#red flag in social media style news reporting

[ssaalexblake]

I've gotten reasonably good at identifying satire news articles from real ones (when I was growing up, I never thought I'd ever find it hard as an adult to tell satire from reality as a result of reality becoming more batshit, but here we are) but honestly some aimless scrolling has me confused as to whether some of this stuff on South Korea is real or not.

I mean I Will check the news about it, I just haven't had the time to dedicate to it yet. But yikes.

[onenettvchannel]

THIS JUST IN: 'Hailey's On It' ends after a historic One Season in Series Finale with a worst cliffhanger end [#K5NewsFMExclusive]

(Written by Marco Ubaldo Diaz / News Reporter of Disney XD News)

OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA -- The final new episode of "Hailey's on It!" concluded with a worst shocking cliffhanger for one (1) historical season as Hailey Alohilani Banks was caught allegedly cheating with her new boyfriend (Mr. Sanjay Singh), during a prom date of Oceanside High School (OHS) in the state of California last Friday night, which was first released online early Saturday morning (May 18th, 2024 at 12mn) on Disney NOW and therefore later that same day on Disney Channel at 8am (Pacific local time).

DWFH-FM 97.7mhz's K5 News FM: Dumaguete got an exclusive scoop that it was due to a new fictitious mobile app called 'SnackMatch' (a derivative version of 'Tinder', owned by Dingles Worldwide Snacks and Tires Corporation [DWSTC]) based from a suggestion by Ms. Genesis. Surprisingly but suddenly, there will be two (2) red flags in the prom date night at OHS as one SoKor-FilAm (South Korean-Filipino-American) named 'Scott Denoga' unexpectedly a victim of 3rd wheel relationship. For Hailey however, suspiciously ends up cheating with Sanjay, after Mr. Denoga invited her as a new boyfriend and en route via Limousine Car to the Oceanside High School for "Totally 80's to the Max" event because of this aforementioned matchmaking app.

For a brief context of what is this show is all about… "Hailey's on It!" is an American animated television series that follows the adventures of 'Hailey Alohilani Banks', who was an ingenious and purposeful young teenage girl in Oceanside, California, United States of America (U.S.A.) that faces different challenges with a positive attitude and quick thinking, free from future robot enemies known as Chaos Bots.

The show is designed to inspire and entertain children with Hailey's problem-solving skills, which can be used to handle unexpected situations with full creativity and confidence. This typically features Hailey facing a new problem in each episode, which she solves by the end, often learning valuable lessons along the way. Its humorous narrative style, vibrant animation as well as engaging fictional lead protagonist characters make it popular among its newly targeted audience for Americans.

In the 30th final new episode called "I Wanna Dance with My Buddy", Hailey's plan to go out with Mr. Denoga on a dance night event and confess her feelings to him gets spoiled when a compatibility app claims they are incompatible with each other, just like Ms. Destiny. But on the dance floor, they do not jive well.

Kristine Sanchez, a locally active social media influencer and the ex-boyfriend of Mr. Denoga, informed him that he has been doing it all wrong in the mobile algorithm survey because he redoes the surveys on the 'SnackMatch' app, and he finds himself compatible with Hailey per the potential match between Butter and Lobster. Excited, he becomes eager to go out with her that night but Hailey had already dated any one of Usher’s fictional back-up dancers or an endorser for the cologne advertisement like Mr. Sanjay Singh whom she just met from 'Botany Camp' where she mentioned him as friends and later becomes her new boyfriend.

Fortunately for Mr. Denoga, he is assuring that the suspected 3rd wheel relationship with a new girlfriend of Mr. Sanjay to be supposedly dating with Hailey is an absolute red flag and hits a major roadblock. Beta urgently reminds Hailey about her duties with the list item #143, but she refuses to let said list, or Beta, be in control of her life. She rips into pieces her confession letter in the advertised flyer and then throws it into the garbage bin.

Sometime later during the prom dating night in the "Totally 80's to the Max" dance event, a scene of a catastrophic future flashes in front of Mr. Denoga as Beta later tells him about the list item Hailey has been hiding from Sanjay, which badly surprises Denoga with a worst cliffhanger end.

It is way undetermined if Hailey ending up having sex with Sanjay throughout the night, and possibly getting married instead of Mr. Denoga at the end of the prom dating night at Oceanside High School in California: "In case I haven't said it lately, thanks for being a great friend. Y'know, I don't think cookies and lobster sound so bad together", Hailey said. Per the end credits at the photo booth, pictures are taken without any problems and everyone goes home for the night, leaving for a 2nd Season abruptedly scrapped by Disney after one season, which never to be animated and greenlighted due to low popularity of the fanbase.

Despite the upcoming scrapped episodes in Season 2, we obtained the exclusives in the episode titles are 'Say Funcle', 'Mean Squirrels', 'Nobody Puts Beta in a Corner', 'Dead Bots Tell No Tales', 'No Money, More Problems', 'Trick or Traitor', 'Night of the Living Pumpkins', 'Diss and Break Up', 'California Schemin', 'Suddenly, Sanjay', 'Cirque du Bro-leil' and 'Dude, Where’s My Cousin?'.

In the follow-up leaked scrapped episode script of 'Say Funcle' involving a 3rd wheel (known as the Love Triangle) or unexpected character developments in the relationships of Hailey Alohilani Banks, Sanjay Singh and Scott Denoga. Introducing a third wheel or exploring themes of cheating could indeed create a dramatic and suspenseful plot twist, leading to a cliffhanger ending that leaves viewers intrigued and eager for the next episode from the Season 1's final episode as a series finale. Such narrative choices can add depth and complexity to the characters and their relationships, making for compelling storytelling in the series.

The scrapped episode in the lost media follows Hailey and her friends dealing with challenges and adventures at Funcle Fest. Hailey hides a unique talent from Mr. Sanjay, but when he discovers it, he appreciates her even more. The said episode also features Beta struggling with a disco protocol and ultimately combusting, leading to a humorous and unexpected ending which the list item was quite censored to the public.

Now, to sum it all up, there are two (2) common red flags that may arise in relationship based from a final new episode of "Hailey's on It": Forced Cheating and a 3rd Wheel. Some of the red flags in relationships that may suggest on both sides including… Love bombing and rushed intimacy very early on; Overt jealousy, possessiveness, or attempts at control; A perfect persona that seems too good to be true; Secrecy or a lack of transparency in actions and communications; Changes in behavior or routine that are unexplained; And emotional distance or a lack of intimacy.

On the other hand in 3rd wheel… Ongoing tension and arguments may indicate that the 3rd person like Mr. Sanjay (the new girlfriend with Hailey) is becoming too involved in the relationship; Emotional distance between partners, where one partner like Mr. Denoga may be sharing more with the third wheel than with their significant other; Secrecy or deception regarding the nature of the relationship; And prioritizing the third wheel over the partner, which can manifest in time spent, emotional investment or decision-making.

The unhealthy relationship couple of 'Scailey' (Hailey Alohilani Banks and Scott Denoga) must seek emergency professional help at Good Therapy San Diego (GTSD) in Oceanside City to explain the unexpected behavior with Mr. Sanjay from the 'SnackMatch' matchmaking app, which can be turned over alone to Mr. Denoga. It is best to maintain open and honest communication with their partner about her feelings and concerns; observing behavior and communication patterns; set clear boundaries and expectations for transparency and fidelity; and invest in the relationship by spending quality time together like Hailey and Denoga, ensuring both partners' needs are met.

The thing is, one whole season of the American cartoon series of "Hailey's on It!" is not enough. Fans of the show wants to give themselves more, but the popularity is losing interest in the fanbase and never to be animated & greenlighted by the Disney Television Animation (DTVA) staff. Although in real life like Scott Denoga, the shipping name between Hailey and Sanjay are now called 'SanLey'. Denoga is at risk by permanently breaking up with her during the prom date night. The 2nd Season may potentially soon in the works for production, except for the leaked episode scripts can be finalized in the final version, which is subject for the last resort approval.

We try to reached out with Dingles Worldwide Snacks and Tires Corporation [DWSTC] (whose the matchmaking developer app of 'SnackMatch') to address its relationship policy issues, but it refused for a comment via E-Mail correspondence on our news team to K5 News FM Dumaguete.

For now, Denoga needs to take time in Season 2 to accept his defeat if its greenlighted by Disney Television Animation, in order to address a list item #143 that needs to be seriously done before Chaos Bots ending up for a mass murderer to avoid these red flag relationships and disasterous events at the end of the prom date night.

SCREENGRAB COURTESY: Disney Television Animation via DisneyNOW VIDEO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://haileysonit.fandom.com/wiki/I_Wanna_Dance_with_My_Buddy *https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/HaileysOnItS1EP56IWannaDanceWithMyBuddy *https://disneynow.com/shows/haileys-on-it/season-01/episode-30-i-wanna-dance-with-my-buddy/vdka36641651 *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hailey%27s_On_It! *https://thecoastnews.com/new-disney-animated-series-takes-place-in-oceanside/ [Referenced News Article via The Coast News] *https://haileysonit.fandom.com/wiki/Oceanside_High_School *https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Denoga *https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Genesis *https://www.goodtherapysandiego.com/oceanside-therapists.html *https://desuarchive.org/co/thread/143702889/#q143711342 *https://www.healthyplace.com/relationships/celebrate-love/my-partner-cheat-never-29-red-flags-that-may-suggest-a-cheater [Referenced Editorial Article via Healthy Place] *https://verywellmindset.com/what-are-red-flags-in-a-relationship/ [Referenced Editorial Article via Very Well Mindset] *https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-true-love/202005/six-signs-emotional-cheating [Referenced Editorial Article #1 via Psychology Today] *https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-the-sheets/202109/why-people-ignore-red-flags-trouble-in-their-relationships [Referenced Editorial Article #2f via Psychology Today] *https://maplewoodcounseling.com/relationship-red-flags/ [Referenced Editorial Article via Maplewood Counseling] and *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkJzXH3qZZI [Referenced YT VIDEO via Psych2Go]

Always stay informed and entertained with OneNETnews and OneNETtv Channel. Championing in the service of the Filipino, Dumaguete and Negrosanon's News Leader!

-- OneNETnews Online Publication Team

[cogniitec]

The Ultimate Checklist for Evaluating Digital Marketing Services

Choosing the right digital marketing service provider can make or break your online success. With so many options available, it’s essential to have a clear and thorough evaluation process. Use this ultimate checklist to ensure you select a provider that meets your needs and drives results.

Digital Marketing Services in Coimbatore

1. Identify Your Goals and Needs

Before diving into evaluations, clearly define your business goals and digital marketing needs. Are you aiming to increase website traffic, improve search engine rankings, or enhance social media presence? Knowing your objectives will help you choose a provider that aligns with your goals.

2. Review Their Track Record and Experience

Evaluate the provider’s experience and expertise in your industry. Look for:

Case Studies: Detailed examples of past projects and results.

Client Testimonials: Feedback from previous clients to gauge satisfaction and performance.

Industry Experience: Relevant experience in your field to ensure they understand your market.

3. Examine Their Service Offerings

Make sure the provider offers a full suite of services that align with your needs. Key areas to consider include:

SEO: Strategies for improving search engine visibility.

PPC: Management of paid advertising campaigns.

Social Media Marketing: Content creation and community management.

Content Marketing: Development of engaging content to attract and retain customers.

Email Marketing: Campaigns to nurture leads and drive conversions.

Digital Marketing Services in Coimbatore

4. Assess Their Strategic Approach

A good digital marketing service will base their strategies on data and research. Check for:

Strategy Development: A clear process for creating and implementing marketing plans.

Customization: Tailored strategies that address your specific business needs.

Analytics: Use of data to measure performance and adjust tactics as needed.

5. Evaluate Communication and Reporting

Effective communication and transparent reporting are vital for a successful partnership. Consider:

Communication Channels: How they will keep you informed and involved.

Reporting Frequency: Regular updates on campaign performance and progress.

Clarity of Reports: Easy-to-understand metrics and insights that show ROI.

6. Check Their Reputation and Credibility

Research the provider’s reputation within the industry. Look for:

Online Reviews: Ratings and feedback from other clients.

Industry Recognition: Awards or certifications that highlight their expertise.

Red Flags: Any negative feedback or issues that might raise concerns.

Digital Marketing Services inCoimbatore

7. Compare Pricing and Value

Understand the provider’s pricing structure and what is included in their services. Key points to consider:

Pricing Models: Fixed fees, hourly rates, or performance-based pricing.

Value for Money: What you get for your investment and whether it aligns with your budget.

Long-Term ROI: The potential return on investment and impact on your business goals.

8. Assess Compatibility and Cultural Fit

A successful partnership depends on mutual understanding and alignment. Evaluate:

Company Culture: Whether their values and working style match your own.

Collaboration: How they approach teamwork and integration with your internal team.

Flexibility: Their ability to adapt to changes and accommodate your evolving needs.

9. Review Their Tools and Technology

Ensure the provider uses up-to-date tools and technologies to manage and optimize campaigns. Look for:

Marketing Platforms: Use of advanced platforms for SEO, PPC, and social media management.

Analytics Tools: Tools for tracking performance and generating insights.

Innovation: Adoption of new technologies and trends in digital marketing.

10. Ask for a Trial or Pilot Project

Consider requesting a trial or pilot project to test their capabilities before committing to a long-term contract. This allows you to:

Evaluate Performance: Assess their ability to deliver results.

Gauge Compatibility: Determine if their working style and approach fit with your expectations.

Make an Informed Decision: Use the trial to make a well-informed decision about a long-term partnership.

Digital Marketing Services in Coimbatore

Conclusion

Using this checklist to evaluate digital marketing services will help you make a strategic and informed decision. By focusing on your goals, assessing experience, examining service offerings, and considering other crucial factors, you’ll be well-positioned to choose a provider that aligns with your needs and drives success for your business.

[postalcodecanada]

How to Identify Fake Accounts?

Identifying fake accounts is an essential skill in today's digital age. With the widespread use of social media and online platforms, fake accounts have become a prevalent issue. These accounts can be used for various malicious activities, including spreading misinformation, cyberbullying, and even identity theft. Therefore, knowing how to identify fake accounts is crucial for maintaining a safe and secure online presence. In this article, we will explore some effective strategies and techniques to help you spot and report fake accounts.

One of the most common signs of a fake account is the lack of personal information or a limited profile. Legitimate users typically provide detailed information about themselves, such as a profile picture, bio, and photos of their daily activities. In contrast, fake accounts often have sparse or generic information and may use stock photos or stolen images as profile pictures. Additionally, fake accounts may have very few friends or followers and little to no interaction with other users.

Another red flag to watch out for is the activity patterns of the account. Fake accounts often exhibit irregular and suspicious behaviors, such as sending out a large number of friend requests or follows in a short period. They may also engage in repetitive actions, such as posting the same content across multiple accounts or spamming comments on various posts. Additionally, fake accounts might have an unusually high frequency of posting or sharing content, often with low-quality or irrelevant material.

Furthermore, look out for inconsistencies in the account's information and activities. Fake accounts may have contradicting details in their profile, such as conflicting personal information or unrealistic claims about their background or achievements. Moreover, their posts and interactions may display inconsistencies in language, tone, or style, indicating that multiple people may be operating the account. These disparities can be indicative of a fake or fraudulent account.

One effective way to identify fake accounts is to analyze the account's network and connections. Legitimate accounts typically have a diverse network of friends and followers, representing various backgrounds and interests. In contrast, fake accounts may have a network consisting mainly of other suspicious or inactive accounts. Moreover, analyzing the quality of the account's interactions with other users can also provide valuable insights. Fake accounts often engage in shallow or meaningless interactions, such as generic comments or likes, without meaningful conversations or contributions.

