Category Archives: Hedonism

Non-fiction books in the 1970s reflected the concerns of the time: feminism, intersectionality, anxieties about the decline of the Modern age, fascination with space and science.

During the decade, the wave of scientific and social progression was hugely impressive for the time, paving the way for many of the modern scientific and social structures that are considered normal in todays society. To explore deeper, look no further: weve gathered a list of the best books of the 70s.

Widely regarded as a classic of radical feminist literature, Sexual Politicsbegan as Kate Milletts PhD dissertation and explores the subjugation of women in art and literature in the 20th century. Taking inspiration from Simone De BeauvoirsThe Second Sex, the non-fiction book discusses the gender politics of prominent authors like D.H. Lawrence, Henry Miller, etc. and how they view sex in a patriarchal and sexist way.

Technically, The Black Woman does contain some elements of fiction with poetry and short stories included. However, the anthology is also comprised of conversations and non-fiction essays by now-celebrated African-American female writers (like Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde) that discuss issues around gender, race, politics, labour, intersectionality and education. The Black Woman was a groundbreaking work that paved the way for some of the most exciting, astonishingly talented Black voices in the late 20th century.

Nancy Milfords non-fiction biography is written on one of the most intriguing celebrities of the 20th century, Zelda Sayre later known as the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. If the names sound familiar, its probably because the couple were famed for their careless hedonism in the 20s, became synonymous with the glitter of the jazz age, and their turbulent relationship and lifestyle inspired most of Fitzgeralds writing (including The Great Gatsby).

Zelda: A Biography details Zeldas Southern upbringing, her passionate relationship with Fitzgerald, and the torturous pull between her own immense gift for writing, art and creativity, against the push of her husbands burgeoning career.

A memoir published in 1973 by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston,Farewell to Manzanardetails the devastating experiences of author Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family before, during, and following their relocation to the Manzanar concentration camp, where the United States government forcibly relocated and incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II. An episode in history that is notoriously overlooked.

Reported as one of the most influential books on political philosophy after WWII, and winning the 1974 National Book Award,Anarchy, State and Utopia details a defence of minarchist libertarianism, discussions of entitlement theory, distributions of justice, morality and the State, a framework for utopia, and more. The book emerged from a course taught at Harvard by the author and fellow American political philosopher Michael Walzer, at Harvard University, titled Capitalism and Socialism where Nozick represented the arguments of Anarchy, State and Utopia, and Walzer represented the side of complex equality.

The Message in the Bottleis a collection of non-fiction essays on semiotics that explore the emerging dominant ideologies of the end of the modern age: Judeo-Christian values and self-determinism versus the rationalism of science. The collection of essays often weave together linguistics, existentialism, theology, anthropology, and literary criticism, raising pertinent, philosophical questions that will challenge the reader to question their own beliefs and values about the way in which we operate in the world.

Originally from Poland, but famed for his extensive reportage across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Ryszard Kapuciskis body of work is one of the most fascinating examples of consistent, engaging war reportage in the 20th century. Another Day of Lifefollows the journalist in Angola during the Angolan Civil War, which began in 1975 from Angolas independence from Portugal to 2002. The book details the fall of the capital city Luanda and an exposition on the Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) who presided as the de facto government during the war.

Renowned American astronomer, Carl Sagans The Dragons of Edenis a non-fiction, Pulitzer-prize winning book on the mechanisms of the evolution of human intelligence. Combining the fields of anthropology, evolutionary biology, psychology, and computer science, the books thesis revolves around a statement made in an earlier lecture by Sagan, [wherein] the mind [is] a consequence of its anatomy and physiology and nothing more.

While he experienced later success in fiction with Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfes beginnings were in journalism in particular, New Journalism: a style of writing that incorporated literary techniques. The Right Stuff emerged from Wolfes fascination with astronauts after being assigned coverage of the launch of NASAs final lunar mission, Apollo 17, in 1972. The non-fiction book follows the background of the space race and the American postwar research with experimental rocket-powered, high-speed aircrafts, as well as going into depth about the selection of the first Project Mercury NASA astronauts.

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The best non-fiction books of the 1970s - Happy Mag

Based on a 2012 Lawrence Osborne novel that might well have been set (with only small changes) many decades earlier, John Michael McDonaghs The Forgiven watches rich Westerners treat Morocco like their playground, scarcely noticing the poverty and disapproval surrounding their opulent parties. Imperialist-grade entitlement goes only so far in the modern world, though, and when one partyer accidentally kills a local teen, some kind of accommodation is going to have to be made.

