text:
Best Song
Blaine – Teenage Dream
Rin says: This is easily my favourite performance of the season so far, and will probably stay as one of my most favourite performances on Glee, ever.
I feel like it's pretty obvious, and you all understand why. I kind of haven't stopped listening to it since the episode aired, even putting it on my ipad immediately so it was portable and I could take the song with me. Even if it was just to go into another room.
There's something so undeniably honest and pure about the way Darren delivered this, the way Blaine delivered it. It felt like he was literally bearing his soul whilst singing a Katy Perry song, and that is just not something that happens. It's not. But that's what an amazing vision can create, to have Blaine perform this song again and have it completely reworked for their current situation? It was honestly one of the more perfect things I've seen on tv. And I'm not even trying to be dramatic about it.
My approach to the relationships on Glee is pretty relaxed. I'm obviously excluding Faberry out of this, so in comparison, I've really never been that invested in any of them. Not that I don't care or enjoy any of them, I do, I very much do, but I can't say I'd be crushed if any of them didn't end up being endgame. I don't think it would change much of my watching experience.
Having said that, I feel like this episode, and particularly this performance, has shown me two ships that I might start to care about more than I ever thought I would. Which I'm really quite happy and excited about. Those two being Klaine and Brittana. I'll speak about Brittana later, because right now I'm still trying to process Teenage Dream.
This is the part of the episode where I started getting pretty emotional. For me this performance was like Blaine mourning the inevitable end of his relationship with Kurt. And it hits hard, because he's doing it with the song he sang when he first met Kurt. The layers that this performance gives, the stark contrast between then and now, wanting to go back, wanting to take back what he did, wanting life to be simpler, wanting to go back to being in love — there are so many things it represents, and so many levels on which it works. Which is why I think it's so emotional. Aside from the fact that the performance itself was incredibly emotional. Again, I have to give props to Darren Criss for how much of himself he put into this performance, and how much he revealed. Also if I'm not mistaken, it sounds like he did this version live? Which is just plain ridiculous. I loved how towards the end of the song he starts to lose control of it, and the tempo jumps around and his voice cracks. It made it all the more real for me.
I don't really know what else to say, or even think I've properly worded the reasons why I love this performance so much. Truth be told, I've been listening to the song whilst looking at the caps, and I've had a lot of trouble trying to keep my emotions in check.
The first time Blaine performed Teenage Dream, it was all for fun. It was all about being cheeky, carefree and celebrating your youth. This time around it just highlighted the fact that they've lost that. And that's probably the thing that makes me incredibly sad. Blaine fucked up, he fucked up big time, and in the way where he'll probably never be the same. He'll probably never forgive himself. It's needless to say that I'm strongly against cheating irl, and that there is no excuse for what Blaine did. But in tv world.. well, I can't bring myself to condemn Blaine to a life where he is defined by the stupidest decision he's ever made. I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes, what Blaine did was a scumbag move, but Blaine himself isn't a scumbag, as in there's room for him to make things right. Which is what this performance showed to me.
To be honest, I really hate that they made Blaine cheat. I really don't think it was necessary or even within the realm of his character — especially after what they recently went through with Kurt texting that ridiculous excuse for a human being. But mostly? I hate that this seems to be the only way that Glee knows how to break up couples. Actually, it seems to be the go to reason for most shows to break up any couple, and I'm kind of sick of it, you know? I feel like the way Klaine was going, it would have been more impactful and also just more realistic to have their relationship fail over the fact that they were growing apart. It just seems that much sadder when two people who obviously do love each other, but can't get it to work because it's just not the best situation — you know that's something that I would have loved to have seen with Klaine. But WHATEVER. It's happened, I've accepted it.
OH AND OFC MY PANTS WERE OFF. THE COLOURED LIGHTS. Tears. Pants around my ankles. What a mess.
I'm looking forward to how they move forward from here.
What a fucking Naomi.
Sophy says: HE WAS SCARED. HE'S ALWAYS SCARED.
As soon as "I was with someone," came out of Blaine's mouth I was sure that our Rophy Says No would be Blaine cheating. And we still are saying a thoughtful, sorrowful kind of No to it, but it seemed wrong to put it in the same category as our actual No. Which is the Huddled-in-a-corner-screaming-and-clawing-at-the-floorboards kind of No.
Let me just say this: cheating is douchey. I like Blaine. I sympathized greatly with him in the last episode. But it doesn't matter how insensitive or selfish Kurt was, it did not license Blaine to cheat on him. And cheating is douchey.
Having said that, in light of what I said about Rachel last week, I have to cut Blaine a little slack here. This situation has some pretty heavy parallels to the time Rachel cheated on Finn with Puck – Kurt and Finn both made their partners feel alone, the cheating was borne out of genuine suffering and confusion, not callous pleasure-seeking, Blaine is just a kid in high school like Rachel was, and both Rachel and Blaine owned up to their transgression and apologized, instead of continuing to lie. Those are all reasons I gave Rachel a pass. So I guess they're reasons I'll be able to love Blaine through his douchery.
But it still makes me unbearably sad that he had to go and be a douche in the first place. I don't expect these kids to be perfect. Blaine certainly isn't perfect. He's the lamest kid at McKinley bar none, he's kind of an attention whore, he can be bitchy when he's feeling low – and he has a tendency to feel low, he bottles things up and then pops the cork, he's needy, he's whiney, and can be a major drama queen. And, you know, I'm not even sure that cheating is completely out of character for a guy like that. I don't see why the fact that he showed he had a low threshold for what constitutes cheating in 'Dance With Somebody' means he'd never actually cheat himself. And he's an emotional mess, you know? He doesn't have the self-esteem to be his own best friend about things. I can see why Blaine would deal with rejection and loneliness by allowing some dick to emptily fawn all over him. But it felt kind of disrespectful to the character and to the relationship to have his hook-up with Eli C be so laughably sudden. I mean, really, show? He hops on facebook during a musical montage and bam, they've ruined Klaine, they don't want anyone to care? That's all the build up we need? I'm sure this wasn't the intention, but it kind of makes Blaine look easy. No need for him to have a Brody wearing him down for three episodes, right?
For one thing I am grateful: Blaine definitely recognized the seriousness of what he'd done, both in terms of how at fault he was, and the extent of the damage he'd done to his relationship with Kurt.
Yes, he tried to make excuses in the moment. And I thought it was gross and immature and idiotic. But we all do it, right? How many of us have the guts to own up to a wrong-doing and lay ourselves completely bare about it? I know I always have to go through the stage of 'But you said this,' and 'I didn't realize that,' and 'Maybe if x, y, z and an elephant,' before I get the point of saying, 'No, you know what, I fucked up, and it's nobody's fault but my own.' I've actually gotten a little better at getting to that place quicker over the years, but you guys I'm old! It takes time. And yes, the 'In the doghouse' card was probably a little on the cute side, but I really don't think a misguided charm offensive can outweigh the look on Blaine's face or the emotion in his voice while he was singing Teenage Dream at the club. He was manifestly devastated by his own actions and by the idea that he'd thrown away something so precious to him, that he'd betrayed someone he loved so much.
And you know, he did ultimately admit to Finn that there was no excuse for what he did. I just wish we got to see him explicitly admit that to Kurt too.
And here's where we arrive at the messier end of my 'No'. I hate that Blaine cheated because it means I have to feel sorry for Kurt.
Don't get me wrong, I love Kurt. And I love Chris Colfer's darling face – the way it went from loved-up to doubtful to agonized to emotionally depleted to resigned and aching and oh? I think he's amazing, and I really felt for the character through all this.
But what bothers me is that Blaine cheating means that Kurt is the victim in their break-up – and Blaine is the villain. End of story. And that's so damn reductive and boring. And like Rin, I don't understand why they had to go there. The break-up between Kurt and Blaine was already perfectly set up. It felt like we were teetering on the brink of it last week, to the point where it would have felt organic to me if Blaine had shown up without roses and without a bright, faked smile, without kisses, and without any confessions… to simply tell Kurt that he couldn't take it anymore, that he felt like he'd lost who he was, and that clinging onto someone who wasn't really there anymore was only making him feel more alone.
And it would be devastating because it would be so real – because it would be all about Kurt's carelessness and Blaine's neediness – it would be all about who they are and how they are with each other. Two people with so much love for one another who can't make it work.
Now it's just one person being a dickhead. And it has to be that way, because if, as of Blaine's transgression, Kurt is shown to reflect on his shortcomings as a boyfriend or confront the things he could have or should have done differently, there's a danger it will seem like he is taking responsibility for Blaine's actions. And the show really did seem to start as it means to go on, given that Kurt even got to deliver the smackdown to Blaine's excuses, saying that he'd been lonely too, and that he'd had temptations too, but he didn't go there because, well, he's better than Blaine?
And to that I say: bullshit. Maybe Kurt is superior to nearly every person on this show. Maybe he would never cheat, regardless of the circumstances. Who knows. We haven't seen him have any temptations while he's been in New York. And for him to say he's been lonely is laughable. He's been having the time of his life in the greatest city in the world, living with his best friend, working at vogue.com with a boss who adores him. It's been all onward and upward for him. The fact is that Kurt's experience of the long distance relationship doesn't remotely line up with Blaine's. But I can get why in the heat of the moment, and stung by Blaine's attempts to make excuses for something that really isn't excusable, Kurt would want to stretch the truth there. I don't have a problem with that.
My problem is that I'm pretty sure the smackdown will have to be the final word on the matter. And that means what could have been a really interesting opportunity for insight and character growth for Kurt is dashed.
And maybe Klaine is pretty much dashed too. Because without addressing the ways Kurt failed Blaine as well as the ways Blaine failed Kurt, the two of them are never going to get to a better place. I do believe a relationship can, in some cases, withstand cheating, or rather, can be rebuilt in the aftermath of cheating, but I'm not sure Glee have the consistency and dedication to write that story. I mean, I trusted Skins to do it, and they failed. I won't make that mistake with a show that is famous for simply snipping off its loose ends.
Having said that, this episode really threw into relief the stark contrast between who Kurt is and who Blaine is. Mostly because hey! We're already finding out who Blaine is. Kudos, show. I think it's really interesting that they're such opposites, and that for all Blaine has the 'alpha gay' tag, for all he fits in better with the boys… he's actually a heck of a lot girlier than Kurt on an emotional level. Kurt can cry with the best of them, sure, but he's always had a steeliness and a strength that Blaine really doesn't have. As he says at the end of the episode, he'll be okay. Because he's the kind of person who gets on with things. He's the kind of person who embraces tomorrow. Blaine is the kind of person who's always looking over his shoulder. Blaine is the kind of person who always feels like second best, except in that split second when someone's slapped on a ribbon on him that says 'First place'.
He has always been the most comically joyous person in Glee club, and yet over the seasons I'm starting to put together a profile of a boy who is profoundly, structurally… sad. Which actually makes a lot of sense. Sometimes when people are that happy it's to try to stop being so sad. When we met Blaine he seemed pretty together, his history with being bullied notwithstanding. But I think that's because at Dalton Blaine was the centre of attention at all times, and then Kurt put him up on a pedestal for all to see… That's how Blaine likes himself, I think – by being wanted. He's quick to feel rejected when Kurt's paying attention to other things – or other people, and he's quick to feel excluded and overshadowed – see the debacle with Finn and Sam, see his life-long struggle with his brother.
And now? Now he's just one kid amid many at a school that doesn't think he's particularly remarkable. Sure they elected him Class President, but who was he up against? The girl who wanted to ban not-School? That kind of shrugging approval was never going to fill the void for Blaine. Just like finding a friend in Sam wasn't going to fill the void. Because his void is just so big and voidy and never-to-be-filled.
The way I see it, Blaine is emerging as possibly the most screwed up person on this show since Quinn Fabray. If the writers actually follow through on that, the cheating might turn from a random plot-sausage into a wonderful characterization-casserole. Um. It might turn from a No into a Yes. We shall see.
And now to actually discuss the song? Yeah, like Rin I am somewhat obsessed with Darren's Teenage Dream. I've been listening to it pretty much exclusively since the episode aired. Really, I try to put on other songs, but they just seem like filler??? That's how beautiful I think this is. That's how tightly this has a hold of my heart. I'd say the last time I was this obsessed with a Glee track was way back in 308 with 'We Are Young,' and it's not like there haven't been some goodies since then.
On first watch this was already completely devastating, and made perfect sense. This despite the fact that I did not imagine even for a second that Blaine had cheated. Really, that business with Eli C was so throwaway that it didn't even cross my mind that that was what this was all about. I thought Blaine was cracking up because he'd come here not knowing whether he was going to get a fix of being close and try to live off that for another few months, or whether he'd really come here to tell Kurt it wasn't working and actually let go of something he'd been holding onto so hard for so long. That's how I felt watching this performance – as though Blaine was coming more and more emotionally unglued as he became more and more aware that however sweet this weekend might be, it was not going to solve their problems.
And his face. And his voice. Like Rin said the fact that it was live made it all the more visceral, and I was really glad Darren didn't fret about being as perfect as he is on the studio version, because this wasn't a time when Blaine would care about keeping time or hitting notes cleanly.
And you know, watching this again after knowing about the cheating? It was just devastating on a whole other level. Obviously the lyrics already had a certain bittersweetness to them, partly because of the carefree back to the start context in which Blaine had sung them previously, but also just in and of themselves – a teenage dream was something the two of them were living together in season 2. Now it's something they're looking back on. But in the context of the cheating it's even more specifically heartbreaking. Now you know why Blaine chokes so much over the words "Let you put your hands on me." Because they're not just an ode to the times he and Kurt "messed around," they're a self-flagellating reference to the time he let some other person do the same things.
And you know, what really hurts me the most about this is that Blaine has always been one for grand musical gestures. Nobody is as obnoxiously fond as he is of telling people things via song. Kurt needs to go to New York? Blaine will sing it. It's Valentine's Day. Blaine bursts in with a song. Blaine has a crush on a boy he barely knows? SERENADE HIM AT WORK. Santana just got outed? Maybe Blaine should sing?! Brittany's having a break down? Blaine sings y/y…?! Blaine's saying goodbye? Here's a song! Blaine's saying hello – HAVE A SONG! Seriously, he never stops.
And I feel like he was trying to do that here. To sing his feelings. To show off for his guy the way he always used to. And it's just not working. It's just never going to be the same again.
But yeah. Superb. One of Glee's greatest musical moments, hands down.
Rin says: I only have one more thing to add.
Sophy says: Shane understands my pain.
PS. Did it make anyone else laugh that Brody shows up at the bar and proceeds to sit behind Kurt all night. The guy has no friends?
Finchel, Klaine, Brittana & Wemma – The Scientist
Rin says: Like I said, I had started crying during Teenage Dream, and from then on it was like I was on the verge of tears for the rest of the episode. And then the flashbacks started.
I haven't cried this hard over tv for a while. I would compare it to when I watched the Angel episode, 'A Hole In The World' for the first time. The type of crying where it's actually uncontrolable, and there's yelling and you're really glad no one is around to see you because there is no reasonable explanation.
The flashbacks hit me like a tonne of fucking bricks. The emotions had been building throughout the episode, and then OH HEY? WAS ALL OF THAT NOT ENOUGH? OKAY THEN.. HERE! And I'm trying really hard to not just say, 'I died.' But. I died. I can't even really recall what happened because it's all a blur.. but lots of pausing, lots of yelling, lots of looking around and wondering if this was the way I was going to go.
That moment worked especially well. Just, the swell of the music.. and yeah. It really hit close to home.
AND WEMMA. I don't even really think they should have been included because they only had a fight ffs, BUT THEN THEY HAD THEIR FLASHBACK WHICH IS LIKE. THE FUCKING BEST OF GLEE. AND.
It felt like I was in the future or something, and watching a Glee tribute after the show is over and I would never get these lovely faces on my screen again. It felt like the way I sometimes watch 'making of' HP clips and weep over how it's really over. That's the kind of emotion I felt.
It was nostalgia city, and I never handle any sort of nostalgia well. I crumble.
So yeah. I really loved the ending. I thought it was a great way to sum up the episode.
Change can be so good?
Go fuck yourself.
Sophy says: This was just sort of cruel, really. CRUEL.
I mean just. Flashbacks are just mean??? Flashbacks are things you use when you're just trying to hurt people???
