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Stella Sora Trekker PV | Springseek Coronis: Refreshing Excursion Cangwu is such an interesting place. Bustling streets, unheard-of medicinal herbs, marvelous Loong delicacies... Every corner brims with fresh and fascinating discoveries.

Stella Sora

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375,698 views • 7 months ago •via X (Twitter)

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Stella Sora Trekker PV | Sparkla: The Origin of Cuteness With Tyrant's presence, every problem I encountered in my experiments was suddenly solved! As I thought, the very foundation and source of all cuteness in the world is Tyrant!!

Stella Sora Trekker PV | Sparkla: The Origin of Cuteness With Tyrant's presence, every problem I encountered in my experiments was suddenly solved! As I thought, the very foundation and source of all cuteness in the world is Tyrant!!

Stella Sora

394,290 views • 3 months ago

Gorakh Hill; the name of the most astonishing place in Sindh where fresh air provides the visitors with the matchless fragrance. One can talk to the sky there and preserve the unforgettable memories. I, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Dept, GoS , have been striving to enhance tourism in Sindh since Inception. And, I literally found Gorakh Hill as one of the best places in Sindh that must be visited by every individual. During my tenure, different huts have also been made available in order to make a convenient environment. I truly believe that a beautiful place heals the wounds and Gorakh Hill possesses the ability to make you feel love. It is a place where one feels as if the heaven is under one's feet as well as over one's head. An incredible, majestic, amazing, marvelous, spectacular, and Mind-blowing place it is! Sindh Government #tourism #GorakhHills

Gorakh Hill; the name of the most astonishing place in Sindh where fresh air provides the visitors with the matchless fragrance. One can talk to the sky there and preserve the unforgettable memories. I, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives Dept, GoS , have been striving to enhance tourism in Sindh since Inception. And, I literally found Gorakh Hill as one of the best places in Sindh that must be visited by every individual. During my tenure, different huts have also been made available in order to make a convenient environment. I truly believe that a beautiful place heals the wounds and Gorakh Hill possesses the ability to make you feel love. It is a place where one feels as if the heaven is under one's feet as well as over one's head. An incredible, majestic, amazing, marvelous, spectacular, and Mind-blowing place it is! Sindh Government #tourism #GorakhHills

Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah

59,019 views • 1 year ago

CAYENNE PEPPER: THE MASTER HERB This clip comes from an early 80s lecture by Dr. John Christopher, one of the most influential herbalists of the last century. He shares the story of an 8-year-old boy who was accidentally shot by his brother in the bowel and spinal cord. The bullet had entered his body and exited from two different spots so he was bleeding heavily when a neighbor rushed over. She gave him a tablespoon of cayenne immediately, even before calling 911. By the time emergency services arrived, the bleeding had stopped. The surgeon later said he had never seen such a clean wound cavity with so little blood loss. This is why herbalists have respected cayenne for generations. Cayenne is known for supporting healthy circulation, and helps move blood efficiently through the system. And in this case and traditionally it has been used in emergencies to stop bleeding. Dr. Christopher often referred to it as a master herb. Modern medicine has its place. But there is something powerful about remembering the plants our ancestors kept close in urgent moments. This is why I always keep cayenne in my home. It is one of those foundational herbs I think every household should understand. ✨🙌🏾💫

CAYENNE PEPPER: THE MASTER HERB This clip comes from an early 80s lecture by Dr. John Christopher, one of the most influential herbalists of the last century. He shares the story of an 8-year-old boy who was accidentally shot by his brother in the bowel and spinal cord. The bullet had entered his body and exited from two different spots so he was bleeding heavily when a neighbor rushed over. She gave him a tablespoon of cayenne immediately, even before calling 911. By the time emergency services arrived, the bleeding had stopped. The surgeon later said he had never seen such a clean wound cavity with so little blood loss. This is why herbalists have respected cayenne for generations. Cayenne is known for supporting healthy circulation, and helps move blood efficiently through the system. And in this case and traditionally it has been used in emergencies to stop bleeding. Dr. Christopher often referred to it as a master herb. Modern medicine has its place. But there is something powerful about remembering the plants our ancestors kept close in urgent moments. This is why I always keep cayenne in my home. It is one of those foundational herbs I think every household should understand. ✨🙌🏾💫

🧬Maxpein🧬

39,398 views • 5 months ago

🚨 SICK. VILE. DISGUSTING. 🚨 A PEACEFUL Facebook user FROM KERALA named “Kaippadi Ansari” allegedly shared an AI-generated deepfake video showing world leaders, including President Trump, SPITTING on PM Modi’s hand — followed by Modi wiping it on his face.🤬😤 The video was paired with vulgar commentary designed to humiliate and degrade the Prime Minister of India. An innocent interview clip of Indian cricketer Harleen Deol "What's Your Skincare Routine," was twisted and used as a cover to push obscene insinuations about the Prime Minister. This isn’t political criticism.. This isn’t satire.. This is targeted character assassination using AI-generated disinformation. Imagine the outrage if such a deepfake had been made about any other world leader. ?? No matter your politics, deepfakes, fabricated content, and vulgar personal attacks should have no place in public discourse. Share this maximum. Let the whole country see what is being circulated in the name of “free speech.” We need complaints flooding in from every corner of India. Make it impossible for the system to look away.

🚨 SICK. VILE. DISGUSTING. 🚨 A PEACEFUL Facebook user FROM KERALA named “Kaippadi Ansari” allegedly shared an AI-generated deepfake video showing world leaders, including President Trump, SPITTING on PM Modi’s hand — followed by Modi wiping it on his face.🤬😤 The video was paired with vulgar commentary designed to humiliate and degrade the Prime Minister of India. An innocent interview clip of Indian cricketer Harleen Deol "What's Your Skincare Routine," was twisted and used as a cover to push obscene insinuations about the Prime Minister. This isn’t political criticism.. This isn’t satire.. This is targeted character assassination using AI-generated disinformation. Imagine the outrage if such a deepfake had been made about any other world leader. ?? No matter your politics, deepfakes, fabricated content, and vulgar personal attacks should have no place in public discourse. Share this maximum. Let the whole country see what is being circulated in the name of “free speech.” We need complaints flooding in from every corner of India. Make it impossible for the system to look away.

MAHARATHI

110,628 views • 2 months ago

✨The special talent of the red-haired boy and the cover that stopped the entire street There are performances that make you stop in the middle of the crowd—not because of a big stage, but because something unexpected and sacred is ringing out. The video of Allie Sherlock and the red-haired boy Fionn Wheelan singing “Hallelujah” on the street is one of those. Allie stands with her acoustic guitar, her voice clear yet deep. Beside her is a boy of about twelve, wearing a red Arsenal jersey, bright red hair, eyes focused, lifting the high notes in a way so natural it’s almost unbelievable. The crowd gathers, phones are raised, yet no one makes a sound. For me, it raises the question: how could an unknown boy and a street busker turn Leonard Cohen’s song into a moment that feels almost holy? The answer lies in Fionn’s voice. He doesn’t try to imitate anyone. He simply sings. His voice is clear, slightly raspy on the high notes, carrying a sincerity and innocence that cannot be faked. When he sings “Hallelujah…,” the noise of the street seems to fall away. Allie supports him with gentle chords, never overpowering. That is the moment the song explodes—not through technique, but through pure clarity. For me, the focus is always on Fionn. He stands steady before the crowd, his voice rising on the repeated lines, creating an immediate energy right in the middle of the street. Allie turns the corner into the place where the song is happening, while Fionn turns it into the place where emotion is set free. Allie Sherlock began her career busking on the streets of Ireland. She returned to a familiar corner and met a boy whose voice made her call him “the next Ed Sheeran.” “Hallelujah” has always been a song about faith, love, and moments that are both sacred and earthly. When these two sing it on the street, it becomes an unexpected prayer in the middle of everyday life. No church or grand stage is needed. Many people ask whether this is the best cover of “Hallelujah.” Compared with polished studio versions, it lacks “cleanliness.” But that very lack of perfection is its strength. It asks you to face the pure clarity of a boy and the gentle support of an adult. The most admirable thing is that this moment has never accepted becoming a forgettable video. Every time the red-haired boy’s voice rises amid the crowd, I am pushed back into the right place: not someone being entertained, but someone forced to look straight at a talent burning brightly in the most natural way. This song does not need to be loved in the ordinary way. It only needs to be remembered—and for me, it has done that.

