#news brand 88

[newsbrand]

Only Ja’Kani 🌹showing out for upcoming Halloween 🎃 👻

🔥 🔥🔥

#n.e.w.s. brand #n.e.w.s. #news brand #news brand 88 #n.e.w.s.brand #n.e.w.s #newsbrand #steer your destiny #fashion #los angeles #california #style #fall #2022 #only #jakani #only jakani #cali #so cal #southern Cali #southern #sexy #bold #cute #Halloween

[pers-books]

The Ninth Doctor meets River Song! 

Christopher Eccleston is joined by Alex Kingston in Star-Crossed, a brand-new box set of full-cast audio dramas from Big Finish Productions, due for release in May 2024. 

For the final release in the current series of The Ninth Doctor Adventures, the Time Lord with a war-torn past meets a very important woman from his future. 

Alex Kingston first played Professor River Song in Steven Moffat’s 2008 Doctor Who TV episode Silence in the Library, and since then the assassin-turned-archaeologist has met many incarnations of the Doctor – though not in the right order. 

It’s finally time for her to say “Hello, sweetie” to her husband’s ninth incarnation, as the two of them embark on three adventures together. They visit a planet in thrall to a dating app, an intergalactic bank with a catastrophic glitch, and a raging maelstrom. Fantastic! 

Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Star-Crossed is now available to pre-order for just £29.99 (collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £22.99 (download only), exclusively here. 

The three thrilling stories are: 

Swipe Right by John Dorney  Face of the Apocalypse by Lizzie Hopley  Archipelago by Tim Foley 

Christopher Eccleston said: "Returning to the world of the Doctor has been a great experience precisely because it has allowed me to re-explore my interpretation of the character and how he interacts with the many extraordinary beings he encounters along the way. Alex’s River was one such character and this was an interesting, challenging and enjoyable encounter for the Doctor too.” 

Alex Kingston said: “This is the first time that I’ve had an opportunity to work with Chris's Doctor. It’s a challenge for River to step into his interpretation and navigate it. He’s got a different energy to any of the other Doctors – she has to work harder to engage him, to get through to him, which is great fun.” 

Big Finish listeners can purchase Doctor Who – The Ninth Doctor Adventures: Star-Crossed as part of a as part of a complete four-volume series bundle for just £108 (on collector’s edition CD box set + download) or £88 (download only). 

All the above prices include the special pre-order discount and are subject to change after general release. 

Series 1-2 of The Ninth Doctor Adventures are still available to purchase as triple LP vinyl bundles – limited to a pressing of 1,000 per volume – for £140 per series. Collector's edition (CD box set + download) bundles are also available at £110 per series, as are digital download bundles, for just £96 per series.  

Please note: the vinyl editions do not include any behind-the-scenes extras. However, listeners purchasing vinyl LP editions will receive a download of the story automatically and be given access to the CD edits as a bonus download. Episodes will be edited specifically for the vinyl format, presented as 2 episodes, one on each side, each with opening and closing music. In addition, all pre-orders of the vinyls will also receive the behind the extras as a bonus download.

Please note that Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date.

-- What an announcement - and on Alex's birthday, too!!! 💙😍💙

#Big Finish #Ninth Doctor #River Song #*brb squeeing and flailing* #Christopher Eccleston #Alex Kingston #Doctor Who #Audio Drama

[is-the-snake-video-cute]

Cornsnake Shopping List

So, you've decided on a cornsnake - great choice! Cornsnakes, Pantherophis guttatus, are great pets, and they're popular for a reason! You can expect an adult cornsnake to grow 3-5 feet long, with males being generally bigger than females. Cornsnakes can live to be around 20 years old with proper care.

Enclosure setup shopping list:

You will want to set up your enclosure so your snake has room to stretch out, climb, and explore! You will need to set up a temperature gradient of 88-75 Fahrenheit.

Enclosure. For a young corn, a 20 gallon is fine, and a 40 gallon works well for yearlings. As an adult, your snake will need a 4x2x2 enclosure at the absolute minimum, and bigger is better! Check out Animal Plastics for affordable, high-quality enclosures.

If your enclosure has a screen lid, two sets of screen clips. Never bring a snake home without screen clips!

A dome heat lamp with ceramic sockets. Any big reptile brand is fine - Fluker's, Zoo Med, and Exo Terra are all trustworthy brands here. Make sure your dome lamp is rated for the wattage of bulb you will be using - 150 is usually a safe bet.

Heat bulbs. I use ceramic heat emitters for my corns. You can choose to provide halogen light and UVB if you'd like. Arcadia makes high-quality heat sources your pet will love. The wattage you choose will depend on your enclosure size and the temperature in your home.

A thermostat to plug your heat source into. Vivarium Electronics thermostats are excellent but pricey; you can go as expensive as you like but here is a cheap one I swear by.

Digital thermometer/hygrometer reader with probes - Zoo Med and Exo Terra make great dual gauges

At least two identical hides, one on either side

A container to make a humidity hide. Simply cut a hole in the lid, fill with damp moss, and you're set! Providing your snake with a humid hide will help them have perfect sheds every time!

A large water bowl

(Insider tip: if you go to the grocery store and buy a pack of black plastic food storage containers, you can easily make hides, humidity hides, and a water bowl out of them! Here's my go-to option, you can easily take care of all that for one baby snake for like 5 dollars!)

Sphagnum moss for your humid hide

Substrate - for corns, you have a lot of options. You can use aspen shavings if you like, but coconut fibers, cypress mulch, and coconut husk are all great options. Whatever you choose, provide your snake with at least a couple inches so they can dig.

Climbing branches and other decor - climbing is a must, and vines, rocks, and tunnels made from cardboard tubes are other great options.

General care:

Feeding tongs.

Food for your snake. Even baby corns can eat whole pinky mice. Your offered food should be about 10% of your snake's body weight.

A soldering iron, believe it or not! A cheap soldering iron will serve you well throughout your snake's life - you can use it to easily melt holes in bowls and containers to make hides.

A small snake hook can help you with handling your snake, especially if you're nervous.

And some common beginner mistakes:

Don't move your snake to a separate enclosure to feed. It's a myth that will make your snake "aggressive" - it can actually cause more mistaken feeding bites as they associate handling with being fed!

Don't worry if your snake spends most of their time hiding, especially while young. A hiding snake is a happy snake!

Don't over-handle your snake, and always give them at least a week to settle in before offering food for the first time.

Never handle your snake for two days after they've eaten - that could cause a regurgitation.

Cornsnakes are some of the best pet snakes out there! With proper enclosure setup, you're all set for many happy years together with your new friend.

