#if you like Dune you should give the first book a try

[eulaliasims]

People I'd Like to Get to Know Better meme

Thank you for the tag, @tipsypixel-sims! :)

Last song: The Kicker - Xana

Favorite color: Pink. Or black. Or green, or… (I wear a lot of black, but like cups/bedding/etc that's pink. And green is just a nice color.)

Last movie: …I have no idea. It might be Dune Part II.

Last book: Last book finished? "The Monster Baru Cormorant". Currently I'm reading "The Tyrant Baru Cormorant", Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra biography, and Shari Franke's autobiography.

Sweet/spicy/savory: Usually sweet, right now savory.

Last googled DuckDuckGo'd: "sims 2 skittlebox". My elaborate way of trying to find a lip set I remembered and wanted to redownload was to go find the default I once had that used it, find a replacement for the dead link, then finally get to the actual lip set. (The set is Zombiejill's Lovesong, fyi.)

Current obsession: my game I guess, lol. Most recent obsession was Breath of the Wild, but I don't have a good hyperfixation going at the moment besides TS2.

No tags today because I really don't know who's just done this lately and don't want to be annoying. :') I think it started going around just before I burst out of hiatus. Next time, promise!

[levirgil420]

Actors and Actors (Timothée Chalamet x GN reader fluff)

Request: Yes

Pairing: Platonic Timothée Chalamet x GN reader fluff

Synopsys: You and Timothée are doing the 'Actors on Actors' interview

Tw: Nothing pure fluff

Note: I wrote it for a friend and I hope you will like it! There is a bit of French in this fic but don't worry the translation is at the end :)

“Here?” you said while pointed to one of the empty chairs.

    The assistant nodded and you sat down, followed by the one and only Timothée Chalamet, your partner for Variety Fair’s famous video ‘Actors on Actors’. When he was finally well-seated, he looked at you and took the nervous smile on your face and the fidgeting of your fingers.

“Hey, everything will be fine, I mean, I know that I am handsome, but I don’t bite.” He said with a cheeky smile, trying to calm your nervous mind. It worked with the laugh you let out at his comment, and you were grateful for his gesture to ease your mind.

   

To say that you were on edge is an understatement, you were so anxious for today. It was your first time filming a big video like ‘Actors on Actors’ and for a big company like Variety Fair. As a French actor, you got a pretty important role in the movie “The Fall Guy” directed by David Leitch and it was one of the best moments of your career. You had a really good time with everyone on the set and being able to play with so many incredible actors was amazing. With the movie’s good appreciations, Variety have chosen and paired you with Timothée Chalamet after his spectacular performance in “Dune part II” and maybe because the two of you can speak French.

“I hope that you don’t because it was not the plan of filming a horror movie.” You said trying to match his playfulness.

Timothée shrugged with an upside-down smile, and you chuckled back before the interviewer told you that the filming was starting. Both of you readjust your posture in the chairs and you give yourself a small prep talk.

“So, first of all, congratulation on both of your movie, you two gave us amazing acting.”

“Thank you, but we really should congrats more Timothée for his role of Paul Atreides because it was breathtaking!”

“I know right.” He said with a small smirk

“Oh yeah, I mean, how you play this character, the accuracy with the book, everything! I saw this movie so many times with how much it impacted me, and I wanted to see all the small details that I could have missed. I know that we already talked a little bit about it but does the character of Paul Atreides affected you like he affected the audience?”

You asked him with stars in your eyes. As a lover of the book series, you couldn’t help but gush about it. Timothée took a bit of time to think about it and seeing your excitement made him smile.

“Of course, it was inevitable. Paul is a very complex character to play and engage with. A lot happened to him in the book with his sudden change of scenery in the second part of the first book, I needed to grasp his new attitude and his way of thinking. I am thankful for the help of Denis and his knowledge of the universe; it really helped me understand the character and I know that a part of Paul will always be in me.”

You snort at the way he phrased it and Timothée sends you a wink with a knowing smile while the people around you rolled their eyes playfully or hidden their laugh.

“We always take a small or a big part of the character that we play. For now, and forever, I’ll always sing when their chocolate.” You chuckled.

“Mais maintenant parlons un peu plus de toi* !” You nod, understanding him. “It was your first international movie, right? How did you find it? Saw a lot of difference between French movies?”

 “Le fait qu’il n’y ait aucune baguette au petit-déjeuner, j’ai dû m’adapté…**” You said, faking a tear, while he grins when he saw the look of pure confusion on the face of the filming director.

“To be more serious, it was a wonderful first experience, yes there was differences and at first, I was so scared of doing something the wrong way or saying lines in French, but David quickly reassured me and told me how he liked to work with the actor. Also, my character was a lot on screen with Winston Duke’s so we bound pretty quicky and he gave me a lot of tips that I cherished for next movies. Overhaul, everyone was cool when I made small mistakes, I really appreciate the time on the set, and I saw Ryan Gosling for real, so a win is a win.”

Timothée nodded his head at your answer, and you continue to question and laugh at what the other says. You talked about your different roles, things that inspired both of you and the different countries you went to for a set, cracking jokes between everything and talking with the people around you to share experience. The vibe was chill and you felt yourself not as anxious as before, everything went smoothly. Until…

“QUOI? TU VAS TE COUPER LES CHEVEUX ???***” You said with disbelief, wide eyes looking at the other actor and now friend.

“For a role yes and I need to grow a mustache.” He shrugs again, not seeing the heart breaking look you did.

You throw yourself at the ground, joining your hands together “praying”.

“R.I.P your long curly brown hair…You will be missed”

Timothée laughs loudly at the sight in front of him before showing his face in his hand, joining you fake misery. Grinning, you stood up and dusted your jeans before seating back on your chair.

“A bit dramatic don’t you think huh? It’s just hair.”

“Timmy, it’s the internet.”

He shook his head with a smile, and you raised your hands, shrugging back at him.

“Don’t tell me that I was right when you’ll do the reveal.”

    After this funny moment, the both of you answered some questions left about your career, next projects and about anything else, still laughing at silly jokes and arguing on what is the best French dish. You ended the shooting with agreeing on the Raclette with a handshake and you said again your appreciation.

    You and Timothée left the set and went to the dressing room to change and prepare for the famous ‘Actors on Actors’ shooting photo.

With the vibe of the filming still in the air between the two of you, it was a bit difficult to pose seriously and again laughers filled the room at both of your antics and silliness with the goofiest pose you could ever make together.

Finally, after taking an acceptable shot for Variety, you two leave the place and saw that it was dark outside.

“Man, I’m beat…is it always this exhausting?”

“Yup.”

You groaned and he patted your back affectionally.

“It was your first time; you’ll be used to it don’t worry and you did good. I had an amazing time with you."

You smile gratefully at his side, but you stop when you hear your stomach rumble which made Timothée grin.

“I know a place that make good thing if you’re hungry.”

“Lead the way then!”

----------------------------------------------------------

Translation:

*But now, let's talk about you!

**The fact that there were no baguettes during Breakfast...I got used to it

***WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO CUT YOUR HAIR???

----------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much for reading this, I really hope that you liked it! :)

Sorry again for my grammar errors, English is not my first language :)

[fredswrite]

Hiiii it's me🦅 I've been trying to find some Minho fics so you're my savior!! To the point, I was wondering if you're able to do a small Minho imagine where she was Sonya's best friend and the reunited?

If not it's COMPLETELY ok!! 🦅🙏🏼

Thank you bby 🤍🤍

A/N: Love this 🦅! Sonya is literally my wife and Minho is my husband so this is perfect. This happened in the second books but doesn’t really follow how it happened because I read the book so long ago.

WC: 2.8k

SUMMARY: You have spend the last weeks with the girls of group B, forgetting about the maze until you meet them again. Reader is supposed to attack them but she loves Minho to much to do so.

WARNING: Use of knife, death!threat, a bit of angst, Minho being honest and Thomas being astonished.

masterlist

REUNITED

After you finally succeed in escaping the Maze, you were taken away from your friends with Teresa. You were both completely lost until you met the other girls. They told you about the mission they had, which soon became yours as well. To kill Thomas.

They were all unsure if it was the right thing to do, they didn’t know the boy like you did. When you tried to think back of the maze, all you could remember was the nights spent with Minho laughing after your long days of running.

Yes, there was Teresa, but she was fighting her own thoughts to make sure this was the only thing occurring in her mind. When she stopped her telepathic link with him she stopped talking with everyone, including you. She wanted more than anyone his death, which was kind of confusing after you saw their bond back then.

The others were still debating if they would truly kill him, after all, they didn’t know if he was the evil person they thought he was.

You didn’t know what to do or think about it. He used to be your friend, but Gally used to be too before he killed Chuck.

You missed all your friends too, Newt, Thomas, Frypan, Winston, but one in particular, Minho.

