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jmdbjk · 1 year

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It’s a VIBE

OMG I CANNOT WAIT FOR JIMIN’S OWN MUSIC!!!

I CAN NOT WAIT ....

Watching Taeyang’s Youtube live waiting for VIBE MV...

Firstly. I am gonna preface this with a lot of excuses because I am a BTS stan and I’m only here for BTS and no one else. This is my first experience with Taeyang. I never saw or heard of the man prior to the first VIBE teaser drop. I don’t really know anything about BigBang except I’ve heard of G-Dragon and that there was some scandal but I didn’t even read up on the details of that. And also that they were popular back in the day and that Jimin (and maybe the other members) admired them or thought they were cool, probably emulated them. But I’m simply not interested in any other groups.

I have immersed myself in BTS for a few years now. I know the members of BTS... I know their personalities, their laughs, their relationships with the other members, their relationship with Army. I’ve watched them during Vlive and Welive broadcasts. I am very strongly biased to BTS. So I am trying to explain why I am saying me, personally, didn’t think Taeyang was very engaging during his live broadcast. This coming of course from someone who watched Jimin put together a plastic flower for thirty minutes...

Secondly, I felt like I was watching Taeyang do a PowerPoint presentation with that flip chart thingy. If you can’t speak extemporaneously for an hour then don’t do an hour. Thirty minutes prior would have been plenty.

Thirdly, the production of the live broadcast was crap. There were noises in the background, the volume of a device was turned up enough that there was the constant delayed echo of everything he was saying and then when he decided to sing, the feedback was awful. We end up seeing there’s over a dozen other people with cameras pointing at him recording his PowerPoint presentation.

I stopped watching when he started to sing because the audio feedback.

The ONE thing that WAS pretty nice during the broadcast was the English transcription CG’d right on the screen while he spoke. THAT is something I wish would happen when our guys did live broadcasts. I can understand how difficult it would be when they are together as a group, but when they are doing individual lives, that would be most awesome

ALL THAT BEING SAID... I understand Taeyang has been away from the limelight for a while. This is his comeback in the true sense of the word. I think he said six years since he put out new music? And in that time he’s done his military service, gotten married, had a kid. So his live was a way for him to reconnect with his fanbase. I get it. YAY FOR HIM AND THEM! I mean that sincerely.

I’m sure Taeyang is a very pleasant person.

Other things that stuck out to me: he spoke about Jimin briefly, said his rote bit almost verbatim that we saw in the Rolling Stone interview, about how working with Jimin came about. Then he moved on. Didn’t make a big deal out of it. And at the top of each of his flip cards were the words: TAEYANG’S VIBE... his team making sure to reiterate this was HIS song. Or maybe TAEYANG’S VIBE was just the title of his presentation, his reconnection with his fans... But my first impression was the former not the latter because twitter trends were #jiminVIBE etc... etc...and maybe his team took it too personal. Sorry fam, that’s how we roll. Get out of the way or get run over.

BACK TO VIBE (I am shamelessly starting the video at approx 1:15... so hate me I don’t care, I only care about Jimin)

#jimin is going to take the world down #jimin x taeyang #jimin x that married guy #jimins vibe

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randomvarious · 8 months

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youtube

Falco - "Der Kommissar" 1981 Synthpop / Neue Deutsche Welle / Pop-Rap / New Wave

I think something that's lost on a lot of people when it comes to hip hop music is, really, just how quickly it managed to spread after scoring its first ever hit in 1979, with The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"—which was also, remarkably, just the second song that the genre had ever released up until that point. There seems to be a general presumption that the music largely remained within the confines of the New York-metropolitan area, but as I'm about to show you, that notion is actually pretty false.

See, what I think most Americans have never really come to realize is just how deeply seismic of an event the release of "Rapper's Delight" was on a global scale. It was a modest hit in its home country, reaching #36 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it did prove to a lot of New Yorkers who frequented the hip hop parties that this hobby of rhyming rhythmically and extemporaneously over extended disco-type breaks could actually be successfully metabolized into dollars, which people originally had their doubts about. But where "Rapper's Delight" actually performed much better commercially was in Europe: it went to #5 in Austria; #3 in the UK and West Germany; #2 in Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland; and #1 in the Netherlands and Spain.

And for Europeans who were hearing that song in 1979 and 1980, with all its pervasiveness, the fact that it sounded pretty much unlike *anything* that they'd ever heard before, and that rapping was also easily replicable, there was no doubt that "Rapper's Delight" was going to then end up inspiring a whole lot of different musicians to try their hand at something like it too.

So, while we largely tend to think of some of hip hop's earliest records as being made solely by New Yorkers (actually, the Sugarhill Gang were impostrous nobodies from New Jersey), that's actually pretty shortsighted, because some European acts were quick to start incorporating it into their own music too.

And such was the case with Austrian pop sensation Falco, who released his country's first known hip hop record in 1981, with "Der Kommissar," which also served as his breakout single, managing to not just top the charts in German-speaking countries like Austria and West Germany, but the ones in Spain and Italy too. Now, "Der Kommissar" is certainly not hip hop as we've come to know it; there's no DJ or record scratching, or a sampled or re-created beat; and first and foremost, it's a Neue Deutsche Welle (German new wave) tune. But there is clearly a lot of rapping on this record, and there's little doubt that the sudden Euro-popularity of "Rapper's Delight" is what initially sparked that fuse. I mean, this is before Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five even released "The Message" in 1982, mind you—another very early hip hop cornerstone. That's how early we're talking here. So, pretty fascinating when put into that context, no?