#not a rating #snake shopping lists #cornsnakes

[nuzzle]

haul of a girl that can't pick a substyle

my first brand swimsuit and an usakumya necklace i was very excited about finding!!

i was missing several of the early volumes of GLB and was able to fill in the gaps with a few of those. i've been interested in researching the history of the fashion recently so i'm constantly hunting for old magazines! i've added GLB volumes 1-4 & 6 & 49--as well as "Frill" volume 1 and the "Maison Gothic & Lolita Style" book to my media collection.

a metamorphose Alice OP (2000) that i got on auction!! the double sleeves and center buttons down to the bottom are my favorite. it didn't come with the apron, but i was lucky enough that the one from a different Alice OP, also from the year 2000... was on auction on a different platform at the same time. i bought them separately intending to pair them together! i quite prefer the style of this rounder edged apron rather than the more squared top one it's meant to go with.

this is actually the dress that made me realize the Alice OP Set on lolibrary has a long version (similar to the maid OP from 2003 mini & long or the nun style OP mini & long)--i'll have to remind myself to submit a correction for the current OP to indicate the mini variation, and to submit a new entry for the long length one if i can manage to find more information... though i had no idea of its existence until recently! from an old LM sales listing, i found that the mini length is around 88 cm, whereas this one is 125 cm. i severely underestimated the length of this and it's down to my ankles, but i suppose it'll be my first long dress ^_^

#also i got a black x red usakumya with paris embroidery but i wanna retake an usa family photo for that occasion #and some doll stuff.. but i will reserve that for a bjd post #metamorphose temps de fille #baby the stars shine bright #btssb #angelic pretty #gothic and lolita bible #gothic & lolita bible #frill magazine #old school lolita #sweet lolita #lolita fashion #egl #egl fashion #egl community #usakumya

[gardenstatetait]

TLDR: I’m plugging these again for TDOV, these are charity stickers with all proceeds donated to the Human Rights Campaign. You can find them and more in my shop here.

💙💖🤍💖💙

Today is Trans Day of Visibility and I’m struggling to find words that encompass a lot of complicated feelings, complicated feelings that no doubt all trans people have been experiencing this year. As of writing this in the US there are currently 382 proposed anti-trans legislation in 44 states. When I initially made these charity stickers last year the bills that formed the blueprint for all that came after them were only active in 4 states, and I had planned on targeting these donations at small organizations local to these effected states. Obviously as things have snowballed out of control, and as a one man operation with no real background in fundraising, I’ve decided that all further funds will be donated directly to the Human Rights Campaign to hopefully more effectively target your generous contributions.

Make no mistake the outcome of these laws are to erase trans existence, with no hyperbole this is the rollout of a transgender genocide. This is an act of bigoted fearful violence with an ultimately futile goal; because there are trans people born every day, there have been and will always be trans people. Our current government is lashing out and spilling blood, splitting families, taking lives. They are digging their heels in and breaking all the rules for a war they’ve already lost.

If you’re still reading this small novel, my ultimate message is that we need to protect each other. Trans and queer lives hang in the balance, we need to fight fiercely with all the love in out bones. Today I’m donating the $88 proceeds collected from the charity stickers +$20 of my own, I recognize that these battles are fought with the dollar and we’re firmly in a recession and I’m incredibly grateful for whatever amount was collected since last April’s donation. These are still available if you’d like to contribute, and in the coming days I plan to release a brand new design with a new floral kick. Stay safe, everyone❤️

#tdov #tdov 2023 #pride #pride merch #transgender #trans rights #trans liberation #stickers #queer artist #trans artist #my art

[wrestlezaynia]

There's nothing like a friend.

It's that time of year again! Time to give credit where credit is due. I've gained new friends and lost old ones. 2023 has been bittersweet, but I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. So whether you're still here and have been following me since the beginning or you're brand new to my blog, I like to do what's called a "follow forever" once a year to show my appreciation and gratitude to those I hold dear. Thank you for your kindness and unwavering support, but most importantly, your friendship. The ones bolded hold a special place in my heart.

@loki69zowens, @skyqueen3, @spaghettiisinmysoul, @wrestlingdespairings, @writinglionqueen, @jazzy-tzw, @adamjf, @colesterstrudel, @racerchix21, @rollinsland, @crxssjae, @taydaq, @r-truth, @werewolves, @daddywrasslin, @thewanderer-000.

@kayfabebabe, @pikapuff-316, @retro-rezz-the-est, @them1z, @low-x-battery (Luv u so much), @cawcawmotherfker, @wardlow, @coloursflyaway, @ziasaph, @amy-e-88, @fridayschild713, @unintentionaloracle, @solo-uno, @ashleywwefan, @daddyhausen.

@adriennegabriella, @blysfullyconfused, @connormischief, @riveliciousx, @swervestrickland, @alphafemaleape, @smashthegiantkiller, @sassymox, @alyssaowens915, @yugiohio, @thesamoanqueen, @smartycvnt, @theemorose, @jeysbvck, @kevinsteen.

Tumblr is being rude and not letting me tag anyone else (wtf I have 500 followers!), but just know, I love you unconditionally. -Zaynee. 💖

#wrestlezaynia's 2024 Follow Forever #I love you guys! 🥰

[buckymorelikefuckme]

how to marry a millionaire | chapter one

mafia bucky x spoiled brat reader

words: 3k

warnings: s*exual language, no smut (yet hehe)

a/n: eeeeep!!! i'm so excited for this fic, y'all have no idea omg. with that said, though, i don't have a posting schedule for this, so pls be patient with me while i write it and post chapters whenever i can ♡ any and all mistakes are mine. feedback is encouraged & appreciated! xoxo

masterlist

This club is doing absolutely nothing to lift your spirits. Honestly, you hadn't had high hopes that it would when you'd decided to come earlier in the evening, but you were fucking bored sitting at home all alone and feeling sorry for yourself. After all, pity parties are much more enjoyable when you have at least one other person to share the pity with. Instead of bitching to someone else, though, you sought to drown your sorrows in Amaretto Sours and loud music.

You sigh heavily, swirling your straw in slow circles in your drink as the news you received that morning paraded in the forefront of your mind.

Henry Spofford III, your most recent sugar daddy, died in his sleep at the ripe age of 88. He'd been in excellent health, mostly because the best doctors and healthcare money could buy were at his disposal—which had been the deciding point in you coming to an agreement with the old bastard—so to hear of his passing had come as a shock. Your lip curls in annoyance when you recall the conversation you'd had with his lawyer over the phone.

“Henry died in the early hours of the morning,” he said in lieu of a greeting when you accepted the call. “I'm sure this is hard for you, and I'm very sorry for your loss.”

“I—what?” you stammered, coming to a standstill in your massive closet where you'd been trying to pick out an outfit for the day.

“I regret to inform you that, while Mr. Spofford had intentions of including you in his will, his untimely passing prevented him from doing so.”

You suddenly felt like the room was spinning, taking staggering steps over to the chaise in front of the floor to ceiling windows that overlook Central Park. Before you had a chance to utter a response, he continued.

“As you are aware, Mr. Spofford paid the lease on your penthouse for the year. Since we're approaching August, you have five months left until the lease is up for renewal. Obviously, what you choose to do then is entirely your business, but you will no longer have his money to support you.”

“Right,” you replied faintly, bringing your clammy palm up to your forehead, feeling a migraine coming on. “Of course.”

“I'm sorry for your loss,” he repeated, and you were pretty sure he wasn't talking about just Henry.

You drain the last of your drink, slamming the empty glass on the bar probably a little too forcefully. What a fucking joke. You knew you shouldn't have gotten into that relationship. Not that there was anything romantic about it, not for you.

“Another?” the bartender asks, raising his voice to be heard over the music, nodding to your glass.

“Keep them coming,” you instruct.

See, the thing is, Henry dying is terribly inconvenient. He was the wealthiest sugar daddy you'd had so far and was so easy to manipulate into giving you whatever you wanted. You'd had your eye on a brand new Bentley Continental GT and were so close to convincing Henry to get it for you. Looks like that will have to wait a little while now.

God, why was the universe so cruel to you?

