#and only brought in the multi verse for covering up their lack of continuity

[jewishbarbies]

Sony marvel movies are inherently better than disney marvel movies because Sony makes films, not brand commercials.

[utterlyinevitable]

Hurricane (Part 4)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Rebecca Lao) Word Count: 2.1k Warning: Small bit of cussing Summary: A hurricane is falling over Boston. Edenbrook has been evacuated and some very different doctor’s end up seeking shelter together.  

A/N: This series was inspired by an anon prompt request for “protection”. I hope I did it justice! This is a multi part story.  ALSO I love Gatsby and Fitzgerald and so self-indulgent in this chapter 🤣

________________________________________

Once Becca and Ethan brought order back to Naveen’s kitchen, she bounded back into the dining room with a bottle of pinot noir in each hand for them all to share much to everyone’s elation. Ethan hung back during the first bottle, opting to gather blankets and towels for the guests. 

The group of gossips played card games and continued letting the conversation flow as freely as Naveen’s hand. Running out of hospitable things to keep him occupied, Ethan poured himself a generous glass and observed the people around him. With much convincing from the group he eventually gave in to the pressure and joined the game of ‘Bullshit’. When that got boring they moved rooms in the name of tranquil comfort. 

They all sat in the living room watching Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby as the storm raged on outside. Naveen was quick to make sure everyone had copious amounts of wine and cheese before retiring to bed. Without the scrutiny of his father figure Ethan felt he could be a little more carefree. 

Under the cover of darkness Ethan let himself drape his arm behind Becca against the back of the love-seat, making sure to keep his touch a distance away, the soft cushions dipped under the weight of his muscle. She felt the warmth of his presence along the base of her neck. The short invisible hairs stood up at the electricity emitting off him, igniting her senses in the best possible way. Becca smiled to herself, moving a bit closer to him so their sides were completely touching. She leaned into him just enough that the fabric of their clothes were pressed flat against the other.  

Her eyes darted around the dark cabin. Elijah had moved from his wheelchair and to the edge of the three-seater sofa. Sienna sat next to him in the middle and was now lounging out over Naveen’s deserted seat with a throw pillow cuddled deep in her small embrace. 

The coast was clear. Everyone was too engrossed in the film to pay any mind to the diagnosticians on their left. 

Boldly, Becca rested her head gingerly on the curve of Ethan’s shoulder. Her friends were none the wiser. 

Pushing their luck a bit further Ethan slid his arm closer to her shoulder blades. She reciprocated their game by placing a hand carefully on his muscular thigh. 

Ethan’s enchanting blue eyes did their own quick survey of the scene to make sure Sienna and Elijah were still oblivious. When he was certain her friends were too caught up on the imagery, Ethan cupped his free hand over hers. The corner of Becca’s lips noticeably perked as she laced their fingers together. 

“I love this story,” she whispered into his ear. 

“Why? It’s a tragedy. There is not one likable character in the whole plot,” he whispered back.  

“That’s what makes it so compelling. They’re flawed and real.” 

Before Ethan could rebuke, her favorite line was about to be said. 

“Gatsby? What Gatsby?” she mimicked looking over to Ethan. 

Her eyes held the same adoration reflecting from Daisy Buchanan’s character. It was hopeless and all-consuming, fiery and full of… something Ethan couldn’t place. All he knew was when that line fell delicately off her tongue he couldn’t help but parallel the feeling of him and Becca being the only two people in the universe. Ethan had that smile - that one smile reserved only for her. That one smile full of eternal reassurance and pride, making it as if his whole world revolved around her in that soulful moment. A glimpse into who Ethan was and not who Dr. Ramsey needed to be.  

Becca was mere inches away. One movement and it would all be over. Her eyes flickered down to his lips and back to the large television screen, ever so enchanted by the modern classic playing out before them. Ethan was thankful for her lack of focus. He let out the breath he was holding in he held onto her hand just a bit tighter. 

As the evening passed on Ethan let himself fall a bit more into comfort. 

For a brief moment he thought maybe, just maybe, everything could be this simple. They could be together and the people in their lives could all know, and no one would care. No careers could be in turmoil by the mere mention of their romantic relationship. 

No politics. Just love. 

Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works. 

Ethan was far too well-versed in cynicism to let himself fall any further than this moment. Holding hands in the darkness was all they could ever have with others around. He let the moment last, trusting her word that her friends wouldn’t destroy their ephemeral happiness. 

No, that was destined for them. 

Once the credit scene began to roll Sienna was the first to disturb the peace. 

“Come on I think it’s time for bed,” she sat up and tapped a dozing Elijah on the shoulder. 

Sienna dared to glance over at the love-seat - doing a double take to make sure it was really, truly happening before her very eyes. There in the warm glow cascading off the television was Becca curled up against Dr. Ramsey. Ethan was cradling her against him with his right arm securely at her waist as his left held up a book. He began reading the closest literature he could find towards the end of the film when he was sure Becca was asleep and wouldn’t castrate him. Neither diagnostician made an attempt to move. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Elijah agreed, lazily moving back into his chair while Sienna made sure to put the pillow back where she found it. “Night Becca, Dr. Ramsey,” he called as Sienna wheeled him to their room for the next few days.  

“Goodnight, Dr. Greene. Trinh,” Ethan acknowledged without breaking focus on his book. 

Once the friends were safely in their room with a click of the door Ethan began to migrate, casting the book aside and reaching for the remote on Becca’s armrest to shut the television off. 

“No,” she whined as his small motions rock her gently to disturb her slumber. 

With a smirk Ethan scoffed, “You’re basically asleep.”

Becca grumbled back as she threw her arms over her eyes, “I don’t care.” 

Ethan took the challenge and swiftly rose to his feet. Becca’s cheek immediately met the crater in the cushion as she flopped down without her supporter. 

“Hey!” her objection was partially muffled by the old paisley printed cushion.  

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle at his resident. Her legs were still awkwardly folded under herself and he’d imagine they’d at least be tingly with pins and needles by now, she still had her jeans on and her top exposed the pale skin of her midriff, and her brown locks were wildly strewn about. With a bemused shake of his head he brought the remainder of the dishes into the kitchen. 

When he came back Becca hadn’t moved an inch, her body still lolled to the side where he was previously sat. 

In four long strides Ethan was back in front of her. Becca heard his shallow footsteps yet was too comfortable to acknowledge his presence. Suddenly the couch flew out of under her and Becca was in free fall. Before she could open her eyes taut muscle and bone made contact with her rib-cage. 

Ethan had slung her over his shoulder. 

“Ethan!” she hissed. Normally Becca would appreciate the delicious view of this new position however the generous amount of wine mixed with the blood rushing to her head was not working in her favor.  

“Shush, you’ll wake everyone up.” Becca’s bottom jiggled from Ethan’s playful smack. 

She argued back, “You woke me up!”  

“It was that or have a stiff neck tomorrow,” Ethan began to rationalize as he took each step carefully so as to not to lose his balance. “And I’m not dealing with your complaints.”

Naveen’s master bedroom was large with glorious vaulted ceilings and exposed wooden beams. It was much too big for one person. Keeping with the cabin theme, the bed was wooden with four tall posts, the outer wall was lined with windows looking out over the river, and the adjoining bathroom led right into a modest yet bare walk-in closet. 

Ethan placed Becca down on the soft springform mattress conscientiously. She reveled in the waft of cinnamon and cedar of the quilt and deep red cotton sheets. Becca appreciated how Naveen also had an affinity for pillows - four medium firm and two down were waiting patiently for her noggin. Becca was too enticed by sleep to rummage for pajamas in her bag. Instead she began to unbutton her jeans haphazardly from her horizontal position. 

Ethan watched as she fumbled continuously, not quite grasping the button enough to pop it through the hole. After the fourth try he swatted her hands away, taking the reins. Ethan expertly flicked the button, dragged the zipper down and freed Becca’s legs from the thick day-ridden material. She sighed as the cool air met her clean-shaven skin. Her toes then hooked and flicked off her socks while she sat up and pulled her shirt off.  

 Sitting cross-legged on top of the duvet in just her nude bra and purple lace panties she asked, “Staying or going?” 

Her jeans were now folded on top of the wardrobe where Ethan stood with a cocked eyebrow, “What do you think?”

BOOM! 

