#Ghana Session

[uvmagazine]

Asbury Park High School Presents: The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Asbury Park High School Presents: The True Meaning of Memorial Day

[jjgonami-36]

[calciopics]

Ghana Portraits - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

[unloneliest]

my tmg song sorters are once again up to date! you can find them all under the cut. i added a total of 5 new song sorters this year, as well as an album sorter that's comprehensive of all of the mountain goats' releases, not just what's on streaming!

the rest of the sorters include only what's on spotify, but with each new (old) addition to streaming, it's looking like making the jump to a more comprehensive sorter situation is going to be easier and easier!

if you attempt the all spotify songs sorter, i’d recommend using a computer to do so - it takes a very long time to do & will sometimes refresh on mobile browsers, which starts you over from the beginning.

anyways! hope yall enjoy ^_^ let me know what you think! post your results and tag me! etc!

GENERAL:

all spotify songs

album sorter (just what’s on spotify)

album sorter (all albums)

songs released on eps/exclusively as singles (spotify playlist)

MERGE:

jenny from thebes

the jordan lake sessions 5

bleed out

the jordan lake sessions 3-4

dark in here

the jordan lake sessions 1-2

getting into knives

songs for pierre chuvin

in league with dragons

goths

beat the champ

transcendental youth

all eternals deck

4AD:

the life of the world to come

heretic pride

get lonely

the sunset tree

zopilote machine 

we shall all be healed 

tallahassee 

LOFI:

all hail west texas 

devil in the shortwave

jam eater blues

the coroner’s gambit 

isopanisad radio hour

new asian cinema

full force galesburg 

nothing for juice

nine black poppies 

sweden

beautiful rat sunset

bitter melon farm 

ghana 

protein source of the future… now! 

...

possible future changes:

adjusting the comprehensive song sorter to be in the same order as my all tmg in chronological order playlist on spotify, & linking it

including the EPs that were compiled in to ghana/protein source/melon farm as their own separate sorters

separating EPs and albums more fully in my lists of sorters & in the album sorters i've created

including EPs and albums not (yet?) on streaming

including unreleased and live only songs? pros: people can have a tool that helps people who've heard them before in figuring out their favorite mountain goats songs. cons: removes new fans' need to go searching for unheard gems, & that's a huge part of the enjoyment

[octuscle]

Hello Chronivac! Love your work! I’ve been hitting the gym pretty hard, and made good progress. But there is just so much growing I need to do! I’m especially envious of this huge, hulking black bodybuilder from Ghana who works out there, the dude must be 250 pounds at the peak of his bulk! What I wouldn’t give to be that race and be that size.

So, answer the question! What would you give for that? First of all, you would give your mother tongue. You are having dinner with friends. You understand English quite well. But you speak it only brokenly. Your friends look at you in horror as you try to explain to the waiter what you want to eat. You do not understand. Your native language is Twi. Of course you learned English at school. But your heart never beat in English.

Then I suppose you would give your job for the body. You are now working at the street cleaning service. As you place your order, you glance again at the prices on the menu. Damn it! In your lifetime, you can only afford a mineral water here. One of your friends looks at you, recognizes your concern and says it's okay. You are invited.

With your job, of course, you have to give up your lifestyle. Your expensive suit becomes a cheap pair of jeans and a jacket made of faux leather. Underneath you wear a washed-out T-shirt. You are proud of your sneakers. Real Adidas. Not fake. You found them cheap at the flea market. You check your old, scratched-up cell phone for public transport times. Somehow you have to get back from Soho to your social settlement later. The last bus leaves in an hour and a half. Okay, then you can even order an appetizer. Before you go to bed, you'll have a protein shake anyway.

Unfortunately, you also have to give up your social environment. Everything revolves around you. The chic Italian restaurant turns into a café with bright neon lights. Coffee cups on the table. And a full ashtray. Many of the immigrants from Ghana, with whom you meet here to talk or play dominoes, smoke. It's not yours. Your body is your temple.

And you also have to cut down on your free time. You can't get your body from drinking coffee and playing dominoes. And with only one job you can't afford the masses of protein you need. That's why you say goodbye. Your gym closes in an hour. That's enough for one more training session. And after that you'll clean the showers and toilets.

So, now you have given up enough. With every step you take towards the gym, your skin gets darker, your steps get heavier. Your body is reaping the rewards of everything you've given up. You are a poorly trained street cleaner. But by far the hottest one imaginable. I hope that was worth it to you.

Found you pic @lookuptoblack

[piedpiperart]

Marked for Death pt 1

With Ao3 down I wanted to put my current fic somewhere for you guys to read, so here’s part one of Marked for death! A fic where Tim gets de-aged Case Closed style!