Additionally, pay attention to the account's posting habits and content. Fake accounts may frequently share clickbait or sensationalist content, including fake news, exaggerated claims, or dubious offers. They may also repost content from other accounts without providing proper attribution or engage in plagiarism. Furthermore, fake accounts often lack original or personal content, relying heavily on reposts and shares from other sources.

Another useful technique for identifying fake accounts is to conduct a reverse image search on the account's profile picture. Oftentimes, fake accounts use stolen or stock images as their profile pictures. By performing a reverse image search using tools like Google Images or TinEye, you can identify if the profile picture has been used elsewhere on the internet, indicating that the account may be fake.

Moreover, be cautious of accounts that display a lack of real-life presence or verification. Legitimate users often link their accounts to other online profiles or websites, providing a trail to verify their identity and background. In contrast, fake accounts may lack this verification and refuse to provide additional evidence of their identity upon request.

In conclusion, identifying fake accounts requires a combination of critical thinking, observation, and digital literacy skills. By paying attention to the account's profile, activity patterns, network, consistency, and content, you can effectively spot and report fake accounts, contributing to a safer and more trustworthy online environment. Remember, staying vigilant and informed is crucial in combating the proliferation of fake accounts and maintaining the integrity of online communities.

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[pashterlengkap]

“My Little Pony” convention raided by Russian authorities for “LGBT propaganda”

A convention celebrating My Little Pony in Russia was deemed “LGBT propaganda” by authorities and shut down by federal agents. The pint-sized ponies are just too gay for diminutive Russian president Vladimir Putin. Related: Russia investigates Duolingo for spreading “traumatizing” LGBTQ+ content The popular language learning app includes “everyday depictions of LGBTQ+ life” that “show queer people… in an unsensationalized and normal way.” The raid was conducted to break up an event mounted by fans of the popular pony series and toys. The event was called “Mi Amore Fest,” according to Russian-language news site The Insider, based in Latvia. Global perspectives delivered daily Our daily newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world. Organizers went so far as to change the rainbow-colored mane of the central character, Rainbow Dash, to a Russia-themed tricolor pattern of red, blue, and white on fliers advertising the event. It didn’t fool authorities. Federal agents in Moscow have raided and ended a My Little Pony convention on the grounds that it constituted "gay propaganda." Even painting the animal's mane in the Russian tricolor couldn't save this one. https://t.co/KIv00sKoeN pic.twitter.com/p68hiFCmWm— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) February 17, 2024 Attendees shared a world-weary reaction to the latest Kafkaesque scene in Putin’s anti-LGBTQ+ drama. “Apparently, you won’t be able to get to the festival anymore. While we were drinking coffee, a squad arrived and dispersed everyone. They wrote a statement for LGBT propaganda. Well, let’s go home.”  Another Russian and English-language news site, Meduza, reported that Russian government-aligned movie database Kinopoisk added an 18+ symbol next to the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic television series. Telegram channel Sota speculated that the decision was based on the character Rainbow Dash’s rainbow mane. In addition to the rainbow-hued Dash, MLP has featured multiple characters with nonconforming character traits since its introduction as a toy by Hasbro in 1982. The first animated series debuted in 1986. A recent Russian Supreme Court ruling at the urging of Putin’s Ministry of Justice declared the so-called “international LGBT rights movement” a terrorist organization, just one of several laws aimed at erasing LGBTQ+ identity from Russia and passed at Putin’s direction. The convention raid was just the latest crackdown in that effort. Last week, two women were taken into custody after video they posted on social media revealed them kissing in a pizzeria not far from one of Putin’s palaces in the city of Krasnodar in southwest Russia. Another woman was recently arrested and charged after she and her companion were accosted at a restaurant by an angry mob complaining about her rainbow-styled earrings and her companion’s Ukraine flag lapel pin.   A Russian federal watchdog group is investigating language app Duolingo for “distribution of information that promotes LGBT,” and a Russian rapper spent 15 days in jail for the LGBTQ+ crime of wearing only a sock at a party. In Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, a video distributed by local news outlet Ura.ru revealed riot police storming a dance club and ordering patrons out, while in December, a crackdown in Moscow saw police raid a nightclub, a male sauna, and an LGBTQ+-inclusive bar in the Russian capital, with officers checking and photographing patrons’ IDs.  http://dlvr.it/T3CLK9

[grayhouse3]

SJTR is my villain origin story

So I finished Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Originally I told myself that I was going to just stick it out and read the next one (“Oh, it’s about vampires and Dracula. It’s probably more fun. You can forget all about the pain this one inflicted on you"). No. I got 12% of the way through and had to DNF. So here are my messily compiled thoughts on the book, basically expanded from the last post. Honestly, kind of feel free knowing I won’t be writing more about this series. (Also I am adding some TWs down below but don't know if I am doing them right!)

More on the exoticism, weirdness with Audrey Rose's Indian mother, and the British Empire:

In chapter 14, we read, "Dark strands of hair were piled atop my head, my eyes more mysterious somehow with the dark liner, and my lips were the bright crimson of freshly spilled blood … I thought of my mother and the saris she’d brought me to wear from Grandmama’s homeland. I felt just as stunning now as I did then, and the memory warmed me.” I am still trying to figure out why Maniscalco made Audrey Rose mixed race. Why is Audrey Rose’s grandmother from India? Literally, what did it add to the story? Was it nothing more than just a cute lil quirky fun character trait to her? I don’t think I missed any key moments where there were important conversations about race, imperialism, British occupation, etc., mostly because Audrey Rose’s father (a big fancy rich lord) is a white man and because Audrey Rose is white-passing. I can’t recall any moments in the book where she faces the realities/consequences of being a socially mobile POC WOMAN in LONDON IN THE 1880s. Honestly, if someone else can point out a passage I glossed over or explain some nuance I missed I would actually really appreciate it, because this drove me CRAZY.

(Audrey Rose and her brother also go visit a circus in town in chapter 15; of course these events existed purely for England/colonizing countries to exercise and display their power and to exoticize/exploit the communities/cultures that they came into contact with. Audrey Rose sees silks, beads, etc. that remind her of her grandmother’s saris, smells the foods of her family’s “homeland,” etc. Also in the same chapter there’s this great scene where her brother is describing their mother and father’s marriage: “Grandmama told me she’d refused him twenty times just for fun,” Nathaniel replied. “Said he squirmed like a cobra in a basket. That’s how she knew he was in love.” Uhhh … Is that supposed to be romantic?)

On the feminism stuff:

I am too *gestures vaguely* to write much more on this. Yeah, it’s heavy-handed. Yeah, it’s cringey. But at the end of the day, it’s not really that harmful, I guess. Here’s just a fun sampling of some of my favorite lines from the book:A few of my favorite bites from the book:

***“close-minded society” (chapter 21) Okay

***"Why turn a murderer of women into front-page news?” (chapter 15) Bro do you know how the media works

***"But what of her [mother’s] insistence that I could be both strong and beautiful? Surely Father had to be wrong.” (chapter 21) Yes girl you are strong and beautiful!

***"There would be no skirts or bustles to wrangle with anymore. I was through with things confining me” (chapter 22) Ugh down with corsets just another tool of the patriarchy amirite

On the violence against women, weird classism, and stuff about prostitution:

I was bound to be uncomfortable about a lot of this because I have weird feelings about true crime stuff, and this is historical fiction set around the Jack the Ripper murders. It was going to go sour somewhere.

Consistently Audrey Rose wants to be sympathetic, but is unable to connect all the parts of this situation together: she struggles to imagine the women (very real-life victims) beyond their lives of prostitution, poverty, squalor. When she does, we see something like this: "The women he murdered did matter ... They were daughters and wives and mothers and sisters” (chapter 28). Oftentimes she wishes she could continue to cut cadavers open in peace (women in science!) without having to think about how those cadavers came to be on her examination table: “I needed to get away from those women and their tragic lives before my emotions got the better of me” (chapter 25). Perhaps Maniscalco deserves more credit here, and perhaps I’m just being a bitch, because Audrey Rose is a very privileged girl and her actions and thoughts make that clear. It’s just that the conclusions she comes to in the name of feminism, justice, etc. weren’t at all satisfying to me.

Also: OH MY GOD. Oh my god. There is this one moment that is BRANDED AGAINST THE GRAY MATTER OF MY BRAIN FOREVER and I will never forget it. At one point, Audrey Rose and love interest Thomas decide the best thing they can do is go out and—yes—stalk Jack the Ripper. To do this, they know they need to “blend in” with the crowds in East End. So … like … cosplaying as poor people? Audrey Rose manages to find and wear the dress of ONE OF THE MURDER VICTIMS (long story short her medical doctor uncle was in a relationship with this woman and when she died he acquired her worldly possessions). It’s like, so fucked up, I can’t even describe my reaction when I read it. In chapter 25 we read, "The dress was a little too old, a little too ragged, a bit too big. If I were to wear this ghastly dress out, I’d look as if I belonged in the East End, begging for work to feed my addictions … It was absolutely perfect.” Oh my god. And THAT’S NOT EVEN THE WORST PART. While they’re “stalking Jack the Ripper” on this incredibly stupid mission, the two main characters just … make out in an alley. Like, okay. People are being murdered and you’re wearing a dead woman’s dress and you suspect your father of being guilty, but yeah, that kind of stuff makes us all a little horny. Super relatable. Absolutely no concept of reality or consequences or anything at all.

Another random note on class: I noticed the only time Maniscalco writes in dialects/accents, she’s writing seedy/working-class characters. Not saying this is a problem unique to Maniscalco’s writing by a longshot, but ... something to think on. (I think it’s ingrained in a lot of author’s writing habits/minds at this point.)

Weird stuff about the dad, the brother, and what justice means to Audrey Rose:

I had to add a whole new highlighting color for this stuff!

Any growth Audrey Rose might’ve shown over the course of the novel—anything about how these women mattered, and how they deserved justice as any “highborn” individual might, simply by dint of being humans—goes away when she and Thomas come to the conclusion that the Ripper murders must have been committed by Audrey Rose’s father. She realizes her moral dilemma when she contends with the harsh reality: if her father is the Ripper, can she turn him into the authorities? Audrey Rose worries how that might impact her own moral virtue: "They’d hang Father. Given who he was, they’d make it as public and brutal as possible. Just because blood might stain his hands did not mean I wanted his on mine. No matter if it was right or wrong” (chapter 24). First of all, BITCH. You have to. You have to report this kind of thing. No ifs, ands, or buts. I HAVE to imagine Maniscalco’s intended audience would feel the same? It’s? Serial murder? Second: Audrey Rose, baby, sweetie, honey. This is just a reminder that ACAB. I actually don’t know a whole lot about how the late Victorian criminal justice system functioned, but something tells me her family's public outlook would’ve been less bleak than she imagines here.

Lucky for Audrey Rose, her dad isn’t guilty in the end—but her brother sure is. He’s a mad scientist, using the brutalized bodies and souvenirs of his victims for Frankenstein-style experiments. Ultimately, he wants to reanimate the corpse of his and Audrey Rose’s long-dead mother, and he believes he can achieve this by transplanting fresh organs into ? Her dead and decomposed body? The thing is that, this moral dilemma persists for Audrey Rose—and her dad, too. He pressures her not to bring the little matter of Nathaniel’s issue—you know, his casual murder of a number of local women—to Scotland Yard: “They’ll have your brother hanged,” he said quietly. “Could you honestly watch that happen? As a family, have we not suffered enough?” (chapter 29). Nathaniel electrocutes himself to evade capture by the authorities, and Audrey Rose and her father feel relief. The book ends by confirming that "Lord Edmund covered up Nathaniel’s involvement, I didn’t ask how. One day I’d let everyone know the truth, but the pain was too raw now” (chapter 30).

((Side note: Listen. I knew Nathaniel had something sinister going on from the GET-GO (I’m not trying to be obnoxious) because he basically started some nighttime vigilante group called the Whitechapel Knights of Justice or whatever bullshit, I don’t know. All I know is that my red flags IMMEDIATELY started going off because that sounds exactly like the terrible and awful Crusader cosplay clubs from my (bad) Catholic childhood, where everyone thinks they’re a knight for Good but really they’re the bad guy.))

Overall, kind of ...

I think one of my biggest issues with this ending was … You have already stepped into a realm of fantastical revisionist history here in writing such a fictionalized version of these real-life events. (I know Maniscalco is far from the first to do it.) That means that the rules you are playing by are essentially your own—evidenced by the liberties she points out in her Author’s/Historical note (dates changed for convenience or storytelling purposes, real-life individuals changed for narrative purposes, etc.). So WHY would you not conclude this fantasy retelling of the Jack the Ripper murders by meting out some form of justice? I hear the counterargument: "Well, because we still don’t know the culprit today. This book would ring hollow if it named someone since historians, forensic scientists, etc. still don’t know who committed these crimes." My question: is that really a problem though? This is a work of fiction. Nothing in history happened the way it is written here. Is it crueler to the women who were murdered and who remain spectacles for true crime junkies and authors like this, less satisfying to readers who want some more concrete kind of closure, to not offer that up? I am asking this in earnest here, because I don’t know. Maybe it is insensitive to make up a murderer, to fill in the gaps in order to make sense of the violence that happened. But in my brain it feels almost like a responsibility at this point, since these murders served as the backdrop for the romance between Audrey Rose and Thomas, for the background to Audrey Rose’s empty feminist diatribes, and as inspiration for a book that went on far longer than it needed to. To me it kind of feels like the least an author could do, but I have no clue.

Anyways, I'm just glad I get to put this series to bed. No more.I truly lost sleep over it this weekend. Onto something better, please, for the love of god.

[currentfandomkick]

Why Marinette Hates Tim

Marinette blames Tim next summer for all that happened. Why? He cursed her with a vague theory. And Max and her Both know give her a clue and she has to follow it to solve the puzzle—a fatal flaw for her, Puzzler, Hero Stalker (Tim), Riddler and her father, Professor Strange (even if he is using an alias and supposedly dead as far as legal documents go).

Hero Staker Tim swore he’d become Robin if the current one left. It was a joke between them, she thought. Then he vanished the next summer, the first one where there wasnt any Robin mentioned anywhere. It was eery.

Then, then Timothy Drake, heir to some company-who looks a lot like her Hero Stalker—is a Wayne. And there’s a new Robin. This... deeply bothers Marinette. Why? New Robin seeks her out and talks a lot like Hero Stalker. And has a too similar movement pattern and tells.

And wasnt Hero Stalker Tim from a rich but high on neglient at best family? Didnt that happen to Timothy Drake before ending up as a Wayne?

Her that puzzle peice was central to figuring this out and goddamnit. Frost, who hates gossip, told her to just look up the rich families with kids Hero Stalker’s age and see who looked like him and to leave from to his lab and antidotes already.

Frost accidently gave her the vital method to see if Hero Stalker was that dumb to be become Robin after Robin the Second (Jason) was brutally murdered. The answer was yes.

And now Marinette had a crisis. She knew Batman’s identity was Bruce Wayne. How? Tim calls Bruce his dad. New Robin slipped and called him dad. And Tim is New Robin since Tim is Hero Stalker and no one else came close to looking like Hero Stalker from the data pool which involved more hacking than she ever thought she would do.

Marinette, a child, figured out who Batman was by age 9 becuase his new Robin/former Stalker was too obviously himself. She is embarrassed on his behalf, and honestly debates asking Riddler to separate him and Bats in a non-lethal puzzle trap just to lecture him. Becuase what the fuck Hero Stalker! If she can figure it out, then everyone else can too! Probably(?) likely. Either way its bad!

She doesnt though... Riddler puts together she’s concerned for the new Robin, traps Bats in a different puzzle maze from Robin, who is stuck with a grounded Marinette. Why was she grounded, easy. She got caught returning stolen jewlry on camera. It was punishment for failing basic stealth—always take out any witness.

