#and also a distinct lack of square noodles

[beardedhandstoadshark]

You ever think about how Wolf Link's weird square noodle hairdo looks the way it does not because it's a stylistic choice for wolves in that game (see white wolf/os), but because of the shadow beast tentacles

Because shadow beasts don't just kill their prey, but turn them into one of their kind

And Link would've also met their fate, was in the very process of meeting their fate, if it wasn't for the Triforce changing the curse into something lighter in every sense of the word?

Because I sure do

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Final Fantasy XV Review

Year: 2016

Original Platform: PlayStation 4

Also available on: PC (Steam), XBox One

Version I Played: PlayStation 4

Here we go. The final Final Fantasy review of the main single-player games. I just want to say, first off, we’ve been waiting for this game since 2006. It took them ten damn years to finally release this game. I clearly remember the teaser trailer they released when it was called Final Fantasy XIII Versus, and my next-door neighbor and I were so hyped for this game when we were freaking teenagers. After years of delays, Square Enix revamped it into Final Fantasy XV.

Did it live up to the wait? Well, read and find out.

Synopsis:

Noctis Lucis Caelum is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Lucis. On his birthday, he sets off with his three best friends and bodyguards (Ignis, Prompto, Gladio) to marry his betrothed, Lunafreya. The marriage is supposed to be a political one, though Noct and Lunafreya had grown up together and become fond of each other. But peace turns to war as the empire of Niflheim betrays Insomnia and invades. Noct, now on the run, has to reclaim his right to the throne by collecting the necessary family heirlooms which will banish the darkness.  

Gameplay:

Open-world Final Fantasy.

That is the big selling point for this game. 

A MASSIVE step up from Final Fantasy XIII’s gameplay, Final Fantasy XV has you roaming around and attacking enemies on the field in real time. The battle system returns to something slightly more conventional by having you cast spells and use items. It seems like this is what Square really intended to do after Final Fantasy XII. Looking back, Final Fantasy XIII feels like some prototype before Final Fantasy XII, so it really becomes apparent that Final Fantasy XIII’s gameplay comes off as a huge mistake.

This game’s major’s strength comes from the player engaging with a massive world. You camp. You take on hunts. You take on a bajillion sidequests. You run across the world. You drive across the world. You can ride a chocobo across the world.

However, the dip in the gameplay comes from how easily accessible these sidequests are. The map tells you exactly where you go 24/7. I started to have an existential crisis around my 50th sidequest in a row. Why am I doing this? What’s the point? I go here to kill a thing, or go there to help someone by giving a potion or taking a picture. You start to realize that a good bulk of sidequests are either hunting daemons or fetching an item. You start to deconstruct the meaning of playing a video game as you think to yourself, “Why do I play video games?” while also thinking “But wait, one more and then I swear I’m done.”.

I get it, not everyone has the time nowadays to figure out a huge game like this. I get it, video games are now marketed to everyone for ease. At the same time, I personally love a good challenge. I mean, I’m the guy who has Dark Souls as one of his favorite video games of all time, so my opinion on the matter might definitely be skewered compared to most. I generally want to feel like I actually figured something out by myself rather than following a tracker on the screen and walking from task to task and then saying, “Okay done. Next.”.

Too much of that and playing a video game starts to feel like a 9 to 5 job to me. This game is great to play during quarantine, but at one point I saw playing this game as feeling like an actual job. Wake up, eat breakfast, time to hunt some daemons.

This is the growing conflict some people have with story-driven games versus open-world games. I see the argument focused too much on words like “linear”, but in reality we should be talking about “automation”. If a video game is too automated, then did you really play a video game? Or did you watch a movie that allows you to control the camera angle? At first, the idea of driving around an open-world Final Fantasy game sounds amazing. Isn’t that what fans always dreamed of? In reality, you don’t really drive around at your leisure. Even when you have the car set to “manual”, you can’t speed up, drive off-road, or pull off a sick drift like in The Fast and the Furious. Your car still automatically stays on the road wherever you’re going. It’s not so much “manual” as it is “I can control where and when to stop and which road to take”. Riding chocobos at your leisure is much more fun, but becomes increasingly impractical as you can just fast-travel to necessary locations in your car.

The sights and sounds of the fictional world of Eos are enough to gloss over these shortcomings though. It IS still fun to roam around and fight monsters and save the day. My bottom line is, “You don’t think about just how mindless the tasks are unless you keep playing for many days straight.”. And I poured hours into this game day after day because of the 2020 pandemic quarantine.

Graphics:

Obviously the best thus far. However, in-game facial expressions on the NPCs are still quite stilted and awkward. This game made me realize that we’ve yet to jump a hurdle when it comes to in-game graphics. The game is so polished but there are still limitations when it comes to giving the characters natural movements, both in body and lips. So an NPC could be shouting “WOW THAT’S AMAZING!” but have a straight face jumping up and down, despite the fact that the character model is the most realistic we’ve created so far in a video game. I was looking back at in-game cutscenes of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, and found it ironic that they can portray body movements so much better, but that’s the trade-off. Less graphics power to portray realistic bodies, but the graphics power can then be allocated to focus on natural movements. Nowadays, all the graphics power is focused on making things look good, but that hardly leaves room for making things move naturally.

Story:

After the overly-complicated plotline of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV feels like a breath of fresh air. On the surface, it’s a straightforward tale of a boy seeking to become a king after his father is brutally murdered by enemy forces. The bromance between the young king and his bodyguards is endearing. Each character feels distinct and genuinely makes you laugh. The setup sounds like prime real estate for an emotionally charged storyline.

Unfortunately, it falls apart somewhere around the last quarter. What should have been a strong and straightforward story turned into a rushed, hasty mess by the final act.

The story started SO strong, they practically had it in the bag, but then it became apparent that many important elements were glossed over - especially when it came to the main villain. I realized that some things required me to read between the lines, or even were only explained in character dossiers in the archive section of the menu. Supposedly, the movie Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV explains more, but do you really expect me to have to watch a separate movie to understand the actual game? The final quarter of the story feels like someone was trying to finish NaNoWriMo, realized they were running out of time, and quickly jumped from scene to scene to reach that 50k word goal. The ten-year time-skip is a joke. The final chapter is sorely disappointing.

The ending was appropriate though, and even beautiful. However, the overall story didn’t have the necessary emotional weight to really make me feel anything. I thought to myself, “I feel like I should be tearing up but instead I feel nothing.”. Even Final Fantasy XII, which lacked a romance, had me swelling up at the end. Final Fantasy XV didn’t make me swell up until literally the last few seconds of the post-credits scene.

People complained about the advertising (Coleman, Cup Noodles) but that didn’t bother me.

What does bother me is the lack of variety in the main cast, and in numerous ways. There were so many interesting side characters that didn’t receive much screen time, or use at all in the story. The strong focus on only the four male leads made it a sausagefest. I was craving more out of Aranea Highwind and Iris Amicitia. They are important but don’t get any screen time at all in the final chapter, nor do we ever hear from them ever again after the time-skip. Aranea Highwind was such a cool character, but once again ends up being wasted potential.

The main cast lacked distinctive styles. When I first saw the main cast, I had a hard time telling them apart. They looked like a k-pop band. Compare the main cast of Final Fantasy XV to literally any other Final Fantasy main cast and you can immediately spot the difference.

The four main leads do have distinct personalities, and I quite loved hearing their comments and banter. It felt realistic, but at times it became ridiculous. I rolled my eyes when Prompto would say things like, “Hashtag sorry not sorry.” That was a bit too on the nose, and came off as Square trying to pander to the current generation.

But what really rubbed me the wrong way is the incredible lack of non-white characters in the entire game. Lestallum feels so wrong to me as a Hispanic. Lestallum is supposed to be modeled after Havana, Cuba.

Its music, its buildings, its activities. It has a tropical climate, and yet every single denizen is pale white. Every. Single. One. I am not exaggerating. It feels so absolutely wrong walking around that city and not seeing anyone with the slightest shade of brown. This isn’t some uncalled-for SJW rant, it’s a simple fact. Tropical climates breed tanner skins. My brain naturally did a double-take when seeing the all-white population, saying, “Hmmm, something’s wrong here.”. For God’s sake, Final Fantasy XII, made over a decade earlier, did a better job at displaying the various nuances in skin tones, and that was on the PlayStation 2! Final Fantasy X, even older, seemed to properly portray tropical beach populations, inspired by the Philippines, with the character Wakka.