"We’ll meet them soon, I feel it." Sonya told you one night when your thoughts were fixated on this, but not on Thomas, on Minho once again.

He was your best friend if not more. The way he would play in your hair during the bonfire nights and how he loved to run to your side in the maze were the thoughts that could make you find sleep. He wasn’t a demonstrative person, so when he made those small attentions to you, it was occurring in your minds for the next days.

The hammocks that were used as beds were the same ones that were used in the maze. Sometimes it made you consider if you never truly escaped WICKED and this was all kind of their game. But when you look at the many dunes of sand, you easily forget these thoughts.

You all stayed together in the same shelter, weapons for each one of them, in case of crank emergency or any other situation where you would need to defend yourself. You had a small knife you could easily hide if you needed to.

"Sonya what if they had to kill us like we have to kill him." You asked her, scared that Minho could have something to do in this situation.

"It’s about Thomas." She responded, knowing the deeper meaning of her words.

You would only nod, not convinced as you should be. The worry filled you days and nights, trying to find a way to forget about it.

Teresa, though, didn’t forget about it. She wanted to make sure everything she was told to do was done. There was something she wasn’t telling them, something else than her mission.

One morning, Sonya woke her up earlier than supposed, an uneasy smile expression on her face. "Y/n, they’re here."

You didn’t need to be told twice and you stood up from your hammock, grabbing the knife from under it. Straight away, you saw all the girls standing still, waiting for Teresa to give the signal. When she saw you, a weird look covered her face.

"Let me do the talking." She said and you didn’t thought anything about it at first, you were too focused on seeing them again.

Carefully, everyone took positions behind her, you to her side. You walked silently until you saw them. The boys you spent more then two years with.

The other Gladers noticed right after you did, and soon everyone had stopped to gawk at you and Teresa. As she marched toward them, her hands gripping that weapon, her face hard as stone. She looked ready to start stabbing the first thing that moved.

Thomas took a step forward, not really sure what he planned to do. But then more movement stopped him.

On both sides of Teresa, he noticed the girls appearing. They seemed to come from nowhere. He turned to look behind him. They were surrounded, by at least twenty girls.

You stared at him, wanting to run to hold him. But the look Teresa gave you saying "don’t ruin everything," made you back off. The task, right.

You all held weapons, varying knives, swords and jagged machetes. Several of the girls had bows and arrows, their tips already aimed at them. You could feel the slice of fear in Thomas. He couldn’t figure out why you both looked ready to harm the first one to speak.

They were all here unless three more people you didn’t recognize and Winston was gone. An older looking man with brownish skin, a girl with short black hair and a skinny boy with blonde hair that looked dehydrated.

Her thoughts were cut short when Teresa stopped about thirty feet away from the Galders. The girls did the same, forming a full circle around them. Thomas twisted again to see the girls, blades held out in front. He knew those arrows could fly and find a home inside someone's chest easily.

Minho spoke first. "What's this crap about, Teresa? Nice way to greet your long-lost buddies."

He looked like the only one to not notice you were here as well until he looked around like Thomas did. He saw you, your y/h/c hair and those eyes he could get abandoned inside. He trusted you deeply and seeing your weapon armed toward him, he felt betrayed after seeing you for so long.

"Y/n what’s happening."

You both didn't answer the question, and a dreadful silence swept across the group. Teresa walked toward them, and stopped about ten feet from where Minho and Newt stood side by side.

"Teresa?" Newt questioned. "What the bloody—"

"Shut up," she said without snapping or yelling it. She said it calmly and with assurance, which only made it that much more fearful for Thomas. "And any of you makes a move, the bows start shooting."

Minho looked at you, seeing the silence you expressed. You looked back at him, trying to say something but you couldn’t.

You and Sonya stepped closer to Teresa holding your blades. "Y/n." Minho said again his voice filled with calm, but at the same time he felt anger filling his veins.

"Shut up." Teresa said again, her spear closer to the boy’s throat.

"Teresa what’s-"

She reared back and swung the back of her spear at him, hitting it into his right cheek. A outburst of pain shot through his skull and his neck; he crushed to his knees, a hand to his face where she'd hit him.

"I said shut up." You reached down and grabbed him by the shirt until he stood once again.

Teresa repositioned her hands on the pole, and pointed it at him. "Is your name Thomas?" Confusion could be read in his face as she questioned who he was. You tried to stay calm, but you didn’t thought she would go this far.

"You know who I am, he looked at you, Y/n you do know right?"

You were about to speak, but Teresa cut you in your way by hitting Thomas in the stomach once more, but this time he keep standing.

"I used to, I’m going to ask you one more is your name Thomas?" Her voice no longer had the calming effect on him, he was glancing at her breathing heavily by the punch she just made.

"Yes!" He yelled back, "My name is Thomas!"

Just as he said those things, she dragged him out of the Gladers, as he followed with difficulty.

"You're coming with us," she called out. "Thomas. Come on. Remember, anyone tries something, the arrows fly."

"No way!" Minho yelled. "You're not taking him anywhere."

You were alone with the boys in the middle of the circle, since Teresa grabbed him away being half-conscious.

They looked at you while Thomas disappeared of their side. Minho was the first to talk. He looked so different, but somehow he was still the same. His hairs were wet with sweat and he changed his usual blue running shirt for a black compressive one. You could have hug him, having your happy ever after ending. But in that circumstance you were a total stranger to all of them.

"Bring the bag," Teresa said from above.

In his vision, Thomas saw two girls walking toward him, their weapons hidden away somewhere.

One of them Hariett, stepped closer to him, the brown bag ready to cover him. They stopped two feet from him; he got back to his hands and knees, scared to do anything more for fear of getting hit again.

"We're taking him with us!" Teresa yelled. "If anybody follows, I'll hit him again and we'll start shooting you. We won't really bother aiming. Just let the arrows fly any old way they feel like."

As you were about to turn away and join them back, she spoke up to you. "And y/n will stay with you, so don’t try anything." She threw you her spear and you aimed at the Gladers.

Was it a good thing? Maybe that way you could see them again, but you were only seen as the enemy, not their friend anymore.

"Teresa!" Minho's voice. "You catch the Flare that quickly? Your mind's obviously gone already."

She hit Thomas in the head this time and put the bag over him immediately. "I warn you, someone want to say something more?"

Nothing.

In the middle of the scorch, no sound could be heard except from the wind crashing into the sand and the moans of Thomas.

"Good." And they left Sonya gave you a sad smile, before they were out of your sight once more.

"What the fuck." The girl with short hair said, showing her fist to your nose, which you easily dodged.

"I-" You started, but Minho cut you off.

"What in the klunk happened to you?" All the love you two shared was gone, he saw you as a traitor who backstabbed his friend.

"We had to do this Minho, I promise you they said it was the only way we could save things." You tried to explain, but even in your own words, this sounded weird.

"To be killed by group B." Newt quoted the line written on his friend's neck, "For all I know, you aren’t from group B," He added.

They could have killed you easily, which made you think that maybe Teresa made you stay with them so you would get killed. During the past few days, she no longer felt anything that concerned you.

"You changed so much." Frypan let out, looking up and down at you and your weapon. Knife in one hand and spear in the other.

"So you’re going to kill Thomas?" The girl you didn’t know spoke again, and you could tell how deeply she cared for him.

Somehow that made you realize something, it made you come back to your true self, there was no way you would kill Thomas by giving WICKED what they wanted. It all made sense now Teresa was behind all this.

"I won’t. Sonya and Harriet won’t let this happen."

"What’s that supposed to mean? Teresa seemed quite sure she would kill him.« Minho said, crossing his arms.

"We’ll go in the wood, hide for the next day and meet them again. Sonya is smart enough to know what she’s supposed to do."

"What do you mean we." She spoke up.

"Do you want to save him or not?"

When the night had come, you couldn’t find sleep. The Gladers didn’t seem to trust you enough, they all kept a guard turn, to make sure you wouldn’t try anything. Which was understandable considering the things you did earlier.

It was Minho’s night shift when he spotted you, your back pinned against a tree. "Can’t sleep?" He asked you, and that reminded you of all your times spent together.

"I’m sorry Minho, I didn’t know what-"

He cut you off pressing his hand in his hair, which gave you a weird sensation in your stomach you weren’t used to.

"It’s fine." When he said something was fine, it was because it wasn’t. "I don’t know your side of the story, but being with all those girls probably made you feel like them."

"We got told we would save things if we killed Thomas, but now that I’m looking at it, it just seems so wrong. Teresa was really looking forward to doing it, so I thought it was the right thing to do."

He nodded and stood up before sitting back to your side, pinning his back to the tree as well.

"I understand, Thomas can be a real ass sometimes." He chuckled and just the sound of his laughter made your smile come back. He always hid behind sarcasm, but right now you could feel him be honest with you. He was letting his heart to you.

"Brenda really like Thomas doesn’t she?" You asked, finally knowing her name. You already knew the answer but you wanted to know the deeper story.

