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swiftgronmasterpost · 4 years

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Late Stage Swiftgron Part 1

Update from November 2021 - I really don’t believe much of this is meaningful at all. I don’t think they’re sitting around referencing one another on social media or anything but some of Dianna’s interactions with Karlie are interesting Dianna shows up explicitly in Taylor’s life a couple more times so I’m leaving these sections here.;

From here on out everything but the 2014 AMAs and Dianna’s somewhat shocking appearance at Taylor’s 2019 SNL performance are just odd social media shenanigans (or subtweets) between the two, and Taylor appearing to release at least one more song about Dianna (Babe in 2018) (and let’s be honest you can make a strong argument for The 1 being about Dianna as well other post 1989 songs.)

Some of this might be complete crack or coincidence but as you all know I want this to be the most thorough Swiftgron document possible.

If anything it proves they both certainly still have similar interests and they really do seem to be in touch.

There are some interactions claimed by others to be Swiftgron related that I’m not going to include because they’re just a bit too reachy for me (though I completely support the theorizing!) but in general, if I personally can see the hint of a Swiftgron connection, I’m going to include it here. Draw your own conclusions and take everything, particularly the alleged subtweets/social media shenanigans, with a grain of salt.

And yes there’s tons of Kaylor and other Gaylor/Gaygron content that will be left out of this segment because this masterpost is focused on Swiftgron. Someday it would be cool to make a giant masterpost/timeline that documents all of it, but for now it’s just going to be Swiftgron stuff. August 26, 2014 - Dianna tweets, and then deletes “Withdrawals, clearly…we had fun.”

There’s no screen shot of this tweet but some retweets/responses of it remain:

If Dianna is indeed referencing the song Clean (in which their relationship is compared to an addiction hence, “withdrawals” from it) then Taylor would have had to give her advanced knowledge of the song since 1989 did not come out until October 2014.

Taylor did claim she ran 1989 by the muse that inspired it and they were both in LA in late August 2014. Maybe this is when.

November 1, 2014 - Taylor posts about Clean

November 19, 2014 - The 2014 AMAs Kaylorgron Explosion Extravaganza:

Taylor, Karlie, and Dianna are at the event. Taylor and Karlie are clearly on a date and Dianna is there to present Sam Smith’s performance of I’m not the only one. Dianna seems a bit out of her element/gloomy when interviewed on the red carpet and Taylor flexes Karlie hard, dancing with her throughout the night and even sitting on her lap during an interview.

Click here for photos, video, gifs, and a live L chat reaction to the night.

December 28, 2014 - The writer for the tv show The Originals, Carina Mackenzie, tweeted that 1989 was about Dianna:

It’s of course notable that someone in the industry is “confirming” Swiftgron on main (particularly before gaylor went mainstream with Kaylor being so obvious in 2015/2016) however what’s even more interesting and notable about this tweet is that an actor named Michael Trevino was on the show The Originals and he dated Jenna Ushkowitz from 2011-2014.

Not only that but Michael was at Dianna’s 26th birthday when Taylor was in attendance as well.

It’s possible that Michael witnessed Swiftgron in real life and spilled a bit to the writer of the TV show he was on.

January 5, 2015 - Taylor likes a Swiftgron related post on Tumblr of Dianna saying she’d go on the road with Taylor and carry her bags at the Giffoni Film Festival in 2012:

February 9, 2015 - Style is released as a single

February 13, 2015 - The Kaylor “Best Friends” on a road trip Vogue Spread comes out. You’re probably familiar with it but if you aren’t google it. It’s incredibly romantic and pda filled.

The Style music video is released on this day as well.

We don’t have to go through the whole video but one egg I just have to note is the cave pictured in the MV is in Morocco the same country Dianna seemed to flee to after Swiftgron was outed:

February 14, 2015 - Dianna tweets 143 remember those days (for some reason it has not been deleted) seemingly in response to the Kaylor vogue shoot:

143 is a code that means “I love you” that originated from Mister Rogers. Both Taylor and Dianna have publicly shown that they are fans of his. Taylor has even made certain songs 3 minutes and 41 seconds long seemingly referring to this number and wore a Mister Rogers pin on a jacket for a photoshoot once.

Here’s a bit more in depth analysis on the significance of the 143 post.

This tweet is how we know that it is 100% in Dianna’s character to occasionally subtweet Taylor and why a lot of this social media analysis has been done.

February 16, 2015 - Just two days later Dianna attends a fashion show in which Karlie walks and is noted to “have kept a smirk on her face” during. Dianna doesn’t clap at the end of the show and looks miserable in photos of the event:

February 17, 2015 - Taylor releases Wonderland

I’m going to pause here and discuss the song Wonderland for a brief moment because it is some of the most incredibly airtight evidence for Swiftgron available.

Dianna’s favorite book of all time is Alice in Wonderland. She brought it up in interviews all the time, tweeted about it, auctioned off a signed copy of it for charity, her private Tumblr and instagram account are called whosirmesir which is a reference to it, her private Tumblr is filled with reblogs about Alice, and her public Tumblr was called fell down the rabbit hole.

So the fact that Taylor writes an entire song describing a relationship through the lens of and packing full of references to Alice in Wonderland is incredibly interesting.

Let’s take a look at some of these lyrics:

Flashing lights and we, took a wrong turn and we Fell down the rabbit hole (literally Dianna’s tumblr name and url)

Didn't you flash your green eyes at me (Dianna is famous for her beautiful almost hypnotic green eyes and yes they are green)

Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds (queer coded)

Too in love to think straight (queer coded)

But there were strangers watching And whispers turned to talking And talking turned to screams (seems to reference when they were outed) You searched the world for something else (Dianna very publicly went travelling around the world right after April 2013 when they seem to break up)

Taylor literally put Dianna’s Tumblr URL in the song. Frankly I’m kind of shocked she released this song at all it is so obviously and clearly about Dianna. Truly a Swiftgron anthem!

Back to the timeline...

March 8, 2015 - Taylor posts Flamingos for her dad’s birthday:

The caption was “Happy Birthday, Dad. Thanks for all the unconditional love, sarcastic comments, and interesting Christmas presents.”

May 1, 2015 - Dianna posts a flamingo for her birthday (post is now deleted):

The caption was “This is 29. Spoiled rotten. Funny enough, at work they were painting the hallways white and the roses (hallway doors) red, then I actually went to Wonderland (@AliceUnderLdn) and came home to a surprise flamingo. Here we go. Another year around the sun…feeling lucky and loved and loved and lucky.”

Taylor also gave Emily, another rumored ex, a flamingo bandana for her birthday. i also think it’s odd that Dianna mentions Wonderland specifically in the post.

January 15, 2016 - Dianna’s engagement to Winston is announced and Kaylors notice Taylor is liking sad posts on Tumblr including several posts related to Clean:

November 7, 2016 - Lorde’s birthday party where Kaylor is together in public for the last time for 20 months.

January 5, 2017 - Claire (who is still very close with Taylor) comments on one of Dianna’s Instagram posts):

March 2, 2017 - Dianna posts her James Dean inStyle UK photo to Instagram:

This is actually the second time she has posted this as a throwback photo. She also posted it on February 4, 2016 with simply the caption “TBT” and did not include the “rebel without a clue” bit which is a reference to James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause). She’s never posted the same TBT photo twice before or after this (as of the writing of this post in October 2020).

It I may be permitted to go real far out on a limb here it’s almost as if she wanted people to connect that photo of her in the UK InStyle magazine to James Dean. James Dean is of course the way Taylor describes her lover in the song Style.

At any rate it’s very odd that it’s the only photo she’s posted twice whether it’s related to Taylor or not.

April 25, 2017 - Fans notice Dianna is having her script tattoo removed:

This is significant because a part of the tattoo was dedicated to Alice in Wonderland - it said “We’re all mad here”

Tattoo removal is a years long process:

So it’s possible she started getting it removed around the time that Wonderland came out.

It’s also possible part of the tattoo was dedicated to Lea (the part that said “here I am”) so this whole removal situation is very interesting.

In 2019 she was still getting it removed and commented this at a Cafe Carlyle session:

"i was like i don't know i wanna explain all my tattoos or the one that i'm getting removed on my side...you know you're like...WHATEVER we're stopping we're moving on"

February 13, 2018 - Dianna attends the Carolina Herrera fashion show, so does Karlie. Dianna is introduced to Karlie by Derek Blasberg and very audibly calls Karlie “gorgeoouusss” as they meet.

Kayda play “Gorgeous” by Taylor Swift.

vimeo

Click here to keep reading!

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marjanefan · 4 years

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‘Dead Line’ and ghosts in the machine

This review will contain extensive spoilers for the episode (and A Quiet Night In) so only continue if you have watched the episode. It also contains spoilers for ‘The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse’

Along with ‘The Twelve days of Christine’ ‘Deadline’ is one of the most discussed and analysed episodes of ‘Inside no.9’ with numerous vlogs and blogs dedicated to it. There are even several affectionate pastiches on Youtube. There is much in the episode that is worth discussing so I hope I can bring something interesting to analysing this astonishing episode.

I will be referring to both Stuart Hardy’s (Stubagful) and Inside an Mind’s vlogs about this episode so and the Q and A with Barbara Wiltshire (who directed the episode), Adam Tandy, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith at the BFI in April 2019 here are links to.

Stubagful’s review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrlU9jaMP2k

Inside a Mind Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUN6zqCHh18&t=58s

BFI event

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4RgjPJKNkI

Both Stuart Hardy and Inside a Mind explore the importance of experiencing this episode as a live experience on October 28th 2018 (the date of broadcast). As someone who did watch it live all the way through on broadcast I can confirm that it was a very rewarding experience to watch live that could never be replicated. There has also been considerable analysis of how Pemberton and Shearsmith utilised the process of pre broadcast publicity (such as their interview on the One show a few days before broadcast) to set up the misdirection and theme of the episode. However this is an episode that stands up to repeated viewings (as does every episode of Inside No. 9). The episode can be enjoyed as a ghost story with a very modern sensibility and as a meta commentary on the nature of television. There is an underlying message that allows this episode to retain its power.

The very title of ‘Dead line’ hints at obsolesce and broken down technology and communication. Under the surface of both the Arthur Flitwick storyline and the actual story of the episode we see the voices of the dead come back to avenge themselves on the living who have failed to respect them. You ignore them at your peril. /p>

The ostensible story of ‘Deadline’ -Arthur Flitwick’s fateful finding of a mobile phone is worth looking at in more depth. The story is run through with references to aging and mortality. Arthur lives alone in what may be either a retirement community or sheltered housing for older people. The classical music radio station he listens to aims its adverts at older people. We see Arthur get annoyed at a radio advert for a will writing service yelling ‘We’re not all one foot in the grave!’ (possibly a reference to the long running BBC TV series). Moira refers to the fact that Elsie and herself are apparently widows. It is worth noting that Stephanie Cole who plays Moira is well known for playing Diana Trent in the long running comedy series ‘Waiting for God’ which was set in a retirement home. Arthur and Moira are dealing with the fact that they are nearing the end of their lives and the particular forms of loneliness that affect the elderly. Arthur’s eventual breakdown and murder of Rev. Neil reflects his anxiety about the intentions of younger people toward him and his generation and his isolation(it says something that he choses to befriend a ‘ghost’). This also links this plotline to the main plotline as like Arthur, Alan Starr believed he was hearing the voices of the dead. This eventually drove him to suicide.

