#also no background who cares have a rectangle and look at the women

[vonlipvig]

i think it's high time we bring back the time-honored tradition of cross-series crackshipping. i, for one, believe that amy brookheimer and shiv roy should hook up at a dem party convention or something.

#veep #veep hbo #succession #amy brookheimer #shiv roy #siobhan roy #shivamy #my art #SHIVAMY SO REAL i love them #i know shiv had long hair during her politics days but im not gonna pass up the opportunity to draw THE BOBS #also no background who cares have a rectangle and look at the women

[onesemesterfilmstudentta]

Film #6: Ugetsu Monogatari

It's interesting how the movie twines several tales (the Ugetsu Monogatari tales but also Tobei's original(?) tale) into one plot and keeps the most sentimental or interesting scenes (the last night with a wife, the ghostly mansion, etc). Otherwise, the original tales certainly meander…

The professor introduced this as a ghost story and considering the movies we've watched so far I was pretty certain this movie would end up a tragedy. There are certainly moments of tragedy and horror absolutely but the ending was much happier than I expected. Writing this now, I'm not very satisfied with the plot. This is probably after having sat through two movies where the female characters are so obviously more trapped in their circumstances than the men. Because of men's actions, women are left to fend for themselves as prostitutes, singers, and beggars or die altogether.

It leaves a sour taste in my mouth thinking that the men in this movie can say, "Oh, woe is me! I only realize now that I only wanted to be rich and famous because I wanted to make my wife happy too!" Genjuro, I know you were "bewitched" but you laid down with another women, you gave kimonos to another woman, you gave yourself to another woman, so pardon me if I relished him having all his money taken away and trudging back home to a broken-down house. It's also laughable that the "enchantress" all along, while yes she did suck his energy, was NOT a fox spirit (tricks men like a succubus) like I thought but an actual innocent girl who just wanted to experience true love! He not only cheated on his wife but also shattered the heart of a girl who is already a ghost! I did NOT expect to sympathize with the ghost of a ghost story this way.

That being said, the scene with Genjuro's wife, now a ghost, who had to contend herself with one last night of happiness there with her family, was still a little sweet. It was probably intended to make the viewer just as angry as sad. At least, it made me very angry. The way she still cares for her husband, laying a blanket over him and making sure his feet are covered; how she had to hide her tears from him; how she sat by her husband and son and worked on clothing until the morning came- all through the movie, all she wanted was to live happily with her family. Your wife is dead, Genjuro! Tobei, you're not much better!

I'd rather not talk any more about the plot. What I do like is the director's confidence in using long shots that track the actors through a scene. Because of the war background and the seriousness of the violence, Ugetsu Monogatari feels shockingly realistic at times. Yet these tracking shots are incredibly beautiful as well. My favorite scene is the dream-like fog that surrounds the four central characters as they're on a boat. It is as if the background is painted in soft shades of pink, grey, and blue. Diegetically, Tobei's wife is singing too and everyone seems so content. Genjuro's wife even says she is glad because she feels sure taking this boat was safer than taking the road. The scene at this point is peaceful and serene. This serenity is quickly broken as another boat comes into view. The boatman, before dying, warns them of pirates on the water. So quickly, even as the music, background, and characters seem to feel safe, the chaos of war rears its ugly head again and the cast are scurrying for safety once more.

Another example is the first time Genjuro enters the ghost girl's mansion. As he and the girl's nurse walk through the hallways, the camera follows them from a distance as Genjuro looks obviously nervous. Their path is guided by the rectangle frames of the screen doors and Genjuro himself is positioned in an open rectangle when he sits down to await the ghost girl's entrance. This scene is an exceptionally long shot and it drips with Genjuro's nervousness (which is becoming the audience's because the girl and the nurse are very strange).

The composition of many of the shots is also beautiful as well. One shot that comes to mind is Genjuro "escaping" the mansion. He crashes out into a courtyard and falls onto his back. Tree branches are jutting into the foreground so that his figure is enclosed by them. I'm sure there is some symbolic meaning I am missing but as an image it was pretty.

The panning was also interesting as well! The best examples came from Genjuro's time with the ghost girl. The panning blended with transitions from shot to shot of the two enjoying their time together. The most interesting one was the transition from hot spring to a field. I am used to most pans being incredibly quick - the blur is used to make an easy transition - but this pan was much slower than that! The panning would also be used to block out violence or scenes that would be hard for a viewer to watch too. Even if it's hard to watch, these pans let the imagination run in the worst ways.

I also liked what little music there was is often diegetic. One of the cast is singing and playing an instrument or someone else in the background is. For example, there was a flute player in the background of a market scene or at least when Genjuro was in the market one of those times.

On a technical level, this film was simply amazing and I enjoyed "watching" it even if I didn't enjoy the plot very much. I would also like to end by saying both Genjuro and Tobei displayed maidenless behavior. I have already elaborated.

[mylittledesignblog]

Things Every Designer Should Know About Accessibility

Accessibility enables people with disabilities to see, understand, navigate, interact with, and contribute to the web. Imagine a world where developers know everything there is to know about accessibility. You design and they build it perfectly. In this world, only the design itself can cause difficulty in use by people with disabilities.

Accessibility is not a barrier to innovation

Accessibility won't force you to make a product ugly, boring, or cluttered. It will present a set of constraints to take into account as you design your tool. These constraints will give you new ideas to explore, ideas that will lead to better products for all of your users.

Design for everyone

This may include people who are blind, color blind, have poor vision, people who are deaf or have hearing difficulties, people with temporary or non-mobility impairments, or people with cognitive impairments. Design for young, old, power users, casual users, and those who just love a great experience. Adopt these accessibility guidelines as you would any design constraints. They are part of the challenge of creating amazing products.

Do not use color as the only way to convey information

Think about users who have difficulty or cannot distinguish colors. This includes the color blind (1 in 12 men, 1 in 200 women), the visually impaired (1 in 30 people), and the blind (1 in 188 people). Use color to emphasize or complement what is already visible.

Give visual indications on the focus of the keyboard

Let's take a minute to tell ourselves that the basic stylesheet has been of great use to modern web designers. Without it, it would be much more difficult to create a consistent experience across different media and browsers.

Let's do a quick exercise: open a tab that leads to the website of the company that makes your phone. Press Tab several times to browse the site. Do you see a focus when you move from link to link? Maybe on some links, but not all? Take a minute to think about the effect of this on people who don't use a mouse to browse the web.

If you are on a Mac, you may need to enable Full Keyboard Access first in System Preferences> Keyboard> Shortcuts. It is downstairs. If you remove the default focus, replace it with something better than what your browser offers.

In the example below, the BBC uses a color bar to show which tab is selected.

Twitter uses both the default focus and a bubble to show focus. The icon also changes from gray to green. These are three different visual ways of showing keyboard users that the focus is on this icon. When creating your own focuses, remember to remove the default state anyway, otherwise, you'll see something like below, where Chrome's blue rectangle goes over the menu's blue background. It's ugly, and it's not because of the accessibility.

Be careful with forms

In recent years, we have experienced a de-evolution of forms. Modern designs have taken a more minimalist approach. Today's forms lack two things that are necessary for accessibility: defined boundaries and readable labels.

It is important to give clearly defined limits to the forms, for users with motor disabilities and cognitive disabilities. Knowing the location and size of the target to click on is important for people who use a standard or adaptive mouse. Cognitively disabled users may have difficulty finding and interacting with spaces without specific clues.

Conclusion

At first glance, it might seem that these constraints limit your creativity. If they have the slightest impact on it, it's because they make you forget the limits of your creativity, as you find visually pleasing designs that allow more users to find what they are looking for.

#accessibility #design #usability

[fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors]

If you got to select the new César Academy board, who would you pick? (Also, good fucking riddance to the losers who had to resign) Or if you don't want to pick people, do you have ideas about reforming awards shows? What do you think the Césars could look like in a better world?

For background context for people who don’t know: the César’s are the highest film awards in France (also the award looks like a rectangle of compacted trash but that’s not really here or there). There has been huge backlash this year since Roman Polanski’s latest film did extremely well and got a lot of nominations and the board committed to reform and more transparency. Part of that reform now is them quitting. 

I honestly sort of don’t care about the board quitting though I appreciate it as a gesture of change. But it seems like they have the same problem that the Oscars have: it’s the members who vote for the awards, not the board, and there is still a huge proportion of their voting academy that loves and embraces Roman Polanski. They can do what the Oscars did and try to diversify their voting membership but they’re going to come up against the same problem: a huge amount of members are old white men and until they, um, become non-members, it’s going to be very hard to see change. They also really love to latch on to certain people and nominate them over and over again.