"Yeah, they got locked somewhere once and got drugged by some shanks. I saved them, of course, but I could tell something happened before I arrived."

He said playing with his dragger at the same time. You looked at it, noticing it was the same one he kept on him when running.

"Is that your knife from the maze?" You question turning your head to look back at him, knowing he probably missed running or was relieved he didn’t have to anymore.

"Yeah, I always keep it with me." He shrugged before pulling it back into his pocket where its place was designed. "It’s stupid."

"Hey, it’s not stupid." You said, grabbing his hand to keep him from hiding it. "I still have this." You showed him the random piece of wood Chuck sculpted for you. You and Thomas were his two best friends, went he was murdered he gave you both one.

Thinking about him always made your tears come back. You knew Gally was strung, but somehow his actions still hurt you. Every time you closed your eyes, you could see his death over and over again.

Minho closed your hand that held the sculptur, closing it with his. He looked up at you, his eyes were staring at yours, filled with worry. He was never good to comfort people, but this was difficult.

The boy noticed your wet cheeks, pressing his hand over your cheeks to wipe the tears away. "Don’t cry, I hate to see you cry." He murmured in a quiet tone, which reminded you why you loved him this much.

He stayed like that for a long moment, fixated on your eyes, your lips and every facial feature he liked deeply. His thumb started rubbing against your skin, millions of fireworks exploding on your face. You felt hypnotized by him and his touch.

"I really missed you y/n." The same damn voice, driving you insanely in love. He was everything you wanted, everything you needed. He was Minho.

"Me too." Was all you could respond, when you felt your skin burning, wanting more than just a simple touch. Your throat could have fallen to the ground if you didn’t remain composed.

"Can I kiss you?" It was a simple question, one that you never thought he would ask. It took you by surprise, but instead of replying, your lips met his in a slow and passionate dance.

It was everything you could think of right now. You were kissing Minho. The boy for who you hid your feelings for what seemed like an eternity. Your kiss expressed the admiration you had for one another.

He grabbed you by your neck, dragging your body closer to his passionately. His tongue asked for entry, which you gave at the same moment. He touched you everywhere he could, from your head to your hips, holding you close to him as if there was no tomorrow.

You smiled through the kiss as you explored his body at your turn. He let out a high-pitched sound when you grabbed his hair firmly. His back straightened to your touch as you felt his muscles tightening.

You were in heaven for the rest of the night, forgetting about all your problems. All you cared to think of was Minho beneath your arms, his lips connected to yours.

You could have easily told him you loved him right now, but he wouldn’t let your lips away except to breathe.

"You don’t know how long I waited for this." He said as he pinned you to the ground.

[balalaijka]

books read in 2024, with notes

Problém tří těles (The Three Body Problem), Liou Cch'-sin

loved it, beautiful suspense, the video game aspect was very cool, felt that the last section where we see the trisolarans’ perspective makes it better thematically but weakens the dread that was so prevalent otherwise

Arabian Nights, transl. Haddawy

delightful, had some extremely raunchy parts that i wasn’t expecting, honestly it’s fascinating to see the convergence of so many literary impulses side by side

Červotoč (Carcoma), Layla Martínez

a shorter weird horror about cycles of trauma in three generations of women in a house with skeletons both metaphorical and literal within its walls

Kluci ze hřbitova (Cemetery Boys), Aiden Thomas

the plot was a bit predictable but the romance was sweet and yes, i did cry at the end a bit

Děti duny (Children of Dune), Frank Herbert

honestly i think herbert really struck gold with his writing of sibling relationships, the contrast of alia and paul’s dooms and leto ii and ghanima’s adventures were the highlight here

Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

for a “problematic novel” i felt that nabokov does an excellent job of reminding us of hh’s monstrosity even if it is told directly through his pov, loved the literary references from edgar allan poe to carmen—always elegant but with the edge of almost satirizing intellectualism itself

The Argonauts, Maggie Nelson

honestly a perfect book to read even when you’re feeling burnt out—the nonlinear and rambling style makes it very interesting to read without taxing you too much, and the discussions of queerness and sexuality and art were throughly enjoyable

Entangled Life, Merlin Sheldrake

love this chaotic mess of a man, who’ll tell you about the chemical structures and scientific methods on one page and then describe taking lsd and brazenly admitting to apple theft on the next

The Wounded Sky, Diane Duane

as a fan of duane’s young wizards series, this is a fascinating window into the transition from her star trek novels to original writing, the banter is infectious, the alien characters delightful and the scifi jargon jargoning

EDIT: the lovely Ms. Duane herself clarified that the original fiction came first, my bad!

Binti: Home, Nnedi Okorafor

as a fan of the first book who felt that more time was needed to explore binti’s trauma, this book gives that narrative its space, and also delivers an honestly heartbreaking story about returning home but it’s not home not really because you changed but you love it but did it love you or did it only tolerate you when you fit its ideas of who you should be? the line “you used to be such a beautiful girl” made me bawl

The Devourers, Indra Das

the simple version of the summary is “iwtv but werewolves in mughal (?) era india,” it does fall into the trap of trying to make things edgy by indulging in game of thrones-style “grit”, but at the same time its a dream-like exploration of legacy and queerness

Wild Seed, Octavia Butler

a reread technically, but still holds up, butler does not hold back when it comes to fucked up power dynamics and the implications of having powers tied to genetics, anyanwu and doro remain some of the most fascinating depictions of immortals

Mind of My Mind, Octavia Butler

a shorter and more transitional work, i feel there could have been more detailing of the patternist society but on the other hand we see doro get his just desserts and it is amazing after all the shit he pulled in wild seed

Clay’s Ark, Octavia Butler

butler’s attempt at writing a horror slasher?

Bluets, Maggie Nelson

dreamy and indulgent, i generally just really love how nelson mixes up intellectualism and horniness like a cocktail and makes it amazing

Vicious, V.E. Schwab

amazingly paced with wonderful asshole characters, featuring a found family that probably shouldn’t have found each other and unapologetic vengeful sentiments

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

if you can ignore the voice in your head chanting “i would have done a better job hiding the books than montag,” this is an honestly life-changing examination of the importance of literacy??? the montag and beatty argument made me start annotating like i was in ap lit again

The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

stories so bright and vivid you’ll be mad that movies purporting to be “realistic depictions of medieval times” are always gray and misery-filled

When We Cease to Understand the World (Un Verdor Terrible), Benjamín Labatut

while the “prussian blue” chapter remains my favorite, the whole thing is a really good examination of the tangle of scientific progress and human atrocities, though the titular chapter did drag on and verge more on “melodramatic biopic” territory rather than the dry menippean satire that the rest of the book is

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: March 2024

……….FILM……….

Dune: Part Two (2024) Every piece of technology felt and looked so tangible. The baby worm too! Love the tactile nature of this whole production and I hope studios take note that CG can't be the only tool in your belt. So much bigger than I imagined and just enjoyed the whole thing.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) Ages surprisingly well and a script that lets the main quartet be both funny and layered.

……….TELEVISION……….

Columbo (1.01 to 1.03) Hey I'm starting Columbo! Love that each episode is feature-length and Columbo appears fully formed right out of the gate. The sets and costumes are all so glamorous and L.A. Very excited to keep going.

Succession (2.05 to 3.04) The Kendall play at the end of season 2 felt very much like the Kendall play at the end of season 1 and while I'm still a huge fan of this series, I just hope it's not the same going into season 3 and 4.

Delicious in Dungeon (Episode 1.09 to 1.13) Great adaptation that isn't just a straight recreation of the artwork in the manga. The more kinetic/frantic moments in the animation are a nice departure and while they don't pop up in each episode, now that I'm 13 eps deep I can appreciate how they're sprinkled throughout.

Love is Blind (Episode 6.02 to 6.13) It still amazes me that anyone goes on reality tv.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Twilight | ContraPoints by ContraPoints Yes I did watch a nearly 3-hour essay on Twilight, sexual expression, and all that comes with that. And you should too. VIDEO

Instagram fatigue and the rise of 'Resentment Reels' by Taylor Lorenz While I haven't noticed this specific phenomenon, I have noticed Instagram declining as an app (both as a user trying to see anything other than ads, and a creator trying to get my work seen in between those ads). It's a bummer. VIDEO

Saltburn: The Tumblr-ification of Cinema by Broey Deschanel Every since I saw Saltburn, I've been thinking about what wasn't quite sitting right with me. This unlocked a lot of what I couldn't describe and most of it stems from the writer/director's upper class upbringing. Saltburn isn't a "take down the rich" movie, it's a horror story from the perspective of a wealthy family. VIDEO

Why Is It So Hard To Cross The Street? (& What You Can Do To Help) by Strong Towns Accidents where drivers hit a pedestrian are going up in my area so this really hit home. And for those feeling like there's nothing you can do at ground level, consider taking their course (not a paid sponsorship I'm just in real support of community-lead initiatives). VIDEO

……….READING……….

Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock (Complete) After picking up the last book in this series (which I've yet to read) I figured I'd start at the beginning. Love the fast pace pulpy action and I can see how this influenced the creation of D&D.

The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (Complete) This one would lose me for stretches but the final quarter of the book is stronger. A lot less cozy and a lot more action than I was expecting but skimming other reviews it sounds like this was written during her more...adventure-focused era. Three books deep and I have to give Christie credit that each has been a completely different experience.

Adventures of a Japanese Business Man by Jose Domingo (Complete) Always love going back to this nearly wordless epic that follows the titular Japanese business man. I love the complexity of the earliest panels and wish that could carry throughout more of the book, but it's always such a treat to discover just where each new panel will go.

Delicious in Dungeon Volume 5 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) Enjoying rereading this with shorter breaks between volumes as I certainly missed/forgot details on my first read. It's here that the story and tone shifts from light romp to a more dramatic and dangerous affair but it never loses its spot-on humour. Love those dryad pumpkins.

Ultimate Spider-Man HC Volume 11 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and more (Complete) Going from some of my other comics back to this, I'm struck by just how wordy it can get. Now knowing where the story goes, it was a great idea to prime readers to the idea of Peter Parker dying even if it's not from this event.

……….AUDIO……….

Blank Check with Griffin & David (Podcast) Late to the game on this but really enjoying burning through their back catalog. Obviously started with their episode on Speed Racer as it's a near perfect film that you should watch right now.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Tuesday group just killed a mayor! So the aftermath of that is going to play out over the next couple of sessions. And the Mof1 crew is investigating the aftermath of their own district-wide catastrophe and it's all looking rather suspicious!

Spot It (Blue Orange Games) I can't recommend this game enough. It's so easy to learn, rounds last maybe 5 minutes, it plays well with small or large groups of any age, and all it requires is pattern recognition and quick reflexes. Every time I've played this someone says they're going to buy a copy for themselves.

And that's it. See you in April!

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Hello I am here again to ask for your thoughts on A Dune Subject.

So I know we both have had thoughts re: Paul's injuries at the end of Part 2. I still don't know how they'll handle the Messiah time jump but my guess is that they'll still show *some* stuff that took place in the in between rather than just having a 12 year gap like the books...I still think the idea that they'll address his injuries feels too specific to hope for HOWEVER. However. I was glancing through that scene in the books and realized something I'd forgotten about -- in the book, Feyd's knife is drugged, just enough as an attempt to slow his opponent down in a fight (Paul's narration calls it a soporific but what he describes is essentially a muscle relaxant) and it turns out he's also got a poisoned dart hidden under his armour that he's trying to get Paul close enough to in order to stab him with it.

Now I know none of this was in the movie, but do you think it's possible it'll be alluded to somehow in the third film? Bc a part of me feels like even if they don't do it exactly it would make sense to have a nod to it even as a short lived plot point, like possibly it'll turn out Feyd's knife was straight up poisoned and this is Bad News for Paul? Idk I'm curious about your thoughts...even if they don't do it (which I'm not EXPECTING) it's A Concept for certain

I don't think it's likely anything like this will come up in the films, mostly because I don't really think it fits Villeneuve!Feyd's characterization. He seems to relish having a worthy opponent and consider himself "honorable" so I don't know that giving himself a hidden sneaky advantage would be appealing to him. And like, unless the Emperor himself is carrying around a poisoned blade idk exactly how the logistics would work.

It is, however, a GREAT whump fic concept. Or I can even see a canon-divergent AU that more or less uses Thufir Hawat's plotline that got cut in the film, where Paul got poisoned when he was stabbed, but it's a slow-acting poison and someone is withholding the antidote unless he does what they want. And wait wait it has just occurred to me that that someone should be IRULAN who knows that the Emperor's knife is always poisoned and suddenly she goes from a pawn to being in control of the whole situation. Oh that's juicy. Someone who likes writing Irulan scheming and plotting should totally write that.

I don't know if we'll see any of the intervening years between the end of Part Two and Messiah. I think we'll most likely get a prologue voiceover similar to the first two movies orienting us to what's happened in the intervening years. (I would love it if they did some sort of riff on the way the book opens, where we're introduced to the events of the preceding years by some random historian from Ix who we have NO context for. But actually now that I'm thinking about it, I think the most interesting person to give the opening voiceover is Alia.) I do think they will have to skip ahead more than 12 years, because one of the few things we seem to know about the movie is that Anya Taylor-Joy is gonna be in it, and while I think she can play a convincing-enough teenager, I don't think she can pull off 12.

[all-pacas]

for the book asks: 3, 9, 11!

shit wait now i actually have to remember what i read this year

3. What were your top five books of the year?

Wellness by Nathan Hill. He's so good. I loved The Nix and Wellness is better and go ahead and read the first couple pages and tell me he doesn't do character studies so. So well. Mutual stalking love story through a window? Flashforwards of decades? The lies we tell ourselves and one another and the way even we don't know our traumas? Incredible. It's so good.

Emperor of Rome by Mary Beard. You all know me I love her books. I see Mary Beard on a Rome book and I buy it. She single-handedly converted me from "only weird gross dudes are Into Rome" to "oh this shit slaps." I hope she writes a biography on Nero next because she has made me very interested in him. This book just kind of covers what, in practical rather than biographical terms, it would be like to be Emperor of Rome. In good faith I will say if you want a starter book of hers to try, SPQR and especially Pompeii are more general/"accessible" but this is still plenty accessible and interesting and not just about dead emperors.

The Wager by David Grann. Apparently they're making a movie of this. It's a true story with a premise that sounds like a movie: a small group of men claiming to have survived a shipwreck and crazy captain wash up in a South American city on a raft, mostly dead and in ill health. A year later, three more survivors from the same shipwreck turn up elsewhere with a wildly different story of mutiny and betrayal. Half the men on the ship kept diaries, the book pieces it all together and does a fantastic job drawing out the principle characters and what really (probably) went down.

Dune by Frank Herbert. To be honest I'm not sure if this was one of my favorite books, although I did end up greatly enjoying it, it's just… the first two times I tried to read this, I bounced off it hard, I just couldn't get into it. But I finally managed it this year and turns out! It's a really fun book! I'm into it!

2666 by Roberto Bolaño. Fun fact, I have yet to finish this monster. Funner fact, what is it about? I don't know. I'm 500 pages in and the part I'm reading is a long accounting of hundreds of biographies of murdered women interspersed with a romance between a detective (who isn't investigating these crimes at all) and a psychologist who works in an asylum. It's also about: a) a German novelist who might not exist b) a love triangle between academics c) a romance between a reporter and the daughter of a professor d) Mexico. It's really good. It is slow going. Highly recommend.

9. Did you get into any new genres?

No, but… I tend to really read a little of everything anyway lol. In the past year I've also read a bunch of Stephen King, several non-fiction history books, a couple of thrillers, The Illiad, Origin of Species, and half of my annual-ish ASOIAF re-read. About the only genre I don't consistently read is romance and that's because I read fanfic hahaha

11. What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

I should have read the questions in advance, Dune would have been a great pick here. I'll give a spoiler answer instead: my 2025 resolution is to finally, for the first time, for real…………read Lords of the Rings, hahahahaha oops.

[bonesandthebees]

Btw, I promised Dune thoughts, didn’t I? Let’s get into it. Apparently they changed a shit ton from the book to be able to fit it into the film. Can’t really comment on the changes, cuz I haven’t read the books and I don’t plan to. Spoilers from now on for my fellow anons btw.

Movie Chani is very different and you can pry her from my cold dead hands. I love that girl. She goes through so much shit. Idk, I just love how she’s the only person to not fall for this planted project (the only surviving one anyway). And part of it is the fact that she didn’t believe in it in the first place, so did her friends, so they back each other up and it’s nice and it influenced Paul too. But then she gets to know him, and she sees him at his most human, right? She sees him at his most vulnerable and after his nightmares and that “I with love you as long as you stay true to yourself” or whatever the exact words are is killing me. Because her love had always been conditional and she made that choice and stuck to it and she was forced to be part of a prophecy she didn’t even believe in in the first place and I am ILL.

Then there’s Paul. Poor boy had his future set in stone, yet he still made the conscious decision to go there. He wasn’t dragged into it kicking and screaming. He willingly drank the Water of Life. He doomed himself (and everyone else in the process). And it’s just so interesting to watch the shift, because the more people follow, the more he denies it, the more he sort of surrounds himself with people who don’t believe even when his mentor is the most loyal believer of all. And still he makes that choice. And it’s to protect other people, right? Because he couldn’t see and he couldn’t predict and he could have saved them if he had seen, so he needs to see and he needs to take that role, but once he does everything shifts. My man literally dies, comes back wrong, walks in all arrogant, gives ONE speech and raises an army to commit not 1 but 2 genocides within the space of a day, then kills of half of his remaining family and starts a intergalactic war. Completely insane.