Rev. Neil is dealing with an ever aging and dwindling congregation. The physical disrepair of his church (referred in the second clip from the Arthur Flitwick story) symbolises this decline. (Is this also a comment on the decline of the influence of organised religion?) He makes a quip about his church always being on the lookout for ‘new blood’ which can be read as being about the graveyard where Elsie is buried. This links back to the main storyline of the episode being filmed in Granada studios which is apparently built on the site of a Victorian cemetery. (The ghosts recruit the ‘new blood’ of the unnamed continuity announcer, Stephanie Cole, Steve and Reece to their ranks).

One of the most interesting things for me about the ‘Arthur Flitwick’ section is the fact that the mobile phone Arthur finds is an old style Nokia phone. This type of mobile phone has been out of fashion for several years being overtaken by smart phones. This type of phone cannot be used to access the internet or online services such as TV streaming services. It could be a nod to a time where there were no streaming/catch up TV services and where social media was not prevalent. Television was experienced very differently and as Stuart Hardy noted in his review was more of a collective experience. ‘Dead line’ is almost a comment on what has been lost for audiences and those who work in television in the age of television on demand. The pleasure of watching a programme along with millions of others and being able to share simultaneous reactions (and not spoil the programme for others!) has been more or less lost.

The first reaction of Reece and Steve to the apparent break down of the show is to reach for their smart phones to try and find out what is going on. We see Reece moan he cannot connect to his smart phone via WIFI until Steve shows him the password (there is a joke about Stephanie Cole being able to connect to WIFI while Reece cannot). Steve uses his phone to research the history of Granada studios for clues as to what is happening. Reece uses his phone to check the reaction on Twitter, getting angry at people asking if ‘the breakdown’ is part of the twist (playing on his twitter persona). It is no accident that later in the episode Steve is so engrossed with his phone that he both fails to notice Stephanie kill herself on camera or ‘Alan’ advancing toward him in the mirror, commenting on the fact that people have become so engrossed at looking at their smart phones they ignore what is actually happening in front of them.

Steve gets Reece to post a tweet asking people if they are live on BBC Two at that moment. This tweet both proved that events were happening live and comments on the way that social media has changed how audiences interact with television shows and those involved with them. For better or worse platforms like Twitter has changed this permanently. Both Stuart Hardy (Stubagful) and Jamie (Inside a mind) discuss the importance of the Twitter reaction to the show in helping build the experience for the audience during broadcast. Steve Pemberton continued this, posting a photo of himself on Halloween itself looking none the worse for his adventure bar an apparently injured arm (from apparently being electrocuted duing the show)- however a 'ghost' seemed to still be following him! (he also joked if ghosts were going to take over the episode of 'The Apprentice' that was due to be broadcast that night)

https://twitter.com/SP1nightonly/status/1057690095996858368

Many people have discussed the influence of the 1992 drama ‘Ghostwatch’ on ‘Dead Line’. Pemberton and Shearsmith acknowledged its influence at the BFI screening of the episode. Ghostwatch was itself intended by its writer Stephen Volk as a commentary on the direction of television at the time, with the growth of docusoaps and reality TV, and how audiences perceived what was presented to them on TV. It made use of the methods of viewer interactivity of the day with its live broadcast/phone in format. There was a dedicated telephone line for viewers to call into (they were supposed to get a message that ‘Ghostwatch’ was a drama). This is echoed in ‘Dead line’s use of social media. ‘Ghostwatch’ itself references the past as it was in part inspired by the story of the Enfield Poltergeist and its coverage. Television programmes referencing back and paying tribute to earlier programmes is nothing new. It helps to build continuity and tradition in what is still a relatively new format, and helps to show that television can produce work that is lasting and worthwhile. Indeed ‘Dead Line’ helped to create interest for a new generation in ‘Ghost watch’.

Pemberton and Shearsmith decided to set ‘Dead line’ in Granada studios after researching alleged hauntings of the studio. This is referenced in the ‘Most Haunted’ episode that ‘Dead line’ includes clips from. Pemberton mentioned at the BFI that it was this episode that inspired the plot involving ‘Alan Starr’, the technician who killed himself after been haunted by the voices of the ghosts of Granada studios. The original plan had been to film the episode at Granada Studios itself but at the last minute this was not possible, so it was filmed at Maidstone Studios instead. The archive material included in the show is not just furthers the story of the apparent haunting but refers back to the studio’s important status in UK television. Granada Studios had been closed for a number of years before the filming of the episode. Even if it is not actually physically haunted, it is now a dead space which carries the memories of the programmes that were filmed there and the people who worked on them. The television industry may have physically moved on, but the programmes made there remain. I wonder if this was part of the appeal for Pemberton and Shearsmith in setting ‘Dead line’ there.

It was also not the first time that Pemberton and Shearsmith had used meta commentary or included themselves as characters in their own stories. They had of course both played themselves (or versions of themselves!) in ‘The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse’ film. At least one podcast noted this and how the ‘Reece’ and ‘Steve’ we see in ‘Dead line’ are similar to the ‘Reece’ and ‘Steve’ of the film. They have great fun in playing themselves as arrogant and self-centred. This is in part self-mocking and self-depreciating but also shows an awareness that in order to be successful in the entertainment industry you do require a certain level of self-confidence and self-centredness to get your vision realised. ‘The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse’ was an attempt by the various members of the League to explore the legacy of the League and what it meant to be the creators of this very specific world and characters at a point where they were beginning to develop their own separate careers away from the League. ‘Reece’ and ‘Steve’ die in ‘The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse’ as they do in ‘Dead Line’. This represents them acknowledging that the work and characters they have created have a life beyond them and that they will outlive them. The use of ‘A quiet night in’ in the episode also comments on how creators can recontextualise their work to give it a very different meaning. Indeed some fans of the show joke that they cannot watch ‘A quiet night in’ the same way since watching ‘Dead Line’.

As mentioned at the beginning, the episode has much to offer those who have not yet seen it beyond it being a ‘live’. It certainly got a great deal of publicity for the show with several UK newspapers discussing and praising the episode and complementing Pemberton and Shearsmith for how they pulled off the twist. Inside a Mind's analysis of the episode has had over three million views. WeeLin in her Youtube analysis suggests showing the episode to someone who has not seen it each Halloween. Reece Shearsmith still gets regularly asked on Twitter if the BBC has ‘fixed’ the apparent technical faults or if they plan to try and do the episode live again. There are still people who started watching the episode on October 28 2018 or who began watching on iplayer who stopped watching after ‘the breakdown’ who are discovering or yet to discover that they need to continue to watch beyond the ‘breakdown’ at nine minutes. People are also still discovering this episode. Steve Pemberton discusses how this is part of the narrative of the episode in the Q and A after the BFI screening. The number of affectionate homages to the episode that appeared on Youtube in the months after broadcast testify to the fact the episode has a very distinct feel and structure that makes it stand out. It has become one of the most acclaimed and beloved epsiodes of the series

#Inside no.9 #Dead line #reece shearsmith #steve pemberton #ghostwatch

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theparanormalperiodical · 4 years

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The Thornton Heath Poltergeist - The Most Haunted Places In The World That You NEED To Hear About #2

January.

A time of self doubt as you take on the latest fad diet. A time of personal struggle as you return to the 9-to-5 and question why in the hell you decided to work in this goddamn office. And a time of thirst as you realise Dry January does indeed include Echo Falls despite their Rosé being mostly sugar and aesthetic.

Is there any hope left in the world?

Oh, dear reader - you didn’t tap on this blog in the hope of reading some article about a cheerful, positive topic like little rabbits with big flopsy ears, did you?

You’re here for the dead. And the demonic. And all manner of terrible things.

Goodbye, Patches - hello, Poltergeist.

Today, we are going to be discussing one of the most iconic paranormal cases from the UK that no one has ever heard of: the Thornton Heath Poltergeist.

But it turns out that there’s not just one poltergeist in Thornton Heath.

Oh, no.

There’s two.

And these two pesky spirits are far from alone:

Croydon might not sound like the setting for the next cult horror hit, but this London borough is actually known for its rather macabre history - and the legacy of its dark past.

Whilst your chowing down on a Gregg’s sausage roll you might hear rumours of one of Elizabeth I’s maids-in-waiting traipsing around a school, and perhaps you’ll even see a few children who were killed during the war skip past the local Chicken Cottage.

On top of that - like most areas of London - Croydon is actually a relatively ancient town, with the first settlements appearing in the 6th century.

This place clearly has a lot of paranormal promise.

However, despite setting the scene for 2 key cases of poltergeist activity, though do appear to be unconnected. Nevertheless, together they provide a lot of insight into a specific form of supernatural activity that tends to get forgotten.

This is especially true since poltergeists have dominated the horror genre for many a year, inspiring iconic films such as Poltergeist (1982), and litter stories which involve any trace paranormal activity.

The thing is, although frequently mentioned, the actual concept of poltergeists is kind of ignored, particularly the debate surrounding them. These 2 cases, however, provide an overview of the different approaches to poltergeist activity:

One case looks into debunking the paranormal, whereas the other presents the typical haunted house case you clicked to see.

So, today’s article is going to take us through the 2 poltergeists of Thornton Heath, and the paranormal theory behind poltergeists.

Strap in folks, and let’s get spooky.

First, What Actually Is A Poltergeist?

Anyone speak German?

Poltergeist is a mashup of two German words, and it literally means “noisy spirit”.

Based on that translation, it is a type of spirit who has a thing for physical disturbances. Loud noises, objects moving, biting and pinching are the common symptoms of such a haunting. And despite sounding pretty minimal - well, maybe not the biting and the pinching - such poltergeist activity often represents the first traces of far greater hauntings.

But unlike most paranormal theories, it turns out that poltergeist activity is pretty well investigated (as this post will demonstrate).

Heck, poltergeist activity has been reported since the 1st century!

It is claimed that it lasts typically around 5 months, but some say it can stretch out to several years.

On top of our knowledge of the duration of such activity, poltergeists allegedly haunt people, not places - a bit like demons. This does contrast with the 1972 haunting, but we all know that supernatural theories lack the accuracy we expect of an exact science.

And so we come back to the debates and the debunking which always ends up stalking the supernatural. It’s for that reason that Poltergeists are such a valuable component of spiritualist theory because of the intense debate and study surrounding them, as the 1938 case will show.

Indeed, the first of the scientific theories debunking poltergeists swap the paranormal for the patriarchy.

It's called the Naughty Little Girl theory.

Obviously, it suggests that young girls create activity to get attention because women can’t breathe without doing it for attention, right? The Conjuring 2 is one of the few films that picks up on this concept, showing its use by the media as it was utilised in the real life case.

A less misogynistic theory instead claims that the paranormal activity could be down to seismic activity or water stress, creating noises and physical disturbances often blamed on poltergeists.

Or, it could all come back to the theory of psychokinesis:

It claims that when we are stressed, our fucked-up brains can have a physical impact on the objects around us, making it look - and feel - like we are living in a perpetual Paranormal Activity film.

Well, that or a rom-com; it turns out the poltergeist was really within us the whole time...

The 1972 Case - The Official Thornton Heath Poltergeist

Welcome to the the era of the occult - the 1970s.

The obsession with the paranormal experienced a revival in the late 20th century thanks to the affectionately named Satanic Panic and the rise of hippie-dom. And because so many reports of the paranormal crop up in this era, we have to be wary – blaming shit on the paranormal was nearly as common as institutionalised racism, ensuring that claims were often amped up by fear.

Got your pinch of salt to hand? Good.

Our story begins in the heat of summer - it’s August 1972.

A family are fast asleep after, well, I don’t know, what did people do in the 1970s? Listen to too much ABBA?

Anyway - their peaceful slumber is interrupted in the middle of the night when a radio switches on all by itself and blasts out full-volume-raise-the-roof level musings from a foreign radio station.