Now, maybe if you're an American, you're far more familiar with the 1982 Anglicized cover of this song by UK band After the Fire instead, as the video for it received heavy rotation on MTV, which then led to significant radio airplay, and then eventually a peak at #5 on the Hot 100. But Falco's German-language version is the one that came first.

And while Falco's only really rippled in the US, managing to reach just #74 on the Cash Box chart and #10 on the Billboard dance chart, the success of After the Fire's version appears to be what actually helped propel it into a very minor US hit in the first place. And that's just sort of funny, right? Like, the only reason that your record's even selling a little bit in such a huge market as the US' is because some other band who covered your song in English the following year is getting almost all of the limelight for it? That's a fun dynamic, huh? But Falco would still end up making *serious* inroads in the US a few years later anyway, with his terrific chart-topper, "Rock Me Amadeus," which also happened to have a bunch of rapping in it too.

So, ultimately there were two videos that were shot for Falco's "Der Kommissar" and this is the one that was released in the US. It's a very low-budget affair, in which Falco performs in front of a screen that shows footage of police cars traveling with their blue lights on, as he continuously makes like he's running away from them. And the song's about a couple who are on the run from the law—the titular 'kommissar'—so this very literal depiction certainly fits.

And actually, there were a lot more records from outside the US that both incorporated hip hop and also predate the release of "Der Kommissar" too. I came across this very enlightening list recently on RateYourMusic that shows what the earliest known hip hop release is for a bunch of different countries, and a lot of them happen to be from way earlier than you've probably ever thought! 🤯

Evidently, hip hop's been a global phenomenon for a bit longer than many people seem to realize 👀.

More fun videos here.

#synthpop #synth pop #neue deutsche welle #ndw #hip hop #new wave #rap #old school hip hop #old school rap #music #80s #80s music #80's #80's music #pop #pop rap

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niennawept · 20 days

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List 5 topics you can talk on for an hour without preparing any material

tagged by: @greyjedijaneite- thank you so much for thinking of me! What a marvelous little game!

Human osteology and its strange and interesting features. I have more fun facts about bones than I know what to do with.

The ways in which fiction has shaped technology and vice versa (e.g. the ability to play music from a computer was thought of while watching an episode of Star Trek).

The Tudor court in general but Henry's wives and mistresses specifically. I just find something so fascinating about these women and the ways they had to adapt and act within the confines of the court.

Human genetics - I've done science outreach a few times so I think I could talk extemporaneously about this at length. (Also - it's kind of my job).

The history of horror movies from the 1950s to the present day. This is actually my partner's interest, but I love listening to people talk about things they love - so I have learned a lot through that.

secret sixth things: Tolkien and Star Trek, my two biggest long-term special interests. I was trying to give other deep dives a chance to shine, but I'll sneak these two into the bonus.

low pressure tags for @thenookienostradamus, @queenmeriadoc, and @fishing4stars!

#niennaanswers #tag game #I'm excited to see what y'all say!

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barthel · 9 months

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Where Do You Get Your Ideas b/w What Are Your Songs About

By the time I'd been in bands for a few years, I could play the songs more or less automatically. I'd pick up the guitar and stand in front of the mic, and start the song, largely without thinking about it—like I was giving in to a potentiality that was already there, like following your normal walking path to school or the subway—and then, a few minutes later, I'd have played the song. I could think about other things when playing the song; I could be high or drunk and still play the song well.

There's something mechanical about this, like riding a bike: you give your body a broad request ("make this bike go forward", "play this song") and it accomplishes the task without attending to the thousands of micro-tasks like remembering the lyrics or the chord changes, or shifting position on the guitar, or where to breathe.

But there's something undeniably magic about it, too, because you're not riding a bike, are you? You're not even performing some other muscle-memory task like hitting a ball or sewing a stitch. I could feel the potential of the song there before it existed, and so could my bandmates, but no one else could. That potential was purely in our minds. When you play music, you are bringing something new into existence and then letting it vanish, note by note. And if you've got a band, you're creating this sound together, reaching back into your shared memories to bring them back into the world, all without making any conscious plan.

That experience isn't there in writing, at least not for me. As much as I enjoy the act of putting words on a page, and can get into a flow, at the end of the day, I'm taking sentences that appear in my consciousness and typing them into a computer. Sure, there's something ineffable about where the ideas—and even words—come from, but that's largely invisible in the finished product. (Though not so much that "Where do you get your ideas from?" isn't a perpetual question of authors. From the unknowable confluence of my accumulated life experiences and the random chance of the day’s shape, my dude!) When we experience writing, as readers, it's not like a concert. We're not watching someone tell an extemporaneous story, even one they've told a hundred times before. We're reading a heavily-edited record of such a performance, many drafts ago.