I noticed that they really took the time to incorporate elements from virtually every single Final Fantasy game. Aside from the crystals, the modern settings, and other obvious elements, four male leads are reminiscent of Final Fantasy III, the sinister chancellor hearkens back to Kefka from Final Fantasy VI, the enemy Yojimbo resembles Final Fantasy X’s version of Yojimbo, a certain boss battle reminded me of Cid Raines from Final Fantasy XIII.

Also, there’s Dino. Quite possibly the most annoying Final Fantasy NPC ever.

The overly obnoxious Italian stereotype made me want to punch his face, and also took me out of the experience of the fictional world. Every time you spoke with him he's all like "HEY HOW YOU DOIN WELCOME TO OLIVE GARDEN YOU TALKIN TO ME BADA BING BADA BOOM SPICY PIECE OF MEATBALL CAPISCE? AMIRITE??"

Square seemed to treat this game as a milestone in the series, alluding to everything the series ever did. It’s a shame that the story itself wasn’t quite up to snuff to be held in such regard.

Music:           

The game’s major lyrical song is copyrighted, which is a first for a Final Fantasy game. It makes sense why they chose the song “Stand by Me”, both in literal and figurative terms of the story.             

The score to this game is quite fantastic. The series has its first female composer, Yoko Shimomura. I have absolutely no complaints about the music. Nobuo Uematsu didn’t even pop into my head during the entire game. It’s the first time since Uematsu’s departure that I felt immersed in the score. The motifs are distinct and strong. The battle music is vibrant and an orchestral orgasm to listen to.    

Notable Theme:            

“Somnus”  

The main theme of the game. It plays right away in the main menu. I love how it is incorporated into the rest of the score, and my brain kept wanting to hear it to its completion.   

Direct Sequel?           

Nope. However, there is downloadable content that fills in the gap of events within the game. Supposedly, Final Fantasy XV is loosely connected to Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-O, all sharing common themes and possibly set in the same universe. You can also watch the prequel movie, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.

Did it Live up to the Hype?           

Eh.           

Yes, and no.            

It was cool to play around, but the rest is a flaccid attempt at being a notable entry in the series “for fans and first-timers”, as the words proudly display every time you load the game. It’s not the worst in the series, but certainly not the best. It’s somewhere in the mid-to-low tier.

[ephemeral-writings]

my girl; chanyeol

16. thanks

chanyeol x reader

word count: 1.7k of fluffy?angst? 

Your co-worker once told you that love can be expressed in a number of ways. She told you that her husband leaves a cup of water on the nightstand beside her every night so she can drink it in the morning.

“I forget to drink water during the day, and I know that’s bad, but it’s his way of reminding me to hydrate myself.”

Her husband also likes to draw her a hot bath when the restaurant is kept late, so when she gets home, she soaks in lavender oil until her fingers are pruney.

“It just sucks that he’s on the road a lot, so when he’s here, I try to remember all the things he does that I’m thankful for, you know?”

You nodded, letting her words sink in.

“But, we fight just like any normal couple. It’s not pretty when we do, but it’s what it is. And at the end of the day, what matters is that we remind each other that we love one another.”

You go home that day, heart heavy that it wasn’t your boyfriend’s apartment that you were at.

“I’m home,” you announced to no one in particular.

It was dark, save for the kitchen where the light was on, and there, you find a small note containing your mother’s neat handwriting. In it, she apologizes there was no dinner made. Your parents were not expecting you home, for three whole days at that, therefore, groceries had ran low.

You sufficed with cereal for that night.

--------

Chanyeol has yet to contact you. After your fight, you spent the days following thinking about your relationship. You had accused him of taking you for granted, but after your talk with your co-worker, you began to wonder if you were entirely innocent. Sure, you did the laundry and clean the house and whatnot, and sure he never said the two words that apparently meant so much to you.

But he gives you head massages when work stresses you out. He sings you to sleep when you ask him to. He even lets you paint his nails because it was your method of therapy. He always, without a fail, manages to your food cravings. Sushi for breakfast? Done. Waffles for dinner? Done. He never once gave you crap for how unreasonable your cravings were, but instead made it happen like magic.

And like magic, you find yourself standing in front of his door. You let yourself in with the spare key he gave you. He’s not home, as you expected. It’s Saturday, the day he usually spends his time in the studio, until 9pm, when you usually get off from work. But today your boss let everyone in the restaurant off an hour earlier due to the little flow of customers.

Not much has changed in the past week since you’ve been here. After haphazardly packing a few change of clothes, you told Chanyeol that you needed a few days away from him, that you’ll be staying with your parents. He was angry, but he kept silent, knowing that you both needed time to cool off.

You change into a pair of sweats with a dark camisole that vague smells like Chanyeol. In fact, the whole apartment smells like him, you realize. Being away for a few days made his distinct scent more obvious than when you were basking in it twenty-four seven.

It’s nearing nine o’clock, and knowing your boyfriend he would be coming home to make instant noodles for dinner. You decide that making dinner would be a white flag showing, a small enough act to ease into the issue.

There’s empty bottles of soju littering the sink. You grumble under your breath, something about your boyfriend being a child trapped in a man’s body, and move the green bottles aside to prep the ingredients for beef stew. Chanyeol has admitted to you before(drunkenly, of course) that he usually sleep with alcohol in his system when he doesn’t get to sleep with you.

You’re tasting the stew for seasoning when the sound of keys jingling and the door unlocking announces Chanyeol’s home coming. The first thing he notice is the smell of food; the second thing is the black pair of non-slips that he bought you since your first ones were overworn. 

“Hey,” you say to Chanyeol when he stands awkwardly by the kitchen entrance. You sound breathless, like you’ve ran a mile and back, and your heart is drumming in your ears, making you almost miss the soft ‘hey’ from him.

You note the way your boyfriend’s shoulders are squared off, arms taut as he crosses them across his chest. His guards are still up.

“Have you eaten yet?”

He shakes his head.

Chanyeol being quiet is something you’re not used to, but you reason that he’s still mad about your fight, mad at you for accusing him of not caring about you.

Chanyeol wordlessly goes to shower while you set the table. Not even five minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom with a small towel hung around his neck, and goes to take a seat across from you. You both settle to eat in silence.

“My parents said hi, by the way,” you tell him, finally unable to stand how awkward the atmosphere was. “They want us to visit soon, both of us.”

Chanyeol looks up from his bowl, but refuses to meet eyes with you. Instead, he focuses his attention on the pot of stew sitting in between you two. He merely grunts in acknowledgement.

His lack of response slowly began to tick you off. But more than getting mad, you began to feel the familiar prickling in your nose and your throat closing up.

You knew that it was uncalled for that you called him an uncaring and thoughtless boyfriend because thinking about it now, Chanyeol is anything but. On the one hand, you wish you could kiss and make up already, but this wasn’t one of those fight where you blow up on each other for the sake of steaming off. It was more pressing than that. Chanyeol must’ve been deeply offended that you thought so lowly of him, but in reality, it was the heat of the moment that you were blinded by anger and insecurities that you failed to realize the falsities you threw at him. You knew deep in your heart that you love the man with all of your being. And you should’ve known better than to doubt his love for you. For that reason, you committed the deepest offense you could’ve ever transgressed.

On the other hand, your heart is hoping that he’ll make the first move to address the elephant in the room.

After a torturous meal together, you excuse yourself to the restroom. You removed your makeup, feeling it’s effect warn away from a day of work. Looking in the mirror, you suddenly feel too exposed. Your camisole covered very little of your skin, and if Chanyeol looked close enough, he would see the goosebumps on your neck rising from apprehension. You felt naked before him, yet all the same, he couldn’t see through you as he usually would— a feat you’ve come to love about him.

You leave the bathroom feeling more driven to end this cold war. You find Chanyeol strumming away on his acoustic with a pencil between his teeth and eyebrows knitted as he tries to find the perfect cord.

“Yeol, can we talk?” Your voice is steady, much more than your body which is shaking from all the nerves running through you. He hums off-handedly, going back to scribble notes on his music sheet.

“What the heck!” Chanyeol exclaims, startled that you had pulled his guitar from his lap. “What’s your deal?”

“No, what’s your deal? Can you at least pretend you’re listening to me when I’m speaking to you?”

He grabs the guitar back and flops it recklessly on the sofa space that he previously occupied. He stands up to his full height, sizing you up easily, and glares hard at you.

“Why? So you can accuse me of playing deaf, too?” He scoffs menacingly, and spits, “I heard you the first time loud and clear, Y/N. Apparently, to you, I’m just someone who uses you for his own selfish benefits, someone who treats you more like a servant than a girlfriend. I’m someone who keeps you around for over three years when I don’t even care about you.”