This is where the activity begins.

The following nights, lights turn on and off by themselves, mirroring the first hour of a Paranormal Activity film before Katie makes some off the cuff comment about being besties with a demon during puberty.

Yet despite the suggestions of something supernatural, it suddenly just chills the fuck out.

Well, that is until the most wonderful time of the year! Only for this famalam, this are about to get a little less wonderful, and a little more what the fuck.

Probably in the midst of an ABBA jam-sesh, a small antique figurine is plucked off a shelf by an invisible hand, and flung across the room, hitting the patriarch of the family with such a force that it knocks him to the floor.

If that wasn’t enough for one day, the Christmas tree then joins in the freaky festivities, and starts shaking.

And that only just scratches the surface of the supernatural events soon to haunt this family.

Cut to a few days later, and its New Year Eve.

Ok, right, let’s be honest here: any activity reported was at times when there would have been a couple of bevvies, a few late nights among friends and family…

Who hasn’t seen a demon picking cashews out of the mixed nuts bowel when they’re a third of the way through that bottle of Echo Falls?

Regardless of my suspicions, they supposedly started to hear loud footsteps upstairs, and during that very night, a member of the family awoke to see a very tall and very angry man staring at him, giving off very threatening vibes.

But it wasn’t just the son of the family that saw these mysterious goings on.

Some visitors to the house reported similar activity:

At a dinner party (*sigh*) a door began to violently shake, nearly coming off its hinges. The living room door then followed suit, and swung open. Every single light in the house then began to follow the trend and turned on and off.

No matter how many bottles they were deep by then, there’s no doubt that shizz was getting weird.

In response to this shizz getting weird, the family did the right thing: they called themselves a priest, and got him to check the shizz out.

However, as a result of his holy presence, the activity worsened. A medium shortly followed, and on his visit deduced that this was a farmer of Chatterton. A quick visit to the library and a rifle through the odd archive later, and the story is confirmed:

This was the spirit of a farmer from the 18th century, and as the medium claimed, he was angry that these trespassers were on his land. So, like all landlords, he kept his cool and was trying to treat these people with the fairness and respect that all landlords hold dear.

Nah, who are we kidding - instead of charging them £60 for not pulling a weed out from underneath the wheelie bin, he manifested as a poltergeist.

The escalation then, uh, escalated.

Following the appearance of the ghost patriarch, his wife then turned up and made a point of targeting the matriarch of the family.

Despite the coincidence of most claims of boozy nights on the heath, these hauntings that mirror the heads of the household really support the case as it sticks to this line of opposition to the “intruders”.

The ghostly matriarch’s favoured haunting was following people up the stairs; when you turned around, you would see wisps of a grey bun and the outlines of a faint figure which would then vanish into thin air.

But on top of the wife getting involved, the farmer himself made a commitment to being spooky AF.

Its for that reason that the creepiest haunting of the year award goes to the farmer.

Why?

Because he would turn up on their TV.

Like, I don’t know if he was on bloody Blue Peter à la IT, or if the screen would go blank and this bitch would rock up and just be there…

But just like fuck that, no thanks, congratulations, and just take the award ugh.

So, like anyone would, this family were like nope screw this, packed up shop, and moved the fuck outta there. After they moved out the activity ceased - like all hauntings tend to do, confirming that it could be due to their trespassing.

Well, or that it was all faked but as the gullible young woman I am, I’m going to deny all traces of this family’s excessive drinking and say that the farmer did indeed turn up on Blue Peter and take a badge with him to the afterlife.

For privacy reasons, the actual address is unknown to the public for the obvious reason that innocent families don’t want some Jake Paul wannabe pulling up in a jacked up Ford Fiesta and whipping out a GoPro to make a quick buck on YouTube.

Heck, I don’t know if anyone lives there now! But this is still recognised by paranormal fanatics are one of the greatest hauntings to come out of the UK.

Well, I say the greatest…

It has to compete with the Thornton Heath poltergeist of an odd 40 years before.

The 1938 Case - Thornton Heath Poltergeist 2: The Prequel No One Asked For

Now we turn to the former haunting of Thornton heath in 1938.

But this poltergeist isn’t set against the scene of some cosy pre-war family home, nor are any long dead farmers getting involved.

This story, on the other hand, follows the scientific study of the paranormal, and to this day is an unsolved mystery that has left both investigator and individual alike without answers.

And it starts with this bloke called Nandor Fodor.

Fodor lead the argument that poltergeists are manifestations from the subconscious mind, and to prove his claims, he investigated the tales of terror that had been experienced by one woman in a small corner of Croydon.

He followed his scientific studies all the way to a little place called Thornton Heath.

Sure, this case could have been linked to the Chatterton farmer, but the focus of their investigation was on the nature of paranormal beliefs, so there was no study of what spirit could be behind it.

All we know regarding the haunting is that the victim of this poltergeist was a woman only known to us as Mrs. Forbes. She was studied at an institute, and in an attempt to be sure she wasn’t creating the hauntings, she basically had to get undressed in front of them, and wear special clothes to prove she wasn’t concealing anything.

Nevertheless, the weird shizz we saw in the 1970s still seemed to follow her.

Dishes would float in mid-air and then crash to the floor, glasses would suddenly appear in her hand (*insert middle aged facebook meme with a minion in the background*), and objects from her home would appear at the institute.

Her house was 10 miles away from the institute.

But beyond her possessions appearing out of thin air, Mrs. Forbes frequently described different entities that would appear and attack her.

These beings included a vampire which would on occasion bite her neck - and left her with two physical wounds in her neck, and a tiger which reached out and scratched deep gashes in her arm. Just like the vampire’s supposed attack, these markings were also found on her body.

However, one of her claims went too far, and was used to challenge every single incident she claimed was caused by a poltergeist:

Alongside the vampire bite and the tiger’s scratches, Mrs. Forbes also had several burn marks scarring her neck. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Forbes believed it was due to the spirit of a man strangling her with a necklace.

However, shortly after making this statement, she professed a deep desire to kill this man.

Fodor drew from this that she thought the man was inside of her, and thus she tried to kill him by choking herself. That’s the burn marks explained - what about everything else? All it took was a quick check of her body and clothing to find small items concealed under her left breast.

That’s right; she has conjured up this “poltergeist” out of thin air.

Having connected the dots, Fodor deduced that she was both schizophrenic, and burdened by repressed sexual trauma.

Another day, another hoax.

Unsurprisingly, faked activity vis-a-vis this case is pretty common when it comes to the paranormal, and this label is pinned by non-believers onto, well, basically anything we just so happen to report.

And despite how frustrating this can seem, it is a necessary disturbance in our research of the supernatural. In fact, the original Thornton Heath story brings this into play when we discuss poltergeists, particularly as their basis centres on physical disturbances which can be both faked or misinterpreted.

Croydon might seem yet another area of London Prince Andrew would pull out of the hat to defend his reputation, but it instead represents a much wider discussion of the paranormal.

From the fake to the unknown, from the mysterious to the mentally unstable:

How we investigate the supernatural starts in a little place called Thornton Heath.

What do you think?

Did the family really witness poltergeist activity first hand?

Or was it all just conjured up by women that purely wanted attention i dont know about you but i just love attention oh gimme attention look I WANT ATTENTION NOWSUFH[HB’[Egb’???????!1//1/1/1!//????

Ahem.

Wanna hear about more spooky shizz like this? Wanna hear about a new haunted location everyday? Then go ‘head and hit follow!

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vanillacup-cakes · 4 years

Text

This is, by far, the latest I’ve ever written one of my year round-ups, and by far, the messiest post.

2019 was a year guys, so have a really messily written year round up. If I try to tidy it up we’ll be here until December.

TL;DR

2019.

2019 was a year of love; happy, sad, somewhere in between.

My heart got broken.

Hera got married.

My friends are in love.

At the end of the Barat, in Pakistani wedding traditions, the bride goes home with the groom. Any events before that the bride always came home with her family. But for this main event, after the actual marriage contract has been signed, after all the festivities, she goes home with the groom. We took it in turns to hug Hera goodbye, I pushed myself to the back of the queue being the crier of the group.

When I was talking to Hera’s cousin she mentioned that some people have questioned why this little bit of the wedding celebrations causes such emotional responses from the bride’s family and friends, after all, we’ll see her again the next evening for the reception. And it’s not like she’s gone forever, she has just moved out of her parents house. She said that the reason for this was not because we will never see her again but because things will never be the same from that moment on. Not in a good, nor a bad way, it just is.

Changed.

Life changes and when one of your close friends get married it changes your relationship with them. Not that you or they love you/them less, not that you or they are less important, not that you or they care less. It just changes.

it doesn’t even have to be marriage.

In October, one morning in Peak District I was stood in the kitchen of our rented apartment and in front of me were two of my best friends with their other halves going on about their day eating their breakfast. It was a picturesque little scene I tried to capture as a photo, I was scared of ruining the moment though and my sly camera skills were terrible so I just have a blurry evidence of that moment. Throughout that holiday I caught little moments of the two couples, little moments I can’t really describe but you know it when you’re around it, little moments that made my heart swell and hurt at the same time. Because things are different. Things have changed.

Change isn’t bad, it can be really, really good. In fact I hope it’s a really, really, really good change for all of them, I just need a moment to accept that we’re no longer in our early 20s and our lives are going to change a lot before more.

2019 was a year of love; the good, the bad, and the bittersweet.

I started 2019 falling asleep as the fireworks went off. We had gone out for dinner earlier that evening with a friend from work and his missus, to a nice fancy restaurant where desserts are always perfect. I’m not one to go out on New Year’s so I worried that we’d be out long but, fortunately for me, the other couple we’re not up for a long one either so, after dinner, we tried to see if we could grab a couple of drinks in a bar before heading home but, as it was NYE, we had no luck. The other couple went home, we tried a couple more before we gave up and called it a night.

We were falling asleep when the fireworks went off. In our 20s, supposed to be the prime of your life, and I was cuddled up and happily falling asleep before the new year rang in. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

January meant Hamilton and birthday boardgames and lots of ballroom classes. I think this may have been the year that we also started, or tried to, regularly schedule in time for face masks.

Then it was suddenly February and I received the best Valentine’s day card in existence, I continued to dance, finally saw a Footlights performance and even caught a show put on by CUMTS. Cirque du Soleil was okay too…

March was when Amy, Izzy and I decided to start our own tradition, every year, no matter what, we’d get together; us and the boys, with the dogs, or kids or goodness know what else life gives us, we’d meet up. We’d meet up somewhere in the UK for a long weekend, where we’d go for walks and cook dinner, and just overall relax and unwind and catch up with each other. Each year starting that October at the Peak District.

March was when I forgot my water bottle at our last dance class and we had to turn the car around. March was when I got no sleep and still chose to go to work the next day.

For the three months we had worked in the new building together we had never bumped into each other in such close proximity, and then, suddenly, there he was coming out of the showers as I tried to find an empty stall to check how I tired I looked. I smiled, I can’t remember if I said anything but my heart dropped.

March was when I got my promotion and all I wanted to do was tell him.

I gave him his stuff back and I gave him his birthday present; an embossed leather notebook, dotted not lined, perfect for both writing and drawing, he was a design engineer after all.

In July he wished me a happy birthday.

In my head, people judge how much it hurt me when we were only together for nine months. But no one has the right to dictate how you feel.

Back in January, Hera started sending me dance videos, videos she wanted us to learn for her wedding.

By April, the Kate, Olive, Sam and I were in the full swing of Friday on a Monday: Dance Edition. We’d cook a spicy meals (the spice increased in level as we went along, yoghurt or cream became more for taste than for firefighting) then we’d dance. Every Monday, where possible. Sometimes we’d skype Charley, sometimes Charley would be with us in person.

