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#altho apparently there was a 2019 one???
ikyw-t · 27 days
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well I've been trying for the past decade at least and I have yet to succeed BUT the day that my brain fully comprehends that my skin ≠ my enemy. well. I will be well and truly unstoppable. possibly my biggest and also possibly my only insecurity will be eradicated and I will be able to go a single day without thinking about the nuisance of... just having skin 😔🙏
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afactaday · 7 months
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#aFactADay2022
name one thing in Nebraska other than a lot of corn.
#401: in 2019, Nebraska state was ranked as 50th (thats the worst btw) most visited tourist destination. then due to the pandemic it somehow got even worse, so they needed some desperate advertisement. they asked both locals and people from neighbouring states their opinions and got some pretty depressing answers, so they launched a pretty depressing ad scheme: Nebraska: Honestly, its not for everyone. they put massive billboards and posters and flyers all over the country reading things like "another day on the dusty plains" or "lucky for you, theres nothing to do here" or "famous for our flat boring landscapes". thrilling. apparently its working as well and theyre raking in the dosh off holiday makers that want a very boring holiday ig
even the borders are very boring
(altho they have nothing against colorado, which is just a square lol)
well actually no ill leave that there, it could make a myth bust at some point
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ellielush · 2 years
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looking thru the cure’s live song statistics, and altho i’m not gonna do a big analysis post of them like i did for paramore + mcr (bcos it’d take Forever 😳) i tried to find all of their songs that have only ever been played live and remain unreleased for now 🤔
forever: 228 plays between 1980-2008 - their most played unreleased song by a mile, this one originates from the “faith” era, and a 1984 live version of it was released on the deluxe edition of “the top”
it can never be the same: 47 plays between 2016-2018 - apparently an outtake from the “4:13 dream” sessions in 2006-2008, it’s unclear whether they bought this song back bcos it’s being re-recorded for their new album or just to show off an old song, but a live recording of this got released for the first time on “curaetion 25” in 2019
all mine: 40 plays in 1982 - played a lot in the “pornography” era, and a live version of it was included on it’s deluxe edition
step into the light: 29 plays between 2016-2018 - another outtake apparently from the “4:13 dream” sessions, also possibly bought back for their new album, and also included as a live version on “curaetion 25”
a boy i never knew: 25 plays between 2007-2008 - this one originated in the sessions for “the cure” in 2004, but then they also re-recorded it during the “4:13 dream” sessions, which were around the time they started playing it live. there’s some live bootlegs of this floating around, as well as a couple of leaks of the studio versions, but no version of it has ever been released officially 😔
do the hansa: 17 plays in 1979 - so technically a re-recording of this song got released in 1986, and they’ve played it once since then in 2011, but it was originally recording during the “three imaginary boys” sessions, and that version has never seen the light of day so far 😧
heroin face: 1 play in 1977 - an Old song from when they were still called “easy cure,” despite only ever being played once, luckily it was recorded, and that recording got released on the deluxe edition of “three imaginary boys”
pretty amazing how despite being around for over 40 years these are the only original songs they’ve performed live that have never been released on an album!! i guess they don’t often start playing songs live unless they’re p sure they’re gonna release them 😝
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americankimchi · 4 years
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im watching wonder woman (2009) again and man i forgot how much this movie SLAPPED
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what2watch2night · 5 years
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THE FAREWELL: A Perfect Happy/Sad movie (And A "Third Culture Kid" Canon!)
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What is it about:
THE FAREWELL is a 2019 drama by Lulu Wang inspired by her true story and, as the film told us, "a real lie".
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At the center of it is Billi, played to perfection by an awkward-like Awkwafina, a Chinese-American writer who moved to New York with her parents when she was only 6.   She is still super close to her grand-mother Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) taklingto her on the phone as the film begins. Even though she says that all is well in China, Billi senses something is odd and soon learns that Nai Nai is terminally but she does not even know herself! It is common (and legal) in China for the doctor to divulge this kinds of result only to family and then they decided what to do with the sad news. In Billi's family's case they decide not to tell the matriarch but instead, everyone will go to see Nai Nai maybe one last time,  under the false pretense of Billy' cousin wedding preparations and ceremony! It sounds completely insane, yet it is a mostly true story and what ensue is full of authenticity, subtle emotions, family drama at dinners but also lots of laughters.
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Why you should watch it: THE FAREWELL is one of the best film of the year so far and it could easily stay in the top 25 by the end of the year - unless something magic happens🤭 - It is an incredibly genuine idea and unique story and we NEED more of this please...NOW! In all fairness this might deserve a best screenplay /story award, and, sure LUCKY GRANDMA brought us The Grandma that def should be nominated for an Oscar (altho “Hollywood old man” might have other plan for someone ...younger💩(aint ageism a B$#! ) Well that and maybe a bit of something else🤭) But this Chinese grandma likewise served us a “lesson in acting” so, can there be room for 2 tho?( one in lead one in supporting) Akwafina was seriously good  and strangely better in the teary moments than the jokes, but hey we got “the cousin” for those comic of situation scenes! So no complain here😜) and Tzi Ma as usual, delivered👏
 Which we could all be multilingual to understand of the subtlety of all films in an languages ( in this case mandarin as apparently there was some sort of “inside joke” as per the bilingual next to me! Guess OKJA did that too for Koreans 🤔) But still as it is AND should be the subtitles and killer acting worked to wonder and it was the right amount of funny/sad with some visual and musical highlights and a solid direction.
In addition, it often looked real good with some delightful contemplative scenes #ourkindofjam It was raw when needed and “arty” from times to times (which it was a a bit more of that tho, but hey, we cant have it all and sometime that’s okay 👌)
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MORAL OF THE STORY: Highly recommend 7.5-8/10🙌
It is, in a way a great ode to the third culture kid , global millennium, or immigrant who, in a way, will always feel - or made to feel like by "others" - out of places and yet belong to these many places... Many of us will deeply relate even though our cultures or baggage are different. There is something quintessential or universal about this experience and Akwafina, and by extension the director, embody this notion with all the nuances and "feelings" Also, if diversity in-front & behind the camera means more films like this - 30/70% English/foreign language + no “washing” of any kind + people “who knows best” get to tell stories they know better than someone else who just got a name or money or a certain vision no matter how good-hearted or righteous + high-end indie artistic values + ensemble movie + movies that are specific yet touch all - then, why dont we get more of this then! ;) 🙏🎬
Now go on and support awesome independent Film...That is all🙉🙈🙉
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thatonedaydream · 5 years
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A/N: this took forever im sorry. girls just wanna have fun. gender isn’t specified in this, but they are very feminine, this is a bayonetta au, powerful women is what its all about. also its been awhile since i’ve written anything, this has been sitting around for awhile so... i dunno what its like. the ideas are there lmao
Edited 20-Jan-2019 — spheri
★★★★★
OP: Let’s dance boys!
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Lunafreya clasped her hands together and slowly exhaled. Today she would be married—wedded to Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. It would be an auspicious event, binding his clan of Lucis to her clan of Tenebrae. They were both powerful clans in their own right, but coming together they would be an unstoppable force. Because of this, many adversaries had come out of the woodwork to try and stop it.
While both had their own defensive forces, Luna was happy to let Noctis think that he had everything under control with his Ascended Knights in play at their wedding. His four most trusted knights stood around the altar defending the bride, groom and single priest conducting the ceremony. They were to marry quietly and do their general public service later. For now it was important to complete the ceremony without any disturbance. Doing so with an audience would give more chances for the enemy to attack.