A fresh drink was placed in front of you and you grabbed it, taking a long sip without thanking the bartender.

This puts you back at square one. Searching for replacements always made you cranky. You'd have to kiss so much ass to find somebody as rich as Henry, and you were already dreading it.

“You are much too pretty to be pouting like that.”

You don’t try to hide your eye roll. “How original,” you drone, not even looking beside you where the voice came from.

The man laughs. “Oh, this one has bite,” he muses.

You look heavenward for patience. “Listen, unless you have obscene amounts of money to support my truly heinous shopping habits, I’m not interested. Fuck off.”

“Would a Birkin get you to actually look me in the eye?” he asks.

With an aggrieved sigh, you let your gaze fall to the man occupying the seat to your left. And then you promptly feel your thighs clench involuntarily.

Holy fucking shit this guy is gorgeous. Dark hair styled expertly, stubble across his sharp jaw lightly peppered with gray, light blue eyes dancing in amusement. He's leaning casually against the bar, his arm resting on top of it, dressed in an admittedly expensive looking suit, no doubt tailored to his exact measurements. Your eyes catch on the watch on his wrist and you nearly moan. You know a sixty thousand dollar watch when you see one. Perhaps you were too hasty in blaming the universe for your misfortunes.

Interest sufficiently piqued, you shift slightly to face him a bit more. His lips quirk up on one side.

“I don't want just any Birkin that every other basic bitch has. I want the diamond encrusted crocodile one,” you say, tilting your head and smiling sweetly.

“A woman with taste,” he praises, smirking.

“Clearly,” you acknowledge as you raise a challenging brow.

He laughs again, his eyes crinkling on the sides. It makes him look charming, but if there is anything in your years of being a sugar baby has taught you, it's how to read people. This man reeks of power, and not in a typical CEO or old money way. Even the way he's sitting screams easy confidence. He’s oozing danger and normally you would take that red flag for what it is, but you're just tipsy enough to ignore it.

You rise from your barstool, smoothing out your dress and fluffing your hair. He watches your every move with extreme focus. Thank god you picked a curve-hugging dress that showed off your body.

“I expect my Birkin within the next two days,” you inform him, blowing a kiss as you turn and walk away.

A man like that will know how to find you. Call it a gut feeling. You knew, one way or another, he'd come across your path again. Whether or not he would have the promised bag remains to be seen, however.

~

You're returning home from some retail therapy. As much as you absolutely adore spending money, especially when it's someone else's, you weren't completely irresponsible with it. You always saved at least half of whatever Henry gave you in a separate bank account from the one he'd wire your allowance to. So, with a fat chunk of change collecting dust in the aforementioned account, you figured you deserved to treat yourself to some goodies after the previous harrowing day you had.

“Hi, Walter,” you greet as you enter your building with arms laden in various shopping bags.

“Good afternoon, miss,” the doorman returns with a pleasant smile. “I believe your friend stopped by while you were gone.”

You pause, frowning. “My friend?” you ask.

He nods. “Yes. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes.”

“Oh.” A smile tickles your lips. “Is he still here?”

“No ma'am. He said he only wanted to drop off some things for you.”

You're practically vibrating in your skin. “Are they up front?”

“He said he had a key,” Walter replies with a knowing grin. “Finally settling down, miss?”

A key? That has your smile faltering, makes something unsure twist in your stomach. But as soon as the feeling appears, your mind recalls that Walter said he’d dropped off things, as in plural, and just like that, you dismiss whatever uneasiness that tried to make itself known within you.

“Thank you, Walt,” you say sincerely.

You quickly make your way to the elevators, impatiently pressing the button for one of them to open. It only takes a few seconds and then you're ascending to the top floor where the penthouses reside. There's only two, and you have the one with the better view, because fucking duh.

You dart out of the doors before they're even opened all the way, jostling your shopping bags in the process. You huff, adjusting your grip on them as you make a beeline for your apartment. It's a struggle to dig your keys out of your purse and unlock your door, but you eventually do and hurry inside, carelessly dropping your shopping bags in the entryway and kicking off your heels. Rounding the corner, you stop in your tracks once you see the display in your living room.

“Fuck,” you whisper, heart hammering.

Not only do you spot the beloved Hermès logo on a tan velour dust bag in the center of it all, but there are also Dior boxes, and Chanel, Prada, Givenchy—there are so many brands in front of you, and the sheer amount has your panties growing damp. You bite your lip to keep from making an embarrassing sound.

Your hands shake when you pick up the Hermès dust bag, slowly opening it and taking a peek inside.

“Oh my god,” you whine upon seeing the specific diamond encrusted crocodile Birkin you asked for.

You have no fucking clue how he managed to actually snag one of these. Not only are they one of the most expensive designs, but they're fucking rare and hard as shit to find. God, he really must have so much fucking money and connections to have acquired it in less than a day. You've hit the goddamn jackpot.

The next thing you reach for is the small Tiffany & Co. box, opening it to reveal the Victoria Vine drop necklace that you know is at least twenty thousand dollars. After that, you're like a kid on Christmas morning, and soon you're sitting on the floor in a sea of empty boxes, bags, and tissue paper, the smell of luxurious leather filling the air. Your earlier purchases are all but forgotten on the entryway floor at this point. Glittering jewelry and clothes and perfume and so much more all around you. You could weep, honestly.

There was an envelope resting on top of one of the boxes that you had ignored in favor of finding out what the contents were within. Now that there's nothing left to open, however, you finally rip it open to pull out the card. Jesus, even this fucking stationary smells luxurious.

In scratchy handwriting, the card reads: Have I passed your test?

An address is listed, followed by, 8pm. Don't be late. -JBB

You run your fingers over his signature, suddenly realizing you don't even know this man’s name, or anything about him for that matter, other than he's ridiculously wealthy and even more ridiculously handsome. But you're much too intrigued by him to pretend like you have to think about whether or not you’re going.

Checking the time, you curse under your breath when you see you only have four hours to get ready. You already have an outfit in mind, and you smile smugly to yourself as you undress and step under the warm water. He's not gonna know what hit him.

If you take an extra ten minutes to use the showerhead to get off, no one else is around to know.

~

Whoever this man was, he was doing everything possible to show off his wealth. You'd just been putting on your finishing touches to your makeup when you'd gotten a call from the concierge downstairs saying a car had arrived to pick you up.

When you stepped outside and saw the black SUV, an Escalade to be sure, you had to tamp down the excited thrill that wanted to rush through you. The driver was waiting by the back door with his hands clasped behind his back, dressed in an all black suit and tie. He'd greeted you with a polite nod and opened the door for you to slide into the backseat.

Now, as you’re driven through the bustling streets of the Upper East Side, you allow yourself a moment to appreciate the car. You’ll always love the feel of buttery smooth leather against your bare legs.

A gratified smile toys at the edges of your lips. You've had a taste of what this man can offer and you'd be damned if you let him slip away. You will make sure he's wrapped around your pinky finger before the night is over.

Fifteen minutes later, you arrive at your destination. While the driver is making his way around to let you out, you check your reflection in your small compact mirror and quickly put it back in your gold clutch. As you step out of the car you gain the attention of a few passers-by. Honestly, you’d expect nothing less. You know you look like sex on legs.