“My God, can you just listen to me for one second?” You move closer towards this tower of a man, craning your neck so far back that you find it cutting off your air circulation. Or maybe it was your anger and panic building.

“I’m sorry, okay?! What I said was wrong, all of it, and I’m sorry it even came out. But can you understand that sometimes, I just need your verbal proof of appreciation so I don’t go mad just thinking how little you must regard my efforts?”

His eyes visibly softens at the sight of your chest rising and falling unevenly, a tale-tell sign that your heart was hurting, and the last thing he would ever want to do is cause you heartache.

“I’m sorry,” he breathes evenly, gritting out his words as if he was restraining himself from apologizing. “I know I may not be the most courteous boyfriend, thanking you for cooking dinner and cleaning the house, but we both know that it’s ridiculous that I have to say it every single time. Customers who comes into your workplace may say ”thank you“ because they purposely see you as a server. But in this space, in our space, you’re my girl…and a simple thank you cannot even begin to fathom how thankful I am to have you.”

Somehow Chanyeol has gradually made his way towards you, as if there was an invisible string pulling him, and he’s standing inches from you. He takes in your rumpled mess of hair, oddly shaping your crown from the high bun you’d taken out, takes in your still-mascara-ed lashes, your pinched up face, the one you make(usually) right before bursting into tears.

And like a dam that’s been breached, you crumble before Chanyeol, running the last two steps to reach his awaiting opened arms, burying your wet face into his chest, right above where his heart beats.

He shushes your cries, planting kisses on your crown while you cling to his shirt.

“I’m sorry, for all the harsh things I said, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m sorry, too. And,” he pulls your body away to look into your eyes, wiping the remaining tears with his thumbs. “Thank you for coming home.”

[redmountaindont]

Prompt: YOU SHOULD WRITE ABOUT RAMEN NOODLES, KAY THANKS BYE

((sorry for not having this up sooner. it accidentally posted privately.))

Word Count: 1717 - Characters: Jeremy Heere, Michael Mell, Christine Canigula, The Squip - Ships: Meremy Hell

Notes: Squip lives and is weak but Michael and Jeremy are dating and Christine is a bean.

The sound of a bell was what initially raised the two teenager’s heads at the same time. The only problem with raising your heads at the same time is that they can impact. Hard.

“And this is why this place will be perfect for you two!” A chipper voice came from the side of them, Christine Canigula.

Jeremy laughed. “If you say so, Chris.” He scoffed. Usually, his go-to date restaurant was the 7-11 down the street with the great sushi and slushies. Unfortunately, Christine was not happy to find out that he and Michael hadn’t been getting the “ultimate dating experience.” Sure, she was aroace, but eventually, Michael and Jeremy gave in.

It lead them on a trip to New York, spending the morning walking around Times Square (and fanboying like crazy over the new Nintendo Switch as well as binge-eating red M&M’s at the official store.) However, now they were in Brooklyn upon Christine’s suggestion to catch an Uber and drive down. Christine had whispered in the driver’s ears the place to put into the GPS, and soon the two boyf riends were off, not having the slightest clue where they were headed.

Turns out, they were here: Ichiran NYC. It was a Japanese chain that had recently moved to NYC and sold “the best ramen ever in actual human existence,” according to Chris.

Michael took off his headphones for a minute, hanging them on his neck. “So what exactly is so special about this place?” He asked, looking around. “I can make twelve packages for three bucks at home.” Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh. It was true. The two teenage boys had enough ramen to last them throughout the rest of their junior and senior year at high school. Christine joined in the laughter.

“Trust me, you’ll like this place. Now c'mon. That was the bell for us.” The theater nerd walked the two boys down a pathway, to a row of enclosed spaces. It looked like the SATs in the cafeteria at Middleborough. Michael walked sideways, poking his head in and out of the tiny stalls. Jeremy chuckled and elbowed him in the side. The boy in the red sweatshirt whined and flicked Jeremy back. Jeremy was about to tug on Michael’s hair when Christine turned around and shushed them. “God, I can’t take you two anywhere,” she scolded, before turning back around to follow the hostess.

“Enjoy!” The woman said, giving a bow. Christine and Michael bowed back, saying thank you. Jeremy stood there like the awkward, uncultured swine he is. Christine sat down first, purposefully putting herself between the two boyf riends.

“This is the fun part. Nobody talks to you! You even write down your order on this little form.”

Michael held up his hand, leaning back farther so he could see both Christine and his partner. “Wait, but-”

“Buh!

“Wha?”

“No.”

“A-”

“Stop.” Christine snickered. “Now you guys have a chance not to be all lovey-dovey and awkward. Enjoy!” And with that, she stuck her head back into her seat. Jeremy could faintly hear the writing on the paper. He looked up to find that Michael was staring. The boy blushed before placing his head back into the tiny stall. Jeremy found himself alone with his thoughts.

This place definitely wasn’t claustrophobic-friendly. The boy looked down at the menu in front of him. Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, awkwardly fidgeting with the other. The silence was bugging him.

“I can always fix that.”

Jeremy leaped back, nearly falling off the chair at the voice in his head. “You again?” He hissed under his breath. “I just took a shot of Red, you should be offline.”

The Squip laughed. “Yeah, but you also went to the bathroom like four times after that thanks to the street pretzel. The mountain dew is out of your system already.”

The teenager grumbled before leaning back. He was about to ask Michael for a shot of Red Mountain Dew (they kept it in tiny apple juice boxes just in case) when a more feminine face shot in front of him.

“Shhh!” Christine had a finger to her lip-gloss covered lip. She really actually did go a bit overboard at the Forever 21. Jeremy tried to protest, but Christine grabbed his head, turned it back around and nudged him forward with two taps on his back. The lanky teenager found himself alone again.

“Nice try, Jere.”

“Shut up, you stupid computer.”

“Actually, I have more information on my hardware than the internet altogether, so I doubt you should be calling a supercomputer stupid.”

Jeremy scoffed before looking up to the left of his small corner of the restaurant. A button lay there, indicating that it was for placing your order form. The teenager pressed it, submitted his order and laid back. He waited. Jeremy wished he could talk to Michael. He’d speak to him about what new games were out, which was the better console, and how much he was thankful for him and how much he loved him and how much he loved his hair and his hands…

“Getting off topic there, Heere.” The Squip snarked in his brain.

“I wasn’t thinking about… about that.”

The Squip snickered. “You can’t lie to me, Jeremy. I’m inside your brain. Haven’t we gone over this?”

Jeremy blushed. Okay, so maybe he was. “What does it matter? He’s my boyfriend. I can think of him however I want. Freedom of Speech.”

A mini-Squip materialized on the table in front of him, albeit a bit glitched out and missing some important pieces. You know… like legs. “Yeah, but you’re also in a restaurant. So stop that.”

A tickle went down Jeremy’s spine. It was the Squip’s new way of shocking him. Except they were pretty much powerless thanks to the steady Red Mountain Dew diet and newfound self-confidence (from the great Michael Mell).

“Also, you’re talking through your thoughts. Freedom of Speech doesn’t apply here, Heere.” Squip laughed at their own joke. “Oops. Move your hands.” The Squip poofed from in front of him.

“What?” Jeremy started to move his hands when the shutter in front of him opened.

The person behind the counter placed a bowl of ramen in front of him with his selected garlic, scallion, and sliced pork choices. “Tanoshimu!” The male voice called from behind, before placing a pair of chopsticks and a fork at his side and closing the shutter.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t the pork flavored ramen he got at home, but damn did it smell delicious! Jeremy picked up the fork (even the Squip couldn’t help him with chopsticks) and began to dig in.

“If there’s one thing you humans do well, it’s make food. Judging by the amount of dopamine in your brain, it tastes fantastic. It’s almost like you were kissing Michael.”

Jeremy sputtered, almost choking on the noodle he slurping. “I’m eating here!” He thought angrily. Jeremy could hear the Keanu Reeves doppelganger laughing in his head.

“You look as red as the lanterns in the lobby,” The Squip quipped. Jeremy groaned as he took another bite of pork. Why did it always do this?

“Embarrass you? It’s a form of revenge.”

“I wasn’t asking you.” He grumbled out loud. A quiet giggle dragged him out of the conversation with his computer. Jeremy leaned back once more to see Christine laughing. “What?!” He asked, annoyed.

Christine covered her mouth, giggling. “A-Are you talking to yourself cause you’re so lonely?”

Jeremy put a hand over his chest, acting as though he was offended. “How dare you! Talking to myself? Whatever could make me do that?” He held a confused face before letting his face fall. Christine got the hint.

