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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #353

“well i’m a creep / i’m a weirdo / what the hell am i doing here? / i don’t belong here”

If you won an all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world for a one week vacation, where would you choose to go? For just one week, um... maybe South Africa, actually. Two weeks would probably be more ideal, but I've learned via my friend who worked with the KMP for a year that it's very isolating and you're very disconnected from society (also from the Internet, haha), but regardless, I REALLY wanna see the meerkats. Especially with the heat and all, one week might actually be all right. How often do you get notifications on your favorite social media site? That would be Facebook, and it really depends on how much I share that day. Sometimes I barely touch it, and sometimes I share a billion things and get a few notifications of people reacting. What’s something you’re actively trying to forget/care less about, if anything? Hi, have I told you about my breakup? What was the last encounter you had with a bug? Ugh, the fucking house is having an ant problem. Apparently, it's happened before here this time of year, so a couple times a days I find one on my arm or something and crush it. What is something considered “childish” that you still like or enjoy doing? I'm certain some people would consider RP childish, given it's essentially "make believe," and that's one reason I don't tell people about it. Name a song that you have a strong emotional connection to. Why is that song so important to you? The #1 song would be "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I've told why before and don't feel like doing it again. Is cannabis legal where you live? Nope, but it should be. How often do you walk your dog, if you have one? I don't have a dog. What is something you'd feel confident enough to give a presentation on? Me? Comfortable giving a presentation? Bitch please. Which CoVid vaccine did you receive, if any? I got Moderna. I wanted Pfizer, but supposedly they're the same thing, just different manufacterors. How do you feel you've made a difference in the world? I don't feel I have. But it's my goal in life to die feeling like I did. Do you eat any candies in a specific order? (ie: M&M's) I fucking read this as "candles" and was really confused. But anyway, yes, but not M&Ms; I only do that with candies that actually have unique tastes depending on color, like Skittles. What is one common childhood illness that you managed not to catch? I never got chickenpox. Is there an heirloom that has been passed down generations of your family? Probably, but I don't know about it. What is the most unique pet that you ever owned, or would like to? Hm. I'd say maybe a Chinese water dragon? People tend to not know what they are; they mistake them for iguanas all the time. Have you ever been in a bad car accident before? A bad one, no, but I've been in one, nevertheless. At the description of what happened though, the cop said we were extremely lucky we weren't flipped over. My mom's driving skill saved us. What is your favorite type of weather to experience? Snow! I like a steady pace of large flakes. Do you know your social security by heart? I don't, actually, but I did at one point. Now, I only know the last four digits. Would you move out your house if you could right now? Yes, even if we just moved here. Mom and I really, really don't like living in the suburbs. We miss being in the middle of nowhere. When is the last time you slept in someone else’s bed? Not since I last visited Sara's. Do you like being called baby? Not really. Like if it's from an s/o, it's all right, it's just really not my favorite. Have you ever slept in the same bed of the opposite sex? Yeah. When shopping at a grocery store, do you return the cart? I openly judge the fuck out of you if you don't. Do you think you would survive in the wilderness if you were abandoned there? I know I couldn't. Not in my shape. If you had a child at the age you’re at now, do you think you’d be a good parent? God, no. Do you eat your Oreos with milk? Yes. I strongly prefer them that way. Do you think French kissing is gross? I mean in concept I think it indisputably is, like even if you brush your tongue, it's still just... gross. But that doesn't mean I'm against it at all or won't do it when I love somebody. It's an "I accept you and your germs" thing, haha. Are you wearing make-up? What brand(s)? No. I pretty much never wear makeup anymore, even to take pictures. The last male you spoke to…is he attractive? That would be my psychiatrist, and I'm not attracted to him, no. He's like another dad to me. Have you ever had mice in your house? Back when we lived in the woods, we would have a minor mouse problem in the winter sometimes. I fucking hated it because my parents used the inhumane traps, save for one. I guess it was an affordability thing, idk. One or two got caught in that one, and I would let them go outside. Do you enjoy working with animals? It depends on what I'm doing. If I'm cleaning up after an animal, NO, because I seriously struggle with stomaching it. I canNOT touch vomit or feces, so that kinda eliminates a lot of options. Because of how physically weak I am along