#french fry army

[skittykittybean]

It's Final Push Time Boiz!

Thanks to everyone's support, Together with You has made it into the final contending for the writing contest it's in! Woo! :D But the competition is tight! We're neck and neck for 1st place right now, which means now more than ever...every vote and view counts!!

Do you like wolves? Supporting small artists?? Children who really, really want french fries? (Seriously someone give Memeat a french fry already, the girl really needs it).

Then Together with You is for you!

The contest ends on March 29th!

Readers can vote daily, which means that yes, you too can vote multiple times! :3

(I hear that every vote gets Memeat another french fry)

Memeat and her poorly-drawn dad thank you kindly! :D

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Some French Loans in Middle English

Loan Word - vocabulary borrowings

Borrow - to introduce a word (or some other linguistic feature) from one language or dialect into another

Administration authority, bailiff, baron, chamberlain, chancellor, constable, coroner, council, court, crown, duke, empire, exchequer, government, liberty, majesty, manor, mayor, messenger, minister, noble, palace, parliament, peasant, prince, realm, reign, revenue, royal, servant, sir, sovereign, squire, statute, tax, traitor, treason, treasurer, treaty, tyrant, vassal, warden

Law accuse, adultery, advocate, arrest, arson, assault, assize, attorney, bail, bar, blame, chattels, convict, crime, decree, depose, estate, evidence, executor, felon, fine, fraud, heir, indictment, inquest, jail, judge, jury, justice, larceny, legacy, libel, pardon, perjury, plaintiff, plea, prison, punishment, sue, summons, trespass, verdict, warrant

Religion abbey, anoint, baptism, cardinal, cathedral, chant, chaplain, charity, clergy, communion, confess, convent, creator, crucifix, divine, faith, friar, heresy, homily, immortality, incense, mercy, miracle, novice, ordain, parson, penance, prayer, prelate, priory, religion, repent, sacrament, sacrilege, saint, salvation, saviour, schism, sermon, solemn, temptation, theology, trinity, vicar, virgin, virtue

Military ambush, archer, army, barbican, battle, besiege, captain, combat, defend, enemy, garrison, guard, hauberk, lance, lieutenant, moat, navy, peace, portcullis, retreat, sergeant, siege, soldier, spy, vanquish

Food and drink appetite, bacon, beef, biscuit, clove, confection, cream, cruet, date, dinner, feast, fig, fruit, fry, grape, gravy, gruel, herb, jelly, lemon, lettuce, mackerel, mince, mustard, mutton, olive, orange, oyster, pigeon, plate, pork, poultry, raisin, repast, roast, salad, salmon, sardine, saucer, sausage, sole, spice, stew, sturgeon, sugar, supper, tart, taste, toast, treacle, tripe, veal, venison, vinegar

Fashion apparel, attire, boots, brooch, buckle, button, cape, chemise, cloak, collar, diamond, dress, embroidery, emerald, ermine, fashion, frock, fur, garment, garter, gown, jewel, lace, mitten, ornament, pearl, petticoat, pleat, robe, satin, taffeta, tassel, train, veil, wardrobe

part 1/2 ⚜ Source ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Notes & References

[felixcloud6288]

Dungeon Meshi Chapter 81

Looks like Kabru got promoted to "Honorary party member" after telling Laios he wants to be friends.

I recognized the pasta Marcille was holding was linguine, and I tried figuring out what everyone else was holding but had no luck. I found plenty of different types of noodles, but I don't know enough about noodle dishes to tell what most of these should be.

I think Shuro is holding soba noodles, Chilchuck has lasagna pasta, and Kabru has either elbow or orzo pasta.

I want to assume these are the ingredients to everyone's favorite pasta dishes. If so, Namari's seems to be a stir-fry of some kind. Laios apparently likes spicy food. And Falin's seems to be an Asian dish similar to Izutsumi's. Maybe Shuro showed her some of the foods from his homeland. Izutsumi's ingredients includes a leek, which she doesn't like.

I had to try figuring out what Kabru's dish might be because it's just pasta, cheese, and onion and the best answer I found was French Onion Pasta.

Why does Izutsumi always have to mess with Chilchuck like this?

Always lift with your legs, even if you don't have a back to break.

He should be voiced by a text-to-speech program. I read every line he spoke in the most monotone voice possible.

It really shows how little Marcille knows about monsters that she's filling most of her army with non-monster creatures like pigs, goats, and elephants.

Of particular note, all the definite monsters are things that nearly killed her or the party at some point. The red dragon would definitely have burned itself into Marcille's memories since that was what kickstarted the entire story, and the wyverns would have left a similar impression since they were a constant concern after the party angered Thistle.

I want to say those long-neck birds are a variant of cockatrice which would also have left a mental impact since one of them petrified Marcille. And of course, we have a type of dungeon rabbit. But Marcille summoned jackalopes instead of head-hunting rabbits.

The dryads are an interesting case though because Marcille wasn't with the party when they faced dryads. She saw the aftermath though and used some dryad twigs to repair Ambrosia. So the concept of a dryad might be in her mind, but since she didn't actually see them, she summoned a different type of dryad for her army. These ones are more woody and they have leaf hair rather than grass hair.

Chilchuck didn't even try to help.

I can think why they suggested what they suggested. Marcille made a big deal about how to properly harvest mandrakes (but she threw a fit when Senshi gave her the heads), she said she liked the fishman eggs in the porridge (but she didn't know they were fishmen eggs), and she ate a lot of kelpie liver (because she was forced to and she complained that she was only eating liver).

I think it's understandable that they wouldn't hang out much outside work. Everyone was employed by Laios and they probably would prefer keeping a professional distance in case they needed work elsewhere or any specific jobs that needed them came up.

I wish I could pinpoint when Donato died so I could better estimate Marcille's age. He said he had her when he was getting on in years, but that could mean a lot of things. Since Tall-men typically live to about 60, I'd guess he was maybe late thirties/early forties when she was born.

This shot was from when Marcille was around 20. Donato doesn't seem to be as fat as he was but he doesn't appear to be as thin as he got. So maybe he was around 60 at that time?

And he lived to 82, so Marcille was probably in her 30s or 40s when he died. But since I don't know what year he died, and Marcille's growth rate is erratic I can't easily say how long it was between Donato's passing and her joining the mage's academy.

She does look a lot like she did in chapter 17 during the funeral. She even has the same bangs.

At the very least, I can take this and add 10 years of her time at the academy to give her a lower bound age of 45. At this point, I can argue she's somewhere between 45 and 75.

Even as a child, Marcille liked designing her hair.

Little mini-Marcille saw how big her papa's tummy was and thought he was pregnant.

I don't blame Laios for what happened during the nightmare chapter. Marcille likely already had it in her mind to use it. At most, Laios just gave her the encouragement to think that he supports her. But Laios didn't know what Marcille was planning. He understood that Marcille was scared that everyone would die before her, but he probably thought she wanted the power to keep them from being killed.

And it's not like they knew things would turn out this way nor did they have any way of finding that out. Laios just defaults to assuming he's at fault for everything. He blames himself for all his bad social relations, he blames himself for the fallout he had with Shuro, he blames himself for Falin turning into a monster, and he blames himself for this.

I want to say that Marcille is from Kahka Brud or somewhere in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, the dish Senshi made is probably from the eastern islands given Izutsumi's reaction to it.

So I have a question. Senshi first discovered the dungeon when Gillan's team dug an underground tunnel connecting to it. And Senshi found an exit in a cave near the ocean. The dungeon seems to be wider than the island itself. So is it possible that some of the mainland dungeons are connected to this one?

What did Izutsumi do with Yaad after she found him?

Doppelgangers are mimic octopi. No wonder they couldn't properly grapple Donato. He was probably suction-cupped to the floor.

Oh dear. This is getting bad. Marcille is fully under the demon's influence.