That's one of the things that makes writing about music so hard: the absolute need to honor that magic of a musical performance, coupled with the absolute inability of writing to convey it in any direct way. I think—and this drives musicians absolutely nuts, I know—the only way to convey that magic is by talking about meaning, even the personal aspects of meaning. By saying what the song makes you, as a listener, think about. This song is about the way country music radio treats women or This song reminds me of riding in a car with my mother or just This song sounds like a cricket stuck in an air vent you can never find. It’s like you’re reverse-engineering those scores that are just instructions, like "Play these sequences in any order, but stop every once and a while and listen"—but instead of taking a text prompt and making music from it, you’re taking a musical prompt and trying to follow its instructions to create a text. It’s an act of translation.

That’s frustrating, because we want texts to be definitive, want them to be the truth. We want to know what the song is about. But all translations are inexact, are based on what the translator brings to it. Sure, it’s constrained by what’s there in the source. But then the rest is all you. What is the song about? Every song is about the same thing: the experience of being inside the song, for as long as it lasts - and what it’s like to be the person who went through that experience. Who heard the notes come into being and then vanish.

#writing #music criticism #dancing about architecture #creative nonfiction

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talesofmetalandmagic · 1 year

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Azir vs Crying

Azir has always been a fragile, skinny kid with a proclivity for tears. He would have probably been less of a crier if his regular, age-appropriate bouts of tears – getting hurt in training for battle, reading sad stories, regular stuff – was met with empathy instead of “you’re of imperial blood, stop sniveling”. But alas.

As an adult he thought himself more tempered. When his parents and unborn sibling died in such a terrible fashion he didn’t even tear up. He just fell numb, hazy, going through the motions with Xerath’s firm hands to guide him. He would cope in ways that were seen as more appropriate for an emperor: drinking, either fine wine or sleeping powders, going for long hunting trips on his own, training at the sword and yes, intercourse.

When he’s Xerath’s prisoner he cannot do any of those things – all he gets to drink is molded, sanded water, he cannot go as he pleases, he’s not allowed to have a weapon and the greatest erotic intimacy he has is “extemporaneous fantasies that come and go” (forcefully desexualizing the notoriously promiscuous ex-emperor is also part of Xerath’s way to take everything he ever had). So, after his defiant streak is nipped at the bud and long months of toiling and humiliations pass, he reverts back to tears.

He finds himself sobbing when punished, damping Xerath’s feet with his tears. Sometimes it’s the sheer pain that gets him – infected, festering wounds, that one time he breaks a talon or gets his hand crushed under a block of sandstone. Sometimes he doesn’t even sob or whine: he just curls up in a soft ball of feathers, head between his knees, fingers stroking himself in a parody of comfort, and lets the tears fall down in perfect silence. His eyes always feel either damp, reddened by the salt and the constant rubbing, or sting so much keeping them open for his work makes him cry even more.

(Xerath would have him dip his head in a bucket of saltwater on a daily basis for a while whenever he felt he was getting too infected… you can imagine by yourself how much that stung and how strained the required “thank you, my lord” would be)

All that exists in his head is the perspective of finishing the temple – then, even these tears will become a memory. He has no idea where he gets that water, since he doesn’t drink much and they’re in the desert. Yet the tears won’t stop, and sometimes even when he’s at peace, albeit curled up in his cage and tightly hooded, they come on their own because it’s just too much.

“Azir, my dear” Xerath would ask. “Do you think this conduct befits one of imperial blood?”

“No, my lord” he knows what he wants to hear, it’s been beaten and slapped into him. “I wasn’t deserving of the title. I should stop sniveling and get myself to work… yet my foolish temper…”

“Yes, of course. You’re starting to admit it. You never deserved anything… even your parents knew. They’d be cheering me on, if they saw you in such a state.”

Xerath doesn’t actually think crying is a source of shame, of course. But as it’s been established, he knows what makes Azir tick.

His friends and entourage – Sivir, Taliyah, Kai’sa, Akshan, Samira and Nasus – are of a different breed. They know crying is liberating and comforting and there’s nothing “not imperial” in shedding tears. Azir is very glad to be told, because when the first tide of effects from his indenture comes, so do his tears.

He screams himself awake, tears dripping into his sheets, when nightmares come. He gets choked up and misty eyed when rediscovering small treats and pleasures – sweet food, self-care, music. And when he’s referred to as “Imperial Majesty” by someone who’s not in his little circle, his cheeks get damp once more.

“I used to cry all the time”, Taliyah recounts. She never thought she’d be intimate with Azir of all people. “I think it helped me survive. My master, Yasuo, would let me finish and offer me a treat to clean my mouth. I saw no shame in his eyes.”

“You’ve suffered a lot, my lord. Don’t torture yourself further by denying yourself a good cry”, Samira would say. Mercenaries always cry: it’s free, easy to do, and helps maintain the facade once it’s done.

But of course it’s Nasus who keeps him the closest and sees the most of his breakdowns. Azir loves hearing his beating heart when he holds him to his chest, patting the feathers, sharing body heat.

“You’re doing good, my sweet lord. Let it come… shhhh, shhhh… I have you. Can you hear my voice?”

Sometimes Azir wonders what’s pushing that man towards him so unconditionally.

“Always remember this, my lord. I’d much rather have you here crying… than knowing I lost you smiling.“

He’d be most glad to say the same for his poor Renekton.

“Does it ever stop, Nasus? I want it to stop.”

“It doesn’t stop happening, my lord. But it stops being so heavy. And no one deserves it more than you.”

