power

Room 1015’s Power Ballad

Posted on by elemonated

I got Room 1015 Power Ballad through Scentbird for my October choice. Click the link for my referral if you’re interested in trying out the service.

The midterms have gotten me particularly emotional for one reason or another. I’m just a little bit closer to it this week than I have been, I guess. Shout-out to the girls I met from Alabama when I was canvassing in Washington Square Park who were not exactly hopeful but certainly were not giving up on their home state. Shout-out to the felons whose rights in Florida whose rights have been restored, and to the ones in New York and New York City whose rights have not yet been relinquished to them. Also to all of the very nice people who are not US citizens who wished me and us all luck when I bothered them anyway.

We lost a few battles but we won so many that it doesn’t feel fitting to concentrate on the losses this quarter. 

r1015pb

Image from Fragrantica

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Good night, Carrie Fisher

Posted on by elemonated

Image result for carrie fisher 2016

This one hurts.

I’ll admit, I’m only a new Carrie Fisher fan. When the hype burned strong for Star Wars recently, I had the fortune of being surrounded by some intense and amazing fans. I’m talking watchers, readers, writers, etc. Having only seen the first three movies as a child and not particularly caring for them, my friends were eager to immerse me into the story and the lore and then I was hooked and ever so excited for the next few years. I haven’t gotten to all of the literature that exists yet but it’s only a matter of time for me. The princess and general Leia Organa was a fascinatingly written character that I’m glad wasn’t immobilized in a book by George Lucas.

But that’s not why I adored Carrie Fisher.

I flipped through the bios and interviews and started to read about her because the moment someone tries to convince me some actress didn’t age well I go check them out so I have a few real arguments while I’m scoffing at how unnecessary comments like those are. Of course, Ms. Fisher was and always has been, beautiful, and her writing and producing and honesty has far outstripped her, anyone’s, physical beauty. So I wrote off those comments as words from people who don’t understand how time works.

But that’s not why I adored Carrie Fisher.

I heard she hated her slave outfit.

I heard she told Daisy Ridley to fight artistic choices like that before The Force Awakens if that’s not who she wants to be. And then I read her saying it.

I heard she has bipolar and openly talks about her mental illness and her drug abuse. And then I watched her talk about it.

I heard her dog was Instagram famous. I follow him, though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to follow the feed for a while.

There’s a sort of rough humor people seem to stumble out of the fire with if the fire made them stronger. I’ve heard it in voices of men and women who’ve been in the forge once or twice. Some of their armor trembles or sounds ready to crumble if you tap it too hard. That’s the character we most see on screen too: inwardly scared and uncomfortable underneath their plate metal, hoping only to achieve enough happiness to sweep away and forget why they had the armor on in the first place.

Some people seem to want angels out of their role models. They want the right about of vulnerability to toughness, and they don’t want them talking about their struggle too much. I think that’s fucking stupid.

Carrie Fisher stepped out in general’s boots into the moonlight and died drowning in it, strangled by her own bra.

Olfactory symbolism

Posted on by elemonated

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/15638746/ns/business-us_business/t/perfumes-tied-film-do-not-all-smell-well/#.VKd0rCvF8WI

I just realized Thierry Mugler offered a coffret of 15 scents to go along with certain parts of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer in a promotion for the film (which I have yet to watch, forgive me, I’ll get to it.) I can’t. I’m a little ready to cry. Not that I would have had the money or interest back when the movie came out, since I wouldn’t have started high school yet, but the knowledge it existed and I missed it feels like a grand joke. And no one’s selling the full thing anywhere, which is to be expected.

Oddly enough, this discovery is what drove me to actually filling out applications today. I was so distraught that I was not rich or powerful enough to have this, I was determined to try and start being goddamn rich and powerful.

My priorities, ah.

I’ve always been struck by the “soft talking, big stick carrying” lilt of effective, ruthless power though, and generally wealth and power are conveyed through resins like amber or labdanum, but that signals brute force to me, not the more interesting duplicitous nature of a politician. Something that appeals to the majority, with something kind of off about it

In fact, I only discovered the coffret after searching for a realistic bloody floral (I’m not British. I mean copper, magnesium, skin, salt: blood) after a description of President Snow in The Hunger Games intrigued me. His signature was blood and roses, which would be intriguing enough, but not only can I not find an approximate for blood and roses with notes and reviews that reflect what I’m looking for, I would actually like to find a white floral mixed with blood. I’m on that jasmine kick, remember? It’s a scent reference, so I’m into it on principle. It would have been bomb to see Jennifer Lawrence at least wrinkle her nose in the new movie during those scenes, but I guess I can’t expect that much from snack food YA.

I’ll just content myself with another movie quote of her’s, probably one of my favorites from a new movie:

“There’s this top coat that you can only get from Switzerland and I love the smell of it. I’m running out of it and I don’t know what to do. The top coat, it’s like perfumey, but there’s also something rotten. I know it’s crazy but I can’t get enough of it. Historically, the best perfumes in the world they’re all laced with something nasty. It’s true! Irving loves it. He can’t get enough of it. Sweet and sour, rotten and delicious. Flowers, but with garbage.”
– Rosalyn, American Hustle

(By the way, if you haven’t seen American Hustle, I highly recommend it. It makes New Jersey relevant. Kind of.)

Business, Psychology

Do me a favor

Link | Posted on by elemonated

Do me a favor

That’s so interesting! Definitely a tactic I’ll try to use from now on. It sounds counter-intuitive but it makes sense when you break it down. A person is more likely to do a favor for someone they like after all; this is just application in reverse. Ben Franklin, once again, proven awesome.

However, I’m wondering if it has the same effect if there’s a power disparity. I like my boss, but if I didn’t and she asked me to do her a favor, I would do it anyway, and probably come out of it feeling the same way towards her. I used to do quite a few favors for people in fast food/restaurant/take-out situations because much of the time, the situation seemed to really call for me to say “yes”, and not all of them increased my affinity towards them. In fact, if they caught me in a poor mood, it would likely degrade my relationship with the asker if we started off neutral, or if I felt I was being handed an unjust responsibility.

Anyway, Ben Franklin Effect!