SENSHI FLASH!!

back

[communist-manifesto-daily]

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific - Part 18

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This historical situation also dominated the founders of Socialism. To the crude conditions of capitalistic production and the crude class conditions correspond crude theories. The solution of the social problems, which as yet lay hidden in undeveloped economic conditions, the Utopians attempted to evolve out of the human brain. Society presented nothing but wrongs; to remove these was the task of reason. It was necessary, then, to discover a new and more perfect system of social order and to impose this upon society from without by propaganda, and, wherever it was possible, by the example of model experiments. These new social systems were foredoomed as Utopian; the more completely they were worked out in detail, the more they could not avoid drifting off into pure phantasies.

These facts once established, we need not dwell a moment longer upon this side of the question, now wholly belonging to the past. We can leave it to the literary small fry to solemnly quibble over these phantasies, which today only make us smile, and to crow over the superiority of their own bald reasoning, as compared with such “insanity”. For ourselves, we delight in the stupendously grand thoughts and germs of thought that everywhere break out through their phantastic covering, and to which these Philistines are blind.

Saint-Simon was a son of the great French Revolution, at the outbreak of which he was not yet 30. The Revolution was the victory of the 3rd estate – i.e., of the great masses of the nation, working in production and in trade, over the privileged idle classes, the nobles and the priests. But the victory of the 3rd estate soon revealed itself as exclusively the victory of a smaller part of this “estate”, as the conquest of political power by the socially privileged section of it – i.e., the propertied bourgeoisie. And the bourgeoisie had certainly developed rapidly during the Revolution, partly by speculation in the lands of the nobility and of the Church, confiscated and afterwards put up for sale, and partly by frauds upon the nation by means of army contracts. It was the domination of these swindlers that, under the Directorate, brought France to the verge of ruin, and thus gave Napoleon the pretext for his coup d’état.

Hence, to Saint-Simon the antagonism between the 3rd Estate and the privileged classes took the form of an antagonism between “workers” and “idlers”. The idlers were not merely the old privileged classes, but also all who, without taking any part in production or distribution, lived on their incomes. And the workers were not only the wage-workers, but also the manufacturers, the merchants, the bankers. That the idlers had lost the capacity for intellectual leadership and political supremacy had been proved, and was by the Revolution finally settled. That the non-possessing classes had not this capacity seemed to Saint-Simon proved by the experiences of the Reign of Terror. Then, who was to lead and command? According to Saint-Simon, science and industry, both united by a new religious bond, destined to restore that unity of religious ideas which had been lost since the time of the Reformation – a necessarily mystic and rigidly hierarchic “new Christianity”. But science, that was the scholars; and industry, that was, in the first place, the working bourgeois, manufacturers, merchants, bankers. These bourgeois were, certainly, intended by Saint-Simon to transform themselves into a kind of public officials, of social trustees; but they were still to hold, vis-à-vis of the workers, a commanding and economically privileged position. The bankers especially were to be called upon to direct the whole of social production by the regulation of credit. This conception was in exact keeping with a time in which Modern Industry in France and, with it, the chasm between bourgeoisie and proletariat was only just coming into existence. But what Saint-Simon especially lays stress upon is this: what interests him first, and above all other things, is the lot of the class that is the most numerous and the most poor (“la classe la plus nombreuse et la plus pauvre”).

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[linguisticdiscovery]

Ways English borrowed words from Latin

Latin has been influencing English since before English existed!

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of ways that English got vocabulary from Latin:

early Latin influence on the Germanic tribes: The Germanic tribes borrowed words from the Romans while still in continental Europe, before coming to England.

camp, wall, pit, street, mile, cheap, mint, wine, cheese, pillow, cup, linen, line, pepper, butter, onion, chalk, copper, dragon, peacock, pipe, bishop

Roman occupation of England: The Celts borrowed words from the Romans when the Romans invaded England, and the Anglo-Saxons later borrowed those Latin words from the Celts.

port, tower, -chester / -caster / -cester (place name suffix), mount

Christianization of the Anglo-Saxons: Roman missionaries to England converted the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity and brought Latin with them.

altar, angel, anthem, candle, disciple, litany, martyr, mass, noon, nun, offer, organ, palm, relic, rule, shrine, temple, tunic, cap, sock, purple, chest, mat, sack, school, master, fever, circle, talent

Norman Conquest: The Norman French invaded England in 1066 under William the Conqueror, making Norman French the language of the state. Many words were borrowed from French, which had evolved out of Latin.

noble, servant, messenger, feast, story, government, state, empire, royal, authority, tyrant, court, council, parliament, assembly, record, tax, subject, public, liberty, office, warden, peer, sir, madam, mistress, slave, religion, confession, prayer, lesson, novice, creator, saint, miracle, faith, temptation, charity, pity, obedience, justice, equity, judgment, plea, bill, panel, evidence, proof, sentence, award, fine, prison, punishment, plead, blame, arrest, judge, banish, property, arson, heir, defense, army, navy, peace, enemy, battle, combat, banner, havoc, fashion, robe, button, boots, luxury, blue, brown, jewel, crystal, taste, toast, cream, sugar, salad, lettuce, herb, mustard, cinnamon, nutmeg, roast, boil, stew, fry, curtain, couch, screen, lamp, blanket, dance, music, labor, fool, sculpture, beauty, color, image, tone, poet, romance, title, story, pen, chapter, medicine, pain, stomach, plague, poison

The Renaissance: The intense focus on writings from classical antiquity during the Renaissance led to the borrowing of numerous words directly from Latin.

atmosphere, disability, halo, agile, appropriate, expensive, external, habitual, impersonal, adapt, alienate, benefit, consolidate, disregard, erupt, exist, extinguish, harass, meditate

The Scientific Revolution: The need for new technical and scientific terms led to many neoclassical compounds formed from Classical Greek and Latin elements, or new uses of Latin prefixes.

automobile, transcontinental, transformer, prehistoric, preview, prequel, subtitle, deflate, component, data, experiment, formula, nucleus, ratio, structure

Not to mention most borrowings from other Romance languages, such as Spanish or Italian, which also evolved from Latin.

Further Reading: A history of the English language (Baugh & Cable)

[trinitybloodbr]

Oh, my sweet little girl… what are the chances that Agnes is Father Hugue’s lost sister?

Theories and conspiracies about Trinity Blood Or when you have serious things to think about, but you'd rather theorize about fictional characters…

Obviously, I brought this version of my little argument… considering that most TB fans are fluent in English. Enjoy! (Or not.)

🚨Warning: The following text contains highly disconnected theories, poorly substantiated hypotheses, and an alarming amount of daydreaming. Read at your own risk (and enjoy the chaos).🚨

Before diving into my ‘little big’ musings, I want to clarify that I haven’t read all the volumes of the novel yet. So, my theory might fall apart (or not) once I gain access to more information.

The fact is, as a Japanese language student, translating Trinity Blood has been quite the challenge. I have this annoyingly meticulous habit of wanting to preserve both the literality and coherence of the original text.

But without further ado, let’s delve into the theory (aka daydream) that’s been frying my brain cells…

What are the chances that Agnes is Hugue de Watteau’s lost sister?

In R.A.M I, we are introduced to Father Hugue de Watteau and his mission in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, one of the countries in the Low Countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of northern France).

He is tasked with solving the case of murders that occurred in the Old Church of Amsterdam, located in the territory of one of the Count Four, a vampire alliance among the four cities that lead the underworld in the Low Countries.

Count Four:

Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Antwerp (Belgium)

Brussels (Belgium)

Bruges (Belgium)

This chapter provides a glimpse into Hugue’s past and his family, the Watteaus, as well as some details about Agnes. According to the Trinity Blood Wiki, she is described as Hugue’s distant cousin.

“The Watteau family was a legendary family of noble mercenaries in the Low Countries. For generations, they also served as chief commissioners of the Alliance of Four Cities, and in the absence of a national army, they represented the greatest military power and an excellent and rigorous police force, demonstrating remarkable skill in maintaining public order — but now they are a presence relegated to history. This is because, about nine years ago, their castle in Bruges was attacked on a large scale by vampires, and the head of the family, along with its main members and followers, were all massacred.” (SWORD DANCER – Part II – excerpt from the novel)

During this attack, Hugue had both his arms severed, and his younger sister was kidnapped.