As per usual we celebrated birthdays not in the correct months; Kate’s November was in January in form of birthday boardgames, face masks and hand massages by Olive. Charley’s January was in May in Claydon house where we discussed medieval fayres and the Jane Austen festival, where we sat in a private chapel and spoke as we wished until a lady came into actually pray and we tried our best to exit quietly. Sam gave Olive a piggy back in the gardens and there were some happy screaming and laughter. Olive’s March preceded Charley’s as we went to Bath in May and had ourselves our own very luxurious baths. Preceded and proceeded by enough Sally Lunn buns to feed a small army.

My mum randomly won tickets to Look East festival so Charley and I went on an impromptu trip to London and saw Mumford and Sons live. Next time we’ll be prepared with a picnic blanket and more sunscreen for Charley. Indeed we were more fully prepared a month later for West End Live, armed with a cool bag full of food and drinks. What we weren’t prepared for, though, was the vast amount of people queueing. We knew it was popular and we knew there would be a long queue but we didn’t quite anticipate just how big. Having said that, after we admitted defeat we found a little section to the side of Trafalgar square with deck chairs facing a huge screen live streaming the whole event. We didn’t get seats straightaway but sure enough a family with kids left slightly earlier. Instead of standing under the sun for hours on end, Charley and I sat on our deck chairs in the shade in a lovely June day eating our food and drinking to our heart’s content. We decided that in 2020, we’d just do the exact same. We also come out wanting to watch ever single musical there was.

Speaking of getting the right picnic spot, we are starting to have this ‘Singing on the river’ thing down; picnic blankets a plenty, napkins, cutleries, takeaway for dinner by the river listening to the wonderful King’s men perform renditions of old and new songs. It’s a Cambridge tradition we just can’t miss.

We did try to keep up monthly dinners in 2019; we went to Varsity, The Red Lion and Petersfield before we had to suspend the dinners as it was time to fly to Pakistan.

After the vaccinations were done, after the visas were sorted, after all the clothes were bought, after all the make-up and hair trials were done, after all suitcases were packed, after all the dances were mastered (somewhat), after the incredibly long wait to see Hera again it was time to get in the taxi and slowly but surely make our way to the train station. Slowly because we had a flat tyre. But it was going to be faster to get on a slow car than wait for another taxi.

For months on end, as a group, we all had a phrase “After Pakistan”. The amount of things we said we’d do ‘after Pakistan’ and suddenly we were there. Suddenly it was all gone.

I’m not sure life kept going after Pakistan, you know.

And yet it did. I came back to work with my new manager fully into the swing of things, nothing had exploded and everything was still chugging along. Suddenly I was being invited to more meetings and prospects of going business trips became a thing.

I also started sewing classes, along with Olive and Sarah. I stopped ballroom classes and continued with krav maga.

In October, Amy and Tom picked me up in Cambridge and we all drove to Bakewell together to meet Izzy and Zack. The weather could have been nicer to us but it was the UK in October, we should have known better. So off we went, in the rain, walking down an old railroad track (we did consider cycling but that got confusing and expensive), climbing hills for loo breaks and risking ankles and necks for a hope of a nice warm lunch only to be disappointed because pubs in the middle of nowhere is far and few in between and only serve food at specified hours. Having walked for hours with a small amount of sustenance we took the taxi home and enjoyed a meal at the apartment instead.

In November, we flew to Bulgaria and what an experience it was. Beautiful sceneries and definitely a hidden gem, but take it from me, don’t take the jeep up the mountain. Find a different mountain, there’s plenty. Explore the gorgeous towns preserved to their original glory and feel like you’ve been transported back in time. Try the local cuisine! Dress up in traditional Bulgarian outfits, it’ll make a wonderful family photo.

That same month, Hera visited England again. For a mere few days she stayed in Cambridge and we tried to make the most of it as possible. Butch Annie’s was obviously a requirement. And at last, once again, Kate’s November birthday was celebrated in November. In a once in a lifetime opportunity where all six of us were finally back together again to tackle not one, not two but three escape rooms! We got out of every single one of them. No biggie! But just like that, we were all split up again.

But no rest for the wicked because the very next day I was off to Austria on a business trip. My first ever business trip. It wasn’t all work and no play, in fact, at one point we were chucked out of the office so we can explore Vienna further so we did. We went to Christmas market after Christmas market and I stocked up on Christmas baubles and Christmas presents. My favourite bauble though? Came from the Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre. I’ll be on the look out for you again next year!

Before long it was December. With all the hubub of 2019 and the hubub that 2020 will bring (in form of a NYE party) I decided it was best if we had someone else cook for us for Friends Christmas. Secret Santas were exchanged and extra sticky toffee puddings were ordered, no dishes were cleaned by our hands that evening,

And then it was time to party. 1920’s themed party to ring in the 2020’s…

When I really think about it 2019 was one helluva year. So much has changed, so much will change. There isn’t one month similar to the one before, it’s terrifying. Growing up is terrifying. Changes are terrifying.

But we have to bury broken hearts and raise a glass to falling in love, we have to hug memories goodbye and smile at the new ones. We have to accept things won’t be the same but that’s not a bad thing. There are still songs to dance to and movies to cry at, rooms to escape and snacks to share. They’ll always be there no matter what… no matter what 2020 will bring.

#personal #end of year #end of year 2019 #yes I have written this as if I don't know what's happening in 2020 already

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theonyxpath · 5 years

Link

Art for Book of the Fallen by Vincent Locke

The title may say “Monday Meeting Notes” because, well, it’s Monday and that’s what we do!

But it’s a lie.

There was no Monday Meeting this week.

Now that I’ve established myself as an unreliable narrator, what will you do? How can you trust that the information I’m bringing you is accurate? I’m even questioning myself at this point! It probably should have said “Monday Musings by Dixie” or something. I honestly have no idea how Rich does one of these every week.

Anyway…

Book of the Fallen art by Drew Tucker

Hi, this is Dixie! As I said, there was no Monday meeting this week because Gen Con just wrapped up and everyone is either traveling, on vacation, or didn’t volunteer to have a 2-4 person meeting in which we couldn’t do much without the rest of the team (a wise choice, no? We’re rather wise). Rich will be back next week with a full update, much as we did for UK Games Expo a few months back, but until then they’ve (unwisely, probably) left me in charge with no oversight. I say this week is “aberrant” because many folks were out of the office, but also because of the Aberrant Kickstarter funding! More on that later.

As most of you know from previous blogs, we didn’t have a booth at Gen Con this year, but that was a very intentional choice, and shouldn’t be seen as a negative indicator of anything. We did have books for sale at both Studio 2 and IPR, and we did some panels! The members of the team who did go had a chance to attend more meetings and panels, as well as roam the floor a bit more to reach out to folks. (I didn’t go, but I bought a t-shirt and buttons in D.C., played some video games, did a cool playtest with some friends, and didn’t have to walk around in Indianapolis in the summer, so…)

Matt McElroy (sorry, Rich, I can’t bring myself to do the nicknames. I just can’t. That’s your thing.) sent along some photos from the show, so here’s a little slice of Gen Con

A display of Onyx Path books at Studio 2! Look at all the Scion! Those banners! Cats and dogs living together! Changeling: The Lost and Scarred Lands! So much!

The Wrecking Crew running some demos!

They also saw a few of our Onyx Path artists!

Hello, Priscilla! (I have a print of that Scarlet Empress piece from Exalted and it’s divine. (No pun intended until after I typed it.)

It’s Steve Ellis! He’s worked on a few lines for us, including Scion: Hero! (No one gave me a list! I’m trying!)

Claudio Pozas has also worked on quite a few things for us, including the terrifying goat-thing piece from Adventures for Curious Cats, the first book I developed! Thanks for being so talented, Claudio!

Darker Days Radio recorded our What’s Up With Onyx Path? panel and you can listen to it here:

The other super-cool thing that happened last week aside from Gen Con was that Trinity Continuum: Aberrant funded! We ended at $125,098, or 312% of our funding target! Once we get BackerKit set up we’ll be posting links here, I’m sure, but until then here are some of the stretch goals we unlocked via the campaign:

N!WE N!TERNATIONAL WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT – A new PDF product discussing the N!WE, the performers and industry personnel, and various elements of professional wrestling in the world of Aberrant.

PROTEUS NOVA COMPENDIUM SECTIONS 1-3 – A new PDF product, with stat blocks for many characters featured in bio write-ups in the Trinity Continuum: Aberrant book. All backers receiving the PDF version of Trinity Continuum: Aberrant will have this automatically added to their rewards list.

ABERRANT NOVELLA – A short story set in the world of Aberrant, highlighting the world and characters.

ART BUDGET INCREASE – Additional funds will be allocated to the art budget, adding more amazing and incredible art to the Trinity Continuum: Aberrant book.

NOVAS WORLDWIDE 1-3 – Introductory scenarios, designed to jumpstart a longer chronicle.

IN-GAME FICTION – Duke Rollo, direct and uncensored journalist of the world of Aberrant is back with more irreverent insights into the ironies of life in a nova-loving world. A new essay will be released as a PDF.

Not final design!

That’s SO MUCH, and that’s only a few of them. I can’t wait to see what all we do with Aberrant. Congratulations to Steve Kenson, Ian A. A. Watson, Eddy Webb, and the rest of the amazing Aberrant team! If you are unfamiliar with the world, here is an actual play we did over the past couple of weeks:

Additionally, if you like that sort of thing, we are streaming more and more via Twitch at https://ift.tt/2YeJZ07. Come say hi! We’ve been doing actual plays, interviews, and even a live Pathcast! Hit that follow button so you get notified whenever we go live.

Art by Alex Sheikman for Dark Eras 2!

Many Worlds, One Path!

Blurbs!

Kickstarter!

I already talked about Aberrant‘s amazing wrap up above, but keep an eye out for the Deviant: The Renegades Kickstarter when it launches! (I’m personally very excited for that one, for obvious reasons: It’s a brand-new line launched with me as the Chronicles of Darkness in-house developer! Also Eric and Dave have done amazing work, along with all the writers. I’m waiting with bated breath for the art to start rolling in.)

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is all about our good and bad experiences in games, as well as stumbles and misses we may have had here or there.

And Here’s More Media About Our Worlds:

Our Twitch channel has been alive with content over the last week, and you can find it right here: https://www.twitch.tv/theonyxpath So many of our fans and customers have been engaging with the livestreams we’ve been running through the channel, and we’re so grateful for your involvement in everything we’ve been doing. If you missed any of the episodes of Collateral Damage, the interviews with Dixie Cochran, Matthew Dawkins, Eddy Webb, or the live Onyx Pathcast, or indeed any of the other videos we’ve put up, do not despair! Those videos have all been migrated to YouTube so you can watch them again. Again, our channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheOnyxPath

You can also find the latest episode of the Onyx Path News on our channel right here: https://youtu.be/V3X1qt3qSoU

And here’s part three of our Wraith: The Oblivion chronicle prologue: https://youtu.be/8q88qC39IhI

In other news, here’s the Story Told Podcast continuing with their Exalted actual play: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-episode-11

And for the love of all that is Exalted, check out Beanduck‘s show right here: https://www.twitch.tv/beanduck

Occultists Anonymous will soon be going up on our channel, but until then, here’s episodes 32 and 33 of their Mage: The Awakening chronicle.

