When I was younger, I used to get a bit irritated by her looks for some reason—I can't quite put my finger on it—maybe because her nose seemed a little too sharp or slightly asymmetrical, or her lips looked a bit thin... I think it's just that shallow impulse where we feel like actresses always need to be breathtakingly beautiful, someone whose face you just stare at in pure awe.
But later on, after watching her in so many different films, I realized: 🙏 this is it, she is an incredible actress. And honestly, now that she’s older, I find myself liking her even more. Only really intelligent women manage to achieve that kind of grace, where they actually become more attractive, more pleasant to look at, and more magnetic as they age compared to when they were just young stars.
Besides, her emotions just radiate right out of her; she completely carries you away.
We used to head off to school in thirty-degree weather too, but back then, nobody was running around talking about global warming or climate crises or any of those other terms, right? We just assumed it was a standard, perfectly normal summer heatwave... 😬 😉
By the way, have you heard that they've shortened the school week to four days over in France? I think it’s mainly for the elementary kids, but the reasoning is fascinating—they claim children are spending far too many hours sitting in classrooms, absorbing massive amounts of information without actually retaining much of it. 😁 Their whole philosophy is that by cutting back on formal instruction, students will actually learn more effectively, all while getting to spend much more quality time hanging out with their families.
Austin Lopez4 said:Regarding work, here's the deal—people just want to be happy. What does that actually look like? It means having a job you don't hate, enough cash in the bank, a solid family life, friends, blah blah blah. Every one of those pieces carries different weight depending on the person. For you, work is clearly huge, which is why it’s messing with your head so much. Some people? They couldn't care less about their jobs. There are plenty of them out there!
I wanted to be a journalist, but my folks wouldn't let me go to the right high school or college for it. So, I played it smart: near the end of college, a few buddies and I started our own student paper. That landed me in newsrooms, eventually leading to a full-blown professional journalism career for years. In the end, I jumped ship to do something else, even though I swore I never would. Why? Because I saw the dark side, not just the perks (which seems to be your situation). My main reason was pretty existential—even though I loved the gig, I couldn't afford my own apartment or move out from under my parents' roof...
The point? Look at the downsides of being an artist too... would you really be happy if your kids were starving and you couldn't buy them what they need? Huh? I don't think so. Stop idealizing things. Just find the path of least resistance within your field. There's no such thing as a boring job, only boring people (take my word for it)...
Second tip: carve out some time for a hobby—sculpting or whatever. Sign up for a class, start hanging out with people who actually dig the same stuff you do. Who knows, maybe that hobby turns into a global phenomenon one day. Plus, that outlet will give you the energy to survive your day job... sounds crazy, but it's true...
And then... once you're world-famous, don't forget who gave you this advice 🙂🙂🙂 ME!
Stop whining. Do something real. And tell me EXACTLY what you decided to do! Did you find a class in your neighborhood? Ha! Do you have the cash for it? Are you going to actually save up? Let's get CONCRETE here, okay?
"The database crashed"... Honestly, does anything ever actually stay running with you guys? It feels like there's always some kind of system failure happening lately.
Cate Blanchett is absolutely phenomenal in this! 👍
It’s just like Joshua Diaz10 said—the Spanish ambassador and his entire entourage are such convincing, dark, and incredibly pompous villains. 😂 😁 Simply brilliant! And the Spanish King, Philip II, is just so incredibly good, and even his little daughter, the young heiress Isabella—she doesn't say a single word throughout the whole movie, yet she manages to communicate so much just through her eyes and those little glances.
I did find Mary Stewart to be a slightly weaker part of the story, though...
Sir Walter Raleigh (played by Clive Owen) was also a total revelation for me; he was so much better than I expected, especially since I had never really viewed him as much of a "tough guy," pirate, or officer and gentleman before.😉 🙂 😁.
By the way, speaking of Virginia in the USA, which Raleigh famously explored (and even named after the Virgin Mary), there's actually a city called Raleigh out there, isn't there? Jeeeee, 😁 I immediately thought of the city the moment I saw Raleigh on screen, thinking about how he brought all those potatoes and tobacco back to the Queen... hehehehe... definitely worth a watch!
Zachary Castillo7 said:Fidelity (whole herbal suspension) is made from fresh plants, so all the active ingredients stay intact. It’s unfortunately pricey at $$43 per 100ml, but it is definitely the most effective option. You can find Fidelity lemon balm, along with lemon balm tinctures and even hop tinctures (I think they have extracts too). You can pick up Fidelity at Bioterr (old Vlach district) or at the Mirisan shop: Look for tinctures at the Lavender pharmacy near the start of Petrinja Street.
But wait, how do you actually use it? Am I going to have to play chemist and mix things together myself? I mean, I'd really rather not accidentally poison ourselves since none of us are actual professionals! 😬
To be honest, I’m not really feeling the Persen either; it doesn't feel like it's actually doing much of anything for me. Zachary Castillo7, what exactly is this Fidelity passionflower blend? What kind of stuff can you typically find when they mix passionflower, hops, and lemon balm together?