Scripted, directed and acted with intelligence and panache, its a very grown-up film but never a bore, a morally alert drama that leaves the scolding to us. Less mysterious and tightly wound than McDonaghs excellent Calvary, it resonates with that 2014 drama in surprising ways.

The Bottom LineA first-rate dramatization of friction between ancient mores and modern privilege.

David and Jo Henninger (Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain) arrive in Tangier dressed as if only a spot of trouble with immigration officials made them too late to co-star in The Sheltering Sky. Hes a well-born Brit who scowls at the mere tourists who loiter in hotel lobbies and gorge at buffets; shes an American who has tolerated his alcoholism and snobbery for too long to claim any moral superiority. If he werent bad enough, David wears driving gloves as he drunkenly pilots their car toward the Sahara.

Theyre headed to a remote castle owned by Jos old friend Richard (Matt Smith), who with boyfriend Dally (Caleb Landry Jones, louche and unpredictable) has invited an assortment of decadent aristocrats and finance types for a few days of pretending to be Noel Coward characters. But the Henningers get lost and grow frustrated, and Davids paying too little attention at the wheel to swerve when young Driss (Omar Ghazaoui) steps into the road.

Dinner is well underway when the couple quietly drive up with a dead boy in their back seat. What can the foreigners get away with? Will locals try to use this tragedy to extort them, or might David be, who knows, beheaded by ISIS? While bystanders puzzle over how best to proceed, David is too busy acting like he understands this countrys nuances to pretend he feels bad about ending someones life. Eventually, the boys father arrives not to demand payment, but to insist that David accompany him on the long voyage back to his village, to witness the burial of his only son.

What can Davids wife and friends do but continue to drink and gossip until he returns or doesnt? Jo starts up a dangerous flirtation with a handsome stranger (Christopher Abbott) whose air of superiority far exceeds hers, despite the fact that, as a financial analyst, hes probably the worst person at this gathering of unlikable people. Richard oversees his Xanadu of booze and bikinis as if there were nothing unseemly about hedonism and overconsumption in a region where pious Muslims spend every minute of sunlight digging up fossils to sell tourists. The head of his domestic staff (Mourad Zaoui, in a wry, understated performance), inured to such behavior, tries to minimize conflict with locals.

On the trip into the desert, English speaker Anouar (Sad Taghmaoui), helps David keep from further offending Driss father, Abdellah (Casablanca-born actor Ismael Kanater), who refuses to address the Englishman directly. Complicated moral exchanges are underway long before David even begins to accept the weight of what he has done, and Anouar, like many translators before him, voluntarily compensates not only for Davids linguistic deficiencies but also for his lack of empathy and tact. As they drive, McDonagh and cinematographer Larry Smith show enough of the landscape to provide a sense of place without trying to dazzle us with travel-mag vistas.

Moving back and forth between settings, the film contrasts the fatuous political chitchat of the Westerners with the little that David witnesses of a country he was snobbily passing judgments on just days before. Inevitably, he is humbled. But it happens in an almost subversive way, seeming to satisfy some Anglo-flattering narrative conventions while actually subjecting the films characters to other kinds of logic. Is David forgiven by the end? What could he possibly do to earn that?

Original post:

Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain in The Forgiven: Film Review | TIFF 2021 - Hollywood Reporter

Amy Winehouse: A Life in Ten Pictures 9pm, BBC Two

I knew shed be trouble, recalls Mitch Winehouse. Hes talking about a delightful, butter-wouldnt-melt photograph of his daughter Amy, at two, in a paddling pool. What follows is an inevitably heartbreaking but also affirming portrait of Amy Winehouse as she passed through adolescence, carefree hedonism, early fame and, eventually, addiction. As ever, the format works brilliantly, eliciting real emotion and insight as the people who knew Amy best tell her story. Phil Harrison

Last Night of the Proms was slightly odd in 2020. There was Covid, of course, and a ludicrous row over the performing (or not) of Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory. Staging is essentially back to normal this year so expect a boisterous, flag-waving event. PH

Gibraltar: though it may be tiny, the very name is loaded with romance. Tonight, Hughes delves into a pair of subterranean marvels: the stay behind cave where Ian Fleming masterminded a wartime plot, and the Vanguard Cave, housing the worlds first evidence of Neanderthal art. Ali Catterall

Another double bill of the sombre Swedish true-crime drama examining the lengthy investigation into a 1989 child murder. Cut to 1997 and prickly cop kesson (Anders Beckman) thinks he has a fresh angle on the case and a plausible new suspect. But his bosses seem more interested in HR admin. Graeme Virtue