And instead of pointing out she knows who Bats is, she tells him to work on a different persona since ‘i made you weeks ago. Its pretending to be someone you’re not completely is all. I have to do that around Maman and Papa all the time, and whenever i go out with anyone really. Up your secret identity game already!’

Riddler is busy with Bats and didnt do cameras. Why? “Im not redesiging a perfectly good grounding maze every time. They take time and i dint always have it. Its time economics Batman. I dont know what our lovely Princess said or did to your Robin. He’s fine though, see? No major injuries.”

Tim relized Marinette knew Hero Stalker was batman’s new Robin. This meant one thing—he could still help her and the RKC now! Why? He knew even if they made him out, they want to help people and never be like their parents, duh. And if they added to his budding information network with incredibly accurate information so long as he didnt rat them out to Batman, its fine.

Afterall, Pixie Pop wants to help poeple and is working the rouges into vigilantes to help more than hurt, and is doing a great job of it for the most part. So if Pixie Pop is Princess who’s the maybe kryptonian and her powers align with that theory, so what? Superman has an heir already and a bio!son too, apparently. Lois didnt tell him since they werent together then and yeah. So really, Superman didnt need another kid, and Pixie Pop didnt want another dad—“i have Papa and Father and now four of my friends’ dads in Paris called dibs on partial custody. I have more dads than i need for a quartet. That is far too many dads and i refuse to get another one!”

Then Marinette is talking to Alix and finds out about an old director at the Lourve her dad knew, Diana Prince. Marinette was working on a Wonder Woman inspired outfit, and knew her history of Wonder Woman thank you. Its just...

Wonder Woman appeared just after Miss Prince Left. And from the videos Alix sent of her new hero, she was terrifyingly similar to Wonder Woman. Not only did they look alike and have the same hair style preference, it was the same face if she did facial recognition with Markov, her robot son with Max. Then there was gait, generao stances and how she interacted with men and women so differently as both people and damnit. Same person.

She curses Hero Staker Tim for this. She now has to hide two hero identities. Why her?

The third was debatably Ivy and Harley’s fault, but defiantely still Tim’s. Why? He was the one that got her hooked on Barry Allen’s cases, and pointing out that he didnt see meta as bad or evil but as people who can be good or be civilians peacefully. That, she needed that with how much vitrol she had to swallow about her powers indirectly from everywhere but her school and some parts of Gotham.

In her defense, she is a nerd here. A nerd. So realizing the The Flash is also the forensics guy from Central City that she kinda follows on all her social medias, watches the cases of unfold, and knows has a reputation for being late a lot like her but is still well liked. So she may fangirl about his cases with Hero Stalker erm. Tim now, still.

And if one day she managed to pout at her father enough to get him to agree to let her go with Harley and Ivy to Central City for a few days to see the meta museum they just opened up (technically the Flash Museum, but Marinette didn’t care. It was focused on metas not being horrible and that meant a lot to her scared, meta closeted butt).

And then her favorite forensic investigator, The Barry Allen, shows up? Best day ever. He’s nice! And concerned about how much of his cases she knows. Its not her fault this time though! Hero Stalker—Tim—sent her a case of his that went cold and she liked his science and yeah. New hero added to her listpersonal heroes list.

Harley isn’t even mad, just amused as Marinette fangirls over someone that isnt her and Barry has no clue how to respond as a tiny child know him as Barry Allen and thinks he’s awesome? Why?? He is happy but so confused and Iris is dying until Marinette cites cases that she shouldnt know about and tiny child why, how, when and where did you get that information!

The only answer is a friend likes cold cases and has no qualms hacking to find interesting ones, if he’s stumped then Marinette (Jill Smith mr. allen sir!) gets to try. And she is good at it since she can ask an officer in France (officer Raincomprix) about logistical things, common error margins and then puzzle it all out herself from there.

Somewhere she mentions absently that her mom doesnt like her science-y side since her dad was a bad person and liked science but she still likes learning and helping, even if the family buisness is food and service and they want her to either take over or become a designer. She’s thinking maybe for people woth disabilites so she can do more mental work and toy with hiw things bend and move and such.

Iris and Barry are ConcernedTM and debating how to get custody, or get her away from her mom or both. Probably both—no science allowed for a clear science obssessed kid is a red flag for bith of them that somethinf is very wrong. Harley and Ivy wave it off as “trust us, her mom aint budging.”

then the Flash is needed because of some gorilla—Marinette was more focused on an outfit on display and muttering over aerodynamics and friction. Barry is Concerned (smart kid, likes helping, potentially a league ally?) before he bolts, determined to get more on her when he returns and possibly see if he can get cps involved.

Marinette only notices that her hero moving so fast and oh god she did it again damnit! That was superspeed. And only one speedster had similiar measurements, the Flash.

She cant even tell Hero Stalker now because he’s Robin and the Justice League would Flip if they knew she knew 3 of their hero’s identities. She just hit her head and said “i did it again!” Harley pats her head while Marinette burrows into her because why is she a danger to the Justice League and secret identities! She doesnt want to be or to know damnit!

Tim sneezes in the distance and wonders who’s talking about him behind his back this time. He messages batgirl about this bad feeling he has and she laughs it off as the boy developing Batman’s paranoia.

Her Fourth solve was Green Arrow. It was an accident! She swears. She just saw oliver queen with a bow and arrow in a video shooting. and noticed he had a very distinct and familiar style to someone but not who. Then compared it to various archers as her brain was nagging. Then saw a green arrow video and cursed herself again then Tim five more times.

She sent a message to Rose asking why she’s a danger to all secret identities. Rose tells her it is her curse for being too damn smart and not leaving things alone.

Marinette tries reallly hard not to figure out the next one. But really, it should have been an earlier solve and she’s mad at herself for missing it for so long, even if it was more aviodance than denial.

Admittedly this one should have been an earlier solve, but she was very little when she found out about the surgery and everything and it was uncomfortable damnit! So she did what any reasonable child would. Ignore it. Then she went over the file to see if maybe she could possibly target parts of the kyptonian DNA in her to weaken it. And saw who the intended donor was, Clark Kent, a reporter that has impossible luck with big hero scoops, is never injured or rescued, and never been sick. He also looks like... one quick photoshop of his glasses onto superman with a clothing change and she sees her usual disguise technique on goddamn superman. She is overwhelmed with this as ‘oh god superman will kidnap me if he finds out!’ And hides from him whenever he’s in the region—be it France or Gotham.

Her friends think its hilarious, Marinette feels sick from it. She doesnt like this and is genuinely scared for her life and family’s safety now. And we all know how nervous marinettes are.

If at one point batman tried to talk to her on patrol and somewhat suceeded. As in, she spoke beofre bolting.

“I didnt figure out who boyscout and amazon and boltbrain and arrowhead are! Or you and the batfam! Bye!!!!” Yes, clearly Marinette can lie very well.

Batman sees through it and feels sick. He forces a league meeting asap and fills them in.

“this kid put five of our identities together and cant even lie. We need to recruit them.”

“Batman, is this that kid KF mentioned to me?”

Batman nodded. Flash sighed. “Okay. We are on a manhunt for a kid kyptonian that is terrified of all of us, very smart, and may have an active gotham villain as a parent. And somehow knows me and—wait. bats, do you have any pics of your rogues in civilian clothing? I need to test a theory...”

A few minutes later and “oh my god that little kid i met as a civilian figured me out!”

A few days later Flash finds her by acccident as a civilian kid in broad daylight on her own in Central. He doesnt show he knows she knows, And finds out she’s waiting for her babysitter to finish a class.

Flash just asks about a case he put together as Barry Allen that she might know about and...

“Uh, mr. Flash? Why are you asking me? The lead florensics was Barry Allen.”

He tries insulting Barry Allen—he’s late and sloppy and—

only for Marinette to defend him to the death. “He’s late because he stays up late working on other cases. Appearances and organizational skills arent what matters with his expertise mr. flash! He even foghts for metas to have their circumstances and powers impact on them considered dueing sentencing!”

Flash is very touched and shocked. only then he manages to get out of her that where she lives (france) being meta is a life sentence to “a living zombie And jail-time for being born a lot, even if it is t in normal prisons. And you know what? Mr. Allen stated so many times that you need to contextualize powers and abilities and intent in his testimonies for meta cases. Back home youre put in prison for defending yourself...” she tugs at her sleeve here.

“Maman screamed at me when she found out a few kids were getting stalked and i helped out and someone got it on tape. Not becuase my powers showed or anything—father made a treatment so they dont, well, they stay off when i use them and follow all the behavior and environmental rules so they cant put me in one of the centers. But she, she’s stills cared someone will try to check me for abilities back in France, and that she’ll lose me. She doesnt always realize i have them until things like that happen...”

Flash is desperately trying not to adopt her. Wally would love a little sister, and Superman has enoguh kids, Bats does too. he is oreventing arrow form having another one as she’s powered and that isnt a good when working with Green Arrow unless the meta is his girlfriend. And the girl loves science—come on!

batman, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman and Superman heard the Feance bit over comms and suddenly it hit them that the kid could be in danger for existing and that an entire country villified being meta to an extreme. That the girl is in hiding and probably using an alias constantly. Batman mentally adopted her ages ago and is now in Worried Dad mode like Flash and apparently Superman was falling into it too. Wonder Woman is in righteous rage mode and ready to fight france herself if she has to—no imprisoning metas for being metas!

Flash decided to be direct since he knew she trusted him as Mr. Allen and knows he’s Flash.“So, am i allowed to know which powers you have?”

Marinette shook her head, visbily distressed and floating skightly. “If, if they ever find out i cant. I cant risk Maman and Papa and Father. I dont know everything but Father only started being a good person after the, the incident where he had to go into witness protection. Maman is dead as far as a lot of people are concerned, or she never existed. Papa doesnt know about any of it. I cant. I cant risk what they worked for by being outted.”

Flash is very concerned. “Thats a lot of pressure to put in yourself, especially at your age.”

marinette didnt make eye contact then. “I have to. If i dont people can connect dots and dashes and blips. Father says its easy for him too and that possibilities are just what we’re both hardwired for but. But i shouldn’t catch as many as i do—my teachers keep saying i need to dial it back and stop catching on so fast and blurting it all out but, i just...” marientte is visibly drowning under the pressure to act not-meta and keep her family safe.

“Sounds like youre a real smart kid.”

“Smart kids dont get caught.” She meant herself with her jewlry returns, Flash thought she meant the JL, and tried to redirect the conversation.

If the JL was out then...

“If you cant tell me, can you at least tell me you have someone to talk to about these things?”

“Auntie Quinn and Rose. Rose doesnt like you guys though.”

Flash laughed a little at that. “Alright, fair enough. Who made her mad? Was it arrow?”

“Batman.” Marinette frowning as she said the enxt bit. “Something about her being given to someone that should never be allowed bear children? She rants a lot so i cant always keep up.”

Batman internally bangs his head against a table. Outwardly, he says “Ivy’s daughter, rose. That girl, she’s the Princess.”

The assemebled winced. They all pushed for Rose to be sent toback to her mother, Ivy, since they didnt trust her with any available mentor and Ivy was usually a low ranking Gotham eco-terrorist pacified by wayne gardens and green initiatives. Apprently Rose has a lot of sway over the Princess too.

Marinette changes the conversation while. Waiting for her babysitter, Ghoul, to leave class. She needs a distraction from her situation that the Flash was willing to give her.

“Can i look at the case again? Something doesnt add up... there! See? Its close to the Speedsters that leave marks at those angles but only if they really mess with the speed force and the spacetime continuum! But theres no evidence of that, its a lightning meta, Possibly using it to teleport since no one came in or out on camera. Its a slight angle and all but...”

Flash decides Marinette will join the Justice League one day or so help him! He also decides to target france’s anti-meta policies and possibly kidnap Marinette.

The League isnt letting him. But he has a fan of Barry Allen who is handling Gotham’s criminals and beign given slack by them... albeit also raised by in-part. But the girl has a strong moral compass that is a lot like most of League’s so.

He’s fighting Bats for custody on principle. His fangirl, he has dibs!

Dont know why it ended up with Flash becoming a ‘Marinette is my daughter now’ person but why not? Wally would like her as a sister, probably.

Marinette blames all of this and the future consequences on Tim. She hates her vanishing freind for this.

[dippedanddripped]

For more than a year, Los Angeles-based streetwear designer Tremaine Emory had been working with Converse on a red, green and black sneaker inspired by Jamaican political activist and Black nationalist Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African flag and artist David Hammons’ 1990 work “African-American Flag,” an original of which was acquired by the Broad museum in Los Angeles last year.

Emory’s brand, Denim Tears, tells the story of Black people in the United States starting in 1619, when the first documented enslaved Africans arrived in Virginia; according to the designer, the brand’s logo, a cotton plant, is a direct reference to slavery. That’s why the proposed packaging for his Converse sneaker collaboration depicts a coffin covered with Hammons’ flag and a cotton wreath, as a tribute to Black Americans who have died under unjust conditions. The image is based on an art installation, “A Proper Burial, Thanks America,” that Emory debuted in London last year.

However, in late May, as protests spread across the country after George Floyd’s death in police custody, Emory announced on Instagram that he and Denim Tears couldn’t go forward with the partnership until Converse’s parent company, Nike, went beyond its plan to donate $40 million over four years to support the Black community. (Michael Jordan, through his Nike subsidiary Jordan Brand, is donating an additional $100 million over 10 years.)

Emory called the move by Beaverton, Ore.,-based Nike, which reported $37.4 billion in revenue last fiscal year, a very expensive Band-Aid. He said he wanted to use his voice to push Nike to look inward at its own record on diversity and inclusion.

“It’s accountability,” Emory said in a phone interview. “It’s about Fortune 500 companies and how they are run under the guise of white supremacy and patriarchy and how I take accountability, that I need to see the steps — and brands that I work with dispensing that — or guys won’t work with me.”

In recent months, nearly all major industries, including entertainment, journalism and sports, have been forced to confront how closely their statements opposing systemic racism align with their treatment of Black and brown employees. The fashion industry, which has frequently been criticized for cultural appropriation, instances of blackface and a lack of diversity, is no different.

According to a count by trade publication Women’s Wear Daily, Black people make up only 4% — 19 out of 477 members — of the invitation-only Council of Fashion Designers of America, whose new chairman is Tom Ford. In an email to The Times, a CFDA spokesman said, “The CFDA does not record nor require members to state their race upon application, but it is estimated that members of color make up approximately 25% of the total membership.”

June 8, 2020

In anecdotal comments, Black streetwear designers from L.A. to New York told The Times that their subset of the fashion industry is no different.

“You can’t ignore the fact that there aren’t many Black brand owners in the streetwear space,” said Scott Sasso, who founded 10.Deep in 1995 while he was a student at Vassar. “And [at] some of the biggest companies, I don’t know if they’ve even had Black employees.”

Streetwear brands such as Denim Tears and 10.Deep offer casual clothing, primarily for men, that blend the styles of various subcultures, including hip-hop (as popularized in the 1990s by brands such as FUBU, Walker Wear and Phat Farm) as well as surf and skate motifs. It’s an identity that can be found in the clothing from brands such as Supreme and Stüssy. Instead of offering widely available, mass-produced products, streetwear brands tend to offer limited-edition drops for consumers who hear about companies through social media or by word of mouth.

Although Black style — from hip-hop to sneaker culture — has played a major role in shaping the fashion industry while bringing new designers and brands to prominence, Black fashion professionals and streetwear brand owners said in interviews with The Times that the clothing industry has failed to elevate and promote Black creatives in a way that reflects that influence.

Several designers also questioned the sincerity of corporations promising to invest in Black communities. They reflected on their own experiences trying to explain Black art to predominantly white company leaders.