All of them really, really got to me, even the Finchel, though probably more for Rachel reasons than for Finn/Rachel reasons… and the Wemma because even though, as Rin says, they weren't anywhere near broken enough to really belong on this stage, that kiss represents everything that was perfect about Glee in those first 13 episodes, which makes it generalized nostalgia-city. And the Brittana was so perfectly chosen, too, because of how Brittany is giving Santana one of those smiles she counted, because of how they look thick as thieves, because of how they look so close in that 'We were special' way.
Probably the highlight, though, was the Klaine. That hit me like a fucking troll hammer. Just. I mean part of it was Lea Michele swerving up to that glorious high note, just as the two of them came running around the corner… but part of it is just how simple the moment was, how pure. Part of it was how awkwardly Blaine had hold of Kurt, how he has just grabbed hold of him without fear, without the slightest idea that this kind of pain will ever be waiting for them. In that moment he is leading Kurt into a brave new world. He's saving him from sorrow and leading him into love.
And I can't deal with how sad that is in the context of his actions in this episode.
By the way, did anyone notice that the flowers Blaine sent Kurt at the end were exactly the same as the ones Kurt gave Blaine back in season 2?
Rin says: The red and yellow Naomily flowers
Biggest LOL
"I just heard there's an elderly Japanese woman who fell down in the bathroom. She doesn't speak English, and she needs your help."
"I'll be right back."
Rin says: I thought the whole Left Behind meeting was a bit stupid among everything else that was going on.
BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. Because at least we got some comic relief from all of the 'my eyes are leaking ' feelings.
Dottie is easily the best new character this season. Everything about her.
And she actually works really well with Kitty. I definitely want more Kitty/Dottie. THEY COULD HAVE RIDICULOUS EPIC PLOT LINES WHERE THEY JUST SPEND THE ENTIRE TIME TRYING TO FOIL EACH OTHER, LIKE TOM/JERRY.
And Kitty dramatically pointed again. She heard us. Good girl. Keep listening to us. We will never lead you astray.
Just fucking stay away from the train wreck that is the ship that must not be named.
Sophy says: AHHHHHHH OH GOD. I totally disagree. I thought the Left Behind thing was genius in the context of the episode, for two reasons. First because it reminded us just how trivial and ridiculous things used to be on this show, second because it went straight to the heart of what was wrong with Blaine, Finn, and Brittany. It provided the comical set-up for the intensity that was "You left me behind and it hurt – that's exactly what it felt like."
I swear my heart was in my throat when Brittany pointed at Dottie. And I mean, Dottie was wheezing like the hilarious motherfucker that she is, and a second ago I had been so busy giggling to myself… but then suddenly it was all so appallingly sad.
And I totally agree. My feeling on Kitty is that I kind of like her, when she's being as ridiculous as possible. When she is not anywhere near those two no-names. Really, she has no chemistry with either of them. Which is understandable.
Meanwhile, I'm really hoping for a scene at some point in which Tina gets all up in Kitty's face and informs her that she has no right to treat her staff this way.
Rin says: I guess I was more in the mind frame of not caring about anything any more and wanting to trash everything in this room because GLEE YOU BASTARDS. Stop ruining everything. But I also love you for ruining everything (Rachel's not included) so.. idk. And there I go making it sound like Glee and us are in an abusive relationship, again.
Sophy says: We should start some kind of Battered Gleeks Hotline.
Best Scene
"You know I will always love you the most."
Rin says: Let me get my one main grievance out of the way first, and then we'll get to the gooey centre.
I'm not sure if you guys feel it, maybe not, but Santana doesn't completely feel like Santana to me. I chalk most of it up to the fact that she just hasn't been around in the previous episodes, and then suddenly she's BACK and having to carry out this really heavy scene. It was like a drive-by! I really wish there was more Santana before we got this episode, but maybe that's just more that I missed her than anything else.
It was really well done. I mean, really.
After the episode, someone anonymously sent me a friend-threat over Brittana, telling me that we better make Mine 'best everything' or else we can't be friends. They also said Brittana was just a 'poor mans' Faberry to us, but I hope that's not how you guys think we feel about Brittana. First off, Brittana are nothing like Faberry. It doesn't even occur to me to compare the two because they're so incredibly different. The thing with Brittana for me, is that they started off as such a throwaway thing. It was more of a fun background thing, you know? It was cute, but with where they started it was hard for them to get me to take them seriously. And then little by little they delved into them more, and it was like, okay.. I can totally see why they have such a strong following. I get it. But they're still not my otp.
I hope you guys know that just because I ship Faberry, as wholly and as fiercely as I do, that isn't the reason I'm not fierce about Brittana. I don't have some kind of lesbiship quota, is what I'm trying to say. I've always wanted Brittana to forge a strong path of their own, and honestly I think they're definitely heading in that direction of being a ship that has the potential to ruin lives.
Which are the best kind of ships.
Sophy says: THEY REALLY REALLY ARE. HERE'S HOPING BRITTANA LAY WASTE TO THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT.
Yeah. This was just… well… I'm still struggling with this to be honest. I cried. I mean I was already fucking crying by the time Blaine was singing Teenage Dream, but this was the other point where I really just couldn't handle things. And, you know, I've always liked Klaine and Brittana, but I never thought I would be this… at sea… over them.
For me it was less the performance, here, than the scene surrounding it. Naya did a beautiful job, as always, and I really did like the 'You are the best thing that has ever been mine' lyric, but other than that I felt the song was a little dull and meandering, and I couldn't stop thinking while watching how vastly superior Songbird was.
But the scene. The scene was superb, and Brittana got by far the best break up out of the three couples. I'm not saying this because Santana didn't cheat. Frankly, the fact that she is choosing to end things cleanly with Brittany is possibly even more painful to me than if she'd just made a mistake out of loneliness and frustration. But you know, it was a good kind of painful. It was a well-written kind of painful. And you guys, I nearly had to curl into a ball and wait for my life to be over when Santana said that she counted the number of times Brittany smiled at her and died on days that she didn't. SHE FLIPPING WOULD HAVE OH GOD MY HEART.
(Spoiler alert for A Spoonful Won't Do: that line is scarily close to something Quinn thinks about Rachel in like, chapter 38594.)
And you know, Santana harking back to that time in her life really brought home the role-reversal that's going on here. And when you think about it, that's kind of the same for all three couples. When they got together Rachel, Kurt and Santana were the ones who were wanting Finn, Blaine and Brittany so badly. And now it's pretty much the other way around. Kurt was too busy for Blaine and now he's so hurt it doesn't matter that he's "the cutest". Rachel is… I'm not even going to discuss Rachel here. But yeah. She doesn't need Finn anymore. And Santana… I used to feel so badly for Santana because I was convinced that Brittany didn't feel half as much for her as she felt for Brittany. But it's actually been pretty gradually and believably established over season three and into season four that Brittany needs Santana a lot more than she lets on. That she can love a lot more seriously than I might once have thought she was capable of. Santana used to be so afraid of losing Brittany. She used to be so consumed by the fact that she never quite had all of her to herself. And now that she does… she's letting go.
Honestly, Brittany kind of broke my heart in this scene. A lot. I've been feeling a lot closer to her emotionally this season, and I think part of that is down to her getting some screentime that isn't about comic relief, and part of it is down to a dramatic improvement in Heather's acting. I mean, back when Santana was emoting all over the place I remember feeling like Heather's woodenness was single-handedly preventing me from really shipping the two of them. But now? Look at the faces she's making, you guys. LOOK. AT. THE. FACES.
I think part of the reason I feel so heartbroken for Brittany, and for Blaine even though he's a douche, is that for them… their girlfriend/boyfriend is their best friend. With Blaine that's because he gave up all his friends at Dalton to pour his whole life into Kurt. With Brittany, though, it's because the two of them have been together since day one and who knows how long before that. It's because nobody has ever gotten Brittany the way Santana does. And sure, I can see that they're setting up Sam as someone who gets her too, just like they're setting Sam up as a friend for Blaine to turn to. But it'll never be the same. I have a feeling Brittany is never going to feel as special and as safe with anybody as she did with Santana. Now she has loved and lost.
And you guys, she has lost.
This breakup isn't any less painful or serious than Klaine's, just because Santana had the maturity not to go flirty fishing on facebook when she felt down. Brittany's not the sharpest knife in the drawer most days of the week, but she's not an emotional imbecile. She knows she's been cut loose. And she knows it means that nothing she had with Santana is quite as special and as safe as it used to be.
When Brittany, with all the matter-of-fact fervor in the world, says that she would never cheat on Santana, Santana says she knows, and is quick to say that she would never cheat on her either. But it's little comfort. If it was really that simple she wouldn't be concerned about winding up cheating on her in the first place. And beyond that… breaking up so you don't cheat is better than actually cheating, but only on a moral level. What I mean is, yes, it means Santana respects herself and her partner more than Blaine respects himself and his partner. More than Rachel respects herself and her partner, too. But it doesn't mean she loves her any more. It still translates to: a lot of someone else is greater than a little of you. And that fucking hurts.
So, Santana is not a douche. But I'd bet Brittany is in just as much pain as Kurt.
I do think this scene was really nicely done, but part of me wishes they'd just left the cheating concept out of it altogether. As with Klaine, it really wasn't necessary. During this episode you could see things ticking over in Santana's mind, and when Brittany finally snapped and told her she felt left behind… I thought that was going to be the catalyst. I don't know. I just think it would have been enough to have Santana tearfully tell Brittany that she hasn't been able to give her what she needs over the past couple of months and it's not going to get any better. And she can't bear to let her down like that, you know? Because I really do think that is at the core of why Santana chose to let her go.
I may have slight abandonment/guilt issues. But everything to do with the leaving behind going on in this episode really fucking devastates me.
And what the fuck was up with this:
"You know I will always love you the most."
Rin says: That was one of my favourite parts. This scene actually gave me flashbacks to that scene in Lost and Delirious when Tori is breaking up with Paulie.
Okay, fuck, I just went to look up the exact quote and it gave me so many feelings and I really have to rewatch that movie soon, because…
"I will never love anyone the way that I love you. Never. You know that, and I know that, and I will die knowing that, ok?"
Yeah, so those are the kind of feelings Santana gave me when she told Brittany she will always love her the most. It hurts. And I'm totally on board with wishing that the cheating thing was completely left out of the Klaine and Brittana break ups. It's jarring when Santana says they should just do the mature thing and break up because oh my god, she had an attraction (TO THAT GIRL? REALLY, SANTANA? HER??????) and she doesn't know if in the future she'll be able to keep it in her pants. It just seems like you're wanting to be mature about possibly being really immature in the future. With the whole 'cheating' thing involved it just seems more selfish than sacrificial, you know? But if they'd just taken that out, it would be all about Santana feeling like she just wasn't good enough for Brittany and the whole thing was being unfair to both of them. Which as Sophy says, was probably the main reasoning behind Santana's decision. The cheating thing was probably more to do with Glee wanting to be clever and trying to make everything connected.
I also have to strongly agree with Glee being way more successful in allowing us into Brittany's head in terms of her feelings towards Santana. They've always felt a little unbalanced in that respect, especially when they made Brittany kind of mute in parts of S3 when we really would have benefited from hearing from Britt. ie. 3×13 Heart, with the whole kissing debacle. I'm glad that they managed to pull all of it together in time for the big emotional punch in the gut, cause it worked really well. And both of their faces, but a special shout out to Hemo for really bringing it in this scene, like she'd never brought it before. I also think they're getting better at the whole making Brittany more serious thing, without losing the essence of who Brittany is — like when Santana finished her song and her response was, "Wow. Sad songs make me really sad, and I don't want to be sad." It was simple and direct and sweet, which works for Brittany.
And there's probably a whole bunch of you who might be angry at Glee for breaking up Brittana when you know that long-distance relationships can work and they're just adding in unnecessary drama to them. And whilst I totally believe that long-distance relationships can definitely work, even though I'm someone who couldn't handle it, I see this break-up as being a good thing for Brittana. And we're talking about TV, okay? Not real life. In TV, break-ups can be a good thing because it gives them a chance to explore these two characters as individuals, and also gives them an opportunity to fight for each other. All of the stuff that happened in the past with Bartie and when Santana used to be in the closet? ALL OF THAT STUFF WILL BE CHILDS PLAY IN COMPARISON TO WHAT BRITTANA COULD BE IN THE FUTURE. And I'm really excited about that.
Sophy says: HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAAHHA BARTIE.
And okay, you guys, if Britt is going to be paired up with Sam, I sincerely fucking hope there's a Brittana-related reasons for it. Because exes dating exes is just upsetting and weird. It's like, what if now that Rachel and Finn have broken up, she starts dating his other ex-girlfriend!!! How weird would that be!!!!!!! Poor Finn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Best 'Brittany is random' Moment
"I was up late last night, reading…"
Sophy says: Just the matter of fact way she delivered it. And the detail. Glorious.
Rin says: I didn't know you could read. /malfoy
The OG's (Original Gleeks)
Sophy says: HER OUTFIT. She looked like the saucy washer woman from a telenovela.
Rin says: I LOVE HER LITTLE BANDANA. It's the best.
Like how this one was the best too:
AHah, that was a bit mean. Was that a bit mean? IDC.
Sophy says: Too soon.
Sophy says: Oh Finn. The show really took a dump on you this week, didn't it? Turns out you weren't in the army/gallant/in danger/anything but this. You were just being a coward. And childish. And shot yourself in the leg.
At least this episode should satisfy those fans who complain that the writers treat Finn too kindly? Because. Wow.
To be honest, it was kind of boring seeing Finn. Maybe because Rachel's such a bore now. And Brody's a bore. And so the three of them are just kind of boring together. But I can't deny the sweetness of this callback to the hug between Will and Finn in season 1, when Finn found out Quinn was pregnant.
Rin says: I love Cory's face.
That's it. That's my comment.
Rophy Says No!
"Rachel Berry."
Sophy says: Next thing you know she'll be roasting a pig on a spit.
So. I'm at the point where I look at caps of "Rachel," and feel angry. It's a really horrible point to be at, you guys. I actually had to make a solemn vow to Rin after this episode aired that I still love Lea Michele and always will, no matter how much I bitch about her beautiful, wonderful, Lea Michele face.
If anything this episode has made everything worse – and I had thought that it might make things a little better. I didn't expect Rachel to just snap back to being Rachel or anything, but I did have high hopes that Oops-Finn's-at-the-door might be some kind of watershed moment for the character.
You know why? Because I naively thought she might feel bad about the whole Brody thing.
Because I naively thought there was still enough Rachel left in her for that.
She didn't, there wasn't.
Let me just say again for the record that I do think Rachel should feel bad. I do consider what she did to be cheating, but, you know, that's a definitional issue. I'm happy to not call it cheating, if you'd rather I just called it being a tacky asshole? Either way, yes, I think she should feel bad, yes, I'm disappointed that she didn't.
I'm not exactly sure what Glee was trying to achieve this week, but it seemed like they knew they painted both Rachel and Kurt as insensitive, selfish jerks in the last episode, and then decided they needed to counter-balance that in this episode… and they did a really, really shitty job of it. With respect to Kurt and Blaine they did a shitty job of it because they chose to counter-balance with a boulder. Thereby simply squashing instead of balancing. With respect to Rachel and Finn they did a shitty job because they counter-balanced with stuff that didn't make sense.
In previous episodes Rachel has bemoaned the fact that Finn hasn't contacted her on account of him trying to give her her freedom slash him being in the army. But when she and Finn are discussing her frenching session with Brody, she tells him – and us – that she's in fact been trying to make contact with him all this time and he's been ignoring her calls and texts – to the point where she didn't know where he was or even if he was okay!
And if Finn could think on his feet this would have been his response: 'Right! Good to know how much you cared.'
In fact, good to know how much Kurt cares. Good to know how much Will cares. Good to know how much Finn's own mother cares.
Am I really supposed to believe that Finn's mum, Finn's brother, his father-figure teacher, his step-father, and this girl who calls him the love of her life, all spent four months not being able to get in touch with him, not knowing where he was, not knowing if he was even okay… and just got on with their lives like they misplaced their favourite slippers?
Rachel was not, as Will puts it in this episode, "worried sick," about Finn. She wasn't worried about Finn at all. She was lonely. She felt out of place at her new school because her dance teacher was mean and she didn't have any friends. But never at any point did she seem afraid for Finn – or hurt by Finn for that matter.
So Rachel's justifications for making out with Brody just don't make sense on a narrative level. And even if they did, they wouldn't absolve her from leaving a voice mail on his phone to say she was moving on. This means that she comes across as disingenuous in raising them – especially since it's only when she's backed into a corner that she bothers to do so at all. She showed no relief at seeing Finn (because she wasn't actually worried). She showed no resentment either (because she hadn't actually been feeling any). Funny how all those feelings only came up when she was called out on her lie about Brody just being her friend.