A close clack of thunder rattled the wood causing them both to jump. 

CLACK! 

TSS

“Fuck!” she screamed in exasperation as quietly as she could. “Do you think a tree fell?” 

“Rookie, are you scared?” 

“No. I’ve been through loads of hurricanes,” she asserted, moving up the bed to crawl safely under the covers. “There's just a lot of wood around here. One wrong bolt and we’re all up in flames.” 

Ethan perched himself at the edge of the bed next to her nearly nude form. “I highly doubt that will happen.” 

“But it could happen.” 

“Theoretically.”

The covers sat around Becca’s waist. Her supple curves of her exposed breasts called to him. Ethan began to reach for her but the rational doctor did all he could to stop himself from caressing the addictive skin. Instead his hand rested on her inner thigh, just the thin duvet separating their warmth. Her hair was a frizzy halo around her rounded face and her lips stained deep indigo from all the red wine. And yet she was still - always, so beautiful. 

She watched as his eyes trail over her and his chest rose and fell a tad quicker.   

“You should stay. I know you want to.” 

“You know I can’t.” 

“You know they already think we’re dating anyway.” 

Ethan was taken aback at the brazen accusation but not enough to remove his hold on her, “We are doing what?” Instinctively his calloused fingers tightened their grip slightly. 

“Don’t look so surprised,” she all but rolled her eyes at his idiocy. After a beat, her brown eyes fixated on his expert hand, she added, “Ethan… are you single?” 

Her small voice was full of shaken vulnerability. She yanked the covers up higher, releasing his hold on her, and curled herself further into them, shielding herself from his answer. Or lack thereof, there were too many seconds hanging in the space between them.  

He reached out to tuck a few strands behind her ear. The wait was killing her. 

“No… I’m not.” 

Those words. Becca felt like the air had been stolen from her lungs. How long had she been waiting to hear them? How long has she been hoping Ethan Ramsey would commit to only her with a promise of forever? She couldn’t recall anything other than him at this moment moving in closer to her. Their noses brushed every so slightly, his affirming and hopeful words lingering warm against her flushed cheeks. 

“Stay,” she breathed. 

The way she was imploring him could crumble the Great Wall of China. Every ounce of Ethan’s resolve came crumbling down as he finally admitted his feelings to the universe. He thought she knew by now how he was irrevocably hers without words needing to be shared. Dr. Ethan Ramsey would continue living a solitary life until he could freely be able to love Dr. Rebecca Lao and without fear of completely destroying her bright future. 

Ethan wanted so badly to dive into the covers with her and never come back up - her sweet embrace was all the sustenance he needed to survive. But the little voice in the back of his head told him not to cut the line just yet.  

“Only until you fall asleep,” he agreed. “Wouldn’t want Naveen thinking we were being indecent in his bed. He’d never let me hear the end of it.” 

________________________________________

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[oneweekoneband]

Vacation

There’s a lot of clichés about artists burning out just as they come through with their brightest work, and in some people’s version of this story, that might be the frame for Vacation, BTMI!’s final album before breaking up. Personally, I’ve never bought into those monomyth-esque narratives about bands’ inherent career arcs, and so I’m not inclined to view the album this way. I will say that while I absolutely love it, I don’t think it’s necessarily the band’s best album. It’s also just not accurate to think that this was a point of “burning out” for BTMI!, since Jeff started writing for his solo career almost immediately following the band’s dissolution.

Still, Vacation does hew eerily close to a lot of these rock ‘n’ roll archetypes. It was a momentous album, it was probably the most publicized release the band had seen, it represented a new musical direction that seemed to present itself as the summary of Jeff’s experimentation with genre and songform over the rest of the band’s career, and the band very much did break up after its release (although, as with ASOB, it took a few years for that to become official).

About that publicization: while I’m somewhat sad that I missed out on most of BTMI!’s career (being, you know, too young to go to shows or even think much about punk for the first 5-ish years), I’m still glad I found them when I did, because the build-up to the release of Vacation was a really interesting time to be a fan. In 2010, almost a year before the release, the band began a roll-out of singles to get people excited about the new material, and it worked like a charm on me: the boisterous first single “Everybody That You Love” seemed like a sign of great things to come if its electrifying lead guitars and dizzying vocal hook were any indication. “Hurricane Waves” and “Can’t Complain” showed even more diversity to look forward to when the band released them in 2011 ahead of the album. In addition to that, Jeff launched a whole new label to sell Vacation (and much of the other stuff released through Quote Unquote) through, Really Records. Clearly, he was trying to communicate something about the step forward he wanted Vacation to represent.

And fans like me, despite knowing that “Side Projects Are Never Successful” and that Jeff was never in it for the fame, had reason to believe not only that this might have been the band’s big shot, but that they might actually make it big – or at least to become big enough to continue to exist as a full-time touring band that played music for a living. The Vacation singles were getting media coverage like no other previous BTMI! release had, and they marked a direction for the band’s music that, while retaining the punk integrity and musical ambition of the earlier albums, also proved more melodic, cleanly-produced, and accessible to a broader audience. While previous albums got recognition in the punk scene, Vacation looked like it had “crossover potential.” And when it finally arrived, there were even more positive signs: within half a year of the release, “Can’t Complain” made an appearance in “The Office.”

Of course, for all this to work, the album had to be good, and thankfully it was better than that – despite what might have sounded like my talking it down, it definitely represents a new high for the band. It’s Jeff’s own favourite BTMI! album, and I can see why: its complexity is something to be proud of. He had always been influenced by artists falling outside of the punk spectrum, but here those influences are more pronounced than ever, and the band finally breaks free of its ska-punk chains with a sound wholly its own. Brian Wilson-esque harmony arrangements and multi-part songs abound, and in a similar fashion to To Leave Or Die In Long Island, a couple motifs from individual songs (“Campaign For A Better Next Weekend” and “Sick, Later”) turn up in multiple places on the album for thematic cohesion. If SMiLE was Wilson’s “teenage symphony to God,” Vacation might be Jeff’s “adult symphony to punk rock.”

Many of my favourite songs off Vacation stand completely alone in the BTMI! catalogue, with little stylistic precedent. “Why Oh, Why Oh, Why (Oh Oh Oh Oh)” is a brash, thunderous fusion of Elvis Costello’s melodic sense and Bruce Springsteen’s maximalism, with a wealth of memorable melodies and lyrics that are all Jeff’s own. “Can’t Complain” is that rare song that manage to “rock quietly” – it’s both hushed and urgent in its muted acoustic chords and slide guitar lines, panicking at the pace of everyday life while simultaneously realizing how much there is to be thankful. And of course there’s the glorious, dynamic opener that slowly builds from a nostalgic piano riff accompanied by subtle, emotionally-charged chord changes into an explosive hardcore-punk charge, with vocals ranging from Jeff’s cleanest, quietest-ever singing to his more characteristic shouting to a group chant at the end.

But even when Vacation retreads familiar territory, it still feels like it’s moving forward. “The Shit That You Hate” stands in a long line of 3/4 5-6-minute slow-burn songs appearing on BTMI! albums, but it feels like a perfection of that particular type of song rather than a simple revisiting. Jeff’s weak, warbly falsetto note when he sings “Hold onto your hope” always gets me a little choked up. “Hurricane Waves” might recycle a melody from To Leave Or Die In Long Island during its bridge, but the rest of the song is all new, providing that melody with a fascinating recontextualization to great effect. The aforementioned “Sick, Later” has a zig-zagging riff in an unusual time signature combination that still manages to be incredibly hooky, as well as some of my favourite lyrics on the album:

The first time that I took you to the hospital,

I was tired and you wanted to die,

I drove off, and I couldn't understand at all

Fuck, I didn't even walk you inside,

I thought we all wanna die, we all wanna die,

And I thought that was fine, I thought that was fine.