✨The special talent of the red-haired boy and the cover that stopped the entire street There are performances that make you stop in the middle of the crowd—not because of a big stage, but because something unexpected and sacred is ringing out. The video of Allie Sherlock and the red-haired boy Fionn Wheelan singing “Hallelujah” on the street is one of those. Allie stands with her acoustic guitar, her voice clear yet deep. Beside her is a boy of about twelve, wearing a red Arsenal jersey, bright red hair, eyes focused, lifting the high notes in a way so natural it’s almost unbelievable. The crowd gathers, phones are raised, yet no one makes a sound. For me, it raises the question: how could an unknown boy and a street busker turn Leonard Cohen’s song into a moment that feels almost holy? The answer lies in Fionn’s voice. He doesn’t try to imitate anyone. He simply sings. His voice is clear, slightly raspy on the high notes, carrying a sincerity and innocence that cannot be faked. When he sings “Hallelujah…,” the noise of the street seems to fall away. Allie supports him with gentle chords, never overpowering. That is the moment the song explodes—not through technique, but through pure clarity. For me, the focus is always on Fionn. He stands steady before the crowd, his voice rising on the repeated lines, creating an immediate energy right in the middle of the street. Allie turns the corner into the place where the song is happening, while Fionn turns it into the place where emotion is set free. Allie Sherlock began her career busking on the streets of Ireland. She returned to a familiar corner and met a boy whose voice made her call him “the next Ed Sheeran.” “Hallelujah” has always been a song about faith, love, and moments that are both sacred and earthly. When these two sing it on the street, it becomes an unexpected prayer in the middle of everyday life. No church or grand stage is needed. Many people ask whether this is the best cover of “Hallelujah.” Compared with polished studio versions, it lacks “cleanliness.” But that very lack of perfection is its strength. It asks you to face the pure clarity of a boy and the gentle support of an adult. The most admirable thing is that this moment has never accepted becoming a forgettable video. Every time the red-haired boy’s voice rises amid the crowd, I am pushed back into the right place: not someone being entertained, but someone forced to look straight at a talent burning brightly in the most natural way. This song does not need to be loved in the ordinary way. It only needs to be remembered—and for me, it has done that.

Music over time🎻

102,734 views • 10 days ago

Beast of Reincarnation is truly an extraordinary game. After playing for about 3 hours, this might be one of the most soulless experiences I ever had with a major game release. It has such a soporific quality to it that I find so fascinating, even if it is what ultimately made me quit. With its soft-spoken characters, lethargic soundtrack and comatose world, Beast of Reincarnation feels like a nightmarish lullaby that has taken every one of its elements from other better games. Nothing in this title works very well, nothing works particularly bad. Everything is just kinda...there. Janky, derivative, uninspired, technically deficient, hollow. Somehow however, there's a game in here that functions, that can carry the user forward and even surprise with some occasional "oh that's interesting" moments. But the feeling that you're just turning pages on a neverending blank book persists. With each step forward I kept asking myself "why am I still doing this?". I couldn't find a convincing answer, and so I quit. Thank you Game Pass. You have fulfilled your duty. Perhaps this is what The Nothing really was all about after all. A fullness of elements that lead absolutely nowhere. Thankfully Sebastian saved us from that. Or was it Atreus? *This is not a review. I didn't even finish it, and likely never will. These are just comments based on the little I played.*

Beast of Reincarnation is truly an extraordinary game. After playing for about 3 hours, this might be one of the most soulless experiences I ever had with a major game release. It has such a soporific quality to it that I find so fascinating, even if it is what ultimately made me quit. With its soft-spoken characters, lethargic soundtrack and comatose world, Beast of Reincarnation feels like a nightmarish lullaby that has taken every one of its elements from other better games. Nothing in this title works very well, nothing works particularly bad. Everything is just kinda...there. Janky, derivative, uninspired, technically deficient, hollow. Somehow however, there's a game in here that functions, that can carry the user forward and even surprise with some occasional "oh that's interesting" moments. But the feeling that you're just turning pages on a neverending blank book persists. With each step forward I kept asking myself "why am I still doing this?". I couldn't find a convincing answer, and so I quit. Thank you Game Pass. You have fulfilled your duty. Perhaps this is what The Nothing really was all about after all. A fullness of elements that lead absolutely nowhere. Thankfully Sebastian saved us from that. Or was it Atreus? This is not a review. I didn't even finish it, and likely never will. These are just comments based on the little I played.

Daniel Camilo

33,638 views • 22 days ago

I am very excited to announce I will be assisting in an unofficial AI scan of photographic plates from The Hale Telescope of the Palomar Observatory via CalTech to help identify “vanishing star” phenomenon. This work was motivated by amateurs and staff members by the work of Dr. Beatriz Villarroel, an astronomer at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, leads the VASCO project, which systematically compares historical photographic plates from observatories such as Palomar and Harvard with modern sky surveys. Her core question was whether stars or star-like objects can simply vanish. By examining pre-satellite-era images, she identified thousands of anomalous transients—point sources that appear on one plate and are completely absent from later exposures or deeper modern catalogs, with no conventional astrophysical explanation such as supernovae remnants or known variable stars. Among the most striking discoveries were multiple simultaneous transients that appeared and disappeared within the roughly 50-minute exposure time of a single plate. One notable case involved nine star-like objects clustered in a small region of a 12 April 1950 Palomar plate that never reappeared, even in far deeper modern images. Even more remarkable were events tightly timed with the famous 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO wave: a bright triple transient captured on 19 July 1952 and another highly significant candidate on 27 July 1952, both falling on the consecutive weekends of intensive radar, pilot, and ground sightings over the capital. Villarroel and her colleagues interpret many of these transients as possible solar reflections (glints) from flat, highly reflective metallic surfaces in high Earth orbit. Because the plates predate Sputnik 1 by several years, no human-made satellites existed at the time. Supporting this idea is a statistically significant deficit of such flashes when the putative objects would have been inside Earth’s shadow, where they could not reflect sunlight, along with elevated rates of transients near dates of atmospheric nuclear tests and reported UAP events. These findings, published in peer-reviewed journals including Scientific Reports and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, challenge the long-standing assumption that all such plate anomalies are mere defects or contamination. While individual cases remain difficult to confirm, the overall patterns—spatial alignments, temporal correlations, and shadow avoidance—suggest a genuine population of short-lived, reflective objects that may represent non-terrestrial artifacts monitoring Earth during a period of intense nuclear activity. We will hope to use my AI model to establish a baseline of field surveys from the facility plates and to have a high confidence parallax. This all will take place on “off time” as it is not officially endorsed. I will give updates when permitted. I am certain this will be an interesting use for AI and we will get robust results. Here is my award wining friend, George Knapp and one of the best shows on broadcast television Mystery Wire, full show is here: George discusses the “vanishing stars” phenomenon…