What happened on those planes? Its a grim question to contemplate but this doc hears from the families and friends of those who died on 11 September 2001. Additionally, there is testimony from cabin crew, passengers and air traffic controllers trying to understand the situation from the ground. PH

This new show sees celebrities try to guess what the public thinks of them. Jack Dee, Mica Paris, Rob Rinder and Joanna Page bring out plenty of entertaining anecdotes, but OGradys fearless streak is still there and hes never far from a risque twist that gets the loudest laugh. Hannah Verdier

Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968), 9.10am, Sky Cinema Greats

Sergio Leone stalks Monument Valley in an epic tale of the building of a railroad that pits Henry Fondas icy killer against an implacable nemesis, the harmonica-playing Charles Bronson. Jason Robardss outlaw and Claudia Cardinales frontier widow are more compassionate presences. Paul Howlett

Test Cricket: England v India 10.15am, Sky Sports Cricket. The second day of the fifth Test from Old Trafford.

Premier League Football: Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur 11.30am, BT Sport 1. The top-flight clash from Selhurst Park.

Darts: World Cup 8pm, Sky Sports Main Event. The second round at Sparkassen-Arena in Jena, Germany.

Read more here:

TV tonight: a heartbreaking portrait of the life of Amy Winehouse - The Guardian

Luchino Viscontis films are known for their operatic qualities, especially visible in his 1969 The Damned. There, Visconti creates a world of hedonism, ideology, and homoeroticism characterized by over-the-top performances bordering on campy. His earlier film, Rocco and His Brothers (1960) fits into the category of operatic cinema but the difference between that and The Damned is striking.

A film worthy of comparison to Giuseppe Verdis great operas and Dostoyevskys moral and spiritual sagas, Rocco and His Brothers focuses on joy, sadness, and troubles of the Parondi family. Leaving her home in a Southern region of ItalyLucaniaRosaria Parondi and her four sons arrive to the grand city of Milan. The patriarch of the family has died and their life in Lucania was one of misery and poverty. Rosarias oldest son, Vincenzo, lives in Milan and is about to be engaged to Ginetta (played by the beautiful Claudia Cardinale). Rosaria and Vincenzos brothers (Simone, Rocco, Ciro, and Luca) burst in on the celebration, which turns sour.

They find themselves practically homeless, missing their beloved Lucania. At the beginning, they find some ways to flourish: Simone trains to be a boxer, Rocco (Alain Delon) enters the army, and Ciro completes his schooling and finds a job at a near-by Alfa Romeo factory. The contrast between the seemingly idyllic peasant life in Lucania and an increasing coldness of the industrialization adds to the familys longing to be back home.

The family appears to be tight-knit until Simone begins his descent into debauchery and alcoholism. Although hes a talented boxer, he lacks discipline to get better and win. Hes a thief, who regularly scams women. Simone develops a relationship with a prostitute, Nadia (Annie Girardot) but this love affair is doomed from the beginning. Nadias a jaded woman, who considers her relationship with Simone transient. Hes just a place holder until another man comes along.

During Roccos time in the army, Nadias arrested and spends time in jail. They run into each other, and exchange a few words at the caf. But something deeper happens in this moment. Rocco breaks through her indifferent demeanor and tells her to not be afraid. Hes at peace with his life, and assures her that one can choose the life one wants to live. Despite Nadias skepticism, she finds faith in Rocco and the two begin a love affair.

In the meantime, Simone finds out about this affair and decides to enact violent justice against Rocco and Nadia. Catching them in an embrace, Simones enraged and demands an apology. In a fit of pure hatred, he fights his brother and rapes Nadia, while Roccos forced to watch.

This is the breaking point not only for Rocco and Simone but also for the entire family. Rocco sacrifices his relationship with Nadia in order to preserve the family structure. In addition, he becomes a slave to boxing in order to pay off Simones debts, who ends up going to jail for Nadias murder. Ciro maintains strength intent in finding success in Milan, and Luca, the youngest, vows to return to Lucania with Rocco. This longing is one last hope that peace will be restored in the Parondi family.

Rocco and His Brothers is a gripping film (it serves as the great inspiration to Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola). Delons Rocco is innocent, just, honorable, just some of the characteristics that render Delons performance sublime. But this inherent wisdom and moderation Rocco has disappears when he tries to (honorably!) save the crumbling foundation of the family. The ethical act turns into passionate aimlessness that results in his own private emptiness.

