#Yerevan T

[alenasbdesign]

Happy Day of the First Republic, Armenia!

[white-bow-tie]

FUNDRAISING FOR THE CRISIS SHELTER FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

Center T helps transgender people in Russia and those in exile in other countries.

The Russian government persecutes LGBT people by making xenophobia its state policy. You can read the stories of hate crime victims here . Often, transgender people are forced to urgently flee Russia because of state persecution or domestic violence.

In January 2024, we opened a shelter in Yerevan, since transgender people fleeing Russia often end up in Armenia without a livelihood or acquaintances in the country. In addition to providing housing, we work with our shelter residents on a plan to get out of the crisis and, if necessary, provide assistance from a psychologist, psychiatrist, as well as necessary medications and basic food products.

Unfortunately, we do not have funding for the project for the upcoming month of August. And we urgently need to open a collection to keep the shelter operating.

The collection goal is 2,175 euros. This amount includes rent for a three-room apartment (shelter capacity is up to 6 people at a time), utilities, household chemicals, basic food and medicine for those who are unable to afford those costs. It also includes the support of the project by a psychologist and coordinator.

We really need your help. Support us — tell your friends about this collection.

➡️ Donate for the shelter — buymeacoffee.com/centret

[gallifreytreeflower]

FUNDRAISING FOR THE CRISIS SHELTER FOR TRANSGENDER PEOPLE

Center T helps transgender people in Russia and those in exile in other countries.

The Russian government persecutes LGBT people by making xenophobia its state policy. You can read the stories of hate crime victims here. Often, transgender people are forced to urgently flee Russia because of state persecution or domestic violence.

In January 2024, we opened a shelter in Yerevan, since transgender people fleeing Russia often end up in Armenia without a livelihood or acquaintances in the country. In addition to providing housing, we work with our shelter residents on a plan to get out of the crisis and, if necessary, provide assistance from a psychologist, psychiatrist, as well as necessary medications and basic food products.

Unfortunately, we do not have funding for the project for the upcoming month of August. And we urgently need to open a collection to keep the shelter operating.

The collection goal is 2,175 euros. This amount includes rent for a three-room apartment (shelter capacity is up to 6 people at a time), utilities, household chemicals, basic food and medicine for those who are unable to afford those costs. It also includes the support of the project by a psychologist and coordinator.

We really need your help. Support us — tell your friends about this collection.

➡️ Donate for the shelter — buymeacoffee.com/centret

[zvaigzdelasas]

[Asbarez is Armenian Media]

27 Jul 23

[Economic Times is Indian Media]

28 Jul 23

[dougielombax]

Just leaving this here.

More countries should do this. Starting yesterday!

[lil-scout-precure]

Junior Eurovision 2023 detailed opinions before the show. Part 3

After two parts of my Junior Eurovision 2023 personal opinions before the show, it was time for the third one. We already covered the fifth, fourth and third tiers of my list, from the decent songs to my personal tear-jerkers. And now, with the reveal of the running order this day, and 8 songs to talk about, it's time for the second tier, where my almost-winner alert songs are. And by little differences with the winner ones.

The tier-list for reference, again!

Tier 2: "I will kill OsterdahlEBU if they mess with the staging or the running order (or place the lower spots)/hj"

🇲🇹 Yulan Law "Stronger"

Malta is one of those countries that can make Junior Eurovision a real party. Two victories, one of them also slaying in the adult Eurovision (Destiny, in JESC 2015 and ESC 2021), and with most entries being bangers. After the robbery Gaia Gambuzza got in Yerevan at 2022 (and this year in adult Eurovision, Switzerland's 2nd Gjon's Tears copycat getting the final qualifier and not the happy lads from The Busker...), I was expecting a MIRACLE for them to have some justice this year. And it came in the shape of "Stronger"

Yulan's voice, my gosh, serving in higher levels than I ever expected for a ballad, and after hearing some of them before this song got revealed, I'm glad to put her in this tier! Her lyrics are so charming alongside her vocals, and the music itself elevates the entire song to a higher level of the previous ballads I covered. The setting of the clip, while not my favorite, it's so calm and inspiring as the entry itself. And you tell me this song was composed by some Swedish writers? No wonder it slays a lot.

I have no ideas about how would be her perfect staging for the live show, but if it can convey the same feelings of the entire song, maybe it can be a well-done Top placer, even if performing second!

🇲🇰 Tamara Grujeska "Kaži Mi, Kaži Mi Koj"

For North Macedonia, I was accepting anything at the point the song was revealed. They like to vary in their JESC song styles, from 2021's bop about saving the planet to protect it as our only home, to 2022's definition of, citing one of my close mutuals, "Shut TF off, I'm not your girlfriend!" (and fun fact I discovered recently thanks to Misja Eurowizja, the same writer of that song was also the composer of Hurricane's "Loco Loco" (Serbia 2021, Eurovision). A lively "the same voice" meme incarnation XDXD). But the song they sent for JESC 2023 is something amazing, something I've never expected

For a soft ballad-pop, it has some charm itself! The use of the ethnical instruments gives it more originality about the country itself, and it sounds so good with the melody. Even if not understanding the lyrics at first (without English translation, of course), Tamara's voice makes them so hypnotic and mesmerizing, one thing I LOVE of this song more than other ballads! And as for the video, they took the "smoke firework" theme from the slogan (and the "Heroes" theme) seriously to the point of incorporating it in the choreo.

The staging of this one can be (or not) linked to the studio video's scenario, but whichever idea it is, it has to be something enough to not ruin this song's feelings!

🇺🇦 Anastasia Dymyd "Kvitka"

I'm sorry for those of the ESC Discord server who have to watch me put this song in the higher places instead of lower ones. Yes, I understand there were better options in the Junior Vidbir like Polina Babiy's "Universe" or Denis Hryshchuk's "Dance", but somehow this song grew on me a lot after some listens. And after Zlata Dziunka's heart-breaking (and no joking about my feelings of that song T-T) yet beautiful song "Nezlamna" last year, I kinda felt a soft breeze of hope with this entry.

