#this city is great in many ways but also crazy traditional and conservative

[arewillselectric]

my political constitution teacher is such a bigoted asshole, he's always saying the most and then uttering the most stereotypical homophobic and transphobic rethoric of "well, i was raised in a time when..." "i don't accept their lifestyle but i respect them", "i have homosexual friends", "even my gay friend doesn't like or agree with inclusive language" and so on a few classmates and i are always countering his bs views, and our after class talks are always about the ridiculous amount of bigotry he can fit into a seemingly eternal 3hr class... latest one was "i'm pro-women" directly followed by "and i'm pro-life" ...

[xtruss]

Where the Buffalo Roam: World’s Longest Wildlife Bridge Could Cross the Mississippi

Conservationist aims to replace old bridge with bison preserve, benefiting environment and spotlighting Indigenous history

— Kari Paul | Sunday, 27 June 2021 | Guardian USA

A bridge across the Mississippi could over a new spot for American bison. Photograph: Alan Rogers/AP

Between Iowa and Illinois, spanning the only stretch of the Mississippi River that flows from east to west, sits an exhausted 55-year-old cement bridge. Each day 42,000 cars drive across the ageing structure, which is slated to be torn down and replaced.

But when Chad Pregracke looks at the bridge, he has a different vision entirely – not an old overpass to be demolished, but a home for the buffalo to roam.

The conservationist and local hero hails from the Quad Cities, a 300,000-person metropolitan area spanning two states on either side of the Mississippi River. It is named for its four cities: Bettendorf and Davenport in south-eastern Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in north-western Illinois.

Pregracke spends months every year living on barges and cleaning up refuse from the Mississippi, and he has brought his passion for the river to his latest project: converting the ailing bridge into a buffalo preserve. The idea came to him four years ago as he drove across the bridge one day, he says: “I thought, what if we made this a wildlife crossing?”

Now, his unlikely vision is being taken seriously. The departments of transportation in Iowa and Illinois are considering the proposal, which would break ground in as little as five years.

A rendering of a potential future wildlife crossing. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

If completed, the bridge would become the longest human-made wildlife crossing in the world. The plan would see a new bridge built further down the river, where car traffic will be rerouted, and the existing bridge converted for use by humans and American bison – colloquially known as buffalo.

On one side would stand a pedestrian path and bike path, and on the other an enclosed bison paddock that would let visitors see eye to eye with the huge creatures. The herds would be free to roam between Iowa and Illinois in the grassy expanse, and the project would establish the first national park in either state.

While in many ways unique, the proposal follows a growing trend of urban renewal projects – perhaps most famously the High Line in New York City, a raised railroad converted into an elevated park. In Chicago, a raised railroad track was also converted into a park and bike trail. In Los Angeles, there have been proposals to convert part of the 101 freeway into a park.

Meanwhile, bison preserves featuring small herds have emerged in various locations across the US, including outside of Denver and in the middle of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

How creating wildlife crossings can help reindeer, bears – and even crabs

Advocates for the Bison Bridge, as it is being called, say repurposing the structure rather than demolishing it would reduce waste, save costs, and benefit the environment. Pregracke says the project would help turn the Quad City area into a world-class destination, highlighting the Mississippi River as a feature worth traveling to, rather than a body of water to be crossed on the highway. “I mean, how could you not stop for bison?” Pregracke said.

Native American groups say bison restoration is an important means of reconnecting with the land and local history – and recognizing the interlinked atrocities committed against bison and Indigenous people.

Since 1997, the National Wildlife Federation has held a conservation agreement with an intertribal advocacy group for the return of wild bison to tribal lands and “restoring Native Americans’ cultural connection to bison”. What is now the Quad Cities was, in the early 1800s, a principal trading center for Indigenous peoples. Advocates say highlighting the area’s traditional connection with bison can call attention to that history.

The Bison’s History as a ‘Cornerstone Species’

Buffalo were once abundant in the midwest and western United States, but they were hunted nearly to extinction.

In the mid-1800s it was estimated that 30 million to 60 million buffalo roamed the Great Plains before the US government began to systematically target them as a means to starve Indigenous Americans and drive them off their land. By the end of the 19th century, only 300 wild bison remained.

The current bridge over the Mississippi. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

Pregracke has convened a team of experts to help bring the bridge to life, including Jason Baldes, a tribal bison coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation. A member of the Eastern Shoshone, Baldes works to restore bison to the lands they once populated and reconnect them with Indigenous peoples who revered them as a main source of food and a spiritual symbol.

“The bison was known as the life commissary for my grandmas and grandpas,” Baldes said. “It was food, clothing, shelter, and was also central to our cultural and spiritual belief systems.”

Baldes said restoring bison in the US was important both culturally and ecologically. Bison are known as a keystone species, meaning their existence benefits a number of species in their native habitats.

The stampedes of millions of bison on the Great Plains helped aerate the soil, aiding in plant growth and the dispersal of native seeds to create a varied ecosystem. The fur of the animal is ideal for insulating the nests of certain birds, and burrowing owls once relied on their dung for building their homes. Bison have a tendency to wallow, or roll around on the ground, creating small depressions that provide unique habitats for plant and animal species.

Baldes said the reintroduction of bison to tribal communities and public parks represented an opportunity to teach the broader public about that painful history and rebuild.

“We are finding ways to heal from the atrocities of the past, and buffalo restoration, and the restoration of the foundation of our cultural values and belief systems, is very important to that,” Baldes said.

A rendering of the project. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

Baldes said based on his experience with bison populations, the bridge would be a sufficient size for a small herd of eight to 10 animals. But the small size did not diminish the importance of the project, he said, adding that he saw it as a “very key educational tool” for the broader public. The Meskwaki nation had been contacted regarding the project but was not collaborating in an official capacity as of now, a spokeswoman said.

“Bison were destroyed as a means to eradicate Native American land holdings and inflict genocidal practices, so for our tribal communities, buffalo restoration is very important,” Baldes said. “But it’s not only important to Native American tribes, but it’s important to the American people to at least have an opportunity to learn about this history.”

Local Agencies Anticipate a Bison Boom

Daniel MacNulty, an associate professor of wildland resources at Utah State University who studies wild bison populations in Yellowstone national park, said the repurposed bridge would in fact make a feasible habitat for the animals. Bison were hardy animals that could easily adapt to new surroundings, and while the size of the park proposed would not necessarily support a large herd of bison, a small herd would serve an important purpose.

Bison Bridge foundation logo. Photograph: Bison Bridge Foundation

“It is certainly an out-of-the-box idea, but it provides an opportunity to conserve bison,” MacNulty said. “Any time the public is exposed to information about the ecology of bison and the Great Plains, it is a positive thing.”

Officials in the Quad City area have been supportive of the project in part because of the opportunities it could bring for tourism and growth to the area, which has had a stagnant population for more than 30 years. The project has been endorsed by the local community and economic development organization the Quad Cities Chamber and the regional tourism board Visit Quad Cities.

“We are trying everything we can do to make the Quad Cities a prosperous regional economy – and that means we need to think differently about how we attract and retain residents and businesses,” said Paul Rumler, president of the Quad Cities Chamber.

Currently, the area sees 1.6m visitors per year, generating $954m in local spending. Visit Quad Cities estimates a new national park could quadruple that number in just the first year, with sales tax bringing a “huge boost” to local hotels and restaurants.

“We would like to be able to point to this and show that this is how we do business here – we are creative, we are innovative and willing to try new concepts, and we have the perseverance to pull it off,” Rumler said. “We all need a crazy idea to latch on to.”

[sansimeonsims]

Introduction: The Camayao Project

Hey everyone. The year has been a crazy and often frustrating ride. As of that last update, I can confirm that I am still working on Filipino-themed Sims world: Camayao. Unlike San Simeon, which was a colonial-era world built on a pre-existing base, Camayao is being built on an entirely new foundation and is based on the modern day. There are other differences as well, mostly in terms of construction and theme.

Moreover, I’ve come to the decision to make Camayao a collaborative project, the details of which will be hammered out over the course of a few weeks due to life concerns. 

Where have I been?

Stuck in quarantine, for starters. The need to stay indoors because of Covid-19 is in fact a major factor in the project, both positive and negative. During the extended community quarantine, I was left with very little to do at home and began working on both the Manila Project and Camayao. However, being stuck indoors and left with few options meant that I had to scour the Internet for resources, which are often not as satisfactory as going out there and taking pictures myself.

At the time of writing, I’ve also undergone wisdom tooth removal surgery (and will be due for another one in a month). The pain I experienced before the surgery (and the surgery itself) hindered my ability to work, let alone do leisure activities. Thus, my ability to plan and build is limited until late in November when the last scheduled surgery is done.

About Camayao

An early test shot of Carmilla Homes Camayao

As currently imagined, Camayao is a fictional component city of the National Capital Region (i.e. what people usually think when they say “Manila”, rather than the capital itself) and is heavily based on various neighborhoods I’ve encountered across Metropolitan Manila. In general, the world draws heavy inspiration from Pasig and Taguig, with heavy admixtures from Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, and Manila itself. 

The playable area of Camayao is planned across nine ten eleven different districts, each based on specific neighborhoods in Manila.

Poblacion: A traditional town center similar to the plaza area of San Simeon, dotted with colonial-era buildings in various states of conservation.

The Midtown  (Actual name TBD): A medium-density commercial area dotted with buildings that have seen better days.

Parian: An extension of the town center with a Chinese Filipino flavor. Many buildings are in states of disrepair.

Tabinglaua: An actually rural area located close to the lake inhabited by farmers

Bacbacan: An industrial area with squatter colony built up around the remains of a burned down former factory compound.

Esteros: A riverside industrial area, also dotted with slums.

Villareal: A community of contrasts, one a gated community for the city’s elite and the spartan accommodations for the soldiers near the airbase.

The Village: An upper- to middle-middle class gated community filled with various suburban homes 

Jacinto: An upscale high rise urban development, mostly populated by office dwellers and the nouveau riche.

Carmilla Homes: A cookie-cutter low-cost suburban residential development located in an out of the way area far from the city center.

The Port: A third industrial area, a seedy locale filled with dive bars, underground clubs, and more slums.

Among the things I’ll need to hammer out are the map details and the placement of the lots. 

Rather than representing a real place, it acts as a microcosm of various places within Metropolitan Manila and its suburbs. Besides being built on an original map, Camayao is planned to be a turnkey world. Unlike with San Simeon, I plan to fully furnish almost all of the buildings available in Camayao. This meant, of course, that I had to keep track of the content I used. If all goes well, you will not need Monte Vista like you would with San Simeon.

I also intend to create a populated save file with a storyline. A world just seems more alive that way. Besides call backs to history and popular culture, Camayao also has elements of socio-political satire, one that’s inescapable when constructing a world based on a place with such disparate populations and social classes. That said, I do hope to avoid the egregious cliches such as poverty porn in the process.

Camayao and its updates will have its own Tumblelog.

An older version featuring some of the slums. This is a scene I hope to capture throughout Camayao.

Community Involvement

I’m taking a gamble and am opening up Camayao to community involvement to those interested. As soon as I am able, I will call upon interested simmers to work on some of the other buildings with me. 

While I’m technically sending the invitation out to anyone willing to give it a go, I’m especially encouraging (the rather small remnant) Filipino TS3 community or anyone who has been to the Philippines for an extended period. Locals can provide the needed feedback and awareness to give the world a sense of authenticity. If possible, I’d also like feedback and contributions from minority populations (Muslims, Taoist Chinese, etc.) to lend authenticity to some of the representative families.

I’ll be preparing a Discord server for this purpose. Stay tuned to see if and when it’s up.

Plaza Rizal, one of the completed lots

What of Colonial Manila?

I’ve been meaning to create a version of Manila in the Sims for some time now but the limits of what I can do in CAW have limited my ability to do so. My original plan was to create a condensed version of the Manila Bay area with the  I finally mustered up some of the courage to build Manila in the months leading to the quarantine. 

My Colonial Manila project aimed to create a realistic facsimile of the IRL districts of Intramuros and Binondo a few decades before the end of Spanish rule. I pegged the world at approximately 1879, a year before the great earthquake that destroyed the belfry of the Manila Cathedral. However, I immediately faced a lot of problems on that end. Quarantine limited my ability to research since I was stuck at home. Thus did I quickly realize how out of depth I was. I was able to create the exteriors of several buildings, of course, but could never finish the interiors since I’ve very little idea on what they looked like.

Due to the scale of the project and the amount of research and custom content it needs, I had to put the project on hold in the meantime. Nonetheless, I did back up my project and will gladly resume them in the future, though the map itself will need a complete overhaul.

[thepropertylovers]

Feature Friday with Matthew Chaffee

Happy Friday, friends. Though the weeks are running together and what day it is means almost nothing anymore, we’re so happy it’s finally the weekend. The last few weeks have been some of the busiest for us (feeling grateful for that) and we’re looking forward to relaxing just a bit this weekend. Do you have any fun plans?

This week’s Feature Friday is Matthew, who shares what it was like growing up in a conservative environment, the response he got from his senior high school class when he came out in front of them by reading an essay (!), and his advice for those struggling to come out. We enjoyed getting to know Matthew and we think you will, too. See what we mean below…

What is your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to and why? Unfortunately, my answer to this question isn’t very exciting. Growing up, my family never had a lot of extra money to spend on traveling, so most of our vacations consisted of road trips around the Midwest. Don’t get me wrong, I got to see some fascinating places and make great memories with my family, but I haven’t been anywhere particularly exotic. I have been to New York City twice, both times for a music department tour in high school, and I’d have to say that it’s probably my favorite place I’ve traveled to. It was so much bigger and so much more cosmopolitan than anything I had ever seen or was used to, so it was quite overwhelming. The sheer vibrancy of it all – the lights, the smells, the languages – was intoxicating. Attending a performance of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway would probably have to go on my list of top ten life experiences thus far. It’s definitely not somewhere I could live for any length of time, but for somewhere to visit, it was phenomenal. 

Where did you grow up? What was your environment like? I’ve spent the entirety of my life living in West Michigan, which, as you may or may not know, is pretty traditional and conservative. More specifically, I’m from Grandville, which is a city of about 16,000 located in the Greater Grand Rapids area. Dutch heritage and Reformed (Protestant) Christian values play a big role in shaping the culture of the circles I grew up in. I attended a Christian Reformed Church, and I was educated in a private Christian school where my graduating class consisted of approximately seventy students. My family consists of myself, my mother, my father, and my brother, who is five years younger than me. I am very close with my parents, and I’d say my relationship with my brother is typical of siblings with our age gap. Family and faith have always been central parts of my life, and I don’t foresee that changing. 

How did your environment growing up shape who you are as a person? Growing up in a pretty conservative area definitely had an impact on my younger years. I remember in elementary school, like many children, I would parrot my parents’ political views when “discussing” politics with my peers. However, with the growing revelation about my sexuality that came with puberty, my views slowly began to change. Another catalyst for my shifting views occurred in middle school, when a good friend of mine was deported to Guatemala due to an error in her parents’ paperwork. The injustice of it all really impacted me and opened my eyes to a world that before had been largely hidden. High school gave me my first opportunity to connect with international students. As I have always been interested in learning about different cultures, I quickly befriended them and even helped start my high school’s International Club, which provided opportunities for American and international students to interact and attend various cultural events. Finally, my Aunt Dawn and Uncle Tim have played a major role in exposing me to issues concerning social justice. Although both of them grew up in West Michigan – just like my parents – their life circumstances have provided them with opportunities not experienced by most of my other family members. Because of this, they have always stood out to me as being somehow “different”, more engaged and more vibrant and passionate than most people I know. As I grew older and began paying more attention to the things my Aunt and Uncle would talk about, I began to realize the value behind the causes they were advocating. When taken together, my friends, my family, my sexuality, and my desire to continuously learn and expand my horizons have shaped me into who I am today. 

What’s one interesting fact about you? Besides English, I’m speak conversational Spanish and basic French and Korean. I also can play piano and trumpet, and I love to sing (though I don’t know if I’m any good or not, since I’m too shy to sing in front of anyone). 

What is one thing you love about yourself? Learning to love myself hasn’t been easy; it’s a process, and definitely something I’m still working on. But one thing I’ve always been proud of is my imagination. I’m a dreamer, and my mind is a wild place. I keep a running note on my phone of all the random, crazy things I think up so that maybe someday I can make them happen. 

What brings you the most joy in life? Oh boy. There are so many things I could talk about here. I love being outdoors. In particular, I love to bike. Bike trails are plentiful where I live, and Grand Rapids has begun to install bike lanes, so getting around and finding new places to ride is a cinch. My favorite ride is from Grand Rapids out to Lake Michigan, which I do a few times every summer with my best friend. Other outdoor activities I enjoy are hiking and hammocking. I firmly believe that everyone should own a good hammock. In addition to outdoor activities, I love to cook and bake. My specialties are ice cream and gourmet mac & cheese. Someday I hope to write a mac & cheese cookbook and title it “MAC: The Complete Guy to Everyone’s Childhood Favorite” (M-A-C are my initials). I also make a mean hummus. I love to learn. I’ve spent countless hours on Wikipedia reading about the most arbitrary topics. Whether it’s German political parties or the Japanese folklore, I’ve probably read about it. Nothing is off limits. As a result, my mind is a veritable treasure trove of random and mostly useless facts. Finally, I find joy in spending quality time with friends and family. Whether it’s playing ultimate frisbee, exploring a new city, dumpster diving at Krispy Kreme (a tradition at my college), or having late-night campfire talks, I’m down for just about anything as long as I’m with the right people. 

How old were you when you came out? What was your experience like? My coming out experience was a rather long process. Pretty much as soon as I began to have romantic feelings toward people, I realized that I had them for both guys and girls. This was around fourth or fifth grade, and I told myself that it was normal, that I wasn’t actually attracted to guys, but that I just knew that some guys were really good-looking. Once I reached middle school, I started to come to terms with the fact that maybe I was attracted to guys. But I continued to tell myself that I was more attracted to girls. I did the whole “percentage” thing, where I was like, “okay, I’m eighty percent straight, twenty percent gay.” I first came out as bisexual to my friend Carly. Freshman year of high school I told a few more friends that I was bi, and it went over pretty well. Sophomore year I briefly dated a girl, then junior year I began dating another girl. That lasted for about a year until we broke up early spring of my senior year. The breakup gave me a lot to think about, but even while dating her I realized that something never really felt right; I could never really imagine myself with her – or with any girl for that matter – for the long term. After much soul searching, I finally accepted that I was gay. One of the last big projects senior year was the “Where I Stand” paper. This was an essay written by every senior for English class, and it was basically an opportunity to say whatever you wanted and to be really open and vulnerable and reflect on your life leading up to that point. I decided to incorporate my coming out into my paper. It wasn’t the central focus, rather more of a side note. Thankfully, my English teacher, Mrs. Hoeve (now Dr. Hoeve) was extremely supportive throughout the process. On the day when everyone shared their papers, I concluded mine to thunderous applause, which was especially remarkable considering the fact that most of my classmates came from the same conservative, Reformed Christian background as I did. On the whole, I couldn’t have asked for a better coming-out experience at school. 