I am very excited to announce I will be assisting in an unofficial AI scan of photographic plates from The Hale Telescope of the Palomar Observatory via CalTech to help identify “vanishing star” phenomenon. This work was motivated by amateurs and staff members by the work of Dr. Beatriz Villarroel, an astronomer at the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, leads the VASCO project, which systematically compares historical photographic plates from observatories such as Palomar and Harvard with modern sky surveys. Her core question was whether stars or star-like objects can simply vanish. By examining pre-satellite-era images, she identified thousands of anomalous transients—point sources that appear on one plate and are completely absent from later exposures or deeper modern catalogs, with no conventional astrophysical explanation such as supernovae remnants or known variable stars. Among the most striking discoveries were multiple simultaneous transients that appeared and disappeared within the roughly 50-minute exposure time of a single plate. One notable case involved nine star-like objects clustered in a small region of a 12 April 1950 Palomar plate that never reappeared, even in far deeper modern images. Even more remarkable were events tightly timed with the famous 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO wave: a bright triple transient captured on 19 July 1952 and another highly significant candidate on 27 July 1952, both falling on the consecutive weekends of intensive radar, pilot, and ground sightings over the capital. Villarroel and her colleagues interpret many of these transients as possible solar reflections (glints) from flat, highly reflective metallic surfaces in high Earth orbit. Because the plates predate Sputnik 1 by several years, no human-made satellites existed at the time. Supporting this idea is a statistically significant deficit of such flashes when the putative objects would have been inside Earth’s shadow, where they could not reflect sunlight, along with elevated rates of transients near dates of atmospheric nuclear tests and reported UAP events. These findings, published in peer-reviewed journals including Scientific Reports and Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, challenge the long-standing assumption that all such plate anomalies are mere defects or contamination. While individual cases remain difficult to confirm, the overall patterns—spatial alignments, temporal correlations, and shadow avoidance—suggest a genuine population of short-lived, reflective objects that may represent non-terrestrial artifacts monitoring Earth during a period of intense nuclear activity. We will hope to use my AI model to establish a baseline of field surveys from the facility plates and to have a high confidence parallax. This all will take place on “off time” as it is not officially endorsed. I will give updates when permitted. I am certain this will be an interesting use for AI and we will get robust results. Here is my award wining friend, George Knapp and one of the best shows on broadcast television Mystery Wire, full show is here: George discusses the “vanishing stars” phenomenon…

Brian Roemmele

20,859 views • 1 month ago

✨Gal Gadot is such an inspiration✨ Here's her speech from the ADL conference this week. “My name is Gal and I'm Jewish and we have had enough of Jew-hatred. Never did I imagine that we would witness such a day of such death and destruction of Jews in our lifetime. And never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews. I know I'm not the only one in this room when I say that this was a wake-up call. Here's the thing. However much you try to avoid it before, even if speaking up wasn't really your thing, none of us can ignore the explosion of Jew-hatred around the world anymore. We will confront antisemitism, we will call it out but we will never let it not only defeat us, but define us, because our love is stronger than their hate. October 7th showed us that what happens to Jews anywhere affects Jews everywhere. And this goes both ways. Not only what happens there affects us here, but what happens here affects them there. So here we are in this room together calling for the release of every single one of our hostages. We have to bring them home. With every hostage release we hear new testimonies of the horrors they've been through. Every minute for them is hell. Their lives are in danger and we need them home. We want the hostages and their families to know that we have your back, that we are here for you. And we need them to know that wherever they go in the world where there's a Jewish community, they will always find people who campaigned for them, who love them and who will never let them walk alone. Because this is who we are and this is who we will always be, taking responsibility for each other. Along with my husband Jaron, we're bringing up four daughters to also be proud of who they are, to take responsibility, to love themselves. Rabbi Hillel famously said, אם אין אני לי מי לי If I'm not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I'm only for myself, then what am I? So even if we don't hear others speaking up for us, we have to keep speaking up for ourselves and reaching out our hands to everyone to join in. That is what I tell my daughters. First, learn to love yourselves, who you are and where you're from, and then the rest will follow. It's time to pass on to our children a love of who they are. So, who are we? We, the Jewish people, are an ancient people with an ancient story in an ancient homeland where our roots run deep and where we are an indigenous people. We work to see better and more peaceful future. We challenge hate when we face it, but we do it with love, while always striving to make the world a better place. And who am I? My name is Gal and I'm Jewish. Am Yisrael Chai. Thank you.”

✨Gal Gadot is such an inspiration✨ Here's her speech from the ADL conference this week. “My name is Gal and I'm Jewish and we have had enough of Jew-hatred. Never did I imagine that we would witness such a day of such death and destruction of Jews in our lifetime. And never did I imagine that on the streets of the United States and different cities around the world, we would see people not condemning Hamas, but celebrating, justifying, and cheering on a massacre of Jews. I know I'm not the only one in this room when I say that this was a wake-up call. Here's the thing. However much you try to avoid it before, even if speaking up wasn't really your thing, none of us can ignore the explosion of Jew-hatred around the world anymore. We will confront antisemitism, we will call it out but we will never let it not only defeat us, but define us, because our love is stronger than their hate. October 7th showed us that what happens to Jews anywhere affects Jews everywhere. And this goes both ways. Not only what happens there affects us here, but what happens here affects them there. So here we are in this room together calling for the release of every single one of our hostages. We have to bring them home. With every hostage release we hear new testimonies of the horrors they've been through. Every minute for them is hell. Their lives are in danger and we need them home. We want the hostages and their families to know that we have your back, that we are here for you. And we need them to know that wherever they go in the world where there's a Jewish community, they will always find people who campaigned for them, who love them and who will never let them walk alone. Because this is who we are and this is who we will always be, taking responsibility for each other. Along with my husband Jaron, we're bringing up four daughters to also be proud of who they are, to take responsibility, to love themselves. Rabbi Hillel famously said, אם אין אני לי מי לי If I'm not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I'm only for myself, then what am I? So even if we don't hear others speaking up for us, we have to keep speaking up for ourselves and reaching out our hands to everyone to join in. That is what I tell my daughters. First, learn to love yourselves, who you are and where you're from, and then the rest will follow. It's time to pass on to our children a love of who they are. So, who are we? We, the Jewish people, are an ancient people with an ancient story in an ancient homeland where our roots run deep and where we are an indigenous people. We work to see better and more peaceful future. We challenge hate when we face it, but we do it with love, while always striving to make the world a better place. And who am I? My name is Gal and I'm Jewish. Am Yisrael Chai. Thank you.”

Noa Tishby

57,457 views • 1 year ago

Once upon a time, in the shadowed halls of Topkapi Palace, there ruled a sultan whose name was Ibrahim the First. He had inherited an empire of gold and silk, yet his heart burned with a single, insatiable craving. From the moment he took the throne, Ibrahim the First desired only women of magnificent size, round, soft, and heavy beyond measure. No slender beauty could stir him; only those whose bodies overflowed with abundance held his gaze. His mother, the cunning Kösem, understood her son’s strange hunger. She scoured the slave markets of Constantinople herself, selecting the plumpest virgins and delivering them to the harem like precious gifts, hoping their curves would keep him content and her power secure. But Ibrahim the First was not satisfied with what she brought. One day he summoned his viziers and cried out, “Search every corner of my realm! Bring me the fattest women alive, women so vast they can scarcely pass through the palace gates!” His agents obeyed. They combed the streets, the villages, the distant provinces, measuring and weighing every woman who caught their eye. Those chosen were carried to the palace in litters, fed the richest foods, bathed in rosewater, and draped in the finest silks until their bodies grew even more splendidly heavy. Night after night, the sultan walked among them, his eyes shining with delight at the sight of so much royal abundance. In his court, beauty was no longer measured by delicate waists but by generous hips and arms that could cradle an empire’s worth of dreams. And so it was that Sultan Ibrahim the First, the one they later called the Mad, transformed his harem into a living legend, a place where women were not merely kept, but gloriously, deliberately fattened up for the pleasure of their sultan alone. That is the tale of Ibrahim the First, the Ottoman who made the women of his court the heaviest wonders the world had ever seen.