And hey, if Rachel really believed kissing Brody was either a core component of the freedom Finn said he wanted her to have, or so trivial as to be irrelevant to their relationship, she wouldn't have been lying about it in the first place.
Rachel behaved like a douche and won't admit it. And you know, I could be okay with that. As I mentioned with respect to Blaine, we all try to unfairly justify our actions in the heat of the moment. It's human nature. But the problem is that Rachel's justifications are the show's justifications. As in the show wants us to pretend that she's making sense when she's not.
And this is my big problem with the Finchel break-up generally. Rachel is being false in order to move on from Finn without really moving on from Finn. The show is letting her be false because that is its goal too.
And that's why Finchel-haters are in a fool's paradise right now.
That final scene, in which the writers had not-Rachel throw a whole lot of woman-power around? It was completely shallow and contrived, and not worth any kind of victory dancing, you guys.
Glee sucked all of the fun and all of the pathos out of Rachel by reducing her to a feminist cliché, but they did not alter her overriding worship of Finn, nor did they even touch her commitment to the two of them as endgame. Maybe Rachel's a bossy, humourless "grown woman" these days, but she hasn't moved on from Finchel one bit. The only reason they are "done" is so that the writers can have fun shipping her around for a while.
For a while.
And that's why that whole final scene is the pits and it's a miracle that I was able to enjoy The Scientist the way I did.
Because, you guys! This wasn't Rachdependence! This was just ham-fisted fan-service. It felt like the writers had a look around fandom and saw all of us Rachel fans saying how we'd like her to grow up some and put herself and her ambition first, and they thought they'd play up to that in a really glib way. Basically it was a case of let's have Rachel say ~all the right things, at the expense of her actual personality, in order to further Rachel/Brody, without damaging Finchel.
If Rachel actually concentrates on her studies now instead of Brody's pants, and doesn't ultimately end up going back to Finn with bells on, I'll eat my hat.
In fact, I'll eat ALL THE HATS IN THE WORLD.
And "I don't need you to give me my freedom!" was probably the most embarrassing part of it. Because Rachel doesn't need Finn to give her her freedom? Really?
Funny how she TOTALLY DID NEED HIM TO GIVE HER HER FREEDOM.
Look, a lot of us would have liked Rachel to make the choice to go to New York and pursue her dream instead of staying in Lima and pursuing her relationship with Finn. A lot of us would have liked that to be her decision. But it wasn't. And that fact isn't going to be altered by Rachel throwing Finn's gesture back in his face like it was some kind of faintly misogynistic irrelevance to her. If Rachel doesn't need Finn's help to be free, it's only because Finn has successfully helped her to be free. Pretending otherwise doesn't make her look strong. It just makes her look deluded and kind of mean.
And I think it's the meanness that really gets me here. Finn has behaved like an idiot, no doubt about it. But he also went through something that, all tasteless lols aside, would have been pretty fucking traumatic and humiliating and tough for him to deal with on multiple levels. And then he showed up in New York and found that the girl who says all these fancy things to him all the time, like how he's the best one and she loves him and Finn/infinity and all that jazz… she was ready to move on to the next guy while he was licking his wounds. And so he runs away, back to where he feels safe, and he doesn't really feel like taking Rachel's calls, because from his perspective, why would he? He's hurt and embarrassed and hiding, and it's kind of pathetic but it's kind of understandable too. And all he gets for it is Rachel showing up to chew him out for being immature about things. And okay, yes, it's immature to just leave without talking to her. Yes, it's immature to not take her calls. But Rachel really didn't need to get on a plane about it. That was her choice! Except, well, no, it wasn't. It was the writers' choice. Because they couldn't just have her send an email like a normal person. They needed to contrive the fuck out of everything and throw Finn under the bus in the process in order to give Rachel a reason to "dump" him – and more importantly in order to get her back to McKinley and on that stage for the big old singalong.
I also hated that she said "I didn't do Brody – and don't you think that I would have rathered be with you!" because it really highlighted one of the core concepts in this episode, namely that long distance relationships are impossible to maintain. Glee would have us believe that Rachel, Blaine and Santana, are all people who can't keep it in their pants. All three of them are saying to the supposed loves of their lives that if they can't be physically close to them, they'll have to be physically close to someone else. It's a case of 'I love you, but I love having someone to snuggle more.'
Now I'm not saying that Rachel should have been faithful to the memory of Finn for the next three years or anything, but it really unsettles me that she's suddenly seeing love so practically. First because seeing love practically is not just not-Rachel… it's anti-Rachel. And second because it's just cold. For Rachel – for this new and improved Rachel – the love of your life is someone you trade for a warm body if you get lonely. And that's okay with her. It's totally okay with her to tearfully declare that what she wants more than anything is for Finn to be her last love… it's just that she doesn't want him right now.
I've been told I'm cynical about love – by someone I loved. But this shit is too unromantic, even for me. As far as I'm concerned, if you ever arrive at the point where you're telling the person you love that you want to see other people, that person has ceased to be the person you love. I know Ross and Rachel were everyone's OTP and all, and I know that they suffered from sitcomitis more than anything else, but as far as I'm concerned, if you go "on a break", it's either a way of cheating without admitting it or breaking up without admitting it – or it's just general passive aggressive fuckery. All I'm saying is, if anyone ever tried to put me on ice? They'd be dumped, in the permanent way.
Because it's cold. And Rachel Berry is not cold. She's not practical, either. She's not sensible. Not about much and certainly not about love.
But "Rachel Berry" certainly is. I mean, my eyes were like dinner plates when she sang a love song with Brody as though absolutely nothing had passed between them, or as though what had passed between them didn't matter a jot. She gazed easily and unnecessarily into his eyes as she sang, and pranced merrily back to Finn afterwards… she wasn't even the slightest bit awkward about it. I'd like to say that goes to how she truly felt she hadn't done anything wrong, but the fact that she was lying about it kind of rains on that parade, and that meant I was left thinking how this girl is a damn fine actress, and someone with a peculiar degree of control over her emotions. And, yeah. Again. That's not just not-Rachel. That's anti-Rachel.
And while we're at it, she's not obnoxiously mature either, okay? Christ, in this scene she came off like she was Finn's haughty Aunt from out of town, who'd just flown into time to teach him how to treat ladies right and, you know, ~be a man.
I think I mentioned something about Skins 6 in the last recap. Well I felt it even more in this episode: that the achingly insecure, fiercely ambitious, unerringly warm little crackpot some of us loved has been sacrificed to make way for something more palatable to people who found her "annoying" or "pathetic" or "over the top". I feel like they're pandering to people who never liked Rachel anyway – and screw all of us for whom she was basically the point of Glee.
And so that's why it's worse this week. Because far from bringing Rachel back, Finn's presence was used as a means for Rachel to reaffirm her non-Rachel-ness once and for all. I finished the episode with this sinking feeling that it was over. That she was really gone and she was really not coming back.
And then I ventured online and knew that all hope was lost. There are simply too many people cheering this new Rachel. There are too many people seeing character growth where I see character annihilation. If there are people like me out there pleading for the real Rachel Berry to come back, I have a feeling we won't be heard. I have a feeling there'll come a day when I'll have to stop saying 'No' to this character, and start, well, ignoring her.
Rin says: Sometimes I feel like the footnotes section of a thesis.
But seriously? Rachel Berry is gone.
I have a lot of issues with Rachel this season, and I don't even know where to start because there are so many. Which really sucks.
I will always remember the way Sophy first sold Glee to me, when the first promo appeared. She pretty much said, 'and the main girl is a little Idina Menzel'… and that was all it took. I watched the promo and was like, 'yes.' And then when the pilot got released it was instantaneous. I was in love with Rachel Berry. There are VERY few characters where it was as immediate as that, one episode and poof. I knew we would have a long and happy life together. Even with Quinn it took 2.5 seasons to properly fall in love with her. But Glee has always been about Rachel for me, in every way. Rachel was the girl who really would have liked friends, but at the same time it wasn't something she was willing to sacrifice her personality for. She was just built that way, and she wasn't going to change for anybody. And what happened over the years is that people came to accept Rachel for all her quirks, and respected her for her talents.
NONE MORESO THAN QUINN. She was that funny little kid who was strange, but she was proud of who she is. She loved who she is.
Come season 4, and all we've ever heard of is how much Rachel is embarrassed of who she used to be.
Glee is telling us that who Rachel used to be is something no one should ever want to be. Rachel hasn't shown a single 'quirk' the entire time she's been in New York (LIKE, WAS BEING A VEGAN TOO MUCH FOR NEW RACHEL?). She's been so ridiculously normal and plain, as if she was the 'girlfriend' in a romcom — except the girlfriend who gets cast aside because she's just so boring and bleugh. The single best thing about Rachel is that she never apologised for who she was. And now all they ever seem to be doing is apologising for who she was, and trying to feed us a Rachel who is less 'annoying'.
And I hate it so fucking much. I really do.
It's gotten to the point where I literally see no remnants of the Rachel Berry I love. THE ONLY time I saw Rachel was when she was watching Blaine perform. Even with the ridiculous amount of makeup they now have her wearing (can they please stop?), I can still recognise Rachel faces. I can almost pinpoint where I've seen those expressions before. And I'm not trying to say that acting is all about replicating past expressions or whatever, but it has been really bizarre this season feeling like I don't recognise this character. I keep just seeing New Rachel, played by Lea Michele. I guess the closest thing I can compare it to was what they did with Skins 6, as Sophy so accurately pointed out. It's so strange to me to be watching the same show, the same character, and yet almost hate everything about her.
And this isn't just because I disagree with what her character is doing. Remember how furious we got over Rachel and the stupid Finn wedding thing? Even through all of that bullshit, I never once felt like, 'Whoa, wait a minute. Who is this girl?' It was still Rachel Berry, just Rachel Berry doing stupid things. I honestly have never felt such a severe case of OOC in my tv watching life, and that's saying something.
One of the things that stood out for me was Rachel's complete lack of remorse for what she had done with Brody in regards to Finn. I think the main argument people are using is that Rachel and Finn weren't even together, so it's not even considered cheating.
Well actually. In the first episode when Rachel is looking at pictures of Finn on her phone and Brody asks, 'Is that your boyfriend?' her reply is 'Yeah, this is Finn.'
The fact of the matter is, that Rachel still believes Finn to be her boyfriend, and that is what counts. But after kissing Brody it's suddenly, 'oh nooooo you were gone how was I supposed to do anything other than fall on Brody's lips in this completely planned romantic indoors picnic.' And I get that her painting over Finn's name was supposed to signify that Rachel was ready to move on, but SORRY. DID I MISS SOMETHING? HAS THAT BECOME THE NEW UNIVERSAL SIGNAL FOR 'I'M MOVING ON, BYE!' Like if I wanted to break up with somebody should I just paint over their name, and they'll ~know? NO. Obviously Rachel didn't tell Finn about the moving on part, otherwise he wouldn't have just shown up at her door looking like the happy lost puppy that he did. And if Rachel still felt like Finn was her boyfriend up until then, she would at least have let him known. SHE CAN'T JUST SAY, 'BUT I PAINTED OVER YOUR NAME FINN. I. PAINTED. OVER. YOUR. NAME.' Odds are, Finn still wouldn't understand.
It annoys me that this Rachel has no respect for Finn, or what they had. Our Rachel Berry is a whole lot fucking more sensitive and caring than what this Rachel did. Because it's really not about what we think in regards to whether Finn is the right guy for Rachel, it's not. It's about the fact that NOT TOO LONG AGO Rachel was ready to MARRY Finn. Rachel loves Finn, truly loves him. That's something I completely believe to be true of her character, despite me thinking Finn is entirely the wrong person for her. So the fact that Rachel can so easily turn around and pretend she didn't just piss on Finn and everything they had in a moment, for this fucktard of a guy who spends every waking moment moisturising his stupid face? Then yeah, it fucking annoys me. I am completely in the boat that Rachel DID do something wrong. And it cuts me up inside that Rachel, AND GLEE, are saying she has nothing to be sorry for.
Which brings me to my next point.
The fact that Rachel being a dick, is just her being really ~independent.
It kills me that people are happy with Rachel now. That we finally got what we wanted, Rachel being single and free. If this is the way that Glee is going to go about it? I really don't want it. If it means losing everything that we held near and dear to our hearts about Rachel? No, it's not worth it.
Maybe I just have really different ideals about what it means to be a strong independent woman?
To me there is a difference between being independent and getting what you want, and being just plain cruel and trying to write it off as being mature. In my books, I don't really give a fuck if you're trying to be independent or not. Being a good person comes first. Which usually means you're actually being way more mature anyway. I just hate the idea that in order to be considered strong and independent, you also have to act like a bit of a douche. They just shouldn't have to go hand in hand — you always have the choice to take the high road.
I felt like Rachel was a dick in the way she treated Finn. I think the way they handled where Finn has been was really weak, and a cop-out in order for Rachel to get on her high horse and have an excuse to give us 'BAD ASS RACHEL'.
Just everything feels like a really convoluted way to try and give us this really thin version of fake-feminist independence. It's fakedepence to me. OH LOOK AT RACHEL! SHE DON'T NEED NO MAANNNNN!!!
I'm not saying Rachel had to coddle Finn or anything. But she should at least be treating him like he was actually, you know, the love of her life? I'D EXPECT THE SAME IF SHE WAS WITH QUINN, so don't even try that heterocentric shit on me.
I have real troubles with how often the word 'sexy' is getting used too. LIKE IT STARTED WITH FINN, AND I HATED IT THEN. I HATED IT WHEN BRODY USED IT. I HATED IT WHEN RACHEL USED IT. Like, right, all Rachel Berry has ever wanted to feel is sexy. IT'S ALL ANY GIRL HAS EVER WANTED TO FEEL. Right. Just, that word should not have been used so many times as it has been, in regards to Rachel. I understand the sentiment behind it, I do, but it's been freaking nailed into our skulls as if it's the most important thing. When it's not. It's like they're saying, RACHEL HAS FINALLY MADE IT! She's in NY! The hottest boy in school finds her sexy. Look at how much Rachel is winning at life!
Also I feel like, "No matter how rich or famous or successful I become," really missed the mark. Yes, Rachel has always had a lot of confidence in herself as a performer, and rightly so. It's actually one of my favourite things about her, the ridiculous things she used to say. But this just came off as extremely condescending and obnoxious in context. She's basically saying, LOOK FINN, I'm going to be huge one day. HUGE! But you'll probably still be left behind and achieve nothing in life and live in a quaint little house, and we can be quaint together, as soon as I'm finished with my big Broadway show!! It'll be so cute!
And I'm sorry but, it's laughable that Rachel thinks she is a grown woman. You've been out of highschool for less than a year. You're in university. You haven't worked a single day in your life. How do you pay for your apartment? The flight back to Lima? The car you used to drive all around town to try and find Finn? When have you ever had any real responsibility?
p.s. I do not consider myself a grown woman. Not even close.
OH ALSO. I'm just letting you know now, in anticipation of future Faberry. If Quinn swoops in and is all approving of this New Rachel? I will fucking go ape-shit.
Sophy says: Long footnote. Long and painfully accurate.
And if Quinn approves of the new Rachel they'll just be ruining Quinn too. And ruining Faberry.
Ugh. Too late. Now I'm going to have nightmares about the two of them wearing short shorts and discussing Brody's penis size over cosmos.
I want to die.
Congratulations! We didn't hate you?
"I don't know what there is to be on the fence about, Dottie."
Sophy says: TOM/JERRY FOREVER.
Rin says: It's happening.
Head In Hands
"Come on, give me a hug before I go."
Sophy says: You know how I said it was boring seeing Finn? This was the one exception. I love the chemistry between Cory and Chris, and you know, at this point in the episode I was feeling pretty much like Kurt was, as in, kind of wanting to die, and when Finn said to give him a hug before he went? IT WAS THE MOST COMFORTING AND ALSO THE MOST DEVASTATING THING EVER.
More of these two would be nice.
Rin says: OH MY GOD. This was so sweet and completely what the category was made for.
I'm so happy they haven't dropped the ball with Finn/Kurt, and they managed to work it in really well. It wasn't much, but it was enough, you know? AND LOOK AT HOW SMALL KURT IS WHEN FINN'S HUGGING HIM. Christ. Adorable. And Chris Colfer looked amazing in that scene. Something about his hair…. IDK. IF THINGS WERE DIFFERENT CHRIS. IF THEY. WERE. DIFFERENT.
I also thought it was super cute when Finn called Kurt 'little brother' earlier in the episode. Especially because they're probably around the same age….and Kurt is actually really little.. and. Aw.
Sophy says: CHRIS HAS GOTTEN SO HANDSOME. I've been saying this every week since Glee returned, but it was never more apparent than in this episode.
Most Rophy
"Six months ago, did you ever think that things would be like this?"
Rin says: WE HAVE TO GO BACK, KATE! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!
Sophy says: I MISS HIGH SCHOOL TOO, FINN. AND YOU KNOW, THE ISLAND. BUT THEN I ALSO MISS THE FIERY PITS OF HELL WHENEVER BROCHEL IS ON SCREEN. SO.
Quinn Glory Shot
Rin says: Thoughtful! Our Rachel wouldn't be able to have all of that ice and whipped cream anyway.
Sophy says: She's so embarrassing.