One of the album’s most instantaneous joys comes from “Vocal Coach,” the shortest true song on the album. Jeff’s vocals were probably the most consistently difficult factor in terms of getting listeners outside of punk to take BTMI! seriously; they’re somewhere in between the traditionally-expected “bad” vocals of classic punk and the cleaner, more melodic style of singing dominant in pop-punk. Either way, they definitely don’t play to mainstream ears (perhaps this is why “Campaign For A Better Next Weekend” starts the way it does, and for that reason, Vacation might be the best place for a listener that’s not well-versed in punk to jump into the band’s discography). On “Vocal Coach,” Jeff takes on this problem with a healthy dose of irony, penning an ode to the imperfections he loves in music, the “dirty covers, dusty grooves and deep scratches.” But with a melody reminiscent of Pinkerton-era Weezer, he also expresses his own frustration with his inability to transcend the ugliness of his own singing: “I get embarrassed when my voice pops out and it’s not like in my head, / If I got a new vocal coach and I could hit the notes, you’d fall in love again.”

I understand that frustration – I’ve sung in more than one band, but before I even started playing in a band, I never thought I could be a singer because I thought I wasn’t good enough. But over time, I slowly realized that the reason I thought that was because I was comparing myself to singers who were already considered to be superhumanly-gifted, and that not every singer needs to be that way; there are thresholds of “good-enough,” and realizing where you fall in that can be a very freeing experience. I learned to sing by imitation Johnny Rotten and Billy Corgan, singers with definitively “bad” voices that nevertheless managed to communicate pretty much exactly what they wanted to in their songs. And Jeff Rosenstock was another big inspiration to me in that respect: he was a “bad” singer who nevertheless sang his songs defiantly, against popular tastes, because who else was going to do it for him? (Not to mention that as a “rock ‘n’ role model,” Jeff seems like a much better guy than Johnny or Billy.) But like Jeff, I know that there are times when singers wish we could do more with our voices than what seems to be within our natural ability, and we start wondering if it’s just a matter of putting in the right amount of work to “perfect” that voice. “Vocal Coach” brilliantly captures the nuances of this feeling in under two and a half minutes in an unforgettably catchy tune.

It couldn’t last, though. Even Jeff seemed to know it, as he sang on “Vocal Coach”: “ I'm aware that I'm kind of getting scared the love that I thought had no bounds is coming to an end.” Vacation proved that BTMI! could be made more accessible and reach a wider audience, but there were limits to that growth. Just what reasons lay behind those limits will always be a bit obscure, but after a while, it became clear that despite being their most successful album to date, Vacation wasn’t going to be a true “commercial breakthrough.” To be fair, I don’t even know if that’s what Jeff wanted. I haven’t been fully clear on why the band broke up, and strangely, Jeff even seemed a little vague on it in this interview, citing one member’s moving to Australia as part of it. It didn’t have much to do with a lack of commercial success (Jeff claims the band wasn’t even on as much of an upswing in popularity as fans had come to believe at the time), and I doubt he would have soldiered on with his solo career the way he did if it had. In fact, I suspect his solo career is probably more well-known by now than BTMI! was even at their peak.

In the end, I’m just happy the band go to do what they wanted to for as long as they did, and that BTMI! brought so much to my life and the lives of other fans like me. I’m also incredibly grateful I got to see them at least once, on their last tour before they broke up in what turned out to be my first real punk show. It was, in some ways, kind of a fluke: I was 16 and the band had planned some tour dates in Canada, including Ottawa, which was truly shocking, considering that almost no one big (outside of the Wu-Tang Clan – look that one up, it’s a strange story) comes to Ottawa. But it was even flukier than that, because it turned out that my parents had planned a road trip to Toronto for our family over the date BTMI! was playing! Of course, I checked the tour dates and sure enough, they were coming to Toronto too, so I got the tickets for that show instead and saw them for the first and last time at the loft above Sneaky Dee’s with my sister. It was an amazing experience, and I can’t think of a better way to have been introduced to live punk. I was caught off-guard by the mosh pit, but it was a friendly one, and I ended up spending most of the show in it. The band played almost every song I could have hoped for (“25”! “I Don’t Love You Anymore”! Every great song on Vacation!) and I ended the night a sweaty, dehydrated mess. As Jeff came down from the stage into the crowd after the show, I gave him a big hug and told him how awesome I thought it was. And while I hadn’t brought a blank t-shirt for the band to spray-paint their name on (a tradition from the early days they were still doing at that time), I bought one of their special “bilingual shirts” that I assume were made specially for the Canadian leg of the tour. I still have it:

[idolisnotdead]

Seiko Oomori - kitixxxgaia - Review

If you’ve read this blog before, you probably have a pretty good idea of my completely unbiased admiration for Seiko Oomori and everything she does. “Unbiased”.

So let’s just get to it. Less than a year, by about two weeks maybe to be precise, Seiko Oomori follows up her critically acclaimed major sophomore album (fourth overall) TOKYO BLACK HOLE with something even bigger, even more political, even more honest, and even more ambitious. I’m going to start off by changing my previous opinion. TOKYO BLACK HOLE is like an 8.5 now. Stay with me, here now and buckle up; we’re going for a ride, my friends.

The same week the United States got unleashed with the marvel of Drake’s More Life – a notably emotional return to form that also doesn’t shy away too far from the newer territory Toronto’s first celebratory hero has been invading – Japan was hit with something similarly parallel. Seiko Oomori gave us her fifth album kitixxxgaia on March 15th. Just like Drizzy, Seiko has given us an equally emotional experience, that still covers her recent sounds while almost giving us a slight return to her punk roots save for the general lack of an obvious acoustic guitar in most of the mixes (though it’s worth noting that it’s still there, just buried in the mix; I’ll get to why such a jam-packed mix actually works in a minute).

It’s amazing to see that the west and the east were both delivered promising projects by two of their biggest masters of music and emotion. It’s amazing to see just how far some shitty kid from Koenji has come in just five years since her official debut PINK in 2012. It’s amazing to think that that’s six albums if you count PINK, seven if you count the mostly self-covering Pink Tokarev album of 2015, which was otherwise an off-year for everyone’s favorite singer to imitate.

The only word I can describe how kitixxxgaia sounds with is “big”. And several other adjectives. Maybe “gigantic”. Maybe “colossal”. It’s a fucking huge album, pardon my French. This is potentially Seiko’s first Ringo Sheena-level album (let’s just forget that SUNNY happened for a minute). There’s a lot of religious imagery and a heavy aesthetic. I’d highly suggest on your first listen, you watch the music videos for every song that has one. So start with the “Dogma Magma” video, then the “Hikokuminteki Hero” video, listen to “IDOL SONG” normally, then when “Gutto Kuru Summer” comes along, watch that video too. And so on.

kitixxxgaia is heavy in its use of a very specific aesthetic, which takes influence from Christianity (and a hint of Mexican-style Christianity at that), weddings, quite a bit of Dadaism, and it’s all absolutely drenched in shades of pink and lighter blues. It’s the kind of album that’s best to be experienced both by listening and watching, as I said before. There are heaps of promotional images that came along with the album and the original “holy trinity” singles that lead up to its release, and I’d suggest maybe even just looking through those around Twitter and wherever else you can find them (maybe I’ll compile what I can find and make a post later this week) while you listen to the songs that aren’t accompanied by music videos. It’s the kind of multi-media work that could induce a sensory-overload in someone with synesthesia, like myself.

Now before I even get into the music of it, I want to point out the name of the album itself. Just the name kitixxxgaia (say it in English how you want, I generally say “Kitty Gaia”), much like her lyrics, takes some wordplay. In Japanese, the word “kichigai” - short for “[anta no] ki ga chigaimasu”, though nobody would ever say it that formally - is essentially the closest the Japanese language can get to the level of offense that words like (cover your children’s eyes) “fuck” or “cunt”. It doesn’t mean the same thing, but it’s that sort of level of offense, though deeper seeing as Japan is culturally much more introverted than we are over here.

Kichigai could loosely be translated to “you’re fucking crazy, man; you’re out of your goddamn mind.” Not in like a “woah dude that’s a fucking siiiick tattoo of a wolf” kind of way, though. It’s an insult, not a term of endearment. Adding the “a” to the end, Seiko turns it into “kichigaia” (キチガイア). After a day or two, she officially changed the name to romaji, now calling it “kitixxxgaia”, censoring it (possibly for management, cultural, and radio airplay reasons, but we don’t know specifically) by making it English and with three x’s in the middle. This name, to me, holds two simultaneous meanings, again, much like her signature style of lyricism.

The “kiti” could be interpreted as “kitschy”, a word referring to style in poor taste, much like our girl Seiko’s aesthetic. The word “gaia” is the personification of our planet Earth in ancient Greek texts. So it’s a “Kitschy World”.