with hyperhidrosis, I also can't really exert myself much, so there ya go, more reasons I can't. I wish I could. Have you ever been in a tornado or hurricane? Plenty of hurricanes. If you're in a competition, are you in it to win it or just for the fun? The fun, experience, and growth. What's your favorite show on Comedy Central? I don't watch it. Which love story would you want your life to turn out like? I don't know, really. Do you usually go to sleep before or after the people you're living with? Before, at least usually. Are you into ripped jeans? Yes, though I don't wear jeans anymore. Have you ever been to any Disney parks? Yeah, Disney World in Florida. Which band has the best name, in your opinion? "Cradle of Filth" sounds pretty damn badass and unholy, I dig it. Do kids often knock on your door on Halloween? This will be our first year in this house during Halloween, so I really don't know if any will? I mean we live in a suitable neighborhood, so idk. Which one of your exes do you feel like you have the most chemistry with? Sara. Do you share the same political views as your parents? Dad, no. Mom, some. Have you ever done any internship? No. What's the last thing you got paid to do? Take pictures for someone. What's something your mother always says? "Drive like everyone else is stupid." It works though, haha. Always expect that someone you see might do something moronic and be prepared. For example, she is very adamant about us looking both ways when a light changes to green versus going immediately, and it's literally saved Mom's and my sister's lives. What's something your dad always says? To reach out to him if we ever need help with anything, and he'll do everything in his power to be there. What's your favorite thing to wear? Loose tank tops with loose-ish pj pants. What's your favorite day of the week? Nowadays, it's Fridays. Snake Discovery and The Dark Den both upload that day, haha. Do you have a favorite coloring book artist? Lisa Frank is the Wholesome Lead Bitch. Have you ever wanted to model? No. Have you ever seen someone have a seizure? Yeah, my sister. What's your favorite car? I am not NEARLY educated enough on cars to answer this. Why did you cry the last time you did? I'm seriously grieving Virginia. Her death has stricken me harder than any other I've experienced, even my own grandmother's. Who was the last person to piss you off? Probably someone on Facebook, but idr. Do you like winter? I love winter. Do you have a favorite flower? Yeah; I really like orchids. Dahlias are also gorgeous, and roses... Would you get a shamrock tattooed to your forehead for $5000? No. As great as that money sounds, tattoos are (relatively) permanent, and that would look pretty stupid imo. Are you very flexible? Not anymore. Who was the last person to tell you you looked nice? Probably Mom. Do you have the right time set on your microwave? Yeah. Do you have any old newspaper articles? Why? No. Do you have a flat screen tv or just a regular box? Flat screen. Do you like Tootsie Rolls? Ugh, no. Do you like Slim Jim’s? Oh fuuuuuuck yeah man. What color is your mousepad? Black. Do you get your eyebrows waxed? I used to, but now I just leave 'em be. Would you date someone that had a different religion from you? It would depend on the religion and the intensity. I could NOT date someone exceptionally religious. A common question: What are you listening to? Caleb Hyles and Halocene's cover of Radiohead's "Creep." Would you ever get a nature tattoo? Well, I want at least a meerkat tattoo, so. I'll probably get a snake somewhere, too. Where do your siblings work, if anywhere? My older sister is a mammographer, and my little sister is a children's social worker. Saving lives, then there's me lmao. Who do you generally talk to the most? Mom and Sara. Have you ever had a crush on someone of the same gender? Yeah, multiple times. Do you enjoy painting? Not really, no. I stress out about messing up. When, where, and why did a needle last pierce your skin? Around a week ago, left shoulder, to get my first Covid vaccine. Is there a person you talk to everyday with? Well, considering I live with my mother... I usually talk to Sara too, but a day sometimes passes where we don't. Does one of your parents ever complain to you about the other parent? Mom does that all the time about Dad. It's no shocker they're divorced. Dad's long since moved on and doesn't talk shit about her. Who was the last person you wished a “Happy Birthday” to? I actually don't remember... Someone on Facebook, I'm sure. Does your best friend have a job? Not right now, she's dealing with some wild health issues where it's much safer that she doesn't. When you move out your house (or if you already have moved out) do you plan on still visiting your parents' house? Well of course. I especially plan on visiting my mother at least once a week, either going to her place for dinner or her coming over to mine for the same. We're way too close for me to not see her. I'll still visit Dad, too. Do you usually take home leftovers if you eat out in a restaurant? It depends on what I had and if I know I'll eat it warmed up. What’s your favorite thing to have for breakfast? Cinnamon rolls. Why did you break your last promise? I barely EVER break promises, but this one I actually forgot I even made. ;_;