Quick little aside about the filming itself, because the start and the shots and there’s so much non verbal communication. Really using to medium to it’s fullest with the way it starts like we are one of the characters, crouched in the sand, looking around, equally confused. It’s so fun. And the visuals are all gorgeous. And it’s just a lot of subtitle story telling that I feel I can’t fully grasp without having read the books, but appreciate all the same.

Anyway, Bene Gesserit. I am Intrigued. I am all here for the planning and the scheming. This is so interesting but also so morally bankrupt on so many levels. They really feel like this all powerful force that’s fully in control of everything happening in the universe. Idk, it feels like even the emperor himself is just a puppet to them. And the princess is more aware, and well trained, but she’s still only in control because they allow her to be in control. They allow her to have power and should she become too much of a threat, they would probably end her just as easily as they tried to end the House of Arteries. Idk. Anyway, we like badass women and we support their wrongs in this household.

Lastly, Jessica. I feel like she’s the one who started it all. It’s been a looooooooong time since I watched Dune part one, but isn’t the entire catalyst that she was meant to have a daughter, but she fell in love and Leto wanted a son, so she gave him one. (And maybe she knew she had a promising bloodline and wanted to try and see if her son would have been the one.) To me, her character seems to be this combination of love and this life long manipulation that has led to arrogance. She is so terrified until she drinks the water of life and then she becomes absolutely ruthless. She’ll do what it takes to protect her family and she’ll sacrifice everyone else to get a way out. But at the same time the “You should have believed.” Sorta shows her own arrogance again, this belief that she had before that her bloodline was good enough (when her son never asked for any of this).

That’s enough for now. Not sure if I have more to say anyway. Enjoy the ramble!

-🌲

YESSS DUNE THOUGHTS. I also haven't read the book so we are in the same boat

god I love Chani so much. she's SO interesting. the fact that she and her friends were part of the Fremen group that don't follow the religious legends of Lisan Al Gaib so she never approaches Paul thinking he's this messiah, but just thinking that he's interesting and seems to genuinely want to learn and understand her culture means so much. he's just a person to her. she falls in love with a boy and sees the parts of him no one else does. she sees his nightmares, hears his fears, learns that he doesn't want to be this messiah even though everyone else is trying to push him towards that future. she tries to hold onto him so he has an anchor to the human being he is instead of this myth, but the prophecy must be fulfilled. and chani is forced to have a hand in completing that prophecy against her will. god. my heart.

paul is also very interesting as a character because there's so many facets to what's going on with him. like, he's being pulled towards this destiny that's been predetermined for him through centuries of bene gesserit interference. everything happening around him is telling him he has to go down this path, it's the only way. and he tries so hard to fight against it. because he knows he's not any real messiah and that the abilities he has is only the result of his mom's weird witch cult, and even the religion itself was planted by the bene gesserit as well. it's all outside manipulation of these people who have been subjugated for centuries and he doesn't want that, he doesn't want to hold this false power and especially not to lead so many people to their deaths. but like you said, he steps into this role willingly in the end. yes, there are outside forces pressuring him, but he drinks the water of life all on his own. and then boom it's genocide time.

(also, before I saw the movie I saw a meme on twitter describing the water of life as "the juice that makes you worse" so that's literally how I kept referring to it in my head the entire movie. he and jessica both drank the juice and got So Much Worse)

the film itself is SOOOO gorgeous and the elements of filmmaking are so well utilized. denis villeneuve the man that you are. he uses so much subtle storytelling just through the shots and the colors and everything like that. and yeah that opening scene is fantastic. great way to really throw the viewers back into the deep end.

I find the Bene Gesserit so fascinating in all of this. like it's very clear they're the ones who really control what's going on in the larger galaxy. none of the houses will make a move against another without getting permission from the Bene Gesserit. but of course the movie also makes you wonder what their end goal is. what exactly are they trying to accomplish with Arrakis? and what's the princess's role in all of this? like you said, it very much feels like she's only has power because the Bene Gesserit allow her to. so I'm just curious what's going on with all of them.

ahhh Jessica I love her she is so unhinged. yes, in the first movie it's mentioned that she was supposed to have a daughter, but instead chose to have a son. from what I've heard about the books I believe that if Jessica did what she was told, she was supposed to have a daughter, and then that daughter would give birth to a boy who would be the Kwisatz Haderach. but she decided to skip ahead a generation and have a son. it was her love for her husband that first led her to disobey the Bene Gesserit, and from there she wanted to protect her family and see her son ascend to what she believed was his rightful place as the Lisan Al Gaib. it's so jarring to see how different she is before she drinks the water of life and afterwards. she knows now, she can see what she believes is the only way now, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the best ending for her and her son. and of course, she's incredibly arrogant about it all at the same time. I love her there's so much wrong with her.

[anakinsafterlife]

More Thoughts on Dune

I had to go see Dune again, so I booked the afternoon showing in the Imax theatre, which was bound to hurt my ears, especially whilst fasting, but I just couldn't stop thinking about it. 😅

Having now seen the 1984 movie and the 2001 miniseries, I realize what a comparatively great job Villeneuve did with heavy issues like race and religion (1984 Fremen were all white, while 2001 looked mostly like tanned/slight darker Caucasians, with a few dark skinned extras. But both older versions are mostly very silly and, artistically speaking, poorly rendered. I can see why people kept trying to remake it).

I do still stand by my original post, because of course the director could have done better, but the movie is still a masterpiece and honestly a thousand times more sensitive and informed than the other two attempts to film it. I just feel like if they were going to go to comparatively great effort to get it right this time, why not go all the way and hire more Arab actors (there are plenty even in Hollywood), use more Arabic terms and religious accuracy, etc, instead of indulging in orientalist tropes.

Anyway, I won't go back into the rant, but basically the only negative things I noticed...

... the second time around, were 1) Added, probable anti-Russian racism in the Harkonnens. I didn't notice the first time because I was focused on the mixed treatment of the Space Arabs, but given that Dune was written in the 60s, I'm fairly sure that that the struggle between Harkonnen and Atreides represents the Cold War struggle between the USSR and the United States and Western Europe over physical resources and land power.

2) I also noticed this time copious usage of the "Yellow Middle Eastern Filter."

Even if you haven't heard of it, you have most definitely seen it. It's that yellow haze that lies across the landscape whenever American movies go to some place "exotic," like the Middle East, Mexico, India, etc. It's unspoken propaganda of the most insidious kind, as it imparts to the audience a sense that this place is dry, dusty, and dangerous. (Someone else IRL also mentioned to me that the yellow filter makes people's skin look darker, which is another valid point given the potentially racist implications and assumptions).

The yellow filter is so common, in fact, that I remember being shocked and uneasy when I moved to Dubai, some years back now, because the sky looked blue and normal and not, in fact, hazy and yellow. I didn't even know why I was confused at the time, as the filter is insidious enough that, even when you see it, you often don't really notice it. I only learned officially about the yellow filter a couple of years or so ago, and it makes me mildly furious now every time I actively notice it used in a movie.

So yes, that the yellow desert filter was used is another 'code' for Space Arabia. Which...obvious.

On the story side, I noticed that Jessica and Paul change sides in terms of their opinion of the "prophecy" and whether Paul should claim that narrative. Jessica seems initially opposed, saying, "Your father didn't believe in revenge," while Paul says that he does. But once he grows close to Chani, he eschews the prophecy, only embracing it again after he drinks the Water of Life. That is interesting, because the water gives clear prophecy that the drinkers see as absolute truth. They then attempt to fulfill those truths, which makes me think that these prophecies, like so many, are self-fulfilling. That also explains why Jessica's demeanor changed so absolutely after she drank the water. In becoming a Reverend Mother with prophetic insight, she ironically became less Fremen than she might have before. Is this a metaphor for even the friendliest Westerners losing their sincerity once they have 'tasted' the profits to be made in the Middle East/Global South? 🤔 (But also, obviously, Jessica was always a mother in this story and she would do anything to protect her son, including exploiting an entire culture and religion, *even* if it meant driving him away from her. That is, of course, why one of the first scenes in the movie is of her saving Paul's life by brutally murdering a man.)

I am so, so torn about this movie. I love it and am drawn to it in numerous complex ways that tie into my own personal history as a person who lives, culturally, at the crossroads of east and west. It also clearly articulates the struggle for power and resources that lies at the heart of colonialism and other extended occupations. Yet, again, I recognize the weaknesses of this movie as well as its many strengths.

So torn. Going away to cry now. 😢

[chunkypossum]

Hello!

Inspired answers all around. I agree with all of your assessments. You are so smart. Thank you for taking the time to give me such thorough responses! If you ever feel that you lack the energy to respond, or find me annoying, feel free to ignore them. Although that won't stop me in my quest to become your best friend.