Episode 32: Speaking With Graves – Who is this young woman at the bar? Where is Mr. Johnson?! Is this Demesne going to be a problem?!? All will be answered…maybe. https://youtu.be/_jE9fM2O2PA

Episode 33: Trigger Pull – Mammon picks up Beck from the airport and tries to make up for lost time together. Songbird reaches out to an Obrimos mentor to compare notes. Atratus tries to look after Wyrd the Seer, but Wyrd has other ideas… https://youtu.be/_DEJ6XZdGfk

Twin Cities by Night continues with their Chronicles of Darkness actual play and a whole bunch of other non-Onyx-Path games you might want to check out: https://twincitiebynight.podbean.com/

Don’t forget Caffeinated Conquests is running The Sacrifice from Chicago by Night using V20 rules over here: https://www.youtube.com/user/CafConIsOn/videos

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

Running RIGHT NOW until August 11 is the Dog Days Of Summer Sale! 50% many of our Deluxe Editions!

As always, you can find most of Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we’re putting the PDF of Heroes for the World on sale, which is the collection of ready-made characters for Scion Second Edition!

Conventions!

Save Against Fear: October 12th – 14th GameHoleCon: October 31st – November 3rd We’ll also be back at PAX Unplugged later this year!

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

W20 Art Book (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Redlines

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

Second Draft

Tales of Good Dogs – Pugmire Fiction Anthology (Pugmire)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Development

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Manuscript Approval

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Creatures of the World Bestiary (Scion 2nd Edition)

Oak, Ash, and Thorn: Changeling: The Lost 2nd Companion (Changeling: The Lost 2nd)

Editing

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Heroic Land Dwellers (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Pirates of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Chicago Folio/Dossier (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

Post-Editing Development

Memento Mori (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e Companion)

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

DR:E Jumpstart (Dystopia Rising: Evolution)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle – Art buy configured. Notes getting configured.

VtR Spilled Blood – All the art that is in is approved. Felipe is working on stuff.

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

Trinity Continuum Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars

They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Contracted

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed

Ex3 Monthly Stuff

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties – Gonna just get Michele to do this one

DR:E Jumpstart – Sam Denmark is doing this.

Deviant for KS – Contracted.

In Layout

M20 Book of the Fallen – Files with Josh

CoM – Witch Queen of the Shadowed Citadel

Dark Eras 2 – Files with Aileen

Proofing

Shunned By the Moon – Errata gathering.

Aeon Aexpansion

C20 Cup of Dreams

V5: Chicago – Backer PDF sent, errata coming in

Geist 2e

Signs of Sorcery – Inputting errata.

At Press

Dragon Blooded – Deluxe at Studio2, shipping after Gen Con.

Dragon-Blooded Cloth Map – At Studio2, shipping after Gen Con.

Dragon-Blooded Screen – Shipped to Studio2, shipping after Gen Con.

Trinity Core Screen – At Studio2.

TC Aeon Screen – At Studio2.

Book of Oblivion – PoD proofs coming.

Trinity: In Media Res – PoD proofs coming.

Scion Ready-Made Characters – PoD proofs coming, out this week in PDF.

Trinity Core – Files uploaded to printer, waiting for proofs.

Trinity Aeon – Files uploaded to printer, waiting for proofs.

DR: E – final PDF off for approval

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

The stress and excitement of Gen Con is over for the time being and we can start working on PAX Unplugged, Save Against Fear, and all the rest! Also Gen Con looks as if it was a great success for us, our fans, and our freelancers. (Additionally, Rich and Eddy are on vacation, and I hope they’re having a grand time! That said, Eddy needs to come back so I can ping him with ridiculous things on Skype throughout the day.)

If you went to Gen Con this year, what was your favorite thing there? If you didn’t go, what announcements did you enjoy or what do you hope to do there in the future? Tell us in the comments!

#Onyx Path Publishing

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domiandsascha · 6 years

Text

The Sweetest of Heartbreaks

An emotional essay on Domi’s run at the Us Open.

Sport is the most heartbreaking of passions. Believe me, I've tried them all. I don't know how to be an average fan. I don't "like", I obsess. And even though I think being passionate is wonderful, I really wish I could tone my emotional investment down, because sport, and especially tennis, hurts more often than not.

The day after Arsène Wenger retired from Arsenal, a customer, devastated and unable to put his pain into perspective, told me "Sport is the most important of irrelevant things. It means nothing on the big scale of life and yet, it means the world. It's silly how sad I am, but I can't help it". Twenty four hours after the Madrid final, I could relate, big time, being way more upset than one should be following a tennis match. But as he had said, I couldn't help it. There's no way to rationalize the disappointment when your heart belongs to a team or a player.

Since the day Dominic Thiem has taken, unknowingly, full ownership of mine, I feel like I've been on a never ending rollercoaster ride. It's psychologically exhausting. Now, would I jump out of my seat if I could? No. Never. But I've been trying to protect myself in case of unavoidable nosedives. The most efficient seatbelt I've found is to lower my expectations to what I'm certain Dominic is capable of, based on current circumstances. Don't get me wrong, my faith in him is limitless and he will achieve greatness. But history has proven that a few things beyond his control can get in the way of his tennis abilities. And also, Hope is a perverse b*tch. So I'm being cautious and pragmatic. It's safer and healthier considering the irrational impact of Dominic's results on my wellbeing.

Therefore, two days before the beginning of the US Open 2018, my take on Dominic's chances would have cost me a few "And you call yourself a fan??" had I made it public. But let's face it. He hadn't won a single match on hardcourt since Indian Wells in March and he had just been injured, sick and through a heavy personal disappointment in Kitzbühel not too long before. So draw in hands, facts in mind and my arch enemy Hope silenced in the basement, I set my expectations to what I knew Dominic could do: reach Round 4 and defend his points.

I watched his first game against Basic on my phone, a great friend of mine face-timing me from Grandstand where she was seated, sixth row. I couldn't really follow the points, seeing only Dominic and a third of the court on my screen, but I understood he had broken his opponent, playing flawless and lethal tennis. So Hope got rid of her gag and yelled "OMG! He's going to have an epic US Open!". I shut her up. "Don't you start!".

He won easily, but struggled against Johnson, which I had seen coming after Steve's epic run the previous week. Dominic did it the hard way, probably harder than he could have. He drove me to turn off the stream at some point and to fear a premature heartbreak. But he did it and reinforced one of my certainties: he was born for five setters and epic battles. Then came the match against Fritz. Dominic lost his cool, which I like to see, even though I maybe shouldn't. And not only did he play great tennis, he also displayed, once again, his unbelievable sportsmanship, advising Taylor to challenge a call on break point. A friend told me "Domi shouldn't do that. He's too nice!". And I thought "Oh, he should. Always". He didn't become my favorite player because of his backhand or his deep runs at the French Open. He's my favorite player because he's a gem of a human being and I'll forever value kindness above all qualities.

And there we were. Round 4. Points had been defended. Personal expectations had been reached. Facts in mind once again -their head-to-head, the surface and Anderson's current form-, I allowed Hope to come back in the leaving-room but asked her not to be too loud. Winning this one would be difficult, but it was possible.

Before the match, I tweeted "May our boy play his best tennis and enjoy himself". That's all I've ever wanted. That's why the finals in Madrid and Paris had been so painful and hard to recover from, despite the pride from watching him reached them. Because Dominic hadn't enjoyed his time on court and had left both tournaments thinking he could have played better. So yes, if he had to lose against Kevin, I was hoping he would do it in style.

Two hours and thirty-five minutes later, at 5-2 in the third set tiebreak, I was bawling my eyes out, both my hands pressed against my chest, overwhelmed and dizzy, but feeling so light I could have flown away. This, right then, this rush, this very instant, was the reason why I would never jump out of the rollercoaster. That was the point when the train reaches the top of the highest slope, when your heart starts racing, as you know what's coming, but you let go of the security guardrail and raise your arms, because you feel a hundred percent safe. I was feeling so safe. I didn't think for one second I should silence Hope. "It's not over til it's over!". It wasn't hope. It was over. It had been over from the moment Dominic had broken Kevin in the first set and it had made no doubt from then. It might have taken a fourth set, but ultimately, Dominic would have won this match. He was playing his absolute most clever and efficient tennis and he was having the time of his life doing so. Up to the very last point, he showed the full extent of his skills and his reaction after his amazing final shot increased my life expectancy by a decade.

During the following forty-eight hours, there was no way to silence Hope. It didn't matter that Dominic had to play Rafa next. Feeling this safe is too rare, I had to make the most of it. So I was walking down the streets, grinning like an idiot, day dreaming he was going to beat Djokovic in straight sets on Sunday evening and lift the trophy. There was no stopping him, there was no stopping me.

The morning of the match, I tweeted "May our boy pull off the upset we all know he's capable of". And the reason why we all knew it, was that Dominic had made it clear he knew it too. Everything he had said in interviews was screaming fierceness and willpower.

I've explained it at the beginning, I set my expectations to what I'm certain Dominic is capable of.

So at 2am UK time, Hope sat right next to me in my chair and I hugged her tight.

The first set was a surreal experience. It was mesmerizing and more satisfying than any set of tennis I had ever watched. But somehow, it was terrifying. It felt like one of those dreams, where everything is perfect, but a tiny part of your subconscious is aware you're asleep, aware the dream might end or turn into a nightmare at any second. Dominic was flawless, his tennis was spectacular and he wasn't playing against a diminished opponent. Rafa was being outsmarted, outrun, outgunned and it was all about Dominic's genius. But still, such a score line was abnormal.

A year before, to the day, Dominic had won an opening set with a score line that felt abnormal. The circumstances were way different, but it was impossible not to think about it. I don't believe any Dominic fan has fully recovered from this heartbreak. I know I haven't.

Oddly, I would have felt safer if Dominic had won this first set 6-4. He was playing Rafa, a man whose ability to recover, adapt and start fresh has been proven to be the best there's ever been. I couldn't help but picture a beast, which had just been deeply provoked and was about to attack, with all it had. So I was smiling, still, of course, but biting my nails and glancing at Hope who was really confused and had no clue what to do.

And indeed, Rafa recovered and adapted, but Dominic didn't falter. He didn't get scared. He held on, he kept fighting, kept painting lines, kept producing mind-bending tennis and kept believing. So I kept believing too. Until he lost the third set. I switched off my laptop. The commentator on Amazon Prime had just said "I feel like Thiem deserved to win this set, considering the terrific tennis he's been playing" and that's exactly how I was feeling. Dominic was maintaining an unbelievable level and still, it wasn't quite enough. So would anything be? Hope had left my place and discouragement had taken over. And even though Dominic looked nothing but discouraged, I was too exhausted to watch him fight in vain. The idea of seeing him lose three sets, after that miracle of an opening one, was unbearable. Cruel and heart wrecking.

I went to bed as dawn was glimmering through my curtains. But of course I couldn't sleep, of course I couldn't let go of my phone for more than three minutes in a row. Of course I was following the score and reactions on twitter. I knew Dominic was still battling with a mental and physical strength that was about to go down in tennis history. And I felt guilty to be hiding underneath my duvet like a coward. To have given up when he hadn't.

When he won the fourth set tiebreak, Hope stormed back into my room, turned the lights and my laptop back on and glued me to my chair. She had never seemed so dangerous and perverse. I could foresee the violence of the shock, should this specific ride end up in a wall after so many ups and downs. It would be painful. Really painful. But this time, something was different. This time, I was protected by a brand new kind of seatbelt, I was snuggled in a cocoon of pride and gratitude. After four hours, Dominic was still playing his heart out and he was turning mine into a colorful and sweet substance that wouldn't break, no matter what. Watching him save breakpoints by the shovelful, throw winners left and right, keep his focus and his cool, show so much resilience, all the while being an absolute angel towards everybody on court, was a dream come true. Except this one was and would remain a hundred percent real. Nothing could erase it. No outcome could stain the joy of witnessing Dominic achieve greatness.