“kitixxxgaia” in its original meaning, “Crazy Fucking World”.

Now to the music: Seiko has never let us down with a strong opener, and this might be the most in-your-face, unexpected opener, titled “Dogma Magma”. “Come on up to the emotional stage!” she blurts out before a gong bangs in your face; the remainder of the measure in silence before another hits with a choir on top, just underneath a piano playing downward arpeggios, and below that, some intricate string work, each instrument holding its breath. After the four bar intro, we crescendo up to the main song. Enter a not-quite shibuya-kei type beat – syncopated and staccato-like drums underneath a jittery, major piano progression. Behind it all is Seiko’s voice distorted, seemingly having a conversation with God.

As the filter cuts off, Seiko enters with some of her most provoking, forward lyrics ever written: (rough translation by yours truly): "Once upon a time there was something other than [just] male and female. Once upon a time there was something other than [just] white, black, and yellow [people]. Once upon a time there was something other than [just] yes and no. These things had always always existed, but it was then instead decided that they didn’t [exist].” she sings, touching on the recently hot topics of gender, race, and consent.

She continues “When I opened my eyes I was Japanese. I’m a goddess but I’m too uncomfortable in this inconvenient body to go outside without makeup on.”, a clear reference to body positivity clashing with self-esteem issues, and likely even cultural pressure in Japanese society. “Dogma Magma” has cuts into a more punk style chorus, reminiscent of “Magic Mirror”. “What will you do during the revolution? Just one heart? Fuck you, fuck [you] all, because this is war!” There she is. That’s the Seiko we know and love.

Track three is of note because it sort of takes me back to when she used to advertise herself as an idol during the Zettai Shoujo era for extra shock value. A clever parody on idol music and culture, “IDOL SONG” could almost pass off as a generic denpa song à la Band Ja Naimon!.

“JI・MO・TO no Kao Kawaii Tomodachi” (roughly “JI・MO・TO’s Cute-Faced Friend”) is certainly one of her most out-there songs, with a catchy, sugary hook, an almost rap verse not too different from what she did with “Zettai Kanojo”. It’s light, it’s bouncy, and it’s really good. This whole album is really good. Good. Good. Good. Good. It’s good music (Cruel Winter, when? I need answers, Kanye!).

Speaking of rapping, two songs later, Seiko gives us the ultimate collab for this generation of J-pop. Much like Ringo Sheena and Utada Hikaru’s “Nijikan Dake no Vacation” (roughly “A Vacation For Just The Two Of Us”), “Chikyuu Saigo no Futari” (roughly: “The Last Two People on Earth”) opens up eerily, with a huge texture and an oozing sub bass that launches into this groovy, dark, rhythmic masterpiece. Seiko begins “Dora-chan, warmest welcome to the 21st century, where mass production has made humans more like robots. Justice is brought by violence, the death penalty is given immediately unless you’re cute.” Seiko is soon interrupted: “I’m being forced to be stupid, these frames in front of me are out of my league. Fuck you, guidance! In my head, I’m punk.” Is that voice DAOKO? You bet your ass it is, and she is spitting that truth all over this track.

God there’s so much more to cover for this album but I really don’t want to ruin too much of it by blabbing on. Up next, continuing with the album’s religious themes “Pink Methuselah” brings a familiar sound with a twist – once it kicks in, it’s very clearly Kenta Sakurai (ex. Izukoneko, current Maison Book Girl, TOKYO BLACK HOLE’s “SHINPIN” producer) behind the producer’s chair on this one, but unlike “SHINPIN” from Seiko’s previous album, it’s not just another Sakurai song. It’s very clear how much Seiko added on top of what he did, and it’s like the perfect blend of both of their signature styles.

The album also features a menacing, full-piano self-cover of °C-ute’s “Mugen Climax”, a song that Seiko wrote for the extremely popular Hello! Project group. Now, she’ll never avoid Ringo Sheena comparisons – after all, Oomori’s debut album Mahou Ga…’s artwork pays direct tribute to Sheena’s legendary 2000 album Shouso Strip’s artwork - but what hearing this self-cover (which makes °C-ute’s version almost unlistenable) makes me want is a self-cover album from Seiko once she garners enough writing credits, much like Ringo Sheena’s Utaite Myouri.

The thing here about kitixxxgaia is that the album finishes off differently depending on the version you have. There are three versions: Dogma, Karma, and Gaia. Every version comes with a second “disc” that’s a DVD/Blu Ray; Dogma comes with a live Blu Ray of ZEPP Tokyo stop of the Tokyo Black Hole Tour, Gaia comes with live audio of that same show as well as a DVD of all of the album’s music videos, and Karma comes with a live DVD of a few different shows from last year. Each version also has a key difference  to the main album – the final track is different.

As my personal recommendation, Dogma is the ideal version. Karma and Gaia finish off with new songs, but Dogma closes out with an acoustic re-recording of the Zettai Shoujo single “Kimi to Eiga” (literally: “Movie With You”). Since the closest thing we get to ‘acoustic’ on kitixxxgaia is “Mugen Climax” and “Orion Za”, this is a necessity to the album’s closure and really puts into perspective just how far Seiko has come since her humble beginnings.

The Karma song is called “Ramen no Hanashi” (literally “Ramen Conversation”) and the Gaia song is called “M”. “M” is another piano song, cutting in at just over 6 minutes. “Ramen no Hanashi” also does a similar job to “Kimi to Eiga”, being a full-acoustic track, and it’s a bonus that it’s a new song as well, so if you’re looking for a fully new experience or you’re not familiar with the Zettai Shoujo classic, maybe the Karma version is more for you. Either way, it’s a really nice way to end the album with some retrospect.

IDOL iS NOT DEAD gives kitixxxgaia a perfect 10/10. 11/10. Screw it. Whatever. It’s so goddamn good, just stop reading and go listen oh my god

[inerginc]

As the march to a more sustainable energy future continues to gather momentum, a singular theme is appearing: electrify transportation. But to effectively capitalize on the transportation electrification rEVolution, utilities need to play a central role in not only supplying the electricity required (which increases revenues) but also improving their customer programs and service offerings and communication methods.

This article was originally published in Smart Energy International 3-2019. Read the full digimag here or subscribe to receive a print copy here.

As consumer EV sales continue to climb, forward-thinking utilities are already incorporating electrification into their service offerings. Southern California Edison’s transportation electrification (TE) programs include rebate rewards that subsidize the cost of installations, while also offering customers enrollment in an EV rate, Time-of-Use (TOU) rate, or a different tiered rate plan. Tiered options serve the purpose of not only providing customer choice but has been proven to assist utilities in managing charging by pushing loads off-peak and avoid building additional power plants. Ohio’s AEP and Colorado’s Xcel Energy are offering customers discounts on EV chargers and other rewards. And European power providers are offering even more aggressive incentives, with Enel, Engie, Centrica, and EDF purchasing EV charging companies to accelerate the deployment of public charging stations as well as DC fast chargers.

While these examples showcase promising advancements, the complex thinking, and planning that brought  these initiatives to fruition could remain elusive, as one pilot or program wouldn’t fit all utilities. Instead, utilities might also look to the success of non-EV programs in distributed solar, smart meter deployment, or connected home devices, to identify useful elements they can bring forward into their EV initiatives. 

Benefit-Driven Communication is Key

When introducing any new technology or service, it’s essential to understand that customers resist change, and utilities must excite their customers and work towards their interest, as much as their own. Smart meter deployments that met with resistance (such as those currently in the U.K) failed to communicate to customers what benefits they would realize from the new devices.   

Similar resistance has been shown to happen with new or potential EV owners, as drivers who do not understand how rates for EVs work fear that their use of more electricity will cost more money. And as a result, they choose not to sign up and therefore can’t take advantage of EV rates. And for the utility, non-adopters prevent them from using this economic lever to drive customer charging behavior toward off-peak times of the day when power is cheaper and in less demand.

These experiences illustrate why it is critical that electrification programs first offer real, and tangible benefits to EV drivers, and then clearly communicate those benefits. Additionally, programs are successful when they continue to adapt to market and customer preferences over time, keeping them relevant and enticing.