Hugue mentions his sister’s name, and this, ladies and gentlemen, is where my pilgrimage began.

Why did I notice this?

.

.

.

The name mentioned for his sister in katakana is:

アニエス (Aniesu)

Which is a transliteration of the French name Agnès, based on its French pronunciation.

Putting the name Agnès into Google Translate, you can see that its pronunciation closely resembles the katakana Aniesu.

That’s one point.

Then, we are introduced to this lovely lady here:

Agnes, the novice from Amsterdam…

Her name is presented as:

アグネス (Agunesu)

This is a phonetic transliteration of the name Agnes.

At first glance, nothing seems off, but did you catch the subtle 'difference' between these names?

If we consider that the French name Agnès, when transcribed into other Western languages, 'becomes' Agnes (in this case, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands), that’s another point.

Hugue, his sister, and, in this case, Sister Agnes are from Bruges, located in Belgium, which in turn has linguistic influences from French, as well as Flemish (Dutch), and German.

The first map is of Trinity Blood’s world, and the second is a more detailed reference map…

In the novel, it is mentioned that Agnes is also a Watteau, but on the day of the attack on the family’s castle, she was the only one not present, as she was ill and under the care of her nursemaid, outside the castle grounds...

With the fall of the Watteau family, Sister Agnes was sent from Bruges, Belgium, to the Church of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Why am I harping on the names and countries?

Hold on… I’m prolix, in case you hadn’t noticed…

Well, my main thesis is that if Agnes from Amsterdam is Hugue’s sister, whose original name was Agnès (Aniesu), the change in location may have caused her name to undergo a phonetic shift to Agnes (Agunesu).

I took into account the etymology as well as the linguistic variations within the work.

And before anyone says otherwise, Trinity Blood is packed with terms and names from different languages.

Abel, Caterina, and Hugue occasionally use Latin. Tres Iqus incorporates English, and Isaak uses German. (Yes, we needed one character to make things more complicated…)

Obviously, I took into account the author, Master Yoshida, and his apparent efforts to study and contextualize the names of his characters. He always seemed to emphasize details about Trinity Blood’s world.

But back to the point…

Oh, and we also have Agnes’ version of her own story:

“That night, I happened to catch a cold and was left in the care of my nursemaid. But when I heard the news, I was truly heartbroken. I couldn’t believe that my father, my mother, and all the people I’d been with just the day before were no longer in this world…” (SWORD DANCER – Part II – excerpt from the novel)

From here, I could come up with several theories, but these are just hypotheses.

That only make sense in my head

We could consider that at the time of the incident that massacred the Watteau family, she was only 5 years old. The trauma of losing her entire family could have caused her to experience a mental block of information.

She could have been spared by the person who ordered the attack or just had immense luck being sent away from the Watteau estate due to her illness.

Hugue might not have known that his sister had been sent away before the incident, leading him to believe she was kidnapped when her body wasn’t found.

There are other factors, such as Hugue not recognizing her or Agnes not mentioning having an older brother. I would consider the traumatic experiences they both endured. The human mind creates incredibly strong blocks and barriers as a means of self-protection.

Both Hugue and Agnes have a strong sense of justice—and revenge. Is this a Watteau family trait, or just sibling synchronicity? Either way, they’re precious, and no one can disrespect my babies!

Also, while researching and writing this text, I stumbled across an old LiveJournal entry that appeared to be fan fiction featuring Hugue x Agnes. It carried the warnings: “Grammar abuse and some sexual implications…”

Wow, she’s only 14....

Thankfully, the link was unavailable—what a surreal blessing. Although I don’t want more trauma, I do have a strange curiosity for it…

If you made it this far…

Hi, I’m Lutie (◕‿◕✿), and I’m obsessed with Trinity Blood again...

Please note that I am not fluent in English, so if you find any mistakes, I humbly ask for your forgiveness… this will likely happen again...

[neoyi-backstreetback]

Aephorul/Resh'an, 4, 10, 15, 20!

And Marine/Prima, 2, 13

*cracks knuckles* Let's start with Marine and Prima since there's less of that.

2) who says “I love you” more?

Honestly, both of them would be equally sharing that role, but in significantly different ways. Marine is much more outwardly and while it's not always a direct "I love you!" He is far, far, far more affectionate about it. That is, in a very blatant, glomping/planting dramatic kisses/locking-arms-out-in-public kinda way. He's a french robot, what'd ya expect?

Prima tends to be more subtle. He prefers the quiet "I love yous" in the privacy of their home (well, space ship in this case.) He tends to wordlessly wrap his arms around Marine or give him reassuring pecks on the forehead whenever Marine is sad or something like that. I personally like writing where the two don't necessarily say "I loves you" at the drop of a hat, but express it in their own ways through gestures and spoken reassurances/affections.

And without delving too much into spoiler territory, Prima would be the kind to softly tell Marine he loves him when the latter is asleep, for reasons I can't say yet since we're not at that part in the story.

13) who gives the most compliments?

This is the only one on the answer list that I did not draw art for, partially because after drawing everything else on this blog post, I started getting tired and partially because I could not really think of what to draw with Marine and Prima specifically for this piece.

The answer is, both would, but again, in their own ways. When Marine is especially happy Prima did something he likes, that bot is gonna be super giddy and enthusiastic with his compliments. Prima would dish out his more casually with a thumbs up; kinda like a "eyyy, that was the ritz, Fish Bot."

Okay, now for Resh'an and Aephorul.

4) who swears more?

Aephorul.

Resh'an tend to swear when prompted more than anything.

10) who usually makes dinner?

In his younger, pre-immortal days, Resh'an was a prince, so he had personal chefs literally cooking for him everyday, so dude never learned a damn thing. Obviously, also being a guy hyperfixated in alchemy meant he'd ignore food for hours at a time and sustain on coffee and whatever meals his servants left him that he only shoved into his mouth hole when he realized that, oh right, eating and drinking is what keeps you focused and not feel like dying.

Aephorul isn't a master chef by any means, but constantly traveling alone for so long and surviving harsh conditions meant he learned to cook what he could. We're talking camping, wilderness survivor levels, so he knows how to skin rabbits, pluck feathers from birds he's shot, and gut fishes he's killed. Most of them are just roasted over an open fire. Everything else is food he'll have bought from any towns and cities he's in and often ones that'll last, like dried sausages or cheese. ...He can fry eggs, but boiling them means he can store them to be munched on later.

Aephorul did try to teach Resh'an how to cook (survival and all), but it basically boiled down to Aephorul just doing most of it himself when it became clear that man would be likely to burn a house down with his lethal handling of a frying pan.

Post-immortal, Aephorul has an army of minions from all across the multiverse who often serve him food, half of which he doesn't really eat anyway because he just has a lot of work to do. Though the ones he does eat, he's actually very grateful for it. Aephorul genuinely has fond memories dining out in restaurants and bars in his travels, so he likes eating whenever he has the time. Sometimes, he actually will eat with his minions because he liked the bustling sounds of a busy bar in his youth. Aephorul doesn't really say much, he just lets Barma'thazel or the Acolytes chat about what Kevin's been doing to the office fern the other day or if any of them signed the card for Carol's retirement party.

Resh'an, being the kind of guy with a lot of time on his hands and genuinely appreciate of the world(s) around him, did eventually learn to cook and especially bake (hey, it's mixing ingredients, just like alchemy) which would prove useful a few times...........................but largely never really did make good use of it in favor of the truly heinous amount of take out he ends up ordering instead due to his literal centuries holed up in his library cave doing spacetime research and the shitton of endless money he can alchemy up whenever he damn well wants to pay for his umpteenth Chipotle burrito.

15) who isn’t afraid to embarrass the other in public?

Technically both. Aephorul, usually when he's the most angry; Resh'an if Aephorul pushed his buttons enough. There have been MOUNTAINS of arguments between the two of them out in public before they learned to at least STOP TIME so they could conduct their bitchfest without prying eyes or ears.