“Yikes. You don’t think this place has Red Mountain Dew here, do you?” Jeremy gave her a look. “Okay, okay. Fair enough.” She shrugged before turning around. A murmur of talking ensued, ending with a mouthful of “what?!”

The squeak of the stool they had been sitting on could be heard as Michael made his way over. “Yo dude, are you okay? What’s it saying? Do I have to punch it again?” The poor teenager was so worried he was looking in the wrong pouch for the Red Mountain Dew apple juice boxes.

Jeremy laughed, guiding his boyfriend’s hands to the right zipper. “I’m fine, dude. It’s just being a nuisance.” And also teasing me about liking you.

“He doesn’t need to tease you about that. You show it anyway.”

Shit! Was that out loud?

“Jeremy, you’re still doing it.”

“Oh.”

The moment dragged on for a minute, just the two staring at each other before…

“Here.” Michael handed Jeremy a juice box. He nodded, drinking some.

“Jeremy, please reconsider this. You kno- oh! It hurt zzz when yo-oo! Ow! Jereeeeemeeeey.” The computer slowed to a stop leaving a distinct lack buzzing in Jeremy’s head.

“Thanks, Michael.” Jeremy gave him a hug. It was awkward though, as he was sitting down and Michael standing in front of him. Michael let out a laugh, gently shoving him away.

“We’re supposed to have no contact, remember?” Jeremy made a pouty face. Michael rolled his eyes. “How could I say no to that?” He cupped his hand on Jeremy’s face, pulling him up for a quick, sweet kiss. Jeremy smiled.

“Hey, you two!” A sharp, quiet voice came from their side. Both boys turned at the same time. The only problem with turning your heads at the same time is that they can impact. Hard. Christine sighed. “Even when you’re separated, you’re still adorably awkward nerds.”

[angrycollectordaze-me-blog]

Essay代写：Modern urban painting

下面为大家整理一篇优秀的essay代写范文- Modern urban painting，供大家参考学习，这篇论文讨论了现代都市绘画。如今，现代都市不仅是都市人的栖身之所、艺术活动的承载之地，更是反映时代的宏大景观，绘画视角应当更有当代的都市气息，真切地反映现实生活，这也是绘画的发展趋势，在许多大型美术展览上都能感受到。无论是探讨社会变迁的身份问题，还是快节奏下的生存状态，现代都市绘画都具有非常多的可能性，它本质上就是都市人对于自身和环境的思考。

Since the reform and opening up, economic construction has become the theme of The Times. As a special economic zone, shenzhen has created a miracle attracting worldwide attention. In this context, modern urban painting has very distinct practical significance and characteristics of The Times. With the development of society and the prosperity of civilization, the painter's expression and understanding of the city gradually entered into his painting works. At the same time, it was accompanied by the process of city commercialization. Take shenzhen as an example. This is a process of "city" and "city". Because of the decision to set up special economic zones, because of the "city" and "city", economic construction developed, and then because of the "city" and "city", promote the renewal of the city construction, high-rises rise. "City" because of "city" is the impetus of policy, "city" because of "city" is the drive of interest, which is exactly in line with the theme of "economic construction as the center", its essence is to pursue interests and build. Reclamation, opening mountains, digging tunnels, building airports, ports, high-speed rail, subway... Everything paves the way for faster economic construction. Model commercial real estate development, construction of residential buildings, office buildings, shopping square... There are stylized branches of big brands in the square, companies set up in the office buildings are involved in real estate, finance, Internet, high-tech, and residential buildings are all people indirectly involved in or building this model.

Faced with such a modern and commercial city, should painting take the initiative to reflect the current social situation? Are they thinking differently than they used to? Do you dig, examine, and criticize the hearts of the people who live in this glass and concrete forest? This necessity cannot be ignored. The modern urban painting we discussed was born under this background and theme of The Times. This is a discussion based on the perspective of shenzhen with local characteristics.

Is the scenery in the city or in the countryside? This question actually asks about the aesthetic tendency, there is no definite answer. However, according to the custom, they are all "to the countryside to sketch", and the traditional art education is "close to the countryside, far from the city". Undeniably, the beauty of light and color in nature is indispensable in the training of color painting. French impressionism and Russian touring exhibition school of landscape painting have exerted an important influence on the creation and education of landscape painting in China, and this established aesthetic mode seems to have never been out of date. The articles published by the educational module of lu xun academy of fine arts in the journal are indeed as the author said, "repeating the same old tune", which is inseparable from the paradigm of modeling, aesthetics and technology. Under the influence of the teachers, the students went to the countryside to sketch, regardless of the course requirements, giving people a feeling that the painter should "avoid the city" self-cultivation. This mass sketching movement has become a kind of tourism industry, such as the "painter's village" in anhui province, which is also constantly building new archaized hui-style buildings and archaized inns catering to painters and tourists. Artists sometimes avoid overly "artificial" cities and just go to another "artificial" environment, but their plots of sketching can be satisfied. The author also had this kind of sketch plot, go alone tour mountains of ethnic minority autonomous region sketch, but the more begin to reflect on their own works, the men of the city is keen to show the beautiful scenery of the countryside and color, can not think, rural people are yearning we live in a city, our performance was good for the locals is an insurmountable barrier? With the mentality of tourists, it seems that we can never understand the real state of people and nature at that time. Of course, we can also practice our own modeling, aesthetics and technology regardless of everything.

Art comes from and reflects real life. There are also some local old painters in shenzhen who put their eyes on the city of current life, such as li chuchi's "chiwan golden autumn" and he zhenxiang's "one of the dreams of new port", which are the expression of shenzhen chiwan port and yantian port docks, which are works reflecting real life. Facing the wave of reform and opening up and urban construction, what we are facing is the scenery that our predecessors have been looking forward to for a long time.

The concept of shanshui city was first put forward by Mr. Qian xuesen in 1990. The first is the harmony and unity between man and nature, the second is the harmonious development of natural environment and artificial environment, and the third is the combination of Chinese classical cultural tradition and foreign advanced culture and architectural technology. After seeing the works of shenzhen painters, Mr. Qian came up with the idea of "urban landscape painting". Since 1992, the subject of "urban landscape painting" has been concerned by many artists from all over the country. Painter song yuming is one of them, "shenzhen xiaomeisha summer" is his work, this painting is "urban landscape painting" representative of the early works. According to song yuming, it is particularly important to "restore" the spiritual core of the city in his works and reflect his own profound experience in it.

In the "impression city -- contemporary urban landscape painting nomination exhibition" held by wuhan art museum in 2010, nine artists jointly depicted various modern cities at home and abroad, most of whom experienced the "urbanization" period of the construction of new China and the reform and opening up. The works exhibited in this exhibition have a wide range of contents, including shopping malls, hot and dry noodle shops on the streets of Shanghai, high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, European churches, trams and so on. The works have different styles and techniques. Fan feng, the artist and curator of wuhan art museum, said that although ancient paintings like "riverside scene at qingming festival" have been used to depict urban life, urban landscape painting lacks references and mature techniques, which pose challenges for future creation.

In modern urban painting, the combination of ink and wash materials is one of the directions. Can "urban landscape" combine modern urban landscape with traditional Chinese painting with literati interest? It is still worth discussing the effect and degree of freedom of the strong psychological conflicts in individual's spiritual life under the background of "urbanization" while the traditional media show the city image.

Modern city is not only a place for urbanites to live and a place for artistic activities, but also a reflection of the grand landscape of The Times. Our painting perspective should be more contemporary and truly reflect real life, which is also the development trend of painting and can be felt in many large art exhibitions. Whether it is to discuss the identity of social changes or the living state under the fast pace, modern urban painting has a lot of possibilities. It is essentially the reflection of urban people on themselves and their environment.

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[michaelfallcon]

A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Newcastle

The vibrant city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is known for its nightlife, its numerous bridges, its distinctive “Geordie” accent, and of course, brown ale. But if you prefer your beverages hot and caffeinated, you will not be disappointed with this northern city’s diverse and growing coffee culture.

Whether you are just visiting Newcastle, or already live here and are after a new place to get your coffee, there is no lack of great cafes in the city. There are also several roasteries based in the North East region, including Ouseburn Coffee Co., Tynemouth Coffee, Pink Lane, and longstanding classic Pumphreys. Furthermore, the many cafes and coffee shops in the area are varied in their atmospheres and approaches, resulting in a unique coffee scene and a lack of overt competitiveness. Newcastle offers everything from cozy hangouts with a focus on local produce, to sleek, minimalist, Aussie-inspired multi-roasters.