Sure, I agree with them it becomes kinda repetitive with the "Kvitka" verse playing constantly in the chorus, but the feeling is what counts here! Anastasia's sweet and kind voice, alongside the "Find yourself in this world, and stop this tragedy" verse, highlight this hopeful feeling I got in the song. And as the song says, one day something can blossom from the rubbles of chaos and give a future. I never thought I would become attached to a JESC entry so much(well, and the next one I will cover), even if not being my winner alert!

Knowing she performs third, after Yulan Law and Sandra Valero, while the Vidbir staging makes the song get more cheerful than it is already, they need to make it bigger and more beautiful for Nice's stage if they want Anastasia to not place low, shine among the other kids and get some good televote, because she deserves it a lot!

🇩🇪 Fia "Ohne Worte"

Germany had it difficult both in the adult and the Junior versions of Eurovision. If it's not Jendrik Sigwart, Malik Harris or fricking Lord of the Lost getting the last places in their editions (unfairly in the last case), zero points or not, it's their two Junior singers at 2020 and 2021, Susan and Pauline, starting the show and getting the lowest (if not last) places too. And when I heard they would try again this year after a rest in 2022, I knew I had to follow the selections to see who would be their hope.

For the five kids that showed in the selections, there were three I expected to get the place: Adriano with a good moving song "Be My Girl", Rahel with a Sara James-like melody "Believe", and of course, the song that won over them (and my heart) and now is the German representant for Nice: Fia with "Ohne Worte" (without words)

First, I gotta admit it, I'm BIASED with this song since the demo version (and as the first JESC 2023 song in progress), and there are some teeny weeny differences that place it not in my winner alert list. But it's for some good reasons!

I was surprised she decided to use sign language for her entry, and I wondered exactly why she did it. And after knowing the context and some of her before-JESC performances in The Voice using the same technique, she caught my heart.

Those performances, and the JESC song itself are for (and about) her little sister Emilia, the person that inspired Fia to do this special detail never seen in a Junior song, and something that makes this entry so relatable. If the demo version was alerting me with speakers I would get emotional over the entire song, it became true after the video (and full studio version) reveal (once again in the middle of work). And the final verses of the "without words" in multiple languages, that part made me love this song more than I already did, alongside the more-than-just-sweet videoclip :'3

The tier title was especially created for this one song, considering the past editions Germany had to struggle in Junior and adult Eurovision. And while at least they FINALLY have a decent running order slot, I'm still waiting for the staging to make this song more justice than it has already. There are rumours about a dance-break section for the live version and I hope, REALLY, REALLY HOPE, that it makes Fia get a Top 3 placement as she deserves it, and maybe WIN THE CONTEST (even above the next 4 songs I consider winners). I know, it's biased, but now you know why. But the thing I WOULD DREAD from all scenarios is that, even with the best made, somehow Germany gets last or lower places. That would break me a lot if that ever happens and I will get Osterdahl's head ;m;

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Well, that's 12 songs covered now in my ranking! Wait to the final part, the 4 songs that became my winners! See ya!

[mariacallous]

For decades, Azerbaijan has been positioned as a Western bulwark against Iran and Russia, often at the expense of Armenia. The result has been the abandonment of one of the region’s only democracies to the whim of one of the most belligerent authoritarian regimes on Earth—forcing Armenia to become more dependent on Russia.

Despite Robert Cutler’s assessment in his recent Foreign Policy piece “Putin Is Turning Armenia Into a Russian Outpost,” the greatest threat to Armenia’s “liberal project” isn’t its alliance of necessity with Russia—it’s an expansionist Azerbaijan, which continues to use military force to consolidate territorial gains and circumvent multilateral diplomacy.

Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has faced a constant threat to its security. The Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 1990s left the fledgling state locked in an intractable conflict for decades while Azerbaijan and its patron Turkey imposed a blockade against 80 percent of Armenia’s land borders. Over the course of the next decade, Azerbaijan—with considerable economic support from the United States and Europe—would begin consolidating regional pipeline networks that deliberately sought to bypass and isolate Armenia.

Facing unilateral economic blockades, a volatile security environment, and an ambivalent West, Armenia was forced into a position of dependence on Russia. This deepening reliance on Russia, however, was something of a self-fulfilling prophecy due to U.S. foreign policy toward the region. Extensive energy investments by the West in Azerbaijan and Turkey accentuated Armenia’s economic isolation as well as the security threats it faced by emboldening Baku. This, in turn, forced Armenia deeper into the orbit of Russia’s regional security architecture—as Russia is the only force capable of projecting military power in the region. In short, Armenia has been treated as collateral damage in the West’s attempted containment of Russia and Iran.

But with Russia preoccupied with its invasion of Ukraine and its considerable military losses, Azerbaijan has grown even more emboldened and has shown it is willing to test the red line of Russia’s peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh (known as Artsakh by its indigenous Armenian population) as well as that of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, of which Armenia is a member. Although Russia’s largely symbolic peacekeeping presence in Nagorno-Karabakh undoubtedly prevented the wholesale ethnic cleansing of the region at the conclusion of the 2020 war, Baku’s brazen assault on sovereign Armenian territory from Sept. 12-14, in the southern regions of Vayots Dzor and Syunik, has exposed the limits of Russia’s capacity to fulfill the role of Armenia’s security guarantor.

Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attack on civilian populations well within the undisputed borders of Armenia—including the town of Martuni, just 42 miles  from the capital, Yerevan—is in many ways a direct byproduct of the impunity Baku has enjoyed in the West, reflecting both an inability and unwillingness on the part of the U.S. government to hold its despotic partners in check. To this day, Azerbaijan has yet to be held responsible for the perpetration of major human rights abuses and war crimes—including the deliberate targeting of civilian populations with prohibited weapons, the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage sites, and the prolonged detention and torture of Armenian prisoners of war.