To the anon: Go for it. What's mine is yours!

I should not have assumed you've read or watched Dune, I apologize for that oversight. It's a tough choice anyway. I'm not even sure what my answer is... hmm. Paul might be Eris. Wait, no. Azriel. Gah! This means nothing to you. Moving on.

I struggle to sit for movies as well! I chuckled that you prefaced that statement with your favorite movies all being 3+ hours. Fair. LOTR is excellent. In that case, name one show you could watch 30 hours of in one sitting!

Question of the day: who would win in a physical fight between Eris and Azriel? (No holds barred. Everything's on the table.)

-🎅❤️

Idk about smart but I have been thoroughly enjoying thinking through these!!! Never ever ever ever EVER feel like you’re bothering me. You could never since we are already best friends! If I’m ever slower to respond it’s because you have given me such delicious questions to chew on and I’ve been enjoying pondering lol.

I may not have watched Dune but I DID do a lot of googling when trying to answer that question so I have a brain full of Dune knowledge now and very little context lol. Reading their characterizations I kept waffling between them too when trying to decide.

Listen… LOTR is just… different. Are they long? Yes. Are they still my favorite? Yes. When they first came out I was 14 and so I think I achieved consciousness for the first time after watching then reading them. My first true hyperfixation that never really went away.

I’m on my current annual rewatch of Gilmore girls and could sit and watch 100hours of it at a time if I was superhuman. I’m a binger��� if I find a show that catches my interest I find it hard to stop until I’m done(books too). I’ve reverted back to my 14 year old self a little now that idgaf anymore and I’m allowing myself small joys so I’ve been watching too much anime and Asian dramas the last year. 😂

Ok so… I’m giving the win to Eris. I know I know, Azriel… big muscled Illyrian warrior with extra special shadows and and famed torturer. HOWEVER… that boy is SOFT. Famed torturer sure but also famed gift giver club rat who loves his momma and has lived most of his life with a loving family.

Eris on the other hand is used to deception on a whole other level. I imagine he has rarely ever felt safe enough to let his guard down in his life and would 100% use whatever he had to for his advantage. He would find a way to use Azriel’s softness against him and catch him off guard.

🌟🖤

[moviemunchies]

By Frank, they did it! They made an excellent follow-up to Dune: Part One!

We’re going to have a couple of minor spoilers in this review; be aware.

After the events of the first movie, Paul Atreides has joined the Fremen in their fight with the Harkonnens. He becomes a leader among them, and even finds love in Chani, one of the lead freedom fighters. But his role as leader stirs some to think he’s their prophesied messiah. That’s a role he doesn’t want to take, because he’s foreseen how much violence it will lead to across the galaxy, and Chani (correctly) sees the prophecy as a method the Bene Gesserit use to manipulate and colonize. As the conflict goes on, however, Paul finds himself wondering if he has to use this image of himself as a messiah; not helping, his mother has started pushing his cult among the Fremen.

Gosh, this movie was great. The first movie and this one reminded me of what it was like to watch an epic film series, a sequence of stories told cinematically in a fantastical setting that build on each other, and together tell a coherent, complete story. Do you remember when everyone was trying to do that? I’m not talking about comic book films, obviously. A lot of films didn’t succeed, to be sure, but then teen romance films became A Thing, and then dystopian films became a thing, and then comic book films, and so most studios didn’t even try to do these kinds of epics anymore. So I was very happy to see Dune managing it.

I am bummed that we’re not going to receive an extended edition, like we did with Lord of the Rings. I know that these movies are already very long, but the director admitted that he cut a lot of things to make it all fit

The changes to the narrative are noticeable, to those who have read the book, but I think they work. A lot of people came away from the original Dune novel thinking that it’s a straightforward Hero’s Journey, and that the following books are a departure from that, even though there are hints throughout that book that Paul becoming a messiah figure is A Very Bad Thing. These movies maybe beat you over the head with that, though I think it ultimately works because, yeah, it’s a very bad thing, and it all goes south incredibly quickly.

Making Chani the main voice of the, “Wow, this messiah business is some BS, huh?” opinion is an interesting choice. It is a bit heavy-handed in how it gives you the intent of the messiah storyline to the audience; it is also good that someone has this view in the movie, because yes, the prophecy was invented to do what Chani says it was–manipulate a populace. I’m curious as to how the third movie, if it happens, will go with her, as the version in the book is fine with the messiah role. She has a large part in Dune: Messiah, and I don’t know how it will fit in with the version of Chani that’s in this movie. 

We should also talk about the Bene Gesserit? They’re interesting, but there is one part of the film that doesn’t quite work for me. Slight spoiler, but in this movie, it’s revealed that they’re the architects of the plan to wipe out House Atreides. That doesn’t make any goshdarn sense, given that they wanted Jessica and Paul to survive in the last movie, and it’s unclear what they would get out of this. It makes more sense the idea as it is in the books–that the Emperor wiped them out because he saw it as a threat to his power without direct action, but also a way to weaken House Harkonnen.

There are some creative choices in the direction of the way things look? Mostly I’m thinking of the Harkonnen homeworld in this film, which is a really fun change of pace. The way it looks is completely different from both Arrakis and the Atreides homeworld. It not only shows you what’s it like for a world under Harkonnen control, and the entire sequence develops their family. And it’s a great introduction to Feyd-Rautha, a key character in the proceedings of the story’s climax.

It’s a fantastic film. It’s an excellent sequel to the first one, and it displays just how much the director understands what he’s doing in telling a visual story. I love this and I want to see more of it. Not just in the sense of wanting to see the sequel (which I do), but I want to see more of these kinds of movies. The big epics, the ones that are telling big stories with epic battles in multiple parts, told by directors who know how to make them memorable instead of copying what’s already been made popular.

[teddybeartoji]

dune part two babyy!!!!

i'll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. as possible as a review can go i guess..... and as always this was a ramble and it's not really proofread my apologies my loves it's kinda late and my head hurts so this'll have to do!

THE SOUND WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOD OH MY FUCKING GOD MY EYES WERE ROLLING BACK INSIDE MY HEAD AFTER LIKE 10 SECONDS ALREADY that was great i loved it

but overall.... i definitely preferred the first one. i don't know maybe it was my own fault - that i was so excited and i might've gotten my hopes so far up but then again i really wasn't expecting anything......... i haven't read the book so i don't know the story and i avoided clips and trailers as much as i could. i guess the only expectation i had that it was gonna be mindblowing. it was okay. and it feels so weird to say it when all of the other reviews are so good lmao so yk i'm reminding us all that i am a simple Movie Watcher And I Know Nothing.

the difference between a good movie or a bad one for me is really simple for me. whether it makes me Feel something. anything. ok, not anything - boredom and annoyance don't really count here. dune part two kind of left me cold. yes, i got chills every once in a while but that was mostly because of the sound design and not because of whatever was happening on the screen.

chalamet had his moments. at the end at least. i thought he was great in the first one but this was kinda just meh. for the most part it just felt like he was there.... but he's literally the main character so that's not good lmao.

another thing that really threw me off was the non-existent chemistry between chalamet and zendaya. it's simply not there. but it's such a big part of the movie??????????? their first kiss was the biggest Meh of all time??????? well, actually pretty much all of their scenes were like that. "meh" isn't even a proper word but idk what else to use here i apologize. now that i'm thinking about it - i can't really give you an example of a good scene of theirs........ boo!

rebecca ferguson is great i love her but her part in this one wasn't too exciting either................... there really wasn't a single performance i feel like i should pluck out bc they were all just very mid. nothing special caught my eye and it's disappointing bc in the first one it's the complete opposite? oscar isaac is there, stellan skarsgård, dave bautista, jason mamoa???????, chalamet obviously, ferguson obviously - so where did all of that go in this one???

now i have two things that i wish had been a little different BUT but but there's a massive but here. neither of those things are villeneuve things. at all. so it's kind of stupid for me to even be bringing them up but am anyway. i wish there was more blood. sigh. pretty sure everyone that follows me already knows of my Bloodlust lmao but i really do think a few scenes would've been better, more effective with it. i'm not talking about blood splatter - it's not some crazy horror movie. i just wanted to see more of it. a pool of blood here and there. i mean the dead bodies were there. is that too much to ask for? maybe villeneuve is just going for the more realistic look...... but ahhh. there was a scene (not a big spoiler i promise) where a person is stabbed in the neck and even though the knife is left in there, there would still be blood coming out of it, no? or idk if he was a weirdo and his blood wouldn't have been red i just wanted SOMETHING to come out from there. it just looked kinda bland.

but since i am a villeneuve doesn't really do blood. in any of his films. it's always very little - mostly only the main characters get to have blood on them. paul (dune's mc) certainly had some on him in the end but LOOK IT JUST DIDN'T SATIATE MY THIRST AAAAAAAAAA it's whatever i guess i can't stay mad at him he's a god i love him

and the second thing, another thing he doesn't really do - fight scenes. here's a reminder that i very much love action movies and so i've seen enough of fight scenes to understand what makes one good and what makes one bad.... i wish he'd show the fights more. if a fight is all cut up - it feels incredibly fake. and that's exactly how the one-on-one fights were like in dune part two. very close-up and cut up. you can't see what's happening so it doesn't matter to you. if you can see more of their moves, you can kind of get more into it yourself but alas only seeing their upper bodies and their unamused faces doesn't really do that. scruntched eyebrows "grr i'm so angry". yeah, okay. show me your moves bitch boy i don't care about your face!!

perhaps i simply need to watch it again. maybe it'll be better the second time around but for now - it was a big big meh. it does feel weird to not be as not into it as everyone else seems to be. the good old rottentomatoes puts this on a whopping 95% while the first sits at a 83% and yk it just makes it seems that i'm really missing out on something lmao. if i do see it again and if the second watch actually changes something i will let you all know i can promise you that!!

very long story short - as an action buff and a villeneuve lover... this was kind of boring. sad emoji face. three stars out of five.