text:
By Joseph Dalton
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Show me a concert program with a list of arias and duets excerpted from sundry operas and I'll gladly stay home for the night. Usually such events – "Sing Off" is term I just learned for them – are excuses to showcase lots of singers with varying levels of skill and a common penchant for over acting.
But the phenomenon that is Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the music director designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, drew me back to SPAC on Thursday night. This despite the title "Italian Opera Night" and a list of 15 selections from 10 different operas.
The singers were still relatively young, but there were only two – soprano Angela Meade and tenor Bryan Hymel – and each was stunning. The pieces were mostly familiar but not over long nor over done. The pacing was excellent and included two overtures and two intermezzos. Early on, my companion for the night confessed to not being an opera fan but by the end she seemed barely able to contain her emotions. What a world now awaits her! As for me, my admiration for Nézet-Séguin only increases.
Too many highlights flew by name them all here, but Meade was amazing with "Violetta's Waltz" from "La Traviata." One just wanted to gasp for air after she finished that big-breathed coloratura prelude. She was also lovely in the more gentle and sustained "Pace, pace, mio dio!" from "La Forze del Destino," accompanied by those endless harp arpeggios.
When Hymel started off the program with a selection from "Lucia," the amplification – hardly needed inside the amphitheater – was ratcheted up and his voice was made piercing. Thankfully, the audio mix settled into place soon enough. Hymel showed a charming, flirtatious style in "Che gelida manina," from "La Boheme," and he earned cheers at the end of the night for a triumphant "Nessun dorma."
The orchestra once again played with a new and fresh quality, especially in the supple intermezzo from "Manon" and the more charged passages from "Cavalleria rusticana."
Nézet-Séguin's plans for the Philly obviously include opera, a genre to which he's well suited. During that first long scene from "Lucia," it wasn't hard to see how his dancing figure and buoyant energy could fill a giant opera house. But there's little need for scenery and lights when he's creating whole worlds just through sound.
Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer in Troy and can be reached at email@example.com.
"Italian Opera Night"
Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Where: Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Duration: Two hours with one intermission