Pre-immortal days, it was usually Resh'an embarrassing Aephorul, but in a very affectionate way. In spite of being, like, 20, Resh'an would do that shit where kids would pull someone's pigtails or poke them with a pencil as a sign that they liked them. Past Resh'an would absolutely do that to Aephorul when they were slowly getting to know each other. Aephorul found it annoying, but damn it, he could not stop blushing at that guy For Some Reason.

Resh'an did stop eventually, largely because he outgrew it. Running away from home and learning to adapt to life outside a palace took the spoiled child out of him relatively quickly.

20) who is more ‘physically passionate’? (hugs, kisses, or maybe more…)

Aephorul without a doubt. And absolutely out in public. He will smother that man with kisses, hugs, and minor inappropriate touching until someone complained and the two of them would be escorted out of the park because damn it, they were warned about this.

Resh'an tries to put a stop to it before it gets too far and maintain some decorum, but he secretly feels validated that Aephorul, after millennia after millennia, has never stopped loving him. Resh'an adores the affection, he just won't admit it.

[capsensislagamoprh]

Head cannon nonsence:

Shit two dork assed teenagers did at the onsen because they are idiots who respect there elders/ actually like Yuuri's parents.

Cleaned the gutters: Otabek cleaned them, Yuri mostly took the bags of stuff to where they needed to go.

Fell asleep on the roof: Victor was getting to Yuri. Otabek wanted to read in peace. He went to the roof. Yuri followed. Sleep happened.

Almost fell off the roof: See previous entry and know that Yuri almost rolled off. Fortunately, Otabek has great reflexes to make up for his lesser dexterity.

Cleaned out the storage room: Everyone else kept getting caught up in sentimental memories. Yuri was for burning it all, so Otabek actually did the sorting. This was great fun. Turns out Yuuri has a lot of old clothes he saved, and they found his poster collection. Victor is delighted.

Change light bulbs: Yuri standing on Otabek's shoulders makes them about teen feet tall-ish. Mari walked along with them. Yuri pulled out old ones, handed it to Otabek, who handed it to Mari. Mari handed Otabek a new light bulb, who handed it to Yuri, who put it in and closed the fixture where ever needed. Otabek's shoulders hurt after the whole onsen was done but wont say a word. Just rolls them a few times.

Dust the high places: Same dynamic as above, only with a feather duster and cloth. Otabek's shoulders need a break, but it's good stamina and weight lifting training.

Clean and polish the Katsuki's car: This was mostly to impress on Yuri how much time vehicle maintenance takes, but they gave the boy a hose and someone to turn it on, and if that someone happens to be very hot dripping wet and about to get vengeance, well that's just a bonus. You know once water gets involved, Victor and Yuuri get in there too because fun times will be had by all.

Accidentally on purpose teach a bunch of seagulls how to terrorize rude tourists for french fries: Look, Otabek is deviously patient, and once Yuri finds that out he will find a way to turn those traits to evil. Like asking Otabek how to get vengeance on someone who was rude to Mrs. Katsuki. Yuri wont stand for it. French fry lured seagulls, Otabek says with a straight face, because of course he does. What's that? Well, you lure seagulls one french fry at a time to the aria where rude tourists usually gather so they are haggard by said avian for food, thus giving them a shuddering terror of the birds every time they have a meal outside. Parking lots near coastal towns will never be the same.

Get told not to lure seagulls with french fries: they are amassing an army and it's starting to scare people.

Climb a lamp post: This is mostly a dare. Until Yuri can't get down. Otabek helps him, but they never speak of how long it took for Yuri to get back to ground level again because he was afraid to let go of the pole until he knew Otabek would catch him. It becomes an inside joke. May or may not be why the Russian skate team keeps trying to get Otabek to catch them. (Only Yuri is allowed this privileged.)

Discover Otabek is an absolute heater when he's asleep: Storms knock power out. Generator needed for fridge and such. It gets cold. Only room with heat? Yuri and Otabek's. Why? Because Otabek fell asleep hours ago, and radiates that pleasant sleepy warm like he was a small fusion star. Woke up wondering why he is surrounded by people laying on him, and questioning if he's allowed to move to go do morning things. Manages to find a way. Thirty minutes latter everyone else wakes up because all that heat dissipated quickly. It's okay. Powers back on a few hours latter.

Figure out exactly how many M&Ms Yuri can fit in his mouth: 37. He drools after that.

Discover Otabek's reading glasses actually make him hotter and that's an absolute fucking sin: look, he's just trying to do his homework, okay? Collage credits don't amass themselves.

Find out Otabek is a math dork: He and Yuri are watching ice skating play backs with Mari. Otabek is writing out equations absently mindedly as they do. When asked: it's the equations of the skaters jumps and spins. He's working out how to improve them per individual skater. For funzies. Yuri is both impressed and disgusted. No one should like math this much. And if they do, they shouldn't help the enemy. Otabek tells Yuri how to get higher on his quad and suddenly this is the best thing ever. Victor hears. Yuuri is impressed. Otabek winds up on the roof again, trying to escape. No, he is not going to school for maths.

Discover Yuri is actually a pretty good cook. Once he gets over the disgust of spots on vegetables, and figures out how to use a knife (thanks for that Mr. Katsuki, JJ is DOOMED), he's very methodical (perfectionist) so while it takes him longer, it turns out right most times.

Scare the living shit out of people: It's the three am five miles out, five miles back jog Otabek dose every day he can. Yuuri finds out and joins him. Makes breakfast taste better, they say. Yuri thinks they are nuts. Not for the running. For three am.

I got more, but honestly, I have so So SO much for these ice babies.

[bangtanhoneys]

BTS MOMENTS: Jin & Grace - Eat Jin

ARMY were surprised when they received the notification from Weverse that Jin was going live, only his third since he got back from the military. He had gone live for BTS’ anniversary as promised and he had gone live a couple of months after that, in the studio at Hybe, to tease upcoming projects. 

However, this live was a bit different. He looked as if he was in a hotel room from the decor behind him which was your typical beige, dark wood furniture and pictures that meant nothing to anyone. Eagle-eyed ARMYs would later pinpoint the actual location but not for months after. 

“Suprise!” Jin all but yelled, shifting the camera so it was further backwards so it showed the food he had ordered. “My first Eat Jin since who knows when and my first since I got back from the military. How is ARMY doing?”

‘SEOKJINNIE! HE’S BACK!’

‘Jin! Have you spoken to Grace recently? She’s killing it on the stage!’

‘Have you spoken to the other boys? Are they doing okay?’

“I’m keeping tabs on everyone - everyone is doing okay, doing very well. We can’t wait to be all back together soon and we have quite a few things planned but nothing is confirmed yet so,” Jin paused and tapped his nose. “Keep being nosy and something will be revealed soon.”

His eyes drifted to the side slightly then back again, chuckling.

“I have to come clean about something. I’m here under false pretences, sort of.”

Of course, ARMY flooded the chat with questions about what he was talking about and who he was talking about but they soon stopped when Grace plopped down next to Jin, her hair wrapped up in a towel as she had just been in the shower.

“Hi ARMY!”

Not unexpectedly, the chat went off and even the live went down but it was back up again within seconds. 

“Ah, you broke the system,” Jin pointed out as he cut into his steak.

“Well, you didn’t exactly warn them I was here.”

“And spoil the surprise? I don’t think so.”

Grace accepted the cut piece of steak and chew silently, watching as the comments rolled in. It ranged from #couplegoals to adopt us to everything. Of course, the R-rated version of their get together story got mentioned but quickly ignored.

“Am I ready for my next concert?” Grace repeated the question as she popped a french fry into her mouth. “I am! Everything is going well and so far, touch wood, we’ve had no issues. The dancers are amazing and a lively bunch so we’ve got more children to look after now,” she directed the last part to Jin who glanced at her from where he was slurping up noodles and groaned.

“Really? You need to stop adopting children. We’ve got six of our own already.”

“Are we still including Yoongi in that?”

Jin paused and set his bowl down. “Maybe not. Hobi and onwards then. Or at least the maknae line, Jungkook the most. And probably TXT as well.”