How did your friends and family take it? Did you face any backlash? How did/do you deal with that? I waited to come out to my parents until after my graduation and open house in order to not burden them with the news. Finally, after the celebrations had ended, I let them read my paper. The fifteen minutes or so that I waited in my room while they read it downstairs were the most agonizing of my life, because I knew how earth-shattering the revelation would be to them. When they finally came up to my room, their expressions were pretty much what I’d expected – reassuring, yet somehow disheartening at the same time. They assured me that they still loved me, that they were proud of me, and that they were glad I had told them. Since that time, we have only discussed my sexuality on a few occasions. When I first told them that I was dating a guy, it was almost like coming out all over again; I think that revelation finally made my sexuality real to them. In the intervening time, I have seen my mom making definite strides in becoming more open-minded not just toward me but in general, which is great. My dad, though he accepts and loves me, is very set in his ways – though, to be fair, I have had fewer conversations with him regarding my sexuality. My dad’s parents disowned me when I came out to them, though that hasn’t had much of an impact on me due to the fact that I was never very close to them. My mom’s parents, on the other hand, have always been incredible grandparents to me, so coming out to them, especially knowing their stance on other issues, was pretty nerve- wracking. Incredibly, the news didn’t seem to affect them at all, and their treatment of me since that time hasn’t differed in the least; they are still the loving, generous grandparents I’ve always known, and for that I’m extremely thankful. My friends have all been very accepting as well, though this was to be expected considering I have always associated with my more relaxed, open-minded peers. 

What did you learn about yourself in the coming out process? One of the most meaningful lessons I’ve learned about myself in the coming-out process is truly understanding what I value and stand for. I was raised as a Christian, and my faith is still very important to me. If anything, it’s actually become stronger as I’ve navigated the ups and downs of my journey with my sexuality. I’ve talked with numerous gay men who, at one point or another, renounced religion for various reasons, but often those reasons involved the church’s negative treatment or exclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals. To me, this is heartbreaking. As someone who identifies both as gay and as a Christian, seeing the false dichotomy that has been constructed around these two identities is challenging and frustrating, because I personally don’t believe that such exclusivity has any place in either institution. At its core, Christianity is about love. Sure, there are endless theological arguments to be made, but I don’t believe that these are necessary in order for a Christian to be accepting of another’s sexuality. Indeed, many of my friends are Christians; these are the same friends who accept my sexuality and wholeheartedly support me. Furthermore, the professors at the private Christian university I attend vehemently assert that Christianity and social justice go hand- in-hand, and that this includes advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. Seeing this kind of support coming from within circles that are often viewed as hostile toward the LGBTQ+ community has been so incredibly encouraging. Not only has this served to reinforce my identity as both a gay man and a Christian, but it has also provided me with confidence when speaking about these issues. 

What would you tell today’s LGBTQ youth who are struggling to come out in fear they won’t be accepted by family, friends, society? You just might be surprised. People you’d never expect to support you will rally around you and love you. It’s also possible that people who truly care about you, but who may not be supportive right now, will have a change of heart when they find out. Sometimes it takes time. Case in point: my own parents, who are still processing and learning about what it means to have a gay son. Know, too, that family can mean more than one thing. Friends are the family you choose, so seek out and surround yourself with people who will love and accept you for who you are, especially if your actual family doesn’t. As cliché as it sounds, it does get better. Sometimes you just have to put in the effort to make it better for yourself and accept the challenges along the way. 

What is a difficult or challenging obstacle you have overcame in your life, or hope to overcome? By far the most difficult obstacle I’ve had to overcome in my life has been my struggle with mental illness, namely anxiety and depression. I was extremely anxious as a young child, to the point where I would induce vomiting before any sort of performance or sporting event so that it wouldn’t happen while on stage or on the field. Looking back, I think my anxiety was to blame for a lot of missed opportunities. For example, I don’t view myself as a particularly athletic person. But is this actually true? Or did I just never really try for fear of failure? Anxiety also manifests itself in my relationships. Elementary school friendships were rocky at best, and college presented its own challenges with meeting people and putting myself out there. More recently, depression has been a major struggle in my life. As I mentioned, I struggled initially to make friends at college (though this has since changed), and as I result, I became very depressed. I saw all the people around me getting settled into their friend groups while I felt alone. There was a point where my loneliness led me to seriously contemplate suicide, and I believe that perhaps the only thing that stopped me was when a friend checked in on me and gave me a hug. Since that time, I’ve been working on slowly but surely moving my center of identity to within myself, rather than placing it in other people and their judgements of me. I am focusing on pursuing my hobbies and interests, taking time to care for myself, and accepting my emotions as valid while simultaneously analyzing them through an objective lens. By doing this, I have become less worried about maintaining relationships and instead have been able to be present and actually enjoy them while also feeling more comfortable in the times when I’m alone. 

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? My biggest inspiration is my mom’s sister Dawn. She is one of the wisest, most thoughtful, and most gracious people I know. I actually came out to her before I told my parents; due to her close relationship with my mom, I knew she would have some good suggestions for how to break the news to them, and that she would be able to help my mom process the news after the fact. To give an idea of the type of person Dawn is, here’s a little anecdote: When I worked as a Resident Assistant in college, I had a resident come out to me. I was thrilled and honored to have him entrust me with such a significant part of his identity, and I really valued the opportunity to walk alongside him in his journey. I mentioned to him the role Dawn had played in my own coming-out process, and he asked if she might be willing to offer some advice to his mom. I reached out to Dawn, and she willingly agreed. I came to find out later from this resident that his mother and my aunt had talked for over an hour on the phone. I don’t know very many people who would go so far out of their way to help and support a complete stranger. 

Where do you see yourself in five years? Oh boy. Honestly, I try not to plan too far ahead, because that can be dangerous for an overthinking dreamer like me. But if I had to say, five years from now I actually hope to be doing exactly what you guys (PJ & Thomas) are doing. I joke that my dream is to have my own HGTV show, and while the odds of that happening are slim to none, I’d be happy to flip houses and develop property even without a TV show. I also hope to meet the man of my dreams, get married, and start a family, though this might take a little longer than five years down the road to happen. My greatest fear is actually never finding love. I know it seems a little ridiculous for a twenty-one-year-old to be worrying about that sort of thing, but it’s hard when you have friends who have been in serious relationships for years or who are getting engaged. I have to keep reminding myself that people find love at different times and in different places, and that I shouldn’t compare my own journey with others’.

Any last words you want to leave people with? Feel free to share! Feel free to message me! I always love getting to meet new people and hear their stories.

Thank you so much, Matthew! You can follow him on Instagram here. Hope you have a great weekend, friends!! xx

P&T

[mariolucario493]

A Frozen 2 review no one asked for! (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD)

Okay, hear me out. I’m probably in the minority when I say this, but...

I think it’s better than the first one.

I liked the original Frozen just fine. I liked how it depicted anxiety and how it subverted a lot of Disney tropes, but I probably wouldn’t put it in my top ten.

(Which, in case you’re interested, is:)

10. Tarzan

9. Aladdin

8. Beauty and the Beast

7. Frozen 2 (this one!)

6. Lilo & Stitch

5. Wreck-it Ralph

4. Moana

3. The Lion King

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

1. Zootopia

(And that’s not even including the Pixar ones.)

But it seems that the general consensus of Frozen 2 is the same as a lot of sequels (especially Disney sequels): that it’s not as good as the first one. Or, dare I say it, that it’s just the first one all over again. But here’s my argument against that. I think being similar to the first one actually works in its favor.

What do I mean by that? Well, after the prologue, the movie opens with a song called “Some Things Never Change,” in which all the characters sing about how happy they are in their current life. Although Olaf worries that change might be inevitable (I love how woke he’s become, btw), no one is really seeking anything new. Now that sounds like the setup for a lot of recent Disney movies, I know. But it's an idea that’s really explored throughout the entirety of the movie.

Every character reacts to change differently. Elsa is nervous, but tries to embrace it anyway; Olaf dismisses it as something he will understand when he’s older; Kristoff feels like he and his friends are drifting apart; and Anna struggles to accept it overall. And we see how each of them goes through it. Even the inclusion of darker themes allows the audience to react similarly to the characters onscreen. Kids probably won’t always understand what’s going on; but they’ll have a good time anyway. And just like Olaf, they’ll understand it when they’re older. That does seem to be one of the major criticisms I’ve seen for Frozen 2, that it’s too dark and too complicated for kids. But Disney’s never been afraid to tackle heavy subjects before, because they know that challenging the audience helps them grow. And hey, at least it’s not Crimes of Grindelwald, right?

I think the reason they made Frozen 2 similar to Frozen 1 was the same reason they used similar themes in Frozen 1 that we were already familiar with - princesses, magical kingdoms, curses, goofy sidekicks. And that’s to deconstruct and subvert them. In fact, I might even go so far as to say that this was an attempt to remind Disney to always try new things, which they have had trouble with recently. Just look at all those live-action remakes that no one asked for. The exact same thing all over again disguised as something new, but without all the stuff that made the originals so good in the first place.

Frozen 2 also continues the tradition of having interesting female protagonists. Well, interesting ANIMATED female protagonists, anyway. It’s not like the Aladdin remake, where Jasmine has a whole new song about girl power, but then she becomes the damsel in distress anyway and does nothing to fight back. It’s not like Captain Marvel, who makes a big deal about being a female superhero even though the Avengers already have several much more interesting female members. It’s not like the new Star Wars movies, in which they’re so focused with making Rey a strong female role model that they forget to give her a personality. And it’s not going to be like the Mulan remake, which I’m just going to assume is going to be another soapbox feminist’s wet dream. Oh, wait, I forgot this is Tumblr, and they love that shit.

But really. Starting with Tiana, Disney’s animated leading ladies have become such well-written characters. From Rapunzel to Vanellope to Judy Hopps to Moana to Elastigirl, they are fully fleshed-out characters first and agenda pushers second. Anna and Elsa are no exception. Elsa battles magical spirits and tames a water horse, and Anna has a crisis of ethics that feels really genuine. All without saying something dumb like “Look how capable I, a female, am in this situation, in comparison to my less competent male companions.”

Oh, by the way, for those of you who wanted Elsa to be revealed as a lesbian, I think we have a few more hints that she may be. She does not end up with a love interest, but I noticed she does seem to get along really well with Honeymaren. So maybe? Definitely better than the live-action Beauty and the Beast, am I right?

Oh, and the songs are great. We get not one, but TWO big numbers from Idina Menzel. Olaf and Kristoff both get new songs that are pointless, but still really funny. Anna has a new song that is one of the emotional highlights. The lyrics are just as clever, and they help further each character’s story arc. Even the lame pop versions of the songs over the end credits, which I usually DESPISE; hearing Imagine Dragons’ cover of “Into the Unknown” was actually pretty decent.

So, those darker themes. The reveal that one of Anna and Elsa’s ancestors was a genocidal tyrant who built the dam as a way to restrict the Northuldra tribe’s resources, and then declared war on them. Pretty ballsy, I have to say. And pretty creative that the villain of this movie is a character who is already dead before the movie even begins. Kind of like Coco, but they don’t even interact with him as a spirit or anything. What I like about this is that it kind of explains why the father in the first movie didn’t always do the right thing when it came to raising his kids. Locking up one of your daughters because she has supernatural abilities seems like a terrible move. But when you consider that Agnarr’s father was also distant from his son and had the goal of suppressing magic, you realize that it may have been a subconscious choice on his behalf. And hey, it’s also revealed that the reason Agnarr left on the ship that would eventually be his grave was to find answers about Elsa. So he probably felt remorse about it.

And now it’s time to compare this movie to today’s political climate. And before you start typing about how I’m wrong like Tumblr users are prone to do, maybe take a hint from the first movie and let it go. This is just my personal analysis.

The Northuldra tribe is clearly inspired by the Sami, the indigenous people of Norway, who have been persecuted for generations. But I don’t know much about Norwegian history, so let’s just compare it to America. Now let’s see...does America have a history of persecuting its indigenous population and disguising acts of war as offerings of peace? Hey, didn’t this movie come out just a week before Thanksgiving?

That’s right, I’m going there. Come to think of it, this whole movie radiates Thanksgiving vibes. It’s set in autumn, and it opens with everyone having a big feast with pumpkins and stuff.

King Runeard is a historical figure within Arendelle, and he is considered a hero. The dam that Runeard built is a monument that is ultimately destroyed by Anna in the film’s climax. And Anna initially refuses to do so because she believes the dam represents all that her kingdom stands for. I might be crazy, but this reminds me of how people are starting to take down statues of Confederate soldiers or how many cities have stopped recognizing Columbus Day as a national holiday, despite others saying that they are important parts of our heritage. One of the lines in “Some Things Never Change” is “Arendelle’s flag will always fly.” Sounds kind of like those conservative nuts who think the American flag is an infallible symbol and anyone who disrespects it (say, by taking a knee during the national anthem) is not a true patriot. Might be grasping at straws with that one.

And what Anna decides to do ultimately makes Arendelle a better place, even though she worries that it will be an unpopular decision. So we have a person in a position of political power who puts aside her own hubris for the good of her people. She asks for nothing in return, and knows that the right choice is not the easy one. She destroys a physical bridge, but builds a metaphorical one. Anna really is the type of leader we need. And if you think that it’s ethnocentric that a white person saves the day for a minority, remember that Anna and Elsa are actually half Northuldran on their mother’s side.

Yes, I believe Frozen 2 is up there with Zootopia as one of the great Disney flexes on right-wing extremists. But it’s subtle enough that we can enjoy the characters, the music, and the story first; and the message second. It reminds us to step outside our comfort zones and to always think about what it means to do the right thing.

If you didn’t like the first Frozen, you probably won’t enjoy this one either. I can understand what people mean when they say the movie throws a lot at you and doesn’t always feel focused on a coherent story. But regardless, I think it is an important movie.

[atheistforhumanity]

An Example of How Bill O’Reilly Ruined A Generation With Mass Manipulation

Now, you might be thinking, “who the fuck is Bill O’Reilly, and why do I care?” That’s a valid question. Lovable Bill, is the predecessor of Tucker Carlson. He was the shining star of Fox News for most of my life, and he captures the hearts of minds of my parents generation with low brow commentary, manipulative opinions, and dog whistle racism. Bill pretended to be a regular class working Joe that spoke up for the little guy. Tucker Carlson outed his gimmick years ago before he would take Bill’s place, and take on the same fake persona.

So, how did Bill O’Reilly ruin a generation? It’s pretty simple really. Bill O’Reilly was born into the upper class and eventually took a place as an opinion show host pretending to be news, that spouted populist rhetoric in a way that always redirected opinions and anger away from the real perpetrators. Bill is literally one the most dishonest people to ever be on mainstream media, and for over a decade he delivered alternative facts to fox viewers, down played anything anti-capatalist, anti-conservative, and anti-racist. His motto has always been “no spin,” but I’ve never seen him present the whole truth in an accurate way my whole life. Bill is a more well spoken Donald Trump, who uses people’s prejudices, preconceptions, and complete unwillingness to research anything to manipulate people’s minds for a capitalist agenda.

But how does he do this, Ryan? I wish you would be more specific instead of making accusations. Well, it happens that I just came across a band new article written on Bill’s blog, where he tries to continue the glory of yesteryear before he was fired for sexually harassing several women in the work place.

If you take two minutes to read the article linked above, you’ll see that Bill is arguing that bad parenting is the real cause of income inequality. His argument is quite literally, people aren’t raised right and that’s why they can’t succeed financially. He says specifically that it’s not capitalism's fault.

Before I address specifics, let me point out what is generally manipulative about this argument. Bill has touched on a topic that literally any generation of conservatives can get fired up about, and will have built in bias to agree with. Remember, conservatism is literally resistance to change and an affinity for tradition. This also means that every generation bitches and complains about how the next generation raises kids. Remember when your parents told you that you would go to hell for watching Elvis shake his hips? Remember when there were no changing tables in men’s bathrooms? Remember when kids in school used to play “beat the fag” and then they cried victim when we said that was wrong? Yea...

The point is that he’s using a prevalent belief that many different people(but mostly conservatives) can tap into for different (mostly) unspecified reasons. Then he is attributing that common cultural division as responsible for income inequality. We’ll come back to that.

Second, is that Bill makes a point that on some level makes sense, but doesn’t support his larger claim. Are there a lot of bad parents out there? Sure. Do they have a negative effect on the child’s life as he suggests? Of course. Now we could argue all day about what makes a bad parent exactly or the prevalence of bad parents, but it’s irrelevant, because Bill hasn’t given us any solid reason to accept that this alone (or at all) is the cause of income inequality! It’s an outrageously dishonest argument. That doesn’t matter though, because this is how Bill’s followers respond...

Okay, I was going to screen shot some positive responses to Bill tweeting this article but I didn’t see any. Let’s just move on.

Now, let’s take a look at the substance of Bill’s piece.

Education: “If a young child is not exposed to learning by age two, that innocent, helpless person is already at risk in a competitive society.  If there are no books in the home, no awareness-building games, no fun dialogue with the parents, the child may not develop a curiosity about life.”

That’s interesting, Bill, because public education and programs like Pre-K are socialist inspired initiatives supplied by the government for the benefit of everyone. Head start programs were first installed by LBJ, but the Black Panthers had actually initiated similar programs in inner cities to feed children breakfast before school.

To say that capitalism has no role in this issue is delusional. Capitalism accepts and even encourages inequality. Betsy Devos is the champion of capitalist education, where attendance is not guaranteed and any difficult or low performing students can be weeded out to create the appearance of success, under no public oversight.

The fight is always the same, liberals want to increase educational funding and conservatives don’t. This is why red states have teacher strikes all over the country and Republicans are fighting against publicly funded college.

If access to education from an early age is so important then we cannot withhold education and then blame those stuck in the cycle of poverty for their own inequity.

Environment/Work Ethic:

Here’s an old and tired argument from the right. People are poor because they don’t work hard enough. But, Bill, how could that be? The average unemployment rate in America is between 3-4%, and the worst is in Alaska with 6.4%. Clearly most Americans are working, you’re always bragging about how great this economy is. Republicans tell people who need assistance to get jobs, but surprise they already have them! We know people aren’t struggling to live because they’re not working, because we have clear numbers that show people are working full-time, but not earning enough to pay basic bills. It’s crazy, it’s almost like the cost of living just keep rising, but the amount people get paid doesn’t. All of this is happening despite the fact that corporate profits have soared, but it never translates into better wages. 

While Bill drones on in his article about derelict parents, he never once actually looks at income. He sure doesn’t mention that the amount people are paid is literally up to the people at the top of the economic latter. They can choose to pay workers more or they can stash away more profit in their bank accounts. Guess which one they choose? Despite the fact that we have clear data that shows those who choose how much to pay workers are raising their own profits, the rich like Bill O’Reilly continually berate people as lazy. The entire argument is completely disingenuous because workers are at the mercy of employers.

And if you’re thinking, why doesn’t everyone just get a better job, you’re not thinking that statement through. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks how many jobs in the market pay minimum wage or less, and that’s roughly 2.3%.(Nearly 2 million people) You think, great, people can just get a better job. No, not really, because a large number of jobs pay just above the minimum wage and are not included in this figure. Even most retail jobs pay $1 above minimum at least. Pew Research wondered this too, and in 2004 they found that roughly 30% of all hourly workers were making more than minimum wage (7.25 at the time) and less than $10. Guess what, nearly 59% of the entire US workforce are hourly workers, and a third of them are were making $10 or less. I make 13$ an hour, live with a roommate, and am just able to live with no savings in 2019. If I had a wife making the same amount, we would drowned trying to raise even two kids. That’s a travesty.