Ao3 link

Chapter one!

Tim wasn’t looking for trouble. 

This time. 

He had been walking home from Steph’s house, an impromptu study session for their classes because Steph needed help with Chemistry and Tim needed help with English. It’d been his worst grade up until Steph started dragging him to study sessions. Since then, it was admittedly, still his worst subject, but his grades were higher. Bitterly, Tim couldn’t help but want to ask Jason for help on his upcoming essay. He knew the former Robin was the best at literature, if only they’d met before.. before.

Coming up around the street, Tim scuffed his foot against the gravel, sending a few pebbles down the sidewalk. He wasn’t looking forward to coming home to his empty house at Drake Manor. With his parents still in Ghana, he was all alone at the house. Hopefully, they’d be back tomorrow morning like they said they would, but Tim wasn’t optimistic. Even so, he told Bruce he’d be spending the next two weeks with his parents, so he probably wouldn’t be able to patrol as Robin. 

He’d have to remember to text Dick later too, otherwise Nightwing would show up. Tim knew Dick and Bruce were still upset with eachother over Jason, so he’d been trying to mend their relationship with all three of them on patrol. It was going well so far, but Tim didn’t want to have to rework his plans if Dick and Bruce had an arguement when he wasn’t there. Tim sighed, mentally preparing himself for a week or so of staying in his room. Though, he figured he could catch up on some casework.

Suddenly, he started to hear muffled yelling coming from an alley ahead. Tim tensed, stepping back into the shadows of a building. Feeling the burn of curiosity, Tim's footsteps were light and silent as he creeped closer. 

“We jus’ need the bat outta the way,”One guy was saying. His voice was harsh- probably a smoker, Tim thought- and terse with frustration. “Yeh, a distraction. Jus’ ta’ Keep ‘im outta Park Row.”

Seemed like the guy was alone, talking on the phone. Tim gripped his backpack straps as he neared the entrance of the alley, getting as close as he dared. He wondered absently if he should have made for the rooftops to overhear this, but he shrugged it off. There didn’t seem to be any kind of danger, just one guy on his phone. Sure, he was saying pretty concerning things, but Tim was confident he could take him if the guy discovered him. Though, it was doubtful with how the guy was stomping about the alley, pacing back and forth. Tim didn’t need to be nearly as stealthy over the loud voice and footsteps.  

Tim puzzled on why this guy would want Batman out of the picture though His best guess was some sort of trade or  distribution going on in Crime Alley. Considering the guy called it Park Row, Tim was pretty sure he wasn’t from Gotham, and the slight accent leaned towards Japanese. Easing closer, he could peer around the wall and caught a glimpse of all black clothing. 

“Jus’ make it happen,” The guy continued, gritting his teeth. He looked frustrated. “It’s bad enough I’m stuck waitin’ on-” 

Tim froze, processing the possibility of another person coming to meet with the man in black when he was suddenly struck from behind. What felt like a giant rock collided with the back of his skull, making Tim’s vision black out almost immediately. He didn’t even realize he’d fallen until his face was pressed against the harsh gravel. 

Tim groaned, hearing muffled voices and strained to pay attention. Just who the heck were these guys who could sneak up on Robin, he winced. Trying to move was futile, given his limbs felt all fuzzy. He couldn’t think straight, and it took so much effort for Tim to curl his fingers, much less lift his arm. Squinting his eyes open- when had he closed them?-  he could make out another guy with longer hair in the same black clothing as the first guy. Both wearing fancier clothing than common thugs in Crime Alley, for sure. Tim thought absently that they kind of looked ridiculous in all black. 

The teen felt them pawing through his pockets, one pulling out his wallet and phone. Tim’s heart raced, and he tried to focus on moving, getting up, anything, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. He shouldn’t have been so cocky, should have gone straight home. Batman would be so disappointed in him if he knew Tim was snuck up on by one guy with a… was that a pipe? Ouch. Well, if Tim didn’t die today, Bruce would probably kill him. 

 There was a moment before one of them cursed. “This is fuckin’ Tim Drake, Boss,”The first guy hissed, and Tim decided that guys sunglasses made him look really, really stupid this late at night. Sunglasses then pulled out a gun, only to tuck it back after the other one stepped closer, saying something in a low voice that Tim’s aching head didn’t catch. He hoped he wasn’t going to get shot. Bruce would probably start spiraling again if he lost another robin, so Tim had to do everything he could to stay alive. He dug his fingers into the rocks below him, trying his hardest to lever himself up, but he couldn’t manage to lift himself off the ground. What was wrong with him, Tim thought desperately. 

“No, we can’t draw attention to ourselves now, especially with the deal going down this week,”The second guy was arguing. “Batman could be around here and a gunshot would only draw attention.”