Chicago-based designer Joe Freshgoods started selling T-shirts in high school and has been selling his designs out of Fat Tiger Workshop, the streetwear retail hub he co-owns, since 2013.

“I feel like a lot of these brands are in these boardrooms having these talks about how to fix this or how to just clean up their mistakes real fast, and it’s just like, ‘Hey, let’s just fill in the blanks real quick and see if this will make them happy,’” Freshgoods said.

He said he tried to include the logo of the Black Panther Party on a design for an Oakland-themed collaboration with an apparel brand last year. The company’s legal department rejected his proposal. At the time he went along with it, but now he’d push back, he said.

“A lot of Black collaborators are the reason why a lot of brands are super successful right now, so that’s a lot of power to have,” Freshgoods said.

Emory, who has partnered with New Balance and Levi’s, called on Nike to stop supporting Republicans while President Trump is the party’s leader. He also wants the company to release more information on its record of hiring Black employees and assist in “the defunding and total reform of all the police departments across America.”

Since his initial Instagram post in June, Emory has spoken to Converse Chief Executive G. Scott Uzzell or Uzzell’s team about a half dozen times over the phone or in video-conference meetings. In those discussions, Emory said the company acknowledged it hasn’t done everything it could in terms of creating a diverse corporate structure and laid out its hiring plan, especially in its executive suite. The designer said he discussed current initiatives at Nike to invest in Black communities and to address systemic racism and police brutality. “They want to get involved in all that, and we will see,” he said.

The release date for his red, black and green Converse sneaker has been moved up from February to October, ahead of the November election. Emory said the marketing for the shoe will focus on promoting voting. The shoe will be available in North America, Europe and online for $95 to $100.

“We respect and encourage the efforts of any collaborator or athlete we work with to raise their voice against racial injustice,” a Converse spokesperson said in a statement to The Times. “We have spoken with Tremaine and look forward to working through these issues together.”

At its core, streetwear is about authenticity and the personal connection between consumers and the designers and labels they love.

The push by larger brands and corporations — specifically in the fashion industry — to meet the current moment with statements, donations and new initiatives is in direct contrast to what many Black streetwear designers have been doing since the inception of their brands. Those designers have been hiring diverse staff, speaking up about political issues and infusing their works with references to Black culture.

“Now I feel like everybody’s rushing to make some type of relevant shirt or make some relevant message on their Instagram,” said Zac Clark, a Black designer who started his brand, FTP, while in high school in Los Angeles. “To me, a lot of this stuff right now seems very unnatural and just forced from a lot of these brands, so they won’t get ‘canceled.’”

Olivia Anthony, the designer behind the Livstreetwear brand, said the turning point for her New York-based company was her 2017 My Love Letter to Our Culture collection, which paid tribute to Black trends of the ’90s — think long nails, grills and slicked-down baby hairs — that were largely considered unfashionable until they were adopted by other races.

“It was so beautiful, but it was looked down upon,” said Anthony, adding that she wanted her brand to reflect how those Black trends, now featured in magazines including Vogue, have been “shown in a different light.”

Kacey Lynch said he created his South L.A.-based streetwear company, Bricks & Wood, after years of working at streetwear brands where he felt Black representation was missing.

“They wanted a lot from us, but they didn’t want to do the work, what it took to understand us,” Lynch said of his past employers. “Whether that’s Black culture, South-Central, minorities … wherever the cool came from, they all wanted it but they didn’t really know how to identify with it.”

In May 2019, fashion website Hypebeast and Strategy&, a consulting firm in the PwC network, released its Streetwear Impact Report, based on interviews with more than 40,000 Hypebeast readers and 700 global industry insiders. The survey found that 70% of respondents said they care about social issues, 59% said brand activism is important and 47% said they would stop shopping from a brand because of inappropriate behavior.

“It’s fine as a starting point for corporations to say, ‘This is what we stand for and this is what we believe,’” said Elena Romero, a fashion journalist and author of 2012’s “Free Stylin’: How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry.”“But that’s not going to be enough.”

Romero, an assistant professor at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, said companies likely will face questions over where they invest their profits, the diversity of their staff and how they’ve helped build the communities from which their dollars are coming. She said many companies will realize they’ve fallen short because the answers to those questions weren’t a priority until their profits were at risk.

“Now the consumer is saying, ‘You can’t fool us anymore,’” she said. “If you’re not authentic and truly supporting the very same things that these young people believe, your business will suffer.”

The result has been an industrywide push to make those investments now but also to make amends for past inaction. After Black Adidas employees criticized the company’s response to racism, Adidas announced June 9 that it would add more diverse staff, start a scholarship program for Black employees and invest an additional $20 million over four years in programs that serve the Black community. A day later, Adidas upped its $20 million pledge to $120 million. (In addition to those changes at Adidas, the company’s global head of human resources, Karen Parkin, resigned at the end of June after facing criticism for her handling of racial discrimination.)

Adidas also apologized for its past silence. “For most of you, this message is too little, too late,” a tweet from the Adidas account read. “We’ve celebrated athletes and artists in the Black community and used their image to define ourselves culturally as a brand but missed the message in reflecting such little representation within our walls.”

In the broader fashion community, various organizations and members of the industry have offered different strategies for creating a more inclusive environment. Aurora James, a New York-based creative director, started the Fifteen Percent Pledge, which calls on companies to provide at least 15% of their shelf space or contracts to Black-owned businesses.

After the CFDA announced its plan to promote diversity, a group called the Kelly Initiative called for the CFDA to adopt its proposal to conduct and publish a census of diversity in the industry, audit its recruitment practices and release an annual list of top Black talent, the Kelly List. The initiative is named after the late Patrick Kelly, a Black fashion designer who rose to prominence in the 1980s with work that played with Black cultural symbols and racial stereotypes.

April Walker, whose New York brand Walker Wear was worn by ’90s hip-hop stars including Method Man, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., stressed that Black designers need to look outside the fashion industry for success by collaborating, mentoring and sharing resources with their counterparts.

“We just need to not look for the fashion industry, as it’s been very oppressive for the last 30 years, to be the end-all, be-all for our opportunities,” she said, “but to create our own.”

Among streetwear companies, the effort to fight systemic racism in the country and the fashion industry has been on an individual basis, with brand owners of all races deciding how much they’re willing to give back and how comfortable they are using their platforms to discuss and condemn racism.

For some, that means speaking up in solidarity with the Black community. Bobby Kim, cofounder of the Hundreds, a Vernon-based clothing brand, teamed with Pharrell Williams’ brand Billionaire Boys Club to raise money for Black Lives Matter and the Black Mental Health Alliance with a shirt that was available for 48 hours. After the Fairfax shopping district where his shop is located was vandalized in late May, Kim, who’s Korean American, defended the right to protest.

In an interview, Kim said, “If you have been given a lot of money, and especially if that money has come by way of participating, contributing, or even stealing or borrowing from Black culture, then you — more than anybody else right now — need to tithe, need to pay up, in a sense, in order to reflect how influential Black culture has been in your career and your profitability as a company.”

Sasso’s 10.Deep stopped selling its regular collection for most of June and instead offered a new line of 10.Deep products to draw attention to activism against racial injustice and police brutality. The profits went to national bail funds for protesters.

“Streetwear, in its truest form, is about shooting yourself in the foot as often as possible but also just doing what you think is right,” Sasso said.

He said he was drawn to streetwear because it was a multiethnic community of different countercultures, a blend of the skate, surf, hip-hop and graffiti scenes, with a dash of punk rock, united by an exclusive knowledge of where to find and buy certain brands.

However, he has noticed a shift among streetwear consumers. For some shoppers, it’s not about the community. It’s just about the clothes.

He said he lost “several thousand” social media followers after he posted about Black Lives Matter and has received comments asking him to just stick to fashion.

“My thought is: If you want just some regular clothes, go buy Banana Republic, go buy Levi’s,” he said. “Those are companies that aren’t gonna take political stances. They’re providing basic stuff. This space is about a culture. If you want to participate in it, this is what it’s about.”

[phroyd]

TULSA — Six members of the advance team preparing to staff President Trump’s rally here Saturday tested positive for the coronavirus, underscoring concerns about holding a massive indoor event in a city where cases are spiking.

The campaign made that announcement, saying quarantine procedures had gone into effect for the infected staff members and those in “immediate contact" with them, as hundreds of supporters filled downtown streets in anticipation of the president’s rally — his first since the virus brought much of public life to a standstill in March.

Upon entering the rally grounds, attendees were handed blue face coverings and directed through a maze of metal fencing, which led to a touchless temperature screening conducted by volunteers in purple smocks.

City police erected black fencing and other barriers around the 19,000-seat BOK Center, a private venue leased by the Trump campaign. Shortly before noon, the campaign directed officers to arrest a protester who had sat down within the barricaded zone, according to the police department.

The protester, Sheila Buck of Tulsa, said she had a ticket to the event. She was wearing a shirt that read, “I can’t breathe," among the final words uttered by George Floyd as a police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck.

Adding to the fortified atmosphere, about 250 National Guard soldiers were on hand to supplement local authorities. Some were armed after the threat level was elevated, said Lt. Col. Geoff Legler, a spokesman for the Guard. Initially, the plan was to equip them only with batons, shields and pepper spray.

The president is heading to Tulsa at a precarious moment for his presidency. Recent polls show him trailing former vice president Joe Biden nationally and in a number of critical swing states, suggesting he has suffered politically from his handling of the coronavirus — which has killed more than 120,000 Americans — and his response to roiling demonstrations over racial injustice and police brutality triggered by Floyd’s killing last month.

The protests and the pandemic collided with Trump’s visit to Tulsa, where the number of new coronavirus cases continues to mount. The county reported 136 new cases on Saturday — marking another high for both single-day and average cases — while the state as a whole reported 331 new infections.

Most police officers, National Guard soldiers, food vendors and the vast majority of people in line chose not to wear face coverings, though Trump-branded masks dotted the crowd. The Confederate flag also appeared — all the more striking because Oklahoma was not a state at the time of the Civil War.

Margene Dunivant and her son Christian Lynch, both of Tulsa, sat on the edge of the crowd, taking in the scene.

“Everybody here is just full-on American and American Dream and hard-working, and just believes in everything America,” said Dunivant, 52. “Nowadays, it’s like you put on a Trump shirt and you’re considered racist, and it’s just wrong. We’re good people, and we love everybody."

A clashing view was also on display in Tulsa, where counteractions were planned with such names as “Dump the Trump Rally” and “Rally Against Hate.” Antipathy to the president — and objections to his insistence on gathering thousands of people indoors for a campaign event — fused with the outpouring for Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating freedom for enslaved black people.

“It’s irresponsible to say the least,” said Mareo Johnson, a pastor and the founder of Black Lives Matter Tulsa. His organization was involved in organizing a Saturday demonstration at John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park, less than a mile from the president’s rally.

His message to the city’s black residents, he said, was, “Stay focused on what Juneteenth represents.”

The commemoration held added significance in Tulsa, a city scarred by racist violence in 1921, when a white mob killed an estimated 300 black residents and devastated an area of the city known at the time as “Black Wall Street.” The Tulsa Race Massacre unfolded in the Greenwood neighborhood, where the words “Black Lives Matter” were painted on a road in bright yellow paint on Friday.

The events — freighted with political and historical meaning — turned the city into a magnet, leaving epidemiologists and public health officials fearful about the spread of the virus.

Susan Schoonover and her husband Brian said they woke up at 3 a.m. to drive the 15 miles from their home in Glenpool, Okla. Standing in line to see Trump, Schoonover sparkled in a tutu, tube socks and a red, white and blue head piece, clad for her first Trump rally. The pair purchased a cardboard cutout of Trump from Amazon to display in line, and they said it has been a hit with other attendees.

The parents of four left their children at home “just in case,” they said, citing recent unrest in cities across the country. As for the pandemic, they did not discount the threat of the coronavirus and planned to take some precautions. If they were to contract the virus, however, “it’s not a death sentence,” they said, because both are in their early 30s. Older people with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable, but young adults have also been badly sickened, including by an inflammatory syndrome linked to covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Robin Wilson, 64, said she was not concerned about contracting the virus inside the stadium despite a heart condition that put her in a wheelchair two years ago.

“I’m here because I love my president,” said Wilson, who used to work in insurance, “and I feel that he’s misrepresented by the mainstream media. And I believe that this is history in the making today, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Brian Clothier, 61, found a more eye-catching way to illustrate his view of possible risks from the coronavirus. He wore an adult diaper over his pants, where he placed a sign saying the underwear would “stop the spread,” in a reference to the disputed notion that flatulence can be linked to coronavirus transmission.

By early Saturday, lines had formed around three major entrances to the arena, and state troopers and tactical teams in military-style fatigues were massing at the conference center across the street on the southwestern side of the downtown stadium.

The event was able to proceed after the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid to require the BOK Center to enforce social distancing guidelines spelled out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and endorsed by members of the president’s own coronavirus task force. The campaign said it would hand out masks but not require them.

The Trump campaign had originally scheduled the rally for Friday, Juneteenth, but postponed a day following an outcry. The president, after admitting not to have known about the significance of June 19 for many African Americans, claimed in an interview with the Wall Street Journal to have made it “famous.” Some feared the one-day delay would not prevent conflict.

“My fear is that we will see Charlottesville 2.0 in Tulsa,” said Karlos K. Hill, chair of the African and African American studies department at the University of Oklahoma, referring to the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in 2017.

In addition to crowds gathered for the rally and Juneteenth activities, an estimated 4,500 people were expected at an exposition space across town for the Oklahoma Gun Show and the Spring Home and Outdoor Living Expo. Discover Tulsa advertised the chance to see more than “70,000 square feet of guns this weekend."

Trump on Friday threatened protesters preparing to greet him in Tulsa, warning on Twitter: “Any protesters, anarchists, agitators, looters or lowlifes who are going to Oklahoma, please understand, you will not be treated like you have been in New York, Seattle or Minneapolis. It will be a much different scene!”

The Trump campaign has repeatedly touted figures suggesting as many as 1 million people have signed up for the event, vastly outstripping the arena’s capacity.

A curfew that had been in place Thursday was rescinded for Friday night after discussions between Trump and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum (R), who has called the president’s decision to hold the event in his city a “tremendous honor” while declining to attend it. The state’s Republican governor, Kevin Stitt, has embraced the president’s move, saying of concerns about the coronavirus, “We’ve got to learn to deal with this,” while his health commissioner warned in a statement this week that “individuals looking to attend Saturday’s event, or any other large-scale gathering, will face an increased risk of becoming infected with covid-19 and becoming a transmitter of this novel virus.”

Though there was no curfew in place Friday, a “secure zone” was established around the site of the rally to “keep the area clear of individuals that are only present to break the law and disrupt the rights of people assembling peacefully,” according to the Tulsa Police Department.

Andrea Anderson, an FBI spokeswoman in Oklahoma City, said the Bureau was supplying investigative resources to state and local partners to “ensure public safety and security.”

Phroyd

[reading-writing-revolution]

August 26, 2020

Heather Cox Richardson

There is a profound disconnect between the reality of what is happening in America right now and what we are hearing from the White House.

Tonight, Hurricane Laura is barreling toward the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. The storm is on the verge of becoming a Category 5 hurricane, one of the strongest hurricanes ever to make landfall in the continental U.S. Its winds have reached 150 miles per hour and the National Hurricane Center has warned of an “unsurvivable” storm surge of up to 20 feet, as well as anywhere from 5-10 inches of rain. Forecasters warn that half of Lake Charles, Louisiana, home to almost 80,000 people, might be submerged. More than half a million people have been ordered to evacuate the region, but this will be a tall order for the 23.3% of the population there that lives in poverty.