The locations of the shops included in this guide show that wherever you are in Newcastle, you are never too far from a decent cup of coffee. Whether you are exploring the shops of Northumberland Street, in the quiet suburb of Heaton or exploring contemporary art across the river in Gateshead’s BALTIC gallery, there is an excellent barista somewhere in the vicinity.



  Pink Lane Coffee

Anyone visiting Newcastle by train is lucky enough to have Pink Lane to greet them almost as soon as they step out of Central Station. Conveniently located on the eponymous cobbled lane, the shop has been open since 2012.

Pink Lane is recognizable by a copper sign adorning the exterior. Inside, you place your order at a simple white and grey tiled bar, garnished by a range of cakes (and often donuts!) and lined with white metal bar stools. The walls are adorned with illustrations including a coffee-sipping badger. The shop has plenty of smaller tables, popular with laptop-users, as well as some larger spaces and a much-Instagrammed pink neon sign towards the back.

The shop offers a range of filter brews, as well as the usual array of espresso-based choices and other hot drinks. Despite being a multi-roaster shop, Pink Lane is known for the coffee produced by its very own roastery. Using responsibly-sourced beans from around the globe that are roasted on the lighter side, this roastery produces stunning, unique coffee favored by baristas for miles around. The company has been known to support new and local businesses and is a perhaps the highlight of Newcastle’s independent coffee scene.

Pink Lane Coffee is located at 1 Pink Ln, Newcastle upon Tyne. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  BLK

There is no shortage of cafes in Heaton—a suburb popular with students and families—but BLK stands out. This place would be easy to underestimate, not least due to its compact size. However, visit BLK and you will see that it is well worth straying from the center of town for. I have never had a coffee from BLK which I could fault, and it is clear that effort goes into every drink.

While many of Newcastle’s coffee shops are understandably loyal to local roasteries, it is refreshing that BLK has chosen to go the multi-roaster route. During a recent visit, the espresso on offer was Round Hill Roastery’s Costa Rica Unit Fourteen, while the range of filter offerings included Has Bean’s Ethiopia Tadess Roba (v60) as well as options for Kalita and AeroPress. Past guests have included beans from Berlin’s Five Elephant.

The minimal-styled shop has just a few seats and offers a small range of cakes and pastries. However, if you choose not to sit in, there are worse ways to spend a sunny afternoon than strolling through leafy Heaton Park and exploring Chillingham Road’s quirky shops with a perfectly-poured flat white in hand.

BLK is located at 214 Chillingham Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Camber Coffee

Located above Start Fitness on the city center’s Market Street, Camber Coffee is the definition of a hidden gem. Once you reach the stairs through rails of fitness gear and sportswear, you will find yourself rewarded by a spacious cafe with friendly staff.

Camber seems to have found the halfway point between minimalist and cozy, embellishing their tables with books and plants without creating a cluttered feel. With its generous seating and laid-back atmosphere, it is the ideal place for larger groups to meet up. Framed cycling jerseys adorn the walls, but you might just forget that you are in a fitness store once seated.

Camber offers a simple coffee menu, focusing on espresso-based drinks. The beans come exclusively from Pilgrims Coffee of Holy Island, showing their loyalty to local providers. Pilgrims is a small, rural roastery offering seasonal, sustainable, and ethically-sourced products. Camber’s food is all vegetarian and/or vegan. A new menu was recently introduced, and the kitchen now offers regular specials such as a black bean udon noodle bowl.

Despite being hidden in plain sight, Camber’s unusual location is a big draw, making it the ideal sanctuary from the crowds of shoppers in nearby Eldon Square.

Camber Coffee is located at 33-35 Market St, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Backyard Bike Shop

By the River Brew Co opened in 2018 in Gateshead, just across the Tyne from Newcastle. Identifying as a “creative container community,” the waterside complex includes a street food market, a microbrewery and concept restaurant Träkol. In amongst all of this is Backyard Bike Shop, which has the capacity to both fix your bike and serve you some of the best coffee either side of the river.

The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming with a slight rustic edge. The space doubles as a cocktail bar by night, but during the day you can sit back with a coffee and enjoy a view of either the lively scene over the Tyne or the warm bike workshop, complete with fireplace. The container complex is a short walk away from cultural hotspots, including the famed BALTIC contemporary art center.

Backyard Bike Shop sources its beans from Pink Lane, and the coffee is consistently good. During my recent visit, the espresso was a creamy Peru Cajamarca San Ignacio, while the filter option was the floral Ethiopia Adado. A brunch menu consistent with the warm interior features dishes such as ricotta pancakes with berries and walnuts. Patisserie-standard cakes are always available too.

Backyard Bike Shop is located at Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2BA. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

  Laneway & Co

Laneway & Co is a small but significant addition to Newcastle’s range of coffee shops. Hidden away down a quiet cobbled street, this shop mingles with a range of independent stores and restaurants including vintage store Retro and gin-drinker’s paradise Pleased to Meet You. This street certainly stands out in a city largely dominated by big-name brands.

In addition to its location, Laneway’s stylish white and wooden interior and laid-back soundtrack make for a relaxed spot to grab a coffee. They are laptop-friendly and the staff could not be more welcoming or knowledgeable. There are impressive cakes, pastries and several breakfast choices to enjoy. The house espresso is from Allpress and the filter options are usually via the excellent Origin.

Laneway & Co is located at 17-19 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Also Worth Visiting

Ernest

This homey bar is based in the artistic Ouseburn area of Newcastle. The unique, quirky decor is clearly heavily influenced by Star Wars and it serves up some of the best brunch in the city. However, it is also a great place to grab a coffee, with beans from local roasters Ouseburn Coffee Company (OCC).

Pumphreys

Established in 1750, Pumphreys is by far the longest-established roastery in Newcastle. This family business offers training, equipment, and wholesale beans, but also has a “coffee centre and brewing emporium” located in the city’s indoor Grainger Market. While their beans are generally roasted a lot darker than those you would find in many third-wave shops, Pumphreys is certainly dedicated to the trade and are the beans of choice for cafes and tearooms all over the North East.

Emily Bolt is a freelance journalist and coffee professional in Newcastle. This is Emily Bolt’s first feature for Sprudge.

The post A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Newcastle appeared first on Sprudge.

A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Newcastle published first on https://medium.com/@LinLinCoffee

[shebreathesslowly]

A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Newcastle

The vibrant city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is known for its nightlife, its numerous bridges, its distinctive “Geordie” accent, and of course, brown ale. But if you prefer your beverages hot and caffeinated, you will not be disappointed with this northern city’s diverse and growing coffee culture.

Whether you are just visiting Newcastle, or already live here and are after a new place to get your coffee, there is no lack of great cafes in the city. There are also several roasteries based in the North East region, including Ouseburn Coffee Co., Tynemouth Coffee, Pink Lane, and longstanding classic Pumphreys. Furthermore, the many cafes and coffee shops in the area are varied in their atmospheres and approaches, resulting in a unique coffee scene and a lack of overt competitiveness. Newcastle offers everything from cozy hangouts with a focus on local produce, to sleek, minimalist, Aussie-inspired multi-roasters.

The locations of the shops included in this guide show that wherever you are in Newcastle, you are never too far from a decent cup of coffee. Whether you are exploring the shops of Northumberland Street, in the quiet suburb of Heaton or exploring contemporary art across the river in Gateshead’s BALTIC gallery, there is an excellent barista somewhere in the vicinity.



  Pink Lane Coffee

Anyone visiting Newcastle by train is lucky enough to have Pink Lane to greet them almost as soon as they step out of Central Station. Conveniently located on the eponymous cobbled lane, the shop has been open since 2012.

Pink Lane is recognizable by a copper sign adorning the exterior. Inside, you place your order at a simple white and grey tiled bar, garnished by a range of cakes (and often donuts!) and lined with white metal bar stools. The walls are adorned with illustrations including a coffee-sipping badger. The shop has plenty of smaller tables, popular with laptop-users, as well as some larger spaces and a much-Instagrammed pink neon sign towards the back.

The shop offers a range of filter brews, as well as the usual array of espresso-based choices and other hot drinks. Despite being a multi-roaster shop, Pink Lane is known for the coffee produced by its very own roastery. Using responsibly-sourced beans from around the globe that are roasted on the lighter side, this roastery produces stunning, unique coffee favored by baristas for miles around. The company has been known to support new and local businesses and is a perhaps the highlight of Newcastle’s independent coffee scene.

Pink Lane Coffee is located at 1 Pink Ln, Newcastle upon Tyne. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  BLK

There is no shortage of cafes in Heaton—a suburb popular with students and families—but BLK stands out. This place would be easy to underestimate, not least due to its compact size. However, visit BLK and you will see that it is well worth straying from the center of town for. I have never had a coffee from BLK which I could fault, and it is clear that effort goes into every drink.