[la-chacha-gris]

You said last year that you were familiar with sexting, can you give advice on it? This may seem like a weird question because it's not personal, but I'm interested in knowing and I'm asking anonymously for obvious reasons.

Hi Anon. I understand that you feel embarrassed and that by saying that it is not personal you are asking about it as a general activity and asking me as an older sister? One thing, I am NOT an expert in this or anything, and there are no good or bad ways as happens in sex or in any activity between two or more people (don't ask).

What I mean is that I will try to give you general advice that can be applied in a broad spectrum and not what may seem good to me, I will try to make this answer not be that.

First, as in all sexual matters, there is CONSENSUS. As people and sociability are, trust does not develop easily and quickly to ask, and sometimes it is shocking because it arises in an escalation of flirting and heat. But try two things. 1. Don't appear on anyone's social networks asking or suggesting to have sex as soon as you introduce yourself (it's violent and almost guarantees a NO) and 2. You can misinterpret things or the other person may not realize what is going on. If at any time they say they don't want to participate, respect their decision without complaint.

Let's continue. Like any interaction, it is a give and take, so try to respond quickly. If it is difficult for you because using your mobile and/or one hand, make short interventions. That is better than making people wait 2 minutes or more for a good long response. The pace allows people not to cool off.

If you use images, yours or taken from the network, that does not matter; Think of them as illustrations: they must show something related to the text, illustrated books don't have 3 in a row without telling anything about their letters and if it's more about looking at images than feeling like you're interacting with another person, it will become impersonal and it will be competitive to look for images alone. The Internet has a lot of that, but they talk hot with you because it's about treating (and heating up) a human being, you must make yourself feel.

If the way you are involves talking (narrating) a supposed encounter (future or pure fiction as a fantasy to eroticize together) take into account the material you receive: if it talks about kissing behind the dunes of a beach, don't talk about sheets. Keep in mind the possible and the sequence, if someone is tied by the wrists, don't ask them to caress you. You have to keep in mind the scene to contribute something coherent and not take the other part out of the common fantasy.

Personally, I think that in order to avoid this, it helps to state the situation: I imagine you meeting me in a roadside motel, and to accompany it with unnecessary and completely impractical details, such as mentioning something on the nightstand and the motel bible in a drawer. This helps the other person to think of clichés that they have learned from fiction. Sometimes, these details can make the other person have ideas to offer you. For example, if you mention champagne in a bucket of ice, they may ask you to use an ice cube to caress their skin. Details like a television that neither of you pay attention to, I don't think, give you ideas for erotic fiction, but it makes you both imagine the sound of it in the room. There is something that I think is not talked about as much as it should be, and that is that the massive expansion of audiovisual porn has atrophied the imagination and our resources to make sexy in a literary way (remember that I used to write erotic stories). It's not all about image and sound, it tries to describe smells, temperature and touch. But I'm taking you too far into my styles or priorities that don't have to be yours or other people's. However, try to introduce a little of this if you share fantasies. I think it will improve the level of anticipation during the course and satisfaction with sexting (you know what I mean).

Lastly, and I don't want to go on too long, there is something you should always keep in mind, always be polite, if you use harsher words, let it be in the heat of the moment, and don't leave the exchange abruptly when you physiologically finish. That's like if in IRL mode you got out of bed and walked out the door: you make the other person (who may not have finished and wants to finish) feel like they have been selfishly used for your relief. All personal communication and exchange, whether IRL or virtual (perhaps more the latter) needs you to make them feel like you care a little about the other party's well-being.

This is all very basic, but I hope that makes it general for the number of encounters that are possible in variety. Over time you will learn more nuances, develop your own style and preferences, and by repeating with the same people you will learn how to connect better with the other. In my opinion, sexting is literary but interactive and an art in its own way; but it does not work in this way of communicating or perfecting yourself differently than in-person sex or being good at coffee chats. Keep up the good work. Cheers!

[abudhabideserttour]

Unforgettable Adventures: Morning Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi

The Administrative capital of UAE and the second largest among the seven emirates, Abu Dhabi, is much more than a world of tall structures and cultural attractions; it also features a desert region. This is why the adrenalin junkies and lovers of nature extended a morning Safari and Quad Biking trip into the desert providing a package of the kind you won’t find anywhere else.

Why Choose Morning Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi?

While Morning Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi may seem unique after you have experienced it, taking something that is naturally magical and making it an adventure is something worth considering for those looking for something fresh.

In the world of East and Maori, the first light of the day brings much of a calm atmosphere to the activities in the desert. A morning desert safari in Abu Dhabi will allow you to have the Arab and particularly the desert experience in the morning while engaging in various activities.

Early Exploration: Kick off your day with a thrilling car adventure on the dunes through the tides having experienced drivers to steer you through the sand-tied countryside. The vastness of the desert around you gives one a great feeling.

Encounters: Discover more about this venerable Arabian civilization of the UAE. Taste the oriental spirit and friendly attitude of the Arabian desert as you try hot Arabic coffee and sweet dates, and witness the performance of falcons riding.

Nature Walks: Try horseback riding, Camel riding, and walk tours through desert nature with experienced guides who will tell the wonders of the desert flora and fauna. Read the facts about desert plant and animal life and discover how these organisms are adapted to the extreme climate of this beautiful formation.

Quad Biking Adventures: Being in the middle of the desert is arguably one of the most challenging when it comes to cycling as the video below aptly shows, Climbing and Conquering the Desert Dunes, riding the quad bike Abu Dhabi.

As for the fans of extreme experiences, quad biking provides an unrestrained opportunity to consider the desert sights at a truly close distance. Gather around and buckle up your helmets, start up your bike, and get ready for the great off-road biking experience.

Freedom to Explore: The soft winds of the desert will help you remain relaxed while navigating through the dunes and large areas of open ground. Novice or experienced, people of all ages and capabilities can have a uniqueness to quad biking that they’ll take home as a memorable experience.

Guided Tours: Select guided quad biking tours from professionals or certified instructors so that you’ll be safe during the ride and at the same time enjoy the fun part of the desert adventure. Before the off-road trip, interested riders should learn the basics of riding alongside safety measures to avoid accident occurrences.

Thrilling Challenges: Put your abilities to the test and go through some of the most difficult terrains that are possible to master including dunes that have steep inclinations, rocky surfaces, and trails that are thin and dusty like the terrain in the desert. In case you are a beginner or even if you have ever been on an off-road before, quad biking is something you should try as you will be in for the experience of your life.

Planning Your Desert Adventure

Before embarking on your morning safari and quad biking adventure in Abu Dhabi, consider the following tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience: Before embarking on your morning safari and an adventure of Quad bike in Abu Dhabi, consider the following tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience:

Booking Options: There are many operators offering morning safari and quad biking services originating with options that fit your interests and pocket. Note the fare, offered services, and other clients’ feedback to stay inside the car to choose the most appropriate offer.

Safety Precautions: There are certain tips for road safety while quad biking such as wearing a helmet, goggles, or glasses and making sure that your shoes cover the toes. You must follow all security measures and precautions given by the tour guide or the instructor.

Photography Tips: People are also advised to carry cameras or any device with picture-capturing capabilities. Try out the various points of view, using different kinds of lightning and the various possibilities to take photos and make them reflect the magnificence and the atmosphere of a desert.

Conclusion

Successful completion of a morning safari and quad biking in the desert of Abu Dhabi can make any traveler discover the natural wonders that are hidden in the dunes. Each moment is the opportunity to disclose the desire for the unknown, to capture and bring memorable echoes with you when you return home. Horizon assists clients in having the experience of a lifetime and enjoying the soul of the Red Desert in Abu Dhabi.