Iowa is trying to rebuild from the August 10 derecho which brought winds of up to 140 miles an hour, left more than 400,000 Iowans without power, and damaged homes, businesses, and more than ten million acres of crops. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds asked for about $4 billion to cover the cost of the damage; Trump approved the portion that covered federal buildings and utilities but not assistance to homeowners and farmers.

Western wildfires have burned more than 1.8 million acres in August—an area almost double the size of Rhode Island. Fourteen states, including California, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado, have suffered from the extreme events. While firefighters are gaining control over many of the fires, red flag warnings are still in effect in Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, and Montana.

A disaster of a different sort is burning in America as coronavirus continues to spread. New CDC guidelines quietly put out on Monday no longer recommend testing for asymptomatic people even if they’ve been in contact with someone who has the coronavirus. This new rule appears to reflect Trump's frequent complaints that widespread testing is responsible for our climbing numbers of coronavirus cases. (He is incorrect.) He has repeatedly said we should slow the testing down. A White House spokesperson said the decision was science-based and not political; American Medical Association President Dr. Susan Bailey asked the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Department of Health and Human Services to "release the scientific justification" for the changes.

The spokesperson told reporters that the White House Coronavirus Task Force had signed off on the new guidelines, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the task force told CNN that he was not part of any such discussion. “I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact it is,” he said. Other members of the task force also expressed alarm about the new rules.

And there is yet another kind of fire burning. On Sunday afternoon, August 23, a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Rusten Sheskey, fired seven shots into Jacob Blake’s back as he opened his car door, leaving the 29-year-old father of five gravely wounded, likely paralyzed from the waist down.

Protests erupted in the wake of the shooting of yet another Black man, with the same pattern we saw in Portland: peaceful protests by day, riots by night. Armed militia members and counter protesters rushed to Kenosha and clashed with protesters, and after rioters looted and burned businesses, civilians armed with AR-15-style rifles took to the streets claiming they would back the police and restore order. Video shows police officers thanking the armed men for their help, despite the fact they are on the streets after the city’s curfew, and handing them water bottles.

Rather than restoring order, on Tuesday, a 17-year-old white man, Kyle Rittenhouse, from Antioch, Illinois, about 20 miles southwest of Kenosha, shot and killed two people and wounded a third. Rittenhouse’s social media is full of support for “Blue Lives Matter,” and shows him posing with weapons. Video from January 30, shows him in the front row of a Trump rally in Des Moines, Iowa; video from Tuesday shows him trying to get the attention of law enforcement officers before the shooting.

This afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks professional basketball team refused to play game five of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. This is what’s known as a “wildcat strike” because it does not have the approval of union leadership—the NBA collective bargaining agreement bans strikes. The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder joined in, and by 5:00 the NBA postponed all the evening’s games. All the WNBA games were also called off, and several Major League Baseball teams have struck in solidarity.

In a statement, the Bucks said, “Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.” They asked the Wisconsin legislature to reconvene and pass “meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform.” They also asked people to vote. Basketball superstar LeBron James was more straightforward: “F**K THIS MAN!!!!!” he tweeted. “WE DEMAND CHANGE. SICK OF IT[.]”

In Washington, tonight, at the third night of the Republican National Convention, speakers painted an image of the nation that did not square with this reality. There was scarce mention of the natural disasters that, in any other administration, would be headline news. The sentence “May God bless and protect the Gulf states in the path of the hurricane," offered by Eric Trump's wife Lara, was about the extent of it.

There was scarce attention paid to the coronavirus, either, which has, to date, killed more than 180,000 Americans. Twenty-five percent of the world's deaths from Covid-19 come from the U.S., which has 4% of the world’s people. From Fort McHenry, Maryland, Vice President Mike Pence congratulated Trump for suspending travel from China and saving “untold American lives.” White House officials continue to talk of the virus in the past tense, as if it is over. Images from the RNC of attendees sitting together, unmasked, send a signal that things are back to normal, when they are decidedly not.

There was no mention of Jacob Blake or the Kenosha shootings of Tuesday tonight, although Trump appeared to take the part of the Kenosha police and the civilian militias when he tweeted today that he was sending federal troops to Kenosha to restore “LAW and ORDER!”. (Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, instead deployed 500 members of the National Guard to Kenosha.)

From Fort McHenry, Maryland, Vice President Mike Pence talked of the “heroes” who have died in unrest around the country without mentioning the events that have sparked the unrest: the shootings of Black men and women at the hands of police officers, people like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake. He lamented the death of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood, “shot and killed during the riots in Oakland, California,” implying he was killed by protesters. In fact, Officer Underwood died in a drive-by shooting by a Boogaloo supporter on a nearly empty street. And Pence claimed that Democratic nominee Joe Biden has said he would cut funding to law enforcement; this is a lie from a super PAC ad that spliced together video footage to change its meaning.

A million years ago, during the George W. Bush administration, a White House official dismissively told journalist Ron Suskind that people like Suskind lived in “the reality-based community,” meaning that they believed solutions to the nation’s problems came from studying reality and finding answers. “That's not the way the world really works anymore,” the official told Suskind. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality…. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”

Creating their own reality might have worked for Bush’s people in 2004, but sixteen years later, with the country in conflagrations both natural and manmade, it seems that approach is no longer viable.

—-

Notes:

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/hurricane-laura-storm-track-path-forecast-today-2020-08-26/

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-misleading-biden-ad-defund/fact-check-political-ad-saying-biden-wants-to-defund-the-police-is-misleading-idUSKCN252248

Underwood: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gopers-keep-falsely-implying-a-protester-killed-a-federal-officer-in-oakland

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/live-blog/hurricane-laura-updates-news-live-hurricane-path-tracker-n1238184/ncrd1238314#liveBlogHeader

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/live-blog/rnc-night-three-pence-conway-hatch-act

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/lakecharlescitylouisiana

Iowa: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/25/iowa-gov-kim-reynolds-holds-news-conference-cedar-rapids-schools-storm-derecho/5627303002/

https://www.kcrg.com/2020/08/18/trump-signs-only-a-portion-of-iowas-disaster-relief-request/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/25/us/california-fires-tuesday/index.html

wildcat strike:

Matt Pearce 🦅 @mattdpearceThe NBA collective bargaining agreement bans strikes, which means the Bucks are breaking their own contract to stop playing in protest of police violence. (But this is your reminder that there aren't really illegal strikes, just unsuccessful ones.)

cosmic-s3.imgix.net/3c7a0a50-8e11-…

August 26th 2020

2,026 Retweets5,544 Likes

https://www.thedailybeast.com/america-doesnt-deserve-sports-right-now

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/08/nba-teams-strike-for-black-lives.html

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/kenosha-suspect-kyle-rittenhouse-trump-rally

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/29beffc

https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-08-26/trump-pledges-to-restore-law-and-order-in-wisconsin-amid-jacob-blake-protests

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html?referringSource=articleShare

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/fauci-coronavirus-cdc-testing/index.html

[wwjjchinese]

5 Types of Traditional Chinese Clothing & Dress

The story of clothing is one of the fascinating developments in human history. Each country in the world has its unique traditional costumes, which can identify specific histories and cultures and enable people to distinguish different citizens.

China is a country with a long history, and many ethnic minorities have their own national culture. The mutual influence of these different cultures has created rich textures and fabrics in history, which has brought about significant changes and glories in Chinese clothing.

Chinese traditional costumes were formed and developed under the interaction between the outside world and China's own dynastic traditions.

Each Dynasty had different boundaries, social values, social norms, etc. As a result, many aesthetic standards were based on the circumstances of a particular dynasty (social, geographical, economic, political). This is the main reason why there are so many styles of traditional Chinese dress.

5 kinds of traditional Chinese clothing

Before we explore the world of traditional Chinese clothing, it is necessary to learn the five most classic categories. They are Hanfu, Cheongsam, Tang Zhuang, Zhongshan Zhuang, and ethnic customs.

Each category has its own production process, and there are significant differences between different types or when the same model is compared at different times.

This article will briefly introduce each category. By reading the following, we can build the basic framework of traditional Chinese clothing.

The name of Hanfu comes from Chinese, which means "clothes of the Han people" and includes all types and styles of traditional clothing worn by the Han people.

The common ancestor of the Han people in Huaxia. Huaxia is the name of the original alliance of agricultural tribes in the Yellow River valley. The term Huaxia represents a corporate alliance of neolithic farming tribes, Hua and Xia, who lived in the central plains in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in northern China.

Hanfu, like its definition, was born at the beginning of the development history of the Han people. Therefore, it has the most extended history among all the traditional Chinese clothing.

1, Historical Hanfu

Hanfu has a history of more than 3,000 years. From its history, Hanfu has been inextricably linked with silk, which is said to have been discovered by the Yellow Emperor's wife, Leizu.

From the Yellow Emperor (2969-2598 BC) to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 BC), Hanfu dominated China's fashion world.

Each Dynasty had its own style and aesthetics. Such as the pre-qin period "Shenyi"; your clothes from the Qin and Han dynasties; Tiaowenjiansequn of the Wei dynasty; Bambi in Sui and Tang dynasties.

Some clothes were trendy in different dynasties, some were just a flash in the pan. In both cases, all Hanfu evolved and influenced each other to some extent.

Although there are many styles of Hanfu, each can be assembled with a suit of clothes.

Yi (衣) any open cross-collar garment, and worn by both sexes

Pao (袍) any closed full-body garment, worn only by men

Ru (襦) open cross-collar shirt

Shan (衫) open cross-collar shirt or jacket that is worn over the Yi

Qun (裙) or Chang (裳) skirt for women and men

Ku (裈) trousers or pants

 Follows are the introduction of some Hanfu styles.

Zhongyi (中衣) or Zhongdan (中单)  inner garments, mostly white cotton or silk

Shanqun (衫裙)   a short coat with a long skirt

Ruqun (襦裙)  a top clothing with a separate lower garment or skirt

Kuzhe (裤褶)  a short coat with trousers

Zhiduo/Zhishen (直裰/直身)   a Ming Dynasty style robe, similar to a Shenyi but with vents at the side and “stitched sleeves” (eg, the sleeve cuff is closed save a small opening for the hand to go through)

Daopao/Fusha (道袍/彿裟)  Taoist/Buddhist priests’ full-dress ceremonial robes

Xuanduan (玄端)   a very formal dark robe; equivalent to the Western white tie

Shenyi (深衣)   a long whole-body garment

Quju (曲裾)  diagonal body wrapping

Zhiju (直裾)   straight lapels

Yuanlingshan (圆领衫), Lanshan (襕衫) or Panlingpao (盘领袍): closed, round-collared robe; mostly used for official or academical dress

reference wiki

2. Cheongsam or Qipao

The cheongsam is a kind of traditional dress, its history can be traced back to the 17th century. It is Manchu tights with distinctive Chinese characteristics. In the 1920s and 1930s, it was known as the "Mandas dress" and became popular among upper-class women in Shanghai.

The history of the cheongsam

In the qing dynasty, the Manchu, not the Han, ruled China. The rulers used an administrative division called the eight flags system. At first, only Manchu families were organized in the order, but above them were Mongols and Han Chinese.

The Manchus and anyone living under the eight banners wore clothes different from those of ordinary people. The garment is made up of robes similar to those of men and women and is called a robe.

For a time, under the laws of the Dynasty after 1636, and all Han Chinese had to wear Manchu men's hair, line up, and wear Manchu robes instead of traditional Han dress, or else they were sentenced to death.

In the 19th century, however, it was common for women to wear cheongsam voluntarily on both formal and casual occasions.

Today, the cheongsam is known for its exotic but straightforward lines and has inspired many foreign film adaptations. It is prevalent because it suits the figure of Chinese women very well; the line is simple, looks very elegant. Suitable for young and old people to wear throughout the year.

Modern women do not wear cheongsam as their daily wear. It is now only worn for formal occasions, such as weddings, parties, and beauty pageants. It is also used as a uniform by some Chinese restaurants, hotels, and airlines.

In China, cheongsam is usually a red wedding dress. Cheongsam is generally embroidered with exquisite gold and silver patterns. Brides in southern China wear a cheongsam or a two-piece makeover with elaborate golden dragons and phoenixes. Dragon and phoenix are the traditional wedding patterns favored by Chinese brides today.

3. Tang Suit

Tang suit, also translated as Tangzhuang, is often referred to as a modern Chinese jacket rather than a Tang dynasty.

Origin of name

Although the Tang suit is not the costume of the Tang dynasty, it has a particular relationship with the Tang dynasty. The Tang dynasty was one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history. Therefore, people often use "Tang" to refer to traditional Chinese culture. For example, Chinatowns in the US or UK are also known as "Chinatown (Tang people street)".

Tang suit, as the name of Chinatown, represents a kind of dress with deep Chinese traditional culture.

Tang Suit History

The history of the Tang suit can be traced back to the early 20th century (late Qing dynasty). It is a combination of Manchu jacket elements and western jacket elements.

The Chinese government released a new unified system in 1929. Under this new system, the Tang suit became a kind of formal dress for Chinese men. Also around 1929, the media all over the world start to extensive reports and the introduction to the Tang suit. People all over the world began to think of the Tang suit as one of the most typical traditional Chinese clothes.

In recent years, with the diversification of Tang suit styles and production techniques, the Tang suit is becoming more and more popular not only In China but also in the world.

Tang suit appeared in many international events. In 2001, the Asia-pacific economic cooperation (APEC) meeting, all the leaders wore Tang suit, blue, bright red, and with China's national flower peony circular design. Besides, the Tang suit also appeared in the 2008 Olympic Games and some of the World Trade Organization meeting.

Also, Tang suit elements have appeared in many famous Kungfu films and TV series. Thanks to the joint efforts of designers and the cultural industry, the influence of the Tang suit has spread further and further.

4. Zhongshan Suit

The modern Chinese tunic suit is a style of male attire known initially in China as the Zhongshan suit (after Sun Yet-Sen, also called Sun Zhongshan), and later as the Mao suit (after Mao Zedong).

Sun yat-sen introduced the style as a form of national costume in China shortly after the founding of the Republic of China, despite its obvious political and later governmental implications. He designed the suit based on the uniforms of Japanese military cadets.

The suit is also said to have cultural connotations, with four pockets representing the four great virtues of Chinese culture: propriety, righteousness, honesty and shame, and five buttons representing five branches of the Chinese government.

History of the Zhongshan Suit

When the Republic of China was founded in 1912, China's style of dress was based on Manchu clothing (cheongsam and Changshan), which the Qing dynasty imposed as a form of social control.

The majority of Han Chinese revolutionaries who overthrew the Qing were fueled by the failure of the Qing to defend China and a lack of scientific advancement compared to the West. Even before the founding of the Republic, older forms of Chinese dress were becoming unpopular among the elite. They led to the development of Chinese dress which combined the changshan and the Western hat to form a new dress. The Zhongshan suit is a similar development that combined Western and Eastern fashions.

Most of the Han revolutionaries overthrew the Qing government because it failed to defend China and lack of scientific progress compared to the West. Even before the founding of the republic, the old Chinese dress had become unpopular among the elite, which led to the development of Chinese dress, which combined the Changshan with the western hat to form a new dress. Zhongshan suit is a similar development that combines western and eastern fashions.

The Zhongshan suit remains the standard dress for the first and second generation of leaders of the People's Republic of China, including Deng Xiaoping. In the 1990s, as more and more Chinese politicians began to wear traditional western-style suits and ties, leaders of general secretary Jiang Zemin's generation began to wear them less and less frequently.

Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping only wear Zhongshan suits for special occasions, such as essential banquets or the 2019 celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Hu Jintao even showed up to a black-tie state dinner in the United States wearing a business suit, attracting some criticism for being underdressed at a formal occasion. In the Xi Jinping administration, however, the Zhongshan suit made a comeback as a diplomatic uniform and evening dress.