While many of Newcastle’s coffee shops are understandably loyal to local roasteries, it is refreshing that BLK has chosen to go the multi-roaster route. During a recent visit, the espresso on offer was Round Hill Roastery’s Costa Rica Unit Fourteen, while the range of filter offerings included Has Bean’s Ethiopia Tadess Roba (v60) as well as options for Kalita and AeroPress. Past guests have included beans from Berlin’s Five Elephant.

The minimal-styled shop has just a few seats and offers a small range of cakes and pastries. However, if you choose not to sit in, there are worse ways to spend a sunny afternoon than strolling through leafy Heaton Park and exploring Chillingham Road’s quirky shops with a perfectly-poured flat white in hand.

BLK is located at 214 Chillingham Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Camber Coffee

Located above Start Fitness on the city center’s Market Street, Camber Coffee is the definition of a hidden gem. Once you reach the stairs through rails of fitness gear and sportswear, you will find yourself rewarded by a spacious cafe with friendly staff.

Camber seems to have found the halfway point between minimalist and cozy, embellishing their tables with books and plants without creating a cluttered feel. With its generous seating and laid-back atmosphere, it is the ideal place for larger groups to meet up. Framed cycling jerseys adorn the walls, but you might just forget that you are in a fitness store once seated.

Camber offers a simple coffee menu, focusing on espresso-based drinks. The beans come exclusively from Pilgrims Coffee of Holy Island, showing their loyalty to local providers. Pilgrims is a small, rural roastery offering seasonal, sustainable, and ethically-sourced products. Camber’s food is all vegetarian and/or vegan. A new menu was recently introduced, and the kitchen now offers regular specials such as a black bean udon noodle bowl.

Despite being hidden in plain sight, Camber’s unusual location is a big draw, making it the ideal sanctuary from the crowds of shoppers in nearby Eldon Square.

Camber Coffee is located at 33-35 Market St, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Backyard Bike Shop

By the River Brew Co opened in 2018 in Gateshead, just across the Tyne from Newcastle. Identifying as a “creative container community,” the waterside complex includes a street food market, a microbrewery and concept restaurant Träkol. In amongst all of this is Backyard Bike Shop, which has the capacity to both fix your bike and serve you some of the best coffee either side of the river.

The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming with a slight rustic edge. The space doubles as a cocktail bar by night, but during the day you can sit back with a coffee and enjoy a view of either the lively scene over the Tyne or the warm bike workshop, complete with fireplace. The container complex is a short walk away from cultural hotspots, including the famed BALTIC contemporary art center.

Backyard Bike Shop sources its beans from Pink Lane, and the coffee is consistently good. During my recent visit, the espresso was a creamy Peru Cajamarca San Ignacio, while the filter option was the floral Ethiopia Adado. A brunch menu consistent with the warm interior features dishes such as ricotta pancakes with berries and walnuts. Patisserie-standard cakes are always available too.

Backyard Bike Shop is located at Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2BA. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

  Laneway & Co

Laneway & Co is a small but significant addition to Newcastle’s range of coffee shops. Hidden away down a quiet cobbled street, this shop mingles with a range of independent stores and restaurants including vintage store Retro and gin-drinker’s paradise Pleased to Meet You. This street certainly stands out in a city largely dominated by big-name brands.

In addition to its location, Laneway’s stylish white and wooden interior and laid-back soundtrack make for a relaxed spot to grab a coffee. They are laptop-friendly and the staff could not be more welcoming or knowledgeable. There are impressive cakes, pastries and several breakfast choices to enjoy. The house espresso is from Allpress and the filter options are usually via the excellent Origin.

Laneway & Co is located at 17-19 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  Also Worth Visiting

Ernest

This homey bar is based in the artistic Ouseburn area of Newcastle. The unique, quirky decor is clearly heavily influenced by Star Wars and it serves up some of the best brunch in the city. However, it is also a great place to grab a coffee, with beans from local roasters Ouseburn Coffee Company (OCC).

Pumphreys

Established in 1750, Pumphreys is by far the longest-established roastery in Newcastle. This family business offers training, equipment, and wholesale beans, but also has a “coffee centre and brewing emporium” located in the city’s indoor Grainger Market. While their beans are generally roasted a lot darker than those you would find in many third-wave shops, Pumphreys is certainly dedicated to the trade and are the beans of choice for cafes and tearooms all over the North East.

Emily Bolt is a freelance journalist and coffee professional in Newcastle. This is Emily Bolt’s first feature for Sprudge.

The post A Coffee Drinker’s Guide To Newcastle appeared first on Sprudge.

from Sprudge https://ift.tt/2Z2SZC1

[critdecomp]

On making music most people will dislike

Gordon Mumma - Cybersonic Cantilevers (1973)

Mumma (born 1935) is, to me, one of the underappreciated peripheral figures of the New York scenes centered around Cage and Tudor. The maker and designer of many devices used or modified by Tudor, he was the one to introduce the latter to semiconductors after vacuum tubes proved to be too much for the pianist (source: chatting with Nic Collins).

Here are the liner notes for the New World Records 2005 Gordon Mumma release:

Cybersonic Cantilevers (1973) extends his resourceful use of live-electronic processes to include the active participation of audience members, many of them children and teenagers who were quick to grasp the artistic potential of cybersonic technology.

http://www.newworldrecords.org/album.cgi?rm=view&album_id=15052

The piece begins with an electronic stutter covering a faint background hum, eventually (d)evolving into a full on electronic orchestra of syncopated perscussive sounds washing against a drone, with a few vocal stutters along the way. Eventually, the percussive sounds fade away, giving back way to a sparse stutter from the beginning of the piece. The last 10-12 minute of the piece then center around this modulated drone, peppered with bleeps, scratches and sub-bass rumbles.

Although I've grown fond of listening and making music "like this" - music with no song structure, music exploring a process, music about offering a set of interactions to an unpredictable force - I forget that to most people not involved in making this type of work do not hear the point of this. My grandma tends to ask me "at which point does the melody come in?" Experiments in Art and Technology (EAT) were the height of this "panacea that failed," as systems-theorist and artist Jack Burnham would eventually qualify it. The criticism hasn't changed much: people coming from listening to pop music ask if the song ever start, while those up for a bit of a challenge feel like the disconnection between the underlying concept (whatever it may be) and its usually abstracted form are disappointing at best. "You don't leave half the argument up to the audience to figure out" said my Science and Technology Studies professor when summarizing his criticism on avant-garde music.

David Behrman - Wave Trains (1966)

This becomes almost limpid in David Behrman's 1966 piece Wave Trains, in which Mumma controls the electronics (transducers and microphones creating a feedback loop around a piano). Assuming Behrman is at the piano, and Mumma at the electronics, you can hear them clearly interact through the common medium of the piano's string and frame. The closed loop of the system means hierarchies are agreed upon and negotiated throughout the piece. The relative lack of traditional "piano sound" means that Behrman - the official composer for this piece - is mostly interested in the sonic consequences of that negotiation. You mostly can differentiate the clear feedback from the overtoned resonances, and you can hear them interact - the blurring of responsibility is equivalent to a blurring of timbral identities.

Again - this is work I'm happy to listen to, because my personal history in and around these practices has shaped my listening to appreciate this type of interaction as represented through sound. I would love to learn about what precisely the piano was, what the microphone was, what the transducers were, if there is any type of instruction from Behrman, and maybe even try to reperform this piece - but I've also come to accept that I am in a minority, and that perhaps this is why Mumma remains an underappreciated figure in my eyes: no moment of fame with a Sitting in a Room or 4:33, and no commercial breakthrough a la Oh Superman. Same could be said of Behrman, whose work I'd qualify as the electroacoustic parallel to Mumma.

Nic Collins - In Memoriam Michael Waisvisz (2009)

Nic Collins (born 1954) is part of the younger generation of people who worked with Alvin Lucier and David Tudor after Behrman and Mumma. I saw this piece performed multiple times before know what exactly it referenced, and before I understood Collins' position in this type of practice: I genuinely enjoyed this piece. I was just familiar enough with the modes of operation of the square wave oscillator attached to the photocell controlled by the candle to know exactly what was happening (40106/4093 circuits built from his book Handmade Electronic Music have a distinctive timbre because of the specific pulse-width they end up producing, as I'd learn from Nic).