#lol #league of legends #Azir #Omah azir #emperor Azir #Xerath #Nasus #Taliyah #Sivir #akshan #Samira #Kai’sa #Shurima #azir’s new groove #tears are healthy

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embervoices · 1 year

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@shiny-speedy-devotee’s

Polytheism Asks

What’s your least favorite myth? I don't really look at it that way. I'm certainly not fond of the ones involving consent violations.

What’s your favorite myth? Again, I don't really look at it that way. I suppose I like the ones that are just plain weird.

What pantheon(s) do you worship? I'm effectively an omnitheist. Depending on how one itemizes pantheons, I've had at least brief contact with more than I'd like to try to count. But the pantheons I relate to consistently enough to have permanent marks on my body for are: Vanir, Aesir, Orixa, Loa, Irish, Welsh, Hellenic, Kemetic, and an infinity symbol for the Whole That Is Divine. I'm also an animist.

Who is your least favorite ancient poet/philosopher/old guy who said “smart” things? Probably Thomas Aquinas. Not that he had much to say about my faith, really. But I had to read some of his work in my Religious Studies and Philosophy classes in university and am definitely not a fan.

What’s your favorite snack to share with the gods? (Curtesy of @luminarycanary) Honey is sacred to nearly all of them. I collect varietals.

Do you pray daily? If so, do you have a prayer schedule? I don't have a schedule. I have everyday prayers, but I say them as the impulse arises, not literally every day. They go well before a meal, and before undertaking ritual work. But they're specifically centered on the Vanir, who are Family/Home to me, so I have other set prayers/songs for other purposes, as well as whatever extemporaneous expression arises.

Do you do any rituals or celebrate any holidays/festivals? Yes. Many. MANY. I should make this its own post.

How often do you make offerings, and what is your most common offering to give? The most common offerings are a candle, a libation, or a song. Candles happen several times a week these days, if only for the Community Well Being Altar. Libations are less common. They used to be several times a month, but the reasons for that have fallen away over the last few years. Still, at least monthly. Songs are connected to specific prompts, which have also fallen away over the last couple years. Those, too, are closer to monthly right now.

How many altars do you currently have up, if any at all? Uhhhhhh *counts* 8-12, depending on how you count altars, I think? Some people distinguish between altars and shrines, at which point I'd have to say most of those are shrines. If I itemize the individual deities, I have easily dozens, but they’re mostly clumped together by pantheon or domain. I have one, maybe two working altars going most of the time lately.

Have you ever made a travel altar? In the sense of making a specific small portable altar/shrine thingy, no. In the sense of packing up a small box of whatever it seems like I might need for travel, many times. I’m not opposed - it sounds like a fun craft project. But what I need with me varies a little too much, beyond what I carry in my purse all the time anyway.

What deity do you think your taste in music best represents, regardless of who you worship? Probably Brighid. With a side of Ghede.

What has been your favorite interaction with a deity so far? I have absolutely no idea how to answer this.

What is your favorite devotional act? Singing!

Would you say there’s a certain “type” of deity you follow? Or are you more broad, without rhyme or reason? Most of the gods I work with at all frequently are on the Life/Death axis, or are Tricksters. But I will work with almost any deity who drops by, if there's a reason for it. Magic is also a pretty common domain around here.

Have you ever worked with a deity? As opposed to what? Well, regardless, by just about every definition that might have been meant by this, yes. Working with deities is pretty well my job. I'm ordained Vanatru clergy, a spirit worker, dreamworker, oracle, and witch.

Have you ever been to a religious site (for your deities)? Several. It seems like every time I get to go on vacation, the Powers find a way to turn it into a pilgrimage. Gamla Uppsala in particular was wonderful.

Do you have any UPGs? Quite a few. Mostly about the Vanir.

What is your favorite way to communicate with the gods? Possession trance is extremely helpful, but there's a lot of places to introduce error into the process, and it can be damaging to handle it poorly. Still, ecstatic trance states in general are a major focus of my practice, when possible.

Do you just worship deities, or do you worship heroes, spirits, etc. as well? My practices include animism and ancestor reverence. I tend to focus less on "heroes", and more on personal connections, and general interconnectedness.

What’s something new you want to try in your worship? Herbalism. Fragrance blending. The overlap between my list of craft interests and my list of worship interests is very high.

What would your ideal practice look like? I wish I knew! The last few years have changed a lot, and I'm frankly at a bit of a loss now. It's been exhausting. I can't keep up what I had to build during lockdown, and the extended community practices that supported me before don't work anymore. Figuring out what I and we need to do henceforth is a big, big task on my plate right now. More than I can really address, yet.

Have you ever received a dream/a big sign from a deity? I'm a dreamworker, so my sense of scale for this is probably skewed. But yes, several times.

Are there any new deities you want to contact? I already have more deities on my list than I know what to do with. I won't refuse newcomers, but I'm not seeking them out.

How do you define devotion vs worship? “Worship” is the expression of love for divinity. Forms of worship correspond to "love languages": praise, offerings, services, etc. “Devotion” is a deeply personal relationship with a specific entity. They’re different points on a continuum. Roughly the emotional difference between enjoying a party to honor a member of your community you think well of but don’t necessarily hang out with much personally, vs. paying personal attention to your best friend, lover, sibling, etc. Either way, the point is the relationship.