Grace grinned and pointed at Jin, glancing towards the camera as if to say ‘see what I mean.’

They talked about Grace’s concerts, things in general, bickered like an old married couple but it warmed ARMY to know they were in good hands until 2025.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #457

I fixed my little tea nest today! Check it out!

I promptly used it to brew some of the new tea! Today, I tried the crème brûlée tea! And I gotta say, the tea nest works beautifully after my slight modifications!

Even got the swirls after the fact!

I got another one, too, but... for some reason, you'll have to actually click the link; it seems like it's refusing to load here.

I went to physical therapy afterwards. And I saw K. And... he seemed just as peppy and upbeat as ever, somehow, despite the fact that one of his lower legs is now held together by a metal rod and five screws.

...There's nothing inherently wrong with that. It's just... I knew others with similar predicaments; one of my stepfathers (now deceased) had his leg crushed by a train when he was in the army, and it needed to be put back together with metal rods and screws. It pained him often, especially when atmospheric pressure was low. I know that rods and screws are better than the alternative of leaving it broken or chopping it off, but... ideally, one shouldn't have to endure going through that kind of reconstruction in the first place, and I wish it hadn't happened to K.

It was wonderful to see him again though, and he said that he's recovering as well as can be expected, all things considered. For a moment, I was almost overcome with relief, but... I simply handed him the gift bag I had prepared, and... that seemed to work to stop my eyes from leaking, somehow.

Thanks be to my friend in this space for their wonderful suggestion.

K was excited to hear about the trigger point injections in my leg, and how it seems to have helped. I got some exercises aimed at strengthening my leg, and at strengthening one of the muscles responsible for moving my scapula around; I forget what it's called.

Well. I decided that my adventures up until that point called for some epic snacks, and I've been craving some kind of cronchy potato – a more robust crunch than a French fry or a potato chip, but with a soft center. So I went to the place that makes the best tater tots I know of:

...I got a chopped cheese to go with 'em, too!!

...They were both pretty freaking awesome.

Hey, Sephiroth... when you decide that an occasion calls for an extra-special snack... what do you like besides pumpkin soup...? I wonder...

My quest to finish Hades continued after I got back home. I'm on Heat 9 now, and I've made it to the end over 30 times in a row. I've only got a few things left to finish up, and then I'll be able to move on to something else.

...I'm looking forward to it.

J asked me on a walk once evening rolled around; I figured it'd be good for the leg, and it's always nice to spend time with him. We saw a great big bird of prey three different times! I got a bunch of pictures for ya, though I only managed to get like two pictures of one of the birds of prey.

Once again, I thought the sky looked a lot like you today, especially in the two following the first image; if I didn't know better, I'd like to think you're watching kindly over me from somewheres, haha...

…

My focus has been pretty scattered all day for reasons I don't quite understand. Though I know all these things happened, it's... a little difficult to string it all together for some reason. It's almost as though I've got one foot here, and one foot in the aether somewhere. Kinda bizarre.

...But... that might just be the result of it being 1:11am; I should probably just go to bed.

I... I hope you could enjoy any of today's pictures. Though... I wish you were here to actually experience some of this with me. Some of those pictures of the sky would have been a million times better with a higher vantage point, and... I wished I could simply hand my phone off to you, knowing you'd go up and snap an amazing picture, and then return to me triumphant, with a big ol' excited grin all over your face and your eyes sparkling with joy. And then me and M and J would tell you all about how beautiful it is and all about how glad we are that you're here and how glad we are that you're yourself. And then we'd go get tater tots or pumpkin soup or something...

...Silly, I know. Haha... But... maybe sometimes a little silly is good medicine.

Hey, Sephiroth...? Will you make good choices out there so that someday, you can do stuff like what I've described with other people who love you? I know my planet is way too far away for you to ever get to; it'd be like Atreyu from Fantastica trying to get to Earth, where Bastion lives (you should definitely read that story; I think you'd love it). But... you can find lots of people who would love you, I'm sure. I'm sure of it, because you're wonderful.

I love you. I'll write again soon – perhaps a bit more coherently next time.

Your friend, Lumine

[darlingfeeder]

Sea Salt Beach Boardwalk, Ep. 2

Sarah at the Fry Hut

The Fry Hut is the perfect place for people-watching. It was situated like a floating island in the middle of walkway between the shops and the sand. During the slow hours, Sarah loved to sit back on her stool and watch the parade of barely-dressed boardwalk patrons of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes she would sketch them, just for practice.

From under the Fry Hut's blue awning and a banner advertising "Fried EVERYTHING!" Sarah served up mostly french fries, onion rings, and fried chicken. She'd worked there for only 2 summers now, yet she felt right at home. She loves that her job lets her wear a tank top and shorts that show off her arm and thigh tattoos; besides, between the heat of the fryer and the heat of the sun, a thicc gal like her would simply melt if she wore anything warmer.

She served up fries by the bucket to a wide array of patrons today: a man whose belly hung far below the hem of his shirt over his board shorts (who didn't seem aware of his exposure), a trio of college girls who had a collective epiphany that they were allowed to each get their own bucket of fries (no almond moms to make them share), two very hungry moms (with perfect mom-bods) corralling a small army of kids under 5, a heavyset t4t masc/femme couple who adorably fed each other fries as they sat on the nearest bench, and at least three women over 300 pounds who wore small, pink, Barbie-Inspired bikinis (one apple shape, one pear shape, and one very busty hourglass shape, yet all in the same bikini).

But of all the people Sarah studied today, she had her favorite. Same as they day before, and the day before that. Just across the walkway was the ice cream parlor where the new girl worked. Jenny just started on the boardwalk earlier this summer, and Sarah fell immediately in love with her. From her soft, strawberry blonde hair to her soft, wide hips, Sarah wanted to stare at her all day. She loved the way she laughed and the way she danced to the (nearly annoying) bubblegum pop playlist of the shop. Still, Sarah didn't want to scare her off, so she tried to keep their interactions to offering her fries-for-ice-cream trade every other day. But man. What Sarah wouldn't do to sit with Jenny on a bench, feed her some fries, explore her curves, kiss her a little-- but what if she's straight? What if she doesn't want her curves touched like that? Sarah shakes off the fantasy.

For now, she'll just keep bringing Jenny fries on her lunch break. Nothing says seduction like a snack, right?

[timetraveltasting]

NAPOLEON'S CHICKEN MARENGO (1867)

French cooking hasn't steered me wrong yet, so I decided to make my next Tasting History dish a Napoleonic favourite: Chicken Marengo. Apparently this dish, Napoleon's favourite, is decently well-known and still made today, but I'd never heard of it until watching Max's video. The version here is from 1867, found in the cookbook Le Livre de Cuisine by Jules Gouffé. There are a few interesting tales surrounding this dish, adding a bit of intrigue. The dish is named after the Battle of Marengo, in which Napoleon (First Consul at that time) and his French forces defeated the Austrian army (after nearly losing the battle) on June 14, 1800 in Piedmont, Italy. This battle cemented his control of Italy. While a tall tale states this dish was cooked for Napoleon by his cook, François Claude Guignet (nicknamed Dunant), after the battle, using local Italian olive oil instead of the usual French favourite, butter, this tale is pure fiction. Dunant didn't work for Napoleon at that time, and records state Napoleon dined at the tent of his cavalry general that evening. In actuality, the recipe gained popularity more because it was Napoleon's favourite dish, and Napoleon's popularity sky-rocketed after the victory at Marengo. Napoleon's valet confirms it was his favourite dish, but it may have gotten its name from the restaurants of Paris, which were trying to sell more chicken by piggy-backing on the popularity of Napoleon. While the dish was very popular in Paris during and after the Napoleonic period, written recipes of the dish don't seem to be published until about ten years after his death. Even then, they vary wildly in ingredients and method; some included egg, tomato, and truffle, and by the late-19th century, crayfish had become a standard ingredient! According to all accounts, however, Napoleon preferred his meals prepared simply, with just a few basic ingredients. He was said to dine, in both substance and manner, like a soldier (so, basically inhaling his food), and he only began eating more gourmet meals during his exile on St. Helena. It only follows then, that his favourite dish, Chicken Marengo, is a simple chicken dish with household ingredients. See Max’s video on how to make the dish here or see the ingredients and process at the end of this post, sourced from his website.