In fact, not only has Azerbaijan not faced any material consequences for its aggression, but it has been rewarded by the international community. Between fiscal year 2018 and 2019, the United States allocated over more than $100 million in military aid to Azerbaijan. Despite condemning this allocation on the campaign trail, U.S. President Joe Biden has since twice waived restrictions on military aid to Azerbaijan as stipulated under Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. And in early 2022, the European Union provided Baku with a $1.96 billion investment geared toward energy security and later vowing to increase its gas imports from Azerbaijan amid concerns that Russia would cut off Europe’s gas supply. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen even went so far as to describe Azerbaijan as a “trustworthy” partner.

Yet if the purpose of the West’s containment strategy is to push back against the type of authoritarian expansionism Russia is undertaking against Ukraine, it’s hard to imagine how investing in a state like Azerbaijan—a corrupt, authoritarian regime that outcompetes Russia and Iran in the race to the bottom on human rights—projects a message of democratic solidarity, particularly when it comes at the expense of a fledgling democracy like Armenia.

Cutler’s argument also conveniently eschews the deep political and economic ties that exist between Azerbaijan and Russia. On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, signed an allied partnership agreement, which vowed to increase cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the sphere of energy.

In fact, the agreement came just days after Russia’s state-owned oil company Lukoil spent $1.5 billion to increase its stake in Azerbaijan’s largest gas field, bringing its ownership to 20 percent. Lukoil also holds a 10 percent stake in the South Caucasus Pipeline—as does the National Iranian Oil Company—which is a central node in the European Commission’s Southern Gas Corridor project designed to bypass Europe’s reliance on Russian energy. Azerbaijan has also used its extensive international money laundering networks to funnel millions of dollars into Russian government-linked arms exporters as well as U.S.-sanctioned Iranian companies.

Despite the claim that Armenia’s dependence on Russia makes it vulnerable to Moscow’s influence, Armenia has consistently demonstrated its capacity to maintain an independent domestic and foreign policy, even in the face of considerable pressure. Despite the observable pattern of Russia’s authoritarian diffusion in the post-Soviet world, Armenia has been able to develop and consolidate democratic institutions. Despite its security reliance on Russia, Armenia has participated in NATO-led peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. And in spite of its economic dependence on Russia, Armenia has pursued deepening ties with the European Union—ratifying a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in 2017 and expanding economic ties that have made the EU one of Armenia’s primary trade partners.

On the diplomatic front, Armenia has also recently sought to draw a clear line between itself and Russia in the context of the invasion of Ukraine. Yerevan sent a clear message to Moscow by refusing to fall in line on United Nations General Assembly votes condemning Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine, choosing to abstain. Azerbaijan, which has considerably less to lose and has routinely sought to position itself in the pro-Western camp, has consistently chosen to be absent on those votes.

This comes as no surprise. Azerbaijan’s recent invasion of Armenia’s sovereign territory is indistinguishable in form and substance from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As of this week, Azerbaijan now occupies around 3.9 square miles of Armenia’s internationally recognized territory, where it controls strategic road networks and transport corridors, inhibiting freedom of movement throughout the country. Armenia’s Human Rights Defender reported that during the assault, Azerbaijan deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure and forcibly displaced thousands of civilians. Over a dozen prisoners of war have been taken captive by Azerbaijan, with horrific videos surfacing of the abuse, torture, and summary execution of Armenian captives.

Azerbaijan’s actions demonstrate a flagrant disregard for the fundamental precepts of international law and a commitment to undermining international conflict mediation efforts. While paying lip service to peace talks, Azerbaijan has continued to use military force to pressure Armenia into additional concessions. Immediately before its assault on Armenia’s sovereign territory, it took control of the Lachin corridor—the main artery linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh. In doing so, it displaced hundreds of families and placed at risk vital humanitarian supply lines by leaving Armenia with little more than a dirt road to access Nagorno-Karabakh’s increasingly at-risk Armenian population.

The continued use of military force against the indigenous Armenian inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia itself does not reflect a sincere commitment to peace on the part of Azerbaijan. Having seen force as an effective means of extracting concessions, the regime in Baku is determined to continue using acts of aggression to enforce its maximalist objectives.

This has primarily come in the form of Azerbaijan’s pursuit of the so-called Zangezur passage, referenced by Cutler. Under the Russia-brokered deal that ended the 2020 war, Armenia agreed to open economic links between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan—an Azerbaijani exclave bordering Turkey and southwest Armenia. For Azerbaijan, however, this corridor has taken on an explicitly expansionist dimension, with the government now making further territorial claims over Armenia’s southern province of Syunik. Azerbaijan’s apparent attempt to establish a sovereign corridor through Armenian territory by force stands diametrically opposed to both the 2020 cease-fire agreement and mediation efforts.

The only material difference between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia has been the response of the international community. But with the recent visit to Armenia by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi—along with Reps. Anna Eshoo, Jackie Speier, and Frank Pallone—it appears there has been a shift in the West’s assessment of Azerbaijan’s role as a belligerent actor, reflected in the framing of the conflict as a struggle for the existence of an independent, democratic Armenian state.

Prior to Azerbaijan’s brazen assault on Armenia’s sovereign territory, the international community appeared willing to ignore Azerbaijan’s aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh to secure its assistance in the containment of Russia by way of energy supply. But since Azerbaijan’s incursion into Armenia, it has been increasingly difficult for the international community to hide behind the ambiguous line between the right to self-determination of the Armenian people and the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

By violating Armenia’s sovereignty, Baku has demonstrated that this conflict was never truly about the principle of territorial integrity for Azerbaijan. After all, if Azerbaijan’s objectives were limited to territorial control, there would not have been systematic destruction of Armenian cultural heritage sites, the deliberate targeting of civilians, and exceedingly inflammatory rhetoric from the regime in Baku seeking to erase the very existence of the Armenian people.