SOURCE URL — https://mashablep.com/unforgettable-adventures-morning-desert-safari-in-abu-dhabi/

[fahrni]

Saturday Morning Coffee

Good morning from Charlottesville, Virginia! ☕️

Well, I’ve managed to put some time into Stream for Mac this week. I’d really messed it up trying to force the codebase into something I wanted, so I started over. Yeah, that sucks, but I think in the end it will have been the right choice.

Taylor — my movie going buddy and youngest daughter — and I saw Dune Part Two last night and we both really enjoyed it. I won’t give away any spoilers here but I wonder if it gave us some insight not given in the book. The problem is I can’t remember the book that well because it’s been 20-plus years since I read it. I enjoyed the ending but it most certainly leaves the door open for Dune: Messiah and Children of Dune. I hope they happen.

I’ve finished today’s post and I’m getting ready to publish. I’ve also come downstairs to my computer so I can work on Stream for Mac today. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll work on yet but I have Import and Export of OPML working as well as Refresh. In my little app that covers a huge swath of functionality because Stream is so darned simple. I’ll spend a whole lot of time on the UI to make it look as good as I’m capable of doing. I still have two important bits of UI to get in; Settings and Adding Feeds. Those will be brand new bits and I’ll get some exposure to more AppKit APIs while I’m at it, which is a big goal for me.

Something I’ve been considering is a triple-pane UI, which is the opposite of what Stream was written to be. I’m still thinking about that move while I work through the basics. The more I think about it the more I both like and hate the idea. In the meantime I have plenty of polish work to do on the app itself. Keyboard shortcuts and right mouse clicks will play an important role in the Mac version.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy the links.

Diana Dasrath • NBC News

Richard Lewis, revered comic and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ star, dies at 76

RIP 🪦

The White House

Today, the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) released a report calling on the technical community to proactively reduce the attack surface in cyberspace. ONCD makes the case that technology manufacturers can prevent entire classes of vulnerabilities from entering the digital ecosystem by adopting memory safe programming languages

I instantly think of Rust when I read memory safe programming languages, but Swift falls into that category as well.

The biggest problem, if you want to call it that, is our entire infrastructure lives on top of systems built in C and C++ years, and years, and years ago.

Who will be the first to rewrite a major OS in Rust or Swift? Microsoft has done some work in Windows to rewrite a tiny portion in Rust but what about an entire OS?

Heck, even some very modern efforts, like Google’s Fuscia, are in C++.

Will we see an effort to replace OS Kernels with Rust? Or perhaps the API layers on top of OSes because they provide a bigger attack surface? No matter, I’d be interested in watching something so daunting.

Roberto Baldwin • Ars Technica

The Electrify America flagship station is what charging should have been all along. It’s also what companies like the seven-automaker joint venture now called IONNA are promising. We should expect to see more of this sort of facility as EVs increase in market share; many new owners don’t want to compromise when it comes to keeping their vehicles on the road.

This gives me hope for a good electric vehicle future.

You know what would be even better? Better mass transportation systems powered by electricity.

Whizy Kim • Vox

Older Americans are working longer. Some want to; others have to.

Well, this will most certainly be me. I did a horrible job planning for retirement so the best I can hope for is to slow down a bit and do part time work (if I can!)

I figure I’ll be forced out of the tech space by an aging brain and the inability to keep up with the youngins coming into the workforce.

Maybe a part time gig at a place like Starbucks will work for me? Someday I suppose we’ll find out.

Joe Taraborrelli • Sony Interactive

We envision reducing our headcount by about 900 people, or about 8% of our current workforce

Ugh. More layoffs. This time it’s hitting the video games sector.

I hope everyone who lost their job was taken care of.

We had a layoff at WillowTree a couple weeks back that took out a whole bunch of VPs and Partners and another realignment of the company. It’s been a really weird year since the acquisition.

Neil Long • mobilegamer.biz

Inside Apple Arcade: axed games, declining payouts, disillusioned studios – and an uncertain future

I wonder if this will affect my friends at The Iconfactory? They have a really fun game called Frenzic: Overtime in Apple Arcade.

I hope not. ❤️

Nick Barclay • The Verge

Apple has halted its long-rumored “Project Titan” work on developing an electric car, according to Bloomberg. The company reportedly announced the news internally on Tuesday and said many people in the 2,000-person team behind the car will shift to generative AI efforts instead.

This always felt like a weird project to me. Why a car? Maybe the answer is: because. That’s a valid reason in my book.

Say, has anyone integrated CarPlay to the extent Apple demo’d at WWDC? You know, the one where the entire dashboard is a giant CarPlay screen?

Sameer Ajmani

In this article, I’ll talk about how we aligned Go with Google Cloud while preserving the core values that make Go great for everyone.

I’ve always seen Go as C for the internet. I’m not sure how many folks realize what an impact C had. 20 years ago almost everything was written in C, C++, or Objective-C. If you wanted speed and portability it was your only choice.

I spent 20+ years writing C/C++ code and I still love the language.

I wonder if Go has that kind of following? The web seems to be largely built on Java, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript, of course I could be 100% wrong about that. 😃

Samantha Cole • 404 Media

Tumblr and Wordpress are preparing to sell user data to Midjourney and OpenAI, according to a source with internal knowledge about the deals and internal documentation referring to the deals.

This doesn’t sound like something Matt Mullenweg would be into.

But, he’s been on sabbatical lately and made enemies with the Trans community. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Stacey Leasca • Food & Wine

Wendy’s Is Introducing Uber-Style ‘Surge Pricing’

How in the world do they think this is going to actually work?

It’s lunch time, the lobby of a Wendy’s is full. The menu updates, doubling prices.

The lobby empties out. 😁

Martin Fowler

Improvements in communications technology have led an increasing number of teams that work in a Remote-First style, a trend that was boosted by the forced isolation of Covid-19 pandemic. But a team that operates remotely still benefits from face-to-face gatherings, and should do them every few months.

I’m down with this idea. We tried having on sites for our remote group but it became cost prohibitive. We managed to have two before they were canceled as an activity.

As an aside, I’ve had COVID once. I got it at our first offsite. 😷

Hartley Charlton • MacRumors

Microsoft Begged Apple to Adopt Bing as Safari’s Default Search Engine

Apparently they didn’t beg hard enough. They must not have tried begging with a bag of cash much, much, larger than what Google paid.

Show me the money!💰

Stephen M. Curry • InfoWorld

The Java Ring is an extremely secure Java-powered electronic token with a continuously running, unalterable realtime clock and rugged packaging, suitable for many applications. The jewel of the Java Ring is the Java iButton – a one-million transistor, single-chip trusted microcomputer with a powerful Java virtual machine (JVM) housed in a rugged and secure stainless-steel case.

This is a pretty cool piece of hardware and I want one. I could see having a ring like this for unlocking doors and controlling various simple devices in some fashion.

If it doubled as a signet so I could press it into wax that would be even cooler. 😃

[whatyourusherthinks]

Dune (2021) Review

I've never read Dune, and never seen any movie or television show of it before today. I've played the board game, and if you want a way to get murderously angry at your friends I can highly recommend it. My father and his old guard nerd friends all talk about Dune as one of the great classics of sci-fi, but until now I have never engaged with Dune until now. I'm excited.

What's The Movie About?

The plot of Dune follows the first half of the novel by Frank Herbert, and is about Paul Atreides and his family moving to the desert planet of Arrakis and being attacked by the Harkonnens.

What I Like.

Oh thank god this movie is good. I wasn't sure I could handle a completely infuriating movie, a crushingly dull movie, then a disappointing one back to back.

First, I really like the world. It's a super well thought out and super interesting setting, no wonder it's become a classic. The story is also really good. I like the themes it sets up and the ideas at play, the characters are pretty cool or grotesque as appropriate, it's a solid time. Duncan Idaho was my favorite. The acting is great, which should be expected as it's a star-studded cast. Even Timothée Chalamet I thought was good in this movie. He seems pretty perfectly cast as Paul Atreides. I was pretty sad that most of the characters died and I won't see them in the sequel. (Uh... Spoilers for a 3 year old movie about a 60 year old book.) The sets, staging, and cinematography in this movie are all gorgeous. There were long stretches of the movies where i was just staring and enjoying the spectacle before I'd snap back and remember I should be taking notes. And the effects and action were good too. Just the full package!

What I Didn't Like.

A couple scenes were kinda difficult to hear what people were saying. Also this movie made me realize that movie kisses are kinda bizarre. Like does anyone kiss like people do in the movies? They look like they're trying to bite each other's lips.

Final Summation.

You may have noticed I'm being pretty subdued in this review. Well, that's because I basically just watched half of the story, and I don't want to give too much benefit of the doubt. As such I feel like I should hold off a true final summation until after I watch the sequel that comes out in a few weeks. So for now I will just say, totally awesome and I can hardly wait!