Tim missed the second part as he’d tried to shift, only for a spike of pain to shoot through his head. He wasn’t sure if he’d passed out, but the next time he opened his eyes there was a strong hand gripping his hair, about to hoist his head up. 

“-organization’s latest poison. It won’t even show up on autopsies,”The second guy, the one with the long hair, said with a smirk in his voice. Tim could barely process what that meant, but froze when he realized what was about to happen. Was he about to die? Tim thought wildly. He tried to struggle, but the concussion and the grip on his hair prevented him from doing anything more than panic. “It hasn’t been tested on humans yet, but let’s consider this a trial run.”

Dread filled Tim as a hand came into his blurry vision and he tried to jerk away. The boss held firm though, managing to shove what was probably a pill down Tim’s throat and pouring what tasted like alcohol down his throat to get him to swallow it. Tim sputtered, the drink burning on the way down as he inadvertently swallowed the poison. He felt stupid, helpless, and weak as he ran over all his bat training, now virtually useless after a measly blow to the head. Now he couldn’t even think, could only feel the burn in his throat, panic in his chest and pain in his head. 

Satisfied that Tim had swallowed the poison, the kid was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, his cheeks digging into the gravel. Tim groaned, feeling his body grow hotter and mind foggier as the seconds passed by. He barely recognized the crunch of gravel as the two made their getaway, not even staying to wait and see his demise. Tim could only hope that the so-called experimental poison wouldn’t work. They’d said trial runs, right? So maybe he had a chance, he tried to tell himself. Nevermind the burning sensation traveling throughout his body, dread building in his stomach. 

They’d taken his phone, for all the help that would have been, since Tim could barely move his fingers anyways. He gripped the gravel beneath him as his body soon got hotter. He probably had a fever, Tim winced. He bit back a whine at a feeling that he could only describe as his bones melting. Zero out of ten, worst poison experience ever, Tim grimaced, tasting blood in his mouth. Must have bitten his tongue, Tim reasoned, but he couldn’t really feel anything over the white hot pain. He couldn’t do anything but hold on, body tense as the burning feeling passed through his body, ramping up until he thought he might pass out. Gasping for breath, Tim barely managed to hold in a scream before everything went dark. 

----

Tim’s thoughts came back like the last bit of syrup out of the bottle, frustratingly slow and sluggish. His body ached and it took effort to breathe evenly. His lungs hurt. Actually, he amended snidely, everything hurt. Tim lay there, breathing in a way Bruce taught him as he ran through everything that happened. If he wasn’t so drained right now he’d probably be feeling more embarrassed about being snuck up on and poisoned, but he couldn’t help but feel relief for not being dead. Well, relief and pain, because he was poisoned. 

Dizzy, Tim managed to pull his head up, wincing at the gravel that dug into his skin. Obviously, the poison didn’t work how those two had thought it would, otherwise Tim wouldn’t be here. Maybe it doesn't work on humans after all? Tim wondered. If they hadn’t tested it on humans yet, surely they had animal trials that succeeded? Tim hoped it wasn’t a long-lasting poison. He wasn’t even sure what this so called poison was supposed to do to him. So far he only felt like all of his muscles and bones were on fire. In all his time as Robin, he’d never felt so much like what comes out of a woodchipper. Tim winced as a street light shone into his eye, bringing stabbing pain to his head, and tried to bring his arms over to pull himself up. Only, his arms weren’t cooperating. 

Tim took a breath, glancing over to see his arms were.. Trapped in his jacket? Puzzled and a little more than panicky, Tim struggled to sit up. Huh. 

No wonder my whole body is so sore, Tim thought, pushing his panic aside in favor of figuring out his next steps. He tried to school his thoughts into logic, but the pain was definitely not helping. He could break down when he was somewhere safe, he reasoned. But for now… he was no doubt trapped in the body of a toddler. 

I shrunk? Tim exclaimed in his head. He wondered how old his body was now, looking down at his smaller body. He sighed, mourning his loss of height. His growth spurt had only just started, he was sure of it, and now he’s the same height as a fire hydrant.. Great. Looking himself over with barely concealed horror, he estimated his age to be between four and seven. Tim wasn’t exactly sure, considering he hadn’t been around many younger kids in his lifetime. He’d go with six for now, but abandoned that thought for more important things.

Regaining a bit of energy, Tim managed to wriggle his way out of his pile of clothes, keeping the shirt and jacket on as best he could. Regretfully, he had to abandon his jeans, considering his sudden change in height, no matter how much he wanted to keep them on. The shoes were a similar issue, but he pulled on his socks up to his knees, wanting to have some protection against the dirty Crime Alley streets. 