 5. Ethnic Minorities

Japan, Korea, France, Greece, and other countries are nation-states. China has been a multi-ethnic country since ancient times.

China's ethnic minorities are the non-Han population of China. China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minorities except the Han. As of 2010, the officially recognized ethnic minority population accounted for 8.49% of the mainland's population.

The degree of difference among ethnic groups is inconsistent. Many ethnic groups have been described as having unique characteristics with other ethnic minorities and the Han. Still, some are very similar to the Han majority. The vast majority of Hui are indistinguishable from Han Chinese except that they are Muslim, and most Manchus are considered primarily integrated into the dominant Han Chinese society.

There are 55 ethnic minorities, including Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Dai and etc.

In terms of minority costumes, there are significant differences among ethnic groups due to the influence of geography, culture, history, and other factors.

Features of the ethnic minority clothing

The characteristic feature of minority clothing is colorful, exquisite, and distinctive. Every aspect of their clothing, such as raw materials, textile technology, fashion, and decoration, retains distinct national and local characteristics.

The Hezhen people lived mainly by fishing and used to make fishskin clothes. The Oroque and Ewenki, hunting nationalities, used roe skin and animal tendon to make their clothes

The Mongolians, Tibetans, Kazakstan, Khalkhases, Yugurs, etc., who are mainly engaged in stockbreeding, make their apparel mostly from animal skin and hair. Moreover, the agricultural minorities usually use locally produced cotton or twine as raw material for weaving and clothing

The technology of weaving, tanning, and felting has a long history in ethnic minorities. For example, the kapok cloth of Li nationality, the wool fabric of Tibetan nationality, the Adelie silk of Uygur nationality, the furs of Oroqen, and so on have been enjoying the world reputation.

The costume designs and forms of China's ethnic minorities are varied. Generally speaking, there are two categories: long dresses and short dresses. People usually wear hats and boots with long skirts and headgear and shoes with short clothes.

The robe comes in many forms: the Mongolian, Manchu, and Tu people wear a high-necked forward style. Tibetan wear no collar inclined forward.

The tilted-front style worn by the Uygur and other ethnic minorities. And so on. As for short clothes, there are two kinds: trousers and skirts.

The costumes of ethnic minorities not only vary significantly according to different nationalities but also have different branches and different regions within the same nationality. Differences can be seen from province to province, from county to county, and even from village to village. Clothing is the most visible symbol of a nation. Historically, many countries were named after their clothing.

 7 key changes to traditional Chinese clothing

5 categories of traditional Chinese clothing are introduced. In general, each of these can be identified by 7 key changes.

1, In design, traditional Chinese clothing is usually straight cut, loose shape. Also, the overall harmony of the dress is also emphasized.

2, Embroidery is a folk art with a long tradition. It occupies an essential position in the history of Chinese arts and crafts. In its long development process, it is inseparable from sericulture, silk reeling, and weaving. The production of silk threads and fabrics gave rise to the Chinese art of embroidery, which became very complicated and delicate.

3, In daily life, people usually wear light-colored clothes. Red, bright yellow and purple were typically reserved for emperors and royalty. Most of the crowd wore red at the wedding. Besides, white dresses are usually worn at funerals. For example, for women, only the wives of queens or officials can wear real red, which is not allowed for concubines.

4, In ancient feudal society, people's rank and social status were easily reflected in their daily clothes, especially for ordinary people and the upper class. Among the upper ruling classes, only the emperors were given the symbol of the yellow and dragon in traditional Chinese costume as the only affirmation of their power. As for ministers, generals, councilors, and their wives, their uniforms also had strict rules on how many lions or cranes were to be embroidered.

5, In terms of gender, women's clothing is more diverse than men's clothing. Compared with men's wear, women's wear has more decorations, objects, and styles.

6, In the beginning, the ancient Chinese just covered their bodies with leaves. With the development of agriculture, more clothing materials appeared. In later years, linen, cotton, and silk were the primary materials. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), according to the government's policies of heavy farming and restricting commerce, merchants were forbidden to wear silk clothes, even if they were rich.

7, Almost every Dynasty in history had its own unique costumes, some of which were genuinely exquisite.

Nowadays, more and more fashion designers are committed to improving the traditional fashion design. As wearers, we are not only consumers but also co-manufacturers. Especially in today's market, people are free to choose any style of clothing. Our likes and dislikes determine the course of costume design.

This article only gives a very brief introduction to traditional Chinese clothing. Each of these five categories can be further divided into more subcategories. This is an extensive map, and we've only seen a small part of it.

[americanroyalwatcher]

Why we love Kate, not Meghan

I’ve been seeing the “If you love her (Catherine) you don’t need to hate her (Meghan)” meme going around on IG. I had to clear things up for myself and anybody this resonates once and for all. Let me first start off by saying my feelings for Meghan Markle are not of hate. I find her and Catherine beautiful in their own respective ways. I only abhor Meghan’s behavior, actions, total disrespect for the Royal Family hierarchy, trying to curry favor with the public through her PR attempts, and blatant sense of entitlement.

We are only typing words online making it difficult to decipher a tone of voice. Since there is none to be heard or facial expressions detected, you can take it much more worse, dramatic, and catty than it really is. I try to write as clearly as I can to convey my meanings as fast I can churn it out for everyone to read. I do it so my opinions are not misunderstood to be of jealousy, hating, bullying, or racism. I feel I have to restate this as I’ve gained many new followers and likely new spies or just plain curious folks. It would be truly wonderful to meet everyone I interact with online, follower, spy, or passersby. That human interaction is missing from this very anti-social media platform.

So, let me say I am none of those four things above. In fact, I was quite enthusiastic initially with Meghan Markle’s debut into the royal scene. She of course is a far cry from the typical posh British blondes Harry dated. It was refreshing and new. She was a Californian, ethnic, and American just like me, who came from a disjointed family. She was a breath of fresh air as a new addition, but that quickly turned into mush when that engagement interview revealed her domineering, controlling, and insincere personality with the camera. I took her saying she didn’t know THAT MUCH about Price Harry, not that she didn’t know him or the royal family. This is often restated incorrectly. Her statement during the interview came off as if Prince Harry’s royal-ness wasn’t a big deal to her. That they’re equally on the same plane and their names hold the same weight as far as that statement went. That initial interview showed her ego on display and the Vanity Fair magazine she interviewed for as a tell all after it was revealed she was Harry’s girlfriend. Shortly before that, in November 2016, she had Harry write a foolish statement asking the public to leave her alone after she made a false report of someone breaking into her Toronto home. Then she goes on to do that Vanity Fair magazine. The hypocrisy. Harry could never turn back after that. It was more binding than a wedding if you ask me.

Even her ex-best friend Ninaka Priddy told DailyMail, “I know the Royal Family was something she found fascinating. She had one of Princess Diana’s books [Diana: Her True Story] on her bookshelf, and even when she was with Trevor she told me she wanted to go and stay in London for at least a month. I can’t remember exactly when this was, but she was married to Trevor and starring in Suits. She mentioned about wanting to go to London a couple of times. I wasn’t shocked or even surprised to hear about Prince Harry. I know she used to love The Princess Diaries — films about a commoner who becomes part of a Royal Family. She was very taken with that idea.”

Meghan would relish the thought of living a real life Princess Diaries scenario. Everyone in her family circle knew she was infatuated with the idea of being a modern day princess with power. She admired Princess She-Ra. In her defunct Tig blog she wrote, “I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power. And grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate.”

That was a huge red flag to me. Her best friend knew her since she was 11 and they were inseparable like sisters, like family. So, I take her words seriously as to who Meghan really was. She stopped talking to her after three seasons of Suits. Fame got to her head. She left her then husband Trevor, who helped her get on the show. She was out for a more “empowering” position in life. She used who and what she could to get where she is today. She downplayed her knowledge and awareness of the royal family big time and it really came back to bite her.

Meghan had her sights set on expanding her name and fame somehow someway since Suits was wrapping up with her supporting role being axed soon. Unhappily, her marriage to Trevor Engelson ended abruptly by her (mailing her rings back my mail), after almost 10 years of supposed true happiness finding The One. According to her ex-best friend she knew since she was 11 years old. She left him for Corey Vitiello, a highly celebrated chef in Toronto after her career took off some with Suits. Corey was also cooking for Prince Harry when Meghan first met the royal. He runs a chicken restaurant chain called Flock. Roast chicken, anyone? Yes, Meghan has commented time and time again her specialty is roast chicken. She picked up this talent likely from living in common law marriage with Corey in Toronto. That’s also what she was cooking when Prince Harry proposed? Gosh, what a coincidence. The Sun said, “The pair split in May 2016 - with the Telegraph reporting that Meghan was still with Cory when she first met Harry. The prince was in Canada to promote the Invictus games in May 2016. The chef refused to comment on the rumours that the Prince was part of the reason their relationship ended.” Hmmm, also a suspicious coincidence.

I don’t knock her for watching out for herself and trying to put her name out there. It’s a dog-eat-dog world in the acting industry. She was only successful in Toronto with Suits. Hollywood was the ultimate goal and dream. Her father Thomas Markle was a successful Emmy winning lighting director for Married with Children. She basically grew up on set and likely salivated at the fame and attention she would get being one. As a narcissist, this would feed her ego majorly. She was never going to be more famous than an extra in those random comedies or low-budget made for TV movies. She was pushing nearly 40. That’s the career death age of actresses in North America, maybe everywhere. She wasn’t a Meryl Streep or Viola Davis. She had to think fast. She did. Man, did she hit the jackpot with Harry. Apparently, their relationship wasn’t even revealed to Harry’s family until 6 months into it. All that time, Thomas Markle kept his mouth shut about it. He was loyal to his favorite daughter and paid for her expensive upscale schooling her entire life, even some in college. She ghosted him for making a foolish mistake with the media when he didn’t recieve an invite to the wedding. This time period was key to her sinking her claws in to Prince Harry’s vulnerability, weaknesses, broken and damaged self. She does want to be another Diana, but all she is now is a mother-wife to Harry. As her ghosted former best friend said, she is very calculated.

Using others as a stepping stone or tool to get where you want is extremely cold-hearted, but that was her MO. There is a reason a trail of ghosted, dejected lovers, family and friends have come out of the woodwork since Harry said his family was the one she never had. HAH. Cry me a river. Samantha only came out when that was openly said. What a stupid, hurtful, foolish statement Harry. This was during the Christmas Service at Sandringham she attended when they were only engaged. That’s unheard of. Even Catherine Middleton, wife of the heir didn’t even get invited to any outings until they were officially married. I commend Prince William for his caution as he had much more to lose than Harry with his choice of a wife.

Prince William was extremely worried about the tabloids and press doing what they did to his beloved mother to Kate. They chased Kate around and staked out their cameras at her flat. They followed her to work. They shoved cameras in her face getting in and out of cars. She was very chill about it. Alarmed, but civil. It was chaos. She was a BIG DEAL. She was marrying the heir to the British monarchy. Prince William was a dreamboat. Many of us were very fascinated by who his choice was. When they married, there were years and years of ridicule with comments about her “Waity Katey” nickname. He made sure she has as much time living a normal private life before becoming a royal. She needed to withstand the public scrutiny as his on and off again girlfriend first. It wasn’t a matter of him getting coldfeet. He was protecting her. They were college friends first then fell in love over the course of 6 years or so. They had a solid foundation.

She even had a few incidents where her skirt flew up too high revealing too much as well as her chest. It’s all trivial superficial things, I know, but it matters as a royal. We do the same with Meghan. It’s the optics that need to be taken into consideration. I’m fine with critiquing dress style, as there’s a certain decorum needed in a royal family. She, Kate, needed to dress more prudently to avoid mishaps. There were several in her first few years. She has improved beautifully and has her style down to science. Kate had many of the criticisms Meghan shares as far as entering in the royal family goes being a commoner having to do with dress code and keeping her mannerisms appropriate at events. There are many comments on old articles saying how Kate was smiling way too much at this same event years ago. How her hair was too long. She needed to stop twirling it and have some respect for her role and the dignity of the event. It was the Remembrance Day Sunday event at Whitehall in 2013. The two years before that, she garnered the same scathing reactions from the public.

Kate has really come into her own despite the awful criticisms and judgement on her class. She has bore the years and years of cruel digs to her with great decorum and stride. She has NEVER COMPLAINED. She has come in to her own identity as a mother, wife, future queen consort, charity patron, and most importantly a genuine person with the public. I quote The Sun highlighting past labels calling her a "work-shy social climber, the lucky girl whose sole job in life was to sit around looking pretty until William proposed." That's all turned into something solid and magical.

She has an ease with others that makes them comfortable in her presence you don't expect from such a senior royal. She has bloomed. We love her for that and how she lets Prince William shine by supporting his role as heir through their duties and appearances together. She also shines equally if not more than Prince William. Her children are absolutely gorgeous and a delight. We have all come to adore her because she has earned it. Yes, with the public you have to earn our love.

With Meghan, it seemed as if they were marrying then having a baby at warp speed before Harry decided to change his mind without knowing her family and past. They weren’t allowing the public to let us see Meghan in a positive gradual light, but a social climbing one with all her past history written online for all to see; also through the testimony of friends, families, her attention-seeking Instagram posts, colleagues etc. She hadn’t proved herself worthy yet to the public like Kate. It was hitting the ground running to be her own brand and name through Harry’s family.

On a superficial level, Kate and Meghan are not fashionistas or supermodels. But they are always photographed with what brands they’re wearing for all to see. That’s the fun part of watching all royal women, their outfits and accessories. But with Meghan it goes PAST and BEYOND outfits and style. It’s an entire plethora of reasons. She’s a whole different “beast” as she likened her unfair treatment in that Africa interview. All that have nothing to do with her ethnicity. The criticisms we non-Markle fans share with her are as followed:

• ghosting those friends and family members she used to put a notch on her belt

• using Princess Diana’s name to beautify her tainted image

• using Harry and his weaknesses to crawl her way into the royal family

• portraying such an affected manner in which she speaks, interactions with others, and overall pretending to be royal instead of being herself

• wearing inappropriate revealing attire to events, not adhering to dress code

• being rude and demanding to royal staff and even film and restaurant workers before marrying Harry

• constantly stepping in front of Harry as if he was the non-royal at events, inserting herself in conversations and trying to be the center of attention, a know-it-all

• making herself out to be a self made millionaire when she was more like a thousand-aire after Suits owning no real estate, cars or possessions to note beside an expensive heel collection

• taking credit for things that she did not do entirely on her own but passing it off that she did

• upsetting Duchess of Cambridge who she should have allied with for assimilation

• planting her PR stories to try and break up the image and marriage that the Cambridges have naturally built

• constantly trying to one-up the Cambridges while they go about their duties, her seething envy is quite evident by trying to take the light away from their causes

• inconsistent stories of how she and Harry met, supposedly it's Misha Nonoo, but who knows

• implying she was pregnant, all but announcing it with that navy blue coat halfway open at Princess Eugenie's wedding

• overly flicking her coat open constantly and prancing around with her hand on her ever changing bump (whether real or not we will never know)

• embellishing her character by feeding us accolades of herself every chance she gets, especially on Sussex Royal

• rarely ever using the titles of more important senior royals, but overusing her HRH on herself

• having famous Hollywood friends constantly speak for her and how amazing she is, many whom she had NEVER met prior to marrying Harry, but invited to the wedding anyway; leaving out her own family members (especially her loving father who made a foolish mistake) on both sides who did nothing to warrant such cold-heartedness

• preaching about carbon footprints, only having two children, and saving the environment all the while jetting around in private jets around the world sparing no expense

• portraying this image of a humanitarian when she herself is seen constantly in astronomically priced bespoke, couture, and designer clothes and accessories that taxpayers find (well over a million now dollars as the 6th in line’s wide); paid or not by designers to advertise for them

According to The Star, “It’s a figure so staggering it’s worth revisiting. According to estimates — based on totalling up the approximated or stated retail values of everything she’s been seen wearing since November 2017 — the number is hovering around the $1.5 million mark. On her and Harry’s official visit to Ireland this spring, for instance, Markle wore over $52,000 worth of fashion in just two days.”