Roughly 35% of all jobs require a college degree, which is a significant debt due to increases in education and cost of living. Education is very important, but unfortunately most people who are born poor, historically, don’t get to go to college. What does capitalism say about this? Well, again, in a free market system there is no mechanism to correct the disadvantage people are born into, and generally no desire among conservatives to do so. Conservatism is stuck in the past where the poor and uneducated make perfect laborers, but labor as a staple job market is dead in the 21st century. Hence the push toward service jobs, which is all an uneducated person do.

The numbers tell the real story. People are working, but not being paid enough. The people controlling the pay are increasing their own pay. Cost of living is rising faster than worker pay. Funding for education has been stagnant and the cost of higher education rising. All this and I haven’t even gotten into the politics that effect this issue.

How did Bill O’Reilly destroy a generation? By feeding them ignorant, pandering garbage like this article every night for years. By completely ignoring the real facts of any issue and directing your attention to a manipulative hot button, tailored to the bias of conservatives.

The sad thing is that Bill is completely representative of everyone championed by the right wing. They are unintelligent, malicious, racist, greedy, and completely dishonest.

[nemenalya]

I finally found enough fitting names to be able to post the great overview of my Elder Scrolls characters and their family. The earlier generations up to my Vestige will be included in a names only form at some point. Anyways, this means that I will now very happily talk about the Llares clan at every opportunity.

Short descriptions of everyone (in order of birth for simplicity’s sake) under the cut because this will be a looong post (like almost three thousand words long):

Tavynu Llares

Grew up in Cheydinhal as the only child of her parents but later settled in Bruma after having joined and studied under the Mages´ Guild. Though she is born into minor Telvanni nobility she never considered going to Morrowind or actually getting involved in House business and much preferred researching in relative anonymity. She studies and teaches alchemy and has a certain interest in alteration but generally doesn´t employ too much magic into her daily life (not for lack of skill, she just doesn´t care enough). Despite having grown up among Men she still tries to teach her children about Dunmeri culture, language and religion. More often than not she leaves that role to her ancestors or her Morrowind-born husband, who she feels are much more suited to the task. She found her tragically early end during the Oblivion crisis and was buried in Bruma by her husband.

Delas Sareni

The youngest son of the side-branch of a minor noble family loosely associated with House Indoril; in other words an absolute nobody. With little talent or love for either fighting or statecraft he turned to the arts and ended up becoming a quite talented painter with a focus on traditional Dunmeri styles and religious motifs. He met his future wife at a festival for one of the Tribunal high holidays and ended up moving from Mournhold out onto the countryside to live with her. Some years later, he was rather surprisingly commissioned by a Dres trader to paint a mural in his Cyrodiilic estate and the pair, together with their young son moved to the Imperial City, where he grew to some fame among the Dunmeri diaspora.

Arvis Semoran

Grew up on the mainland coast of the Inner Sea without any special affiliation to the Great Houses. He joined a group of traveling merchants that first stuck to selling wares in different parts of Morrowind but came to realize that there was good money in selling their (not always legally exported) goods in other provinces. One time, the group did try to make it to the far west of the continent but the additional effort and dangers made going beyond Cyrodiil rather risky and unprofitable. After almost three decades on the road he met his wife when the group got unexpectedly stuck in Bruma over the winter. While he did leave he decided to trust his feelings and leave the merchant band when they next stopped in Bruma. His tries at being a stationary merchant worked only somewhat well, which gave him time to be the main caretaker of his and Tavynu´s twin children. Very early in the fourth era, after the death of his wife, he retired to relative anonymity in Morrowind and only kept sporadic contact with the twins as he tied to stay well away from his daughter´s political machinations.

Nalu Relyn

A retainer of House Dres who grew up on the plains of Deshaan, she became the personal guard and later trusted agent of a young Dres noble. As a very devout person she went on a number of pilgrimages over the years, including one to Mournhold where she met her Indoril husband. She still stayed loyal to her original House and convinced Delas to move back to the countryside with her as the cities unsettled her. Many years later her lord sent her to Cyrodiil to spy in and interfere with the business of some Hlaalu merchants that he had gotten into conflict with before. It was also him who arranged for her husband to be contracted to the Imperial City as a cover story. Nalu absolutely hated having to raise her son outside of Morrowind but was still ready to put her House´s needs first. She went back to Morrowind after the Oblivion crisis and the Red Year to help her much decimated House. While never a great fan of the Empire she truly put all her skills into the independence movement after her son´s death.

Mervyn Sareni

Born in southern Deshaan he moved to the Imperial City with his family at age seven. He is raised in a very conservative Dunmeri way and frequently comes into arguments with people from other races, especially as he grew older and started hanging out in shady bars with other young Dunmer. Those arguments often turned into fights and one night he half-drunkenly stabbed someone over a perceived sleight. His mother helped him come to terms with it but the murder left him cautious and even more avoidant of the guards. When they finally did arrest and deport him it is for continuous disturbance of the peace as the guards never bothered to investigate the death of a known drunkard. Once in Morrowind he continued getting into trouble and spentmost of his first weeks in run-down cornerclubs before managing to fall in with the Morag Tong during one of his clearer moments. Working for the guild helped break the monotony and sharpens his skills while keeping him out of the worst of troubles. He was good at the work but it made him restless and he only found peace when he got involved with the Temple and realized that he is capable of actively helping his Dunmeri brethren. He worked his way up in both organizations, managing to reconcile the two moral systems while firmly keeping to the Tribunal, the religion he was raised with. His beliefs were tested when he met Aluri, by then the rising star of House Telvanni, and over time learned about her involvement in the Nerevarine prophecy. He trusted her enough to try and keep both the Temple and the Tong off of her as well as possible, something that he continued to do during her rule as Hortator. The two of them married about a decade later and he stayed with her in Tel Uvirith and later Port Telvannis. Up until his death he never truly got used to her friendship with Vivec though, or the fact that his god lived with them.

Telvanni Aluri Llares

The older Llares twin; rose to power as the Great Hortator and Nerevarine. Despite growing up in Bruma, the twins were raised with the culture and stories of their people and often longed to see the country of their ancestors. Aluri always had more magical talent than common sense and already at a very young age grew frustrated with the slow progress she made studying under her mother’s friends in the Mages’ Guild. Remembering the stories her ancestors would tell them she convinced her brother to run off to Morrowind to find better tutelage with their House or in their god’s city. The two actually got somewhat far before their father managed to track down the trading caravan they had hitched a ride on. Afterwards, her family tried to give her greater access to the libraries and resources of the Guild, even though they stayed very concerned for her safety. On her visits to the Arcane University with her mother Aluri fell into a habit of borrowing complicated tomes for an indefinite amount of time. It was this behaviour that eventually saw her arrested by the guards, with the rest being history. Once thrown into the situation on Vvardenfell she first sought out the familiar camaraderie of the Mages’ Guild before realizing that she needed local allies. Hailing from the distant branch of a mainland Telvanni family she had little support in her House at first but she relished in working her way to the top. The prophecy always was more of a side note for her, an excuse to go digging around in ancient ruins and obscure cultures, which she could write home to her brother about to convince him to join her. Despite the power she gained from it she never forgave the Blades for trying to manipulate her and later took a decidedly anti-Imperial stance. After the events of the prophecy had played out she took a background role in Dunmeri politics with the actual power resting in the hands of the Grand Council. She served more as a figurehead and keeper of the law between Houses, which gave her enough time to focus on her studies and those duties of a Telvanni councillor that she couldn´t delegate to her Mouth.

Selin Llares

The younger twin and the one who actually enabled Aluri to live her crazy life. He had little interest in material possessions or combat magic and instead spent his time studying obscure histories. When his sister invited him to Morrowind he settled in Tel Uvirith with her and focused his studies on Dwemeri texts and artefacts that she brought him from her travels. In a way she kept him in a golden cage, always protective of him and listening to his opinions but at the same time saddling him with duties and projects that would keep him from exploring the island himself. His existence added some further confusion to the entire prophecy as the twins often said that they shared one soul, which threw those who actually believed Aluri to be Nerevar incarnate into wild speculations about his role in the prophecy and resulted in some historical inaccuracies between reports. Selin served as his sister’s representative and spokesperson when she was away, basically running the day-to-day affairs of the tower, and later raised both his nieces almost on his own with occasional help from Alouri’s close friends.

Quarminir

The middle child of an Altmeri merchant family with a culturally somewhat frowned upon drive to make their way up into the higher ranks of Summerset society. He received a thorough education and has some skill in the magical arts but much prefers to spend his time talking philosophy, diplomacy or just talking in general. Once he was more than halfway into his second century he finally found an excuse to travel out of the Dominion territories, ostensibly to look for new trading opportunities for his family. After spending some years in different provinces he found perhaps the most unfortunate time to visit Skyrim and his old friend Ondolemar in Markarth. He did however end up meeting his future wife when she barged in on one of their conversations. Despite her not being an Altmer her was quite enamoured and glad to meet her again at a celebration in the Thalmor embassy. He greatly enjoyed the feeling of freedom he had so far from home, even though he sometimes missed the comforts of the Isles or feared for his family’s reputation, and ended up marrying Mehresa and staying with her. Afterwards, he spent his time building connections and writing about both the current political situation and lighter topics, such as children’s tales or the differences between Altmeri and Dunmeri family structures.

Telvanni Mehresa Llares

The daughter of powerful people she mostly grew up in Port Telvannis but often travelled to Blacklight and other cities with her mother. After she lost her father before age ten her uncle stepped in and raised her, while her mother grew more distant and threw herself into her political duties. Nonetheless, and possibly out of guilt over her absence, her mother made sure that she always had skilled teachers to give her a thorough education on anything she showed interest in, including strategy, geography, magic and different languages. She ran into the Imperial ambush and her own prophecy as the last Dragonborn after visiting her grandmother’s grave in Bruma and deciding to take the scenic route through Skyrim back to Morrowind. Deciding that it was time for her to actually build a life for herself away from the direct influence of her family she started making her case at different courts to prove her worth and gain her own allies. She tried to stay away from the civil war as she neither liked the Stormcloak’s view nor wanted to help the Empire that they had just thrown out of her home province. Instead, she spent a lot of time researching with the College or travelling the land to find possible ways to control and grow her Thu’um. When the Blades got in her way she gladly continued her mother’s feud with them and sold them out to the Thalmor, a decision that lead to her meeting her future husband. For the time being she enjoyed her life in southern Skyrim where she has built something of a Dunmeri commune as encouragement for her people to finally help themselves instead of lamenting about the Nords. Nonetheless, after having to strike more than one deal with Hermaeus Mora she always feared that one day she would give in to the thrall of knowledge and leave behind her family to get lost in the depths of Apocrypha.

Telvanni Khesra Llares

Her birth was surrounded by controversy, especially as her mother refused to share the identity of her father with anyone beyond her closest family. She got along very well with her half-sister Mehresa, despite their age difference of about eighty years, and would have gladly accompanied her to Bruma and Skyrim if she hadn´t just started her apprenticeship. Finding a master among the highest ranks of House Telvanni had been easy enough for her at the end due to both her natural talent and her mother’s influence, but it came at the price of the ostensible freedom her sister enjoyed. Still,Khesra was always driven by the desire to make her way to the top of their House and the promises of power and longevity that came with that path, and was more than willing to make those sacrifices. And even though she made a point of showing that she could make it by her own cunning and skills only, she recognized that she shouldn’t disregard her family’s influence and expertise. So she made it a point to meet up with her family before or during her travels, which basically meant whenever her master decided to send her out to do research or run errands for him.

Areyne Llares

The eldest and most Altmeri looking out of her sisters she unsettled her paternal grandparents the most but was gladly accepted by her mother’s family. She loved spending her time at Lake Ilinalta during her youth and later developed a great interest in the sea and sailing. When her family realised this they sent her to her maternal grandmother who first organized for her to join a crew to learn under and then helped her acquire a ship of her own. Using her mixed heritage to her advantage as far as possible, she started trading luxury goods with the Isles, both through her grandparents and on her own. With her colourful stories and exotic looks she enjoyed the attention of young Altmer ladies unhappy with their strict societal norms, which didn’t exactly endear her to their families.

Sedris Llares

The unruly middle child of the family she always had a certain desire to get around and travel. As a compromise, her mother convinced her to stay at home at least until she developed some skills in weapons and magic to defend herself, and even afterwards often asked her to not leave entirely alone. She went and traversed first Skyrim and then Morrowind before joining a mercenary band for a little while. After a few years she started chafing under their commander and simply left one night when they were between contracts. When she arrived back at her family’s home, she had a long discussion with her mother and decided to go and find some inner peace in meditation with the dragons, before she eventually gave up and ran away again to make her way to the west.

Telvanni Vesryn Llares

Currently the youngest member of her clan she was also the only one of the three to show any interest in being an active and ranking member of their House. Gifted with magical talent, a boundless curiosity and most importantly a healthy appreciation of safety measures she managed to learn a lot from accompanying her mother to the College during her youth. Before long and with her sisters already on their way to build their own lives she begged to be allowed to go and study under her grandmother in Port Telvannis. The two quickly worked out that she would later have to find another master for an actual apprenticeship but still enjoyed working together. She also developed a very close relationship to her aunt who introduced her to some of the finer details of life among the Telvanni. Some of her family members were a bit disappointed when she showed great interest in becoming a mycologist instead of striving for greater power but most just accepted it as youthful folly and provided reserved support while trying to nudge her into other fields.

[camillemontespan]

the abc of love [drake and camille]

For those who wish to know more about Dramille (yes that’s their couple name which I’ve just made up on the spot, come at me!)

@cora-nova thanks for creating these amazing questions, I enjoyed filling them out!

TAG LIST IN CASE YOU WANT TO READ AND MAYBE DO YOURSELVES FOR YOUR OTPS:

@sirbeepsalot @pug-bitch @jovialyouthmusic @katedrakeohd @drakesensworld @notoriouscs @moonlightgem7 @ifyouseekheart

1. A - ANNIVERSARIES

They always celebrate their relationship anniversary. They do the same thing each year - sit in front of the fire out on the terrace and make smores. It’s simple but it’s cute and it suits them perfectly.

2. B - BELIEFS

Camille likes to think there is something after death. Drake is the opposite- he doesn’t believe in God and he thinks that once you’re dead, you’re dead. 

Camille says she doesn’t believe in star signs but she will still sneak a peak in the horoscope section of magazines, you know, just in case. 

3. C - COLLECTABLES

Drake has kept the receipt of their first dinner date together. He also has an album on his phone which are just photos he has taken of Camille. He looks at it whenever he misses her or just wants to feel warm and fuzzy.

Camille got into scrapbooking, thanks to Maxwell. She keeps photos, receipts, restaurant napkins, theatre tickets... everything they have done, she will keep a memento of. 

4. D - DRINKS & FOOD

Drake does most of the cooking, which is surprising to some people - they only see him when he is mocking the tiny finger food at court. When he cooks, he prepares hearty meals that are meant to be feasted on. 

Camille likes white wine. She also loves Espresso Martinis, which are perfect for a night out because it gets you drunk and keeps you awake at the same time. Drake thinks cocktails are unnecessary but if Camille asks him to join in, he will. He will always choose a Manhattan (unless he is at brunch and has a mimosa. More on that later).

They both love going to this seafood restaurant that is right by the harbour in Cordonia’s Old Town. The fish is caught that day and they will both sit outside, looking out at the harbour, eating grilled fish and drinking white wine (Drake will actually drink white wine if he is having fish, and red wine if he is having steak). 

Camille’s comfort food is mac n cheese as it reminds her of home.

5. E - EXERCISE

Camille enjoys barre class, Pilates and spinning. Drake prefers just sweating it out in the gym, but if it’s a sunny day, he will hike up the mountains. He feels free when he is high up, away from civilisation. 

They both watch NFL. Camille supports the Giants, Drake obviously supports the Texans. They host Superbowl at their house every year, which is always fun as they get really into it, with bets and hotdogs and whiskey. Hana and Maxwell don’t understand the rules, Liam is too busy checking his work emails and Olivia gets bored but they enjoy the entertainment. 

6. F - FIRST

Their first dance was at a ball in court and both wanted the other but couldn’t do anything about it. For Drake, that first dance was torture as he held her close, wishing he could kiss her.

Their first kiss was over a bottle of whiskey. Drake remembers Camille tasting of whiskey and watermelon lip balm. 

Their first time together was, again, after drinking whiskey. Drake had taken her back to her room to sleep off the whiskey but before she could go, he couldn’t help himself and kissed her. One thing led to another..

7. G - GOLD

They both don’t care for wealth or material possessions. Camille was working class and got her first job aged 14 to help her grandmother with the rent, food shopping, bills. She views money as a way to survive; not to flash the cash and spend on designer items or cars. 

Drake’s most prized possession is his grandmother’s engagement ring, which he proposed to Camille with. To him, it is priceless.

8. H - HOME

Camille’s parents died when she was five from a drug overdose. Camille was adopted by her grandmother, Gisele. They lived in a small house in the outskirts of New York. Camille is part French on her grandmother’s side - they are descendants of Madame de Montespan, mistress of Louis XIV. Gisele always talked about it - Camille doesn’t as she thinks nobody would believe her, plus she doesn’t like to brag.

Drake visited the ranch in Texas every summer and it’s a place where he feels happiest. 

9. I - ISSUES

Camille isn’t keen on Kiara (Kinky Kiara). They sometimes argue when Drake starts thinking that he doesn’t deserve this life, which Camille always takes  great pains to tell him he does.

10. J - JOLLY JOKER

Drake loves humour when comedians say the very thing they shouldn’t. Anything that’s controversial, Drake likes. 

Camille is incredibly ticklish and Drake knows it. Drake takes advantage of this all the time. 

11. K - KIDS

Camille loves babies and gets broody easily. Since she lost her parents so young, she has always wanted babies and a home to create. 

When they had Lily, Drake was over protective from the start. He would watch over her while she slept, scared she would stop breathing. 

Camille is very hands on and loves Lily with every fibre of her being. This child will never feel lonely or lost.

12. L - LOOK

Camille will wear Prada, Gucci and Chanel when she is on Duchess duty. When she is off duty, she likes to wear Anthropologie and The Kooples. She takes skincare seriously, and has the wrinkle free skin to prove it, and her favourite perfume is Gabrielle by Chanel - her mother was called Gabrielle, so the perfume holds a special meaning to her. 

Drake relies on the old faithful - denim shirt and jeans. But, when he suits up for court events, he really suits up. Armani suits. His favourite perfume is Bleu de Chanel, which smells woody and masculine.

13. M - MEDIA

Drake doesn’t like social media as he doesn’t see the point in it. Who cares what you ate for dinner? Why are people taking photos of their dinners? 

They both have Netflix. Drake likes Stranger Things (he fancies Nancy). Camille loves Queer Eye (can you believe?!)

14. N - NETWORK

Their core group consists of Liam, Maxwell, Hana and Olivia. They don’t like Madeleine but will tolerate her if she is around. Camille is the people person of the relationship; she sparkles and knows all the right anecdotes. Bertrand taught her well. 

15. O - OBLIGATIONS

Camille focuses more on Duchess duties. She hosts an open house every Thursday from 1-4, a tradition that was abandoned more than 200 years ago but which she has brought back. It means the citizens of Valtoria can visit the estate and speak to her in person regarding any issues they have.  Drake deals with things around the estate such as land conservation. 

16. P - PAMPERING

Camille goes to the spa with Hana and Olivia once a month. Drake likes the plunge pool.

