elisi's humble abode

In personal news, everyone is on the mend, more or less - I'm not sure if the virus is just less strong now, but it's nothing like when we first had it in the summer of 2021.

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ANYWAY. In more fun news, the costumes for Fifteen and Ruby Sunday have been revealed. :)

On TikTok here (with thanks to sea_thoughts!) or instagram here.

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And to get you in a Christmassy mood:

100 snow pictures from the Faroes (They had a LOT of snow.)

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Also been meaning to post about this, but time just vanished:

Mission Christmas

It's basically buying presents for children who would otherwise not get one. Tomorrow is the last day for dropping off a present, but you can also donate online.

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And randomly from the internet:

The US' 2,000-year-old mystery mounds

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Plus a petition:

We Demand Universal Free School Meals

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Finally a song by a singer I'd never come across before, and that I found by pure change when googling for something for my fic. Very atmospheric, and quite Eivør-like:

Fuel to Fire by Agnes Obel


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Oh and after... two weeks (?) of COLD (hovering between 0 and -3), tomorrow it will apparently be 15 degrees, which is just ridiculous. I'm not complaining (I will finally be able to stop watching the smart meter like a hawk), but it is a huge leap.

BBC: Census 1921 - 100-year-old secrets revealed
(Fascinating, and includes Dorothy Sayers!)

The Guardian: Russell T Davies: ‘I genuinely thought – who wants to watch a show about Aids?’
It’s a Sin has been voted the Guardian’s best TV show of the year. Russell T Davies reveals why it took him 30 years to write, who the real Colin is – and why he just can’t keep away from Doctor Who
(I watched ep 1, not sure I can cope with more.)

The Tip-Off From a Nazi That Saved My Grandparents
It has often been described as a “miracle” that most of Denmark’s Jews escaped the Holocaust. Now it seems that the country’s Nazi rulers deliberately sabotaged their own operation.

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ETA: Things are going swell here!

England is ‘global outlier’ on Covid and Boris Johnson is ‘politically paralysed’ says Drakeford

Covid-19: Military steps in to support NHS as staff absences jump 59% in a week

In related news, got my booster today and now my arm is in agony. Still, better than covid!!

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ETA: Sidney Poitier: Hollywood trailblazer dies aged 94

Rest in peace, Mr Poitier.

Also, you should all watch 'Lilies of the Field'.

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Daily Dimash: Shine!Super Brothers: Suzhou River

This was from Ep 6. The group decided to perform an anti-war song, from a movie called 'The Eight Hundred':



Behind the scenes video here. Not included - Dimash pulling an all-nighter to come up with a new arrangement for the song when it wasn't working. (Further background: He has a degree in Contemporary Music, a Master's in Composition and is currently doing a PhD... He's more than a pretty face and a lot of octaves! *g*.) Unfortunately he left the programme after this episode due to health reasons, he'd been suffering from rhinitis throughout, poor guy.)

Dimash Masterpost

I keep meaning to post and just... not.

BBC: Covid: Daily UK case numbers hit record of 183,037

I would say the number is higher, since Darcy tested positive on Monday and in all likelihood there are many more who did so and just haven't reported it. At least it's a good week for isolating, since all that happens between Christmas & New Year is sitting around & eating.

So far, omicron is as advertised - he's been feeling fairly grotty, but nowhere like what it was like in summer, more like a regular cold. I've got a tiny bit of a 'scratchy throat' and am a little sniffly, but that's all. So no need to send sympathies, mostly it's just annoying & inconvenient.

We have THREE (3) lateral flow tests left, which we are hoarding like gold dust.

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I had all these Christmas things that I meant to share, but haven't. Maybe tomorrow.

This has been a long week. (First whole week back in the office.)

So have a thread that almost made me cry as I walked home:

Sod it. Have a Friday history thread.

Let's talk about Simon. Ship's cat for HMS Amethyst. Survivor of the 1949 Yangtse Incident and the only cat ever to be awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. pic.twitter.com/jCNZjnjVJd

— John Bull (@garius) July 16, 2021

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ETA: PlagueIsland is trending...

The Independent: Boris Johnson pursuing Covid policy of mass infection that poses ‘danger to the world’, scientists warn

Most accurate tweet:

Ok so there are 50,000 shark attacks a day but we are still reopening on Monday because if not now, then when? pic.twitter.com/tL0UYiUwj9

— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) July 16, 2021

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Daily Dimash: Ocean Over Time

This is the theme song for Chinese video game called Moonlight Blade. It won Hollywood Music in Media Award in Los Angeles in 2017 in 'The best original song of video game' category.

It's basically like therapy. Also the game looks gorgeous and the lyrics are just beautiful.

Time
Is like a ship in the wind
Drifting far away by waves

Moonglow
Is like the shadows of a thousand sails on the water



(Will probably come back & add other videos, but as I said - exhausted.)


Dimash Masterpost

Covid: Infections rising, but vaccines saving lives
There were 27,125 new cases reported on 2 July - up from 15,810 a week before
^Basically - KEEP WEARING YOUR MASK, vaccinated or not. You don't want this, trust me.

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So, since I am Resting, I listened to the whole of Series 9 of John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme (direct link here). Only 6 episodes but incredibly well-crafted & interlinked &... *waves hands ineffectually* Everything. It's basically a family history, dipping in and out of different years and slowly creating a truly wonderful picture. (And I say this as someone who generally doesn't do well with radio stuff, I lose track of who's who. Thankfully - I have now discovered - people have created guides for this one, so I can go back & work out all the bits I didn't catch.)