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In an interview with IEEE Spectrum, Parviz provided insights into Project Glass, the reasons behind having such a gadget and what's there for the project in near future. Parviz revealed that there were two reasons behind Project Glass – one being the need for "a device that would see the world through your eyes and allow you to share that view with other people" and the second being "to have a technology that would allow people to access information very, very quickly."
When asked on the Project Glass and augmented reality, Parviz said that augmented reality wasn't the 'immediate' goal of Project Glass but, he didn't rule out the possibility. "…I think in the future that augmented reality will also come into the picture."
Google's advert about Project Glass showcases use of quite a few apps and Parviz, when asked about them, stated that they are trying out new ideas and ways in which the platform can be used while also trying to make the platform more robust. There is no specific feature set that Google has been talking about and "It is still in flux."
Advertising and Google almost go hand in hand and one wouldn't be wrong to assume that the search engine giant would want to earn more ad dollars from this gadget as well. But, contrary to this, Parviz revealed that there were no plans for advertising on Google Glass.
If things go as per Google's plans, developers may expect these gadgets delivered to them early this year.


text:
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RUFC - Robins pre Brentford
Rotherham United Manager, Mark Robins, is ready for tomorrow's challenge with top of the table, Brentford.
'They're on a fantastic run,' Robins told The Star, 'infact, you could say they are buzzing! But we are really looking forward to this game. Since the turn of the year, Brentford have done well and, for us, it represents the ultimate test. We've fared better against the top teams than people have given us credit for - there might not have been too many wins but there haven't been too many defeats. I can't stress how well the players have really done or the mentality that's been required.'


