Category Archives: Hedonism

VLADIMIR Putin has drawn up a kill list with six of the targets living in the UK, it has been reported.

The Kremlin strongman is planning a post-pandemic assassination campaign, saying no scum can hide from us, a Russian intelligence officer warned one of the targets.

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Russian agents have been accused of attempting to kill former KGB officer turned defector Sergei Skripal and his daughter Julia using the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury in 2018.

The murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London, using radioactive polonium 210, is also highly likely to have been ordered by the Kremlin.

Now other Russians living in the UK - Vladimir Ashurkov, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Evgeny Chichvarkin and Boris Karpichkov are also on Putins hit list, the Mirror reports.

Also being targeted are long-time Kremlin-foe Bill Browder, an American-born UK citizen, and Christopher Steele, a former MI6 officer.

Steele was identified in 2017 as the author of the "dirty dossier" that claims Russia collated a file of compromising information on Donald Trump.

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Vladimir Ashurkov, 49, was forced to step down as an investment banker in Russia because of links to Kremlin-foe Alexei Navalny, whose Anti-Corruption foundation he now heads.

Navalny was himself targeted with novichok and was jailed after returning from treatment in Germany, a move that sparked widespread demonstrations in Russia.

Ashurkov, who was granted asylum in 2015, told the Mirror he hoped the UK authorities were working to thwart any assassination attempts.

I have no doubt Russian security services are capable of executions anywhere in the world, he said.

There are at least 10 unexplained deaths in the UK. I feel safer on the streets of London than in Moscow, but nothing can ensure total safety.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky is a 57-year-old Siberian oil billionaire, now living in exile in London, who spent eight years in jail after being charged with fraud in 2003.

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Amnesty International declared him a prisoner of conscience and he was released from jail in 2014.

If Putin wants to kill me no bodyguards will help. I am a well-known opponent of Putin, he said.

Browder became a thorn in the side of the Putin after he tried to expose the "looting" of his investments in the country by corrupt officials.

This needs to be taken very seriously, said Browder.

"Putin tried to kill Navalny with novichok and anyone on Putins hitlist, including me, must take precautions. Putin is not constrained by any moral or geographical boundaries.

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Boris Karpichkov, 62, is also a former spy who defected to Britain, arriving in 1998 with two suitcases of secrets with him.

He survived two attempts to poison him when he was making a visit to New Zealand.

He says Putin's targets - such as himself - are keen for their names to be public as it is the only way to stay alive.

It makes it more difficult for Putin to deny responsibility if one of us is killed, he said.

Billionaire Evgeny Chichvarkin, 46, made his fortune after founding the countrys largest mobile phone retailer and reportedly picked up Navalnys medical bills.

He now runs Hedonism Wines in central London, which charges up to 120,000 a bottle, and the upmarket Mayfair private dining rooms Hide.

Steele and Chichvarkin have not commented on the reported hit list.

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One of the six was sent details of Putins intentions by a sympathetic Russian intelligence officer.

The same officer reportedly also warned Skripal was earmarked for assassination and has said Putin has stated: We have long arms. No scum can hide from us.

The spook tells the target: They are out to shut you up completely. Take the precaution of quickly changing your place of residence, even if only temporarily.

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Vladimir Putin draws up new kill list of opponents and six of the targets are living in Britain... - The Irish Sun

Hedonism, in ethics, a general term for all theories of conduct in which the criterion is pleasure of one kind or another. The word is derived from the Greek hedone (pleasure), from hedys (sweet or pleasant).

Hedonistic theories of conduct have been held from the earliest times. They have been regularly misrepresented by their critics because of a simple misconception, namely, the assumption that the pleasure upheld by the hedonist is necessarily purely physical in its origins. This assumption is in most cases a complete perversion of the truth. Practically all hedonists recognize the existence of pleasures derived from fame and reputation, from friendship and sympathy, from knowledge and art. Most have urged that physical pleasures are not only ephemeral in themselves but also involve, either as prior conditions or as consequences, such pains as to discount any greater intensity that they may have while they last.

The Andrians, oil on canvas by Titian, c. 152326; in the Prado, Madrid.

The earliest and most extreme form of hedonism is that of the Cyrenaics as stated by Aristippus, who argued that the goal of a good life should be the sentient pleasure of the moment. Since, as Protagoras maintained, knowledge is solely of momentary sensations, it is useless to try to calculate future pleasures and to balance pains against them. The true art of life is to crowd as much enjoyment as possible into each moment.

No school has been more subject to the misconception noted above than the Epicurean. Epicureanism is completely different from Cyrenaicism. For Epicurus pleasure was indeed the supreme good, but his interpretation of this maxim was profoundly influenced by the Socratic doctrine of prudence and Aristotles conception of the best life. The true hedonist would aim at a life of enduring pleasure, but this would be obtainable only under the guidance of reason. Self-control in the choice and limitation of pleasures with a view to reducing pain to a minimum was indispensable. This view informed the Epicurean maxim Of all this, the beginning, and the greatest good, is prudence. This negative side of Epicureanism developed to such an extent that some members of the school found the ideal life rather in indifference to pain than in positive enjoyment.