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''creep'' by radiohead

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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His Dark Materials: Who is Mrs. Coulter?

https://ift.tt/2O86XOy

His Dark Materials Episode 2 shows a different side to Mrs. Coulter. Ruth Wilson explains the key to understanding her character. Spoilers

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This His Dark Materials article contains spoilers through Episode 2.

“I feel like Mrs Coulter is a bit of a control freak,” says Ruth Wilson on stage at the London premiere of His Dark Materials. “She needs to be in control, and that’s in her look as much as everything else.”

Mrs. Coulter’s look in the HBO-BBC adaptation is a striking one. Inspired by 1930s-1940s Hollywood actor Hedy Lamarr, it oozes glamour and shine. Wilson’s costumes feature bold tailoring in luxurious velvet, satin and fur, with jeweled accents. They’re clothes that assert her character’s wealth and status while accentuating her physical attractiveness – a source of power she deliberately exploits in the male-dominated spheres in which she operates.

Operates is the word for it; Mrs. Coulter’s actions are surgeon-precise. An intelligent and skilled manipulator, she calculates exactly what to do, say, and—yes—wear to achieve her ambitions. Those clothes, for instance - they’re not just designed to look chic, but also to serve a dreadful purpose. They are, after all, what first attracts Lyra to her at Jordan College.

read more: His Dark Materials Review (Spoiler-Free)

“I wanted her to be soft,” explains Wilson. “I wanted fluffy, touchable hair. We talked about the clothes being tactile, so velvets and satins and sparkly for children. I wanted her to be approachable to children,” she laughs. “Well, she’s got to attract kids!”

After His Dark Materials Episode 2, viewers know why. Mrs. Coulter is the head of the General Oblation Board (oblation means an offering to God), an organization whose initials have led to it being mythologized among the Gyptian children as child-abductors "The Gobblers."

Funded by the tyrannical religious ruling authority the Magisterium, the board has been kidnapping children and is preparing to take them North for a series of dark experiments. In Episode 2, Mrs. Coulter visits the imprisoned children in her fairy godmother guise, taking down their letters home and promising them an adventure to “the best place you could possibly go to.” Once out of sight, she drops the façade, burns the letters and strides away, a conscienceless aberration in a glossy dress.

Mrs. Coulter’s daemon mirrors her clothing. A golden monkey with shining, soft fur, on the outside he’s exactly the kind of animal a child might be drawn towards. On the inside though… well, that’s the question. Nameless and voiceless, Mrs Coulter’s daemon is a very different prospect to most.

read more: His Dark Materials Creator Discusses Religion in TV Show

“Everyone’s character has that interesting relationship [with their daemon] but hers is really quite specific,” says Wilson. “My daemon doesn’t have a name and it doesn’t speak, so I have a different relationship to everyone else. I can also separate from my monkey, or from my daemon.”

Viewers found that out in Episode 2, when Lyra and Pan discovered that the golden monkey had been spying on them through Lyra’s bedroom grille independently of Mrs. Coulter (usually, daemons can’t stray more than a few yards from their human without causing intense discomfort to both).

Wilson explored what this extraordinary ability means for the character of Mrs. Coulter while preparing for the role. She worked with puppeteer Brian Fisher - who operates the on-set monkey puppet (later replaced by CG animation by Framestore) with which she performs - to work out the psychology of Mrs. Coulter, how separation occurs and what it feels like for the pair. Wilson rehearsed moving in a simian way to reflect the form of her daemon.

“I found a bit of inner monkey in me,” she tells the crowd at the BFI Southbank. “You’ll see when monkey comes out of me. It’s fun.”