Dominic was Great.

The fifth set tiebreak began and Hope tried to hide underneath the table. I pulled her back next to me and smiled. Whatever was about to happen, to Dominic and to my heart, we would face it together.

At 3pm, I went to work, having slept two hours and a half, my fingers skinned from all the biting, my throat hitching from all the nervous cigarettes smoked, my stomach aching from the amount of chocolate swallowed frenetically. My colleague and good friend greeted me with a sad face and a comforting hug. But he quickly took a step back and frowned "How are you so cheerful??". He had just seen the score line. He just knew Dominic had lost. He had no idea how painless this heartbreak was.

Yes, my heart had cracked, despite everything, when Dominic had hit this final overhead wide. Tears had filled up my eyes and a rush of bitterness had shaken my entire body. I had cursed the "fifth set tiebreak rule" out loud, because it had felt so freaking unfair that, after such a fight, a single mistake on serve could be decisive.

But then, there had been this hug, this proof of Rafa's respect and affection. A respect and affection earned through years of rivalry and sportsmanship. There had been Dominic's peaceful acceptation while he was still on court, his smiles to the umpire and the crowd, something about his face whispering to my ear "He's okay, he will be okay". The standing ovation and the praising headlines already pouring in on social medias. His press conference, turning the whisper into a loud promise "He's okay, he will be okay".

And finally, this long overdue consequence: the world falling in love with Dominic. He was finally given the credit he had always deserved, as a player and as a person. He was finally seen for who he is: a man with an arm of steel and a heart of gold.

I was cheerful, because I was happy beyond words, still snuggled in my cocoon of pride and gratitude.

Writing those lines, a week later, I'm still really emotional about it all. That's why I needed to set it down on paper. So I never forget. So the next time tennis feels like the most heartbreaking of passions, I'll remember how fulfilling it also is.

Sport is, indeed, the most important of irrelevant things.

In a world that's constantly shaking underneath our feet, it is an anchor. In a life that goes so fast it can consume our feelings and leave us empty, it is an inexhaustible source of raw emotions keeping us alive.

I don't know how to be an average fan and I'm not planning on ever trying. Because I'm lucky enough to have chosen someone who makes every twist of the ride worth it.

Thank you, Dominic. From the bottom of my heart.

#dominic thiem #us open 2018 #helene writes

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ohthathurt · 7 years

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Time Will Tell Chapter 2/?

so i’ve decided to make this fic a chaptered work, hope you like it!

Read on AO3 Summary: The aftermath of the interview and Liam looks back on all the mistakes he's made and all that he's grateful for.

Hand already reaching his back pocket, Liam stepped backstage leaving behind the screaming and finds a dark corner. A flurry of fingers over the screen of his phone and he pulled the one contact up.

Lips quirked at the image attached to the contact, a close-up of his husband snuggled with Rhino as they both nap on the couch, he didn’t waste a minute and pressed dial. He clutched onto his phone with dear life, silently urging his husband to pick it up, although if he knows his husband and he does very well (“Why are you so dirty-minded all the time, jaan?) he would have kept his phone close to him, waiting to hear about the reaction. He needn’t worry, Liam thought, grinning into his phone as he hears a husky, melodic voice come on.

“Babe?” asked Zayn, uncertainty painting his voice. Liam exhaled in one long swoop, allowing himself to finally release the tension from his shoulders, his stiff spine and wide eyes.

His only answer was one loud, disbelieving and slightly hysterical laugh. Thankfully, his husband caught on.

“Yeah? Really? We’re good?” whispered Zayn, his voice giving away the awe and shock Liam felt in his bones just then.

“Yeah, babe. Really.” is all Liam can manage, a watery, thick voice betraying his emotions.

A sniffle on the end of the line signals to Liam that they are very much on the same level of emotion. Disbelief and shock gave way to heartfelt gratification and thankfulness for having the world’s best fans. Back when, Zayn had left for the UK following a teary-eyed goodbye from his mates and boyfriend, Liam had thought all was lost. He had felt distraught because there he was standing alone in a mostly-empty airport in the middle of the night, having seen off his boyfriend. He shouldn’t have done that.

Louis shouldn’t have agreed to the deal nor should Liam have. Zayn should never have accepted the contract and Harry should have stayed away. After what felt like years of hell, painful fights between married couples, and tearful reconciliations, they all sat down and just looked at each other. Looked at the difficulty and pain of having gone through all that. Where Louis and Liam bonded over leading a very false life in the media circles, Harry and Zayn talked about the hardships of having to work with difficult people as beards. Niall, always sat in the corner, with sad eyes running over the boys every now and then, as if they would disappear from his vision if he looked away.

Liam regretted every word that came out his mouth during the years where he led a false life. Selling the image of his impending fatherhood to the media then returning home to a wonderful, beautiful man who he didn’t deserve, took a toll on him. It got worse once the birth was announced and he was finally free to carry out his solo career plans. Liam had thought he was finally granted freedom, having done what was asked of him, but a quick phone call changed all that for him.

What followed were the most trying few months he’s ever had since he was signed up for the band. Fighting constantly with his husband and coming home to empty rooms and silence was all that awaited Liam in those months. But he had had enough. A quick, determined call later he was sat in front of Zayn with pleading eyes and soft mouth wrapping around apologies and promises. This was it.

This was the beginning of the end. A beautiful beginning of them.

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HEARTBREAK ALL OVER THE WORLD: LIAM PAYNE REVEALS 2 MORE MEMBERS OF 1D ARE GAY, INTERVIEW ON THE ELLEN SHOW

Casey Farrow, Monday, July 20th 2020 Where do broken hearts go indeed; Liam Payne, 27, reveals in an all-tell interview given on the Ellen Show how him and RnB heartthrob Zayn Malik are in a relationship and have been for a while now! The 1d rockstar let the cat out of the bag with a sweet picture of him and husband, Malik, cuddling in bed, causing our hearts to melt. Following the tumultuous scandal of Louis Tomlinson’s not-so-real baby and the involvement of Harry Styles, Malik and Malik (?) are ready to revamp the image of the world’s most famous boy-band. What’s in store for them now? Who knows but we sure are excited to see more of those romantic snaps!

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EXCLUSIVE: MORE 1D MEMBERS COME OUT WITH THE SECRET; FANGIRLS DISTRAUGHT AND FURIOUS AT BEING SOLD A LIE

Lorna Kelly, Tuesday, 21st July 2020 Many fans rejoiced earlier this week when two more members of the world-famous One Direction came out of the closet in an emotional sit-down interview with Ellen Degeneres on her talk show. The host being an avid LGBT activist welcomed Payne, now Malik as he claimed, with open arms on the show where he revealed the well-kept secret with a picture of him and 27 year-old husband in bed. The reactions were as expected, most fans were ecstatic taking to twitter and trending the hashtag ‘ziamisreal’ worldwide, while curiously some were downright furious at being kept in the dark and lied to.

In March 2015, Zayn Malik had allegedly left the band under suspicious circumstances and had apparently cut off all ties with his former bandmates. Where Payne mentioned him throughout his solo career, Malik kept tight-lipped about all the drama that followed. In early 2017, exactly 2 years after Malik left, Payne allegedly welcomed a baby boy named Bear with X-Factor Judge, Cheryl Tweedy, who was ten years his senior and from the get-go the two had a very public and notorious relationship in the media. Payne hasn’t revealed any details about son, but fans ask is that really his son?

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If anyone asked Liam about his most cherished memory, a few years ago his answer might have been different. He might have talked about performing in arenas internationally, meeting fans who cried when they met him, being praised so openly by big names in the industry, hearing his name being said so reverently. And his boys by his side.

All this would still apply for a position in his list of Most Cherished Memories, but the one that topped it all didn’t come until later. After experiencing the heartbreak of watching the love of his life being forced to walk away from him, from his dream, from his boys and brothers, Liam had thought they’d never make it. It should not have worked.

(“We can make it if we try, you and I” Zayn crooned into his microphone, unashamedly staring into Liam’s eyes, his own full of promises, as an entire arena looked on)

But it did. And excuse his French, but he’s so fucking glad it did, he thought, as he watched the love of his life laugh across the hall, nose scrunched adorably and eyes reduced to slits. He stood there, transfixed, at the mesmerizing sight, the memory burned into the little cells of his brain. And that right there was his Most Cherished Memory.

The memory that ignited something inside of him as well as calmed him down considerably. The knowledge that the beautiful man stood across the room from him was finally his husband, sworn to him through two faiths, bound to him by years of friendship and love. He had known then, right away, that it would be a cold day in hell before he ever let his husband walk away from him.

And if Liam thought that the most heartbreaking sight in the world was his boyfriend walking away from him, then the most profound was watching his husband walk towards him, a small smile curving his lips and eyes glinting with love and mischief.

#lemme know what you think pls!#ziam #fanfiction #my writing #so i decided to make it a chaptered work #and this is basically gonna follow what would happen if they all came out with it #its gonna deal with both babygates and beards etc so be warned

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inkwellco · 7 years

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FOCUS ON... SIMONE SAULT

Australian Simone Sault, star of stage and screen, has taken time out on her return home to Australia to chat with us.

Hi Simone, how’s your visit home been? Beautiful thank you. It’s always glorious coming back and seeing my family and friends here in Australia. Plus the sunshine is what I bottle up and take back to the UK, especially this time of year!

You’ve had quite a career. Can you tell us a bit about your earlier life, both in what drove you to choose dance, and the training you completed? I studied classical ballet from the age of 7yrs at the National Theatre Ballet School. I was blessed to have been taught by wonderful artists and teachers, including the late Kathy Gorham, Gailene Stock, Eileen Tasker, Jonathan Kelly, Joanne Michel, Terese Power, all incredible dancers with Australian Ballet at the time. I trained daily and after leaving school at 14yrs old (I know!) I studied dance, still at the National, full time for 3 years before entering the professional world. As clichéd as it sounds, I don't recall a time where I didn’t want to dance. It just clicked, even at 7yrs old, it felt like breathing.

And you worked quite a bit in Australia with the Sydney Dance Company, what was that like, and how did that help set the foundation for working overseas? I adored my time with Sydney Dance Company (SDC). I had come from the Australian production of Phantom Of The Opera, back into the dance world (what I had trained for) and I was so consumed by my work, tours, and opportunities that I soaked it up daily for the 7 yrs I was there. My work with SDC was unique in the fact that, under the direction of Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon at the time, it was a classically based contemporary Company, but with a strong emphasis on the actor/character /personality side of each member. Graeme is wonderful at extracting from you what only YOU can bring to a piece/role with the movement almost seeming secondary. I have always loved the storytelling side to a role. With this in mind, my experience with the Company aided me to continue to pursue my career overseas as I just didn’t have an agenda, I literally landed here in the UK and made a promise to myself, to say yes to any and all opportunities that came my way. Ones that assisted me in furthering my development as an artist…dancer, actor, collaborater, creative. A pact that, thus far, has held me in good stead. -Touch wood-

How do the two compare? Working in Australia versus working overseas? It’s really hard to compare the two I feel. Something I have always said is, I believe the training in Australia is second to none. However the opportunities are not always there, or indeed as plentiful as they are here in London and New York for example. Hence why I feel very lucky to have the best of both worlds, be an Aussie and take the rest of the world for everything it’s got! London has been so very good to me. There’s not a day that passes where I don't feel humbled, and above all grateful for the jobs and in particular the talent that I work with and for.