Tim stumbled, due to his aches as well as the change in height, down the alley and back to the street, noting the sky showed the sun about to rise. He’d been out there all night then, Tim thought. It was a miracle nothing happened to him. Oh wait, Tim scowled, pouting at his six year old body.

The toddler made his way down the street carefully, trying not to step on anything sharp or wet with his socked feet. He was wearing his boxers as pants, but his shirt and jacket were so big they reached his ankles anyway. It made sneaking around more difficult, but he was not about to give up more of his clothes for maneuverability. He was light on his footsteps, keeping to the shadows so as to not attract any attention. He definitely didn’t want to be seen at this size in Crime Alley at night. He’d die for sure, Tim thought grimmly. There was hardly anyone out this early, but Tim wasn’t going to jinx it. The two men in black could be anywhere around here. 

Tim huffed, pulling the hood of his jacket up. He needed a plan. Due to his time stalking the bats, he was very familiar with the streets. Less so in Crime Alley, but he’d manage. First, Tim figured he’d need clothes that actually fit, shoes especially. Then he needed to find a place to stay during the night. There was no way he’d be able to go out at night anymore, considering his significantly weaker body. He didn’t even have a way to contact Bruce. The two men in black had taken his phone and wallet, meaning no calls for help and no money. Which was another thing he’d need. 

Tim mentally smacked himself for forgetting to check the alley for his phone and wallet. No doubt they’d just been tossed there, but he wasn’t about to turn back now. Tim was tired, sick, sore, and hungry. At this point, he just wanted to find a safe place to take a nap. 

On Tim’s way through the dirty streets, his mind raced with plans. Obviously he couldn’t contact Bruce or go home. If he went home, his parents would find him as a child and that was not happening. Even if they canceled their plane to Gotham, Tim wouldn’t risk it. So no Drake Manor. 

No Wayne Manor either, given that the men in Black no doubt had their eyes on anything related to Tim Drake, and if Batman was suddenly after the men in black, they might connect the dots that Tim is Robin. So, no contacting Bruce, even if the man thinks he’s dead. Which, he definitely should be so Tim didn’t count it as a lie. He’d protect Batman’s identity staying away, at least until he could apprehend the Men in Black. Tim paused, looking towards his tiny hands poking out if his oversized jacket. Until he could give the information to someone else to aprehend the Men in Black, Tim ammended. 

Sunglasses and Long hair were obviously on a mission of some sort from their ‘Organization’, and they had plans later this week in Crime Alley that called for a distraction for Batman. That was second on Tim’s priority list. If he could figure their Organization out, and maybe how long this poison is supposed to last, he’d be able to go back home.

First on Tim’s priority list was obviously food and shelter. It was a good thing Tim had prepared for situations like this. Not this exactly, he amended. He’d created a system that was like a backdoor to his parent’s bank accounts, back when he was teaching himself how to hack. He’d only had to use it a few times when groceries were late and his parents cut off his allowance for snacks. He had to admit, it was a nice safety net, especially if he’d ever been kicked out or stranded somewhere, or maybe if he needed to hire a fake uncle or something. At least now he had a way to get money without much trouble.

Money was covered as soon as he could reach a computer of some sort. Shelter would be another problem, not as easily solved. There wasn’t a way to buy an apartment as a six year old, nor keep up payments on it without his parents noticing. Probably. Tim was confident in his ability to hide away in some abandoned place quietly though. He’d be fine. Once he’d gotten a secure way of getting money, he’d be able to provide food for himself, so that was covered too. Tim sighed, sidestepping a puddle on the sidewalk. He was tired. 

Tim wasn’t too familiar with Crime Alley, considering he and Batman never patrolled there, especially not after that new guy claimed it as his territory. Some guy calling himself Red Hood had recently taken over the Alley, getting rid of a lot of dealers and gangs, making new rules. Tim hadn’t been able to look into it too much before, but maybe he could do some snooping while he was incapacitated. The only thing he knew about Red Hood was that he protected kids, hated the Joker, and had no qualms about killing people who deserved it. Those including pedophiles and crime lords like Black Mask, apparently. 

As he walked, Tim came across a convenience store and silently rushed to the entrance. It looked old, but the sign with hours listed said it opened around ten. Judging by the position of the sun, it was around 5:30 in the morning, give or take. Tim squinted, pulling out part of a lockpick set from his jacket pocket. He always kept something on him, just in case of kidnappings or his urges to snoop. Tim had the convenience store unlocked in seconds. 