You're wearing a cream colored dress that has a high neck, but the back dips low, resting right above your ass, and the hem is more on the indecent side. For your hair you'd gone for a very 90s Pam Anderson updo, looking both effortless and sexy. You kept your makeup simple yet sultry and your jewelry is tasteful, a few dainty gold bands on your fingers and some teardrop diamond earrings.

The stars of the outfit, though, are the Kate Strass Louboutins he'd gifted you. The way they sparkle makes it hard for you to keep your eyes ahead of you because you just want to stare at them. These aren't your first pair of red bottoms, and you're positive they're far from the last, but they are your new favorites.

Upon entering the restaurant, you immediately notice how quiet it is. A peek into the dining area explains why. It's empty, from what you can see. You huff a quiet laugh. Oh, he’s trying hard.

The hostess rounds the corner and greets you with a smile. “Good evening, Miss. Mr. Barnes is waiting at his table for you. Follow me.”

Barnes. Now you're getting somewhere.

You walk behind the hostess quietly as she leads you to a table where a lone man waits patiently. He's wearing another form fitting suit, all black and incredibly sexy, and the same watch from the first time you saw him is glinting on his wrist in the low light of the room. He stands as you approach, coming around to pull your chair out for you with a small smile.

“Your waiter will be with you shortly,” the hostess says as you sit down and Mr. Barnes returns to his own seat.

As she walks away, he relaxes back in his chair, crossing one of his legs over the other as he takes you in. “You look stunning.”

“I know,” you reply, smiling when he laughs. “Thank you.”

“I'm surprised you're not using your new Birkin,” he replies.

“That's not a date bag, silly,” you inform him playfully.

He grins. “My apologies. I do see that you're wearing the shoes, though.”

“I am,” you confirm, delicately sticking one foot out to admire the sparkling heels. “I can't stop staring at them,” you sigh wistfully.

“I'm happy to see you like them.”

You hum and return your gaze to his. He’s staring intensely, his blue eyes calculating.

“Do I get to know your name now?” he asks.

You smirk. “Are you pretending you don't already know it?”

His lips quirk up on one side. “Yes,” he decides.

You roll your eyes. “I think you should tell me your name.”

“You don't like the mystery?” he wonders, tilting his head.

“Something tells me you'll want me to know for later,” you tease coyly.

He laughs. “Touché.” Sitting up straighter, he leans in. “My name is James Barnes.”

Your brain perks up, trying to recall where you've heard that name before. You know you have, but honestly, it's hard to keep up with who's relevant in Manhattan anymore these days.

“It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Mr. Barnes,” you purr.

“Believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”

You grin. This should be fun.

James lifts a hand, beckoning someone. The waiter rushes over, introducing himself and asking what you'd like to drink.

“We’ll have the Montrachet Grand Cru,” James replies without even looking at a menu.

“Very good, sir. I’ll be right back with that.”

After the waiter leaves, you cross your arms and rest them atop the crisp, white tablecloth. James matches your stance.

“So,” you begin, a slow grin etching across your lips, “how much did it cost you to rent out the whole place?”

“Why would it cost me anything to rent out my own restaurant?” he asks in mock curiosity.

Your eyebrows raise ever so slightly. His restaurant? Impressive. That still doesn't explain the absurd amount of money he spent on those gifts, though.

“You won't lose profit closing it like this?” you prod.

With a secretive smile, he explains, “I have my hand in quite a few… business endeavors.”

“I see,” you respond.

You have a feeling his other so-called “business endeavors” aren't quite as legal or upstanding as a high dollar restaurant. It should send off more warning bells in your mind, but it only proves to further pique your interest.

“Besides,” he continues, “shouldn't a spoiled princess like you get the royal treatment?”

A surprised laugh escapes you. “Spoiled princess?” you repeat.

“Don't act like you're not,” he says with a knowing grin.

“You say it like it's a bad thing,” you reply.

“Oh, on the contrary, I love it.” His smile turns sly. “I love when a woman knows exactly what she wants, and how to get it.”

You lick your lips, noting how his eyes drop and follow the movement. “Well, it's a good thing I do then, huh?” you say quietly. “I've got my sights set on something big, too.”

“Bigger than you think,” he smirks.

You roll your eyes with a laugh. “God. I guess I set myself up for that.”

He leans back, elbows on the arms of his chair and rubbing at his bottom lip. “I've got my sights set on something, too,” he tells you, voice low and contemplative.

A pleased thrill hums throughout you. This man is the whole package. Everything you could ever dream of wanting in a man, conveniently wrapped up in a perfect, little bow is sitting right in front of you. Handsome, funny, and most important of all, filthy fucking rich.

You're gonna sink your claws into him and never let go.

#avengers fic #marvel fic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes #mafia bucky barnes x spoiled brat reader

[heckcareoxytwit]

Dazzler is not amused with the idea of being given a new show with Starfox as a co-star by Mojo. As Dazzler attacks Mojo, this prompts Spiral to defend her boss (or rather "President") of Mojoworld. Since Dazzler had attacked 'President' Mojo in front of everyone, she gets into trouble when she is branded as a terrorist of Mojoworld.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #88, 2024

#Dazzler #Alison Blaire #X Men #A Force #AForce #XMen #Starfox #Eros of Titan #Eternals #the eternals #Mojo #Spiral #Rita Wayword #Mojoworld #mojoverse #Marvel's Voices #Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #infinity comics #infinity comic #marvel #digital comics #webcomic #digital comic

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Oldsmobile 88 Rocket

For the 1949 model year, Oldsmobile presented two very important things – the 88 model series and a brand-new 303 CID V8 engine called the Rocket V8. Both of which proved very influential in Oldsmobile’s history. The 88 model was relatively light and compact, and Rocket V8 was considered a hot engine with a two-barrel carburetor and 135 HP on tap. The combination of a lightweight body and powerful engine in the form of the 1949 Oldsmobile 88 was arguably the first muscle car from Detroit.

The ’49 Olds 88 enjoyed success with the customers and on the track too. It won 6 of the 9 NASCAR races that year and also proved competitive on the drag strip. The car was the theme of one of the first rock and roll songs ever made, called “Rocket 88” by the Kings of Rhythm. All of this makes this car extremely influential, not only in automotive history but in rock n’ roll history as well.

#Oldsmobile 88 Rocket #car #cars #muscle car #american muscle #oldsmobile #Rocket 88

[velmatv]

People are often surprised to hear Jim Varney owned a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, but Jim had a rather eclectic personality. He ordered the car brand new, with an all black leather interior and had it outfitted with a twin-turbo system from Island Turbo in New York, which would have been a 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 expensive upgrade at the time.

[2024] marks the 43rd anniversary of the DeLorean’s release so we thought we’d share this photo, along with a little excerpt from Jim’s biography (written by his nephew, Justin Lloyd) on the subject:

“One of the few indulgences Jim allowed himself was a DeLorean sports car, made famous by the movie ‘Back to the Future.’ The car reflected how Jim stayed true to his own desires instead of trying to impress others. If he had really wanted to be ‘flashy,’ he could have bought a top-of-the-line Cadillac or Mercedes. Instead, he preferred something James Bond might drive. Plus, the stainless-steel DeLorean matched his stainless-steel Rolex. Once when Jim was visiting family in Lexington, his young niece Elaine was inspecting the DeLorean’s interior. She looked in the back seat and asked Jim where the flux capacitor was (the hardware that enabled the car in “Back to the Future” to travel through time when the speedometer hit 88 mph). I got a thrill myself as a 13-year-old in 1986 when Uncle Jim offered to take me for a ride in the car. We drove to a nearby gas station. When we pulled up to the pump, Uncle Jim raised both doors, letting the classical music he was blasting fill the air. To say that we drew attention is an understatement.”