You’ve been involved in some major productions, including Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Sinatra and On The Town, productions one can only hope to be involved in. How do you go about preparing for roles, and how do you approach each audition? Auditions are never easy, nor that enjoyable if I'm going to be honest! Why do we do it to ourselves?! It’s taken me a while to figure it out, but I do honestly believe that if the job/role is meant to come your way, it will, good audition or not. The best advice, the only advice actually is, BE yourself. Prepare of course, but just trust in what will be will be. I find that takes a lot of the stress out it. And what has always been the case for me is, if I have missed out on something I really wanted, something else from left field always shows up and I think, “thank God I didn’t get so and so because NOW I’m doing this!”

You’re also quite an accomplished choreographer, with credits including: Love Never Dies, Strictly Come Dancing and the London Olympic Games ceremonies, what a diverse range of opportunities, what were some of the standout moments from each? Oh wow, yes, I feel very lucky to be working for Graeme and Janet once again (original Choreographers of Love Never Dies) and working for someone like Danny Boyle for the London 2012 Games was rather surreal I must say. Opening Ceremony with the World watching was as good as it gets I think! That is definitely a highlight, he was/is extraordinary. I love working creatively as it continues to open my eyes to a craft that I have been involved in for a long time now, yet at times, depending on what I’m working on and who with, I feel like the student all over again… keeps you fresh!

We’ve also seen you venture on to screen, both TV and Film. Can you tell us a bit about your work on Alice in Wonderland, particularly working with Director Tim Burton, whom you’ve previously worked with on Sweeney Todd? Other credits of yours include work on Rob Marshall’s Nine, Kath and Kimderella and the TV show Galavant. That’s quite a range of diverse productions, how did you prepare for these varying roles? Tim Burton is exactly how you think he would be, brilliantly colourful and a real visionary. A gorgeous woman by the name of Francesca Jaynes choreographs nearly all of his movies, we worked very closely with her as well. With Kath and Kimderella, I had just finished working with the incredibly talented Gina Riley on the Australian production of Chicago when she offered me the role of an Hispanic lesbian that flirts with Magda Zubanski’s character, Sharon Strzelecki… as you do! It was short and sweet but I had an absolute blast. My opportunity to work with Rob Marshall on laying down the rehearsal track “Take It All” for his Nine was another surreal moment, recording it with the legend that is Maury Yeston. Rob Marshall was genuine, honest and very normal, which is always a good thing! Can you tell us how you balance work, and your other amazing role in life, being a mother? Arrr, my [not so] little Luca! He’s everything to me! He has just turned 4 and is incredible in every sense of the word. I was pregnant with Luca right through my time working on London 2012 Olympic Games. By the time we wrapped the Ceremonies I was 8 and a half months pregnant! There would be times where I was still out on the field of play rehearsing until way after 1am of a day, and he’d be kicking and hiccupping away like a trooper. The travel and nomadic lifestyle is all he has ever known, so fortunately for me he is a dream when it comes to travel and new places/work spaces. I worked in Russia for 3 months when he was around 9 months old and there has been a lot of further travel and new environments since then. Luckily he loves the theatre, rehearsal space and music, so, so far so good. I literally feel like I strap him to my back and off we go! Having said that though, he started school in September last year, so this requires a tad more planning and organising around work and travel, but fortunately I have a wonderful friend/ Nanny situation so it works beautifully. We’re about to see you in one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, Beauty and the Beast (BATB). And whilst we know you can’t give too much away, can you tell us what it was like working on set? A little bit about your role and what scenes you were involved in? On Beauty I worked with the choreographer, Anthony Van Laast, and Director Bill Condon. Working on set for over 4 months was a magical experience. We recorded the soundtrack also, so can not wait for it to release! In the early days, Anthony set us a task of filling in our back stories for our characters which then in turn added to our connection with Belle and within the village where we lived. Gaston’s Tavern (with the delicious Luke Evans as Gaston) was a wonderful scene for us all. I have a lovely moment with him…but that’s if it doesn't end up on the cutting room floor!

What was it like working with Director Bill Condon? Bill Condon is a complete class act. Knew our names from day one and just a wonderfully genuine, talented man. So much so, that during the filming of Beauty, I lost my beloved Mum, and had to subsequently leave 2 days early. After shooting wrapped, a few weeks later I received a gorgeous email from him expressing his sadness and thoughts and love. I remember how ecstatic my Mum was when she found out that I got the job, so it goes without saying Beauty is for her. Having worked on stage with a variety of performers from different countries, can you tell us a bit about working with actors and dancers from around the world on the set of BATB? It really is a case of no matter where you're from and /or what gender, there is an unmistakable bond and kinship with the people you work with. And in this case especially with Beauty. The experience and careers of so, so many are hard to fathom. I arrived on set each day so very humbled, privileged and grateful for the day that lay ahead. You knew right from day one that this was/is a very, very special moment in cinematic history.

And from what we’ve seen on social media, what was the experience like bringing the iconic music to life through dance for the big screen? Pure Joy! Anthony and Bill worked so closely together and seemed on the same page, with the same vision…which isn't always the case! The movement and staging happened so naturally, in the tavern scene especially Anthony has created a robust, energetic joyous scene. We all had a ball! Is there anything you can tell us about the film or perhaps one of your favourite moments on set? All of it really, but Gaston’s Tavern is probably my favourite! If you could describe the film in three words, what would they be? 1. Life changing (I know that’s two) 2. Humbling. 3. Magical! What advice do you have for any aspiring performers/creatives? If you want it, go get it. It’s not written anywhere in this world that you can’t have or achieve what your heart desires. Be persistent, be focused, work your butt off, stay disciplined and be nice to everyone, whether they be directors, creatives, behind the scenes, teachers, dressers, anyone and everyone. We all breathe the same air and you are only as good as your last job!

And finally, what can we expect from you next? Involved in a show I have worked on creatively and its tour to America this year! Any excuse to head back to NY.

Thank you so much for your time Simone. We can’t wait to see you on stage, TV and on screen in 2017! Thank YOU lovely Katerina for your time and bravo. Images courtesy of Simone Sault Instagram

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horrorstoriesinhindi-blog · 7 years

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The Dark Priest of Pontefract, Yorkshire, UK

10 years before the world acclaimed Amityville and Enfield apparition cases came to open consideration, somewhat knew about, however recognized as Europe's most brutal frequenting, occurred in the town of Pontefract. Read More Ghost Stories in Hindi - http://www.rdshayri.com/ghost-stories-in-hindi/

Number 30 East Drive, on the Chequerfields Domain, East Yorkshire, remained on a corner at the highest point of a slope, near what was at one time the site of the town scaffold. Living at number 30 were Jean and Joe Pritchard, their child Philip, matured 15 and little girl Diane matured 12.

The ghost, later to end up noticeably known as the Dark Priest of Pontefract, started exasperating the Pritchard family in 1966 with a wide assortment of paranormal action. Water pools, lights killing and on once more, furniture toppling, pictures being cut, objects flying or suspending, thumping sounds, objects vanishing and seeming once more, foul odors, yard commotions, substantial breathing sounds, sudden drops of temperature, and a puzzling dark robed figure, whose appearances turned out to be increasingly visit were altogether detailed at the house.

The police, a nearby MP and the vicar were all observer to the unprecedented happenings which kept on plagueing the family unit, and all endeavors to exorcize the nearness were unsuccessful and met with joke.

To start with Event of the Ghost

The occasions started in August 1966 amid the August Bank Occasion week. The family had gone on vacation to Devon leaving 15 year old Philip at home with his grandma, Sarah Scholes.

While alone in the house, Sarah felt a frosty whirlwind, in spite of the warm climate outside. At the point when Phillip re-went into the house, he saw white powder tumbling from mid-air all around the front room, onto the floor. Their first suspicion was that it was some way or another tumbling from the roof, be that as it may it had just as of late been rearranged.

Now the match were more befuddled than frightened, so Sarah went to counsel her little girl, Marie Kelly, who lived right over the street. At the point when Marie saw the white powder she went into the kitchen to get a fabric to tidy it up and speedily slipped in a pool of water that had shaped on the kitchen floor.

Various puddles of water started showing up on the kitchen floor. At this point one of the neighbors, Enid Pritchard, had come round to number 30 to perceive what the tumult was about. Being the down to earth sort she quickly went and killed the water at the stop cockerel, in any case it had no effect and the pools of water still showed up. Mrs Kelly at that point chose to report the water holes to the Water Board who exhorted that they would send somebody around as quickly as time permits.

Later that evening the man from the Water Board properly showed up. After much checking of channels, rodding of channels and inducing that the water might be buildup he left to report the issue to his director and after a hour the pools of water quit showing up.

This was just the start however. Later that night at around 7pm, Sarah was sitting in front of the television in the lounge when from the kitchen, Philip yelled "Grandmother, it's going on once more!". The worktop in the kitchen was strewn with sugar and dry tea leaves and as they gazed at it, the catch on the tea distributor went gradually in and out a few times covering the depleting load up in tea.

This carried on notwithstanding when the tea distributor was unfilled provoking Sarah to yell in urgency "Stop it!". As she did as such there came an uproarious crash from the lobby. They gradually opened the entryway prompting the foyer, half hoping to get a thief, just to think that its quiet, dull and purge until the point when the lobby light tapped individually accord, startling them both.

They gradually advanced toward the foot of the stairs and saw what had made the commotion. A plant which was ordinarily at the foot of the stairs was currently sat most of the way up them, missing its pot, which was on the arrival above. As though this was insufficient to shred their nerves another sound rang out from the kitchen influencing them to hop indeed.

On examination they saw that the earthenware cabinet was vibrating as if somebody was caught inside and endeavoring to get out. When Philip grabbed open the entryway the vibrations ceased while very quickly another boisterous slamming clamor began up elsewhere in the house.

Sarah now saw a sudden chill noticeable all around and chose to get Marie Kelly once more. When Marie ventured into the kitchen she was stood up to by the shaking ceramics pantry and the sound of the glasses and plates inside rattling. Sarah at that point went nearby to ask the neighbors, Mr and Mrs Mountain, on the off chance that they were in charge of the slamming clamors. Mrs Mountain looked in surprise at Sarah saying, "We thought it was you". When Sarah restored the clamors had gratefully ceased.

Them three sat talking about the terrifying occasions until around 9.30pm when Marie left seeking it was all finished after the night. Philip chose to go to informal lodging figured a decent evenings rest was required too. In the wake of locking up and turning off the ground floor lights Sarah went into Philips space to wish him goodnight, as she did as such, an overwhelming dresser started influencing without clarification. http://www.ghoststoriestheshow.co.uk/

That was the issue that crosses over into intolerability for the night, Sarah and Phillip went out and rested at a neighbor's out of dread for their security.

The Second Period of Paranormal Movement

Whenever Mr and Mrs Pritchard returned home from their vacation, the unsettling influences had ceased, and subsequently they inferred that the marvels more likely than not had some coherent clarification; particularly since, for the accompanying two years, they kept living in the house without the scarcest indication of any paranormal action.

In any case, as unexpectedly as it finished, the ghost wonders all of a sudden started once more, this time tormenting the family for quite a long while, however they declined to surrender to it and move from their home. So normal was the paranormal movement that the ghost ended up plainly referred to the Pritchard family as Fred.

The fundamental focus of the action amid the second stage appeared to be the little girl, Diane, who was regularly tossed from her bed, and, in one occasion, was dragged up the stairs by her throat, by an undetectable hand that left slashes on her neck.

Noisy peculiar smashing sounds were normal, particularly within the sight of outside organization. Questions too went flying around the air and slamming, or dematerialising and afterward returning in an alternate area. Despite the fact that on two events, expulsions were endeavored, these measures appeared to be just to unsettle the circumstance.