Hurrying inside, he missed the pieces of glass littering the ground and hissed when a piece cut into the heel of his left foot. Tim cursed, but stepped carefully to the side, away from what looked like a broken bottle. He didn’t feel so bad for stealing from this place if they just leave broken glass on the floor, he thought with an angry huff. He took a minute to brace himself against the wall and lift his foot up to what little light shone throught the window from the rising sun.

Thankfully, the cut wasn’t too big, and he was able to wrap his sock around it to stem the bleeding and still keep his foot as protected as possible. After that, he made his way to the back room, avoiding the one camera pointed at the register. In the break room, Tim was surprised to find a little girl’s jacket and backpack. Tim silently apologized to the girl as he took both. The jacket would fit him better and he needed some way to carry things while he was on the streets. To his growing luck, he caught sight of rainboots and a pink butterfly umbrella propped up near the backdoor. 

Tim heaved a sigh of relief and went to put on the boots. He didn’t even care that they were pink froggy boots, they’d keep his feet protected and waterproof, even if they were a bit big. Taking his finds, Tim made his way back to the front of the store to pack food in his newly acquired backpack. It was Wonder Woman themed, but with pink instead of the iconic red. 

The boy busied himself with supplies, taking a lighter along with three sandwiches, a first aid kit, two bottles of water and a bag of jerky. He didn’t have time or need for anything else, considering he couldn’t carry much and needed healthy foods while on the streets. He wasn’t sure what he had to do next, but knew that he needed to find out what organization the two men in black are from. If Batman immediately got involved, they might start to suspect that Tim is Robin, so he couldn’t tell B. Even though he really wanted to. This was Tim’s mess and he was going to fix it himself. He’d never forgive himself if he put the rest of them in danger because of his stupid mistake. 

Tim scoffed, pulling the convenience store shut and locking the door again. He was pretty sure no one would find him missing for at least a week. If not more. That depended on whether the guys in black planned on using his phone to pretend to be him, but Tim shrugged off that possibility because it was encrypted. With Red Hood out and his parents visiting in a few days, Bruce had benched him for the rest of the week, which Tim agreed to since he’d been hoping his parents would be home the two weeks they said they would be. 

Tim rolled his eyes, remembering the way Bruce had told him to use the time to catch up on homework and hang out with his parents. Tim knew his parents wouldn’t notice he was missing for months on end, even if they were visiting. Though, Tim was pretty sure they’d postpone their return to Gotham, so that meant at least two weeks before Bruce noticed he was gone. Maybe. The man had been acting weird lately, texting Tim more often about staying at the manor or about how school went. It was… unfamiliar to Tim, but he had to admit it was nice. 

Now that he was thinking about it though, Tim wasn’t sure if Bruce would report him missing if he’d found out. Considering he’d need to tell Tim’s parents and all, and then explain what his relationship to Tim was. Not like he could say “oh yeah I fight crime with him while you’re out of the country” without getting arrested. Probably. So Tim wasn’t entirely sure what Bruce would do, but he hated doing this to Bruce so soon after Jason’s death. It hadn’t even been a year and he was already losing another Robin. Tim just hoped he wouldn’t be gone for too long. 

Tim grunted, pushing himself to climb through a hole in a boarded up door. He’d seen this place before, an old Vietnamese restaurant. It was a small building, but he remembered it from one time he’d had to duck in there with his camera during the start of a particularly nasty turf war. THat had been before he was Robin. The Restaurant was generally left alone due to the infrastructure issues over the years and that it took up residence in between two rival territories. Tim figured it was his best bet considering it was somewhere he could easily get to at this hour on short legs. He didn’t think he could make it two more blocks, much less Bristol with the way his body was aching. 

Stifling a cough as he entered, Tim took in the place, searching for signs of life. Dust covered pretty much the whole area, so it was safe to say he was alone. On weary feet he dragged himself up to one of the booths, doing his best to take a sheet from off the table to wipe down the dust on the booth seat. When that was done he put the backpack on the seat and climbed up, laying his head down on the backpack. 

As he lay there, body aching and in pain, Tim ran through his next steps before he allowed himself to fall asleep. First was money. He needed to get to a library, there was one close by Steph’s house and that wasn’t far, he remembered. Then he could access his money stash without alerting anyone that Tim Drake was alive. On one hand, he couldn’t draw attention to himself as Tim Drake because who knows what the Organization would do to him. On the other he couldn’t catch Bruce’s attention or he’d risk the Organization looking into Batman, potentially connecting the missing Robin to Tim Drake. So, Tim had to play it safe and investigate the Organization with the men in black first. And get some sort of antidote, if there was one. 

After getting money he’d have to buy some clothes that fit him. Then probably find a more permanent place to stay, somehow. After that was done he could work on tracking the men in black and researching that strange poison. No way was it supposed to turn me into a child, he thought. Though he had to admit a child was better than being dead.