As the priest droned on, his voice echoed in the empty church. Luna gazed into Noctis’ eyes—she did love him so dearly, this wasn’t marriage born of convenience or treaty. She did care for him, but oh—
Men were so useless.
“I’m incredibly sorry—” Luna sweetly interrupted the priest, “ — would you please pass me my staff for a moment?” She asked, although something in her tone was impatient. She continued to smile and gestured for the knight closest to her staff to hand it over to her. Prompto looked confused but did as he was asked after Noctis nodded and gave him permission to do so. “Would you all kindly take one step closer to me?”
Who were they to question the bride’s very simple request?
“Now stay very still.” Luna tapped her staff twice on the stone ground. A dim light bloomed and suddenly spread in lines to form a circular seal all around her. Her final words were a sly warning. “We’ll pay for damages, don’t worry.”
Before anyone could question this, the beautiful stained glass ceiling above them shattered. There was a loud crash as something landed in the center of the church. A very large lance stood upright in a pile of demon corpses. At the end of the spear, a pale-haired woman stood proudly. “Sorry we’re late.” She swung down the pole of the spear.
Luna huffed and muttered some words under her breath, forming a dome and protecting the men around her as well as herself. “I was worried neither of you would show.” An affectionate smile played at her lips.
Demons rained in from the broken ceiling. The priest had collapsed in shock beside Luna and she wondered if Noctis had figured out why she was insistent on a young priest marrying them—funerals were awfully expensive for elder clergymen; they definitely would have died from the horror.
Suddenly the church doors were kicked off their hinges and into the newly arrived demons with such force that they ploughed into the altar, whistling narrowly past Noctis’ esteemed knights. “Sorry.” You didn’t sound the least bit sorry. “I thought ya boy’s knights were meant to have cleared out the area of all the demons?”
“I’m sure they did the best they could.” Luna replied kindly, ignoring all the pointed looks she was getting from the men around her. “I’ll pay you both double to keep us safe.”
While you did like the idea of being paid double, you liked seeing Luna safe a little more. “Tell ya what, this’ll be our wedding gift to you both.” You blew them a kiss from where you stood at the entrance, before waving at your partner who had yanked her lance out of the ground. “Aranea, shall we?”
“Ready when you are.” Aranea drawled, and kicked some demons away from her before swinging her lance around like it weighed nothing. “Now pay attention, boys. You don’t send knights to do a witch’s job.” The runes on the heels of her boots glowed. “Draco Altitudo!” Her next jump was so powerful she left a small crater beneath her. The demons cowered, confused as they watched her disappear through the ceiling they had just dropped down from.
You breathed out and twirled, dragging the toe of your boot in a circle around you. The trail it left glowed, the energy suspending the long cloth of your robes in the air as if you were underwater before transforming them into shimmering, translucent streams of water. “Integrum degluttiat!” The words that bubbled and flowed from your mouth were clear. A command of sheer power.
“You have Astral Witches in your command?” Ignis, the cleverest of Noctis’ Ascended Knights turned to Luna with an incredulous look. “That’s impossible. The last Astral clans were decimated in the last war—”
“Evidently not, good knight.” Luna raised a finger to her lips in a gesture of silence. They had better watch quietly as her Witches were cleaning up their mess. They could learn a thing or two about real power and finishing a goddamned job.
The ground beneath the congregation of demons in the church began to crack and water began to bubble up. You blew a kiss in their direction, but instead of ending it with an elegant flourish of your hand, you mimicked crushing something in your fist. “Leviathan!” There was a roar from beneath the church, and wide jaws crashed through the ground where the demons once stood. The jaws inhaled, sucking the demons into a whirlpool and keeping them in place before disappearing beneath the water again.
“Bye-bye!” You called.
In the next instant, Aranea came down like a falling star, right where the demons were. In a spray of dark blood, they were pierced by her lance or crushed by the force of her landing. The water faded, sinking beneath the blood-stained earth. She swung around the pole of her lance a final time and landed gracefully on her feet.
It was mostly silent in the church, save for the sound of a few limbs that sloughed off broken wooden pews, slick from the carnage. You exhaled as your clothes lost their magic glow and returned to normal, although even in your natural state, there was an unearthly aura about you—it was the same with Aranea.
Luna tapped her staff on the ground to remove the barrier. The men around her looked uneasy, either from being ashamed of the apparent piss-poor attempt at securing the safety of the church or being overwhelmed by the sheer power of not one but two Astral witches. “Thank you ladies, for your assistance.”
Both you and Aranea approached your contractor with confident strides. “Anytime.” Aranea winked at Luna. “So, did we miss the important part of the wedding?” She glanced at the priest who was rocking back and forth and praying under his breath. “...I guess not.”
“We should move you both to a safer location.” The burliest of Noctis’ knights, Gladiolus, stepped forward. You could feel the aether flowing in him. Ascended Knights weren’t as unheard of as Astral witches, but their brotherhood had scaled down significantly over the last few centuries—they had gotten cocky after winning the last war against the demons. However, it wasn’t surprising that the best of the knights would be assigned to guard Noctis.
As Gladio tried to push past you, you pressed a finger into his chest to stop him from approaching the bride and groom. “Nuh-uh.” Just to get your point across, you channelled but a flicker of your power through the tip of your finger.
He sucked in a breath as soon as you touched him. It was like a pin-prick at his soul. For a brief moment, he felt what you were capable of. A teardrop in an ocean of power so deep and ancient, who knew what dwelled in the darkness beneath. He stared at you; how could a human being possibly hold such power? Was the other witch with the lance the same?
“You need to get married on holy ground to finish the covenant.” You stated to Luna more than anyone else. “The reason why Aranea and I agreed to help you was that of your conviction,” You removed your finger from Gladio’s chest and he carefully exhaled, although he looked a little shaken. “But your window of opportunity is closing fast.”
“Luna, what do they mean?” Noctis gently turned his bride-to-be to face him. “What are you planning?”
She had really hoped to have the conversation after they were married, so Luna hesitated. To have you and Aranea at her side was a boon, but she also knew it would be difficult to keep your loyalty if she didn’t come through with what was promised, even if you were friends. You were Astral witches, you had much bigger things to deal with. “I—”
Noctis watched Luna struggle, but then took her hands in his. “No, don’t worry about it. You can tell me after we’re wed.” He smiled at the flash of surprise in her expression which was quickly covered by her usual mild mask. He knew the kind of woman Lunafreya was, the kind of woman he had fallen in love with. Though at first glance she was genial and sweet, she held a fire of determination that forged a steel will. No doubt it was those traits that attracted the Astral witches to her side. “I love you—and I trust you. Whatever it is you have planned, I’ll do what I can to help.”
“Wait—are you sure that’s smart?!” The blond knight Prompto finally perked up. You and Aranea had seen him quietly and anxiously observing everything that was happening. It looked like he wanted to speak up at multiple times, but you supposed he had finally gathered the courage to speak his mind. “Not that I’m suspicious of your motives Lady Lundafreya—I mean, I kind of am, but—y’know, with the witches and everything it feels kind of suspicious?” He blurted.
Aranea snickered. “Aww, the shortcake is worried. So cute.” She purred, glancing his direction, although it felt like a dragon eyeing a mouse. “Don’t worry, we Astral witches aren’t known for backing the side with terrible motives.” Although ‘terrible’ meant something different for each person. “Once these two are wed, our protection extends to you and your brotherhood as well.”