Viscontis vision is primarily about belonging. The Parondi family is uprooted in every possible way, and one bad choice leads to more destruction. Theyve lost their foundation, and the soil they stand on is one of concrete jungle as opposed to the land where olive trees grow. Roccos the one who sees both sides of the world, and is highly adaptable. Delon plays him in such a way as to reveal a man whos an ascetic, dedicated to God. Hes dedicated to Nadia, but decides that a sacrifice is needed in order to set the family on a straight path again.

Roccos nave. His sweetness and belief that people are essentially good and that the strong should uplift the weak (even if it means sacrificing themselves) becomes the very thing that ends up destroying his life. Rocco and His Brothers is essentially a religious film. Although it barely mentions God, and occasionally shows some Italian peasant superstitions, the story of the Parondi brothers is similar to Cain and Abel.

In Genesis, chapter 4, God looks favorably upon Abel and because of this Cain is jealous. God asks Cain why is he angry and dejected? Cain lures Abel into the field and kills him. In verses 9-12, God asks Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He answered, I do not know. Am I my brothers keeper?/God then said: What have you done? Your brothers blood cries out to me from the ground!/Now you are banned from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brothers blood from your hand./If you till the ground, it shall no longer give you its produce. You shall become a constant wanderer on the earth.

Although no brother dies in Viscontis film, the textual allusions remain. The opposite to Cain, Rocco considers himself to be his brothers keeper. For him, justice means that hes responsible for his brother, yet he misplaces this responsibility into personal accountability for Simones vile actions. Rocco turns the other cheek as it were, and sees Simone as one who suffers the most.

Yet, in the end, Roccos sacrifice is meaningless, despite its good intention. He remains caught up in his holiness without even recognizing the goodness in himself. The city of Milan is the untilled and barren soil for the Parondi family, and theyre lost in the new world they inhabit. Will Luca, the one whose innocence is still not overtaken by experience, return to the soil that gave him life? Or is he too, much like Rocco, doomed to be a constant wanderer on the earth?

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The Blows of Rocco - Splice Today

The Clash have a special place in my heart. Not only because London Calling was the first album I was ever given, but because they opened the door to countless other genres. In this way, The Clash have always been something of a gateway drug; introducing fans to reggae, dub, disco, and even hip-hop.

Once billed as the only band that matters, The Clashs immense output is certainly something to behold. With singles like Lost In The Supermarket, I Fought The Law, and London Calling, The Clash cemented themselves as a uniquely British entity and one of the most pioneering bands of the 1970s punk boom.

But in this article, well be looking, not at their big-hitters, but at their shimmering array of B-sides. In the streaming age, in which we are faced with the same well-known tracks time and time again, the joy of B-sides like City Of The Dead and Mustapha Dance, can easily slip beneath the radar; songs which are as good, if not better, than any a-side.

Well, never fear. Below, well be casting a light on some of the most underappreciated songs in The Clashs discography.

The B-side to The Clashs seminal track London Calling, the fearsome Armagideon Time reveals the bands shared love of dub reggae. The groups original bassist, Paul Simonon, grew up in Brixton, an area of South London with a large West Indian community.

As a result, reggae, ska, and dub formed the very foundation of much of The Clashs most intoxicating material. By the time London Calling came out, the group had already collaborated with Lee Scratch Perry and covered Junior Murvins Police and Thieves on their debut record. This B-side is a heavy dub cover of Willie Williams original political anthem of the same name and showcases The Clash at their very best.

Simonons bass guitar forms a rhymic centre point, around which Mick Jones offers up his characteristic stabs of crystalline guitar and layers of electric sitar.

This track was originally recorded by The Maytals in 1969 and was released by Trojan Records in 1970. Trojan was a critical label for bands such as The Clash and was instrumental in introducing reggae to a worldwide audience. In an interview, Frederick Toots Hibbert described the original song as being about revenge, but in the form of karma: If you do bad things to innocent people, then bad things will happen to you. The title was a phrase I used to say. If someone done me wrong, rather than fight them like a warrior, Id say: The pressures going to drop on you.'

The Clashs version of the track, which formed the B-side of their 1979 single English Civil War, is almost happy-go-lucky in its outlook. With its harmonious gang vocals, dirt-driven guitars, and two-tone rhythm, it has a whiff of Madness about it. Its absolutely joyous.

A Clash original, Jail Guitar Doors was released on the 17th February 1978 as the B-side of their fourth single Clash City Rockers. The song is essentially a re-worked version of Lonely Mothers Son a track from Joe Strummers previous band, The 101ers. It even shares the same chorus, Clang clang go the jail guitar doors.