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Pacific Sands Beach Resort is located close to Long Beach on Cox Bay, just 7 kms south of Tofino on the spectacular west coast of Vancouver Island, BC. With easy, scenic access by land, sea and air, the following outlines transportation options to fit your time and budget.
Please call us at 1.800.565.2322 for assistance or questions on transportation.
Driving Directions from Nanaimo, Victoria & Sidney, Comox/Courtenay including maps and webcams.
One of the most popular and cost effective ways of travelling to Vancouver Island and Tofino is by Ferry from either Vancouver or Washington State.
- Directions by Air
For information about scheduled and chartered flights to Tofino from Vancouver & Seattle, please contact the following airlines:
Atleo Air | Canadian Air Charters | Orca Airways | Tofino Air | KD Air
Complimentary shuttle service from Tofino Airport and Tofino Harbour to the Pacific Sands Beach Resort is available. Please contact guest services to book a pick-up.
- GPS Co-ordinates
Latitude 49.1025
Longitude -125.873


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Product Features
*Available for US Shipment Only.
Fast and furious summer fun for the whole family is never a gamble with the Liquid Force Let It Ride 80 Towable Tube! This speedy and stylish towable has space for 3 riders to enjoy good times on the water and a cool, Vegas-inspired design on the tough nylon cover. Combine that cover with the durable PVC bladder and heavy duty Boston Valve and you have a crowd-pleasing inflatable that will be delighting your friends and family for many summers to come. Bet it all on the Let It Ride this summer. For a day on the water your family will never forget, it is a sure thing!
All Gear by: Liquid Force


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Tennessee Wesleyan College eligibility
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Learn about Tennessee Wesleyan College eligibility, and registering for elective discussion sections and seminars. Which college degrees give you the best chances of entering a successful career path after graduation? Concentrating on Tennessee Wesleyan College eligibility, for example, may give you additional focus in the admissions selection process. Check with the admissions office for assistance with prerequisites, course registration deadlines, and college degree program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Tennessee Wesleyan College.
Early decision is a legally binding commitment, meaning students must withdraw their applications to all other schools if accepted. There are penalties for withdrawing, so Early Decision is only for students who are certain about wanting to attend a specific school. Admitting early decision applicants benefits schools because there is a high probability that the admitted applicants will attend.
In addition, early decision helps the college admissions offices distribute the job of sifting applications throughout more of the school year. Thus, applying via Early Decision carries a greater chance of receiving an acceptance letter, almost 15% higher than regular decision applicants. One drawback is that early decision is essentially applying blind, as regards the amount of financial aid that you might receive. Beyond major requirements within the admissions department, you may consider Rockland Community College part-time classes for complementary electives to your primary course of study.
Student Services
San Francisco State University
Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university in one of the behavioral sciences, public or business administration or a job-related field.
3 days ago Program Coordinator I
Rutgers University
Works closely with the Office of Graduate Admissions to track MQF applicants. Staff and Executive - Project/Program Management/Planning.
4 days ago Admissions Staff
Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Prefer prior admissions experience at a private for profit college or technical school. Bigelow, Campus Director of Admissions.
1 day ago International Student Advisor
Green River Community College
Experience in transfer or admissions advising. Green River College is a tobacco free campus. Resume At this time, Green River College is not sponsoring for H1-B..
4 days ago Admission Advisor
ASA College - Hialeah
1-2 years college admissions recruitment experience. Campus Admissions Head. Accurately forecast projected new students on a periodic basis.
5 days ago


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This publication summarises the unique experience of the community listeners' clubs set up in Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo by FAO-Dimitra and its partners. 58 pp.
URL http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/am604e/am604e00.htm
Participatory Information and Communication
Gender and Climate Change Programme
Gender and Land Rights Database
FAO Gender ProgrammeFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations电子邮件:email@example.com
与我们联系 | 条款和条件 | 欺诈邮件


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Open year round. Choose between a beautiful chalet, a magical yurt, a treetop or tranquility dome, cozy lodge room, or a campsite. Cabot Shores is the perfect base camp to explore Cape Breton and the Cabot Trial. But first, explore our great packages.
Morning Yoga with Barbara at Cabot Shores
At Cabot Shores, the Healing Arts are interspersed into many of the activities available to our guests. Morning Yoga is one of these. Our experience is that when we begin our day with even a short set of contemplative movement, we are more available to the other activities we engage in throughout the day – be they outdoor or cultural adventures,or simply interacting with loved ones or new friends. Morning Yoga, offered every day before breakfast, consists of easy to learn movements designed to wake up our body and our senses. Anyone can participate in Morning Yoga. Using principles of Qi Gong, Yoga and mindfulness meditation, Morning Yoga has a gentle yet has a profound effect on setting a positive tone for the day.
very nice post and information. thank you