Epicurus, bronze bust from a Greek original, c. 280270 bce; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.

In the late 18th century Jeremy Bentham revived hedonism both as a psychological and as a moral theory under the umbrella of utilitarianism. Individuals have no goal other than the greatest pleasure, thus each person ought to pursue the greatest pleasure. It would seem to follow that each person inevitably always does what he or she ought. Bentham sought the solution to this paradox on different occasions in two incompatible directions. Sometimes he says that the act which one does is the act which one thinks will give the most pleasure, whereas the act which one ought to do is the act which really will provide the most pleasure. In short, calculation is salvation, while sin is shortsightedness. Alternatively he suggests that the act which one does is that which will give one the most pleasure, whereas the act one ought to do is that which will give all those affected by it the most pleasure.

The psychological doctrine that a humans only aim is pleasure was effectively attacked by Joseph Butler. He pointed out that each desire has its own specific object and that pleasure comes as a welcome addition or bonus when the desire achieves its object. Hence the paradox that the best way to get pleasure is to forget it and to pursue wholeheartedly other objects. Butler, however, went too far in maintaining that pleasure cannot be pursued as an end. Normally, indeed, when one is hungry or curious or lonely, there is desire to eat, to know, or to have company. These are not desires for pleasure. One can also eat sweets when one is not hungry, for the sake of the pleasure that they give.

Joseph Butler, detail from an engraving by T.A. Dean, 1848, after a portrait by John Vanderbank.

Moral hedonism has been attacked since Socrates, though moralists sometimes have gone to the extreme of holding that humans never have a duty to bring about pleasure. It may seem odd to say that a human has a duty to pursue pleasure, but the pleasures of others certainly seem to count among the factors relevant in making a moral decision. One particular criticism which may be added to those usually urged against hedonists is that whereas they claim to simplify ethical problems by introducing a single standard, namely pleasure, in fact they have a double standard. As Bentham said, Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure. Hedonists tend to treat pleasure and pain as if they were, like heat and cold, degrees on a single scale, when they are really different in kind.

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hedonism | Philosophy & Definition | Britannica

Hedonism is the belief that pleasure, or the absence of pain, is the most important principle in determining the morality of a potential course of action. Pleasure can be things like sex, drugs, and rock n roll, but it can also include any intrinsically valuable experience like reading a good book.

Hedonism is a type of consequentialism, and it has several forms. For example, normative hedonism is the idea that pleasure should be peoples primary motivation. On the other hand, motivational hedonism says that only pleasure and pain cause people to do what they do.

Egotistical hedonism requires a person to consider only his or her own pleasure in making choices. Conversely, altruistic hedonism says that the creation of pleasure for all people is the best way to measure if an action is ethical.

Regardless of the type of hedonism, critics fault it as a guide for morality because hedonism ignores all other values, such as freedom or fairness, when evaluating right and wrong.

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Hedonism - Ethics Unwrapped

Vampires have always been an intriguing and fascinating part of myths and lore, and when The Vampire Diaries premiered back in 2009, it came right at the height of the vampire craze that kind of swept up the world.

At first glance, it looked like just another teen drama in the same vein as Twilight. A closer look revealed that, while high in the teenage drama, this was also a series that paid respect to vampire lore, featured strong characters and plenty of twists.

The big audience response fuelled its creators to thrust for a spinoff, The Originals and much to their amusement, it became an infusion of fresh blood in the vampire genre gaining critical acclaim. Focusing on the bonds of family and heated power struggles with a big dose of vampiric hedonism mixed in, The Originals turned to darker and adult routes over The Vampire Diaries.

Comparisons aside, both shows employ highly relatable characters and story arcs leading to tons of engaging quotes. So, here's a quiz to test the biggest of fans. Can you tell the two shows apart from these quotes alone?

Answers at the end!

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Did These Quotes Come From The Vampire Diaries Or The Originals? - WhatCulture

From star serves to elegant wines and champagne, treat your mum to one of these top drops, says Sam Wylie-Harris.

Something we've become a dab hand at - fixing our own drinks.

But with Mother's Day brunches and champagne afternoon teas, or swooning over sumptuous interiors in an Insta-worthy boutique bar while sipping cocktails all off the cards right now, it's just as well!

A second Mother's Day in lockdown means one thing - this year, mums deserves double the fuss. And while you may not be able to celebrate this special day together, there's a sense of optimism as we reach out, raise a glass, and show our mums how much they mean to us.

Here's our top picks for Mother's Day...

1. Chambord Premium 'French Martini' Golden Cocktail Making Gift Set, 47.50, Amazon

Who wouldn't want to crown the day with a fruity, French martini made with Chambord, the iconic black raspberry liqueur that tastes as good as it looks? Exquisitely presented in this glamorous gift set, mum's mixology essentials include a gold cocktail shaker, measuring jigger and stirrer, two delicate glass coupes, two mini bottles of Finlandia Vodka and the velvety smooth Chambord, with its regal, orb shaped bottle. All she needs to do is add 20ml Chambord, 40ml vodka, 60ml pineapple juice, shake the ingredients over ice (until nice and frothy) and strain into a chilled coupe. Ta-da!