Also the French film industry is super inbred and I don’t think non-French people realize how much everyone is either related to or sleeping with everyone else. At this point it’s just third and fourth generation actors and filmmakers putting their friends, their children and their lovers in their own films over and over again until someone accidentally makes something halfway decent and then it gets critically acclaimed and goes all over the world. Anyone new to the film industry marries into one of the inbred families and then it just starts all over again.

Really that’s the problem with the French film industry and until that is fixed it’s just going to be more of the same (director Houda Benyamina has talked about this before).

Anyway awards are super subjective. In an ideal world cinema would reflect talent, not just wealthy white men and awards would reflect that too. 

As usual the only thing we can do as audience members is to be conscious of what we watch and consume. A lot of the more prominent current crop of French women directors are not products of nepotism and are interested in changing French cinema like Céline Sciamma, Houda Benyamina, Rebecca Zlotowski, Alice Winocour, Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Maïmouna Doucouré. 

Doucouré in particular is someone I’m super excited about. She’s only made one short and one feature and she won directorial awards from the Césars and Sundance for them already which is incredibly impressive.

#ask #Césars #César awards

[rebelwheelssoapbox]

Pride Month Means Politicians Are All Rah Rah Rainbow, But Do They Support All Of The LGBTQ+ Community?

By RebelWheels NYC The following article is not an attempt to drag, shame or throw shade at people, but rather is an attempt at education and a call for solidarity.

[image description: Cast photo from the Queer Eye. photo shows five different gay men who have various appearances and looks, but are all very stylish. ] With perhaps the exception of Queer Eye & RuPaul’s Drag Race (which not everyone has access to), if one were to go by LGBTQ+ representation in the mainstream media, one might get the impression that LGBTQ+ often equals very glam/stylish, white, able bodied, cisgender, middle and/or upper class. However, the truth is like many identities, queer people exist within every community.

[image description: Cast photo from the RuPaul Drag Race. Photo shows a wide variety of drag queens looking pretty damn fabulous and colorful] I am a proudly queer, disabled woman, (among other identities) and therefore I don't just face queerphobia, but also deal with sexism and ableism. Sometimes I experience these things all at once. Sometimes I even face ableism within queer spaces and sometimes queerphobia in the disability community. Related: Ableism? What the hell is Ableism?

[image description: a graphic with a white background and black “typewriter” font text. It reads, ”Ableism is… (a form of) discrimination.The false idea that disabled people are by default, inferior. When in truth, disability is just another way for a mind and/or body to be.”] So often when we hear about oppressed groups of people, it's often presented in this very isolated fashion (or what is often referred to as single issue). Here is Group A , they face Discrimination A and that's it. However, the truth is, unless you are white, straight, cisgender , male, upper class, able bodied, etc., life is rarely that simple. You can be queer and disabled. You can be queer and poor. You can be queer and a person of color, queer and Muslim, queer and an immigrant and/or refugee, queer and indigenous, etc etc etc. In fact, at the end of the day, a person can be all of these things.

And I mention this, not to simply partially list the possible combinations of marginalized identities, but to point out that when we talk about the importance of supporting and giving love to the LGBTQ+ community, we must acknowledge that many LGBTQ+ people aren't just dealing with LGBTQ+-phobia (which is hard enough on it's own.) That if you say you support the queer community, then we must support all of the community, and that means having solidarity for the varying experiences of all queer people.  

[image description:  Black and white photo of Audre Lorde, a black and queer activist. To the right of the photo, is a black background with white text : “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle, because we do not live single-issues lives.” Audre Lorde.] Related: Ted Talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw who is credited for coining the term intersectionality. (TW: various forms of oppression, including racism and police violence, including footage of literal violence towards the end of the presentation) I am writing this article during Pride Month, where companies galore are fishing for those beloved pride dollars, as they remake their logos in the colors of the rainbow flag. Some people in the community applaud this action and are happy to give them their money, while some of us in the community are asking, what have you done for our community other than make your logo more colorful in the month of June?

After all, solidarity is more than just slapping on a rainbow.

[image description: Rectangle rainbow graphic, with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. On top is the following text “Rah rah rainbow!”] Meanwhile, in comes the wave of politicians, who too, are all rah rah rainbow on their social media, but do they really support our community, or are they just in it for the good PR, or perhaps running for re-election? And if they say they do support our community, even if they are LGBTQ+ themselves, we must ask: do they support all of the community? It's great if they are against LGBTQ+ phobia and the consequences of, but as we discussed earlier in this article, in order to support all of the community, solidarity must go beyond that. In order to support all of the community, we must acknowledge how many forms of oppression intersect. So, what does that look like? Well, there are many issues that I could include here, but in the interest of keeping this article at a reasonable length, I'll just name the following three examples.

1.) Are they working to end the cash bail system, which predominately impacts women and mostly poor women of color. A system that keeps people in jail, sometimes for months, many who haven't even been convicted of a crime, but can't afford the bail money to get out? It's Pride month. Do the rah rah rainbow politicians also support the end of this classist and racist system, that keeps many people, including many in the LGBTQ+ community in jail? Related: VIDEO: Moms Behind Bars: How Cash Bail Is Keeping Women In Jail | AJ+ Related: Southerners on New Ground (SONG), a Southern queer liberation group, has been raising money to help bail Black mamas out of jail for Mother’s Day. 

[image description: screenshot from a video from Mic, showing two transwomen of color, walking down the street in a city environment] 2.) Do they support the ban of an archaic law, often referred to as #WalkingWhileTrans, which unjustly gives the police legal permission to harass (and in many cases, racially profile) transwomen just for being out in a public space, under the “loitering for the purpose of prostitution” law. They don’t even need proof. A transwoman could just be walking home from going dancing with her friends in a cute little dress, she stops to talk to someone and if a cop thinks she might be a prostitute, regardless if she is or not, he can arrest her. Related: Transwomen and activist, TS Candii tells her story of when she was harassed by the pollice TW: transphobia, police brutality and assault Related: Civil Rights Groups Call Out ‘Archaic’ N.Y. Loitering Law For Targeting Trans People 3.) Meanwhile, similar to how LGBTQ+ people exist within every marginalized community, so do disabled people. And since this is pride month (though solidarity should of course not be a 30 day event), we must also ask do these politicians support efforts like the DIA or Disability Integration Act which would make it so that states could not force disabled people (and thus queer disabled people, queer disabled people of color etc) against their will, trapping them into institutions and nursing homes? Related: Disabled Activists as part of ADAPT occupies 19 House offices to pass the Disability Integration Act (HR.555) Because if they don’t support issues like these (and many more), then they are not allies to all of the LGBTQ+ community, in which case, are they really allies? In this case, in many ways, even if they are against LGBTQ+ phobia, but stop there, the social media post of rainbows, and maybe even waving and marching in their local pride parade, can not be fully authentic. The powers that be go to great lengths to pit oppressed communities against each other and because social media has a short attention span when it comes to trending topics, and there is just so much injustice going on in the world, it can be difficult (at best) to get that spotlight to shine on the oppression that you face and/or care about. But in the end, if we say we support the LGBTQ+ community, if we say we are against oppression of LGBTQ+ people, then we must not leave a single LGBTQ+ person behind.

________________________________________________________________ This article was partially inspired by a tweet (social media post) by Bruce Darling, a queer and disabled activist from ADAPT, who said the following in response to some rah rah rainbow politicians: “Seriously, if you HONOR Stonewall, and civil rights, STOP STONEWALLING the Disability Integration Act! #HR555 Disabled Americans should not be locked away in institutions because you refuse to take action on a bill… Support #DIAtoday! “ which got me thinking about the importance of intersectional or complete LGBTQ+ solidarity or the lack of.”

#pride #pride month #gay pride #LGBTQ+ pride #LGBT pride #queer pride #queer #queer and disabled #intersectionality #queer intersectionality #disability integration act #cash bail #walking while trans #bruce darling #queer eye #rupaul #politicians

[dancingkirby]

THE THREESOME SCENE

Okay, I’m too lazy to post the other twelve chapters that I didn’t put on here (you’re welcome to go read it on ff.net if you want full context), but I worked so hard to make it funny and awkward and hot all at the same time, so my self-confidence took a big hit with that comment that person left on ff.net.  I just need some assurance that it’s good, dammit!

Opal opened the door and beckoned Eska to come inside.  No sooner had the door closed behind her than Bolin leapt from his perch on the bed and bounded over.