This becomes even more pertinent in the context of the unified global response to Russia’s authoritarian expansionism. What message does it send if the international community stands united behind Ukraine amid a corrupt, despotic regime’s barbaric assault on its territorial integrity but then ignores when Azerbaijan uses aggression against Armenia. By signaling that its response to authoritarianism is conditional, the West risks emboldening other expansionist regimes—particularly those like Turkey, which, in addition to its overt material support for Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia, continues to operate with impunity against Kurdish populations in Iraq and Syria and positions itself aggressively against Greece in the East Mediterranean.

With separate resolutions now introduced by Speier and Rep. Adam Schiff as well as Sens. Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio calling for the immediate cessation of U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan and an investigation into Azerbaijani human rights abuses—and talks currently underway about the provision of U.S. military assistance to Armenia—momentum is building toward positive U.S. reengagement in a region where Washington has hemorrhaged influence for decades by granting Baku carte blanche and allowing Moscow and Ankara to consolidate their positions at the West’s expense.

If Washington wants to demonstrate consistency in its response to authoritarian expansionism, that must begin with an immediate halt to all military assistance to Azerbaijan, robust support for Armenia, and a commitment to multilateral diplomacy in finding a long-term solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh that respects the Armenian people’s right to self-determination. Anything less would not only signal to Azerbaijan that its actions are permissible but demonstrate the limits of the West’s ability to rein in its so-called partners—something that is sure to reverberate beyond the South Caucasus.

[massispost]

New Post has been published on https://massispost.com/2024/07/iranian-ambassador-in-yerevan-denys-secret-arms-deal-with-armenia/

Iranian Ambassador in Yerevan Denys Secret Arms Deal with Armenia

YEREVAN — The Iranian ambassador in Yerevan, Mehdi Sobhani, has denied the report by London-based news channel Iran International t on Friday, saying that it is aimed at undermining the Islamic Republic’s relations with regional countries. In written comments to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Sobhani said the Persian-language media outlet is notorious for disseminating “untrue information and one-sided analyses about Iran.” Iran International is believed to have links to the government of Saudi Arabia, Tehran’s regional rival. In November 2022, Iranian authorities accused the channel of inciting antigovernment riots and designated it as a “terrorist organization.” Sobhani said the news has been…

[angeliqueshelleyartist]

Current Industry Advancements

Blog Post #5

Substance Painter has been around for a while, but since it has been taken over by Adobe, it has become more accessible to those already using the Adobe Suite. The software, now known as Adobe Substance 3D Painter, is still being updated with features to improve texturing and also cross compatibility with other Adobe software, for example, the 2023 update allowed for direct export of textured models into After Effects (Thacker, 2023). The update also improved translucency in materials, added vector support as well as paint-along-paths that are non-destructive and editable via anchor points (Levine, 2023). Substance 3D Painter has revolutionised texturing adding new levels of realism which can be beautifully showcased by Unreal Engine 5.

A video showcasing 3D paths in Substance 3D Painter.

By learning and developing 3D modeling and texturing skills, concept artists can prolong their time working on productions as their skills will be relevant in multiple areas of the pipeline. And if they want to solo develop a passion project, these skills are an absolute for 3D games and VFX.

I'm relatively new to this software, having used it for the first time in March during the Live Brief, but I was surprised by how quickly I was able to create good-quality textures, and how accessible it was for someone used to Photoshop.

A screenshot of the sword I modeled and UV'd in Maya and textured in Substance 3D Painter.

An example of the unlocked power of Substance 3D Painter is this work by Senior Character Artist Sean Ferreira, who used the software in their pipeline during the production of their real-time character Asra Of Yerevan - Revengeful Assassin (2021).

A collection of close-ups showing the impressive details of the real-time character Asra Of Yerevan - Revengeful Assassin, by Sean Ferreira, 2021.

What particularly stands out to me in this work is the realistic weathering of the armour, especially the distressed edges. The materials have the perfect amount of specular and sub-surface scattering. The 4K texture maps also allow for beautifully crisp normal maps of fabric weaves and stitching. Taking all of these thing into account, it's not a stretch to say that Substance 3D Painter has reached new heights in the mimicry of life.

Having a look at what is possible, I feel I have barely scratched the surface with Substance 3D Painter, and so I'm looking forward to developing my skills while texturing the models I create for my Major Study beginning next month.

References

Adobe Substance 3D. (2023). Creating 3D Paths in Substance 3D Painter | Adobe Substance 3D. [Online]. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro5dADu3vpM&t=2s&ab_channel=AdobeSubstance3D [Accessed 23 April 2024].

Ferreira, S. (2021). Asra Of Yerevan - Revengeful Assassin. [Online]. ArtStation. Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/68JboN [Accessed 23 April 2024].

Levine, G. (2023). Substance 3D Painter 9.0 Released. [Online]. 80.lvl. Available at: https://80.lv/articles/substance-3d-painter-9-0-released/ [Accessed 23 April 2024].

Thacker, J. (2023). Adobe releases Substance 3D Painter 9.1. [Online]. CG Channel. Available at: https://www.cgchannel.com/2023/11/adobe-releases-substance-3d-painter-9-1/#:~:text=Adobe%20has%20released%20Substance%203D,export%20directly%20to%20After%20Effects. [Accessed 23 April 2024].

[conandaily2022]

Brazil's Charles Oliveira vs Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan at 'UFC 300' in Paradise, Nevada

Charles Oliveira, 34, of São Paulo, Brazil and Arman Tsarukyan, 27, Yerevan, Armenia will battle it out at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event “UFC 300” at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Clark County, Nevada, United States on April 13, 2024. The bout is a UFC lightweight title eliminator.