Drake makes Camille breakfast in bed every Sunday. It is their couple time. They will sip coffee, eat waffles with nutella and bananas and read their papers. Sometimes, if he is feeling fun, he will make them mimosas (Hana introduced him to mimosas and he was ashamed to really like it).

17. Q - QUESTIONS

They are both private about their personal life as they don’t court attention. They share everything - Camille had to teach Drake to trust her with his secrets. It was another wall which she broke down.

18. R - ROUTINE

They both get up at 8am to have breakfast on their balcony. Camille attends meetings and Drake talks to landowners. They both have a meeting together for one hour in which they discuss their duties, progress etc but after that, they talk about normal things. They have dinner together every evening and they don’t talk about work.

19. S - SENSUALITY

They both love sex. They are both passionate and like to focus on the other. Drake is very generous and gives all of himself to her. They aren’t crazy in the bedroom but they have handcuffs and have used hot wax before. The balcony is one of their favourite places to have sex. Camille likes to be dominated over; any time he picks her up against a wall, she loves it. 

20. T - TOGETHER

They are such a cosy couple. They are always touching; whether its kissing or holding hands, they find a way to touch. Olivia says they are sickening.

21. U - UPS & DOWNS

For Drake, he only needs Camille and their daughter to be happy. 

He likes the simple things. He loves whiskey, the outdoors, the smell of wood burning in a fire. Texas. Endless summers in Texas. He loves the scent of Camille’s hair - coconut- and her watermelon lipbalm when she kisses him. 

Camille loves Drake and Lily. She adores their dog, Maxwell, named after their friend of course, and she loves New York. 

Camille is the eternal optimist while Drake can be very pessimistic. 

22. V - VACATION

They enjoy hiking up the mountains and city breaks. Rome was a particular favourite of theirs as they wandered round the city unnoticed, getting drunk on wine and overeating on pizza and pasta.

23. W - WEDDING

They married at the Walker ranch at sunset. Camille had planned most of it and had kept the location secret from Drake until she was forced to tell him (basically when the invitations were ready to be posted).  He got quite emotional and had to have a moment alone. So much joy.

They spent their wedding night by the lake at the ranch. It was really warm outside and they hadn’t wanted to be cooped up indoors. Drake found pillows and blankets and they consummated their marriage by the lake. 

24. X - EXs

Drake has slept around but has no ex-girlfriends. He didn’t think any girl deserved to be ‘saddled’ with him so he made sure he was distant and aloof. It didn’t work; the ladies loved it, wanting the chance to ‘help him’. He didn’t like many of the girls at court anyway as they were too spoiled or giggly or annoying. 

Camille had a boyfriend when she was 7 years old called Patrick which lasted one day. When she was 16, she had a boyfriend called James who she was with for two years. 

25. Y - YELLING

Camille gets emotional. Drake is rational. This swaps around when Drake is drunk; if they fight when they’ve been drinking, he shouts. Camille will treat him like a child, which only annoys him more. 

They fight when Drake relies too much on whiskey to cloud his negative thoughts. 

Camille is fantastic at the silent treatment. 

26. Z - ZOOM

They were made for each other. Drake can now die a happy man having been with her and Camille finally feels safe and loved and wanted. They are best friends wrapped up as lovers.

[bryanr322-blog]

12.4.2. Mastery Reflection - Professional Practice

Month 12: Professional Practice Mastery Reflection

           The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster of emotions, ups, downs, highs, and lows.  There has been a plethora of useful material covered in every class that will be beneficial to my success in the field.  It’s crazy to think that just a year ago, I was applying to the Full Sail University Master of Fine Arts program in Media Design and here I am a week away from walking across that stage to receive a diploma.  Looking at the Experience Map located below, this year has not been shy of some obstacles, but in the end, these obstacles have made me a better designer. As the final week on the program comes to a close, let’s go ahead and take a look back on each month and reminisce about each course and how it helped me achieve mastery in the field.

1 – Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership

           This first course was all about getting back into the swing of being a student again.  It had been 5 years since my undergraduate program, so finding a routine was necessary. This month helped me learn how I was going to organize myself and my work and how I would manage my time and schedule for the remainder of the program.  It was all about finding a balance and doing a little work each day, rather than save it all until the last minute.  I also had to learn APA style formatting when it came to writing a research paper.  My undergraduate career, I only used MLA, so this took some getting used to, but I was able to write my first research paper in 5 years and I was pretty proud of the end result.  These skills are not only necessary for almost every job, but they were also very helpful in finishing my thesis.  By managing my time and keeping all of my projects and papers organized throughout the program, it was easier to find and look back on these assignments for the thesis project.

2 – Defining Client Needs

           Defining Client Needs was the first class that taught the skills and tools required in the initial stages of the design process. The first assignment asked to create mind maps for three different categories for three different cities. These mind maps were so helpful because it creates a visual of so many different ideas on one page with the hopes that one of these ideas will spark a creative idea that will lead to the next step in the process, sketching.  Sketching is something I never did, so this took some getting used to.  I usually would just go straight to the computer, but I found that it was so useful to sketch not only for the client but also for myself.  As a designer, sketching actually saves a lot of valuable time.  Creating designs and initial compositions on the computer takes time and if the client does not like the idea, then all that work was wasted. Sketches take very little time to do, so more ideas can be created in less time.  The sketches can then be shown to the client and the most effective ones for them can then be produced into compositions on the computer.  These mind maps and the idea of sketches was very helpful in the final thesis presentation because it allows me to show the process of reaching the final design and explain how the final presentation came about.  Design is not just about creating something, but it is also about the process and how we arrived at that final design.  This idea was brought to life because of the tools taught during this second month.

3 – Brand Development

           “Design iteration means learning from failure before putting a product in front of users – so that you are judged on success” (Interaction Design Foundation, 2018).  This quote from the Interaction Design Foundation really sums up what this month was about.  Iterative design is key to a successful final product.  As this quote explains, iteration helps a designer learn from their failed attempts.  After selecting the city of Kyoto, Japan as the city I would move forward with for the logo design, I created hundreds of sketches for a logo design, but only the best and most effective designs for the client and target audience were turned into vector compositions.  These logos were then added to toolkits or moodboards that included images, typography, color palettes, and other useful information for the brand.  This assignment pushed me to be creative and come up with many different ideas based on geography, culture, and traditions of Kyoto. The tools learned from this course helped my thesis project because moodboards are very important to designers in showcasing a lot of information about a brand on one page.  For my thesis, I had to explain my design process for many different learning outcomes and the addition of moodboards allowed this information to be communicated clearly and effectively to the audience.

4 – Effective Copywriting

           The Effective Copywriting class really had me look at a different element of design that I never thought of before.  I always thought of design as something to look at and never really thought of the words in an advertisement.  This course had us think about taglines, headlines, and the body text of advertisements.  In an article by Sue Unerman titled, Eight out of ten people only read the headline.  She then writes, “hello there if you’ve got past the headline. You’re in the minority” (Unerman, 2015). This article explains just how important a good headline is to the effectiveness of a magazine cover or advertisement.  This idea is something I never thought about before this course and really pushed me to write the best headlines and copy to grab the audience’s attention.  We also had to create target personas, which was one of my favorite assignments of the entire program.  Creating the ideal person for the target audience of a brand was exciting and allowed me to be very creative and detail oriented.  My thesis presentation benefited from this course because it taught me to research and truly understand the target audience and as a result, the best and most effective final presentation could be delivered.

5 – Design Research

           This course required us to create a website for a benefit concert to help the conservation of sea turtles.  This one only my second time creating a website from scratch, so I knew this course would be a challenge.  I feel like this course required a lot of work and many revisions were made based on peer and instructor feedback.  This course introduced me to the importance of user experience.  It is one thing to create something beautiful, but when it comes to websites, the user experience and whether or not they were able to maneuver through the website easily is very important.  Design is all about reputation and if the target audience is frustrated or cannot effectively scroll through the website, this negatively affects the designer’s reputation as well as the brand.  The final thesis project was to be presented in a website format.  Therefore, the skills and idea of understanding the user experience were very beneficial in creating the final thesis presentation.  If the information on the final website was unclear then this would negatively affect my argument on why I achieved mastery.

6 – Organizational Structures

           Organizational Structures was one of my lowest points in the program. I am not very experienced in Adobe After Effects and motion graphics in general, so I knew a lot of outside research and training would need to take place.  This course asked for an animated logo of one of the designs created in month 3. After watching some videos on Lynda.com, I was able to comfortably create some storyboards and a final animated logo for Kyoto.  After peer review, I found that the animated logo looked great, but it did not effectively communicate all that Kyoto has to offer its tourists, which was the design problem I was trying to solve in the first place.  I then added more images and words to describe Kyoto and added the animated logo at the end, which worked a lot better.  When it came to my thesis project, what I took from this class was that as a designer, I need to fully understand the design problem because if I do not, then the target audience will be lost, and I did not solve the client problem either. By fully understanding the questions the thesis project was asking allowed me to clearly communicate the solution and arguments to the target audience.

7 – Design Strategies and Motivation

           This course taught me that there is always room for improvement.  There are always ways to make a design better and more effective for the client.  During this course, I revisited the logo project from month 3.  The final project during month 3 resulted in three different logo designs based on three different categories of geography, culture, and traditions.  After learning more about design in the next three months, it became clear that branding is a huge deal when it comes to design and if a brand does not clearly communicate their ideas and mission to the target audience, then it will most likely fail.  This idea was brought to the Kyoto logo project.  I decided to create a template logo that is easily recognized as a brand, but the secondary images of the logo could be changed to showcase all that Kyoto has to offer.  As a result, a series of logos was produced, but each one contained elements that were similar and can easily be recognized as the same brand, this allows for versatility in design while maintaining the look, feel, and mission of the brand. Later on, these logos were added to stock images with the header, “A city of possibilities. Kyoto.”  This was created into a campaign as the final presentation.  This course helped me complete my thesis project because I learned that often the first approach is not the best approach.  It is better to take a step back from a project and revisit it later on. This allows the designer to see the project differently the second time and fix what may not be effective for the final product.  This is what happened with my thesis website.  What I sketched on paper and what actually was created looked completely different.

8 – Design Integration

           This month was very similar to month 7, except the project that was revisited was the benefit concert website.  The original website seemed flat, so wavy lines were added to the background to give a sense of flowing water.  The user experience was also revisited and modifications to the design were made in order to make navigation through the website more positive for the audience.  I also wanted to create a more complete and effective final presentation.  Yes, the design process and how a designer arrived at the final product is important, but the way the final product is presented is even more important.  If the final presentation is not clear and effective in communicating the design solution and vision of the brand or company, then the designer failed.  I really wanted to make sure the final presentation included the process of arriving at the final product, but also look beautiful and have all the information pertinent to the client and design.  By really focusing on the final presentation, I was able to take this skill into account when presenting the final version of the thesis project.

9 – Multi-Platform Delivery

           This was the third month of revisiting projects from previous courses.  This month I revised the three testimonial advertisements for the non-profit organization. The organization chosen was the Adoption Exchange, this name was changed to a fictional organization for portfolio purposes.  The purpose of this project and design problem was to create advertisements that increase donations and awareness for the non-profit organization.  Miranda Paquet states, “A well-planned campaign can spark new interest in your business and increase your sales, donations, and impact” (Paquet, 2018, para. 4).  This idea sparked the “Love Knows No Bounds” campaign.  The campaign allowed for the brand and look of each of the three advertisements to look similar and consistent.  Consistency is key when it comes to design.  To take this idea a step further, for the final presentation for this project I wanted it to include a brand style guide.   Karla Cook states, “Developing a consistent brand starts with creating a brand style guide. These branding rule books help graphic designers, marketers, web developers, community managers, and even product packaging departments all stay on the same page and present a unified vision of the brand to the public” (Cook, 2018, para.4).  The style guide will allow everyone involved in the project to stay on the same page.  My thesis was benefited from this course again because of focusing on the final presentation and clarity of the information to the audience.  Communication is very important in design and when it came to the thesis presentation, so this course definitely helped me with this effectively communicating my arguments.

10 – Measuring Design Effectiveness

           Month 10 was very helpful to my career as a designer.  It is one thing to create a design, but to actually measure its effectiveness and see how well it does with its consumers is another.  This course required us to create a survey and actually test and analyze the results.  These are skills that are very beneficial in the design industry.  Conducting a survey is very important to a designer because it allows them to learn from their mistakes and see what does and does not work for the future.  I tested the benefit concert website and found that the results were quite positive. Having been worried about web design prior to this program, I never thought that a website I created would receive such positive feedback.  I found that viewers liked simple design and an easy to navigate website with a menu bar. The survey also brought up ideas and elements that were missing for the website.  This was very helpful when creating the website for my thesis because I knew what design elements worked and what did not.  I knew what consumers wanted in a website and what information fell flat and was unclear to them.  When developing my final thesis website, all of these ideas were taken into effect to create the most positive user experience that effectively communicated all of the information presented.

11 – Thesis: Presentation of Design Solution

           This course was when we had to create our thesis presentations and I knew that the pressure, time management, and organization skills would have to be increased.  Throughout the program, I kept all of my projects and assignments in folders on my computer which helped me find all of the information and images needed for the thesis project.  Organization is crucial in any job, but it paid off and made things more efficient and run smoother in this particular case.  I had used wix.com before so this aspect of the assignment was easy for me. I took everything I learned from the previous courses into account and really wanted to showcase my best work and communicate my ideas clearly to the target audience.  From month 10, I found that simplistic web design and navigation is key, so I really wanted a simple design, but in order to effectively communicate my ideas, I needed to include a lot of images and information.  Users can become very overwhelmed with information, so finding the balance between including a lot of information but keeping the website simple was necessary.  This was probably the most important project of the entire program and by understanding and using all of the tools and skills taught from the previous courses, the most effective thesis presentation was created.

12 – Professional Practice

           This final month really put everything together and allowed us to wrap all that we learned into a final course.  We learned how to present ourselves professionally in our resumes and cover letters, but also how to sum our personal brand up into a single statement. We created an experience map that looked back on how we were feeling, what we were thinking, and what we were doing during each course, good and bad.  This allowed us to see our journey throughout the program in a single image. Over the past year, I have learned so much about design, the process, research, the ethics and morals surrounding design, and so much more.  However, most importantly, I learned a lot about myself and with the help of the program, my peers, and instructors, I feel that I have achieved mastery and that I am ready for a career in media design.  Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me along this rollercoaster, it’s been a ride I will never forget.

References

Cook, K. (2018). 21 Brand Style Guide Examples for Visual Inspiration. Retrieved December 5, 2018, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/examples-brand-style-guides

Interaction Design Foundation. "Design Iteration Brings Powerful Results. So, Do It Again Designer!" The Interaction Design Foundation. 2018. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-iteration-brings-powerful-results-so-do-it-again-designer.

Paquet, M. (2018, January 16). How to Create a Successful Marketing Campaign. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from https://blogs.constantcontact.com/create-a-campaign/#

Unerman, Sue. "Eight out of Ten People Only Read the Headline." Campaign. 2015. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/eight-ten-people-read-headline/1374722.

[travelguideworldtour-blog]

Top 15 Places to Visit in Ireland

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! A property of greenery mystical ruins, rocky woods, woods that are leprechaun-dotted, bars that are shanty set into the ditties of coastlines beer pubs and folk, Ireland is just a miracle to behold. We have a good look in 15 of the spots which each traveler maneuvering into the corner of Western Europe needs to have on this menu. Kindly explore our listing of this finest places to See in Ireland:

  Dublin

Raucous Dublin needs no introduction! A town of Guinness-fuelled bars that capital city, and Georgian structure continues to draw travelers from all over with its own cocktail of heritage and culture, class and hedonism.

Place mid way down the gorgeous shore of the Irish Sea, the town boasts the gigantic St Patrick’s Cathedral (the greatest of its kind in Ireland) and the acclaimed Dublin Writers Museumwhere passengers may imitate the lifestyles of Joyce, Yeats et al..

Even the Guinness Storehouse brings tasters having its ales, Temple Bar Square is famous for the delights, killer restaurants and drinking joints and whilst whiskey distilleries are not much off.

Cliffs of Moher

Probably one of the most visited attractions like bulwarks of rock in all Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher rise up from the swells of the great Atlantic Ocean. Along with they have been coated using the signature meadows of green bud of the island, as Galway Bay’s waters wreck along with froth contrary to the rock below.

In a whopping 120 meters in elevation, these fantastic cliffs provide stunning views of the shore and the Aran Islands outside at sea, even while still an allnew visitors’ centre makes it simple for visitors to find the countless hundreds of millions of years of geological history which helped shape the stratas of sandstone and shale.

  Ring of Kerry

In case in Kerry, simply just take the opportunity to research what’s arguably Ireland’s most scenic road, ” the Ring of Kerry (Iveragh Peninsula). Needless to say you’ll be able to begin anywhere on the road, nevertheless many place from either Kenmare or even Killarney end, naturally , back at precisely exactly the exact same spot.

That is not likely to occur, although the journey nonstop may simply take under 3 weeks. En route there exists a feast of Atlantic Ocean views islands to see mountains that are sweeping, and scenic villages.

This region of beauty has a range of outdoor pursuits including cycling, watersports on beaches, golf, walking, horseriding, and freshwater fishing along with deep angling. For background lovers, there are placed against a picture of landscapes that were striking.

  The Rock of Cashel

Ireland’s most visited heritage site, the Rock of Cashel, stars in countless images of the Emerald Isle. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain even visited by helicopter during her 2011 official tour of the country. Perched upon a limestone rock formation in the Golden Vale, this magnificent group of Medieval buildings includes the High Cross and Romanesque Chapel, the 12th-century round tower, a 15th-century castle, and a 13th-century Gothic cathedral.

The restored Hall of the Vicars Choral is also among the structures. Tourist attractions include an audio-visual show and exhibitions. It’s also said that this was once the seat of the High Kings of Munster prior to the Norman invasions.

  Sligo

As the town of Sligo packs a punch with wealth of pretty town houses, arched stone bridges abbey plus its ancient center, it is the back country. Imbued with the love you’d expect of this place which helped form the mythical West Yeats, this part of outstanding all-natural beauty climbs to peaks with all an powerful monolith of Knocknarea Mountain (the mythical resting place of Queen Maedbh), comes teeming with moss-clad, centuries-old cairn stone and leaves for some truly breath taking views across the pebble shores and salt-sprayed towns of Sligo Bay.

  Killarney National Park

Nestled beneath County Kerry’s other temples, the untouched and crazy reaches the Killarney National Park are worth a reference in their own right. Attested trodden and from UNESCO by herds of red deer that is royal, this location hosts swathes of walnut, ash and yew woods.

All these come together together with the Lakes of Killarney, which sit mirror like beneath their Purple Mountains’ shirts. The region is a mecca for wild life fans and sailors, who are able to discriminate between more woods and bogs at the business of both kingfishers swifts and ospreys.

  Boyne Valley

Stretching out of County Kildare into the Sea’s heartlands, the Boyne Valley Is Currently the answer of All Belgium to This Loire of France or Even Meuse of Ireland.

Green and beautiful into the hilt, this property lives around this Emerald Isle’s moniker. Between its own boundaries, travelers may observe wonders for example the Newgrange monument (that’s thought to date back over five millennia) and the walls and gatehouses of Trim Castle — once the strong hold of Norman rule in Meath.

Together using oodles of paths weaving its riparian banks round Readily accessible from the administrative centre in Dublin the valley creates a nice escape from town.