“Wanna have a threesome?” he asked eagerly. Opal nudged him in the ribs.

“Bolin!  That was not how you were supposed to ask!” she scolded.  She was smiling while she said it, though.

“How was I supposed to ask, then?”

“You were supposed to lead up to it!  We don’t want to scare her away.”

“It is all right. I am not scared,” Eska told them.  “But I am not certain I understand the meaning of that word.”

“Maybe we should sit down to talk about this?” Opal suggested.  She and Bolin plopped down near the head of the bed; Eska chose to perch near a corner.  She saw Bolin’s pet looking at them from his small bed in the corner of the room; he evidently decided that nothing of interest to him was going on, and went back to sleep.

Opal explained, “A threesome would be all of us having sex.  Together.  We’re sorry to spring it on you like this, but we thought we’d better ask now before you left.”

“And how exactly do three people do such a thing?” Eska inquired.  

“There are a lot of ways.  That’s one of the things we’d have to figure out.”

The idea was intriguing.  She had seen mentions of such liaisons in a few books in the library at the palace, but they had never gone into any details.

“Take your time to think about it,” Opal urged.

“We’re happy to wait until you’re sure,” Bolin added.  “One way or another.”

They did not have to wait long.  Eska realized within seconds that this had been that mysterious thing she had wanted all along.  She wanted them…both of them.  Not being accustomed to friendships, she had assumed that this was all that her feelings with Opal had been.  Now, she was realizing that there had been more to it.  If Desna could be in a relationship with another man, and Korra had Asami, was it really that odd for Eska to be attracted to another woman?

After about two minutes of deliberation, she informed them, “I wish to proceed.”  Then, to Bolin, “What will we do now?”

Bolin cleared his throat and stated, “To be honest, it was Opal’s idea, and I don’t know much more about this stuff than you do.  So yeah, what do we do, Opal?”

“Well, before we actually get started, we should take some time to talk about exactly what it is we all want from this,” Opal stated, suddenly all business.  “That’s what the books say, anyway.”

“Books?” Eska asked.

“My mom has a pretty big collection of them,” Opal said.  “She’s let me read them since I was twelve.  Although I might have been sneaking them into my room for a year or two before then.”

“She is not nearly as demure and innocent as she appears,” Eska commented to Bolin.

“Tell me about it!” he answered.

“You’re one to talk, Bolin,” Opal remarked.  “So…anyway, Eska, Bolin and I were talking about it, and we decided that we both wanted to focus on you.  We know that this past month’s been rough for you, and…we wanted to see if we could cheer you up.”

“As it should be,” Eska said, although she felt touched that they had noticed.

“And is there anything that you want?” Opal prompted.

It was a question which required some thought.  Eska’s knowledge of various positions and techniques remained limited.  She guessed that it wasn’t so much a matter of what she wanted to do as much as who she wanted to do it with.

“I would like to do something different with each of you.  Whichever activity you think is best,” she said.

“You mean…completely separately?  Or can the third person also be involved in some way?”

“I presume that if the third person were absent, it could no longer be called a ‘threesome.’ Is that correct?”

“I guess it is. That okay with you, Bolin?”

“Yep.”

“All right then, sounds like a plan.  Now is there anything anyone really doesn’t want?  I’m assuming that butt stuff is off the table?”

“You assumed correctly,” Eska replied.  She must have made an odd facial expression, because both Bolin and Opal chuckled.

“Okay, then.  What about oral?  Giving and receiving.”

“I am not sure I would be comfortable with giving,” Eska replied slowly.  “Receiving may be interesting.  I only hope that my hygienic practices are sufficient.”

“I’m sure they are, but good point.  We should probably all take a shower so everyone’s comfortable.  Is there anything else in particular that anyone would like to add?”

“Only that I do not wish to conceive at this time,” Eska told her.

“Don’t worry, we have that covered!  Literally!” Bolin said.  Opal groaned.

“That’s one thing about being in a relationship with Bolin,” she told Eska.  “Be prepared for the worst puns ever.  And the more that people hate them, the happier he is.”

Eska was not certain that she understood why anyone would like people getting angry at their attempts at humor.  In any case, Bolin was nodding in agreement with a quite smug look on his face.

She was turning to leave for her own room for her body cleansing when Opal held up a finger.

“Don’t go yet, Eska! I remembered one more thing.”

She turned to the night table, opened the drawer, and took out a rectangle of cloth.  Eska noted that it was purple, which made her happy.

“It’s a blindfold,” Opal explained.  “Bolin and I use it a lot.  We find that it heightens the sensations.”

If she wore that, she’d be putting all her trust in them.  Still, the idea was intriguing.  Cutting off visual input might actually be a good thing for her, to prevent sensory overload.

“I will attempt it,” she told them.

“You’re welcome to take it off at any time if it’s not working,” Opal assured her.

“I am aware. For the moment, however, I must return to my own room to commence preparations.”

“Okay then!  See you in a few!” Bolin said.

Eska did not linger in the shower, although she did make certain that her genitalia were properly soaped up and rinsed.  While bending the water out of her hair, she examined herself in the mirror critically.   The enlargement of her breasts from pregnancy and nursing had not lasted once Kinalik was weaned, unfortunately.  She only hoped that what she had would not be displeasing.  

She entertained the thought of returning to the other bedroom with no clothes on, but was worried that she might run into someone else in the hallway.  Therefore, she decided to put on her bathrobe to cover her nakedness.

Opal appeared to also have just finished with her shower when Eska returned; she was also wearing a bathrobe and was sitting propped up on pillows.  Eska could hear the water running in the bathroom; she guessed that it was Bolin’s turn now.

“How about you sit here with me?” Opal prompted as she patted the other side of the bed.  Eska did so.  Opal slung an arm around her, and Eska decided to turn over on her side to scoot close enough for their bodies to make contact.  She was not accustomed to cuddling with anyone except her daughter and brother, but decided that she might as well try.  There would be plenty other areas of their bodies making contact tonight, after all.

It felt nice, Eska thought, particularly since Opal was letting her determine how close they would get.  The airbender’s body felt soft and curvy–possibly it was already beginning to be enhanced by the effects of pregnancy.  In any case, it was very unlike Eska’s own angular form.  She idly wondered what was going to interrupt them this time, and glanced up at the ceiling, curious as to whether it would cave in on them.  Despite her worries, it did no such thing.

“Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” Opal asked.

Eska considered. Finally, she answered, “I was curious as to exactly when you were decided that you were attracted to me.”

“Oh, Korra’s party, definitely.”

“I believe it was the same for me.  Although I did not recognize it as such at the time.  I have not had much contact with women my age, so I assumed that what I was feeling was merely friendship.  I am only just now realizing that it was more.”  The feeling was similar to how she felt for Bolin, yet not quite the same. With Bolin, there had been that strong feeling of physical lust.  With Opal, the physical aspect was still present, but there was a strong emotional component too.

“I have been attracted to women before,” Opal admitted.  “Well, at least crushes.  But that was before I became an airbender, and I was too shy to ever do anything about it.”

Eska remembered what Opal had said earlier about everybody having had a crush on Kuvira, and arrived at the logical conclusion.  However, she decided not to pry about it.  Instead, she brushed a tentative kiss on Opal’s lips.  

It was better than her first kiss with Bolin, to be certain.  For one thing, there were no saliva trails, and for another, the end of the world wasn’t looming over their heads.  She decided that she desired them to repeat it, so they did.  Eska laid a hand on Opal’s breast, being careful not to apply too much pressure. Before they could go any further, though, the hum of water in the background ceased.  It appeared that Bolin had completed his shower.

Judging from the tuneless humming that could now be heard in the bathroom, Bolin was as nervous and excited about this as Eska was.  Then he walked out of the bathroom, and Eska saw that he had not put on a bathrobe...or any other clothing, for that matter.  What was more, he had evidently used his shower time to do some advance preparation.

“You ready, ladies?” he asked while quirking an eyebrow.  Opal burst out laughing.  

“Next time, a warning before you decide to do this would be appropriate,” Eska admonished. But was she averting her gaze? No.  She had nearly four and a half years devoid of Bolin’s physique for which to make up.

At any rate, if Bolin was going to take the initiative to remove his clothing, Eska thought that she should follow his lead.  She reluctantly detached herself from Opal, removed her bathrobe and tossed it to the floor, not looking to see where it landed.

“You do not have to spare my feelings.  I am aware that my body physically resembles that of a twelve-year-old,” she remarked.

“Not with that, it doesn’t!” Bolin answered.  He reached over to a tuft of Eska’s pubic hair and gave it a gentle tug.  Both he and Opal appeared to find Eska’s gasp of surprise to be gratifying.