2. Bathtub Gin Gift Pack with Enamel Mug, 34.95, Master of Malt

Brown paper, string and wax; we love the back to basics bottling of Bathtub small-batch gin - a Victorian apothecary springs to mind, while the enamel mug, illustrated with wild garnishes (not pictured), captures on-trend #cottagecore vibes too. Juniper forward with fragrant citrus and cardamom, notes of fresh orange peel and cinnamon become more pronounced when tonic's added - put the gin into a sour, and she'll be in for an extra treat. Here's the recipe for her to try at home...

Ingredients: 50ml Bathtub Gin, 50ml rhubarb and ginger syrup, 25ml lemon juice, 1 egg white, rhubarb ribbons to garnish.

Method: Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake (no ice). Then add ice and shake hard. Strain into a short glass and garnish with rhubarb ribbons. Divine through to the finish.

3. No3 Gin x Wildabout Gin & Garnish Bouquet, 85, Wildabout (nationwide delivery from March 8-13)

A showy bouquet celebrating the best of botanicals and blooms, Wildabout Flowers have teamed up with multi-award-winning No3 Gin, a classic London Dry with refreshing layers of juniper, citrus and spice, to whisk her away to a world of citrusy essence and sunshine. Clusters of fragrant mimosa and creamy white narcissus 'bridal crown' flowers are spiked with rosemary, mint, lavender, sage and thyme, so mum can pick her garnish, fresh from the bouquet. Recipe card included.

4. Grey Goose Espresso Martini Cocktail Kit Featuring Grey Goose Original 35cl, Patron X0 Cafe Coffee Liqueur 35cl, Minor Figures Cold Brew Coffee Can 20cl and Grey Goose Martini Glass, 39.76, Amazon

Nothing beats a classic coffee cocktail at home, especially when all the hard work's been done for you. Grey Goose have worked their magic in this mini martini cocktail kit - all that's left is to garnish the branded glass with three coffee beans and a pinch of salt.

Simply add 25ml Grey Goose Vodka, 25ml Patron XO Cafe and 25ml Minor Figures Coffee into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled glass. If she prefers hers less sweet, add more vodka and reduce the amount of Patron XO Cafe. Done deal.

5. 2 x ThinK 75cl - Prosecco and Pink Sparkling Pinot Grigio Rose, Italy, 39, ThinKwine

These two 'lite' sparkling wines contain less sugar and calories than the average glass of prosecco (75 calories and 0.83g of sugar per 125ml glass, compared with the typical 80 calories and around 1.5g of sugar), and taste deliciously refreshing as promised. The brand was created by British entrepreneur Katherine Jones, who spotted a gap in the market for lower-sugar fizz that doesn't compromise on taste.

6. Lucy's Wine The Spring Box, 72, Lucy's Wine

The ideal pressie for mums who want to broaden their wine horizons, Lucy's Wine offers carefully curated boxes that can be snapped up without having to commit to a monthly subscription. Natural, organic and sustainable, this months' bundle includes a Spanish white, French red, skin-contact 'orange' wine (term for maceration and time the grape skin stays in contact with the juice for additional tannin and flavour) and a sparkling. Each cited as vibrant, bright and ready to perk up the palate.

7. Adnams English Rose Crouch Valley 2019, England, 13.99, Adnams

Ok, so Crouch Valley doesn't have quite the same je ne sais quoi as the Cote d'Azur - but this rose feels just as swish as a Provencal pink, and shows some personality too. Not just rose petals and strawberries and cream, it also hints at fresh red fruits, a leafy blackcurrant note, with citrusy acidity lifting the wine and creating a clean, savoury freshness. Perfect with the first salad nicoise of the season, or seared scallops in a rose cream sauce if you're orchestrating her Mother's Day lunch.

8. Perrier-Jouet Mother's Day Special, from 75, Biscuit Boutique

We love this artfully styled collaboration between Perrier-Jouet and the Biscuit Boutique. A tasty treasure trove of salted-caramel biscuits illustrated with the iconic white anemones, created for the champagne house by Art Nouveau artist Emile Galle for their famous Belle Epoque flower bottle. Available in a box of nine or 16, the biscuits are coated in Belgian chocolate and pair perfectly with the floral, delicate nuances and citrusy freshness of their P-J Grand Brut Cuvee.

9. Checkmate Queen's Advantage Chardonnay 2016, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, 82.10, Hedonism

This impeccable chardonnay comes from a boutique winery in the Okanagan Valley (250 miles east of Vancouver), where the first plantings date back to the early-1970s, cited as the oldest chardonnay vines in BC. Ages in French oak for 16 months, the wine is rich and creamy, with perfectly judged ripeness and concentration. Fit for a queen, if your mum appreciates a top-notch Burgundy blonde, she'll love the enticing aromas of passion fruit, papaya, lemon blossom and kiss of cream, beautifully ripened tropical fruits with hints of pineapple and caramel, a fine acidity and long, super silky finish. A diva that delivers.