While the mechanics will look different for various EV programs, the challenges to adoption are similar. For instance, if utilities only offer residential EV charging installation rebates, but don’t address challenges faced by customers living in multi-unit dwellings, they risk alienating a segment of customers. Additionally, opinions are divided whether all the utility’s customers should subsidize targeted utility programs related to EVs, or if EV drivers should bear the total financial burden.

Another example of the need for communication that adapts to the consumer market is the growth of utility owned-community solar projects, which grew 112 percent between 2016 and 2017. Community solar programs are initiatives that offer a utility customer the option to purchase a share in an existing solar array and receive a portion of that system’s power for their use, allowing customers to use solar without buying an array of their own.

Community solar programs started slowly, because they lacked clear frameworks and terms, resulting in a reluctance  to participate by customers. Without subscribers, financiers were reluctant to lend. The industry collaborated on solutions to these complications which led to legal and transactional frameworks and the establishment of utility best practices. When Colorado, Minnesota, and Massachusetts pioneered the implementation of these new solutions, private sector developers flocked to take advantage of the new programs. 

Furthermore, utilities would be wise to ensure programs are not too rigid. While customer choice made community solar accessible, it also became a hindrance. According to Utility Dive, long-term contracts, inflexible payment options, and unpredictable pricing have served as considerable obstacles to specific community solar programs. These drawbacks counteracted the freedom of choice customers felt they should receive from the programs.  

When developing a new transportation electrification program, it’s important to remember - it’s new! Customers will want to ease into adoption. So forgo any long-term commitments, and develop more risk-free, easy-entry pilot programs for customers.

Customer Service Designed to Transform the Market

While it may seem obvious, it’s important to remember that you’re offering a service, not just selling electricity. Your mission centers around making new energy programs easy to adopt for the end-user.

Xcel Energy’s (Xcel) multi-state program outlines this well. It’s an EV charging program where Xcel owns and operates the smart EV chargers. If the customer moves, the charger stays for the next occupant. Supplying equipment gives customers the feeling that this is truly a service where Xcel has everything handled. It also offers Xcel the freedom to manage the chargers as they see fit. As new technology emerges, it is free to replace old charging devices  with improved ones.

A service-centered approach applies to commercial fleets as well. These electric buses and delivery trucks can dramatically increase electricity sales to utilities. However, the new points of load can also stress the local grid if utility service infrastructure is not upgraded at the depot.

While fleet owners and depot managers are well versed in managing fossil fuel prices, they may not be experts in managing kilowatts. Utilities have an opportunity to support fleets throughout the process of preparing their facilities to handle larger electric loads for charging eTrucks and eBuses. This includes providing education on new rate tiers and demand charges they could encounter, to covering the costs of the electrical service upgrades at their depots.

Elements of the move to transportation electrification have not come swiftly for the utilities, and as a result, new startups are rising to fill the gap. AMPLY Power is offering fleets a Charging-as-a-Service business model, where they manage all aspects of a fleet’s charging infrastructure and billing through a price-per-mile compensation model. 

Technology and Collaboration are Vital

There are many parties involved in bringing new technology programs to the market, and transportation electrification isn’t any different. For example, many utilities already organize and manage their energy efficiency and distributed energy programs through cloud-based, web portals, and many of these systems could track incentive and rebate programs for EV initiatives as well. For those programs still managed on spreadsheets, the move to developing an EV program is a good time to consider moving all program management, tracking and reporting from spreadsheets to a robust and scalable digital solution.

Regardless of where utilities are in the process of developing transportation electrification programs, it is critical they do not design them in a vacuum. By leveraging best practices of the past, and keeping the customer’s perspective in mind throughout the development process, utilities can provide both residential and commercial customers with programs and services that encourage and reward the adoption of more electric vehicles in their service territories. Doing so will result in new revenue streams for utilities, fewer greenhouse gas and carbon emissions for the planet, and a better overall transportation electrification experience for the customer.  

About the author:

Udi Merhav is a seasoned technology executive and entrepreneur, Udi Merhav founded energyOrbit in 2006 after 15 years spent designing and implementing e-commerce and information technology solutions for high growth sectors including online legal services, financial services and energy efficiency / Demand Side Management. With business development expertise in Asia Pacific markets, he worked in a variety of roles setting up joint ventures with Chinese companies and is a co-founder and co-investor in India-based Orit Innovations Ltd., providing Salesforce.com consulting services. Udi holds an Undergraduate Degree in Chinese Regional Studies and a Master's Degree in International Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA.

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[richmegavideo]

Here Are All The Hidden Messages In J. Cole’s Middle Child Video

Nearly one month ago, North Carolina MC/producer J. Cole released the highest charting single of his career. "Middle Child," produced by T-Minus, opened the Dreamville founder's 2019 release calendar. Now <a href="https://ift.tt/2He2A2P" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a music video</a>, the single has reached #4 on the Pop charts at the same time that Cole is also prepping the next installment of his Dreamville album series, <em>Revenge Of The Dreamers III</em>, featuring a host of Hip-Hop savvy veterans and newcomers next April. The anticipation for the forthcoming project is high, and "Middle Child" is Cole's first foray into his next chapter as the 34-year-old multi-threat delineates his perception of his position in the Hip-Hop game.

Cole's track has a smorgasbord of subliminal messaging throughout. Cole proactively calls out critics and MCs alike, but without mentioning anyone specifically by name. Just one week after his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7Am55KIhzM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performance at the NBA All-Star Game</a> near his hometown in Charlotte, Cole brought his penmanship to life with the <a href="https://ift.tt/2He2A2P" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video for "Middle Child."</a> Like his prose, the imagery within the film is full of deeper meaning worth decoding.

<a href="https://ift.tt/2He2A2P" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J. Cole Is Hunting Rappers & Keeping Their Heads As Trophies (Video)</a>

One day after J. Cole posted his first music visuals of the year, <em>INSIDER</em> published a video to decrypt the hidden messages that successfully complement the Mez-directed (fka the rapper King Mez) video. The film's Creative Director, Scott Lazer, plays a major role in the filmography as well. Lazer has worked previously with Cole for his videos <a href="https://ift.tt/2tPgzUQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"ATM,"</a> <a href="https://ift.tt/2HeviAG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Kevin's Heart,"</a> <a href="https://ift.tt/2tQTSzi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"4 Your Eyez Only,"</a> and his HBO documentary and concert series, <a href="https://ift.tt/2H9EbeJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming</em></a>. Throughout, <em>INSIDER</em> Senior Producer Alana Yzola dissects the scenes within "Middle Child," giving specific details that correlate both to J. Cole's lyricism and his Hip-Hop ideals.

In the opening, Yzola unravels the meaning behind some of Cole's most prominent sequences, including Cole's themes of hunting riddled within the video. "Throughout most of the video, J. Cole is in the middle of the screen while everything is happening around him, sort of like how kids describe their experiences being a middle child in their family. The video also wastes little time highlighting J's targets. The scene opens with Cole in the center of the screen with a silhouetted crowd behind him. When the beat drops, affluent figures from the red carpet celebrate, but aren't paying any attention to Cole's presence. The red carpet event is also in the woods. It's the first visual hint of the hunting motif that comes up throughout the entire video. When the lights fade, and the scene changes, the lively crowd lies dead in the morgue."

<a title="Permanent Link to Ari Lennox Is The 1st Lady Of Dreamville. J. Cole Helps Bring Her Biggest Song To Video" href="https://ift.tt/2tPgArS" target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener">Ari Lennox Is The 1st Lady Of Dreamville. J. Cole Helps Bring Her Biggest Song To Video</a>

Subsequently, Yzola explains Cole's representation of the proverbial red carpet, anatomizing the idea behind his vision and his possible displeasure with publicized award shows and events. "The red carpet has been replaced with red dirt, which also covers the soles of the dead's shoes. The red bottoms remind viewers of the ever popular, high-end Louis Vuitton shoes that have quickly become a status symbol. But the fact that the soles are made from dirt make the wearers seem fake and ungenuine."