Via FunnyMemes on FB

Jim Varney was a classically-trained actor who became famous for his goofy Southern character Ernest, who became a pitchman for local, then national companies, becoming so popular it sparked a series of Ernest movies.

#jim varney #actor #ernest #hey vern it’s ernest #delorean #80s cars #Youtube

[newsbrand]

Demteria Obilor 🌹dressed as the Street Fighter character Chun-Li for Halloween and is nothing short of Amazing 🤩 😍

#n.e.w.s. brand #n.e.w.s. #news brand #n.e.w.s #news brand 88 #n.e.w.s.brand #newsbrand #steer your destiny #fashion #Halloween #2022 #fall #street fighter #chun li #beautiful #sexy #bold #demetria obilor

[mapsontheweb]

Hi Maps on the Web team, 

In today’s internet age, everyone’s a critic. 

Received top-notch customer service with a luxury retailer? Post an Instagram story. Had a bad experience with an Uber ride? Tweet about it. 

So what are the most loved and hated brands across the world?

In a new study, Merchant Machine determined how every country feels about its local brands. The team used an AI sentiment analysis tool to evaluate Tweets containing brand names and measured the levels of positivity and negativity: https://merchantmachine.co.uk/loved-and-hated-brands/ 

Take a look at the most loved and hated brands across in every country:

Some key findings from the study include:

Burberry is the UK’s most loved brand, and Shell is its most hated.

Tiffany & Co. is the most loved brand in the U.S.

Fox has an 88% negativity rating in the U.S., making it the most hated brand in the world.

Jewellery brand Mouawad has a 98% positivity rating in the United Arab Emirates, making it the most loved local brand in the world.

You can also see which brands made the top 10 list in the U.S. and UK. 

Do you think your readers will find this interesting?

If the answer is yes, you can find the press kit, with more information on the study and images in HD here: https://www.dropbox.com/t/q1apxrEsOcxrNzSp 

Best, 

#maps #submission #brands

[you-cant-fuck-megaman]

king is one of my favorite characters in classic. dude's cool. he's really goddamn cool. he also gets shafted really fucking hard

i made a bit of a fuck-up in the burner man post, originally, joking about how king gaslit him. this was partially a pun off of burnerman being based off bunsen gas-lit burners, and partially a joke based on how fucking horribly both burner man and king got shafted. i was messaged about it and i figured “yeah actually gaslighting is kind of a serious deal and i shouldn’t really go for that angle”, apologized to the messenger, and reworded the joke.

but that joke didn’t come out of nowhere, there’s a REALLY ACTUALLY SUPER FUCKED UP relationship between burner man, king, and dr. wily

king’s entire deal is that, spoiler alert i suppose, wily made him to lead a robot revolution. however, king succeeds too well and wants to make a peaceful robot-nation to the point where wily has to reprogram him again right after programming him.

see, he gets reprogrammed offscreen before the game even fucking begins. wily apparently released a Day 1 Patch just to make EvilBadGuy.bat function. has to rewire his thought processes so that he can lead a revolution under the impression that robot violence will solve robot violence.

now, you might be saying “wait, this is probably referring to when you reach king at the end of king’s tower and he gets reprogrammed”. the kicker is when you eventually reach king at the end of king’s tower and he gets reprogrammed. see, you fight him, and it turns out he’s actually a decent guy! outside of the murders and mass collateral damage and attempted racial segregation. he’s just misguided and thinks that it’s bad for robots to serve humans because

anyway, so wily appears and he says

which means that King was already being brainwashed and now he’s beiNG BRAINWASHED EVEN FURTHER. HIJACKED ONCE AGAIN FOR THE PLAN FOR SUPER ROBOT FIGHTING BUT THIS TIME WE’RE USING 1.21 JIGGAWATTS, MARTY. WHEN THIS BABY HITS 88 MPH, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE SOME SERIOUS SHIT

there’s a lot to take away from Wily destroying his free will to become a blind puppet, when he was about to give up and become a good guy. again.

first off, the fact that he has FUCKING FREE WILL IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!! wily actively suppresses king’s morals again to make sure king does bad stuff properly this time and just erases king’s code_of_honor.sys entirely to make doubly sure, but King actively rebelling against his programming and going his own way demonstrates something which was supposed to be reserved for reploids! king is a brand new species of robot, he’s fucking incredible and powerful, able to do things that shouldn’t actually be possible among the classic roster! or wily is Actually That Goddamn Bad at coding, which probably explains why 90% of “””his””” Robot Masters are stolen but with his signature put on them. maybe he’s a designer more adherent to the aesthetic (look at all those skulls everywhere) while light’s the genius braincoder.

second off, holy shit wily. he’s done emotional manipulation before, he’s done lying before, he’s done a lot of heinous shit, and i’m pretty sure he whizzled in rush’s puppy food before, but forceful mind control of your own children is pretty fucking bad! and it has descended consequences! it continues on with king to burner man. it’s specified that king both actively “takes advantage of” burner man’s trust in him and also the supposed bomb within him to get him to do his bidding.

given the fact that none of the robot masters have dialogue we don’t exactly get to see much of the relationship between burner man and king, but even with the established information of “robot revolution for a peaceful world” + “set fire to a forest every day” + “this will lead to our peaceful world” + “you will die if you do not” + “trust me and I will lead you”, we’re potentially reaching actual gaslighting. i know my entire deal is making mountains out of molehills with regards to character scraps, but it doesn’t take a lot of extrapolation to get to some pretty goddamn dark territory.

and the thing is, why? why write this like this? i can guaran-damn-tee you nobody on bob capcom’s writing team actually thought about the implications of this! they just shrugged and tossed it in to make the bad guy more bad of a guy! but WHY? it’s completely unnecessary! if it’s just a matter of making king into a robot terrorist, he’s already fighting robots with other robots! if it’s a matter of making king seem SUPER evil bad, he’s already proclaimed he hates humans! if it’s a matter of making wily seem worse than super evil bad, he’s already had 8+ games of doing awful shit! given the generally-optimistic tone of the Classic timeline compared to X and Zero, it seems wildly out of character for even someone like wily to do his creation(s) dirty like so. it’s not just completely unnecessary, it’s tonally inconsistent!

i’ve mentioned before that king got a really goddamn raw deal, and he really, really has! this shit kept me up at night as a kid! it still keeps me up sometimes! i could be worrying about my future! my taxes! i could be worrying about fifty other more pertinent things in life! i could be WORRYING ABOUT SHIT THAT MATTERS

but KING DESERVED BETTER GOD DAMN IT

oh yeah and burner man deserves not being lied to i guess

#megaman #mega man #rockman #king #burner man #mm&b

[runwayrunway]

No. 44 - FedEx Express

If you have ever sent or received a package, particularly if you live in the United States, you may be familiar with FedEx, and @magic-gps requested that I discuss their airplanes!