  Dingle

Its eponymous peninsula’s administrative centre swells, Dingle sits between shore and the shores of County Kerry as well as the ridges of this pilgrimage area of Mount Brandon. Steeped in charm, bobbing fishing ships besets town and includes a salt-washed sea-faring personality.

Whilst whiskey from the distillery appears to be that the tipple of choice, irish is the speech of performance too.

Besides wallowing from the backwater vibe , match between the boutiques and pubs around Quay Street, go dolphin viewing, and travelers may choose to explore the panoramas provided by this Conor Pass.

  Galway City

Crowned by the Gothicism of St Nicholas’ Church, Galway City Flourished . Sights like Lynch’s Castle belie the history of this town’s retailer mayors using this age of time, whilst the actual nature of Galway lies within its own boho, unique facet, which bubbles upwards across the town’s roads together with actors and magicians on the weekend, even pops out from the cafes to the Promenade of Salthill, becomes excruciating throughout the town’s art festival in July, and that so it’s not far from your bars of Cross Street and the guts.

  Blarney Castle

For ever drawing outside of Cork’s guts, this collection of battlements and keeps is top among the set of the bucket list sights of Ireland. Some regions of your website have been rebuilt, as the Blarney House stands tall over the face of the castle, Now, and nature walks. The piece de resistance?

Well, which must be the Blarney Stone, which is supposed to imbue some that kiss it with all the gift of their gab that is Irish!

  Cork

Cork remains the 2nd biggest city of Ireland. Since it makes its way towards the branches of this Celtic 33, it is seen perched from the coastlines of its county, cut by the twisting River Lee.

Divergent to Dublin, fun-loving, a bit laidback and lively, the natives here enjoy distance between the interested coffee shops and bars, most which hide spouting the colonies of St Patrick’s from of their town.

Even the spires of the Cathedral of St Fin Barre over look that the town in Gothicism, as the Cork City Gaol can be just actually really a quality appeal in the outskirts — even when your little gruesome on top of that!

  Glendalough

Nestled between County Wicklow to the eastside of Ireland’s mountains, Glendalough’s valley brings people . The Saint Kevin of Glendalough dates from sometime in the 6th century, which set the abbey at the centre of this site, also showcases several of those medieval structure in the nation.

Where warblers flit involving the Conservancy and the trails pierce all around this cloister, travelers may look to a woodland of pine and fern, hazel and mountain ash.

  The Aran Islands

Brought in 1934 to world attention by the documentary Man of Aran, traffic have now been entrancing since. Since it was, this is actually really just a preference of Ireland. Gaelic is the primary language, a inhabitants really certainly are, and once you will feel as though you are at a timewarp.

The islands, wild, wind swept, rocky, and completely exceptional provide you a tourist experience. The stone fort of Dun Aonghasa and the cliffs of Aran will not be forgotten, once experienced. The culture is different from the mainland, the tradition can’t be found else where and also the scenery is breath taking.

  County Kerry

Famous because the Ring of Kerry drive’s house, this county of this Republic is you to write home about.

Between its own boundaries, this property in the heart of Munster hosts the kind of this towering, 1,000-meter-high Macgillycuddy’s Reeks and the church-dotted, cairn-peppered puzzle of this Slieve Mish, while outside at sea increase the rugged daggers of this Skelligs — even Michael using its own UNESCO monasteries and Small Skellig having its craggy outcrops.

Even the mountain lakes are just another highlight oceans which flanked by peaks from Torc and Mangerton and can come surrounded by farm lands that are rocky in Muckross.

  Limerick

Spread on the banks of the River Shannon since it widens to fulfill with up with the Atlantic on the western haunch of Ireland, travelers in preference of their attractions which have made Munster’s spot famous usually overlook the town of Limerick.

But will detect a town that on the re-invigorated after bankruptcy, upward and prepared to exhibit its Guinness bars and passionate love for the game of rugby.

Moreover, the area continues to be wallowing at the prestige of being Ireland’s National City of Culture, together with areas just such as the Belltable Arts Centre exploding with fresh productions and playsthe University of Limerick echoing with plain chant and the metropolis gallery of hosting events just such as the EVA International festival.

Top 15 Places to Visit in Ireland

[nowtravel]

Puffin Rally to the Látrabjarg Cliffs

On a road trip to Iceland's remote Westfjords, I explore the travel bloggers insatiable quest for novelty, and the decline of the iconic Atlantic Puffin. Includes an interview with puffin researcher Erpur Snær Hansen.

We are driving north from Reykjavik, to the westernmost point of Europe — the Látrabjarg Cliffs of Iceland’s Westfjords.

The cliffs are a massive promontory, just a few degrees south of the Arctic circle, pointing towards Greenland. The granite cliffs slope vertically downward for up to 1,400 feet into the North Atlantic, and hold the largest colonies of nesting seabirds in all of Europe.

I had packed several cups of skyr; the stunningly tasty cultured cheese, for our long journey north. I immediately fell for the low-fat, high protein Icelandic food, reminiscent of thick yogurts. One of my great joys in travel is to form a ritual around a simple local food.

Iceland’s post World War II diet is heavy on hot dogs, road meats and gas station junk food. The restaurants are often insanely expensive. Skyr, with a few berries, is the antidote: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Reykjavik to Borgarnes

It’s remarkable to find how quickly you can leave the city of Reykjavik. Within minutes of driving out of the city center, it’s the suburbs. Minutes after that, a long road with little traffic, fewer towns. To our right, steep, treeless mesas, peppered with sheep and oystercatchers. To our left, inlets, bays and mud flats.

For almost all of its 1,100 year human history, Iceland’s population hovered around 50,000. Today, the island’s total population is 350,000 — a phenomenally low population for a geography about the size of New York State. Reykjavik, where most people in Iceland live, features a population about the same size as Killeen, Texas.

Because of these low population levels, Iceland is to some degree a blank slate, with seemingly few stories for traveling writers to tell. It’s easy to fall for the idea that Iceland is encapsulated by the same stories we keep hearing about, as if there a bait has been dangled for us in front of the Icelandic Tourist Board.

Tourism in Iceland has boomed so quickly that it has also become a bit like a wild west of travel documenting; a frontier to rehash the same story over and over again.

One recurring story you hear almost constantly is: I went to Iceland and ate a daring, gross and controversial food.

I am perennially repulsed by this trend in travel. Imagine the meaty head of Andrew Zimmern, (Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern), gullet open to the sky, swallowing something rare for the camera. A reminder of how unnecessary eating gross foods for a smart travel audience is.

In Iceland, however, weird and gross foods often cross a distinct line of ethics, which travel bloggers gleely cross, often while downplaying that line in their writing, or even explicitly crossing it to shock their audience. When travel bloggers and tourists consume Minke Whale, Atlantic Puffin or Greenland Shark, for example, aren’t they crossing a firm line of global conservation ethics?

Low tide flats in typical scenery from Reykjavik to the Westfjords.

THE ETHICS OF EATING PUFFIN IN ICELAND

T

ravel blogger Candie Walsh writes in her blog, Free Candy, “On one of my final nights in Reykjavik, the Obesity Gods intervened.”

In her home province of Newfoundland, Atlantic Puffin is treasured and revered. “In fact, it’s a heavily protected species of the most adorable order,” she writes.  “Hunting puffins in my home province is treason. Obviously I had to eat one in Iceland.”

The explicit statement of understanding that the species is threatened is a common theme among travel bloggers talking about their daring cuisine in Iceland.

“Surprisingly, the puffin was delicious...the puffin was prepared in such a way that you’d hardly know you were eating one of the most adorable creatures on earth.”

Responding to commenters, Candy Walsh advertises her wild and crazy ability to eat. “I’m a heathen...Hahaha. I will apparently eat just about anything!”

Like any travel blogger around the world, Candy knows that seabirds have a precarious path to survival. Throughout North America, from Panama to Canada, we protect our rocky offshore islands vigilantly. We know that their manner of nesting in cliff and island colonies puts them at a particular risk. With so much input and education about the fragility of seabirds, it is impossible for us not to know the line the behavior crosses.

THE ETHICS OF EATING WHALE IN ICELAND

When weighing whether it’s okay to eat whale in Iceland, travel bloggers repeat the conclusion that the controversy surrounding whale is simply whether the animal is endangered; Ultimately, whales are just another animal, and a quick internet search on whether the species can be ‘sustainably harvested,’ is enough to satisfy the travel blogger advertising to their international audiences that they too can also eat whale.

There are a few animals which modern civilization has deemed morally repugnant to kill and consume. Obviously, among this short list is all the great sentient mammals. We find human flesh morally repugnant, as we do the flesh of the great apes, the elephants and the cetaceans.

But then how did Lauren Monitz of iExplore come to such a different moral conclusion? She writes, “Often served raw, I also sampled whale tartare with a fine blueberry sauce that tasted like ahi tuna albeit refreshingly fruity thanks to the topping.”

Like with Candy, Lauren dismisses the moral weight, a way of telling her international readers that they too can ignore the moral implications of eating whale: “It was in fact one of the better dishes despite obviously being discouraged by animal activists who regularly campaign to get the protected creature taken off menus.”

THE ETHICS OF EATING GREENLAND SHARK IN ICELAND

Travel bloggers visiting Iceland love to eat a fermented shark dish called Hákarl, or fermented, rotting Greenland Shark. They refer to it as a traditional Icelandic dish, and a ‘Reykjavik delicacy’. Others call it Iceland’s national dish. They cite the weirdness of it, and the excitement of trying a dish that tastes like rancid urine, on account of the poisonous, ammonia-rich flesh of the Greenland Shark---the large, docile shark pees through the fabric of its body to stay warm.

Icelanders will tell you that the idea that Hákarl is a national dish is a bit of a fabrication. Through most of the twentieth century, it was virtually unknown to most Icelanders, who would have nothing to do with it. Others will tell you that it would be served only once a year in certain seaside towns, usually as a Christmas tradition. Its existence in grocery stores and fancy Reykjavik restaurants has appeared alongside the recent boom in tourism.

Kiki, of The Blonde Abroad, calls Greenland Shark all those things at once. She writes, “Rotten Shark...is a traditional delicacy in Iceland that dates back to the time of the Vikings. While it might not be at the top of your must-eat list, it has always made practical sense in the kitchens of Iceland.”

Kiki shares a large photo of herself with a grossed out face, eating the shark. And a youtube video, that also shows her being grossed out during a bold act of consumption.

The problem with Greenland Shark is a different one from both puffins and whales. If Icelanders eat a small amount of shark bycatch as a holiday delicacy, it is a local act that is harmless to the species. But, everybody knows the dual stories of how fishing sharks devastates their populations and the story of the speedy decline of Orange Roughy, the fish popular on dinner tables around the world in the 1980s. Because the fish grows slowly, lives deep in the ocean and matures late, nobody realized they had nearly decimated the world supply of the species until it was nearly too late.

The Greenland Shark, similarly lives for hundreds of years: it is the world’s longest living vertebrate, and slowest moving of all fish, and, as a mysterious deepwater denizen, we really don’t know how many, or how few, are left. We literally have no concept of their remaining population. While we often hear that most Greenland Sharks are bycatch, the rise in demand from the tourist trade puts more pressure on the annual catch of a species now designated by the IUCN as near threatened.

Eurasian Oystercatcher foraging on tidal flats on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula near Reykjavik.

Borgarnes to Búðardalur

F

rom Borgarnes to Búðardalur, Highway 1 crosses through inland terrain. Some of the terrain is forested with birch and conifers, a reminder of Iceland’s pre-human past, when over thirty-percent of the island was covered in trees.

In this inland wilderness, the ubiquitous sheep and horses are a reminder of the near absence of native mammals. Arctic foxes are the island’s only native land mammal; knowing this puts a damper on our desire to spot for wildlife while driving north.

My son and I will sometimes make up stories while traveling together. The history of skyr is somewhat bland, and certainly not as exciting a backstory as rotten urine shark. Skyr production was a technique common in Scandinavia when Iceland was discovered, but later forgotten everywhere but here.

So, my son and I invent a more Instagram-friendly backstory for skyr:

The skyr squirrel, named for its ability to escape raptor predation by sliding down a snowy slope on its hind-haunches, was common in the interior of Iceland up until the eighteenth century.

Fernando, a wealthy Spanish trophy hunter, took up employment among the whalers of Northern Europe, making his way north to Iceland, where his hope was to bag the island’s greatest mammals.

Upon finding only non-native sheep and horses, he grew weary, turning his bloodlust on the common skyr squirrels, which he discharged by the thousands. Luckily for trophy-less Fernando, he found delectable the milky-white substance that erupted when that musket-shot struck the skyr squirrels. Pleasant was the slightly sour, slightly sweet yogurt-like substance, which he made into a local commodity, exported to Denmark by the barrel.

But, little did he know, the skyr squirrels were on the verge of extinction, just like the Passenger Pigeons of North America.

My son has learned about Passenger Pigeons in school, and we have seen a rare stuffed specimen at our local science museum. But today, we talk about the specific way in which the species declined so rapidly.  Passenger pigeons are believed to have been the most populous bird in the world prior to the 1800s. When they crossed the sky in their millions, they would blacken it. The spectacle of this mass of life, moving like an interstellar starling undulation, was one of the great natural spectacles of the planet.

On September 1, 1914, Martha, the last of her species, passed away at the Cincinnati Zoo.

But how did the species go from billions to zero in two decades? Passenger Pigeons were tasty creatures, and after the Civil War, a network of roads and railroads allowed a network of hunters easy access to their entire range in the East, Midwest and Canada. They killed them in every way possible, sometimes by just waving a stick or a net in the air. Sometimes by torching their roosts or simply by blasting a pellet into that mass of black.

The exact cause of their quick demise is unknown, but the general belief among ornithologists is that they had adapted to live in as ultra-social creatures in super-huge groups. Imagine a bird that lives like humans in Manhattan. Once their numbers were hunted to a point of just a few million left, their advanced social structure - their population dynamics - could no longer function.

My conversation with my son, on the road to Búðardalur, prompted me to want to learn more about whether there were similarities between the Atlantic Puffins of the North Atlantic, and the Passenger Pigeons.

The carcass of a US Navy Douglas C-117D sits on the property of the Hnjótur Farm, near the Látrabjarg Hotel. The Hnjótur Farm makes up most of the village of Örlygshöfn, just south of the emerald and turquoise waters of Patreksfjörður fjord.

Interview with Erpur Snær Hansen

I caught up with seabird researcher Erpur Snær Hansen, director of the South Iceland Nature Research Center, whose research into the decline of Iceland’s puffins has begun to reverberate on the world stage. With access to time series unheard of in other bird populations, Hansen and his colleagues have begun to piece together the correlations between the puffin’s prized fish; Silvery Sandeels, warming seas, and overhunting of the species for Reykjavik’s ritzy tourist restaurants.

ERIK: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH PUFFINS AND SEABIRDS?

Erpur: I was a birder at age 11, and later, I built up an interest in science with plans to become an ornithologist. I moved into seabird research, Trying to answer questions like, “Why do they raise only one chick, and what determines their growth patterns?”

In Spring 2007, I was asked to give a talk in the Westman Islands, because they were worried about persistent chick death in the colonies. I had a good background, because I had studied puffins for my honor’s thesis, on their habitat selection.  

An intense decline in seabird chick production had started in 2003 and peaked in 2005, involving not only puffins, but most Icelandic seabird species, which constitute about twenty-five percent of North Atlantic seabird biomass.  We really needed to understand the key factors of the decline. They were keen enough to hire me, and I began working to find out what was going on.

I started out in Iceland’s Westman Islands. Our methodology was to use infrared illuminated video cameras to peer into their burrows. We learned a lot in these three years.  

We received a grant together with sandeel researchers at the Marine Research Institute, which demonstrated that the sandeel stock collapsed in 2005, and one puffin year class after another disappeared from the puffin harvest.

We expanded our methodology developed in the Westmans to twelve colonies throughout Iceland in 2010. The research is funded by the trust, which is financed by the annual hunter permit fees.

The idea was that we would visit each colony twice each year. First, in early June to see how many eggs were laid in our study burrows, and again in late July to check the same burrows to see how many chicks remained. We also photograph adults carrying food in July. This is the Icelandic Puffin Population Monitoring Program, or less formally what we call the Puffin Rally. This is exhausting work, in particular, a lot of travel. We travel about six-thousand kilometers by car, and then from there a variety of boat and airplane travel.

ERIK: WHAT ARE YOU FINDING IN THE BURROW?

Erpur: That differs between both regions and time. The puffins have been doing moderately fine in the north; in the Westfjords and in northeast Iceland. In the South and East, they have been faring poorly, and taken together, not well enough to sustain the whole Icelandic population. The West started out like the south, but have been improving considerably in the last 4 years and sandeels are being seen again in the last few years. Things have improved in the Westmans, although the sandeel is still scarce.

ERIK: IN ICELAND, WHERE PUFFIN ICONOGRAPHY IS UBIQUITOUS, DOES THIS MAKE YOU A CELEBRITY?

Erpur: Puffins are one of the main reasons people are visiting Iceland. Seeing them is a huge industry for us. Special tours to see puffins all over the island are extremely popular. The Atlantic Puffin is actually ranked the number one bird globally in terms of people’s favorite bird.

Does that make me a celebrity? No, but of course, with everything that is happening now, I was reporting our results to the media.

The bill of the Atlantic Puffin is designed to hold several fish at once. The fleshy yellow roseate at the base of the puffin's beak is a stretchy material that allows the seabird the ability to open its beak very wide, to enable catching more fish and for communicating.

ERIK: LET’S TALK ABOUT PUFFINS WHEN THEY ARE AT SEA. WHAT IS THEIR LIFE LIKE?

Erpur: We have participated in a multicolony international collaborative program named SEATRACK, deploying geologgers on the Atlantic Puffin, together with ten other seabird species in order to map their winter distributions. Icelandic puffins have a triangular migration pattern, they head into the Labrador Sea in fall, stay there until the end of the year when they move south over the Atlantic ridge centering on the Charliecr-Gibbs fracture zone, and in spring, they head north.

The Charlie-Gibbs fracture zone in the Atlantic ridge is rich with prey in winter and is a mega hot spot for sharks, whales, as well as many seabird species of the North Atlantic It’s a fascinating place, with summer conditions in the middle of winter and undoubtedly the reason for the large size of many seabird populations in the North Atlantic.

ERIK: AND WHAT ABOUT WHEN THEY COME BACK TO ICELAND?

Erpur: After a completely pelagic existence like other ‘true’ seabirds; they come back in the middle of April to meet up with their mate.

Puffins have monogamous relationships for life. We say that puffins have a pretty low ‘divorce rate’ - seven percent. For example, if the mate dies, or if they have breeding failure.

Between Iceland and Norway, there have been sharp declines, which is why Atlantic Puffins were put on the IUCN red list in 2015.

I am able to study puffins backwards in time, because we have data on the harvest records in the Westmans Islands going back to 1880. Eighty-percent of the puffin harvest is composed of three year classes that are 2, 3 and 4 years old. Since the effort has remained relatively constant, the harvest in any given year reflects how many were born 2-4 years before.

This gives us one of the longest and perhaps the most interesting time series of birds, as the data show that puffin chick production has a very strong correlation to sea temperature. When sea temperatures are warmer, fewer puffins are harvested, and vice versa.