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|Rediff India Abroad Home | All the sections
Formula One statistics for Monaco Grand Prix
May 22, 2008 12:35 IST
Some Formula One statistics ahead of Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix:
Felipe Massa's [Images] win in Turkey was Ferrari's [Images] fourth in a row this season and the Brazilian's third in succession at the Istanbul track.
The Italian team have now won 205 races (from 763 starts), McLaren 157 and Williams 113.
The last time Ferrari won five races in succession was in 2004 with Germany's [Images] Michael Schumacher [Images] and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello.
Schumacher was also the last driver before Massa to win the same Grand Prix three times or more in succession.
Renault's Fernando Alonso [Images] needs one more point to become only the sixth driver to score 500 points in Formula One whereas Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen [Images] (currently on 491) needs to win in Monaco.
Schumacher holds the record of 1,369.
Raikkonen has finished his last 12 races in the points, making him the most consistent driver on the starting grid.
His predecessor Schumacher holds the record of 24 successive races in the points from 2001 to 2003.
BMW [Images] Sauber's Robert Kubica, Renault's Fernando Alonso, Toyota's Jarno Trulli and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella are the only drivers to have outqualified their team mates in every race so far.
Massa has outqualified Raikkonen 4-1 yet still trails the Finn by seven points.
Ferrari and McLaren have between them won every race since Renault's Alonso triumphed at the Japanese Grand Prix of October 2006, a run of 23 in a row.
Ferrari have not triumphed in Monaco since Michael Schumacher in 2001. The team have won more recently than that at every other race on the current calendar.
McLaren have by far the best record of any team in the principality over the last 20 years. They have won 11 times to Ferrari's three.
Alonso can become the first driver since the late Brazilian Ayrton Senna to win three years in a row in Monaco.
Monaco is the shortest Grand Prix circuit on the calendar at 3.340km and shortest overall distance of 260.520km.
Honda's Rubens Barrichello set a record for most race starts (257) in Turkey. The Brazilian has still not scored a point since 2006.
Italy's [Images] Giancarlo Fisichella, a race winner with Jordan and Renault and now with Force India, chalks up 200 starts on Sunday.
That places him ninth in the all-time list, one ahead of Frenchman Alain Prost and one behind France's [Images] Jean Alesi.
Williams founder Frank Williams will be marking his 600th Grand Prix as a Formula One entrant this weekend. Frank Williams Racing made its debut with Briton Piers Courage driving a Brabham BT26A at the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix.
Formula One: The Complete Coverage


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Europe › France › Bordeaux › Bordeaux Hotels
Une Chambre en Ville
Average rate: $136 - Hotel class: 3 stars
35 Rue Bouffard, Bordeaux, France
Check Bordeaux Hotel Deals
Une Chambre en Ville Bordeaux Reviews
1733 reviews
The best location ever Oct 06, 2015
It was quite difficult to get a room in Bordeaux but I managed to get an apartment in the middle of town only 200 meters from the magnificent Town Hall and Bordeaux Cathedral. The moment I had booked I received a mail stating that there was a limited opening hours from the rental office but meantime they gave me an access code to the door of the apartment and where to find the keys.
I arrived just after lunch when the office was closed and following the description I had no problem getting into the apartment. Inside I found the cleaning team still preparing the apartment for me. The pair cleaning were really nice and friendly and they left after 5 minutes. They were quite surprised to find me arriving alone as there were four beds.
The apartment was nice and spacious with a small kitchen, bathroom and a separate toilet. There was a room with a double bed and another with two separate beds. The apartment had a small balcony overlooking the narrow but also very cozy street.
The apartment was located on the first floor and there was a very steep and twisted staircase leading up the first floor. It would difficult to get a heavy suitcase up the steps. Another thing that I found quite amusing was that it was located above a drum shop which I only noticed twice during my stay. The host had left earplugs next to each bed but I didn't find any reason to use them.
The best part of this place was the location which was out of this world if you like to be in the city centre. Getting there from the airport was also very easy as there is a bus from the airport to the city Center that stops only 300 meter from the apartment.
Part of the Short stays in France 2015 travel blog
Part of the list Hotels that I for one or another reason stumbled in to.
4 / 4 TravBuddies found this review helpful/trustworthy
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3 reviews
A little hideaway in beautiful Bordeaux Jul 05, 2011
Charming place! I loved staying at the B&B!
It is so centrally located, fantastic to take nice little walks around the area, whether you want to grab a bite to eat or explore the historic city.
There are tons of cafes, restaurants of any type and retail shopping and entertainment all within walking distance too. I was lucky enough to even enjoy a Sunday market by the river, and thoroughly enjoyed taking in what the city had to offer.
The rooms are spacious, and have a quaint theme to each room. Typical French style breakfast is included, baguette, bread/jam, cheese, yogurt, coffee, juice and fruit, and you can sit in the first floor cafe and enjoy watching the quiet little street wake up in the morning.
The staff there are also very nice, and I just had a grand time staying there for 4 days. Definitely would come back and stay there again should I be lucky enough to find myself again in Bordeaux!
Une Chambre en Ville Overview
The Chambre En Ville Hotel is located in Bordeaux making it one of the best hotels to stay at while in town. All hotel's guestrooms have all the conveniences expected in a hotel in its class to suit guests' utmost comforts. Each guestroom is tastefully appointed with non smoking rooms, air conditioning, daily newspaper, television, shower, mini bar, kitchenette, satellite/cable TV.This Bordeaux accommodation features on-site facilities such as business center. With elegant facilities and hospitality, guests at this hotel will surely have an impressive stay. Please complete our secure online booking form by entering your period of stay.
Une Chambre en Ville Amenities


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|Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century
Rebuilding the Social Contract at Work:
Lessons from Leading Cases
Thomas A. Kochan
Institute for Work and Employment Research
Sloan School of Management, MIT
Task Force Working Paper #WP09
May 1, 1999
Draft in Circulation
Issues for Further Discussion
These cases and the discussions they generated among the diverse members of the Task Forces Working Group on the Social Contract and the American Corporation suggest two key points on which to base future discussions around rebuilding the social contract in employment.
First, efforts to adapt practices and norms within individual companies are necessary but not sufficient requirements for rebuilding a new social contract at work that fits todays realities. Indeed, we have identified the need for further institutional innovations to support such individual company-employee-union efforts.
Second, efforts within these individual employment relationships must be supplemented with community, labor market, and perhaps industry-level institutional innovations capable of overcoming the inherent limits of individual firm-level efforts. These external institutions may be more important now than in the past, given the changing markets and technologies that limit the promises and commitments that an individual firm can make to its employees.
What these external institutions should beand how individual firms and unions should relate to or participate in themare issues we will be discussing in future meetings, Working Papers, and other publications of the Task Force.
Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Joel. 1988. Tracing a Transformation in Industrial Relations: The Case of the Xerox Corporation and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor.
Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Joel. 1991. The Impact on Economic Performance of a Transformation in Workplace Relations. Industrial and Labor Relations Review 44 (January): 241-260.
Fisher, George M.C. 1997. A New Relationship with Employees. Written for the CEO Series, Center for the Study of American Business, Washington University, St. Louis, March.
Kochan, Thomas A. and Saul Rubinstein. 1998. Toward a Stakeholder Theory of the Firm: The Saturn Partnership. MIT Sloan School of Management Working Paper. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management.
Oakeshott, Robert of Job Ownership Ltd. 1997. Majority Employee Ownership at United Airlines: Evidence of Big Wins for both Jobs and Investors. Case study commissioned by Partnership Research Ltd. and Unit Trust Bank PLC, London, July.
Jacoby, Sanford. 1997. Modern Manors. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Santoli, Michael. 1998. Kodaks New Colors. Barrons August 24: 25.
Swasy, Alecia. 1997. Changing Focus: Kodak and the Battle to Save a Great American Company. New York: Random House.
(1) For a thorough analysis of Kodaks employment and community relations history, see Jacoby (1997).
(2) For a review of Kodak through the 1980s and 1990s, see Swasy (19XX).
(3) UNITE is a merged union. The partnership was originally formed by Xerox with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU). In 1995, ACTWU and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union merged to form UNITE.
(4) See Multiple Perspectives on Organizational Transformation: The Case of Xerox Corporation, (Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan School of Management, 1997). See also Cutcher-Gershenfeld (1988).
(5) See the case study by Cutcher-Gershenfeld (1988) cited above and his quantitative evaluation of the workplace innovations in Cutcher-Gershenfeld (1991).


text: When I joined THERINGFINDERS.com I never expected to have too many calls being that I live on a small Island in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. How wrong I was! Recently I was contacted by a man in Seattle who was visiting Orcas Island and had his Platinum wedding ring slip off his finger as he crossed the street. He looked for several hours before having to leave on the next ferry for the mainland. On the web, he found THERINGFINDERS and was surprised that there was a member who lived on Orcas. He contacted me and discussed where and when he lost his prescious wedding ring. I knew the spot well and said I'd go right to work looking. I stood where he said he had crossed the street and reinacted his steps. I started with my Garrett AT pro metal detector and after getting several nice sounding hits, I got down on my hands and knees with my Garrett pin pionter pro and within 15 minutes found the ring lodged under a rock which was covered by a large plant. WOW! My first wedding ring find through The Ring Finders. I contacted the owner by phone and he was over joyed to say the least. I mailed it back, registered and insured. Later that week I received a nice note and a very nice reward. So I actually received 2 rewards, I think the best one was being able to get his cherished wedding ring back to him. I am grateful to be part of an organization like Chris Turners Ring Finders! Here's a photo of the exquisite Patinum/Palladium wedding ring.