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Drink: Nine top tipples to gift on Mother's Day - HeraldScotland

ROBERT Blomfield, who died in December of last year, at the age of 82, was, surely, one of the most accomplished photographers in post-war Britain. This fact is all the more remarkable because he remained, throughout his years behind the camera, an amateur photographer.

In 1967, following the selection of a number of his pictures by the British Journal of Photography, Blomfield considered transforming his hobby into his occupation. However, fearing that working to commission would blunt the spontaneity of his images, he decided to continue in his chosen career in the medical profession.

In the late 1950s and into the 1960s, Blomfield pursued his medical training and early career as a junior doctor in Edinburgh. A Yorkshireman, born in Leeds, he fell in love with the city, taking up Edinburghers affectionate nickname for their hometown Auld Reekie.

Walking the streets of the city with his trusty Nikon F SLR cameras (the logos of which he taped up, to make himself less obtrusive), the photographer captured moments in the lives of the people with an extraordinary sensitivity. Speaking to filmmaker Stu Edwards for his lovely, short 2018 documentary Robert Blomfield: An Unseen Eye (which can viewed on Vimeo), Blomfield said: You should love the picture. I love the photographs. I love the people.

That human connection, combined with his extraordinary skill, accounts for the richly deserved recognition that Blomfields photography received towards the end of his life. In 2018-19 the City Art Centre (CAC) in Edinburgh ran a popular exhibition of his pictures of the city and its people.

Last year, shortly before the photographers death, Bluecoat Press published the book Robert Blomfield: Edinburgh 1957-1966. The volume includes stories about some of the images, told by people who recognised themselves and others in the photos in the CAC show.

Now, having inherited the dizzying collection of thousands upon thousands of shots (most of them taken before Blomfield had to put down his Nikons in 1999, following a stroke), the photographers family are trying to digitise as much of his work as they can. The results of this endeavour can be viewed at the handsome website in his name.

What we find on the site, in pictures taken in Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere, is the work of a photographic master craftsman. Blomfields admiration of Henri Cartier-Bresson is abundant and clear.

However, there is also, in the love Blomfield expressed for the people he photographed, a radical humanism that Scottish photography aficionados will recognise from closer to home. In their empathy and, indeed, sympathy with the post-war working class, and, in particular, its children, there are wonderful parallels between Blomfields work and that of the great Scots-Italian photographer Oscar Marzaroli.

Sikh Gentleman, The Gorbals (1966)

Indeed, in many ways, Blomfield could almost be described as the Marzaroli of Edinburgh. Just as Marzaroli captured the lives of, mainly, working class Glaswegians with an enthralling sense of compassion and solidarity, so Blomfield did on the streets of Scotlands capital.

TAKE, for instance, Bespectacled Boy with Ball, Leith (1966). This picture of an irresistibly mischievous child in glasses and duffle coat, grubby from playing in the street, encapsulates Blomfields empathy with the people of Edinburgh as enduring subjects, people with stories, rather than mere, fleeting objects of curiosity.

The Edinburgh pictures also reflect, again and again, an eye for light and shade that is reminiscent of Cartier-Bresson. In photographs such as Student Dance, Caf Ol, University of Edinburgh Charities Week (1958) and Student Union, Teviot Row House, University of Edinburgh (1964), Blomfield creates strikingly iconic images of the student life of the time.

At the dance, the photographer captures a restrained hedonism, conducted in a semi-darkness that is shattered by a blast of electric light. In the student union, the carefully ordered, nicotine-enhanced socialising of the petit-bourgeois students is illuminated by shafts of natural light so strong that they seem almost to be solid.

The noirish Three Silhouettes, Grassmarket (1966), above, foregrounds the photographers astonishing capacity in both the composition of a picture and the perfect capturing of a moment of light and shadow. Such photographs stand as a stylish and skilful refutation of Blomfields modest assertion: I didnt have to set the stage, the stage set itself. The picture was presented in front of me. All I had to do was use the camera. It was a doddle.

Blomfield is, quite rightly, best known for his prodigious collection of pictures of Edinburgh. However, he also made brief sojourns to Glasgow, creating photographs that lend further weight to the comparison with Marzaroli.

In Collared Boy, The Gorbals (1966), for example, there is a brilliant, empathetic association with the child who is the subject of adult discipline. The picture is remarkably similar, in both its affinity with the boy and its implied disregard for authority, with photographs taken by Marzaroli of children in the self-same Glasgow community in the very same decade.

CHILDREN in Passageway, The Gorbals (1966) captures, as Marzarolis pictures of the Gorbals do, the poverty, but also the inquisitiveness and the irrepressible playfulness of the districts children. The superb, dignified photograph Sikh Gentleman, The Gorbals (1966) touches upon post-war migration to Glasgow from the Indian sub-continent with a simple, but politically charged, sense of camaraderie.

The Glasgow photographs may, understandably (given Blomfields lengthy residency in Edinburgh) be far fewer than those of Scotlands capital city, but the photographers work is being appreciated increasingly on Clydeside.