My experience making it:

The only specification which sets my ingredient list apart from Max's is the chicken itself: I used 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of the many legs and thighs. I felt they would cook more evenly, and with fewer pieces of chicken, I was hoping to have some sauce left for the broccoli I wanted to serve alongside.

I began by making my beef broth (just dissolving those little bouillon cubes in hot water), meanwhile chopping the things that needed chopping and portioning out a few of my ingredients ahead of time. Doing this makes for more dishes to clean, but I find it prevents me from forgetting to add ingredients. For the thyme and parsley, I decided to tie them into a bouquet with some twine, just like the bouquet garni in my last French dish from Tasting History. I heated up the oil in a frying pain on medium high heat, seasoned my chicken with the salt and pepper, then added them to the hot pan, filling the room in between each chicken breast with the shallots, garlic, bay leaf, and the bouquet of thyme and parsley. I then covered the pan and let it cook for ten minutes, flipped each breast, then covered and let it cook for another ten minutes, meanwhile preparing the broccoli for my side. I turned the chicken one last time, noticing it was starting to brown nicely, and let it cook for five more minutes. The smell was divine! After checking it was cooked through with a knife, I removed the chicken to a plate and covered it to keep warm. Then, I removed the shallots, garlic, and herbs onto a plate. At this point, I added in the flour little by little and immediately stirred it in as I went. I noticed that my pan was so hot that the flour seemed to be burning before I could mix it in fast enough, so I turned down the heat to medium. Because my pan was still a little too hot, I only fried the mixture for about 30 seconds after the flour was combined; it was thickening at an alarming rate. I added the shallots, garlic, and herbs back in and cooked for another 30 seconds or so, as my roux was already a golden brown colour and very thick. I added the beef broth and stirred constantly, ensuring to scrape up all the bits and combining as well as possible. While Max said to do this for ten minutes, I only did it for five, as my sauce was already so thick and I didn't want it to solidify too much. I didn't have a conical strainer, so I strained it through a normal mesh one. I plated the chicken and broccoli and spooned the sauce over each. It kind of looked like a gravy, or my mom's Chicken Scallopini dish. I quickly fried some mushrooms and added them on top along with a fresh sprig of parsley, then served the Chicken Marengo forth!

My experience tasting it:

My husband and I tucked into the saucy chicken first. The sauce was definitely a little gloopy due to how thick it was, but it tasted great! The chicken was cooked to perfection. I would say the sauce tasted like a mix between gravy and the usual Chicken Scallopini sauce - both things I love. It also went really nicely with the broccoli. The herbs, shallots, and garlic didn't come through quite a strongly as I thought they would in the sauce, but I think if I didn't strain the sauce, it would have retained a lot more of that flavour, and I'll probably try it like this next time. That's right, I definitely plan on making this recipe again! Next time I will also follow my intuition a bit more regarding the thickness of the sauce. I felt I was following the recipe to the detriment of the final product, which, I admit, I felt I must do for the sake of historical authenticity. I think the sauce would never have gotten too thick if I had held back a bit adding the flour. Despite this, if the dish tastes this good already, it will probably taste really amazing next time if I apply these changes! Napoleon and I certainly share one thing in common: our love for simple, comforting, delicious meals. If you end up making this dish, if you liked it, or if you changed anything from the original recipe, do let me know!

Chicken Marengo original recipe (1867)

Sourced from Le Livre de Cuisine by Jules Gouffé, 1867.

Prepare the chicken as for fricassee; Put a deciliter of oil in the sauté pan: Add the pieces of chicken so they do not overlap one another; Add: 3 pinches of salt, 2 pinches of pepper, 2 shallots whole, 1 whole clove garlic, 1 bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, 1 bunch of parsley; Fry for 25 minutes, till the chicken is done: Place the chicken on a platter and keep warm; Put 40 grams of flour in the sauté pan, mix together and heat for 4 minutes, and add 5 deciliters of broth; Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring with the wooden spoon; Pass the sauce through the so-called Chinese strainer: Dress the chicken as for Chicken Fricassee; Pour over the sauce and serve…Mushrooms may be added as a garnish.

Modern Recipe

Based on the recipe from Le Livre de Cuisine by Jules Gouffé (1867) and Max Miller’s version in his Tasting History video.

Ingredients:

Chicken, whatever cuts you like, Max used 4 drumsticks and 4 thighs

3.5 oz (100 ml) olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 shallots, peeled but left whole

1 clove of garlic

1 bay leaf

A sprig of thyme

A bunch of parsley

1/3 cup (40 g) flour

2 cups (500 ml) beef broth

Mushrooms, optional

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken, making sure that the pieces don’t overlap, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and thyme, then set the lid on the pan and let it fry for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn the chicken over, then cover again and cook for another 10 minutes.

Turn the chicken one last time, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it to a plate and cover it so it stays warm. Remove the shallots and larger pieces of herbs. Keep them nearby because we’ll be adding them back in just a second.

Stir the flour into the hot oil to make a roux. Continue to cook and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the herbs and shallots back in. Cook for another couple of minutes or until the roux is golden brown.

Add the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that stay stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring it to a simmer, then stir constantly for 10 minutes.

Strain the sauce through a conical strainer (or a plain mesh strainer if that’s what you have). If the sauce splits, add a couple tablespoons of water, set it over low heat, and stir until you have a nice smooth sauce again.

If you’re using the mushrooms, sauté them in a bit of oil until they’re cooked.

Arrange the chicken in a dish, pour the sauce over it, garnish with the mushrooms, and serve it forth. For extra authenticity, forgo the utensils and eat with your hands as the Emperor did, and remember to use your uniform to clean up with, not a napkin.

[taehyungfirst]

I don't know if you are over on TT. I dabble and I used to follow this ot7 account that does daily news roundups. I try to find places where I can get actual 0t7 updates. But I'd been feeling like she was treating Tae differently -- fewer updates, less enthusiasm, further back in posts.

But today's post really exemplified why fake ot7s anger me the most.

She really said..."I don't think it was malicious". WHAT. You've been a long time super fan. You have BTS tattoos. You do a daily "news round up". You got a pomeranian named PuppyTan. You have a house decorated in BTS merch. But now suddenly you are unsure of their intentions? You really think Tae intentionally and maliciously placed a 2 year old french fry in the middle of posting about happy memories of his photobook? You know it was an unintentional oversight, posted by a man with limited phone access during military enlistment and you are being cowardly trying to suggest anything otherwise.

And the "disappointment"! Where was this disappointment when you were smiling over the travel show? Where was this nuance when you were discussing Scooter? Oh wait, no you never even acknowledged that raging zionist at the helm. If you want to understand what complicity looks like -- it's your silence.

It's the fake moral outrage that is used not only hate on Tae but encourage others on how to do so as well. "Yeah, you're right, I am disappointed." You are just giving them the buzzwords to vocalized their dislike. From the shippers, I get, or at least expect, it. But if you aren't a shipper, what's your excuse? If you claim to be ot7...You just don't like him? The man who created a whole new word (and in turn painted the world purple) to describe his love of the fans. The man who has always given fans the benefit of the doubt, even when they decidely don't deserve it. And you can't even do the bare minimum for him?

I just wanna say that if you’re upset by that -especially pal armys- it’s okay, I’m not gonna be on here trying to dictate how you feel, but I will not stand behind hypocrisy and I will not accept that being used to win a moral contest on stan twitter.