They also stated “The majority of Markle’s expenditure this year went toward her two wedding dresses: That Givenchy ceremony dress is thought to have cost around $330,000 and her Stella McCartney dress (or the capsule collection’s 46 replicas released after the wedding, at least) sold for $5,800. That’s a bargain compared to the $93,000 she spent on the Ralph & Russo frock she wore for some of her engagement shoot. Add in a $6,500 Oscar de la Renta dress to a wedding here, a $5,000 bespoke Carolina Herrera frock to a Trooping the Colour there, and well, you get to that million mark pretty quickly.”

• then there’s the vacant Forgmore Cottage that wasted taxpayers money if $3 million to renovate; apparently they don’t even live there as she’s in SoHo accommodations and he in his Nottingham Cottage

• playing media games with the facts and dates surrounding the birth of Archie and never allowing him to be photographed until it was on African soil for a docu-drama

• pleading for privacy over and over then showing up unannounced at events uninvited,

• filming a tone-deaf tactless documentary in Africa, revealing how she felt she's didn't have a fair shake in the royal family, the absolute nerve of she and Harry

• suing the press for racism and hate stories when she herself courts the press daily (she did pap walks in London right before it was announced she was Harry's girlfriend), when she has herself and Harry to thank for all the negative press as there's not one story pointing out criticism of her ethnic background

• lastly, there are the extreme fans called the “sugars” who go around defending MM every chance they get in a rageful manner like packs of rabid dogs if we comment on how we don’t like her style of dress or try to reason with a differing opinion to theirs on a certain news story

Have I missed anything? Likely so. I’m still new to this whole Markle debacle so excuse my errors and typos. The soap opera does go on and there are so many details and shady ways Meghan has portrayed herself past and present. From what I’ve seen, heard, and read from her own mouth and those who knew her well, “she’s a witch” as Candace Owens put it bluntly. I truly wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to her when she kept shooting herself in the foot.

She is NOT where Kate was when she married Prince William either. Kate was 29, unmarried and very close to her family with no previous marriages. Today, her family appear to be her rock solid support outside of Prince William. She assimilated well with the other royals who she now calls family. She listened to counsel, respected the centuries of tradition the monarchy had always followed. She won our hearts. Through and through, she can credit her great inner strength she possessed to overcome the constant ridicule to become the well loved future queen consort of Britain. That is no easy feat.

Meghan was 37 and many times divorced (one annulled with Joe Giuliano, an attorney she married after college), so maybe three if you count the common law marriage with Cory in Canada. Trevor was her first official one. So Harry may be her 4th! She had lived many lives before with connections to SoHo, being a yacht girl, then there are her ties to the wretches Jeffery Epstein, Hillary Clinton, Weinstein and their global agenda machine I would have to write a dissertation on to explain.

She appeared to have used her first official husband Trevor, a successful producer in his own right (she got a cameo in his film Remember Me with Robert Pattinson) to get her role on Suits as he’s done excellent for himself in the film industry as a producer. Meghan was somewhat popular in Toronto from the supporting role. She was being phased out soon after her relationship with Corey started as well. She needed a plan, along came Prince Harry one fine clucking night. Then, she set her sights on getting setup with him by Markus Anderson or Misha Nonoo; who knows with all these conflicting stories.

I said good for her at the start. At first it was incredible to see an ordinary girl from LA had married into such a high profile family, to a real titled Prince, no less! It was inspiring and fun to fantasize. Nevertheless, Meghan’s actions listed above, the various first-hand testimonies of people who were family and friends pre-Harry, her hellbent PR attempts to heighten her name, her lack of honesty, her contrived behavior pretending to be a coy ingenue, the scary desire to be Princess Diana by hunting Harry like a sport, and all the stories coming out about how she was searching for a famous British man to elevate her profile, and likely so much more to come, are why we are here with these accounts today.

Hate is such a blanket word overused nowadays in the media. But she has earned that word all on her own. We’re here to disprove and retort the stories churned out daily by her team Sunshine Sachs that continue to deceive the public. Everything is out there to see. Her character is out there to decipher online. You just have to stop reading the fluff and self-promotion and find her true nature pre-Harry to see her scheming social climbing insincere self-serving ways. So, please don’t make us out to be hating, racist, jealous, bullies because we don’t love her like we do Kate. Move past that because we’re tired of hearing it. There’s no other argument anymore for her sugars it seems. Excuse me for not buying Meghan’s pseudo feminism and humanitarian image. She is far from that of a humanitarian. Everything is written on the wall for her. She only has herself to thank for it.

[bctims]

Emerging Practices - Analysis

For the Emerging Practices formative, I decided to look into the Mikme Pocket from Kickstarter. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikme/mikme-pocket-a-smarter-way-to-record-audio-for-your-videos/description)

The Mikme Pocket is a compact and failsafe audio recording device with a clip-on microphone that pairs wirelessly with smartphones. 

”Made for Creators”

“We have created Mikme Pocket for content creators, journalists, filmmakers and videographers around the world. Mikme Pocket simply adds professional sound to your videos and films and lets you focus on what is in front of the camera.”

So far, the Mikme Pocket has raised over $260,000NZD on Kickstarter as a new market for a niche audience that has not been tapped into a significant amount. This earns my respect for being able to fill an untapped hole in such an extraordinarily popular industry. I personally have not heard of any competitors for smartphone audio equipment.

The price tag to purchase your own Mikme Pocket starts at the low price of $425NZD with an added $16 per month subscription fee for the necessary smartphone app required to function to its maximum capacity. Throughout the Kickstarter it states you are able to use the Mikme Pocket with third party applications aside from their own, however the audio signal is compressed more than 50% and will run at a maximum of 16kHz as opposed to the standard 44.1kHz when using the $16 per month application. This gives a clear indication of Mikme purposely bottlenecking the performance of the Pocket.

Why should I or anybody spend so much money ($425NZD approx + $16p/m subscription fee) on a microphone for my iPhone? 

Obviously this product is not aimed at someone like me, however tapping into a large audience in the age of online social influencers, I can see there is a wider net to capture potential victims. Note that the price for the Mikme Pocket will also increase by 30% when retail distribution begins and rise to $600NZD for the “beginner” tier product. 

Most people could get away with spending ¼ of the money for a decent microphone that would do the same job as the Mikme Pocket. Specifically for influencers who this is predominantly aimed at, as is mentioned at the very start of the Kickstarter page itself. An influencer’s main target audience is on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook or Youtube. All are online platforms which are generally centralised around a smartphone. Ergo, smartphones generally do not contain high quality speakers, thus a high quality wireless microphone would not seem the biggest priority. Most platforms as well tend to compress audio for faster load times for viewers including Facebook, Youtube and Instagram, thus rendering an expensive 24bit microphone anything but necessary for influencers. Find a microphone with a bitrate of 16 will slice the price tag for a microphone in half or even less and would almost be impossible to tell the difference in quality on social media. (An example of bitrate quality can be shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG51K2t3Fec)

The Kickstarter page fails to mention information about the battery until the very bottom of the page in the technical specifications. This alone does not give me a sense of confidence for on-the-go for the battery life for this expensive product. The battery inside the recorder is a 920mAH battery. For extended use of a high bit-rate microphone combined with the bluetooth mode permanently enabled, Mikme states you can use the Pocket for up to a maximum of 3.5 hours of recording time under perfect conditions. For a professional and expensive product worth over $600NZD you would expect something a little better.

Note the use of lowercase lettering paired with a friendly geometric sans-serif font (also adopted in logos for AirBNB, Spotify and Google), which is used in an attempt to creatively steer people away from the fact that they would be paying $600NZD - $1100NZD for a single bluetooth microphone attached to a 16GB thumb drive with an AA battery.

The language style adopted in the Kickstarter page portrays Mikme as a friendly and fun brand, likely aimed at teenagers to young adults (about 14-35). This is roughly the age range also known as “The Connected Generation”. (Price, J. 2017)

“Millennials are are constantly developing their tastes and personality. Understanding their defining traits, engaging with them on their platforms and delighting them with useful products, will put companies in the best position to capitalise on the opportunities they present.”

This excerpt from an article written by John Price in 2017 can directly be compared to Mikme’s capitalisation of the connected generation, which I have found them to have done extremely well; evidently through their hugely successful Kickstarter campaign.

The colour choice is turquoise. This colour is associated with the meanings of fresh, calming, sophistication, energetic, serenity and creativity (among others) (Bourn, J. 2010) which is a brilliant choice of colour for a product such as the Mikme - a new product idea with a creative audience. I thought this was a nice touch.

In the videos on the Kickstarter, Mikme showcase the sound captured from the Pocket and is compared to an iPhone microphone. The Mikme is obviously shown as clearer and louder, however I found that the “iPhone’s lack of HD audio quality seemed to be exaggerated and found the gain on the background noise to be significantly turned up, which I found rather interesting. Hypothetically if this video was a perfectly fair comparison of the two microphones, the Pocket’s audio quality did not have a noticeably higher bitrate. The only real difference I found was that it eliminated some of the background sound in the video, as any other dedicated microphone would do when held right next to the mouth of a person. Especially for the price tag set on the Mikme, along with the additional subscription fee on top of that, I feel that this product is rather outrageous and unnecessary for today’s standards.I also found it hilarious that the iPhone text in the video is red - which is the angry and negative and abusive colour; further framing the iPhone as a demonic product that is not good enough.

Overall I think the Mikme Pocket in theory does have a place in the current world that heavily revolves around social media influence. It is an untapped market revolving around HD audio equipment and will definitely see more popularity in the future. However, due to the current data and battery restrictions of modern day smartphones, high quality audio for social media videos or advertisements to me does not seem the most necessary. Especially with the sheer amount of audio quality compression used in all social media. Although the Pocket does what it is meant to do, I find the insane price tag set on the device a huge red flag for me and I feel many others would agree. After some digging around I found much cheaper alternatives including another start-up which can be bought for less than ⅓ of the price. 

This report leaves me with the questions of

Was there really a need for the Mikme Pocket, and what place does it have in this world?

Is the Mikme Pocket actually useful?

How many people would realistically buy or use this product?

Is this game changing and will it bring any competition to the market?

References

Price, J. (2017). Milennial Myth Busting: Tapping into the buying power of the Connected Generation https://www.nielsen.com/nz/en/insights/article/2017/millennial-myth-busting-tapping-into-the-buying-power-of-the-connected-generation/

Bourn, J. (2010). Color Meaning: Meaning of The Color Turquoise. https://www.bourncreative.com/meaning-of-the-color-turquoise/

A significantly cheaper alternative to the Mikme Pocket https://loveheymic.com/

[sarahlangfordsphotography]

Context - Kayne

Context can be different in different ways for different types of way the images and context are shown within different types of media/photographs not in the media, these types of methods are;

Online Articles

Newspapers

Framed photographs

Online Articles

Online articles are found within social media such as twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and a lot of the time context within online articles are also found on google. While online articles are mainly on social media it means that people manage to get straight to the source that they are looking for however it can be a negative thing on Facebook feeds as it will be classed as “scroll away media”, this is because people will tend to read some of an article and they will tend to scroll past the rest of the article as it is a natural response when we are not interested in something to go past the post we do not want to read/tap to carry on reading.

Newspapers

Newspapers require people to buy the different branded newspapers/to read them on the buses, newspapers cover a lot of context due to them having different stories within them. The stories may include News stories which will cover recent news, Sport which will interest the audiences that like sport and like reading about sport especially to see how sports teams are going and to see if anything bad in sports is occurring. There are many more things that will include context within a newspaper which would be; weather, reports, entertainment (crosswords), events and reviews. With a newspaper people will tend to look for headlines and photographs which will interest the audience to select what to read about, a newspaper is also known as “throw away media” as the newspaper can be recycled after it has been used.

Framed Photographs 

Framed photographs will contain context in many different ways, for example a framed photograph of an artists piece of work will have an intention meaning that the context will be what the photograph shows and tells some information about the artist and when the piece of art was created. Framed photographs will show how important the photo/piece of work is as it will highlight the importance and the meaning behind the piece of work, these can be shown in galleries/museums which will mostly show how importance is highlighted as many people visit galleries/museums to admire other peoples inspirational work. However framed photographs can also be shown in homes which will create an effective memory as it will also be remembered due to the moment being captured and being framed to show how important the memory is.

Martin Parr (group work)

We looked at the work of Martin Parr and as a group, identified the subject matter, content and the best-suited context for the photograph of a cup of tea.

This photograph shows multiple colours such as;

Red 

Blue 

White

Beige

The red, blue and white shows the colours of the GB flag (and many other countries), it mainly shows the GB flag as tea is mainly associated with Britain which makes people think stereo typically of British people as we are known to drink a lot of tea. The red and white colours also shows that it could be a table cloth that the cup of tea is placed upon, the colours reminds us of the table cloths being used for parties (paper which can be thrown away), Picnics (cotton which can be washed), Cafes and dining rooms (plastic easy to be wiped and clean for the next person to use the table cloth).

The teacup and saucer looks like fine china as it has a painted pattern that looks Chinese. The teacup and saucer are traditional in East Asia as it is expensive and mainly wealthier people would be able to have fine china.This photograph also represents the queen and the royal family due to the tea making people think of Britain, back in the 70s/80s the Royal family were very wealthy and powerful roughly more wealthy than how wealthy they are now.

Martin Parr (Individual work)

Martin Parr photographed Britain in the 70s/80s by using 35mm colour film which made his photographs look really interesting, Martin Parr is known for using different techniques to create his effective images, he uses harsh flash, saturated colours, close ups of the subject(s)/object(s) and he tends to photograph the British culture especially when Margaret Thatcher was in power with the Tories in the UK in roughly the 80s which created “Thatcherism” that caused a lot of problems especially with unemployment within the working class making those people struggle the most with having hardly any money. 

Photographer: Martin Parr Year: 1985 Body of work: ‘New Brighton, The Last resort”

The genre could be about British culture and how Britain can look in different areas which don’t look very appealing to visit. It shows that the people of Britain don’t care about the surroundings and will just get on with their day’s while others suffer with the surroundings. The genre could also be about poverty and how the environment 

The photograph is in colour which looks like a flash could have taken place by the right side of the photo, the photograph also shows a family they’re on their sitting by an overflowing bin eating chips however the facial expressions of these people don’t look very pleased with the surroundings that they are in and how they are suffering with not having as much nice things as the wealthier people.

What does the article say about the body of work?

The article said that The Last Resort “signified a shift in the way photography was understood in the UK”  as in the 80s as the “proper” photography was shot in “traditional black and white” which was known for the proper exclusive medium of proper photography back in the 80s.

After reading this – what do you think this image about?

After reading the article I think the photograph is about the working class weren’t working so they were “claustrophobic” within the area they are in buried “knees-deep” into their chips forgetting about how much of a “nightmare” their environment/society has become.

Why did the photographer make this body of work?

The photographer made this body of work to show how the working class were suffering due to working for a longer period of time and earning less money than the wealthier people. The photographer captured this moment when Thatcherism was taking place meaning the working class had less money and ended up living in poverty which will explain the overflowing bin as no one is emptying the bin due to them losing their jobs.

What connotations are you seeing in this photograph?

The connotations of the photograph would be;

Family being on holiday however they are not very impressed as they are sat next to a bin eating their fish and chips.

The bin is overflowing as no one is cleaning the rubbish away as the working class is rapidly becoming unemployed due to Thatcherism.