Reading about Michael Waisvisz, a colleague of Nic's during his tenure at STEIM, you understand both something about these friends, their respective personalities, and interactions (it takes special people to dedicate a dramatic whiny toy performance in your honor, and perform it many many times, after your death). I find something particularly touching about a piece which so humorously captures a relationship probably based around jest and playful professionalism (these are, after all, two people with careers of making strange sounds with other people) and yet achieves profoundness with building blocks as silly as a birthday cake candle and a personal battery powered fan (as Nic walks around the candle, the flame squiggles and dances, affecting the tone of the oscillator. He occasionally walks very far, chaotically triggering small air currents across a room, with his hand held electric fan, occasionally climbing on chairs and tables to gain elevation).

And yet, once again, for people not personally invested in this practice or these people, this would probably make little sense. Nic knows that, so do Mumma and Behrman. They've all negotiated their careers so that they could afford to limit their audiences to those interested and the few souls those followers could bring along with them. Nic has achieved this partially through institutional recognition, while Behrman and Mumma have maintained peripherally academic positions and found ways to support their art through other means. This is, to some extent, a privilege, one they've worked hard to achieve and preserve, but a privilege nonetheless. Nic's book has made it to the hands of countless musical electronics nerds, and therefore affected the microsociality of contemporary electronic music making. Through him, Mumma and Behrman's influence has reached those practice too - but overall, these three practitioners are in Laurie-Anderson-before-O-Superman areas of recognition in the mainstream.

Paula Mathusen - But because without this (performed by the dither quartet, 2011)

Paula Mathusen's work for four guitars (she rescored this for the Dither quartet's format) is a lovely piece, of the right length, playing on the tropes that got me into experimental music (the fine line between guitar noodling and composed piece). Again, I can explain why I like the piece, why each turn reminds me of just the right parts of Morricone soundtracks with and the ruthlesslness of Dylan Carlson's riffs in the band Earth but more playful. Mathusen scored the piece entirely, it is intriguing for me to imagine the notation for extended technique guitar, and even just to imagine playing from a score in general.

But this piece points out another aspect of "unusual" music making as a practice that can offer a point of entry to those not naturally inclined to 8 minute guitar quartets with no song structure or lyrics might consider. Mathusen, by picking guitars, has to contend with a culturally charged timbre and set of compositional options. We can safely assume that Mathusen has heard guitars in a pop music context before, just as we can assume that at some point, Mumma, Collins and Behrman have listened to and enjoyed a top fourty track of some year. Over time, all these composers departed from the majority decisions in terms of what they wanted to hear, and they all did this differently. With each piece from each of these composers, you get a glimpse of how they might have departed, and how far they are away now, and how this is not a linear or logical process: they get to back, jump forward, explore new compositional concepts at will - it's their job. Most pieces are somewhat autobiographic, I appreciate these because they acknowledge the role of some objects in these sonic storytellings (Mumma's Cybersonic systems, Behrman's piano, Collins' oscillator and flame, and Mathusen's guitars), but in terms of composing for a varied audience, I would posit that finding artefacts or processes which can be perceived in a varied set of ways that will seem personally relevant to a wide variety of people is perhaps the best way to engage an unsuspecting audience.

We were lucky enough, last week, to get Bonnie Jones in the Open Source Art, Music and Culture class I TA. In her lecture, she described how she really viewed her practice as a direct consequence of her upbringing. She gave us details on the context in which she grew up, but also details of the music she chose to listen to or be engaged in as she was growing up. 

One of the students asked her at what point she went from using guitar pedals the regular way, to “the other way:” she described some musical experiences that, put together, made it seem unnecessary to keep working with the structures she had simply assumed were part of music making. The result is an abstraction of where that negotiation, between how she got to develop her own tastes and the confines of what was made available to her (both musically and materially) which can be heard through sound. There is a lot more to hear, but: in a nutshell, this is the wordless storytelling I am interested in. 

[extranoodlesyvr-blog]

Kokoro Ramen

Introduction

We hope everyone had a great long weekend! For this review, Mr. Noodle and I wanted to try somewhere new. A bit of internet searching informed us of Kokoro Ramen on Victoria St., which was all the prompting we needed to make a trip over!

The Place

Kokoro Ramen is located on the corner of a fairly busy intersection (Victoria x 41st), a place that does not have many ramen options nearby. We found free parking just across the street, and there was plenty more available along the residential side roads. We were welcomed by a friendly yellow awning and enticing display of plastic ramen in the window.

We arrived at around 6pm, since Mr. Noodle usually finishes work at around 5. There were plenty seats available, with only a handful of tables eating at the time. The servers noticed us right away and welcomed us with a hearty “irasshaimase”. We were sat by the window, which was quite nice since the natural lighting made our photo-taking much easier.

Like many other ramen joint, the interior was sleek, modern, and primarily wooden in decor. The room is large and spacious (unlike most other ramen spots) and a large mural with a minimalistic seigaiha pattern sat upon the wall opposite us.

The Menu

The menu was fairly concise, with a five staple ramen options (including a vegetarian option), as well as several “special” ramen. Now, at the time when we went, two of the three special ramen were unavailable. It was a shame because we were interested in trying the salmon ramen. They did, have a separate seasonal menu with an additional few special ramen selections including a yuzu tsukemen and their version of a tan tan. It looks like for each day there is a limited supply of special ramen available, so keep that in mind if you have your eyes set on a particular option. They also have a few combos available. You can either pair a full size ramen with one of their side dishes, or get a “healthier” combo which features a mini-sized ramen and a salad of your choice.

We were also given a separate sheet that explained their coloured-bowl system. Ramen served in white bowls are on the lighter side, where no additional fat is added to the broth and is served with half the oil than standard. You are also further able to reduce the salt and oil amounts by request. As for their black bowls, these ramens are heartier with much more complex flavours. Full fat and sodium levels, with the option for more if requested. Now, Mr. Noodle and I both like our ramen rich and flavourful, so you can probably guess which coloured bowls we got!

The Ramen

The first thing that stood out to me on the menu was the variety of vegetables in the ramen. You don’t often see pumpkin, broccoli, or zucchini in ramen (and not just in the vegetarian one either). I was tempted to order something with some of the vegetables, but I was constantly intrigued by the Tonkotsu Bubble Ramen. Why is it bubbly? What is the purpose of the bubbles? What does it taste like? These questions were imperative, and there was no way I would leave without discovering the answers.

Broth: And without further ado, I have all the answers to your burning broth questions. Our waitress wasn’t exactly sure how they made the bubbles for the ramen, but with some digging I found an article that divulges that the pork broth is actually frothed like a latte. To continue that latte comparison, the bubbles gave the ramen a completely different mouth feel. You get this velvety texture with an airy lightness to it despite the richness of the broth underneath. I admit, it was a bit strange at first, but that feeling went away after the first few couple of bites. I’ve definitely not had a broth like it!

As for the flavour, that too was very unique. It had a very hearty and distinct meat flavour, which I couldn’t quite decipher at the time. I realize now that it was the taste of bone marrow (for those of you who have had it), which was quite striking when you first take a sip. Now, I’ve had bone marrow a couple of times in my life-- and both times it was in small amounts served with some sort of bread. If i had to choose a word for this broth, it would definitely be “intense”. I think the flavour became a bit overwhelming for me after a while, but Mr. Noodle (a bone marrow fan) really enjoyed it. I definitely got the impression that some thought (and love!) was put into this broth. Noodles: This ramen was served with thin noodles and overall they were pretty good-- a bit on the softer side but not soft enough to be criminal. I think it was a wise choice to serve this with thin noodles, since the ramen broth packed a punch already. Thicker noodles would have made the ramen feel heavy and excessive. Other than that, the noodles weren’t very notable. 

Toppings: The ramen came with one piece of square nori, a thin lemon slice, some bamboo shoots, three decently size pieces of chashu, and a smattering of green onions. The chashu was quite good-- the slices were on the thicker size, but were still tender and meaty. I was impressed that it came with 3 pieces, since 2 seems to be the norm at most places.

Also, I have to say the lemon was definitely different! Initially I thought that it might be there to help cut through some of the richness of the broth, but I didn’t really sense much of a difference. I’ll admit that it’s a nice source of colour to contrast with the otherwise mostly tan-brown coloured dish. Overall, the toppings were fairly conservative, with the focus being on the chashu. Not much textural contrast aside from the foaminess from the broth and the slight crunch from the menma. Price: The tonkotsu bubble ramen was $13.50 (or $15 with egg). I’m usually happy to pay a bit more for novelty and unique experiences. However, considering the lack of toppings and the mediocre presentation, I felt that the 13.50 was on the pricier side and couldn’t be justified by novelty alone. I think a $11.50 - 12 would be a much more appropriate price range.