Eska confessed, “I had forgotten about that.  Should I have removed it as I did for my axillary hair?”

“Some people would think so,” Opal told her.  “But they’re idiots.  I still have mine, see?”  She removed her own bathrobe.  And so she did, although hers appeared to have been trimmed.  Eska wondered if she should have done that.  It hadn’t occurred to her that it might get in the way…no.  She must stop perseverating over this.  She did not want to spoil the mood and have to rely on her own hand again.

To her gratitude, Opal changed the subject.

“Anyway, what I was actually thinking was that you’re in great shape; I wouldn’t even have been able to tell that you’ve ever had a baby if I hadn’t known already,” she said. “I can only hope that I’ll be so lucky.”

Since Eska had not seen the naked bodies of any other women who had given birth, she was uncertain how to respond.

“I would like to utilize the blindfold now,” she said abruptly.  Opal and Bolin exchanged looks and nodded at each other.  The airbender took the cloth, folded it into a thin rectangle, and put it over Eska’s eyes, tying it over the back of her head.

“Is this okay?” she asked.  “It’s not too tight, is it?”

“It is fine.”

They assisted her in lying on the bed on her back, with her legs dangling off the edge and feet on the floor.  For a few seconds, she heard the other two shuffling around.  Then she felt the slightest brush of lips against skin near her left collarbone, as gentle as the stroke of a flutter bat’s wing.  That had to be Opal.  Shortly thereafter, there was another kiss with somewhat less finesse placed on her right breast; that had to be Bolin.  And then, suddenly, lips and tongues and hands were everywhere, kissing, licking, sucking, groping, and teasing.  Eska decided that Opal had been correct about the blindfold; it really made every little sensation that much more intense.  She had never known that such pleasure could be possible.

“You like this?” Opal asked.  Eska attempted to reply, but could only moan in response as Bolin stuck his tongue in her belly button.  Some time elapsed as Opal and Bolin continued their coordinated onslaught.  Then one person backed off, and the other pressed kisses lower and lower on Eska’s body.  Then she heard Opal get off the bed and kneel on the floor between her legs.

“All right,” Opal said.  “This is the first time I’ve done this…with another woman, at least.  I hope I’ll do okay.”

Eska gathered her breath and answered, “If it is anything like your previous actions, it should be perfectly acceptable.  Oh.”

It felt much different from her fingers; almost overwhelming.  Thankfully, Opal started out slowly.

“Wow,” Bolin whispered from his perch on the bed. From the sound of skin against skin, it was obvious that he found the visual to be extremely arousing.  And it was not long at all before he made a little grunt indicating his climax.

In between panting breaths, Eska said, “Feeble turtleduck.  We haven’t even reached the good part yet.”  However, Opal had started speeding up, and as a few more minutes passed, it appeared that the “good part” was not as distant as Eska may have thought.  The pulses of pleasure and tension were so strong, she fancied that she could feel them in her teeth.She attempted to warn the other woman about her impending release.

“It appears that I am close to…” she began, but was cut off as Opal flicked her tongue in exactly the right place.  And she came.  Hard. So hard that she let out an extended and very undignified whimper.

“You’re a squirter,” Opal observed.  “Lucky you!”

The blindfold was starting to itch, and the knot was digging into the back of Eska’s head, so she took it off.  She saw that Bolin was still sitting to the right of her, and that Opal had grabbed a tissue from the night table and was wiping her face off.

“So whaddaya think? Ready for Round Two?” Bolin asked. It appeared that he already was, in any case.

Once Eska’s heart rate had returned to almost normal, she said, “You are certainly not lacking for eagerness.”

“How about we give it a few minutes?” Opal suggested.  “You need to wash your hands anyway, Bolin.”  While Bolin obediently walked to the bathroom, Opal rummaged around in the night table drawer and retrieved a small metal box of the type that might hold candies, and then a glass bottle.

“Which substances do those contain?” Eska inquired.

“Condoms and lube,” Opal answered, pointing to the box and the bottle in turn.

“Is my own natural lubrication not plentiful enough?” Eska asked.  It certainly felt like there was enough.

“It probably is. But a little extra never hurts.”

“I certainly hope that your mother has never taken it upon herself to organize the contents of that drawer,” Eska commented.

Opal laughed. “I think she knows better.”

“Here I am!” Bolin announced as he returned from his hand-washing.  “My hands are, like, really super-clean.  I bet in the whole history of the world, no one has had cleaner hands than I do now.  See?” He held them up for inspection.

“I commend you on your hygienic achievement,” Eska stated.

Bolin did a little bow while Opal said, “So how do you all want to do things this time?”

“I would like to reciprocate the sensations you elicited from me,” Eska told her.  “With my fingers, if that is all right.”

“Sounds great,” Opal replied as she stared at the bed.  It appeared that she was attempting to picture various positions in her head.

“Okay, here’s what I think would work best,” she finally said.  “Bolin, how about you and Eska spoon?  And I can lie on my other side so I’m facing her.”

“As you wish, Sifu Opal,” Eska said.  Bolin snorted.

They assumed the positions that Opal had described.  Opal poured some of the contents of the bottle into her hand and applied them in the appropriate place.  Then, with her other hand, she passed the bottle over Eska back to Bolin.

“This might feel a bit cold,” he warned her.

“I am from the North Pole.  I believe I can endure it,” Eska replied.  And she did so, without even wincing.  Then she heard Bolin open the metal box and fumble with something.

“Why do they always make these so hard to open?” he complained.  “It’s like they don’t want people to actually use them…ah, here we go!”

“Are you prepared for manual stimulation?” Eska asked Opal as she heard more fumbling behind her.

“Yeah.”

“My mother always scolded me harshly for biting my fingernails.  Little does she know that it actually had a use,” Eska observed.  While Opal opened her legs and Eska started rubbing, Bolin had gotten himself lined up.  Eska inhaled sharply as he penetrated her.

“It doesn’t hurt, does it?” he asked.

“It does not,” Eska confirmed.  However, it did feel slightly odd initially; she hadn’t had anything larger than her own fingers inside her since she’d given birth.  Her muscles soon grew accustomed to the stretch, though.

Pleasuring another woman was not so different from doing it to herself, Eska decided.  Opal’s favored external spot was in a slightly different location than Eska’s, yet it was still relatively easy to locate.  The only difficult part was trying to keep her hands steady while she was being thrust into.

Would she be able to achieve another orgasm herself?  She had assumed that she wouldn’t feel the need for another one after how powerful the first one had been, but now she was feeling the buildup again; more of a warmth than a tension this time.  She groaned and arched her back, trying to get more direct pressure onto that one location inside her.

Opal saw this and hissed, “Rub her clit,” to Bolin, who complied.  And that took Eska over the edge.  It was not as big an orgasm as the first one, yet it was satisfying nonetheless.  Bolin didn’t last much longer, and Opal took a couple of minutes longer but got there eventually.

Subsequently, they all lay there for a while.  Everything–not to mention everybody–was soaked in sweat; Eska supposed she would have to shower again tomorrow morning.  And she believed that there were many parts of her that would be slightly sore tomorrow, but she was willing to pay that price.

“So, uh…any thoughts?” Bolin finally asked.

“I need to pee really badly,” Opal admitted.

“Me too,” Eska said.

“Me three!” Bolin chimed in.  Naturally, they permitted Opal to go first in deference to her condition, then Bolin and Eska did a number-guessing game to determine who’d get to go second.  Eska won.

Once all of their bladders were empty, and the used condom had been dealt with, all three of them attempted to kiss each other simultaneously.  It did not work out as they had hoped. Instead, all three of the two-person pairings kissed in turn.  Then they resumed lying on the bed–on their backs this time, to give their body heat a chance to dissipate. Bolin glanced over into the corner, and observed, “Wow.  I think Pabu slept through that whole thing.”

“Did I do an adequate job?” Eska asked Opal.

“Yeah.  It was great,” Opal said, still a bit out of breath.

“It will get even better as your gestational period progresses and your bodily tissues vascularize. That was the case with me, at any rate.” Eska wrinkled her brow, and then inquired, “Does this mean that we are all in relationships with each other now?”

“It doesn’t have to,” Opal replied.  “It can just be a one-time thing if you want it to be.”

“That is a matter that merits consideration.”  Then something occurred to her, and she gave a short laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Bolin asked.

Eska replied, “I realized that Opal’s mother got exactly what she wanted.”

Opal narrowed her eyes.  “What are you talking about?”