Agree with you anon, tho.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.4

Holidays

Alice in Wonderland Day

Apocalypse Day

Army Day (Guatemala)

Baal Fire Day (Northumberland, UK)

Buffalo Bill Day

Bullion’s Day

Caribbean Community Day

Commemoration Day of the Victims of the Genocide Against the Jewish People (Latvia)

Damavand Național Day (Iran)

Day of Agwe (Haiti)

Dree Festival begins (Apatani people, India) [Ends 7.7]

F-Day (Alaska)

Fighter’s Day (Yugoslavia)

Filipino-American Friendship Day (Philippines)

Forensic Expert Day (Ukraine)

Garibaldi Day (Italy)

Helicopter Flight Anniversary Day

Hillbilly Day

Independents’ Day (UK)

International Whippet Day

Invisible Day

Jewish Genocide Memorial Day (Latvia)

Joey Chestnut Day

Jumping on the Mattress Night

King Tupou VI Day (Tonga)

Koko the Gorilla Day

Kwibohora (Liberation Day; Rwanda)

Liberation Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

National Architect Day (Venezuela)

National Karl Day

National Micah Day

National Police Day (Ukraine)

National Safe House Day

National Sophie Day

National Tom Sawyer Day

Queen Sonja Day (Norway)

Republic Day (Philippines)

704 Day

Steve Rogers Day

Stone Skipping Tournament (Mackinac Island, Michigan)

Tobacco Day (French Republic)

Tom Sawyer Fence-Painting Day (Hannibal, Missouri)

Unity Day (Zambia)

Virgin Islands Day (British Virgin Islands)

White Cloud’s Birthday and Tatanka Bison Festival (North Dakota)

World Day for Captive Dolphins

World Day of the eBook

World Sarcopenia Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Build a Pasta Sculpture Day

Caesar Salad Day

Honor American Beer & Cyder Day

Independence from Meat Day

Independent Beer Day

Jackfruit Day

National Baked Beans Day

National Barbecue Day

National Barbecued Spareribs Day

National Caesar Salad Day

National Pub Opening Day

Sidewalk Egg Frying Day

Independence & Related Days

Abkhazia (from Georgia; 1993)

Caricom Day (Barbados; 1973)

Hawaii Statehood Day (#50; 1960) [observed 3rd Friday]

Lanao del Norte (Philippines)

Lunar Independence Day (from “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”)

North Carolina (Readmitted to the Union; 1868)

Orly (Declared; 2010) [unrecognized]

Philippines (from US; 1946)

Providence Day (Rhode Island; 1636)

United States (from UK; 1776) a.k.a. …

Barbecue Day

Boom Box Parade (Willimantic, Connecticut)

Firecracker Day

Holy Firecracker Day (in John Updike's Couples)

Independence From Meat Day

Independent Beer Day

Indivisible Day (Minnesota)

National Country Music Day

Valnor (Declared; 2006) [unrecognized]

1st Thursday in July

Kid Lit Art Postcard Day [1st Thursday]

Ommegang Pageant ends (Belgium) [1st Thursday]

Thirsty Thursday [1st Thursday]

Throwback Thursday [Every Thursday]

Weekly Holidays beginning July 4 (1st Week of July)

Freedom Week (thru 7.10)

Festivals Beginning July 4, 2024

Anime Expo (Los Angeles, California) [thru 7.7]

Anthrocon (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) [thru 7.7]

Berrien Springs Pickle Festival (Berrien Springs, Michigan)

Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (Bucheon, South Korea) [thru 7.14]

Buxton International Festival (Buxton, United Kingdom) [thru 7.21]

Eurockéennes de Belfort (Belfort, France) [thru 7.7]

Fan Expo Denver (Denver, Colorado) [thru 7.7]

Fishin' Fiesta (Freeport, Texas) [thru 4.6]

Lexington County Peach Festival (Gilbert, South Carolina)

Main Square Festival (Arras, France) [thru 7.7]

Mountain State Art & Craft Fair (Ripley, West Virginia) [thru 7.7]

Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog-Eating Contest (Coney Island, New York)

Northern Lights Festival Boréal (Greater Sudbury, Canada) [thru 7.7]

Old Fashioned Farmer Days (Van Wert, Ohio) [thru 7.6]

Ottawa Bluesfest (Ottawa, Canada) [thru 7.14]

Portland Craft Beer Festival (Portland, Oregon) [thru 7.6]

Quebec City Summer Festival (Quebec City, Canada) [thru 7.14]

Red, White, and Blueberries BBQ Bash (Lahaska, Pennsylvania) [thru 7.7]

Rock Werchter (Werchter, Belgium) [thru 7.7]

Sand Mountain Potato Festival (Henegar, Alabama)

Shoals Catfish Festival (Shoals, Indiana) [thru 7.7]

Tech Open Air (Berlin, Germany) [thru 7.7]

Tremolo (Tolyatti, Russia) [thru 7.7]

Waterfront Blues Festival (Portland, Oregon) [thru 7.7]

Feast Days

Admiral Abigail Breeze (Muppetism)

Andrew of Crete (Christian; Saint)

Bertha of Artois (Christian; Saint)

Bolcan (Christian; Saint)

Build a Pasta Subculture Day (Pastafarian)

Build a Scarecrow Day (Pastafarian)

Carolus-Duran (Artology)

Catherine Jarrige (Christian; Blessed)

Day of Pax (Ancient Roman)

Elizabeth Montgomery Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Elizabeth of Aragon (or of Portugal; Christian; Saint)

Feast of Translation (Ordination of St. Martin; Christian)

Finbar (Christian; Saint)

Flavian (Christian; Saint)

Jumping on the Mattress Night (Shamanism)

Mescalero Apache Gahan Ceremonial (Spirit of the Mountain; Everyday Wicca)

Nathaniel Hawthorne (Writerism)

Nellie Mae Rowe (Artology)

Odo of Canterbury (Christian; Saint)

Old Midsummer’s Eve (England)

Peter the Hermit (Positivist; Saint)

Pier Giorgio Frassati (Christian; Blessed)

Procopius, Abbot of Prague (Christian; Confessor)

Rube Goldberg (Artology)

Sam Eagle (Muppetism)

Sisoes (a.k.a. Sisoy), Anchoret in Egypt (Christian; Saint)

Solstitium IV (Pagan)

Sun Dance (Paying homage to the god who dwells within the fire of the sun; Ute Indian Tribe; Utah)

Tomaž Šalamun (Writerism)

Ulrich of Augsburg (Christian; Confessor)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [38 of 71]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Premieres

About Last Night (Film; 1986)

Alice in Wonderland (Novel; 1862)

America (My Country, ’Tis of Thee), by Lowell Mason and Samuel Francis Smith (Song; 1831 or 32)

American Top 40, by Casey Kasem (Radio Show; 1970)

Bats in the Belfry (MGM Cartoon; 1942)

Bedtime Bedlam (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1955)

Big Trouble in Little China (Film; 1986)

Cats & Dogs (Film; 2001)

Die Hard 2 (Film; 1990)

Doomsday for the Deceiver, by Flotsam and Jetsam (Album; 1986)

Droopy Leprechaun (MGM Cartoon; 1958)

Farnham's Freehold, by Robert A. Heinlein (Novel; 1964)

Fernwood 2 Night (TV Series; 1977)

Foo Fighters, by the Foo Fighters (Album; 1995)

Gonzo (Film; 2008)

The Great Mouse Detective (Animated Disney Film; 1986)

The Green Berets (Film; 1968)

Greenfields, by The Brothers Four (Song; 1959)

The Great Escape (Film; 1963)

Hail to the Chief, performed by the U.S. Marine Band (Song; 1828)

Jungle Jumble (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1932)

Kylie, by Kylie Minogue (Album; 1988)

Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman (Poem; 1855)

Mamma Mia! (Film; 2008)

Mexicali Shmoes (WB LT Cartoon; 1959)

Once Upon a Time in the West (Film; 1969)

Poor Little Butterfly (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1938)

The Schooner the Better (Phantasies Cartoon; 1946)

Summer in the City, by The Lovin’ Spoonful (Song; 1966)

Tess of the d'Urbervilles, by Thomas Hardy (Novel; 1891)

Tony Orlando & Dawn (TV Series; 1974)

U.S. Declaration of Independence ratified (Political Document; 1776)