[burpenterprisejournal]

ALLOATTI / POGO / SEKI / ZAZIE AT HARD TO TALK!

2023/10/29 Hard to Talk! IDIL EASTLEY / ROTHENBERG / DÖRNER / HEIN ALLOATTI / POGO / SEKI / ZAZIE BMCCRAT JOJI NYSTAGMUS X FURR Petersburg Art Space Berlin - DE

Sunday October 29 PAS Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 101, Berlin, Germany

Hard to Talk! October Edition Das Klacken der Krallen. Küken, Küken, Küken, Küken....

idil - "on times I have forced myself to contain" participatory performance installation

Max Eastley - The Arc, objects David Rothenberg - clarinets, electronics Axel Dörner - trumpet, electronics Nicola L. Hein - guitar, electronics

Gio - electronics, voice Kaz - electronics, voice JD Zazie - turntables, CDjs Mat Pogo - electronics, voice

Bmccrat emo folk, folk punk

joji - movement performance

nystagmus x furrr electronic set

Entrance in the courtyard, Aufgang II, 1OG Doors 18:30, performance and installation starts at 19:00

More info: on times I have forced myself to contain participatory performance installation Artist: idil (idilatasoy_ on instagram) Text: zeynep yılmaz (@zeeynepyilmaz on instagram)

WORK DESCRIPTION:

idil presents an interactive installation in the form of a tent that allows for the visitors to engage with it as they desire. Departing from the understanding of a carrier bag when it comes to narrative structures and storytelling (Le Guin), the artist invites you to take part in a collective effort to unpack individual experiences upon the tent, whether by adding new elements or subtracting existing parts throughout the exhibition.

This tent, the support for which is assembled using emptied food containers from Turkish restaurants, represents a safe haven in times of life’s uncertainties, heavy storms, and especially in regards to migratory movements. While acknowledging a sacred space for our true selves with all that they carry within, it simultaneously unravels safety’s ever-changing, non-static, multifaceted, temporal nature.

The act of constructing and modifying the tent together is a testament to the power of communities, personal journeys, diverse narratives and of the resilience needed in a world that often pushes us to move on. Conversely, in also inviting to deconstruct the tent spread over time, idil underlines the impermanence of stories and places, as a way to hold agency upon transforming and letting go structures that no longer serve us. As a way to reach what holds a chance at being ephemeral.

The tent bears an embodiment for our intimate narratives, as much as for the collective wisdom joining us in our endeavor, where and however it may be.

Bmccrat Bailey McCarty Hello, I am bailey! My music is generally emo folk, folk punk and anything that a sweet mandolin lick might accompany.

Vera Vishnevaya aka furrr is a Yerevan-based experimental musician, filmmaker, media and sound artist, curator, and a video stream host at s0r. In her solo musical output and dj-selections, Vera combines dense soundscaping with offbeat rhythms. As an artist, her work deals with collective memory and trauma, taking the form of minimalistic yet elaborate sound installations. Lately, Vera’s been actively researching local underground scenes, putting out impressive line-ups for events and festivals, as well as showcasing the talents via the video platform s0r.

Kay Khachatryan aka n y s t a g m u s is a sound artist, relentless experimenter, and an explorer of obscure sonic phenomena from Yerevan, known for using field recordings and self-built devices to capture and manipulate sounds. His work focuses on preserving the authenticity of street and acoustic noises, while exploring the timbre and psychological aspects of sound. A veteran of Yerevan's underground, Kay has been prolific in a wide range of underground genres — from raw punk-rock and metal to futuristic deconstruction of club music.

When working together, Vera and Kay deliver intuitive original performances using both acoustic and electronic instruments, showcasing their atmosphere- and rhythm-building skills. Always mindful of the space and occasion, the duo’s set can change from a deep drone session to a barrage of experimental bangers — and everything in between.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.1 (before 1950)

331 BC – Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. 366 – Pope Damasus I is consecrated. 959 – Edgar the Peaceful becomes king of all England, in succession to Eadwig. 965 – Pope John XIII is consecrated. 1553 – The coronation of Queen Mary I of England is held at Westminster Abbey. 1588 – The coronation of Shah Abbas I of Persia occurs. 1730 – Ahmed III is forced to abdicate as the Ottoman sultan. 1779 – The city of Tampere, Finland (belonging to Sweden at this time) is founded by King Gustav III of Sweden. 1787 – Russians under Alexander Suvorov defeat the Turks at Kinburn. 1791 – First session of the French Legislative Assembly. 1795 – More than a year after the Battle of Sprimont, the Austrian Netherlands (present-day Belgium) are officially annexed by Revolutionary France. 1800 – Via the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, Spain cedes Louisiana to France, which would sell the land to the United States thirty months later. 1814 – The Congress of Vienna opens with the intention of redrawing Europe's political map after the defeat of Napoleon in the previous spring. 1827 – Russo-Persian War: The Russian army under Ivan Paskevich storms Yerevan, ending a millennium of Muslim domination of Armenia. 1829 – The South African College is founded in Cape Town, later separating into the University of Cape Town and the South African College Schools. 1832 – Texian political delegates convene at San Felipe de Austin to petition for changes in the governance of Mexican Texas. 1861 – Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management is published, going on to sell 60,000 copies in its first year and remaining in print until the present day. 1887 – Balochistan is conquered by the British Empire. 1890 – Yosemite National Park is established by the U.S. Congress. 1891 – Stanford University opens its doors in California, United States. 1898 – The Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration is founded under the name k.u.k. Exportakademie. 1903 – Baseball: The Boston Americans play the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first game of the modern World Series. 1908 – Ford Model T automobiles are offered for sale at a price of US$825. 1910 – A large bomb destroys the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21. 1918 – World War I: The Egyptian Expeditionary Force captures Damascus. 1918 – Sayid Abdullah becomes the last Khan of Khiva. 1928 – The Soviet Union introduces its first five-year plan. 1928 – Newark Liberty International Airport opens, becoming the first airport in the New York City metro area. 1931 – The George Washington Bridge in the United States is opened, linking New Jersey and New York. 1931 – Clara Campoamor persuades the Constituent Cortes to enfranchise women in Spain's new constitution. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: Francisco Franco is named head of the Nationalist government of Spain. 1936 – Spanish Civil War: The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia dissolves itself, handing control of Catalan defence militias over to the Generalitat. 1938 – Pursuant to the Munich Agreement signed the day before, Nazi Germany begins the military occupation and annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. 1939 – World War II: After a one-month siege, German troops occupy Warsaw. 1940 – The Pennsylvania Turnpike, often considered the first superhighway in the United States, opens to traffic. 1942 – World War II: USS Grouper torpedoes Lisbon Maru, not knowing that she is carrying British prisoners of war from Hong Kong. 1943 – World War II: After the Four Days of Naples, Allied troops enter the city. 1946 – Nazi leaders are sentenced at the Nuremberg trials. 1946 – The Daegu October incident occurs in Allied-occupied Korea. 1947 – The North American F-86 Sabre flies for the first time. 1949 – The People's Republic of China is established.