FedEx (founded and formerly known as Federal Express) is a massive network for transportation of mail and cargo, and Federal Express Express (okay, no, I can't call it that, FedEx is legally the full name even though we all know what it's really short for) is its airborne branch, making up the largest cargo airline by fleet and freight tonnes conveyed in the entire world. Their largest customer is the US Postal Service, with whom they have an exclusive contract - any USPS air mail is carried by FedEx Express - but they also fly for countless other clients. They cover so much ground (air) that they not only have a dozen hubs but an additional SUPERHUB, located in Memphis. They're what DHL is for Europe but doing bigger numbers, and that's with UPS, Atlas Air, and Kalitta Air to compete with. Although they're based in the US, their website claims that their destinations include every US zip-code, plus "over 220" countries and territories. There are 195 internationally recognized countries at present. I don't think saying they fly everywhere is even really hyperbole at this point.

FedEx's fleet is massive and eclectic. They have the world's largest cargo fleet, with 650 planes (which are named by employees, frequently after their children). Add in FedEx Feeder, a second fleet of small propeller airplanes dry-leased to local carriers for use ferrying small loads to the full-size jets, and there's a total of 699 FedEx liveries in the skies with 88 more on order. They occupy whole swathes of tarmac. They're everywhere. Like snails after the rain.

Oh, and apparently this livery was designed by Lindon Leader (what a name) of Landor Associates, the prolific and highly regarded design firm responsible for hits like the SAS belly stripe livery and misses like JAL's two previous designs. I have higher standards for liveries that are just absolutely everywhere, so let's see if Landor was able to live up to them.

I'm going to be specifically talking about, because I presume this is what the requester meant, the livery FedEx adopted in 1994. The timeline of this is interesting, because the name of the airline stayed Federal Express until 2000, when the entire company rebranded from Federal Express to FedEx and added the redundant 'Express' to the airline's name. I've always thought that was very funny, and while that's charming to me I don't think I should be encouraging things like this. It's just sloppy and a bit weird to say.

Before they adopted the livery they did briefly trial a new logo. From 1991 to 1994 they had this!

Boy do I not like that! It's significant to the history of the company in that it shifted the colorscheme from indigo and burgundy to purple and orange, except that the difference in brightness here is really almost upsetting and the logo itself is...it looks like that. It's very TRON somehow. I don't find the tackiness pleasant. It's just ugly. The typeface they chose is bad. The wriggly X is nice but every other letter looks a unique sort of hideous, with the E in particular looking like a rake made of sponge which has been placed in water and left to soak. Thankfully they moved on quickly, replacing this logo at the same time as their livery.

The fact that there's six years between the visual rebrand and official renaming is interesting. Federal Express was already colloquially known as FedEx before the official renaming, and used it in their branding, but they weren't legally FedEx yet, so for that little span their planes bore both names.

This adolescent period in the life of modern FedEx featured the 'Federal Express' subtitle in this serif mystery font which I haven't seen mentioned at all anywhere. I couldn't find many more pictures with the full 'Federal Express', but there's a scattering of seriffed planes out there, it seems. It looks a lot better with the 'Federal' taken out just by virtue of legibility, and I have to say I'm very keen on the way the subtitle is offset to align with the start of the E. It looks nice and aerodynamic. When the first word is taken out it has the extra benefit of lining 'Express' up with the 'Ex' that stands for it.

But there it is! The FedEx logo. Adopted in 1994, considered a contender for the best logo ever made, winner of over 40 awards.

I want to disclaim for a moment. I think it's always been somewhat implicit that my opinions are just one manifestation of the infinite variability of human thought and inevitably subjective but I do need to re-stress this now: these are my own hot takes. My opinion is not legally binding. Lindon Leader is an incredibly accomplished designer and I'm not even a designer at all. There is a reason that FedEx's logo is so widely acclaimed. My criticism of it is not an attempt to contest its legacy, and is - again - just my opinion. And it is an opinion colored not only by the fact that I'm an amateur, and by the fact that my tastes are different from other people's, but by the fact that this logo is quite literally older than I am, and tastes have most certainly evolved since then.

I think the FedEx logo is...okay. I certainly do not despise it, but I would stop very short of calling it the best logo ever. I'm going to talk about why I'm so underwhelmed by it, and it's going to sound like I don't like this logo for a bit, but if you power through that you will see that my opinion about it isn't as straightforward as the sum of my opinions about its parts.

The fantastic thing about this particular logo is that it's easily the most-discussed and best-documented bit of branding I've yet covered, so it was a delight to research. I didn't even have to call in my font wizard, for example, because Leader explicitly states what it is in this interview - a proprietary typeface heavily inspired by Univers 67 Bold Condensed and Futura Bold. I actually like Futura (the Cyrillic version is one of my favorite Cyrillic typefaces) but don't love Univers 67 - it reminds me way too much of the handwriting style I was drilled in at school. US schools have truly heinous taste in the penmanship they teach, and much like how Parker cursive inherently reminds me of third grade, Univers 67 feels to me like an adult version of something I've long since outgrown. The design of the letterforms here, with the exaggerated x-height and all the lines (crossbars included) having a uniform thickness of 'very', reminds me of the posters on the walls of elementary school classrooms.

Take a look at this. The green line is hypothetically where the baseline should be, but the E and D descend slightly below it. According to my font wizard this is fairly common as an attempt to some sort of visual trick, but I don't like it. I can make it out from a distance and it significantly bothers me.

Speaking of misaligned, I've always felt like the vertical line on the E was slightly wider than that on the D, but had dismissed this line of thought as an optical illusion - the darker color and the lack of detail at the top, plus the lack of gaps at any point in the E, artificially make the D look narrower than it is. I tried lining them up, and I was right, it's an optical illusion. I still hate it. What isn't an optical illusion is that the middle line on the E is thicker than the second line on the F - again, hate it!

And I just don't like this font! It's like if they fed different fonts to a neutral network and had it invent a weight bolder than bold, like the neural-network generated upperer and lowerer cases. I'm aware of the existence of ultra bold weights, and I'm not talking about those, because those are regular ugly and clearly made by humans. This looks like an algorithm expanded the letters until they were touching.

But the touching bit is intentional. The FedEx logo is hiding a little secret, perhaps the most frequently cited reason for why it's so beloved. Between the E and X, Leader slipped in an inconspicuous arrow.

And I can't pretend this isn't really clever. It's subtle but once you see it you can never unsee it. My problem is that one feature doesn't make something good on its own, particularly when it's something you can easily miss at first. The Sneeze interview linked earlier sort of implies Leader built the font in large part around the idea of the arrow, and I find that a little problematic. Sometimes an idea is so fantastic you just can't let go of it, but when you're designing something you just can't be myopic like that. And, to be clear, I don't think Leader sacrificed the aesthetics of the wordmark to accommodate the arrow. I'm sure he personally thinks this font is beautiful. But when I evaluate it for myself, I can't allow one good feature to overpower my own dislike for the font overall, even if it is legitimately clever.

I do have some nice things to say, though. Well, mostly one nice thing. I love the color scheme. I think the purple and orange shades here are a wonderful choice, an uncommon one but one that manages to be a visually pleasing combination. If either of the shades were less saturated, or the purple were brighter, it would lose its cohesion, but Leader chose the perfect shades to bring out the best in each other. The old red and purple shades were absolutely hideous, but he transformed them into something great.

But at the end of the day my opinion of the logo on a granular scale is irrelevant. And I don't say that because I'm in the minority here or because I'm not allowed to have an opinion or anything else of the like. It doesn't matter because the FedEx logo is older than me and it is FedEx. When I see something purple and orange, I think of FedEx first. Let me use an example by invoking something better left dead.