What is your favorite symbol of your deity(ies)? I am rather fond of the Vanatru Boar symbol.

#vanatru #relational polytheism #devotional polytheism #polytheism #interview meme #polytheism asks

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fuckyeahfightlock · 2 years

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Here’s the thing.

So one thing I’ve learned about myself over my many years is that one thing I really enjoy and appreciate is when I go see a band or singer at a live gig, and they play and sing every note and every word of every song exactly the way they played and sang it on the original recording. I love the electricity, unity, and sometimes even transcendence of a live show. But I also love to sing along. I am comforted by the predictable “oh” or “ooh” sung just the way I’ve always heard it, every breath in place, every inflection on point. I don’t want to get lost; I want to hear the songs I love just the way they were intended to be heard when first they were committed to tape, vinyl, or--what?--digital file.

Other people appreciate a jazz or jam band playing riffs on common themes, because they never know just where the melody will go. They groove on the surprise around every corner of a solo, or of scat-singing, the way the vibe of the night or season or age of the players will make every song brand new every time it is played. They love the extended, extemporaneous sax solo at a Springsteen concert. They enjoy a greatest hits medley. They want to wander in the forest of the music, once in a while brought back to the already-blazed path, but don’t require the security of sticking exclusively to it. They trust the players to guide them, and that experience of hearing beloved music is, I’m sure, as joyful for that sort as the word-perfect singalong quality of my favourites is for me. It’s just different ways of enjoying the experience--personal tastes, personal quirks.

Maybe we both love, say, Amazing Grace. I want to hear it sung plainly, simply, with the traditional melody and phrasing and lyrics. They want to hear it with a slithering backbeat, angular phrasing, lyrics updated for the 21st century. But we both have the same, or at least similar, ardent love and appreciation for the source material, because the soul of the thing is there no matter what is added in, stripped down, or un/tampered with. But maybe that new remix just isn’t my vibe, so I’ll skip it. I’m glad it’s probably going to introduce new folks to Amazing Grace, and maybe they’ll be moved and touched by the rebooted version, and it will make an indelible mark upon their heart, and that’s gorgeous--I love that--that’s what art is for. And maybe it will bring them around to my simple, barebones voice-and-piano version, and that’s nice, too, but it’s OK if that version doesn’t speak to them the way it does to me, that they find themselves moved more by the funky, updated version. The soul of the thing is still there, speaking to us both.

Just because I know from my own experience and self-knowledge that I probably won’t enjoy the new, exciting, interesting--yes, probably more contemporarily relevant, I’ll admit--version, and have decided It Just Wasn’t Made For Me, so I’m not going to seek it out, doesn’t mean I begrudge anyone else enjoying it (in fact, I hope they do!); or that I am crying fanboy tears that this version isn’t note-for-note, word-for-word, the same as the version I prefer; or that I think my way of interacting with or consuming the source material is the “correct” way. It’s only that it’s the correct way for me. It’s just what I like.

I like to sing along.

#Sandman #Poppy on the soapbox #but gently

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t-i-n-k-e-r-t-y-t-o-n-k · 2 years

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Make a P.G. Wodehouse world OC!!

Why? Just for fun. I also like to imagine the possibilities for an rpg set in the world of his stories (with its characteristic plots and logic)

Here are some questions to get you started, pick and choose which ones to create characters. I recognize only certain stock types of characters appear in the actual Wodehouse stories but this is set up to both play to that and allow you to go outside it,

Name,

- First/personal,

- Middle name(s),

- Surname(s),

- Initials,

- Nickname(s), include origins, who uses what name, and your character’s thoughts on them if any,

- Titles, if any current or to-inherit,

Whole name written out,

- Nom de guerre (silly names taken on as cover in any court proceedings, mayhem),

- Nom de plume, if any,

Sex,

Age,

(Name age in whatever year you’re saying it is)

Birthdate,

Relationship to gender/sexism relevant to 1900-1930 social sensibilities in the UK, include feelings on this, if any,

Ethnic background and cultural affiliations,

Racial classification relevant to 1900-1930 social sensibilities in the UK, include feelings on this, if any,

Citizenship(s), if any,

Description of class status and background relevant to 1900-1930 social sensibilities in the UK, include feelings on this, if any,

Sexual orientation, (include if homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, or asexual and also degree of self-knowledge of it and feelings on it if any),

Ability/disability, mental and physical health, include attitude towards self in these areas and treatment by others if applicable,

Language(s) spoken/written, wholly or partially,

Dialect, accent, usual register (tone, formality, etc), use of slang if any, habits or quirks in speech, description of voice,

If your character were asked to give a speech to school boys or school girls, how would it go, would you need notes, have it memorized, or speak extemporaneously, and, generally, what would be said,

School(s) attended, if any,

Achievements, notable experiences, best and worst subjects, reputation, sports or other affiliations at school, if any,

Occupation(s) and hobbies, if any,

Associated employer(s), if any,

Associated servant(s) or employee(s), if any,

Social clubs and frequent haunts, if any,

Description of social circle(s),

Dwelling(s), if any,

Owned businesses, investments, liquid capital, potential inheritance and its sources, if any,

Debts, how much, how incurred, to whom, if any,

Mode(s) of transport,

Pet(s) if any, names of them, who cares for them and how,

Temperament (summary),

Political affiliations, if any,

Would your character be willing to stand as a candidate in an election? How would that go?