The song went on to inspire the name of Billy Braggs charitable venture, Jail Guitar Doors initiative. Bragg set it up with the aim of providing musical equipment for the use of inmates serving time in prisons. The project also funded various individual projects such as recording sessions in UK prisons and for former inmates throughout the United Kingdom.

This B-side to The Clashs 1982 Rock The Casbah, is a bass-heavy reworking of the A-side. It is a proto-dance floor-filler, inspired by the remix culture that flourished in clubs throughout the mid-70s. For me, this spliced and reworked version is miles better than the original.

It seems to capture the energy and hedonism of the 80s underground dance scene, foreshadowing the Acid House movement that would soon sweep the nation. The track is also a testament to The Clashs desire to continually push their sound in new, more exciting and danceable directions.

City Of The Dead is, in my opinion, one of the best Clash songs of all time. It forms the B-side to the bands 1977 single Complete Control, and drips with all the things that made The Clash unique. Despite being a punk tune through and through, it contains none of the dystopian nihilism which characterised the output of many of The Clashs contemporaries and indeed much of their own work.

Rather, the ear-catching melody played by the horn section gives the track an undeniably hopeful mood, and the whole thing shimmers with a sort of childish vitality. Why The Clash decided to stick it on the B-side, Ill never know.

See more here:

The 5 most underappreciated B-sides from The Clash - Far Out Magazine

Lorde recently discussed her reclusive creative process in her October cover story for Vogue, including the influences she's been under during each era.

As paraphrased by Vogue's Rob Haskell, the 24-year-old pop star revealed "her albums can be distinguished by the drugs she was using when making them."

Her 2013 debut "Pure Heroine," which deals with themes of teen angst and suburban isolation, was shaped by Lorde's early experiences with alcohol. Several songs seem to take place at drunken house parties, including the fan-favorite track "Ribs," which begins, "The drink you spilt all over me."

Perhaps most interestingly, Lorde said her 2017 second album "Melodrama" is associated with MDMA, an abbreviation for the drug commonly known as ecstasy. It's also known as "Molly" in some circles, particularly for those who use it as a party stimulant.

In her filmed "73 Questions" interview with Vogue, published in July, Lorde said the emotion that's most central to "Melodrama" is "ecstasy." The tracklist was designed to mirror a kaleidoscopic evening of post-heartbreak hedonism.

According to a 2019 study at the University of Exeter, people who take ecstasy report feeling "significantly greater emotional empathy" and are better at identifying others' emotions, compared with those who use other popular drugs like cocaine and ketamine.

Finally, Lorde's most recent release, "Solar Power," is linked to cannabis "not bong hits in the bedroom so much as gummies on a bluff at sunset," Haskell wrote.

Lorde previously told The New York Times' Joe Coscarellithat she originally set out to make a "big acid record."

"I had, like, one bad acid experience with this album, and I was like, 'Meh, it's a weed album.' It's one of my great weed albums," she said.

Lorde alludes to cannabis in the album's third single, "Mood Ring," which she has described as a satire of wellness culture ("We can get high but only if the wind blows just right").

You can read Insider's review of "Solar Power" here and our breakdown of all the details you may have missed here.

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Lorde reveals she was on MDMA while making 'Melodrama' - Insider

There are a handful of deeply ingrained rituals to mark the passage of time. Among those sacraments, nothing heralds the end of summer more sentimentally than sitting waterside to watch the sunset, cocktail in hand. There are a few spots that manifest serenity the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore but Howard Wharf is all about the bustle. The Reef monopolizes the dock, with room for people who have front row seats to take in both a dramatic skyline and a bevy of extravagant boats in for the evening. Potted palm trees mark the edges of the patio as onlookers to the Earths rotation sit entranced, tequila on standby.

Cool as a Cucumber Cocktail. Photography by Angel Tucker.

Nights at the Reef begin like a Caribbean vacation: sun is high in the sky, toddlers subdued with sippy cups and everyone shows up in shorts or casual kaftans. The staff has walked right out from a Below Deck episode, wearing khaki short-shorts and navy polo shirts, embroidered with liquor logos on the sleeve. Everyone is young and radiantly sun-kissed, hair pulled back as a sign to someone that theyre on duty. This is a party for all ages and, while the seasonally changing menu is leaning toward an international approach, the mood is entirely American. Hedonism filters through in myriad ways but five oclock somewhere is the unspoken mantra, with tequila coolers and frozen mudslides parading out in technicolor and chocolate swirls ($12). So pronounced is the philosophy that, when one seemingly health-conscious woman asks what drinks are available without alcohol, a stumped server stares skyward before saying, I think weve got one non-alcoholic beer. (Restraint is not a familiar refrain.)