In 2018 the Overwatch League, an esports league based around the maelstrom of poor decisions which is Blizzard's video 'game' Overwatch, played its first season. A charter member was the Florida Mayhem, a team which was in all honesty sort of a joke (though not exciting enough to live up to their name). I stopped following OWL after the first season, so I'm not sure if any of this has changed, but they finished second-to-last, made some very questionable choices on the management end, and were representing Florida. All of these facts are ontologically comedic. But above all, these were their team colors.

So, this creates the clear issue demonstrated above. Certain brands are so culturally entrenched that even a passing similarity in visual identity makes you immediately look like a pastiche, even if you're otherwise distinct. Mayhem's branding is, in my opinion, way better than McDonalds's, but it was still the right move when they changed to a completely unrecognizable color scheme in 2020. You just see some things and immediately recognize them.

The cultural specter of the FedEx logo is very useful to the FedEx livery. As long as you do not royally mess up - which they have not - a FedEx plane will immediately resemble a FedEx package, even if it doesn't actually look like one, since they're mostly white.

...well, okay, the planes are also mostly white. And I'll be honest, on the 727? This plane isn't half bad. The clean line of the t-tail makes this sort of straight-line-down livery look so much better, and the placement of the wordmark in front of the heavily swept wings keeps the white tube from looking quite so much like a white tube.

But the 727 isn't the only airframe they fly. They're the largest operator of six separate types, most of which are fully retired from passenger service, including the MD-11. Their MD-11s are literally the only trijets you'll see around in the US these days - they only started retiring their DC-10s in 2021, nearly ten years after they flew their last passenger flight. They're pretty unusual among large cargo airlines in that they flew the 747 for just over five years, and not particularly on their own initiative, having acquired a few from a merger with the Flying Tiger Line. So the way the livery looks on the 727 doesn't tell the whole story.

Okay. So that...is a couple of white tubes. That's somewhat unfortunate.

I want to clarify that, while this style of livery has become increasingly popular over time, culminating in its codification as an outright trend in the late 2010s and early 2020s, FedEx adopted this livery in 1994. It is wrong to say that the FedEx livery resembles TAM, Lufthansa, or Icelandair, and more correct to say that all of the above carriers are wearing a style similar to FedEx (though Qantas and MALÉV came first). Despite the fact that I've been known to call these 'Lufthansesque', Lufthansa didn't invent this style and didn't do it best. Still, doing it earlier doesn't excuse it.

FedEx in particular suffers from the rear-heaviness issue. Though they have a larger logo which balances it out better than some (Lufthansa), it's kind of countered by the fact that FedEx exclusively operates planes I'd consider on the long and thin side. It makes the white look all the more dominant on the airframe.

FedEx does take one measure to mitigate this - the undersides are painted grey (in a style I've been calling 'Deltalike' to myself even though Delta absolutely did not do it first) instead of being the same white as the rest of the fuselage with the purple fully wrapping around. Also, they have the line remain straight on the third engine of trijets, instead of committing to one shade or the other, as older trijet liveries frequently did.

Compared to an ASL Airlines lease which keeps the underside white and the purple as a contiguous loop, this creates a much more streamlined look. But it's not enough to save this.

And I think what bothers me the most is how at odds this is with the thing people say is so brilliant about the logo - the arrow.

Arrows are, as Leader pointed out in his interview, definitely not a new phenomenon in airline liveries. Hell, we even had Arrow Air.

But there's a reason for that. Arrows represent forward movement. They're fundamentally indicative of speed, efficiency, and polish. And airplanes are more or less shaped like arrows, when you think about it.

Something being done very frequently doesn't make it somehow creatively bereft. And it's not like only painting the tail and the big of fuselage directly below it is reinventing the wheel either.

Cheatlines, and hockey sticks especially, were not a particularly new thing when my perennial example of 'boring idea, good execution', Kalitta Air, rolled out in the 1980s. In fact, they were done to death. But Kalitta Air's choice in color and shape, use of proportions, and stylish logo set it apart from every other airline to use this style.

There is a reason arrows are so common. They are speed and precision and kinetic energy. When you refuse to consider making something common your own, you often shoot yourself in the foot. With the logo constructed, with the motto 'the world on time' written on the nose of each plane, absolutely nobody would turn up their nose at FedEx having an arrow motif on its livery.

Ultimately, I'm a bit sad, because the FedEx logo, while I don't like a lot of the choices made in regards to the font, would provide a truly fantastic jumping off point for a livery that would elevate it beyond the point anyone could ever dismiss it as being part of a crowd of very similar designs, the way I have by lumping it in with Lufthansesques. Arrows, being a fundamentally long and tall shape, would also avoid the pitfalls of a livery type which I have already on multiple occasions critiqued for inherently creating a look of rear-heaviness, particularly on longer and thinner airframes, especially when the color used is a dark shade to contrast a white base.

That said, the FedEx livery gets a bit of a free pass where something like Lufthansa doesn't. FedEx's logo is so ubiquitous that unless you actively interfere with or muddle it, any plane bearing it will immediately be recognizable as a FedEx plane the same way a truck or package is. As a branding exercise it is certainly successful. It looks clean, it's by no means exceptionally ugly, it does its job...but it is so rich with potential and so impoverished in execution. Doesn't it just look like this plane isn't taking off, but being pulled by the weight of its purple slice towards the ground?

I'm giving FedEx a D+.

I don't feel good about doing this. I think this is an opinion which is not only contentious but downright unpopular. But as I've mentioned a few times my grades take into account more than just broad aesthetic appeal. Branding and environment factor in, but what also factors in is, as I said in discussing Saudia, wasted potential and a refusal to capitalize on what you have that's clearly good. When I graded Air Astra down for not reaching its potential I meant it as a kind gesture, not even a sort of tough love but an acknowledgment that I like what they have and I know they'll do better.

FedEx, however, is just disappointing. For the frequently cited best logo of all time, this is just unacceptable. This verdict brings me no joy, but the fact that this logo is so beloved doesn't mean I can go easy on it - to the contrary, it had a lot to live up to, and it just didn't.

#tarmac fashion week #grade: d+ #era: 1990s #era: 2020s #era: 2010s #era: 2000s #region: north america #region: united states #fedex #kalitta air #cargo carriers #requests #lufthansa line #landor portfolio #skywriting

[girlsdressingrooms]

Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023),

More commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne, the Spanish-born designer who was renowned for his iconic metallic dresses, has passed away today at the age of 88 in Portsall, Brittany.

The designer revolutionised fashion by twisting unconventional materials into new and previously unexplored forms. His brand – synonymous with the optimism of the 60s – was built on sculptural microminis, crafted from bolshy paillettes of aluminium, which mined medieval armour for its space-age potential. 

His origins are equally as fateful and as intriguing as his designs, born in the Basque town of Pasajes, Gipuzkoa. His father was a Republican Colonel and was executed by Francoist troops during the Spanish Civil War.

Though Paco’s avant-garde sensibilities were perhaps a matter of inheritance, his Mother was the chief seamstress at Cristóbal Balenciaga's first couture house in Donostia, Basque Country, and subsequently Balenciaga moved Rabanne's entire family when he opened Balenciaga in Paris in 1937.