Opinion on Sir Roderick and his Black Shorts, if in a story with them, if any opinion,

Opinion on the Bolshevik cell, the Red Dawn led by the Rowbothams, if in a story with them, if any opinion,

Philosophical affiliations, if any,

Spiritual/religious beliefs, affiliations, or lack thereof,

Does your character have a Code like the Code of the Woosters? What, variably, is included if so?

What would someone use to blackmail you? How well would it work?

Tastes in food and drink, include if allergic or vegetarian, or a teetotaler, and why,

Narrative description of appearance,

Tastes in fashion, usual dress,

Tastes in hairstyles, opinions on facial hair,

Tastes in literature, art, music,

Tastes in furnishings, prized possessions, if any,

Travel experience, if any,

What are you doing at the village fair,

Interested in gambling or syndicates, against, or neutral/uninterested?

Family history summary with noted ancestors, if any,

Close relations, include summary of each relation’s name, titles if any, tie to your character, occupation(s), dwelling(s), and if they get along, are alive and in touch or otherwise,

Friends and associates, include a similar summary of each, and how each gets along with your character,

Romantic entanglements, past and present, if any, be sure to include any outstanding misunderstandings and if your character is aware of them or not,

Enemies, hatreds, fears and dangers, if any,

Current habits, preferred schedule, pace of life,

Goals, aspirations, plans for the future, if any,

Subjective Ratings for sense of,

- Joie de vivre,

- Noblesse oblige,

- Sang-froid,

- je ne sais quoi,

- soupiness,

- dippiness, tendency to recite poetry,

- scripture knowledge,

- luck or skill betting on horses,

- skill at ‘hunt the slipper’,

Anything else?

#original character #PG Wodehouse #Jeeves and Wooster #Blandings Castle #Psmith #character development #pg Wodehouse rpg?!?!?!? lol

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broadcastarchive-umd · 1 year

Photo

The comedy duo of Ralph Dumke (left) and Eddie East were pioneers in New York City and Chicago radio broadcasts in the late 1920s. They became national radio stars on NBC Radio from 1930-1937, hosting a daily 15-minute afternoon program, "Sisters of the Skillet.” This was a parody of radio programs for housewives, during which they performed comedy sketches, jokes, and musical numbers.

"After experimenting with several types of broadcasts, they hit on their humorous imitation of women broadcasting to women. With that their fame was assured… Their talk, wisecracks and tomfoolery are spontaneous – one of the few extemporaneous programs on the air." – Scammon (Kansas) News-Herald, July 31, 1931

Library of American Broadcasting archives | Tumblr Archive

#library of american broadcasting #1930s #NBC radio #comedy

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autumnalwalker · 1 year

Text

Find the Word Tag

Thank you for the tag, @writernopal.

My words were threshold, passion, empire, & serve.

Passing the tag to @talesofsorrowandofruin, @oh-no-another-idea, @ceph-the-ghost-writer, @monstrousfreedom, and, as always, an open tag for anyone else who may wish to join in.

Your words shall be spiral, selfish, wicked, & well

Threshold: Empty Names - 6 - Background Checks

He stops in the middle of the hallway in front of a blank spot on the wall between a four-armed suit of armor and a marble statue of a long-bearded wizard. He reaches out and knocks a rhythm on the wall. Once upon a time the passcode would change twice a year, but the teasing inside joke Carnette left it on last still causes the wall to slide open. On the other side is a gilded spiral staircase descending down a long stone tube. A good meter of empty space separates the edge of the stairs from the outer wall. Room enough for the adventurous to slide the whole way down the banister or for the exceptionally durable to jump.

Sullivan puts a foot forward but hesitates on the threshold as memories rise unbidden. Carnette showing off the false windows to other worlds spaced along the shaft to give the impression of descending from the heavens to deep beneath the sea during his first visit. The ornate door at the bottom. Being pushed over the edge of the banister.

Passion: The Archivist's Journal, Day 147

I told him that I think I made that story up. Not in this life, but my old one. I told myself I was “remembering more details” as I was preparing, when in fact I was newly adding them for the first time. And really, I knew it even then, I just didn’t want to admit it. Admit that I liked it because it was mine and not because it was good. I don’t remember much of what I was before, but I know one thing I was not was a writer. I never even wrote that story down before coming here. It was just a fancy taking up space in my head. A narrative extemporaneously woven and applied to a concert whose music I recall practically nothing of. Never even mentioned to close friends (I think I had those). Trying to tell it here was nothing more than an act of hubris. Selfishness. I wish to think of myself as creative, but I’m not capable of creating something good or worthwhile and that’s reflective of my own value. And speaking the story aloud in a moment of self-delusion was flaunting the proof of that to the world.

And yes, I realize that is all nonsense. No one is ever simply good at anything, especially creative arts. Even discounting the fact that I’m probably (almost definitely) being harder on myself than is necessary or accurate, things take practice and work to make good. And just because it felt like you put a whole lot of work and effort and passion into something, that doesn’t mean it was enough. Or it was an adequate amount, but you’re still new so any early work is going to be rough. That the apparent failure is something to learn from and grow moving forward.