After a concerned family companion splashed blessed water all through the home, the apparition reacted by painting topsy turvy crosses on the front room dividers and entryways, and devastating the crosses that beautified the Pritchard house.

The physical appearance of the apparition did not happen until very late in the frequenting. The figure initially appeared to Joe and Jean Pritchard while they lay in bed. The two purportedly observed a dark shrouded figure drifting over their bed, however it soon dispersed. On a couple of ensuing events, different individuals from the family and in addition guests detailed seeing an assume that resembled a priest, however nobody at any point saw a face underneath the robes. Soon after the physical signs of the priest showed up, the frequenting suddenly stopped, never to happen again.

The Reoccurrence of the Ghost

The creator Tom Cuniff, later distinguished the phantom as a sixteenth century priest, who was hung for the assault and murder of a young lady amid the rule of Henry VIII. Ever since, the ghost has been known as the Dark Priest of Pontefract. Intriguingly, the Pritchards' home was said to have been worked by the site of the town's scaffold.

The occasions that happened in the house have been reproduced in executive Pat Holden's 2012 blood and gore movie 'When the Lights Went Out'. Jean Pritchard was Holden's close relative and he saw a significant number of the episodes direct.

Be that as it may, as the film about the frightful hit silver screens and open enthusiasm for the unpleasant rose, starting various guests to the house, local people say the Dark Priest of Pontefract is starting to mix once more.

Current adjacent neighbor Ditty Fieldhouse, said things began to take a vile turn not long after the film was discharged. Hymn didn't know the previous proprietor Philip Pritchard had quite recently sold the long-discharge property to the film's maker, Bil Bungay. Ghost Stories

In a daily paper talk with Tune said she had seen Philip cleaning up the front plant. "I went out and inquired as to whether he'd sold it to one of his nephews. I figured it more likely than not been one of them since I knew they were hard of hearing and I'd heard the television impacting out throughout the night."

"He said 'There's no television in there. It's empty'. At that point he turned pale and said 'God, it's begun once more'. I haven't seen him since." For more :

#Ghost Stories #Horror Stories #Horror Stories in Hindi #ghost stories in hindi #Real Ghost Stories in Hindi #Indian Ghost Stories #Bhoot Story #Indian Horror Stories #Hindi Horror Story #Real Horror Stories in India #Horror Story Hindi #Haunted Stories in Hindi

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vampiremochi · 7 years

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As I mentioned in my previous posts about this Laos trip, our interest in travelling to this country was sparked after viewing the Korean travel reality show Youth Over Flowers in Laos where the carefree, backpacking, tubing party culture of Vang Vieng was heavily featured. Prior to this, if I was to conjure just one picture to sum up Vang Vieng, then that would be the wild, tubing scene of Nam Song River. However, it seems that due to the alarming number of accidents that have happened due to the crazy tubing parties in Vang Vieng involving tourists (some even resulting to deaths), the government was forced to step in and shut down these parties. Hence, by the time of our visit, the crazy tubing scene was no more. You can still rent a tube from shops and float lazily along the river and make a few stops in riverside restaurants, but gone are the the out-of-control, alcohol binge fests of a few years back. This does not mean though that there is no more fun to be had in Vang Vieng. With the beautiful Nam Song river and lagoons and karst mountains surrounding the town, it’s still impossible not to fall in love with the picturesque charms of this Central Laos town.

The view from the balcony of our guesthouse.

We arrived at Vang Vieng late in the afternoon after a very long and somewhat horrendous 6-hour bus trip from Luang Prabang. It had been raining when we left Luang Prabang so there were landslides while our bus traversed the mountains heading down to Vang Vieng. We checked in at Vinutda Guesthouse located very near the river and just a few minutes walk from the backpacking center of the town. Location-wise, Vinutda is a great choice. Near enough the center, but far enough from the crazy noise and parties. Plus, the back of the guesthouse lead exactly to the river and offered amazing views of the majestic karst mountains. The rooms were pretty spacious and new too. However, the quality of their service was very poor. They hardly attended to their guests…that is if you actually manage to get hold of anyone to listen to your requests.

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Most of the outdoor activities for tourists in Vang Vieng would center around its mountains and rivers and other bodies of water, hence the popularity of tubing. However, since it was mostly raining during our stay, we opted out of tubing since the currents seemed quite strong to just go floating around the whole stretch of Nam Song in a rubber tube…plus the water was quite cold. We instead opted to sign up for a whole day tour which turned out to be a more practical and convenient choice instead of individually paying for the activities and sites that we wanted to see in Vang Vieng.

We were picked up by our tour guide at our guesthouse on our 3rd day in Vang Vieng at exactly 8am. From there, we proceeded to pick up the other tourists who would be taking part of the tour. Our tourmates were actually a pretty nice, fun bunch consisting of people from England, Belgium, France, South Korea, Thailand and us, from the Philippines. It was a great opportunity to meet other travelers, share travelling and backpacking stories and basically just connect with people from all different parts of the world.

With a fellow traveler from France

Our first activity was tubing inside a cave…which kinda freaked me out because it was really dark inside and although we were floating in tubes and holding on to ropes as we went inside the cave…there’s just this unnerving feeling of being in the dark and not being able to feel the ground that you’re walking on. But it was nonetheless and unforgettable experience. After that, we were treated to a very appetizing lunch of baguette, pork and vegetable skewers and fried rice. To and from the cave, we passed by rice paddies, slipping and sliding along muddy tracks, as we marveled over views of mountains.

Kayaking right beside cloud-covered karst mountains

Before the 3-hour kayaking ordeal adventure.

Our next activity was kayaking. Now, neither Anne for I had any experience in kayaking and since it was raining that day, the task seemed even more daunting that we had considered asking one of the guides to join us. But YOLO, right? So off we sat on the boat, grabbed them heavy paddles, and kayaked away to the vast expanse of the Nam Song River. Right off the bat, we realized that we indeed did not know anything about kayaking, hitting a spot of rocks within minutes of sailing off. But some, instinctively, we were able to maneuver that sticky part (and a few more others along the way…even bumping on bushes at times), until we were expertly rowing what turned out to be a 3-hour, 10-km (!) long river…under the pouring, heavy rains at that! Talk about travel accomplishments. In fact, we wre quite surprised that we didn’t tip over like the pair of Thai tourists on our group. Although we were wearing life vests, I imagine that it would’ve quite an ordeal to fall on the deep waters and have to tip over the boat again and climb back aboard.

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We stopped at a riverside restaurant at some point during the trip to get warm by a campfire and have some refreshments. By this time almost everyone in the group were very tired. After a few minutes, we boarded back to our kayaks and continued paddling for maybe less than 30 minutes until we reached the river banks nearest to the town which marked the end of our ride. Turns out this place was just behind our guesthouse. We walked back up the side of the road where we were later picked up another open van which took us to the Blue Lagoon.

The Blue Lagoon was about 15 minutes away from the town. On the way, we passed through such a pretty scenery of rice fields and more mountains, along with other tourists on their ATVs and mountain bikes also heading to this famed spot. The Blue Lagoon is probably one of the most famous spots in Vang Vieng, and was also featured heavily on Youth Over Flowers. It’s basically a small, fresh water lake. A huge tree hangs over one portion of the lake where tourists either jump from the branches (one probably 30 feet up high, and a lower one at about 15 feet high) or swing from ropes and tires like Tarzan before jumping on the waters. Needless to say, jumping from a height towards the waters is probably a rite of passage when visiting Vang Vieng. It probably took me a few minutes to muster up the courage to jump from the lower branch but I can say that yes, I did manage to jump from that famous tree in Blue Lagoon.

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Sadly, it was still raining during our visit so after a while, we took shelter on a small eatery to get warmed up over cups of tea and Ovaltine (which for some reason was totally fascinating for the British members of our group…apparently they have no Ovaltine over in the UK). Shortly after, the whole group collectively decided to go back to town, a few minutes earlier than scheduled, since everyone was so cold from the rain.

When we got back to the guesthouse, sore and cold, we immediately fell asleep. We had planned on going back to Sakura Bar and actually party, but those plans were immediately dashed the minute our heads hit the pillow.

Aside from Sakura Bar, one essential experience when in Vang Vieng is hanging out in those restaurants that screen the TV show Friends from morning till late at night. I think we caught bits of season 6 when we went there. It’s so easy to lose track of time when you go to these places, lying on the couches, complete with pillows, sipping on a beer or a shake or coffee (whichever you prefer) and watch the Ross and Rachel break up for the nth time.

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The next morning, we had leisurely breakfast (mine was pad thai) over one of the restaurants along the backpackers strip before purchasing bus tickets back to Vientiane. We got our tickets from a travel agency and their rates are quite reasonable…they even offer free pick up from your guesthouse. After a quick lunch, we were on our way back to Vientiane where we spent the evening relishing our last night in Laos over lychee shakes and a trip to the night market. We stayed at the Avalon Guesthouse and by the next morning, we were on a flight back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the last leg of our annual epic November Birthday holiday.

Vang Vieng, Laos As I mentioned in my previous posts about this Laos trip, our interest in travelling to this country was sparked after viewing the Korean travel reality show Youth Over Flowers in Laos where the carefree, backpacking, tubing party culture of Vang Vieng was heavily featured.

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soulcrazy2017-blog · 7 years

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MacBook Air latest rumours - release date, price, features, specifications

New Post has been published on https://soulcrazy.org/macbook-air-latest-rumours-release-date-price-features-specifications/

MacBook Air latest rumours - release date, price, features, specifications

When will Apple release a brand new MacBook Air in 2017? What tech price specs and new capabilities will the new MacBook Air get? Is the ‘Air’ emblem being killed off? Will the new MacBook Air get a Retina display at ultimate?

MacBook

Apple did technically replace the MacBook Air in 2016, but it became a minor and albeit disappointing update – merely together with what have been a non-compulsory RAM upgrade within the general package for the 13in version, and not touching the 11in version at all. Will 2017 see a right update to the MacBook Air lineup? Or will the MacBook Air be killed off for precise?

In this text, we spherical up all the rumours, guidelines and clues about the brand new MacBook Air launch for 2017, along with the brand new MacBook Air’s Uk launch date, tech specs, new functions, design, at the side of hypothesis that Apple can be phasing out the ‘Air’ lineup absolutely.

Read subsequent: Pleasant MacBook shopping for manual | SatisfactoryWireless Mac buying guide 2017 | Wi-first-rate cheap MacBook offers

Updated, 24 February 2017, with the possibly massive information that Wi-first-rate Purchase in the US has dropped its charge for the MacBook Air – does this imply a product update is in its manner? And previous to include rumors that Apple is manufacturing extra of its chips to be used in Mac laptops

While is the MacBook Air 2017 coming out? Lower back in March 2016, MacBook Air lovers had been eagerly looking forward to an replace to their favorite laptop at Apple’s unique occasion; in the end, the spring occasion represented three hundred and sixty-five days because it turned into final Up to date. But as an alternative, Apple used the occasion to show off the iPhone SE and the iPad Seasoned with nine.7in display screen.

We had to wait until 19 April for Apple to release new MacBooks and the Updated MacBook Air. But the MacBook Air update became underwhelming, to say the least. While the MacBook were given a power increase and a brand new Rose Gold shade alternative, the MacBook Air were given a brand new 8GB onboard memory well known, and that turned into for the 13in version only.

So While will we get a proper replace to the MacBook Air line-up? If the lineup isn’t always getting the chop, we anticipate that Apple will stick to its yearly upgrade cycle and must release the new MacBook Air sooner or later in early 2017, in all likelihood among March and may as has been the case in previous years. But it does seem probable that the MacBook Air line is being quietly wound down.