We know that temperature is key, and temperature in the Atlantic follows a seventy year cycle termed the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation or AMO, characterized by 35 warm years, followed by 35 cold years A warm period started in Icelandic waters in 1996 with temperatures peaking in 2003. In Icelandic waters, the warming is greatly intensified by contemporal contraction of the Sub-Polar Gyre, a circular current system, which opens for great flow of warm and saline Atlantic seawater northwards.

In the process our waters warm by about one degree Celsius, in less than a decade the same warming as predicted by global warming for this century using the IPCC A1B1 “business as usual model!”

The polar currents coming from the north mix with the warmer waters and thus create three marine ecosystems. We have essentially a natural laboratory of extreme temperature variation gradient. That’s exactly where our study colonies are located.

ERIK: THE PUFFINS ARE DECLINING BECAUSE THEIR PRIMARY FOODSOURCE, THE SILVERY SANDEEL, ARE IN DECLINE?

Erpur: The sandeel is one of the most commercially harvested fish in the North Sea, and is studied by a number of specialists. There are a number of exciting hypotheses for their decline and how this relates to seabird declines. One hypothesis is that the sandeel’s first winter survival is negatively related to temperature by increase in their Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), leading to a premature depletion of their fat reserves, prior to the onset of their zooplankton food in spring. They die of starvation during these warmer years.

Another, complementary hypothesis is that in warm summers, the sandeel´s elevated BMR wastes energy, instead of building energy (fat) reserves and growth. We don’t always have warm and cold summers in conjunction. In 1948, for example, summers cooled during an otherwise cold winters AMO period, which allowed the sandeels to really strengthen, judged by the increase in Puffin harvest. In 1996, we started to see the reverse of this, and sandeel numbers declined very rapidly, much more than in the last warm period in the 1930´s. Oceanographers are modeling to see if global warming will buffer against the cooling of the AMO cycle, essentially terminating the cooling period.

If this warming trend continues, the puffin colonies here will be a shadow of their former past. In the north, the colonies would remain. We would have a northern coast with current numbers, and losing more than half of the rest of the populations. This IUCN red listing is really about this: If you would have been here in the 1980s, you would have seen so many birds! Now there is nothing like that! The puffins haven’t even socialized normally in the troubled colonies in the last decade. These social birds are known to spend a lot of time communicating with each other, they don’t have the time to hang around anymore. They need to put all their attention on acquiring food.

What is happening differently during this warm period now, I think, is that the algae blooms that normally occur in March and April, happen much later. The sandeel eggs are hatching about the same time as the algal bloom. The algae are grazed on by zooplankton, which is the prey of sandeels. If there is a delay in the bloom timing, we have what is termed a trophic mismatch. Basically the sandeel prey show up so late that they are already dead from starvation.

Puffin chicks have been fledging in September, rather than in late August. 2019 is however the sunniest year on record, creating a massive algae bloom that you can easily see from space. There is a huge amount of food in there. So there are a lot of variables out there.

Sandeel numbers are expected to increase when you have a good bloom year: early and intensive blooms benefit the the entire food pyramid.

We have satellite data since 1998 that shows that the blooms have been really late in the last decade or so, and one could expect that to increase with global warming: more evaporation and more clouds in our region, and consequently, less sun. That delays and reduces the blooms.

Traditional Southern Westfjords fishing vessels on display on the grounds of the Hnjotur Museum.

ERIK: HOW DOES THE HUNTING OF PUFFIN FOR TOURISTS PLAY INTO THEIR DECLINE?

Erpur: Between 1995 and 2017 there has been a ninety-one percent reduction in the Icelandic puffin harvest. Interestingly, sixty-six percent of this decline, or two thirds, occurred before I advocated for a moratorium in 2008.

The puffin harvest went from over 200,000 to about 30,000 annually, and the prices went up. Now the restaurant business is selling most of the catch to tourists. Chef Hrefna Sætran has a couple of the most exclusive restaurants in Reykjavik. She was asked on Facebook in spring 2019 why she was selling an endangered animal in her restaurants. she replied: “While it is legal to hunt them and sell, I am selling them.”

The problem is the legal aspect of it. The government plans on addressing the issue in 2020 with a new law. But today, the ‘traditional hunting loophole’ has been interpreted to be exempt from the sustainability clause in the law, anyways. The problem is that landowners regulate the hunting on their land—- they are in many cases also the hunters, thus regulating themselves. It’s up to the landowners, who are allowed to hunt their land during the hunting period without limits.

Since the populations are doing okay in the North, the hunters there have used that to justify their continued hunting, despite the fact that the whole population is doing poorly. They are earning a lot of money from this—greed is put above the welfare of the species.

ERIK: ARE OTHER SEABIRDS IN ICELAND HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM OF REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE?

Erpur: Yes, we think of the puffin as a model species. Most of the other seabirds, the auks, the fulmars, and the kittiwakes, they all eat the same prey. Most seabird populations in the North Atlantic are going down. Counts show similar declines are happening to the other species.

ERIK: TRAVEL BLOGGERS SAY THERE ARE 10-15 MILLION PUFFINS IN ICELAND AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR EATING THEM. TWO QUESTIONS. ONE, IS THIS NUMBER ACCURATE OR OUTDATED? TWO, IF THERE WERE BILLIONS OF PASSENGER PIGEONS, IS MILLIONS OF PUFFINS A SAFE NUMBER TO TAKE FROM THE SKY?

Erpur: These numbers they quote, they are getting from Icelandic tourism sources, which are all wrong. Today, there are about 2.7 million Puffin burrows in Iceland, and about seventy-four percent are active at a given time, so there are 2 million breeding pairs in our country. This comprises the production unit of Iceland’s puffin population. Let’s say that you have almost the same number of immature birds. That ideal represents the maximum population: about 6 million individuals in total.

Since the population is not maintaining their numbers, but declining, the principle of long lived – low chick productive output life histories applies, that any hunting adds to the decline. In seabirds, the killing accelerates the decline. People who only see the millions of individuals and do not think how many are needed to maintain the numbers are illiterate in population dynamics and have no valuable contribution to make but to pseudoscience.

ERIK: IS THERE A FEAR OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON SYNDROME?  

Erpur: When the sand eels collapsed, there was definitely peril for the puffins. But this hunting on top of that is not sustainable. It’s certainly not helping, and it is not ethical. We manage our fisheries well for the most part, we are looked at fondly by other countries for how we manage them, at least we had more success than many others. Sure, we fucked up a few times with capelin and halibut. We biologists are saying that all wildlife should be treated like we treat our fisheries, that will be the nature of the new law bill.

These Puffins are much more valuable alive than hunted, providing revenue year after year. They bring Iceland serious tourism money. That’s millions of euros each year. That is a lot of foreign currency pumping into Iceland because of the puffin.

ERIK: IS PUFFIN A TRADITIONAL ICELANDIC DELICACY, OR AN OLD STARVATION FOOD IN ISOLATED COASTAL VILLAGES?

Erpur: Puffin was initially a just part of normal food. They were harvested as soon as the settlement of Iceland. This was often the only meat people had until spring. Puffin was a sustenance food until between World Wars. After that, the hunting became a ‘traditional sport’ using a polenet called háfur.

Evening looking over the Látrabjarg Cliffs. Puffins burrow on such treacherously steep slopes here, they are safe from the Arctic Fox, which are wise to steer clear of the famously steep cliffs.

Búðardalur to Flókalundur

T

he village of Búðardalur, at the very end of mainland Iceland, is known mostly for the nearby Eiríksstaðir, the homestead of Erik the Red and the birthplace of his son Leif, who went on to explore North America five hundred years before Columbus anchored in the Bahamas.

From Búðardalur, we’ll be driving across the Westfjords Peninsula, one of the most exciting pieces of geography on Earth. Our final destination will be the furthest western point in Europe, even though, like Americans with Leif and Columbus, Europeans disagree.

When I told a tableful of Europeans that we were headed to the westernmost point of Europe, they pointed to the fact they all learned in school: Portugal’s Cabo da Roca, a peninsula just went of Lisbon, is Europe’s westernmost point.

But this commonly held fact is misleading, and wrong, on several points.

Cabo da Roca is indeed the westernmost point of the Eurasian landmass, that is a point to which no one disagrees.

However, the question is not about a landmass or a continent, but an area, a place, specifically, Europe. Europe is not a continent. While it is often taught in school that Europe is a special case continent; in which the Caucasus mountains somehow separate it from the other half of itself, most geographers see Eurasia as one big thing: Europe and Asia are the same large landmass. From a biological perspective, this is certainly the case. When we look at the mammals and birds and plants of the region, we recognize that the history is one.

Europe, then, is better defined as a place with distinct shared human history and culture.

Nobody doubts that England and Ireland are a part of Europe —they share language borne from mainland Europe, a common culture and history, but Portugal’s Cabo de Roca is actually further west than the most western points of these islands. Only Iceland, which shares a common history and language to mainland Europe, is further west than Cabo de Roca.

Well, that’s not quite true either. Monchique Islet, a rock jutting out from the westernmost point of the Azores Islands of Portugal, is much further west than Iceland. Although, as a remote island that actually sits within the North American plate, it can’t be categorized as being part of the place called Europe, even though it belongs to a European country. This is the same as saying that Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa are all part of the United States, but they do not fit into the definition of being part of North America.

So by this evening, we hope to reach the westernmost point of Europe.

A view of the Patreksfjörður fjord a few minutes before midnight.

Flókalundur to Látrabjarg

D

riving along the southern coast of the Westfjords is dizzying: The spectacle of the geography, the immensity of it, is confounding.

As we head west, the sense that we are at the edge of something feels very real. The geography becomes more surreal, often bays are shrouded with rocks in peculiar linear formations.

Treeless slopes grade steeply into vast inlets. And something unimaginable this far north in the world: white sand beaches and clear turquoise shallows. Arctic Terns, gulls and sandpipers abound along rocky shores, and at one point, a viciously precise Parasitic Jaeger crosses in front of our car, tailing a gull at high speed.

We stop to check in briefly at the 9-room Látrabjarg Hotel, one of a handful of structures in the area, before heading the final forty minutes to the Látrabjarg Cliffs. These cliffs are known as the largest tourist attraction in the Westfjords. The fact that there are only fourteen cars in the parking lot is a testament to the isolation of the region.

Right next to the parking lot is the Bjargtangar Lighthouse, the very westernmost point in all of Europe. From here, we can see hundreds of gulls, fulmars and kittiwakes; an explosion of bird life at the top of the largest seabird cliff in Europe.

We walk along the path that rises along the sloping edge of the cliffs, watching the spectacle of seabirds speeding along the water below.

As late evening approaches, the puffins begin to ascend onto the cliffs after a day of fishing. We sit just feet from a group of three of them, hobbling around a burrow. What singular creatures! Tiny Mannequins in masquerade. They are also, as travel blogger Candie Walsh stated, adorable. If you’ve seen the porgs of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and sense their cuteness resembles that of a puffin, it’s not coincidental. The porgs were a last-minute fix to the ubiquitous puffins on set. The miniature aliens were CGI’ed over the plump seabirds, who remained unafraid of the busy sets.

As the sun grows weaker, we rush back to the Látrabjarg Hotel, just in time for our meal. “My father’s best friend caught this cod this afternoon. We have prepared it with a tomato compote and local herbs.”

Jane and I agree, the fresh fish is one of the finest meals we’ve had in our lives, and after a long day of continuous road travel, to have this quiet meal at the edge of the world, looking out over a turquoise bay, is an exquisite end to our puffin rally.

The owner’s son comes out and says, “And for desert, we are serving Skyr!”

[queenofmahishmati]

I GOT TAGGED BY 5 PEOPLE FOR THAT QUESTIONS MEME !!

So that’s 55 questions answered below, ((its soooper long and contains every single truth about my dorkery and pagan ritual and what not.. I'm not a cool person, nope, see for yourself))

Questions from @iwearplaids

Rain or snow ?

Rain, hands down. Snow is just pretty, covers the ground beautifully in white and then melts away. But Rain, rain enhances that smell of earth I love so much and brings forth memories of the time I used to sit on my balcony with a cup of tea, hot bajjis and my friends from college days.

What is/was your favourite subject at school ?

History. I used to finish reading each lesson as if I was reading a story book before our teacher was even half way through it. I used to be the cause of her headache, she almost always took my book away each time so I won’t do it. And Art, we had an art professor who was the first one to take notice of my sketching talents and helped me improve it. In one way or the other, its because of them that I am a Conservation Architect today!!

How would you rate your own blog ?

11/10. It needs a little more organizing and I will give it a fifteen :P 

What is the most comforting smell for you ?

Smell of well washed pure cotton fabrics... reminds me of my mumma. 

Top 3 fears 

Darkness. Dark deep waterbodies. Losing a loved one without a proper goodbye.

Tell an embarrassing story.

Happens on a daily basis really... do you want to hear about the time I almost sat on Rana’s lap and scared him enough that he chose to sit on top of the armrest of the couch instead; or when I got locked out in the utility room of my house by my own silliness, without my mobile on me and had to wait till my flatmate (and the rest of my friends) came home and opened the door while I smiled at them like a dork from the other side of the glass door; or that one time I was standing on my terrace watching a meteor shower and my mum thought I was doing some kind of pagan ritual and took a video of it cause I was dancing around with a long stick in my hand facing up at the sky, while I was actually hopping in circles and spinning the stick around myself to escape mosquitoes... 

Last book that you read and fell in love with.

The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh. Its the first of his non-fiction works I read and wow, it made me think deep and agree with his point that future history will call our period the most deranged of all times. Its about climate disaster and a must read in my opinion, I’m glad I picked it up at the airport while I was bored. With that said, his The Hungry Tide is one of my favourite books. 

Your all time favourite movie ?

Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on The Cheek)

Would you say that you’re popular in real life ?

Yep, yes. People find my (child like) enthusiasm contagious and I can listen better than I talk (that’s what my friends say). So yeah, I’m kind of always surrounded by people mostly... unless I push them away myself to breathe.

Favourite accessory ?

Um... anklets? Oh no, I love bangles. Although, I barely wear any accessories. Its a surprise if I wear anything more than my usual earrings. 

Flats or heels ?

Shoes or boots with heels. I’m short. I need that extra boost to bounce around on my happy feet.

Questions from @ruminationsofaraven

Coffee or Tea?

Tea. Always. 

All time favourite book and T.V show.

Harry Potter series and Scooby Doo.

What would you rather choose to write about - Smut or Fluff?

Fluffy fluff that will soon turn angsty.

Spookiest story you’ve heard when you were a kid.

I have lived through three spooky experiences. I don’t need a story to top them. *shudders*

If you get a chance to change three things you regret doing in your life with a time-turner, what’d you choose to do?

Go back in time to when I met Rana and make sure I proposed to him rather than chickening out I guess?? Other than that, there isn’t anything I regret much except maybe knock my second boyfriend down in one clean punch before he even asked me out. 

Have you ever dreamt about getting interviewed on the Ellen show?

Oh yes. Many many times!! 

Fuck/Marry/Kill (Marvel Special) - Loki, Captain America & Bucky

Fuck Loki, Marry Captain America... and kill Bucky (yikes sorry)

Ever embarrassed yourself in front of a crush?

A lot. There was this one time in school where I was gushing about my crush to my friend and he was... well, sitting right behind me and heard the entire thing. Funny story, he’s my best ever friend right now and knows me better than my mum and I’m the Best Woman (maapillai thozhi) for his upcoming wedding!!

One Disney character who you can relate with irl.

Merida from Brave. You have no idea how much similar that movie is to my life LMAO

Have you ever stalked an ex?

Nope, I don’t dwell in the past. And except one asshat, the rest of my exes are still my friends (acquaintance). 

Swap yourself with a character on a T.V show and that would be? Also, do you think you’ll survive in that universe.

Arya from Game of Thrones maybe. Oh yes, I would be a savage and kill everyone and win the iron throne for myself before dying at the white walkers’ hands, stabbed in the back cause I most probably was running away screaming bloody murder upon seeing them...

Questions from @fierarain

If you were given a chance to play God for a day, what would you do?

Kill off everyone I think that don’t deserve to live (you know who, mostly all those politicians). Save every child from disease and dying. Change people’s mindset and make them think about saving the Earth instead of destroying it. Make Harry Potter world exist for real. Read every book in the world if it was possible... and wish all of this could happen with a single snap of my fingers. 

What’s your favorite quote?

“What you seek is seeking you.” and  “Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” - both by Rumi

What disgusts you the most?

Worms. And people who lack common sense.

What motivates you to get out of bed everyday?

Food. And the possibility of some unexpected unknown happening. 

Describe any custom/ritual/tradition unique to your family/region/community.

My family is from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu and during weddings which mostly happens in our ancestral houses, the groom ties three different thaalis (mangal sutras) around the bride’s neck. And its like small, medium and large in size - like the cups we request at Starbucks... I find that extremely funny by the way!!

What part of the day do you look forward to and why?

Night. I love the stars. They make me wonder how much of a lie time is. The one twinkling cheerfully at me, does it still brighten up the galaxy or has it faded long back and I’m just seeing the ghost of its life standing this far away... 

If given a chance to swap lives with someone, whom would you choose?

No one. I love my life, I’d pass that chance on. 

Who/What is the center of your universe?

Rana?? Kidding... I am the center of my universe (and sometimes my family too).

What’s your happiest memory?

Picking Bakula flowers from the ground around a hundred year old tree with my cousins in the house back in our village... and then playing with them in the courtyard while it rained. I had a blessed childhood!!

Which fictional universe would you want to be a part of?

Harry Potter. (Or Star Wars)

Since everyone I know is in the Baahubali fandom….Devasena or Sivagami?

Sivagami. And Devasena. xP

Questions from @avani008

If you could know the answer to one unsolved mystery, what would it be and why?

I would like to know my purpose in this world maybe… But a mystery that already exists and I want answer to– How the ducking heck did they build the Kailasa temple of Ellora?? LIKE HOW??

Favorite myth?

Every time it thunders scarily, Arjuna is mad and stomping around the heavens like a crazy elephant. And wishes made upon shooting stars do come true!!

The main characters of the last two movies/TV shows you watched have switched places. What madness ensues?

Oh my god, the last two movies I watched was Aramm and Nene Raju Nene Mantri (re watch). Nayanthara and Rana’s roles swapped would be epic on one hand but also disastrous?? Like the corrupt Jogendra in Aramm scenario might have not done anything about the child, or that child could have been his redemption and he might have turned out to be better, I honestly don’t know... Now Madhivadhani in NRNM, I think we will get to see that madness for real in Aramm 2 when it releases. Although, she is a no-shit no-nonsense person and has her heart and mind in the right place (unlike Jogendra) !!!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Anywhere with my family around. Actually, some place that’s cold enough and has a beach. And of course, my family!!

Who would be the worst person to be stuck in an elevator with? How about the best person to be stuck in an elevator with?

The worst person to be stuck in an elevator with would be my brother, we would probably murder each other before help arrives. Best person would be… *drum rolls* RANA!!

If you could make a movie/TV series out of any book (or remake one if it exists already), what would it be?

There’s a book called “ஏழு தலை நகரம்” (ezhu thalai nagaram - seven headed city) in Tamil by S. Ramakrishnan. I would make that into a film for children.

What would be the title of your autobiography?

Stardust in search of her Star… Or Remembrall… or something decidedly more whacky depending upon the way I plan to write it.

Favorite poem?