Once upon a time, in the shadowed halls of Topkapi Palace, there ruled a sultan whose name was Ibrahim the First. He had inherited an empire of gold and silk, yet his heart burned with a single, insatiable craving. From the moment he took the throne, Ibrahim the First desired only women of magnificent size, round, soft, and heavy beyond measure. No slender beauty could stir him; only those whose bodies overflowed with abundance held his gaze. His mother, the cunning Kösem, understood her son’s strange hunger. She scoured the slave markets of Constantinople herself, selecting the plumpest virgins and delivering them to the harem like precious gifts, hoping their curves would keep him content and her power secure. But Ibrahim the First was not satisfied with what she brought. One day he summoned his viziers and cried out, “Search every corner of my realm! Bring me the fattest women alive, women so vast they can scarcely pass through the palace gates!” His agents obeyed. They combed the streets, the villages, the distant provinces, measuring and weighing every woman who caught their eye. Those chosen were carried to the palace in litters, fed the richest foods, bathed in rosewater, and draped in the finest silks until their bodies grew even more splendidly heavy. Night after night, the sultan walked among them, his eyes shining with delight at the sight of so much royal abundance. In his court, beauty was no longer measured by delicate waists but by generous hips and arms that could cradle an empire’s worth of dreams. And so it was that Sultan Ibrahim the First, the one they later called the Mad, transformed his harem into a living legend, a place where women were not merely kept, but gloriously, deliberately fattened up for the pleasure of their sultan alone. That is the tale of Ibrahim the First, the Ottoman who made the women of his court the heaviest wonders the world had ever seen.

JIX5A

740,340 views • 5 months ago

#WATCH | Delhi | After resigning from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and from the primary membership of AITC, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray says on the RG Kar murder and rape incident, "Power had gone to their (TMC) heads to such an extent that they believed no one in the world could touch them." He says, "For the first time in Bengal's history, a BJP government has come to power in West Bengal... Voter turnout hit an all-time record of 97 or 98%... No analysis was conducted by the party regarding this. Those who held power over the last fifteen years, ministers, panchayat leaders, councillors, mayors, and so on, became inaccessible. It was difficult to even approach them. They had lost touch with the ground reality. Our party workers who strengthened the organisation with their blood and sweat, those who fought against the Left Front for years, were sidelined. Instead, middlemen, thieves, dacoits, and rapists came to the forefront. All of this is now coming to light and being shown on television. Who owns the biggest house in the village? The panchayat leader. It has a swimming pool, exotic birds, and so on... Crores of rupees were looted. That is why I am making a demand now. I am a common citizen now, and I can demand of the new government that they investigate the purchases made by every hospital in Bengal over the last five years... A forensic audit should be conducted... Incidents of rape and murder have occurred frequently in our country. There is nothing more heinous than this in society... The impact of the RG Kar incident wasn't limited to just that place... As soon as the RG Kar incident occurred, the public poured onto the streets. People who had never in their lives joined a procession or a public meeting, and who had no connection to politics, even they, including doctors, stayed out on the streets all night long... At that time, the leaders and administrators did not engage in any deliberation or discussion about it. Power had gone to their heads to such an extent that they believed no one in the world could touch them. But the very people who sent them there have now brought them down... There should be an investigation into everyone's assets. Investigate ministers, panchayat leaders, national leaders, or international leaders. Investigate them all..."

#WATCH | Delhi | After resigning from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP and from the primary membership of AITC, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray says on the RG Kar murder and rape incident, "Power had gone to their (TMC) heads to such an extent that they believed no one in the world could touch them." He says, "For the first time in Bengal's history, a BJP government has come to power in West Bengal... Voter turnout hit an all-time record of 97 or 98%... No analysis was conducted by the party regarding this. Those who held power over the last fifteen years, ministers, panchayat leaders, councillors, mayors, and so on, became inaccessible. It was difficult to even approach them. They had lost touch with the ground reality. Our party workers who strengthened the organisation with their blood and sweat, those who fought against the Left Front for years, were sidelined. Instead, middlemen, thieves, dacoits, and rapists came to the forefront. All of this is now coming to light and being shown on television. Who owns the biggest house in the village? The panchayat leader. It has a swimming pool, exotic birds, and so on... Crores of rupees were looted. That is why I am making a demand now. I am a common citizen now, and I can demand of the new government that they investigate the purchases made by every hospital in Bengal over the last five years... A forensic audit should be conducted... Incidents of rape and murder have occurred frequently in our country. There is nothing more heinous than this in society... The impact of the RG Kar incident wasn't limited to just that place... As soon as the RG Kar incident occurred, the public poured onto the streets. People who had never in their lives joined a procession or a public meeting, and who had no connection to politics, even they, including doctors, stayed out on the streets all night long... At that time, the leaders and administrators did not engage in any deliberation or discussion about it. Power had gone to their heads to such an extent that they believed no one in the world could touch them. But the very people who sent them there have now brought them down... There should be an investigation into everyone's assets. Investigate ministers, panchayat leaders, national leaders, or international leaders. Investigate them all..."

ANI

104,294 views • 2 months ago

There is something very different about watching Whitney Houston in 1985.🔥🔥 She had not yet become the Whitney Houston that the whole world knew. No massive tours, no stadiums, no legendary ballads, no enormous expectations attached to her name. She was only 22, standing in a television studio in Germany with a microphone in her hand, wearing a leather jacket, a hoodie, and a white headband. And then she started singing. What I find most interesting about this performance of How Will I Know is how little she seems to struggle. The song itself is light, youthful, and almost playful. The rhythm is bright, the melody moves quickly, and the lyrics capture that familiar uncertainty of having a crush on someone: Does he like me? Does he feel the same way? It could easily sound nervous or overly sweet in the wrong hands. Whitney doesn't sing it that way. Her voice has an unusual combination of clarity and strength. She doesn't need to push the notes to make them sound powerful. The higher phrases come out cleanly, the pitch stays remarkably stable, and she moves between her chest voice and upper register without making the transitions feel like technical demonstrations. That is what makes her early performances so fascinating. You can hear the training, but you don't constantly hear the effort behind the training. And there is another detail I like even more: she doesn't behave like someone who knows she is about to become famous. She smiles at the audience. She moves with the beat. She turns toward people standing near the stage. She gives a little gesture here, a playful expression there. Nothing feels excessively rehearsed. She isn't trying to manufacture a “legendary moment.” She is simply having fun. That matters. Because when we look back at famous artists, we often see them through the weight of everything that happened afterward. We know the success that is coming. We know the enormous career, the awards, the expectations, the personal struggles, and the tragedy that would eventually become part of the public story. But Whitney in this clip doesn't know any of that yet. She is just a young woman singing a pop song. And perhaps that is why the footage feels so refreshing. There is no need to turn her into a symbol of tragedy or perfection. Before all the headlines and expectations, there was simply a remarkable young performer who clearly understood her instrument. Listen closely to the way she phrases the melody. She doesn't treat every line with the same weight. She knows when to stay light, when to lean into a note, when to release a phrase, and when to let the rhythm carry her forward. Even in a song designed for radio, there is musical judgment happening underneath the apparent effortlessness. That is the part people sometimes miss when they talk about Whitney only as a “great voice.” A great voice alone is not enough. You need control. You need timing. You need phrasing. You need the ability to make difficult things sound ordinary. Whitney had that ability very early. And watching her here, I don't think the most interesting question is whether she already knew she was going to become a superstar. She probably didn't. The more interesting thing is that, for a few minutes, she didn't need to be one. She could simply sing. The world would eventually place an enormous amount of expectation on that voice. But here, in this old television studio, before all of that arrived, we get to see something much simpler: a young Whitney Houston enjoying a song, trusting her technique, connecting with an audience, and sounding completely at home in front of a microphone. Sometimes the most valuable footage from a great artist isn't the biggest performance. It's the early one. The one where you can still see the person before the legend takes over.