“Who said we need protecting?” Gladiolus crossed his arms. You waved your hand at the surrounding mess of the church, letting it do the talking for you. The burly knight glowered at you and you simply winked in return.
“You might not need it now, but for the coming storm, you will.” If Lunafreya hadn’t spoken of her plans, then you wouldn’t say anything.
But you sure fucking hoped these boys would be ready for a war.
★★★★★
ED: Fly Me To The Moon [Climax Mix]
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fourthseal · 5 years
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Klaus was never adopted by Reggie au thoughts n ideas: 
He was born in  Rüdesheim am Rhein in Germany 
His full name is Klaus Wolfgang Alscher
Altho his birth mother didn’t trust Reginald, she still gave Klaus up for adoption in the traditional sense, handing him over to the state 
As a toddler his various foster parents struggled to cope with him, Klaus was always crying, or having tantrums, or screaming at seemingly nothing. He was a constantly upset baby for reasons that no one could figure out 
Eventually as Klaus grew older and learned how to talk he would babble about scary men and dead people, much to the horror of his foster parents 
No one quite knew what to do with the fact that this child was apparently having quite violent hallucinations
Eventually he was diagnosed with extremely early onset psychosis and schizophrenia and became a bit of a case study as the youngest patient the doctors had ever seen 
He was put on antipsychotics which helped a little, but he was still having “hallucinations” and vivid nightmares unless he was put on the highest dose and a veritable cocktail of tablets, something which doctors were relatively reluctant to give a child 
Eventually as a teenager he was adopted by the foster parents he’d been staying with for a few years, Finn and Barbara Herrmann 
Spent a lot of time in therapy
Struggled at school and to hold down a job, but got some part time work in a local cafe and worked shifts between therapy and doctors appointments, and lived with his adoptive parents 
One day went into a mystic shop owned by a woman called Ronja because fuck it he’d tried everything else, and she instantly started talking about him being a gateway to the spiritual world and his powers with the dead. Klaus didn’t want to believe her, but he had to admit that every single hallucination he’d ever had, was about dead people. She gave him some books to read, and a few weeks later he was back asking for more info
After a few experiments with Ronja involving graveyards, oujji boards, and tarots he started to come round to the idea. He quit his job at the cafe and began working with Ronja in her shop 
Slowly started decreasing his meds, although still took them to an extent because at this point he’d been on them his entire life and was scared of what he would do without them 
Eventually in March 2019 he was contacted by the ghost of a man named Sir Reginald Hargreeves, an absolute bastard who insisted Klaus go to America and pass on messaged to the umbrella academy there, Klaus wanted to ignore him on principle of him being an ass, but Ronja encouraged him to go
Grabbing Vanya’s book for research he hopped on a plane and set off to try and get Reggie’s ghost off his ass  
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tide-pod-swiftie · 5 years
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So. This is super random but I was listening to the first TS album and it honestly brought me back.
~
I was 9 years old, my room was princess themed handpainted by my mom. It looked like I was the princess in the tower, a castle in the distance. It was very purple, even my cd player was purple. But that’s beside the point.
My mom came home from target one day and showed me the cd (likely having already listened to it because thats what moms do.) she thought I would like it so she picked it up for me to listen to. 9 year old me was only acquainted with Disney and what my mother played on the radio so this was like the biggest thing to me, like I remember feeling super grown up because this was MY cd and to me there was this super pretty girl on the cover that reminded me of a princess with a huge mane of blonde curly hair with butterflies around her. Basically Taylor Swift was already the best thing ever and I hadn’t even turned on my cd player yet.
I didn’t know who Tim McGraw was but I wanted to, my 9 year old self didn’t know what it was like to be so mad at a boy like in Picture to Burn but I knew all the lyrics, A Place in This World became an anthem of mine as I got older and life got hard. Our Song became the kind of love I knew I wanted when grew up.
Taylor quickly became someone for me to look up to.
~
Fast forward and im 11 years old. Its 2008 and my mom and I go to target playing Taylor Swift the entire way there, theres a new album my favorite singer has new music and the first thing I do when I get it is put it in the car cd player to listen to on our way home.
And just like that. I had a new love to asipre to, I wanted it to be like Fearless and Love Story, my mom loved The Best Day so much it made her cry. Later on when kids got mean Change joined A Place in This World.
~
Then there was the Fearless tour. It was 2010 and we traveled to go see it having missed the show in my hometown for reasons I no longer remember. Mom and I made a it a girls trip. We stayed at the hilton and apparently so did either Taylor herself or somone who worked with her did too because in the parking lot was her tour bus. My mom made me stand in front of it for a photo while I was VERY concerned with disrupting anyone who might be inside (I mean a world tour must be tiring right? I didn’t want to impose.)
~
Also 2010, speak now. I had a new love I wanted to find one day in Mine and Enchanted. Long Live and Mean were added to my 13 year old selfs anthums. My mother and I listened to Taylor on her ipod in the car on the way to school.
~
Fast forward to 2012 and Im a 15 year old goth kid who has a love for both heavy metal and country as well as a slew of other music. Its no longer ‘cool’ to love Taylor Swift and lucky me, I wasnt cool anyways nor did I want to be. Red came out and it was a totally different sound than what I had ever heard from my favorite singer before, I had met a boy who made me understand picture to burn and 15 (altho ill never admit it out loud) because frankly he sucked and I was way too good for him. But I was dancing around my practically all black room in my all black clothes to State of Grace and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. The Moment I Knew still makes my mother and I sad because no girl should have to feel that way. 22 gave me another new thing to look forward to. Strangely enough I wanted a love a bit like Stay Stay Stay.
~
Oh my god it 2015, im 17 turning 18 graduating highschool (still goth. still not cool. Still a Swiftie.) but I’m moving to new york, im making a playlist my life is just about to REALLY begin.
I sit on the plane by my mom, not entirely sure what I have gotten myself into, moving across the country. The year before around the time I decided my future destination 1989 came out and im listening to Welcome To New York on repeat in my seat, mentally prepared for those heartbeats under coats, Shake It Off had long since become another anthum for me along with New Romantics. I havent found love, but I want one like You Are In Love.
~
Its 2017, Im still in New York. Its long since become my home Im not always as dramatically dark as I was when I was 15 but its still there. I had JUST made an instagram in December of 2016 because frankly Im still not a fan of social media...but Taylor Swift is on instagram and I still love her. Taylors instagram went dark. I was BEYOND excited feeling my esthetic come out FINALLY people would stop being shocked that I love Taylor because girl is gonna make them all see she’s a powerhouse.
Look What You Made Me Do arrives and I am LIVING this era. Im buying up merch and playing it on repeat. When ticketmaster tells me i can score a place in line by watching videos, I have them playing 24/7 I haven’t been to a TS tour since I was a kid. time was always in my way. NOT THIS TIME! I wouldn’t allow it. My mom and I text endlessly about her new album. Mums favorite is New Years Day and I struggle to choose but land on I Did Something Bad. I want a love like King of My Heart and Delicate. She agrees that yes we should certainly go to the concert together, it’s exactly a month after my 21st birthday and Taylor has always been our thing.
~
July 21st, my mom and I go to New Jersy, VIP passes around our necks (her birthday gift to me) im in a snakeskin miniskirt and the concert is POURING rain. Its. Friggin. Magic. Were screaming all the lyrics and dancing around, not even realizing how soaked we are.
