#superb performance i can't get over it

[avatarchai]

I need him to fuck me up,,,,

[follows-the-bees]

Izzy taking the blame for Stede's painting being ruined is leading to some deep character study.

Let's look at the painting first.

Not only are the eyes crossed out, but the dark marks around the eyes and mouth are exactly the greasepaint makeup that Blackbeard and the whole crew use.

There is a bloody handprint over Stede's hand holding a sword and there is a knife stabbed into the left side of Stede's abdomen - the side without the important bits.

All three of these suggest that it was Blackbeard who mutilated the painting. He used the makeup to bring Stede down to his level of darkness, the bloody handprint to show the violence happening, and while the knife is violent, it is on the left side. It shows the warring emotions Ed is feeling about Stede right now, no matter how much he's drowning, trying to become a flightless bird, he ultimately can't truly stop loving Stede.

Now let's move on to Izzy.

Stede asks about the painting (oh, Stede I love your insecure yet vain ass) and Izzy responds right away.

He automatically steps in to say it's him with that smarmy smile he uses around Stede. Izzy choosing to say this can be due to two things. 1) He is taking the blame for/ covering up for Blackbeard, or 2) He is trying to protect the crew from getting caught from mutiny. Which still means that he is taking the blame off of Blackbeard, so there isn't any evidence of why they would mutiny. (There is the third option that Izzy DID do it, but I think that is highly unlikely and you can tell in Con's performance.)

Stede reacts to this response by rolling his eyes, sighing, and then walking away. Izzy looks surprised by this, he was clearly expecting to be yelled at. Or be called an asshole like Stede has done in the past. But instead he is met by quiet despondence, which happens once again this episode.

When the crew are jailed for mutiny and Stede comes to the jail, Izzy tries to provoke him once again. "Go on, Bonnet. Give me your worst."

But once again, Stede is quiet, shakes the bars, and walks away. We see Izzy make the same face as last time: he has tears in his eyes, visibly upset and slightly confused. He isn't getting yelled at, he is getting disappointment and silence.

Besides showing exactly how Stede responds when he is completely heartbroken, we see how Izzy responds when he expects violence and gets the opposite.

It is heartbreaking and Con's performance is superb.

Gif source!! Give them the love.

[gerec]

For the past couple of weeks I've been part of a small team responsible for the logistics of a prestigious competition/event; last night was the formal Awards Banquet where we were served an amazing dinner catered by one of the city's best restaurants. During the breaks where we weren't running the show/working, I had a very long and in-depth conversation with a young colleague who's worked on this project all the way from the beginning planning stages (i.e. as far back as Feb/Mar this year). She shared her disappointment with the lack of acknowledgement that she's gotten from the agency's management for all the long hours and hard work she's poured into this project, and also the incredible frustration over the poor treatment she's getting from the same. For instance, she flew in from out of town, but because she's contracted to work 4 out of 5 days a week they're not paying her for today's travel day back home (which if you don't know is standard practice for event management - travel time is part of the job). This is just one of a long list of examples she shared with me.

The good news is, she's already decided to quit at the end of her contract (which is soon), but she still had some misgivings about doing so; like asking herself what, if anything, she could have done differently, and feeling like she failed because this is her first job out of uni and she couldn't make a longer go of it. For the record, she's an absolute delight and a superb employee - and if I were in a position to hire staff I would hire her in a heart beat. (Also she's been full time for a year and part time for 2 before that so...she's absolutely not leaving without giving it a go.)

I guess I'm sharing this story because there might be young people like her out there who need to hear what I told her last night. So here goes:

Yes, work can be frustrating and can suck - badly - at times, but you should not hesitate to leave any job where you're crying on a regular basis because of how stressful it is and how badly you're treated.

Yes, you should leave a job where your manager berates you regularly, or sends you emails on weekends/outside of work hours to berate you. If they have an issue with your performance, they should explain what you're doing wrong and help you or give you the tools to do it properly not just yell at you. I know this happens a lot (sadly) but also know that this is NOT normal and NOT something you simply have to suffer in silence over. You have every right to expect to be treated fairly, courteously and professionally at work.

Yes, you should leave a job where people take advantage of you and don't pay you for the hours you work. I read a lot about Gen X and Boomers lamenting the Gen Z's for not being good workers because they're not willing to put in the blood sweat and tears to hang on to their jobs but I'm Gen X and I say that's BULLSHIT. A) Not every Boomer/Gen X feels that way, and B) Employers, no matter how nice they are as people, or how much you might like them will absolutely take advantage of you and SCREW YOU if they can. You can and should fight for your every goddamned hard-earned/well deserved dollar because no one else will do it for you. Same goes for your career - you are the only one you can rely on to make the best decisions for you.

So why am I working with these guys? Well, I'm a freelancer (I'm a Marketing Consultant) currently going project by project so I have the freedom to say no to any job I don't want to take and also to walk away the minute it no longer suits me to continue the relationship. I've also been at this for 28 years, so I imagine there's a bit of reverse ageism going on because they know they can't pull the same crap with me. (So there you go, this one time in this one instance, being older helps lol).

Anyways, the job market is rough, many employers are appallingly rude to job seekers (ask me about ghost job postings some time UGH) and people can be dicks (water is wet ha). Just...know your own worth and don't feel bad about leaving something if it's not working - you owe loyalty to no one but yourself.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Idia Shroud Masquerade Dress Personal Story: Part 1

"Even if you say you believe in me..."

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

[Ignihyde Dorm – Idia's Room]

Ortho: Nii-san, isn't it about time for you to head towards the Lecture Hall?

Idia: Yeah… I got a message from Malleus-shi and Azul-shi just a bit ago, something about a meeting?

Idia: Why're they suddenly wanting to gather everyone heading to the cultural exchange…?

Idia: Meh, they're probably just gonna adjust the groupings 'cause Malleus-shi was randomly added to the group.

Idia: There's no point in me going all the way there in person. I'll just remote in, easy-peasy!

[Lecture Hall]

Malleus: I shall begin the meeting now. I have gathered you all here today in order to impart some important news.