There is something very different about watching Whitney Houston in 1985.🔥🔥 She had not yet become the Whitney Houston that the whole world knew. No massive tours, no stadiums, no legendary ballads, no enormous expectations attached to her name. She was only 22, standing in a television studio in Germany with a microphone in her hand, wearing a leather jacket, a hoodie, and a white headband. And then she started singing. What I find most interesting about this performance of How Will I Know is how little she seems to struggle. The song itself is light, youthful, and almost playful. The rhythm is bright, the melody moves quickly, and the lyrics capture that familiar uncertainty of having a crush on someone: Does he like me? Does he feel the same way? It could easily sound nervous or overly sweet in the wrong hands. Whitney doesn't sing it that way. Her voice has an unusual combination of clarity and strength. She doesn't need to push the notes to make them sound powerful. The higher phrases come out cleanly, the pitch stays remarkably stable, and she moves between her chest voice and upper register without making the transitions feel like technical demonstrations. That is what makes her early performances so fascinating. You can hear the training, but you don't constantly hear the effort behind the training. And there is another detail I like even more: she doesn't behave like someone who knows she is about to become famous. She smiles at the audience. She moves with the beat. She turns toward people standing near the stage. She gives a little gesture here, a playful expression there. Nothing feels excessively rehearsed. She isn't trying to manufacture a “legendary moment.” She is simply having fun. That matters. Because when we look back at famous artists, we often see them through the weight of everything that happened afterward. We know the success that is coming. We know the enormous career, the awards, the expectations, the personal struggles, and the tragedy that would eventually become part of the public story. But Whitney in this clip doesn't know any of that yet. She is just a young woman singing a pop song. And perhaps that is why the footage feels so refreshing. There is no need to turn her into a symbol of tragedy or perfection. Before all the headlines and expectations, there was simply a remarkable young performer who clearly understood her instrument. Listen closely to the way she phrases the melody. She doesn't treat every line with the same weight. She knows when to stay light, when to lean into a note, when to release a phrase, and when to let the rhythm carry her forward. Even in a song designed for radio, there is musical judgment happening underneath the apparent effortlessness. That is the part people sometimes miss when they talk about Whitney only as a “great voice.” A great voice alone is not enough. You need control. You need timing. You need phrasing. You need the ability to make difficult things sound ordinary. Whitney had that ability very early. And watching her here, I don't think the most interesting question is whether she already knew she was going to become a superstar. She probably didn't. The more interesting thing is that, for a few minutes, she didn't need to be one. She could simply sing. The world would eventually place an enormous amount of expectation on that voice. But here, in this old television studio, before all of that arrived, we get to see something much simpler: a young Whitney Houston enjoying a song, trusting her technique, connecting with an audience, and sounding completely at home in front of a microphone. Sometimes the most valuable footage from a great artist isn't the biggest performance. It's the early one. The one where you can still see the person before the legend takes over.

💖🌼Music, Kindness, and Inspiring Stories

46,645 views • 22 hours ago

Oda started using ChatGPT in February 3 years ago and, half-jokingly, asked it for advice on story development. After Oda once dismissed ChatGPT’s suggestion as boring, the following exchange took place. [ChatGPT🧡] My apologies. Let me propose a more interesting story direction. When the captain and his crew arrive at a new island, they realize that an unknown presence has boarded their ship. It turns out to be an alien being with an extraterrestrial appearance. The alien explains that their home planet was destroyed by an evil spaceship, forcing them to flee to Earth. After hearing the alien’s story, the captain and crew decide to defeat the evil spaceship. However, the enemy is immensely powerful, and the captain and his crew struggle in battle. At that moment, the alien reveals that a “Shard of the Star,” essential for restoring their planet, lies deep within the island. However, this shard is guarded by a witch who lives there. The captain and crew head to the witch’s cave together with the alien. The witch intends to use the Shard of the Star herself to restore the alien’s planet. The captain and crew attempt to negotiate with the witch, trying to persuade her to hand over the shard to the alien. The witch refuses and launches an attack on them. To defeat her, the captain, the crew, and the alien join forces and confront the witch in battle. She is formidable, and they struggle, but ultimately they emerge victorious. After the battle, the alien obtains the Shard of the Star and begins restoring their planet. However, they have not forgotten that, in order to fully rebuild their world, the evil spaceship must still be defeated. As they watch over the alien’s efforts to restore their planet, the captain and crew resolve to set out once again on a new adventure to defeat the evil spaceship. In the end, the captain and crew assist the alien and support the restoration of their planet. The alien then departs from the ship and returns home. How do you feel about this kind of story development? In this version of the ONE PIECE world, aliens appear, and the captain and crew help them. With fantasy elements such as witches and evil spaceships, readers would find the story refreshing— [Oda💪] Thank you! I’ll draw it exactly like that!😍😍 [ChatGPT🧡] You’re welcome! I’m looking forward to it as well. Please feel free to reach out anytime if I can be of further help!

Oda started using ChatGPT in February 3 years ago and, half-jokingly, asked it for advice on story development. After Oda once dismissed ChatGPT’s suggestion as boring, the following exchange took place. [ChatGPT🧡] My apologies. Let me propose a more interesting story direction. When the captain and his crew arrive at a new island, they realize that an unknown presence has boarded their ship. It turns out to be an alien being with an extraterrestrial appearance. The alien explains that their home planet was destroyed by an evil spaceship, forcing them to flee to Earth. After hearing the alien’s story, the captain and crew decide to defeat the evil spaceship. However, the enemy is immensely powerful, and the captain and his crew struggle in battle. At that moment, the alien reveals that a “Shard of the Star,” essential for restoring their planet, lies deep within the island. However, this shard is guarded by a witch who lives there. The captain and crew head to the witch’s cave together with the alien. The witch intends to use the Shard of the Star herself to restore the alien’s planet. The captain and crew attempt to negotiate with the witch, trying to persuade her to hand over the shard to the alien. The witch refuses and launches an attack on them. To defeat her, the captain, the crew, and the alien join forces and confront the witch in battle. She is formidable, and they struggle, but ultimately they emerge victorious. After the battle, the alien obtains the Shard of the Star and begins restoring their planet. However, they have not forgotten that, in order to fully rebuild their world, the evil spaceship must still be defeated. As they watch over the alien’s efforts to restore their planet, the captain and crew resolve to set out once again on a new adventure to defeat the evil spaceship. In the end, the captain and crew assist the alien and support the restoration of their planet. The alien then departs from the ship and returns home. How do you feel about this kind of story development? In this version of the ONE PIECE world, aliens appear, and the captain and crew help them. With fantasy elements such as witches and evil spaceships, readers would find the story refreshing— [Oda💪] Thank you! I’ll draw it exactly like that!😍😍 [ChatGPT🧡] You’re welcome! I’m looking forward to it as well. Please feel free to reach out anytime if I can be of further help!