~
Its 2019 now, Im turning 22 this year, and obviously my birthday playlist holds that song in several places. ME! Has just been released. I joined tumblr this year to theorize with my fellow Swifties and Twitter to get updates from Taylor. I bought something pastel to wear for the first time in years and am slowly figuring out how to add it to my all dark wardrobe.
~
I wonder what my 9 year old self would say if she knew that I was here 13 years later informing my mother that we needed to go to another concert. If she knew the girl with all that curly hair on her CD would become her role model through life.
I have never believed in idolizing people because we are human and all make mistakes but Taylor Swift is the closest I have ever gotten to one.
I feel like although there’s an age gap, I grew up with her (mentally) her music in my head for the majority of my life making me want to be a better person and putting a smile on my face.
~
This isn’t something she will ever read, hell I would be surprised if anyone ever does because its long af and no one has time for this. But honestly I felt like it was worth putting out there because not many people ever get past simply screaming ‘OMG TAYLOR I LOVE YOU!!’
I just wanted to explain why on the off chance, she or someone else would see it and think ‘huh me too.’ Or put a smile on their face.
~
So basically, thank you @taylorswift for helping make me the person I am today and being there for me via song when lifes been hard as I grew up.
I love you not because of the insane theories and crazy detailed performances (although those are fun) but because you never let your fans forget that they are loved and that we all mean the world to you, because you have helped so many young girls find their place in this world.
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emitakes2019 · 5 years
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APRIL 7-9, 2019:
For such fun days, it’s too bad I didn’t get any pics. AND NO THIS IS NOT BECAUSE WALLA WALLA HAS NOTHING TO DO (to all my public school friends who think there’s nothing to do at Walla Walla, just you wait....)
Sunday:
Psaa arrives, our favorite man Gerry Larson greets us.
Honestly the only thing I remember from that village hall meeting is ... “splendid”
I finally meet Keenan! Considering I barely talked to this guy before, it felt like we’ve already been friends. HI Keenan thanks for following my tumblr, yes you should totally do this too.
As psaa is losing hardcore in the knowledge bowl, Keenan shares with me his unknown music taste, and how he basicslly lives by himself.
“Where’s the brachialis”
I finally go inside the sac which apparently is also known as the FAC? They serve some good ass burgers & sandwiches tho. Morning star forever <3<3
I finally catch officialmegan1! Aka one of the girls I asked to be my roommate lol. Anders really asked her upfront “so you’re emi’s new roommate?” ..... the girl was still trying to decide between Walla Walla and university of Idaho. Let’s just say.. she ended up not being my roommate.
It was raining the WHOLE time there which causes me to get sick. Therefore I was coughing up a storm the entire trip. “My bronchitis is back”
A very professional concert was performed for us. “Oh, is this the varsity choir?” “Yeah, and that over there is JV”
Julia and I end up sharing a twin bed. And obviously we aren’t going to spoon, so instead if I want to turn on my other side.. I have to face julias feet. And that’s how I started my Monday morning.
MONDAY: I kid you not this day was at least 48 hours long.
I woke up earlier to get coffee with Keenan. This dude has lived almost his whole life here but doesn’t know what half the places are. Hahaha jk. Altho he didn’t know what the hours of the bakery was because we got there and it was closed Lol. Good thing I’m a yelp user! Coffee perk is so freaking good. I low key think keenan also doesn’t drink a lot of coffee because he got water to go with his coffee. He’s going to have a fun time reading this.
He lets me drive his Honda? where my head could touch the ceiling of the car. We get nervous when passing a cop. Childish bambino plays, “have you heard of redbone?” Nope never heard of it in my life.
Later in the day, we would pick a certain major to attend. I chose what business and dating have in common. Lol annddd almost confused Steve jobs and bill gates—- who isn’t the ceo of microsoft?
I decided to also take the health and physical education quiz at the WEC, on my own. That shit was hard. Brenden never taught us about racquetball and golf but at least we know how to put a condom on a zucchini.
This is when I met Logan. We both were struggling so really any help we could get from each other... damn it nah we still failed. I made a friend at least. But he isn’t even attending wwu ://
I also shake hands with Logan Adams who kayala tells me still lives with his cat Lol. Auburn people be like that. He doesn’t seem to care as I ask him if any athletic work positions available.
At lunch....... you won’t believe it. I met my roomate. Oh man... she’s great. Talks more than me. Wants to skydive at 18. Already owns a fridge. Has stomach issues. Loves to workout. May play on the volleyball team. I didn’t even finish my lunch.
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Re: IMDb omg ikr!! 🙄 Idk if his team just hasn’t updated his photo or if it’s IMDb but it’s so annoying. His Wikipedia picture too. I actually looked into how to change that one, but apparently Wikipedia can only use uncopyrighted pics uploaded to a site called Wikimedia Commons, and the only one of Charlie is that lq fan pic from 2017. I’ve just been hoping someone will eventually upload a nice uncopyrighted pic of him to Flickr so I could use it, but no one has done so yet. 😔
Also, wdym Charlie doesn’t have a UK agent anymore? As far as I know, his very first agent was Tom Norcliffe, who used to be a solo agent, but joined StevensonWithers in 2019. Then in 2014/15 he signed on to Gersh (very well known talent agency; Winona and Joe are both signed there as well) with Alex Yarosh in LA, and sometime since then he also signed on with Brillstein Entertainment (also very well known talent agency; clients include Rami Malek, Elizabeth Olsen, Jason Sudeikis, and Kaley Cuoco to name a few) with someone named Liz in NY. As of March 2020, Tom still represented him, and I don’t know why Charlie would’ve dropped him during quarantine, especially since he knew he wanted to go back to London for a while after he finished ST. If you looked on bookingagentinfo.com or smth, don’t worry Tom was never put on there, altho idk why.
Re: agent, it’s via IMDb pro; the rest is the same (gersh TA Alex, brillstein manager, etc), but it looks like he dropped Tom (he’s def no longer listed as the other agent and used to be, plus Tom’s page no longer lists him and p much no longer has a client list or seems to be w Stevenson withers, so maybe it’s that he isn’t really an agent anymore?). Hopefully Charlie gets a new UK agent along w his gersh one, because kinda all Brit actors who also work in us have both (both a us agent and then either another agent or manager often from a good uk agency like independent talent, united, hamilton hodell, curtis brown, etc.) And it would be great to see him in us projects, but also in more uk projects! It’s also just v unusual to not have both. Maybe he’s trying to get a new uk one?
Re: the IMDb pic, lmao right? He doesn’t even look like himself bc that pic was prob from, what, like 2013 and used to audition for “the schoolboy” and such lol. It’s just one of those things that make me wonder how good his team really is, bc def think either a manager or publicist is supposed to update that; they just haven’t w him for some reason. And yeah the wiki one isn’t great either altho at least it’s ~somewhat~ more recent lol but idg why they haven’t changed both
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afactaday · 7 months
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#aFactADay2021
#240: apparently in the asteroid chase scene near the start of Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back theres a hidden potato somewhere in the asteroids. ive looked through the main scene and i think i spotted it altho im not sure.
what i also find slightly interesting is theres been several remakes of each of the original movies:
1) the original theatrical releases ('77, '80 and '83)
2) the 1997 theatrical specialised edition, re-released in theatres, where Lucas introduced several changes to improve them since at the time of original release he didnt have time
3) the 2006 DVD release
4) the 2011 Blu-Ray release
5) the 2011 Harmy's Despecialized Edition, which was a fan made recreation of the original release, which was commercially unobtainable and certainly not HD. its basically the original but HD, publicly available, fanmade, and exactly how you remember it back in the day.