Malleus: Frankly… I am thinking I'd like to gift Noble Bell College a song at this upcoming masquerade.

Everybody: A song?

Idia: Huh? …A song!?

Malleus: Correct. I thought this would be a proper gift of thanks for being invited to this cultural exchange.

Azul: As Malleus-san and his cohorts were anguishing over what to present as a thank-you gift, I just happened to pass by, and recommended a song.

Azul: It is a traditional song in the City of Flowers, titled "Let My Wish Resound." I learned of it from Lilia-san, and it is quite lovely.

Sebek: This is Malleus-sama's wish to return the gift of thanks…

Sebek: And you all have the pleasure of assisting him!! There should be no higher honor for all you humans!!

Riddle: As always, there's that condescending manner of speech…

Riddle: But I do concur that a gift is a splendid idea. Bringing something when visiting others is considered good manners, after all.

Jamil: I can appreciate it being a song from the City of Flowers, too. I'm sure those from Noble Bell College will be pleased if we respect their hometown in this manner.

Ruggie: Yeah. I guess I can do this for free, 'specially since we'd be able to make connections with all the rich kids from those other schools!

Rook: It's a superb idea! I implore you to allow me to be of assistance.

Malleus: I'm glad to hear everyone's whole-hearted determination.

Malleus: I intend on selecting three people for the main vocals, and the rest will be the backup chorus.

Malleus: First, we'll begin with the selection of the main vocals…

Idia: WAIT A MO'!!!

Idia: You guys are all just carrying on all on your own, but you gotta be kidding.

Idia: You want to perform a song? At the masquerade? I already can't even deal with having to head to the cultural exchange, and you want to throw a song on top of that? No way, no way, no way.

Idia: How about just letting those who want to perform, perform!

Malleus: Hm… So, there are those against the idea, after all...

Silver: True, there may be some who may not be skilled at singing.

Silver: But if we take the time to practice together, then I'm sure we will be able to overcome this.

Silver: Everyone, I implore you to lend us your cooperation.

Deuce: Ah, please don't bow your head! C'mon, we're all part of the same team here.

Epel: That's right. I'll totally help out, yeah!

Ruggie: Whatever the reason, looks like we're all on the same page. Except… for one person.

Everybody: [staaaaaaaare]

Idia: Eeeh… What's with this pressure that I can feel even through the tablet…? Wait, am I the only one who objects to doing a song here?

Azul: Idia-san. If you do have any objections to my proposal of a song, then do you have an alternative?

Azul: Something less cumbersome, as moving, and above all, as inexpensive as a song!?!

Azul: …If you thought that far ahead, that is.

Idia: …Sigh.

Idia: The back chorus folks only need to stand behind the main vocals, right?

Idia: Then fine, I guess I'll do that… I'll just mouth along in the back and not stand out.

Malleus: Thank you for understanding, Shroud.

Idia: Yeah, yeah. Glad you guys are all happy. …Not that I get why anyone would want to put themselves on display, tho.

Idia: I'll just be watching from over here, so just volunteer or select the main vocalists already.

Malleus: I'll proceed. As for the selection method… I thought we would select the members impartially.

Idia: …Hm? Impartially?

Idia: Why do I feel like I've heard that same phrase recently…?

Malleus: I have here the magical lottery box that the Headmaster used to select those going to the cultural exchange.

Malleus: I aim to use this box once more to select the three main vocalists from the 11 people present here today.

Azul: What a splendid idea! This would make sure that this is a fair selection.

Azul: Whether one is a Dorm Leader or not, everyone will have an equal chance at being selected. Yes, an equal chance for all.

Malleus: Of course. I shall vow on my honor that I will draw these selections without any bias.

Idia: I got a bad feeling about this… I def got a bad feeling about this!

Malleus: Now, our randomly chosen participants are…

Idia: WAIT―――!!

Part 1 (Part 2) (Part 3)

Requested by Anonymous.

[aashiyancha]

Random ass fic question!

I love all the nitty gritty details that don't necessarily make it into a story, so I'm wondering if you have any particular headcanons and rules for how magic works in the Rune Factory universe when you're doing your rf5 comics?

Oh yes, superb question! Let's talk about the magic system!!!

So in my head, the magic system in the rune factory universe is very systematic and follows researched rules that people have to follow in order for a spell to successfully be performed.

In this world there are runes everywhere. They are entities that exist not entirely in the same plane as everyone else, but can still influence conditions and events that occur in the world. People are aware of their presence and have learned ways to study the rune activity/establish common patterns.

Once those patterns have been established, next they learned that by meeting certain conditions, those patterns can be mimicked via the use of spell casting. If you say X things in the correct way, Y things will happen. So, people conduct experiments and learn spells that make the runes do very specific things. It's very structured and runes will only do exactly what the spell was discovered to do and only when conducted perfectly.

So, spell books are published and people can learn how to cast magic this way. However, the effectiveness of a spell is influenced by a person's affinity to the element of a spell they are casting. Hence elemental levelling up. People tend to have inherent elemental affinities, but this can also be trained through exposure (spending more time near the element for example)

So those are 2 things people have to practice in order to be able to successfully cast a spell: the enchantment and their affinity.

People are limited with how much spell casting they can do based on the amount of rune energy their body is able to store. This is not something that can be trained (at least within the confines of the human lifespan) so at the very least, human characters are a bit limited in their ability to use magic.

Most people tend to learn a couple of simple spells that match their inherent affinity simply out of exposure but for the most part, spell casting is commonly done only by people with high runic stores (Earthmates are a good example of this)

And speaking of Earthmates, now's a good time to segway to one of our outlier Earthmates: Ares.

If Ares was born earlier in the the rune factory universe, I wouldn't consider him much of an outlier. However during the present time of rune factory 5, society has been becoming more modernized post fall of Sechs Empire. A lot of people have been losing touch with the runes and can't see them anymore. With that, magic has become more structured and industrialized than ever.