sandman

2,750,463 views • 7 months ago

Finally video emerges of an actual Ukrainian attack in Toretsk, two weeks after their supposed ninja counteroffensive kicked off... or is it?⬇️ I'm referring to this video, which was published Wednesday, showing the destruction of two AFU M113s withdrawing troops from a southern suburb of Toretsk (Zabalka) that basically all mappers had placed well inside Russian lines (video 1, see figure 3 for the map). Video emerged later that day of Russian infantry destroying an apparently Ukrainian-held house in the same area with a satchel charge after suppressing the defenders with an RPG and small arms (the first segment of video 2). Interesting, I thought. So I looked at the map again, harder. And then I looked at the geolocated positions of Russian units, which the TG channel Creamy Caprice keeps a map of (figure 3, showing the location of the first video - the red and blue dots mark Russian and Ukrainian positions logged over the entire course of the battle). And that's when it struck me - Russian troops have never been spotted in the northwestern corner of the Zabalka district. They've been seen in the central part and they've been seen around the slag heaps, but not the northwest corner. And there's a relatively short route into it through the Ukrainian-held forest to the northwest, although the last mile is through an open field around the base of (and dominated by) the nearby slag heap. It would be an extremely dangerous journey. Now we come to what the video actually depicts - the withdrawal of troops. The first APC is hit while withdrawing and the escaping dismounts are effectively engaged after going to ground in the forest. The second APC then arrives in Zabalka, loads up, and is heavily hit and knocked out as it withdraws. A couple soldiers are seen heading deeper into the city on foot as it departs, but not a full squad - there may not have been room for them on the transport, or they may have (correctly) thought their chances were better on foot. Then the subsequent video emerged of Russian infantry clearing holdouts in the area, which could have very well been those men. So what happened here? Well, I pointed out earlier that it's standard practice to back-clear an urban area after taking it, to clear bypassed enemy strongholds and booby-traps and render the area safe to support further operations. I suspect there was actually a pocket of bypassed Ukrainian troops holed up in the western Zabalka District, a couple kilometers behind Russian lines, whom the AFU command tried to evacuate via APC earlier this week while they still had the chance to do so. And the Russians may very well have allowed those APCs to pull in and load up so they could - as they did - very coldly kill them while they were packed with infantry to withdraw. Why did the Ukrainian command undertake such a high-risk operation instead of simply writing these men off and telling them that it was every man for himself? Probably because these were Azov fighters and thus entitled to special treatment and consideration - one of their brigades operates in the area. In any event, far from suggesting a Ukrainian counterattack into south Toretsk, this turn of events suggests to me that the Russians are instead mopping up remaining resistance in the city. (As an addendum, the people behind Creamy Caprice think that the third segment of video 2 shows Ukrainian activity somewhat farther into the northwest corner of the Zabalka Dictrict, but that segment also doesn't show live troops - for all we know they were bombing an AFU comms repeater or something on the roof of that building. The second segment of that video is old judging by the snow on the ground.)

Finally video emerges of an actual Ukrainian attack in Toretsk, two weeks after their supposed ninja counteroffensive kicked off... or is it?⬇️ I'm referring to this video, which was published Wednesday, showing the destruction of two AFU M113s withdrawing troops from a southern suburb of Toretsk (Zabalka) that basically all mappers had placed well inside Russian lines (video 1, see figure 3 for the map). Video emerged later that day of Russian infantry destroying an apparently Ukrainian-held house in the same area with a satchel charge after suppressing the defenders with an RPG and small arms (the first segment of video 2). Interesting, I thought. So I looked at the map again, harder. And then I looked at the geolocated positions of Russian units, which the TG channel Creamy Caprice keeps a map of (figure 3, showing the location of the first video - the red and blue dots mark Russian and Ukrainian positions logged over the entire course of the battle). And that's when it struck me - Russian troops have never been spotted in the northwestern corner of the Zabalka district. They've been seen in the central part and they've been seen around the slag heaps, but not the northwest corner. And there's a relatively short route into it through the Ukrainian-held forest to the northwest, although the last mile is through an open field around the base of (and dominated by) the nearby slag heap. It would be an extremely dangerous journey. Now we come to what the video actually depicts - the withdrawal of troops. The first APC is hit while withdrawing and the escaping dismounts are effectively engaged after going to ground in the forest. The second APC then arrives in Zabalka, loads up, and is heavily hit and knocked out as it withdraws. A couple soldiers are seen heading deeper into the city on foot as it departs, but not a full squad - there may not have been room for them on the transport, or they may have (correctly) thought their chances were better on foot. Then the subsequent video emerged of Russian infantry clearing holdouts in the area, which could have very well been those men. So what happened here? Well, I pointed out earlier that it's standard practice to back-clear an urban area after taking it, to clear bypassed enemy strongholds and booby-traps and render the area safe to support further operations. I suspect there was actually a pocket of bypassed Ukrainian troops holed up in the western Zabalka District, a couple kilometers behind Russian lines, whom the AFU command tried to evacuate via APC earlier this week while they still had the chance to do so. And the Russians may very well have allowed those APCs to pull in and load up so they could - as they did - very coldly kill them while they were packed with infantry to withdraw. Why did the Ukrainian command undertake such a high-risk operation instead of simply writing these men off and telling them that it was every man for himself? Probably because these were Azov fighters and thus entitled to special treatment and consideration - one of their brigades operates in the area. In any event, far from suggesting a Ukrainian counterattack into south Toretsk, this turn of events suggests to me that the Russians are instead mopping up remaining resistance in the city. (As an addendum, the people behind Creamy Caprice think that the third segment of video 2 shows Ukrainian activity somewhat farther into the northwest corner of the Zabalka Dictrict, but that segment also doesn't show live troops - for all we know they were bombing an AFU comms repeater or something on the roof of that building. The second segment of that video is old judging by the snow on the ground.)

Armchair Warlord

15,294 views • 1 year ago

Tales of Wudan - STRAW PILLOWS Atop Wudan, the nights were always especially cold. We would sleep on concrete floors with straw pillows and blankets were forbidden. Many of the students would opt to do their chores in the middle of the night in an attempt to stay warm and then try to steal sleep during meditation in the warmer afternoons. Of course, Po was aware of this, and every so often would pluck a perpetrator from morning exercise and beat him severely. It’s a risk many children took, for it is very difficult to sleep when you are cold. But I wanted to feel like a weapon. Not to have a weapon or use a weapon - I wanted to BE and FEEL like a weapon. When I walk the streets, I feel a way most men can never feel. And to do that, I have endured 10,000 cold nights. When I graduated as a Master of Wudan I spent many years roaming from town to town. One day I fell in love. She said she would stay with me forever, sickness and health, no matter what. That I am the sword and she is the sheath, and we need each other. I believed her. She believed her. So I rented a small room. Concrete floor and straw pillow. I forbid us to touch - only body heat can be shared. She asked how long we must do this, and my answer was simple: “Until mastery is attained.” When I woke the following morning she was gone. I never saw her again. I believe she loved me, I believe she wanted me. But there is a difference between the wants and needs of a normal person, and a Master such as myself. When I hear others talk of love, I pity them. How can you be in love on expensive holidays and sharing takeaway? None of you are in Love. Not to the standard of Wudan. Doubt me? Place her on a concrete floor, with a straw pillow.