Big kid mac and cheese with elbow pasta, four cheese blend, cream, garlic and bread crumbs. Photography by Angel Tucker.

Eventually, people get around to eating and the Reef is intent on diners losing all sense of place and time. Flags from around the world hang at the front door and the kitchen draws from a variety of inspirations Italy, Greece, Japan in an effort to prove that deck-dwelling is a universal pastime. Some dishes focus on light summer fare (chilled shellfish with cocktail sauce or Old Bay mayo) but the goal is to recreate a day at the beach and, accordingly, many small plates come out of the fryer with a mission to manifest summer in its primary form. Chickpea fries ($14) and empanadas ($14), served with dipping sauce, bear more than a passing resemblance to fries from the snack shack. Plates of crunchy calamari, New England style ($16) or in tamari vinaigrette, suddenly taste less imported and more like the sun beating down on your face on a tropical island far from social media and everything it stands for. True, youre in the center of Newport; but this is a getaway as long as you keep your back to Thames Street.

Connecticut-style lobster roll with warm garlic butter and a toasted brioche bun. Photography by Angel Tucker.

Entrees are more ambitious in their approach, but the kitchen never veers too far from a clambake or a seafood boil. Lobster sandwiches ($28) are served cold or hot and drenched in butter, the embodiment of summers best. Salmon is seared in Moroccan spices ($30), sitting on top of quinoa and cool tzatziki, while scallops are paired with chilled cauliflower puree and smoky chorizo ($34). The equation is similar: mild fish punctuated by aggressive herbs compelling but not too far off the familiar course. Not surprisingly, steaks ($34) make an appearance for the masses as do sticky ribs ($17) for those who double down on heat. Tack on some skewers of chicken satay in rum-laced peanut sauce ($16) and youll come to realize that the Reef is handling an upscale barbecue for 200 people, spread across a dining room and two patios.

Polenta fries. Photography by Angel Tucker.

But the restaurant is not out to re-envision al fresco dining. In fact, the adult mac and cheese ($18) is a testament to their commitment to revisiting memories of years past. Even at 80 degrees, diners hover over small steaming cauldrons of molten cheese that pulls out in theatrical strings. Reactions lean toward the overdramatic, as if a dish that fell out of your childhood couldnt possibly live in the same realm as the exalted view. But its all an exercise in equally distributed privilege, and the prismatic horizon belongs to everyone who manages to get a table.

Photography by Angel Tucker.

The Reef has struggled with the same staffing predicament of most restaurants post-pandemic, but the setting sun is an intoxicant that keeps most complaints at bay. Even guests waiting for a check stare absent-mindedly at the mural unfolding in the distance. Remind me to bring my kids next time, says an exuberant mom on a night off. Its too beautiful for anyone to notice them running around.

As the hours wear on into nightfall, the restaurant does assume the air of an outdoor wedding winding down. Staff takes on a second shift, shuffling tables to accommodate larger groups in search of a nightcap. Those still seated gravitate toward dessert, which doesnt aspire to anything other than old school sweets to close out the evening. They do just as much to reassure the crowd that the Reef is trying to recreate a stellar memory and not introduce a new experience. Theres a reason that Rhode Island takes pride in its coastline its a prized possession that gets better with each Adirondack chair, each lobster roll and each spiked lemonade served at twilight. If youre lucky enough to get a seat on a clear night, grab it for as long as you can. Summer is finite and these are hours that we store away to extricate and embrace long after the warm weather has left us.

10 Howard Wharf, Newport, 324-5852, thereefnewport.com.Open Wed.Sun. for lunch, Tues.Sun. for dinner. Wheelchair accessible. Lot parking.Cuisine An elevated day at the beach.Capacity About 300 indoors, 300 outdoors.Vibe Surfer boy meets Lilly Pulitzer.Prices Appetizers $9$18; entrees $13$38; dessert $12.Karens picks Rhody basics: calamari, lobster roll, scallops, cocktails and refills.

Originally posted here:

At the Reef in Newport, Summer's Always on the Menu - Rhode Island Monthly

Attendees of a Chinese entertainment industry symposium have been told to ensure they act with morality in both public and private, amid an intensive government crackdown on cultural sectors.