this could be useful if i ever got a bit peckish while on the star wars set - just look in the asteroid field for a potato hidden somewhere
a surprising amount of the asteroids look like potatoes, come to think of it
oops i think i missed one:
TeamNegativeOne's Renegade Grindhouse Edition - basically a Technicolour version of the 1997 (i think, i couldnt find much info on this one)
but all the versions look different - the BluRay is quite aptly bluer, the TN1 is oranger, the Harmys looks older xD and all the special effects (like lightsabers, blaster bullets etc) are slightly different
_ _
and another few versions:
the Special Edition Disney - an edited version by Disney in 2019. pretty much everythings been slightly tweaked :P
the 2020 BluRay version - nothing much was changed to my knowledge...
the Adywan Revisited - some very notable changes by a fan, to make it more accurate, including the following: Han actually does shoot first in the cantina; lightsaber activations are smoother; completely redone scene in the Death Star debriefing in A New Hope, including holograms ooOOooh!; Yoda moves more naturally (he was a puppet to be fair); CHEWIE GETS A MEDAL :DDD
thats 8 remakes altogether xD
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dinkywinks · 6 years
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thedreamingdoll replied to your post: i still cant get over the very concept of that one...
sdkfjdf this sounds like something from a dream i need to play it immediately
well it is coming out in 2019 apparently!! but there IS a demo up, altho it’s, like, pre-alpha gameplay. it’s a p neat proof of concept tho!! im so glad the project got funded lol
also apparently u get 2 customize your outfits and your apartment, even though you are Canonically in crippling debt. which is........ very relatable. also in addition to hunger and thirst you have a beauty care meter that requires u to do self-care on a regular basis. and this game is so ridiculous, i love it already, it’s like someone read my mind and started forging a video game out of my weirdest dreams
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alwayssomuchrunning · 4 years
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A Nice Day
October 1st 2019 - The Interview
Alright, this could potentially be the turning point of a shit 2019! Ya’ll know the story - I was unemployed for most of 2019 and really struggling to find employment. I also failed the PCO test. And then when I did find a job, it was a call center job which I would quit a month later. It was the most depressing kind of job EVER. Even hospitality would be better: and that’s saying something!  
This basically resulted in most of 2019 being really shitty and depressing. I was really questioning my self worth, despite attempts to stay positive. But let’s be honest: even with a job and stuff, I will always question my self worth haha. Being unemployed and consistently rejected tho - that kind of did a lot of damage to my self worth.
Anyways! Enough of that; onto the present. So, it’s October 1st 2019 - I believe this day was the turning point of 2019, for the better. I had a job interview with the Cotton On Group for the stores in the Western side of Victoria. To be honest, I wasn’t really trying to pass this interview lol. I was just sussing it out so that I can perform better on the other Cotton On Group interviews based in the South East and Melbourne CBD stores, which was where I ideally wished to work.
So I go to this group interview. It was really the standard assessment for Xmas Retail roles. Basically, it was: introduce yourself to the group, get to know everyone. Sell the clothing that the person next to you was wearing to the group. And finally, sell random pieces of clothing to the managers. Standard group interview shit.
One thing really took me off guard with this interview tho: they were gonna announce who passed straight after these assessments LOL. And to my utter shock, I ended up passing lol. I suppose it was the carefree attitude of not going in to pass which enabled me to pass - I was a bit more social and felt less pressured.
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The manager of Factorie (as I put that as my #1 preference store amongst the Cotton On Group shops) ended up asking me which store I wanted to work at amongst the Westside locations. I chose Highpoint - apparently that wasn’t available, I think. I then asked which is closest to the city; which prompted the manager to ask where abouts I lived. I pointed out that I lived in the South East, and they were shocked LOL. But they were able to give me an Xmas Casual role with Factorie based at a shopping center near me in the South East - woot!
Now look, retail isn’t my most favourite job in the world. But after working in a call center role? I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for retail again lol. It’s only temporary anyway - altho I would love to have the job there until I can become a PSO. 
And hey - staff discount on Factorie products! I do love the Factorie fashion style!
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reesetsk · 5 years
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A note to my little ❤️: I can still remember the times when you’d love playing dress up in ‘princess attire’ and w/out hesitation, put on some grand performances.. anywhere from Barney to Britney.. 🎶🎤👯‍♀️ Now you have free reign over my closet 😑 & we share similar taste in music. You weren’t ever shy back then & it was apparent in ur personality & the way you carried urself. Where has the time gone? I miss that little soo, so much 😞 22 years have passed in the blink of an eye & we have been so very #blessed to’ve been your guides in this lifetime ❤️ We are truly #proud of how far you’ve come & of all that you’ve accomplished thus far 🙌🏻 2019 is slated to be a great year & excitedly, I look forward to all that God has in the works ☺️👏🏻 There are still so many things you have yet to learn.. some trials are ongoing and my only wish for you is to realize that things in the present, shouldn’t be taken at face value, because they aren’t always just as they seem. Moving forward, you hafta proceed cautiously.. take off the blinders that may be distorting your view & look at things from all angles. You are innocent to a fault. Learn to take into consideration all aspects: what life may be throwing at you, the decisions you make and their consequences & to really understand prioritizing things of only the utmost importance. What you may 'think’ you know as good for you, isn’t truly the case. I say this w/ love. Everyone around you cares about you soo much more than you even realize. The lessons of life aren’t ever easy and altho we can’t completely shield you from any mistakes being made, we will always be there to try to help guide you along the right path You will forever be my little ‘b’, no matter how old you get 😍 I am #grateful for the #amazing bond that we share, all the laughs that make our stomachs ache & the heartfelt tears thru the roughest of patches. Lord knows we’ve seen it all 😂 You are a genuine #beauty, inside and out.. #intelligent, #strong & #caring 🙌🏻 Continue to stay focused.. don’t let anything/anyone get in the way of your reaching the end goal 👊🏻 Happy 22nd Birthday, little one 🎉🎂🎁🎈Mama has so much #love for ya ❤️ @mbrr @mbrr2 https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUNekcgl_ffwiZGfhyt502-uqTBxDqvNiBm2k0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1b67mi0q9avlx
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abigailswager · 5 years
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Marc Faber: Currencies To Collapse Against Precious Metals - Seeking Alpha
New Post has been published on https://tradegold.today/marc-faber-currencies-to-collapse-against-precious-metals-seeking-alpha/
Marc Faber: Currencies To Collapse Against Precious Metals - Seeking Alpha
Marc Faber: Currencies To Collapse Against Precious Metals Seeking AlphaThe gold market finally broke away from the $1300 level, where it had been ranging for several weeks. Gold hit a slight new low for the year on Thursday. Altho. […]
Welcome to this week’s Market Wrap Podcast, I’m Mike Gleason.
Coming up the one and only Marc Faber joins me for a tremendous conversation on debt, the global economy and the future of the dollar. Marc tells us how much he believes the average investor should have in gold and silver right now and reveals which precious metal he favors most going forward. Don’t miss a must-hear interview with Marc Faber, Dr. Doom, coming up after this week’s market update.
Well, the gold market finally broke away from the $1,300 level, where it had been ranging for several weeks. Unfortunately for the bulls, it broke to the downside.
Gold hit a slight new low for the year on Thursday. With the markets closed today for Good Friday, the gold spot price will end the week at $1,276 per ounce, registering a 1.2% weekly decline.
Although gold is showing some technical weakness, it is not seeing a massive liquidation in the futures markets.
Well now, without further delay, let’s get right to this week’s exclusive interview.