Presentation: So this is the part of the review where I have not-so-good things to say. The bubble ramen was definitely lacking in the presentation department, which is interesting seeing how their other ramen are all quite beautiful! From the menu, the bubble ramen doesn’t look half bad. It is obvious that there is a layer of foam on the top, so I definitely was expecting some of the toppings to submerge.

When the ramen arrived, the nori was soggy from already falling into the broth. The green onions were the primary colour component to the ramen, but you could barely see them. Unlike the menu photo, they were not arranged neatly in the middle, but rather sprinkled haphazardly around the bowl. I appreciated the pop of yellow from the lemon slice, but that too felt out of place as it floated aimlessly in the broth. The chashu and menma were mostly submerged beneath the cloudy broth, leaving little for the eye to decipher at first glance. I did appreciate the way that the “bubbles” contributed to the overall aesthetic, and for the novelty I give them some credit. I also quite enjoyed the custom designed bowl, and the very hardy (and spacious) ceramic spoons. However, ultimately the bowl looked like someone had already started eating, and now it was my turn to jump in and finish it off. Mrs. Noodle’s Verdict

Overall, I think the ramen was worth a try to satisfy my curiosity. Flavour wise the ramen was good, but the lacklustre presentation detracted from the experience. There was probably other ramen on their menu that I would have enjoyed more. 

Broth: 4 Noodles: 3 Toppings: 3 Price: 3.5 Presentation: 1.5

As for Mr. Noodle, he had his eye on the Creamy Deluxe Chicken Ramen with added egg (which I was admittedly eyeing too). The convenient part about eating out with your partner is that sharing is always an option! Being a hot day, Mr. Noodle also decided to order himself a beer. They (surprisingly) carried 33 Acres of Life, which was priced at a pretty standard $6.50. Broth: The chicken broth was rich and creamy, but not overly heavy. It was comparable to a tonkotsu in its cloudy appearance. According to the menu, this specific broth contains “dairy, shellfish and shrimp” so that’s something to look out for if you have allergies. This broth also shared a similar bone marrow flavour as the bubble ramen but much more subdued. The ramen had a distinct chicken flavour which met Mr. Noodle’s expectations. 

Noodles: Mr. Noodle’s ramen had noodles of the standard thickness, which seems to be about  3-4 mm (for future reference). He also found his noodles to be slightly past al dente, but nevertheless satisfying. 

Toppings: This ramen was loaded! It came with three pieces of chashu, corn, kabocha squash(!), snap peas(!), broccoli(!), a piece of nori, menma, and a whole ramen egg. As mentioned before, Mr. Noodle was also impressed with the vegetables, which really elevated the dish. The corn, snap peas, and broccoli added a nice crunch to the ramen, whereas the kabocha provided an extra starchiness in addition to the noodle. The chashu of Mr. Noodle’s ramen was very similar to Mrs Noodles-- tender, yet meaty and on the generous side. The egg was not overcooked and had a beautiful orange yolk.

Price: For $14.00 ($12.50 without the egg), the ramen is priced fairly. Mr. Noodles didn’t feel like he was necessarily overpaying, but he definitely wasn’t get a deal. Considering the plentiful assortment of veggies and ramen, the slightly higher price tag is warranted. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable chicken broth ramen, Marutama has a comparable substitute for less ($11.00, egg included!) 

Presentation: This ramen looks great! There was such a nice variety of colours: the yellow from the corn, the green from the peas and broccoli, and the orange from the egg yolk and kabocha. Mr. Noodle was thoroughly impressed by the presentation.

Mr. Noodle’s Verdict

Broth: 4 Noodles: 3 Toppings: 4 Price: 3 Presentation: 5

Conclusion

Final Thoughts: A decent ramen spot in a ramen-less neighbourhood. Kokoro offers some unique options for people who are fans of traditional ramen, and those who would like something healthier. The restaurant is spacious and welcoming, with pleasant service. The chicken ramen is definitely worth a try, whereas you could probably skip on the bubble ramen if you’re not overwhelmed with curiosity. We will stop by again if we’re in the area!

Kokoro Ramen 5695 Victoria Dr. Vancouver, BC V5P 4Y3 (778) 379-7688

Website Facebook Instagram 

Rating: 3.4 Ramen Eggs

[bartlett-living-laboratory]

4 Chinese Vernacular Dwellings You Should Know About (Before They Disappear)

by Isabella Baranyk

from Archdaily thank you!

Vernacular architecture refers to designs which find their primary influence in local conditions: in climate, in materials, and in tradition. In a country as diverse as China, with 55 state-recognized ethnic minority groups and widely varying climates and topographies, many different vernacular dwelling styles have evolved as pragmatic solutions that accommodate the unique needs and limitations of their sites.

Rapid urbanization in China has favored high-rise apartment towers over traditional housing because of their ease of construction and the population density they enable, making vernacular dwellings increasingly rare throughout the country. Some firms, like MVRDV and Ben Wood’s Studio Shanghai, have taken note of the many benefits that vernacular dwellings provide, and have created projects that attempt to reconcile tradition with urbanization. Even if you aren't planning on building in China any time soon, the following housing styles have much to teach about what it means to live in a particular time and place. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does encompass the main types of vernacular dwellings seen throughout China.

Siheyuan

A prominent part of Beijing’s culture, siheyuan are made up of four rectangular buildings arranged in a square to create an inner courtyard. They are set up for multi-generational living, with the rooms furthest from the street historically reserved for the family’s daughters, who were once expected to remain inside the compound’s walls. The main building housed the head of the household, leaving servants the smaller side quarters. The buildings’ overhanging roofs provide a shaded courtyard, which has a similar program to that of a living room, and acts as a private outdoor space for the family.

Rows of siheyuan create alleys, called hutongs, that connect the city. Today, Beijing’s siheyuan are often occupied by multiple families and are notorious for lacking amenities. Since the typical siheyuan is no more than two stories tall, the pressure of population density has made apartment blocks far more favored among developers and city planners, although some projects have attempted to create a sense of newness while maintaining the siheyuan-hutong design principles.

Tulou

The Southeastern province of Fujian is home to the tulou residences of the Hakka people. Compounded earth and wooden beams form thick, cylindrical walls that reach several stories high in a once-necessary effort to protect the interior from attack. The outward facing walls have only one entrance and no windows, and all balconies, doorways, and openings face inwards, further protecting the residents from potential danger. Each structure houses hundreds of people — an entire clan — and functions as a small village, with space for communal activities in the large, open interior.

Unlike the hierarchical structure of the siheyuan, individual residences within the tulou were divided equally: a reflection of the high value of community that can also be observed in the tulou’s egalitarian round shape. In 2008, 46 tulous were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their peaceful unity of defensive and residential architecture, and will be protected should their neighborhoods in rural Fujian ever become urbanized.

Yaodong

Found in China’s northern provinces, including (perhaps most famously) Shaanxi, the yaodong, or cave houses, use earth from the hillside as insulation to regulate temperature in harsh winters and summers. They can be carved into a hillside, dug into the ground to create a sunken dwelling, or built standalone by packing earth on top of a brick frame. Multiple dwellings are built adjacent to and on top of one another and together make up a tiered village, often for a single clan or extended family.

As more young people have moved into big cities in search of work, yaodong living has become less popular. However, the last decade has seen a newfound appreciation for the economic and environmental benefits of yaodong living, and NGOs have found some success in building and marketing new dwellings as green and efficient housing options.

Shikumen

Unlike the siheyuan, tulou, and cave dwellings, which have been in existence for millennia, Shanghai’s shikumen are a relic of the early 20th century, when Western influence from the French began to take hold of the city’s architectural style. Rising no more than three stories, these wood and brick townhouses are built right next to one another within a stone gate. The rows of homes create a secluded lane, which has come to hold a distinctively Shanghainese way of life. Neighbors spend much of their time outside of the relatively small homes, and daily life—noodle making, clothes washing, card playing, coffee drinking, etc—moves into the lane, to be carried out with the community. Shikumen often bear large, ornamented door knockers and Art Deco flowers and geometric motifs indicative of Shanghai’s Jazz Age.

The low rise buildings once housed 60% of the city’s residents, but many neighborhoods have been recently demolished by the state, which in exchange provides shikumen dwellers with compensation and housing in new apartment towers that, while economically efficient, do not accommodate lane life. For the average citizen, there is nothing to be done to stop or even delay the disappearance of the shikumen, but projects like Sue Anne Tay’s Shanghai Street Stories and Richard Liwei Huang’s Cardboard Shikumen fight to preserve the memory and design of the housing through documentation, storytelling, and VR.