Fun isn’t quite the word when it happens on screen. Wilson’s mercurial performance in the show is unnerving. She flashes from (a facsimile of) warmth to ice-cold in an instant, switching, as Wilson says in this HBO featurette, between from fairy godmother, Snow White, and wicked queen – a one-woman fairy-tale by the Brothers Grimm.

Her range makes Mrs. Coulter “mysterious and unknowable and constantly unpredictable,” says Wilson. It was a joy to play, she explains, “because each scene you can keep switching and going this way and that way and confusing the audience and confusing your fellow actors. She’s a master manipulator, she knows what she’s doing, and she’s incredibly intelligent and driven and she wants what she wants.”

Which is?

Power and control, at any price. As a hint, she's described as “the mother of all evil” in a series by The Guardian on literary baddies that ranks Mrs. Coulter alongside The Lord Of The Rings' Sauron, Medea, and H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu in the pantheon of fictional wrongdoers.

Is Wilson ready to be a baddie in family households around the world, she’s asked by BFI panel moderator Rebecca Nicholson. "Absolutely", she laughs, joking, “My nieces and nephews won’t want me to babysit again – I’m okay with that!”

What does Wilson make of a description by another character in book three of the series, The Amber Spyglass, which calls Mrs. Coulter as “a cess-pit of moral filth”?

“That’s glorious!,” she laughs. “Usually you get ‘blonde, curvaceous, mid-30s…’ this is ‘cesspit of moral filth!’ I know how to do that one!”

His Dark Materials airs Mondays on HBO. Find out more about the TV series here.

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Feature

Books

Louisa Mellor

Nov 12, 2019

His Dark Materials

Ruth Wilson

from Books https://ift.tt/2CEdwmE

#aion-rsa #Books

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englishforward-blog · 5 years

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How Being Bilingual Makes You Smarter

I’d like you to come along with me on a thought journey, as we explore how learning English as your second language, and becoming bilingual can help you become smarter, more self-assured, and advance your progress towards success.

There are many articles written and extensive research has been done on how being bilingual can make you smarter, and how it’s good for your brain, but this article is not intended to corroborate or dispute that idea.

What I’d like to explore is whether you appear to be smarter to others because you are bilingual.

Something I like to do with all of my goals in life is to start with the end in mind. And learning English is no different…so what does the end look like for you on your English language journey? Once you’re proficient at English… do you see yourself as being smarter?

Certainly, all of these occupations require English proficiency, to varying degrees.

A checkout teller at the convenience store, taking a pizza order at the call center, a dietitian engaging with a client and preparing meal plans, a doctor discussing a medical journal, a businessman delivering a speech etc

What level of English proficiency do you need to be successful?

Please bear with me as I take you through a short story that illustrates how being bilingual changes the way people see and interact with you.

An excerpt taken from the book “George and I”, an incredible story of the bond between a man (me) and his dog (George)

As I drive down the dusty, rutted dirt track into Folweni (Umlazi, South Africa), I can see Zebulon’s tavern in the distance. Probably built 20 years ago out of hollow brick blocks and corrugated iron sheeting, the building reminds me a lot of the trading stores built by the Portuguese traders in Mozambique. Square in shape with a flat roof, it had a red steel 20-foot refrigerated container attached to the one side.

This was the cold room for the huge amount of beer Zebulon, the tavern owner, sold.

The building is divided in two by a 1.2m high brick wall, on top of which sits a steel palisade barrier, extending up to the ceiling, designed to keep the drunken customers away from the staff and stock.

My pool table and jukebox are amongst the drunken customers. The jukebox is so loud in the tavern it’s a wonder anyone can be heard over the music to place an order.

It’s 1998 and the township is a time bomb, quietly ticking away until it explodes. The tension is tangible and it’s not a pleasant place to work in. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live in.

In the last three months, seven of the tavern owners where I have a pool table placed have been brutally murdered, the result of faction fighting and territorial disputes. I am sick and tired of the tension and have three pool tables left to uplift and move out of the area. We had had a great time in Folweni in previous years. The returns were good and George (a large staffie cross pitbull) had become something of a legend to the children that lived in that township.