She continues, "When it comes to award shows, J. Cole has notoriously been snubbed. For the Grammy's specifically, the artist has been nominated seven times and hasn't won once. He's been bested by Childish Gambino, Ella Mai, Chance The Rapper, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd. But despite this Cole has been and still is killing it. The artist who also produced almost all of his record went platinum with no features with his 2014 album, <a href="https://ift.tt/2He2B6T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em> 2014 Forest Hills Drive</em></a>. His albums, <a href="https://ift.tt/2tPgC2Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Cole World: The Sideline Story</em></a>, <a href="https://ift.tt/2H9V6xI" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Born Sinner</em></a>, <a href="https://ift.tt/2tNvgHO" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>4 Your Eyez Only</em></a>, and <a href="https://ift.tt/2He2DM3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>KOD</em></a>, also went platinum." Regardless of Cole's lack of accolades, it seems as if the St. John's alum is more comfortable coming from the mud, and the film shows it.

<a href="https://ift.tt/2tPgDE4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.I.D & J. Cole Are Out To Prove Dreamville Is The Most Lyrical Crew In Hip-Hop</a>

Later, Yzola dives into the true meaning behind the song's title. "The artist feels that he rests between new ages of Rap, old school and new school, and is okay with acting as a bridge between them." Cole raps, <em>"I'm dead in the middle of two generations / I'm little bro and big bro all at once."</em> She continues, "He acknowledges that he learned a lot from the legends before him, and is looking to help the next wave of 'real' artists. And the theme that sticks out in this part of the video is what it means to be 'real.' We've switched scenes from the backwoods to the supermarket, a play on the 'hunters versus the buyers.' The buyers here are the people who weren't out there hunting for their success, but passively relying on the innovation of others. Like this woman in camouflage who is literally shopping for 'The Juice.'"

This isn't Cole's first time calling out rappers for being phony in recent weeks. <a href="https://ift.tt/2He2EzB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On 21 Savage's record, "a lot,"</a> Cole calls out the fake and the faux once again. He raps,<em> “Question, how many faking they streams? (A lot) / Getting they plays from machines (A lot) / I can see behind the smoke and mirrors / Ni**as ain’t really big as they seem (Hmm) / I never say anything (Nah), everybody got they thing (True) / Some ni**as make millions, other ni**as make memes (Hmm) / I’m on a money routine."</em>

<a href="https://ift.tt/2EJVBPr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J. Cole Saves His Best Verse Of 2018 For A Collabo With Rapsody (Audio)</a>

In finality, Cole pays homage to the strength and power of Black women. He uses their image to promote this sentiment all over "Middle Child." Yzola wraps up the conversation. "Cole has a powerful, young, all-female marching band setting the pace and the beat for the whole song. The idea of setting the pace is continued with the shocking end to the video. A white woman notices a Black woman's baby hairs and is immediately seeing shopping for a Black woman's face in the grocery store. The face had a red special sticker on the packaging. J. Cole said it best, <em>'Money in your palm don't make you real.'</em> The video shows the dangers of appropriation, how features and styles of Black women are only celebrated when they aren't on Black women."

Cole's got Heads paying attention to his visuals just like his lyrics.

The post Here Are All The Hidden Messages In J. Cole’s Middle Child Video appeared first on .

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[rickhorrow]

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 2

with Jamie Swimmer & Jesse Leeds Grant

The new MLB season is upon us, though this year the Los Angeles Dodgers did not hold the league’s biggest payroll on Opening Day. According to the Associated Press, the Boston Red Sox’ payroll of $223 million was enough to snap the Dodgers’ four-year run as the top spender in baseball. Prior to this year, the Red Sox had not had baseball’s largest payroll since at least 1990, “the earliest year figures compiled by MLB are available.” The San Francisco Giants ranked second at around $203 million, and the Chicago Cubs are third at about $183 million. Rounding out the top five are the Dodgers and Washington Nationals, each approximately spending $180 million. The New York Yankees, a club that is used to spending exorbitant amounts of cash on an annual basis, have their lowest payroll since 2003, spending only around $167 million. This marks the first time that the club has been ranked as low as seventh in spending since 1992.

Now that spring training is over, the economic impact should continue to flow with 15 teams in Florida and 15 teams in Arizona. As for Florida, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission recently sponsored an event called “Economic Impact of Baseball in Palm Beach County.” The event featured speakers including Pat O’Conner, President of Minor League Baseball; Brian Cooley, President, EVERFI Sports and Entertainment Group; Pat Rooney, Palm Beach County civic and business leader; Steve Salem, President, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation; and George Linley, Executive Director, Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The economic impact of four teams in Palm Beach County, especially with the world champion Houston Astros, as well as two minor league baseball teams and over 30 amateur baseball teams last year means significant economic impact that other communities can emulate. This will be a big benchmark for other counties to follow, not only in Florida but in Arizona as well.

While a record 130 MLB players will be making at least $10 million this season, the league’s average salary only rose by 3% over last year. According to USA Today, the minimal rise in league-wide salaries can largely be attributed to a depressed market. The average salary currently sits at $4.61 million, compared to last year’s marker of $4.47 million. Only three players were awarded contracts north of $100 million this offseason, and only two players inked contracts longer than five years. Teams spent “$1.98 billion on 65 multi-year contracts this winter, compared to $2.98 billion on 57 deals a year ago, and $2.06 billion on 30 multiyear contracts in 2016.” One big motivation for clubs to decrease their spending was to get below the luxury tax line – set at $197 million. The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, last year’s top two spending teams, have cut more than $100 million payroll, putting them each more than $30 million below the tax line.

The 2018 Masters is imminent at Augusta National Golf Club – and it may be the most eagerly-anticipated Masters to date. Tiger Woods is making his return to the tournament as the favorite despite not having won a Major in over 3,500 days. If he comes out of the weekend victorious, the 42-year-old would become only the seventh person to win the tournament aged 40 or older, joining the like of Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus. According to WalletHub, last year’s ticket sales revenue was estimated to be valued at over $35 million. The Augusta Chronicle notes that Woods' place in the field "appears to be driving up the price of practice-round tickets and tournament badges on the secondary market." TickPick reports that Woods has "boosted the secondary-market price of a Thursday tournament badge to $3,653," a 77% increase from last year’s Thursday badge; according to the company, this year’s prices are the highest they’ve seen. StubHub is "listing four-day tournament badges for $9,900." While ticket prices remain incredibly expensive, one of the best aspects of The Masters is the cheap concessions. A domestic beer will only cost you $4.00, while an obligatory egg salad or pimento cheese sandwich will only set you back $1.50.

Tiger Woods was one of the most marketable athletes in the world before he lost major sponsorships with AT&T, Gatorade, and Gillette in the wake of his 2009 sex scandal. Will he get them back? Woods has also had struggled with injuries, and had his reputation take a further hit last year with an alleged DUI arrest. Companies still consider sponsoring Woods due to his universal name recognition. However, major sponsors are unlikely to capitalize on Tiger anytime soon. “We test him often, and there is still a very significant lack of trust and likability, in terms of the general population,” Matt Delzell, managing director of The Marketing Arm/Davie Brown Talent, told Fast Company. “It’s an interesting balance we don’t see with a lot of athletes, where people want to see him perform well because it adds excitement to the sport, even for casual golf fans. But no one is looking at these numbers and saying, ‘This is a guy I’ve got to attach my brand to.’ The numbers don’t justify that, especially the kind of money he’d be asking for.” One place where Woods continues to perform is Las Vegas. Per Golf.com, Vegas sportsbooks have had a golf-betting reawakening with Tiger’s reemergence. As of Sunday, he was a 9/1 favorite to win another green jacket.

While the jury is still out on whether Tiger Woods’ comeback will bring back the major new sponsor commitments of yesteryear, companies are eager to capitalize on his 2018 resurgence. Bridgestone Golf, a longtime Woods sponsor, will "start selling customized Tour B XS Tiger Woods Edition golf balls," and a "portion of the proceeds from the sale of the balls will go to the Tiger Woods Foundation," according to GolfWeek. Each ball is "stamped 'Tiger' on the side, just like the balls" Woods uses in competition. Likewise, Delta Air Lines is leveraging its sponsorship of The Masters with the launch of an "international-only media platform," which will include ads and social media ahead of this week’s event. Bizjournals.com notes this is Delta's first year as an "International Partner" of the tournament after the airline signed a multiyear deal in October. The new marketing campaign is "running in 11 countries across broadcast TV, digital, out-of-home and social media channels, with concentrated investments in London, Mexico City and Seoul." Delta’s deal was struck before Woods was ensured to be in the field, but the airline clearly will benefit by his presence, especially if he makes the cut.