This fact is reflected in a forthcoming online event being hosted by Glasgow gallery Street Level Photoworks.

The event, which will be live streamed on March 25, will include conversation with the photographers sons Will and Ed, and his brother Johnny. It will also incorporate a screening of Edwardss mini-documentary.

Such events indicate that interest in the outstanding work of Robert Blomfield is, like the digitised collection of his photographs, set to gain an ever wider focus.

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'I didn't have to set the stage the stage set itself': The work of Robert Blomfield - The National

Turn on any television in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New York during summer in the early 1980s, and you were likely to catch a commercial featuring a creepy mime trapped behind an invisible wall, the shadowy figure of a hunchback rounding the corner of a darkened staircase, and a headless woman swatting away the attentions of a handsy mad scientist. The organ sounds of Johann Sebastian Bachs Toccata and Fugue in D minor played hauntingly in the background, while an amorphously accented voice described a series of horrors. Then came the kicker: Brigantine Castle its ALIVE!!

Brigantine Castle was just one of the haunted attractions that dotted the Jersey Shore in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when boardwalks and amusement piers from Wildwood to Asbury Park were brimming with families, couples, and teens (and before the reputation of the Jersey Shore evolved to include a particular species of hedonism), drawn by more than sandy beaches, carnival rides, and funnel cake. Months before Halloween, they also wanted to be scared out of their wits. In fact, these purpose-built, walk-through houses of horror left indelible impressions on kids like me. Unlike dark rides, such Disney Worlds Haunted Mansion, these attractions were staffed in large part by student actors who loved theatrics and makeup, and knew how to improvise. They also operated at a time when laws were much less strict and liability seemingly less of an issue. This meant that if you encountered, say, the castles butcher and he was carrying a knife, that knife was most likely real. Anything went, anything was possible. So these places soon became legendary.

Perched atop a renovated amusement pier in the coastal city of Brigantine, just northeast of Atlantic City, Brigantine Castle was the first of its era. This ominous-looking, five-story attraction overlooking the sea opened to the public in late May 1976, and is said to have drawn a million visitors annually during its heyday. It was an instant hit among adults and teenagers alike, including a then-14-year-old New Jerseyan named Paul Spatola.

My older brother Mike was a makeup artist at the castle, Spatola says, so I started hanging around there too. Spatola soon became the castles youngest staff member, earning the nickname wolf puppy. He joined a cast of costumed characters that included reputed ax murderer Lizzie Borden, a version of Psychos Norman Bates, and Lucifer, the devil himself.

From outside, the dull gray fortress of Brigantine was menacingquite a contrast to blue skies, crashing waves, and tumbling beach balls. You could often see the castles demonic-looking cast hanging around the backdoor, and watch fathers daring their teens to enter, then cringe as they handed over their tickets, fear in their eyes. I had never gone in myself, but I knew the real frights were inside. Patrons found themselves in a darkened maze of approximately 30 rooms, each with its own blood-curdling storyline.

In the rat room, dozens of screeching rodents scurried against visitors feet: a trick pulled off with rubber hoses attached to the wall and topped with fuzz, while recorded rat sounds were pumped at full-volume over a loudspeaker. The tilt room featured slanted floors so that patrons would fall toward the wall when they entered, a scare made more menacing when the staff turned off the lights. There was also Satans banquet, a feast attended by the life-size mannequins of terrors real and fictional: Henry VIII, Genghis Khan, Hitler, Vito Corleone, someone from Planet of the Apes, and more. According to Spatola, now a slot technician in Atlantic City, The devil sat above them on a shelf, overlooking the entire table.

Spatola enjoyed portraying the castles more physically oriented characters, such as the werewolf and any number of monsters that appeared in the Castles plaza room (Because you could go crazy in there, he says), there were also plenty of speaking roles. These, he says, were often the domain of acting students on break from nearby schools such as Stockton State College (now Stockton University) and Atlantic Cape Community College. Spatolas brother, Mike, spent summers at Brigantine Castle honing his skills in makeup artistry, attaching dangling eyeballs and protruding horns to co-workers faces daily. In fact, he made a successful, award-nominated career out of it.

Popular as it was, it didnt take long for Brigantine Castle to inspire others, most notably a sister attraction, the Haunted Mansion in Long Branch, 85 miles to the north. Opened in 1978, the 10,000-square-foot mansion shared many of the same themes and employees, as well as the footage used in commercials. Brigantine Castle owner Carmen Ricci even had a stake in the mansion for a time. The biggest difference between the two was accessibility: Brigantine Castle was all sharp corners and staircases, while the three-story Haunted Mansion had ramps.

Lillian Grauman worked at both Brigantine Castle and Haunted Mansion. She started at the mansion right out of high school, and found herself managing the attraction by the time she was 19. It was a lot of responsibility, says Grauman, a crew manager for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and an independent operations professional who organizes concerts. There were at least six bars on the amusement pier that housed the mansion, so after about 9 p.m. or so youd have a whole different crowd than from earlier in the day. Long Branch also attracted more New Yorkers, while Brigantine was more of a Philly crowd, she says, meaning things were a little bit rougher in Long Branch.