The meeting on Tuesday in Beijing, with the theme of Love the party, love the country, advocate morality and art, was attended by senior Communist party officials, who laid out new regulations on industry practice and the behaviour of celebrities, state media reported.

The symposium included an address by the head of Chinas broadcast regulator, the National Radio and Television Administration, and gathered members of the television, radio, and online entertainment sector, who were told they must abide by social ethics, personal morality and family virtues.

According to state media reports, attendees heard they must ensure they consciously abandon vulgar and kitsch inferior tastes, and consciously oppose the decadent ideas of money worship, hedonism, and extreme individualism.

In recent weeks, the authorities have banned some reality shows, restricted social media fan culture, and ordered broadcasters to resist abnormal aesthetics such as sissy men. They have also targeted what they deem to be vulgar influencers, stars inflated pay and performers with lapsed morals.

The symposium heard from actors, directors and playwrights who spoke in support of the regulations.

As a Chinese in the new era, a Chinese actor, and a Chinese literary and art worker, it is very necessary to understand ones own direction, determine the meaning of ones responsibilities, manage well ones words and deeds, and improve ones personal morality, said the actor Zhang Tong, according to state media.

It is our creators duty to do every work simply and unadornedly, and to pass positive energy silently to the audience, said Zhang Yongxin, a director.

The entertainment sector is the latest to be targeted by Chinas government. The tech industry, including leading business people such as Jack Ma, has faced waves of regulatory changes and investigations. Online gaming has been strictly curtailed, in the name of protecting children, and social media companies have been ordered to rectify chaos in celebrity fandom including banning lists that rank people or productions by popularity.

Several high-profile celebrities have been targeted in recent weeks. The actor Zheng Shuang was fined $46m for tax evasion last month, about the same time that the actor and Fendi brand ambassador Zhao Wei had her name removed from all works on major entertainment platforms. Zhang Zhehan was similarly punished and de-platformed after old photos of the actor resurfaced showing him visiting the Yasukuni war shrine in Japan, sparking online nationalist rhetoric.

Additional reporting by Xiaoqian Zhu

The rest is here:

Chinese celebrities warned over morality in cultural crackdown - The Guardian

Lorde performs at the iHeartRadio Beach Ball in 2017. Andrew Chin/Getty Images

Lorde recently told Vogue her albums can be distinguished by drugs she was using at the time.

She said "Pure Heroine" is alcohol, "Melodrama" is MDMA, and "Solar Power" is cannabis.

Lorde previously said "Solar Power" started as a "big acid record," but then she had a bad trip.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Lorde recently discussed her reclusive creative process in her October cover story for Vogue, including the influences she's been under during each era.

As paraphrased by Vogue's Rob Haskell, the 24-year-old pop star revealed "her albums can be distinguished by the drugs she was using when making them."

Her 2013 debut "Pure Heroine," which deals with themes of teen angst and suburban isolation, was shaped by Lorde's early experiences with alcohol. Several songs seem to take place at drunken house parties, including the fan-favorite track "Ribs," which begins, "The drink you spilt all over me."

Perhaps most interestingly, Lorde said her 2017 second album "Melodrama" is associated with MDMA, an abbreviation for the drug commonly known as ecstasy. It's also known as "Molly" in some circles, particularly for those who use it as a party stimulant.

In her filmed "73 Questions" interview with Vogue, published in July, Lorde said the emotion that's most central to "Melodrama" is "ecstasy." The tracklist was designed to mirror a kaleidoscopic evening of post-heartbreak hedonism.

According to a 2019 study at the University of Exeter, people who take ecstasy report feeling "significantly greater emotional empathy" and are better at identifying others' emotions, compared with those who use other popular drugs like cocaine and ketamine.

Finally, Lorde's most recent release, "Solar Power," is linked to cannabis - "not bong hits in the bedroom so much as gummies on a bluff at sunset," Haskell wrote.

Story continues

Lorde previously told The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli that she originally set out to make a "big acid record."

"I had, like, one bad acid experience with this album, and I was like, 'Meh, it's a weed album.' It's one of my great weed albums," she said.

Lorde alludes to cannabis in the album's third single, "Mood Ring," which she has described as a satire of wellness culture ("We can get high but only if the wind blows just right").

You can read Insider's review of "Solar Power" here and our breakdown of all the details you may have missed here.

Read the original article on Insider

Excerpt from:

Lorde reveals she was on MDMA while making 'Melodrama' and says each of her albums can be distinguished by drugs she was using at the time - Yahoo...