I have A LOT of emotions about Uncle Newt.

I decided to delve in not just because I had the time, but also because of this from John Finnemore (which I added to yesterday's post):

'Now the more metaphysical answer. This series is rather different from the previous eight series. I'm very proud of it, and I'd love you to hear it. However, it turns out to be one of those shows where it takes a couple of episodes to get into it... but I think it's fair to say the people who do get into it REALLY get into it. Two days after the final episode aired, I was invited to a Zoom meeting where about a hundred people had got together to share theories, analysis, and poetry about it. That... didn't happen with any of the previous series. And not just because Zoom wasn't a thing then.' (x)

I can absolutely see why. Plus there is lovely lgbtq+ representation - going to show that it's not just for Pride month! *g* - but not just 'for show' but relevant to the plot. Also nightingale icon used with absolute delight. I can't begin to explain. (Woof, woof, woof <3)

ETA: Tagged with the Good Omens tag, so I an find this again.

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I've been trying to ignore the news whilst unwell, but I still heard how the planet is literally on fire. (Again, still.)

Canada Lytton: Heatwave record village overwhelmingly burned in wildfire

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Daily Dimash: Qaraǵym-aı

Since today's topic is... covid & family, a fitting (and touching) song.

This performance is from a TV memorial ceremony for the people who died of Covid-19. Dimash dedicated his performance to the great composer and Honored Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kenes Duisekeyev. Kenes Duisekeyev was Dimash's teacher/mentor in the master's program of the Kazakh National University of Arts.

Story of the song creation:
The words of this composition were written more than 25 years ago and they were dedicated to the daughter of Shomishbay Sariev, who was getting married. At the request of his friend Shomishbay Nagashbaevich, Kenes Duysekeyev wrote music to the words, which in turn reflected the composer's sadness about the never-come true wedding of his 19-year-old sister, who had passed away.

Here, obviously, the song is also used as a memorial for covid victims.



( Read more... )

Today's covid update is that it's basically turned into a full-blown head cold. This is not an improvement.

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ETA: It's a year since Mae Dean came out! I keep meaning to share her comic (it's been going since forever), so this seems an auspicious day:

https://reallifecomics.com/comic.php?comic=june-29-2020

Keep clicking Next...

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I believe there's a football thing happening. I'm still stuck on this:



I did a post w/links here: *Screaming*

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And then I had this stuck in my head for hours! :)

( Daily Dimash: Screaming )

Well guess who had a positive covid test! It comes with a lot of paperwork, yo...

( General nattering about covid )

Here, have something more fun. This is painfully accurate:

Them: "How does writing work?"

Writer: "Umm you type and then you delete. Do a couple hours of research and rewrite. You reread, wonder if anything you say makes any sense. Then you revise."

Them: "So that's how you write a book?"

Writer: "That's how you write a sentence."

— Michael J. Seidlinger (@mjseidlinger) June 21, 2021

And I have a feeling I've shared this before, but it still makes me laugh:

When I say fandom has never changed throughout history, only our access to each other and ready ability to feud in front of crowds of the community and other people. pic.twitter.com/oALgVFqc7B

— Deramin (@otdderamin) December 20, 2020

Daily Dimash: Samal Tau

Now this is one of those songs where I want to say: 'If you watch no other video, watch this one', and not just because it is one of my favourites, or because of Dimash, but for the history of the song. Dimash is very patriotic (not surprising, given the history of Kazakhstan, they only gained independence 30 years ago) and patriotic in this instance means 'proud of his country and deeply invested in the culture' and this is one of his favourite songs to perform. Here is the background (copied from elsewhere) some of which is also explained in the intro:

Samal Tau is an old historical folk Kazakh song and tells the story from the First World War. The name of the author is not known. Kazakhstan was at that time part of the Russian empire. The Russian Tsar issues a decree in 1916 the draft of Kazakhs aged 19–39 years for the army. Samal Tau is the song of these recruits. The place where they came from was called "Samal Tau" in the North Kazakhstan region.

The song contains the words: "We wander tired, very tired for 15 days, almost reached Omsk. Samal Tau, where I was born and raised, was left behind. Elderly parents stayed at home. How are they supposed to live without me?" The song also has information about the age of the author. He is a little over two mushels old. He was born in the year of the cow, which means in 1888, so he is 28 years old.

The instrument's name is Kobyz (Kazakh: қобыз, Qobyz) or kyl-kobyz and is an ancient Kazakh string instrument. It has two strings made of horsehair. The resonating cavity is usually covered with goat leather. According to legends, the kobyz and its music could banish evil spirits, sicknesses and death and imitate animal voices and bells of cattle herds of Kazakhstan steppe. (At the beginning of the performance: howling of wolf, dog's bark and crane cry)



( More performances under the cut )

House of plague confirmed (Darcy's PCR was positive).



Am not feeling great myself - just sort of all over achy, so I guess we'll see how it goes. If the daily posts stop because of actual covid I'll appreciate the irony for sure...

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Somehow getting a notification for this story feels very apropos, given the state of my head at the moment:

UFO report: Government can't explain 143 of 144 mysterious flying objects, blames limited data

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Daily Dimash: Thousands Of Miles A Common Dream

The song is based on the poetry of Zhang Jiuling of the Tang Dynasty. The poem was written to comfort friends who are about to travel a long journey.

( Longer video with context & subtitles under the cut )