(I based this off of the fact that runey days were a thing in rf4 that didn't carry over into rf5; On especially energy filled days, townsfolk of rf4 would talk about seeing runeys but none of the townsfolk ever talk about seeing runeys in 5 so I decided that means people can't see them anymore)

Unlike most people in present time, Ares can still see the runes and is very in touch with the energy circulating around him. Because of that, he can actively listen to what the runes are saying to him. If he can clearly imagine what he wants to have happen happening, he can copy the flow of the runic energy around him to make that imagining a reality.

So rather than using structured spells, Ares can essentially create a unique spell for every situation he is in and get very specific results.

This is the biggest difference between his spell casting abilities and Alice's. Being Earthmates, they both have a practically unlimited supply of runes and can keep casting without much need to replenish, but Alice isn't able to see the runes so she has to follow instructions from a spell book to make a spell work. Ares can create new spells on the spot that are perfectly specific to the exact situation he is in and can rarely be used anywhere else.

I would put our 2 dragon sisters in this category too. While Livia hasn't demonstrated much magic use, if she did I would assume she would do so in a very similar way to Ares. Radea's strategy is just scream her runes at people so if she had any other goal other than to hurt people with her magic, it would probably manifest like this as well.

Lastly, Lucas. Because he is considered a god in the story I basically give him carte blanche. He can kinda just do whatever he wants in the story and rules that aren't his own don't apply to him.

Thanks for this question! I've been meaning to get around to talking about the magic system and this gave me the perfect opportunity to get started! Hope this lore dump made sense XD

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Lightly rolling her eyes at his supposed argument against crowds, she muttered: "Uh-huh, but if it was a group gathering for learning about what a dragon can do, you'll probably be the first one there.."

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

Quietly snickering at his complaint about her punching, she mockingly held her arms behind her back with an amused smile, "I did say it was something only you'll get to enjoy, didn't I?" She glimpsed over at Blaze as he hurriedly darted over to the log he and Toothless left behind the other day, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he ran towards it with glee.

Freya tried fighting against the increasing warmth on her features, especially when Hiccup noticed the mistake in her words - the 'mistake' that was actually considered a truth in her mind, but one she didn't plan to willingly share out loud like that. "Y-yeah, your moves...and..everything.." She mumbled out the last part, getting partly distracted by his small step closer.

She thought she might've had a chance to calm down the arising heat on her face, but those hopes were quickly diminished once the future Chief fondly commented on her own eyes. Her face felt like it was burning. She hastily tapped on her legs, straightening up her back as she feebly tried to recompose herself, his commendation of her fighting techniques not helping the blooming shade of crimson that spread across her cheeks. "Yup...that's me.. I just..like surprising people... I guess..."

Noticing his moreso genuine tone of voice, Freya was, once again, left to remain stunned in her spot. She did not know how to take a sincere compliment. Continuing to tap her legs, she cleared her throat, lifting her chin as she tried to avoid the laudation that was being given to her, "Yeah, well...you did a..superb job today too."

She glanced over at the short amount of space between them, noticing it was slightly more of a distance from what she was getting used to. Looking from afar, it didn't even seem like they were far away from each other, but she found herself growing more accustomed to being closer to him - something she was beginning to slowly acknowledge. Seeing that Blaze was busy with his treasured log, she took a slight step forward, ignoring the reddened tint that she could still feel penetrate across her face, although it wasn't as..intense as it was just mere seconds ago.

Not knowing completely why she chose to say it, and quite frankly being a little nervous while she did so, Freya managed to set her gaze on him while she nearly mumbled: "Y'know, Hiccup, I actually think your eyes are really...exquisite, if I were to better describe it." She pushed away the, nearly, overwhelming fluttering that coursed through her, almost as if she were in another sparring match. Resisting the urge to lift her hand up to the faint scar on his chin like she had once done before, she lightly continued, "It can also work as a great distraction...you should work on that.."

What was she doing!? She can't be.. behaving this way - she shouldn't be. She forcefully reminded herself that they weren't actually in a relationship, and that she was only beginning to discover and acknowledge that she did have feelings for him. Lowering her gaze, she desperately tried to forget about the compliments he'd given her; from her eyes, all the way to how she performed today in their training session. It was difficult. Especially since he was standing right there.

Lightly sighing, she muttered in a lowered tone, speaking more to herself, "You're making this way more complicated than it needs to be.." Lifting her gaze, she hoped that she didn't ruin the mood. Thankfully, her attention quickly directed itself at Blaze as she heard a loud snap, seeing the dragon had actually bit into the log. Oh, boy.

A couple of seconds passed before Freya bursted out in laughter, holding onto her stomach as the Sand Wraith dropped the log, shaking his head in a displeased manner as he tried getting out the small pieces of wood that was stuck in between his teeth. Hearing his rider make fun of him, he turned to narrow his eyes at her, spotting a stranded tree branch not far from behind her, causing him to stealthily sway his tail back and forth, a mischievous smile on his face.

Too busy giggling, Freya didn't have enough time to dodge Blaze as he suddenly bounded towards her, purposefully darting very close by her as he set out for the tree branch. With her laughter abruptly getting cut off, she yelped at the unexpected force that literally threw her off guard, even doing a forced spin from the impact before she fell on the ground with a grunt. She was dizzy for a moment, only to erupt in another fit of laughter, clutching onto her stomach again as she wheezed for her breath, "Blaze!"

She started to not care about her hair that was now much more loosened than before, already knowing the braids that kept half of it up were being undone. Still guffawing out without a care in the world, she kicked her legs as she remained on the ground, having the strange feeling like she was a child once again. She hadn't yet noticed that only seemed to happen once before with Hiccup.

She continued to grin as she slowly lifted herself up with her elbows, still chuckling even as her braids were now officially untied, making the rest of her hair fall on her shoulders. Combined with the sparring she had done for the whole day so far, and the action Blaze just did, it was expected for her braids to get messed up somehow.

"I'd probably be the one teaching it. Or, it'd be Fishlegs...in which case, I'd probably be assisting him. But, yeah, you uh, you actually have a point, there..."

-----------

It would have been impossible not to notice the change in her complexion, turning a bright shade of red. He had no doubt his face was a similar color back in the arena.