[goronska]

My OCs - Setia

[masterlist]

This is the most complicated blorbo of mine, and also the most challenging to write. I love you, little blonde bean of mine.

Ilustrated by AI and picrew:

Setia (formely known as Setia Khachaturyan) [approximately 40, he/him, pansexual, human, Armenian, now based in Vermillion]

Coming from Vermillion's neighbouring state of Armenia, Setia is the son of its 5th and incumbent president, Vahagn Khachaturyan, born in Yerevan where his father later stayed on a position of the city mayor.

Raised in highly intellectual and democratic surroundings, Setia as a young man goes to the Vermillian border to negotiate in an armed conflict. There he is facet with Larat but "no one was in the room where it happens". As far as we all know, he was beaten in a direct fight and taken as a slave with no pardon, back to capital, to the royal palace.

His past 20 years, along with a short initial exchange over the phone with his father, being stripped of his surname, and having to wear his collar constantly, saw Setia's rise to power.

Knowing when to keep his mouth shut, when to speak up, when to sweet talk and when to unzip his pants, he made friends left and right, pushing him and Larat higher on the social ladder. She became the general of the army, he became the only servant on the Council, and the right hand to the royal family, helping them raise Merah, too.

(Setia when brought to the palace)

His friendship with Larat throughout the years is bordering romance but nobody has ever seen Setia devoted to anyone. His overflowing blonde hair (he has a ban on cutting them as a slave male on the royal orders) and careful eyes know how to take care of someone, but not really how to take. It's really hard to say what he thinks, because he keeps so much to himself, being a discreet, but verocious servant.

Seeing his dad rising to power, first as a Minister of High Tech Industry in 2021, and then the President in 2022, Setia starts making some more pressing moves. His love to Vermillion (but is it really to the country?) is unwavering, and he would do what it takes to push it into a new era of gender equality and slavery abolition.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he is the first person to come in contant with the Eodum deity and he swore his endless devotion in exchange for Eodum's help in pushing his agenda. The plan so far doesn't run as smoothly as the two would expect, but they press on. When Ubisi learns about this, she sends Red Sickness on him, in an attempt to make him into an example, and if not for Life's intervation he would be dead by now.

And he's in the middle of a really serious situation, because the Queen, after death of Garura, viciously appointed him her next husband, out of probably spite.

His personality is best observed when he interacts with others, as he is a hell of a mess, and his motives are rarely clear or obvious, making him a person some confide in, yet others despise and are constantly on edge when around him. He indeed can command respect, and he could even as a slave.

Larat is the most murky one, they definitely slept together, went to drink together outside of palace, they know each other best from all of the OCs in Vermillion. What bonded them so and how is unknown, but one would get killed over the other, even though it doesn't manifest itself in formal situations (like the Council punishing Larat for getting involved with Florence - and he would see Queen's verdict to the T, if he had to). They were the ones putting the whole Eodum mess in motion.

Princess Merah also once or twice landed in bed with him, but mostly friendzones Setia and loves him as the best uncle she never had (which yes, weird). She is not smart enough to undestand any of his manipulativeness.

Next person on his list would be Adam, who being a somewhat younger slave, motivates Setia to go through with his plans of freeing as many people as he can. Just not yet. Adam being his personal servant looks up to him in all waves and from a defiant slave of Lady Shiroi, transforms into a dutiful left hand to the future King, loving every bit of attention and protectiveness Setia has over the man.

Setia couldn't be understood without his ties to Eodum. The bratty demi-god had to be offered something to help with the vision of equal Vermillion. The only thing Setia could offer, because he owned it completely at that time, was himself. Since then, he spends hours on end every night (but around 5 minutes of time on Earth) in the Inbetween realm, getting forcefully obliterated by Eodum in blind submission. After the ordeal, Eodum knowing how each bruise and cut was dealt - he heals Setia by carefully reversing time on each wound, becoming a better and better healer in the process. It turns out later, that this is the only kind of attention Setia can take on - one violently imposed on him, hurting him. Even when Eodum is pretty confident in his skills, Setia will come back for more.

This circle of pain kind of closes on Queen Merahtua, who suspecting a coup rising in her own palace, tricks Setia to join her as the King upon becoming a widow. Their toxic relationship on one hand gets the brilliant public side where they always agree, never argue, and do what's best for the country, and their private life with barely any speaking, silent dinners together and Setia using her in the bedroom, as he feels disgusted by having to be there and taking it all on her. Whether she truely enjoys it (being dominated for the first time in her royal life, and by an ex-slave to that), or he is just waiting for him to take it a step too far so she can frame him, remains unknown as of yet.