The photo is from the 80s meaning that coloured film was produced and able to be used to capture meaningful photographs

I think the main connotation would be society as society is being destroyed by having the different classes which we have always had even back in the Victorian times, however it is being destroyed as they working class are mainly struggling and are not able to cope with no money and no jobs.

Do you think the photographer successfully communicates a message with their image?

I think the photographer successfully communicates a message with his photograph as it represents how the 80s were when Thatcherism was taking place, it also shows that the family isn’t enjoying their holiday as they are sat near an overflowing bin eating fish and chips with disgusted faces with how the environment has become.

EXTRA WORK (A PHOTOGRAPH OF MY OWN):

What is the photograph of?

The photograph is of a man and his dog which seems to possibly have a baby in the pushchair sitting on the street as thought they are homeless and need money. 

What genre of photography is it? 

I think the genre of the photo would be showing poverty of a homeless man within a landscape image, it shows that he is struggling especially his dog. This image shows loneliness as the man is lonely as he has no one to support him and  his only friend is his “best friend” which is his dog.

What message is your photograph communicating?

The message my photograph is communicating is how poverty is still occurring around the world putting many men, women and children at risk of losing their lives have they have nothing. It leads to them begging people everyday for support even if it’s just the littlest money they get given so they can take care of their needs by getting food to eat and water to drink so their lifespan doesn’t decrease as rapidly as it is already going. 

What could you have done differently to make this image more successful?

To make this image more successful I would change the position I was stood to get the photograph at a different angle to see if the photograph would look even better, I would also consider being careful when taking the photo so the subject doesn’t notice me taking the image in the future.

EXTRA WORK (A PHOTOGRAPH OF MY OWN 2):

What is the photograph of?

The photograph is of two people walking to their destinations of where they are going to go, the man looks focused on something in the distance while walking and the woman is looking down at the floor which she could possibly be looking at her shoes/ where she is walking.

What genre of photography is it?

I think the genre of this image would be portraiture as I have captured two people walking and the photo style itself is portrait.

What message is your photograph communicating?

The message my photograph is communicating determination as the man looks determined on completing what he is doing. The determination would be to get to where he is needed to be before he can carry on with the rest of his day.

What could you have done differently to make this image more successful?

To make this image more successful I would change the position to be able to get the man’s whole body in the photograph and get the photograph at a different angle to make the photograph look even more interesting.

Completed: 11/10/18

[newyorkprelawland-blog]

Racially Motivated’ – Buffalo Shooting Leaves 10 Victims Killed And 3 Injured

By Maeve Morley, State University of New York at Geneseo, Class of 2022

May 19, 2022

On Saturday, May 14th, 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron entered a Tops Supermarket in Masten Park on Buffalo’s East Side and opened fire [1]. 10 people were killed and 3 injured in his wake [1]. Almost all of his victims were Black, in which his attack “methodical” and “racial motivated” [1].

Mr. Gendron of Conklin had driven more than 200 miles to launch his planned attack which was livestreamed by a camera attached to his helmet. Upon his arrest, “a manifesto believed to have been posted online by [him] emerged, riddled with racist, anti-immigrant views that claimed white Americans were at risk of being replaced by people of color” [1].

Mr. Gendron’s “savagery and planning were evident” [1]. Decked out in body armor and an assault weapon, the attacker shot 11 Black people; 2 of them were white [1]. In the manifesto, currently in review by law enforcement, Mr. Gendron “wrote that he had selected the area because it held the largest percentage of Black residents near his home in the state’s Southern Tier, a predominantly white region that borders Pennsylvania” [1]. The Erie County sheriff, John Garcia said “It was a straight up racially motivated hate crime” [1]. Buffalo Native, Gov. Kathy Hochul said it was an “act of barbarism” and an “execution of innocent human beings” [1]. “It strikes us in our very hearts to know that there is such evil that lurks out there” Hochul said [1].

In his manifesto, Mr. Gendron “wrote he had been ‘passively preparing’ for the Buffalo attack for several years, purchasing ammunition and gear, while infrequently practicing shooting” [1]. He had “outlined a careful plan to kill as many Black people as possible, complete with the type of gun he would use, a timeline, and where he would eat beforehand” [1].

An arraignment was held for Mr. Gendron on Saturday evening. He “pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, a charge that could lead to life imprisonment without parole” [1]. On Wednesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that “her office will be launching an investigation into the social media channels used by the Buffalo shooting suspect to ‘plan, promote, and stream’ his attack’” [2]. One of these social media platforms include Discord [2]. Gov. Hochul said she “issued a referral to James to investigate [these] social platforms” [2]. “The referral will allow James to ‘subpoena witnesses and compel the production of documents’ in an effort to investigate matters of public safety” [2]. “Social media platforms must take responsibility and be held accountable for favoring engagement over public safety” Hochul said [2].

President Joe Biden visited Buffalo on Tuesday. On his visit, he “told reporters that he would redouble his efforts ‘to convince Congress’ to enact new gun control measure” [3]. “We’ve done it before” he said, “referring to the 1994 assault weapons ban that slowed their spread before it lapsed in 2004” [3]. Mr. Gendron had legally obtained his weapon – an AR-15 style rifle – from a New York guns store, “despite being hospitalized last year for making a murder-suicide threat” [3]. He “had been briefly hospitalized last spring after a teacher reported to school administrators that he’d written about wanting to carry out a shooting” [3]. However, “since he was not involuntarily committed to an institution, his name was not added to any gun prohibition, or red flag list” [3]. Sheriff John Garcia said “In a case like this the gun dealer was able to sell these weapons to this individual because there were no red flags that came up” [3]. Robert Donald, the owner of Vintage Firearms “had sold Gendron a Bushmaster rifle” [3]. “He didn’t stand out” Mr. Donald told the New York Times, “because if he did, I would’ve never sold him the gun” [3].

______________________________________________________________

Maeve Morley is currently a graduating Senior at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, majoring in English Literature. She plans to attend law school upon graduation.

______________________________________________________________

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/14/nyregion/buffalo-shooting

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letitia-james-investigation-discord-buffalo-shooting-supermarket/

[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letitia-james-investigation-discord-buffalo-shooting-supermarket/

 Photo Credit: Andre Carrotflower

[natalie-hemstock-project-one]

Context

Notes From The Lesson

The Newspaper: The headlines of the newspaper are bold, catchy and interesting (to help draw the reader into the things they may be interested in; as they select what they read). The newspaper is mainly for reading about news stories, sport, the weather, varied reports, articles, events and reviews. Also, the newspaper can be used as a source of both information and entertainment; crosswords, Sudoku and TV guide. The newspaper is described as ‘throw away media’ as people can just recycle the newspaper once they have finished with it. Alongside that, the photographs in the newspapers can be informative; only if it is related to the actual article, as it shows the item that the article is talking about, also the photograph gives off a different message in different items.

Online Article: An online article can refer to the past and its events for information. With an online article you can find them in various places online; such as: news feeds; Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and other social media’s, online articles Google Search, news websites; The Daily Mail, and you can also Google the journalists name. The photographs also perform differently on social media than they do in a newspaper. Alongside that, online articles are also known as ‘scroll away media’ as people tend to only read it for a couple of seconds before carrying on scrolling or they just completely scroll past the article.

The #: People who want to get more attention on social media tend to use the # that is most popular with the other people on the social Medias that they are on.

Framed Photograph: The framed photograph has more intention than the others because a framed photograph is something that you want to preserve better. As the photograph is framed the highlighted meaning behind is highlighted more so the viewer can see the artist impression much more clearly. Framed photographs are often found in galleries, museums and homes as it could have been taken by someone famous person or it could be of a family member with a famous person, a memory or a family photo; which can be embarrassing. Also the viewer is able to read more into the photograph.

Tea Photograph

Colours: The colours in this photograph are beige, red, white and blue. The red, white and blue could represent the flags of the UK, America, France, Russia, New Zealand and Australia. The tea; on the other hand, is associated with the British; as we are stereotypically tea drinkers. The Royal Family is also associated with Britain; as some of the British people look up to the British Royal Family, alongside that, the UK is one of the only countries that have a Royal Family still in power. With that, tea and the wealthy British people are also stereotypically involved as back in the past only the wealthy drank tea as it was quite expensive to buy tea, as the Brits had to import tea leaves from places like: India, China, Africa and Thailand as they have warmer climates than the British do.

Fine China: The china of the cup is in a traditional East Asian style and to hold the cup, you would have to stick your pinkie out so it is also stereotypically a cup used for the wealthy as most of their cups require you to stick out your pinkie finger.

The Checkered Blanket (The Table Cloth): This type of checkered blanket can be used for picnics, parties, dining rooms and cafes. If it is found in a picnic area then it is made out of cotton and as for the rest it will be made out of either paper or plastic as it is easier to wipe up or throw way if it gets too dirty.

The Photographer: The photographer of this photograph is Martin Parr who is famous for taking over-saturated, flash, film, over exaggerated close up photographs of British Culture. Parr mainly took photographs around the 70’s and 80’s where he used a 35MM colour film with flash. Alongside that, in the 80’s Margret Thatcher (The Iron Lady)came into power; as she was elected Prime Minister, and as she came into power the classes of Britain where divided because of her and her parties ideas (Thatcherism). Her ideas where that the you had work extremely hard to get where you are now and that had an effect on the working class; as the rich managed to work less and still have a lot of money, whereas, the working class had to either work as hard as they possibly could or struggle to find jobs; as she had closed down the mines, and they still didn’t have a lot of money because of the wage gap between the two classes. Martin Parr took photographs of the lower classes in detail to try and get the working class to realize that the Prime Minister was wrong and they were the ones with the most influence to get Margret Thatcher to change her policies.

Context

1.  Introduce the image, who’s it by, when was it taken and what body of work was it from?

This photograph is by Ed Burtynsky and it was taken in 2009 of a mass of tires in a circle from the body of work: ‘Oil”.

2. What is the genre of photography?

I think that the genre of this piece of photography is abandonment as someone has just left the tires to be left and added to once people have finished with those tires, so they just leave the tires to be left there to collect dust.

3. What is the photograph of?

This photograph is of a lot of old tires surrounding a concrete hole in the middle.

4. What does the article say about the body of work? (Use quotes – remember to use “quotation marks”)

What the article of the body of work says is ‘Burtynsky captures the effects of oil on our lives, depicting landscapes altered by its extraction from the earth and by the cities and suburban sprawl generated around its use. He also addresses the coming "end of oil," as we confront its rising cost and dwindling availability.’

5. After reading this – what do you think this image about?

After reading the article I have come to the conclusion that I think that this photograph is about tires are being used too much so then collection of tires are being mounded up and being updated with tires too much that the photographer; Burtynsky, takes these sort of photographs to tell everyone that this is the impact that we are having on the world.

6. Why did the photographer make this body of work?

The photographer; Ed Burtynsky, made this body of work to address the ‘”end of oil”’ and ‘the consequences of our use of oil’ so people would be able to see the damage of what they were doing to the world, so they would be able to attempt to do something about it and pressure the government into allowing the right decisions to go through to help save the environment from anymore harm.

7. What connotations are you seeing in this photograph?

The connotations that I am seeing from this photograph is: the world has managed to pollute the planet Earth that much that people of Earth have finally realized what they have done, so they have taken apart all of the cars and just left them waiting for the government to decide on what they are going to do about them and then while that was happening a group of people stole all of the tires in this photograph and the others that we cannot see and placed them into the places that they are in the photograph and left the space in the centre for the leader to perform all sorts of things for their beliefs while everyone stands on the tires cheering with what their leader says. Alongside that, I am also getting the connotations of: aliens have finally invaded Earth and have taken all of the cars, bikes, trucks and anything else that needed the use of tires, to use as new hovercrafts and have just disposed the tires in that circular motion until they figure something out to use them for. Also, I am getting the connotations of: that Earth has finally reached the stage of either a dystopian or utopian place and no longer needs the use of tires.

8. Do you think the photographer successfully communicates a message with their image?

Yes, I do think that the photographer has successfully communicated a message with this image. However, there won’t be a mediate on what Burtynsky is trying to say as the governments are too busy discussing things that they think is more important because they haven’t gotten the photographers message yet.

1. Introduce the image, who’s it by, when was it taken and what body of work was it from?

This photograph was taken by Richard Billingham in 2000 of a man in his house with a cat jumping above him from the body of work called ‘Ray’s A Laugh’.

2. What is the genre of photography?

I think genre of this piece of photography is comedy, because it’s not every day that you see cat jumping over a man who is moving out of the way.

3. What is the photograph of?

The photograph is of a man sat in a room; that is filled with all sorts of things, moving out of the way of the cat that is jumping over the man’s shoulder.

4. What does the article say about the body of work? (Use quotes – remember to use “quotation marks”)

The article says that this body of work is ‘It is a chronicle of everything that hurts… a cartoonish-nightmare jaunt through the land of alcohol-living, wet-smelly breath that stinks and simmers, chapped-lips that burn and crack, of space to live that shrinks and crowds further inward, of carpet that rots, of scratched linoleum that looks as if it wants to escape, of paint that wants to peel away and go somewhere else, of childhood dreams that learn to stay in the closet and behave, that learn to stay in the clouds, far away, of love and devotion that exists but is trampled on by vice and forcefully dominated by earthly human-short-circuits.’ 

5. After reading this – what do you think this image about?

After reading this I think this image was used to help the photographer; Richard Billingham, to have a funny coping mechanism to help him forget all of the hard things that he and his family had gone through and will go through because of their place in the world and not being able to do anything about it.

6. Why did the photographer make this body of work?

Billingham; the photographer, made this body of work to remind the viewers that they need to dream more and not to be fully sucked into the world of reality, dreaming isn’t really something that the realistic world needs; as they are too busy focusing on the facts of what is true and what isn’t. Whereas, dreams can allow you to do anything.

7. What connotations are you seeing in this photograph?

The connotations that I am seeing is that an alien has probed a cat to do unexplained things; that humans do not know the answer to, and this is the first time that the cat has done something like this so the man is shocked and is trying his best to get out of the away; in the small space that he has to move about in, of the probed cat before it floats more and eventually ends back up on the alien space ship to be de-probed, as the aliens have finished their experiments with the cat. Alongside that, I am also getting connotations that ghost has possessed the cat and is making the cat do supernatural things and the man is shocked that the cat can do something like this, because the cat normally just sleeps.

8. Do you think the photographer successfully communicates a message with their image?

Yes, I do think that Billingham has successfully communicated a message with his photograph because it allows other people to know that they are not the only ones who dream or live in the same living conditions as someone else. Alongside that, it also allows the people who are richer than them to try and pressure the government into helping people out more.

Links Used:  http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/site_contents/Books/Oil.html and http://www.americansuburbx.com/2010/07/richard-billingham-rays-laugh.html

1. What is the photograph of?

This photograph is of a sheep; that is looking at the camera, on a hill in a field; that is surrounded by wire fencing.

2. What genre of photography is it?

The genre of this photograph is nature and portrait, as it has sky, grass and sheep in it and it also has the sheep looking directly at the camera.

3. What message is your photograph communicating?

My photograph is communicating that sheep are very judgmental animals; as they like to judge people as they walk by.

4. What could you have done differently to make this image more successful?

To make my photograph more successful I would zoom in more on the sheep, so you can get more detail on the sheep’s features.

1. What is the photograph of?

The photograph is of a slide on an empty playground.

2. What genre of photography is it?

The genre of this photograph is loneliness because there are no children running about having fun, so the playground just sits there waiting in the cold for a child or children to come and play.

3. What message is your photograph communicating?

The message that my photograph is communicating is that things get left and forgotten about, so the places become lonely and abandoned because there is no one there who remembers this place to use the facilities.

4. What could you have done differently to make this image more successful?

To make my photograph more successful I would put the camera on the slide and take the photograph of what someone could see as they were preparing to go down the slide.