Welcome to the weekend! Last chance for Fun Um Glacis, get your grape on in Grevenmacher, join commune festivals or get your kids to a reading corner. The choice is yours.

1. Have Fun um Glacis

What:funfair, rides, food, all the good stuffWhere:Glacis, 1628LuxembourgWhen:until Sunday 12.09.21, infohere

While this isdefinitely notanewattraction, residents might be convinced to go this yearsSchueberfouerstand-in as it draws to a close.With a decentselection of rides this writer did NOT expect to be shook by the 80m carousel but shook she was as well as food and restaurants, the smaller Fun Um Glacis still gives offSchueberfouervibes, without the extreme crowding, which isactually quitenice.However, if you are going for a meal, I would recommend either booking a table or going outside busy hours as waiting times can get quite long.

What:Wine Festival Where:Place dumarch, 6755Grevenmacher When:Friday 10.09.21 Sunday 12.09.21, infohere

Although this might sound like a not safe for kids event, theGrevenmacherDrauwen- anWinfest promises much more than justoozyboozy hedonism. The town on the banks of the Moselle also boasts music, a processiondipped in folklore, andlast but not least,their very own Wine Queen, who will be joined by both princesses and Bacchus himself. Go for the wine, stay for the scenery,the atmosphere, the traditionalflairand the people. AndperhapstheCrmant.

3. Consumethe culinary traditions of China visually

What:Art Exhibition Where:Concept-store Jacques Schneider, Centre commercial Cloche dOr When:09.09.21 30.09.21, infohere

Okay, sowhileI agree it would be amazing to have a free feast at our disposal, this is unfortunately not possible(at leastat this point in time). In the absence thereof,we have the next best thing:Luxembourg Universitys Confucius Institute has organised a visual journey through the rich culinary traditions of Chinas many and multifarious regions. Througha combination ofcolours,cartoonsand spices,3 artiststickle the senses,illustratelocal delicacies and unearth the cultural meaning of food.

4. Watch Julia play

What:Theatre Performance Where:1Rond-point Schuman, 2525 Luxembourg When:10.09.21 at 8pm (75 minutes)

Brazilianauhor, theatre directorand film makerChristianeJatahypartners up with PassagesTransfestivals2021in a play that revolves around the interplay betweenpolitics, love,powerand domination in modern-day Brazil. In the spirit of the festival,Jatahyputs together a piece that spans artistic disciplines, combining theatre and cinema in a personal interpretation of Swedish author August Strindbergs 1888 textMiss Julia.

5. Explorecommune festivals across the Grand Duchy

What:Music, art,theatreand street performances Where:Ettelbrck, Strassen orPtange When:11.09.21 from2pm onwards, seehereorhere

Ever wondered what Brooklyn andEttelbrckhave in common? Turns out its not just a tenuous portmanteau (just kidding, I love it) but also a passion for arts, crafts, and performance. Immerse yourself in food, fun,toysand trinkets, and be transported to citiesfar beyond the reaches of the Grand Duchy.(Although I have never been to Brooklyn and thus cannot confirm the similarity between thesetwo in particular, Iam convincedthe resemblance is uncanny!)

Another American themed event will be happening inPtangeacross 3 days, with Swing, Rockabilly and Country & Blues music and other festivities. Infohere.

For something a little closer to the city centre, try theStroossefestival!Inits10thedition, you can check it outhereor on Facebook.

Whoever says Luxembourg has little to offer is sorely mistaken.

What:Reading corner for kids Where:CourdelancienneBibliothqueNationale,9 Rue Notre Dame,2240 Luxembourg When:11.09.21 from 11am 12pm

Right next to Notre Dame Cathedral, theCitBibliothquehas set up anopen-airreading corner, complete with books, sofas, and atmospheric lights (it looks cosy as hell).A series of authors both Luxembourgish and from abroad are scheduled to read on a number of topics, including travel, comics, diversity and food, to the younger generations of the Bourg. This week Luxembourgish national Christiane Kremerwill be doing the honours. You need to email to book, and more information on how to do sohere.

7. Sports and Games festival

What:Family friendly festival organised by local clubs Where:old football field,Hosingen When:11.09.21 12.09.21 from 11am to 6pm- infohere

If youre looking for games, face painting, and sporting eventsfor all the family, look no further (cough cough) thanHosingen. Local clubs have organised the event and will be providing food and drinkfor freeee.

Have we missed anything? Let us know contenttoday@rtl.lu

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What's On September 10 - September 13 : 7 things to do in and around Luxembourg this weekend - RTL Today