But, you see, that’s the worst part. The self-awareness. The fact that I can recognize all those things and still not be able to recover and drag myself out of the emotional hole. That I let it drive me to not want to even speak of it again. That is the real proof of my weakness. My laziness. My cowardice. My unworthiness.

Empire Kingdom: Empty Names side story - Once Upon A Time...

On those first few adventures the Rogue was quickly impressed by the Princess, who was even better at sneaking, running, and climbing than they were. Almost as good at blending in too, even if he did always choose to be a boy every time. And if the Princess was maybe a little bit more wicked than they were in the pranks he thought up to play on mean rich folks and thieves (the Rogue was not a Thief), at least it was people who deserved it and they were there to talk him back if it looked like the prank was going to go too far.

Yes, they had many fine times, the two youngsters with the run of the kingdom’s nighttime capital. And if from time to time their adventures ran into complications that kept the Princess until morning, well, the Rogue may have been the better actor but the Princess was the better liar by far and kept the royal tutors and minders from suspecting aught was amiss.

Serve: The Archivist's Journal, Day 150

After a brief pause, Lin made a (forced?) chuckle and added that wouldn’t change the other of the two big reasons for not wanting to find a man to marry and have kids with.

I felt a twinge of a grin on one side of my mouth and said that I’m sure Maiko is thankful for that second reason. Lin gave me a look. I defended myself by stating that I possessed working eyes and ears.

From there we shifted to lighter topics. Mostly dinner. There are actually a handful of establishments in the Village that are something like restaurants. No menus though, just whatever the cook is making that day. Being mostly paid in food, I rarely patronize them, but this evening they served our purposes well enough.

#tag game #find the word tag #manuscript search tag #my writing #Empty Names #The Archivist's Journal

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addictedtostorytelling · 2 years

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In Rashorama, in the scene where it was repeated multiple times and in the viewpoint of how the characters.. In Nick's, seems like he mentioned something about american beauty theme (?), while Greg's was old vegas. What do you think was Sara and Grissom's scenes meant in terms of wedding and maybe of how they perceive things?

hi, anon!

so at the beginning of the episode, when nick, greg, and sara are at the diner, their waitress gives what is essentially the thesis for the episode, stating that “weddings are a rorschach,” as “everyone sees what they want to see” in them.

throughout the episode, we are then shown that this statement is true on two main levels: on an explicit (or outward) level and on an implicit (or inward) one.

the explicit/outward level comes in the form of each character recounting their individual experiences at the wedding venue (i.e., through what they report in their account of the day and how they report it). the words they use to describe said venue, the people at the venue, their thoughts on the events of the day, etc. all reveal what their outward/public opinions on weddings and marriage are.

the implicit/inward level comes in the form of how each individual story is depicted cinematically (i.e., in what is communicated by elements of the storytelling other than the dialogue). the lighting, camera effects, music, camera angles and focuses, etc. that are used to dress their accounts all reveal what their inward/private opinions on weddings and marriage are.

in most cases, the explicit and implicit levels of storytelling match up for each character:

nick is a romantic at heart, so, on the explicit level, he speaks reverentially of weddings and marriages, noting how much love abounds with them despite the tragedy of this particular day (“the perfume of american beauties* was everywhere. though a rose by any other name would have smelled just as sweet on a day with that much love in the air”). implicitly, his experience at the venue is shown through a glossy camera filter and in bright colors, making everything seem soft and beautiful around him, to the point where his account takes on an almost dream-come-to-life quality overall.

greg, the old vegas historian, overeager young csi, and lab’s resident horndog, is more focused on the sex and murder at the wedding than anything else (“dozens of horny, single women with access to an open bar and coupling on their mind”). to him, lust lurks around every corner and everyone is a potential suspect, so on an explicit level, he recounts the day as if it were a noir drama, casting himself in the role of the lead detective. on the implicit level, the story then plays out in true noir fashion in sepia tones, with frank miller-esque** splashes of color for the bridesmaids’ lipstick and patches of blood spatter.

grissom’s take on the day is, as one would expect from someone as detail-oriented and matter-of-fact as he, mostly just straight-up realistic: his explicit account focuses mainly on identifying points of interest in his conversations with the bride and caterer and honing in on visual cues that may be instructive in the case. however, there are some subtle hints thrown in that he is perhaps not as oblivious to the more romantic aspects of the day as some might assume, such as, for instance, the extemporaneous verse he composes to mark his arrival at the venue (“spring is but a song, where love and laughter are not wrong. the blossoms of desire do belong, and harmonia axyridis fly along”)—which is of course a nod to the fact that he is in actuality a man in love himself, and even one with marriage on his mind, albeit secretly. implicitly, the cinematic aspects of his story are perhaps the most straightforward of anyone’s, lacking filters or recolorations. however, we are shown instances where his “grissom vision” comes to play, such as when he focuses in on the ladybug in the rose tunnel or the bride’s necklace as he’s interviewing her; these cues remind us that where grissom is concerned, paying attention to the details counts (an important lesson when it comes to interpreting some of his conversations and behaviors elsewhere in the episode, a point which i’ll discuss more below).

* the “american beauties” to which nick refers are just a specific varietal of roses.

** frank miller’s neo-noir film sin city (2005) had just come out the year before episode 06x21 “rashomama” (2006) aired, and it is an obvious influence on the stylization of greg’s storytelling.

but then there’s sara.

and the funny thing about the explicit and implicit levels of sara’s storytelling is that they are wildly incongruent with each other.