The tales of these places are endless. There was the time when an off-duty New York City cop dropped a gun from his ankle holster while walking through the mansion. We were all running around trying to find this gun in the dark, says Grauman, while people were still walking through. Thankfully we found it in an area where there wasnt a lot of pedestrian traffic. Then there was the day that Brigantines sprinkler system accidently activated. I was in full-costume, picking up kids and running with them, Spatola says, laughing. I thought the fire was real. Meanwhile, all theyre thinking is, Ahhh, the monster got me!

Farther south along the Wildwood boardwalk stood Castle Dracula, which opened in 1977 and included both a walk-through portion and a dungeon moat boat ride. The castle paid homage to classic horror figuresits namesake, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Phantom of the Operaand for the performers, interacting with patrons was part of the fun. We used to make gallons of our own stage blood and wed keep it in the front room so that we could use it throughout the day, says David Miller, who says he played every role under the sun at the castle each summer, from the late 1980s until 1994. Wed often come out in costume with a mouth full of blood and spit it at visitors, claiming that Humans are disgusting, says Miller, now a life coach and reiki master. This is how we introduced ourselves and set the tone. Its what made it so exciting for people.

Thayne Tessenholtz, who took on the role of Lizzie Borden at Long Branchs Haunted Mansion in its inaugural year, agrees. We always had a good time playing with the clientele, she says, especially when they played back. The actors at all three attractions were basically given carte blanche with their characters and storylines, and the more authentic the scare, the better. Like when theyd overhear a patrons name and then pass on, so that characters like The Zombie or Rat Professor could then single that person out directly. Or utilizing the secret doors in the Haunted Mansion, as Tessenholtz often did, so she could loop past the same group of people. Id be wearing a black shroud with the hood up, and mumbling Let the witch go by. It was even freaking out some of the employees, says Tessenholtz, now retired.

Then there were the optical illusions. Some were used sparingly, such as Brigantines werewolf, in which a regular performer would transfer into a wolf-like creature right before patrons eyes. It was a little difficult to do, requiring three people and a trick of light and mirrors, says Tessenholtz, so we saved it for VIPs. Others, such as the Mansions Jack the Ripper (who created the illusion of chopping off another performers head and then placing it on a table, achieved with dark lighting and black velvet cloth), were more regular features. But the illusion most beloved among visitors and despised by employees was the headless woman, one that was used frequently at both Brigantine and the Mansion.

It was the absolute worst, says Grauman. You had to sit in a chair with your neck back, and it was so uncomfortable.

There were mirrors positioned accordingly so it looked like the person didnt have a head, Tessenholtz says. But you still had to interact with the patrons as they came by.

Spatola agrees. It got to the point where women were refusing to do it, he says, so we had to use smaller men instead.

Although most of the employees at all three attractions performed a variety of roles, and did so with zeal, there were certain people who stuck to what they were good at. Our Frankenstein really only played that role, says Tessenholtz. But he was also six-foot-nine and then wore five-inch platform shoes, and he had that stocky Frankenstein build. It was perfect for him. Among these more dedicated performers, there were also a small percentage of employees who saw haunting as nothing more than a summer gig, just a bit of extra cash. Wed call them the dungeon rats, says Miller, laughing, because wed sentence them to work in the bowels of the castle all summer.

It was greater cultural currents, and not a bunch of lawsuits, that eventually doomed the attractions. With the rise of slasher filmsFriday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Streetscaring people with a low budget and more traditional characters became more and more difficult. Not to mention that the structures themselves werent exactly built to last. Everything was constructed out of wood and stucco, says Miller. So as the years went on their interiors would completely dry out, making them all highly flammable. In fact, all three attractions eventually went up in flames, though thankfully no one was hurt.

A gas and electrical fire destroyed Long Branchs entire amusement pier in June 1987. Brigantine Castle, though already closed and slated for demolition, went up in flames a few months later. Castle Dracula lived on until 2002, when it became the victim of arson. None were rebuilt. Theres too much liability these days, says Grauman.

The attractions, however, live on as fierce nostalgia, particularly in Facebook groups and the occasional reunions. With enough money, I guess you could recreate anything, Miller says. But the people and the way that we worked together? That would be really difficult to replicate.

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When the Jersey Shore Was the Epicenter for Haunted Attractions - Atlas Obscura

From left: Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Loewe. Photo: OWENSCORP/Casper Serjersen/Courtesy of Loewe

On Wednesday morning, shortly before I was scheduled to talk to Dries Van Noten about his fall collection, his office in Antwerp sent a private link to his video presentation, along with still images and a taped Q&A with the designer. The coffee poured, I typed in the password and began to watch the film, which consisted of a series of quick cuts of dancers and models moving individuallyin bursts and leaps or simply walkingon a bare semi-dark stage.