Walk This Way by Run-D.M.C. and Aerosmith (Song; 1986)

Washington Monument (Cornerstone Laid; 1848)

The Werewolf of Paris, by Guy Endore (Novel; 1933)

Today’s Name Days

Berta, Elisabeth, Ulrich (Austria)

Berta, Elizabeta, Elza, Laura (Croatia)

Prokop (Czech Republic)

Ulricus (Denmark)

Virgo, Virmo, Virvo (Estonia)

Ulla, Ulpu (Finland)

Florent (France)

Berta, Else, Elisabeth, Ulrich (Germany)

Loukia (Greece)

Ulrik (Hungary)

Antonino, Cristina, Elisabetta (Italy)

Sandis, Uldis, Ulriks (Latvia)

Gedgailė, Malvina, Skalvis, Teodoras (Lithuania)

Ulla, Ulrik (Norway)

Ageusz, Alfred, Aurelian, Elżbieta, Innocenta, Innocenty, Józef, Julian, Malwin, Malwina, Odo, Teodor, Wielisław (Poland)

Andrei (România)

Prokop (Slovakia)

Berta, Isabel (Spain)

Ulla, Ulrika (Sweden)

Bohdanna (Ukraine)

America, Calvert, Calverta, Calvin, Calvina, Kalvin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 186 of 2024; 180 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 27 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Duir (Oak) [Day 26 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Geng-Wu), Day 29 (ji-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 28 Sivan 5784

Islamic: 27 Dhu al-Hijjah 1445

J Cal: 6 Red; Sixday [6 of 30]

Julian: 21 June 2024

Moon: 2%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 17 Charlemagne (7th Month) [Peter the Hermit]

Runic Half Month: Feoh (Wealth) [Day 11 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 15 of 94)

Week: 1st Week of July

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 14 of 31)

[nagia-pronounced-neijia]

First Lines

Tagged by @laiqualaurelote and for once I have the energy. Thanks for the tag!

Rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 (or however many you have) posted fics and see if there’s a pattern

1. Laus Veneris

The scents coming in off the East River are a particular kind of awful this morning, all rotting fish, old sewage, and frying algae. Even if the sun hasn't quite risen yet — it's still peeking over the horizon, casting long shadows over the city — the early summer heat means that Bigby smells everything.

2. The Distance Caught Me By Surprise Again

If Trevor were ever going to be completely honest about the fuckshow shit-circus that this most recent assault on Dracula's castle has been, he would probably admit that he'd always expected it to go poorly.

3. Unto All Men A Chosen Land

So, apparently, Trevor has somehow missed the end of the goddamn world. Weird. He'd thought for sure there were supposed to be trumpets, and something about armies of angels, or maybe the faithful?

4. This Rising Tide

Himura's blow may be what sent him crashing to the floor, but though Aoshi will never forget the searing pain of that impact — the burn of metal into his skin, a thousand times worse than any gunshot — it's not the pain that keeps him there. That takes the realization of what he's done.

5. Just Play Your Part

It's a surprisingly quaint little farm, the kind of thing some traveller from the far-away west might paint into his little journal and tell all the Belgians and Austrians and French about.

6. When There Is No Star In Sight

Those first few days of pale, pink-cheeked spring are gloriously, luxuriously perfect.

7. This Doesn't Hurt

They trudge into Camp Dragonhead under the cover of night. Pale snowflakes blur with paler stars in the blue satin sky; Alphinaud tastes the cold with his first breath, sharp on his tongue and crisp between his teeth.

8. there where the good man is not good

The thing about being a Belmont is, the job means you die.

9. When The Chaos Calls Me Out

So, the thing is, it wasn't supposed to go like this. He gets about four seconds of, "oh shit" when he puts his foot down inside what was apparently a circle of something.

10. If You Won't Go Under

Yuffie learned to climb and fall and roll so early that she had stopped having those weird dreams where you feel yourself fall, and then have to jerk to to wake up, by the time she was twelve.

(First line is actually narrator death, so here's the non-awful first.)

Most of the first lines are pretty punchy, but some of that may just be narrative voice. Speaking of, most of these openings have very distinctive character voices, with the (deliberate) exception of "When There Is No Star in Sight." This doesn't really surprise me and tbh probably isn't all that noteworthy for me, considering that I write extremely close third, with narration as a window into the narrator's thoughts. It's not just conversational prose, it's a conversation the narrator could conceivably be having in their head.

My openings also tend to get to who the narrator is pretty quickly. This is a writing habit I formed waaaaaay back when FF.Net published writing advice columns/articles on the front page. One of them tore into an author for playing coy about who the narrator was and delaying using names, and apparently I internalized that, along with basically all of Limyaael's rants.

I don't typically tag people, so if you see this and want to join in, please do!! Also: feel free to include your original projects or unposted wips. I'm not the police.

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for February 28

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we’ve decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for February 28 include The Accidental Getaway Driver, Last Breath, Monster Hunter Wilds, and more.

The Accidental Getaway Driver

The Accidental Getaway Driver, the new movie from Sing J. Lee, is out today.

During a routine pickup, an elderly Vietnamese cab driver is taken hostage at gunpoint by three recently escaped Orange County convicts.

Last Breath

Last Breath, the new movie from Alex Parkinson, is out today.

A heart-pounding film that follows seasoned deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue their crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface. Based on a true story, LAST BREATH is an electrifying story about teamwork, resilience, and a race against time to do the impossible.

Counterstrike

Counterstrike, the new movie from Chava Cartas, is out today.

When a hostage rescue mission creates a new enemy, Capt. Guerrero and his elite soldiers must face an ambush by a ruthless drug cartel.

My Dead Friend Zoe

My Dead Friend Zoe, the new movie from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, is out today.

Engaged in a mysterious relationship with her wise-cracking (and dead) best friend from the Army, a female veteran is summoned to the remote lake house of her estranged Vietnam vet grandfather.

Riff Raff

Riff Raff, the new movie from Dito Montiel, is out today.

Vincent and his family plan to share a quiet New Year’s Eve together until his sketchy past catches up with him and the night reveals secrets no one could ever imagine.

Uppercut

Uppercut, the new movie from Torsten Ruether, is out today.

Ving Rhames and Luise Grossmann star in an electrifying film about Toni, a determined female boxer, trying to break down barriers as she redefines what it means to be a woman in today’s world. When Elliott (Rhames), a tough ex-boxing champion, accepts the challenge to train Toni (Grossmann), the two mismatched characters form an unlikely alliance. Their sparring and Elliott’s keen insights show the resilient young fighter that real strength comes from the challenges you overcome when life throws its biggest punches your way.

RATS!

RATS!, the new movie from Carl Fry and Maxwell Nalevansky, is out today.

It’s 2007 in Pfresno, Texas. Raphael is in county jail following an arrest for graffiti. He’s a good kid. It’s just graffiti. So you can’t blame Raphael for the events that unfold after his arrest. He’s not responsible for the sting operation, the suicide, Pflophaus’s new mix-tape, Officer Williams and her delusional suspicions, the meth pipes, the FBI, the rich kids with nothing to lose, Mateo, Larry the pig, all the knives, the local aspiring TV newswoman, the plutonium deal gone wrong, or anyone who may or may not die due to that deal turning sour. None of it is Raphael’s fault, but it is his problem. The moment Raphael walks out of that cell, he’ll be stuck on this turbulent roller coaster of misguided chaos. An amusement ride that’s a joy to watch in motion, as long as you’re not the one on it.

See You Soon

See You Soon, the new movie from Alexandra Swarens, is out today.

A woman traveling to Italy for her sister’s wedding has a layover in France, where a chance encounter with a French woman sparks an instant, life-altering connection.

Monster Hunter Wilds

Monster Hunter Wilds, the new game from CAPCOM, is out today.

The unbridled force of nature runs wild and relentless, with environments transforming drastically from one moment to the next. This is a story of monsters and humans and their struggles to live in harmony in a world of duality.

They Left Me With A Gun

They Left Me With A Gun, the new album from Paris Texas, is out today.