stream that flows only or chiefly in winter

Wintercreeper - an evergreen shrubby, trailing, or climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei) that is widely cultivated as an ornamental in several horticultural varieties differing chiefly in habit or in form or color of leaves

Winterer - one that winters; specifically: a winter resident or visitor

Winterfeed - livestock feed for winter use

Wintergreen - any of a genus (Pyrola of the family Ericaceae, the heath family) of evergreen perennial herbs (such as the shinleafs) that have basal leaves and racemose flowers; any of a genus (Gaultheria) of evergreen plants of the heath family

Winter-hardy - hardy in respect to winter conditions; especially: able to withstand much cold

Winterim - an intersession at some colleges and universities chiefly in January

Winterish - suitable to winter; suggestive of winter; somewhat wintry

Winterize - to make ready for winter or winter use and especially resistant or proof against winter weather

Winter-kill - to kill (a plant or part of a plant) by exposure to winter conditions; to die as a result of exposure to winter conditions

Winterless - free from winter; not characterized by wintery conditions (as of weather)

Winterlong - excessively or tiresomely long

Winterpea - a peavine (Lathyrus hirsutus) with densely silky pods that is native to the Mediterranean region but introduced into the U.S. as a green manure or winter forage crop

Winter savory - a perennial European mint (Satureja montana) with leaves used for seasoning

Wintertide - wintertime

Winterward - in the direction of winter

Winterweed - weedy plant that remains green during winter

Wintry - of, relating to, or characteristic of winter

The concept of winter in European languages is associated with the season of dormancy, particularly in relation to crops; some plants die, leaving their seeds, and others merely cease growth until spring. Many animals also become dormant, especially those that hibernate; numerous insects die.

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ More: Word Lists

Hope this helps with your writing!