In the mid-1950s Paris, while he was studying architecture at l'École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Rabanne earned money on the side by making fashion sketches for the likes of Dior and Givenchy, as well as shoe sketches for Charles Jourdan. Despite his early foray into the fashion industry, he stuck to his original plan getting a job at the company of esteemed French architect Auguste Perret. After 10 years at the company, he reinvented himself as a jewellery designer creating pieces for Givenchy, Dior, and Balenciaga. He then went on to found his own eponymous fashion house in 1966.

Dogged in his desire to break with convention, Paco was one of the first designers to cast models of colour and soundtrack his fashion shows to music. He debuted his first collection (Twelve Experimental Dresses) in 1964, followed by his breakout collection (Twelve Unwearable Dresses) in 1966 – both of which made full use of the postwar, industrial materials at his disposal, with pieces crafted from wire and glue. 

He’d say that “sewing is a bondage” and sell DIY kits to his clients – among them Peggy Guggenheim, Brigitte Bardot, and Françoise Hardy – so they could fashion their own chainmail from discs, rings, and pliers. Those designs, worn by Jane Fonda in Barbarella, have proven a well of inspiration for Julien Dossena, who took over the Paco Rabanne label in 2013.

Though Paco treated fashion as a reaction against the polemics of his day – dressing women in armour needs no explanation – he was a futurist, untethered to the everyday. He retired from fashion in 1999 and while his fragrance imprint continued to be a commercial success, it wasn’t until 2011 that Paco Rabanne (the brand) staged a comeback. Since then, the house has cycled through creative directors Manish Arora, Lydia Maurer, and Dossena, who is compounding Paco’s experimental outlook and chain-link innovations – albeit with a less outré bent.

“Paco” was a daring, revolutionary and provocative vision, conveyed through a unique aesthetic. He will remain an important source of inspiration...

Rest in Power!

Jean Clemmer / Hélène Clemmer-Heidsieck, courtesy of Paco Rabanne, 

“unwearable” show pieces from early Paco Rabanne collections, Photo: Courtesy of Paco Rabanne, 

Paco Rabanne by Lucille Khornak

Jane Fonda in the 1968 cult-classic science-fiction film Barbarella, 

Li Sellgren by Jean-Daniel Lorieux, fashion by Paco Rabanne, L'Officiel, 1970, 

Asap Rocky wearing Paco Rabanne in GQ, May 20, 2021,

French singer Francoise Hardy wears Paco Rabanne in 1968,

Brigitte Bardot wearing Paco Rabanne dress, 1968,

Iconic 1969 Chain Shoulder Bag

#art #design #fashion #haute couture #space age #rip #paco rabanne #rip paco rabanne #jane fonda #brigitte bardot #jean clemmer #unwearable #lucille khornak #barbarella #li sellgren #jean-daniel lorieux #asap rocky #francoise hardy #chain #metal #spain #cuervo #legend #iconic #rabaneda

[iwanthermidnightz]

As Taylor Swift rolled into Los Angeles this week, the frenzy surrounding her record-breaking Eras Tour was already in high gear.

Headlines gushed that she had given $100,000 bonuses to her crew. Politicians asked her to postpone her concerts in solidarity with striking hotel workers. Scalped tickets were going for $3,000 and up. And there were way, way too many friendship bracelets to count.

These days, the center of an otherwise splintered music world can only be Taylor Swift.

The pop superstar’s tour, which is now finishing its initial North American leg with six nights at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, has been a both a business and a cultural juggernaut. Swift’s catalog of generation-defining hits and canny marketing sense have helped her achieve a level of white-hot demand and media saturation not seen since the 1980s heyday of Michael Jackson and Madonna — a dominance that the entertainment business had largely accepted as impossible to replicate in the fragmented 21st century.

“The only thing I can compare it to is the phenomenon of Beatlemania,” said Billy Joel, who attended Swift’s show in Tampa, Fla., with his wife and young daughters.

In a summer of tours by stars like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Morgan Wallen and Drake, Swift’s stands apart, in numbers and in media noise. Although Swift, 33, and her promoters do not publicly report box-office figures, the trade publication Pollstar estimated that she has been selling about $14 million in tickets each night. By the end of the full world tour, which is booked with 146 stadium dates well into 2024, Swift’s sales could reach $1.4 billion or more — exceeding Elton John’s $939 million for his multiyear farewell tour, the current record-holder.

Swift has now had more No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 over the course of her career than any other woman, surpassing Barbra Streisand. With the tour lifting Swift’s entire body of work, she has placed 10 albums on that chart this year and is the first living artist since the trumpeter and bandleader Herb Alpert in 1966 to have four titles in the Top 10 at the same time.

“It’s a pretty amazing feat,” Alpert, 88, said in a phone interview. “With the way radio is these days, and the way music is distributed, with streaming, I didn’t think anyone in this era could do it.”

But how did a concert tour become so much more: fodder for gossip columns, the subject of weather reports, a boon for friendship-bracelet beads — the unofficial currency of Swiftie fandom — and the reason nobody could get a hotel room in Cincinnati at the end of June?

“She is the best C.E.O., and best chief marketing officer, in the history of music,” said Nathan Hubbard, a longtime music and ticketing executive who co-hosts a Swift podcast. “She is following people like Bono, Jay-Z and Madonna, who were acutely aware of their brands. But of all of them, Taylor is the first one to be natively online.”

Before Eras, Swift hadn’t been on tour since 2018. And her catalog has grown by seven No. 1 albums since then, fueled in part by three rerecorded “Taylor’s Versions” of her first LPs — a project hailed by Swift’s fans as a crusade to regain control of her music, though it is also an act of revenge after the sale of Swift’s former record label, a move that, she said, “stripped me of my life’s work.”

“Folklore” and “Evermore” expanded her palate into fantastical indie-folk and brought new collaborators into the fold: Aaron Dessner from the band the National and Justin Vernon, a.k.a. Bon Iver, rock-world figures who helped attract new listeners.

The other major tour this year that is enticing fans to book transcontinental flights, and to show up costumed and in rapture, is also by a woman: Beyoncé, 41, whose Renaissance tour is a fantasia of disco and retrofuturism. Like Swift, she is also a trailblazing artist-entrepreneur, maintaining tight control over her career and fostering a rich connection with fans online. Together with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” a critique of the patriarchy told in hot pink, they are signs of powerful women ruling the discourse of pop culture.

But in music, at least, the scale and success of Swift’s tour is without equal. Later this month, after completing 53 shows in the United States, she will kick off an international itinerary of at least 78 more before returning to North America next fall. Beyoncé’s full tour has 56 dates; Springsteen’s, 90. (Recently, Harry Styles wrapped a 173-date tour in arenas and stadiums, grossing about $590 million.)

Outside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, fans posed for selfies and shared their ticketing ordeals. Esmeralda Tinoco and Sami Cytron, 24-year-old former sorority sisters, said they had paid $645 for two seats. A stone’s throw away, Karlee Patrick and Emily DeGruson, both 18 and dressed as a pair in angel/devil costumes after a line in Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” sat “Taylorgating” at the edge of the parking lot; they said they had paid $100 for parking but couldn’t afford tickets.

As Swift’s opening acts finished, the crowd rushed in. Glaser, the comedian, later said that of the eight shows she had been to, her favorites were the ones where she had brought her mother — and converted her to Swiftie fandom.

“Everyone is in love with her,” Glaser said her mom told her after one show in Texas. “Now I get it.”

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