“Do you truly think it was a coincidence that she chose to give me a room that was right next to yours?”

“…Oh.  I’ll have to talk to her about that, I guess.”

“How about we go to sleep for now and think about all this tomorrow?” Bolin volunteered.  “It’s almost midnight.  I’m tired.”

This was exactly what they ended up doing.

#legend of korra #fanfic #bolin #eska #opal #boleska #bopal #opaleska #bopaleska #this may be risky to read if one is at their occupation

[graceyc98-blog]

grace_wk2

Makeup department store studio

5 Biases: Women

                Young Adults

                Middle class-Upper class clients

                Clean and Sanitary

                Easy

In response to Little book of Research Ethics, the section about responsibility stood out to me because I find it very important that the designer takes in deep consideration about the effect of the product they produce that can benefit the participants for the better. What we design should never be for ourselves but for the people with good intentions and taking in information from participants should be valued and thought about instead caring about our own benefits.

For the primary research, planning and preparation done beforehand will help the client feel safe and understanding of me talking with them. I find this useful because the participants need our trusts in order for them to talk with us and being unprepared shows an untrusting person and won’t take our projects seriously. Planning appointments by calling or preparing questions beforehand shows someone came prepared, is serious, organized, and respectful of the participants time. This preparation also allows the participants to feel comfortable and not like subjects as the book mentions.

For the secondary research, listening and taking in their perspectives is important for researching online or reading books. These participants know more about the subject we are researching than we do so the designer should research context the participants mentioned instead of researching what we assume.

PROJECT BRIEF: 

Target Demographic: Makeup department stores. Makeup artists

Values: Organized space and to give their client a magical experience

Improve: Sanitary Station -> Disposable applications/trash can/ Makeup brush belt

Why: Before a makeup artist works/helps out with their client the workspace and applications must be clean and safe to use.

Scope: For the clients to feel safe about using applicators and the tools used on their faces are hygienic and trustworthy

Background

What exists already?

  -Makeup brush holders, a makeup brush belt bag for makeup artists to strap around their wastes and mini trash cans

What is typical in this category?

Makeup artists try to have their tools and workspace clean

Applicators are safe to use

Addressed in market: Improving disposable applicators

                                  Brush/applicator holders

Ignored: Makeup brush belts

             Sanitary station (disposable applicators, tissue, makeup remover, alcohol)

Big Players: Brands unfound

To learn more, I can visit workers at my local makeup store like sephora or make an appointment with a makeup artist who owns a makeup studio.

Chez Claire éclair Boutique

coolhunter.com

This eclair boutique shop intrigues me because of the color scheme and layout that would attract tourists and locals to visit. The use of neon wire lights are also trendy and used in a lot of restaurants and stores today and something about lights attracts people to look.

Transparent Bags

I love the concept of transparency in bags or wearables even though everything is see through but the overall appearance is appealing. People like to see and love hearing about secrets because it’s a part of human nature which this kind of product can give the same feeling about hearing a secret.

Flower stem and leaves

A flower usually has leaves on either sides of the stem and I see balance when I look at the stem of a flower. Any seed planted sprouts to grow and become alive which the way the leaves position themselves in a V shape shows me the flower is alive.

Omakase Restaurant - Shanghai

The layout of using a rectangle/square shapes gives an geometric appearance and some parts of the restaurant has transparency which is breathtaking to look at.

PERSONAS

Lucy Age: 27

Interests: Reading, Cooking, and Yoga

“Hard to have a clean sanitary station because clients may reach in for disposable applications and touch everything”

Brian Age: 25

Interests: Swimming, Fashion, Dancing

“We can’t prevent dust on the disposable applicators but their used for touch up or to erase a mistake”

Shannon Age: 31

Interests: Knitting, Crafting, Painting

“Sometimes the clients would throw their trash in the shopping baskets and don’t see the trash can on the floor”

[flagsconnections]

Flag and Certificate Case - Black Frame, American Made by veterans

Flag display cases with certificate holder

In this day and age, politics is a very heated subject, with strong opinions on both sides. It seems as though we cannot come together on very many issues when the topic of how to run our country is brought up. It is extremely evident, however, that we can all agree on at least one thing. Our servicemen and women deserve to be honored to the highest degree. That is what we help to do. It is not uncommon for our government to show the respect and honor due to our soldiers by presenting them with flags, medals, and certificates. It is also not uncommon for these flags, medals, and certificates to end up on the top shelf of the closet of the one who has received them. They may not feel that they should show their honors, but serving our country deserves the highest of honors. Why not let people know why these beautiful honors were given? If you or your loved one has served in the United States Armed Forces and have received an honor from our government, display your awards in style. In this instance, our Flag and Certificate Case is specially designed to proudly display either a folded 3 X 5 American flag or a 5 X 9.5 American flag (burial flag). It also has room to prominently display an 8.5 X 11 certificate. Often times, when a flag is presented to honor a veteran, a certificate of authenticity is given. Our flag case is designed to make that certificate feature as prominently as the flag. The case also has room enough to include medals in your display, if you so desire. Our flag and certificate case is made with real cherry wood, with a clear glass front and a black, boarded back, which enables any displayed medals to stand out. It comes in two specific sizes. The smaller of the two has the dimensions 26 1/8 X 20 ¾ X 1 9/16. This size will accommodate the regular 3 x 5 sized flag. For the larger burial flag, we have enlarged the dimensions to 26 x 30 x 3. Both sizes have an engraving plate option, should you desire to add that touch to your case. United States veterans who know what it means to serve with honor make each Flag and Certificate Case with great care. Every case is hand made and the quality bears that out. We know what means to show honor to soldiers, whether still with us or passed on. You won’t find a better quality display case for you or your loved one’s special recognition. There’s no better way to show thanks for sacrifice to our beloved country.

The Flag and Certificate Case - Black Frame have a Museum quality Plexiglas that cover all the front part ( in addition to the museum quality Plexiglas that cover the certificate)  in order to protect your flag and certificated and or medallions

Dimensions: 26 1/8 x 20 3/4" x 1 9/16

If you order the flag case to fit the Burial flag ( the flag that was over a casket in a military funeral )

The Size of the case will be  26" x 30" x 3 "

It is a great :

Flag and Medal and or flag and document flag display holder

                             Color Military Medallion                                                                                                  

Brass Military Medallions

For Military Service Medallions in Solid Brass click Here

 Orders for the Flag and Certificate Case - Black Frame, American Made are usually shipped out within one business day to places within the USA and Canada.

Please see below what a few of our clients used as a text for the engraved name plates!

All plates are laser engraved

And come with a gold lettering and a black background.

It is all done according to the military standard, with military fonts.

The name plates will come with a double side tape, for your convenience – so you can easily attached it to any flag case.

All name plates are shipped within the same day.

Testimonials

Dear Flag Connections,

Your memorial flag case represented our family well. I had no hassle in making the order and I received a very prompt delivery, well before my friend’s scheduled memorial service. Thanks for a beautiful box.

Diana Waugh

Here is what our loyal customers have to say about us:

Dear Flag Connections,

I was happy you delivered the exact item I saw on the image of your site. The flag case case is sturdy and a beautiful finish. It had ample space for me to personalize a sentimental engraving for my husband. I feel honored that the same company that provided a case for Ronald Reagan is the same one that has furnished us a piece so honorable for my husband’s remains.

Judy Brower

Dear Flag Connections,

I never anticipated this purchase; however, I am very pleased with the burial box or any flag frames for my sister’s husband. She had a tough time choosing but in the end, loved my selection. The flag and great seal do a wonderful job dignifying the final resting place of a fallen soldier.

Cathy Barnes

Dear Flag Connections,

I browsed local stores as well as online for a flag and document case and am very satisfied with my purchase. I love the construction and finish.  Thank you once again for such an esteemed burial box for a cherished friend.

Jennifer Mayes

Dear Flag Connections,

I love how the  flag and medal case is constructed.  It arrived in an excellent condition and I couldn’t be happier that my grandmother is being represented in such an honorable way. She was the wife of a veteran, who fought just as hard to keep her family together when he was at war. We love her and miss her,  and are glad that she will be commemorated in a distinctive, proud way.

Samantha Gooden

Dear Flag Connections,

Thank you for an easy transaction. I never thought I would have to make this purchase but fortunately you’ve made it easy for me in a very difficult time. The military flag case portrayed our late uncle in a dignified way during his memorial service. I love the triangle shaped flag in the flag frame above the display case and the great seal completes the look.