Tim sighed, then held in a sneeze as he disturbed some dust. He was glad he didn’t have any allergies. Scrunching himself up, Tim tucked his legs closer to his body and closed his eyes. Before he could stop himself he was drifting off. He just hoped he wouldn’t feel so exhausted and sore when he woke up. 

Chapter two

[study-with-aura]

Thursday, April 25, 2024

(Posting late) There was so much to do on Thursday that I did not have it in me to update my studyblr. Since I have also been taking breaks on the weekends from posting, this update is getting posted extremely late. It will happen.

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Properties of Quadrilaterals Review + honors review

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed Units 22-24 vocabulary + read a biography about Theodore Roosevelt + read the second part of Theodore Roosevelt’s First Annual Address + wrote, by hand, two short essays on study topics for Much Ado About Nothing

Spanish 2 - Wrote a few sentences about a pretend planned shopping trip in Spanish + read the sentences out loud to my dad

Bible I - Read Matthew 6-7

World History - Watched a video on the creation of Israel + watched a video on Indian independence + watched a video on Ghana's independence + read over the Chinese Communist Revolution notes + watched video on the Communist takeover of China

Biology with Lab - Completed protist survey lab

Foundations - Read more on truthfulness + read another article displaying media bias + read an article on effective speaking techniques + practiced my speech (presentation Friday)

Piano - Practiced for two hours in one hour split sessions

Khan Academy - None today

CLEP - None today

Streaming - Watched Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War episode 8

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

Reading - Read pages 197-231 of Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Chores - Put away the dishes + took the trash out

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (Proverbs 17)

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

[azareeart]

Once upon a time, on the 2nd of March, amidst the green & rustic atmosphere of Barndoor beer garden in Osu, Accra, a litty time was had- Plant and Sip with Azaree. This love affair was a fusion of mixology and plant care, a carefully crafted experience.

We started with the Mix and Sip sessions, where participants made their own cocktails under the expert guidance of yours truly. Two delicious cocktails graced the menu: the Sweet Berry Lemonade and the Ginger Lemonade. The Sweet Berry Lemonade is a burst of flavors with sweet and sour notes, muddled fresh mint leaves, apple liqueur, berry gin, and a touch of mixed fruit jam, all topped off with a spritz of sprite. Our favorite thing about this girl is her deceptive sweetness, it's sneakily sweet yet packs a punch!

The latter, an original Azaree fan favorite but now with a local twist, featured homemade ginger syrup, zesty lemon juice, coconut vanilla syrup for a hint of sweetness, and the bold essence of ginger liqueur. What set this drink apart was its alcoholic base - the renowned Ghanaian spirit, Akpeteshie, made from fermented Palm wine adding a distinctive depth to the libation. This combination was to die for, and we absolutely loved hearing all the great reviews!

Transitioning from mixology to horticulture, we switched the conversation to plant care. Fresh cuttings of pothos and monstera were our green friends for the day, teaching us about nurturing new roots and ourselves. Sourced from Ahaban (ahabangh.com), these cuttings require a very simple routine; changing the water weekly until they sprout roots fit for replanting in soil.

Our favorite twist was that this nurturing ethos extends beyond plants into self-care rituals. Each water change becomes a gentle reminder to indulge in personal rejuvenation. Participants opted for diverse self-care practices, from long walks to soothing body scrubs, highlighting the importance of reconnecting with yourself no matter how crazy life gets.

The laughter-filled photos captured the Plant & Sip essence perfectly - great vibes, new skills, and a whole lot of fun. It was so clear that the experience fostered a deeper connection to nature and self-care.

We’re still savoring the amazing event, & we can’t wait to see you all at the next one, ‘See Thru My Ice,’ a nature photography and cocktail tasting experience. It will be an amazing evening celebrating the natural beauty of Ghana & the rich flavors of our Culture on the 30th of March at Buro in Osu. Hope to see you there 🥂

[mywifeleftme]

278: Dur Dur Band // Dur Dur of Somalia Volume 1 & Volume 2

Dur Dur of Somalia Volume 1 & Volume 2 Dur Dur Band 2018, Analog Africa (Bandcamp)

I’m not going to stand here and tell you directly that Dur-Dur Band is the greatest African group of all time, but if the thought kinda worms around in your brain a lil, well, more to the good. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Mogadishu, Somalia was one of the most happening cities on the continent, and Dur-Dur Band (Somali for Water Stream) held down a residency at a top hotel. They achieved enough local notoriety to have a chance to record some tapes, and their music was in heavy rotation on local radio. In contrast to Ghana and Nigeria, the most well-known loci for Afro-funk, Somalia lies on the east coast of the continent, and Mogadishu was traditionally a cultural hub in which Arabic and Indian influences mixed with the indigenous Somali culture. Colonial occupation by the Italians and the British thickened the stew, and as a result the milieu that produced Dur-Dur was cosmopolitan even by the standards of coastal Africa.