—and the fact that they are is important.

explicitly, sara spends almost the whole episode bad-mouthing the patriarchal underpinnings of many wedding traditions. she’s cynical about the particular nuptials they are investigating (“can the love be real when the flowers aren’t?”) as well as the more general idea of brides being exchanged as “property” between their fathers and husbands. many times, nick and greg note her sour anti-wedding attitude—which is on full display in her recounting of the day, as she depicts the bridesmaids as vapid airheads and points out the stupidity of the groomsmen.

however.

implicitly, the aesthetics of her account tell a completely different story—and ultimately reveal a private attitude about weddings/marriage that is almost opposite from the one she publicly expresses.

check out the filter on her version of the day: it’s glossy and brightly-colored, casting the venue soft and beautiful, almost dreamlike, nearly identical to nick’s depiction.

and that’s because, despite all of her outward complaints, sara is, inwardly, just as much as a romantic at heart as nick is.

as i discuss in the gsr shipper’s guide to s6, “on a filmic level, her account of her time at the crime scene is shown through a softened filter with a slight green tone, giving everything a dreamy, almost romantic look. however, the aesthetics of her account differ greatly from the content of it, which is biting and almost bitter. the discrepancy between her outlook and her words speaks to her confusing and often contradictory behavior throughout the episode: i.e., while sara talks a good game about thinking weddings are frivolous, she actually (secretly) has a more positive view of them mainly because she maybe wouldn’t mind getting married to a certain someone someday herself.”

for as much as sara might outwardly disparage the wedding industry, the truth is that someday baby girl wouldn’t mind being married herself—at least to the right person.

that’s why when mikey shoemaker asks her if she’s ever thought about getting married herself, she gets so flustered.

methinks the lady protesteth too much.

that’s also why at the end of the episode, when the one person she could maybe see herself actually marrying someday shows up, she very quickly changes her tune and lays off of all her complaining about marriage traditions, insisting that her issue is not with the institution of marriage itself but rather with the ignorance and lack of care with which some people approach making that kind of commitment, ultimately arguing that as long as everyone involved in the marriage understands the significance of what is being undertaken, then that’s all that really matters.

note that she and grissom both demonstrate a clear understanding of the significance of marriage traditions and are in agreement about what marriage means.

the take-home we can glean from the disparity in her verbal testimony vs. how her story is visually depicted on the screen is that while she is opposed to people getting married “for the wrong reasons” and has some strong opinions about the superficiality and hollowness of the commercial wedding industry, the truth is that she is herself a deeply romantic person who wants to get married someday—as long as it’s to the right person and for the right reasons.

—and the good news for her is that her intended groom is on the same page as she is.

as stated above, not only does grissom’s account of the wedding day hint at the fact that he views weddings and marriages as outward professions of love (the same as sara does), but his behavior throughout the rest of the episode, plus some of the cinematography, points to the fact that he (like sara) already at this point has marriage on the brain, and more specifically marriage to sara.

as i talk about here,

after grissom preempts hodges’ big reveal on the trace results—buttercream frosting from the wedding cake—hodges attempts to make “guy-talk” with grissom, putting on very serious face and remarking,

“you know, you and me, we’re not the marrying kind. the intricacies of our nature can never be understood by just one woman.”

unamused—and unconvinced—grissom tells hodges to leave his office and shut the door behind him.

the scene then shifts to show sara asleep in the locker room, her hand dangling off the edge of the bench...

this scene break is delightful on multiple levels,

a) because it hints that grissom may disagree with hodges’ assertion about his nature (i.e., though hodges thinks grissom isn’t “the marrying kind,” grissom feels that there is one person he could maybe see himself marrying one day);

b) because it mirrors the cut scene in episode 5x05 “swap meet,” in which person-of-interest erin brady says to grissom, “everyone fantasizes about other people. even you, mr. grissom. a neighbor, a friend—a girl at the office,” and the scene immediately cuts to show sara sitting in the hallway, the implication being the sara is the “girl at the office” about whom grissom fantasizes;

c) because it mirrors the cut scene in episode 6x23 “bang-bang,” in which doc robbins asks grissom if grissom has ever come close to getting married, grissom recounts how he made his only marriage proposal to date when he was in the second grade, and the scene then cuts to show sara looking at a wedding photo spattered in blood, the implication being that sara is someone grissom might potentially marry;

and,

d) because it implies that sara understands the intricacies of grissom’s nature.

though nowhere does episode 06x21 “rashomama” explicitly state that “grissom and sara want to get married to each other,” implicitly, it communicates that message loud and clear on multiple levels: through their accounts of their time at the wedding venue, their conversations at the diner/lab, and especially in how they act around each other in the few scenes they share leading up to when iab arrives.

that the very last scene of the episode sees them sitting side-by-side, looking incredibly domestic (i.e., “married”) while grissom completes his crossword puzzle and sara folds origami shows how ultimately aligned they are in their viewpoints.

the idea that grissom and sara are both thinking of marriage to each other already is then further reinforced during the events of episode 06x23 “bang-bang.”

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

#answered #anon #asks: csi #**#my meta #meta: csi #meta: gsr #meta: production #06x21 #let's talk shop #csiverse

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