Her step-granddautgher, future queen Jennifer, also plays a cruel game of chess with Setia. Despite having similar goals for the country, their personal goals don't align much and both of them try to be one step ahead of the other. Their informants and allies sometimes even serve both of them, and when their paths cross, they are on high alert. Setia deeply understands her cold, calculating movements and holds her in the highest of respects, because he finds an equally good player in her, Jennifer being half his age, and maybe his successor. She on the other hand knows, he was always the most powerful figure of the last decade in Vermillion, a type of a shadow cabinet figure, wants to keep him in check, but squeeze everything useful from him, as the time progresses and her coronation is getting closer.

Probably there is no right answer to the question whether Setia is a positive character or not. He has his devotions, and would fight much more subtly than nail and tooth to make sure the lesser evil (at least, in his opinion) is achieved for everyone involved. But he is a realist, he knows there is never a good ending and he can just minimize the loses. Fear people like Setia. Because they just might know what they want from you.

[dougielombax]

Just leaving these articles here.

Feel free to reblog.

Reblog the shit out of this.

[lil-scout-precure]

Junior Eurovision 2023 detailed opinions before the show. Part 2

And here am I, with the second part of my Junior Eurovision 2023 personal opinions by tier (rather than ranking, these songs are more difficult to rank than in adult Eurovision). We covered the 2 lower tiers, the ones that are not the worst songs of history (they're kids after all, and at least the songs are less disastrous than some of the worst entries in the adult edition's history) but not the best compared to the others. Now it's the turn for the third one, the wildcard (for reasons I will explain), as the last two will be joined in one (or two, if Tumblr limits the content size).

The tier-list, for reference

Tier 3: "Not winners, but I identify myself with them"

A small talk before the first song of this tier, to explain why is it a wildcard I didn't think I would bawl "It was Eurovision, not depression!" over MORE THAN ONE SONG in this year's Junior Eurovision. Sure, one thing is one depressing/tear-jerking song per year like Forever (2020) or Nezlamna (2022, and by a lot considering the lyrics and the war); but more than one is because either I got too emotional lately or these songs really tugged me in the heart, one way or another, by any mode. The only reason they are not in the lower tiers and in a personalized one as a wildcard, although still not the top favorites T-T

🇵🇹 Júlia Machado "Where I Belong"

Portugal surprised me a lot the two last years. One with Simao's "O Rapaz" and his out-of-the-box voice that would send him to adult Eurovision in a click (even if the Discord fandom says he sounds like a grandpa ._.), and then Nicolas' "Anos 70" with a Damiano David-like voice (affectionate) and the rock ballad of the rock ballads in JESC (how don't we have that kind of songs this year? ;w;). And I was hyped for Portugal's selection, expecting everything...except this.

Sure, the signals were clear when they said the song would talk about Júlia's personal experiences with bullying during her school studies in USA, but I expected it to be more of a "Stand By You"-like entry (Albania 2021). And then the song came and gave me the slap. For being a soft ballad, as someone who understands almost 50% Portuguese vía childhood comics and dubbing, the hit felt as hard as street concrete, and fricking relatable. Like wanting to hug Júlia each time I heard it.

By rumours they say the clothing for Júlia will be a key part in the live version. And I really, really hope it results good, because this song (and the next entries) deserves the best staging and to not land last.

🇪🇪 Arhanna "Hoiame Kokku"

Estonia in the Junior edition? The surprise of the year, I say. After hearing Serbia and Kazakhstan were leaving this year (both for bad results in Yerevan, one having extreme sickness bc of COLD OPENING CEREMONY OUTSIDE to the point the jury show was shown instead of live, and the other with a good studio song and feeling plastered by the live version ;w;), I was hoping for a miracle to complete the 16-entry list. And Estonia, from all countries, entered the contest, and with a contestant kid already! A good reveal! It was 100% ensured they would bring a ballad rather than another song genre (Alika's "Bridges" gave them confidence, I see). But this one got me off-guard a lot.

If I got emotional with this one was rather because of the studio videoclip streamed in YouTube (during work, and me trying to hide the emotional tears) than the lyrics themselves. But it still hit me a lot. Arhanna's vocals are such of a level I never imagined for Estonia, since I expected a lot of things being their JESC debut, and the piano touch speaks "inspired by Alika" a lot (in a good way, "Bridges" was amazing, even if Ollie's "Venom" was my first election). But the video, my lord in Christ, was the main reason I put this song in this tier. And adding that, by lyrics and all, this reminded me a lot of Sora and Mashiro's friendship (yeah, into the Hirogaru Sky Precure fandom since last months). Yeah...

Should they ruin the staging for this one, I will be totally angry. At least they would make the piano a "ghost-play" like in Alika's case, but please, please don't ruin this one with the live version!

🇵🇱 Maja Krzyżewska "I Just Need a Friend"

Another song that I underrated during its first version like Viola's "Bota Ime" from Albania. The Szanza Na Suckzes 2023 (Poland's current JESC selection) experience was something new for me, from the fact they decided to use ONE SINGLE ORIGINAL SONG to test which finalist went better (instead of one song per finalist like in previous years with Laura and Sara James, something that showed which kid had more potential better) to expecting it to be at least decent compared to the unspeakable crime TVP "sent" for Liverpool. As for the finalist kids, I agree with the fandom it should have been more of a pair given the song's meaning than just one kid, but well, TVP is TVP and we can't do anything. The song at first listening by Maja was not a big hit for me for then. I said "they either revamp it like with Laura's "To the Moon" or they will place last with Albania". And it was in the last places for a long time until the studio version came to YouTube (and then the video T-T)