Mike Gleason: It is my privilege now to be joined by a man who needs little introduction, Marc Faber, editor and publisher of the Gloom, Boom and Doom Report. Dr. Faber has been a long-time guest on financial shows throughout the world and is a well-known Austrian school economist and investment advisor, and it’s a tremendous honor to have him back on with us today.
Dr. Faber, thank you so much for joining us again, and how are you?
Dr. Marc Faber: Fine, and that it’s a pleasure for me to participate in this interview.
Mike Gleason: Well Marc, we’ll start out today with everyone’s favorite topic, that being Fed policy and what’s happening there because it continues to be such a key driver for everything, much to our dismay. The markets have been so addicted to Fed stimulus and cheat money since the Great Recession a decade ago, so is it possible that they can withdraw this stimulus? Or did we just learn over the last few months… going back to, say, November and December when we saw the equity market suffer dramatically over the idea of the Fed moving forward with those three to four planned rate hikes for 2019, after which the Fed has reversed course and completely backed off on any rate hikes this year… are we just looking at never-ending stimulus from the central banks now, Marc? What are you thinking as you’ve watched the events unfold over the last few months with respect to monetary policy and this apparent sea change?
Dr. Marc Faber: Well, it’s a complex issue. It’s particularly complex at the present time because the global central banks, I mean the major central banks, they can argue, well, there is little inflation in the system, and so we can continue to print money or to purchase assets, which, either way, is true. There is little consumer price inflation, partly because the economy of ordinary people is not particularly good. We have a split economy. The economy of the well-to-do or extremely well-to-do people is doing well, and the economy of the ordinary people in Europe, in Japan, in the U.S., is not doing well. And so there is little inflationary pressure, but there is a lot of inflation, or has been a lot of inflation in asset prices. Stocks are at highs in the U.S. essentially, not the oil industries but several industries. And we have now 10 trillion-dollar worth’s of bonds in the world that have negative interest rates, it’s in some kind of a bubble, or a big bubble.
And so we have this asset inflation, and in my view, the central banks and the policy makers, they realize that if the asset bubble really breaks, if the stock market drops 20%, if home prices drop 20%, if bond prices go down 20% or so, the whole world is in a depression. So, I think that when they started actually in 2008, with QE1 in December 2008, and I was asked at the time, “How do you think it will end?” I said, “They just started QE unlimited. I think they will continue to print money until the system breaks.” And that can take another few years.
But I think, yeah, it’s likely, if you were to look at the political landscape, you have on the one end the Republicans, at the present time under the leadership of Mr. Trump. He wants to spend on defense and on his wall and on all kinds of things. And the Democrats, they also want to spend on all kinds of things. So, you can be sure that the deficit in the U.S. will remain around a trillion dollars a year for the foreseeable future. And in my view it’s more likely that this deficit will go up, and possibly quite substantially. So, the money printing, in my view, will continue.
Now could you have QE, and at the same time the Fed raising interest rates? That is a possibility. But in the current environment, where the economy has been slowing down, I think they will rather do nothing, especially also under the pressure from the White House, which essentially accuses, or tells the world that if the Fed hadn’t raised interest rates, the stock market would be much higher. So, I think they will not increase rates further. I think they will not cut the rates, as Trump and Kudlow would suggest, to simply show them that they’re independent, and that they don’t need Mr. Trump and Mr. Kudlow to tell them what to do.
Mike Gleason: Despite what the Fed has been doing, we are still seeing a strong dollar because the Fed has been a bit more hawkish than the ECB and the BOJ – the Bank of Japan – and other major central banks throughout the world. Do you see this reversing at some point? We know Trump doesn’t want a strong dollar, so how do you see things playing out in the currency markets? Because for the most part, gold, if we relate it to gold, is going to trade off the U.S. dollar in many respects. As long we see strength in the dollar, it’s likely going to be difficult for gold to really catch fire. Give us your comments on the dollar and what you see ahead for the greenback.
Dr. Marc Faber: Well, I think the dollar is strong because many investors argue that the economy in the U.S. is either better conditioned than European economies. Who knows? But one reason the dollar has been strong is you have all these negative interest rates in Europe. In Germany the 10-year yield is now negative, and in Japan as well, in Switzerland as well. And in Spain you have interest rates on the 10-year government bonds of 1%, whereas in the U.S. it’s 2.58%. So, I could argue it’s logical that if you get more than twice as much interest in U.S. Treasuries than in Spanish bonds, and you’re an insurance company in Europe, or sovereign fund in the world, you rather buy U.S. Treasuries than Spanish bonds. I think it’s quite logical. So, I think that has supported the dollar.
But I personally, I think the dollar should in due course weaken, and as the dollar weakens it could also trigger weakness in the stock market.
Mike Gleason: As usual, when you’re a guest on our podcast, we like to get your take on what’s happening globally. In particular, we are interested in what you expect from Asia. There seems to always be talk in the U.S. media about China slowing down. Perhaps the tariffs are having an impact. However, the U.S. trade deficit doesn’t appear to be budging very much. What are you expecting with regards to the possibility of recession in China? And where do you see the global economy headed in the near term?
Dr. Marc Faber: Well as you know, the Chinese had all this excessive credit growth. Now you could argue, well, they have this excessive credit growth because they have also a very high propensity, or rate of capital spending to build apartment buildings and bridges and roads, and the whole infrastructure. This is very costly. And so the borrowings are very high. But whether China will go into recession or not is a question also, can in China some sectors be in a recession, like car sales are down this year, and other sectors continue to expand? It’s a huge country. It’s actually almost a continent with 1.3 billion people. So, different sectors will perform differently. But since I live in Asia, my observation is that there has been a slowdown in economic activity. We’re not in a recession, but we’re in a very low-growth phase. There’s very little growth at the present time, and if there is growth it is because of borrowings… but that is also the case in the U.S. Without a trillion-dollar deficit and the debt build-up, student loans and car loans and everything, and credit card loans, the U.S. economy wouldn’t be growing either.
Mike Gleason: We saw back in, I believe it was late summer 2015 when the Chinese economy really hit the skids there temporarily, and it almost started a massive global panic there in the equities markets. Is China still a key linchpin when it comes to how they’re doing, so goes the world to some respect? And do you see maybe some doom coming down the road for China that could find itself manifesting in other economies and other markets?
Dr. Marc Faber: Well, China consumes approximately 50% of all industrial commodities in the world. So if there is a recession in the manufacturing sector in China, yeah, of course the world feels it. Or if there is less demand for smart phones in China, and also, I have to mention here that India has also become a large market. So, if there’s less demand for these toys, or for these very sophisticated mobile phones, then obviously the world feels it because it affects Taiwan and South Korea. And in turn it affects American semiconductor companies and so forth and so on. So, it goes through like a bush fire. And if China travels less, if there are less international travelers, then you’re talking about 140 million Chinese, and if they drop by 10%, then it’s 14 million Chinese that will no longer travel. And that, every market will feel. So they have a huge impact on the global economy undoubtedly.
Mike Gleason: Marc, how about this move towards socialism that we’re seeing, whether we’re talking about monetary policy or when we look at the landscape of the Democrat presidential candidates who will challenge Trump in next year’s election here in the U.S., what do you make of this movement that does seem to be gaining steam in many respects throughout the world? And how might this impact financial markets and investment opportunities in your view?