Smiling warmly at her, he answered, "Yeah? I can see that, because...well, you really surprised me, more than a few times..."

Not expecting a compliment back, he gave her a look, "Oh...well, thanks. I'm glad you think so."

That warm, fuzzy feeling was returning, though thankfully there were no jolts of electricity this time. That might not be the case if they touched, though... Hiccup wasn't sure what to think as she took a step closer to him, closing the distance between them.

"E-exquisite?" Where was this coming from? Freya didn't act like this...was something wrong?

But she continued, and he realized that unlike the last time she acted remotely close to this way, she was not drunk, and there was no one else around to convince they were a couple, so...

She was telling the truth?

"Y-you think so? How should I work on that, then? I uh, I do need my eyes to be open, to... to see..." Trailing off, he found himself distracted by her eyes, staring into her amber irises. His voice dropped to barely a whisper, he said, "I think...I think we might have the same problem... because your eyes... they're mesmerizing..."

She was now avoiding his gaze, and he felt his face grow warm, thinking he may have crossed a line... said too much, too soon...

"Wait, how am I making this complicated?" Running a hand through his hair, he shook his head. "I don't mean to, it's just--"

He was cut off by a loud snap, the log that Blaze and Toothless loved was now in two.

The Night Fury's expression saddened, warbling his disappointment.

Hiccup's attention was quickly turned back to Freya, who was now laughing, laughing so hard that she'd almost doubled over.

Cracking a smile, Hiccup didn't laugh just yet, but he did enjoy hearing hers.

Once Blaze knocked not only Freya, but Hiccup down as well, since they were standing so close together, he started laughing as well, laying down on the ground next to her.

Calming down, he managed to sit up, wiping a tear that formed from his laughing so hard, and looked over at Freya.

Her hair was undone, resting on her shoulders, and her face was bright, her smile brighter. The sun seemed to shine directly down on her, too, and Hiccup's smile only grew, his eyes softening.

Toothless let out a happy grunt, running to get the other end of the new branch. The sound made Hiccup realize he'd been staring at her again, and he quickly looked away, his ears burning.

Getting to his feet, he brushed the grass and dirt off of his armor, trying to get his heart to beat at a normal pace again.

"So...uh...my dad, he... wanted to come this morning, but had some chiefing to do." Pausing, he finally looked back at Freya. "He wants you to come for dinner, sometime this week..."

[fatalism-and-villainy]

top five Hannibal episodes, maybe?

This is an ever-fluctuating list, but:

Mizumono - best episode of the show, point blank, in my opinion. It's so full of suspense but doesn't feel rushed or like it's cramming too much in. Everything has time to breathe and let you feel its weight. Things like Alana's feeling of violation from Hannibal's deception aren't just remarked upon, we stop and watch her get slowly submerged in black water, her nightmare come to life. Will's struggle with himself is fully internal, but so perfectly conveyed through visual storytelling - the parallel conversations with Jack and Hannibal, each representing one side of him, and then the two halves of Will's face coming together as if they're both a mask, with no one, least of all Will himself, knowing which one is "real." Will being visited by GJH, the spectre of his own darkness, right before the destruction of the family that Hannibal stole from Hobbs. The callbacks in the visual motifs in the final sequence to the first episode, but this time Hannibal isn't helping Will keep Abigail alive. The way their confrontation isn't really a fight, it's just emotionally raw and desperate, with Will's veneer of detached confidence cracking for the first time in this arc. The most perfect encapsulation of how gentle all the violence between them is. Its only structural flaw is that the Abigail reveal isn't well handled, but I'd chalk that up to structural problems with the whole season. The rest of it is perfectly set up by the rest of the arc, like meat falling off the bone.

Coquilles - the first season 1 episode that's really, really good. All the moving parts seem to come together, with the case of the week smoothly establishing resonances with Will's issues and Bella's. Aesthetically, the murders capture the true essence of the show - grotesque yet sacred, committed with complete and utter earnestness on the part of the killer. The vigilantism and obsession with salvation for his victims has significant parallels to how I imagine Will might function post-canon, and it's telling that this is the first time we get foreshadowing for his potential transformation. And I love the inexplicable magic realism of killer's visions of his victims heads' on fire, and how that strangeness gets folded in on itself even more with the symbolism of Will's head on fire, within his own hallucination. Wonderful bizarro arthouse feel with beautifully human performances from Laurence Fishburne and Gina Torres to ground the whole thing.

Su-zakana - One of the best episodes for balancing complete absurdity with pure poetry. The woman inside a horse with a live bird inside her chest, as a symbolic rebirth, is totally insane and yet! It works! It's beautiful! It's macabre humour married to sweeping romanticism! It's Will's love for Hannibal that can't die no matter how much it's buried! Peter and the social worker act out an absurd, deliberately-credulity-straining pantomime of Will and Hannibal's dynamic - completely with the absolutely ludicrous, fantastic imagery of the social worker crawling out of that horse - and yet in its absurdity it paints such an effective contrast, really shows that Hannibal cares for Will, in his own twisted beautiful way, in a way that Ingram never cared about Peter. "I envy you your hate" hits so hard. Also it introduces Margot and features heavy-handed fishing metaphors, which is fun. Only downside is we have to watch Hannibal and Alana have sex, which is not my idea of fun.

Yakimono - I'm so attached to this one, despite not being the biggest 2A fan. Really the centerpiece of this one is the framing of Chilton, which yields some of the most superb black comedy of the entire show. The OTT shock and horror on Chilton’s face when he looks up and sees Hannibal standing over him all murder-suited up. Hannibal saying “one moment, please” to the federal officers knocking on the door while he is chloroforming Chilton unconscious. The whole hilarious sequence of Chilton wandering around the carnage in his house with that pitch-perfect music. The chase at the end with him running ineffectively from Jack. Absolute masterful comedy work from Raúl Esparza. Also throw in that gorgeous flower tree tableau empathy sequence with Will carrying the heart to the sculpture and making it beat and Miriam Lass’ weirdly kinky summation of her time in captivity… it’s just so high up on my list for enjoyment.