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After accepting refugees by the millions without much thought, Europe is now facing the problem of integrating and assimilating the refugees among them.
Should we be optimistic? Looking at the "successes" some of these countries have had in integrating refugees in the past, I'd say not. Three out of four refugees who came to Denmark in the early 2,000s is still unemployed.
What about other countries? In 2005, the documentary "Without Borders — A Film About Sport And Integration" looked at the case of one Syrian family who migrated to Sweden as refugees. An eleven-year-old refugee named Osama Krayem enthusiastically talks about how his love of football has helped him integrate with his Swedish peers.
Oh — did I mention that Krayem was one of the Brussels terrorists?
Via The Daily Caller:
One of the suspects from the March 22 Brussels bombings was the subject of a 2005 documentary on successful integration in Sweden.
Krayem, a 23-year-old Swedish citizen, is awaiting trial in Belgium for his part in the Brussels bombings which killed 32 civilians. Krayem was supposed to be the second suicide bomber at the Maalbeek subway station, but got cold feet.
Krayem's integration story appeared to be on track throughout his teens. He held a government job as recently as 2013 and worked to open up a preschool in nearby Copenhagen, Denmark.
Friends of the Krayem family said his radicalization appeared rapidly in 2014 when he stopped showing up for work. He travelled to fight for Islamic State in Syria in the spring of 2015, before joining the Brussels terror cell in the fall.
Krayem had even posted photos of himself with ISIS flags and firearms prior to joining the terrorist group, which his friends thought he was doing to try to be "cool." It's hard to see how the red flags were missed on this one.
[Note: This post was authored by The Analytical Economist]


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Just THREE more days before this bundle of creative goodness is available!
Today, I'm sharing another podcast by Melissa from Digital Scrapping HQ, featuring another contributor to the Creative Christmas Bundle. This time she is interviewing Jen Weber from Funk and Weber Designs.
Meet Jen Weber
Hi I'm Jen Funk Weber! I learned to embroider about the time I learned to read. I also learned to sew, thanks to a crafty mother and an unattended sewing machine. Barbie clothes and furnishings were my first specialty.
As a member of the 4-H Sewing Club, I began designing clothes and crafts, cutting patterns from taped-together newspaper. I took up embroidery again while winter care-taking for remote lodges in Alaska. Ribbons won at the State Fair called attention to the designs and led to requests for patterns which led to Funk & Weber Designs. Together, my husband Mike and I create colorful (usually), playful patterns that bring together our love of nature, wildlife, puzzles, and subtleties.
In addition to print and digital patterns, Funk & Weber Designs offers online stitching and finishing classes.
Jen is crazy about needlework. She even creates patterns! Here is what she is offering as part of the bundle. I haven't stitched anything in a LONG time. This is so cute, it is very tempting!
Jen's December Tip:
"We all have routine things we do at this time of year. Pick one thing and mix it up! Doing the same things over and over can get boring and sap your creativity. Change things up to reinstate the creative fun!"
Meet the Crafters & Designers of the Creative Christmas Bundle!
Cheers to YOUR Artful Adventures!


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What does AAK mean in Aircraft & Aviation?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand AAK in the Miscellaneous field in general and in the Aircraft & Aviation terminology in particular.
Accessory Aero Kit
Find a translation for AAK in other languages:
Select another language:
What does AAK mean?
- aak(Noun)
- A genre of Korean court music
Discuss this AAK abbreviation with the community:
Use the citation below to add this abbreviation to your bibliography:
"AAK." Abbreviations.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2018. Web. 20 Feb. 2018. <https://www.abbreviations.com/term/554850>.


text: Harry P. Homan, 89, of Glenview, Nov. 2, 2003. Loving husband of 66 years to Marge; beloved father of the late Jeaninne, Peter, Dan (Gail), Mike (Paula) and Carol; cherished grandfather of Dawn, David and Dennis; Brandis, Tyler and Brianna; Nathaniel; and six great-grandchildren; dear brother of the late Virginia Whitten. Harry attended Proviso High School and DePauw University. Memorial service Thursday 11 a.m. at St. David Episcopal Church, 2410 Glenview Rd., Glenview, IL 60025. Interment St. David Memorial Garden. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the church. Arrangements by N.H. Scott & Hebblethwaite Funeral Home. Funeral info 847-998-1020 .


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Game Credits
|Wanted: A Wild Western Adventure (2003)
|(To the memory of)
|The Longest Journey (1999)
|(Special Thanks To)
Developer Biography
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[add bio]
If you have a portrait of this person, you can upload it to the MobyGames database.
Related Sites
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Power cords in laptops are rarely interchangeable and on desktop are not a big source of trouble. That is, I've yet to find a desktop power cord to cause burn outs.
Cords can be replaced cheap so if you think it's gone, get another.
So I had my computer shut down on me and wouldnt restart, so I held down the power button for 30 seconds with the power cord out, put it back in and it came on for a minute or two. Thought maybe a fan broke and it was over heating.
Took off the cover saw all fans running then thought maybe it was the power supply. So I got an old computer and used all the same cords it powered up and then shut off within 10 min or so.
Now niether will power up and Im thinking it was the power cord, has anyone had this happpened. I dont understand why the first computer came back on if the cord was bad and Im real worried that I ended up frying both computers.


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The heads of global defence manufacturers including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Textron and others have urged PM Narendra Modi to simplify the bidding process for contracts and ease rules related to local manufacturing commitments to help free up overseas funding in the sector.
The demand was raised at a meeting that Modi had with 41 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in New York last week. The company chiefs were sharing their concerns over hurdles in the way of the Make in India initiative.
As part of its reform agenda, the government has already raised the cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence to 49 per cent from 26 per cent and significantly eased licensing rules, hoping this will make the prime minister's vision of turning India into a manufacturing centre a reality.
"All companies gave their inputs that will help India accelerate its growth further," a senior official told ET, adding that companies have made specific suggestions on changes that are needed. "Most of them have shown their intent to make in India."
Defence manufacturing is one of the 25 focus areas of the Make in India programme, which was launched by Modi in September. India purchased Rs 38,000 crore of defence equipment from overseas in FY15 and the government wants a significant proportion of this to be manufactured at home.
The company bosses said tendering has to be made simpler and quicker. They have also raised concerns about the stringent offset policy and pitched for changes. Investments worth several hundred million dollars have been held up because foreign firms are finding it too difficult to adhere to the rule requiring that companies should invest at least 30 per cent of the contract value in India.
The offset policy is aimed at ensuring that tech transfer takes place when India places orders for the purchase of equipment. A new policy is already under formulation and is expected to address the issues that were raised.
Indian industry agrees there is a problem. "There is a long gestation period between bidding and signing of defence contracts," said a Confederation of Indian Industry official. "Some of these processes which started before 2008 have not culminated into final contracts yet. The companies cannot even revise their prices to the current level now due to bid commitments."
Foreign companies also called for consistency and predictability in the taxation policy. The government has said previously that it favours a less-adversarial tax regime in order to boost investor confidence.
Industry leaders at the New York meeting welcomed recent initiatives, including the ranking of states on ease of doing business and the Skill India and Startup India programmes. Others spoke of their plans for India. Chemical company DuPont is planning to manufacture body armour in the country, while Ford Motor Co. wants to make it a hub for exports to Europe. The heads of drug makers Merck and Mylan want to make India a centre for research and development.
"Everyone is very positive and upbeat about India," said the official cited above. "We are very serious about taking all measures that will set us in the direction of growth."
Modi assured the CEOs that the administration will allow the private sector to grow by providing predictable, transparent, accountable governance.
During his seven-day trip to Ireland and the US, Modi visited Facebook headquarters and met top tech executives including Tim Cook of Apple Inc., Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Google's Sundar Pichai and Shantanu Narayen of Adobe.


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A STALKER begged female strangers to pose for a dental magazine as part of a bizarre fetish for teeth.
Promotion worker Eric White, 42, told various women on the streets of Edinburgh that he worked for a dental company and wanted to take pictures of their "beautiful teeth" and smiles.
White continued to harass the women long after they had refused his offers, approaching them again and again to ask them out.
But police stepped in after White began bombarding one of his victims with text messages and phone calls and even went to her home.
White pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday to three charges of breach of the peace by placing the women in a state of fear and alarm.
Sheriff Isabella McColl insisted his behaviour amounted to "a catalogue of stalking".
The court heard how White, of Hamilton, had approached the three women on different occasions over a two-year period.
His warped behaviour began in October 2004 when he approached Patricia Bannan as she drove her takeaway burger van in the Bellevue area.
White drove alongside the witness and began flashing his lights and beeping his horn to get her to pull over.
When she did so, he told her about his work for a dental company, commented on her "beautiful teeth" and asked if he could photograph them for a dental magazine.
She initially agreed, but became suspicious and left when he told her she had a "sexy mouth" and a "beautiful tongue".
He repeatedly approached her until she finally reported him to police in March 2006 when he reappeared at her new home in Newtongrange. Despite his bizarre conduct, White was not prosecuted for his behaviour to Ms Bannan.
But he had already started to stalk another woman at this time, approaching Lesley Gillies as she packed her shopping in the car park of Tesco in Calder Mains, Edinburgh last March.
White scared her off when he told her he had seen her around and started asking her personal questions about her love life.
But while she was driving home, she noticed White following in his own car and she changed direction and drove to a friend's house to escape White.
In the third episode, White began speaking to Debbie Mackenzie as she walked along Princes Street. Although she had never seen White before, he insisted he had met her and began commenting on her beautiful teeth and smile.
He explained to her that he worked for a tooth-whitening company and tried to convince her to pose for pictures of teeth, but she refused and continued walking.
But just a month later, when shopping in the Meadowbank Retail Park, he approached her again. He simply said: "Remember me?" before asking her out on a date, which she refused.
White later went to Ms Mackenzie's home address claiming that when he was working in the area he saw her entering her house and had tracked her down that way.
But when she refused to let him into her home, he began bombarding her with calls and text messages and she eventually reported him to police.
This time, White was charged for his behaviour in July last year and it was then linked to the other cases.
White plead guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Sentenced was deferred for social inquiry and psychiatric reports.