Dr. Marc Faber: Well, I just wrote an essay about monetary inflation and the social impact of monetary inflation, because depending how the monetary inflation works through the system… in the case of hyperinflation, Germany in 1922, 1923, the middle class was essentially eliminated. They lost basically most of their savings one way or another. But the rich people made a lot of money. And I’m comparing it to the current time, where the middle class hasn’t lost money per se, but because the rich people became so rich, the middle class has kind of been pushed down relative to the super rich people. That creates then an unfriendly environment.
The people that vote, they don’t understand a lot. But it’s very easy for a politician to go to people and say, “You know why you’re not doing well? It’s because of Jeff Bezos, he’s got so much money, and because of Warren Buffet, he’s got so much money, and Bill Gates, and so forth. And because of these hedge fund managers, they don’t pay any tax or they don’t pay much tax,” which is actually true. The corporate world in America pays very little tax compared to individuals. If you look at the composition of tax revenues by the government, the bulk is paid by individuals, not by the corporate sector.
And so, through destroying wealth and income inequalities, the mood is in favor of taking money away from the wealthy people and distributing money to the ordinary people. And then they see, the ordinary people, how much is being spent on defense, in the case of the U.S., close to 750 billion dollars a year. And a lot of it is not accounted for. And they say, “Well, this money shouldn’t be spent on defense. It should be spent on social programs,” and so forth and so on. So the mood, towards socialism, especially we have surveys that showed the millennials, about 60% of the millennials, they are in favor of more government interventions.
Mike Gleason: Yeah, definitely something we’ll be keeping an eye on here over the next year or so, especially as we get close to the election season, we’ll see what happens there.
Well Marc, as we begin to wrap up here, give us some more of your thoughts on the precious metals. For instance, do you see better value in one of the PMs over the others perhaps? And given everything that we’ve been talking about here today, with all of the debt in the system and the potential of never-ending stimulus and perpetual money printing, do you envision it being a strong environment for the metals moving forward? And basically, how do you see the sector performing overall, say this year and next? And then what will it take for them to sustain a rally to the upside finally?
Dr. Marc Faber: Well, the one thing I want to say, that everybody who lived through the monetary inflation of Germany – which ended up in kind of a hyperinflation, but I just want to explain – in the case of Germany, the hyperinflation was also made possible because the other countries didn’t inflate. And so the mark depreciated against the foreign currencies, which then added to inflationary pressures. In the present state of monetary policy around the world, because everybody prints money, currencies don’t collapse against each other, with very few exceptions like the Turkish lira and the Argentine peso and so forth. But basically, the major currencies, they trade against each other.
So where will the collapse of the currencies come from? In my opinion, they’ll all collapse against precious metals. And it is conceivable, and this is something we just don’t know, it is conceivable that they’ll also collapse against some cryptocurrencies. Now, I think there is a chance, we’re not sure – this is a kind of a theory – it is conceivable that Bitcoin becomes the standard, the gold standard of cryptos. But I’m not sure.
All I want to say, investors, in an environment such as we have of money printing, they need to diversify. They need to own some equities. We don’t know whether these monetary inflations will end up with a deflationary bust, in which case you may want to own some U.S. Treasuries, or it could lead to high inflation, consumer price inflation, in which case you want to own maybe a farm or some properties overseas. Or you may wish to own some precious metals. I think in any scenario, you should own some precious metals. Or the question is, should you own 3% of your money in precious metals or 90%? That everybody has to decide for himself. I recommend about 20, 25% of your assets in precious metals.
And as to the question, which one is (likely to perform) best? I think platinum is the cheapest at the present time of the precious metals. And I think it has actually a favorable outlook. I think there will be a supply shortage, and that the price could significantly outperform gold and silver.
Mike Gleason: Yeah, we agree. Lots of geopolitical dynamics involved in platinum there, and that’s going to be an interesting market to follow.
Dr. Marc Faber: Yes, exactly.
Mike Gleason: Well, Dr. Faber, thanks so much for your time and for staying up late with us there in Thailand. It was certainly real joy to have you back on and get your insights on the state of things. And before we let you go, please tell folks how they can subscribe to the Gloom, Boom and Doom Report so they can get your great commentaries on a regular basis.
Dr. Marc Faber: Thank you. Well there’s a website, GloomBoomDoom.com. And there all the information it contained.
Mike Gleason: Again, it was a real privilege to speak with you, Dr. Faber. I hope we can do it again before too much longer. And have a great weekend. Thanks for joining us again.
Dr. Marc Faber: Yes, you too. Bye-bye. Thank you.
Mike Gleason: Well that will do it for this week. Thanks again to Dr. Marc Faber, editor and publisher of the Gloom, Boom and Doom Report. Again, the website is GloomBoomDoom.com. Be sure to check that out.
Editor’s Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
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smoothshift · 5 years
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Review of my 2017 Prius (5k miles) via /r/cars
Review of my 2017 Prius (5k miles)
Hey there r/cars, I bought a 2017 Prius in the summer of last year.
Why did I get a Prius, you might ask? Well, for a bunch of reasons. I used to be the type of person to shit on Priuses (Prii?) as cars made for lesbian vegan crossfitters, for those too busy sniffing their own farts to notice their intoxicating personalities. It was definitely a meme car, but damn do I love it.
Before this, I was driving a 2006 GMC Envoy gotten from my family, and lemme tell ya that thing was an absolute pig. Big, comfortable, but also loud and slow as hell, not to mention terrible gas mileage. Things inside were slowly breaking, it felt like every 2 months we had to take it to the shop to fix another minor problem, and I just wasn't a fan of it. My dad and I initially went to the dealerships here looking for a Toyota Camry, ya know the 2018 cars? Was a huge fan of it after seeing online reviews praising it. It was just what we needed, a comfortable, quiet, fuel efficient sedan with a record for reliability. At the dealership, they told us they didn't have any inventory of the Camry as it got sold out, it's apparently in really high demand here (Middle East). This was a huge bummer to me, but the guy pointed me in the direction of this - the 2017 Prius. That single lone car sitting in the show room floor. I didn't know they even sold those things here, keep in mind this is the Arab world, gas prices are some of the lowest in the world here, why the hell would Toyota sell a hybrid? I had no intention of driving it, but the more I learnt about this one model, the more I started to like it.
It was a model left from the previous year, and since they couldn't manage to sell it to anyone (since it doesn't have much of a presence here), they were offering 30% off the MSRP. This is huge, especially considering it's a Toyota and they're known for not budging around with price much. I looked around it, it looked clean as a whistle, brand new everything. I never sat in a hybrid before this one, so everything was weird to me. The car made no sound when i pushed the start button. It had a Heads up Display, blindspot monitoring, automatic up and down settings on all 4 windows. Now this might seem kinda basic to most of you reading this, after all you see this on alot of new cars, but considering what I came from these all felt like luxury features. The center screen was massive and almost felt like a smartphone with how many menu settings I could modify to suit my needs. The JBL speakers sound amazing compared to the old Envoy's, and the AC was pretty cool (heh). I could select the exact temperature I want and let the car do the rest in turning the inside into an Ice Box. The cloth seats were decently comfy, altho admittedly not quite as comfortable as the old Envoy, but hey I guess this was one of the sacrifices I had to make. All in all, it cost me the equivalent of $18.5k, which isn't too bad for a (Saudi spec) fully optioned out Prius.