Naturally, I thought of Marc Jacobss show a year ago, which also used dancers and models and minimal effects and had the 143-person group break the wall with the audience. But Van Notens presentation was wholly different. For one thing, it was not live. It involved far fewer models and dancers just 46 in all. And it felt less choreographed and, in terms of the clothes and styling, more stripped down. Indeed, as if to heighten the occasional sparks of silver from a stiletto or the red of a glamorous mouth or a sequined top, the clothes were minimally detailed, the hair loose.

Dries Van Noten. Photo: Casper Serjesen

A year ago, several critics, including Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times, wrote that Jacobs, by thinking big, had shown what was possible on a runway, and I agreed. But that was then. Van Noten didnt just break away from a tired medium; he transformed the experience of looking at fashion. A few other designers did the same Stuart Vevers with Coach TV and Jonathan Anderson, who, in a bit of counterintuitive thinking, created for Loewe a 63-page broadsheet newspaper he dispatched to journalists around the world. Called A Show in the News, the issue feels just like the big broadsheets of yore, before the internet and falling ad revenues caused dailies to shrink revenues that once came from fashion, of course.

But, for me, Van Notens work this season belongs in a special category. His aim was to emphasize emotion and movement. As he said, Being in the lockdown, movement is restricted. You cant go out, you cant go to dance. You also miss contact hugging people, seeing friends the whole thing. Its a strange life that we have.

Dries Van Noten. Photo: Casper Serjesen

Many designers have stressed movement, but what you often get is a lot of capital-F Fashion and scenery that seems to work against that idea. The critic Rachel Tashjian, of GQ, has already commented this week on the power of Van Notens images, but I was also impressed by the clothes the fact that they seemed compact of the feelings that people have about themselves as the world reopens. Do I want to stay a little hidden, wrapped in a plain overcoat? (Van Noten showed one inspired by Joseph Beuys felt. Another style was a good, rumply trench.) Or do I go for more exposure and glamour ? (Say, a silver tinsel knee-length skirt, or a dusty blue shell top in fluffy marabou with a slim tan skirt?)

The point is Van Noten addressed the complexity of feelings that many women have, and it was expressed in both the clothes and in the video and still images. I asked him if he thought something would have been lost if he had been able to stage a live runway show with the same collection and models.

I think for me, yes, he said. Im not saying that I never want to go back to the runway [But] Im thinking now, 50 girls of the same size on a catwalk: Is this what fashion is about? Is this what people really want to see now? I think the answer is no. He added, I think fashion deserves more than something like that.

Rick Owens. Photo: OWENSCORP

Rick Owens called his power shoulders architectural bulldozers for the body. That seems accurate. Shown outdoors on the Lido in Venice, which is close to his factories, the collection is worth unpacking for its exceptional craftsmanship and new, aggressive vibe. The leather bodysuits looked great peeled down to the waist and left to dangle. Some of the white-fringed pieces looked bear-clawed, while Owenss puffers suggested multiple and decidedly conflicting images classic couture volumes, fossilized bugs, frightening paramilitary gear.

From Gaby to Gabi thats how Gabriela Hearst framed her debut at Chlo, as a kind of meant-to-be connection to its founder, Gaby Aghion. Hearst also showed outside Brasserie Lipp, the setting of Aghions early Paris shows. Of course, the link leaves out Karl, Stella, Phoebe, Clare, and the other designers who guided Chlo over the decades. Still, one cant fault Hearst for seeking roots and, perhaps, a fresh start aimed at a slightly older woman. That seemed the direction of this solid if tame debut, the best looks being the knitted ponchos with built-in puffer necklines and the long, floaty white dresses that were vintage Chlo.

Chlo. Photo: Courtesy of Chloe

The great thing about this moment, Jonathan Anderson said on Friday, is that you actually have a load of time to get the thing right. Some of the shapes we did probably had nine fittings. We used to be working on four. The extra headspace gained by not traveling, and the practice hes had at Loewe, must account for this remarkable collection. Its the most interesting and complete that hes done for the Spanish label, which is owned by LVMH. Hes taken a classical form like a dark-blue bolero, added a generous heaping of beaded fringe at the hem, and paired it with an asymmetrical skirt that has a zigzagging panel of bright color. If there is a historical reference, its been swept away by the overall sense of composition and Andersons full-on use of color and swirling pattern.

Indeed, the collection feels saturated in every sense from the tones to the crop of new jewelry and shoes, including a chunky clog. It helps, too, that the entire collection was shot on Freja Beha Erichsen in locations like Le Train Bleu, the restaurant in the Gare de Lyon.

Loewe. Photo: Courtesy of Loewe

Hedonism is switched on, the Loewe press release toots. Perhaps, but the collection definitely shows how designers can master different ways of expressing their ideas beyond a runway. Instead of the 1,200 writers and influencers who typically receive a press kit, the Loewe newspaper will be sent to more than 300,000 subscribers of dailies like the Times and Le Monde in France.

Before I woke up this morning, someone I hadnt spoken to in years got in touch and said, Oh, I just got your collection in the post, Anderson said with a laugh. Its the best way to get an object out en masse, that could kind of democratize the entire thing that were doing.