As we approach the store, I can see children running as they recognise the bakkie (pickup truck). Above the diesel engine, the high pitched voices can be faintly heard shouting “George ufikile” (George has arrived). By the time we approach the store we have a long tail of children following us, laughing and hitting the side of the bakkie, shouting “George ufikile” (George has arrived). There are about 80 children amassed at the store entrance waiting for George. As we pull up and I get out the crowd grows suddenly quiet…and I greet the kids and ask “Who wants to see the dog that speaks three languages “Tina” (we do) they shout. I call to George in Zulu “puma George” (get out George) and George leaps out of the bakkie to the ground, to oohs and ahhs from the crowd. He is not very interested in the kids, stiffing around, and cocking his leg on the tyre.

“Speak in English” the children shout, “Speak in Afrikaans”, “Speak in Zulu”

You see, I had told the children on previous visits that George is the only dog in the world that can speak in three languages. Then I would say “Sit” in Zulu and George would sit. I would say “Lie down” in Afrikaans and George would lie down. And so on. George knew dozens of commends in the three languages.

The kids thought this was the most amazing thing they had ever seen. The children loved throwing a stick for George and they all screamed at once for George to fetch in three languages. They sounded like a swarm of bees as they shouted to him. George would fetch regardless and never tired of their game. As he stood in front of them with the stick in his mouth they’d be bunched up tightly together, the kids at the back pushing forward to try and touch George while the kids at the front pushed back away from him, still a little scared of him. When a child plucked up the courage to pick up the stick George had dropped, and threw it for him the game would start all over again, and he would rush off to fetch, barking madly.

“Boss, ngqela ishumi” they shout (please a 1 rand coin) “Dlala ijukebox” (we want to play a song on the jukebox) The R1 would go into the coin slot, and as the pulsing music started, the kids would start moving, a mass of animated, gyrating happy dancers, each trying to outdo the other with the craziest moves, while George rushed around them barking, enjoying the fun.

George was a great dancer and they chased him round, screaming and shouting, such a wonderful thing to see. In amongst the filth and poverty, George was a bilingual entertainer and the kids loved him.

The kids thought George was smart because he could speak three languages. So in essence, he projected his intelligence onto his audience by his knowledge of languages and in return received adulation, praise and respect because of what he knew.

I use this story to illustrate to you how being bilingual can impact the way people see you and treat you.

Is this the same for humans? Let’s think about this for a moment.

The last time you got into an Uber in Paris, or asked for directions in Rome, did you greet the driver with a “Hello”, a “Bonjour” or a “Ciao”?

Even the slightest effort in trying to learn someone else’s language changes the way the person interacts with you.

And if you know a handful of phrases, and can converse even in the most basic terms, it endears you to the person you’re interacting with.

I’d like to ask you this question: if being bilingual makes you smarter, HOW smart do you need to be to achieve YOUR definition of success? And what is your definition of success?

What are the different levels of English, and at what point are you considered bilingual?

The dictionary definition of “bilingual” is “using or able to use two languages with equal fluency.”

In layman’s terms this means:

You should be able to go through your day (ordering a pizza, pub crawling, making love, reading a newspaper, watching a movie etc) without any hesitation or difficulty, and be able to accurately describe your experience the following day to a native English speaker (the pub crawl may be a challenge though!)

Having an accent or not is of no consequence, as long as it doesn’t confuse or amuse your audience.

In addition, watching a TV show with friends, discussing the recipes and ingredients afterwards, joking and winning a game of Scrabble would all indicate your proficiency with English.

In a work setting, having a discussion and briefing a colleague about project detail, preparing and delivering a fifteen minute speech to a group of native English coworkers and answering any questions afterwards would indicate you are fluent in English.

We love watching people progress with their proficiency of the English language, and have excellent teachers, linguists and trainers to help you progress and fast as you want to.

Many of our students use our chat https://t.me/EnglishForwardCommunity as a daily practice to improve their communication skills in a non threatening, encouraging environment.

These are the steps I’d recommend to you to accelerate your proficiency:

Decide on what level of English you need to achieve success

Work out a plan of action to get you to your goal or what your think success is for you.

Practice chatting to other learners daily, and make communicating in English a habit in your life.

World’s #1 “Learn English” Portal 250 Million+ Users Served

Join the English Forward Community https://EnglishForward.com

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