This poem by Bharathiyar,

“ அக்கினி குஞ்சொன்று கண்டேன்-அதை ஆங்கொரு காட்டி லொர் பொந்திடை வைத்தேன் வெந்து தணிந்தது காடு-தழல் வீரத்தில் குஞ்சென்றும் மூப்பென்றும் உண்டோ?”

Translation: I found a small spark of fire and Placed it inside a burrow in a forest;The entire forest was burnt down to ashes; An ember is mighty enough regardless of it’s size!

Least favorite cliche/trope in fic or literature?

Love triangles. Or squares. Or Hexagon… its just over overused!!

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Be in places I want to be in the blink of my eye. I’m a lazy person in general, so that would help me get to places on time!!

If you could have dinner with any three fictional characters, who would they be and why?

Bhallaladeva, I would probably be next on his to-be-killed list for all the questions I ask over dinner. Baahubali, he’s gonna be a sweetheart really, but I would probably be ruthless and pry off his rose tinted glasses to make him see people for what they really are. Panchali, I know she’s not fictional but ever since I read Palace of Illusions, I have been wanting to know the real story from her perspective.

Questions from @sleepiszindagi

What is your best childhood memory?

My happiest memory above is also my best childhood memory.

Most recent movie watched?

Aramm, I watched it on Saturday. I loved it!!

What do you feel most proud of?

My mother. And my achievements because of her.

If you could only keep 5 possessions, what would it be and why?

A magical pot that could make food any time, my bed to sleep in, my phone to keep in touch with everyone and everything, extra clothes and MY BOOKS.

How do you spend your free time?

Plotting world domination. No really, I would be sitting at one of the windows and cooking up some crazy story in my head as I day dream about ruling the world.

What are your three favorite movies and why?

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban cause that’s the first one I watched in the series (until then I was like, movies don’t do justice to the books). Kannathil Muthamittal cause it hits me emotionally on so many levels. Baahubali right now because you know why…

What is your strongest personal quality?

I’m Realistic. Of course I babble a lot and dream more than that but in the end of the day, I’m probably one of the most grounded person you will meet.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Again, answered up above somewhere.

What age do you feel right now and why?

I feel like I’m 26 going on 6 most of the times cause I have the temperament of a toddler. I try to act my age though, mostly…

What is a skill you would like to learn and why?

Um, different ways to do my hair maybe on top of learning how to toss pancakes and omlettes.

Which movie are you most awaiting for and why?

Right now, The Last Jedi. Cause STAR WARS really, what more reason could be there??

[sevendevons]

Devon Aoki has single-handedly revamped the pretty paradigm. She is one of the newest faces in the family of Lancôme’s new millennium muses (“I definitely wasn’t the safe choice”), along with Uma Thurman, Mena Suvari and Elizabeth Jagger. Prior to landing that ambassador-of-beauty contract, the New York-born, Malibu-raised model sauntered down countless catwalks (for Balenciaga, Fendi, Givenchy and Thierry Mugler) and starred in numerous advertising campaigns (for Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, Moschino, and currently Baby Phat). Born of a German-English-American mother and Japanese father (Rocky Aoki, the Japanese Olympic wrestler and founder of the Miami-based Benihana Japanese steakhouse chain), the freckle-faced 20-year-old will soon work her elegant schoolgirl look on the silver screen. In June, she debuts opposite Paul Walker, Tyrese, Ludacris and Eva Mendes in 2 Fast 2 Furious, the highly anticipated, shot-in-Miami sequel to the 2001 street-racing smash, The Fast and the Furious. And when she’s not capturing international imaginations as the new face of beauty and fashion, this raw talent keeps busy with plans to launch a record company and a fashion line, compares and contrasts the political philosophies of Edward Said and William F. Buckley, quotes Robert Frost and gushes about her greatest fans—especially the one who tattooed her face on his arm.

How did your mother and father meet?

My mother, [jewelry designer] Pamela [Hilburger], moved to New York from Buffalo when she was 18. She was this adventurous, whimsical young lady who wanted to discover the city. She met my dad while she was working as a coat-check girl at Genesis, a nightclub he owned. They dated for a while, fell in love, got married and had three kids together.

Are they still together?

No, they both have been remarried. My mom lives in Los Angeles and designs jewelry. She’s an artist and is really into feng shui. I appreciate how she really knows how to minimize clutter and open up the space.

Do you speak Japanese?

A little, but I never lived with my father until last year and my mother does not exactly speak Japanese! I took French in school.

Tell me about the character you play in 2 Fast 2 Furious.

I play Suki, a racer who drives a Honda 2000 supercharged and is part of a community of street kids who live and breathe for cars.

What car do you drive?

I don’t. Isn’t that terrible? If I did, I’d think about an SUV. But they’re such gas guzzlers, which doesn’t make sense to me right now, as we’re faced with war.

What are your views on the Iraqi conflict?

I’m a peaceful person, and war isn’t the answer. I have a lot of views about politics and am reading books to learn more about the subject.

Which books?

Representations of the Intellectual: The 1993 Reith Lectures, by Edward Said, who has some beautiful ideas. I’m definitely a Democrat and very liberal, but I can appreciate and understand things about Republicans. I’m also reading about the conservative party: Buckley: The Right Word, by William F. Buckley.

Talk to me about a political issue you feel strongly about.

An agreement called the Kyoto Protocol was implemented a few years ago, when many nations met to discuss how to save the world from [greenhouse] gas emissions and other pollutants. Unfortunately, the Republican Party [Bush Administration] has decided to no longer contribute to it in any positive or negative way. Problems with the environment aren’t going to go away; they’re on a downward spiral and are only getting worse. The U.S. is the biggest contributing polluter, and if we do not decide to curb output, the Protocol won’t make as much sense as if we did. Other countries have agreed to be consistent with gas emissions, but we’re no longer participating; it’s disastrous. I imagine a world where animals are not in danger, where people respect the planet. I’m not attacking the president; one man is not the seed of the problem. In fact, both Democrats and Republicans are a part of the same machine, the same economy, the same world.

You seem well-versed in world events for a 20-year-old.

I never really had to think about politics before, but it’s our era. There’s a tendency to forget about it and go on with your life. People don’t always take the time to learn about what’s going on, but I want to know what’s happening. I don’t want to be happy in my ignorance and accept that other people are making all the decisions. At this time in my life, it’s critical to have a better understanding of the politics that rule and regulate the world. I was watching the [Grammy] Awards and remember hearing Bono say something like, ‘You have to read. You have to look. You have to search and formulate your own opinions about the world around you. You can’t just regurgitate and accept.’ He’s right.

How is acting different from modeling?

Acting is a new thing for me; I’ve just started getting into it. While I’m a veteran model, which probably sounds ridiculous, now I’m going [to] castings, meeting people and starting all over again in a new field. Acting is about listening and staying present in the moment—really believing it and trying to maintain the natural process that is life. The more organic it is, the more convincing, because it’s mimicking what truly is. It’s important to be consistent with your own ideas and the collaboration process, because everyone on the set is such a vital part of the whole pie. It’s great to be involved with something so much bigger than myself.

You filmed 2 Fast 2 Furious in Miami. How do you like the city?

I love South Beach, and lived at The Shore Club for three months. What a great hotel! They were so nice to me.

How does Nobu compare with Benihana?

Benihana has been around for 40 years. It’s the best restaurant, and people who don’t think that don’t understand the experience.

Was there a time you didn’t like sushi?

Yeah, when I was younger I wouldn’t touch the stuff. You can’t ask a kid to eat uni [sea urchin]—that would be a little weird. I started with California rolls and grew to have a greater appreciation for sushi from there. It’s funny, I just went to Benihana with Tyrese and Ludacris the other day, and Tyrese ordered a fried chicken roll with ketchup! That sort of thing sounded more normal to me when I was little, but now I’m so used to eating traditional dishes. When he asked for that, I said, ‘Are you serious?’

Was your model-to-actress transition intentional?

I was never one of those people who know what they want to do from day one; I was always confused. I can’t see myself being a model when I’m 50, but I don’t have everything mapped out. There’s no blueprint of how I want things to go. So many different things present themselves to me, and it’s just about making decisions and going with what feels right. It’s like Robert Frost said: ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.’ It’s about going one way and staying confident about your decisions regardless of the outcome. And anyway, who cares about the outcome? It’s all about the experience. You’re here on this planet, so you might as well take everything as it comes—really breathe it all in and make it your own.

Tell me what you’re doing besides the acting and modeling.

My father just got remarried and I felt like it was time to leave the nest. I’m living at the Trump Hotel for the time being, but I’m house-hunting, which is like a wild goose chase. Real estate agents keep showing me these really commercial buildings and high skyscrapers, but I just want something cute. I think I’d like something small—wait, not small. Definitely not small. But it’s hard to say. Do I want a two-bedroom with a marble bathroom? I don’t know. I have to just see it. I’m also working on a clothing line, a film-production company and a record label. But my dad always says to walk 10 steps in one direction as opposed to 10 steps in 10 different directions, so I need to focus.

Are you Daddy’s little girl?

Oh, yeah. That’s a big thing for me. I want to impress my father and follow in his footsteps. He’s so incredible. And I can say the same thing about my mother. She’s a survivor whose character inspires me.

Do guys get nervous meeting your dad?

Well, it’s not like I have a bunch of guys I’m bringing over. My dad does play a part in my life in every way.

You probably meet guys who are much older. What’s your dating age limit?

What is age, anyway? I used to think there was a list of things I’d need in a boyfriend, but the truth is, I just want to be comfortable and trust the person. I don’t care how old or young the person is. Actually, there is a limit on how young. I wouldn’t want to date anyone younger than me; it would be weird if he was still in high school or something. But I’ve seen couples where the guy is 70, the girl is 30 and people are scratching their heads; they don’t get it. But what is there to get? Who cares what other people are doing? Just concern yourself with yourself.

People do seem to care about what you’re doing. Have you seen ‘Devolution,’ a Devon Aoki fan website?

No, I haven’t seen it. But it’s cool.

I heard you were freaked out by a fan who tattooed your face on his arm.

That was a lie! Can I please set the record straight for once in my life? It was the worst thing, ever. After reading that article, I got so upset. A publication had asked me about my ‘craziest fan encounter,’ and I interpreted ‘crazy’ as ‘great crazy,’ or ‘weird but insane in a good and positive way crazy.’ I was so hurt when I read that they had changed my words from ‘craziest’ to ‘worst.’ Not only was it a bad reflection on me, but it would break my heart to think I had hurt anyone’s feelings.

Who got the tattoo?

A guy who went to school with my sister.

You didn’t think it was psycho?

No, not at all! I happen to think that someone inking my face onto his body is the highest form of flattery. I’m honored that people out there are interested in me; I appreciate that. I’m not scared of people who come up to me and ask me for my autograph. I’m not scared of my fans. It shows everything I’ve done is not in vain, and that there are people who see me, recognize me and support me. It’s a beautiful thing.

How would you characterize your style?

I’ve been wearing sneakers a lot. I used to be so into wearing heels and never went for comfort, but Jay-Z has a line of Reebok sneakers and they’re really cool. I also have [Cesare] Paciotti shoes, Adidas and some Puma. I’m really into sneakers these days, whether I’m going to the gym or not. Overall, I like to mix it up. I’m usually the last person to wear one designer top-to-bottom. I’ll wear an outfit that’s made up of vintage pieces, stuff from my mom, and things I’ve been given in the fashion industry.

What’s the best free thing anyone has ever given you?

Probably a couture Chanel coat that I wore on the runway, so it fit me perfectly. It is such a great piece. I get a lot of beautiful things, and try to wear pieces by newer designers, too.

Which up-and-coming designers do you like?

Benjamin Cho and Zac Posen.

What handbag are you carrying right now?

I just carry a little Chanel; it’s the greatest. You can look terrible, but if you’re carrying a nice bag that’s all that matters. It somehow makes everything so much better.

Tell me about your craziest fashion moment.

I wore a gorilla costume during a Thierry Mugler fashion show. Once I reached the middle of the runway, I ripped it off to reveal my hair and this beautiful silk dress. It was like a scene from a movie! This was probably one of the best fashion experiences I ever had on the runway. The designer came up to me and basically told me I could act because of what I did during that show.

[theteenagetrickster]

A Candid Conversation With K. Michelle - Rated R&B

K. Michelle has made a career out of walking in her truth. Her delivery might be off-putting to some, but her unfiltered commentary is all from a sincere place. For instance, the misunderstood singer doesn’t mind offering real guidance to the fresh voices in today’s R&B era; but she’s no yes-man, though.

“I think when it comes to the new people you have to support,” K. Michelle candidly tells Rated R&B. “I want to offer all the support so that they don’t make the same mistakes I made because I made a lot of them. But, I’m not going to offer no fake shit. If I don’t like it, I don’t like it.”

It’s a chilly Monday afternoon in mid-January and the Memphis native is running a few minutes behind for our call. It’s a heavy day of phone interviews for the R&B star. The calls are special, though. They are in support of her latest album All Monsters Are Human, which is available everywhere.

K. Michelle’s team heads the call and invites the woman of the hour to kick off the eagerly-anticipated conversation. She is in great spirits from the chirpy tone of her voice and is seemingly eager to talk about her latest work before she makes a run to Target.

But first, before the new album discussion, it was only right to congratulate her on making the list — Rated R&B’s 50 Best R&B Albums of the 2010s list, of course.

Her sophomore album, , made our unranked albums list ahead of the New Year. Considered by many as her finest album, K. Michelle is equally as smitten as the critics, five years after its breakthrough release.

“That album was amazing,” she confidently says. “I’m not saying that because it’s mine. I listen to it still and be like, ‘Girl, this is good’.”

The emotive singer-songwriter is hoping for a similar reaction with All Monsters Are Human. Truth be told, her fifth studio release, the follow-up to 2017’s , felt like it wasn’t going to be put out. Most of the slow starts for the All Monsters Are Human release, which she first hinted for a September 2018 arrival, were attributed to her serious health battle after multiple surgeries to remove her butt enhancements.

In a fight for her life, completing an album was the last thing on her mind. Clawing her way out from this time that could have proved fatal and a mountain of other somber moments that almost delayed AMAH wasn’t easy, but she made it through. How did she get past it? She went into the studio and recorded music that her loyal Rebels would instantly love.

Now, she’s back with tons of new music — including a new mixtape () and a proper full-length album. The latter collection, however, is the first independent studio effort released through her imprint Chase Landin, LLC d/b/a No Color No Sound Records.

All Monsters Are Human includes her street single “Supahood” featuring Kash Doll and Yung Miami of the City Girls. It also includes her blazing single “The Rain.” Produced by Cory Mo and Jazze Pha, the New Edition-sampling hit has infiltrated the top 10 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.

The dripping ode is now the highest-charting single of her career on this chart, with “Make This Song Cry” and “V.S.O.P.” both peaking at No. 13, respectively.

In our conversation with K. Michelle, the R&B powerhouse talks All Monsters Are Human, evolving as an artist, fighting to record a country album, her thoughts on musicianship in today’s R&B and much more.

All Monsters Are Human is the title of your first release since parting ways with Atlantic Records, who backed your four previous albums. At one point in your career, you mentioned the label allowed you creative control. But, on the new album’s opener “Just Like Jay,” you said they wanted you to follow the Mary J. Blige blueprint. When did it hit you that having your own music identity was no longer a priority for the label?

It was never a priority. I still love my label. We’re still in good standings. I never picked a single. I was able to do my albums but when it came down to the country album, it always had to be pushed off. The crossover records had to be pushed off the album. There was no room and they didn’t fit. So, me being kind of naive as an artist, I was always told the next album is the time.

On one album I was told, ‘This record is too big for [you]’ to my face. So, after this last time, I realized they’re never going to let me do this. I did a whole country album. The last album was supposed to be that. They would not let me turn it in after they spent money on me recording it. They were just saving face. So I realized that as long as I was there, they were going to fight for me to be the next Mary J. Blige. Nothing is wrong with Mary J. Blige (she’s one of my favorite artists of all time) but at some point you want your own identity to be who you are.

Each of your predecessors showcases a nice variety of your diverse artistry, which doesn’t always translate into a bonafide radio hit. As an artist who has been committed to never chasing the charts and only the hearts, how do you feel being celebrated more for the overall album than its true singles?

That’s fine with me. I’m always celebrated for my overall work. It’s supposed to be a masterpiece. That’s what I did learn from R. Kelly. One thing he said to me that I always will remember is, “Just because the record isn’t a radio record doesn’t mean it’s not a hit.” That’s because the amount of money is not being paid. Just because you didn’t buy your Grammy, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve one. I don’t play the politics of the industry. If I was to sell out and play into the politics of the industry, I don’t think my fans would appreciate it as much.

I think people that love me are rebellious. We’re in our own world where all we do is listen to music. We don’t deal with the rest of the stuff. I don’t like red carpets. I do get invited to the awards, you know what I’m saying? I didn’t get invited to the Billboard Awards even though they made me the top five R&B artists [that year]. It’s crazy, right? This whole shuck and jive, cooning out game is one big, fake coonery that I’m just not apart of and never have been. I know who I’m willing to be and who I’m willing to sleep with and not. I know what’s going on.

Something that noticeably stood out after listening to All Monsters Are Human is that many songs sound slightly more radio-friendly than your previous albums.

You think so?

Yeah. There were a few songs that repeated a lot, like “OMG,” that had a certain radio appeal. So, what was your mind frame sonically while recording this album?

Everywhere. I was kind of up some days and down others. [This album] has a lighter sound. I wanted to lean into lighter songs because I was trying to be in a lighter place and not feel as heavy on a lot of the songs that made the album. I was heavy for two years sick. When I got in the booth this time, I was happy to be back in there and I didn’t want to be that heavy. I recorded a lot in different booths and different fashions but the songs that made the album seemed to me like the days weren’t so heavy.

At one point you mentioned that “Save Me” was a pre-album single. However, it didn’t make the final cut on AMAH. Why?

“Save Me” was something I was going through with my boyfriend at that time. It’s still on iTunes, so fans still can get it. I’m going to do that through the year, too. I’m going to just give out songs throughout the year on iTunes. I’m going to just start getting with these producers and say, “Hey. Let’s just put out these songs throughout the month and start rolling them out.” I don’t do that but I have too many records just sitting.

You seem to always be inspired musically by different entertainers and their public stories, from Drake to Kim Kardashian and now Ciara. How did you decide a record like “Ciara’s Prayer” needed to take creative shape?

Because I just say it all the time and I always write about life. So, I wondered, “Was her karma that good? How did she get that man? (laughs).” I want to know if there are any other men like that. If so, where do they live? I want to know (laughs).

Now that “The Rain” has proved a hit, what song are you considering for the follow-up?

Well, you know radio can take longer. I’ve had to break it down to my fans that “[The] Rain” is still brand new at radio, and it’s still moving. So, I’ll probably sit with “[The] Rain” for some more months before anything else happens. R&B records can take up to nine months to get even midpoint. I’m just hearing “[The] Rain” for myself on the radio. Stations are still adding the record. It’s a hit record and it’s moving. But after “[The] Rain” is finished, I’m probably going to go to a record called “That Game.”

I know the fan favorites. I put up “[The] Rain” and the number of views on YouTube from them ripping it from our [Instagram] live was so crazy that it had to be a single. “That Game” is the same way. It’s on YouTube ripped from [Instagram] live and they’re begging for that. So, I might do that. I know Moneybagg Yo gets on that record next week. I’m going to start getting some rappers and do some remixes of the album just for fun. So, once you guys learn that album, I’ll put out in like 2-3 weeks some remixes probably with some of my favorite rappers. I’ll put those out for free and fun. Music doesn’t always have to cost a lot of money.