Antipasto - I’m not sure whether this is strictly top 5 for me BUT I do feel like I need some 3A representation on this list given how much I love that arc as a whole, especially episodes 1-3, and how much space it takes up in my imagination. Of those first three episodes, this is really the best one, imo - I love the way it captures a dreamlike, fantasy version of Italy, with all these dark fairytale undertones (especially with scenes like Bedelia in the bath - the sense of getting pulled into this fantasy as frightening and yet compelling, like being on the edge of the sublime). I love its subtlety in engaging with Will’s absence - it’s not over-the-top in establishing Hannibal’s loneliness, and Will’s absence is only mentioned once, in flashback at that, but it so neatly ties together all the subtextual threads woven through most of the episode that his usual shenanigans aren’t satisfying anymore without an equal partner, and that Bedelia isn’t filling that role. And the final shots of Hannibal folding origami on the train are soooo good.

[jerzwriter]

For the get to know you

10 + 25

Hi Thanks for the asks!

10. Favorite movies?

OK this will be a little long because I can't make this easy. lol I love different movies for different reasons, too, which makes this even worse. So, here goes:

Moonstruck - It reminds me of my Italian family and friends SO much, I love opera, it's such a happy, feel-good movie and the performances were superb. Oh, and Brooklyn, what more do we want? Oh, Cher? Got that too!

When Harry Met Sally - Again, NYC. I love NYC. The age old question of "Can men and women be just friends" always intrigued me (especially as a bi-woman! lol). I'm a total whore for the friends to lovers trope. That scene in the deli! I just love this movie.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (orig) - A cinematic masterpiece? No. Was it pretty much a documentary of growing up with my Greek family. Yes, and I can never get enough of it.

The Shawshank Redemption - Honestly, one of the most inspirational movies I've ever seen. I think I'll watch this again soon @icecoffee90 you down?

Love, Actually - I just waxed poetic about why I love this movie so much. It's highly imperfect and a 2023 version would look quite different (the creator has said that himself), but the way it nails what love is - and it's not always pretty - but it's beautiful.

Philadelphia - On top of a stellar performance by Tom Hanks, this movie has a lot of personal meaning for me. I'll never forget it.

Torch Song Trilogy - Honestly, this is a movie that forever change my life, and what can be better than that. I liked the play more, but the movie was spectacular and it's a must see.

Angels in America - I don' t know if this was on the big screen, it may have been made for cable. It is infinitely better on stage, and I've seen it on stage over 10 times, even though the theatrical production is two parts that clocks in at around 8 hours. But it's a masterpiece.

Since we're both into musicals, I feel like I have to give some of my favorite musicals on film a nod here, too: The Sound of Music, Dreamgirls, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Tick, Tick... Boom!, In The Heights.

That was way too long, I could keep going, but I'm gonna stop. lol

25. What inspires you?

My daughter. The younger generation (looking at you, Gen Z). The tenacity of the human spirit.

That was much shorter! lol Thanks so much for the asks! I'm sending you some, answer if you wish.

[hifilounge]

New Naim Audio Classic 300 Series Now On Demo and Sounding Mighty Fine!

Hi All,

Exciting times as we now have the new Naim Audio Classic 300 range on permanent demo at HFL, it is great to have our Naim demo room back up to having pretty much the full range of Naim products on demo again after a while of the older kit being phased out and the new equipment coming in so we now have Uniti, XS, 200, 300 & 500 Series Naim products on permanent demo so something for all music lovers really.

300 Series

Naim launched their 200 Series earlier this year to amazing reviews and has proved really popular but we have a lot of Naim customers that run a Naim Classic system comprising of the 252 / Supercap with a NAP 300 and a NDX2 so this new 300 Series is to replace that level of equipment, but just not replace it but take the performance up quite a few levels so if you are running the older Classic system at this level then the new 300 Series setup could be well worth a look, for one it looks stunning, Classic Naim but with a modern and fresh look but the performance, which is what really matters is very impressive. When I heard that Naim were going to bring back to Mono Blocks like their legendary NAP 135's I was quite excited and I have to say they haven't disappointed.

So as an overview, basically the new 300 Series comprises of the NSS 333 which is a highend streamer and can be upgraded with the NPX 300 power supply, then there is the NAC 332 Pre Amplifier which again can be upgraded with the NPX 300, finally we have the NAP 350 Mono Amplifiers so all in all a pretty serious 6 box system.

There really is little point in me describing the audio but needless to say it has that classic Naim sound and there is no denying it is a little more neutral than before with superb control and imaging but as it has for 50 years now it really pulls you into the heart of the recording and you just can't help but tap your foot as that infectious Naim PRAT (pace, rhythm and timing) takes over.

In reality the only way to appreciate this new 300 Classic Series is to come in for a listen so please feel free to get in touch to make an appointment for a demo session, please find the full range below -

300 Series Open Day

A date for everyone's diary, we will be holding a Naim 300 Series Open Day on November 25th, more news to follow.

All the best,

Paul.

[izacore]

Hi, I'm glad you had a nice show and that you could see Harry up close. Just like to ask if you felt that Harry was like doing the show in autopilot, because that's what it feels like by watching tour videos since at least the begning of the residencies. I must say that I haven't attended any show in person, I've only whatched videos of it, so I would like to know from someone who actually attended what it felt like.

I'm sure the shows are always great, Harry is a really good performer, but it really feels like he just can't wait for tour to be over with.

Hi! So since it's been 2 days already and I more or less calmed down after the show, haha, I'm gonna give you my honest opinion about it and a whole rundown of it, I think so bear with me -

I just want to preface it with saying that the show was genuinely amazing, I still can't fully get over it and it left me with a great feeling, one that I felt after Louis' show last year in Łódź. I admit I considered selling my ticket and I wasn't even that excited about going but then I magically managed to upgrade to Jonny's Place, and as I said, I think that it's how it was supposed to be and that I needed to see him so close.