Jason Delonso

Dear Flag Connections,

Your certificate flag case represented our family well. I had no hassle in making the order and I received a very prompt delivery, well before my friend’s scheduled memorial service. Thanks for a beautiful flag and certificate box.

Diana Waugh  

Dear Flag Connections,

This memorial flag case is just the thing I was looking for to honor my late father. I had a classic cremation urn before, but felt that this solid wooden case was a bit more suitable with its flag overlay. He served for 20 years in the force and this was very appropriate. I wish I knew about these before. Nothing but the best for Dad.

Abdul Grant

[ Burial Flag Box ] [ Burial Flag Boxes ] [ Burial Flag Case ] [ Burial Flag Cases ] [ Burial Flag Display Box ] [ Burial Flag Display Boxes ] [ Burial Flag Display Case ] [ Burial Flag Shadow Box ] [ Casket Flag Box ] [ Casket Flag Case ] [ Casket Flag Cases ] [ Casket Flag Display Box ] [ Coffin Flag Box ] [ Coffin Flag Display Box ] [ Flag Boxes ] [ Flag Case ] [ Flag Cases ] [ Large Flag Display Box ] [ Flag Display Boxes ] [ Flag Display Cases ] [ Flag Frame ] [ Flag Shadow Case ] [ Flag Shadow Cases ] [ flag boxes ] [ flag cases ] [ Flag Frame ] [ Casket Flag Shadow Case ] [ Casket Flag Shadow Cases ] [ American Flag Box ] [ American Flag Boxes ] [ American Flag shadow Box ] [ Police Flag Case ] [ 5 x 8 flag cases Flags ] [ Military Flag Display Case ] [Military shadow ] [ Flag Display Case ] [ Imported US Flags ][ Flag and document Display cases] [American Flag Display Case, Burial Display case for flag] [American Burial Flag Box] [Casket Flag Case and Medal, Casket Medal Flag Display] [Flag Display Case Air Force] [Marine Corps Flag Display Case] [Military Flag and Document Holder] [Military Frame, Military Flag Display Case] [Rectangle Flag Medal Case Medal flag Frame] [USMC Flag and Certificate Display Case, USMC Flag Frame] [Buy Flag Display case - Fit Large flag, burial flag 5ft x 9.5ft] [Engraved Brass Plates] [Flag and Memorabilia, Flag Shadow Box, Combination Flag Medal] [Glass Laser Engraved Flag Display Case] [Officers Flag Display Case AND Pedestal for 5ft x 9.5ft Flag] [Flag and Photo Display case, Photo and Medal Display case] [Large Military Flag and Medal Display Case]

American Flag Case: American Flag Case

casket flag frame : casket flag frame

Certificate Flag Cases: Certificate Flag Cases

Document display cases: Document display cases

Flag and Certificate Case : Flag and Certificate Case

Flag and Certificate Case: Flag and Certificate Case

Flag and Photo display case : Flag and Photo display cas

Flag boxes: Flag boxes

Flag Case: Flag Case

flag case display: flag case display

flag display cases with certificate holder: flag display cases with certificate holder

Flag Document and medal Display Case: Flag Document and medal Display Case

Flag Frames: Flag Frames

Flag Military Shadow Box: Flag Military Shadow Bo

Military flag case: Military flag case

Military flag case : Military flag case

Military flag display box: Military flag display box

Military flag display frame: Military flag display frame

Veteran Flag Case : Veteran Flag Case

Flag Cases: Flag Cases

Item #: Black_flag_doc

Manufacturer: Flags Connections

Manufacturer's Product Number: 1040_flag_certificate

Condition: New

Flag and Certificate Case Black Frame, American Made

1 reviews

Share

19

Price:$195.00Sale Price:$175.00Adjusted Price:$254.995 or more: $169.00 each* Marked fields are required.Size: *Select Fit  3' x 5' Flag Fit 4 ft X 6 ft Flag (+$69.99) Fit 5'x8' Flag (+$75.99) Fit 5' x 9.5'(Casket Flag) (+$79.99) Wood: *Select Oak Walnut (+$35.99) Cherry (+$25.00) Black Background Color: *Select Black Velvet Navy Blue Velvet (+$24.99) Red Velvet (+$24.99) Maroon Velvet (+$24.99) certificate position: *Select vertical Horizontal No Certificate Add Flag: 1st Line Text for Engraving Plate:  (+$20.00)2nd Line Text for Engraving Plate:  (+$10.00)3rd Line Text for Engraving Plate:  (+$10.00)4th Line Text for Engraving Plate:  (+$10.00)Military Service Medallions in Solid Brass:  (+$29.99)Military Colored Medallions:  (+$24.99)Availability: In-StockQty: *

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Artists Stage Protest Performances in Trump Tower

Martha Wilson performing as Donald Trump in “Art Rising” at Trump Tower

When lawyer Wylie Stecklow — whose firm’s slogan is “Lawyers for the rest of us” — showed up at Trump Tower just after 10am yesterday morning, the fifth-floor garden was locked. Although it’s just a concrete terrace glommed onto the private development, the garden — home to metal chairs and tables, a handful of trees in giant planters, and a hulking marble rectangle that may have once contained a working fountain — is technically public space. In 1979, Trump struck a deal to create it in exchange for permission to extend his skyscraper 200,000 feet into the air. It’s one of roughly 525 privately owned public spaces (POPS) in New York City, the most famous of which may be Zuccotti Park.

The Trump Tower security guards told Stecklow that the space was closed because of window cleaning. But he had with him a copy of regulations stating that the garden must be open during the same hours as the stores in the tower. “If they need to clean the windows, they need to do it in off hours,” Stecklow recounted telling the chief security guard, who acquiesced and opened the space. Stecklow was there on behalf of a group of artists who planned to perform that afternoon in the garden, so some intelligence officers told him the artists couldn’t use props. This was either wishful thinking or an alternative fact. “It’s expressive speech activity protected by the First Amendment,” Stecklow said.

Pat Oleszko channeling Marina Abramović with her performance “One Uneasy Piece” at “Art Rising” at Trump Tower

In the end, the props — including a Donald Trump doll seemingly made from a beach ball — made it in, as did the costumes, instruments, and some two dozen artists, all gathered for “Art Rising,” a performance-protest against President Trump’s proposal to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The action was organized by Take Trump Tower, a group that’s been holding regular teach-ins, writing groups, and other events in the skyscraper’s garden (coming soon: “Resist and Restore Yoga”), and curated by longtime producer Caterina Bartha.

“This came from my desire to have some kind of action-based response to the Trump presidency,” Bartha told Hyperallergic. “This is rapid-response art, so to speak. This event is about showing the value of the arts by actually just making art.”

Members of Brick x Brick stood as a human backdrop for the entire performance

The performance kicked off not long after noon, when 10 women formed a line and joined hands at the back of a small area that had been designated the stage. They wore jumpsuits printed with black-and-white bricks, on top of which were laid colored panels containing texts such as “Bimbo” and “Grab her by the pussy” — all sexist words and phrases uttered by the US president. The women were part of Brick x Brick, a project begun at the Women’s March to form “human ‘walls’ against misogyny,” and they remained in place under the sweltering sun for the next hour and a half.

After a brief welcome by Bartha, including an acknowledgement of yesterday morning’s shooting and “the non-violent nature of this event,” Howard Sherman, director of the Arts Integrity Initiative at the New School for Drama, and New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer offered opening remarks. Sherman invoked the recent Shakespeare in the Park sponsorship saga by responding to a tweet from Donald Trump Jr., saying, “Art, at least since the days of ancient Greek drama, has always been political, when it chooses to be so. Art can be anything that artists choose to explore. There are no rules.” Van Bramer admitted that it was his first time at Trump Tower and commented, “There is an assault on the arts, on literature, on thinking in this country right now. … Artists are the original resisters.” 

New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer speaking at “Art Rising”

The breadth of that resistance was on full display in what followed: seven presentations by performance artists, dancers, musicians, actors, writers, directors, and activists. They ranged from Jody Sperling’s swirling evocation of the wind to Pat Oleszko’s stint as Lady Liberty, engaged in a Marina Abramović–inspired face-off with the aforementioned Trump doll (and a crossdressing Kellyanne Conway). Bartees Cox played a pair of raw, emotional songs about life as a Black American, while PEN America’s Kyle Dacuyan read a heartbreaking letter by Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov that was smuggled out of a Siberian labor camp, where he’s currently imprisoned. Lucy Sexton emceed the proceedings as the Factress — a character that exists in the space between truth and lies — with unimpeachable wit. “It truly is a durational performance, just like this presidency!” she quipped about Oleszko’s piece.