Released in 1986 and 1987 respectively and reissued as a triple LP in 2018 by Analog Africa, Dur-Dur’s Volume 1 and Volume 2 cover a ton of sonic territory, though their core sound is the type of exquisitely groovy horn-driven funk that drives aficionados nuts. The production is nice and raw (Volume 1 was recorded in a single afternoon session at a Mogadishu club) but robust and bass-heavy, and there are also some extremely tasty synth sounds that gesture towards the more electronic sounds happening at the time in places like South Africa. I don’t know what you’re supposed to do with yourself when something like the funk-centipede-conga-line “Doon Baa Maraysoo” kicks your door down and starts boogieing around the house other than join in.

While the band evidently played plenty of foreign music in their marathon stage sets, on record they focused on their novel fusion of these influences with local rhythms. The jittering “Jubba Aaka” matches dense hand-drummed percussion a la Sufi trance music and highlife horns with sassy boy-girl call and response vocals that wouldn’t be out place in a Bollywood dance number; the brief “Saafiyeey Makaa Saraayeey” is a trippy dub blues with fake-out record skips and ululating vocal runs redolent of Islamic prayer music; “Diinleeya” clearly pulls from classic reggae music, but also Dhaanto, a Somali folk dance with a similarly skanking rhythm. The compilation keeps you on your toes; “Salkuu Dhigey,” one of the previously unreleased tracks, has this insistent bleeping guitar figure and shifty beat that makes me think of a like, DJ Koze beat or something.

Basically everything on here slaps. Dur-Dur Band for World President.

278/365

[jordanianroyals]

19 September 2023: King Abdullah II held a series of separate meetings with a number of heads of state participating in the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

He met with Albania President Bajram Begaj, Czech Republic President Petr Pavel, North Macedonia President Stevo Pendarovsk, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo, and Nigeria President Bola Tinubu. (Source: Petra)

The meetings, attended by Crown Prince Hussein and Prince Hashem, covered relations between Jordan and each of these countries, as well as means of enhancing cooperation in various fields and coordination to face global challenges, especially climate change, in addition to food and energy insecurity.

Discussions also touched on regional and international developments and the importance of maintaining coordination among all countries to enhance international security and stability, with His Majesty reiterating the need to continue efforts in the fight against terrorism within a holistic approach.

[medpauinternational]

STEPS ON HOW TO SET UP A DIALYSIS CENTER

People often think setting up a Dialysis center is rocket science, even if they have been in the healthcare industry for a long time. Well, I would just say, you need an expert to guide you. Beyond setting up a Dialysis center, you need to be guided on how to stay profitable while offering quality care.

We have managed the set-up of over 60 Dialysis centers in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia. I currently have new projects in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leon and I can tell you this for free, talk to an expert or consultant. These steps I am giving you will not be enough. The real work will not even be in setting up a Dialysis center but in staying profitable and scaling the business. There are usually so many pros and cons involved, and you need someone to guide you through it all.

THESE ARE THE STANDARD STEPS WE RECOMMEND AT MEDPAU INTERNATIONAL LIMITED

1. Consultation: Whether you are involved in the medical profession, or a business tycoon looking to invest in the healthcare sector, the first step to go about setting up a dialysis center is speaking to an expert consultant. Consulting with a professional would provide you with the necessary guidance to establish a dialysis center of any size, from a single-bed dialysis center to a multiple-bed dialysis center, while considering your budget.

2. Legal requirements: Due to the technicalities involved in running a healthcare business, certain licenses and paperwork are required during the process of registering the business. It is crucial to seek legal counsel to ensure you’re complying with the laid down rules and regulations.

3. Equipment purchase: This is the point where you purchase your dialysis equipment and consumables from a trusted equipment supplier.

4. Equipping & Installation: Next after purchasing your equipment is the setting up of your dialysis center, which includes the installation of dialysis machines, dialysis couches, and other systems like the water treatment plant and a power source. This procedure should be handled by trained installation engineers or technicians.

5. Facility Commissioning: This is the point where all requirements have been met, and your center is ready for business. Commissioning a facility can be done in various styles; whether you choose to throw an opening party, or launch into the streets in a marketing campaign, what matters is that your center is optimally ready to respond to the demands of a dialysis center.

When properly done, owning a Dialysis center is like owning a gold mine. The average cost of each session of Dialysis is about $50 — $100 and patients undergo Dialysis at least twice every week for the rest of their lives or until they get Kidney Transplant.

