tranquility and the sublime @forthosehills - Tumblr Blog

i think every publisher should have to institute a ban on books that fail what i’m calling the “little life” and “what else?” tests

louisegluckpdf

for reference.

elexecution

there are too many things happening this summer that i'm thinking we are going to need an extra 6-12 months of june and possibly another 3-4 months of july. probably no extra august as the problem should hopefully sort itself out by then. we are also looking into extending the day night cycle to 55 hours and extending the human lifespan to 10000 years.

fandomsmadness

Lost in Starlight's tech-based future

Lost In Starlight looked absolutely gorgeous, hands down, but one particular aspect I want to highlight specifically is the future it envisions.

The film is set in 2050, 25 years from now; one would assume this to be a future with advanced technology, rife with AI and all its related jazz. And yet, Lost In Starlight's vision is markedly different from the typical "futuristic" vibe we are used to, specially in Western films.

On the one hand we do have the hallmarks, the bright city lights, the sky dominated by holograms.

But the noise pollution seems to be the full extent of it. The city retains its modern day charm in the future. There's greenery everywhere.

Things are still stored in storage boxes.

There are small communities lingering around local shops.

And at home there's people cooking, not robots.

Technology is present and ackowledged (Jay openly makes fun of Nan-Young for connecting her bluetooth while there's vinyl) but it's mostly used in communication, or in an assistant capacity.

Technology is a supplement, not a takeover, and exists side by side with nature. This is a remarkably optimistic position to take.

In contrast, there have been a heap of Western movies that tell us otherwise. Suzanne Collins dissed AI in her latest Hunger Games installment, citing its role in the downfall of civilization. James Cameron's Avatar showed us having destroyed our own planet, attempting to inflict that same pain on another. Even the ever-loved Wall-E was set in a world where robots were the puppeteers and humans were the puppets. And multiple episodes of Love Death and Robots harp on about AI takeovers all the time.

I'm not saying this is a West vs. East thing (I don't have proper data to back it up) but the take is refreshing, and very much needed right now.

slipng

fashionlandscapeblog

Dreams (夢, Yume), 1990 - dir. Akira Kurosawa

fashionlandscapeblog

Dreams (夢, Yume), 1990 - dir. Akira Kurosawa

hawkaye

“We weren’t alone. It was the three of us. You said we were three joined rings. And when you take one away, the other two fall apart.”

thouartadeadthing

Moldova Monastery. Byzantine art of the 15th and 16th centuries

videoclubs

TEKKONKINKREET ‘鉄コン筋クリート’ dir. Michael Arias

pollen

Jenny George, from "The Artist"

spandexinspace

I need everyone to know that the ship Götheborg, the world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, answered a distress call the other day.

Imagine waiting for the coast guard or whatever to show up and instead a replica of 18th century merchant ship pulls up and tows you to the coast.

foxgirlofficial

pov: you’ve been transported to the 17th century

uvradical

#in the article it says that the sailboat sailors were concerned because they could not be towed quickly because of the kind of boat#so they asked Götheborg what type of ship they were and warned that they would not be able to go above a certain speed#and götheborg went ' we are also a sailboat. 50 meters length. no worries :) '#and the poor sailboat sailors were just like ' That's not possible. they have to be messing with us' and then the ship Rolled Up (via bunjywunjy)

ms-demeanor

I'm crying. Here's a photo of a sailor from the Götheborg watching over the little sailboat in tow:

From the story:

We repeatedly emphasized that we were aboard a small 8-meter sailboat, but the response was the same each time: "We are a 50-meter three-masted sailboat, and we offer our assistance in towing you to Paimpol." We were perplexed by the size difference between our two boats, as we feared being towed by a boat that was too large and at too fast a speed that could damage our boat. The arrival of the Götheborg on the scene was rapid and surprising, as we did not expect to see a merchant ship from the East India Company of the XVIII century. This moment was very strange, and we wondered if we were dreaming. Where were we? What time period was it? The Götheborg approached very close to us to throw the line and pass a large rope. The mooring went well, and our destinies were linked for very long hours, during which we shared the same radio frequency to communicate with each other. The crew of the Götheborg showed great professionalism and kindness towards us. They adapted their speed to the size of our boat and the weather conditions. We felt accompanied by very professional sailors. Every hour, the officer on duty of the Götheborg called us to ensure everything was going well.[...] This adventure, very real, was an incredible experience for us. We were extremely lucky to cross paths with the Götheborg by chance and especially to meet such a caring crew. Dear commander and crew of the Götheborg, your kindness, and generosity have shown that your ship is much more than just a boat. It embodies the noblest values of the sea, and we are honored to have had the chance to cross your path and benefit from your help.

"Our destinies were linked for very long hours" is just knocking me out.