Anyway, when the show started and he appeared in front of me, I kind of freaked out and felt so weird. Do I think he was off at first? Well... Kinda. But what I mean more by that is that I could somehow see the performer/acting mask slip on his face, you know? Like the moves seemed so studied and calculated, idk how to explain it ahsjd and it creeped me out a lotttt agshsj. That, however, changed, because the vibes were superb and the crowd was just so hyped, and we had so many projects that worked out that I could see Harry feeding off of that energy. I truly think that had the crowd been different it'd be like you said just going through the motions (Polish hospitality is unmatched tho 😌). I was scared that the show would feel like just doing a chore, but fortunately that was not the case. For the most part at least. In some moments it did feel like he was waiting for the song to end, he's definitely completely done with ws (god same), as at one point he turned the mic towards us and just went back to sway ahsjdj and of course he looked gorgeous, but I could see the tiredness on his face so I'm glad the break is hopefully coming soon.

This was definitely my favourite time out of the 3 I saw him, and keep in mind that during my shows last year I had completely different feelings towards him, so it's surprising for me too abdjdj I also want to add that even tho I liked the show in Krakow last year, you felt like something was off (and it was the soul-sucking demon waiting for him in Berlin the next day lol) so that's just another example of how stunts influence the quality of the shows and Harry’s mindset, I guess. I'm glad that I could get a homeland show like the one I had on Sunday as the last hurrah. Did I treat it as a love you, goodbye? Yeah. Will it end up being so? Time will tell.

[anewbeginningagain]

The RD scoring made me so angry that watching the women's free felt like a chore. Like, in what world do C/B beat the Italians and the Canadanes technically??? She doesn't get into the ice, like, at all, she's basically drifting. I felt the same as you about G/F, this is the first performance of their RD that I've enjoyed and watching their feet was one of the highlights of the event for me. However, the Canadanes delivered the better overall package (although his free leg is admittedly weak). C/B were so painfully boring to me that the only reason I'd have them in 3rd here (with the above 2 teams being 1st and 2nd) is that the other teams were worse. And I'm sorry, but as much as I like Lilah and Lewis as people and find them entertaining, they have no business being in this conversation and the only thing their overscoring can achieve is put people off. P2 are unwatchable to me, G/Pa were good but his costume and her hair issues were distracting, the poor girl spent half the program brushing her hair away from her eyes. They can deliver wonders with the right coaching team, which is why I'm extremely meh about them this year. The Lithuanians were the best I've seen them do the RD so far, given that the theme doesn't suit their natural movement style. C/P were good, this was kind of a median performance for them from what we've seen this year but there's less of a gap between them and G/Pa than what was scored. I can't with any of the French teams, with L/B her back is so inflexible that they'll be really limited in what they can do elements-wise and their packaging is very Euro-retro. I don't find the Finns too offensive but she just looks so fragile to me, I can't focus on anything else. Taschlers were on fire. Of the rest, I enjoyed the Ukrainians' progress a lot. Do NOT get me started on KanaDai and their scores/calls, though... I need them and Marina to go tf away already, that was hideous. And omg that poor Svinin Zhuk team, the sheer cringe...

Italians won in BV over C/B, Canadanes got slightly less because C/B got level 4 for the midline. But I have to say, while I think the Italians and Canadanes are the two best teams in terms of edge quality and their basic skating skills and I'm for sure not a technical specialist, I did think C/B were strong in the RD and tbh the current rules for levels are so contrite that who even knows at this point. I do not agree that she doesn't get into the ice, she's not the strongest but I think she improved a lot as well (Igor legit did nothing with her).

I 100% agree that G/F had such good footwork today, like again I'm not a techincal specialist but watching it live even before the levels came up I knew it was superb, but I also agree that Canadanes win overall, Nikolaj's free leg is the thing that always bothers me but it also improved a lot this season so kudos to him. I really think that Canadanes deserved at least 3rd.

F/G are for sure the weakest of the top 5 (though today not sure I would even have G/P above them in the RD) but people will hate them no matter what. Once people decided they figured out Lilah's family tree they also decided to hate her in one of teh ugliest ways I've seen in the fs fandon and god knows I've seen a lot of shit in my days. Their overscoring is annoying but again, it's not as bad as people make it be.

G/P were borderline unwatchable to me as well, but as I said I'm very biased because of my strong dislike of their RD since the second I saw it, in a see of bad fake latin programs they somehow managed to have the worse, and we fucking have wicked games latin and Adele latin this season so it says a lot.

Green/Parsons as you said were distracting, his costume is fine to me, her hair not so much, I like the improved speed but they are very sloppy in their footwork and keep losing levels. As @saucylittlesmile said, CPom with 5th highest BV but 10th overall is super frustrating but that's why I believe that if they can get better speed and keep the levels they will make a push. I still think the best outing of the RD for CPom was 4CC, I also hope they can attack the FD because I need them over 112 and over 114, like get a SB/PB.

French as I said suffer from bad packaging this season and Gui's choreography and vision for them. They were edgy and fun last season, this season they are barely noticeable.

FINs are also a bias point for me, between her being so fragile looking, them hopping their twizzles and not getting dinged for it, and her wide open mouth that is somehow considered interpretation, I just can't with their scores, they are a 72 team, not a 76-79 team.

R/A I love, strong outing for them and they are even stronger in the FD id they can skate it calean (which means not falls, not twizzles fuck ups, no choreo lift fuck up like it happened 2-3 times already).

Taschlers were great fun and they have power and speed for days, but they too suffer from sloppy footwork - to be 9th with a pattern level 1 bothers me.

Ukranians are really developing nicely, it was smart to switch the Conga they used at the end of the RD to Hip Hip Chin Chin, it works way better.

Also liked the Estonian, I bow down to Solene for competing and looking better than a lot of teams who didn't almost die at the start of the season.

And I have a soft spot for the Australians, they fucked the twizzles here but I think they have a lot of potential tbh.

Legit don't even know who are the Svinin/Zhuk team but it's ironic how Stepanova/Bukin dumped them this week for Zhuin's politicking (though I'm legit shocked they are thinking about returning given the ban and the fact Stepanova just has a secret baby)

[maharghaideovate]

Leadership in Action: Developing Effective Leadership Skills Through DY Patil Online MBA

Hi there, aspiring leaders! Enrolling in the DY Patil Online MBA program will enhance your leadership skills. Let's talk about how to become a better leader and have a big influence in the business sector.