This will also be a good time for me to advise you to consider using refurbished Dialysis machines especially if you are a private healthcare service provider or in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, or any other African country. I will give more information in my next article.

[uvmagazine]

Asbury Park High School Students Artwork Published in Prehistoric Times Magazine!

Asbury Park High students were able to show their artistic talents by getting their work published in Prehistoric Times Magazine.

[burlveneer-music]

Work Money Death - Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction - spiritual jazz from Tony Burkill & ATA Records players

Taking a short sabbatical from their journey into the spiritual stratosphere and beyond, Work Money Death landed on terra firma just long enough to record a follow up to the critically acclaimed “The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises”. The new album “Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction” explores many of the meditative motifs that mould this unique group in their quest for the perfect sound and space. Those who are familiar with Work Money Death will know their output is as much an adventure for the listener as it was for the musicians. Recorded, as always, at ATA studios, a temple purpose built for the worship of all things analogue, “Thought, Action, Reaction, Interactions” is a salute to the now sadly deceased master of the spiritual sound Pharoah Sanders, and in particular the spontaneity of his recording process. Each of the four tracks on “Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction” were recorded in one take with no rehearsal and while the players may have known where they were starting off none of them were sure where they would end. As much as it is entertainment, and have no doubt this LP is an unctuous, spirit-smoothing joy from beginning to end, this is an experiment of making music in the moment. Spontaneous and spiritual in its truest sense, “Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction” is a work of innovation and unsurpassed beauty. Following in the same vein as previous Work Money Death releases, ATA studio boss Neil Innes conceived the album with tenor sax player Tony Burkill, a vehicle for the latter’s improvisational chops, bolstered by sterling personnel. As with the previous Work, Money, Death release (which was recorded in difficult conditions due to the Covid pandemic) the aim was to recreate a situation, in this case the impromptu and unrehearsed recording sessions of Sanders in the late 60’s and early 70’s, everything recorded in one take, creating a body of work that is a strong nod to a certain time and ethos but not a pastiche of it. Tenor Saxophone - Tony Burkill Double Bass - Neil Innes Drums - Sam Hobbs Guitar - Chris Dawkins Harp - Gareth Wilkinss Percussion - Headingly Hand Choir Woodwind and Low Brass - Richard Ormrod Trumpets, Flugel, French Horn Tuba - Steve Parry Spoken Word - K.O.G (Kweku Of Ghana) Choir - The Band & Jasmine Kennedy, Shaneen Mooney

[megborna]

For the red carpet photo session of The MEGBORNA Concert - 1st KVNGS Edition at KNUST on November 3, 2020.

The idea was to incorporate the artist @megborna's ideas and dreams. This to him is the mat. As a child growing up in Anloga, @megborna remember his early mornings waking from these mats. As a dream in work, the mat represents to @megborna a path on which he is on. That journey of conscious awakening of self.

📸 @_nitrostudios

#megbornaconcert #megborna #spokenword #poetry #spokenwordshow #poetryshow #knust #kumasi #ghana #performance #kente #ghanaianpoets #ghanapoetry #spokenwordpoetry #poetryperformance #redcarpet

[unloneliest]

i made a lot of mountain goats song sorters a while back by the way! and they're once again up to date. it's just what's on spotify, since most of the work on these was done before i started my spreadsheet, but i'll link them all below the cut. if you attempt the all spotify songs one, i'd recommend using a computer to do so - it takes a very long time to do & will sometimes refresh on mobile browsers, which starts you over from the beginning.

all spotify songs

album sorter (again, just what’s on spotify)

the jordan lake sessions 5

bleed out

the jordan lake sessions 3-4

dark in here

the jordan lake sessions 1-2

getting into knives

songs for pierre chuvin

in league with dragons

goths

beat the champ

transcendental youth

all eternals deck

the life of the world to come

heretic pride

get lonely

the sunset tree

zopilote machine 

we shall all be healed 

tallahassee 

all hail west texas 

the coroner’s gambit 

full force galesburg 

nothing for juice

nine black poppies 

sweden

beautiful rat sunset

bitter melon farm 

ghana 

protein source of the future… now! 

songs released on eps/as singles (spotify playlist)

they're all hosted on my sideblog raspberryjameater

[ghlagatindotcom]

Bipolar Funny Face suffers depression again as he goes naked live on IG while insulting McBrown, A Plus and other colleagues

Once celebrated as Ghana’s beloved comedic talent and affectionately known as the “Children’s President,” Funny Face has found himself at the center of a major scandal. The comedian, whose real name is Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, shocked fans and followers alike by appearing naked in a live Instagram broadcast on Thursday night. During the live session, Funny Face unleashed a series of…