Bartees Cox commanding the crowd at the #artrising action at Trump Tower. #taketrumptower

A post shared by Jillian Steinhauer (@jilnotjill) on Jun 14, 2017 at 12:18pm PDT

Although they were first up, Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir nearly stole the show. Billy’s sermon was a pitch-perfect blend of humor — “we feel the presence of the orange one’s home” — and earnest invocation of the forebears of politically engaged art. He spoke of the history of attempts to defund the NEA (as did Martha Wilson, who later performed as Donald Trump) and implored the audience to fight back: “Fear is exactly what artists teach us not to have.” Choir members shared the spotlight, with Francisca Benitez preaching briefly in Spanish and Robin Laverne “Dragonfly” Wilson leading the group in a soulful rendition of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize.” As the choir joined in on that incantatory chorus — “Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on, hold on” — so, too, did many members of the assembled crowd, which grew to about 60 people at the its peak.

Rev. Billy & the Stop Shopping Choir were especially excellent at today’s #artrising action at Trump Tower. That’s Robin Laverne “Dragonfly” Wilson leading the group. #taketrumptower

A post shared by Jillian Steinhauer (@jilnotjill) on Jun 14, 2017 at 11:20am PDT

Bartha had told me she was hoping to attract tourists to the event, and despite a large number of invited viewers, her goal seemed fulfilled by the patches of people hovering on the edges with shopping bags and expensive cameras in hand. Trump Tower is something of a mall, but these days it’s mostly a tourist attraction, as people shoot selfies out front, gawk at the gaudy interior, and rest their feet while drinking Starbucks. Most visitors there seem to wear an air of disbelief, as if they can’t truly fathom that they’re entering a space built and branded by the president himself. “Everybody knows Trump Tower, but it’s different now,” a kindly old woman named Elisabeth Meyer told me. She lives in New Jersey and had brought her visiting grandson to see the building, where they’d stumbled upon “Art Rising.” Despite being curious enough to deem Trump Tower a worthwhile attraction, the pair were sympathetic to the performance/protest — in fact, they were killing time before a matinee. “It’s New York, you never know what’s going to happen,” Meyer said. “We just got lucky.”

Other tourists arrived, unsurprisingly, with more hardened attitudes, including one boy, seemingly of about 12, who sported a wary look and a T-shirt that said, “Build that fucking wall,” with an American flag. He led an even younger girl through the crowd and then vanished. Another Trump supporter — also wearing a shirt with an American flag on it —  arrived at the very end of the performance, too late to interrupt a moment of silence but in time to boo loudly at the crowd as it clapped and chanted, “You’ve got to save the NEA!” Responding to his cries, Robin Laverne Wilson promptly led the Stop Shopping Choir in a song: the text of the First Amendment set to music. The Trump supporter cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, at the top of his lungs, “Loser!” But Wilson had a tambourine, and others were clapping, and they out-sung him.

Pat Oleszko closed out #artrising with a #savethenea chant, just in time for one Trump supporter to show up and start booing. #taketrumptower

A post shared by Jillian Steinhauer (@jilnotjill) on Jun 14, 2017 at 1:12pm PDT

When the song had ended, a woman from the audience stopped the Trump supporter on his way out and tried to engage him with a question. “No one cares about your opinion!” he yelled in her face, and stormed out. Standing nearby, I spotted a pile of flyers that had been left on a table: advertisements for a protest of the “offensive” Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar this Friday. It had been enchanting, watching artists protest creatively within Trump Tower, but reality was swiftly setting in. Despite “Art Rising”‘s best intentions, the culture war showed no signs of letting up.

Lucy Sexton performing as the Factress

Reverend Billy delivering his sermon, with the Stop Shopping Choir in the background

Francisca Benitez preaching in Spanish

Jody Sperling performing “Piece for Northern Sky”

Jody Sperling performing “Piece for Northern Sky”

Bartees Cox performing selections from ‘Magic Boy’

Lucy Sexton

“Art Rising” took place in the fifth-floor public garden of Trump Tower (725 Fifth Avenue, Midtown, Manhattan) on June 14 at noon.

The post Artists Stage Protest Performances in Trump Tower appeared first on Hyperallergic.

from Hyperallergic http://ift.tt/2stJ0bv via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Hyperallergic

[husbandpillowsite-blog]

Husband Pillow Best Choices

A husband pillow top gently contours to your body and automatically adjusts to the different pressure points of the body. To Open Up Dreams - Discover the best products to help you chill follow the link.

This allows you to be fully supported during sleep and provides you with maximum comfort. The contouring of the pillow top allows less disturbing motion, which can often hinder a good night's rest. A pillow top mattress generally will absorb the movement of someone's sleeping partner, thus helping provide undisturbed rest. Given all these reasons, a pillow top mattress might be the most comfortable and best mattress available on the market today.

Probably one of the most commonly used type of travel husband pillow is the U” shaped pillow. U-shaped pillows are worn on the neck and it is designed to hold your head and keep it from nodding in every direction. These pillows help maintain your head in a steady position while you are taking a nap. U-shaped pillows are oftentimes filled with cotton infill or a cotton-poly infill stuffing. The encasement is also made of cotton that is easy to wash clean.

Sit on a pillow if your chair is still too low even after you adjust its height. Sitting on a low chair can cause your legs to bend at an unhealthy angle, interfering with blood circulation and causing leg swelling. It also can put unnecessary pressure on your buttocks and internal organs.

Husband Pillow:

The experts suggest: If you sleep face down you should choose a gently supportive pillow, whilst if you sleep on your side or your back and like less support you should buy a pillow of medium height. If you prefer to keep your head and neck higher while you sleep, opt for a medium to firm pillow. Choose what suits you best.

All husband pillows can be laundered in large capacity machines, but ensure you only wash one pillow at a time. Some of our pillows can be washed at 60C which is the temperature most house dust mites are killed. Pillows typically have a more limited lifespan when compared to duvets. This is because the weight of our heads will deteriorate the level of support over the years. Natural pillows will keep their shape and level of support much longer than synthetic, but will require you to plump up the pillows regularly.

Today's adjustable beds let people sharing a bed set their own sleep positions. A wife can adjust her husband's position if his snoring is keeping her awake, adds Jay Thompson, president of the Leggett & Platt Adjustable Bed Group in Carthage, Missouri. His company makes adjustable bed bases.

Like any other bed pillow that lets you sleep in blissful comfort, a reading bed pillow allows you to relax comfortably in bed while reading your novel of the month or watching your favorite TV show. An ordinary bed pillow may not be able to provide the level of comfort and support that a customized pillow for reading is exactly designed to deliver. These are the aspects to look for when buying a reading bed pillow.

If you're like me, background noise can make it really difficult to sleep. When I was at university I went through loads of roommates, trying to find someone who had some concept of courtesy when it came to allowing others to sleep without banging doors. But even living on my own, I discovered that noises from the street - can you say Family Frost?? - could wake me up as well. This made working a full time job and going to school full time very difficult, being that I was always very tired. When buying earplugs, you may have to experiment a bit. I hated putty earplugs, and even had one get stuck inside of my ear and had to have it removed (which was easy enough, fortunately). Be mindful of what they're made of if you have a latex or other type of allergy. And be mindful of how they're shaped - some earplugs are not meant to be used while sleeping.

If you want to give a memorable gift (literally), then husband pillows or chests are a great item to consider. They're perfect for storing and protecting the baby's most precious moments and treasured things. They are great for keeping baby's first pair of shoes, baby shower invitations, birth announcements, you name it! There are plenty of husband pillows on the market, but most are very small, which limits the amount of items you can fit inside them. That's why I recommend you consider getting a big, soft husband pillow. 

Using a pillow while sleeping on your stomach. If sleeping or resting in the stomach is preferred, the pillow should be relatively flat, or the head should rest directly on the mattress, so that the head and neck are not artificially activated on both sides. In this position, it is often best to place another relatively flat pillow in the stomach to help keep the spine in natural alignment.

There are more than enough options to choose from when it comes to the fill. The fill is a major factor that you should not ignore because it will determine comfort level and the longevity. Also, the type of filling is vital, but this will in most instances depend on your personal preferences.

There are many ways to use the couch and the cushions along with using more than one style at a time. For example, the Ramp/Wedge Combo and Liberator Esse Couch are ideal for couples who are trying to get pregnant or have back problems. Both of these offer the ultimate slant position for conception, as well as women who may have problems conceiving due to a tilted uterus. Women who are already pregnant will find that achieving sexual satisfaction on the Esse Couch is not only possible but very comfortable and relaxing too.