What Motivates a Superb Leader?

Firstly, what distinguishes exceptional leaders from mediocre ones? Let's dissect it:

Essential Qualities of Great Leaders

Vision: They are able to depict the larger image for others by seeing it.

Communication: They listen intently and make their points clear.

Integrity: Without fail, they live up to their words.

Empathy: They are aware of and sensitive to the demands of their team.

Adaptability: They can turn around when necessary and roll with the punches.

Making decisions: They boldly make difficult choices.

Inspiration: They inspire people to perform at their highest level.

Building Your Leadership Capabilities "Great," you may be asking yourself now, "but how do I get there?" Fortunately, the DY Patil Distance MBA program is created to enable you to use these leadership abilities. How to do it is as follows:

Working on group projects is a great approach to develop your collaboration and communication skills.

Case Studies: Apply practical scenarios to refine your decision-making abilities.

Presentations: Get comfortable sharing your vision and motivating the audience.

Networking Events: Make connections with business titans and gain knowledge from their insights.

Assignments for Self-Reflection: Recognize your areas of strength and improvement.

Recall that exceptional leaders are created, not born. It requires experience, criticism, and a readiness to absorb lessons from both achievements and setbacks.

Leadership Attributes: Discovering Your Voice

Now, let's discuss leadership philosophies. Although there isn't a one strategy that works for all circumstances, being aware of diverse styles might help you adjust to different ones.

Common Leadership Styles

Autocratic: The boss calls all the shots.

Democratic: Everyone gets a say in decisions.

Laissez-faire: Hands-off approach, lots of team autonomy.

Transformational: Inspires change and innovation.

Servant: Focuses on meeting the needs of the team.

Impact on Team Performance

Various approaches can either warm your squad up or cool it down. The lowdown is as follows:

Autocratic: May be effective, but may stifle motivation and inventiveness.

Democratic: Can delay down decision-making, but frequently increases morale and innovation.

Laissez-faire: Can cause chaos with less experienced organizations, but it works effectively with talented, self-motivated teams.

Transformational: Excellent for motivating groups and bringing about change, but over time, may be draining.

You can examine these approaches and discover when to apply each one with the aid of the DY Patil Online MBA program. Having the appropriate instrument for the job is crucial.

Avoiding Mistakes in Leadership: What Not to Do The greatest leaders are not perfect all the time. The following are some typical pitfalls to avoid:

Micromanage not: Have faith in your staff to complete tasks.

Preventing Conflict: Deal with problems as soon as they arise.

Playing Favorites: To keep the team cohesive, treat everyone equally.

Refusing to Change: Remain receptive to novel concepts and methods.

Ignoring Self-Care: Look after yourself; you can't pour from an empty cup.

Tech Tools for Modern Leaders

Leaders in the modern day must also be tech-savvy. With resources like these, the DY Patil Distance Learning MBA program keeps you current.

Project Management Software: For keeping teams organized.

Communication Platforms: For remote team collaboration.

Data Analytics Tools: For informed decision-making.

Learning Management Systems: For ongoing team development.

Concluding: Your Path to Leadership  The path to leadership is not a destination. You will get lots of opportunities to hone and hone your leadership abilities as you progress through the DY Patil Online MBA. You're well on your way to being the kind of leader who actually makes a difference if you apply the strong foundation the DY Patil Online MBA program is providing and remain dedicated to continuous improvement. Now get out there, show initiative, and begin leaving your imprint. Leaders such as yourselves are much needed in the business sector!

[the-firebird69]

It says it makes a superb fly car and that's the scenario and senior raider it's by John Cena we have a design coming out and we still have it and it makes a great fly car he says you have to modify it like we said or you will lose your windshield and it needs to have metal panels that are rated we can do that we'll probably get 100K out of it and I think so. And with the engine he says you can get 80K with Gary and Gearing and is big enough and we're going to do that. Engine that you get from a Corvette and it's a mega car and you can't put the label that big we are going to do that the new name might be a little bit much and John Cena had it ready. We are going to build the car and name it what we want and I've been naming them he says how about the violator that's what it did so we can't do that. So we're going ahead and we're going to do it and people will bring their corvettes in and won't be exactly the same it's gonna look pretty close and he says that the components have to be high performance in Corvette doesn't have it and we know and it has to reinforce the chassis we know that the panels have to be metal and structural and the cage has to connect to all of it we know that the engine top end exhaust and that's true glass has to be like Lexan that's true because the car is gonna go over 900 and you'll have to put a limiter on it because you'll find out if those two fast and that's true and went to do testing. And we know where and this is gonna be hell no it's gonna be awesome this car is gonna go so damn fast. It's so damn cool. I can't wait finally. Doing this with our other cars we have now the Audi coming in we have quite a few considering it's been only a day a little over and it's probably about 20,000 Audi a lot of Convertibles. They're saying it all day long these are useless cars it looks like a Japanese car or worse with a mercury and he says ohh what was that car everybody liked it for a couple of weeks saturn you can't use those and he says this Audi is the same damn thing it looks like nothing and with a top up it's worse should have a solid top and people started to laugh and said they don't know how to do it and it's not really the car your front end is wrong and they said yeah the front end on his cars are deceptive but there's a new one coming out and the **** what is that thing audi has enough power for it and they started to say this wait a minute and they want that one and so we're gonna have a line and it's probably all your cars this is very weird it's strange and he says you have to make the mclaren C one and it would be like stylized and you have one that's kinda close I think it's a white one I know what you're saying you don't wanna imitate theirs so you take the oblique angles off and you give it a wide body and that mclaren's wide body is not wide enough people like that Porsche look I've done it before and with rounded it looks so awesome it hurts just like the Cena and now I see what you're saying the scene is a mega car that's a different story but I see one that looks like the mclaren with a wider wide body and a better rear end would be nice that's we have them on ours and that's what you're saying it's similar to that smaller little tone down but not fully the mclaren is the rear end is kind of not good and we didn't like it either. Go ahead now and we're gonna do it this is a great idea for the C1 we'll have to go to the MR2 so that's not very powerful though so we might have to find out what we can do about that it says that's easy you put a bigger motor in that's Toyota and they're everywhere and that makes sense.

bg

and it fits we knokw it does

trump good we work lol

and ok we do so too and watch caefully and see him backstab and horror ok is a snake.