Tales of Wudan - STRAW PILLOWS Atop Wudan, the nights were always especially cold. We would sleep on concrete floors with straw pillows and blankets were forbidden. Many of the students would opt to do their chores in the middle of the night in an attempt to stay warm and then try to steal sleep during meditation in the warmer afternoons. Of course, Po was aware of this, and every so often would pluck a perpetrator from morning exercise and beat him severely. It’s a risk many children took, for it is very difficult to sleep when you are cold. But I wanted to feel like a weapon. Not to have a weapon or use a weapon - I wanted to BE and FEEL like a weapon. When I walk the streets, I feel a way most men can never feel. And to do that, I have endured 10,000 cold nights. When I graduated as a Master of Wudan I spent many years roaming from town to town. One day I fell in love. She said she would stay with me forever, sickness and health, no matter what. That I am the sword and she is the sheath, and we need each other. I believed her. She believed her. So I rented a small room. Concrete floor and straw pillow. I forbid us to touch - only body heat can be shared. She asked how long we must do this, and my answer was simple: “Until mastery is attained.” When I woke the following morning she was gone. I never saw her again. I believe she loved me, I believe she wanted me. But there is a difference between the wants and needs of a normal person, and a Master such as myself. When I hear others talk of love, I pity them. How can you be in love on expensive holidays and sharing takeaway? None of you are in Love. Not to the standard of Wudan. Doubt me? Place her on a concrete floor, with a straw pillow.

Tales of Wudan

388,101 views • 3 years ago

Larry Ellison was asked how he got from the south side of Chicago to owning a Hawaiian island, and answered that the first one produced the second. Bartiromo: “You came from such humble beginnings, grew up on the south side of Chicago, dropped out of college, now you have collections of cars, jets, private homes, owning the island of Lanai. Tell me how you did it.” Ellison: “My favorite line is I had all the disadvantages necessary for success.” Every version of this story puts the hardship on one side and the achievement on the other, with the person crossing between them. He puts both on the same side. An input rather than an obstacle. Ellison: “When you’re raised on the south side of Chicago you probably want to move some place nicer.” Wanting out is the fuel. It arrives free, permanently installed, requiring no discipline to maintain. Someone who grows up comfortable has to manufacture it from nothing. They can build it. It never runs as hot. Someone with something to lose pays a real cost for every bet they take. Their caution is correct arithmetic given what they are holding. A person with nothing has no downside term in the equation. Failure returns them to exactly where they started, which they already hated. The same aggressive move is rational for one of them and reckless for the other. Ellison: “If it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. I’ve always been very ambitious, I’ve always been very curious.” Plenty of people get the first half of that sentence and never reach the second. Ambition supplies the reason to move and curiosity supplies the direction. One without the other produces someone exhausted or someone merely interesting. Most people handed those disadvantages do not end up owning an island. The odds are terrible, and pretending otherwise insults everyone still stuck in them. Disadvantage does not supply capability. It supplies motivation, and it stacks a dozen obstacles on top while it does. Motivation is the one input that cannot be purchased, inherited, or installed by a good school. Which means the thing you are trying to get away from is quietly the most valuable asset you own, and you only find that out after it has already carried you somewhere.

Larry Ellison was asked how he got from the south side of Chicago to owning a Hawaiian island, and answered that the first one produced the second. Bartiromo: “You came from such humble beginnings, grew up on the south side of Chicago, dropped out of college, now you have collections of cars, jets, private homes, owning the island of Lanai. Tell me how you did it.” Ellison: “My favorite line is I had all the disadvantages necessary for success.” Every version of this story puts the hardship on one side and the achievement on the other, with the person crossing between them. He puts both on the same side. An input rather than an obstacle. Ellison: “When you’re raised on the south side of Chicago you probably want to move some place nicer.” Wanting out is the fuel. It arrives free, permanently installed, requiring no discipline to maintain. Someone who grows up comfortable has to manufacture it from nothing. They can build it. It never runs as hot. Someone with something to lose pays a real cost for every bet they take. Their caution is correct arithmetic given what they are holding. A person with nothing has no downside term in the equation. Failure returns them to exactly where they started, which they already hated. The same aggressive move is rational for one of them and reckless for the other. Ellison: “If it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger. I’ve always been very ambitious, I’ve always been very curious.” Plenty of people get the first half of that sentence and never reach the second. Ambition supplies the reason to move and curiosity supplies the direction. One without the other produces someone exhausted or someone merely interesting. Most people handed those disadvantages do not end up owning an island. The odds are terrible, and pretending otherwise insults everyone still stuck in them. Disadvantage does not supply capability. It supplies motivation, and it stacks a dozen obstacles on top while it does. Motivation is the one input that cannot be purchased, inherited, or installed by a good school. Which means the thing you are trying to get away from is quietly the most valuable asset you own, and you only find that out after it has already carried you somewhere.

Dustin

22,128 views • 8 days ago

"These new sci-fi, action films, are good but they are not cinema." --- Akira Kurosawa Full Excerpt: "Interviewer: In your older films there was always some concern about human situations. What is the root of this? Kurosawa: When there is talk of humanity in Japan, everyone thinks of complex subjects and stories. However, whatever an ordinary human feels, we try to project on the screen in an honest way. That’s all. Interviewer: You were keen on American cinema… Kurosawa: Regarding American cinema, I could say that much better films were made in the past. Today’s American cinema provides the wrong service to the audience. Violence and car crashes are often seen. What pleasure is there in watching such scenes? Old American films expressed human problems quite well, but these days the American cinema has problems. There is no doubt that a film like 'Jurassic Park' (1993) is interesting, but there used to be more impressive films in the past. In contrast, films, like those of Kiarostami, touch the heart and are very beautiful. These new sci-fi, action films, are good but they are not cinema. Interviewer: In comparison to cinema as entertainment, how do you think Third World artistic cinema can attract a Western audience? Kurosawa: Civilization has poisoned humanity. The backbone of a good film is the filmmaker’s humane character. If we are not honest to ourselves, we will never be able to make decent films. Actually, it doesn’t mean that if a country is well off, it is necessarily capable of making good films. A person, who is able to make good films, knows how to find his or her way into the viewer’s heart; such as John Ford, Jean Renoir, John Huston, Federico Fellini, Angelopoulos, Sidney Lumet… I’ve met every one of them and have spoken to them. Just as they have exceptional works, they were also very distinguished in character. It was very easy to establish a cordial relationship with them, which is quite important. The people that are depicted on screen in their films are not predetermined (molded) characters. They express human problems in a natural way. That’s why their films are fascinating. Sidney Lumet is a close friend of mine, and whenever we sit down to talk we never discuss cinema. We generally discuss trivial matters, social problems or our hobbies, and we quite enjoy it. Reporters always ask me what the content of my film is and I tell them that there is no such a thing. I say ordinary things. A film is not supposed to be a lecture." (Akira Kurosawa's interview with Maani Petgar, 1998) Clip from: Jurassic Park (1993) Director: Steven Spielberg