Villanova and Michigan square off on Monday for the NCAA national championship. And the NCAA is likewise heading back to court, this time to argue over the amount that student athletes are allowed to be compensated financially. According to USA Today, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken set December 3 as a trial date for the pending lawsuits, which “seek to prevent the NCAA and a group of 11 major conferences from collectively confining athletes to receiving scholarships covering tuition, fees, room, board, books, and incidental costs of attending college.” The plaintiffs in the case have proposed that limits of compensation for athletes should be set on a conference-by-conference basis instead of nationally, as well that athletes “be allowed to receive all manner of benefits above the cost of attendance that are related to education and/or are incidental to their participation in their sports.” Judge Wilken, the ruling judge in the case, is the same official who oversaw the Ed O’Bannon antitrust trial the last few years, so she is well-versed with the NCAA.

Multiple European countries are preparing a potential bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. According to Reuters, Milan and Turin will be teaming up for one bid, while Barcelona and the Pyrenees mountains might work together on another. The International Olympic Committee’s new bidding process allows for Games to be spread over bigger areas, making both of these bids logistically possible, though “the competition can only be named after one city.” Italy’s bid most likely will call for the ceremonies and some events to be held in Milan, while others will be staged at venues built for the Turin 2006 Olympics. Meanwhile, Spain’s potential bid would be used to promote peace between Catalonia and Spain. “The Olympics brought together in the most recent Games the two Koreas; now it can help us (Catalonia and Spain) return to working together,” said Catalan Sports Secretary General Gerard Figueras. “Sport is capable of carrying out initiatives that are beneficial to the whole world.” Games officials are closely watching the awarding of the 2026 World Cup, where the joint North American bid may prevail and influence other decisions.

The price of building the new Los Angeles NFL stadium and the surrounding development area continues to balloon, now reaching nearly $5 billion. According to the Los Angeles Times, the stadium alone was originally projected to cost $2.6 billion, but that has since risen to nearly $3 billion, while the other developments have risen in cost as well. NFL owners approved raising the debt waiver up to $4.963 billion, allowing the Rams and Chargers to continue with their construction plans; neither franchise has provided a specific number as to what the stadium will cost, though. The first phase of the local development project includes the stadium, the “neighboring 6,000-seat performance venue, the 200,000 square feet of office space for NFL media, the parking lots surrounding the stadium, and the cost of the entire 300-acre parcel.” The first phase is expected to be finished by 2020, with phases two, three, and four coming in later years. Because this site includes space for a de facto NFL West headquarters, the league is more likely to rubber-stamp cost increases that would normally draw major scrutiny and angst.

10.High school basketball players skipping college to join the G League could become a lot more common following McDonald’s All-American and Syracuse commit Darius Bazley’s decision to do so. According to Yahoo Sports, Bazley’s decision to forgo college came down to him thinking that he would get more out of the G League than he would by playing in Europe or at Syracuse. Bazley will be able to officially sign with a G League team when he turns 18 in June. If ultimately selected toward the top of the class in the 2019 NBA draft, Bazley could serve “as a trailblazer for the future of the sport,” especially with the ongoing NCAA scandal and the imminent shakeup of the current system. “The G League will have the most to offer, considering that is the development league for the NBA,” said Bazley. “I will get more out of that than going overseas.” This is only the tip of the hardwood iceberg – look for many more marquee players to follow in Bazley’s large and well-compensated footsteps.

11.The 2018 World Cup in Russia is less than 100 days away, and the excitement is beginning to build around the world. According to The Drum, a new research study from GlobalWebIndex showed than nearly half of the world’s online population plans to tune into this summer’s tournament. As part of the study, the company surveyed 80,267 people from over 40 leading markets around the world. The findings show that 47% of the online population plans to watch the 2018 World Cup, with 55% of male internet users expected to watch either online or on TV. Comparatively, just over one-third (37%) of female internet users polled noted that they would tune in at some point. The World Cup “holds a significantly greater appeal than that of the Premier League (25%).” Viewers in Europe that were polled said that the apps they are most likely to use are YouTube (90%), Facebook (76%), WhatsApp (65%), Facebook Messenger (49%), Instagram (48%) and Twitter (39%). Even without a U.S. squad in contention this year, expect, huge viewership on TV and online in the U.S. as well.

Investing in professional sports leagues is more than just fun and games for corporate sponsors, it is serious business. During last year’s MLB All-Star break, SportsETFs launched a Pro Sports Sponsors Index. The fund (FANZ) is composed solely of companies that are official sponsors of the four major sports leagues in North America (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL), with 67 companies currently part of it. Since the fund’s July 11, 2017, launch date, it has been on par with or above the S&P 500; the fund was even back-tested against the index since 2005 and outperformed it by 130%. “If you look at the companies that partner with the league, they are typically blue-chip companies that still want to grow, so, they’ve got a growth component but they’ve also got a value component in that they have enough free cash flow to earmark a big chunk of their marketing budget to sports,” said founder Nick Fullerton. The widespread interest in esports teams will only accelerate this sports investment trend.

13.NeuLion has been acquired by Endeavor in a deal valued at $250 million. According to SportsVideo.org, NeuLion, the digital video and streaming powerhouse, is one of the leaders in the industry, having worked directly with major partners across the globe like the NFL, NBA, EFL, UFC, Big Ten Network, and Sky Sports, just to name a few. Endeavor is the parent company of UFC and was looking to expand its role in the streaming of sports, entertainment, and fashion before making the all-cash purchase. “Through our content portfolio, client base, and broader network of rightsholders, we’ve encountered many different platforms for distributing and monetizing content,” Endeavor CEO Ariel Emanuel said in an official release. “NeuLion provides an ideal combination of technology and client services, and we’re excited for the value this brings to our existing partners and the foundation it provides for our future digital growth.” As Endeavor continues to grow, it only makes sense that it will continue to build out its infrastructure and digital platforms to house its booming content.

14.While a majority of NBA players ultimately end up in some sort of financial trouble years after retirement, Shaquille O’Neal is trying to flip that script. According to JohnWallStreet, Shaq is making more money today that he ever did in a year while he was playing. Over the course of his NBA career, Shaq made $292 million in on-court earnings, with the most he earned in a year being $30 million in salary. Today, the two-time All American from LSU and legendary big man is the sixth highest paid retired athlete, following the likes of Michael Jordan, Arnold Palmer, and David Beckham. Since retiring in 2011, “his single largest payday occurred in December 2015 when he sold 51% of all future business endeavors (not including his broadcasting contract with Turner Sports or his minority investment in the Sacramento Kings), providing him with between $230-$270 million in cash. As Shaq’s son Shareef gets ready to suit up for UCLA next season, he will be looking to follow in his father’s footsteps on and off the court.

Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings was recently in Austin for SXSW to officially launch her p1440 beach volleyball event series, which consists of a series of "volleyball-a-palooza-style festivals, complete with top-level competition, a health and wellness village, personal development experiences and a music festival," according to the Austin American-Stateman. Eight events are planned for the 2018-2019 season, starting with a "festival in Chicago in September and followed by events in the San Jose Bay Area, San Diego and Huntington Beach." A digital component of p1440, where "users can get training tips, stream volleyball matches and workouts...and chat with others, will launch this summer, too." The goal is to "attract between 20,000 and 30,000 people to each three-day event and 4 million to the online platform" by 2021. Walsh Jennings, who split from the AVP in February, said, "We believe we will attract new eyeballs to sport. We’re not a small undertaking.” Walsh Jennings’ dispute with the AVP centered on exclusivity, a provision in the player’s agreement prohibiting them from competing professionally in any other U.S. tournaments. With just eight tournaments per year on offer by the AVP, she not only felt this was unreasonable, she created a workable alternative for pro volleyball players.

Tech Top 5

U.S. Soccer announces $1.5 billion deal with STATSports. The U.S. Soccer Federation has hired Irish wearables company STATSports to provide monitoring devices for its four million registered soccer players in the United States. Valued at over $1.5 billion, U.S. Soccer and STATSports say the partnership will result in the world’s largest player data monitoring program, which will help identify future soccer stars in the U.S., as well as giving players at all levels across the country access to the performance technology used by top professionals and teams around the world. STATSports’ software will allow U.S. coaches to analyze each player’s individual response to training sessions and games through real-time feedback. This will also reduce the chances of players’ under-training or suffering injuries from over-training. The technology will be rolled out across all of U.S. Soccer’s national teams, while it will also be deployed in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as well as across youth national teams and development academy clubs. As well as US Soccer, STATSports also has partnerships with the NFL, NHL, and a number of clubs from the Premier League.