Up early listening to new R&B artist and this is the best way to fall asleep, this shit has no soul and it boring. It plays like one big lullaby. I’m so confused by it

— K. Michelle (@kmichelle) January 8, 2020

R&B seems to be the genre that is the most guarded by its conservatives. Often times, there are conversations about the absence of traditional R&B elements like pure vocals and soul in the modern R&B era. You even described the evolving sound like a “one big lullaby.” How do you and other seasoned acts believe newcomers should express their form of art if it’s being asked to be boxed in traditional R&B mode?

See, I don’t speak for other artists unlike Tank, who hopped in on some shit that didn’t have shit to do with him. He was the same one losing his mind when Jacquees said he was the king of R&B. Now you want to comment behind me when I said it’s one big lullaby? Stay over there, General. Stay in your lane.

It does all sound like one big fucking lullaby. What you want me to do, lie? There’s no heart. There’s no soul. It’s a lot of great artists. I also said that in my tweet, which we like to overlook, and shouldn’t be overlooked in this article. I said that they’re some great artists and songs, but the bodies of work are lacking. I believe in bodies of work, as you can tell from my body of work. So there are artists that I absolutely love that are new R&B artists.

I will never say the baby’s name or disrespect them or anyone but I was listening to a group of different R&B artists that morning. I was literally falling asleep. There was no umph. I popped in Ari Lennox and I was excited. You are supposed to be excited. I listened to other artists and I wasn’t excited. That’s my right as an artist. I’m minding the business that pays me.

She is phenomenal and one of my favorites, I think people just always want to vilify me. I don’t have to love everything I hear. But Mrs.Ari excites me not one bit of boring. https://t.co/uZymxcoUtg

— K. Michelle (@kmichelle) January 9, 2020

I wish it would just get back to the music…to just the singing and writing. You don’t get but three minutes and thirty seconds to paint a picture and to tell a movie. Where are the bridges? We don’t do bridges no more? That’s when you really break it down. That’s when the music really feels good to you and touches your soul. If you’re an artist and you can’t make a musical bridge, then you ain’t no artist.

So, that’s all I’m asking. I’m even challenging myself to step up. All this talk about country music and you never put it out. I’m challenging myself. I’m challenging every artist out there to give your fans something that they paid for. Give them something that’s going to make their day better — not just something that’s going to make your pockets bigger.

Speaking on your highly-anticipated country album, how are you hoping to break the color line in a controlled genre where you don’t see many artists that look like you?

This is me just having to fight. There is no way you can plan this. This is something you’re going to have to get in there and fight for. I’m going to do what it is that I need to do, which is make great music. That’s all I can do. I’m very excited about this because country artists are reaching out to me. I received a call from Billy Ray Cyrus, who is really supportive. So, I’m going to work this R&B album and make people hear every single song on this album.

Once people hear this album, I’m about to do something different with this country album. I promise you. It’s time. You’re not ready for what’s about to happen. If you think I’m good on my other albums [singing country], wait until you hear my voice and where it’s supposed to be. I had to sneak those songs in there on other albums, sir (laughs). But I’m finna to walk into it and I’m going to fight like never before. I need my people to have my back instead of fighting against me all the time. I’m fin’ to take on a whole nother situation and I need my people.

How does one have a natural progression as an artist? Also, where do you see your artistry evolving in the next decade?

I think a natural progression is just that — natural. You can say where you want to go, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to go there. For me, my progression has always been growth. It’s just been all about me growing to be better while challenging myself in the weaknesses that I have in my craft. I’m a lyric girl over a melody girl. I like to make sure that my lyrics are detailed and that someone can really relate to them. My melodies sometimes can be repetitive, which I know is one of my weaknesses as an artist.

I see myself moving into this country album after this album. I’m going to sit in that a while and fight for that so it can be easier for some other women that are my color.

As a musician, who has tight songwriting skills and a sonically sound ear, are there any rising and established artists you’d like to write or collaborate with on the production side in the future?

I really want to work with Dolly Parton. That’s really it. I really love her.

Stream All Monsters Are Human by K. Michelle below.

This content was originally published here.

[biofunmy]

10 best shows, from ‘Locke & Key’ to ‘Little Fires’

CLOSE

TV is starting off its new decade with “Little Fires,” primetime karaoke and the one-and-only Al Pacino. 

Broadcast networks, cable channels and streaming services are debuting new TV shows to try to start the year off right, and in the glut of content, 10 rose to the top right away. Some have A-list stars (Pacino, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Daniel Radcliffe), while others feature young kids you’ve never heard of before. Some are comedies with elaborate musical numbers, and another focuses on the trauma incurred by the Holocaust.

Their common theme: Even remakes or adaptations feel like something we haven’t seen before. And considering that the new decade will bring us more TV than ever, it’s always refreshing to find something that genuinely surprises. 

Jane Levy as Zoey in “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.” (Photo: Sergei Bachlakov/NBC)

‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ 

NBC, preview Jan. 7 (10 EST/PST), premiere Feb. 16 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST) 

This sweet musical comedy has a slightly out-there premise that somehow works. Zoey (Jane Levy, “Suburgatory”) weathers an earthquake in an MRI machine and comes out the other end with the ability to hear other people’s thoughts through song. Someone who needs help? He or she sings The Beatles’ “Help,” complete with coordinating dance moves and instrumentals that only Zoey can see and hear. Levy’s charm – with help from an angelically-voiced supporting cast including Skylar Astin, Mary Steenburgen, Lauren Graham and Peter Gallagher – helps sell the concept, and there’s plenty of potential for the series to grow.

Sidney Parker (Theo James) and Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) in “Sanditon.” (Photo: Simon Ridgway/PBS)

‘Sanditon’

PBS, Jan. 12 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST) 

Jane Austen’s final, unfinished novel is brought to life in this miniseries, created by Andrew Davies, who brought us Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in the 1995 TV version of “Pride and Prejudice.” Based on just a few dozen pages of the author’s writing, “Sanditon” introduces a new Austen heroine, Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams). Miss Heywood learns her own naïveté after arriving at the burgeoning seaside resort of Sanditon, a place full of capitalist intrigue and romantic scheming. As usual in an Austen story, Charlotte has a male foil worthy of her wits in Sidney Parker (Theo James), and a trusted female confidante, Miss Lambe (Crystal Clarke), Austen’s only black character. 

Ben Mendelsohn as Ralph and Cynthia Erivo as Holly on “The Outsider.” (Photo: HBO)

‘The Outsider’

HBO, Jan. 12 (Sundays, 9 EST/PST)

Stephen King’s 2018 novel is the basis for this horror murder mystery series starring Ben Mendelsohn as a detective investigating the horrific murder of a young boy in a small Georgia town. All signs point to high school baseball coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) as the killer, but other evidence indicates he might have been miles away during the attack. The traditional detective/murderer narrative quickly gives way to a much creepier, more layered supernatural story. The cast also features the great Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”), whose character offers a more nuanced take on the case. 

Eshan Inamdar and Priyanka Bose in “Little America.” (Photo: Apple TV+)

‘Little America’

Apple TV+, Jan. 17

This episodic anthology series from the husband and wife duo behind “The Big Sick” (Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon) revolves around the lives of American immigrants. Each episode tells a different immigrant story, all based on real people featured in articles in Epic magazine. The short, subtle installments cover issues surrounding immigration, from deportation to undocumented status, but it’s not just about political buzzwords. The series paints deeper portraits of its subjects’ lives, which include the world of competitive squash, baking chocolate chip cookies and taking an Alaskan cruise. That all the episodes are based on true stories lends the series an emotional punch that only sometimes borders on mawkish.

Awkwafina as Nora in “Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.” (Photo: Comedy Central)

‘Awkwafina is Nora from Queens’

Comedy Central, Jan. 22 (Wednesdays, 10:30 EST/PST) 

If you’re missing “Broad City,” Comedy Central has found another millennial-themed series to fill the hole in your heart. Awkwafina, a standout in comedic films like “Crazy Rich Asians” who earned rave reviews for her more dramatic turn in last year’s “The Farewell,” brings her considerable talents to this sitcom about a listless woman in her late 20s living at home. If you’re not a fan of Awkwafina’s comic style, this isn’t the show for you. But her brash, raucous humor feels like a natural fit for Comedy Central. 

Daniel Radcliffe and Karan Soni in “Miracle Workers: Dark Ages.” (Photo: TBS)

‘Miracle Workers: Dark Ages’ 

TBS, Jan. 28 (Tuesdays, 10:30 EST/PST) 

Swapping a corporate version of heaven for the stink and swords of the Dark Ages, this sequel to last year’s “Miracle Workers” puts the same cast in new roles and a new setting. There’s not much relating “Dark Ages” to the original series other than the sly comedic tone (period and modern jokes about medieval executions, nuns and worthless college education abound). But the actors, including Steve Buscemi, Daniel Radcliffe and Geraldine Viswanathan (“Blockers”), are so good together that it doesn’t matter. 

Connor Jessup as Tyler and Emilia Jones as Kinsey in Netflix’s “Locke & Key.” (Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/Netflix)

‘Locke and Key’

Netflix, Feb. 7

Despite its roots in many different fantasy and horror stories, “Locke and Key” – based on the comic books by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez – is its own distinct beast. Three siblings move to their family’s creepy, ancestral house after their father is murdered, only to find it filled with supernaturally powered keys and a malevolent force. Part haunted house story, part family drama and part murder mystery, “Locke” is instantly gripping, with a downright deliciously cackling villain and compelling kid actors trying to be heroes.

Rob (Zoë Kravitz) in “High Fidelity.” (Photo: Phillip Caruso/Hulu)

‘High Fidelity’

Hulu, Feb. 14

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Hulu offers a gender-flipped adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel (previously made into a 2000 movie starring John Cusack) starring Zoë Kravitz as Rob, a New York record-store owner who recounts her top five heartbreaks. The series retains the film’s narration, but spins things forward to expand the story. Changing Rob’s gender and making her bisexual also gives the series more relationship dynamics to explore and drama to chew on so it doesn’t feel like simply a rehash of a perfectly good movie.

Al Pacino and Logan Lerman in “Hunters.” (Photo: Christopher Saunders/Amazon)

‘Hunters’

Amazon, Feb. 21

Al Pacino comes to the small screen for this hugely ambitious series executive produced by Jordan Peele. “Hunters” follows a diverse group of Nazi hunters in 1970s New York City as they uncover a network of hundreds of the war criminals living in the U.S. who are conspiring to bring about a Fourth Reich. Also starring Logan Lerman, the series is gorgeously and evocatively wrought and devastating to watch. “Hunters” swings between thriller and horror show, and is as gruesomely violent as its concept would indicate. But it also doesn’t get lost in that violence, and finds emotional truths in its depiction of the long tail of trauma from the Holocaust.

Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) and Elena Richardson (Reese Witherspoon) in “Little Fires Everywhere.” (Photo: Erin Simkin/Hulu)

‘Little Fires Everywhere’

Hulu, March 18

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington anchor this series based on Celeste Ng’s best-selling novel about two families in 1997 Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio. Witherspoon is perfectly cast as Elena, the ultimate 1990s-era working mom, with rigid, conservative ideas about what she wants from her kids, her husband (Joshua Jackson) and her seemingly idyllic community. When wandering artist Mia (Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood), move into Elena’s rental property, the two women’s lives (and their children’s) intertwine. Their cultural values clash instantly, and the audience is left wondering how they might relate to a crime committed in the very first scene. The series brings its picket-fence world to life in excruciating detail, and pits two heavy-hitting actresses against each other, to great effect.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2020/01/03/winter-tv-preview-best-shows-locke-key-little-fires-everywhere/2736834001/

Sahred From Source link TV and Movies

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2ZX9Nvi via IFTTT

[balarouge]

Danforth Music Hall turns 100 - NOW Magazine

WOLF PARADE at Danforth Popular Music Venue (147 Danforth), Friday (August 16), doors 7 pm.

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS at Danforth Songs Hall (147 Danforth), Sunday (August 17) doors 7 pm. $18.88-$43.50. ticketmaster.com.

Walk due to the Danforth Songs Hall's lit-up signboard and nameplate indicator near the corner of Broadview and Danforth and you instantly get a sense of its previous life as a traditional movie theater. Yet responsible for that acquainted exterior lies a century of record-- one full of twists and also transforms along the method to its own current duty as the leading mid-sized songs venue in the city.

Initially designed as a motion picture theater as well as opened on August 18, 1919, the structure was actually then understood as Allen's Danforth Theatre (portion of the broader Allen chain of cinemas). It was eventually renamed the Music Venue when it began featuring live acts in the 1970s.

Designated a building of historical interest under the Ontario Culture Act in 1985, the structure still preserves a number of its original features, featuring designed brick as well as stylized "AT" signs on the frontal wall surfaces exemplifying the original label.

After several versions as a movie theater that occasionally held online efficiencies, the theatre closed in 2004 after years of forget as well as degeneration, yet was actually revitalized by brand-new owners in 2006 who embarked on extensive renovations to recover the once-grand old hall as a gig site before it was actually once again closed down in 2010 as a result of to non-payment of rental payment.

Currently managed through promoters Embrace Shows (that have actually been actually operating the site given that 2011) as well as Reside Nation (who obtained Embrace this year), the Songs Venue has ended up being a go-to location for crucial local area as well as touring acts as well, hosting features over the years from all categories, consisting of Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Declaration, Dad John Misty and also career-highlight multi-night fly neighborhood acts like Daniel Caesar, Alvvays and Jessie Reyez. It even created international updates late in 2013 after a quarrel burst out onstage during the course of a Pusha T show.

"We viewed that there was actually a space in the marketplace for a mid-sized location and were confident this would load that space," points out Embrace president Adam Gill, whose enthusiasm in the area was 1st triggered by a set of legendary Arcade Fire reveals there in June 2010. "The place is a gorgeous, historic spot with remarkable audio. The proprietors, Mike Andrikopoulos and also Spiro Dotsikas, had owned the place considering that the 70s and it was extremely vital to them to have the venue carry on as an auditorium, so our experts were fortunately capable to reach out to a take care of them to lease the property."

After purchasing top-line sound as well as specialist remodelings, another adjustment Embrace created was actually to produce the chairs in the location removable to ensure the venue might book general admission programs, causing its current ability of 1,425. Over the previous many years, the city's live-music yard has viewed places of all dimensions shut their doors due to progression and gentrification. With a general lack of mid-sized spaces (particularly with Massey Venue's interim for restorations till following year), the Danforth Songs Hall has actually become a much-needed space-- just the right size for every little thing coming from surfacing artists on the edge of an advancement to celebrities preferring a much more close connection along with their followers.

The Danforth Dance hall are going to commemorate its 100th anniversary along with a set of series by beloved indie shows Wolf Parade and also The New Pornographers this weekend break. To indicate the event, our company talked to Canadian performers who've participated in the Dance hall to tell us about their most unforgettable programs at the fabled location-- and why they think it's thus necessary to the urban area's songs setting.

Brad Barr, The Barr Brothers

I always remember some of our shows there when my (then) four-year-old lad intended to hop on phase that evening. He was actually hanging around in the wings-- eventually he snuck previous his mama and started tromping my foot pedals!

Theatres like the Danforth, built with all the style and also elegance of early 20th-century style, are ending up being increasingly unusual, specifically for rock 'n' roll performances. And also the Danforth, for all its own ostentation, possesses a quite casual feel about it, uncomplex as well as truthful.

Think of if a place like the Danforth didn't exist-- it is actually occurring straight under our noses: aged theaters being actually knocked down following growth and gentrification. It is actually deeply saddening and also difficult to fix up. There are actually communities that have actually moved to conserve all of them-- the center of a city lies in exactly how its residents honor its own past times, in sculpting an area for it as they relocate in to the future.

Carl Newman, The New Pornographers

It is actually an elegant and timeless place that attaches you to afterward and makes you believe that what you are actually carrying onto show business possesses worth, which it is actually component of a lengthy custom. Places like the Danforth are excellent for bands that can't earn a living having fun in little nightclubs however have not moved to 5,000- or even 10,000-seat venues. Without locations like the Danforth, there is a wall structure that is challenging to damage through to come to the upcoming spot. I certainly never pictured I 'd reside in a band prominent sufficient to market out an area like that.

Ingram Barss

Joel Plaskett

The Danforth has a record that's intangible but incredibly real-feeling as a performer, not different to Massey Venue or even the Horseshoe, yet special in its own way. It's a great size for a show-- merely major enough to really feel intimate as well as view faces at the rear of the area. I've had capacities there certainly both as a status area along with the Emergency and also playing audio along with my father brown when the venue was settled. I've played several of my best programs there-- can't stand by to play it once more with Yeast Infection Anchorite in Oct.

Gathering together to stay songs is actually such an integral part of what creates neighborhood-- substantial venues may not be always my favorite, however 1,000-1,500 is actually definitely the best measurements for the target market to think hooked up to the performer, and the other way around. Here's to viewing the music angels assist stream out the 200 candlesticks in 2119.

Steve Sladowski, PUP

Our three-night legend in December 2016 was fairly crazy, and also even more recently, strolling unofficial to a full-venue "Let's go, Raptors!" song after completion of our established on June 7 as well as taking a seat backstage to locate the Raptors effectively on their method to succeeding Activity 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals was fairly remarkable.

Every series our experts've viewed there seems and looks fantastic. [Bandmate] Zack [Mykula] as well as I have found both settled and also status series at the Dance hall, featuring Run the Jewels, Primus, Courtney Barnett, Repossessing Sunday, St. Vincent and [RuPaul's Drag Race] Werq the World, only to name simply a couple of. As artists, the site staff and team are a number of the most effective we've run into anywhere in the world. They are actually friendly and also have their spunk all together-- two top qualities that are actually definitely necessary for exploring bands.

I participated in the Danforth in January 2014-- terrific energy in there certainly. I believe that is actually to some extent due to the fact that it's a site that individuals really like to head to. It is actually easy to reach, yet likewise believes that a place. Good-sized phase, but still seems like a genuine gathering in there certainly.

I caught one of the Daniel Caesar reveals there-- illest set concept ever in a location that dimension. Merely ridiculous. A Group Knowned As Red performed a married couple shows in there that experienced unique to me. I also saw José González certainly there this year and also that was actually one of the greatest shows I think I've ever found.

Amy Millan, Stars

Our team have actually been actually playing our yearly holiday season shows at the Dance hall every December for the previous thirteen years. Locations like the Danforth are what have allowed us to create our living. You can easily feel the background as soon as you stroll in-- areas possess souls, as well as the Danforth has the soul of a squeeze.

Absolutely the craziest set of programs was when I was actually nine months' pregnant. I was significant-- my guitar basically was suggesting the roof. I was rather tired due to the side of the show, so I would certainly place on my coat and also footwear through the side of the stage set while the musicians were actually doing the lengthy outro to Fairy tale Of The Big Apple and also then slip out the back door as well as basically be actually home by the opportunity the program ended. Among those evenings, I left the structure to discover it was snowing gently and also a handful of individuals were streaming out of the hall and discussing just how they liked the show as I snuck through all of them under a huge winter months hood-- it was actually a fairly magical emotion. Hearing that Gord Downie had actually brought his whole loved ones to that very same series and was actually shaking it in the patio nearly created me ruptured. (PS: The little one happened a few weeks eventually.)

This content was originally published here.