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Who Says the Runway Is the Best Way to Look at Clothes? - The Cut

Last month, Dolce & Gabbana debuted a radical change of direction with a mens show devoted to the crazy and colourful wardrobes of TikTok kids and cyber-subculture. Their autumn/winter 2021 womens show followed suit, channelling digital dressing in a conversation between technology and the young generations nostalgia for the 90s. With references to their tight, black corseted dresses from the decade, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana injected their collection with all the augmented silhouettes, outlandish colours and techy textures of the digital world, bringing virtual reality one step closer to real life. Anders Christian Madsen spoke to Stefano Gabbana about the collection and the designers announcement of Kitty Spencer as brand ambassador.

Its not the first time! I love coloured hair. My first time was 30 years ago when I bleached it. Then I went orange, then I went blue, and now Im blue again. I take inspiration from the young generation! Next, I want to go green.

We worked with the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia: artificial intelligence. Remember when we presented the show with the drones? The season after, we started to look into artificial intelligence. The idea is to take influence from technology, but the most important thing about technology is humans. Humans make technology. Its handmade.

It influenced the fabrics, the colours, the attitude. Weve tried to do something different, mixing sponging with wool, wool with plastic, vegan fabric with mohair. Weve tried to do experimental things. Our job is like a mirror that reflects the present. And today, everything is about technology especially in this moment with the pandemic. Social media, new attitudes, new approaches This is the most interesting development to us.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

The future, I dont know, but what I know for sure is that artificial intelligence is a good thing for humanity. It can create help for healthcare, for politics, for nature. I dont know the future of fashion but were starting to do something new. More than the future, we are interested in today.

Its human to be scared about the future. The new is scary. But the future is now. We dont know whats going to happen tomorrow. Domenico and I are not afraid because we are curious, and that helps a lot.

For Domenico and me, freedom is the most important word. We are designers sketching collections in Milan. Sometimes people say, Where are we going with this? Its impossible to wear this! But the world is big. If its not okay for me, maybe its okay for you, or another person. Maybe its not okay immediately, for now, maybe itll be okay in two or three years time. Thats our reflection on today.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

Half of the silhouettes come from social media: the structured things, the exaggerated volumes. The other half is very Dolce & Gabbana: tight, sartorial, slim, sexy. For many years, young people have been asking us, Ah, why dont you make the clothes you made in the 90s? The 90s, 90s, 90s

We werent 100 per cent comfortable with the idea because, you know, when youve done something before its very difficult to redo it in the same way. Youve changed your mind, mentality, age, and today is a different time. Its not the 90s. So, weve tried to do some 90s: embroidery, corsetry, sexiness. But the starting point is different.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

Today, young guys and girls dress up for themselves, for selfies, for the mirror; today sexy is the same word but with another value. The new generations approach to sexy is totally different. In the 90s, youd dress sexy for other people. In this moment, the young generations dress sexy for themselves, because they love it. Its kind of a new hedonism.

Weve been friends with Kitty (the niece of the late Diana, Princess of Wales) for a long time. We feel very comfortable in her company; talking, eating, spending time together. It was spontaneous to ask her to become the image of Dolce & Gabbana. And we love British beauty. Weve been attracted to Britain since our early beginnings. Its the most extravagant culture in the world. She walked two or three times for us. Maybe shell walk next time, when its possible to do a real show again.

Kitty Spencer walking a Dolce & Gabbana show in 2018.

Victor VIRGILE

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Its A New Hedonism: Dolce & Gabbana On Their Hi-Tech AW21 Collection And New Ambassador Kitty Spencer - British Vogue

The glam-metal music of the 1980s is known for its over the top style and sound: the teased hair, heavy makeup and spandex; prodigious pyrotechnics and bombastic power ballads; lightning-fast guitar solos.

But as journalists Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock recount in their new book Nthin But A Good Time, the genrewhich is alternatively called hard rock or hair metal, depending on whether youre a fanmade rock n roll bigger in the U.S. than ever before. The hedonism of bands like Mtley Cre and Poison made headlines, but its their single-mindedness, showmanship and melodies that ultimately yielded multi-platinum albums and sold-out arenas. Messrs. Beaujour and Bienstock conducted more than 200 new interviews with acts such as Ratt and Lita Ford and industry insiders like Spencer Proffer, who championed Quiet Riot, the first metal band to score a No. 1 album.

Nthin But A Good Time, out March 16, chronicles how 80s hard rock, initially shunned by record labels, triggered a music-industry gold rush. But despite a reputation as slick corporate rock, many early glam-metal bands plugged away for years without record deals, investing their own money and employing do-it-yourself strategies.

Mr. Beaujour, 49, and Mr. Bienstock, 45, are both long-time musicians and rock and guitar-magazine journalists. Their book is the latest in a string of rock oral histories, including Lizzy Goodmans popular 2017 history of 2000s rock, Meet Me in the Bathroom.

The authors recently talked to the Journal about the 80s hard-rock explosion and how the music industrys repetition of the same formula helped bring it all down. An edited transcript:

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The Rise and Fall of 80s Glam Metal - The Wall Street Journal