These are 100 % synthetic non-animal fibers with non-skid backings. That isn't all, your faux fur rug is usually machine washable, easy care and can be used in any room of the house. These can be bought in free form animal shapes, rounds and rectangles.

Tight on space? Now your husband pillow can double as a co-sleeper after your baby arrives. The Family Sleeper by Humanity Organics gives you added support for your pregnant body, then turns into a mat and bumper you can attach to your bed as a co-cleeping unit. Bonus: It's made with organic cotton.

The ROOMOX COZY Reading Pillow can also be perfectly supplemented with other cushions in the ROOMOX range. Mix and match the reading pillow with the ROOMOX bolster NOODLE and ROOMOX seat cushions XL and SLIM, either in a single shade or a variety of colours.

The fetal position is a very common sleeping position because it is comfortable for most people. However, this comfort can come with a price because it can encourage back and neck pain due to the spine not being properly supported. Those who sleep in this position also tend to not breathe deeply in their sleep because this position somehow prevents this.

The Tri-Core Cervical husband Pillow has a patented design created specifically to support the neck in all sleep positions. The shape of the pillow allows anyone to get a good night's rest no matter what position they favor. Side and stomach sleepers can enjoy the thick padding along the edges to support the neck without pushing the padding into their face. Back sleepers rest comfortably with their heads in the center depression, and their necks bolstered by the thick outer rim to keep the spine perfectly aligned with the back during the night.

As an example, the first two cervical nerves, C1 and C2 control the head, while the next two cervical nerves C3 and C4 control the diaphragm, which helps in breathing and respiration. Similarly, the cervical nerve C5 controls muscles like biceps and deltoids, which is the large triangular muscle covering the shoulder joints. The cervical muscle C6 controls the wrist extensors, and cervical nerves C7 and C8 are associated with arms and hands respectively.

If you do sleep on your stomach, you will want to have less fill in your pillow than someone who sleeps on their side or back. If you sleep on your stomach with a pillow that's too thick, your spine will bent at an angle which is more likely to cause aches, pains, numbness or tingling of the spine and limbs. You may also want to place a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen to alleviate strain on your neck and back. That said, it is still generally recommended that you do not sleep on your stomach.

Another example of people who will suffer extreme discomfort from super firm inner pillows is anyone with chronic hip problems like arthritis or people who have just had lower back surgery or hip replacement surgery. People in a low back or hip post-operative condition have to lie flat on their back for a long time to heal properly and if they are on a super firm mattress it can actually cause more harm than good. This is because a traditional pillow will force their lower body to be slightly elevated which throws off the lumbar spinal alignment. Again, a memory foam pillow will relieve this kind of misalignment. Additionally, memory foam has been widely used in hospitals and rehabilitation centers across the country for recovery from debilitating injuries, major surgeries and for long term care because it prevents any bed sores or other problems among people who must stay in one position for a long time to heal.

If you've had enough of your husband snoring then you both need to look into some techniques and measures that will alleviate the problem. There are plenty available. But the first issue you may have to face is confronting your husband about the seriousness of the habit.

Arm rest: the design of these husband pillows ranges is such that it would provide enough room fro the mother to rest her arm and elbow. This would reduce the stress on the shoulder. Hence, the mother can comfortably breast feed the infant without feeling the pain in the shoulders.

Traditionally for gaming, you have to be sitting at a computer desk or sitting ground level so that you can see what's happening on the screen in front of you. It's highly impractical to keep your neck held up for an extended period of time while laying down and while most people don't have screens directly above them on the ceiling, this is where the gaming pillow comes in.

You can opt to read some product reviews or husband pillow customer feedback from the internet and relate on the experience of other moms to have an idea on what kind and shape are ideal for your needs. Select the pillow that is made out of hypoallergenic fiber and comfortable filling that will make your sleep more relaxing and soothing.

#Husband Pillow

[son-of-a-duck]

April 23, 2017

Oh goodness, it's already after midnight.

This morning I got to sleep in and it was pretty great.  I woke up a few times but just rolled back over and went back to sleep.  Despite that, I still got up before my alarm went off.  It was only three minutes before it went off but that still counts.

At work today I did things.  I forgot to mention that yesterday I worked on a display sign.  Today I decided to change the background picture but that took about five minutes and then I printed it out. It's a very simple sign but I really like it.  Mainly because I changed the regular title background from a rectangle into the shape of the state because the display is about notable books in our state. It's really subtle but I like it.

My main accomplishment for the day was finishing three personalized reading lists.  That's a lot for one day.  We got them earlier in the week and I decided that if no one claimed them before the weekend, I would do them because the weekend is generally slow and a good time to work on personalized reading lists.  And no one took them so there you go.  I picked out all of the books but didn't have time to put them together and send them out.  That will have to wait until Tuesday.

I know I did other things today, like helping the occasional patron and various other things, but no specifics are coming to me.

Near the end of the day there was a commotion in the meeting room where a Bible study was happening, and then one of the woman came bursting out and ran by the reference desk, followed shortly after by another woman.  Not too long after the maintenance kid came up to the desk and told us there were cops outside.  I went with him to see if they needed anything and on the way out he told me what had happened. Or at least what he had seen while he was outside taking care of the trash.  He saw a kid in the parking lot run out between two cars and then a man (presumably his dad) grabbed him from behind and forced him back in their car.  I guess this is also what the women in the Bible study saw and I think they also thought they saw the dad hit the kid.  At some point the kid got back out of the car and ran off in another direction and the dad came into the library.  And at some point the police were called.

Right after we closed when we were about to leave one of the cops came to the door to ask us about our security cameras.  I told him that I didn't know how helpful they would be because I didn't think they pointed where he needed them to be.  He was still interested in seeing the tape or at least the TV to see where they were pointed but that generally required a police report and warrant as well as the presence of the director or assistant director and the HR person, I think.  None of those people are there on the weekend so we gave him the card of the assistant director.  The cop also wanted to see the view from the room where the Bible study was, so I took him up there. I had to get the key out that unlocks the cabinet where our other keys are kept and I told him the key location was a secret so I told him I was trusting him with that secret, which got a little laugh. After he confirmed what could be seen from the window and had the officer down in the parking lot test some things with the car that was still there to check visibility inside the car, he thanked me and went back outside.  And then we got to leave, probably about ten minutes after we closed.  I think that might count as late enough that I have to get time back for it, but I'm not going to say anything and we'll see if it will be forgotten.

On my way home, instead of going to the store like I originally planned, I went to Little Caesar's to get a pizza.  The Bible study group had pizza delivered and it smelled really good.  The lady who walked in before me had a nearly $80 order and a huge stack of pizzas.  It had to have been at least ten and she stacked them up and got them in one trip.  I was impressed.

When I got home I ate pizza, which was delicious, and watched YouTube videos.  Then I was going to watch a movie but nothing sounded good so instead I bought Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell because it was $3.74 (usually it is $15) and I've wanted to play it for quite awhile.  I put forty-seven hours into Saints Row: The Third and forty-nine hours into Saints Row IV, so you could say I like the franchise.  Gat Out of Hell is a standalone mini-spinoff of Saints Row IV and as you may guess, it takes place in Hell.  It has been a really long time since I played Saints Row IV so I'm having to get used to it again, but it's pretty fun.  And pretty funny, which is one of the things I really like about the games.  It's a little weird getting used to the third-person camera being so close to the character but other than that I'm doing okay with it.  My favorite part is definitely being able to fly around and collecting the various orbs.  Fishing and flying are two of my favorite things to do in games.  In Saints Row: The Third the best thing was all the cars and the customization but when they went the superhero route with Saints Row IV they really nerfed the car aspect, which was annoying, but all the cars in hell look awful so I'm cool with the wings.  And speaking of looking awful, at first I thought the game hadn't aged very well but after the initial opening I went into settings and it was set to 720p with Low graphics settings.  I bumped that up to 1080p with High graphics settings and that helped a lot.  Overall, it makes me want to jump back into Saints Row IV.  I'm assuming because it is still installed on my computer, my character was in the opening cut scene of Gat Out of Hell but you don't actually get to play as your old character.  I might need to go visit my old character.

While writing this I have been listening to music.  I started with the new Incubus album.  I didn't even know they had one, so that was a pleasant surprise.  And now I'm listening to the all their old hits.  Incubus is pretty great.

It is now 1:30AM.  It shouldn't have taken me so long to write this but I kept getting distracted.  Now I'm going to record my audio journal so I can go to bed.  I'm glad I chose a ten o'clock haircut tomorrow morning and not eight o'clock.