For the song first. WHAT A REVAMP. I had low expectatives and yet the new version WAS SOMETHING AMAZING. It was waaaay leagues above the Szanza version, it had more strength and feeling. And Laura sounded WAY BETTER. I was unsure where to place it for the moment. Until the next day the video was streamed early in the morning...To tell you that, by the end of the clip, I called my pet Yorkie, Canela, to my bedroom and hugged her hidden in the blankets while sobbing a lot before my normal wake-up hour, I say a lot of how I felt of the video. The dog there is really a good boy/girl :,)

Knowing Poland's history of Capcut add-ons in screen (Viki's countdown, Sara's butterflies and flowers, Laura's floating moon and a clip of her and her besties in the intro, Ochman's thunders and rain, and whatever tf they tried to make in THAT song in 2023), I just expect for them to NOT SCREW this song with those things. The song is NOT FIT for it, and it will be a CRIME if they dare to do it in the live version. PLEASE. NO. EFFECTS

----------------------------------------------------------

And that's a wrap for this second part! Now we get to the best songs (in my opinion) for Junior Eurovision 2023! See ya! :D

[mariacallous]

With more than 98 percent of precincts reporting, Vladimir Putin has claimed a fifth presidential term, collecting more than 87 percent of the ballots with official turnout above 74 percent. Putin’s closest rival, Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, failed to crack even five percent. The voting itself presented no surprises. Putin has held power in Russia for nearly a quarter century, and his next term in office runs to 2030 when he’s free to run for reelection yet again, thanks to constitutional amendments adopted in 2021. Meduza breaks down the weekend’s protests, ballot-box sabotage, and violence.

’Noon Against Putin’

With Sunday’s voting outcome a forgone conclusion, the only unknowns were what, if any, protest activity might occur. Former St. Petersburg municipal deputy Maxim Reznik devised a scheme that became known as “Noon Against Putin,” calling on the president’s opponents to synchronize their voting at 12 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. The plan’s premise was that Russia now prohibits all opposition demonstrations, but voting allows a public assembly without violating the authorities’ lockdown. “Noon Against Putin” won Alexey Navalny’s endorsement and the support of prominent opposition members in exile, including Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Dmitry Gudkov, Yulia Galyamina, and others.

“Noon Against Putin” crowds were spotted across Russia, beginning in the Far East and moving westward as voting continued. Meduza tracked midday lines outside voting precincts in Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Tomsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities. 

At embassies abroad, where Russians could assemble openly with anti-Putin, anti-war political banners, voters lined up at noon in Vilnius, Riga, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Belgrade, Podgorica, Paris, Brussels, Barcelona, ​​London, Lisbon, Bishkek, Astana, Tel Aviv, The Hague, and other cities. One of the largest crowds assembled in Berlin, where Alexey Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalanaya, voted after waiting in line for roughly six hours. An eyewitness told Meduza that he overheard Russian embassy staff discussing Navalnaya’s presence and debating whether they could prevent her from entering the building to vote. (The officials decided that they couldn’t stop her.)

Voter intimidation

A day before Sunday’s noon campaign, numerous readers told Meduza and Agentstvo Media that they’d started receiving threatening messages on Telegram and Signal from automated bot accounts. The messages accused the individuals of supporting “extremist ideas” and demanded that they vote “without long lines.”

Journalist Andrey Zakharov examined several dozen of these reports and concluded that the messages targeted people who shared two conditions: (1) they were registered to vote in Moscow or had been removed from their local precinct’s voter list, and (2) they had publicly traceable ties to Alexey Navalny or his Anti-Corruption Foundation. Zakharov found that “sympathies” with Navalny included attending his burial in Moscow, suggesting that surveillance cameras or other footage were used to identify them.

Before voting began, state prosecutors in Moscow responded to Internet chatter about “Noon Against Putin” by issuing a warning that any “unpermitted demonstrations” with the aim of “violating election laws” and preventing “the free exercise of voting rights” were punishable by up to five years in prison. By the end of voting, monitors at OVD-Info counted more than 86 arrests in 21 different cities across Russia.

In lieu of waving banners and shouting in crowds, many opposition voters resorted to “spoiling” their ballots. People scrawled anti-Putin, anti-war slogans on the paper, wrote the names of Alexey Navalny and Yulia Navalnaya, wrote Navalny’s dying wish, “Don’t give up,” and so on. Other messages on ballots read, “Love is stronger than death,” “Putin is a usurper, thief, and murderer,” and at least one person drew a steaming pile of feces over Putin’s name. Meduza collected photos of these ballots here.

Scammer sabotage

By Saturday morning, police had opened more than a dozen felony cases in response to individuals who sprayed dye, ink, or paint into ballot boxes. Some people even started fires, and one woman reportedly lost her arm while setting off a firecracker. According to media reports, the suspects arrested in these incidents say they were coerced into these acts by telephone scammers who fooled them out of their personal savings and then offered to return the money in exchange for sabotaging the local voting precinct. Attempts to damage ballot boxes were reported in Moscow, Simferopol, Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Rostov, and Karachay-Cherkessia. 

There hasn’t been a uniform police response to these incidents. For example, in Yekaterinburg, a chemical scientist who teaches at Ural Federal University was arrested after spraying green dye into a ballot box. She says scammers told her this was the price for returning her life savings of 15 million rubles ($162,100). Officials let her off with charges of disorderly conduct. On the other hand, a 20-year-old woman in Moscow is now in pretrial detention awaiting felony charges after spraying the same substance into a ballot box at her precinct.

Battlefront voting

Throughout Russia’s three-day presidential voting, the Belgorod region remained under regular drone attack and rocket fire. Ukrainian attacks disrupted voting on several occasions and killed at least two civilians, including a 16-year-old girl, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

In territories that Russia invaded and annexed after February 2022, early voting kicked off ahead of March 15. Officials allowed residents to cast ballots using whatever identification they presented, including Ukrainian passports. Voting was conducted in the presence of soldiers. In Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, official turnout ranged from 83 to more than 88 percent.