MLB.TV set to launch Catch Up feature for game streams. MLB’s Advanced Media is working on a “Catch Up” feature to help fans joining a broadcast in progress to quickly review the action they missed. If a MLB.TV subscriber logs into the livestream of a game in the fourth inning, the app can play a reel of the key moments from the start of the game. “Regardless that you’re an hour late, you are feeling such as you received the highlights, you’re on top of things,” MLB’s government vice chairman for technique, know-how and innovation Chris Marinak stated. Catch Up will launch first for Apple TV and supported units however, will transfer to different platforms in time. The spotlight choice is automated, with an algorithm powering a “fascinating index” worth that ranks performs by their impression on Win Chance. Marinak additionally described a collection of “incremental enhancements” to the At Bat app, together with an improved video participant, higher navigation, and improved voice recognition along with Catch Up for MLB.TV.

Gatorade tackles dehydration with VR. Gatorade’s “Beat The Blitz” digital actuality simulation encourages younger athletes to study hydration and efficiency. Gatorade has provided a new brand new strategy to entertain while educating athletes about correct hydration. The beverage firm unveiled its new “Beat The Blitz” VR recreation that includes former NFL All-Professional and Tremendous Bowl champion, Peyton Manning. “I look just a little youthful in 3D,” said Manning in a recently launched Gatorade video. “Beat The Blitz” has fans taking hydration recommendations from Manning while throwing passes at targets and avoiding would-be tacklers. The recreation was developed by ZeroCode together with assist from The Mill, OMD, and VML. “Beat The Blitz” debuted at SXSW and the NFL Mix in Indianapolis. Through its activation, Gatorade is encouraging younger athletes to look at the significance of hydration on athletic efficiency.

Turner Sports is launching ‘”B/R Live.” Turner Sports will launch a streaming over-the-top video service in April called B/R Live. B/R Live, named for Turner’s Bleacher Report, will include live games from the NBA, UEFA, World Arm Wrestling, PGA Championship, and National Lacrosse League, among others. "When we acquired B/R six years ago, we imagined a time when the brand could become a virtual network in its own right, and that time is now," said Turner President David Levy at a press event at Bleacher Report's New York office. Turner also hopes it will serve as a hub for sports fans. If it is on a Turner network, users will be able to watch live in the app; if on a competitor, it will link to its app. B/R Live will be free at launch. Later in the summer, the company will roll out a paywall, letting users pay for individual games, or a subscription for broader access to games. It will launch on the web and on mobile at first, with apps on connected TV devices launching later in the summer. Advertisers will be able to buy ad space on Turner’s linear channels, and the same space on the in-app stream. In addition, sponsors will be able to buy out the whole app, sponsor the free preview stream of live events, or even sponsor entire events, making them free to users.

NBA to sell parts of games with micropayments. NBA fans will be able to buy the right to see parts of non-national TV games for a small fee, the league and its digital partner Turner Sports announced last week. The offering is set to begin in the 2018-19 season. The league and Turner began offering League Pass games on an individual basis for $6.99, but Tuesday's announcement signals the first time a major sports league is offering fans the chance to buy parts of games. Sources said that the league will continue to experiment by offering fans various fees to see a certain percentage of a game. The offering could be dependent on a close game in an important matchup down the stretch, a team making an epic comeback, or a player in the midst of setting a record. The new offering won't change what has been offered in the past. Fans can still get a certain team's games for the season and continue to pay $6.99 individually for games that intrigue them. Fear of cannibalizing the NBA League Pass revenue had once seemed to make it harder to sell fans slices of games. But younger fans are used to making micropayments and buying things on impulse, especially when notices pop up in their social feeds.

Power of Sports 5

Dodgers donate $2 million to Puerto Rico. Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner and chairman Mark Walter says the team is donating $2 million to support rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico after last year’s devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Walter announced the donation to Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico last Tuesday. Infielder-outfielder Kike Hernandez and his fiancee Mariana Vicente selected the charity and added over $225,000 earned through their fundraisers. The donation will go toward rehabilitating and reconstructing damaged homes in Humacao, Santa Isabel, Ponce, Patillas, and Arroyo, and constructing new housing in Guayama. According to government estimates, the hurricane severely damaged or destroyed more than a third of the island’s 1.2 million occupied homes, and more than 60,000 new homes need to be constructed.

Kevin Durant is the frontrunner for NBA citizenship award. Kevin Durant’s commitment to the community over the last year has made him the frontrunner for the 2017-2018 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. Named after the NBA’s second commissioner, the Citizenship Award is given by the Professional Basketball Writers Association to “a player, coach or athletic trainer who demonstrates outstanding service and dedication to the community.” Through the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, Durant has surpassed the criteria listed to win the award. The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation aims to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through educational, athletic, and social programs. The foundation made a 10-year, $10 million commitment to bring College Track’s college completion program to Durant’s hometown in Maryland, creating The Durant Center, a new state-of-the-art educational and leadership facility. “Build It and They Will Ball,” the foundation’s flagship program, has built or renovated 14 courts in four countries. Durant also announced a $3 million donation to the University of Texas’ basketball programs and the school’s Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation, and contributed $10,000 to Colin Kaepernick’s “10 for 10” campaign.

Cleveland Indians pitcher to donate $420.69 a day for 69 days. Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer will donate close to $100,000 to different charities this year after winning more than he initially fought for in arbitration. During his "69 Days of Giving," Bauer will donate $420.69 to a different charity for 68 straight days, starting on Opening Day, and finish off the event with a final donation of $69,420.69. All told, Bauer will commit $104,030.31 of his $6,525,000 salary to the project, leaving him to take home $6,420,969.69 for his work with the Indians this season. Bauer will be donating $420.69 to a different charity every day for 68 straight days, taking suggestions from the public as to where to give. On the 69th day, he'll cap off the campaign by make one final donation of $69,420.69 to a charity of his choosing. Add in another $6,002.70 for Taiki Green, the campaign manager of the charitable endeavor, and Bauer will be left with his desired 2018 salary of $6,420,969.69. "I'm just trying to give to charity, man," Bauer said. "I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I have the ability to do that."

Orioles pledge $300,000 to local charities. The Baltimore Orioles announced a $300,000 pledge to local charities in support of the club's Birdland Community Heroes program. The donation total includes a combined pledge of $100,000 from the Orioles Charitable Foundation to the 2018 season's Birdland Community Heroes' related charities, as well as $200,000 to the charities of those Heroes honored in prior seasons. On Opening Day, the Orioles welcomed back all previous Birdland Community Heroes to take part in a special pregame ceremony. Launched during the 2016 regular season, the Birdland Community Heroes program recognizes community heroes who have inspired others through their spirited commitment to extend a hand in charity, service, hope, and harmony. During Opening Day ceremonies, approximately 60 previous Birdland Community Heroes were on hand at Oriole Park to participate in an on-field ceremony celebrating their contributions to the Birdland community. Orioles Executive Vice President John Angelos presented a $200,000 check to the group of prior honorees, to be evenly distributed among all 2016-2017 Birdland Community Heroes' associated charities.

Arsenal and Real Madrid legends to play for charity. Arsenal and Real Madrid legends will play in two matches in aid of charity, with Real Madrid club hosting the first match at the Bernabeu on June 3. All proceeds are set to go to the Real Madrid Foundation – a project aimed at helping children in need. Arsenal will host a return meeting on September 8 at which proceeds will go towards the Arsenal foundation. Both teams have fielded a team of legends in the last two years. Madrid beat AS Roma legends 1-0 last year. Real president Florentino Perez expressed his delight at being able to welcome Arsenal to the Spanish capital. "One more year we are here to present a new edition of what has become one of our solidarity traditions. An event of the most emotional of which we celebrate each season," he said. "The Real Madrid and Arsenal will star this Heart Classic Match 2018 Football for Children, whose profits this time will be allocated to projects in the Real Madrid Foundation that are aimed at children who need it most."