"These new sci-fi, action films, are good but they are not cinema." --- Akira Kurosawa Full Excerpt: "Interviewer: In your older films there was always some concern about human situations. What is the root of this? Kurosawa: When there is talk of humanity in Japan, everyone thinks of complex subjects and stories. However, whatever an ordinary human feels, we try to project on the screen in an honest way. That’s all. Interviewer: You were keen on American cinema… Kurosawa: Regarding American cinema, I could say that much better films were made in the past. Today’s American cinema provides the wrong service to the audience. Violence and car crashes are often seen. What pleasure is there in watching such scenes? Old American films expressed human problems quite well, but these days the American cinema has problems. There is no doubt that a film like 'Jurassic Park' (1993) is interesting, but there used to be more impressive films in the past. In contrast, films, like those of Kiarostami, touch the heart and are very beautiful. These new sci-fi, action films, are good but they are not cinema. Interviewer: In comparison to cinema as entertainment, how do you think Third World artistic cinema can attract a Western audience? Kurosawa: Civilization has poisoned humanity. The backbone of a good film is the filmmaker’s humane character. If we are not honest to ourselves, we will never be able to make decent films. Actually, it doesn’t mean that if a country is well off, it is necessarily capable of making good films. A person, who is able to make good films, knows how to find his or her way into the viewer’s heart; such as John Ford, Jean Renoir, John Huston, Federico Fellini, Angelopoulos, Sidney Lumet… I’ve met every one of them and have spoken to them. Just as they have exceptional works, they were also very distinguished in character. It was very easy to establish a cordial relationship with them, which is quite important. The people that are depicted on screen in their films are not predetermined (molded) characters. They express human problems in a natural way. That’s why their films are fascinating. Sidney Lumet is a close friend of mine, and whenever we sit down to talk we never discuss cinema. We generally discuss trivial matters, social problems or our hobbies, and we quite enjoy it. Reporters always ask me what the content of my film is and I tell them that there is no such a thing. I say ordinary things. A film is not supposed to be a lecture." (Akira Kurosawa's interview with Maani Petgar, 1998) Clip from: Jurassic Park (1993) Director: Steven Spielberg

DepressedBergman

84,572 views • 7 months ago

Hidden beneath the streets of Margate, Kent, England, lies one of the world’s most puzzling and awe-inspiring structures — the Shell Grotto, a subterranean cave system adorned with millions of shells arranged in intricate patterns and mosaics. Discovered by sheer accident in 1835, this underground passageway has since become a source of fascination and mystery, captivating the imaginations of archaeologists, historians, and visitors alike. What truly sets this grotto apart from other historical wonders is not just its stunning craftsmanship but the profound mystery surrounding its origin, purpose, and creators. The Shell Grotto was discovered by a curious young boy named James Newlove while digging a duck pond with his father. As they dug deeper, they stumbled upon a passageway that led into a cavernous series of tunnels covered from floor to ceiling with millions of shells, arranged in intricate and elaborate designs. This hidden masterpiece, buried beneath layers of earth, had remained untouched and unseen for what many believe could have been centuries. As word of the discovery spread, scholars, locals, and travelers flocked to see this astonishing underground marvel. Yet, as people began to explore its depths, more questions emerged than answers. Who built it? When was it created? And most intriguingly, why? Upon entering the Shell Grotto, visitors are greeted by a mesmerizing array of over 4.6 million shells meticulously arranged to form mosaics that span the walls and ceilings. The craftsmanship is nothing short of extraordinary — every inch of the grotto is covered in shells, including local varieties such as whelk, mussels, cockles, and oysters, all carefully selected and positioned to create symbols, patterns, and figures. The designs are both captivating and confounding. Some mosaics depict what appear to be stars, suns, flowers, and geometric shapes, while others suggest more cryptic symbols, resembling serpents, birds, and human figures. These intricate designs give the grotto an otherworldly and almost mystical quality. Yet, despite the extensive study of these mosaics, their meanings remain shrouded in mystery. Are they religious symbols, ancient hieroglyphics, or simply the whims of an imaginative artist? One of the most compelling aspects of the Shell Grotto is the total absence of any historical record about its construction. No one knows who built it, why, or even when it was created. Over the years, various theories have emerged, each offering its own intriguing possibility: Ancient Temple or Shrine - Some believe Shell Grotto could be remnants of an ancient temple or religious shrine, perhaps dating back to Roman or Phoenician period. Mysterious symbols and patterns could be connected to forgotten rites or ceremonies, with the shells themselves acting as sacred or spiritual symbols. Given Margate’s coastal location, it is plausible that the grotto was once part of a larger complex used by ancient civilizations. Medieval Secret Society Meeting Place - Another theory posits that grotto served as a secret meeting place for hidden society or organization during the medieval era. The covert nature of the grotto’s location, combined with the symbolic motifs, has led some to speculate that it was used by the Knights Templar or another clandestine group for rituals or gatherings. The cave’s secluded design certainly aligns with the need for privacy and secrecy. A Product of Eccentricity or Victorian Art - Yet another possibility is that grotto was constructed in 18th or 19th Century by an eccentric individual with a passion for art and design. This theory suggests that Shell Grotto might be an elaborate art project created purely for aesthetic pleasure, with the intention of mesmerizing and baffling those who encountered it. In this case, intricate shellwork would serve as a testament to the creativity and craftsmanship of the period rather than as religious or symbolic structure. #archaeohistories

Hidden beneath the streets of Margate, Kent, England, lies one of the world’s most puzzling and awe-inspiring structures — the Shell Grotto, a subterranean cave system adorned with millions of shells arranged in intricate patterns and mosaics. Discovered by sheer accident in 1835, this underground passageway has since become a source of fascination and mystery, captivating the imaginations of archaeologists, historians, and visitors alike. What truly sets this grotto apart from other historical wonders is not just its stunning craftsmanship but the profound mystery surrounding its origin, purpose, and creators. The Shell Grotto was discovered by a curious young boy named James Newlove while digging a duck pond with his father. As they dug deeper, they stumbled upon a passageway that led into a cavernous series of tunnels covered from floor to ceiling with millions of shells, arranged in intricate and elaborate designs. This hidden masterpiece, buried beneath layers of earth, had remained untouched and unseen for what many believe could have been centuries. As word of the discovery spread, scholars, locals, and travelers flocked to see this astonishing underground marvel. Yet, as people began to explore its depths, more questions emerged than answers. Who built it? When was it created? And most intriguingly, why? Upon entering the Shell Grotto, visitors are greeted by a mesmerizing array of over 4.6 million shells meticulously arranged to form mosaics that span the walls and ceilings. The craftsmanship is nothing short of extraordinary — every inch of the grotto is covered in shells, including local varieties such as whelk, mussels, cockles, and oysters, all carefully selected and positioned to create symbols, patterns, and figures. The designs are both captivating and confounding. Some mosaics depict what appear to be stars, suns, flowers, and geometric shapes, while others suggest more cryptic symbols, resembling serpents, birds, and human figures. These intricate designs give the grotto an otherworldly and almost mystical quality. Yet, despite the extensive study of these mosaics, their meanings remain shrouded in mystery. Are they religious symbols, ancient hieroglyphics, or simply the whims of an imaginative artist? One of the most compelling aspects of the Shell Grotto is the total absence of any historical record about its construction. No one knows who built it, why, or even when it was created. Over the years, various theories have emerged, each offering its own intriguing possibility: Ancient Temple or Shrine - Some believe Shell Grotto could be remnants of an ancient temple or religious shrine, perhaps dating back to Roman or Phoenician period. Mysterious symbols and patterns could be connected to forgotten rites or ceremonies, with the shells themselves acting as sacred or spiritual symbols. Given Margate’s coastal location, it is plausible that the grotto was once part of a larger complex used by ancient civilizations. Medieval Secret Society Meeting Place - Another theory posits that grotto served as a secret meeting place for hidden society or organization during the medieval era. The covert nature of the grotto’s location, combined with the symbolic motifs, has led some to speculate that it was used by the Knights Templar or another clandestine group for rituals or gatherings. The cave’s secluded design certainly aligns with the need for privacy and secrecy. A Product of Eccentricity or Victorian Art - Yet another possibility is that grotto was constructed in 18th or 19th Century by an eccentric individual with a passion for art and design. This theory suggests that Shell Grotto might be an elaborate art project created purely for aesthetic pleasure, with the intention of mesmerizing and baffling those who encountered it. In this case, intricate shellwork would serve as a testament to the creativity and craftsmanship of the period rather than as religious or symbolic structure. #archaeohistories

Archaeo - Histories

58,482 views • 1 year ago