Thor Freya

Olympus

[elmandvineblr]

Workshopped a comedy routine to do with my next drag character for Friday. I might not be able to do two songs *and* a comedy routine even though I think I got my material below 3 minutes. Tomorrow is choreo day for at least one song so I'll make the call then.

Practiced my make up and blocking my brows for this character. It was a hot mess but I think I fixed it and it really adds to the look.

I was talking to my therapist of why I am suddenly exploding with creative inspiration for this concept. Why I felt so bad doing open mics seriously. Why I was always scared of doing drag or stand up or performing my music but now that I've combined it all in one performance I feel like it's the easiest thing in the world.

I know im never going to be the best at any one thing. I'm not top of the engineering class or winning a Nobel prize in Chemistry, and im probably not gonna get a Grammy for my music, and I'm not out here noodling on any of the instruments I play or perfectly singing every note with perfect pitch. But I love doing all of those things. And I love playing with make up. And I love dress up and pretend and comedy and acting. I love dancing and coming up with dances. I love writing and world building and character creation. I feel like I've found a way to do all those things I love and its also really putting the music i worked so hard on all these years in such a new and exciting light. Even if I'm not superb at any one thing I am loving doing them all together and throwing everything I have into it.

And I love that doing what I love made so many people so happy last Friday, and I got reached out to by two of the people there to tell me how fun it was. Someone went on spotify and listened to the song i performed after. And it's been extremely therapeutic in so many ways to be these characters who are so unabashedly themselves and larger than life and unafraid when I feel like I have made myself so small over the years.

Plus it's given me a huge push to work on new music that I wrote ages ago because I keep thinking oh this would be such a good Ernest song or Daya would kill that. I recorded all last weekend. I want to record this weekend too.

I genuinely can't wait for Friday.

[ear-worthy]

Play On Podcasts Announces Play On Shakespeare Summer 2024 Season

Play On Podcasts, is simply genius. It reimagines Shakespeare's timeless tales, featuring original musical compositions and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists. It's remarkable that the podcast is superb in so many ways. The original music is delightful and enchanting. The acting bristles with emotive energy. The plays they re-enact are much more Laurence Olivier in Hamlet than Mel Gibson in Hamlet. The scripted plays facilitate Shakespearean humor, wit, and sarcasm to flow through them.

Most important of all, the plays are scripted in modern English verse for modern audiences. Therefore, the age-old excuse that you don't like Shakespeare because you can't understand the words has vanished. 

My first play on Play On was Othello, which began in September 2023. The play was broken up into seven episodes of about 35 minutes per episode. Then, Play On releases bonus content, typically with the playwright who reimagined the Shakespearean classic in modern verse or one of the actors.Then, Play On released the full play of Othello in one episode, which lasted over three hours. Their current series, The Taming Of The Shrew was just released during in late May. 

 The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself. As always, in episode one of every play, Play On recommends that listeners use headphones or earbuds for the best listening experience. It's a recommendation I urge you to follow. The plays are rich in sounds that can captivate your ears. There is the dialogue -- crisp and understandable. The background sounds -- horses, wagons, merchants, nature -- can layer you into the play like being an avatar in a video game. The show has a voice and text consultant, an equipment and recording engineer, a sound effects assistant, and a production assistant. That's a lot of resources and a lot of money. As a listener, you hear that excellence.

 The music strikes at your emotions, ratcheting up intensity, fervor, and excitement. In Macbeth, the show even has a bagpipes' musician.

Play On podcasts began in April 2021 with Shakespeare's masterpiece Macbeth. It's a great play to begin with, and Play On's treatment of the classic is masterful. In my one and only foray into acting, I played Macduff in a high school play. I thought I was a solid Macduff. In Play on, an actor named Chinaza Uche played Macduff. Mr. Uche was a superlative Macduff, and I doff my hat to him. Here are their own words about Play On: "Welcome to the Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts. This is where theater meets podcasts, combining the modern-day audio phenomenon with the power of live performance. Play On Podcasts is an epic audio adventure reimagining timeless tales, featuring original music compositions and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists. Past seasons included Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Love Labor's Lost. 

Next Chapter is an independent podcast production house dedicated to original, authentic storytelling. Next Chapter proudly informs us: "We are a progressive organization looking to make the world a better place, and lift up marginalized communities through the spoken word. We are a team of producers and sound designers, engineers and artists with unique experience to excel in podcast production from concept to creation."

You can subscribe to Play On Premium to get exclusive access to ad-free episodes, full plays, merch, and hear full interviews with the artists, producers, and engineers who brought it all to life.

Check out Play On Podcasts. Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare in performance through translation and adaptation, has announced its Summer 2024 Season.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Inferno Theatre July 20 - August 11 Translation: Jeff Whitty Direction: Giulio Cesare Perrone Location: John Hinkel Park Amphitheatre [Berkeley, CA]

More information here. Coriolanus Presented by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage Produced in association with upstart crow collective and Play On Shakespeare July 23 - October 13 Translation: Sean San José Adaption and Direction: Rosa Joshi Location: Thomas Theatre [Ashland, OR]

More information here.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Idaho Shakespeare Festival in partnership with Great Lakes Theater August 9 - 31 Translation: Jeff Whitty Direction: Sara Bruner Location: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater & Reserve [Boise, ID]

More information here.

A second leg of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place this fall in Cleveland, OH at Great Lakes Theater.

Richard II Co-production with Play On Shakespeare and the Magic Theatre August 21 - September 8 Translation: Naomi Iizuka Direction: Dr. Karina Gutierrez Location: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture [San Francisco, CA]

More information here.

ACMRS Press [Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies] has released all of the Play On Shakespeare’s translations in print (39 titles).