Interior
Interior quality isn't a Benz by any means, as there are a bunch of plastics here and there, but overall I'm satisfied. There's soft spots for where my arms rest, and overall the interior has mostly soft touch plastics, with very few hard scratchy surfaces. The seats are cloth, and are reasonably comfy, but anytime I take a trip of about 3 hours I definitely feel some lower back pain and need to walk around for a bit to be better. The speedometer being in the center display was a little weird for me at first, but the HUD fixes that problem and I barely every take my eyes off my windshield when I'm driving. You sit really close to the ground in this car, like honestly I don't think your butt gets above a foot and a half from the gravel, and that has it's pros and cons. Pros being that you feel like you have more control over the car and the low center of gravity makes turns more confident, along with lower wind noise at high speeds. Main con of this is that you have to lower yourself into the car, and I can see why older drivers might not like this. The headroom and leg room in this car is phenomenal, at least for the front two occupants. I don't ever feel claustrophobic in here, I have more than enough space to stretch out and not hit my head on the roof (I'm 6'0). As for the back passengers, I tried rolling the driver's seat all the way to the back, yet even then when I sat behind myself, I had more than enough room to stretch my legs out. Leg room is a huge plus in this car, altho my hair does slightly brush against the roof in the back seat, but not enough to be a concern. Hatch space is cavernous, easily much bigger than any trunk of a camry or corolla, and especially when the seats are folded down. I was once able to fit in 40 wooden canvases inside, it's definitely very practical in that regard. It's noticeably quiet inside the car too. Like on startup, you hear nothing since the electric motors are pulling all the work, and if you push the accelerator hard enough, you'll hear the subtle whirr of the engine as it starts up and warms up. If you keep a light foot though, all you hear is the very slight, futuristic purr of the electric motors. Even at high speeds, like on highways, at 70 mph I've been able to hold conversations with people without raising my voice, something I couldn't do in the Envoy (had to damn near scream just to be heard on the highway). Ooooo also one more minor thing, the overhead lights on the inside slowly turn on when you approach the car and slowly turn off when you leave, instead of abruptly turning on and off. A small feature, but one that I really like and which contributes to it feeling more high classed than an equivalent Corolla. Overall, a functional, utilitarian, reasonably comfortable, spacious, and quiet interior.
Exterior
Now the exterior is gonna be more controversial, everyone loves to shit on the 4th gen Prius'es design as weird, edgy, too sharp, and not going to age well. Personally, I thought the same thing of it at first, but it's a design that grows on you. It's not as pretty as an LC500, no doubt, but it really isn't that bad. The shape of the car gives it one of the lowest coefficient of drag in the industry, so you could argue that form follows function here? The sharp edges on the car aren't the easiest on the eyes, but it's different. I like that about it, it gives it character, to be a car so weird and different looking that it almost looks cool in my eyes. I saw the Prius redesign for 2019, it's honestly a prettier car but you know what? I'm proud of owning this thing, it's not pretty, but it's mine and that's all that matters to me.
Besides that, it has sensors behind the door handle that automatically unlock the car for you if it senses the key in your pocket, along with a small touch pad on it to lock the car as you leave. This system has worked for me flawlessly, everytime it opens and locks accurately without me even attempting to look "visible" to it. Love not having to pull my keys out anymore. Reversing camera is standard, along with LED lights on the front (which I gotta admit, really brighten up the road compared to halogen lights). Overall, a unique design that's gonna catch alot of flack from people but hey, I like it.
Performance, economy, and driving dynamics
Yeah, if you came to this car for performance, you will be sorely disappointed. With a whopping 121 horsepower, this car is not fast. It actually has a decent pull from 0-20 mph since those electric motors have the instant torque, but beyond that, yeah it's a drone fest. When you floor it, you can just count along with the speedometer as it slugs it's way up. I think it's just physically impossible to get a speeding ticket in this. That's not to say it's horribly slow, like for any normal person the acceleration is totally adequate, but you won't be replicating any Mad Max scenes with this thing. One thing I think Toyota really perfected with this car is the subtlety at which the engine turns on. It's quiet. In the beginning, you can't really tell whether the engine is off or not without developing the ear for it, you learn to notice it after a couple hundred miles or so. Really impressive and seamless transition between electric to engine power, and vice versa. Honestly, the driving dynamics are not bad. From what I've seen in reviews, the older gen Priuses felt like dead bars of soap to drive, but this new one actually livens things up. It's got independent rear suspension, and a low center of gravity, so those two at least contribute to it being somewhat fun to drive. It can take turns pretty well, the suspension feels good and sturdy, and it handles potholes pretty effortlessly. What about economy? This thing excels. Idk how EPA reports this as around 52 mpg, I easily exceed 60 mpg without even trying. I'm able to travel about 600 miles on a single tank (11 gallon capacity), and that's without even triggering the low fuel level indicator. If I try to hypermile, I can sometimes exceed 80 mpg on a good day. Considering the old Envoy got 15 mpg on a good day, this car is leagues ahead of that and I never find myself worrying about gas anymore.
Cost to own
I have long held the opinion that the Prius is the absolute lowest cost to own non-EV car that exists, ignoring depreciation. This thing sips gas like it's in a drought. Converting the currencies, I can travel 600 miles for the equivalent of $12.40 (Thank God for Arab oil prices). That's about 2 cents per mile driven. I had to double check the numbers just to make sure it was right, because that sounds so absurdly low I was sure there was a mistake in there somewhere. The car being this cheap to drive is what made me love driving everywhere. Before, in the Envoy, I was always cautious with how I drove, tried to be more efficient, take the shortest possible route, because that thing drank gas like it was nothing. But with the Prius, I'm always happy to drive anywhere. Friends wanna go out to eat? Sure thing, I'll drive us there. Forgot a very minor, dollar store item in uni? It would be cheaper to drive there and get it than to buy a replacement. Long trips out into the desert visiting hidden lakes and natural sites? Prius is ready for it. I love to drive. And with how cheap this thing is to fuel up, I can drive anywhere I want anytime with no pressure to save money in mind. This is true economic freedom. Insurance for this came out really cheap too, I pay about 22 dollars a month. What about maintenance?
The engine isn't even on half the time, so despite the manual saying to have 6k mile oil changes, I feel like I could double that to 12k miles and get away with it trouble free (not that I would actually do that tho). It's got a 100k mile warranty for the hybrid battery, but I don't think I'll ever really need it. I've read online that most priuses can easily last to 200k miles on the original battery, some even surpass 300k miles. Considering that the winters here are never really that cold, and the summers are good to the Ni-MH battery chemistry, I have no doubt that these things will outlive the car itself. I don't expect the engine to ever die, after all 1) It's a low power, understressed Atkinson cycle engine, 2) The electric motors drive the car half the time and 3) It's a Toyota. I don't think I've ever heard of a Prius engine failing. The transmission is an eCVT, and to be frank with you it's still kind of like wizardry to me. I don't exactly know how it works, aside from the fact that it uses the electric motors as a sort of power transfer and transmission instead of the traditional automatic or CVT we're used to. It doesn't have any gears, any belts, any clutches, complicated parts at all, and I think it's a pretty simple design overall. All that contributes to it being a reliable beast, I don't think I've heard any stories of Prius transmission replacements. Finally depreciation. Toyotas have great resale value, and I'm sure this Prius would be a king in that regard, but I don't plan on selling this, at least anytime soon. I love this car, it does everything I want it to, and knowing how long it's expected to last, I wanna drive it into the dirt, maybe past 500k miles before I buy a replacement for it.
This car may not be considered an enthusiast car by any means, but in my eyes, it's truly what I would call the car for the people, the car that does everything you need it to, and is one of the greatest achievements in the history of the automotive industry.
Tldr it's a good car
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